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UK Mosques Open Doors to Fight Bigotry

Tea and South Asian pastries were on offer for those who participated in the “Visit My Mosque” project across Britain on Feb. 5.
Tea and South Asian pastries were on offer for those who participated in the “Visit My Mosque” project across Britain on Feb. 5.

Hundreds of mosques around the UK threw open their doors to Britons, as part of an initiative to counter misconceptions about the Muslim community.

More than 150 mosques took part in the “Visit My Mosque” project on Sunday afternoon, drawing crowds of curious visitors, Aljazeera reported.

The event, organized by the Muslim Council of Great Britain, promised to answer attendees’ questions. Visitors of all faiths were welcomed and no subject was considered off limits.

At the Paigham-e-Islam Mosque in Birmingham, Britain’s second-biggest city, conversations focused on Islamic law, Muslims’ views of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) and what mosques were doing to counter the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group.

Tea and South Asian pastries were on offer for those who attended, as well as mosque tours and explanations of Islamic prayer rituals.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, took part in the event by visiting his local mosque in Finsbury Park, north London.

“Drinking tea together is far more effective than pouring concrete to build walls,” he tweeted.

The number of mosques taking part in this year’s event almost doubled from 82 in 2016.

Adrees Sharif, a mosque member and MCB official, said the initiative aimed to strengthen the bond between Muslims and the communities they belong to.

Sharif attributed the increase to an eagerness among Muslims to explain their beliefs amid rising far-right sentiment.

In the UK, attacks on Muslims have increased, alongside other xenophobic attacks, in the aftermath of Brexit vote.

Muslims make up 5% of the British population or just under three million people, with significant numbers concentrated in urban centers, such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bradford.

Around half of British Muslims is born in the UK.

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