BigBaribal
01-30-2005, 09:24 AM
http://www.expressandstar.com/articles/features/opinion/article_70382.php
Questions to be asked on Muslim plan
Comment
Jan 29, 2005, 08:16
The £15 million Muslim "village" planned for Dudley is one of the most striking and dramatic developments the Black Country has seen for years. It could also become one of the most controversial.
The new buildings will certainly transform the neighbourhood. The 200-foot minaret would be the tallest structure for miles around.
Entirely funded by the worldwide Muslim community and Islamic businesses, the idea is that this so-called Pride of Dudley project will cost not a penny of public money.
The crucial question, raised today by the Bishop of Dudley, is whether it would unite the local community or divide it.
Would it become a focus for events for everyone, or a ghetto where Muslims feel at home but others feel uneasy?
Islam is a faith of great discipline and strictness. Can a facility funded, built and run by Muslims, and centred on a mosque, truly accommodate the robust Black Country culture of the Women's Institute, British Legion, beer, faggots, line-dancing, music halls and stand-up comedy?
The relationship between Islam and the West has become one of the most crucial and challenging problems of the 21st century. It is no exaggeration to say that world peace and all our futures could depend on getting this relationship right.
Some people, of course, will oppose The Pride of Dudley through sheer ignorance or racism.
Others will view it as a cultural Trojan horse, a regional or even a national power base for Islamic politics.
Some may simply object on planning grounds - is Dudley really ready for a 200-foot minaret?
On the face of it, here is a chance for town-centre facilities which should not put a penny on council tax. We should certainly discuss it.
But we should be very wary of projects that risk turning part of any town into a religious haven for some - and a no-go area for others.
Questions to be asked on Muslim plan
Comment
Jan 29, 2005, 08:16
The £15 million Muslim "village" planned for Dudley is one of the most striking and dramatic developments the Black Country has seen for years. It could also become one of the most controversial.
The new buildings will certainly transform the neighbourhood. The 200-foot minaret would be the tallest structure for miles around.
Entirely funded by the worldwide Muslim community and Islamic businesses, the idea is that this so-called Pride of Dudley project will cost not a penny of public money.
The crucial question, raised today by the Bishop of Dudley, is whether it would unite the local community or divide it.
Would it become a focus for events for everyone, or a ghetto where Muslims feel at home but others feel uneasy?
Islam is a faith of great discipline and strictness. Can a facility funded, built and run by Muslims, and centred on a mosque, truly accommodate the robust Black Country culture of the Women's Institute, British Legion, beer, faggots, line-dancing, music halls and stand-up comedy?
The relationship between Islam and the West has become one of the most crucial and challenging problems of the 21st century. It is no exaggeration to say that world peace and all our futures could depend on getting this relationship right.
Some people, of course, will oppose The Pride of Dudley through sheer ignorance or racism.
Others will view it as a cultural Trojan horse, a regional or even a national power base for Islamic politics.
Some may simply object on planning grounds - is Dudley really ready for a 200-foot minaret?
On the face of it, here is a chance for town-centre facilities which should not put a penny on council tax. We should certainly discuss it.
But we should be very wary of projects that risk turning part of any town into a religious haven for some - and a no-go area for others.