Center Of The Storm

The North London Central Mosque was founded in 1990 by mostly Bangladeshi worshipers. Prince Charles allegedly supported the project, after touring the shabby neighborhood in the early 1980s. According to the mosque's trustees, it is "widely known" that King Fahd of Saudi Arabia provided over €1 million to fund the construction, the total cost of which was estimated at €2.3 million. The three-story, redbrick mosque has prayer halls to accommodate around 1,500 men, a warren of offices, a shop and, in the basement, a smaller prayer hall with room for 100 women.

Toward the end of 1996, the...