Mrs Ahmed converted from Christianity to Islam 27 years ago.

Knowing that fear of the unknown could be behind some of the outrage against the proposed Islamic school, Mrs Ahmed shared information about Islam.

``Muslims believe in and follow the Biblical prophets,'' she said.

``We have the Ten Commandments plus extras that follow how to do business, how not to treat people in business and daily living.

``It all makes sense. I didn't leave Christianity to be something weird.''

Mrs Ahmed said Muslim families were no different from Christian ones, but that terrorist attacks overseas and demonisation by the media had subverted people's views.

``They just want to live with their families, have a peaceful life and make a good living and worship God and that's it.'' she said.

A Muslim community group and Islamic residents plan to start interacting with more of Camden's community groups to kick-start community cohesion.

``We really want to become involved at the grassroots level,'' Mrs Ahmed said.

``It'll take time, it'll take patience.

``It'll take work at the basics to change things, but it will change.''

Jasmine Darwich, who lives in Camden, knows first-hand there is nothing to fear from an Islamic school, because she sends her two children to one in Liverpool.

``They teach my children not to be racist but to respect people and their beliefs and not to harm another living thing,'' Mrs Darwich said.

Mrs Darwich has chosen not to pay attention to racist or bigoted remarks about why an Islamic school should not be be built in Camden.

But she believes that anyone who has legitimate concerns such as traffic congestion should be heard.

``I hope that when somebody from Camden meets another person, it doesn't matter what he's wearing on his head, what colour his skin is, or whom he prays to at night if that person is kind and nice and caring, you like them,'' she said.

``If you meet someone who tried to harm you in any way or offended you in some terrible way, if they were mean, obviously don't like them. But only based on what they have done to you.''