Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

May pays tribute to Al-Manaar Mosque's response to Grenfell fire

By Sarwar Alam

BRITISH prime minister Theresa May paid tribute to the Al-Manaar Mosque in west London for its efforts in supporting victims of the tragic Grenfell fire last year.


The mosque is a 10-minute walk from Grenfell Tower and it remained open 24 hours a day, seven days  a week in the days following the fire on June 14, 2017. It provided food and shelter as well as a place for to grieve for people of all faiths who had been effected by the fire.

Speaking at an Eid party May hosted at Downing Street for prominent members of the Muslim community from around the UK on Monday (18), May revealed she took part in Iftar at the mosque last week to show her appreciation for what they had done.

"Al-Manaar is a beautiful and spacious mosque whose representatives we have here this evening. And I was there to thank them for everything they did following the horrific fire at Grenfell Tower. They, with other faith communities, demonstrated extraordinary community spirit helping those in immediate need and organising donations for those who had lost everything.

"What also made the evening special and memorable for me was a simple act of hospitality of sharing a meal the warmth, the generosity, and the patience of everyone there, despite the long hours of fasting, which I can imagine only feels longer during the hours of British summer. It was a great event and I was very pleased to have been able to be there.

"And it's the kind of hospitality that has been demonstrated many times over this year with people of different backgrounds across the UK sharing in iftars, including in Bristol where I am told 3,000 residents attended one such iftar gathering. It’s an act which represents strong communities in so many parts of the UK in which we can all feel proud of."

The prime minister greeted her guests at the Eid party with the traditional Islamic saying of Assalamu Alaikum (peace be upon you) and thanked them for 'the tremendous contribution you make to our country'.

She added: "I know the Eid festival is dear to the hearts of Muslims and it’s a great honour to be able to share with you part of your celebrations here today."

May spoke about the continued positive work of Britain's Muslim communities, but acknowledged that hate crimes in places of worship, including in mosques, were on the rise and that's why her government had committed £3.4 million to protect places of worship.

She said: "We have committed £1 million for vulnerable faith institutions, following the Finsbury park attack last year. There are 40 Muslim places of worship that have had funding approved so far. And what happened in Finsbury park was a sickening terrorist attack, an attack on ordinary people going about their daily life. An attack on a community and an attack on all of us. What we also saw was the spirit of community those who apprehended the attacker the spirit of our thriving, diverse city as people rallied among those who were affected.

More For You

Liz Kendall

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall will outline welfare reforms in a green paper next week, followed by chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement on 26 March.

Ministers may drop plan to freeze disability benefits: Report

MINISTERS are considering dropping plans to freeze Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for a year, according to a report.

Initial proposals suggested PIP would not rise in line with inflation, but strong opposition from Labour MPs has prompted a review.

Keep ReadingShow less
BBC settles age and sex discrimination case
BBC headquarters in Central London.
Getty Images

BBC settles age and sex discrimination case

THE BBC on Friday (14) said it had settled a case with four female journalists who claimed they lost their jobs because of their sex and age.

Martine Croxall, Annita McVeigh, Karin Giannone and Kasia Madera, who have all presented on the BBC's television channels, claimed they lost their jobs following a "rigged" recruitment exercise.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

In this screenshot from a video posted by @Sec_Noem via X on March 14, 2025, Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at United State’s Columbia University, leaves the country after her visa was revoked by the Department of State. (@Sec_Noem via PTI Photo)

Indian student in US self-deports after visa revocation

AN INDIAN student at Columbia University, whose visa was revoked for allegedly supporting Hamas, has self-deported, says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Ranjani Srinivasan, an Indian citizen, came to the US on an F-1 student visa as a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University, and her visa was revoked on March 5.

Keep ReadingShow less
'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

From LtoR- Lord Karan Bilimoria, Sir Trevor Phillips, Seema Malhotra MP, David Tyler and Nathan Coe

'Companies with diverse leadership are better positioned for growth'

COMPANIES with diverse leadership are better positioned for sustainable growth, improved decision-making, and will connect better with multicultural markets, equalities minister Seema Malhotra has said.

She added that the government will soon launch a public consultation on their approach to mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.

Keep ReadingShow less
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with  Wang Yi (right)

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar with Wang Yi (right)

S Jaishankar: ‘Delhi’s global interests shape its regional ties'

INDIA today sees itself as a global power or, at least, a country with global interests, which is why Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has spoken of its equation with Russia, China and notably the Middle East.

India’s external affairs minister was in conversation last Wednesday (5) in London with Bronwen Maddox, director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House.

Keep ReadingShow less