Mosque Construction Blocked By Ulster Unionists
The [London] Times - 14.01.03
THE construction of Northern Ireland's first purpose-built mosque is being blocked by Unionist politicians who say that residents would be kept awake by "wailing" and that Muslims are plotting to destroy Christianity.
For years a small Muslim community near Portadown, Co Armagh, has observed the antics of Orangemen during the annual marching season in the mid-Ulster town. Blending into the most famously hardline Protestant area of Northern Ireland, a province that remains 99.15 per cent white, according to the 2001 census, was always going to be tricky for the two dozen Muslim families who live here.
Many of them work at the hospital or run takeaway food shops. But after years of minding their own business, they have spoken out after Unionist councillors objected to their plan for a mosque in a field outside Portadown.
One councillor claimed that the development could pave the way for an al-Qaeda terrorist cell in the area. Fred Crowe, an Ulster Unionist councillor and former Mayor for the Craigavon area, said that residents in Bleary believed that their way of life would be threatened if the mosque were built. Mr Crowe said that encouraging Muslims to settle in Craigavon might open the door for militants.
Although outline planning permission has been granted for the £200,000 mosque, which is to be funded by the Muslim community, final approval has been delayed after Unionist councillors voted for it to be reconsidered.
Woolsey Smith, who represents Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, said: "They say it's not going to be an eastern-type mosque and there'll not be the wailing noise calling these people to worship but we don't know about that. I would be worried for residents in the area as to just what they will be confronted with."
Like other Unionist councillors, Mr Smith claims the mosque, proposed for a boggy field three miles outside Portadown, will cause sewage problems and heavy traffic on the country road leading to it, even though Muslims say that their community is at most 200-strong in Craigavon.
Mohammad Yousaf, a retired draper who came to Northern Ireland 15 years ago, said that Muslims had used a community centre for their Friday prayer meetings since a makeshift mosque was burnt by vandals five years ago.
Adam O'Boyle, a Roman Catholic who converted to Islam four years ago, said that the Province's insularity meant that many people found it difficult to cope with other walks of life and different ethnic groups.
Mohammad Ashraf, a Pakistani whose family came to Northern Ireland 27 years ago and who owns the land on which the mosque will be built, said: "We don't want to fall out with anybody but we want the mosque. It will be a simple building that will blend in, with just one dome, not too many minarets. They'll be no wailing, no call to prayer. Who is going to listen around here anyway? Cows?"
Rethink urged on plan for new Mosque • Unionist objectors 'ignorant of Muslim religion'
Belfast Telegraph • 15 January 2003
By Maureen Coleman
UNIONISTS on Craigavon Borough Council were accused of displaying ignorance today in a row over plans to build a mosque.
Outline planning permission has been granted for the construction of Northern Ireland's first mosque, in a field at Bleary, near Portadown.But after objections from some Unionist councillors and local residents, planners were asked to reconsider and a final recommendation has yet to be made.
Former Ulster Unionist Mayor of Craigavon Fred Crowe said he was opposed to the mosque on infrastructure grounds, claiming it would pose traffic, noise and drainage problems. He said that residents had been assured that there would be no "calls to worship", but pointed out that chanting could disturb people living nearby. "This mosque would be built near eight or nine villas and although we've been assured that there will be no noise, they are inclined to chant in big numbers, which is bound to cause a disturbance," he said." I think that a mosque would devalue the area and introduce people into the community who don't actually live here. "I'm as liberal as anybody but there are genuine reasons why this proposal should not go ahead."
Woolsey Smith of the DUP said he had been told the mosque would not be an eastern-type building and that there would be no "wailing" noise calling Muslims to worship. "I would be worried for residents in the area as to just what they will be confronted with," he said.
But Sinn Fein and representatives from the local Muslim community hit out at the unionists' comments. Councillor John O'Dowd said he believed the unionist representatives were opposed to anything "other than what they believe in". "This is an equality matter," he said. "The unionists just cannot bring themselves into an inclusive society in Craigavon. "A mosque could only enrich the community by encouraging a diversity of cultures."
A spokesman for the Muslim community in Portadown said: "These so-called council leaders are just showing their ignorance and it's that type of ignorance which has this country the way it is. "Why don't they come and meet with the Muslims and find out about their religion before they start commenting on it. Lack of knowledge is a terrible thing."
Trimble steps into mosque debate
The Sunday Times – 19th January 2003
Liam Clarke reports on recent developments over mosque in Portadown
The Ulster Unionist leader is to meet councillors from Craigavon this weekend in an effort to defuse a dispute over the building of Northern Ireland’s first mosque in his constituency. Unionist councillors have opposed the mosque on planning grounds, leading to allegations of racial and religious bigotry.
David Trimble believes the row is damaging the unionist cause and is being exploited in propaganda terms by Sinn Fein. The mosque is planned for a site near the town of Portadown, which is the heartland of Orangeism and has become a byword for intolerance and sectarian conflict because of the annual Drumcree standoff. Trimble said yesterday: "I have been disturbed by some of the issues raised, and I don’t mean the planning issues. As a result, I will be speaking to some of my party councillors over the weekend. I don’t want to comment further until I have discussed it with them."
Trimble is particularly perturbed by comments from Fred Crowe, a councillor and key local supporter in his Upper Bann constituency. Crowe has joined other unionist councillors on Craigavon council, which governs Portadown, in opposing planning permission. Crowe’s official reasons for opposing the mosque are the strain it would put on the sewage and road system but he has also criticised the Muslim community, accusing them of introducing an alien culture which involves noisy chanting and wailing that will disturb the locals.
The councillor describes himself as a committed Christian who has travelled widely in the Islamic world and studied its belief system. He said: "Their (Muslims’) greatest enemy is Jesus Christ, and I have seen papers coming from them that it is their intention to wipe out Christianity." He insists these views do not affect his judgment on the planning merits of the mosque. "I am only acting on behalf of the residents who are entitled to live in a normal manner without being interrupted," he said. "I have fought this whole issue entirely on planning grounds. I can have personal views, but that is not going to affect me."
The Democratic Unionist party, led by Ian Paisley, takes a more cautious approach. Woolsey Smith, one of its councillors, said: "A few people have spoken to me about the issue of another culture coming into a country area. A mosque isn’t a typical type of church, but I do believe in freedom of worship, and I wouldn’t like to create a racist-type issue." Smith said he had researched Muslim beliefs on the internet and recommended a fundamentalist Protestant site, sermonaudio.com, which turned out to be highly critical of Islam. It contained a prediction by Paisley of a final conflict that would be fought out between "Biblical Christianity" and "Mohammedanism-Judaism-Romanism".
The land for a purpose-built mosque was donated by Mohammed Ashraf, an elderly Pakistani who is one of 200 Muslims in the Craigavon area, after a temporary mosque was burned down by vandals.
John O’Dowd, a local Sinn Fein councillor who has emerged as the mosque’s main political champion, admits there are genuine planning concerns. The area is served by what was once a quiet country road that now carries heavy traffic to shopping centres and would be strained further by traffic to the mosque. Most local houses have no connection to the main sewage system, and there are drainage problems from septic tanks which do not have adequate soak away systems. O’Dowd said: "Some of the residents have genuine concerns about road traffic and sewage in the area. My argument is that as local councillors we should be lobbying for better sewage and road systems instead of using it as a reason to block the Muslim community building a place of worship. Frankly some of the comments I’ve heard sound sectarian and racist. Craigavon should be setting an example as a multicultural, diverse community."
The mosque has already been given outline planning permission but is being blocked by unionists at the council. Local Muslims are bemused that it is only now, a year after it was first mooted, that problems are being raised. The fate of the mosque is likely to be decided at the end of next month during a meeting of Craigavon council.
Opponent of mosque tries for new site • Reasons not racist says alderman
Belfast Telegraph - 21st January 2003
By Michael McHugh
THE man at the centre of a row over Northern Ireland's first mosque will help find developers an alternative site in an effort to quash allegations of racism.
Ulster Unionist members of Craigavon Borough Council have been campaigning against the siting of the building in a field at Bleary, near Portadown, and party leader David Trimble has been forced to intervene.
Political opponents have accused them of racial and religious bigotry but objectors claim it is a planning matter.
Alderman Fred Crowe (UUP), who raised the initial protest to the scheme, dismissed suggestions of racism. "If these Muslims contact me I will do my utmost to find them an alternative site. I am opposed to the scheme as it stands on three grounds. There is a problem with the sewage system in the area. Most local houses have no connection to the main sewage system. I am also concerned that the road leading to the area is not designed to cope with the extra traffic. My other objection is that residents fear a neighbouring mosque would lower the value of their property."
Mr Crowe pointed out that during his tenure as mayor he presided over a civic reception attended mainly by Muslims. "I am only involved in this at the request of local residents. I do not live in the area and such a development will not affect me or my family," he added.
Craigavon Mayor Samuel Gardiner applauded the new proposal and said he would be glad if a resolution could be found to the dispute. "This area has no problem with a mosque and if a suitable location could be found I would welcome it," he said.
Land for a purpose-built mosque was donated by Mohammed Ashraf, an elderly Pakistani who is among 200 Muslims in the area. The mosque has already been given outline planning permission but is being blocked by unionist members of the council.
A final decision is due to be taken at the end of next month during a meeting of the council. The idea has been considered for over a year now.
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