| Location(s) | ExCeL Exhibition Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, London, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2005 – present |
| Founded by | Mohamed Ali Harrath |
| Date(s) | Third weekend in October |
| Website | www.theglobalunity.com |
The Global Peace and Unity event (often abbreviated to GPU) is an annual two-day conference held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Royal Victoria Dock, London and organized by the Islam Channel. It is the largest Muslim, interfaith and multicultural event of its kind in Europe, having attracted over 55,000 visitors from five continents during the 2006 event.[1] There have been five conferences since its inception in the inaugural event held on 4 December 2005, with others in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010. The conference includes an Islamic exhibition, an evening nasheed concert, as well as a series of talks, workshops, seminars and lectures from international speakers spanning the two days.[1][2]
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According to the official website, the Global Peace and Unity event is designed to promote "global cohesion across all communities", as well as "break barriers and build bridges between the variety of cultures and groups that follow the Islamic faith."[2] As well as giving Muslims the opportunity to enjoy themselves and provide a platform for them to learn more about their religion.[3]The event aims bring together people from all spheres of the British society in order to inform and educate them about Islam and Muslims, and through this help to bridge the gaps between Muslims and non-Muslims and improve community relations.[1][4]
According to Khurram Mujtaba, director of operations of Islam Channel, "the event is a means through which to promote dialogue."[1] According to Mohamed Ali Harrath, chairman of the event and Islam Channel’s CEO, "the event offers a crucial platform for demanding change through peaceful interfaith dialogue, and positive exchange of ideas and interaction towards fostering mutual understanding between people from every culture, faith and background in a bid for greater community cohesion in a multicultural society."[5][6]
The event consists of three main parts. One is an exhibition which houses numerous stalls, selling Islamic gifts and serving cuisines emanating from a variety of cultures. Other stalls promote Islamic business, while yet others are reserved for the collection of charity donations for organizations like Muslim Aid and Islamic Relief. The other two parts of the event are composed of an evening concert on the first day and series of talks and lectures by international speakers on the second. Throughout both days artists provide entertainment on-stage in the form of nasheed pieces or comedy sketches.[1][7][6]
Numerous individuals have spoken at the GPU event, including political figures and community leaders such as former (and then serving) London mayor Ken Livingstone, Respect MP George Galloway; former MCB Secretary-Generals Sir Iqbal Sacranie OBE and Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari MBE; journalists Yvonne Ridley and Sarah Joseph OBE; politicians such as Lord Nazir Ahmed, Lord Charles Falconer, Salma Yaqoob, Simon Hughes MP, Sadiq Khan MP, Stephen Timms MP and Shahid Malik MP; political activist John Rees, academic Dr. Joel Hayward, entrepreneur James Caan; ex-sportsmen Saeed Anwar and Imran Khan.[8][9][10][11][12]
Islamic scholars including Dr. Zakir Naik, Yasir Qadhi, Yusuf Estes, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Dr. Abdal Hakim Murad, Abdul Wahid Pedersen, Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Muhammad al-Ya’qoubi and Prof. Tariq Ramadan. Representatives from other faiths including Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss and Rev. Riah Hanna Abu El-Assal.[1][10][11][12][5]
Muslim pop singers include Jermaine Jackson and Yusuf Islam. Nasheed artists to have performed include Zain Bhikha, Ahmed Bukhatir, Junaid Jamshed, Najam Sheraz, Dawud Wharnsby Ali, Idris Phillips, Native Deen and Outlandish. Other performers have included poet Brother Dash; comedians Preacher Moss, Azhar Usman and Baba Ali.[9][10][11]
Sponsors of previous events have been; Awakening Records, Islamic Bank of Britain, Emirates, Western Union and HSBC Amanah.
Partners and associates include; Islam Channel, Lebara, emel, ARY News, ARY Digital Network, Subway, NHS Blood and Transplant, Channel S, AlMaghrib Institute and Muxlim.
Associate charities are; Human Appeal International, Human Relief Foundation, Interpal, Islamic Relief, Minhaj Welfare Foundation, Muslim Aid, Muslim Charity and Muslim Hands.
The event has been supported by; Metropolitan Police Service, Islamic Forum of Europe, Muslim Council of Britain and City of London Police.