Turkey's President Erdogan opens new Mosque in Cambridge

Yesterday, the 5th day of December 2019 marked yet another new beginning for Muslims in Cambridge as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the official opening of a mosque in Cambridge, England. According to BBC News: The Central Mosque in Mill Road, which cost £23m and has the capacity for 1,000 worshippers, has been billed as "Europe's first eco-mosque".

A group of about 40 supporters welcomed the arrival of his cavalcade, while a rally held in the city centre attracted a similar number of protesters. Campaigners said they were " standing in solidarity with the Kurdish community". President Erdogan, who arrived in the UK this week for the Nato leaders' meeting, was invited to the mosque by singer-songwriter Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens. The musician is patron of the mosque. The main donor was a consortium of government agencies in Turkey, together with a Turkish private company and the Qatar National Fund.

President Erdogan soothingly recited verses from the holy Qur'an to commemorate of the Mosque. You can get to watch the recitation here.

— Aladodo Abdus-Salam is a Freelance Writer, Entreprenuer, Serial Volounteer and Self-help enthusiast. He tweets @dodo_leleyi