‘The fears begin to fall away’: why Britain’s mosques are opening their doors

As attacks on Muslim places of worship rise, more than 100 mosques are turning to conversation, food and friendship to challenge prejudice

At one mosque in north London, a woman shouted at worshippers that more of their children should be killed, as children had been in Gaza. On another occasion, gas pipes were ripped from the building and reconfigured so leaking gas built up inside it.

These are among a series of abusive incidents the London Islamic Cultural Society has faced in the past three years. But rather than retreat behind closed doors, the mosque has opened them wider. It is one of more than 100 mosques across the UK, including in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Southend and Cardiff, inviting in members of the public this weekend to learn more about Islam and British Muslims.

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