Royal Visit for the London Mosque
By Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Uk, PRNEWednesday, July 6, 2011
LONDON, July 7, 2011 -
- Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
Celebrates Historic Occasion
The London Mosque - the capital’s first purpose-built mosque -
opened in 1926, is to host a Royal visitor.
HRH The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, will visit the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Mosque in Putney on Thursday July 7 - to inspect its garden
and flower displays.
The mosque, known as Fazl Mosque, is one of the venues selected
to be inspected by The London Gardens Society of which The Earl is
Patron. It is where the worldwide Head - or Khalifa - of the global
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad,
resides. The Khalifa, who also has a keen interest in agriculture,
will welcome HRH The Earl of Wessex to the historic mosque. The
mosque complex is adorned with a stunning array of flowers and also
features a section where organic vegetables are grown on site.
The mosque, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, has been the
recipient of many prizes in the past for its garden which has been
lovingly tended over the past 15 years by Mr Shamim Ahmad
Khan and his team. The former mosque caretaker, who is now in
his seventies, said he was honoured and delighted that the mosque
gardens were to be showcased for Royalty, describing it as an
historic occasion:
“A garden brings a place to life. With a little effort and some
rain from the heavens you can really make the garden bloom. People
are always happy to see nice flowers as it cheers them up. We also
encourage people to take an interest in growing their own herbs and
vegetables and as the mosque is visited by people from around the
world, it is a message that is taken far and wide. We show people
what is possible by growing cucumbers, courgettes, turnips,
cauliflowers, cabbages, potatoes, corn and more.
“We also have plenty of roses not only at the mosque complex,
but also at offices and homes nearby.”
In April, the Mosque was the venue for a community event to
celebrate the Royal Wedding.
The London Mosque has been host to a number of distinguished
visitors from far and wide.
The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, visited the mosque
on several occasions and made his famous speech in its grounds when
he decided to return to India to represent the Muslims in the
sub-continent.
The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal Bin Adbul Aziz
also visited the mosque in 1935 as did his father, King Saud of
Saudi Arabia.
Sir Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khan - the first Foreign
Minister of Pakistan, a President of the International Court of
Justice and President of the UN General Assembly - lived at the
premises for many years.
The mosque also regularly hosts visits from Ministers,
international statesmen and ambassadors. Since 1984 it has served
as the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
and involved in the nationwide peace campaign promoting its message
of Love for All Hatred for None.
Contact: Basharat Nazir
www.alislam.org
Baitul Futuh Mosque, 181 London Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 5PT
+44(0)7703-483-384
Tags: Ahmadiyya Muslim Association UK, July 7, London, United Kingdom
