Kent Equality Cohesion Council

Tag: Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association

  • Eid Flag Raising

    Eid Flag Raising

    Eid al Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world which marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

    A special flag raising ceremony took place on Thursday April 13 on Community Square in Gravesend to mark the ongoing Ramadan period and the forthcoming Eid al-Fitr which will be later this week.

    Around 100 people from the local community attended the ceremony which was arranged by Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association, Shah Jalal Mosque, Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council.

    Guests who attended and spoke at the event included Deputy Lieutenant Gurvinder Sandher MBE, Deputy Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Jon Caller and Chair of the Gravesend Dartford Muslim Association Bilal Farooq.

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE DL the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We have a long and proud history of working in partnership with the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association, and we are honored to be involved in another Eid celebration. Events like this provide opportunities for everyone to be educated on the Muslim faith, come together and celebrate all that connects us together as members of the local community. It was extra special for me to be here in my new role as a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent”

    Bilal Farooq the Chair of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association commented “Eid al Fitr is a special time for the Muslim community as it marks the end of the month of dawn to sunset fasting of Ramadan. We were grateful to raise the Eid flag to celebrate this and celebrate the positive contribution made by the Muslim community locally in Gravesham”

  • The Sun shines on the Gravesend Eid Community Mela

    The Sun shines on the Gravesend Eid Community Mela

    Over 1000 people attended the Gravesend Eid Community Mela which took place at the Fort Gardens on Sunday June 12th.

    The community celebrations which were produced by Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association, Shah Jalal Mosque and Cohesion Plus working with Kent Equality Cohesion Council featured an array of activity.

    Highlights included a range of food stalls with food from the Indian Sub-continent, charity cakes stalls, henna, face painting, a fun fair and information stands from partners including Rethink Sahayak, Kent Police, Citizens Advice and Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

    There was a programme of stage entertainment which featured Raag Qawwali Group, the Kings of Dhol, Lethal Soundz and a Kurdish Cultural Dance performance.

    Guests who attended and spoke at the event included Dr Vasudaven the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, the Mayor of Gravesham Cllr Scollard and Civic Mayor of Lewisham Cllr Anwar. They were joined by District Commander for Gravesham and Dartford Chief Inspector Lay from Kent Police and Cllr Mochrie-Cox the Cabinet Member for Communities at Gravesham Borough Council.

    Bilal Farooq, the Chairman of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association commented, “We are really proud of what we were able to achieve. The sun really did shine on us and I have been over whelmed with the positive feedback I have received. The whole purpose of the celebrations were to bring the communities together regardless of faith and background and celebrate the auspicious occasion of Eid which is very important to the Muslim community. This is the largest Eid celebrations we have planned to date and we are grateful to all of our partners and volunteers who made this possible.”

    Gurvinder Sandher MBE the CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented “We have a long and proud history of working in partnership with the Gravesham and Dartford Muslim Association going back over 2 decades. This was our most ambitious event to date and I am so pleased that all the hard work everyone put in has paid off. Celebrations like this provide opportunities for everyone to come together and have positive shared experiences and celebrate all that binds us together as members of the local community.”

    The event was part funded by EK360 Listening Project, Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Cohesion Plus, Gravesham Borough Council Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association and Shah Jalal Mosque.

  • Passing of Great Local Champion Mr Mohammed Aslam

    Passing of Great Local Champion Mr Mohammed Aslam

    Local community champion Mr Mohammed Aslam sadly passed away on Sunday 5th June 2022 after long bout of ill health. He was one of the founders of the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association and the Kent Muslim Welfare Association based in Medway.

    Mr Aslam was recognised not just in Kent but around the country for his dedication and service to diverse communities spanning over 50 years. He was widely respected and recognised for his selfless servitude to the community and an instrumental figure not only establishing the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association but also supporting the opening of the newly acquired burial space for members of the Muslim community in Thames View Crematorium and Cemetery.

    Having arrived in this country from Lahore in Pakistan in the April of 1968, he settled in Gravesend. Like many immigrants of that era, he initially worked in construction and then in the paper mills locally. Alongside this, Mr Aslam working with others members in the Muslim community set about establishing a base for the fledgling Muslim population in the borough. From these small seeds emerged the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association. He was one of the driving forces behind the Islamic classes which started in the borough and then the development of the current Mosque in Albion Terrace.

    Parallel to this Mr Aslam was a key figure in promoting positive community relations locally and fostered long standing partnerships with the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara and multiple local Churches, working on promoting interfaith activity. This was something that was very close to his heart as most recently Mr Aslam worked with local faith groups to fundraise for oxy-meters and oxygen concentrators to be sent to India in the midst of its worst wave of Covid 19 infection in May 2021.

    In addition to his interfaith work, Mr Aslam was always on hand to provide advice and support to key local community partners including Kent Police over many years.

    Gurvinder Sandher, CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council commented, “During the course of my career I have been incredibly fortunate to work with real community champion and heroes. Mr Aslam was one such champion, who not only worked tirelessly and diligently throughout his time serving the community, but also did it humbly and utterly selflessly. He genuinely worked towards to the betterment of the community he served without any guise or ulterior agenda, never once asking for recognition or award. A pillar of the community in the truest sense, Mr Aslam was a warm and welcoming figure, qualities that reflected in the way he worked together with other communities, cultivating unity and religious tolerance. Mr Aslam will be greatly missed and his absence will be keenly felt locally. I for one pay tribute to the vital work he did within the heart of the community and for the outstanding individual he was.”

  • Gravesham stands together to remember terror victims

    Gravesham stands together to remember terror victims

    Kent Equality Cohesion Council and Gravesham Borough Council organised an inter faith gathering on Friday April 26th which was attended by faith and community organisations from across the borough. The event was organised to pay respects and remember those who lost their lives in the Sri Lankan terror attack. The event was held on Community Square and was attended by around 100 people.

    Speakers from different faith and community organisations spoke to condemn the attacks and urged the community to stand together and not to be divided by the terrorists. The speakers included Gurvinder Sandher from the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, Reverend Richard Martin from the North Kent Interfaith Forum, Senior Pastor Tom Griffiths and Father Innocent.

    The Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley, Deputy Lord Lieutenant Dr. Vasudaven, Adam Holloway MP also spoke, strongly condemning the attack and offering their condolences and support to anyone affected in the violence. They were joined by Chairman of Kent County Council Cllr Mike Angell, Chief Inspector Neil Louden of Kent Police, as well as representatives from the Guru Nanak Dabar Gurdwara, Gravesend Hindu Mandir, Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Association and the Buddhist faith. After the speeches, the Christian flag was raised as a symbol of solidarity on Community Square.

    Gurvinder Sandher CEO of Kent Equality Cohesion Council said “I was shocked by the attacks that took place in Sri Lankan on Churches and Hotels on one of the holiest days of the year. Attacks like this are tragically becoming commonplace and it is up to us as a community to come together and condemn the violence in the strongest way. We must come together and unite where terrorists of whatever persuasion are seeking to divide us. I was pleased that faith groups from across the borough came and stood united to condemn these atrocities.”

    Mayor of Gravesham Cllr David Hurley said: “Thank you to everyone that came together on Friday at the interfaith event to stand together shoulder-to shoulder once again against these terrible violent acts of terrorism. It was heart-warming to hear and see people from many faiths and none join us on community square to show solidarity and hear speeches from those representing religions from Gravesham.”