Inauguration of the East London Mosque

446, 448, 450 Commercial Road, London E1

This event marked the culmination of decades of planning and organization towards a London mosque to serve the needs of east London South Asian Muslim lascars and other workers. The event was organized by the Jamiat-ul-Muslimin and attended by approximately 300 people, including several soldiers from the Indian Company of the Pioneer Corps, under the charge of Lieutenant C. S. K. Pathy, and representatives from a range of Muslim countries. Sir Hassan Suhrawardy, Chairman of the Executive Committee, gave a welcome speech which was followed by the official opening ceremony performed by Hassan Nachat Pasha and prayers led by Sheikh Hafiz Wahba, Minister of Saudi Arabia. Sir Ernest Hotson, Honorary Secretary of the Executive Committee, spoke on the origin and development of the London Mosque Scheme, and Said Amir Shah and Ahmaddin Qureshi spoke on behalf of the Jamiat-ul-Muslimin. Copies of a booklet entitled 'The Millat of Islam and the Menace of "Islamism"', written by C. Rahmat Ali of the Pakistan National Movement, were distributed. There were also some non-Muslims from the South Asian community present, including C. L. Katial.