In January 2010, British media reported that plans to build Europe’s largest mosque had been scrapped after four years of little progress overcoming opposition. The site of the potential mosque, which could have accommodated 12,000 worshipers and would have been the largest mosque in Europe, bordered a site designated for the 2012 London Olympics.
Both the size of the mosque and the symbolism of its location (beside the Olympic Park) were cited as reasons why its construction should be prevented. Opposition was widespread, even among members of the Muslim community. According to the BBC, more than 250,000 people petitioned the government to halt its construction.
