Alan Craig has issued a press release backing a BNP-initiated petition against the so-called mega-mosque in Newham and denouncing London mayor Ken Livingstone’s opposition to the fascists’ campaign as “hysterical”.

Livingstone “Hysterical” about Mega Mosque Petition

For Immediate Release: 19 July 2007

“Hysterical” Ken Livingstone is “trying to close down legitimate debate” about Olympics mega-mosque says Cllr Alan Craig

Over quarter of a million sign Downing Street petition against the mega-mosque

Mayor Ken Livingstone was today criticised by local campaigner Cllr Alan Craig for using intemperate, hysterical language about those who are against the proposed Olympics mega-mosque at West Ham.

In a Mayor’s statement issued in connection with the closing yesterday of the hugely popular anti-mega mosque petition on the Downing Street website, Mr Livingstone accused campaigners of circulating untrue information and conducting a “particularly vicious” battle against the mosque. Over a quarter of a million people signed the petition against the mosque.

“We deal only in facts and evidence,” said Cllr Craig who is leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance group on Newham Council and lives a mile from the mosque site. “Although I am wary of the exact wording of the petition and didn’t sign it, it nonetheless indicates the mosque project is very unpopular.

“This public concern shows that this mega-mosque project must be subject to public discussion and scrutiny. The Mayor’s intemperate language is intended simply to vilify the opposition and close down legitimate debate. He will not succeed.

• Mr Livingstone says in his statement that he does not expect a planning application “in the near future”. But mosque backers Tablighi Jamaat have recently announced new high-profile architects and have made it clear that they will submit their mosque masterplan in the next few months, probably before the end of the year.

• He says suggestions of a link between the proposed mosque and the 2012 Olympics are untrue. But Tablighi Jamaat spokesmen have stated publicly that they would like the mosque to be the hub of an ‘Islamic Quarter’ for the Olympic games. The mosque site is less than a mile from the main Olympics stadium.

• The Mayor claims that public funds will not be used in construction of the mosque. But just 3 miles down the road in Whitechapel, the East London Mosque received significant public money to build its huge London Muslim Centre, opened three years ago. If he willingly approved that, why not this?

“The Mayor should stop getting hysterical and start entering our reasoned facts-based debate about this project,” said Alan Craig. “He may be the master of insults but clearly he isn’t master of the facts.”