East London Mosque. Pic: Oluwatosin Oyeniyi

The London Muslim Community Forum is appealing for peace and prayers this Friday following the murder of British citizen David Haines by IS.

Muslim communities and faith groups have been invited to pray this Friday as part of a London Peace Day ahead of the UN’s annual International Day of Peace on Sunday 21 September 2014.

David Haines, 44, an aid worker for Acted a humanitarian agency was kidnapped last year in Syria. He was beheaded  by an IS militant with a British accent in a video posted this week.

Saleha Jaffer, co-chair of the London Muslim Communities Forum, said: “The killing of innocent civilians is barbaric and we call on mosques and Islamic venues to take the opportunity on Friday to send a clear message to all our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim, that these actions are not in the name of our great religion of Islam and we stand united in prayer for peace and harmony.”

Salman Farsi, a spokesperson for East London Mosque and the adjacent London Muslim Centre said: “We work pro-actively to promote peace and dialogue within our communities here and elsewhere. War is never a means to an end – it only creates more conflict and strife… We call upon all mosques, churches, synagogues and civil society groups to help us build and work towards a lasting peace.’

Commander Mak Chishty, the co-chairman of the London Muslim Community Forum and the head of community engagement for the Metropolitan Police, said: “We offer our condolences to the family of David Haines and pray for peace for all. We are calling on all Muslims and non-Muslims to condemn such acts and stand united in peace and prayer.”

Shoes at a mosque. Pic: Oluwatosin Oyeniyi