Archive for the ‘Inter-Faith’ Category
Administrator on July 15th, 2010
One of HRH Prince of Wales’ charities is Mosaic. Mosaic was founded to create opportunities for young people, championed by Muslims, harnessing the power of positive thinking.
Mosaic aims to achieve two things:
- Increase education opportunities for those who do not have them
- Increase opportunities for understanding between people of different backgrounds
Mosaic holds an annual International Summit in the summer and this year’s summit, 2010, will bring together 80 Muslim delegates from 17 countries around the world to engage in leadership development, to better enable them to become agents of positive change. Delegates have been selected from a wide range of individuals aged 25-35, representing a diverse range of backgrounds and experience – from teachers to designers, HR professionals, students, engineers, journalists and business leaders.
Mosaic International Summit is an innovative leadership development opportunity, designed to bring together young emerging leaders from across the Muslim world.
Makkah Mosque in conjunction with Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) will host some of the delegates on Tuesday 20 July at 2:30-4:30pm. The Mosaic Global Delegates will gain first hand experience of the work that mosques do in the UK to harness the power of positive thinking and the inspiration they provide to the future leaders of this country.
A workshop will be held at Makkah Mosque on Tuesday 20 July at 2:30-4:30pm to discuss the phenomenal and inspiring role of mosques in galvanizing the power of positive thinking and bringing positive change in the world. The workshop will provide an opportunity to British Imams and the global Muslim delegates to discuss issues common to them in their own localities and share experiences and good practices with each other.
Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim said: “As chair of Leeds Mosaic and chair of MINAB Youth Committee, we are delighted to be hosting the Mosaic global leaders at Makkah Mosque and providing them with an insight into what inspiring work local communities in Britain are doing to foster a strong and positive leadership.”
Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, Chairman of MINAB said: “This is a good example of how Mosques are involving in positive projects and we’re delighted to support the work of Makkah Masjid, UK’s Model Mosque, to help bring about change for the benefit of everyone”.
Administrator on June 29th, 2010
Leeds Makkah Mosque, in conjunction with leading local and national organisations, invites you, your friends, colleagues and contacts to an event entitled ‘Communities United – Working Together for a Brighter Future’ on Wednesday 7 July 2010 at 2:30pm – 5.30pm to mark the 5th anniversary of the atrocities committed against civilians in London on 7 July 2005.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leeds/10535443.stm
Makkah Mosque truly believes that the diversity of British society is a source of great national pride and is something that should be passionately celebrated and promoted. It has long been leading the way in holding multi-cultural events to celebrate community, culture, sports and commerce – some of the areas where diversity is a strength.
The programme will consists of worksops and inpiring speeches.
The workshops will be held between 2:30 pm – 4.00 pm and will cover issues that are common to all communities, including ‘caring for the world (environment & sustainibility)’, ‘sports breaking barriers’, ‘Islam in the media’ and ‘business connecting communities’. Brodrick Clarke, Director of Programs for the Ali Center, Louisville US, will lead a youth workshopThe core aim of the workshops is to bring people of different backgrounds together to meet, learn and connect around issues of common interest and universal appeal so that inter-community relations are enhanced.
Following the workshops, talks will be delivered by politicians, sports personalities, media representatives and entrepreneurs between 4:15-5:15pm.
http://www.myyorkshire.org/playback-video.asp?journeyid=141&resourceid=265
The Keynote speakers will be Kristiane Backer, TV presenter and journalist, and Greg Roberts, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center in the US.
Greg Roberts said that the Ali Center is honored to be a part of Communities United event. “Our headquarters is located in Louisville, Kentucky, a Sister City of Leeds so we are especially excited to be involved in this partnership and to formally recognize the families and loved ones of those whose lives were lost in the 7/7 bombings.”
Roberts continued by saying, “Our mission embraces the promotion of respect, hope, and understanding among cultures through our outreach and educational initiatives. And the Center’s founder, Muhammad Ali, embodies the values that we hope will inspire people around the globe to break down barriers among us and embrace our commonalities in order to bring about true healing in the world. We are proud to be a part of this effort.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/faiths-unite-in-leeds-five-years-after-london-bombings
TV presenter and journalist Kristiane Backer will be amongst the speakers and has said “As a Muslim, I am deeply distressed at those who contort the values of my faith and its commitment to peace and justice for their own corrupt means. Life is sacred in Islam. My faith teaches me to serve God by positively contributing to society; to care for the weak and the elderly; to be kind to animals and to protect the environment.”
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/features/JULY-7-Five-years-on.6404673.jp
The Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, commented: “The event has been organised to remember those who lost their lives in the tragic London bombings on 7/7 and also to remember all those lives that are still being lost throughout the world due to violent extremism. Makkah Mosque’s message is clear and simple – those who resort to violent extremism in the name of Islam are not following the true teachings of Islam.
The event will also seek to highlight the positive way in which communities have moved forward and have been working tirelessly for a peaceful co-existence.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/06/bombings-brought-out-best-leeds
The Chair of the MINAB, Maulana Shahid Raza OBE, expressed his support for the event by commenting, “We at the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board recognise and welcome the efforts of Makkah Mosque which has worked in collaboration with their local community to promote a culture of peace, harmony and tolerance amongst the diverse communities of Leeds.
The tragic events of 7/7 touched everyone’s hearts. The Muslim community in Leeds recognised the misrepresentation of their faith by the perpetrators of the attacks, who used religion as a despicable cover for their actions. These actions could never be justified in the name of Islam. Their attempts to divide communities in creating an atmosphere of mistrust and fear have largely failed.
Today’s events mark the coming together of those communities, who stand united together against all forms of hate which so often manifest itself into unspeakable violence. MINAB takes pride to support this event as well other similar forthcoming initiatives by its members.”
http://www.makkahmasjid.co.uk/wp/index.php/category/media-coverage/page/2/
Deborah Green, chief executive of Marketing Leeds said:
“We are proud to support the Connecting Communities Workshop. As well as raising the profile of Leeds to a national and international audience, we also work with the local community through a programme of festivals and events, to celebrate and promote the culture and diversity of our city.
“This workshop, which marks the anniversary of a tragic event, will bring communities together to encourage inter-community relations and highlight the way that people in the Leeds city region work together to make the city a better place for residents and visitors alike.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, in whose constituency Makkah Mosque is located expressed his views on the forthcoming event in the following statement:
“The terrible events of 7/7 and the links to Yorkshire and to Leeds were a shock to all of us, but in the days and weeks afterwards, the community in Hyde Park and Headingley really pulled together and that strength of unity was crucial to taking us forward.
”Five years on, I am very pleased to be able to attend this important event at the Makkah Mosque to highlight the real progress that is has been made in bringing the community closer together and working together for the benefit of all.”
http://www.publicservice.co.uk/news_story.asp?id=13437
Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, sent his apologies for not being able to attend in person and added:
”I applaud you for holding this commemorative event, wish you well in your work in the future and hope that we can continue to work together to realise our shared vision of a modern, multi-faith, multi-cultural Britain in which opportunity is equal for all.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/jul/06/leeds-today-good-grub-holbeck-walks-and-city-varieties
Fabian Hamilton, MP for Leeds North East praised the continued working together for the welfare of our fellow citizens in the following words:
”I have always felt that my dear friends in the Leeds Muslim Community are like my family, my brothers and sisters – that we are part of one another – and that our connection becomes stronger as the years pass and as we continue our work together for the welfare of our fellow citizens, whatever their faith or background.”
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/and/My-Passion-One-man39s-unique.5668099.jp
Director, the Home Office sent well wishes as follows: ”I would like to wish you every success for the commemorative event that you are holding on the 7th July. You should be rightly proud of the positive work that Makkah Mosque, and its partner organisations, have undertaken across UK communities over a number of years. Thank you for your invitation for the Home Office to attend – please accept our apologies that were unable to do so.”
Leeds Rugby Foundation are fully behind th aims and objectives of the event, with Connecting Communities Manager Ikram Butt adding: “While in many respects sport is trivial compared to the tragedy suffered in the name of extremism, it is still a vital vehicle for bringing people together as players, volunteers or fans in common aims.”
“We are very aware in Leeds and the surrounding areas of the power of sport, in particular the community and family-based ethos of rugby league, which can be used to break down perceived barriers.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10533264.stm
Event partners and supporters include the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), HRH Prince of Wales’ charity Mosaic, Marketing Leeds, Muhammad Ali Center, GFEvents, Leeds Rugby Foundation, Yorkshire Cricket Board, ABDN, Together4Peace, White Ribbon Campaign and Concord.
Administrator on June 11th, 2010
HRHR Prince of Wales, Prince Charles was speaking to an audience of scholars at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies – which attempts to encourage a better understanding of the culture and civilisation of the religion. Prince Charles urged the world to follow Islamic ’spiritual principles’ in order to protect the environment.
The Prince of Wales delivered a speech titled “Islam and the Environment” and spoke about the inspiration that he sees in Islam to ensure ‘the environment’. He said:
- “The traditional way of life within Islam is very clear about the “centre” that holds the relationship together. From what I know of its core teachings and commentaries, the important principle we must keep in mind is that there are limits to the abundance of Nature. These are not arbitrary limits, they are the limits imposed by God and, as such, if my understanding of the Qu’ran is correct, Muslims are commanded not to transgress them.”
- “I would urge you to consider whether we can learn anything from the Islamic culture’s profound understanding of the natural world to help us all in the fearsome challenges we face.”
- “The Islamic world is the custodian of one of the greatest treasuries of accumulated wisdom and spiritual knowledge available to humanity. It is both Islam’s noble heritage and a priceless gift to the rest of the world. And yet, so often, that wisdom is now obscured by the dominant drive towards Western materialism – the feeling that to be truly “modern” you have to ape the West.”
The full speech can be seen on the following link
http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/a_speech_by_hrh_the_prince_of_wales_titled_islam_and_the_env_252516346.html
Administrator on June 10th, 2010
It is encouraging to note some in the media believe that rise of intolerance against Muslims is ”un-British”. Columnist Peter Oborne has warned that Muslims are being unfairly represented in the media at a conference on Islamophobia held in London.
He added: “One of the greatest things about being British is that we have an enormous sense of fairness and religious tolerance and decency and there’s this tradition of protecting minorities.
“You are, in the media, able to tell lies about Muslims – to misrepresent them, fabricate stories about them in many ways that shame Britain. There were, for example, those stories about how Muslims had tried to get piggy banks banned because of political correctness – but just imagine if some of those headlines had said ‘Jew’ rather than ‘Muslim’.” For details, click on
http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2010/jun/columnist-peter-oborne-slams-media%E2%80%99s-muslim-slurs-%E2%80%98un-british%E2%80%99
Administrator on June 9th, 2010
Once again a negative picture of British attitudes to Islam has been painted by a recent online YouGov poll. The online YouGov poll was commissioned by the Exploring Islam Foundation as part of a campaign aimed at improving the image of Muslims in the UK. The poll reveals that most people in the UK associate Islam with extremism and the repression of women.
Although 60% of the interviewed admit to not knowing much about Islam but from this “not much” they believe the following:
Perception of Islam
- 69% believe that Islam encourages the repression of women
- 58% associate Islam with extremism
- 50% associate Islam with terrorism
- 13% associate Islam with peace
- 6% associate Islam with justice
- Only 16% think that Islam promotes fairness and equality
- Only 6% believe that Islam promotes active measures to protect the environment
- 41% disagree or strongly disagree that Muslims have a positive impact on British society
Sources of information on Islam
Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, said: “The findings of the survey are deeply concerning. They are not true reflection of what Islam stands for. The findings are based on the little information that the interviewees have about Islam and even that information, they acknowledge, is based on stories found in the media. Therefore I am not surprised that they have such negative image of Islam in their minds. Islam has been a part of British life for generations and British Muslims have made important contribution to the cultural economic and social well-being of the UK.”
“It is encouraging that 33% of the participants said that they would like to know more about Islam. It is now upon British Muslims to inform their fellow citizens about the true teachings of Islam and about the great personality of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A good example of that can be found when Muslims of Leeds marked ‘Everybody Follow Muhammad Day’”.
“Everybody Follow Muhammad Day” campaign, led by Leeds Makkah Masjid, was based on inviting people of other faiths to try to do at least 5 things that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) did in any given day to see how much mercy, love and affection he brought to the lives of those who he came in contact with him; how his each action was based on principles of mercy, justice, forgiveness, hope, moderation, generosity and respect for others; how he inspired people to be faithful law-abiding people, and peaceful citizens of the world; how he motivated people to work for the greater good of humanity. It was a very successful campaign and a number of people acknowledge that they had come to know more about Islam as a result of that campaign.
The YouGov survey reinforces the findings of the annual British Social attitudes survey published in January 2010 by the National Centre for Social Research. This survey was produced by leading academics from interviews with almost 5,000 people. It revealed that a majority of the Britons would be concerned if a mosque was built in their area, while only 15 per cent expressed similar qualms about the opening of a church.
It is concerning that surveys upon surveys overall find a high level of unease regarding the UK’s Muslim population, estimated at over two million, and majority of the people consider that British Muslims pose a threat to the nation’s identity. These surveys indicate very few people are negative about any other group on its own.
This online YouGov survey is also interesting given the British Muslims attitude to Britain. The finding of a survey, commissioned by Gallup and the Coexist Foundation, published around the same time last year, May 2009 revealed that that 77% of British Muslims identified with the UK, compared with 50% of the general public. Although the vast majority of British Muslims (82%) felt Muslims were loyal citizens, the general public remained suspicious of them. The survey also found that European Muslims felt far more isolated than those living in the United States and Canada.
The Exploring Islam Foundation hopes to challenge the negative views of the religion with its Inspired By Muhammad project. Posters of successful British Muslim professionals will appear on buses and the London Underground in an attempt to give a positive image of Islam and Muslim. The Inspired by Muhammad campaign is led by former MTV presented Kristiane Backer, who declares herself to be an ‘eco-Muslim’. She said Islam’s values were ‘universal’ and ’sit well with British values’.
Remona Aly, campaigns director for the Exploring Islam Foundation said “We want to foster a greater understanding of what British Muslims are about and our contribution to British society. We are proud of being British and being Muslim,” For further details, please see: http://www.inspiredbymuhammad.com/yougov.php
A workshop is being held at Leeds Makkah Mosque on Sunday 13 June at 2:30pm to discuss “Being a British Muslim: challenges and opportunties”. In the workshop a number of issues will be discussed, including Britons preception of Islam and British Muslims, extremism, radicalisation, Islamophobia, citizenship, media, victim and dominant mentality. For further details, please see the web post on: “British Muslims: challenges & opportunities”.
Administrator on June 1st, 2010
An aid convoy to Palestine, carrying members of non-governmental organisations from 32 countries was recently attacked by Israeli forces. The Freedom Flotilla is an international civilian effort to deliver humanitarian aid by sea to the besieged of Gaza and raise awareness of the situation in Gaza. The activists were attempting to defy a blockade imposed by Israel since 2007 and try to get some of the most needed supplies to the suffering people of Gaza. Gaza’s 1.5 million population is crammed into an area of 40km long and 10km wide. UN officials have dubbed the blockade ‘medieval siege’.
Such efforts by humanatarians turned into bloodshed when Israel armed forces opened fire on them on the boat. Passengers included a Nobel Peace Laureate, MEPs, a holocaust survivor and 28 British citizens. It is reported so far 9 peace activists have been killed and around 30 have been injured. There are 670 passengers, who are said to be safe.
Death of peace activists should be strongly condemned by all- individuals, organisations and states - because a powerful state’s actions have not only lead to civilians death, they have the potential of discouraging humanitarian spirit that is already fast dissipating from our world. This should also be a time to analyse Israel’s wider policy of blockade towards Gaza, occupation of land and making the people of Palestine suffer for so long, using disproportionate force against them.
It is reported that more than 1,000 marched to the Israel embassy on Monday 31 May 2010 in London condemning the attack on civilian passengers on the aid ship and also the long-suffrage of people of Palestine.
It is encouraging to see that there has been international condemnation of the loss of life, and the UN is holding an emergency session. We urge United Nations to hold the culprits of these civilian’s deaths responsible for the breach of international law. There should be an impartial international inquiry supported with tough sanctions for Israel so that no state can kill innocent people and not be held accountable for its actions under the international law.
The UN must investigate the allegations of the Turkish Government that this was an act of terror by a state. The international community must stand united against acts of aggression by states as they stand united against such acts committed by individuals and organisations. Terrorist attacks on civilians, once proven, must be dealt with in the same manner, irrespective of who carries them out.
It is also encouraging to see that the recently appointed, Foreign Minister William Hague has said that he deplored this loss of life and that “there is a clear need for Israel to act with restraint and in line with international obligations.” We hope that the British Foreign Minister implements his words into and that tough actions are taken against Israel’s state terror in the light of the International law. This was clearly a disproportionate use of force by all standards and therefore the international community should take this massacre of aid workers seriously so that such actions do not take place again.
Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim, said that “The full details of what happened will emerge in time, but it is outrageous to see that civilians trying to help others with humanitarian aid were targeted by Israeli naval force. Full investigation must be done into this human tragedy. Our sympathies are with the families of the killed and injured peace activists. State Terror is always worse than individual terror, as absolute power corrupts absolutely. Justice must be seen to be done, in this instance.”
No doubt that some people would try to turn this horrific and tragic incident into the old Muslim/Jewish issue or anti-semitic propoganda. But in our view, this is a humanitarian issue as peace activists from a number of faiths, organisations and countries were trying to take much needed aid to a people that have suffered for too long and therefore this issue should be looked at by the international community from that angle.
We hope that inter-faith relations and humanitarian actions that are taken by the faith communties and peace activists, up and down the country, are not hindered by this tragic incident. Such loss of life highlights further the importance of people working together to establish peace and justice in the world to defeat warmongers and violence promoters. Good Samaritanism should continue!
Administrator on May 21st, 2010
A facebook named “everybody draw Muhammad Day” has invited people to draw images of the Mercy to Mankind, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on 20 May 2010.
It is maintained that Everybody Draw Mohammed Day is a protest against radical Islamists who threaten violence against individuals that attempt to depict the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
U.S. cartoonist Molly Norris of Seattle, has created the artwork in reaction to Internet death threats. Depictions of Muhammad are explicitly forbidden in the Muslim tradition. Norris said that if millions of people draw pictures of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Islamist radical would not be able to threaten them all and therefore the idea of depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would become popular.
There have been various responses from Muslims and other independent people against such reasoning presented by those who want draw images of the Prophet. Muslims see the “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day” campaign as nothing more than a desperate attempt to incite and provoke Muslims. There seems to be a constant campaign to prove that every fifth person in the world who is a Muslim, belongs to the “other” camp and therefore it has be proven to them that their emotions and feelings are not important to the remainder of the world. It does not matter if their feelings and emotions are hurt; if an aspect of their religion is under attack. In recent years and months, there have been similar provocative attempts made in newspapers and films and now the internet has joined the battle ground.
It is incumbent upon Muslims to vocalise their discontent at attempts to belittle the honour of the Last and Final Messenger (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and stand united to defend the persona of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). The Muslim community of Leeds believes that rather than giving satisfaction to those who want to provoke Muslims, Muslims need show unity on this very important issue and create an awareness of what Islam really is and who the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) is. Holding up placards saying “Death on those who draw Prophet’s images”, “Go to Hell” and “Death awaits you” is not the way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). Muslims need to raise awareness of their faith, Islam. Anger and emotions are natural reactions to such disgraceful acts and it is important that Muslims stand united to protect the honour of their Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) in accordance with the Muslim tradition. However, in order to prevent fitna, chaos in the land, Muslims must express their emotions and anger in a constructive manner at all levels. Their protest, which may include coming on to the streets, presenting petitions to official authorities, writing articles or internet blogs, interviews to the media should all be in accordance with Islamic teachings. All forms of protest should be peaceful and should focus on achieving positive results.
Given that creating awareness is the need of the hour, Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, has urged Muslims all over the world to celebrate “Everybody follow Muhammad Days” on Friday 21 May 2010, Saturday 22 May 2010 and Sunday 23 May 2010.
At times of adversity and provocation, Muslims revert to the teachings of the Noble Qur’an and sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) who once said: “Do you know what is better than charity and fasting and prayer? It is keeping peace and good relations between people, as quarrels and bad feelings destroy mankind.” (Muslim & Bukhari).
The Glorious Qur’an reminds us: “Goodness and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better. Then that person with whom there was hatred, may become your intimate friend! And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but people of the greatest good fortune. [Qur'an 41:34-35]
Although Muslims follow and should follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) every day of their lives as he is the best role model given to them by the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, extra efforts should be made by Muslims, on these 3 days and the week following 20th May 2010 to raise awareness about the character and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) and there is no better way to raise awareness than following his example in everyday of our lives.
Muslims invite people of other faiths to also try to follow, if not more, then at least 5 things that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) did in any given day to see how much mercy, love and affection he brought to the lives of those who he came in contact with; how his each action was based on principles of mercy, justice, forgiveness and respect for others; how he inspired people to be faithful law-abiding people, and peaceful citizens of the world; how he motivated people to work for the greater good of humanity.
These 5 things could be any of the scores of things that we do everyday. They could be:
1. Looking after your family;
2. Helping in domestic affairs; e.g assisting in preparing dinner;
3. showing affection towards children;
4. showing respect to elderly and frail;
5. Feeding the poor and homeless;
6. Removing an obstacle from the roadway;
7. Helping your neighbour,your colleagues, strangers etc;
8. showing kindness to animals;
9. Brushing teeth five times a day and being hygienic;
10. Giving charity;
11. Visiting a sick person;
12. Listening to others’ problems;
13. Spending time with your family;
14. Spending time with your friends and colleagues;
15. Discussing community affairs;
16. Looking after the environment;
17. Being truthful, respectful, honest and just to others;
18. Beautifying yourself, so long as you act in moderation
19. Being ambitious and competitive to the extent that you are not unjust towards others
20. Being grateful and thankful to all those who have done some favour on you.
In short, issues like affection, moderation, clemency, fear, hope, chastity, compassion, generosity and the reflection of these in life are values that were highly regarded by the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and they form part of “Jihad” for Muslims.
When you do any of these things, remember that the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also did them and vigorously encouraged others to do the same and ask yourself: What kind of Prophet he is? What kind of message he brought for his community? Why is it that at present almost every fifth person in the world aims to imitate the character of the Prophet of Islam?
Qari Asim said: “It was through tolerance, kindness, endurance, self-restraint, justice and respect for humanity that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) won the hearts and minds of those who opposed his principles and values and we Muslims should do the same. Let the 3 days – Friday 21 May 2010, Saturday 22 May 2010 and Sunday 23 May 2010 – be memorable days in your life when you yourself tried your utmost to follow and encouraged other to follow the beautiful values brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) by urging others with the slogan: “Everybody follow Muhammad Days”, “Everybody follow Muhammad Days” as far Muslims are concerned everyday is “Everybody follow Muhammad Day”.
We are grateful to all those individuals and organisations that see such depictions and images as a provocation campaign rather than trying to prove freedom of speech. We would like to end with the words of Sir George Bernard Shaw, a superstar playwright and tart-tongued literary personality of the early 20th century who said the following about the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him):
“I have always held the religion of Muhammad in high estimation because of its wonderful vitality. It is the only religion which appears to me to possess that assimilating capacity to the changing phase of existence which can make itself appeal to every age. I have studied him – the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ, he must be called the Saviour of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.” [ 'The Genuine Islam,' Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936]
Administrator on March 25th, 2010
Recently we had a couple of visits from Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum. Arshad Ghulam was the host for these visits:
Administrator on March 19th, 2010
Recently, Leeds Makkah Mosque was visited by Inspector Ian OBrian from the local police station to discuss community engagement and community cohesion. He was joined by other members of the community engagement team:
Administrator on March 5th, 2010
A leading Islamic scholar has issued a fatwa in Britain condemning “terrorists” as the enemies of Islam, in a bid to deter young Muslims from extremism.
Shaykh Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, head of the Minhaj ul-Quran, has released his 600-page long fatwa ,condeming Al-Qaeda and the terrorists that perform their vicious acts based on the Qur’an and Islam.
The anti-terrorism fatwa by renowned Muslim scholar Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri pulled no punches and said that suicide bombers would be rewarded not by 72 virgins in heaven, as many terrorist recruiters promise, but with a suite in hell.
He continued: “Until now, scholars who were condemning terrorism were conditional and qualified what they said,” Qadri said in a phone interview, noting that his 600-page ruling left no room for interpretation. “I didn’t leave a single, minor aspect that, in the mind of radicals or extremists, can take them to the direction of martyrdom.”
In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley welcomed the fatwa, saying it is important that “Muslims themselves make their own judgment about the vision that al Qaeda and [Osama] bin Laden have propagated.”
Generally, in the media experts have stated that his fatwa is a “significant blow” to terrorists.
Imam of Makkah Mosque, Qari Asim, said that Shaykh Dr Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri works are always thought-provoking, well researched and evidenced. A comprehensive fatwa and edict was long due and therefore this fatwa is welcomed by the mainstream.
