November 25, 2007
Madni Jamia Masjid, Brad ford, UK is declared win ner of
the Model Mosque Competition!
A religion-based TV channel in the UK, Islam Channel,
researched over 1,000 mosques to shortlist eight mosques which then
entered a competition to select the best mosque in the UK using "best
practice" criteria. Viewers had the opportunity to cast a vote and help
decide which would go through to round two and finally become Model Mosque
2007.
In the initial round every week, each mosque competed
against another mosque. Representatives from each of the eight mosques
were then called into the studio on October 27 to appear live on Channel
813 and answer questions from an esteemed panel of judges and the
audience. Madni Jamia Masjid finally emerged as the winner of the model
mosque competition.
The entire model mosque programme received international
recognition and coverage from all media outlets, print and electronic.
The website of the Islamic Cultural and Educational
Association (ICEA), the body that runs the Madni mosque, proudly announces
that the secret of its success lies in its "inclusive" policy: "We have
been particularly recognised for our plans to transform the Madni Jamia
Masjid into a specialised centre for learning and hub for social
development with activities designed to make the masjid more youth, family
and community friendly. As well as our leading work engaging and
delivering projects with young people and women" (www.icea.org.uk/ModelMosque/modelmosque.html).
The Madni mosque was selected as the model mosque for:
Ø Being a mosque at the heart of community
Ø Community cohesion and fostering relations with the
wider community
Ø Good progressive leadership
Ø Developing shared values that encourage and support
innovation, learning and achievement of the aspirations of the community
Ø Real partnership building from the public, private and
voluntary sectors
That the Madni mosque is a mosque with a difference is
evident from the way the ICEA conceived and executed a two-day "Connecting
Cultures" programme on October 18 and 19, 2007. A leaflet on the programme,
among other things, invited all residents of Bradford to a "Tour of the
Mosque or Just Drop In".
ICEA’s inclusive approach is apparent from the fact that
its "partners for the programme" included Bradford University, Bradford
College, NHS, Education Bradford, ATL Kickstart, Jobs@, West Yorkshire
Police, West Yorkshire Fire Brigade, Environmental Project, BD3 4ALL and
Bradford Vision.
For a feel of how the programme was received, here’s a
report published by a prominent UK daily, The Telegraph, on
October 18, under the heading,
‘Mosque opens its doors to educate’
One of the district’s largest mosques threw open its doors
to school children from all cultures during a special event. The
"Connecting Cultures" open day at the Madni Jamia Masjid on Thornbury
Road, Bradford, was designed to create a greater understanding of Islam in
the community.
Children at schools across the district were given a
guided tour, including a prayer demonstration. A number of prominent
Muslim artists created a series of dynamic displays about Islam. Some of
the children were given henna tattoos while others took part in face
painting. There were also demonstrations of Arabic calligraphy followed by
a colourful video presentation on Islam.
Sofia Maskin, who was one of the tour guides, said: "I
feel it was a valuable experience for the children. A lot of children who
came to the event had never been in a mosque before and they have found it
fascinating and they asked some interesting questions.
"The day was an open day for the community and also for
schools to come and look at what the function of a mosque is. Often,
people don’t have the chance to come and see a mosque from inside and also
to look at some Islamic artwork and to learn facts about Islam and Muslims
all across the world."
Lucy Williamson, a pupil at Ben Rydding Primary School,
said: "I have learned that they pray at different times of day and that
they read Arabic."
Classmate Charles O’Hara said: "It has been very
interesting and I have learnt that their books are quite precious to them
and they pray quite a lot of times a day."
Event coordinator Abida Rafiq said: "The main reason we
did this was that it’s something that has been long overdue: to officially
open the mosque and to open the doors to the wider community and
non-Muslims.
"People are more than welcome to visit the mosque and to
come and ask questions. If people have negative experiences of Islam, this
kind of event replaces those experiences with good ones. It has been
absolutely wonderful and the kids have really enjoyed it."
If you haven’t heard of a "Model Mosque" competition
before, neither have we! CC’s heartiest congratulations to all
those responsible for introducing "best practices" at the Madni mosque!
May there be more such competitions and may many more such examples of
moderate Islam be born.