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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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21st January 2004

PRESS RELEASE: Vigil to mark one year of mosque closure and protest police Islamophobia, 23 January 2004, outside New Scotland Yard, Broadway, London, SW1H OBG.

The North London Central Mosque Working Committee, supported by IHRC and the London Muslim Coalition will be holding a vigil outside the Metropolitan Police Service / New Scotland Yard this Friday, 23rd January 2003.

The vigil has been called to mark the first anniversary of the raid and closure of Finsbury Park Mosque by the police. The mosque remains closed and the North London Central Mosque (i.e. Finsbury Park Mosque) Working Party (NLCMWP) is calling for the premises to be reopened and handed back to thy.

The vigil further marks the rise in police Islamophobia. Incidents of Islamophobia include the humiliation of abuse of detainees e.g. ‘Ali’ who was forced to kneel and then prostrate by arresting officers who taunted, ‘Where is your God now?’ Other examples include the phenomenal rise in searches, with Muslims being profiled under terrorism legislation and targeted by the police. In the last year there has been a 300% increase in searches (a rise from 10,200 to 32,100, a staggering 30,000 above 1999-2000 levels) with Asians forming the most searched community.

For more information about the vigil please contact IHRC on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) 7903 053362 or (+44) 7958 522196 email: info@ihrc.org

www.ihrc.org.uk
www.londonmuslimcoalition.org