Remembrance Sunday in Lambeth – 2019

On 10th November 2019, Windrush square once again hosted a Remembrance Sunday event at the African and Caribbean war and peace memorial. The event started with prayers from the different faiths including libation and Quranic recitation.

The Black Cultural Archives managing director,Arike Oke, was the co-host of the event alongside Dr Jak Beula, representing the Nubian Jak Community Trust, who led on organising the event. Speakers included Mayor of Lambeth Ibrahim Dogus, Umar Mahmood (Director Regeneration, Ash-Shahada), Dr Doirean Wilson (Lecturer, Middlesex University), Nairobi Thompson (poet), Major Dan Staples, Professor Gus John and more. Richard Finch, Ulric Cross’ son, was among the speakers at the Remembrance Sunday event. He read a poem about war written by one of his former pupils.

Umar Mahmood addresses the audience.

Captain Kidane Cousland, head of the Rastafarian Defence Network, read the traditional Remembrance day poem, For the Fallen. on the day, there was an Army cadets parade and a section was led by Major dionne Konstantinious who is an officer commanding 7 company Army Cadet force and Aide de Camp to the Lord Mayor of London. Our Director of Regeneration and Specified Housing, Umar Mahmood, attended and addressed the ceremony speaking on the Muslim contribution to the peace efforts. He explained the contribution of over 400,000 people supporting the peace efforts from the Indian sub-continent, many of which were Muslim. He also informed the attendance the first shot to be fired by the Allied forces was done so by a Black Muslim, but these are facts little known to people. He urged communities to understand the contribution their forefathers made so events like this cannot be taken away from BAME and other faith communities.

There was a wreath laying ceremony at the event which began with Lambeth Mayor Ibrahim Dogus laying his wreath. Local MP Helen Hayes and Cllr Irfan Mohammed were also among those to lay a wreath. The ceremony was well attended by the community as members of the public walked up to the Cenotaph to pay their respects.