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Wales’ high profile Jalalia mosque is at the centre of an extremism row after the Imam resigned.

In a letter leaked to Wales Online, the Cardiff mosque’s religious leader, or Imam, Mohammad Bashir Uddin claimed his position became untenable after he objected to a Muslim speaker he regarded as extremist, and a follower of the Salafi strand of the religion.

This is the branch of the religion followed by Nasser Muthana, Assel Muthana and Reyaad Khan – the Cardiff terror suspects who left to fight in Syria.

Nasser and Aseel Muthana

“People don’t understand the relationship between Salafism and terrorism,” Mr Uddin said.

Salafism has been accused of restricting women’s rights and music, teaching that democracy is a sin and that anyone who leaves Islam must die.

“The impact of Salafism is very dangerous for the Muslim community,” Mr Uddin, who follows the more liberal Hanafi sect, said.

“It creates confusion in Islam. It makes children enemies of their parents. Boys and girls think their forefathers are enemies because they do not follow it.

“They tell their fathers, ‘Dad, what you do is wrong, please don’t do it any more’ and dad says, ‘No, we have to do this, Islam does not forbid us to do this thing and we will do it.’

“Sons then tell fathers, ‘No, it’s not good’ and there are clashes in families. Father-son relationships are broken.”

Mr Uddin feared Salafism was spreading confusion.

“It will have a negative impact,” he said.

“I have concerns about Salafism and about what it teaches youngsters.

“Their teaching is very attractive to youngsters. The way they teach them, they give very convincing arguments.

“I think they will be more inclined to fight abroad because of Salafism.”

In 2010 Jalalia mosque, in the Riverside area of Cardiff, made headlines after leaflets were distributed outside warning Muslims who voted would burn in “hellfire.”

Among them was London bomb plotter Abdul Miah.

At the time Muslim leaders said they had stopped the group from holding meetings in mosques and told them to go elsewhere.

“The majority of people in the community are Hanafi,” Mr Uddin said.

“They do not support Salafism. If they see Salafism is here and taking over they will be upset also.

“This is totally negative. I don’t think they will have a chance to enter into the mosque.”

Mosque chairman Mohammed Bashir Ahmed denied Mr Uddin’s allegations.

“What he is saying, it is not true, he resigned,” Mr Ahmed said.

“He gave his resignation a month ago, I don’t think he was forced out.

“He was on gardening leave, he was not suspended he was on gardening leave.”

In his letter Mr Uddin names a speaker as a Salafi allowed to speak in the mosque by the committee.

But Mr Ahmed said he did not even know what Salafism was.

He said: “[The speaker] was invited by other people but not by the committee.

“At the time the Imam said everything was fine.

“If [the speaker] came back two or three times, he did not mind.

“He gave us his resignation letter and I do not know what he is trying to make out.”

South Wales Police confirmed they were “looking into” allegations of kidnap and assault threats made by Mr Uddin.