Wherever we inhabit we try to help the community – our purpose is to spread humanity and peace
A mosque invited the local community through its doors in its bid to spread the message of “peace, love and humanity”. The ECHO was invited to the Bait-ul-Lateef Mosque on Breck Road by Liverpool’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community for its Iftar event, where those observing Ramadan broke their fast with prayers and a homecooked meal. Sajid Ihsan, the media coordinator for the Ahmadiyya community, told the ECHO: “The purpose of this event is to let people know that first of all our community believes in brotherhood, peace and prosperity. Wherever we inhabit we try to help the community.
“This is one of our ways to bring people together regardless of their backgrounds. We want to make people feel together as one. People will come, join us and learn about our community. It’s about introducing our community.” The Ahmadi Muslims in Merseyside took over the historic Richmond Baptist Church in 2016 and since then the building has become a focal point for its work helping the local community. For the Ahmadi, serving their community is a cornerstone of their faith and they believe you should “always love and show loyalty” to where they live.
The walls of the downstairs of the mosque are adorned with posters supporting the community’s message of “peace, love and humanity”, while prayer rooms offer them a place to become closer to God through reflection. The ECHO was also shown the dilapidated upstairs of the grade II listed building where in the future the Ahmadis hope to offer locals of all faiths another community spot to use.
Mr Ihsan added: “I learned that the community knows about our mosque. They know what kind of community we have. It’s very important because when it comes to Muslim identity in the Western part of the world it has not been renowned in a good way. We are a community that is different from other sectors [of Islam].
“Our main purpose is to spread humanity and peace. We have a charity called Humanity First where we do work around the world, building schools and hospitals and rebuilding cities where there have been natural disasters. It’s important that we give the message of peace and humanity. “The whole world is important to us. We are responsible for Liverpool. In every part of England and the world it is very important for us to be strongly connected with the community.”
Local GP Sa’ad Ahmad, who also heads the Ahmadiyya community’s outreach work in Liverpool, said: “It’s very important to have people here today. We are living in scary times. It’s important we have these events to bridge any fears, any misconceptions, not just about Islam, but also even just of our neighbours. We do feel we have a duty – Islam means peace.
“Our doors are always open. It’s a house of God, but not just for Muslims. Everyone is welcome. It’s also a place for community and bringing people together.” Asked about how important the month of Ramadan is for the Muslim faith, Dr Ahmad said: “I always say Ramadan is a spiritual boot camp to make us better and practice the real Jihad. People wrongly say Jihad means ‘holy war’. The Arabic word actually means to struggle, to strive, to improve yourself.
“Ramadan is that. It’s a way to train yourself, build that relationship with God, but also spend the day being nice to your neighbours, your community and helping out in charity events. It’s about fulfilling our rights to man as well as God.” Matina Hakim told the ECHO: “In light of everything it’s quite poignant to show the importance of humanity. We have people from all walks of life coming here tonight. Liverpool is home. It’s a blessed place that gives us a sense of community.”
At the event attended by around 200 people, local political figures gave speeches about the importance of community. Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, said how it was important to think about people in the world less blessed than everyone gathered in the room tonight, especially given the recent news about the US-Israel and Iran conflict.
Barbara Murray, the lord mayor of Liverpool, told the event: “Love for all, hatred for none,” while Portia Fahey, councillor for Everton north, thanked the mosque for its acts of charity including the donation of free meals for those in need.
Those in attendance came from a wave of different backgrounds. Merseyside Police community support officers sat alongside members of the local Ahmadi community, while people from local organisations and sports clubs were also in attendance.
