UK mosques set social agenda

London: Books calling for the execution of gays, forbidding interfaith marriage and ordering women to strictly stay indoors are being sold inside some of Britain's leading mosques, it has been revealed. Researchers in Britain have found the extremist literature on sale at a quarter of the 100 Islamic religious institutions -- some of the works were traced at a bookshop in the London Central Mosque funded by the Saudi government, 'The Times' reported here today.

"On the one hand, the results were reassuring: in only a minority of institutions -- approximately 25 per cent -- was radical material found. What's more worrying is that these are among the best-funded and most dynamic institutions in Muslim Britain -- some of which are held up as mainstream bodies.

"Many of the institutions featured here have been endowed with official recognition," lead researcher Denis Maceoin of Newcastle University wrote in the report, titled 'The Hijacking of British Islam', which is published by the policy exchange think tank. Extremist literature, including passages supporting the stoning of adulterers and waging violent jihad, was also found on sale at many other mosques regarded as mainstream institutions, according to the report.

In fact, the researchers have collected over 80 books and pamphlets from the mosques during their year-long project.

One book, 'Fatawa Islamiyah' which urges the execution of apostates, was found in bookshops at Regent's Park Mosque and at the huge East London mosque in Whitechapel. Books were also found at mosques in Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Oxford and High Wycombe.

Bureau Report