Skip to main content
Islamophobia Action GroupIslamophobia Action Group

For mosques and Islamic centres

The Good Neighbour Pledge

Being a good neighbour is a duty we already hold. It is not a tactic.

Why we do this

Our faith is clear about neighbours. We owe them care. We owe them peace and quiet. We owe them a clean street. This is true whether or not anyone is watching. It is true whether or not we are trying to win anything.

“To parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbour.”

Qur’an 4:36 — quoted in the MCBx Charter, under the pillar Home & Neighbourhood (Husnul Jiwar).

The Charter says it plainly. Every neighbour has a right to “our protection, our privacy and our sustenance”. Put simply: keep them safe. Leave them in peace. Share what you have. This pledge is what that looks like on an ordinary street, on an ordinary Friday.

What usually comes up

When a council decides on a mosque, the same few things come up again and again. We read the official decision letters to find out what they were. None of them are about faith. They are about parking, bins and noise.

That is good news. These are things a mosque can fix.

  • Parking

    8 of 10

    Where people will park on a Friday, and what that does to the street.

  • Access

    8 of 10

    How cars and people get in and out. Whether deliveries block the road.

  • Bins and waste

    7 of 10

    Where the bins go. Who empties them. Whether the street stays clean.

  • Noise

    6 of 10

    Noise from people arriving and leaving, and at what times.

  • Design

    6 of 10

    Whether the building fits the look of the street.

Based on 10 council decision letters we have collected so far. These are the topics the letters discuss. They are not proof of why any one application was refused. We are collecting more. See what councils asked for, in their own words.

The pledge

Six promises. Each one is something a mosque committee can start this month.

  1. 1

    We will sort out parking before we are asked

    We will agree where people park. We will steward it at busy times. We will tell people not to block driveways.

  2. 2

    We will keep the street clean

    We will manage our bins. We will pick up litter after busy prayers, even when it is not ours.

  3. 3

    We will keep noise down

    We will ask people to leave quietly. We will watch the times we are busiest.

  4. 4

    We will write to our neighbours before Ramadan

    We will tell them what to expect. We will give them a name and a number to call.

  5. 5

    We will meet our councillor once a year

    Not only when we need something. We will ask what they are hearing.

  6. 6

    We will answer complaints in a week

    One named person. A real reply. We will say what we did.

If you are applying for planning permission

Groups do object to mosque applications. Some of them do it for a living. You cannot stop them objecting. You can make sure their objections have nothing to stand on.

  • Answer parking first. Count how many people come at your busiest time. Say where they will park. Put it in writing before anyone asks.
  • Talk to neighbours early. Before you apply, not after. A neighbour who has met you is far less likely to object.
  • Keep a record. Note every meeting and every letter. It shows the council you have done the work.
  • Ask for help early. Do not wait until the decision. Tell us when you apply.
What councils actually ask forTell us about your application