This film is part of Free
Moslem Festival at Woking
Beautifully clear scenes of Eidal-Fitr celebrations at Britain's first purpose-built mosque, the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking.
Overview
These crystal-clear newsreel scenes show the annual Eid al-Fitr celebration taking place at the Shah Jahan Mosque - also known as Woking Mosque - the first to be purpose-built in Britain. In the 1920s, these celebrations drew a fantastic crowd, attracting dignitaries from India and worshippers from around the UK. We see men gathered in prayer outside the mosque itself - an imposing backdrop.
In the early 1920s, Britain was home to an estimated Muslim population of 10,000. Built in 1889, the Shah Jahan Mosque remained the central hub for Britain's Muslim community for the first half of the 20th century. Its annual Eid al-Fitr celebration frequently attracted the attention of Britain's newsreel companies - see also Feast of Eid-ul-Fitr (1924) and An Oriental Atmosphere (1928).
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