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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Gurjeet Nanrah

Thousands of people attend Muslim Cultural Festival at the Forest Rec

Thousands of people attended an event which focused on celebrating inclusiveness and Islamic culture at the Forest Recreation Ground.

The Muslim Cultural Festival took place on Sunday, July 21 and saw families from various backgrounds come together and enjoy food, live performances and browse a range of stalls.

People who attended the event included Muslims from Pakistan, Syria, Nigeria and also non-Muslims who said they went along to experience "something different".

The event was organised by Karimia Institute and its director, Dr Musharraf Hussain al-Azhar, said: "Our aim is to help the wider society to understand that Muslims are ordinary citizens that have the same needs as the rest of the people who live in Nottingham.

"It's about building that integrated community sense."

Some of the activities on offer were opportunities to have henna or face painting done, taking part in boxing taster sessions and testing your luck in fair games with prizes for winners.

Tim Hutchings, 36, who teaches religious studies and ethics at the University of Nottingham, was in the park for a day out with his daughter.

He said: "It's a great way to get communities together and that's important to me."

"My daughter is enjoying it too. There's a lot of fairground rides for here and it's just opportunity to experience something different."

Also at the event was Alex Norris - Labour MP for Nottingham North - who said the event was "a chance to learn about Islam and its beauty."

He added: "We should be able to celebrate what different about us and be able to tolerate each other.

"We need to shout loudly and proudly about the impact Muslims are having in Nottingham."

It was the fifth year the event had been held. In previous years it was called Nottingham Eid Festival.

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