00:04A 12-year-old non-speaking autistic boy from Britain has turned homemade cakes into a global
00:10symbol of solidarity, and his journey has now brought him to Malaysia. Joshua Harris,
00:17known as Joshi Man, and his family visited Putra Mosque on Thursday, distributing snacks to
00:23worshippers as part of his nationwide UK campaign supporting local Muslim communities.
00:30The campaign began following a surge in anti-Muslim hate incidents in Britain, and has since expanded
00:35into a global journey, with stops in Turkey and Saudi Arabia before arriving in Malaysia.
00:42Joshua's father, Dan Harris, said Malaysia was a natural stop on the journey, describing the country
00:49as a leader in the Muslim world known for its kindness and hospitality.
00:54We wanted to show what true community cohesion looks like.
00:58So, in the West, there is a perception perpetrated by some parts of our media, and amplified
01:03by our politicians, about what a Muslim country looks like.
01:07Actually, we've just come from Turkey and we're now in Malaysia, and these are two great examples
01:12of Muslim countries that, you know, they're inclusive, they're kind, they're tolerant.
01:17And you know, we've been asked for many months by our Malaysian brothers and sisters to visit.
01:22Dan also spoke about a separate initiative launched during the visit, an iPad donation drive for
01:28Malaysian children.
01:29We have a campaign called Let Them Have Their Voices, which is designed to replicate the amazing
01:36transformation that the Joshy man has seen in his life. Joshy man is a 12-year-old non-speaking
01:43autistic boy, and he's gone from a boy who couldn't communicate, who would get very frustrated,
01:48into one that actually is able to tell me, Daddy, I want pepperoni pizza, or my head hurts.
01:56And that's a really profound thing to allow children to express what they really are thinking.
02:01Dan said the family plans to explore Malaysia's local markets and sample traditional cakes during
02:07their visit, with some to be brought along as a gesture of respect to mosques they visit. He added
02:14that the Cake Not Hate campaign has resonated globally because it challenges a false narrative,
02:20one that paints mosques as places to fear, and Muslims as separate from the wider community.
02:26What we've seen in visiting mosques around the world is that mosques are a place of peace and
02:31tranquility. So we'd love to see more of our Malaysian brothers and sisters coming along to the mosques,
02:38receiving a cake while Joshy is here. We're here until the 23rd of August.
02:43The Harris family's visit to Malaysia continues, with more mosque visits planned in the days ahead.
03:01Did you see this last week?
03:01And we're here until the 25th of August,
03:02the 1st of August had been able to get rid of the
03:02Collections of the Unîmed
03:02And we're here until the 25th of August.
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