A BISHOP has praised an event aimed at breaking down barriers between communities.

Masjid e Anwaar Mosque in Blackburn threw open its doors on Sunday and welcomed the local community, including the Bishop of Burnley, Rt Rev Philip North, Rev Sheelagh Aston from St Silas’ Church and members of the congregations of St Silas and Sacred Heart Churches.

The Bishop’s host for the visit was Imam Fazal Hassan, the Muslim chaplain for Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Speaking at the mosque, Rt Rev North said people of faith need to develop a ‘shared vision’ for the sort of communities they wanted to be.

He said: “We need to be much bolder about being open about who we are.

“Fazal and I speak to each other about our respective faiths.

“Everybody benefits from this kind of honest dialogue, so let’s be confident people of faith and have a shared vision for the sort of town and the sort of communities we want to be.”

The event was part of the national #VisitMyMosque campaign to encourage greater engagement and dialogue within communities.

Imam Fazal said he believed the event helped ‘break down barriers’ between communities.

He said: “Many of the 80 or so church parishioners attending on the day had actually never visited a mosque before.

“I believe this event helped break down barriers, dispel myths and build better relationships.

“I particularly want to thank Bishop Philip for accepting my invitation.

“It meant a lot to me and the Muslim organisers and his presence gave a strong message and meaning to everyone about the importance of interfaith work.”

Rt Rev. North said the event was an ‘excellent example’ of building bridges.