A Muslim influencer has shared a video celebrating the “takeover” of a church in Blackburn after its conversion to a mosque.
Self-described “revert” or convert, Abdullah Muhammad, uploaded the clip to social media last night.
In it, Mr Muhammad celebrated how the 130-year-old Leamington Road Baptist Church had been turned into a new masjid, or Islamic place of worship.
A cameraman can be heard saying: “Get away… This is a church” as the influencer poses on the street with three youths.
Mr Muhammad replies: “No – not any more, not any more. This actually used to be Leamington Road Church in Blackburn. And now it’s a big, beautiful masjid. Just look at the size of the building!”
Inside, viewers are shown around a freshly kitted-out mosque.
At the start of the tour, Mr Muhammad tells the cameraman: “Yo, take your shoes off as well, bro. It’s not a church, bro. This is a mosque.”
In a hallway, children can be heard reciting Islamic verse from the Koran.
Wagging his finger, Mr Muhammad tells viewers: ‘It actually used to be a church… Not any more!’
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The influencer claims more than 130 boys and 150 girls are “reading, memorising, reciting and studying” the holy book at the Blackburn site.
“If you listen to this place, it’s just buzzing,” he says.
There is also a primary school inside the converted church building, which boasts at least six classrooms.
“The main focus in this palace is education, education, education,” Mr Muhammad told viewers. “If you want to seal the future of your youth, then send them here.”
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Mr Muhammad can be seen standing in front of the former church’s large windows
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As the video concludes, Mr Muhammad reappears on the street and declares the church conversion is “another beautiful addition to the Ummah”.
The Ummah refers to the Muslim world.
He then describes the former Christian site as “another beautiful addition to the United Kingdom”.
Wagging his finger, he continues: “It actually used to be a church… Not any more!”
Finally, he shouts: “We’re taking over!”
PICTURED: The church under scaffolding in August 2022
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PICTURED: A street view image of the church in 2009 – five years before its sale
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The Leamington Road Baptist Church closed its doors in January 2014 after its congregation took the step to sell the historic building.
The church was sold in a closed bidding process – with the identity of its new owners not immediately being made public.
As late as 2019, it was an Islamic book shop named Maktaba Tul Madina.
The land on which the church was built in the 1895 was vacated by Blackburn Rovers, who played for several seasons at Leamington Road before their switch to Ewood Park.
The church celebrated its centenary on the same day Rovers won the Premier League title in May 1995.
