Mosque leader in England rejects accusations following Quran damage

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – Hafiz Muhammad Mateen Anwar, the Imam of the Jamia Masjid Swafia in Wakefield, which is at the centre of the controversy over damage to the Quran in a local school, has given an interview denying accusations levelled against him and his community.

Speaking to Roshan Muhammad Salih for 5Pillars, he said that the mother of the boy suspended from the school in connection with the incident was not coerced into apologising at a meeting in the mosque, rather she had reached out to them to speak. He said they were not trying to introduce blasphemy laws or sharia law by the back door – they followed British law.

He believed the mosque had handled the situation well, holding a public meeting to appraise the community of the truth, to stop any action that may result.