Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Shakeer Nawas, President of COSMOS UK, attended the Mayor of London’s Mosque and Madrassah Security and Safety briefing with the Honourable Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, a Deputy Director from the Home Office, the local MP, and several other government representatives and community leaders who graced the occasion. The event, chaired by Shaukat Warraich, CEO of Faith Associates, took place at Al Manaar Mosque in Westbourne Park on 13 August 2024.
The session was highly engaging, featuring meaningful interaction with the Mayor of London, who reiterated the importance of defining Islamophobia in law and closing legal loopholes to ensure that perpetrators of riots and attacks are brought to justice.
Shakeer had the opportunity to speak, expressing his thanks to the police and the Home Office for their handling of recent far-right activities. He also expressed appreciation for the Mayor of London’s initiatives to strengthen engagement with grassroots organisations. Shakeer further highlighted the continuous updates from local MP Gareth Thomas, the proactive efforts of Harrow Council, and the advice provided by the Metropolitan Police to the community regarding the alarming situation prior to the planned riots last Wednesday.
Shakeer also emphasised the importance of government and agencies engaging with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the largest Muslim body in the UK, which has been actively involved with grassroots members of the community during these uncertain times.
The Home Office representative encouraged the community to apply for security funds allocated under protective security schemes for mosques and madrasas, with a suggestion to extend this scheme to Muslim faith schools as well. The Commissioner of Police praised the cooperation of the community during this distressing period and urged continued vigilance.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, during which several new ideas and thoughts were shared.
COSMOS UK Media