Anti-mosque group on Facebook grows

A senior figure in one of Lancashire's Muslim communities told of his disappointment after a social networking page was set up to protest against a new mosque. The group on Facebook, called 'We Don't Want a Mosque in Clitheroe', was started in response to plans to convert a former Methodist church in Lowergate into a community facility and place of worship for the Muslim community.

Work on the mosque, which was given planning permission in December 2006, has now finally begun.

The Facebook group, which was set up recently, already has close to 1,000 'fans' and features inflammatory comments.

One of the comments was posted in a discussion topic on the mosque which also talks about setting up a protest march.

Farouk Hussain, a project co-ordinator for the new mosque, said: "It is very disappointing because the Muslim community in Clitheroe has been very proactive in terms of working with the non-Muslim community.

"We would be the first to recognise that if it was not for the support of the wider non-Muslim community the proposals may not have been successful in getting planning permission.

"Generally speaking, there has been a lot of positive things said over the past three years.

"I am aware of the Facebook site and we have basically decided to ignore it on the basis that the people who have posted these comments are rather ignorant (...)