An application to convert part of the Trocadero building in London’s Piccadilly Circus into a mosque has been withdrawn after the plans received thousands of racist comments.
The Aziz Foundation, an Islamic education charity, submitted plans in February to turn two basement floors into a mosque for 1,000 worshippers.
Westminster City Council received 6,100 comments in support of the plans but 2,800 objected, including a high volume of racist comments.
Far-right group Britain First had organised a petition against the proposals.
A number of objectors said that the presence of large numbers of Muslims in the area may make LGBT people living and socialising in nearby Soho uncomfortable.
One objector said: “It is clear for all to see that the Muslim community will seek to impose itself on all aspects of the native culture and will never yield to anything that does not further the fundamentalist political aspirations of Islam.
“The writing is on the wall and as sure as night follows day, you can bet your bottom dollar allowing this wholly unwelcome intrusion on the native population will only exasperate the problem of Islam. It simply has no place in the West, as the orchestrated ‘support’ comments allude to.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
“This is yet another assault on your nation by stealth and subversion. Please do not be fooled, we’ve had more than enough bloodshed and rape in this country thanks to cow-towing to the endless demands of the Muslim community.”
Another objector said: “I hope by now it is self-evident in this comments thread, that the Muslim community has NO RESPECT for the very legitimate concerns of the residents of Piccadilly…
“This is merely a taste of what will follow should this unwelcome, foreign display of dominance be imposed on British Citizens. Given it’s DISGUSTING track record, you would think one would be as silent as possible about belonging to this obnoxious, perverted, insidious cult, but as we can see from the incessant spamming in the ‘support’ comments, the Muslim community has no sense of decency or respect.
“What more evidence do we need that Islam has no place in the west? It seems the only people who haven’t realized this yet are in the Westminster bubble.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service reports that local politicians have been critical of the high volume of objections that were “racist.”
Conservative councillor Matthew Green said: “We find these racist, hateful comments utterly repellent and will always move to ensure that they are taken down as quickly as possible.” He added some comments had been shared with the Met Police.
Previously, Labour councillor Hamza Taouzzale said: “Some of the comments that I’ve unfortunately had to read through were horrible, they really were. They were racist, they weren’t aligned with any of our views.”
The Aziz Foundation submitted a planning application to Westminster Council for a prayer space/mosque in London’s iconic Trocadero building, which is owned by its multi-millionaire founder Asif Aziz.
In a statement the foundation said: “Following the submission of our application for the Trocadero prayer space, we have been in consultation with Westminster City Council. There are a few points that need further clarification and as a result, we believed that it was best to withdraw our application at this moment and look to re-submit as soon as possible.
“By addressing the technical comments made, we believe we will be in a better position to secure planning permission and meet the clear demand that exists for this prayer space in the West End. We would like the thank the thousands of people who offered their support to the application and we will inform you when the planning application has been resubmitted.”
