A DRIVE to foster trust between police and a Muslim community is to begin with officers attending prayers and could lead to regular 'surgeries'.
Insp Lin Houldershaw will attend Friday prayers at the Bilal mosque, in Wardleworth, Rochdale, after being invited by town councillor Zulf Ali.
Coun Ali believes building better links between mosques, police and government is key to tackling crime and wants parents, imams and community leaders to tell officers of any suspicious behaviour - even if that means incriminating family members.
He was speaking after an Asian man was gunned down in a flat in Rochdale and another was left fighting for his life after being stabbed in another part of the town.
Although Insp Houldershaw stressed the incidents were not linked and rejected claims they were both drugs-related, Coun Ali said the attacks showed the need for greater trust between the authorities and the Muslim community.
'Suffering'
He hoped the visit would lead to monthly surgeries by the police at the mosque.
He said: "We all know there are real problems with drugs in Wardleworth and we need to take drastic action to clean up our streets.
"We need to get the community involved by using the mosques and community centres. At Friday prayers you have between 200 and 300 people - grandfathers, fathers and brothers - in the same place and the police need to take advantage of that.
"We need to get their cooperation and the imams can help to get the message across because it's the community that's suffering.
"Families need to be told the hard facts like how many drugs are available and how young the pushers are because their sons, brothers and grandsons could be getting involved in the wrong activities."
Insp Houldershaw said her officers were committed to working with the community. She would meet religious leaders to discuss how communication could be improved.
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I remember priests and vicars being attacked and very little was done? and i remember some churches closed for midnight mass because people were scared of using bthem late at night. I wonder where their help was.
yeah!
Zimmerman, could you reconcile your comments with the actual purpose of this initiative? Incidentally our local bobbies do meet with church people.
Actually a scrote was jailed for attacking a priest or vicar in Ashton under Lyne last year or the year before. Anything to have a pop at Muslims though eh?
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/c/1050111_cowards_who_beat_priest_jailed?page_size=25
Actually it was three scrotes.
I don't like the idea. Churches and I guess Mosques, temples and the rest are where you confess and commune with what ever god you have. As an atheist, I shall lay the table for a cup of tea with a bobby or two, but as they never turn up I expect the pot will be cold.
you will never,, sort rochdale out,,, its gone past repair,for a small town,,,,,,,,,
I was quite surprised to read this article as I have always been led to believe that Non Muslims were not allowed to attend prayers in a mosque. I think this a positive move by Mr. Zulf Ali and others not just police officers should be encouraged to attend, likewise Muslims should attend Christian prayers in Churches. This would this would create a better understanding between the various religions and communities in the town.