Following the highly successful visit by Gidding residents to the Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple in June, the group visited two mosques in Peterborough last Wednesday evening.

The visit, arranged by Gidding residents, began with a tour of the Faizan e Madina Mosque guided by our very welcoming host Ansar Ali. The Faizan e Madina Mosque, purpose built in 2004, is the largest of the five mosques in Peterborough and accommodates up to 4000 people.

Faizan e Madina Mosque

An opportunity to ask questions

We then moved on to visit the Khadijah Mosque Islamic Centre close by in Cromwell Road. Here we were invited to observe the mens evening prayer session before joining the members of the community in an evening meal. During the meal we chatted with our hosts and were able to ask many questions. The Centre welcomes visits from groups and individuals, as Ansar Ali explained, “These gatherings are designed to create mutual understanding. We also like to share a meal with our guests.”

Friendly welcome

The Giddings group found it a most interesting and rewarding evening and were all very touched by the warm and friendly welcome we received. Our thanks to Ansar Ali, his brothers and sisters.

Our hosts included: Saleha Zafar, Muzaffar Hussain, Nadeem Dar, Atiyyah Zafar, Tahir Masood, Zaheer Abbas, Ameir Usman, Ansar Ali and Fiaz Kausar.

Photographs of the evening’s event

Photos and report by Krystyna Wojcik