FOUR major faith establishments opened their doors to the public as part of Bradford’s Iconic Places of Worship Tour.

The annual event, organised by Rifaqat Ali, Bradford Council’s Community Co-ordinator, enables people from different backgrounds, faiths, no-faith, gender and age to visit different places of worship and listen to speakers explaining the main beliefs of each religion.

This year’s tour by open top bus was attended by Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Doreen Lee and 70 people from across the Bradford and Calderdale districts. Also taking part were 16 American students as part of their exchange trip.

The tour took in the Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Grant Street, Barkerend; Shree Hindu Temple in Little Horton; Jamiat Ahle Hadith Masjid in Manningham and Bradford Cathedral.

Councillor Abdul Jabar, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, said: “The tour provided a great opportunity for people of different backgrounds to view our district’s remarkable places of worship, to obtain a deeper understanding of the main beliefs of the different faiths and overcome any misconceptions they have.

“One of the main reasons for people holding negative views of others is a lack of understanding so this was a great opportunity to explore our shared humanity and tolerance.

“We have a diverse community in Bradford and this type of event showcases all that is good about our home.”

Mr Ali added: “This year’s event was amazing with a great mix of people from all the majors faiths, no-faith and age groups.

“Everyone really enjoyed the event with lots of smiles. This type of event provides people with confidence and encouragement to resist divisive and prejudiced narratives.”