Editing Finsbury Park Mosque (section)

===2003–2005: Shutdown and re-opening===
In 2003, 150 anti-terrorist police officers conducted a nighttime raid on the building as part of the investigation into the alleged [[Wood Green ricin plot]].<ref name="BBCFinsburyRaid">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-19787236/archive-police-raid-finsbury-park-mosque|title=Archive: Police raid Finsbury Park mosque|work=BBC News|date=January 20, 2003|access-date=22 June 2018|archive-date=17 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117085914/https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-19787236/archive-police-raid-finsbury-park-mosque|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBCRaid">{{cite web|title=Anti-terror police raid London mosque|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2675223.stm|work=BBC News|date=January 20, 2003|access-date=19 June 2017|archive-date=11 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411164519/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2675223.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Police seized a stun gun and a [[CS gas]] canister, among other items,<ref name="BBCFinsburyRaid"/> and arrested seven men under the [[Terrorism Act 2000]].<ref name="BBCRaid"/> The police action had the effect of removing Abu Hamza and his supporters from the mosque.<ref name=Mark>{{cite book|title=Intelligence, Security and Policing Post-9/11: The UK's Response to the 'War on Terror'|author=Mark Phythian|year=2008|pages=129–130}}</ref>

After the raid, the police handed the mosque to its trustees, who promptly closed it for repairs.<ref name=Mark/> The trustees also stated that they were closing it "while it was cleaned of the physical and spiritual filth...".<ref name="Ramirez">Ramirez, Debbie and Quinlan, Tara Lai, "The Greater London Experience: Essential Lessons Learned in Law Enforcement - Community Partnerships and Terrorism Prevention" (2011). School of Law Faculty Publications. 351.[http://lsr.nellco.org/nusl_faculty/351] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130121809/https://lsr.nellco.org/nusl_faculty/351/|date=30 November 2018}}</ref> Abu Hamza continued to preach each Friday in the street outside the closed mosque until his arrest in May 2004.<ref name=Telegraph/>

In August 2004 the mosque was reopened, but after reports "hardliners" again asserted control in December 2004, the Charity Commission intervened again and appointed a new board of trustees with the support of the [[Muslim Association of Britain]] (MAB), who were asked by the police, the former trustees, and others to try to turn it around. After changing the locks and taking physical control of the building, the mosque was reopened under heavy police presence.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4258891.stm New start for 'extremist' mosque] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831174606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4258891.stm |date=31 August 2018 }}, BBC, 11 February 2005</ref><ref name="EdgeHardLawSoftPower"/>

Dr. [[Azzam Tamimi]], a leading member of MAB, described the mosque takeover as "one of the very rare success stories where the Muslim community and others came together and decided to rescue the mosque", although a minority complained of lack of consultation, with Ashgar Bukhari of the campaign group [[Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK]] saying that the committee should have been elected.<ref name="BBCBattleForTheMosque">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4639074.stm|author=Dominic Casciani and Sharif Sakr|title=The battle for the mosque|date=7 February 2006|work=BBC News|access-date=7 February 2006|archive-date=2 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502021553/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4639074.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The new management condemned former imam Abu Hamza.<ref name=MoreThanJustAMosque/>