Manchester Mosque Praised by Mayor Burnham Hosted Funeral for Convicted Terrorist

The Manchester Central Mosque, which received praise from Mayor Andy Burnham during a February visit, recently hosted the funeral for Munir Farooqi, a convicted terrorist and former Taliban fighter. Farooqi died in prison at the end of September, aged 69.

In 2011, Farooqi received four life sentences for preparing terrorist acts, soliciting murder, and disseminating terror literature. He had previously fought for the Taliban in Afghanistan after the September 11th attacks before returning to Manchester. His funeral, or janazah, was held at the mosque on September 30, with over 100 attendees, including his family, who reportedly still consider him a martyr.

Mayor Burnham visited the Manchester Central Mosque in February, when he was mayor of the city, to share an Iftar meal with worshippers. He was accompanied by Labour MPs Debbie Abrahams and Afzal Khan, as well as the current Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig. During his visit, Burnham praised the mosque for fostering "togetherness" and stated his opposition to "the politics of division." He also emphasized the importance of religious freedom and security at places of worship.

The visit occurred shortly after a security incident at the mosque where two men allegedly entered with weapons. One man was charged, while the other faced no further action.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized the event, stating, "The Prime Minister must apologize if it is true he attended a Manchester mosque that disgracefully held a funeral for a convicted terrorist and ex-Taliban fighter." He added, "Islamist extremism is the biggest threat facing our society, and we must do everything in our power to combat it rather than pander to those proliferating it. It is deeply concerning the Labour Government does not have the backbone to confront this reality."