Church leaders in the Harrogate district have issued a statement to back plans for the first mosque in the town, supporting the right of the Muslim community to have a place of worship.
The statement, issued by 22 church leader, came as the Harrogate Islamic Association’s applied for planning permission to convert the former Home Guards Club to a mosque.
“As church leaders in Harrogate, we the undersigned wish to express our support for our Muslim friends and neighbors as they seek a suitable site for a dedicated place of worship,” the statement read, Yorkshire Post reported.
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“We believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to worship and, without wishing to prejudge the specific suitability of the site.
“We believe that the time is right for the creation of a permanent mosque to serve the needs of Muslims who live and work in our community.”
The Right Time
Though the mosque plans were met by some opposition, many expressed their support for the first mosque.
One supporter, Caroline Linford, said the Muslim community in Harrogate “deserve to have a place of worship of their own” and this site “seems like a perfect location” as it is near the town center.
Another supporter, Jon Kelly, wrote: “I would be very saddened to live in a town that would object to this kind of application and would find it hard to explain to my children why this decision was made should it not be passed.
“We should surely be welcoming to all faiths and encourage the opportunity to celebrate all manner of different cultures in our town.”
Harrogate is one of the most picturesque towns in northern England. Famous for its springs and floral beauty, it’s also home to 1,000-year-old castles and historic Victorian architecture.
The religious make up of Harrogate is 68.6% Christian, 22.5% No religion, 0.4% Muslim, 0.3% Buddhist, 0.2% Jewish, 0.1% Hindu, 0.1% Agnostic, 0.1% Sikh.