History spans 130 years The East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel serve the largest congregation of Muslims in the UK. The mosque history spans more than 100 years. www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk Mosque is listed East London Mosque is one of a few mosques to be listed on the National Register of Archives. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra News Ellis bringing the past back to life BY RAJU MIAH THE archives of the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, which date back over a century, are to be catalogued and made accessible to the public. A full-time archivist, Ellis Mc- Carthy, has started work after the collection was given funding from the National Archives Cataloguing Grants programme. Owned by the East London Mosque Trust (ELMT), the archive started in the early 1900s and include photographs, correspondence, birth and death records, finance records and fund-raising appeals. Architectural and building records, press cuttings, as well as records of the Indigent Moslems Burial Fund are also included. The collection is stored at the London Muslim Centre and is largely unsorted, but Ms Mc- Carthy, an experienced archivist, aims to change that. The mosque trust has been supported by Tower Hamlets Local History and Archive in Mile End where staff have provided valuable advice. They are also helping to draw up plans for a dedicated room in the mosque, to house the historical documents. Shaynul Khan, assistant director of the ELMT, said: “We want to make this historical treasure accessible to all of our communities. “This project will highlight some of the key contributors to the development of London’s East End. By the end of this project, one can visit the archives at the East London Mosque for research and academic purposes.” Mayor Lutfur Rahman added: “The East London Mosque has played a significant part in community and cultural life in the borough for over a century. “Our local history library and archives is well-placed to lend its expertise in this way, helping local institutions to preserve their heritage and make it accessible to the public.” James Travers, Cataloguing Grants panel secretary, described the archive as a significant source for the history and the evolving identity of Britain’s Muslim community. More at www.eastlondon mosque.org.uk Ellis McCarthy starts work as the East London Mosque’s new archivist 12 NEWS FROM TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 4 – 10 NOVEMBER 2013
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