'We want people to ask questions and get it off their chest'

JUDGEMENT will be “left at the door” and questions encouraged at a Middlesbrough mosque’s open day, organisers say.

- By JADE MCELWEE

Masjid Maryam on Green Lane, Acklam, will open on Saturday, October 4, from 11am-4pm, as part of the national #VisitMyMosque Day.

The initiative will see mosques nationwide open their doors to allow visitors to “ask questions, build bridges, and share a cuppa.” And at Masjid Maryam, which officially opened in February in the old St Mary’s community hall, it’s the first real opportunity to open its doors for all with one simple aim - to bring people together through curiosity and an “open and honest” conversation.

With 90% of people in the UK never having been in a mosque, organiser Zak Mahmoud said it’s a chance for local residents to visit the mosque, see what happens inside and, most importantly, ask honest questions in a welcoming environment.