Following the shooting and murder at mosques in New Zealand, a faith-based group from Marlborough visited Swindon Mosque on Tuesday (March 26) – in solidarity for the atrocity. The terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch during Friday Prayers on 15 March killed 50 Muslim worshippers and left many others seriously injured.
This visit to show solidarity with Swindon’s Muslim population was at the invitation of Imam Mohammed Limbarda.
The group from Marlborough included Rev Henry Pearson, onetime Rector of Marlborough and his wife Judith, Rachel Rosedale a member of the Religious Society of Friends and her husband Barney, Tim Novis who is Chaplain of Marlborough College accompanied by Sam, a student from the school, Ann Yates, Jeremy York who is Keeper of the Tower of St Peter’s Church, Jane Nicholson and Nick Maurice.
The group, seated close to the entrance to the main prayer room in the Mosque were very warmly greeted by the Imam and about 75 members of the congregation as they entered the Mosque for afternoon prayers.
The visitors from Marlborough watched and listened in silence to the prayers chanted in Arabic, while the congregation bowed and knelt in obeisance to Almighty Allah.
Following the regular afternoon prayers, the Marlborough group was present for prayers said following the death in an Oxford hospital of a baby born prematurely whose body was brought by its father to the Mosque prior to burial.
After these services the group were individually thanked by the congregation for their solidarity and for extending the hand of friendship.
The Marlborough group were then invited by the Imam to join four senior members of the Islamic community for refreshments in a side room in the Mosque which provided an opportunity for discourse and the sharing of beliefs and lives.
The occasion ended with the Imam chanting in Arabic the reference in the Holy Koran to Mary and the birth of Christ – followed by an English translation.
Before leaving the Mosque it was agreed by all that this had been a very special occasion and, thanks to the extremely warm reception by the people attending the Mosque, this should be the beginning of a relationship between the Muslim population of Swindon and the people of Marlborough including Marlborough College.
The occasion was covered by a reporter from BBC Wiltshire who interviewed the Marlborough group and their hosts for a radio programme to be broadcast on Sunday morning (March 31).
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