While the Finsbury Park Mosque is preparing to launch the 4th annual neighbourhood open day for the local community at Islington on Sunday the 26th of June 2011, the morning of Thursday the 9th of June 2011 was a very tough morning for the staff of the mosque.
The mosque is used to receiving hate mail from extremists who have racist views or those who do not know what positive role the mosque plays within the community and the larger British society. Yet, this morning was different as the letter, which was addressed to the Imam this time, was nothing but an offensive drawing on the religion of Islam and some offensive words about the Prophet Mohammed.
What was horrible though is that there was a very strange white powder on the letter in a considerable amount. Unable to know the nature of that powder which could have been anything, the staff contacted the police who evacuated the mosque and put the two members of staff who came in contact with the powder under observation in case any health complications or symptoms appear on them. Ambulance and police cars surrounded the scene and the whole Muslim community in Islington were terrified; the road around the mosque was blocked and people were very worried.
From around 12:30 at noon till around 4:00 pm the mosque went through a very difficult time until the special police forces that analysed the powder discovered that it is not dangerous. At this stage, fingerprints were taken and the envelope along with the powder and the letter were taken for forensic investigation as well as reviewing the mosque CCTV. The Muslim community in Finsbury Park is still going through the trauma of such heinous attack on the safety of a peaceful place of worship.
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 blindly judge and behave in a very dangerous way that can put the whole society in difficulties”.