Neighbourhood Open Day – all welcome – Sunday 26 June 12-6pm
7-11 St Thomas’ Road London N4 2QH

As the Finsbury Park Mosque was preparing for its 4th annual neighbourhood open day for the local community, it received an offensive letter addressed to the Imam. On 9 June 2011 the Mosque, which is used to receiving hate mail from extremists with racist views, received a letter containing a drawing offensive to Islam and offensive words about the Prophet Mohammed.

There was a considerable amount of a very strange white powder in the letter. The police were contacted, who evacuated the Mosque and put the two members of staff who came in contact with the powder under observation in case of any health complications or symptoms. Ambulance and police cars surrounded the scene and the Muslim community in Islington was terrified.

From around 12:30-4pm the Mosque went through a very difficult time until the special police forces concluded that the powder was not dangerous.

Finsbury Park Mosque board of trustees stress that:

“At these difficult times and with the launch of the controversial new ‘Prevent’ by the Home Secretary, the whole society is undergoing many difficult challenges that require all communities to stand against terrorism and extremism and realise that Muslims just like other communities suffer from racist groups like the BNP and EDL and the likes who judge and behave in a very dangerous way that can put the whole society in difficulties.

“While the Government stresses the importance of British values, without highlighting what they mean by that, we believe that diversity, coexistence, democracy and respect are the core British values that should be maintained and not compromised.”