Visit My Mosque

Visit My Mosque Open Day

On Sunday 5 February three of Rochdale’s Mosque opened their doors as part of the Muslim Council of Britain’s “Visit My Mosque” initiative.

The Neeli Mosque, Madina Mosque and Golden Mosque took part in the scheme that took place nationally.

Each mosque was open from 12.00pm to 4.00pm, providing an opportunity for people from all faiths (or no faith), cultures and diverse backgrounds to visit and get a first-hand look at the day-to-day workings of a mosque, learn about activities/projects on offer, meet and interact with ordinary Muslims, see exhibitions on Islam, ask questions about one of the Abrahamic faiths whilst sampling the food & drinks provided by volunteers at each of the venues.

There were presentations for people to learn about mainstream Islam and discussions on current issues.

The mosques attracted a lot of people throughout the afternoon, and the feedback from each suggests those that attended have really benefitted from this open day initiative.

Tahir Mahmood, representative of Golden Mosque, said: “We were delighted to welcome visitors to the Golden Mosque. It is important that we reach out to our non-Muslim neighbours and establish a cohesive community, one that we can all be proud of. We have done a number of projects over recent years that are aimed at all sections of the Rochdale community from Soup Kitchens to giving shelter during the floods. We run a regular group (first Sunday of the month) for anyone who wants to learn more about Islam, so if you’ve missed out on the open day, please join us at one of these events."

Nabeel Tariq, representative of the Madina Mosque, said: “We sent out an open invitation to the local community to tour the mosque, to immerse themselves in an exhibition detailing various Islamic educational resources/literature, view the powerpoint presentation and speak to the Imams and members of the congregation. There was a good range of hot/cold food, tea and biscuits for all. The event was well attended and has certainly been a good way to help break down some barriers and build on our community cohesion work.

"We would like to thank everyone who attended and hope they took many positive experiences with them.”

Zahir Ihsan, representative of the Neeli Mosque, said: “We took part in the Visit My Mosque initiative for the second year running. It was another opportunity to open our doors to the Rochdale community and invite people into our mosque and have a chat over tea and biscuits. We had a steady stream of visitors throughout the day and the feedback we received has been very positive about their experiences. We will continue to reach out to the wider community to break down barriers of fear and hate.”

Dobir Miah, Chief Officer, Rochdale Council of Mosques, added: “I visited all three open day events, to meet and greet as many people as possible who took time out on a Sunday afternoon to meet their Muslim neighbours and see for themselves what goes on inside a mosque. It was very pleasing to see all three mosques, were busy and lots of quality conversations were taking place over delicious food, tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes. There are usually a number of open days, besides this national day as well as school visits.

“If anyone has missed out don’t worry there will be more later in the year (details of these will be announced nearer the time). If anyone would like to visit at any other time, that can also be arranged – please get in touch. It is our collective duty to dispel myths and misinformation out there, we can do this by meeting one another, sharing our faiths, beliefs, cultures and asking questions.”

About Rochdale Council of Mosques (RCM)

The Rochdale Council of Mosques has been working with communities in Rochdale since 2003 and has 15 mosques affiliated to it.

The vision is to develop successful, confident and united Muslims, who pursue their aspirations with respect and dignity in order to make valuable contributions to the economic, spiritual and civic life of Rochdale.

The work is about developing a framework for addressing issues affecting local Muslim people through effective partnership working, promoting harmony and unity between the people of Rochdale. We endeavour to consult, contribute, help develop and where needed, deliver services which meet the needs of the Muslim communities living in Rochdale.

RCM also acts as a gateway to service providers, enhancing access and participation of the Muslim community.