Mancunian Andrew Graystone became a hit on Twitter after he stood outside local mosque displaying message of friendship

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A man from Manchester whose expression of solidarity with his local Muslim community went viral last week has spoken of the need to “take the first step sometimes and build bridges”.

Andrew Graystone, 57, stood outside his local mosque during Friday prayers holding a cardboard sign with a handwritten message: “You are my friends. I will keep you safe while you pray.”

Graystone, a writer from Levenshulme in Manchester, said he had been motivated to support the Muslim community after hearing of the Christchurch attack. “I thought, what would it feel like as a Muslim going to prayers today? I would feel a mixture of enmity and even fear.”

At a time when countries around the world are on high alert in case of further Islamophobic attacks, Graystone decided he wanted to ensure that mosque-goers in his neighbourhood felt safe. “I picked up a card, wrote my message, went down to my local mosque at Barlow Road and stood outside.”

Many worshippers were suspicious at first, he said. “They thought I was a protester. But when they saw what was written on the board, people warmed to me.”

Graystone stood outside throughout the Friday prayers, not aware the imam had commended him during the service.

“When people came out, I was surrounded by hundreds of people,” he said. “People were thanking me, blessing me. Some people said their faith in humanity was restored.”

Images of Graystone warmly grinning as he held his sign of support went viral, with people on Twitter commending his act of solidarity.

Graystone said: “I have received around 100,000 messages in the last 24 hours – and hardly any negative messages. That shows the power of choosing friendship over fear.”

Graystone belongs to a church and says there is a network of local faith organisations who work together to maintain social cohesion. But he added: “It isn’t really about religion... It is about friendship and community – and you have to take the first step sometimes and build bridges.”