East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre

East London Mosque &London Muslim Centre

Annual Report 2008 / 09

Our mission

“To provide a range of holistic, culturally sensitive services for the communities of London with a view to improving quality of life and enhancing community cohesion”

Contents

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Chairman’s Foreword

Executive Summary

Religious Services

Education and Training

Social Welfare

Community Cohesion

Economic Development

Premises

History and Archives

Conclusion

Timeline

Comments from the Public

Accounts

ELM Phase 2 Expansion

East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre Annual Report 2008 / 09 3

In the name of Allah, the MostBeneficent, the Most Merciful.

It is remarkable how a year has passedso quickly! The East London Mosqueand London Muslim Centre continue toattract increasing numbers of users andvisitors every day, the services we offerto help our communities are burstingat the seams to cope with demand,waiting lists are growing and pressure ismounting to create additional capacity.

Our new development of an 8-storeybuilding on the site of our car park andfuneral service is already underway,bringing the promise of even morecommunity services with a particularfocus on the needs of women.

Much effort has been placed inbalancing the operations of servicedelivery with strategic development and quality. I am delighted to report that we were accorded the followingawards and recognition in thepast year:

• Super Model Mosque 2008 voted by viewers of Islam Channel

• Mosques for Humanity Award by Islamic Relief

• Excellence in Overall Project Performance by LBTH Third Sector Awards

• Community of the Year Award by London Citizens

Despite all our successes, Muslimcommunities continue to face pressurefrom inaccurate portrayal in somesections of the media. Our doors areopen to those who wish to see first-hand the work that is being done hereto integrate our communities and toaddress the socio-economic challengesfacing our society.

The year ahead has many challengesand will require us to work evenharder. The immense energy of ourvolunteers, staff and members issomething that inspires me, and I amproud to be associated with peopleand an institution that strive to maketheir communities better – I thank youall from the bottom of my heart.

May the peace and blessings of Allahbe with you.

Dr Muhammad Abdul BariChairman

East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre Annual Report 2008 / 09

01 Chairman’s Foreword

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In the name of Allah, the MostBeneficent, the Most Merciful.

Alhamdulillah, it is now over five yearssince the opening of the LondonMuslim Centre. All our projects andservices have continued to grow,benefitting thousands of people.The number of people attending thedaily and Friday prayers has increased.It is estimated that around 23,000people pass through our doors everyweek, increasing to over 47,000 inRamadan! The replacement of all thecarpets in the Mosque was very muchwelcomed by users.

Weekly talks on Islamic subjects weredelivered in Arabic, English, Bengaliand Somali by our Imams and guestspeakers. More coordinated supportwas provided to new Muslims throughour volunteers. However, there aredemands to provide more resources in this area, particularly for the women.

In Ramadan we provided iftar(breaking of the fast) to around 300 people every day. We receivedhundreds applications for the 110I’tikaf places in last 10 days of Ramadan.

Our schools performed well. Another5 boys (around 20 in total to date)have completed the memorization ofthe Holy Qur’an by heart, at the sametime doing well in their NationalCurriculum subjects. The first cohorthas graduated from the London EastAcademy with all pupils gaining atleast 5 A* to C GCSE’s.

Around 700 children who go tomainstream schools attend ourevening and weekend educationalprovisions. Several hundred childrenare on the waiting lists; this showsthe high level of demand for these services.

The part-time language coursesprovided through Al-Baseera areimproving, but much more planningand effort is needed to take it to thedesired level.

Our Improving School Attendance in Partnership (ISAP) project hascontinued to deliver its programme to18 primary and 2 secondary schoolsachieving great results, engaging withover 200 families, providing supportand assistance to ensure their childrenget the best out of school.

We have increased the opening hoursfor the Library by another 12 hoursevery week after receiving a grantfrom a local developer.

The Islamic Classes for deaf childrencontinued to improve; the circle isheld every Saturday at the LMC, withsupport from parents. Deaf Muslimsare now accommodated in the Fridayprayer with sign language translation.The demand on our Imams for adviceand counselling increases every day, areflection of increasing socialproblems and the desire of people toturn to the mosque for help. Imamsalso deal with queries from the media,statutory and voluntary organisationson many issues. Faith in Healthcontinued to work in partnershipwith NHS Tower Hamlets to raiseawareness of the lack of access tohealth services in Tower Hamlets.

Pro Bono in the LMC provided legaladvice to around 400 people over thepast year, in areas such as housing,immigration, family and debt. Pro Bono jointly organised a highprofile lecture ‘Equality before theLaw’ by the former Lord ChiefJustice, Lord Phillips.

Three Open Days were organised and78 visits from schools, statutory andvoluntary organisations were received.Some of our user groups organisedseveral dinners with more than 300 ofour non-Muslim neighbours andcolleagues. We also hosted an eventwith the former Bishop of Palestine.

We have been running and hostingseveral projects to improve theeconomic conditions of people byproviding advice and guidance, andemployment skills training to helppeople into employment, supportedand funded by the LondonDevelopment Agency. Our Way to Work project has run manysuccessful employment and traininginitiatives, resulting in over 60 peoplemoving into employment this year. A further 80 people have achievedqualifications through training withWay to Work.

Our success has brought increaseddemands for prayer space, educationalprojects and community services. We are now embarking on a newphase of development – an excitingnew 8-storey extension will furtherincrease our prayer capacity andprovide a greater range of services,especially for women and girls.

The East London Mosque hascaptured the imagination of theMuslim community, and the successof the London Muslim Centre hasbeen an inspiration for all. Whateverhas been achieved is because of theMercy of Allah, Who caused peopleto love and support this historicinstitution. We pray we can continueto build on this success.

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02 Executive Summary


Dilowar Hussain KhanExecutive Director

Prayer Facilities

Alhamdulillah, more people than everare attending the Mosque forcongregational prayers. Barriers andstaff on a rota are used on a daily basisto manage the large numbersattending to ensure worshippers canget in and out after prayer. Nearly5,000 people attend on Fridays forJumuah prayer and when space is fullin the buildings people have had topray outside on the pavement. Staff and volunteers ensure thebuildings are filled fully and safely.

New Muslims

The New Muslim Circle is run by theIslam Awareness Project (IAP) withsupport from the Imams, providingadvice and support for those new tothe faith of Islam. Weekly sessions givebasic teachings for new Muslims andare well attended.

Other regular activities include Eid andIftar gatherings, residential, socialgatherings and Qiyamul-Layl.

Religious Teaching

There are many weekly sessionsrunning in the Mosque with teachingfrom the Qur’an and Hadith in English,Bangla and Somali. Two programmeswere held before the Hajj season, onein Bengali and one in English, toexplain how to perform Hajj; theparticipation was very good with anestimated 800 people attending both programmes.

Adhan Radio

This valuable service continues toprovide access to the adhan, jumuahkhutbah, tarawih and selectedprogrammes for those at home. It isestimated there are over 2000 adhanradios in circulation at present.

Ramadan

More than 4,000 people attended thespecial tarawih prayers at the Mosqueand LMC, filling both the mosque andcentre to capacity every evening inRamadan. Those who attended werefortunate enough to listen to therecitation of the Holy Qur’an by ShaykhAhmed Amer, Hafiz Abu Tayeb, ShaykhAbu Hashim Abdul Badi and ShaykhAmjad Hussain.

In the last ten days of Ramadantahajjud (late night) prayers attractedlarge numbers of people, almostrivaling the tarawih.

The Mosque hosted more than 300people every day for Iftar; alhamdulillah,an estimated 40% of costs werecovered by donations and food fromlocal businesses.

110 people performed I’tikaf (seclusion)in the Mosque, but the demand forplaces was many times this.

Over £50,000 was collected by otherorganisations in Ramadan. Cashcollections also raised more than£58,000 for ELM Phase 2.

03 Religious Services

Imam Kelbany, an Imam of MasjidulHaraam, Makkah


Imam Abdul Qayum, Forced Marriages Seminar

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14East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre Annual Report 2008 / 09 7

04 Education and Training

Improving School Attendance inPartnership (ISAP)

ISAP continued to deliver its programmeto primary and secondary schools, thisyear achieving great results. Their workin 18 primary schools has allowed ISAPto engage directly with over 200families. Focusing on the theme of‘parental engagement’, ISAP staffprovided families with support andassistance to ensure their children get thebest out of school. Head teachers havebeen very impressed with achievementsof ISAP pupils.

ISAP held competitions in which Year 3& 4 pupils were asked to design a t-shirt promoting school and Year 5 & 6were tasked with writing a persuasiveletter to a friend about the importanceof school. Winners were given prizeswhich included a mountain bike.

This year in secondary schools ISAPfocused on raising the aspiration ofpupils without neglecting the valuablework in empowering the parents. Inpartnership with Ford MotoringCompany, ISAP facilitated sessionswhere representatives talked to pupilsabout life after school.

ISAP facilitated a parenting course at the London Muslim Centre which wasdelivered by Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari.

London East Academy

This was the 5th year of London EastAcademy’s operation. The secondaryprovision now has 135 students and 13 members of staff. The first cohort

graduated with all pupils achieving atleast 5 A* to C in GCSE’s and a CIE(Certificate in Islamic Education). An Ofsted survey of the SMSC (Spiritual,Moral, Social and Cultural) educationfound the Academy to be anexemplary school.

The primary school, Al Mizan, has 41boys on roll in two classes, years 3 and4, following the National Curriculumand memorising the Qur’an. The schoolhas benefited by moving to refurbishedpremises within the mosque complex.The school has made a concerted effortto enrich the curriculum through outsideactivities and trips.

The LEA 6th Form opened in September2008 with 15 students taking betweenthem 12 different AS levels along withIslamic Sciences and Arabic. Some of the subjects have been offered inpartnership with Tower Hamlets College.

This coming academic year 18 studentshave made applications and 10 havebeen given conditional offers.

Evening Madrasah

The Madrasah teaches Islamic subjectsto children every day for two hours afterschool. Currently there are 312 studentson roll with another 126 on the waitinglist. The Madrasah faces a huge demandand is unable to take on more studentsbecause there are no more classroomsavailable. However, two of the primaryclassrooms will be used from July 2009.The Madrasah publishes a quarterlybulletin for students and parents.

Students of Evening Madrasah

ISAP school assembly


Saturday Islamic School (SIS)

The Saturday Islamic School teacheschildren about the basics of Islam,history and Arabic. In recent years it hasdeveloped a strong partnership withStepney Green Maths and ComputingCollege. It currently caters for 300 girlsand boys aged between 6 and 13years. The School is looking to expandbeyond these years and to increase thenumber of pupils.

Summer Supplementary Course

This popular course ran for two weeksin the summer of 2008. The coursecovered the fundamental teachings ofIslam as well as other practical activitiesincluding arts and crafts, first aid, etc.Separate classes were run for boys andgirls aged 8-14, with approximately200 attendees.

Al Baseera Institute of Arabic & Islamic Studies

Al Baseera underwent majorreorganisation in this period.Depending on demand, courses foradults are offered in Arabic language,Tajweed , Hadith, Fiqh, Aqeedah,Seerah and Islamic History. For theFebruary to June term Al Baseera had162 students.

LibraryThe library opening hours have beenextended, and now there is limitedopening every day of the week. About500 new books in Arabic and Englishhave been bought to expand thelibrary’s collection.

Its consultation room is used extensivelyby Way to Work, who also use thelibrary to aid job searches and CVpreparation for clients. Rainbow Househave two sessions every week, usingthe children’s area. The library is usedby the London East Academy, especiallythe Sixth Form who have been givenaccess outside normal opening hours.

Food 4 Thought (F4T) –Supplementary Classes

F4T has continued its successful workat the LMC on Sundays, runningclasses for Years 9–11. The sessionsincorporate one-to-one tutor support,mentoring and self-developmentsessions designed to strengthenindividuals’ outlook and character,through personal contact with staffand volunteers. We have continuedour sessions at the Idea Store,Whitechapel, also on the Wednesdayafternoons. F4T focuses on the corecurriculum subjects of English, Mathsand Science. We hope to expand ourservices further and continue ourwork, inspiring young people toachieve more.

Rainbow House Children’s Centre

Rainbow House Children’s Centre –open seven days a week – isdedicated to quality provisions forunder 8-year-olds. We providemorning and afternoon pre-schoolssessions, Arabic language club,Evening Madrasah, Qur’an for mumsand crèche services on request.

With all our sessions currently runningat maximum capacity we see over100 children and parents benefittingfrom our services every week. Ourrecent Ofsted report highlights thequality of the services provided by ourstaff and the vibrant environment inwhich children learn and grow.

Islamic Circles for Deaf Children

Volunteers of the East LondonMosque and Redbridge Islamic Centrejoined together to organise a regularIslamic Circle for deaf children, aged7–16. The circle is held every Saturdayat the LMC, with support fromparents. The participants are learninga variety of topics including theSeerah, fiqh and Islamic history. We have started a sermon translationservice into British Sign Language (BSL)and staff at the mosque attendedtraining sessions in deaf awareness.

Junior Muslim Circle

The Junior Muslim Circle uses the youth lounge in the mosque. They have weekend sessions for upto 180 girls and boys, learning about the basics of Islam and taking part inrecreational activities. They organisetrips, night programmes and a summerholiday scheme. They have continuedto organise a scouts group inpartnership with The Scout Association,where young people can take part inoutdoor activities.


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Help, Advice and Counselling

The Mosque is the first point of contactfor advice, guidance and support onreligious and personal matters forpeople of all ages and backgrounds.Enquiries are received in person, byletter, email and phone. The sheernumber of enquiries places a hugeworkload on the Imams, especially theChief Imam – most people ask to speakto him when they contact the Mosquebecause of his knowledge and experience.

Jamiat-ul-Muslimin

Jamiat-ul-Muslimin is a long establishedsupport organisation of the Mosquemade up of volunteers. Up to 50members help with stewarding andcollecting donations every Friday.Regular meetings are held withvolunteers to discuss its work and also totrain its members. Some of the highlightsof last year include: collecting for Eid,Ramadan and other occasions, helpingwith I’tikaf arrangements, and pledging£145,000 towards the development ofELM Phase 2.

Working in Partnership

The Mosque has continued to work in partnership with many organisationsand bodies to further our work and maximise the potential of thecommunity. The following are some ofthe organisations we have worked with:

• Council of Mosques - Tower Hamlets• LBTH Social Services• LBTH Education Department• Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust• National Health Service• Standing Advisory Council for

Religious Education• London Citizens and TELCO

Marriage Attestations

Our imams are regularly called upon toprovide attestations and references forpeople, such as providing proof thatsomeone belongs to a religiouscommunity. Performing Nikah (marriageblessing) is one of the functions of the Imams.

Charity Collections

External organisations collected morethan £81,000 (excluding Ramadan –see above) for worthy causes in manycountries. Types of organisationsinclude mosques and Islamic centresthroughout the UK and abroad as wellas charities raising funds for other partsof the worlds such as Palestine and Bangladesh.

Faith in Health

Faith in Health has continued to workin partnership with NHS Tower Hamletsto raise awareness of health services inTower Hamlets. The project organisedtwo of its showpiece events ‘HealthConnex’, in which NHS Tower Hamletsshowcased the free services available tothe community. The project alsoconducted an outreach programmethrough most of the mosques in TowerHamlets, building relationships andgathering information fromworshippers about their health issues.Training sessions were held to helpImams understand the local healthservices and how they can help ourcommunity reduce health inequalities.

05 Social Welfare


Health Connex events with NHS Tower Hamlets

Health seminars and training

ELM Women’s Link

ELM Women’s Link provides an adviceand support drop-in service during theweek and legal advice sessions inpartnership with ‘Pro Bono in the LMC’,alongside other services such asdomestic violence support throughadvice, support and referral. The projecthas provided activities, trips and skills &training workshops through their newproject called ‘Inspire’ which caters forthe needs of women and empowersthem to gain knowledge and skills,providing them with access to opportunities.

Al-Ihsan Marriage & Family Advice Service

This marriage introduction and familysupport service now has around 500men and women on its list who arebeing helped to find suitable spouses.AIMFAS plans to hold seminars andprogrammes on marriage in Islam, howto lead a happy married life andprovide advice and counselling servicesto married couples who are facingdifficulties in their marital relationship.

Pro Bono in the LMC

Operating legal surgeries to allow thecommunity to access advice andsupport, PBLMC holds drop-in sessionsin the Business Wing of the LMC, awomen-only session at Women’s Link,and sessions at the Ideas Store inWhitechapel. Approximately 400people have been supported over thepast year in areas such as housing,immigration, family and debt.PBLMC organised the high profile visitof the former Lord Chief Justice, LordPhillips Worth of Matravers, where he

gave a keynote address ‘Equality beforethe Law’; the event receivedinternational attention. PBLMC alsoorganised a seminar on forcedmarriage, ‘Law, Religion and Practice’;speakers were Sir Mark Potter(President of the Family Division andHead of Family Justice for England andWales), Mr Justice Munby (High CourtJudge), Ms Ann-Marie Hutchinson(Solicitor), and Shaykh Abdul Qayum(Chief Imam, East London Mosque).

Somali Development Association

The Somali Development Association isa culturally sensitive project workingwith people primarily from the Somalicommunity, in and around thesurrounding boroughs of TowerHamlets, working with families andchildren, helping primarily to increaseeducation standards.

In the last year the organisation hastried to develop its work in key valueareas around education and parentalengagement. Activities included afamily engagement programme, afterschool supplementary classes, mothertongue and Arabic language classes, acommunity diversionary and educationprogramme, and charity events.

North African CommunityAssociation (NACA

NACA has continued to provideweekend classes for children of NorthAfrican origin. There are approximately70 children attending classes on Fridayin the evenings and during the day onSaturdays. The subjects taught includeArabic as a mother tongue, Qur’an,Hadith and Islamic Studies.

Women's IslamicClasses

Robin Knowles QC and Imam Kelbany


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Exhibition and Open Days

Regular open days give the public abetter understanding of Islam and helpbuild bridges within our communities.Visitors are offered tours of themosque, and professional Islamicdisplays and materials are hired. Giftbags are given to take away afterparticipating in the tours. During thelast 3 open days we had on average150 people attending each day, with20–30 people per tour.

Visitors & School Visits

There were 78 organised visits to theMosque and Centre from local schools,universities and professional bodies. Intotal approximately 2,100 visitors werereceived and given a guided tour of ourfacilities by a member of staff.

Muslim Community Radio (MCR)

We have continued our partnershipwith Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) torun the Muslim Community Radio(MCR) throughout Ramadan.Volunteers created, produced andpresented original programmingthroughout the schedule. Issues tackledincluded citizenship and politicalparticipation to more local issues suchas education, housing, drugs and theenvironment. MCR continued to run alimited weekend service after Ramadanover the internet.

Visits by Dignitaries

The former Lord Chief Justice, LordPhillips delivered a speech at theLondon Muslim Centre, as did theformer Bishop of Jerusalem, Riah AbuEl-Assal. One of the Imams of theKa‘bah, Shaykh Adel Salem Al Kalbanivisited us and led the Isha prayer. SadiqKhan, MP for Tooting and theCommunities Minister, visited theLondon Muslim Centre to officiallyopen our library, and Stephen TimmsMP visited our employment projectWay to Work.

Media

We held an Eid celebration forrepresentatives of the media. Eventsthat have been publicised in the mediainclude the Lord Chief Justice Speech atthe London Muslim Centre, Faith inHealth – Health Connex events,fundraising during Ramadan and thelaunch of Khutbah service for DeafMuslims. Our website now hasenhanced provision for the downloadof audio and other files, especially theweekly Khutbah. We published threenewsletters to keep the congregation intouch with events at the mosque. Wealso printed a Ramadan timetable withsupport from NHS Tower Hamlets whowere promoting their ‘SmokingCessation’ service to the community.

06 Community Cohesion


Winning LBTH ThirdSector Awards

Open Days

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Working with CommunityOrganisations

The Mosque has continued to workmany organisations and bodies toprotect and further the interests of theMuslim community.

The following are some of theorganisations we have worked with:• Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum• The East London Communities

Organisation (TELCO)• Islamic Forum of Europe• Young Muslim Organisation (YMO)• Muslimaat UK

The London Muslim Centre inpartnership with the Tower HamletsInterfaith Forum entered a successfulbid to the Preventing Violent ExtremismFund for a multi-faith trip to Bosnia. The objective was to sharethe multi-faith experiences in TowerHamlets with colleagues in Bosnia, and similarly learn from Bosnianexperiences and relate them to people back here. The trip took place in July 2009.

The Mosque has continued its positive work with The East LondonCommunities Organisation (TELCO) andSt Ethelbura’s Centre for Reconciliationand Peace. We have participated in manycampaigns and attended many eventssuch as the residential training for TELCOand an international conference onintegration in Helsinki, Finland.

Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure Service

This is a service the Mosque provides to the community and voluntaryorganisations, mainly the Muslimcommunity. Through this service theyare able to carry out Criminal RecordsBureau (CRB) checks to provide greaterprotection for the vulnerable membersof our society and to their customers,staff, volunteers and ultimately theirorganisations. Currently we areproviding the service to 30organisations based mainly in the east London area.


Islam AwarenessExhibition

Community leadersmeet with NewScotland Yard

Way to Work Project

Way to Work has run many successfulemployment and training initiatives thisyear, resulting in over 60 peoplemoving into employment. A further 80 people have achieved qualificationsthrough training with Way to Work in a range of different areas including IT,Health & Safety, Passenger AssistantTraining, Community Interpreting, and Computer Hardware Technician Training.

Way to Work has continued to establisha solid presence within the Third Sectorin Tower Hamlets, delivering training in partnership with organisations such as the Ocean NDC Jobshop, theLimehouse Project and the OceanSomali Community Association. Wehave a continuing relationship with theJobcentre Plus, and have also providedpre-employment training as part ofToynbee Hall’s Women’s Volunteering & Training Project.

Faith in Work

In 2009 Way to Work commenceddelivery of the ‘Faith in Work’programme, an intensive pre-employment training course that not only teaches the practical skillsrequired to secure employment – forexample, CV writing, interviewtechniques – but also looks atemployment and job-seeking from an Islamic perspective. The course includes training sessionsdelivered by an Imam, with whomtrainees also have the opportunity todiscuss their individual situation on aone-to-one basis.

Faith Regen at the LMC

Faith Regen Foundation has continuedto work in partnership with the LMC todeliver education and training to thosehard to engage groups. The followingprogrammes and courses are currentlybeing delivered: Learn Direct accreditedcourses, ESOL Classes; basic skills fornumeracy and literacy, and basicICT skills.

07 Economic Development

Winning theCommunity of the YearAward 2008

Faith In Health Event,photograph courtesy of London AmbulanceService

Employment Advice


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Renovation, Redecoration &Outfitting Works

• Carpets were replaced in all theprayer areas. The finest ‘platinum’quality carpets were custom made forthe mosque by Ozkül, a leading manufacturer of mosque carpets inTurkey. The installation was carried outby UK carpet fitters, with help from oursupport staff – some of the carpet rolls weighed over half a tonne,requiring several people to move them.

• All the taps in the LMC ablutionshave been replaced by aerated flowtaps. These make it easier to wash anduse less water, with less watersplashing on the floor.

• Due to the very high usage of the2nd and 3rd floors of the LMC, thecarpet tiles were replaced, all thecorridors were painted, as well as the classrooms.

• The mosque is underwent acomprehensive review of all theelectrics to ensure that it is safe and properly labeled. Covers wereinstalled on the lights in the basement.

ELM – Phase 2

Fully revised plans for Phase 2 were submitted to the PlanningDepartment in January 2009, with adecision expected in the summer. This more substantial developmentmakes better use of the space:

• Basement: improved funeral facilities,car and bicycle parking, male ablutions.

• Ground floor: new prayer hall, joinedto existing main hall; large entrancelobby with small reception.

• Mezzanine floor: viewing gallery,media room, exhibition and meetingspace; first level of substantial two-tieroffice area dedicated to women’sprojects.

• First floor: new prayer hall forwomen, with family rooms; lobby areawith buggy parks, complemented by alarge women’s ablutions area; largemeeting room; second tier of women’sproject offices.

• Second floor: multipurpose hall;meeting and multipurpose rooms.

• Third and fourth floors: educationfloors, with 10 classrooms and ancillaryrooms.

• Fifth floor: women’s health andfitness centre; family services.

• Sixth floor: caretaker/guest flats.Enabling works began in June 2009,including removing the existing mosqueshops to form an essential fire escape,and the demolition of the funeralservice (relocated temporarily).

08 Premises

Mayor of LBTHlaunches VolunteerFundraiser Initiative

Installation of new carpets


Projects and User Groups of ELM-LMC

The following projects/user groups areusing the rooms and halls of LMC on aregular basis:

• Al Mizan Tahfizul Madrasah• Al-Baseera Arabic Language Institute• Association of Islamic Teachers UK• Bangladesh Forum Europe (BFE)• Deaf Muslim Project• ELM Evening Madrasah• Faith in Health• Faith Regen Foundation• Food4Thought SupplementarySchool• Improving School Attendance

in Partnership• Islam Awareness Project• Islamic Forum Europe• Junior Muslim Circle• Library• London East Academy• Middle Path Media• Muslimaat UK• North African

Community Association• Rainbow House Play Group• Saturday Halaqa• Saturday Islamic School• School/College Link Project• Somali Development Association• Tower Hamlets Council of Mosques• Way to Work• Women’s Link• Young Muslim Organisation UK

Events Bookings in LMC

Many organisations have alreadydiscovered that the London MuslimCentre is the ideal venue forconferences, seminars, meetings,launches and exhibitions. Some of theorganisations who held their events atthe London Muslim Centre in the lastyear:• Al-Muntada Al-Islami• Amanah Investment Ltd (AIC)• Association of Muslim Governors• Barts & the London Hospital• British Bangladesh Chambers

of Commerce (BBCC)• Communities Against Drugs

and Alcohol Abuse (CADAA)• The Cordoba Foundation• Ernst & Young• FOSIS• Friends of Al-Aqsa• Friends of the Citizen Foundation• Greater Sylhet Council• Islamic Relief• Jagonari Women’s Centre• London Borough of Hackney• London Borough of Tower Hamlets• Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)• Markfield Institute of

Higher Education (MIHE)• Muslim Aid• Muslim Hands• Muslim Safety Forum• NAFAS• NHS Tobacco Project• Pro Bono in the LMC• Queen Mary University• Reed in Partnership• TELCO• ULU ISOC• United Airways• Working Links • YMCA Fitness

Meeting Room at the LMC

Islamic weddings at the LMC


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I express my gratitude firstly to Allah,then to all our trustees, staff andvolunteers, without whom our year ofcontinuous success would not have been possible.

I am pleased we have made significantprogress in our goals for this year. Theprofessional structures for the newdevelopment have seen through revisedplans, and together with BamfordsTrust we have begun the preparationand enabling works. Our five-yearstrategic plan has provided us with theframework to remain steadfast in ourorganisational strategy; furthermore,we have a specific business plan for thenew development.

Our projects continue to expand withnew staffing and new areas of work.The forthcoming year will be an

exciting one, and I feel the samepassion and anticipation from ourstakeholders that I experienced whilstthe LMC was being built. The year willnot be without its challenges, so I callupon all our helpers and supporters toassist our fundraising initiatives; wehave a momentous task to raise morethan £8m over the next two years andwe cannot do this without you all.

May Allah grant us success in all oureffort for His sake.

Ayub KhanSecretary

The East London Mosque and LondonMuslim Centre are the fruits of a dreamthat is nearly 100 years old. From theLondon Mosque Fund ExecutiveCommittee (1910), to the first Mosque inLondon on Commercial Road (1941), thetemporary East London Mosque onFieldgate St (1975), to the East LondonMosque (1985) and London MuslimCentre (2004) as they stand today, theseedifices to British Islam have sproutedfrom the collaborative and cooperativeefforts of eminent men and women,Muslims and non-Muslims, includingthree of the great translators of theQur’an into English.

The Archive, Research & CentenaryCommittee is working towards thecentenary celebration of this story, due to take place in 2010. Our activitiesinclude the full digitisation of the minutebooks of the London Mosque Fund from1910 to 1985 including a reproductionof the oldest minute book, webresources, lectures, exhibitions, oralhistory, biographies of personalitiesinvolved, and a formal dinner to markthe day of the Centenary.

09 History and Archives

Original minutes bookof 1910

10 Conclusion


1905 First 'Eid prayer held at London's HydePark by prominent British Muslims in treacherousweather conditions.

1910 First meeting organised to raise funds toestablish a Mosque and Islamic Centre in London.Jumu’ah (Friday) Prayers begin at hired halls.

1935 As more and more Muslim sailors settledin East London, Friday prayers and 'Eid Prayers movedto the area.

1938 The Trustees purchase a house for use as a Mosque and hostel for Muslim sailors living in East London.

1940 Three houses purchased for the Mosqueand Islamic Cultural Centre.

1941 Official opening of the East London

Mosque on Friday 1st August. The Jumu’ah prayer

was lead by His Excellency Sheikh Hafiz Wahba,

Ambassador of Saudi Arabia.

1975 The Greater London Council (GLC) undercompulsory purchase order acquired the three buildingsin Commercial Road and in return provided land andtemporary buildings on Whitechapel Road, London E1.

1983 The foundation stone of the East London

Mosque was laid, this was followed by a generous

donation by HRH King Fahd of the Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia.

1985 The official opening of the newly built EastLondon Mosque by Sheikh Abdullah bin Subail, Imamof Masjidul Haram, Makkah on Friday 12th July 1985.

1999 As Muslim population in the area grewconsiderably the need for a larger Mosque andIslamic Centre was ever more imperative. EastLondon Mosque raised £600,000 from the localcommunity to buy the adjacent disused land todevelop its extension programme.

2000 The land was officially purchased and planning began in earnest to build theextension programme to house much neededcommunity facilities.

2002 ELM acquires full planning permission forthe extension programme titled the 'London MuslimCentre' from the Local Council. A very comprehensivefundraising programme begins which amounts to over£6m donated by the public.

2004 Opening of the London Muslim Centre,11th June 2004, where over 15,000 people congregatedto pray with Sheikh Abdur Rahman Sudais, Imam ofMasjidul Haram, Makkah. Establishment of secondaryeducational facilities and the London East Academy.

2006 Establishment of employment and training projects.

2008 Planning, Design and Consultation for the proposed new development of the EastLondon Mosque.

2009 Sheikh Abdur Rahman Sudais, Imam ofMasjidul Haram, Makkah leads groundbreakingceremony in August 2009. This marks the expansionof the Mosque and women's facilities.

2010 Centenary Celebrations marking 100 yearsof the East London Mosque Trust and the opening ofthe new building.

11 Timeline

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“I come every year from Islington topray Tarawih because they have reallygood recitation and it’s very nice tolisten to them.”

Asma Khatun, 25

12 Comments from the Public

“I like coming to the East LondonMosque, especially on Fridays becauseof the Jumu’ah Khutbah. It’s often about current situations, the Imam relates it to our Prophet’stimes, you tend to think about it and go away with something you havelearnt and understood.”

Ismail, 41

“The East London Mosque is a uniqueplace in my view, with lots of facilitiesavailable for me; for example, I use theWay to Work office to find jobs.”

Amina Hussain, 19

“I really like the East London Mosquebecause of its opening times, somemosques close their doors straight afterprayer and you have to rush, but the ELM is different.”

Hussain Ibrahim, 36

“I hired the LMC for my sister’s wedding,it’s a perfect venue! I was able to dividethe hall to have segregated areas formen and women – a fantastic place!”

Kawsar, 28


"My first visit to the mosque on an OpenDay dispelled a lot of myths about Islam. I enjoyed the hospitality and generosityextended to me and my friends."

Elizabeth Carter

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Total 2009 Total 2008£ £ £

Fixed Assets

Freehold properties at cost 2,851,729 2,576,039

London Muslim Centre 9,766,860 9,766,860

Long Leasehold 658,048 658,048

Fixtures, fittings and equipments 352,679 312,585

13,629,316 13,313,532

Current Assets

Stock of Radio receiver 1,566 392

Debtors & Prepayments 381,245 540,441

Cash at bank & in hand 1,922,339 858,637

2,305,150 1,399,470

Creditors

Amount falling due within one year 1,242,681 848,967

Net Current Assets/ (Liabilities) 1,062,469 550,503

Total Assets Less Current Liabilities 14,691,785 13,864,035

Creditors

Amount falling due > one year 932,610 679,010

Total Net Assets 13,759,175 13,185,025

Funds

Total Fund Restricted 2,825,800 2,764,962Unrestricted 10,933,375 10,420,063

13,759,175 13,185,025

13 Accounts

Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 31st March 2009

Approved by the Board of Trustees on Musaddiq Ahmed Dr M A Bari18th July 2009 and signed on his behalf by Trustee & Treasurer Trustee & Chairman

Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2009

Restricted Unrestricted Total 2009 Total 2008INCOME AND EXPENDITURE £ £ £ £

Incoming Resources

Donations 70181 677,587 747,768 536,444Rent and Service Charges 821,781 821,781 564,420Educational Projects 512,363 512,363 417,132ELM – LMC Projects 573,970 573,970 641,615Other Income 73,081 73.081 153,179

1,156,514 1,572,449 2,728,963 2,312,790Resources Expended

ELM – LMC Projects: Direct Charitable 512,830 512,830 580,142Educational Projects: Direct Charitable 512,363 15,459 527,822 462,973Other Expenses: Direct Charitable 70,483 777,367 847,850 1,003,530Management and Administration 269,703 269,703 226,637

Total Resources Expended 1,095,676 1,062,529 2,158,205 2,273,282

Net Income / Deficit for the Year 60, 836 509,920 570,758 39,508Funds as at 1 April 2008 3,392 3,392 -Funds as at 1 April 2008 (Old charity) 2,764,962 10,420,063 13,185,025 13,145,517Funds as at 31 March 2009 2,825,800 10,933,375 13,759,175 13,185,025

14 ELM Phase 2 Expansion

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Building a better future..

Despite our success, the needs of ourcommunity continue to grow, and it isour responsibility to address them tothe best of our abilities. Of all theneeds before us, we have identifiedtwo which deserve our immediateattention: additional prayer space toaccommodate our growing congregation,and resources and services for women.

To make the most of the land wehave, we will build on the car parkand funeral areas, creating an 8-storeybuilding with over 5000m2 of usablespace, with 5 of those floors dedicatedto providing prayer space and servicesfor women.

Below is an artists impression of theproposed building plans, viewed fromFieldgate Street.


East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre46–92 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1JQ, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7650 3000 | Facsimile: +44 (0)20 7650 3001www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk | www.londonmuslimcentre.org.uk

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