Wales Mosque Brings Faiths Together in Community Cohesion Event
A local mosque in Newport, Wales, has welcomed people of different faiths to a special event held to promote cohesion and understanding.
The event, held on Friday at Victoria Road Mosque, is the brainchild of Mubarak Ali, secretary of the Islamic Society for Wales.
“It was a very positive event and it was fantastic to get all these people together,” he told South Wales Argus.
Ali said he held the event to bring together people of different faiths, nationalities and backgrounds.
“We have held events with different faiths before but nothing on this scale,” Ali, who has lived in Newport for about 60 years and one of the founding members of Council of Muslim Mosques and Organizations Newport which was set up in 2008, said.
“I like to inspire people to do the right thing. We have only got one life so let’s show love and respect to each other.”
Special Attendance
Local MPs and Senedd (local parliament) members were among those who attended the event.
Other guests included the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent Brigadier Robert Aitken, the High Sheriff of Gwent Malgwyn Davies, Mayor of Newport Cllr Martyn Kellaway, Bishop of Monmouth Cherry Vann, Dean of St Woolos Ian Black, and Luke Pearce, nephew of boxer David Pearce “Newport’s Rocky”.
Mosques are the beating heart of Muslim communities and stand as a physical example of the Islamic faith.
They serve for prayers, for events during Ramadan, and as centers for education and information.
Islam is a minority faith in Wales. Muslims represent 2.2% of its population with about 64,000 adherents recorded per 2021 Census.
The earliest recorded connections between Wales and the Muslim world dates back to the early 12th Century.
SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/europe/wales-mosque-brings-faiths-together-in-community-cohesion-event/