British mosques hold open day to 'de-mystify Islam, Muslims' after Paris attacks

Some 20 mosques in Britain held an open day on Sunday (1 February) to bring together communities and encourage an open dialogue on Islam following last month's Paris attacks.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), who organized the 'Visit My Mosque Day,' said in a statement: "Mosques will be sharing tea and refreshments alongside an insight into the day-to-day goings on of a busy Muslim centre of worship.

"[Muslim members] may be on hand to answer questions about Muslims and Islam where this is possible. Local mosques will also be inviting inter-faith leaders as well, and all will be invited to come together to demonstrate unity and solidarity during what has been a tense time for faith communities."

MCB Secretary General Shuja Shafi told Sky News: "We thought it was important that non-Muslims look at what happens behind the doors at mosques, and demystify if there are any worries.

"Because of the 'negative publicity' of Islam and the perception, it was important to open the doors so people could come and look at it themselves and see what happens.

"Mosques are not just places of worship. They are a hub for the community. People can see a wide range of activities and this demonstration will help community cohesion."

Amongst the participating mosques is the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, where the radical militant Abu Hamza once served as an imam.

Hamza was jailed last month in the US for terrorism charges, after he was found guilty of kidnapping Western tourists in Yemen.

Finsbury Park mosque's secretary-general, Mohammed Kozbar, told Sky News the mosque has received a lot of threats following the Paris attacks.

"Most of them are nasty drawings about our prophet and our books. Some of them make death threats against our community, so it's quite frightening for our community and our mosque," said Kozbar.

In the wake of the Paris attacks, mosques across Britain were urged by the government to shun "men of hate" who promote extremism and "explain and demonstrate how faith can be part of British identity."

Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, wrote to 1,100 imams in the country and requested them to condemn the al-Qaeda militants behind the Paris attacks.

In the letter, sent on 16 January, Pickles told Muslim leaders that they have "a responsibility" to join in the government's efforts to tackle radicalization that is fast spreading amongst young men and women across Europe.

Meanwhile, Former army chief Lord Dannatt told Sky News: "It's really important that our communities - particularly where there are large Muslim populations - organize themselves and conduct matters in such a way that particularly young Muslims have a stake in the future of this country, and this country has a future in them."