Three institutions across London were the first in the UK this week to receive the coveted benchmark and were personally presented with a plaque of excellence
LONDON – Proving that mosques are not only places of worship, three mosques in the UK have been recognized through the ‘Beacon Mosque’ initiative for their remarkable achievements and positive contribution to their wider communities, The London Economic reported.
“The Beacon Mosque Standard recognizes and rewards the hard work that goes into running these integral pillars of society,” Shaukat Warraich, Founder and Chief Editor of Faith Associates and the Beacon Mosque Standards, said.
“By implementing excellent service together with best practice it will inspire us to be proud of our institutions and help foster strong community relations.
“We hope the initiative creates a future where mosques are encouraged to be the standard bearers for their worshippers, neighbors, cities and the rest of the world.”
The ‘Beacon Mosque’ initiative has been developed to recognize the pivotal role that mosques and Islamic centers play in the community.
Mosques are evaluated across ten categories which range from contribution to the local community to management and governance and are subsequently awarded three, four or five-star accreditations.
The three mosques which received the first awards were all from London, the UK.
Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Center in Kensington won the title of ‘Best Run Mosque’ and was awarded five star accreditation.
Al Madina in Barking was also been awarded five-star accreditation for showing the remarkable practice of management and governance as well as its remarkable youth program.
Mevlana Rumi Mosque in Edmonton was awarded four-star accreditation, as well as receiving two other awards (Best Madrassah and Best Charity service in the UK) and being shortlisted for another at the British Beacon Mosque Awards ceremony in 2018.
Mosques play a pivotal role in the Muslim faith. Along with serving as places of worship, they serve as community centers where they welcome both Muslims and non-Muslims anytime.
Inviting neighbors to know more about Islam and Muslims, Visit My Mosque Day is held annually in a number of countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, and France.
In the UK, it first began in February 2015, with around 20 mosques taking part.
More mosques are expected to register for this year’s event, seeing growth from 200 mosques in 2018 and 150 mosques in 2017.
Visit My Mosque Day is held annually in a number of countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, and France.
In Canada, the first-ever Visit My Mosque Day took place on Sunday, October 15, 2017.
Last October, some 100,000 non-Muslims visited more than 900 mosques across Germany.