Mosques welcome non-Muslim communities with free food at UK's Great Get Together

Festivities and community events are being held across the UK this weekend, including in mosques, for the one year anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox.

Society

2 min read

Robert Cusack

15 June, 2017

At least a dozen mosques will open their doors this weekend [Great Get Together, Facebook]

Over a dozen mosques will be opening up to their local communities on Friday, offering free food as part of a national network of community events and street parties.

The event is part of the Great Get Together campaign, a national effort to increase community cohesion.

The Muslim Council of Britain announced its support on Wednesday for the effort.

"One way to remove barriers is to get together and share our thoughts, beliefs and values and celebrate the things that unite us", said Sharif, event organiser at Mohaddis-e-Azam Mission in Bolton.

The Great Get Together was organised to coincide with the one year anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox MP.

Cox was gunned down by a far-right nationalist in the run up to the Brexit referendum for her views on combating hate.

The MCB announced a list of mosques and Islamic centers holding public Iftar events [breaking of the Ramadan fast at sunset] across the UK from 16 to 18 June.

	Mosques taking part in the Great Get Together
	Bury St Edmunds Islamic Cultural Organisation Cheadle Mosque Craven Arms Islamic Centre Finsbury Park Mosque Hyderi Islamic Centre Ipswich Mosque IUS Manchester KSIMC Birmingham Maidenhead Mosque Masjid Aisha, Birmingham Mohaddis-E-Azam, Bolton Northern Ireland Muslim Family Association Peace Centre, Leicester Paighan-e-Islam, Birmingham Noor Ul Islam Trust, Leyton

"People coming together, sharing food and having common experiences is a far more effective way to overcome fear and misconceptions, especially in the aftermath of the recent attacks in the UK," said Harun Khan, MCB secretary-general.

In her maiden parliamentary speech, Jo Cox famously spoke out against Islamophobia and hate towards minority groups.

"We have more in common and are far more united than that which divides us."

Cox's husband, Brendan Cox said the event aimed to commemorate Jo's memory by bringing neighbours together.

"Jo's murder was designed to tear communities apart, to turn neighbour against neighbour - and we could think of no better way of saying 'f**k off' to those extremists than getting millions of people together and having fun," said Brendan Cox.