Brixton Mosque’s Early Encounters with Extremism

Abstract

The events that immediately followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks led to an increased focus on communities like those who attended the Brixton Mosque in south London.¹ Although much has been written by media sources and academics providing external, observatory analysis and conclusions about the Mosque and its community, there still remains the need to provide a more empirical, historical account from an insider’s perspective. The author of this account is appropriately placed, as an established member of the community, to provide a first-hand account of the mosque’s evolution since 1990 and how the community dealt with, and continues to tackle, factors which shape its development today. Participant Observation, therefore, forms the basis of the research methodology applied throughout this particular chapter. The Brixton Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre (aka Masjid Ibnu Taymeeyah) is centre for a diverse multicultural community that largely comprises converts from African Caribbean backgrounds.² The initial founders of the community (the ‘elders’) first began congregating in each others’ homes in the mid-1970s, culminating in their establishing a small meeting venue and place of prayer in Bellfields Road, a short walk from the mosque’s present locality. The community continued to expand until, in 1990, the move was made to 1 Gresham Road, the current site.