Why a Liverpool imam reached out to far-right rioters outside his mosque


As violent unrest erupted across the country last week after the murder of three girls in nearby Southport, about 50 people turned up to a far-right rally outside Abdullah Quilliam Society mosque in Liverpool, the oldest in the country. Hundreds more turned up to support the mosque.

But the imam Adam Kelwick decided not to stay inside. He and other members of his community stepped out with home-cooked food and crossed the police line, determined to speak to the people on the other side.

“The reason it’s so important to talk right now is because we see what the other option is,” says Kelwick, who believes that talking to people, even in extreme circumstances, can help heal divisions.


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