A local mosque in West London city of Stanmore has opened its doors to welcome the local community wishing to help wrap Christmas presents and combat Islamophobia by bringing people together, My London reported.
“The doors of our center are always open to our neighbors, from all or no faith,” Dr. Munir Datoo, President of Hujjat Stanmore mosque, said.
“We wish to build bridges and continue to be a positive asset to society in London.”
Datoo was speaking about the mosque’s most recent event held on Saturday, December 21.
On this special day, more than 50 volunteers of all ages gathered to wrap Christmas presents to share at hospitals, fire stations, health care centers and even door-to-door around the neighborhood.
Volunteers visited more than 100 houses as well as Harrow Fire Station, Northwick Park Hospital, Belmont Heath Center, and Edgware Health Center.
The Christmas gifts were a happy surprise for many who thanked the Muslim community for the nice gesture.
“I just want to say a big thank you to the youth from the mosque on Wood Lane who dropped by with a present and card this afternoon and wished us a happy Chanukah,” one of the recipients posted a message of thanks on a local Facebook group.
“It was a lovely gesture which we appreciated. The kids left with some chocolates from us to say thank you. It is random acts of kindness that make our area so special.”
Christmas is the main festival on the Christian calendar. Its celebrations reach their peak at 12:00 PM on December 24 of every year.
Though Muslims do not celebrate Christmas, they usually extend hands to help patients, less fortunate, and homeless people to celebrate the season.
Earlier this week, a group of Muslim volunteers from Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) paid a special visit to patients at Blackburn Royal Hospital, putting a smile on their faces before the holiday season.
In December 2017, a group of Muslim high school pupils from Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School (TIBHS) paid a special visit to hospitalized children in Blackburn, giving them gifts.
Earlier in the same year, another group of Muslim primary school pupils from Rawdhatul Uloom Primary School delivered toys to hospitalized patients in a children’s ward in Blackburn.