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UK
Muslims Turn Out in Force for Peace, Unity
By
Hiba Abdul-Rahim, IOL Correspondent
LONDON,
December 6, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Thousands of British Muslims
have turned out in huge numbers for an event promoting global peace,
stressing to the world their faith is by no means a threat to any one.
Over
20,000 Muslims flocked into the ExCel arena in Docklands Sunday,
December 4, for the first annual Global Peace & Unity Event.
“The
event is very professional and very well organized,” Ozgecan
Kocaman, a Turkish resident of Luton, told IOL. “The speakers are
great, and I like the variation between lectures and songs. I’m
really enjoying it.”
Organized
by Islam Channel, the one-day family event of inspirational talks and nasheed
(Islamic song) performances attracted a larger audience than any other
meeting of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Islam
Channel
Islam
Channel is the first and only free-to-air, English
language, Islamic-focused satellite channel that airs in Europe, North
Africa, and the Asian subcontinent.
Organizers
of the event chose the theme of global peace in order to unite Muslims
of all backgrounds, and bridge the gap between the Muslim and
non-Muslim communities.
The
amalgam of thousands of people from a multitude of backgrounds and
religions helped achieve that aim, says IOL correspondent.
“When
we first approached ExCel about hosting our event there, they did not
agree. They thought, ‘Islam, Peace, Unity – They don’t go
together,’” Mohamed Ali, CEO of Islam Channel said at a press
conference. “Islam is a religion of peace and unity, and these are
the teachings of our Prophet Muhammad.”
The
choice of speakers and artists embodied the theme of the event, with
prominent figures attending from India, South Africa, America, Kuwait,
and many other countries.
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The gathering was the biggest of its kind in UK Muslims' history.
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Members
of the audience expressed sincere appreciation to the organizers for
arranging this unprecedented event, and recognized the importance of
discussing peace and unity.
“A
lot of people think that peace is an unachievable goal these days.
Events like this will help inform us of what we need to do in order to
correct ourselves and achieve it,” Mr. Islam, a medical school
student from America, and a Hindu revert to Islam, told IOL.
Former
Pakistani cricketers Saeed Anwar and Imran Khan drew many people to
the event, as did world-renowned scholar, Dr. Zakir Naik.
Other
speakers promoting peace and unity included Dr. Tariq Suwaidan, a
Muslim scholar from Kuwait, in addition to national speakers such as
Yvonne Ridley, George Galloway, MP, and Sir Iqbal Sacranie.
Song
artists lightened up the atmosphere in the main arena with
performances by Dawood Wharnsy Ali, Zain Bhika and Ahmad Bukhatir,
while children enjoyed an indoor funfair of rides and games.
The
event concluded with a spectacular fireworks display that lit the sky
and shone over the waters in the London Docklands.
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