CONCEPT AND DESIGN
In terms of design, the memorial takes the shape of a minaret and is drawn from a variety of Islamic architectural influences, including that of the Moghul empire and architecture from the Indian subcontinent where many of the soldiers came from. Fusing Eastern and Western cultures, the memorial will be constructed with locally sourced materials and be faced with hard-wearing brick and terracotta, all from the United Kingdom. It will be located in the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, a 150-acre visitor site on the edge of the National Forest where those who have served and sacrificed are never forgotten.
A quote from the Qur’an at the bottom of the proposed column memorialises the soldiers’ sacrifice and will read: “Verily to God we belong and verily to Him is our return”. If funds allow, the exedra at the back of the column will have a terracotta frieze with maps, descriptions and relief drawings showing the sites across Europe and Asia where Muslim soldiers served as part of British and Allied forces in the world wars. The trust has designed a monument that brings together architecture, history, education and modern decorative craftsmanship.
