A YouGov poll commissioned by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has found that almost 70% of Britons haven’t seen the inside of another faith’s place of worship, and almost 90% haven’t been inside a mosque in recent years.
Respondents to the survey were asked what places of worship not associated with their own faith they had visited in the last five years. The sample size of the online survey was 1,629 adults and the fieldwork was undertaken between 31st January – 1st February 2018.
With over 200 mosques across the UK opening their doors this weekend on 18 February 2018 as part of Visit My Mosque Day, this year will have the largest ever number of mosques welcoming in their neighbours.
“Despite the multi-religious and multi-cultural society we live in, these poll results show that the majority of Britons have not seen what the place of worship of another faith looks like,” said Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.
“Many faith communities hold open door events regularly and this Sunday over 200 mosques across the UK will also be opening their doors, to give people of all faiths and none the chance to get to know their neighbours of a different faith.”
Visit My Mosque – now running for its 4th consecutive year – is a national initiative facilitated by the Muslim Council of Britain, the country’s largest umbrella body of mosques and Islamic associations.
Mosques from across London, South East, Midlands, Scotland, Wales, Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Humber and Northern Ireland will be taking part.
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Reverend Dr Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford, said: “Crossing the threshold of a different place of worship can be an important step in learning about and getting to know our neighbours. As a bishop and as a trustee of the Christian Muslim Forum, I very much welcome the Visit My Mosque Day initiative. I plan to visit mosques in Bradford on 18th February with local clergy and congregation members, and I warmly encourage others to do the same where they are.”
And Rabbi Herschel Gluck OBE, President of Shomrim in Stamford Hill said: “It is always important for people from various communities to meet each other and demonstrate our bonds of harmony and good neighbourliness. This is especially true at a time when peddlers of hatred tragically wish to destroy the bonds that unite our shared society.
