Mosque accepts new apology by Channel 4 News anchor, who falsely claimed she had been ‘ushered out’, but warns of a ‘fog of Islamophobia’ in national debate

The mosque at the heart of a dispute with the Channel 4 News anchor Cathy Newman has described the episode as the toughest in its small community’s history and warned of a “fog of Islamophobia” in the national debate.

The South London mosque in Streatham said it accepted a new apology from Newman, who had claimed falsely on Twitter that she was “ushered” out when trying to enter as part of an open day.

But in a statement, the mosque said it was “deeply disappointed” at what it described as Newman’s “instinctive reaction” in assuming that she was being mistreated by Muslim men on account of her gender.

Newman claimed initially that she had been shepherded out of the building. But CCTV footage obtained by the Huffington Post showed her leaving the mosque alone and apparently without incident.

It later emerged that Newman had gone to the wrong venue.

On Thursday Newman apologised and said that she would be taking a break from Twitter.

Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) 1/4 I have written to South London Islamic Centre and offered my sincere apologies for tweets sent in haste after I visited there in error.

Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) 2/4 I accept my tweets were inappropriate and regret the use of the word “ushered”.

Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) 3/4 My language was poorly chosen and has caused a great deal of offence. I deeply regret that this happened.

Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) 4/4 I shall now be taking a break from Twitter.

The letter, signed by trustee Mohammed Ali, said: “The last few weeks have been some of the toughest in our small mosque’s history. Never before in our 37 years of welcoming worshippers from South London have we been thrust into the national spotlight as we have this month.”

It went on to accept the apology, but said the mosque was disappointed that Newman’s reaction to the confusion was to assume that she was being mistreated by Muslim men because she was a woman.

It went on: “If any good can possibly come out of this incident, we hope that it will remind public figures of the need to be judicious not just in the language they use, but in considering how their view of our faith is tainted by the fog of Islamophobia, which is increasingly clouding our national dialogue.”



Facebook Twitter Pinterest South London Islamic Centre. Photograph: Aisha Gani for the Guardian

On a tour of the mosque, which was founded in the mid-1970s, the Guardian was shown the facilities provided to the community including three floors for women, and two large prayer halls for men.

Henna Ahmed, 25, a student and local resident, said: “The mosque has always helped me and my family.”

“The doors are always open even between prayers and they wouldn’t discriminate,” Ahmed said adding, “the whole incident was just unfair. The journalist was blaming someone who wasn’t to blame.”

The mosque holds regular classes, including fitness sessions for women, coffee mornings for new converts to Islam and Arabic lessons for children.



The mosque has good relations to the neighbouring synagogue and St Leonard’s church, according to mosque staff, and is involved in interfaith outreach programmes and run collections for the local food bank.

Full text of the letter issued on Thursday by the mosque and signed by trustee Mohammed Ali: