The purpose of The Great Masjid Bake Off is to raise awareness and funds for a local women's refuge run by national domestic violence charity Refuge. Since January of this year many local brothers and sisters have donated and alhamdulillah continue to support the women and children housed at the refuge. Food hampers, baby supplies and new equipment have been donated via local masajid to support those housed there regardless of their faith or ethnicity. Qurans and prayer mats have also been provided for the Muslim women living at the refuge.
Domestic violence is a subject that is usually swept under the carpet and ignored in a lot of cases, leaving the victims, usually women, to suffer in silence. The continued suffering also has a detrimental effect on children in early years of their development and in many cases haunting their lives into adulthood, subsequently affecting their own relationships.
In situations where women are forced to leave their homes out of fear with their children they often leave with nothing but the clothes they are wearing leaving them no provisions what so ever. It’s hard enough as it is leaving and even harder when faced with an uncertain future alone and in fear for their own and their children’s safety. During their temporary stay at the women's refuge, along with support, they are given adequate provisions to keep them going. Once they have been moved on to more secure long term accommodation it usually doesn't even provide the very basics (i.e. carpets, furniture, kitchen equipment, beds etc). Inshallah the collected funds will also go towards providing some of the basics needed when women make that move to secure accommodation.
The event is also supported by Nour-DV, a charity based in London which also provides help and support especially for Muslim women suffering from domestic violence. Nour-DV is supported by trained professionals, counsellors and scholars (both male and female). Additionally Imams Against Domestic Abuse (IADA) are also supporting the event. In March 2013 a conference entitled 'Imams Against Domestic Abuse' took place in London which marked the start of the 'Imams Against Domestic Abuse' initiative - a movement of imams and community leaders that aims to eradicate domestic oppression and abuse, and to categorically prove that abuse has no place in the Islamic faith.
Both Refuge and Nour-DV can be contacted in the strictest of confidence – contact details can be found on their websites. If you would like to support this event and enter the Bake Off or hold a stall at the event, the links to the forms along with all rules for the competition can be found on pages 3 and 4.
The Bake Off’s organising team would like to thank the North London Muslim Community Centre and the associated Ihsan Children’s Centre for their support and partnership in holding this event without which the event would not have been possible.
