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In addition to lectures and seminars, the gala also features films, dramas, a photographic exhibition, concerts, comedy, theatre and live shows. |
LONDON — IslamExpo, believed to be the biggest Islamic cultural event ever in Europe, opened on Thursday, July 6, at Alexandra Palace in London to build bridges with the British community and wash away misconception about the Muslim faith.
"We want to show that mainstream Muslims are peaceful people who want to live in this country as any body else hand in hand and without any problems," Mohammed Kozbar, Project Director of the exhibition, told IslamOnline.net after the launch.
"We want to make sure bridges are built between Muslims and the rest of the community and want to change the negative image of Islam presented in the media."
The four-day exhibition brings together a galaxy of dignitaries including Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the umbrella Muslim Council of Britain, Swiss-based Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan, Wadah Khanfar, General Manager of Al-Jazeera channel, and Norman Kember from the Christian Peacemaker Teams, who was previously taken hostage in Iraq.
In addition to lectures and seminars on diverse topics such as art, literature, science, architecture, technology theology and politics, the gala also features films, dramas, a photographic exhibition, concerts, comedy, theatre, live shows and fun educational activities for children.
A series of economic activities will also be held on the sidelines of the four-day event, expected to attract as many as 50,000 people.
More than 150 exhibitors from Britain, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Australia and America will be showcasing their products and services at IslamExpo.
No 7/7 Link
The IslamExpo project director denied suggestions by some media that the event was intentionally organized to run with the first anniversary of the London bombings.
"We started working hard for IslamExpo like a year ago. When we rented the place it was two months before the London atrocities," Kozbar said.
"This idea came about a few years ago after the 9/11 attacks. We decided to do something to make sure that the Muslim community is not isolated from the rest of the community."
The Muslim activist said the London attacks "gave us more encouragement to go ahead to show the whole world and especially Britain that Islam is a religion of peace not like what the media present it."
On July 7, 2005, a total of 56 people died and more than 700 were injured when four bombers, three of them British-born Muslims of Pakistani origin, detonated explosives packed in rucksacks on three rush-hour underground trains and a city bus.
British Muslims, estimated at some 1.8 million, had denounced the grisly attacks, saying there was no justification whatsoever to take innocent lives.
"Unfortunately 7/7 happened and we have to deal with it," said Kozbar.
"We are proud to be Muslims and want to keep our culture but we are British as well and want to prove we can be both."
The event will observe a two-minute silence on Friday, in memory of the victims of July attacks.
A survey for The Times newspaper showed on Tuesday, July 4, that a sweeping majority of British Muslims believe there were no circumstances that would justify suicide bombings in Britain and that they would feel shame to learn that a close family member had joined Al-Qaeda.
An ICM survey found in February that 91 percent of British Muslims are "loyal" to Britain and 80 percent still want to live in and accept Western society.
Listen for interviews with participants, audience 1- 2
For full program click here
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