As riots from far-right groups continue to spread across the UK, a photo of an imam in Liverpool hugging a protestor has gone viral.
Adam Kelwick, 41, an iman at Abdullah Quilliam Mosque, Liverpool’s oldest mosque, was met with a group of 50 far-right sympathising demonstrators yesterday evening.
After a period, Adam decided to interact with the protestors and listen to them – because sometimes, people ‘just want to be heard’ – which is when the photo was snapped.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I have a family. I’ve got bills and stress. My family and I were heavily impacted by the killing of these little girls in Southport.
‘Our hearts were broken as well.’
It comes after nationwide unrest was sparked by the stabbings in Southport of young children at a Taylor Swift holiday dance club, where three girls aged between six and nine were killed.
Adam has experience engaging with members of the far right, including the English Defence League, which has been involved in some of the rioting seen across the UK.
He works with the Light Foundation, which hosts open events with people who have concerns about the Muslim community to have an open dialogue about Islam.
Speaking of the moment he reached out to a man protesting against his own mosque, he said: ‘Amazing bridges were built. We shook hands with people, we hugged people, we gave out food to people. We also exchanged numbers in a promise to arrange an event in the mosque to have further discussions,’ he said.
‘Hopefully the beautiful interactions which happened last night can be continued.’
Adam said he believes most of the people going to these protests are angry and fed up – struggling in their lives, whether it’s with cost of living, the NHS, or fear from hearing stories about ‘Muslims taking over’.
How do we address this? Adam says the formula is simple: ‘Recognising that we’re all humans. We all share these issues which people are raising, and the more we can communicate to each other.
Even as a crowd of more than 50 ‘far-right’ protestors came to his mosque, Adam said a larger crowd of those who came to support the mosque far outnumbered them.
Adam told Metro: ‘That was reassuring to see, because there was a lot of concern in the community – and a lot of fear as well. A lot of people had been messaging each other and saying to stay at home and not leave their homes.
‘So to see the turnout of the people who came to actually support the mosque, that was powerful. But this is Liverpool – it’s quite a unique place and this is what happens.’
Adam added: ‘We recognise that a lot of the people who are ‘Islamophobic’, the reason that they have those fears is because they are genuinely worried. Whether those concerns are based on misinformation or or ignorance, that’s another question. But you need to open channels of communication.’
But this is the oldest mosque in the country, it’s been there for over 100 years and was founded by a British man.
Adam pointed out that when the mosque was attacked decades ago, founder Abdullah Quilliam – a British man who converted to Islam – opened the doors of the mosque and invited people in to eat and solve their issues.
That is a core part of the mosque today, Adam said.
‘Don’t protest against us. Protest with us. Your concerns are also our concerns – whether it’s gangs, terrorism and extremism,’ he said.
‘Let’s not just shout about it, let’s come together and join forces and actively do whatever’s needed to start tackling these issues.’
Georgie Laming, Director of Campaigns at Hope Note Hate told Metro: ‘Whilst most of the attention this week has been on far right riots across the country, what cannot go unnoticed is the powerful acts of community resistance and solidarity.
‘From communities gathering in Liverpool in opposition to the far right, a local Imam handing out food to counter protestors, Taylor Swift fans raising over £300,000 for a children’s hospital near Southport and brave women who have stared down the far right with placards promoting hope not hate.
‘But we must not leave communities to tackle hate and intolerance on their own. The Government urgently needs to develop a new Community Cohesion Action Strategy to build community resilience and encourage a more cohesive society.’
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