On Thursday 12th November 2015, in an act of remembrance, His Royal Highness, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO, Prince Edward, officially opened a new Peace Garden, at the site of a beautifully restored Muslim Burial Ground in Woking, Surrey.
The site was the final resting place of 19 Muslims soldiers in the Great War, as well as a further eight casualties of World War II. It has now been restored to its former glory to create a lasting legacy for the 27 servicemen who sacrificed their lives while defending Britain.
The four-year restoration project of this Grade II listed structure forms part of Woking’s centenary commemorations of the Great War and celebrates the Borough’s relationship with the Shah Jahan Mosque, the first purpose-built mosque in the UK.
Located on the south east corner of Horsell Common, a short distance from the Mosque, the site was purchased by the War Office, and a Muslim Burial Ground was commissioned in 1915 to ensure Muslim soldiers could be buried according to their religious rights.
Although the bodies of the 27 servicemen laid to rest at the site were later reinterred at the larger Brookwood Military Cemetery in 1969, the Muslim Burial Ground remained sacred and untouched. Funding from the Muslim community and public bodies including Historic England, the Armed Forces Covenant Grant Scheme, and the Department for Communities and Local Government, has led to the transformation of the site into a befitting Islamic inspired Peace Garden.
The Earl of Wessex was accompanied on a tour of the national and internationally significant heritage site by project leader, Dr Zafar Iqbal from Woking Borough Council, where the Earl was introduced to representatives from the organisations that have supported the project and family members of the servicemen formerly buried there.
Among the civic dignitaries attending the opening ceremony of the Muslim Burial Ground Peace Garden, The Rt Hon Earl Howe PC, Defence Minister, said, “It is vital that we keep alive the memory of all those who have fought to protect the freedoms we now enjoy in the UK, including the enormous contribution of Muslims who came to our aid when we needed it most. The MOD is delighted to celebrate the achievements of past Muslim personnel, and those currently serving in Armed Forces operations, from conflicts to humanitarian efforts.
Speaking at the reception that followed at the Shah Jahan Mosque, Major General PAE Nanson CBE – Commandant The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst said, “The Army is incredibly proud of the strong links it has with our Muslim communities. The ceremony this morning has presented us with a unique opportunity to remember the vast sacrifice Muslim soldiers and officers have made, and continue to make, on behalf of our Country.”
