Od neighbours

when we get to know each other.

“We plan on holding other programmes, like lectures and English classes for recent migrants to this country.

“We are Shia Muslims, who follow the 12th successor of the Prophet. Many in the congregation are of Iraqi heritage, although it is very mixed.

“Depending on the festival the numbers will vary. For Ramadan or Eid it could be between 300 and 500 people, but most of the time it won’t be that many.

“Golders Green is a mainly Jewish area, and we respect that. Golders Green, Cricklewood, Brent Cross — they’re all part of London. Maybe in five years’ time, migrants from a certain country will come to a particular area. That’s just a part of London.

“Yes, there may be a conflict between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East. But that should not and will not affect how we treat our neighbours.

“The opposition doesn’t hurt us. We have open doors for anyone who walks in asking for help, regardless of what they are wearing and who they are.”

BEN WEICH

lived in West Heath [in Golders Green] for almost 25 years and believe I speak on behalf of the vast majority of local residents in unequivocally condemning the Islamophobic and racist comments being made by some members of our own community. This backdrop of bigoted sentiment is detracting from the real issues which are facing local residents on a daily and nightly basis.

Commentary and opinions such as those expressed by Stephen Pollard and Laura Marks in the JC, while well intentioned, are, however, adding fuel to the fire and are undermining the legitimate, measured and totally justifiable concerns of those of us who have had our quiet residential neighbourhood overwhelmed by the sudden influx of worshippers.

In making their case against racist responses to the arrival of Shia Muslims in Golders Green, Messrs Pollard and Marks provide unbalanced analysis and play down the parking, congestion and late night noise issues as mere technical details. They fail to acknowledge, other than in passing, that objecting to the planning application to open up the Hippodrome to Muslim worship until half past midnight, seven days a week and petitioning Barnet council regarding resident parking restrictions are the only tools available to the local population to manage the situation.

To put this in context, the Hippodrome has been used for the last 10 years only on Sundays as a church and prior to that for several decades even more intermittently by the BBC. With a capacity approaching 1,000 worshippers (almost all of whom come by car from outside the area) and services being held up to five times a day, the surrounding road network cannot cope.

Our experience to date is that the new visitors to the Hippodrome are largely prepared to ignore parking restrictions and happy to park over driveways and block access to roads. During the two weeks of [the Muslim sacred month of] Muharram my own driveway was blocked on numerous occasions and a great many other residents experienced the same problem.

I would urge you not to sacrifice the legitimate concerns of residents on the altar of political correctness. Not everyone who wants to be able to access their own driveway or business premises is a bigot or racist. Please think twice before condemning a local community for fighting within the letter of the law for a sensible response from Barnet to the challenges it faces. Alan Jacobs

I refer to the article in the Evening Standard on 16th October relating to the use being made of the Golders Green Hippodrome by an Islamic centre and the thousands of objections. This prompted your political editor Marcus Dysch to tweet “hard to see (the campaign ) as anything other than inexcusable blatant Islamophobia.”

If Mr Dysch lived in West Heath or anywhere near the Hippodrome he would have experienced road blockages

We see people saying, oh Muslims — they’re bad guys. But if you don’t know me, please don’t say nasty things’