A mosque has been criticised for hosting a visit by two world-renowned clerics.

However, the Green Lane mosque in Birmingham has hit back saying it is alarmed at the seriousness of the allegations and this is simply a case of fear-mongering.

The Quilliam Foundation which claims to be Britain's first counter-extremism think tank says the mosque will host 'two extreme Wahhabi clerics who bolster al-Qaeda narratives'.

Sheikh Faisal al-Jassim and Abdul Aziz As-Sadhan are both named by the organization.

In a statement the organisation said, ‘We recognise that many Wahhabis do not share these extreme views.

"Similarly, the vast majority of British Muslims will find this hatemongering despicable.

"The principle of taking up arms in order to impose a single religious interpretation on others is at the core of al-Qaeda’s jihadist ideology. British Muslims do not need al-Qaeda’s fellow-travellers lecturing us on history, politics or religion in British mosques.

‘The Green Lane Mosque has previously been exposed as a centre of hate-preaching. Muslims need to challenge the hateful and divisive rhetoric of such extremist Saudi clerics and those people who promote them.

"Such events risk undermining the good work that many people in Birmingham are doing to tackle extremism and bring different communities closer together.’ Quilliam goes on to praise the actions of British Muslims for Secular Democracy which it says 'is creating a coalition of faith and humanist leaders to oppose the event and is preparing to send out a joint letter on their behalf.'

However the mosque said 'the Quilliam Foundation 'had absolutely no credibility within the British Muslim community and has no legitimacy or qualifications to speak on Islamic matters.

It added it was regrettable that 'this supposedly independent 'think-tank' is funded by hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayer’s money and is not accountable to the tax payer.'

In a statement the mosque said, "As a responsible organisation Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre is fully aware of the responsibilities it has towards the diverse communities it serves.

"To this extent Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre has various policies and controls in place to ensure it fulfils its aims and objectives in a responsible manner and that it complies with the law including the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006.

'Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre was alarmed at the serious nature of the allegations made by the Quilliam Foundation which insinuated that we are a divisive force in the community. As a result, Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre has conducted its own internal inquiry into the claims made by the Quilliam Foundation.

'As part of the inquiry, Sheikh Faisal Al-Jassim and Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Sadhan were contacted to seek clarification about the allegations levelled against them.Both speakers regret the way in which the Quilliam Foundation has chosen to handpick a few statements from hundreds of hours of lectures to portray them in a negative light.

'Sheikh Faisal Al-Jassim has clearly stated that the understanding of Jihad in Islam is one of the most misunderstood concepts in current times; especially by many Muslims. 'Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Sadhan has stated that his teachings are openly available on his website and in the many books he has authored, and the few statements that have been highlighted are not representative of him. Dr Al-Sadhan has also stated that he is a fierce opponent of terrorism in all its forms, irrespective of the perpetrators.

"As such he has made it clear that when he referred to ‘the Jews’, this reference was not to Jews in general, but to those elements that have shown hostility to Muslims and resorted to violence.

"Neither of the speakers condone disseminating divisive and destructive message, nor do they consider it permissible to break the law of the land. In light of the above, Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre is satisfied with the clarification given by the invited speakers.

"Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre has always condemned incitement to terrorism, extremism, racism and intolerance. We ask others to join us in this struggle to free our society of such evils.

"Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support it has received from countless organisations, from within the Muslim and non-Muslim communities. We urge these organisations to publicly voice their objections where established mainstream Muslim institutions are targeted in such a manner."