British child Joshua Harris takes the “Cake not hate” campaign, now “Dates not hate”, to Saudi Arabia

ByMuhammad

Joshua Harris12, is known as “Joshie, the hero”. He is autistic and nonverbal. In the United Kingdom, he visits mosques and offers cakes to convey a message of peace and solidarity. The campaign began after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in Peterborough in October 2025. After this event, Joshua and his father decided to take action with a positive message. Since then, Joshua has visited numerous mosques in several British cities.

On a recent trip to the Middle East with his father, Dan Harris, Joshua visited Medina. In the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosquehe distributed dates to the faithful, linked to the fruits known to the region. The welcome was very warm. According to his father, those present showed a lot of kindness to Joshua. Some took the time to greet him with emotion, which greatly touched the family.

Dan Harris explains that this stay allowed him to better understand the diversity of the Muslim world. He says he met people from many countries and different cultures. He also praised the hospitality in Saudi Arabia. “People wanted to help us, invite us over and make sure Joshua was okay. We felt very welcome”he said.

Joshua will continue his campaign after returning to the UK. With his father’s help, he plans to visit even more mosques and meeting places to share his message of peace. Through “Cake not hate” and “Dates not hate”, Joshua reminds us that kindness is stronger than hatred. Her story shows that small gestures can bring people together, all over the world.

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Muhammad

Muhammad is a visionary thinker and passionate writer who has been contributing to Understanding Islam for several years.