On Monday 15th January, 2nd Fareham Sea Scouts visited the Wessex Jamaat as part of their World Faiths Activity badge. They were greeted by the Imam, Sheikh Fazle Abbas, and some of the younger members of the community who attend the mosque's Madrasah.
The Scouts were given a tour of the site, before a group conversation took place that was mostly shaped by the questions they had submitted before the visit. Many different topics were covered during discussions, which included Ramadan and prayer. They also learned about the significance to the Muslim faith of various items around the mosque and took great interest in all the various requirements of the faith along with the numerous similarities and few differences from Christianity.
"The visit was amazing, it was really interesting to see their place of worships and learn about how much their religious practices impact on their day to day life." - Jason
Some of the leaders were given a special tour, which included the geothermal heating plant. This is used to heat the centre in an environmentally friendly way and is part of the centre's ideal of the faith being stewards of the world.
The visit finished with a discussion of the true meaning of 'jihad' or struggle which the Scouts found particularly intriguing as they had embarked on their Personal Challenges the previous week.
The hospitality that was shown to the troop was wonderful. The Scouts have extended an invitation the members of the Madrasah to join them in a future weekend activity with a view to returning the friendship and hospitality shown, to develop the contacts between the two groups and hopefully establish a longstanding connection between the Group and centre.