We were greeted by the AIG Chair person Dr Poonam Kakkar who introduced the Mayor of Trafford, Councillor Mrs Jane Baugh. The mayor said that she was happy to be at another AIG dinner as she had attended last year and that she considers interfaith dialogue an important part of developing the local community.

Meanwhile the children were sitting at their own table with a variety of activities for them to do.

We then had the dinner; the Jewish ladies had prepared kosher food, the Muslim ladies hallal, and the Indian ladies and gentlemen wonderful curries. As usual everyone wanted to try some of everything from this magnificent collection of home cooking.

The Chair person then introduced Tommy Nagra, Executive Producer, BBC Religion and Ethics Department, our guest speaker. He told us of how happy he and his family are to be living in Altrincham. He told us of the wide range of religious programmes produced by the BBC covering the special interests of many communities.

We then had deserts provided by the Christian ladies – again a wide range of homemade sweets of all types.

Dr Kakkar thanked everyone who helped prepare for this excellent event. At the end of the evening there were so many questions being asked about how to make the food, someone suggested that we should collect the recipes together.

This is our largest event each year and will surely continue to be popular for many years to come.

Our theme is ‘LET’S BE FRIENDS’:

It was alovely sunny day for the festival this year and our entry was excellent with lots of happy smiling faces singing along with “You’ve Got a Friend”

We won 5 prizes in all :-

•  Winners Most Original entry

•  Winners best Voluntary entry

Then 3 highly recommended

•  Best Fancy Dress – it must have been the sunflowers!

•  Most colourful

•  Supreme entry!

Here are the first photos of our float :-

Zakariyya Mosque

Description: Zakariyya Jame Masjid is the central mosque of Bolton.It is the central mosque in Bolton, playing an important role in uniting and serving all Muslims in the town. It holds a capacity of housing up to 3,000 worshippers and acts as a contact point for many groups, agencies and local authorities on various issues in the borough.

About 50 members of Altrincham Interfaith Group had the privilege and pleasure of visiting the Zakariyya Mosque in Bolton on 31^st March, for what proved to be a most interesting evening.  We were given a tour around the elegant, domed building with its prayer rooms, one of which could accommodate around 2000 worshippers and were impressed by all the facilities which included a library, IT room with numerous computer terminals, ritual washing room and also a mortuary to expedite speedy burial of the dead according to Muslim practice.  We were invited to enter one of the prayer rooms in time for the sunset (or maghrib) prayer – about 200 men lined shoulder-to-shoulder to pray in traditional fashion in four rows of about 50 people facing in the direction of Makkah and led in prayer by the Imam, who also talked to us about the Mosque, Islam and answered any questions that we had, most openly and frankly.  We were made to feel most welcome and after the tour were given a splendid meal of delicious curries, samosas and kebabs.   These interfaith events where we share each others experiences and traditions of worship are vitally important in breaking down barriers of suspicion and fear that may exist, as well as proving to be of great interest in themselves, and in this way Altrincham Interfaith Group is helping to promote harmony and understanding between all peoples.

Date: 2011-03-31

Tree Planting at Holy Angels Church

[View with PicLens]

Title:

Thursday 27th May at 7.00 for 7.30 pm

North Cestrian Grammar School
Dunham Road, Altrincham, WA14 4AJ
(Parking in the School Car Park)

Tickets: over 11s £3.00, Under 11’s free
To purchase tickets please contact
Ann Angel 0161 941 4954 Ann.Angel@btconnect .com

Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2010-05-27

fertig.smugmug.com/Altrincham-Interfaith-Group/AIG-Supper-2010

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