“London - The best place on the planet to be Muslim”

It’s been said that there is no better city in the world to be Muslim than London and with this past weekend’s Eid Festival in Trafalgar Square it’s easy to see why.

Thousands, from all walks of life, faiths, colours and backgrounds poured into one of the most iconic landmarks of the capital to celebrate Eid. The annual event featured a range of performers from hip-hop singers to Indonesian dancers, a global food market as well as a whole bunch Muslim celebs who graced the stage, from Emmy-award winning actor Riz Ahmed to renowed restaraunter, Asma Khan, the first British chef to be featured on the hit Netflix series, Chef’s Table.

The Eid celebration hosted by The Mayor of London is a shining example of what makes Britain truly great. I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world that could have authentically hosted such an incredible festival. Sure there are brilliant Eid festivals in pretty much every country on earth, but how many can lay claim to celebrating the fullest spectrum of human diversity, Muslim and non-Muslim alike?

As a long-time admirer of Eid in the Square, it was my honour as chairman of the UK’s fastest growing Muslim-led charity to lend our support to the event. Penny Appeal is an ardent champion of initiatives that celebrate what it means to be confidently-Muslim and comfortably British and London’s Eid Festival does just that.

The sun was out and as was our beam of sunshine, Kid Boss, the youngest charity CEO ever. Shakira Rahman took the stage to remind us all why we must retain our youthful, hope-filled optimism for the world, if not for us but for the generations to come. She spoke about Penny Appeal’s 10 Amazing Years of transforming over 20 million lives all over the world, now reaching a staggering 52 countries including, of course, right here in the UK.

When we took on Shakira as Penny Appeal’s amazing Kid Boss, I thought about how important it was to have positive, unapologetically Muslim role models for our children However, seeing her on stage filled me with a different emotion. I was proud of her as a Lononder. Shakira is not just a role model for Muslims but for everyone. This is what makes London so unique. The differences and diversity within the city is not something that is just tolerated, it’s something that’s respected and celebrated, right from the top to the bottom.

Eid, just like Ramadan, are permanent fixtures in the City’s diary. They are celebrated as British festivals of faith and they are commemorated by people of all faith backgrounds and none. This is not something that just happened by accident overnight, it was hard fought for by the generations that came before us and it’s essential that we remind the generations to come that our work is far from complete.

Britain, just like much of the world, faces an uncertain future. There are forces that seek to use fear to divide us, that want us to mistrust that which we don’t know. In the face of these challenges, London remains a beacon for the world. London truly is open. Open minded with open hearts, where the son of a bus driver can go on to become the minister of Transport and then the first elected, Muslim Mayor of London.

I’m proud that our faith is one that is honoured by this great city. London has set the bar high, but I hope it can inspire cities around the world to see their diversity as a strength and a reason to celebrate.

Adeem Younis

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