Joshua Harris, affectionately known as "Joshie Man," and his father Dan Harris shared cakes with locals and tourists following the midday prayer at the Valide-i Cedid Mosque in Uskudar on Thursday, July 23. Bringing their anti-hate initiative to Istanbul, the duo organized a meaningful gathering with Palestinian children who had been evacuated from the war in Gaza.
To spread a message of peace and stand firmly against Islamophobia, the group handed out treats from bags reading "Cake Not Hate." The father and son initiated this solidarity movement last year following a far-right attack on a mosque in their hometown of Peterborough, UK.
Dan Harris stated that the campaign was not entirely planned, but rather started as a grassroots response to the hate crime and attack on a mosque in their own country.
Harris explained that their campaign had previously taken them to Medina in Saudi Arabia and to Bosnia before their arrival in Türkiye. "Now we have come to the beautiful country of Türkiye. We are incredibly surprised and touched by the immense interest and affection we have received here. People react so beautifully when they see my son; some kiss his hand or his forehead. We are overjoyed by this outpouring of love," he added.
Following numerous threat messages received after their initial support activities in the UK, the family decided to expand their mosque visits globally. As part of their campaign, Joshie and his father have already completed visits to over 100 mosques in the UK alone.
