Muslims hand out roses in London in honor of Prophet Muhammad

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): How much do people in Britain know about the fastest growing religion in the world of Islam? What do they know about the prophet of Islam, and how do they feel when they are approached by Muslims?

London is one of the world's most cosmopolitan and culturally diverse cities. Nonetheless sometimes Muslims can feel marginalized and misunderstood here.

Muslims and Islam have been demonized by western media for decades now, but since 9/11 the anti-Islam campaign has been brutal and intense.

As a result Islamophobia has steadily risen in countries like Britain, as have Islamophobic attacks. British Muslims are refusing to given up on their communities though.

On Sunday volunteers handed out roses in Trafalgar Square and offered passersby information about Islam. The organizers of the Roses For Peace initiative say this is vital at a time when misinformation is rife.

The organizers hope to bring people of different faiths together but also strengthen the bond between different Islamic sects. The roses were tagged with quotes from the prophet himself and also similar quotes from the bible.

The purpose of this was to demonstrate the closeness of the two faiths. St Martin’s embraced the gesture and invited the flower bearers in to hand out roses to refugees visiting the holy place. We asked some of the volunteers about their experience.

Hundreds of roses were handed out. Some people rushed passed but others stopped to ask questions and listened closely to what the volunteers had to say.

A few hours into the event Trafalgar square and the streets surrounding it were dotted with roses and their little messages of peace and goodwill.

Prophet Muhammad’s birthday comes a few weeks before Christians celebrate the birth of their savior Jesus who is also one of Islam’s beloved prophets.

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