SCOTTISH mosques, including some in Glasgow, are being run by powerful business vested interests that do not represent the wider community, according to Scotland’s leading Muslim commentator.

Mona Siddiqui also says conservative imams invited to speak at the mosques should be more closely monitored to prevent them preaching hatred and promoting terrorism.

Ms Siddiqui, who is Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at Edinburgh University, said there needs to be much more self-criticism and open discussion in mosques such as Glasgow Central to promote good inter-

faith relations, but that the mosques were too often run by vested interests that stifle debate.

“There’s a lot of power and control freaks and the people who have made it in these communities are usually big businessmen so they are not necessarily coming from a background where they are concerned about the wider community,” she said. “They are there for vested interests.”

Ms Siddiqui also called for more discussion about prejudice against Ahmadi Muslims highlighted in the case of Asad Shah, the newsagent who was killed at his shop in Glasgow in an attack which the police described as religiously prejudiced,

Ms Siddiqui, who has recently become the chairperson of the Scotland Stronger in Europe advisory group, also expressed concern about religious leaders who are promoting hatred in mosques and said their speeches should be more closely monitored.

“There’s no point in talking about freedom of speech when freedom of speech leads to people being murdered,” she said. “Most of us know that we don’t go around saying exactly what we want and peace doesn’t come about just because we don’t say anything – peace comes about because you make an active contribution to being peaceful.

“Any leader, not just imams, who are actively promoting hatred towards another community, or even if they’re putting it within some scriptural context and saying this is how it was and this is how we should still think, that’s wrong because it will have an impact on society.”

Responding to Ms Siddiqui’s remarks, the leader of Glasgow Central Mosque Shafi Kausar said he completely refuted the suggestion that mosques like his were controlled by well-off business interests.

“She is absolutely wrong,” he said. “I am the president and I have been at the mosque for the last 24 years – I am not a businessman, I was a GP and among the committee members, there are various walks of life.”

He also rejected the idea that imams’ speeches should be monitored.