Volunteering and entertainment

One of the volunteers, Sofia Ali, shared why she offered to help out.

“I know some of the people working here and they were telling me about this initiative, for young Muslims to be platformed and to share their voices. Especially in a world where their voices aren’t necessarily heard, so this is a really great way to acknowledge their presence in society. And Islamically, it is a great way to encourage them to keep writing, and to spread their voice in this day and age.”

The program included a fantastic performance by Eleanor Martin from the Khayal Theatre Company. The story which she animated in performance is about an egg with the size of a watermelon. It had the audience in stitches of laughter.

Moreover, Khaleel Muhammad sand a jazzed-up variation on the traditional Muslim song, Tala Al badru Alayna. 

The Importance of Words

Molly Rosenberg, Director of the Royal Society of Literature took to the stage and said, “Writing can take on the things which challenge us and free us from their constraints.”

A Special Recognition Award was given to Ahmad Nawaz, a young student who lost his younger brother and 132 school mates at the devastating terrorist attack in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Ahmed said that “Terrorists are terrified of the hope and education of young people. We should stand up and speak out, to make sure no one in this world suffers again.”

“Stories are incredibly important,” said Shahid Bashir, deputy CEO of Muslim Hands.

“Instead of more commandments (as given to Prophet Moses), why is the Qur’an talking in stories? A good story engages us. They allow us to step into the shoes of people who we may never meet. They allow us to understand one another better and to remove conflict.”