Matthew has visited the Islamic Centre Edgware as part of the Mosque Open Day initiative.

The #VisitMyMosque campaign gives people the opportunity to visit local mosques to learn about Islam and meet representatives from the Muslim Community. 

Attendees saw displays of Islamic influence in the fields of mathematics, science, astronomy and medicine. Of particular interest to Matthew was an astrolabe, a medieval instrument that was used in maritime navigation. When Vasco de Gama sailed around the tip of Africa to India in 1497 he took a small brass astrolabe following the example of Christopher Columbus who previously took one on his famous voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. 

Matthew said "It was fascinating to see the contributions of Islam through the development of modern-day procedures such as cataract operations, the influence of Arabic on the English language and of course navigation through astrology."

This year's event has been overshadowed by the terrible loss of life in Pakistan due to flooding. Islamic Centre Edgware is actively fundraising to assist people in the country and if you would like to donate you can do so by clicking here https://donation.dec.org.uk/pakistan-floods-appeal

Matthew was accompanied by Edgware Councillors Nick Mearing-Smith and Lucy Wakeley.