Billionaire Asif Aziz has obtained permission to convert a part of London’s iconic Trocadero building into a mosque and Islamic center.
The 56-year-old Malawian property tycoon bought the famous landmark for over £220 million ($287.7 million) in 2005 and canceled plans to convert it into a 1,000-capacity mosque in 2020 after complaints from far-right groups and some residents.
But in May 2023, he obtained permission to build a 390-capacity mosque, which will be named “Piccadilly Prayer Space.”
The mosque is expected to be inaugurated within a few months, reports said.
Aziz’s foundation wants the mosque to serve tourists and Muslims working in the area.
In recent years, anti-Muslim hate crimes have been on the rise in the U.K.
In 2022 alone, the number of religious hate crimes recorded by police that targeted Muslims was 3,459, a 42% increase compared to the year before.
