Queen to make first visit to British mosque

The Queen is to visit Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities during her Golden Jubilee tour of Britain, Buckingham Palace has announced.

Other members of the Royal Family will also be making visits to non-Christian religious groups, including Baha'i, Jain and Zoroastrian communities.

The visits are a priority for the Queen and reflect the important role played by varied religious groups in modern, multi-faith, multi-cultural Britain.

The Palace said: "Among the most significant changes to Britain over the past 50 years has been the growth of religious and cultural diversity.

"The Queen has reflected this in many ways over the years, including visits, her Christmas messages and the annual Commonwealth Observance.

"The purpose of each of these visits is to indicate respect for the diversity of faiths, to support inter-faith dialogue and to show that non-Christian, as well as Christian, communities are central to contemporary Britain."

When, on July 31, the Queen visits an Islamic Centre in Scunthorpe, it will be the first time she has set foot inside a mosque in Britain, although she has visited mosques while on official visits abroad.

The Duke of York will attend a Baha'i reception in central London in July.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit a Jain Temple in Leicester and a Zoroastrian thanksgiving service in north London, and a senior Royal will attend a Buddhist gathering later in the year.

Story filed: 11:02 Tuesday 23rd April 2002