A FIREWORKS display. Nothing out of the ordinary then. There are hundreds throughout the country.

Any special significance about this one? More expensive pyrotechnics? Going on all night? Two nights? All worthy, but none of these. All this is on the periphery to the real narrative.

This event was held on the outskirts of a town where there are hardly any Asians or Muslims.

The event was organised by a Christian organisation, namely the community church, and our protagonists in this story are the minority in every way.

An outwardly Muslim family in the full Islamic attire. Fully bearded male and wife in the hijab with a couple of kids in tow. Sheep in the wolves den you would suspect. Ready for slaughter.

It would not be unexpected for them to be viewed with suspicion or even hostility, a feeling they’ve somehow misread the event and they’ve arrived at the wrong one. It’s the one further in town you need to be at, not this one.

But there was none of this, they welcomed them as if they were guests of honour.

The organisers felt it was a privilege that somebody from another faith had decided to participate in their event.

The family in question felt embarrassed and somewhat ashamed by the hospitality and warmth that was offered to them – so much so that they felt they needed to do some introspective soul searching themselves.

It is us, the Muslim community, that are in the firing line, that have to prove the doubters wrong – yet we are still being given as example by those that have no need to prove anything.

What we as a community need to do is more of this.

To involve people from all sections of the community in any event.

Have more open days, have more events where prejudices, ignorances, can be broken down.

Where what they read is not the reality. More events throughout the year, not just in Ramadhan.

We need to break down their misgivings about us and we need to treat these people better than our own – like this family were treated. And you may well see the difference.