- Title: London Muslims invite Trump to visit multicultural east end
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) EAST LONDON MOSQUE SIGN READING (English): "THE EAST LONDON MOSQUE" MUSLIM MEN WALK ACROSS STREET TOWARDS MOSQUE MUSLIM MEN ENTERING MOSQUE MOSQUE SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (English) SALMAN FARSI, SPOKESMAN FOR THE EAST LONDON MOSQUE SAYING: "I think there will be protests if he decided to visit London, but if he wants to come to London, particularly to this part of London to learn from our communities, how we get on with each other and how Muslims, Jews, Christians, people of all faiths and no faiths can work together to build a cohesive society, then he can come and take note." VARIOUS PEOPLE LISTENING TO IMAM SPEAKING INSIDE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SALMAN FARSI, SPOKESMAN FOR THE EAST LONDON MOSQUE SAYING: "Some of that hate crime that we saw in the UK after Brexit has now started to happen in the U.S. and so my main worry is for Muslims in America, how they will kind of be treated in the coming days as a result of Trump being elected." VARIOUS OF FRIDAY PRAYERS TAKING PLACE INSIDE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MUSLIM MAN, SAYING: "This is proof for Trump that we can live together, people of different faiths and there is no need to be separated." (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MUSLIM MAN SAYING: "You can see you are surrounded by Muslim people. They are decent people I think." VARIOUS OF MUSLIM MEN AND WOMEN GATHERING AND CHATTING AT END OF FRIDAY PRAYERS OUTSIDE MOSQUE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNIDENTIFIED MUSLIM MAN SAYING: "I would like to travel wherever I would like to travel and wherever I want to go. It should be a free world for everyone to go wherever they would like to go, wherever they wish to go, so I don't think someone should ban anyone from going where they like." VARIOUS MULTI-CULTURAL STREET SCENES IN WHITECHAPEL MARKET
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 17:34
- Keywords: Donald Trump Muslim ban London Friday Prayers London Muslims
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK; MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK; MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0015804CHZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Muslims in London's east end spoke of their shock at Donald Trump being elected U.S. president, but invited him to visit their multicultural community to see for himself the area he once branded no-go zone for police claiming that it is so radicalised officers were afraid for their own lives.
At Friday prayers (November 11) at the East London Mosque Muslims reflected on Trump's campaign pledge to ban Muslims from entering the United States and wondered what will happen when the billionaire visits the U.K. as president of the United States.
"I think there will be protests if he decided to visit London," said mosque spokesman Salman Farsi.
But he added he'd like Trump to visit Whitechapel in the heart of the east end.
"If he wants to come to London, particularly to this part of London to learn from our communities, how we get on with each other and how Muslims, Jews, Christians, people of all faiths and no faiths can work together to build a cohesive society, then he can come and take a look."
Farsi also said he worried that there will be xenophobic attacks in America following the bitter election campaign, the same way there were in Britain after the Brexit referendum.
"Some of that hate crime that we saw in the UK after Brexit has now started to happen in the U.S. and so my main worry is for Muslims in America, how they will kind of be treated in the coming days as a result of Trump being elected," said Salman.
Others were critical of Trump's demonising of Muslims and his proposed ban on them entering the U.S.
If Trump goes ahead with his controversial proposal, made in December last year, London's mayor Sadiq Khan could be on that list.
Khan became London's first Muslim mayor in May this year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
