A local resident of more than 15 years has spoken out after the parish council allegedly made a U-turn on accepting bookings for the War Memorial Hall for religious purposes.
For Muslim residents, there is a dearth of available spaces for congregational prayers in Chorleywood, with the nearest mosques located in Northwood, Chesham and Watford.
To counter this, Misbah Jalil, who moved to Chorleywood in 2007, has focused his efforts on procuring a space where he and others in the area can practice their faith.
After months of searching for a location, a deal was struck with Chorleywood Parish Council (CPC) to utilise the Common Room in Chorleywood War Memorial Hall.
From January 6 to March 31, Muslims in the area were able to host prayer congregations every Friday. An initial 15 attendees swiftly became 40, and the Muslim community was grateful for the access.
In preparation for Ramadan, which takes place this year from March 22 to April 21, Misbah applied to use the hall for 29 nights during the festival. CPC replied saying that all the requested dates were available, bar one. Misbah “accepted” these dates in a return email. Feeling as though a deal was in place, Misbah informed the delighted congregation.
Excitement was cut short, however, as the day after being told that the hall was available, Misbah was informed that the booking would not be possible. CPC, citing the Charities Act 1960, stated that religious bookings were not allowed to take place in the village hall.
This was a devastating blow to Misbah and the congregation, who had already been using the hall every Friday for several weeks.
Misbah said: “People were excited. So many people have never once been to the night prayers, Tarawih, in their whole lives.
“We always brought our own mats and kept the door open for anyone who would be interested. I prepared the hall and acted as a traffic warden at the car park so there was never any trouble.
“My lived experience of living in Chorleywood is that racism and Islamophobia are never far from the surface, so I’m always trying to pre-empt any grounds to which people can complain. It’s sad, but it’s the world I occupy. I don’t wish to speak for anyone else, but that’s my experience.”
CPC’s website states that there are three halls for hire which are perfect venues for a number of activities, including Christenings.
Misbah alleges that he is aware of both Hindu and Christian rituals taking place at the same premises.
He said: “There are lot of positives from living in Chorleywood; my children have benefitted tremendously from the education here. But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such an explicit level of double standards.
“If this is the law, then we understand; we are law-abiding citizens. All we want is consistency.”
A spokesperson for CPC said: “The War Memorial Hall Charity, which owns and operates the Common Room and War Memorial Hall, is currently seeking legal advice as to whether the charitable scheme under which it operates allows it to accept regular weekly bookings for religious worship, including congregational prayer. Separately, advice is also being sought of Three Rivers District Council’s (TRDC) Planning Department as to whether the current permitted use of the Common Room and War Memorial Hall allows religious worship, without it amounting to a breach of planning control.
“As and when it is confirmed that the charity is able to accept such bookings without falling foul of the law, it will happily do so. Until the position is confirmed, the charity is prepared to allow Mr Jalil’s confirmed booking for one hour on a Friday, which ends on March 31. It is however untrue to suggest that Mr Jalil has had a booking of the Common Room cancelled during the month of Ramadan; Mr Jalil requested such a booking but in light of the need to clarify the above, the charity is not currently in a position to confirm it.”
When asked why the group was allowed to book the hall for the last three months, if legal advice was being sought as to whether regular weekly bookings for religious worship are allowed, CPC declined to comment further.
A spokesperson for TRDC said: “We can confirm we have received an enquiry from CPC regarding use of the War Memorial Hall. Officers are reviewing this and will respond in due course.
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