I found it refreshing to see the full page advertisement on January 28 in your newspaper, asking the question, #Who is Muhammad?

I thought it was a poignant, timely and thought provoking advert, particularly given everything that is happening in our diverse and culturally rich local community but also a reflection of what is happening in wider society and the rest of the world.

It is particularly woeful that in an age of greater ease of access to information and knowledge, greater sections of society are at times ignorant of real factual information – and this is a disturbing trend that we must all help to reduce.

Michael Hart, an American author, publishing his book, A Ranking of the 100 Most Influential Persons in History, chose the Prophet Muhammad to be in the number one spot of the most influential person in history. There must be a reason he did this.

Many intellectuals throughout history, even if they disagreed with the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, certainly held him in great esteem as a man of influence and principle.

Islam itself has a history both with and also in Britain dating back to the 8th century.

King Offa of Mercia, England, is known to have traded with Muslims and even commissioned gold Mancus coins that were replicas of gold dinars.

The gold Mancus coin even had Arabic writing declaring “There is no deity but Allah, The One without equal”. These coins are now in the British Museum.

We also have come to learn in recent months that the great wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was very interested in Islam and was perhaps even close to converting at one point in his life.

So we have a rich and deep connection here in Britain with Muslims and Islam and we should all be more tolerant and inquisitive about each other’s views and beliefs and celebrate our shared values.

I would encourage the Croydon Guardian to play an even greater role as facilitator to dispel myth and propaganda about Islam to help create a more cohesive society.

RIZWAN AHMED