THE construction of Northern Ireland's first purpose-built mosque was blocked by Unionist politicians who say that residents would be kept awake by "wailing" and that Muslims are plotting to destroy Christianity in Ulster.

For years a small Muslim community near Portadown, Co Armagh, has observed the antics of Orangemen during the annual marching season in the mid-Ulster town. Blending into the most famously hardline Protestant area of Northern Ireland, a province that remains 99.15 per cent white, according to the 2001 census.

But after years of minding their own business, they have spoken out after Unionist councillors objected to their plan for a mosque in a field outside Portadown. One councillor claimed that the development could pave the way for an al-Qaeda terrorist cell in the area.

Fred Crowe, an Ulster Unionist councillor and leading figure in the Orange Order and a former Mayor for the Craigavon area, said that residents in Bleary believed that their way of life would be threatened if the mosque were built. Mr Crowe said that encouraging Muslims to settle in Craigavon might open the door for militants. Adding, we saw what these people can do to get their own way.

Woolsey Smith, who represents Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, said: "They say it's not going to be an eastern-type mosque and there'll not be the wailing noise calling these people to worship but we don't that, you simply can't believe these people. I would be worried for residents in the area as to just what they will be confronted with, a lot of these people are linked to terrorists."

Like other Unionist councillors, Mr Smith claims the mosque, proposed for a boggy field three miles outside Portadown, will cause sewage problems and heavy traffic on the country road leading to it, even though Muslims say that their community is at most 200-strong in Craigavon.

Mohammad Yousaf, a retired draper who came to Northern Ireland 15 years ago, said that Muslims had used a community centre for their Friday prayer meetings since a makeshift mosque was burnt by vandals who arrived one night during a meeting waving U.V.F. flags five years ago.


Mohammad Ashraf, a Pakistani whose family came to Northern Ireland 27 years ago and who owns the land on which the mosque will be built, said: "We don't want to fall out with anybody but we want the mosque. It will be a simple building that will blend in, with just one dome, not too many minarets. They'll be no wailing, no call to prayer. Who is going to listen around here anyway? Cows?". He thanked the nationalist members of Craigavon Council which included Sinn Fein for their support.

Fred Crowe said Ulster Christians will fight to the death to stop Muslims stamping themselves over our faith.