Islam fastest growing religion in Britain

9/12/2004 9:30:00 AM GMT

Gerry Liston, the British Council Malaysia Director, said that Islam has become the fastest growing religion in Britain with the number of new converts rising.

He also said that there are now about two million Muslims, 1,500 mosques and 100 religious schools in Britain.

"They all share the same religion but are all different in their own way. You can witness this diversity through the photographs by Rehan Jamil which features the different types of mosques in Britain.”

"You can see Muslims from 100 different countries praying together at the Regent's Park mosque in London," he said on Thursday during the opening ceremony of the Common Ground exhibition at the Terengganu Museum.

State Industry and Tourism Chairman, Datuk Mohamed Awang Tera,opened the exhibition on behalf of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Gerry Liston said that Malaysia is a country that is known for its ability to handle issues of a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious society.

"In Britain, Malaysia and Indonesia, an understanding of other's peoples beliefs and lifestyles is vital in maintaining peace, harmony and progress.”

He also said: "This exhibition helps us understand and accept diversity instead of fearing it because of our own ignorance. By depicting the reality of daily lives it challenges us to set aside prejudice and accept our similarities as human beings."

The Common Ground exhibition is part of the the British Council initiative known as "Connecting to the Future", aimed at developing understanding between the youths in Britain and those in other countries.