To celebrate the occasions of the two Eids, Hajj communities and in celebration of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham’s) great sacrifice the MCB hosted an inspiring reception in Whitehall on Monday the 12th of November 2012.
The event saw members of both House of Lords and Commons, Mayors of local authorities, Community and inter-faith leaders, businessmen and women come together for celebration and mutual dialogue. Commenting on the great diversity represented at the event, Farooq Murad, the Secretary General of the MCB said, “Eid Ul Adha reminds us of -the unity of mankind, the great pilgrimage – Hajj, where two million Muslims gather from every corner of the earth, representing every race, every colour and more or less every language”. He talked about the great sacrifice of Abraham which this Eid commemorates, which “very much instils that message that we need to share with each other, make sacrifices in our lives to make better societies, better future for us and for our children.”
Expressing his pleasure to see the leaders and members of different communities, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill said, “The Eid festival is significant not only in Islam but also Christianity and Judaism. He said, “there are more similarities between peoples and faiths than differences and mutual respect and interfaith dialogue are essential if we are all to co-exist peacefully.” Touching on the depiction of Islam and Muslims, Lord Sheikh said, “Despite the image portrayed in today’s media, Islam has a long and proud history of tolerance and respect for people of all faiths”.
Baroness Uddin congratulated the MCB for the leadership saying, “MCB is needed, more so now than any other time, and I’m really pleased to see the strength and resolve in MCB leadership to ensure that you are firmly in the forefront in ensuring that the Muslim community is part and parcel of British society”.
Sir Iqbal Sacranie welcomed back pilgrims who travelled to Hajj and shared good news of the upcoming World Islamic Economics forums (WIEF). The 8th WIEF which will take place this year is expected to receive 1500 delegates in attendance from across the world.
The Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP, the Shadow Minister of Justice, urged Muslims to be in a winning position of strength and happiness just like Mohammed (Mo) Farrah. He said the nation needs the MCB to grow from strength to strength and asked everyone to pray for and help ‘our brothers, sister and cousins who are less fortunate elsewhere’.
Councillor Usman, Lord Mayor of Leicester also spoke about the “need of a strong voice like the MCB that advocates for Muslims in this country. It is upon us all as community leaders, individuals, Muslims and leadership to be able to pave the way” for the future.
Dr Shuja Shafi, Deputy Secretary General shared the news of the successful vaccination facility for pilgrims which this year, saw 20,000 individuals taking advantage of the facility before going to Hajj or Umrah. “We are currently working with the Saudi authority on Mass gatherings medicine to make sure the services provided to the Hujjaj on site are also appropriate and helpful for them to give them a healthy hajj experience.”
The evening concluded with a prayer by the Assistant Secretary General of the MCB, Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra.
Pictures from the evening:
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