Source: Beliefnet.com

Wire Service: AP

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/147/story_14748_1.html

On June 11, 2004 the Associated Press reported, "Several thousand Muslims filled London's oldest mosque and the streets outside Friday to hear a sermon by a top Saudi Arabian preacher who urged them to help dispel misconceptions that sometimes result from the war on terror. The service began a weekend of ceremonies marking the formal opening of a six-story community center attached to the East London Mosque, aimed at improving dialogue between Islam and other faiths and reducing unemployment in the East London, one of Britain's poorest areas and the home of many Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh. 'The history of Islam is the best testament to how different communities can live together in peace and harmony,' Abdel Rahman bin Abdel Aziz al-Sudeis, the imam at the grand mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, said in his sermon. 'Muslims should exemplify the true image of Islam in their interaction with other communities and dispel any misconceptions in some parts of the media.' He praised Britain's Muslims for recently promoting peace and cooperation among the country's many different religions."