Glasgow Central Mosque is located on the south bank of the River Clyde in the Gorbals district of central Glasgow. The website "Muslims in Britain"[2] classifies the Glasgow Central Mosque as Deobandi.[1]
The Mosque
The only minaret of the mosque
The mosque was designed by W. M. Copeland & Associates in the Islamic style built in Old Red Sandstone, and was completed in 1983.[3]
The Islamic Centre is now the central institution for the local Muslim community, and is the largest community centre in Strathclyde. The mosque itself is Scotland's largest mosque.[4]
Controversies
In February 2016, Habib ur Rehman Rauf,[5] then-religious head of the mosque (who moved to an Edinburgh mosque in 2020), was quoted in the media supporting the actions of Mumtaz Qadri, who assassinated Pakistani politician Salman Taseer whilst acting as his security guard. Imam Habib claimed his "comments were 'misconstrued' and said the situation had added to his 'sense of tragedy' following recent terror attacks."[6][7][8][9] Qadri disagreed with Taseer's opposition to Pakistan's blasphemy law.[10]
In April 2016, the International Business Times revealed that the mosque held annual Khatme Nabuwwat conferences. The mosque president, Dr Mohammed Shafi Kausar refuted the existence of any secular group at the mosque.[11] Also in April 2016, representatives of Glasgow Central Mosque ostensibly accepted but then declined to appear at the last minute at a vigil in memory of Asad Shah, a Pakistani shopkeeper assassinated by a Pakistani Muslim extremist.[12]
Imams
There are currently two Imams at Glasgow Central Mosque:[13]
