What Queen Elizabeth II meant to Muslims in Yorkshire and across the world - Qari Asim

Her Late Majesty, the most remarkable lady of our times, epitomised some of the noble, but increasingly rare, qualities of public life - dignity, humility, grace, resolute faith and selfless dedication to public service.

The Queen’s reassuring presence in the nation’s life was a source of hope, stability and unity for us all. I have long admired The Queen’s devotion to her own faith and her deep respect for other people's beliefs, as well as concern for her people.

Growing up in a Muslim household in the 1980s, Christmas did not hold much significance, but many in British Muslim households would be glued to the TV screen at 3pm to listen to The Queen’s speech.

Those households didn’t celebrate Christmas but they definitely spent part of their Christmas day with the Queen and listened to Her Majesty’s annual message - which resonated with people of diverse ages and backgrounds. She was extremely skilled in combining the splendid with the ordinary and pride with service to others.

In an era when many of our politicians felt unease expressing their faith, the Queen publicly talked about her faith and devotion, citing her “personal accountability before God” in one Christmas message.

Her Late Majesty’s profound Christian faith didn’t make her any less welcoming of other's beliefs. In 2012, it was incredible to hear from the Queen in person at Lambeth Palace that the role of the Church of England was “not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country.”

Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a dignified and fruitful relationship with Muslims across the world. As Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen served the commonwealth nations, which comprise of six-Muslim majority countries as well as other countries with large Muslim minorities.

I have met many Muslims across the world who fondly remember the Queen. Many mosques across the country have been holding multifaith services to pay tribute to the Queen.

I have witnessed first-hand the Queen’s unwavering desire to celebrate the commonalities and shared values between faiths. The Queen’s gift to engage and make people feel at ease was truly remarkable. Her wisdom, inquiring mind, gentle humour and exceptional commitment to public service inspired much admiration every time I had the privilege of interacting with her.

My last interaction with Her Majesty the Queen was in June 2019, when she hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace to honour the work of people across different faiths and beliefs. It was incredibly uplifting to see Her Majesty individually greeting and honouring ordinary men and women of different faiths and beliefs actively involved in promoting a stronger, more cohesive, and welcoming society.

But what was more remarkable, was the Queen’s stamina at 93, her interest in people’s work and her phenomenal ability to make everyone at ease. When standing before the Queen, one could feel the presence of a huge personality.

It’s the sense of duty and public service, above all else, that the Queen will be remembered for by all communities. Her long reign witnessed an extraordinary transformation in the composition of the UK’s religious and ethnic composition.

Instead of resisting such enormous and at times unsettling change, the Queen celebrated diversity. In 2014, Her Majesty remarked that "diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat". Whether Britain should be a multi-ethnic, multi-belief society is no longer the sharply contested question it was early in the Queen’s reign. 2022’s question is how to make Britain a fairer society for members of every creed and colour. That’s the challenge that our new monarch, King Charles III, has to take forward.

King Charles shares his mother’s faith and devotion. But he will bring a markedly different personal vision of religion and spirituality to the role of Defender of the Faith. His Majesty has previously expressed his preference to embrace all religious traditions.

British Muslims see in King Charles a friend. In an era of all-too-common Islamophobia, King Charles has, over the years, gone out of his way to show an interest in Islam and Muslim communities. Under King Charles’ reign, difficult conversations will need to be had on the future direction of the country. This Friday, we will be praying in our mosques that King Charles is granted vision, wisdom and strength to build more connected communities.

As upsetting and unsettling as these times are, there is also great comfort in the hidden strength the nation has found to come together, and display what a wonderful country we are, with so much kindness and shared values between us.

Imam Qari Asim is chair of Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board and Imam at Makkah Mosque Leeds

He can be reached at @QariAsim