‘Visit My Mosque’ day sees over 250 mosques across UK welcome
Muslim and non-Muslim visitors.
Mosques across the U.K. recently opened their doors to the public as part of an annual national event that aims to build closer relations between the British Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Over 250 mosques participated in the ‘Visit My Mosque’ event, which saw people being welcomed into their local mosques and partake in activities aiming to broaden their knowledge on Islam, Muslims and the purposes of mosques. “Despite those who continue to fund hatred and sow division in our society, Muslims across the U.K. have shown today that regardless we will continue to do the opposite by building bridges and bring communities together” said Harun Khan, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain. “Thank you to everyone who took part today” he added.
This year’s ‘Visit My Mosque’ event was held amid a stark rise in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crimes with the right-wing extremists attacking mosques and Muslim communities across the U.K.
Community and faith leaders have hailed this year’s initiative as a success and an example of tolerance and acceptance between Britain’s Muslim and non-Muslim communities. Kingston Muslim Association in south-west London is one of the mosques that opened its doors to its local community and held a variety of activities including a mosque tour and an exhibition of Islamic art and religious texts. “I attend the open day every year and every year I learn something new” said Jeremy, a local resident and community worker who actively engages with the Muslim community. “And every year I see more and more people visit the mosque and engage with the [Muslim] community and as a proponent of multiculturalism this makes me incredibly happy” he added. “This sends a message to the Islamophobes and those who are against unity that Britain will remain an open and an inclusive society that not only welcomes peoples of different faiths but actively engages with them so that they may know about one another” Jeremy said. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the initiative, British mosques also promoted the ‘Great British Spring Clean’, a campaign that aims to improve the environment and help communities across U.K. keep clean and environmentally friendly.
(Taken from aa.com.tr)
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