A new advisory body established to oversee the running of mosques in the UK will encourage Muslim leaders to come up with innovative ideas to attract younger people.

The Mosques and Imams National Advisory Body, which has been established by a number of Muslim organisations, including the Muslim Council of Britain, the British Muslim Forum and the Muslim Association of Britain, will suggest that mosques do more to entice young people, such as offering teaching in English as well as using technology.

Ibrahim Mogra, Muslim Council of Britain mosque and community affairs committee chair, said: "A large percentage of the Muslim population is the younger generation - if young people are not engaged, they could be distanced from Islam. They may also end up in unwanted circles."

The establishment of an inclusive advisory body was one of the recommendations from a Home Office working group set up in the aftermath of last year's July bombings in London.

In May this year, the council published a report that concluded "mosques should do more to encourage young people to bring their skills to contribute to and capacity-build mosque management committees".

www.mcb.org.uk.

Read: Faith: Muslim leaders urged to do more to attract young.

hope churches are also put into this same category with christian children!...i find the idea of monitoring mosques both intrusive and intolerable a community's/persons religious activities should be personal and private not overseen by an interfering government in the guise of helping people. as for young muslims and there voices being heard would it not be more inclusive to treat them in the same way as all children in the uk and not to seperate them for significant treatment just because of their religious background? I am not happy in the way this group of young people are specifically targeted just because they are muslims....my views would be radically different if their needs were under focus i.e poverty, education as with other young people .....