08/06/2026
The thing I hate and can't stand is feeling suppressed or controlled as to what I can or can't do. There's nothing wrong with me going into a church. Everything that I'm trying to do is with good intentions, which is to improve people's lives in the community, yet people have issues simply because my name is Hassan. Those who truly believe and think that me going into a church is wrong, then those people are ignorant and lacking basic knowledge.
I have been to church numerous times. This is not my first, and it wont be the last. A church is not just for praying. That's what some people don't seem to know. It is fundamentally a community hub for worship, learning, and socializing. Yes, I get it; while prayer is a big part of it, these spaces inside a church host a wide variety of activities too throughout the week. I don't know why the majority of Muslims seem to think that a church is used only for praying and that it's forbidden to enter, as if I'm breaking the law; people seriously need to educate themselves. The typical modern church these days serves several purposes, and I have been to a few functions held at a church and have organized a few too. Many churches host coffee mornings, food banks, night shelters, warm spaces for people to go to during winter, parent-and-toddler groups, musical rehearsals, community concerts, homeless shelters, fundraising events, community meetings, and, last but not least, youth clubs, such as the one I'm trying to organize for students. The activities and projects that I was doing when I was in Uganda, most of them, were organized through a church or church-related. Can you imagine In Uganda, some people even stopped communicating with me simply because, in their view, I was putting my faith to shame and committing a haram act by entering a church, yet the services were helping those in need. What I have learned in life is: do what makes you happy without worrying about what others think. You will never please everyone and it's not your job to please others. No one knows what you want more than yourself, and no one is going to sweat just to make your dreams come true; it's you who must do that by taking the appropriate steps