The Open Mosque in Wynberg, South Africa is preparing to host what it hopes will be the first of many annual Christmas dinners.
The dinner, at 19:00 on Saturday, will be an exceptional event, according to the mosque’s president and founder, Dr Taj Hargey. “It is a token of our appreciation for our Christian brothers and sisters for our relationship with them.”
The aim was to foster harmony between Muslims and Christians and to show that the Muslims of Cape Town were not the “same as some from Iraq, or those who were part of terror groups like Isis”.
“We hope to make it an annual event, so we want to make it a success.” The dinner was open to everyone.
Hargey, an Oxford University professor, opened the mosque on Lester Road in September 2014 and welcomed women, homosexuals, and non-Muslims to prayers. This resulted in much criticism from traditional Muslims who felt he was violating the tenets of the faith. The mosque was attacked at least twice.
