‘Faith brings us together, not divides us’ – Success at mosque open day
From left: Alice Macdonald, parliamentary candidate for Norwich North, Cllr Jacob Huntley, Norwich Central Mosque trustee Iftekhar Alam, Principal Amiruzzaman, Revd Graham Kirk-Spriggs, vicar of St Luke’s Church and Sirajul Islam, mosque secretary at the Norwich Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre – Credit: Maya Derrick
A Norwich centre of worship has opened its doors to crowds of all backgrounds to share their faith in an accessible way.
Norwich Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre in Aylsham Road opened its doors on Sunday, September 4 as part of Visit My Mosque Day 2022 – a national initiative where more than 200 places of worship challenge perceptions of Islam.
The event included talks from members of the Islamic community explaining elements of their faith, with ladies invited to have traditional henna adorned on their hands.
Katy Tinmouth has a free-hand henna design painted on her hand by Sadhia Islam at Norwich Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre – Credit: Maya Derrick
The Revd Graham Kirk-Spriggs, vicar at St Lukes Church in Aylsham Road, said: “There’s more we have in common than divides us. Our religious beliefs might be different but as a Christian my role is one of friendship and of love.
“We love our neighbours as ourselves, regardless of their faith. That’s what unites us – mutual respect for one another’s traditions.
A talk explaining the five pillars of Islam and six pillars of faith to visitors at the Norwich Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre – Credit: Maya Derrick
“This has been a lovely way to engage with people in the community.”
Norwich Central Mosque and Islamic Community Centre’s secretary Sirajul Islam added: “To be a part of this initiative and form a bridge into the local community is a a good opportunity to get to know each other and clear misconceptions between communities.
Alice Macdonald, parliamentary candidate for Norwich North, Cllr Jacob Huntley, Norwich Central Mosque trustee Iftekhar Alam, Revd Graham Kirk-Spriggs, vicar of St Luke’s Church, Sirajul Islam, mosque secretary and Syed Rusell – Credit: Maya Derrick
“Around 80pc to 90pc of our faith is the same as Christianity. It brings us together rather than divides us.
“This has been for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of the community. We want to make this place – and the rest of the country – more safe and comfortable to live in.
“We’re really pleased to have seen people come in – and so open-mindedly – without feeling uncomfortable.”
Alice Macdonald, Labour parliamentary candidate for Norwich North said that events such as this are really important.
“The mosque is a really welcoming place and it’s great that we’ve had the opportunity to come in, meet people from different faiths and parts of the community to come together and look at what we have in common.”
Cllr Jacob Huntley, who represents Mile Cross, added: “There has been so much positivity around finding out new things.
“The community as a whole benefits from this mosque. It’s part of the overall fabric of the community.”