Protesters came to vandalise my mosque – I offered them a hug instead

On Friday, I hugged a man who came to protest outside my mosque. 

This image received a lot of coverage, because it gave the overwhelming majority of us those – Muslim and non-Muslim alike – who have been horrified by these riots some hope. 

Those of us who work and volunteer at the mosque, had felt real anxiety on Friday evening, as we had heard reports of a large anti-Islam protest heading our way. We had assumed it might turn violent.