Cardiff mosque opened to non-Muslims to improve relations

Dental student and self-taught calligrapher Ali Amir shows visitors to the mosque how to write their name in Arabic

A Cardiff mosque has been opened up to non-Muslims in a bid to improve community relations.

A series of open days are being held at Dar Ul-Isra, in Cathays, with workshops and an Islam exhibition.

Mo Alamgir Ahmed, from the mosque, said: "The first part of our religion is to engage with the wider community, Muslim and non-Muslim."

Mr Ahmed said the idea was to help counter negative stereotypes, such as terrorism and Muslims going to Syria.

"There's been no particular backlash in Cardiff, but there was a spate of Islamophobic attacks - not physical but spitting and slurs," he added.

Fadhila Ali showed visitors to the mosque how to wear different styles of hijab, or head scarf

Azim Ahmed spoke to children from Hawthorn Primary School about Hajj, the holy pilgrimage

Kiera, Seren and Matisse were keen to try on the Ihram, the dress pilgrims wear

Year 7 girls from Ysgol Gyfun Bro Edern did a workshop to learn how to write in Arabic

Hassan Abdurrahim spoke to visitors about the Koran

Aseel Sulaiman, who recently converted to Islam, said: "We are very good at charity, but we do it quietly"

Mo Alamgir Ahmed, the mosque's head of outreach, said the building used to be a church hall until it was bought by Muslims in 1981