This weekend is Visit My Mosque weekend, an initiative which aims to encourage people to step inside their local mosque.

The Lancashire Council of Mosques (LCM) are backing the campaign which is being promoted by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).

I think there are a lot of misconceptions and much of these have been sown by people who have never actually visited a mosque. Or by those who would rather we remained in fear of the apparent ‘unknown’.

Let’s continue to make up rubbish because it helps to keep everyone in a state of fear.

I do think those of us growing up in the 1970s and 1980s were blessed in a certain way. In that we visited churches and other religious buildings and our neighbourhoods were made up of people of all religions and backgrounds.

We had a lovely families and neighbours and even though our mother spoke little English, people made an effort to communicate and vice versa. Yes, that is still the same in many places but not so much in other wards.

That is not to say young people don’t get the same opportunities.

What you will find is young people are not the ones spreading these misconceptions.

READ MORE: Mosques open their doors to non-Muslims in Blackburn
 
They are far more educated and informed than some of us who have reached middle-age. I think as you get older you become more ignorant and set in your ways and we base our present opinions on isolated experiences.

You only had to look at some of the folk out on the streets in the summer.

I do think much of the lies spread about mosques are based on this perception. In the past two decades, we have had a whole load of dangerous rhetoric spread and some of this by national media newspapers and broadcasters.

In a hundred years from now, I am sure they will look back at this period and read up on the lies that were spread all the in the name of ‘patriotism’.

I do encourage people to visit their local mosque if they get the opportunity and you will get a warm welcome.

Much in the same way, I do actually encourage Muslims to visit a church, a temple or synagogue if they ever get the chance. It is actually quite an enlightening experience.

Because one cannot highlight how people are ignorant of Islam because they don’t visit a mosque and then hardly step into another sacred place yourself.