During his visit, the Home Secretary enjoyed a tour of the Mosque during which he looked at the items on display as part of the Exhibition. He was extremely impressed with the Mosque’s  award winning dome, which features more calligraphy work than any other  mosque in  the UK. Mr Johnson also took the opportunity to speak to members of the Mosque’s congregation about a wide spectrum of issues pertaining to the forthcoming election, including immigration, social cohesion, anti-social behaviour, policing and the economy.  

 The Home Secretary commented that he was impressed with the  Makkah Masjid’s architecture, as well as with its long standing commitment to opening its doors to non-Muslims in an attempt to improve community cohesion.

Qari Asim said that Muslims should be loyal to their religion but that does not mean that they cannot be loyal to Britain.  Part of Islam is that a person is loyal to the country in which he or she lives and that he or she abides by the laws of that country.

Islam places a moral responsibility on a person to be committed to the general wellbeing and common good of the larger society to which he or she belongs.

This proposed closure shall affect the whole community but ethnic groups, in particular Muslims are likely to be affected more than others. We shall therefore urge Muslims to take part in the consultation and express their views. There is also a petition that can be signed to express one’s concerns about the proposed closure. Please click on http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/girlseducation

Girls-only education consultation: public meeting

East Monday 18 January 2010, 7pm
Parklands Girls’ High School, South Parkway, Seacroft, Leeds, LS14 6TY

West Wednesday 20 January 2010, 7pm
Pudsey Civic Hall, Dawsons Corner, Pudsey, LS28 5TA

South Tuesday 26 January 2010, 7pm
South Leeds Academy, Old Run Road, Leeds, LS10 2JU

City centre (two meetings) Wednesday 27 January, 12noon and 7pm
Civic Hall, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR

North east (outer) Monday 1 February 2010, 7pm
Boston Spa School, Clifford Moor Road, Boston Spa, Wetherby, LS23 6RW

Morley Thursday 4 February 2010, 7pm
Bruntcliffe High School, Bruntcliffe Lane, Morley, Leeds, LS27 0LZ

North West Monday 8 February 2010, 7pm
Lawnswood School, Ring Road, West Park, Leeds, LS16 5AG

Searcroft 23rd February 2010, 7pm
Parklands Girls’ High School, South Parkway, Seacroft, Leeds, LS14 6TY

Makkah Masjid has long been committed to opening the eyes of the wider community to the beauty of the religion of Islam, through holding annual Exhibitions during which the doors of the Mosque are open to the entire community, hosting inter-faith events and inviting non-Muslims to share in the opening of the fast during Ramadan in a community iftari.

Reversion to Islam involves a person declaring: “ I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

Islam was not sent for any one nation or group of people; any one can become a Muslim no matter what his or her race, language or colour. Islam was sent as a complete way of life for the whole of humanity. Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur’an:

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (Quran 5:3)

All sins committed by the person embracing Islam before becoming a Muslim are forgiven by Allah, no matter how serious they were. The person who converts to Islam is totally reborn and starts with a clean record, in much the same way as a new baby is born free of any sin or wrong doing. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) confirmed that this was the case when he said to a person accepting Islam:
“Do you not know that accepting Islam destroys all sins which come before it?” (Sahih Muslim)

Today it is estimated that there are 2.4 million Muslims in the UK, the Muslim population having grown by more than 500,000 in just four years according to official research collated for the Times newspaper. Research by the Office for National Statistics reveals that the Muslim population in the UK multiplied 10 times faster than the rest of society. Europe is home to 38 million Muslims For further details see http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5621482.ece#

According to a comprehensive report of the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, the global Muslim population stands at 1.57 billion, meaning that nearly one in every four people in the world practice Islam. The report, which was published in October 2009,also identified about 317 million Muslims – or one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population – living in countries where Islam is not the majority religion.
To see the full report click on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5621482.ece#

The Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim commented: “By the grace of Allah Almighty, Makkah Mosque holds a long tradition of welcoming people into the fold of Islam and people from Leeds and neighbouring cities come to Makkah Mosque to take their Shahadah (embrace Islam). A number of people have embraced Islam during the holy month of Ramadan and one of the blessed ceremonies during which a girl took the Shahadah was witnessed by people throughout the country who watched the event on TV. We pray to Allah Almighty that He enables us to continue striving in His way and educating people of the peaceful message of Islam.”

In the published article, Qari Asim said:
“I have been a full-time Imam for five years, following an intensive training programme which I undertook at the same time as studying to pursue a career in law.

My vision has always been to make the mosque a beacon for the whole of the country.”

The Muhammad Ali Center serves as both a cultural attraction and an international education centre that is inspired by the ideals of its founder, Muhammad Ali. Two and a half levels of interactive exhibits and captivating multimedia presentations introduce Ali’s epic life through the six core values by which he lives: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality. The Center strives to inspire its visitors to pursue their potential and explore the greatness that lies within themselves.

Makkah Mosque shares the Muhammad Ali Center’s mission of encouraging each individual to reach within themselves to fulfill the potential Allah has given them. Like the Center, Makkah Mosque is committed to helping both children and adults achieve the most that they can by encouraging engagement in activities and promoting self belief.

The President of the Muhammad Ali Center, Greg Roberts, was invited to Makkah Masjid during Muhammad Ali’s visit to the UK. Mr Roberts met the Imam of the Mosque, Imam Qari Asim, and discussed the various projects Makkah Mosque is involved in that mirror the aims of the Muhammad Ali Center. These include the promotion of youth engagement, respect for all human kind through interfaith work and communal relations, integration rather than isolation, promoting spirituality and the message that inner peace at an individual level will ultimately lead to peace on a global scale.

Greg Roberts and Imam Asim also had a positive discussion about the possibility of Makkah Masjid and the Muhammad Ali Center working together on various programmes in the future.

Mr Roberts invited Imam Asim to a fund-raising dinner held in Muhammad Ali’s honour at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United, on 26 August 2009. Imam Qari Asim attended the dinner with a delegation from Leeds and had the good fortune to meet and speak to Muhammad Ali and Mrs Ali . On behalf of the Muslim community of Leeds, Imam Asim along with the some of the members of the delegation from Leeds presented a cheque to Muhammad Ali for the Muhammad Ali Center and the charities that Muhamamd Ali supports. The community of Leeds showed great generosity to the Muhammad Ali Center as a token of their great love, respect and admiration for the boxing hero , a great Muslim icon and a humanatarian.

There are currently proposals for Muhammad Ali to visit the UK again and it would be a great honour to invite the greatest boxing legend Muhammad Ali to Leeds as part his next tour to the UK, insha-Allah.

Muhammad Ali quotes:

1. ” I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. ”

2. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

3. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”

4. “I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world.”

5. I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ‘em out, I pick the round”

6 “A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”

7. “I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark”

8. “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”

The Yorkshire Business Insider reported as follows:
“Leeds is to host a two-day conference on Islamic finance. The event, Opportunities and Challenges in the World of Islamic Finance, aims to create a better understanding of Islamic finance, the rationale for growth in Shariah-compliant financial products and the relevance of Islamic finance in today’s world. Professor Ros Haniffa, head of the accounting and finance group at Bradford University, and Qari Asim, an associate at DLA Piper and the youngest Imam in the UK, are among the speakers lined up for the event, which will take place at the Royal Armouries on 13 and 14 October 2009.”

The Conference will include presentations from distinguished speakers across the globe from the commercial, academic, financial and political fields seeking to cover different sectors involved in Islamic Finance.

The Islamic Finance Conference provides opportunities to:

1. Understand the basic principles and backgrounds of Islamic finance;
2. Understand how Islamic finance can help you and your organization;
3. Learn about the opportunities for you in Islamic Finance;
4. Understand how Islamic Finance has survived the current financial crisis;
5. Understand the challenges of Islamic Finance across national, cultural, social, and economic boundaries.

As Makkah Mosque is keen to raise awareness of Islamic Finance and provides training and seminars in this regard, the mosque is supporting this first ever conference on Islamic Finance in Yorkshire.

“I am delighted to be a part of the first ever conference on Islamic Finance in the North of England. The conference will provide a fantastic opportunity for those with an interest in this niche area to learn more about the core principles of Sharia compliant financial products, and to make the necessary connections to further their business or personal interests. Islamic finance in the UK is in greater demand than it ever has been, so the conference couldn’t have come at a better time.” said Qari Asim, Imam of Makkah Mosque.
For further detsails, please visit www.isfinco.com

The launch of the event has been covered byAsian Image, Asian News, Leeds Financial Services, Leeds Law Society,Global Islamic Finance and Yorkshire Post

The Imam of Makkah Masjid, Qari Asim, was interviewed by Aisha Iqbal of the Yorkshire Evening Post on Thursday 27th August 2009.

Following article was published in Yorkshire Evening Post regarding the celebration of the holy month of Ramadan in Leeds.

The International Summer School is an initiative being driven by Mosaic, a charitable organisation founded by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, within his charity Business in the Community, to address Muslim community-based interests and issues.

The main aim of International Summer School was to inspire leadership within Muslim communities across the globe, over 90 participants join an international group of delegates that were being brought together from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE and UK.

The delegates from across the Muslim world spent  the first week in Clare College, Cambridge taking part in daily sessions covering discussion topics such as ‘Leadership in Life’, International Community Building, Cultures & Community, Enterprise and Environmental Sustainability.

At the Mosaic  Dinner, Qari Asim met delegates and Embassy officials from all the above countries exchanged views on Community engagement, enterprise and sustainability.  In addition, Qari Asim met various prominent Muslim and non-Muslim friends, supporters and sponsors of the Mosaic initiative, including Ikram Butt, Aqil Ahmed, Imam Munawwar Hossein, Peter Sanders,  Minister for Transport, Sadiq Khan MP and Her Royal Highness Princess Badiya bint El Hassan and discussed the need to increase an understanding of the role of individuals in society, specifically in relation to social and environmental issues and the need to Create an international network of young Muslim leaders.

For further details, please visit:

http://www.mosaicnetwork.co.uk/international/international_summer_school/

At the Foreign & Commonwealth dinner, Imam Qari Asim congratulated the organisers, all the team at Mosaic, in partiuclar John O’Brien, Managing Director of Mosaic, who  worked tirelessly to hold this unique event over a period of two weeks. The International Summer School was a resounding sucess.

Makkah Masjid is pleased to announce that features regarding the aesthetically magnificent mosque, its exterior and interior beauty, its architecture and its activities that mainly aim at engaging with the youth, women, local agencies and the wider community, has been running in the Headingly Life, a free monthly magazine, for the last 3 months. Each of the monthly magazines for June, July and August featured Makkah Mosque. Headingly Life has, in particular, covered such items as Makkah Masjid winning the UK’s Model Mosque award and the unique annual Connecting Cultures event that is held at the mosque.

The Imam of the mosque, Qari Asim, has been working with local agencies for a number of years, promoting the peaceful teachings of Islam amongst the public.  He has been liaising with the  Headingly Life for the Masjid to feature in it.

Qari Asim said: “By the grace of God, it is great news for the Muslim community in Hyde Park that due to the wide ranging activities that are organized by the Mosque for people of all backgrounds and the accolades and awards that the Mosque has won, features and articles are written about the Mosque in local papers and magazines.

Over 100,000 people read North Leeds Life magazines each month, according to the Life Magazine website, and it is wonderful to know that over 100,000 people each month for the past 3 months have been learning about the activities of Makkah Mosque and learning about the Islamic faith. It is part of the Dawa’h work that we are involved in at various levels at Makkah Masjid.”