Peace by Piece

Afusat Adeite Elias, childcare worker and retired civil servant: "I've lived in England for the past 42 years and I've seen a lot of changes in that time. Some people can be nasty. I know that some Muslim fanatics have done some terrible things but it's not fair to think we are all terrorists. In any society you will always have some rotten apples and there are some rotten apples among the Muslim communities too. These people are giving the majority of Muslims a bad name." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Ahmet Muharrem Atlig, imam at New Peckham (Turkish) mosque: "I grew up in an area with Jewish and Christian neighbours. I had open minded parents. This has made me a follower of moderate Islam. I share the view that there are Muslim no-go areas in the UK, and living in isolation or segregation is not good. We need to live side by side, Muslims and non-Muslims alike." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Eltayeb Hassan and Brook Zeramichael, community development and outreach workers for Southwark Refugee Communities Forum. Hassan says: "Islam is not a barrier for me to interact and connect with people of other faiths. It teaches me to tolerant and respectful of other people's beliefs. I work with Brook, who is a Christian, and we share a lot of principles that bring us together, much more than anything could ever divide us." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Erbil Celebi, taxi driver: “People misunderstand jihad. The prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, said that the biggest battle of all is the one with your ego. In practice this means staying even-tempered and avoiding excess. It’s not easy. That’s why it’s a battle, a jihad. That’s why the religious fanatic and the person who worships material things have both lost the plot." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Hulusi Yuruten, founder and chairman of the Southwark Cyprus Turkish Association: "I've been cycling for as long as I can remember. The bicycle is vital for me. I've had three bypass operations and I'm a diabetic. As I pedal I pray to God as I would talk to a friend. I ask him to help me win the National Lottery, to keep me safe and give me good health. I ask him to help me cycle all the way to heaven." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Jabed Rahman, football coach and trainee accountant: "What I like most about being a Muslim is its family values, getting along with everyone, and the inner peace it gives you. I love my football. I play three or four times a week with Muslims and non-Muslims and I train some kids in the community. I've always been a firm believer you should give back to the community what you get out of it." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Shaheda Bari, cook at Bengali lunch clubs on the Rockingham estate: "My saucepan goes with me wherever I go. I joke with my friends that when I die and go to heaven Allah will point me to the kitchen and tell me to begin cooking. I put my heart and soul into my cooking. When people say that it's nice food, then I'm very happy and all my tiredness is gone." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Omar Fall, road sweeper from Dulwich: "I tell you this, if you are a good Muslim you are very, very free. I could be a millionaire but it wouldn't guarantee my freedom. When people stop me on the street to say 'you're doing a good job' that makes me very proud. I like to look back when I've swept the street and see the difference I've made." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Mohammed Abdul Samad, police community support officer (PCSO): “I became a PCSO to give something back to the community and to make connections with other young people. Every day is different and you get to learn so much. I’m still learning about Islam but I like to share with other people what I know. I tell colleagues about Ramadan and my prayer times and now they’re more aware. I say Insha’Allah a lot - which means ‘If Allah wills it’ – and now they’re saying it too.” Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Dawud Noibi, founder of Southwark Muslim Forum: "All of society, Muslims and non-Muslims, needs to consider carefully the reasons why young people are being drawn into terrorist acts. Muslim parents have the greater duty in terms of how they bring their children up, but there is a limit to how much they can control what is happening outside the home, and social factors must be resolved together." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Rabia Ahmed, personal assistant, Mayor of London’s office: “People think that being a Muslim woman means not having a life of your own, but that’s not my experience. Some may choose to have it that way, but not me. My faith doesn’t hold me back. I feel completely free now, and I found that freedom when I left home and married. People with no faith can feel more trapped than I ever could as a Muslim woman. Islam, in a sense, has nothing to do with it." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Roseda Boodoo, adult education co-ordinator for Southwark Muslim Women's Association: "Our work is about empowering people, helping them to get work and to come out of the benefits system. We want Muslim women to be comfortable here. But even more than that we want them to be part of the mainstream. We provide the stepping stones for them to make their own way. That's what integration is all about." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Rumana Chaudhury, chair of John Donne primary school council: "I'm really happy being a Muslim. There are rules in it that you have to listen to but I find them sensible and I wouldn't do them unless they were. It makes me realise that to be a Muslim is the right way of life for me." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Saima Mahmood, medical student from Peckham: "My decision to train as a doctor is about acquiring the knowledge and skills to benefit the people around me, the community where I live. There are so many health issues today and so many people who don't access healthcare. I hope I can do something to encourage more Muslim women in particular to use those services." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR

Seray Kamara, community assistant with Volunteer Centre Southwark and chairwoman of the Sierra Leone Muslim Women Cultural Organization: "I blame the media for a lot of today’s misunderstanding of Muslims, but I also blame a minority of Muslims who take things to the extreme and do not portray what’s written in The Qur’an. I feel cherished as a Muslim woman, and the Qur’an confirms that I am not an inferior being." Photograph: Rehan Jamil/PR