Pictured are, in the centre, Moulana Sayed Imraan Shah Ziyaee, principal of the CTIEC (Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre) and Imam Ziyaad Adams and teacher at CTIEC madressa interacting with community members at Eagle Park Mosque where over 40 people came to visit.
Mosques in South Africa held a national open day and opened its doors to other faith communities, to come and learn about the Islamic faith and lifestyle, on Saturday September 24 (Heritage Day).
An estimated 100 mosques across South Africa joined the call of the South African Muslim Network (SAMNET).
The National Mosque Open Day is one of Samnet’s community initiatives that is held annually. This year’s open day was widely supported by many organisations including the United Ulama Council of South Africa, the Cape Town Ulama Board, the Imam Development Project, the Ahlus Sunnah Media Network and the Islamic Propagation Centre International.
Shaykh Sayed Ridhwaan Mohamed, exco member of the Cape Town Ulama Board, said: "We want to welcome the local community of South Africa, and bring everyone together to learn about the day-to-day life of a Muslim and show our neighbours what we do inside the mosque. We want to help promote a mutual understanding with people, answer common questions and combat the misunderstandings that exist.“
When speaking about the national event, chairperson of Samnet, Dr Faisal Suliman, said: "The National Mosque Open Day was initiated to showcase our heritage, break down barriers, stereotypes and to build bridges – the aim is to nurture mutual respect and put in the building blocks to develop a better society.
“This was an open opportunity for South Africans to see the mosque and learn about Islam.”
Guests were taken on guided tours around mosques, including Eagle Park Mosque. Speakers gave presentations teaching all about Islam and the day-to-day happenings in the mosque, some hosts also held question-and-answer sessions, said Mr Mohamed.