Joint Mosques Council condemns 'unacceptable' and 'intolerable' Islamophobia over sale of Hindu Temple in Peterborough
Peterborough’s Joint Mosques Council has issued a statement condemning Islamophobic abuse in light of a council process which could see Peterborough’s Hindu Temple sold.
Some abuse has been directed at Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for finance and corporate governance Cllr Mohammed Jamil, as well as Leader Shabina Qayyum, following the council’s decision to explore the possibility of selling the building- on Rock Road- which houses the Bharat Hindu Samaj Mandir temple.
The temple acts as a place of worship for Hindus throughout the whole of the East of England but the council has entered an open tender process for the building to “ensure the best possible value for taxpayers is achieved.”
Multiple community organisations are believed to have expressed interest in the site, as well as the Hindu community itself.
The Peterborough Telegraph has been forced to turn off the comments on multiple stories on social media in recent weeks following an increase in offensive comments.
A statement from the Joint Mosques Council of Peterborough said: “The Joint Mosques Council of Peterborough is deeply concerned that over the past few weeks, there have been repeated racist attacks targeting two Muslim councillors of Peterborough City Council in particular, and the Muslim community in general, by some extreme elements regarding a building on Rock Road, Peterborough.
“The Muslim community of Peterborough, as the second largest faith group in the city, has always sought to maintain good relations with people of all faiths. Very recently, the JMC was at the forefront of organising a multi-faith group in collaboration with the City Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
“The sale of several city council buildings has been ongoing for several years under different administrations as a political decision to “balance the books,” not just under the current administration. Therefore, any attack on the Leader of the Council or any other councillor solely because they happen to be Muslim is totally unacceptable and intolerable.
“The Muslim community of Peterborough has built several mosques in the city at a cost of millions of pounds, entirely funded through community contributions, without receiving a single penny from either Peterborough City Council or central government. This has been the case across the UK as well.
“We strongly urge Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary to take immediate action against those individuals who are intent on creating division and friction in our city.”
Council Leader Shabina Qayyum added her voice to the Mosques Council’s message at a recent full council meeting.
She said: “Everyone should feel free to practise their faith without fear and we must continue to take a stand against all forms of hate and prejudice.
“My deputy in the Labour Group and cabinet member, Cllr Mohammed Jamil has been subjected to a number of racist, Islamophobic comments online and via email over one of our potential asset sales.
“I want to call out such comments as totally unacceptable. Whilst we are the subject of public scrutiny, no elected official should have to face a hate crime such as racism calling their safety into question for simply doing their job.
“I hope that you will all join me in standing with Cllr Jamil and rejecting the normalisation of such online hate which has no place in our city.
“Today marks four years since Sir David Amess was killed. I will not compromise on the safety of our members to do their job safely in this city.”