BBC Radio 4's Any Questions? to Broadcast From Western Europe's Biggest Mosque Complex

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community's Baitul Futuh Mosque to Host Event

LONDON, January 7 - The popular BBC Radio 4 panel programme Any Questions? is to be broadcast
live from the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, Surrey, on Friday January 8 -
believed to be the first time the programme has hosted at a mosque.

Baitul Futuh is a showpiece mosque, ranked amongst the top 50 modern
buildings in the world by The Independent magazine, and is run by the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, one of the oldest Muslim communities in Britain
who built the first London mosque in 1924. Baitul Futuh is the biggest mosque
complex in western Europe, capable of holding more than 10,000 worshippers.

The GBP15 million mosque was opened in 2003 and funded entirely through
voluntary donations by members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.

Rafiq Hayat, President Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, said:

"We are delighted to host Any Questions? and to bring people into our
mosque. It is part of our ethos to be open and welcoming and to engage with
all communities.

"Our community is based on the belief: Love for All, Hatred for None, and
it is important for us to articulate this distinctive message at a time when
public opinion towards Islam is at such a low ebb."

An evening of lively debate is on the cards when a panel of well-known
public figures will answer questions from the floor on subjects ranging
through politics, current affairs, international news and other topical
issues.

The panel on January 8 is expected to include:

Polly Toynbee: Columnist for The Guardian and president of the Social
Policy Association.

Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP: Cabinet Minister for Transport; Labour MP for
Tooting.

Simon Hughes MP: Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for North
Southwark and Bermondsey.

Daniel Hannan MEP for the South East region.

Any Questions? is chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby and goes out live on
Friday evening at 8.00pm, repeated at 1.10 pm the following day and is
followed at 2pm by the Any Answers?. Around 1.5 million people listen each
week, the majority listening to the Saturday repeat.

Note to editors: Photo opportunity 7.55-8.00 pm only. Please contact Dr
Basharat Nazir, +44(0)7703-483-384

Please contact Dr Basharat Nazir, +44(0)7703-483-384