Atiq Ahmad Bhatti, President Jamaat Slough
Members of Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Slough were honoured to lay wreaths at two Remembrance Day ceremonies on 8 November 2020.
The first wreath was laid at a scaled back special Remembrance Ceremony held in Cippenham village where the local Rev Jason Griffiths held a short service of remembrance before a few representatives made their way to the War Memorial to lay a wreath.
The wreath was laid by myself, and was accompanied by Mahmood Mobashir Sahib, general secretary Jamaat Slough and Zubayr Bhatti Sahib, qaid majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Slough.
The second wreath was laid in Burnham village shortly afterwards. I laid the wreath at the village war memorial, accompanied by Muhammad Akram Khalid Sahib Secretary Tabligh, Sharf-ur-Rahman Sahib Zaeem Majlis Ansarullah Slough and Zubayr Bhatti Sahib, qaid Majlis Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Slough.
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya Slough have had the honour to lay wreaths on Remembrance Sunday for many years now and this usually succeeds their annual Poppy Appeal collections for the Royal British Legion branches of Burnham and Cippenham.
This time of the year is one of heartfelt remembrance for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our tomorrow. This year, it is all the more poignant due to the coronavirus pandemic and the fact that some of us have lost those close to us, and thus the message and act of remembrance is all the more pertinent.
It is not only humbling, but a great honour for the community to lay wreaths every year on Remembrance Sunday. We are looking forward to 2021 where we may double our efforts for the annual poppy appeal that precedes Remembrance Sunday.