Comment by Alan Hiliar:
Gove's unprincipled mosque stand
Michael Gove's decision to oppose the building of a new mosque in his constituency is an attempt to silence political opponents.
Camberley, in the wealthy Surrey stockbroker belt, has a significant Muslim community who want their own place of worship.
The town now faces a defining moment with a planning application to build a traditional mosque (with dome and minarets) alongside the busy A30 road close to the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. The local MP,
Michael Gove, has argued that the
application should be withdrawn for the sake of "good community relations".
In 1996, the al-Kharafi Islamic Centre moved into the buildings near the A30 previously occupied by Yorktown infants school but little changed on the outside other than the signage. Last September, there was an application to replace the old school buildings with a traditional mosque. And suddenly, the proposal became a very hot topic indeed.
Planning officers recommended refusal of the application for a variety of reasons but councillors on the planning committee overturned the advice and granted planning permission. Then, admitting an amazing level of incompetence, the council established that proper procedure had not been followed and the full council is now going to finalise the matter at some future date.
Local opposition to the mosque proposal has now built up and some more extreme elements are posting vitriolic comments opposing the new mosque and all things Islamic on sites like Facebook.
Gove, the local MP, sought initially to distance himself from the issue, but after being challenged by Ukip – whose anti-European views appeal to some Camberley voters – he has now asked the Muslim community to withdraw the planning application due to the strength of feeling locally. It appears, therefore, that Gove's sudden opposition to the mosque is linked to his desire to retain the support of his local party's anti-European right wing.
I'm not sure the London Road site is the right place for a mosque. I'm cautious about losing a locally listed building although I am aware that "local" listing is very different from the protection offered by a "full" listing which is issued by the secretary of state. I am, however, content to let the local council make the decision on planning grounds alone.
So Gove's sudden decision – provoked by Ukip jibes – to oppose the mosque raises major concerns in my mind.
First, he seems to want to placate those whose opposition stems from a deep antipathy to Muslims generally. That is not the standard of statesmanship and integrity I expect from a member of parliament who should represent the interests of all his constituents.
Secondly, by asking the local Muslim community to withdraw the application, he is asking Muslims to give up their aspirations for a purpose-built place of worship. I go to our local church and that's an important building for me and many other local people.
Lastly, I feel there is a deep cynicism and political calculation behind Gove's tactics since he seems to be hoping that a Camberley mosque will not be an issue in the forthcoming general election.
Surely a key test of an MP should be that he or she does not bend in the wind and shows some principle when it comes to dealing with controversial issues?
For me, Gove has failed these tests over the proposed Camberley mosque. His constituents and others may well wonder how he will react to other difficult situations he might face in the future.
Source
Alan Hiliar is Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Surrey Heath.