Brit Govt move to stall mega-mosque next to Olympics site welcomed

London, Jan 18 (ANI): Muslim organisations have welcomed the British Government's move to stall plans to build Europe's biggest mosque close to the London Olympics site that would accommodate 12,000 worshippers at a time.

Tablighi Jamaat, the Islamic sect behind the proposal, is to be evicted this week from the East London site, where it has been operating illegally a temporary mosque and had planned the mega complex.

Minhaj-ul-Quran, which advises the Government on how to combat youth radicalisation, said that a mosque should be a "community effort" and not the initiative of one group with extremist links, The Times reports.

Newham Council is now considering compulsory purchase of the land after Tablighi Jamaat, whose strict interpretation of Islam has caused concern, failed to lodge a master plan of its vision.

There was strong opposition when the sect unveiled its plans for the site, south of the London 2012 Olympic Park, in 2007. More than 48,000 people petitioned the Government to prevent the development, dubbed the "mega-mosque".

Although Tablighi Jamaat had publicly vowed to press on with its vision, there has been no activity on the project since last summer.

The makeshift mosque on the West Ham site has been operating illegally since temporary planning permission lapsed more than three years ago.

A spokesman said that action was taken because the trust missed its final deadline, earlier this month, to lodge a master plan. The council was investigating all options, including compulsory purchase.

Observers portray Tablighi Jamaat as a strict movement intent on spreading its version of Islam.

British terrorists have had associations with the organisation and intelligence agencies have expressed fears that al-Qaeda was using membership as cover to network with extremists in the US. (ANI)