WHEN Dr Sarfraz Jamali first moved to Jersey almost three decades ago, there were just a handful of fellow Muslims who would meet in an upstairs room of the former Aquila Road Methodist Church.
Now, as the component parts of the Jersey community has changed, there are hundreds of followers, who meet regularly to pray, worship and socialise.
The community – who work in healthcare, finance, hospitality, retail and most other sectors – now use the whole building. And they own it too.
It is a hive of activity – with the congregation praying every day, having a larger service on a Friday, and – during this month of Ramadan – coming together at sunset each evening to break their fast.
Last Friday, however, the peace was broken by an incident outside, suspected as being racially motivated, after Friday afternoon prayers.
Within a few hours, a 51-year-old man had been arrested and charged and, less than 24 hours later, a 36-year-old woman had joined him.
Dr Jamali, as leader of the faith community, shared its shock and unease but stressed his belief that it was a one-off. He also commended the police and politicians for their supportive words and acts of reassurance, including ramping up officer patrols in the area.
Last week, the surgeon invited the JEP to join him and some of the male congregation as they broke the daily fast of Ramadan, which ends each day over the month at sunset.
Prayers were led in Arabic by Iman Ahmed Hassan followed by the eating of dates to mark the end of the fast, which had commenced at dawn.
Then, the gathering moved into the main hall to share food and conversation. Faith and friendship had certainly replaced any fear.
“Obviously the community were a bit shaken but the police acted swifty and have given us confidence,” said Dr Jamali. “I received a lovely letter today from a lady who lives nearby who said how happy she is call us neighbours, and someone has left flowers outside in support.
“It took a long time and a lot of hard work to build this centre and it is founded on faith; we believe that helping people – taking the stone from someone’s path and throwing to the side – is in itself an act of worship.”
Mr Hassan is head of physiotherapy at the Hospital but has the training and experience to lead prayer, worship and education, having studied at Al-Azhar school in Egypt, one of the world’s leading institutions for Islamic learning.
Also, living in Oman and the UK had exposed him to the diversity of his faith, not just in where it is practised but also how it is practised.
“That diversity can be sometimes misinterpreted but it is, in fact, one of the beauties of the community,” he said. “We all come from different backgrounds, but we all share the same values and all our ways of worship are correct.”
Mr Hassan said that understanding had been important in Jersey, where people from various parts of Africa, the Middle East, Southern and Southeast Asia, and beyond, came together as a small community within a small community, which bound it even tighter.
“We all come together, we pray five times a day together, and we share our learnings and our differences,” he said.
One of the congregation, social worker Iftkhar Hussain, said he had been in Jersey just three weeks and already felt a valued part of the community.
“I didn’t really know anybody in Jersey and I wanted to be able to relate with some people and maybe give something back as well, which I’m used to doing back home in the UK.
“Dr Jamali has told me that, after Ramadan, we can look at doing some work at the mosque because it needs a bit of TLC: a lick of paint, some sanding, plastering and woodwork. I’m happy to help and I’m sure it will help me make new friends.”
“Everyone has been really accommodating to me,” he added.
“I do a lot of cooking at work, and my colleagues have bought halal meat for me and kept the pots and pans separate; it really is no bother for them. Last week’s incident was just ignorance and no way a reflection of the welcome I’ve received.”
