Biggs accepts call to stand up to racism

JOHN BIGGS, Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, went to the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre last week to receive a petition handed to him by Dilowar Khan, Director of Engagement for the Mosque.

The petition called for action from the police and the authorities to stop racist and Islamophobic marches being allowed to go ahead. Also included was an appeal to West Ham United FC, asking the Club not to allow the Football Lads Alliance to unfurl their banners in the West Ham stadium.

The petition had been drawn up by Tower Hamlets Stand Up to Racism and United East End after a group called “No Surrender to Islamic Terror” was allowed to march along Whitechapel Road last October – including going past the East London Mosque.

That is of course not the first time the Mosque and surrounding area have been targeted by the extreme right. The hate campaign waged by Labour Councillors after Lutfur Rahman was elected Mayor in 2010 contributed to Tower Hamlets being painted internationally as a hotbed of Islamic extremism – which was in turn a factor in encouraging the far right to target the borough.

During his election campaign, US President Donald Trump claimed that Tower Hamlets was a “no go” area. Tower Hamlets Council has recently returned the sentiment by declaring Tower Hamlets a “Trump-Free Zone” – after Cllr Ohid Ahmed persuaded Labour Councillors to back the move.

Handing over the petition, Dilowar Hussain pointed out that although the Mosque is so often targeted by racists and Islamophobes, it is a very open Mosque, very involved with the local community of Muslims and non-Muslims.

Referring to the number of times the community has mobilised to stop the far right, Sufia Alam, manager of the Maryam Centre, said, “We owe it to our community to keep it safe.”

John Biggs welcomed the petition on the basis that it was the overwhelming view of residents who “value the diversity of the borough and do not want to see the community divided by far right thugs.” He made no mention of any action he intended to take in response.

•Read more about it:
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Visitors flock to East London Mosque

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