Open day at the Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool

Why visit the Nasir Mosque?

The Mosque was a focus of attention during a night of rioting on 31 July 2024. This was part of a wave of disorder that spread across the UK following the Southport stabbings and anti-immigration-fuelled social media misinformation. Race rioters tried to target the Mosque. Fortunately, the police blocked off both ends of Brougham Terrace, and the rioters went elsewhere. The purpose of the open day was to attempt to dispel some of the fears and misconceptions about Islam.

The Mosque and the Hartlepool community

The Mosque plays an important role in the local community. Since the Covid pandemic in 2020, it has provided more than 30,000 free meals to people in need. Here’s the Hartlepool Mail reporting on this more than a year ago. And the local community is going to need this help more than ever going forward. The town is about to become the second hardest hit in the UK from the upcoming social security cuts.

About the Nasir Mosque

The mosque was built by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in 2005. The Ahmadiyya Community was founded in India in 1889 by Hazrat Ghulam Ahmad. He is considered to be a Messiah, a saviour of his community. While the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community identify as Muslims, they have faced persecution and discrimination in some countries due to their unique interpretations of Islam. This is particularly regarding the nature of Jesus and the concept of prophethood. It’s the largest growing Islamic faith.

Who is Jesus?

In Islam, Jesus, known as Isa, is held to have been a prophet and the Messiah sent to the Israelites. Jesus was one of several thousand Messiahs. Jesus never explicitly claimed to be the Messiah. This was a later claim, made by St Peter. According to Islam, Jesus, although a true prophet, wasn’t the son of God. And he didn’t die on the cross. He was taken down, and he recovered and lived to an old age. So, no resurrection either. Huge, if true, particularly for Christians.

Prophets in the Qur’an

There are many overlaps between Islamic, Jewish and Christian prophets. Many familiar names appear in the holy books of all three faiths. Moses (Musa), for example, is mentioned by name 136 times in the Qur’an, making him the most frequently named individual. 

The eternal fire

Jesus said “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!” Harsh words. But would a compassionate God, who loved his children, ask his son to condemn them to hell forever for transgressions, instead of just forgiving them? I doubt it, and the Ahmadiyya Muslims do too. Hell is temporary and God’s mercy will lead to its eventual elimination. That sounds like a much better idea.

Myth-busting

Time to bust a couple of Islamophobic myths. The term ‘Jihad’ was hijacked by a small group of terrorists at the beginning of the 21st Century to wage a ‘holy war’. These extremists weaponised Islam to commit atrocious acts against humanity. It has given many in the media the excuse to engage in Islamophobia, and to discredit millions of people who take comfort in religion. But, Jihad means the opposite of war. The central tenet being that the pen is mightier than the sword. At worst, it’s a form of self defence:

The role of women in Islam

Second-class citizens, right? No, the facts say otherwise. Islam began to accentuate the role of equality between the genders more than 1,400 years ago.

Islam. A code for life?

Islam can provide guidance for all aspects of human existence, from personal conduct and relationships to social, economic, and political matters. It’s a moral compass, in other words. The Christian Bible can be seen in the same context, if you disregard some of the extreme language in the Old Testament. However, if you claim to be an adherent, it’s important to have even read a word of it.

A new God

A new God, and a new prophet, came to our shores. A brown-skinned prophet, and a cruel God of violent retribution. But that’s enough about the introduction of Christianity in the 6th Century, let’s fast forward to the increase in the Islam faith in the UK in the 20th Century. This was as a result of large-scale immigration from Asia as directed by the government. In the 21st Century, a succession of illegal wars, and the impact of climate change, has increased worldwide migration. 

Demographic change

These changes are inevitable, they are accelerating, and we need to accommodate them. There will be a large increase in adherents to Islam in the UK. Christians make up less than 50% of the population of England and Wales, and that percentage will continue to fall. A quarter of practising Christians are people of colour. That percentage will continue to increase. And the small boats will continue to arrive, no matter how many times cynical politicians try to gaslight people about it, such as here and here.

Cleveland Police visit the open day

Representatives of Cleveland Police visited the open day at the Mosque. Police officers had faced a barrage of missiles as they diverted crowds away from the Mosque in Hartlepool during the riot on 31 July 2024. This was a more peaceful visit, from PCSOs Handley and Renyard.

Tour guides

Pictured alongside the two PCSOs are youth leaders Basil Aziz and Adil Aziz. Basil and Adil led my tour of the mosque and explained about the Islam faith. Adil stayed in the Mosque overnight during the July 2024 riots, one of several people prepared to defend the building against the rabble. He’s pictured below:

Call to prayer

Basil led the call to the Asr prayer, the third of five daily prayers. The call was led from the mihrab. This is the niche in the wall that can be seen over Basil’s shoulder. It indicates the direction of Mecca. The pulpit can be seen beside the mihrab.

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/news/community/open-day-at-the-nasir-mosque-in-hartlepool/