Could Britain's mosques ever compete with the east's great places of worship?
This article featured in yesterday's Guardian's G2 supplement, and unlike the online version it had a picture of the new proposed mosque in east London, which is meant to be part of some showcase for the 2012 Olympics. Much as I detest the Islamophobic bigotry behind a lot of the anti-mosque campaigning, I have huge reservations about building a large showcase mosque in that part of town, which already has dozens of mosques. Apart from anything else, the upward pressure on house prices is likely to price a lot of local Muslims out of the market, making it something of a white elephant.
However, yesterday's article brought up another concern, namely the architecture, which is to be another glass-heavy modernist atrocity. You can see artists' impressions of it here and according to the Guardian yesterday:
The building presents little in the way of conventional facades, much less the kind of Ali Baba-style domes and minarets Britain tends to see on its mosques. Only from the air will its Islamic identity be overt: its plan, based on Arabic calligraphy, will resemble a prayer from the Qu'ran.
Given that much is being made of the environmental credentials of the new mosque, which is to be built next to the Channelsea river and use its tidal power to generate electricity, I don't think that having its "real meaning" visible only from an aeroplane is really consistent. And I really detest the way the whole of traditional Islamic architecture is dismissed as "Ali Baba style" and "conventional" as if it all pales in comparison with this proposal for a building, when a lot of Muslims might simply say that the building does not look like a mosque. Traditional styles have evolved the way they have for a reason, and many "iconic" modern buildings have proven less than fit for purpose - often too hot or expensive to heat, and hated by those who have to use them.
"Apart from anything else, the upward pressure on house prices is likely to price a lot of local Muslims out of the market, making it something of a white elephant."
I don't think that will be an issue, because the masjid is going to be run by the TJs, so you can expect Muslims from different parts of the world stopping off at this new mosque for a week, month, or 40 days...
oh my word, that thing is ugly.
I love the design of the new London Markaz. I don't think it's necessary for mosques to always fit into the standard Turkish/Middle Eastern mould, since Islam itself is so diverse. The Prophet once expressed displeasure at the site of a domed building in favour of simplicity - the point being that the whole Dome thing we have going was more a reflection of the culture at the time than something that stemmed from Prophetic example. Since Islam has transcended culture and time, I think it's only natural that the mosques do as well.
Also, I've noticed that most of the TJ-designed masjids are extremely well designed and practical. I can't stand mosques with extremely high ceilings that cost so much to heat (major problem in Canada), while all that extra space could've easily been used for a second floor to accommodate hundreds of additional worshippers. I haven't seen this in most of the primarily Tablighi masjids, where function is preferred over form.
"Apart from anything else, the upward pressure on house prices is likely to price a lot of local Muslims out of the market, making it something of a white elephant."
If they put that thing there there probably won't be any upward surge in house prices.
"There goes the neighbourhood."
I don't like the idea of the place becoming a Muslim ghetto. The UK is a diverse and tolerant country - we don't want religious ghettos. Look at Northern Ireland to see the results of segregation.
Such a big mosque means concentration and centralisation of power. I'm against this, not just in the context of religion.
Rather than spend all that money on a super duper mosque, I think the money should be used to literally pay for cleaners to clean/refurbish all our dirty masjids across the country. That would be great.
The Prophet (alehi salatu wa salam) said: "Cleanliness is Part of Faith".
The greatest muslims worshipped in mud huts.
Magnificent mosques aint going to improve our deen, whether they are built from renewable energies or disposable cups.