New laws aimed at banning extremist preachers from colleges could be used to silence all Muslims, the boss of a mosque has said.
The Government recently passed legislation banning “hate-speech” from campuses, but Mohammed Kozbar, chair of Finsbury Park Mosque, in St Thomas’s Road, is concerned the powers may be abused.
He said: “They say that no one who promotes hate speech can talk. But what does that mean?
“Just last week I was at a meeting where someone got up and said I should not be allowed to speak. He didn’t know me or my views.
“Some people want to stop Muslims speaking regardless of their views on different issues,” he explained.
“Look at my mosque. Women are more active than men. The women’s committee has good relationships with women at the local churches. It has arranged visits to synagogues. But the media doesn’t want to know about this side.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here