I am cautious to offer recommendations which could be seen as prescriptive for several reasons. First, there are no strict religious rules in mosque design, allowing Muslim communities to create places of worship which align with their needs. It would be unwise, therefore, to determine what is acceptable as this depends on the requirements of each local community. Furthermore, such flexibility in mosque design is an asset, and one which should be promoted.
Second, I am aware of grassroots initiatives, led and facilitated by Muslim organisations in the UK, working to change the current paradigm in mosque design and functionality. For example, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the largest and most diverse representative body for the British Muslim community in the UK, offers training around good governance in this area. Consequently, it seems sensible to let such initiatives run their course.
Third, it would be impossible to recreate the current mosque landscape in the UK to better express modern architectural styles. Despite their architectural shortcomings, existing mosques in the UK were built to reflect a certain historical context. They are a testament to a bygone era and an impetus to build new ones differently in the future – the recently built Cambridge Central Mosque in Cambridge is a salient example.
With that in mind, my research provides three practical recommendations that could help foster a cohesive faith and national identity amongst young British Muslims, especially in relation to the mosque’s role:
- The representation of young British Muslims from diverse backgrounds to mosque committees, boards or other governing structures.
- Where mosques are unable for practical reasons to support them within their existing structures, the development of supplementary “third spaces” designed for young and diverse British Muslims to fulfil their social, cultural and spiritual needs.
- Training and guidance for existing mosque boards and committees around best practice on mosque design, particularly in respect of (a) creating spaces for women and other marginalised groups and (b) focusing funding efforts for these objectives.
I sincerely hope that mosque leaders and wider stakeholders will be encouraged to empower the younger generation to create mosques that reflect and reinforce a 21st-century Western context.