A HORNSEY mosque will battle it out this weekend for a place in the final of a televised competition to find the best mosque in the country.

The London Islamic Cultural Society, based in Wightman Road, has beaten Manchester Mosque to reach the final four of the nationwide search for the show Model Mosque, broadcast on the Islam Channel.

The semi-final between Haringey and Birmingham will be broadcast on Saturday, at 8pm, followed by a showdown between mosques in Bradford and Croydon.

The winner of each semi-final will face each other in a live final the following Saturday.

Abrar Hussein, creator and producer of Model Mosque, said: "The London Islamic Cultural Society was selected on the basis of its excellent contribution to community cohesion in Haringey.

"It is also one of few mosques in the UK which includes women in its management commitee and in prominent positions. The atmosphere within the mosque is superb and it manages to ensure all the diverse communities feel at home."

In line with reality TV format, two mosques go head-to-head, with one voted off by viewers at the start of the following week's show. Representatives from the mosques have to answer questions to showcase their centre's policies and procedures as well as showing a 12-minute video clip of their mosque.

The overall winner, announced on November 25, will receive a one-hour slot on the Islam Channel, to show what a model mosque looks like, and a £35,000 consultancy project to help it develop long-term plans for the community.

Brother Abdool Alli, president of the Hornsey mosque, said it is a "great achievement".

"We work within the community for everybody, and I am pleased with the recognition," he said.