A Muslim mosque in Birmingham which features in Dispatches at 8pm tonight has accused Channel 4 of “creating mischief” and “engaging in sensationalism” for claiming that it harbours extremists. The documentary shows secretly-filmed footage of an African American preacher, Imam Abu Usaamah, from Queens in New York, who studied in Saudi Arabia and who preached at the Green Lane Mosque in Birmingham. The programme accuses the preacher of promoting an extreme view of Islam.
The Saltley Gate Peace Group (SGPG), a multi-faith community organisation based in Birmingham is made up of representatives from the Muslim and Christian community. It issued a press statement on Friday giving its “undiminished support” for the Green Lane Mosque. SGPG said that Imam Abu Usaamah “is accepted by much of his congregation and the wider interfaith community to be a peaceful man and is known to promote peace to his congregation”.