LONDON : Worshippers at London Central Mosque have sung the national anthem, God Save The King, in what organisers said was a first in a UK mosque since the Queen’s death.
Muslim community leaders from across London and elsewhere in the UK attended a service at the mosque in Regent’s Park to honour the life of the Queen and to mark the accession of King Charles III.
Ahmad Al-Dubayan, of the Islamic Cultural Centre and London Central Mosque, told the PA news agency: “The purpose of this really is to show the sympathies and feelings of the Muslim communities in the UK.
“The Queen was loved by everybody, and everybody remembers the achievements and the good things about her.
“Muslims are so grateful and acknowledge all the things she did.”
He praised the Queen’s commitment to multiculturalism and her “commitment and devotion for the service of everybody that made the UK an oasis of freedom”.
The national anthem was sung as the service ended, which organisers said was the first time since the Queen’s death that God Save The King has been sung in a UK mosque.
Chairman of the Prince’s Trust International Board, Shabir Randeree, was present and described it as a “very moving moment”.
“It raised the hairs on the back of my neck for two reasons,” he said. “First, I was thrilled to be standing in a mosque singing God Save The King. And the second, I was deeply touched of course in trying to remember the Queen.”
He added: “It was a momentous moment and a very touching moment.”