Over 200 mosques across the UK opened their doors to tens of thousands of people yesterday as part of Visit My Mosque Day, facilitated by the Muslim Council of Britain for the fourth consecutive year.
Maidenhead Mosque welcomed the Prime Minister Theresa May, despite the fact that she has been instrumental in implementing several Islamophobic policies over the years.
The mosque at the centre of the Grenfell Tower response, Al-Manaar, welcomed London Mayor Sadiq Khan. And Jeremy Corbyn MP, the leader of the opposition, took part at his local Finsbury Park Mosque.
Speaking from Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted to be back at Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre as it opens its doors to the local community on Visit My Mosque Day. London is a place where we don’t just tolerate diversity, we celebrate, cherish and embrace it – that’s why I’m so pleased to support this great initiative to help us build a more open and inclusive society.
“Today is a day to increase understanding, celebrate the important role mosques play in bringing the local community together, and in particular, to highlight the major part everybody at this mosque has played in responding to last summer’s devastating Grenfell Tower fire.”
Emma Dent Coad, MP for Kensington said, “We must counter hate with love and this is exactly what this initiative is doing” while local Councillor Gerald Hargreaves said “Visit My Mosque Day is a day to celebrate and a strong way to counter Islamophobia.”
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Harun Khan, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said, “Mosques are part and parcel of the fabric of British society with many positively contributing to their local communities. This was illustrated so well by Al-Manaar in West London last summer as their volunteers and their local community pulled together to support the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire.
“Visit My Mosque is a grassroots initiative organised by hundreds of Muslim volunteers across the UK, young and old, male and female, of all ethnic backgrounds. We are pleased to see more mosques than ever before taking part in 2018 and we hope it will help local communities build long-lasting relationships for years to come.”
