In mid-November, members of the ECB communications team made the trip from Lord’s to south London for a visit to the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, having been invited by one of the UK’s youngest Imams, Sabah Ahmedi, aka the Young Imam.
The team first met Sabah at the People Like Us networking event the ECB hosted for communications professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds at the end of September. Sabah’s unbridled positivity and his emphatic offer to host the team at the Baitul Futuh made it an invitation impossible to refuse.
The timely visit ended up falling within Inter Faith Week, the purpose of which is to strengthen relations and understanding between people of different religious and non-religious beliefs. As the day unfolded, it became clear that those aims were being achieved, with the team leaving having a deeper knowledge of Islam, a great sense of community with those we met and a shared ambition to work together in the future.
Looking back on the trip, the team has been considering what we’ve each personally learnt or taken away from the experience. What follows is a summary of the reflections we shared:
- Greater understanding – setting off on the tour of the Baitul Futuh, Sabah made clear that he was open to any and all questions we had about the Mosque, about Islam and about his own personal journey becoming an Imam. We spoke openly about misconceptions of Islam that exist in society and Sabah took time and care to explain various aspects and customs of the religion. We were fortunate to explore different parts of the Mosque and witness members of the community attend afternoon prayers. We all left with much more insight to the reality of what life is like for modern Muslims.
- Welcoming – the welcome the team received from Sabah and other members of the Mosque was touching. Not only were we treated to one of the best lunches we’d all had in a long time, but everyone we met was incredibly friendly, open and willing to share their experiences of Islam and their connections to the Mosque.
- New conversations – as the team sat down for the previously mentioned brilliant lunch, we started speaking about our own relationships with religion and belief. Coming from various backgrounds, the varied and intimate conversation was one we’d not had before and perhaps might not have done if it weren’t for the openness of conversations had throughout the day.
- Community – the sense of community at the Mosque really stood out for the team and manifested itself in so many impressive ways. From the coming together in shared worship, to the communal investment into the upkeep and construction of the building itself, to the incredible work they do supporting important social causes and helping those in need across the country.
- The Mosque – there was more than meets the eye within the building itself which was fascinating to see and learn about. Not only were we shown the prayer room and community spaces, but the Baitul Futuh Mosque is also home to the studios of both MTA International (the world’s first Islamic TV channel which broadcasts globally) and Voice of Islam radio.
- Similarities – our time with Sabah exploring the Mosque underlined the idea that we are all much more alike than unalike, regardless of faith or background. A cliché, perhaps, but throughout the visit, the team noted similarities with other religions (including those followed by ECB colleagues in attendance) and that the pursuit of community and peace is something commonly held by us all.
- Hope for the future – over naan breads and dhal to die for (the last mention of the lunch, honestly!) we spoke enthusiastically about potential opportunities to work together in the future. Ways that other ECB colleagues and those across the game could engage with Sabah and the Mosque and possible projects that will continue to help build new bridges between our communities. Sabah is a brilliant role model and representative for Islam with a clear passion for demonstrating the realities of the religion to others, as opposed to those sometimes sensationalised by the media, and we left excited by the prospect of continuing a working relationship with him. Watch this space...
You can follow Sabah aka The Young Imam on Twitter and Instagram.