A MUSLIM service in Welsh was held on the National Eisteddfod Maes for the first time in North Wales.
Imam Mirazam Khan, who is from Caernarfon but is a chaplain at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, led the service which was attended by a number of men, women and children in the Eisteddfod’s dedicated prayer room.
The Iman made the traditional call to prayer and the prayers were said in Arabic as the Quran requires. He then went on to give a khutbah (sermon) in Welsh.
Before the service he said the prayers showed “everyone belongs here irrespective of how we look” and a Welsh language khutbah sends a “powerful” message.
He said: “Wherever we are – whether that be a church or mosque, it’s important that we have these religious buildings here to keep ourselves connected, to remind us that we are Christians, Muslims or Jews, that we have our traditional roots.”
The service was organised by the Cardiff-based Now in a Minute group.
Co-founder Mariyah Zaman said the Eisteddfod’s prayer room was very significant.
She said: “It shows there is a welcome for everyone at the festival.”
She explained the khutbah is normally given in the local language.
She continued: “I was in China recently and the khutbah was in the language of the people. Here in Wales almost all Muslis speak English so it is given in English but here we recognise that Welsh is the predominat language and the Iman was able to give it in Welsh.”
Following the service a meeting in the Communities tent Welsh Muslim speakers discussed Welshness and Islam and later, at Sinemaes a new video, O’r Mosg i’r Maes was screened for the first time. Made in partnership with the National Eisteddfod the video shows the life of Muslims in the Wrexham area.
