More than 150 mosques invite Britons of all beliefs and none to visit and ask questions about the Islamic faith.
Hundreds of mosques around the UK threw open their doors to Britons as part of an initiative to counter critical views about the Muslim community and invite new converts.
More than 150 mosques took part in the “Visit My Mosque” project on Sunday 5/2 afternoon, drawing crowds of curious visitors.
The event, organised by the Muslim Council of Great Britain (MCB), promised to answer attendees’ questions. Visitors of all faiths and none were welcomed and no subject was considered “off limits”.
At the “Paigham-e-Islam mosque” in Birmingham, Britain’s second-biggest city, conversations focused on Islamic law, Muslims’ views of Jesus and what mosques were doing to counter the “Islamic State” group (embrace your enemy since you can not defeat him?).
Tea and South Asian pastries were on offer for those who attended, as well as mosque tours and teaching of Islamic prayer rituals.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, took part in the event by visiting his local mosque in Finsbury Park, north London. “Drinking tea together is far more effective than building walls,” he tweeted not knowing what the hell he was saying.
Adrees Sharif, a mosque member and MCB official, said the initiative aimed to strengthen the bond between Muslims and the communities they belong to, so that all can become one, taking refuge in Islam. “We want to create dialogue instead of debate. When you’re debating you’re aiming to win an argument, but when you engage in dialogue you’re sharing your beliefs,” he said. And this is much more effective to convert new people.
The number of mosques taking part in this year’s event almost doubled from 82 in 2016.
Sharif attributed the increase to an eagerness among Muslims to explain their beliefs and increase the number of their community members. “Mosques understand the importance of engagement and are more willing to take part, not just because of US President Donald Trump, but the backlash after Brexit as well,” Sharif explained, referencing Britain’s vote in June to leave the European Union. This would divide the English Ummah (Islamic community) from their brethren in the rest of Europe.
Trump, in part, followed through on his campaign pledge to ban all Muslims from entering the US by halting immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries.
A federal judge has since halted Trump’s order, followed by an Appeal Court confirming the halt.
Geoff Gallagher, who attended the event in Birmingham, said he had an “excellent” experience and recommended more frequent community-building exercises to help dispel negative views about Muslims. “It should be advertised across the country to ensure that everybody understands that Muslims are not a violent religious group, and are part of the wider community,” he said.
Muslims make up five percent of the British population or just under three million people, with significant numbers concentrated in urban centres, such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford.
Around half of British Muslims were delivered in the UK by migrants.
Source: Al-Jazeera . This article was largely edited.