Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Muhammed Ali at South Shields Mosque: 1977

A recent episode of BBC's Countrytracks brought the following piece of hisory to my attention: The mosque at Laygate, South Shields, UK including the Yemeni School, was visited by Muhammed Ali in 1977. He had his recent marriage blessed at the Al-Ahzar Mosque, the first purpose-built in the UK. This story is covered in a documentary film, The King of South Shields. Throughout April and early May 2008, the BALTIC Arts Centre in Gateshead chronicled the Yemeni community of South Shields, including interviews with the last remaining survivors of the first Yemeni generation. The exhibition showcased the high-profile 1977 visit by Muhammed Ali. In 2008, South Shields resident and filmmaker Tina Gharavi unveiled plans for a plaque to mark Ali's visit.

All this made me wonder whic, if any UK mosques were visited by Malcolm X and any other key members of the African diaspora eg. Did Martin Luther King ever visit a mosque on US or any other soil?

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