A British autistic and non-verbal boy whose grassroots campaign promotes unity in the face of rising Islamophobia has taken his message beyond the UK, transforming “Cake not hate” into “Dates not hate” during a visit to the holy city of Madinah.
Joshua Harris, widely known to his social media followers as “The Joshie-Man,” has spent recent months visiting mosques across Britain, distributing homemade cakes to worshippers as a gesture of solidarity, Arab News reported.
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The initiative began after an Islamophobic attack targeted a mosque in his hometown of Peterborough in October 2025.
In the aftermath of the attack, Joshua and his father, Dan Harris, visited Masjid Darassalaam — the mosque that had been targeted — bringing cakes baked by Joshua and sharing them with the congregation.
The simple act resonated widely, and since then, the 12-year-old has visited dozens of mosques across the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, Joshua carried that same spirit to Madinah. Adapting the campaign to the local context, he handed out dates — a staple associated with the city and its renowned varieties such as ajwa and ambar — to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque.
The gesture marked a symbolic evolution of the initiative from “Cake not hate” to “Dates not hate.”
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” said his father.
Meeting Muslims
Dan Harris, who is also the founder of the global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said the visit offered a powerful insight into the global Muslim community.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
He described the visit to Madinah — Islam’s second holiest city after Makkah — as deeply moving.
“I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there,” he said, adding that the family was struck by the warmth of their reception.
“Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
For Joshua and his family, the shift from cakes in Britain to dates in Madinah underscores a consistent message — that small acts of kindness can cross cultures, borders, and beliefs, offering a quiet but powerful response to hate.