Originally published July 20, 2023 8:00 pm PDT
The building has served a number of different purposes since its 1896 opening.
QUICK FACTS:
- Billionaire property tycoon Asif Aziz has been given permission to convert part of the historical Trocadero in central London into a mosque.
- Although the location will now have a capacity for 390 people, the original 2020 proposal for the building’s conversion discussed a 1,000-people capacity and was strongly opposed by residents.
- The Trocadero was initially constructed during the reign of Queen Victoria and has served as a restaurant, an entertainment and shopping complex, an arcade, and a hotel.
- A gentlemen-only bar known for serving gay men opened on the premises in 1896, called the Trocadero Long Bar.
- Other gay bars and nightclubs surround the area today.
- According to a statement from the Azis Foundation, the “Centre will provide an indispensable place for the Muslims who work, visit and live in the area and for whom prayer forms a cornerstone of their life.”
- The statement continues, “While the Centre will provide an area for prayer, it is also anticipated that this development will nurture much needed interfaith dialogue and in turn bring faith communities and community groups together utilising available space.”
PLANS FOR THE MOSQUE:
- The location will host “interfaith meetings” and “LGBTQ+ talks” along with other activities, the Evening Standard reported.
- A community hall and prayer space will be located in the lower basement, holding 250 people.
- An upper level for 140 individuals will also be constructed.
- “The centre’s capacity of 390 people will enable us to provide a safe, accessible community asset in the heart of Westminster which is vital to ease overcrowding in neighbouring Mosques and meet both existing and future demand,” the Aziz Foundation wrote to the Westminster Council.
BACKGROUND:
- Where the upcoming London mosque will host LGBTQ+ talks and meetings, Muslim teens in Belgium attacked an LGBTQ+ event.
- During a school celebration of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), Muslim teenagers spit on the Pride flag and shouted “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is the greatest.”
- The behavior of the Muslim students has been condemned by the school and mayor, with a complaint to police reading, “The aggression against our employees and the OGWA volunteer is absolutely unacceptable. You should not agree with each other, but at least there should always be respect.”
