St John’s Church in Belmont held a special talk by Lauren Booth on 3rd February 2013. Lauren converted to Islam in December 2010 and she is currently a journalist and broadcaster working for Press TV and a pro-Palestinian activist.
After Muslims prayed the afternoon prayer, Lauren Booth arrived and she was wearing a black long dress with a lilac cardigan and a hijab (headscarf). She started with a short dua (a prayer) and described her spiritual journey to Islam. Booth said whilst she was volunteering and reporting in war zones in Palestine, it took her a long time to convert to Islam.
Lauren talked about a family living in a poverty stricken but standard refugee camp, Rafa in the southern Gaza Strip. She said they were fasting for Ramadan and were going to break their fast with “a bit of hummus and a pitta bread,” however even though they were living in poverty, Lauren wanted to know why they were fasting. The mother of the family said “we fast in Ramadan to remember the poor.”
Furthermore, Lauren Booth said she was shocked that those who were living in severe poverty in Gaza were still happy and she believed they had very strong faith and hope. The majority of the audience were on the verge of tears as they were moved by Booth’s unforgettable speech.
A charity called Peace 2012 was founded by Sohale Ahmed and Lauren Booth in April 2012; they aim to supply the necessities for families in Gaza, such as food, water, houses, heating and light. They have recently provided food, water and enough money for rent to seven families and they persevere to aid more Palestinians as Rafa is a densely populated area of severe poverty.
For more information, please go on: www.peace2012.org.uk
