A traditional mosque. Pic: Synthia K
A traditional mosque. Pic: Synthia K

EXCLUSIVE: A campaign to build a mosque and create a Muslim burial ground in Lichfield is gathering pace – but the city’s MP has expressed reservations about the scheme.

A leading Asian businessman in the city is believed to be behind the plans and has held initial talks with local politicians.

It is believed that the project would involve a traditional mosque, complete with dome and minaret.

However, Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, who confirmed he and other city politicians had been approached regarding the planned mosque, has warned against a development which would not be in-keeping with the character of the city. He said:

“While it is for the Council to make its own planning decisions, I do not think that domes and minarets are appropriate in a heritage City like Lichfield.

“I am told that mosques need not be of middle eastern design and can be made to fit in with the architecture of the area.”

As well as the style of the mosque, a traditional amplified system of calling to prayer has also been suggested.

But Mr Fabricant has also criticised the suggestion:

Michael Fabricant MP
Michael Fabricant MP

“I do not think it right that those not of the Muslim faith should be subjected to calls to prayer against their will. Tolerance works both ways and one religion should not seek to impose itself on those of another or no religion.”

Despite his reservations over a proposed new mosque, Mr Fabricant did believe it could be possible for a Muslim centre of worship to exist in Lichfield.

“Britain is a tolerant nation and all religious groups have a right to worship in their own way. It will be up to the small Muslim community in Lichfield to find a suitable building and apply for planning permission from Lichfield District Council in the normal way.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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LichfieldBlog (Lichfield Blog)
14 years ago

Another exclusive for you – MP warns against plan for traditional mosque in Lichfield: http://tinyurl.com/dz7b2e

grovesmedia (grovesmedia)
14 years ago

(Excellent blogging/journalism) – RT @LichfieldBlog MP warns against plan for traditional mosque in Lichfield: http://tinyurl.com/dz7b2e

Phil
14 years ago

If any mosque is stopped from using an “amplified call to prayer system” wouldn’t that also mean that Lichfield Cathedral’s use of bells would have to be reviewed, in the name of “tolerance”?

captain tom
14 years ago

I agree with phil! I am a life long citizen of Lichfield and was brought up at my parents house next to St Michaels Church and attended St Michaels C of E school.
Twice a week the bells of the church summon the Christians. I believe that a traditional mosque in Lichfield would be a good thing for the city.

matt
14 years ago

i cant see why we’d want a mosque in lichfield? its not as if there’s a large muslim community here. phil, I think that in the name of ‘english’ a cathedral is within its rights to use bells.

schreps
14 years ago

“I do not think it right that those not of the Muslim faith should be subjected to calls to prayer against their will.” – it’s not a form of torture – it’s religion for godsake.

As for a mosque “not fitting it with the character of the city”, i challenge someone to find a city in the UK which does cater for such a building like a mosque in terms of character..

If we’re moving towards a more multi-cultural society than we can’t have barriers that are based on how buildings might look.

GrovesMedia
14 years ago

I think there are several reasons to take issue with our MP’s concerns regarding this proposal. Phil has hit the nail on the head with one of them.

But the one I keep coming back to is: “I do not think that domes and minarets are appropriate in a heritage City like Lichfield.”

Whereas the new Tesco superstore, Friarsgate, the existing shopping streets, not to mention the various developments that make up Legotown presumably are sympathetic to the rich character and history of ye olde city?

If this community is strong and determined enough to create a place of worship in the city then they deserve support. And they could probably teach the rest of us a few valuable lessons along the way too.

Nick
14 years ago

“I do not think that domes and minarets are appropriate in a heritage City like Lichfield.”

A KFC, however, is a different matter. Right?!

emma
14 years ago

I agree with Matt.There does not seem to be a large Muslim community in Lichfield so is there really a need for a mosque? The cathedral is a beautiful, historic building which attracts tourists from afar, I don’t think I could say the same about a mosque!

Phil
14 years ago

Tom – not sure what you’re agreeing with me on. I only asked a question :)

Matt – I agree, a Cathedral is well within it’s rights to use it’s bells. For the same reasons, any Lichfield Mosque should also have the right to use some kind of call to prayer system of their own.

Schreps – Great point! Middle Eastern designs, as Fabricant calls them, are exactly that – Middle Eastern – they won’t “fit” into any English city because they’re not English. Any country that wants to be multi-cultural though, should realise that that means accepting all aspects of other cultures, including architecture.

GrovesMedia and Nick also good points. I challenge anyone to make a convincing case that “Minster Gateway”, Friarsgate, Tesco, Lidl, Waitrose, Lichfield Police headquarters, the Garrick, Beacon Park Retirement Village, Lichfield South, Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, “Birmingham Road Transport Hub”, City Wharf and “The Friary” development are in keeping with the character of the city, with all it’s old architecture.

This sounds like double standards. I hope it’s not, and I hope Fabricant can further justify his views on a traditional Mosque in our little city.

| Faith Freedom International
14 years ago

[…] ↔UK: Muslims want mosque with “amplified call to prayer system”. ♦ Bahrain: 60% of abusive husbands are educated. ♦ Indonesia: Islamic extremists have penetrated government – Ex-President. ♦ India: Possibility of terror attacks to disrupt election. ◊ News Gallery Share with others to save the Humanity: […]

M Willis
14 years ago

There is a limit to tolerance. Build a mosque in Lichfield and ain a short time there will be Islamic festivals and your city would be over flowing with traffic and processions. Go and try to build a church in a muslim country and then realise how intolerant and hypocritical Islam is.
M W Cannock Staffs

Michael Fabricant
14 years ago

Reading some of these comments, I think I need to clarify some of my remarks.

I have no objection at all to a mosque or any other place of worship in Lichfield. All religions have a right to worship. It’s up to the Council to decide what sort of construction they allow, but I personally feel that a middle eastern style mosque in the heritage area of Lichfield would be as inappropriate as the building on the corner of Minster Pool and Bird Street (which I think is truly ghastly – the building, not the mosque).

I may be wrong, but I believe that the majority of the constituents I represent would not like to hear an amplified voice with an Arabic call to prayer several times a day in Lichfield. They enjoy the relative calm despite traffic rumble. Yes, there are bells, but it seems they sound less intrusive to many than the human voice.

jim
14 years ago

Just know what you are asking for…..

Church bells ring, what, on sundays for a few minutes?
I’m not sure, I only lived in New York for a little while.

I lived in Malaysia and Kuwait for a long time.

The call to prayer is 5 times A DAY, lasts for tens of minutes sometimes…extra long on Friday. Oh and the first one….is before sunrise. Enjoy

Neil
14 years ago

The “leading Asian businessman” in question runs the Eastern Eye restaurant in Bird Street. Lichfield District Council Environmental Health Department operate a “star” scheme for food businesses and I was horrified to see that his restaurant has been awarded no stars!

The website http://www.ratemyplace.org.uk allows you to view the star ratings and read the Food Safety report written by the Environmental Health Officer: The inspection report for Eastern Eye is stomach-churning! Maybe the owner should concentrate on cleaning his restaurant and producing food safely before planning to open a mosque.

Stowe Pool Tom
14 years ago

This is great news, i realy hope the mosque goes ahead. I for one would welcome the sound of call to prayer. I have put up with the bells of the cathedral for as long as i can remember. The sound of a mosque would make a welcome change!

boley roley
14 years ago

I agree with Marek 100% Lichfield is a christian city,i lived in inner city Birmingham for many years and you cant get from A to B come one oclock on a friday afternoon.This would be a disaster for Lichfield we are slowly loosing our identity in this country, muslims do not intergrate into our way of life,before you know it islam will be taught in our schools and this is a fact believe me ive seen it happen.

steph
14 years ago

i really thought this was an April Fool until i saw Michael Fabricant’s comment!!

i mean, “a traditional mosque, complete with dome and minaret.” – this is Lichfield we’re talking about!!

We’re not even allowed a decent shopping centre, cinema or nightclub because it would “spoil the character/heritage” of the city !

Alex Mowbray
14 years ago

OK, I’m embarrassed. I thought it was an April Fool as well !

Angela Cooke
14 years ago

We’ve just moved into Lichfield and we love the city because of its heritage and its Christian influence, but we would have second thoughts of staying if a mosque was built. Why do you think we live here and not in Birmingham where we work, because we want to feel like we are living in the UK and not in the middle east which is how you feel in Birmingham. Its actually nice to feel that you live in Britain and feel proud of it. I think there is enough places for the muslim religion, but there intolerance assumes that even within a small community they should impose a building that would change Lichfield from being renowned as beinga cathedral city.

Lindsey (ethel & edna)
14 years ago

I still think it is an April Fool. Who says Michael Fabricant hasn’t got a sense of humour?

boley roley
14 years ago

I still think it is an April Fool. Who says Michael Fabricant hasn’t got a sense of humour?

Must admit Michael does have a sense of humour but my phone hasnt stopped going all day from boley park to the dimbles.As Alex said above we moved here because we are both jewish and christian people and lichfield cathedral did it for us, we became aliens in birmingham alum rock,small heath and sparkbrook if i honestly say “yes we were ethnically cleansed”

66usual
14 years ago

never going to happen. This story has appeared purely to spark debate, which is fair enough. Lichfield is a thousand years from getting a mosque, as described.

The local muslim community might find some meeting space they could rent to support their faith, and good luck to them

Lichfieldbornandbred
14 years ago

Check the date!!!

Soap Distant
14 years ago

There’s no way on God’s green earth this is going to happen. Where’s the money going to come from? Lichfield’s huge muslim population? Even if there was funding available, there’s absolutely no way a building such as the one described would be given planning permission in the centre of Lichfield.

It’s good to see that this story has highlighted what decent, tolerant, and above all, literate people we have in Lichfield though:

http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=62575044222&page=2&hash=c5c629402e018b2d46b6be817a6f1cc0&nctrct=1238746653855#/group.php?gid=62575044222

Wyrdtimes
14 years ago

This needs to be fought all the way.

When the planning application is submitted we need to get a petition going against the idea.

Muslims don’t need a special building to point themselves at Mecca any more than Christians need churches to pray in.

Personally I think the Cathedral should donate part of itself for the worship of all faiths. That should do the trick.

Wigot
14 years ago

Someone please ask our venerable MP for his view on “the way Sutton Coldfield has gone”

Facebook group criticises proposal for a mosque in Lichfield « Blog Archive « The Lichfield Blog
14 years ago

[…] revealed exclusively by The Lichfield Blog earlier this week, local politicians have been approached regarding the building of a mosque […]

james
14 years ago

fabricant is a doughnut, lichfield should embrace its position as a heritage site by encouraging the practise of other faiths, its the 21st century people!

missf
14 years ago

Would they allow a church to be built on their soil?

Anon
14 years ago

Lichfield Politicians are a bit up thier own arse really and if this goes ahead it would be shocking as this important civil war city is admittedly up its own arse in the town centre, and from what I am hearing the Dimbles is turning into Hackney.
When I left Netherstowe High School there was one muslim student in my year (summer 2002 I left) I don’t know how this has changed in recent years but there is a very fine line really, if it gets turned down it will be called a ‘Racist act’ and if it is approved then there will be uproar from the mainly non muslim community of the city. Given that there many shops are closing due to the current econimc climate how can there be consideration for a mosque in a city that has only one non supermarket outlet for DVD purchases, seriously a CeX or a Blockbusters would be a perfect fit for the city but because it doesn’t reflect the character of the city they get turned down.

Sorry if this seems ranty, and to those who think its an April Fool, read all the comments for petes sakes

Tommy
14 years ago

This is England ! lichfield has a good mainly christain population, if there is a mosque built, than Lichfield will have a simular popluation to Birmingham in a few years time is this what u want ???????
Lichfield is well known for it catherdrial do you want it to become better known for its mosque???????
If u went over to Pakistan and tried to buld a Church there you would be deported or killed !

Matt
14 years ago

Down with the mosque, sure have a building on the outskirts where u can worship if u want but not a temple with a dome and tower just so you can try out do the cathedral. And as for the call to prayer system, Ha what a joke. The city of Lichfield wont stand for it!

Rebecca
14 years ago

I think this is absoloutely outrageous! I don’t believe that this is necessary in somewhere that has such a small amount of muslims! Lichfield is an historical city and somewhere I have always been proud of but if this is built I don’t know if I would feel the same way and if it goes ahead it really will show how spineless the council is with these things. I’m not against the muslim population I just believe that this is not necessary considering the size and surrounding of Lichfield and I’m sure that they don’t require a huge mosque to pray. I know that if I moved to a muslim country i certainly wouldn’t expect them to build a church for me and would consider my faith strong enough to do without a church. This is an absoloutely unnecessary and ridiculous proposal.

Tom Anderson
14 years ago

There’s no case against it – I don’t think the Christian Population of Lichfield is big enough to warrant a Cathedral and multiple churches dotted around. Is it so much to ask to build 1 Mosque?

And, how about:

“I do not think it right that those not of the Muslim faith should be subjected to calls to prayer against their will.”

Well, I’m ‘subjected’ to the Cathedral bells more than enough thank you.

Tom Anderson
14 years ago

“before you know it islam will be taught in our schools and this is a fact believe me ive seen it happen.”

Seen it happen, where exactly? And how is this worse than Christianity being taught in schools?

England isn’t a Christian country, it’s just primarily Christian.

Marek – I would have quoted your post, but frankly it’s 100% rubbish. But, it doesn’t matter how intolerant Islamic nations are, this has nothing to do with that. This is about Muslims in Lichfield, and them having a place of prayer in their city.

Crinkly
14 years ago

“And women are facing difficult times as they are unable to learn about the English culture and language.”

The above quote says it all!!
Do the women not know they can learn English and many other subjects at schools/colleges etc .
Does the gentleman realize Lichfield has an excellent library that caters for most subjects including Hygiene/Health&safety/English Language and Culture?
Why do the women need a foreign type building to learn about where they live?

ex muslim
14 years ago

dear all,

some of you here are truly muslim aplogists. multi culturalism is your ideal. you want to see melting pot or religions at you hometown. but please remember! if you want to have multi-culturalism is fine, but multi religious with islam is totally impossible because there’s no tolerance in their holy quran. if you want to rebut my view, it’s up to you. but i urge you to read the holy quran first before rebutting any of my statements.

April Setchell
14 years ago

I don’t understand how some people can be so against building a mosque in Lichfield. Most people don’t even realise that they are no where near as elaborate as a church, they’re just normal buildings.
The argument that Lichfield is a traditional city is no longer valid, seeing as it is a multi-ethnic city. Is it traditional to have more than 1 culture living in 1 city? No.
It makes me laugh how most of the people who don’t want the inevitable mosque begin their arguments with ‘I’m not being racist, but..’ which obviously means that they are thinking about the fact that what they are doing is depriving the people of Lichfield what they need. A place of worship.
How many churches do we need for a city that is merely half-full of christians, with the rest being of different religions.
As you can probably tell, i am all FOR Lichfield having a mosque. How on earth will it affect anyone else’s life apart from those of the deprived Muslims of Lichfield? It doesn’t.
A mosque IS going to be built regardless of how many racists fight against it. It WILL happen.
I’m just sick of people following the crowd, saying that Lichfield shouldn’t have a mosque, based on the views of other people. It seems ridiculous to me that people who think Islam is a COUNTRY are being counted as people will real views.
I’m 17 and i’m passionate about Humanism, I am not a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Sikh or any religion that believes in a supreme being: I have the belief that people should make the most of this life, as it is a very short one in the long run.
A mosque would not affect the lives of anyone other than Muslims who NEED a place to worship their God.
It disheartens me that a lot of people are prepared to deny Muslims of what they need.

Dale
14 years ago

If they can’t tollerate other religions in their territory why should we tollerate them in ours?
Not only are there tollerence issues, but where is all the funding going to come from in the current climate? For the few people this would actually benefit i could think of a number of reasons what the money and land could be used for that would benefit 100x the number of people.
A complete waste of money and resources.

brummie
14 years ago

i would just like to point out to ex muslim that the proposed call to prayer system will affect poeple who live close to that biulding , first call to prayer is around sunrise i belive how would you like that on your door step?

lfc
14 years ago

now way a bloody mosque should be built anywhere in britain why do we sit in silence would they let us build a church of england in there home land ?

Bryan Yates
14 years ago

I can see no reason for another Mosque in the area, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhapton, Burton have dozens, and given the numbers of people who would patronise it, it seems a crazy idea. Also where would it fit in with the city centre, we have enough hidious looking shops, banks and other peices of arcitecture in the city centre now without any more.
Could you of imagine getting planning permission for a C of E church in down town Baghdad or Karbul etc.. I don’t think so!
Bryan

I love Lichfield
14 years ago

Wtf are they thinking????? Why should we tolerate a religion that goes out of its way to be intolerant towards other religions???? I remember reading on the web about a group of christians that tried to build a church in Iran, they were arrested for racism and two of them were publically executed!!! Why should we put up with a religion that sees that as acceptable?

Soap Distant
14 years ago

“I remember reading on the web about a group of christians that tried to build a church in Iran, they were arrested for racism and two of them were publically executed!!!”

I don’t think racism is a crime in Iran. I have no doubt that that might have happened, but that’s got nothing to do with Islam the religion, that’s Iran the country. Nazi Germany was a christian country, does that mean all christians are Nazis?

Phil
14 years ago

It’s almost funny how so many of the arguments against a Mosque in Lichfield are based on whether Muslim countries would allow a Church. Making that argument surely is just demonstrating the same level of intolerance.

Soap Distant
14 years ago

Yeah, let’s not allow a ‘mosque’ because ‘they’ (whoever ‘they’ are, the people who want a mosque are British and don’t have any ties to any other country) wouldn’t allow a church to be built in ‘their’ country. ‘They’ also stone adulterers and gay people (bear in mind I’m deliberately making a sweeping statement), does that mean we should too?

Soap Distant
14 years ago

Also, I used to live down the road from a mosque, there were no domes, no minarets, no loud calls to prayer, it was just a building where people would go and worship. The only problem was parking when there was a wedding there. This is all the Muslim population of Lichfield want, they don’t want anything extravagant in the centre of Lichfield, just a building where they can go and worship, paid for out of their own pockets. Hardly seems like an unreasonable request does it?