London, April 29 (IANS) The largest mosque in Britain is celebrating the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, saying ‘Salaam Mubarak’ with local residents and guests joining what they call a day of joy for all.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim community here had sent invitations to hundreds of homes in the vicinity of the Baitul Futuh Mosque at Surrey, south-west of this city, inviting them and friends to celebrate the wedding with worshippers at the mosque.
The mosque, on a 5.2-acre site that can accommodate 10,000 worshipers at a time, also erected a large marquee to host a grand dinner and barbecue, a statement said.
‘The Ahmadiyya Muslim community is proud to celebrate this joyous royal occasion with neighbours and friends,’ said a beaming Rafiq Hayat, national president of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in United Kingdom.
‘The royal wedding comes in the midst of our nationwide Muslims for Loyalty, Freedom and Peace campaign. So it is apt that we practice what we preach and mark this occasion with a public celebration.’
According to mosque elders, the Ahmadiyya movement was established in 1889 by Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in a small and remote village named Qadian in India’s Punjab. There are an estimated 50,000 members of the community in Britain.
