Magazine

When the Olympics come to town, massive changes in the cityscape occur. In the case of London, for example, where the 2012 Olympic Games loom on the horizon, the massive Kingsway International Christian Centre is being torn down to make room for the Olympic Village. The East London congregation, largely comprised of Afro- Caribbean worshippers, is Europe’s largest evangelical church, accommodating 12,000 people over three services on a regular Sunday. (The church will rebuild on another site.)

Usually such demolitions cause the brunt of the criticism, but in London’s case, it is a new building that is prompting controversy. Muslim leaders have proposed building a large mosque near the planned Olympic Village, which they say will act as a welcoming center as well as a place for prayer and meditation for the thousands of Muslim athletes and visitors expected to descend upon the city. After encountering overwhelming opposition, however, the Abbey Mills Mosque, named after the local neighborhood, will not open in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch — nor for 2012’s Ramadan, an important Muslim holiday, which will coincide with that summer’s Olympics.