In my role as Minister for Heritage, I recently granted protected heritage status to two mosques in London by listing them as Grade II listed buildings – a decision which attracted national media coverage.
The London Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre in Regent’s Park, London has now been listed as a Grade II* building whilst the Fazl Mosque in the London area of Southfields has been given Grade II status. Historic England described the mosques as being “exceptional places of worship”. I firmly believe that by listing these beautiful mosques, we are not only preserving important places of worship, but also celebrating the rich heritage of Muslim communities in England.
The London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park was built to be the central point for Muslims in London to worship and indeed it was Sir Winston Churchill’s Government in the 1940’s that gifted a valuable plot of Crown land as the current location for the construction of this Mosque. The Fazl Mosque was the first purpose-built mosque in London and the second purpose built mosque in the whole of Britain.
I am proud of our country’s diverse history and culture and believe that we should make every effort to protect important heritage sites such as these historic mosques. There are now some 20 mosque buildings around the country which are protected structures because of their historical importance.
You can read more about this story by clicking on the following link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43385587.