GOL funding instrumental in launch of new London Muslim Centre.

On Friday 11 June large crowds descended on Whitechapel Road to witness the opening of the new London Muslim Centre. It aims to improve dialogue between Islam and other faiths.

The centre of excellence built next to the East London Mosque will be home to community initiatives and provide business space for the area. GOL has contributed £750,000 to the project through the European Regional Development Fund.

The six-storey building can hold up to 10,000 worshippers and also contains a gym, a library, crèche and classrooms.

Mosque leaders said:

“This uniquely British Muslim centre will bolster London’s reputation as a vibrant and diverse international city.”

Amongst the guests at the opening ceremony were the Racial Equality Minister Fiona Mactaggert, Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and senior officials from the Muslim Council for Great Britain. Prince Charles, in Washington for the funeral of former US president Ronald Reagan, sent a video message of support.

The Centre was opened by Shaykh Abdur-Rahman al-Sudays, Imam of the Ka’aba in Mecca (Islam’s holiest mosque). He told the thousands gathered at the event that the new centre is a shining example of how the British Muslim community had taken great steps towards achieving community cohesion.