Lagos State deputy governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, expressed gratitude to Muslim brothers and sisters for the Old Kent Road Mosque project, even as the Emir of Kano, Dr. Muhammad Lamido Sanusi II, also applauded the British Government and people for the high level of tolerance, maturity and diversity demonstrated in allowing people of different faiths to thrive in peace and harmony in the United Kingdom (UK).
The duo spoke in London at an international conference and a fundraising event for the rebuilding of Old Kent Road Mosque and Islamic Cultural Center, themed: “The Mosque as a Beacon of Light: Promoting Positive Integration for a Brighter Future,” held at East London Mosque, 82–92 Whitechapel Road, and organized by the Muslim Association of Nigeria UK (MAN UK).
The Muslim Association of Nigeria in a statement made available to journalists in Lagos quoted the deputy governor who was the special guest of honour as saying, “I am very happy and my heart is full of gratitude to our Muslim brothers and sisters for this Old Kent Road Mosque project.
I must thank the organisers, the Muslim Association of Nigeria UK (MAN UK), for putting this together,” the deputy governor said.
Hamzat stressed that over the past three decades, the Old Kent Road Mosque had become not just a place of worship for Nigerian Muslims and other Muslims in London, but also a beacon of hope, unity, and social interaction at the heart of the city.
Earlier, Emir Sanusi, in his opening address as chairman of the event, congratulated the Muslim Association of Nigeria UK (MAN UK) brothers and sisters for their vision of hope for the Muslim Ummah and humanity in the global space of London.
He said the British Government and UK citizens had shown the Muslim Ummah what Islam stands for as a religion of peace, creating an enabling environment for diversity, tolerance, love, respect, and harmonious coexistence regardless of religion or race.
The monarch noted that the mosque project stands as a symbol of hope for the Muslim Ummah and humanity in the heart of London, inspiring generations yet unborn, saying that “mosques are not only built for prayers but also for fostering social values, knowledge, and morals that benefit future generations and contribute to a better society where people are reminded of Almighty Allah’s words of peace, love, and harmony.”
