Pictured at Barry Mosque are Sergeant Bernard Sullivan, Imam of the Mosque Maulana Arif Hansrod, Superintendent Jay Dave, Rashid Jeebhai, Sufyan Ullah and Moawia Bin-Sufyan.
Muslims in the Vale of Glamorgan celebrated Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) on Tuesday (November 16). This is one of the two main Islamic festivals (the other is Eid al-Fitr), and is the concluding act of a pilgrimage to Mecca. Eid al-Adha is observed whether or not one has been on the pilgrimage.
As part of the day’s celebrations Muslims attended the Mosque on Holton Road for morning prayers and were joined by the commander of the Vale police, Superintendent Jay Dave and Police Sergeant Bernard Sullivan from Barry police station.
Supt Dave said: “When he took on his new role Chief Constable Peter Vaughan set the standard that South Wales Police should be the best at understanding and responding to our communities’ needs.
“In order to do this we must reach out to all members of our society and understand and appreciate the richness of the cultures that surround us. We must recognise the important dates and festivals of all faiths in order to be able to provide a sensitive and comprehensive policing service across the South Wales community.
“I am grateful to the members of Barry Mosque for inviting us to join their Eid al-Adha celebrations. I am inviting any member of our community, especially from the minority groups here in the Vale of Glamorgan, to contact me directly if you want to work with us in strengthening links with your own faith group or organisation. Also please contact me if you have any concerns you want to address.”
Moawia Bin-Sufyan, member of the South Wales Police Authority and Chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum Wales, who arranged the visit, said: “Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, is meant to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son on God’s orders and takes place at the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage). The holiday is a time for family, friendship and goodwill, a time for forgiveness and making amends and coming together.
“With this in mind we invited Superintendent Jay to come and share this special event with us. I would like to thank him for his participation, as we were the first and only Mosque in the UK to have had their local commanding officer sit in on the prayers.”
