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A community centre has launched an investigation into claims that a course on the ‘correct understanding of an Islamic State’ was held on its premises.

Posters promoted the five-week men-only course at Castlemere Community Centre on Tweedale Street, Rochdale.

But the co-ordinator of the centre said he had ‘no recollection’ of the ‘Khilafah Course’ being booked for the building.

Khilafah means ‘caliphate’ - an Islamic state.

The poster said: “Recent events in Iraq have raised an unbalanced discussion in the mainstream media who characterised the Islamic Caliphate as an oppressive, brutal, sectarian entity due to the declaration of an Islamic State by an Iraqi militia group.

“Islam prohibits sectarian violence, expulsion of minorities and the Khilafah is not an oppressive dictatorship.”

It urged people to join the free course ‘to learn about the correct understanding of an Islamic State.’

The course which was held last year included one week covering ‘The conditions for a Khilafah’.

(Image: SEAN HANSFORD.)

Other discussions included a lecture entitled: “Is fighting the method to establish a State?”

Those attending were also offered talks on ‘Technology and Khilafah’ and ‘Khilafah and dealing with Sectarianism’.

The poster also promoted the Manchester Khilafah Conference.

Simon Danczuk, the MP for Rochdale, said: “While the organisers of this course will claim they want a peaceful Caliphate, this only feeds a fear in the wider community that some people want to turn a Christian country into an Islamic one.

“A natural consequence of this kind of activity, which all politicians have been slow to grasp, is that communities clearly feel their identity is under threat. I’m acutely aware of the tensions in Rochdale and this does not help. What we need is much greater integration not segregation.”

The organisers of the course say on the poster ‘brothers only’ should contact them.

Hafiz Abdulmalik, coordinator at the Castlemere Community Centre, said: “I have no recollection of taking any bookings for a Khilafah course at this community centre.

“However, we will try and get to the bottom of this. If any local group wishes to book the community centre we do check what they want to use it for.

“If it’s for a course, we check the content and who will be attending. If we are unsure of anything, we seek clarification from the local authority and GMP.

“We always try to make sure it fits in with the remit of our work here, which is to provide services to the local community.”

In April nine members of a family from Rochdale were stopped on the Turkish border with Syria trying to reach an area controlled by the Islamic State.