Over the past year, through this medium, the beliefs of Muslims have been highlighted in a sincere effort to bring awareness to the Bermuda public and hopefully bridge the gap of misunderstanding within the community.

We held an open house last year and it was pleasingly successful; people were eager to learn and gain first hand information about us, from us.

Some startling misconceptions and less than factual information about Muslims were debunked.

It’s a fact that the unknown brings about conjecture and ultimately fear and hostility. Awareness reduces the negative effects that can relate to the fear of the unknown.

The Muslims desire for the general public to be in the know! Therefore we are continuing our aim to flood the Bermuda community with awareness and information about us, hence, leaving no doubt among our neighbours.

Islam puts a deep emphasis on our individual duty to our neighbours. In fact, the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said: “Angel Jibril advised me continuously to take care of the neighbour till I thought that Allah is to make him an inheritor.”

This means to consider the neighbours as family. It would be remiss of us not to carry out this duty bound act of reaching out to the community we live in.

This endeavour has been a wonderful journey of interactions and interesting dialogues between members of the public and the Muslim community resulting in better relations, understanding and mutual respect.

We’d like this journey to continue, therefore we look forward to seeing you at our 2024 Open House being held today at the Masjid Muhammad Auditorium, 32 Cedar Avenue, Hamilton, and hope to see you at our Family Night this evening at the Bermuda Islamic Cultural Centre in Devil’s Hole.

You will be warmly welcomed.

This week was the 80th anniversary of D-Day. All of the surviving soldiers echoed one message and I quote: “For God’s sake, keep away from war.”

I pray the world leaders are listening and will heed the cry of these seasoned veterans, who have been through the horrifics of war.

May the conflicts and wars around the world and especially in Gaza, where it is presently raging, cease immediately. How can death and destruction bring about peace?

Islam forbids aggressive warfare. Allah says in the Holy Koran in 2:190: “And fight in the way of God with those who fight with you, but aggress not: God loves not the aggressors.”

Muslim scholars have noted that this verse implicitly forbids killing non-combatants, including women and children.

Bermuda as usual, I leave you with well wishes for a happy, healthy and loving upcoming week.

May it be filled with peace.

As salaam alaikum (Peace be unto you).

• Linda Walia Ming is a member of the Bermuda Hijab Dawah Team, a group of Muslim women who reside in Bermuda and have a goal of educating the community about the religion of Islam