Mosques in the UK have been holding open days for their local communities for decades.

At the national initiative, #VisitMyMosque was first conceived in February 2015 with about 20 mosques taking part.

Held under the auspices of Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the initiative grew to over 250 mosques last year. Now, MPs and other senior politicians take parts too, including the PM, Leader of the Opposition, and the Mayor of London.

The visit to Madina Mosque in Blackburn was part of the GCSE Citizenship course taught at Darwen Aldridge Enterprise Studio School (DAES).

“The whole trip for me was a fabulous way of sharing culture and knowledge of the Islamic faith,” GCSE Citizenship teacher Ms Arnone told Lancashire Telegraph.

“The mosque trip and the Imam were so friendly, and it was a joy to see our students so engaged in the process.”

At the mosque, the school (madressaa) head teacher Maulana Abbas welcomed students from years’ 9, 10, and 11, giving them a tour of the mosque.

There was also reading of some Islamic poetry, literature, and the Qur’an.

Arnone also praised the mosque for giving students a chance to know more about the mosque and Muslims.

“The mosque was a very welcoming place from the moment we walked in to when we left. We were all mesmerized by the beauty of the prayer rooms and the education that takes place in the mosque,” she said.

“We left feeling uplifted by the experience. The Imam inspired the students to think about other cultures and beliefs and spoke openly about his faith and his journey to becoming an Imam.

“Overall, this was an experience that I would recommend to anyone no matter what faith they belong to.”

Source: AboutIslam.net