News
HRH presents the Mosaic Awards for young muslims at the Natural History Museum
26th November 2008
The Prince of Wales tonight celebrated the achievements of talented British Muslims at an awards ceremony.
The Prince was joined by Princess Badiya bint El Hassan of Jordan at the first Mosaic Talent Awards, to mark the contribution made to society by British Muslims.
The Prince, who is a practising Anglican, is well-known for encouraging inter-faith dialogue and tolerance between faiths.
Addressing a packed room, sheltering beneath the 26-metre long Diploducus dinosaur skeleton in London's Natural History Museum, The Prince said Muslim communities, and the talent therein, had "enriched Britain in every sense." Click here to read The Prince's speech.
Mosaic, a charity established by The Prince, offers mentoring schemes to raise the aspirations of disaffected young Muslims.
The Prince recollected a recent event that he felt summed up the work his charity is doing.
He said: "I was fascinated to hear the views of the Imam of the Leeds Makkah Mosque on how, through a wide range of initiatives including Mosaic, Britain seeks to integrate rather than isolate its minority communities and offers real freedom of choice and of expression.
"I have to say that it is this acceptance - indeed, this welcome – of diversity which makes me rather proud to be British."
And before presenting the Science and Technology award to Imran Hakim, 30, from Bolton, The Prince confessed to the young entrepreneur that he was a fan of the BBC's Dragon's Den, the show that helped bring Mr Hakim his success.
The Bolton-born inventor, was given a Mosaic award for his iTeddy, an interactive teddy bear that earned him the backing of two Dragons and helped secure him a worldwide supply chain.
Mr Hakim said: "The Prince is such an inspiration and I couldn't believe it when he said he'd seen me on Dragon's Den and thought my invention was good.
"I wasn't thinking quick enough, I should have offered to give him an iTeddy - I missed a trick there.
"Dragon's Den has given me everything - I was given £140,000 for a 40 per cent share in my company by Theo and Peter. Knowing what I know now, I'd have given away 90 per cent for the same price... don't let them know that. I'm just a kid from Bolton and I've shaken The Prince's hand, that's what it's given me.
"I'm proud to be a positive role model for young Muslims. There can be a lot of negative stereotypes in the press, so it's great to have The Prince here tonight talking about something positive."
The Prince also met Under Secretary of State for Communities, Sadiq Khan, a Mosaic supporter.
Mr Khan said: "I told The Prince that he is a friend of Islam and has been for years.
"Muslims in Britain see him as our Prince. He is such a humble man – he asked me if I thought what he was doing would make much of a difference to young Muslims. I told him of course it would."
However, the greatest tribute was paid by Princess Badiya bint El Hassan who said he was a man "who has the wisdom and insight to recognise the challenges of the day, long before those around him".
The Prince chatted with Hussein Zahawy from Northern Iraq, who performed a traditional Kurdish Daf drum solo for the Prince.
Mr Zahawy said: "The Prince told me that he hoped he would be able to visit my country one day, I told him that he really should.
"He was fascinated by my drum, which is a traditional Kurdish instrument."
The Prince chatted with respected Islamic artist Sasha Jafri who is painting 14 original oil portraits of the world's most inspirational Muslims - including Muhammad Ali and Imran Khan.
The paintings will be exhibited in London's Serpentine Gallery when they are finished, before being auctioned off for the charity where it is hoped they will raise up to £2million.
The logo Jaffri designed for Mosaic will also feature on Asad Rehman's Formula One BMW race car next year, to which The Prince joked: "At 200 miles an hour, I am not quite sure anyone will ever be able to see it."
The Prince ended his speech by urging acceptance of other religious beliefs in our multi-faith society.
He said: "As it was put to me rather eloquently last week: 'Since we share a common father in Abraham, we must all be brothers'."
Click here to read The Prince's speech.