The Muslim News - Qur’an recited in Liverpool Cathedral

Issue 212, Friday 22 December 2006 - 2 Dhu al-Hijjah 1427

Qur’an recited in Liverpool Cathedral

By Safa Suling Tan

The Dean of the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Rt Reverend Dr Rupert Hoare quoted parts of the Qur’an to an audience of more than two hundred people from various faith and non-faith groups of Liverpool’s community and organisations in the Anglican Cathedral on November 22. The Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Joan Lang, and the High Sheriff, were among the prominent guests of the community who attended the event.
The event was organised by the Islamic Society of Britain, Liverpool and was supported by the Abdullah Quilliam Society and the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, as part of a celebration for Islam Awareness Week. Islam Awareness Week which kicked off on November 19, is an effort to promote integration and tolerance in British Society.
The programme commenced with a beautiful Qur’an recital by the Imam of Liverpool mosque. This was followed by speeches from the guest speakers Dr Rupert Hoare and Imam Ajmal Masroor, with an interactive and rigorous question and answer session after. The message was integration, an element of the One World theme of Islam Awareness Week.
The Director of Hospitality of the Cathedral, told The Muslim News, “The Dean is very keen on having a good relationship with all faith groups within the city. I know of no uproar from the Christian community as this is something that is perfectly normal here. The Cathedral often plays host to such multi-faith events.”
Speaking to The Muslim News, a spokesperson from Abdullah Quilliam Society said, “The whole event was quite amazing. The audience was made up of sixty per cent Muslims and the other forty per cent comprising Christians, White, Chinese, and even non-faith individuals.” She said that Imam Masroor’s message in his speech was for Muslims to make Britain their home, “for non-Muslims and Muslims to always focus on the similarities and to move forward by living in harmony and understanding.”
She also added that Dr Hoare’s message was “the unity between Islam and Christianity” and that the police had also come to talk on community relations and “to assure the community that their job was to make everyone feel safe and make sure people feel happy to integrate into society.”
Cllr Joan Lang said, “I am so glad I was invited to this event. In Liverpool, we have our hiccups, but on the whole we get on and that’s why I love this city.”

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