Mosque leaders find moments of hope after violent disorder
Reuters
Images of Liverpool Muslims sharing food with protesters outside a mosque went viral
Among the many stark images emerging from the recent wave of unrest across England were photos of Muslims embracing protesters outside one of the country’s first mosques.
A demonstration was held outside the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool at the end of a week in which misinformation about the Southport attacks was blamed for stoking Islamophobia.
A counter-demonstration drew a several hundred more people and, once the situation had calmed, mosque volunteer Adam Kelwick and other worshippers crossed over in an attempt to speak to those present.
The mosque’s chairman Dr Abdul Hamid, a family doctor, believes there is a “fear of the unknown”, adding: “If they don’t get answers, they will try to find any excuse to label you.”
Reuters
More moderate protesters and mosque worshippers met and spoke together
Scratching below the surface of what was going on, Mr Kelwick said he found people not be motivated by anything in particular – rather just lashing out in a state of general frustration.
He said: “None of the people who I spoke to mentioned Southport.
“I don’t think they knew what they were protesting about – I think they’re just angry, fed up.”
In fact, he said there were “beautiful interactions” as the group from the mosque were able to “break bread” and listen to some people’s concerns in “deep conversations”.
Photographs showed the sharing of food, hugs and handshakes were among the more positive posts being shared widely on social media.
“Some of the most vocal protesters, after everyone else had gone, came inside the mosque for a little tour,” Mr Kelwick added.
Reuters
The exchanges happened after the disorder outside the mosque had calmed
Dr Hamid, who works as a GP in a deprived area of Liverpool, said: “The far right are a spectrum so there are those who are very, very extreme but there are people who have certain issues, whether political or personal, and they need to vent that.
“If you don’t provide them with a platform to do that, they will go on to the streets.”
Mr Kelwick, who became a Muslim in 1999, has engaged with several groups in open mosque forums during the past decade, discussing the impact of grooming gangs among other topics.
And he said there was nearly always progress.
“Every single event has had people who are very angry – shouting sometimes – very upset, but everyone comes together after a time,” he said.
He remembered how one man nearly broke down in tears after being invited to a restaurant meal following an event.
“He said no one had treated him like that before. All we had done was buy him a kebab.”
EPA
The Liverpool mosque was founded by an English lawyer who converted to Islam in 1887
Mr Kelwick, who saw some of Saturday’s later clashes on the city’s Pier Head from a distance, said it was not a situation for “bridge-building”.
“There are thugs among them but there are also genuine concerns,” he said.
“The priority has to be safety and security and everyone needs to calm down.”
However, mosque leaders are conscious that there is less hope for others.
Ibrahim Syed, a coordinator with Liverpool Region Mosque Network, said engagement with some groups “was encouraging to see” but the more extreme far-right activists should be banned “like other Islamist groups”.
Speaking after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met religious leaders in the region, he said: “There is the argument that the police already have the powers to stop the violence.
“But what I think it’s important to note is that actually their words of hate and polarisation also need to be controlled.”
Reuters
Police made several arrests during the violence in Liverpool on Friday
Initially set up in 1887, the Liverpool Muslim institute was recently renamed the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque after its founder William Quilliam, a lawyer born in the port city.
While recovering from illness, he converted to Islam after a trip to Morocco and adopted the name Abdullah.
Mr Kelwick told how the mosque faced angry mobs in the Victorian era but Quilliam had an “open door” policy, eager to engage with the wider city through charity and educational efforts.
He said worshippers were still following in those footsteps by being involved in the “ridding of ignorance and bringing people together”.
Dr Hamid said the widely-shared images of the friendly exchanges could help “drown out the negativity”.
“There might be people in that far-right spectrum that will think twice,” he said.
“We’re not going to be able to change everyone’s mind, but that positivity can spread like wildfire.”
Mr Kelwick said some onlookers had been dismissive and sceptical about the mosque’s efforts and dismissed the social media coverage as attention-seeking.
But Mr Kelwick said perhaps they were missing the point.
He added: “Yes, I am doing this for publicity because I want this message of hope and coming together to get out as far as possible.”
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