Mosque News

From The South Wales Echo - 16th February 2011

Madina Mosque dispute goes to legal mediation

Muslim leaders fighting for control of Cardiff’s Madina Mosque made tentative steps towards deciding its future this week, after agreeing to legal mediation.

After a five-year battle over rights to the site of a planned 3,000-worshipper mosque, the two sides made ground during a High Court hearing.

Problems of ownership arose after the mosque was destroyed in an arson attack in 2006, and plans were drawn up to build the country’s biggest Islamic place of worship in its place.

Mohammed Javed, secretary of the Muslim Education and Welfare Society of Wales, claimed that the four men listed as the owners of the land on Woodville Road, Cathays, only owned it as trustees of the society and should have relinquished ownership when they left in 2006.

The four say they are acting in the interests of the Madina Mosque charity, which has beem registered since 2004, and are rightfully listed as the trustees of the land.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Grangetown and chairman of the mosque, Asghar Javed Ali, said: “We started to build the new mosque, and then individuals who financially contributed started to claim they had the right to the land.

“The public was in uproar as much of the money had been donated from them. It’s sad that it has come to this, but hopefully now we can come to an agreement,” Mr Ali said.

Worshippers are currently using the old Shaws warehouse on Monthermer Road as a temporary place of prayer until the new state-of-the-art mosque is built.

Amjid Majid, secretary of Madina Mosque, said just over £1m had been spent on the building’s foundations and basement. However, a further £4m is needed to complete the project.

“We want to work together, and we hope we can build the biggest mosque in Wales,” Mr Majid said. “The disagreement over land rights has split the community and has had a huge effect, so if you have to compromise you do it.”

One of the objectors, Mr Javed of the Muslim Education Society, said: “The property was always owned by the Society and still is. I don’t know how they started claiming it was theirs,” he said.

“However, we are happy we will now go through mediation as it is the Muslim community which is suffering without a mosque,” he said.

His Honour Judge Jarman QC ruled in the 20-minute hearing yesterday: “It is far better for the community to reach a decision on its own. Judging by the number of people in court it is clearly an issue of great importance to them.

“I congratulate them on reaching the stage where they are ready to sort things out between themselves.”