Mosques all over the UK will open their doors to people of all faiths and none tonight during the “Iftar” meal at sunset on the 10th anniversary of the London 7/7 bombings.
The “Peace Iftars”, which have already begun taking place, are a chance to “remember and pray for all victims of terrorism and stand in solidarity in peace”.
Today’s events are set to take place around the country with mosques inviting their local communities to join in commemoration and to “break bread with Muslims as they break their fast in this holy month of Ramadan”. A national “Iftar” has been organised at the Islamic Cultural Centre in London.
The Islamic Cultural Centre said: “Our thoughts, our prayers and condolences go out to all the victims of these terrible terrorist attacks.”
“As citizens and co-workers of this great city, we share the concerns and fears of fellow Londoners. We use the same transport and live and work in the same buildings and any attack is an attack on us all.”
At Friday prayers this week, the Muslim Council urged imams to discuss the 7/7 anniversary and more recent terror attacks including in Tunisia. The religious leaders were encouraged to remind people “that these killers do not respect the sanctity of life as laid down in Islam”.
Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: “Despite the evil that was visited upon us on 7/7, we come here hoping for peace and praying for a world free from violence.”
When the bombings took place, he said, “many in our city pulled together, united in their condemnation of terrorism, and in their determination to help the victims.”
“The best way to defy the terrorist is to increase our bonds of unity, not to single out any one group of people for blame”.
“Our community”, he said, “has struggled to find a coherent and compelling voice to counter the narrative that terrorists thrive on...precisely because the terrorists recruit outside of mosques and from the fringes of the internet.”
Dr Shafi called for the British Muslim community to redouble its efforts to “provide a stronger voice and platform for young people, one where they can express their anxieties and engage confidently without being labelled as extremist.”
Britain should “claim back the spirit of the 7/7 fight back, where we as communities stood together”, he said. “We start by remembering and praying for the victims, and praying for peace.”