London: It was a "honour" to attend King Charles III's coronation at Westminster Abbey, according to the head of a Muslim charity, who spoke to Arab News.

Two thousand people watched Charles be crowned at the weekend inside the abbey, including Idris Patel, CEO of Supporting Humanity.

He told Arab News, "Honestly, it was an extremely, extraordinarily special and auspicious occasion, and something that will live long in my memory for me, and my kids will be able to say, "My dad went to the coronation."

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"The day itself was absolutely brilliant; I loved how they respected everyone from all different religions and faiths, whereby the (order of service) they gave us said only kneel if you wish to kneel, you don't have to sing certain hymns, it's perfectly fine, but please just respect those who do so by not talking,"

I have to respect them for that because they acknowledged that, given that it was a Christian (ceremony), some people might not feel comfortable declaring that Jesus is Lord. They advised people to only say this if they felt comfortable doing so, he continued. Patel expressed his admiration for the organisation and the invitation list's inclusivity.

"They took everything into account, planned everything to a tee, and respected other people's sensitivities, it was a privilege, it was stupendous," he said.

It felt like a rainbow in the abbey because they invited people from all backgrounds and ethnicities. It didn't matter if you were rich or poor, or what colour you were; it felt like they made sure you were invited regardless of where you came from.

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Patel rejected criticism of the timing and cost of the coronation, which was paid for by taxpayers at a cost-of-living crisis costing an estimated £100 million ($126.4 million).

Instead of criticising the event, he advised people to consider how they themselves can assist the less fortunate, the homeless, and other weaker members of society.

"I've heard all the criticism, it doesn't matter what they say about the Royal family, for me it was an honour to be invited," he stated.

"Yes, the monarchy has spent a lot of money, but on the Day of Judgement, everyone will be responsible for themselves, for the way they spent money, and it's quite a big occasion for (the monarchy) and they believe it brings in billions of pounds in tourism every year,"

The Supporting Humanity charity, which was established during the coronavirus pandemic initially to help provide food and support communities in the Greater London area, was founded by Patel and was honoured by the invitation as a result of his work as its founder.

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He also has big plans for how the charity can grow and continue to help, particularly by increasing its emphasis on the fields of mental health, suicide prevention, and bereavement.

"We've grown significantly from where we were to where we are now, and we hope to get bigger and better," he said.

"One of the things we're looking at is mental health. In the South Asian and Caribbean communities, it's something that's more commonly perceived as 'black magic,' so we're trying to change that attitude and get people to understand, respect, and believe that mental health (issues) are a disease that needs professional help.

In order to make it less of a problem, "we're focusing on places of worship, not just mosques, but also churches, synagogues, temples, and gurdwaras, and looking to increase engagement and build networks with these kinds of places."

For his contributions to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Patel received the British Empire Medal. For his contributions to the community, he was also given a British Citizen Award Medal of Honour. People who have performed "meritorious" deeds for their community are given medals