Edinburgh Central Mosque and Islamic Centre started from very humble origins

For the past three years the Muslims of Scotland have played their own part in hosting visitors to the Edinburgh International Festival. What they have managed to achieve in presenting Islam to the general public is a lesson for all of us.

The last two weeks of August every year see visitors from around the world converging on Scotland's capital to see world-class performances of opera, ballet, classical music and theater, as well as a variety of fringe events, such as book signings, lectures, and street theater.

In the shadow of Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcanic mound that dominates the city, lies the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Not far from the palace, the Muslims have built a most beautiful mosque, a symbol of the greatness of Allah in a city where Muslims are very much in the minority.

Simple Beginnings

Edinburgh Central Mosque and Islamic Centre started from very humble origins. Although Scotland does have a history of limited contact with Islam that goes back to the 18th century, it was only really after the World War II that Muslims came to Edinburgh in any numbers. A prayer room in a rented flat was where the first Muslims would congregate for prayer.

From these simple beginnings, the city now has ten thousand Muslim families. As the Muslim community grew and grew, it became necessary to find an alternative place for prayer. Over the years, the dream emerged of a mosque and Islamic center at the city's heart that would be truly worthy of Edinburgh's Muslim community.

With generous funding from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the late King Fahd bin Abdelaziz al Saud (May Allah preserve him), the dream became a reality. The resulting mosque is truly beautiful and, as the largest mosque in the city, is truly fitting as a beacon of Islam in Scotland's capital.

Edinburgh Central Mosque has a prayer hall that can accommodate up to 750. It has a multipurpose hall for lectures and other events, which can hold 350. There is a women's prayer room that can hold 150, and there are a library and administration offices.

The mosque has an extensive program of services and events catering for the Muslim community, in no small part due to the hard work of its youthful events organizer.

There are Qur'anic classes, Islamic study groups, and Islamic schools for both women and children. The mosque plays host every lunchtime to many non-Muslim students from nearby Edinburgh University, who come for the nourishing and inexpensive meals served from the mosque's kitchen, as well as for the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. There are also programs of school visits, and there is a free book distribution service that provides books in Arabic and English to those interested in learning about Islam.

Loyalty to Ordinary People

The way in which Edinburgh Central Mosque has involved itself during the month of August with the Edinburgh Festival is a model that Muslims in the West would do well to follow. Instead of being distracted by the silly debate going on in Britain at the moment about how British they are, the Muslims of Edinburgh are getting on with their lives as Muslims. While proving their loyalty to the British Crown may please governments, the real challenge for the Muslims of Edinburgh has been to show ordinary people that Muslims care for others and have a valuable role to play in the life of the community to which they belong.

Throughout the month of August, and coinciding with the events of the festival, it was "open season" at Edinburgh Central Mosque. The doors were thrown open and the visitors were encouraged in with a welcoming smile and a friendly word of greeting.

More than lengthy newspaper articles could ever do, the mosque's interaction with non-Muslims did marvels in dispelling misconceptions about Islam and presenting Islam in a true light. Since September 11 and the London bombings of July 7, Muslims are looked upon with suspicion in Britain. This has put Islam on the defensive and distracted Muslims from talking about Allah. There may, indeed, be an argument for Muslims to sit on government committees to allay fears, but all of the government-sponsored task forces and study groups in the world will never manage to show the world what Islam is like, because their agenda is, ultimately, a secular one. Muslims being proud of who they are will attract others to Islam.

Addressing Fears

The Discover Islam exhibition that ran at the mosque throughout August was both inspired and meticulously organized. With great attention to publicity and to detail, including the mosque's own excellent website (www.edmosque.com), the exhibition was really a triumph. It worked because it took ordinary people as they were, not wishing they were somewhere else, and it talked to them in their own language. It recognized and addressed their fears and their unfamiliarity with Islam and it presented Islam and Muslims in a positive light.

A program of events, which included such speakers as former Christian minister Yusuf Estes, and internationally renowned Islamic scholar Dr. Jamal Badawi, provided challenge and cause for thought. New Muslims talked about what brought them to Islam. There were exhibits on Islamic architecture, Arabic calligraphy, and art by child survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Tastes of the Muslim World allowed visitors to sample Arabic coffee, mint tea, and traditional sweets, using the visitors' natural inquisitiveness about things foreign to teach them small steps about Islam.

Guided tours of the mosque by friendly guides helped those who had never set foot in a mosque to see that it was not a nest of terrorists and suicide bombers, but rather a community place of fellowship and worship. Allowing the visitors to observe the prayers let them see and hear how Muslims worship Allah.

Islam does not need anyone's approval. The brothers and sisters at Edinburgh Central Mosque have shown that we can tell the whole world about Islam by engaging others first of all with a smile. After that we can show them the pride we have in being Muslim, winning their respect and their affection. If we are looking for a model of how to talk to the West, we would do well to study the efforts of those worshiping within the shadow of Arthur's Seat. May their example and their call bring many to Islam. May Allah reward them.