The East London Mosque opened its doors last Saturday as part of its annual ‘Visit My Mosque’ open day.
The event was hosted as part of a nationwide initiative by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), where more than 250 mosques across the country invited and encouraged attendees to learn more about Islam and to speak to members of the faith.
“The open days are good opportunities to bridge different communities,” said Nathan Musa Gubbins, projects and engagement officer at East London Mosque.
“When people walk through the doors of a mosque, they don’t really know what to expect.”
For him, the purpose of the open days was to give people the possibility to meet Muslims and to create a welcoming atmosphere to dispel any misconceptions they may have about Islam.
“The main focus is explaining what Islam is about so people can go back, whether it be to other countries or localities, with what we hope is a better impression of the religion,” he said.
In the 10 years since the initial ‘Visit My Mosque’ event was hosted, themes of understanding, connection, and respect have continued to run strong, despite the challenges the mosque has faced in recent years.
With the undeniable rise of the far right, fear, hostility, and even bomb threats have all dealt serious blows to the security of the Muslim community and the mosque.
However this, Gubbins emphasises, is not what the event is about.
“If anything, days like today prove that the far right does not represent the majority of people,” he said.
This year’s theme centred around ‘our stories and our neighbourhoods’, where the day featured a host of talks from community leaders, tours of the prayer hall, and even a demonstration from the mosque’s two resident beekeepers, Salima and Khalil Attan.
The event attracted attendees from London and beyond, each sharing their own motivations for coming.
One visitor from Euston told NEL that they were simply curious about learning more about the religion, whilst a tourist from Brittany said they happened to be passing by and thought it would make an interesting addition to their day.
Junaid Ahmed, CEO of East London Mosque added: “That is why these events are a wonderful opportunity to share our stories. To show who we are, what we do and why this mosque holds a special place in the heart of our communities.”
Although challenges and misinformation continue to plague the community, secretary general of the MCB, Wajid Akhter, believes that hostility can be combatted through shifting the narrative to one of unification, rather than division.
“If we focus on what unites us, it makes hating each other so much harder,” he said.
Although ‘Visit My Mosque’ runs as an annual event, East London Mosque hopes to get across one message: That anyone is welcome, always.
Featured image credit: Clelia Frondaroli
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