Wessex Jamaat was invited to participate in an unique opportunity at the Annual Remembrance Sunday Service held on Sunday 14th November 2010 at the Guildhall, Portsmouth.The Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, had invited Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo, Resident Alim of Wessex Jamaat, to lead a prayer in the service. The service of Remembrance, led by the Dean of Portsmouth, The Very Reverend David Brindley, began at 10:58am. Amongst the other faiths who participated included the Muslim and the Jewish Communities.
In leading the prayers, Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo read excerpts, both in Arabic and English, from Sahifa Sajjadiya , the oldest prayer manual in Islam. Readings by leaders from the Roman Catholic Cathedral, Portsmouth and Southsea Jewish Synagogue and the Portsmouth and District Free Church Council also took place.
Serving military personnel paraded on to the Guildhall Square in Portsmouth along with representatives of the Scouts and St John's Ambulance, Portsmouth Sea Cadets, Portsmouth Grammar School Combined Cadets Force, Air Training Corps, and the Army Cadet Force led by The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines. Ex-service military associations, including the Royal British Legion, Normandy Veterans Association, D Boats Association, Women's Royal Army Corps Association, Parachute Regiment along with individual veterans paraded onto the square. A gun from HMS Nelson was fired at 11am to start the official two-minute silence and again at the end.
The unique reading by Sheikh Fazle Abbas was welcomed as an opportunity to highlight Islam’s contribution to the day. Sheikh Fazle Abbas said: “Alhamdulillah, we shared the words from our 4th holy Imam Zainul Abidin with the wider community and through these words amplified the beauty of Islam. Such opportunities need to be taken so as to ensure we constantly highlight the positive role Islam plays in our society.”
Roshan Gangji, President of Wessex Jamaat commented that “having our community at this event highlighted how we can and should create greater understanding through dialogue and sharing of our faith.”