Former city councillor holds mosque protest
PROTEST: A former city councillor staged a lone protest outside a mosque yesterday.
Jennifer Holdcroft, an Independent between 2000 and 2002, was asked to join opposition to a new mosque in Regent Road, Shelton, several years ago, but could not at the time.
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But after finding out about recent progress on the building, the pensioner arrived outside it at 8.30am yesterday with flags and a placard which read: "This is a Christian country not a Muslim country. The building of mosques on British soil is offensive."
The 60-year-old, from Biddulph, who served Burslem Grange ward, said: "I found it to be quite overwhelming. I feel sorry for people nearby. How many mosques do we have to have?"
Passer-by, Steve Swan, aged 45, said: "She stood out like a sore thumb. I respect her protest, but I don't agree with it."
Staffordshire Police received a call about the protest at 9.10am and sent officers to the scene to maintain the peace and to check no offences were being committed.
A spokesman said: "There were no formal complaints."
The £1.6 million mosque has been built using funds raised by the Muslim community. Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been criticised for offering the land for an annual rent of £1.
Pictured is Umair Chodhary, of Northwood, speaking to Ms Holdcroft.
Picture: Wesley Webster
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by A very easy-going Potter, TUNSTALL
Monday, October 26 2009, 11:01AM
“You won't find a more easy going chap anywhere in the Potteries than me. If there's peace and love going 'round, great - sign me up. Just so as eveyone is clear though. I will fight to the death all three of the desert dogmas. If anyone tries to enact their stone-age beliefs just because of words written down over thirteen hundred years ago then they have got a fight on their hands. Who's the extremist now?”
by Anon, Stoke
Sunday, October 25 2009, 4:00PM
“ahmed, Tunstall
When you said "Even in UK's so called glory days when it controlled half the World through colonisanation and had so much wealth,the majority of the population lived in poverty. While the elite lived it large, the only thing back then was that you didn't have the immigrants to blame! ", I couldn't agree more with you , what people forget is that the majority of people live day to day in this country with very little savings if any at all while the rich exploit us all black or white, just look how much the minimum wage is compare that lets say to a Company Director or a Bankers salary or even a Premier league footballer but no one seems to blame them because its easy to blame immigrants and before any one asks, I'm white and was born in Stoke its just that I can see beyond the smoke and mirrors put up by the hate campaigners.”
by ahmed, tunstall
Saturday, October 24 2009, 6:51PM
“To John
It was easy because just out lining your dream of a Britain...a white britain”
by john, stoke on trent
Thursday, October 22 2009, 3:48PM
“To ahmed,see that was easy wasn't it!!!!! because if that was racist rant then i don,t know what is one,that aside not every one is happy see this country over run end of.”
by ahmed, Tunstall
Thursday, October 22 2009, 12:45AM
“To John
Yes your right people like yourself dont care if they abuse and mistreat others just because of their skin colour or beliefs. You should become prime minsister and turn it into white only Britain. Once you achieved that then who are you going blame? Because deprived areas like blurton,chell heath and council esates all over UK will still have the same problems.
I dont know maybe you can then blame it on people who have got ginger hair or green eyes. The choices is endless.
Its always easy to blame the foreigners and create a smokescreen. The real problem is that UK is a capitalist nation which only looks after the intrests of the rich and not the common man.
Even in UK's so called glory days when it contolled half the World through colonisanation and had so much wealth,the majority of the population lived in poverty. While the elite lived it large, the only thing back then was that you didnt have the immigrants to blame!”