Between June 10th and 13th, a mock refugee camp took centre stage in Victoria Square, Birmingham. Passers-by were invited by Islamic Relief staff to step into real refugee tents. They caught a glimpse of the rigours of life in some of the World's most inaccessible and arduous refugee camps. A dramatic and disturbing Sound and Light show further conveyed the oft-unreported horrors of refugee life. All this formed part of a citywide initiative called 'Celebrating Sanctuary' that seeks to challenge some of the prejudice surrounding asylum-seekers and refugees.

For the last 20 years, Islamic Relief has been at the forefront of rushing emergency aid to some of the most desperate people on earth. This has included the recent conflicts in Chechnya and Afghanistan, during which hundreds of thousands of civilians have lost their homes and livelihoods. For this reason, Islamic Relief chose to exhibit a typical tent used by Chechen refugees, and one used by Afghanis in the blazing deserts of southern Afghanistan.

The Chechen tent included the commonly found ramshackle bunk beds, broken toys, old tables and drying clothes hung all around. Damp clothes, overcrowding and the humiliating lack of privacy, are just some of the factors that daily eat away at a Chechen refugee's dignity and health.

The Afghani tent was characterised by its pitiful emptiness: a few thread bare rugs, some ripped blankets, a battered kitchen set and plates, and… sand… that gets into clothes, food and eyes alike. This, in today's Afghanistan, represents the present and foreseeable future for countless Afghanis - casualties of conflict and drought.

School parties, shoppers and many an unsuspecting pedestrian found themselves affected by the visual spectacle and the stories of suffering that Islamic Relief staff were able to relate. In the words of one stunned parent, “Who would think we all live on the same planet?!”

Islamic Relief joined the ‘Celebrating Sanctuary’ project to call for greater understanding of, and compassion for, refugees. This coalition has been active for the last 4 years in Birmingham, campaigning to reassure people that refugees often make a highly positive contribution to society. And Birmingham, home to so many varied and thriving communities, is one of the most inspiring examples of how different peoples have successfully settled and generated prosperity for their region.