Dear Mu'mineen
Salamun alaykum,
Together with the Portsmouth Cathedral it has been a tradition in our community to have joint Annual Muslim Christian Evening. The gathering will take place on Monday 23rd January, 2017 from 7:00pm at the Portsmouth Cathedral; located at St Thomas's Street, Old Portsmouth, PO1 2HA.
Mu'mineen are requested to attend in large numbers and bring a dish (vegetarian) to share with friends at the Cathedral.
The Annual Muslim Christian Gathering is a prominent event annually undertaken by Wessex Jamaat in our Interfaith programmes. Much has been achieved over these last twenty years, not least a strong bond of friendship between the Cathedral and Wessex Jamaat. This year will be the 22nd instant since the first meeting in 1994.
The purposes of this programme are as follows:
1. Share a common understanding of Islam with people from the local community
2. Seek out opportunities for communicating the message of Islam and the Ahlulbayt (AS) through networking.
3. Demonstrate through our presence the importance Islam gives to building of relationships with the neighbour.
The programme for the evening will include recitations from the Bible, Noble Qur'an and address from the two faith communities. Once again this year a different dimension is being added to our traditional gathering at the Cathedral. This will involve a joint art project.
The Cathedral's annual theme for 2017 is "All Things Bright and Beautiful." A means of exploration of the bright and beautiful diversity of our faith communities will be through a creative activity. The two communities will mix together to weave three strips of fabric and work on two pieces of art guided by the Art Curator at the Cathedral. The 3 strips represent: myself, my faith, my family/community. The fabric is to come from our communities. If you are able to donate an old shirt, pillowcase or fabric scarf, then the material can be used to weave the strips. The cloth needs to be lightweight, not denim, corduroy or knitted/jersey fabrics.
Your attendance will strengthen understanding in the community, help build relationships across faiths and contribute towards tableegh. Looking forward to your attendance, InshaAllah.
With salams and duas,
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat