Record Number of Britons Show Solidarity with Muslims on Largest Ever #VisitMyMosque Day

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5 years ago SYED KASHIF SAJJAD

Record number of visitors share tea and biscuits with their Muslim neighbours on as third ‘Visit My Mosque’ Day comes to a close.

Over 150 mosques across Britain open their doors today for the third annual Visit My Mosque Day. With dozens if not hundreds reported to have attended each mosque, this could well be one of the largest attended open mosque days in the world.

#VisitMyMosque day, facilitated by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), provides a platform for Muslims to reach out to fellow Britons and explain their faith and community beyond the headlines.

Speaking at the national launch event in Khizra Mosque, Manchester, Muslim Council of Britain Secretary General Harun Khan, said, “We hope that Visit My Mosque Day will become a great British institution. So many British Muslims opened the doors to their mosques and their hearts to thousands of fellow Britons keen to reach out to local Muslims and find out about their faith. We were also moved by the record numbers who came in solidarity to Muslims and the hostile atmosphere they find themselves in.”

“Now more than ever, we need initiatives like #VisitMyMosque as antidotes to the poisonous atmosphere of fear and distrust rippling through society in the wake of recent events.”

With over 150 mosques taking part – almost double the number that took part last year – many faith, civil and political leaders took part. The Bishop of Liverpool and of Salford are among the main faith leaders who attended. More MPs than ever before attended a mosque open day in their local constituencies. They include minister Ben Gummer, leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, Shadow Foreign Secretary, Emily Thornberry and numerous other MPs including David Lammy, Gareth Thomas, Patrick Grady, Kirsty Blackman, Mike Gapes, Chi Onuwarah, Neil Coyle, Maggie Throup, Wes Streeting, Ian Lucas, Kelvin Hopkins, Stephen Timms, Jeff Smith and Stephen McPartland.

Speaking at the launch event at Finsbury Park Mosque, Jeremy Corbyn spoke about how bad rhetoric results in acts of hate, and the importance of endorsing values of respect to bring communities together. With a particular note to Donald Trump, he said, “Drinking tea together is far more effective than pouring concrete to build walls”.