All eight councillors on the committee voted against the plan at about 20:30 GMT.
Councillor Conor McAuley said it was rejected on the grounds that the land is designated for mixed commercial and residential use, there was not enough consideration for transport and it would not have led to more jobs and homes.
Community leader Ala Uddin Ahmed said: "There are 90,000 Muslims around the borough. "The Muslim community is growing and there is need for bigger worship. "We are extremely let down. We think it is unjust because of the demand of the local people and the Muslim community."
Campaigner Alan Craig of the Christian Peoples Alliance had criticised the proposal, saying it would create a "ghetto" or "Islamic enclave". [BBC] Read more
