Islamic centre hits back over Panorama claims (From This Is Local London)

Tooting Islamic Centre hits back over BBC's Panorama claims

7:30am Thursday 2nd December 2010 in News By Ian Mason

The Tooting Islamic Centre has distanced itself from claims made in the BBC's Panorama programme

The Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC) courted controversy again last week after the BBC's Panorama programme claimed a “divisive” preacher had been invited to speak in front of children from a school co-located on the site.

The investigative show revealed Sheikh Riyadh Ul Haq, who was described in the programme as a “divisive” speaker, had spoken in front of youngsters from the Al Risalah School in 2008.

But the TIC hit back at the claims, rubbishing any suggestion hateful messages were expressed at its site. A spokesman said Ul Haq spoke at the TIC but had never been invited by the school, which is based in the building.

He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, TIC and Al Risalah in no way condone any inflammatory sentiments and language attributed to any scholar for that matter.

“Both the TIC and Al Risalah have strived and excelled in ensuring good community relations have been built and maintained within our society.

“It is for this reason we have a longstanding and successful history and that our school has become a role model for others within the UK.”

The controversy comes a matter of weeks after the Wandsworth Guardian revealed Khatme Nabuwwat - an Islamic fundamentalist group of scholars - had been invited to the TIC in March, telling worshippers not to socialise or do business with Ahmadiyya muslims in the area.

There has been a strong reaction to last week’s interview in this paper and on our website with Tooting MP Sadiq Khan about the hate campaign against the Ahmadiyya community.

Many praised this newspaper for putting the prominent politician on the spot over an issue which has had a huge impact on some residents within his constituency.

However, some believe Mr Khan failed to take the opportunity to publicly and definitively condemn those responsible for creating a rift in the community by boycotting Ahmadi shops and distributing malicious leaflets.

After reading the full interview online, Lutf, from Watford, posted a message which read: “Mr Khan knows that his rising status in Labour party is at stake here. He has to dissociate himself from these bigots. Pity he could not bring himself to properly condemn the hate campaign or Khatme Nabuwwat academy.”

Arif Ahmad, from Spen Valley, wrote: “He is Shadow Justice Secretary, a former chairman of Liberty (one of the foremost human rights organisations in the UK) and a human rights lawyer of some considerable repute.

“If he cannot do anything about the situation then who can? I hope that [reporter Omar Oakes] and the Guardian newspapers keep up the pressure on Mr Khan and ask him in, say one months time, what he has done about the situation and how he believes he has helped to improved the situation.”

The in-depth interview with Mr Khan about the persecution experienced by members of the Ahmadiyya community can be read on this website.

Meeting confirmed

Tooting’s MP Sadiq Khan this week confirmed he would be hosting a meeting between police, Ahmadis and representatives from the Tooting Islamic Centre on December 13.