ANGER OVER CLUB'S POSTER BY MOSQUE

This Is Leicestershire | Leicestershire Mecury ^ | 11/28/05 | Tom Pegden

[LibWhacker]

Users of a city mosque are angry after an advert for a "gentlemen's club" went up opposite their prayer room.

The picture of a scantily-clad woman has been plastered across a billboard in Conduit Street, Leicester, opposite the Central Mosque.

Muslims who worship there said they found it offensive.

Owners of the Aviary club said they had not received an official complaint but did not want to cause offence.

Gul Mohammed, who works at the mosque, said: "It's not the kind of thing you want to see when you are doing your prayers.

"Also, when people - men, women and children - leave the mosque they have to go past it. Whether it's a mosque, a church or a temple it's not what you want to see when you leave a place of prayer.

"It does not make sense putting something up like that. It would be good to have it removed.

"I'm sure there would be plenty of other places to put it."

Yahya Thadha, a member of the congregation, said they were angered more at the positioning of the poster rather than its content.

He said: "It's more the fact that people should be a bit more sensitive. We're upset rather than outraged.

"You can see it straight out of the window. We can understand they have a business to run, but our anger is more with the people who own the land who should have been a bit more sensitive."

He said he believed it was on council-owned property.

Spinney Hills ward councillor Hashim Panchbhaya said he supported the worshippers. He said: "I will take it up with the council and ask them to see what he can be done.

"The poster has caused a lot of offence to a community that has very high standards.

"It's not acceptable for people coming out of a mosque to see something like that. There's enough immorality in the world and to impose something like this on Muslims is totally unacceptable.

"There are sensitivities at stake and there are other places they can put it. To see a half-naked woman right outside the mosque is downgrading and not acceptable."

Aviary manager Paul Rodgers said the venue had received no complaints over the billboard.

"There are very strict rules about what we can do and the media company we use for advertising has gone through all the right channels," he said.

"We would never intend to cause anybody any discomfort. If we received an official complaint we would look into it.

"The last thing we want to do is cause anybody any offence."

[Free Baptist]

"The picture of a scantily-clad woman has been plastered across a billboard in Conduit Street, Leicester, opposite the Central Mosque."

One of them said that this is not something you want to look at while your having prayers. I ask, "Then, WHEN is the time that Muslims like to look at it?"

My wife and I are becoming increasingly offended at the nudity in publicly placed advertising (billboards, etc.), and it is often advertising things that, in themselves, are not even related to sex. But the advertisers feel they have to sex these things up. Unless you keep children blindfolded, they are going to face it in our cities day-after-day-after-day. Such public advertising is not a Muslim vs. Christian vs. Jew thing. Using the sex angle to sell everything is harmful to society in general, regardless of whether the religious present.

[x5452]

The sexuality in many advertisements even things intended for kids is quite disturbing.

[red irish]

Are you serious did that really happen?

[red irish]

Is that real?

[Fawn]

Yes! I'm totally serious. My sister was there...she told me because she was shocked...it was at a South Florida University. It was totally up and up....he got yelled at for chewing gum becuase it was rude to the moslem holiday while they were fasting.
I only wish I was there...

[Octar]

Gul Mohammed, who works at the mosque, said: "It's not the kind of thing you want to see when you are doing your prayers."

All the pictures I've seen shows them looking up some some other muzzies' bum while 'doing their prayers'.