Fears over revival of mega-mosque plan

This is the headline to a piece in today’s Evening Standard reporting on the proposed Tablighi Jamaat markaz in Newham in East London.

You do wonder whether the Standard and other right-wing newspapers have a template “mega-mosque” article which they just recycle with minor amendments as the situation requires. I mean, how many times have we read the following passage?

“Opponents say Tablighi Jamaat is a ‘sect’ that preaches ‘separation and segregation’. Two of the 7/7 bombers, Shehzad Tanweer and Mohammad Sidique Khan, are believed to have prayed at a Tablighi mosque in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and French intelligence officials said the group was an ‘antechamber of fundamentalism’.”

Needless to say, the report features the usual scaremongering quote from local right-wing Christian bigot Alan Craig. And in what theStandard evidently thinks is an attempt at “balance”, we are treated to a contribution from Jenny “Muslim bullying” Taylor of Lapido Media.

Just to underline how little the Standard cares for basic accuracy in reporting this issue, the article is illustrated with a picture of the old Mangera Yvars design, which was rejected by the mosque’s trustees back in 2007.

Update:  For an example of how the far right takes inspiration from this sort of irresponsible reporting, see here and here.