Imam Adam Kantar wants to bridge the divide between different faiths

Imam Adam Kantar (front) with visitors to Rumi Mosque

Providing opportunities to bridge the gap between different faiths and backgrounds can help stitch a community together – and one mosque leader in Edmonton Green has made this his mission.

Imam Adam Kantar, who is the manager of Rumi Mosque in Fore Street, understands there is far more which unites the local community than which divides it. The award-winning mosque runs many charitable events and activities, making sure to invite and include everyone in the community regardless of faith.

The mosque’s weekly interfaith breakfast has been running for around eight years and has become a focal point for its community work. Adam, who joined Rumi Mosque in 2016, told the Dispatch: “We open our doors regardless of faith, gender, language, colour; we welcome everyone and show goodwill to the whole community. Each week [at the breakfast] there is a different theme, and we have a professional who comes in to promote their project and talk about what is available for the community.”

Numerous local charities and voluntary groups have been invited to speak at the weekly event, as well as police officers, teachers and other professionals. In addition, the mosque runs activities such as English classes, a cycling programme and various fundraising events, all open to everyone. During the pandemic it also offered a befriending service and Adam was at the forefront of efforts to promote the Covid-19 vaccination programme, particularly among communities which had low uptakes.

Adam adds: “It is about bringing people together regardless of colour or faith. We are trying to show we can coexist as we are – it is not about bringing people into Islam, but about accepting each other as brothers and sisters. We can live together in peace and harmony.

“We try to promote Rumi as a solution maker and that is why we open our doors to anybody.”

Rumi Mosque was the first in the UK to appoint a female head of mosque and has also won several accolades from the British Beacon Mosque Awards in recent years, including best madrasa (educational institution) and best charity project for its humanitarian relief work in Myanmar.

This article is the latest in our ‘Enfield Community Heroes’ series, sponsored by Edmonton Green Shopping Centre. Dispatch readers are welcome to nominate their own local hero – someone who has gone above and beyond to help support the local community. Simply email your nomination to [email protected].

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