Our Mosques have become nothing more then temples for the glorification of the committees. The very bastions of our faith turned into prisons without bars and without gaolers but none the less we find ourselves confined in a space of our own mind. The Mosques generously funded by the community and diligently gathered by ‘well intentioned’ men have given the ummah a place of worship, and turned them into a nothing more the empty prayer halls glorifying the cult of the ritual. And we, by doing nothing have endorsed the status quo.

‘Well intentioned’ men, well for the benefit of the doubt lets say that’s true, ‘Well intentioned men, who only think of the betterment of the Ummah, whose only desire is to create an institution that preserves the essence of their cultural and religious identify. A place where the community can gather, talk and discuss important events of the day and create a momentum where social improvement can be actioned.

The founding fathers ensured that their clan could only inherit the powerful structures that the Muslim public generously donated to. A place which will not allow another nationality, whether that is Asian, Arab, African or white European to share in the running and decision making of the mosques, A place that excludes women, A place where the Khutba is delivered solely in Gujarati, Bengali, or Urdu, for the benefits of an older generation who need a cultural comfort blanket, to help them adjust to 40 years of living in this country! They force the entire congregation, (including most of those who have no understanding of what is being said) to listen and adhere to rules they have no understanding off. And we still call these people well intentioned!

Yes these men who raised the money are considered well intentioned, but the question remains what were their intentions? Was it to create racially pure areas where ‘their’ tribe of Muslims can pray and preserve their ‘cultural customs?’ Or was it for the benefit of Allah and the best intentions of the religion and its adherents. Was the cultural baggage so heavy that when they left office (usually in a coffin), they past on the worst practices and resistance to change to their beneficiaries. Who in like continued to run a prison service interpretation of Islam. Outwardly showing the best intentions and yet demonstrating little that would warrant the respect they were granted.

In times of trouble, a community looks to its hubs, its natural defence system, in the case of the UK, Parliament, the Police, Religious institutions, Security Services and the free media. In the case of minorities and Immigrants they would expect that role to be supplemented by community groups, and religious institutions. Unfortunately in this dark time the Mosques have been exposed as temples dedicated to worshiping the committees.

MPAC run on just over £800 of regular donors a month and with that money fight the Zionist and Islamophobes, to protect our rights over here and the lives of our brothers elsewhere, yet while MPAC struggle on a two penny defence system, the mosques committee of the Balfour Rd Mosque famous for its racist constitution that only allows Gujuraties from one village to run for office, doesn’t allow women to pray in their sacred hall and infamously supported Tory candidates who were sympathetic to the extreme BJP at election time. Go on the charity commission’s website and you will realise that this mosque sits on a stash of cash over £230k with Assets of over £1.1million.

I wonder what the best intentions are off the current committee when the Kashmir earthquake killed over 100,000 people. I wonder what the best intentions of the committee were when Lebanon was flattened, I wonder what the intentions of the committee were when they watch young Palestinian children get there eyes blown out by Israeli snipers, or what their intentions are in helping the burn and rape victims in Gujarat. They sit like Dickensian scrooges counting their money and increasing their wealth all the while abusing the name of a religious institution as to ensure that they are seen as venerated elders. I wonder what their intentions were when the police foiled an alleged terror plot, and the Muslim community needed paid media personnel to deflect the stigma and focus on foreign policy? I wonder what their best intentions are when Muslim sisters need support groups to protect their dignity and their Islamic rights. Ask them to involve themselves in setting up a maths and comprehension supplementary school for all kids regardless of faith to help poverty stricken communities and see if their intentions are true. What have they done to ensure that Muslims are empowered to make sure that their representatives in Parliament are empowered to fight for the rights of Palestine, fight for the rights of Iraq, Lebanon, Kashmir, Chechnya, Darfur, etc. they have done nothing because their intentions were not to do anything and they have achieved that their goal.

They haven’t built mosques they have built temples and we have prayed at the altar of the money god for to long. While the high priest enshrines the committees right to pacify the maddening crowds with promises and rituals ensuring a paradise in the hereafter.

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