A MUSLIM leader has hit back at fundamentalists who are opposing plans for a £700,000 community centre in a row over 'dirty money' and has vowed to find the cash needed to complete it.

Also, Mr Mohammed Ulde says the local community may even apply for lottery funding to get the extra £400,000, even though some people are against the twice-weekly draw because it promotes gambling.

The future of the half-built centre, on land between Plane Street and Ash Street in Blackburn, is in doubt after claims that members of the local Muslim community did not want to donate money to complete it, on religious grounds.

Blackburn's £18 million lottery winner had donated £300,000 to the scheme and some people considered this inappropriate as gambling is forbidden in the Koran.

But Mr Mohammed, general secretary of the nearby Masjid Al Momineen Mosque, says the centre will be finished and will benefit the whole of the Bastwell community.

He said: "Yes there have been some fundamentalists who are against the centre, but 85 per cent of the local community desperately want it to be finished. "The centre is being built for the whole community, whatever colour, race or religion. This area desperately needs a community centre and we may apply for lottery funding - after all, there is no shame in it."

Mr Mohammed said that when the centre is finished the whole of its upstairs will be dedicated to women and there will be youth groups, workshops, help groups, and English classes.

The rest of the centre will be used for sport and other activities to benefit everyone.

He said: "The women in Blackburn, particularly the Asian women, have no facilities.

"The Mosques are run by men, and men can go out, go to the pub and things like that, but very few of the Asian women do. There is a small group of people who still think that women should walk behind men, and stay at home to cook, but those days are gone.

"This community centre is being aimed at the local women, whatever their colour or religion, but there will be something there for the whole community as well."

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