Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) - Mercy for All Creatures

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Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) –

Mercy For All  Creatures

Dr Mozammel Haque

Four years after the death of Justinian (A.C. 569), a Great Man, preaching a great religion, Islam, was born at Makkah, in Arabia, which was in dense darkness of social dissolution and spiritual despair.

The famous writer, H.O. Armstrong, in his book Lord of Arabia, writes about the situation of Arabia and its people of that time thus: "Arabia remained isolated and unknown, for it was a brutal country and inhospitable, a land of cruelty and violence and its inhabitants, Arabs, were as brutal and cruel as their land. Both villagers and Beduins lived hard and dangerously.

They were pagans and savages, unclean, poverty-stricken, debased in their habits, idolators with cruel and brutal beliefs. They were bestial in sex, untamed and untamable; they were split up into small tribes which were continuously at war with each other and were savagely intolerant of any stranger or of any innovation".

Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent by Allah Almighty as a blessing to Mankind. Allah says in the Quran: “And We sent you (O Muhammad) not, but as a mercy for all creatures". (21:107) Islam united the Arabs, purified them and bound them into one people.

The Prophet filled them with a great faith. The historian Gibbon has truly discovered, “Through Islam, Muhammad banished from the Arab within ten years their hard-heartedness, spirit of revenge, anarchy, female infanticide degradation, rivalry, lawlessness, usury, drunkenness, infanticide, murderous quarrel and human sacrifice as well as stupid superstitions and fetishes". Within ten years he controlled All Arabia. He had created a new civilisation to the world - a civilization which is not only rich in science but also contributed towards the moral, spiritual and human development.

Unlike other great religious teachers, there are no mythical elements surrounding him. Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is a historic man and his life was led in times that are regarded as historical. In the seventh century of the Christian era this man was born and lived out his life in lands the history of which is known. The Holy Prophet created a society more free from widespread cruelty and social oppression than any society had ever been in the world before. “Let it be fully understood that Islam protects all, whether a man be Muslim, Christian or anything else and persecution is forbidden in any shape or form. Complete toleration was the gift of Islam to the world and it is gradually permeating the strata of narrowness and hatred”, writes Dr Sheldrake about Islam and its founder.

The religion of Islam proclaimed the first real democracy ever conceived in the minds of men. Islam is essentially a religion which propagated democracy and social equality. All the believers are equal and this fundamental equality is not a fiction as is so common among Christianity. It is accepted and real. The Hungarian Professor Dr Germanus, a great scholar, writes, “It is the people who are addressed in the Quran and it is for the benefit of the people and their salvation that all the injunctions of the rituals and beliefs are imposed on the believers. It is not a class privilege by descent or esoteric love which can rule over the oppressed and cowed en masse, but every individual man and woman stand directly before God in worship, duty and right”.

Islam imposes no restrictions on any individual enterprise towards amelioration of his status while it regulates the duties and rights towards his fellowmen. The respect and observance of Islamic social laws are a safety-valve against disruptive theories. These teachings are pillars of every sound society. They condemn selfish exploitation of the helpless and severely punish theft and robbery. No slogans or hatred but serious work and self-discipline all represented by the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet will pave the way towards the renaissance of the Islamic people.

No other society has such a record of success in uniting in an equality of status, of opportunity and of endeavour, so many and so various races of mankind. Islam has been more successful in mitigating race prejudice than other universal creeds. There is absolutely no colour bar for marriage. Islam has never known class-struggle and social hatred. It has banned human hatred and opened the way for human brotherhood and equality, whereas the western civilisation is still unable to look beyond narrow horizons of racial and national antagonism.

When shall the modern nations place love of man above love of the world? There can be no democracy without love of man as a man. This democracy is the very essence of Islam. That faith makes Islam a Brotherhood, an International Brotherhood, a fellowship of many races and tribes.

One of the commonest sneers at Islam in the West is that it teaches that women have no souls. Servicer remarks, "Muhammad sought to make himself the champion of women whose position he tried to ameliorate. Before his reform women and children could not inherit what was worse, the nearest relation of the deceased took possession of the women and their property in the same way as he took over his slaves with their savings.

Muhammad gave the women the right to inherit; and often insisted in their favour. His last sermon at Makkah contained these memorable words: Treat your women well, they are your helpers. He well knew that if a woman is a slave by day, by night, she is a queen and her influence is at all times worthy of consideration".

Because of its democratic nature, freedom, equality, toleration and justice, Islam spread throughout the whole world. The expansion of Islam is the most miraculous of all miracles. Being inspired by the light of Islam, the medieval Arabs conquered most of the then civilised world in less than a century, whereas the Roman Empire of Augustus was won over a period of 700 years.

"Within a century after their rise these people became the masters of an empire extending from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the confines of China, an empire greater than that of Rome at its Zenith", wrote Philip K. Hitti in his well-known book History of the Arabs. Islam has been and still is a living force from Morocco to Indonesia and a way of life to more than a billion of the human race.

Holy Prophet Muhammad established a civilisation wherein there was peace, harmony and co-operation. Arrogance, haughtiness and conceit were hated. Modesty, humbleness and simplicity were praised and appreciated. All forms of extremism, violence and aggression were prohibited. Islam is a message of peace and stands for freedom and equality which, as a matter of fact, had long been forgotten in all the lands of the degenerated ancient civilisations.

The people throughout the world welcomed this religion because of its message of peace. Finday in his book History of the Roman Empire, writes, "The inhabitants of Syria welcomed the followers of Muhammad; the Copts of Egypt contributed the place their country under the domination of the Arabs".

Islam establishes a brotherhood among all Muslims. It is a religion of peace and toleration. The dominant feature of Islam, as its very name implies, is the making of peace. A Muslim is one who has made peace with God and man; peace with God implies complete submission to His Will and obedience to the laws of creation. Peace with mankind implies the doing of good to one's fellow creatures.

The Holy Prophet of Islam was a very great man. His honesty and probity as a poor young man earned him the social title of Al-Amin: the Just. His immense contribution to civilisation remains an outstanding and astounding fact of history.

Howsoever we may judge, the character of this man is a precious heritage for Humanism. He was always very abstemious in his habits and contented himself with simple food, clothes and lodging. He was entirely free from avarice. The Holy Prophet was an exemplar of patience and forbearance to the proud hot tempered Arab. His sweet patience was indeed his great virtue. His boundless charity and generosity to all flowed from his unworldly heart like a fountain in the Arabian desert.

Bernard Shaw wrote in his book the Genius of Islam, "He (Muhammad) is a Saviour of Humanity". Shaw asserts in the same book and says, "I believe that if a man like him 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." Bernard Shaw has truly acknowledged, "Muhammad was a saviour of Humanity, the Mercy for all men, a blessing for men and an exemplar in every age."

We must send blessings to Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the Qur’an says, "Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Holy Prophet: O you who believe! Send your blessings on him, and salute him with all respect". (33:56).

* First published in Muslim World, the English Weekly of Rabita al-Alam al-Islami on 8th of April, 2006

Interfaith Week at British Parliament

Interfaith Week at the British Parliament

Faith in Politics

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The Forum for International Relations Development (FIRD) has organised an event at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, the 13^th of November 2018 to celebrate UK Parliament Week and Interfaith Week. “Faith is a great starting point for politics – perhaps the best starting point there is. Because religious faith is the source of the values we need to make politics work: responsibility, solidarity, patience, persistence, compassion, truthfulness. The erosion of these values has led to an erosion of trust in politics. To rebuild trust in politics, as we must, we need to rebuild those values – and religious faith is a very promising source from which to do so,” said Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms, Member of Parliament representing the diverse community in the East End of London and also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society

Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms particularly extended his thanks to  Umar Mahmood from the Forum for International Relations Development for putting together the programme for today’s event by managing to bring the following illustrious panel which included Dr. Harriet Crabtree OBE, Executive Director, The Inter Faith Network;  Afzal Khan CBE MP, Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Immigration); David Clark – Head of Education and Engagement, UK Parliament; Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan MP – Shadow Minister (DCMS) (Sport) and Jehangir Malik, CEO Muslim Aid.

I had the opportunity to be present at the event on behalf of Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque, as one of his Advisors. I listened carefully and attentively and found Mr. Stephen Timms noticed after a lot of discussions with faith groups that they did not have a very good relationship with their Local Authority and came out with a Covenant.

Parliamentarian Timms said, “We drew up something we call the Covenant for Engagement. Eleven local authorities have adopted it. It hopes to be a vehicle for building trust between faith groups on the one hand and local authorities on the other. I’m hoping that model will be adopted across the country as increasingly Councils recognise the value and the potential that faith groups can make.”

At the beginning of his speech, Stephen Timms mentioned, “I represent a very diverse community in the East End of London. People who are not familiar with communities like the one I represent assume it must be fragmented. But this morning I met a young civil servant who has just moved in to our community who was commenting on how cohesive she is finding our community to be.”

Parliamentarian Timms mentioned, “I think the way it works is that almost everyone in our community belongs to a faith group; and, as long as each of them is clearly part of our wider community, belonging to one of them extends to a sense of belonging to our community. Fragmentation doesn’t happen because people all belong to lots of different things. Fragmentation happens when lots of people doing belong to anything at all.”

“It is often said that “you shouldn’t mix faith and politics”. Those who say it point to trouble in any number of parts of the world to explain their argument. And you can see what they mean,” said Rt. Hon. Timms and added, “But I think they are drawing the wrong conclusion. The truth is that faith is a great starting point for politics – perhaps the best starting point there is. Because religious faith is the source of the values we need to make politics work: responsibility, solidarity, patience, persistence, compassion, truthfulness. The erosion of these values has led to an erosion of trust in politics. To rebuild trust in politics, as we must, we need to rebuild those values – and religious faith is a very promising source from which to do so.” 

Speaking about Britain and Faith communities, Stephen Timms, who is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society, mentioned, “Britain tends to think of itself as a pretty secular country these days. And yet it has turned out, at the beginning of the 21st century that it has been faith groups which have uniquely been able to take on the sudden challenges of inequality of poverty which we have seen in recent years.”

Citing an example, Mr. Timms draw the attention to the food poverty and said, “Let’s look at food poverty. It is perhaps not surprising that faith groups have had the motivations to run food banks. More striking is that they have also had the capacity – when no other network or institution has been able to. It has been a remarkable achievement, illustrating an important truth about where the capacity to change things for the better in Britain today can really be found.”

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As a chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society, Mr. Timms mentioned that he has got the chance to look into the relationships between the Local Authority and Faith Groups. “We have looked closely in recent years at the relationships between Local Authorities and faith groups in their area. We would like to see a lot more examples of Local Authorities commissioning services from faith based organisations who are wanting to provide services,” said Mr. Timms and mentioned, “As part of our work, we have had a lot of discussions with faith groups – on a variety of topics, such welfare to work, children and young people, about oversees development. A very common theme of those discussions was faith groups feeling they didn’t have a very good relationship with their Local Authority.”

Parliamentarian Timms said, “The Councils were suspicious of them, there was a fear that if they did give money to a faith based organisation to provide a service, then either that money be used to convert people instead of delivering the service, or the service would be delivered in a way that was biased and only for that particular group. But local authorities have a lot of anxiety and nervous about all this. And that is what our covenant is aiming to address.”

Parliamentarian Timms talked about a Covenant which is aiming to address the issues presently facing. He mentioned, “So we drew up something we call the Covenant for Engagement. Eleven local authorities have adopted it. It hopes to be a vehicle for building trust between faith groups on the one hand and local authorities on the other. I’m hoping that model will be adopted across the country as increasingly councils recognise the value and the potential that faith groups can make. I imagine many of us sitting in this room recognise this potential. Let’s hope others do too! I hope the discussion today will give this collaboration a new impetus and energy for the future.”

Lord Tyler CBE

Lord Tyler said, “I have been associated for a number of years with faith and civil society. The works that I have been doing at various educational levels is to improve religious literacy. I think in this country now we have two generations possibly we have not the benefit of understanding and getting to know different faith groups as they believing and what its important what is significant in their lives. And that affects the whole education system. So there is a big lack of understanding for quite a long time.”

Referring to Stephen Timms’s food banks, Lord Tyler said,  “It is interesting as Stephen said it happened at the same time very important initiative have been taken by those faith groups and I am associated with the trust as they were the partners who run and managed and looked after the majority of our food banks. And my wife is a trustee of that local food banks. This combination of trying to increase the understanding of what faith groups are facing and at the same time the challenges to try to make a larger contribution to the local communities. I think it is a very important double aim; it is moving in the same direction I think we can do is to improve the speed the important development phases is important too.”

Lord Alderdice

Lord AIderdice said, “The problem of faith and politics was for a long time implied to be a cause of the Protestants and the Catholics fighting because they came from religious backgrounds. And the view many of them took in the 1970s and 1980s when I was beginning my own works was resolution of problem only when people only moved away from their commitment of their religious faiths.”

“When I became involved coming from a faith background and commitment I took the view that we needed to understand that what faith is all about. I did not believe that the IRA was fighting to protect doctrinal Francis; it was not at all and then it was interesting because as people of faith became involved in working resolution like things begun to make much progress,” said Lord Alderdice and added, “Many of the people involved were of the view that after two/three generations of education religious faiths will effectively be disappeared. No one can look at the world now and say that is the case.”

Lord Alderdice said, “I think there is really fascinating and exciting challenge for us but it is a challenge. This year we are celebrating really an important anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But in 2018 Article 18 of Freedom of Religion and Belief is an orphaned article about which nothing being done by the United Nations on that front. This is something which we can pick up and promote and indeed I am very happy to say that the British government begun to think of some funding in the question of freedom of religion and belief. I think this is a big recognition that we can talk seriously about Universal Declaration of Human Rights; without talking energetically about the freedom of religion and belief. And that includes those who do not have religious belief of course.”

Lord Alderdice mentioned, “I think it is not so much different religious faiths  all the way people hold their faith and those who hold it in a fundamentalist way of thinking was very often do contribute to fragmentation; but those who understand the importance of diversity I have a totally different perspective very much the one that Stephen mentions that understanding the different routes to faith that may help us to bring a richer community because of its diversity rather than a divided community because of our differences; but if we are going to achieve that I think there is an important change for the faith community is to be looking forward to what venturing faith it means rather than simply trying to maintain the practices and  the rituals and the ways of working from the past for their own sake.”

“Every generation has the possibility of seeing in a different new way and if they are creative or energetic and visionary they can take things forward,” said Lord Alderdice.

Lord Alderdice also mentioned, “It’s a sad reality of the human conditions however every new idea and new venture is taken up by the second generation and consolidated but the time it comes to the third generation it becomes bureaucratised, institutionalised, legalised regulations all over the place and anybody that comes forward with the movement with the spirit whatever that means to them is really a heretic and problem. So every now and then again we have actually to become a bit heretical.”

Lord Alderdice said, “I do see a very important difference between belief and faith. Belief is in a sense the things we feel sure of that we knew; faith is a venturing into the uncertainty with commitment and trust but nevertheless it is a venturing out of our little bar into the uncertainty of the wider zone there.”

Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan MP Tooting

Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan, Member of Parliament from the Tooting Constituency said, “I think if you are the embodiment of some one in faith probably it makes me; the Pakistani father, a Polish mother, living in Tooting I think that sounds very much of everything. I am a practising Muslim went to a Church of England school; I go around collecting prayers wherever I can get them; whether it is a Church, Mosque, or Synagogue and my family in Poland stood alongside their Jewish friends and colleagues to fight against the Germans and I have devoted my life to pursue the interfaith works.”

Dr. Allin-Khan mentioned, “I believe actually fundamentally we are all the same; we are all children of God; whichever house you choose to go and worship; oh no, worship; whether you call it worship, soul, spirit; whatever; we are all here together to call habit for a divine purpose. And I think we need to be very honest as politician. I have been MP only for two years now. I spent my life working as a doctor. I am an emergency medicine physician and I still practice and I work in the field of humanitarian aid. And I have seen those come in all forms, sect, society and religion and that comes in all forms of sect, society and religion and our role as people are to find those like-minded individual and stand shoulder to shoulder with them whichever colour, religion and denomination they are or belong to. Politicians are really important though to embrace the part the faith may play in your life and sometimes you get cut down for doing so.”

Talking about her family and children, Dr. Allin-Khan said, “My children, I have children three years old and five years old; they are Polish Pakistani Welsh being raised as Muslim; oh she drug her husband down the mosque, made him to take the Shahadah, forced him to be a Muslim; who would choose that. Yes; my three daughters are Muslim; new flash; that’s the world we live in and in fact that is the majority these days; the majority of our country are mixed heritage. My daughters and I other people they share because they are wearing scarf; what I love her school I choose to have educated in a non-denominational school. It is very important that children learn from one another, I really believe that.”

Dr. Rosena Khan talked about herself and her belief and faith and profession. She said, “My mum says me there are people harder than us; that makes me think if there is God up there and I belief there is I am sure HE means me to improve the life of people harder than me. And I took that mission throughout my life with me and everyday my prayer was I don’t really care what the far right say about me; I always say everyday God whatever You mean me have; Whatever way you used let it be and when HE took me this poor simple girl going for medical school in Cambridge.”

Dr. Rosena Khan works in Hospital as a Doctor with her faith. She said, “Okay shock around the world; when someone came to my A & E department in Hospital with a break up morning trying to have a heart attack and I stand up around the bed; God, you mean this person to live; work for me. Every time I sat at the chamber and I had a message to deliver I think to improve the lives of everybody. I say; God, if you need me immediately without mumbling jumbling; immediately placed the attention to the matter IF it is important in the community I would be doing my job; if I take everything on my job; that does not mean everybody has to; that does not mean I don’t judge people.”

Dr. Rosena Khan also said, “I don’t but I mean I am learning; I am on a journey where I am learning to embrace; her faith affects my politics and my job and the best thing we can do in our community if the unsung putting you whether you are a public figure or being a politician or otherwise it comes risky safe; I am a Christian and I have Christian values; that means someone will love you; I am a Muslim and I am proud; because someone will call you fundamentalist.”

Dr. Khan has very beautifully explained and defined the word ‘Fundamentalist’. She said, “I tell you what, a fundamentalist Muslim by very definition is somebody who believe in peace; who believe in unity; he does not support division; guide who fundamentalist says; fundamentalist Christian will say the same things; fundamentalist Catholic will say the same; as my Stephen colleague just said people who hold such a hard thought they would look upon rest of us, Muslims not supporting their ideology; did itself is Islamic.”

Afzal Khan MP

Afzal Khan, Member of Parliament from the Greater Manchester Constituency just arrived from another meeting and said, “Luckily, just finished in ten minutes before you finish; so I am pleased I am able to join you. All I really want to say I know you are going to finish soon. For me, faith is something positive, all faiths the key message is ultimately about improving the individual and then secondly the core messages are making we have a good society; this is the message and when we think about the world we are living in I find this message is even more important now in the sense because we are more able to travel anywhere in the world and equally we are more able to communicate instantly virtually anywhere any part of the world; so actually really the world has become a global village in this context both for travelling and both for communication.”

“And therefore, for us, those of us have common values of faith are equally important that we celebrate this. Myself personally; if I compare my own life I know when I was not close to my faith those values were totally different. But faith gave me those values especially engaged me because I am inspired by the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his message. You know the two things which always help me in this idea of practising faith: The one, he said, was the best among the humanity are those who bring benefits to others and that’s the core of the values. And the second which is very much personal idea of development is. He said; the person whose two days are the same is in a state of loss so the need to constantly improve yourself to make things better is also there and so I think faith is something positive.”

“Welcome to this development and I look forward to being able to part of this; so to see the more we can do; bring the rich diverse community that we have, celebrate the communality that we have, instead of the differences that we live, that we have; that itself I believe actually to help us to be in better and distinguishes us more,” said parliamentarian Afzal Khan.     

How to Achieve Justice for Rohingyas

How to Achieve Justice For Rohingyas

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Justice 4 Rohingya UK has organised an event entitled “How to Achieve Justice for Rohingyas” was held at the Library Conference Hall of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London on Wednesday, 24^th of October 2018.

Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan

While opening the event, Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque Trust, said, “The subject we are going to talk about today is very very important. First of all it’s a human issue; it is also a human tragedy which really started long long time ago; that is the crisis or the tragedy of the modern Rohingya of Myanmar.”

Recollecting his memory, Dr. al-Dubayan said, “I remember when I was even student in the University early 1980’s they took us on our visit to India and Bangladesh. That time they planned for us to see in Bangladesh itself. They took us towards south going to Coxes’ Bazaar and Chittagong and in those days we saw the early refugees of Rohingya on the road in Bangladesh.”

“I still remember how awful and how really sad that tragedy that we saw at that time and what is really bothering me around the world now is that the tragedy is still continuing and still going on after all these years.”

Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “We are now in the 21^st century and many minorities in many countries with democracy there. Time is now to bring this issue of the Muslims of Rohingya in Myanmar and to bring it, not only to do more relief works, to do more relief initiatives, but also to bring justice to them. That’s why we have this organisation, Justice 4 Rohingya UK.”

“If this justice does not or is not initiated and started in the UK I don’t think it would be to start anywhere in the world. UK is very important country which is well known for the voices; the voice of law is very loudly heard by everybody,” said Dr. al-Dubayan and added, “This tragedy really reminds us about the tragedy of the Muslims during the 1990’s of Bosnia tragedy; of the Jews during the days of Holocaust in the 1930’s in Germany and in the early 1940’s. All these things must be stopped and voices must be raised loudly against all these atrocities going and happening around the world.”

Dr. al-Dubayan also emphasized by saying, “Voices must be loudly raised for more human rights, for more rights for these refugees of Myanmar. We are here together today to support really this issue and to extend our hands either with the nations or with human rights organisations or with any other initiatives. It is really something human where all people should come together, not only Muslims, but also other people who are not Muslims and also everybody who believes in justice and believes in equality of human race and mankind.”

Afzal Khan MP

The next speaker was parliamentarian Afzal Khan, the MP of Greater Manchester. He is a strong advocate of Rohingya rights. Afzal has visited the Pakistani Refugees camps in Bangladesh and raised the issues of Rohingya Refugees multiple times in Parliament. MP Afzal Khan started addressing the gathering by saying “brothers and sisters, Assalamualaikum, Good evening, Salam Shalom  Namaste Sastekar.”

Khan said, “Can I say, it is wonderful to see actually so many people here from different backgrounds of different faiths. I know the time is short. I am going to say one or two things very quickly and that more or less my good friend Dr. Dubayan has covered the issue and that is for humanity and we also learnt that for so many decades, violence has been going on on Rohingyas. I also have seen the terrible situation which exists there. Winter is round the corner and you and me are going back home and would have the comfort. These people have none of this. This is our duty, whatever way we can, to alleviate this.”

“You know the United Nations is not the problem. All we need is the weight. It is necessary to raise this issue with the Myanmar government to sort out this problem by accepting Rohingya people as citizens of Myanmar. That’s all we need to do. So that they can carry on their lives like anybody else, like rest of the people of the world as they enjoy,” he said.

Mr. Khan mentioned, “Our government has doing something to help. I think we can do more. Me, Seema Malhotra and many other parliamentarians, we have this opportunity in Parliament to put the pressure on the government. This is one thing; but we also have to do in the UN so that we can do more to carry on doing this.”

Seema Malhotra, MP

Seema Malhotra is also an MP. She is Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2016. Parliamentarian Seema said, “Thank you very much. Assalamualaikum and Good Evening to all. I would say huge thank you to you and Dr Ramzy and to all the management committee of hosting tonight and for keeping this issue high on the agenda. This issue has to be kept high on the parliamentary agenda and on our community agenda. And I am incredibly honest on following my friends and colleagues Afzal Khan MP and others who, I know, have been wanted to come and make to come this evening.”

She also mentioned, “You know and we know the scale of this tragedy. 700,000 people fled, destruction of their homes and persecutions in the last year. That is an extraordinary number and when you think about the impact of that, not just on that community; what does it have for Burma? What it means for Bangladesh? Picking up those pieces and then the international community needs to response, not just trying to put plaster on these deep wounds.”

Seema also said, “The United Nations describe them military offensive, The Textbook example of ethnic cleaning and so many still fighting to make for the definition of what is happening. A definition, it should be genocide, in my view, and we should be looking for those who are perpetrators and they should be held accountable in the International Court of Justice.”

“I want to thank you for tonight events for keeping on the agenda and to focus on those who are suffering day by day that here in our community in London. It’s helping to keep up community connected with Parliament and help our Parliament active with other Parliaments and with those international courts as well,” mentioned parliamentarian Seema.

Seema wanted to share a few words that Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the Opposition Labour Party, has said at Labour Conference recently. She mentioned, “Because I think those spoke of all of us. Sometimes our hopes can be betrayed; many of us campaigned for the release of Aung San Sue Kyi imprisoned by Myanmar military; she was fighting for democracy at that time. We also welcomed her into Parliament; when she spoke and addressed the Houses of Parliament. He went on to say; Myanmar military government with Aung San Sue Kyi normally leads stand accused of these grave atrocities against the Rohingya people. Nearly one million people having fled to neighbouring Bangladesh and women and girls in particular facing appalling violence. That’s why we demand that the Myanmar government ends this horrific ethnic cleansing and allow the Rohingya to rebuild their community and their lives. We ask not anything else.”

“When you think about that number; to me, it is staggering; because when you think about the international aid providing the basic shelter, foods, and medicines; you don’t have to do that; going to humanitarian disaster. It is a human-made disaster; man against man. And with a man-made atrocity of this kind, we see so many sufferings; many who should not suffer,” said parliamentarian Seema.

“They should be able to live their lives in peace and we have to stand up for their return; return when everybody can be living their lives in peace; in peace with each other; in peace with their neighbours and nations; at peace with each other. We have to hold that ideal; because if we don’t campaign for that ideal in the work that we do as citizens and in parliament; we will be failing on our part to see. Thank you everybody for coming.  I wish you all a very very an important evening in which you all come together,” concluded Seema.

Ruth Burnett

Ruth Burnett is a Genocide and Holocaust Educator (Jewish Community). Ruth was born in Berlin 1935 and came to England to escape the atrocities at the age of four. For ten years in different foster homes until she was united with her parents; unfortunately that does not went well. Ultimately she was married living here for about sixty years. She has been a teacher, a psychotherapist and has been a writer for 15 years challenging young people to think widely and challenge injustice. 

Ruth Burnett said, “First of all I want to say thank you for the invitation to come here to speak to you and to hear you of course; thank you for coming to listen. I feel very very honoured to have been invited.”

Ruth Bernett said, “Now I am concerned about Rohingya ever since I first learnt about that tragedy going on and I think it is absolutely appalling. It is genocide; very few people have the courage to face power with truth and acknowledge it is genocide; because if you want to acknowledge it genocide you are bound by law to intervene. That has also so many problems and leaders are shy of acknowledging genocide and having to intervene. It is not going to come from the top to down; it has got to come from the grassroots bottom on more pressures to get the leaders to take responsibility.”

“I go back to apathy, indifference and denial which are much more of a problem than racial conflict, than religious conflicts. Conflict can be resolved with talking through; we seem to have lost the ability to distinguish between conflict and war. War resolves nothing end but create more conflict, more aggression and more vengeance,” she said.

“Every genocide is a huge loss to the whole of humanity. How long we are allowing it to let it go,” said Ruth Burnett and mentioned about a website outlining ten stages of every genocide that has been allowed to happen so far. She said, these genocides “not happened but we allow them to happen in stages; the tenth stage is denial; the ninth stage is the slaughter; there are eight clear stages of genocide. When we know it is happening what we say alleged genocide. We have to face the truth, the power that it is genocide to get it stopped. And it has got to come from the mass of people who are at the moment passive bystanders. This is the challenge the children I speak do a tiny bit of move from being a passive bystanders to being an active bystanders,” she said.

Ruth Burnett also said, “Justice is a word about justice. There are so many concepts; we don’t discriminate between them, justice and punishment. In my view, punishment is not justice; it usually revenge; state-organised revenge; in the penal system. I see justice at exposing what has been a crime; and we need to expose the crime of genocide by exposing everyone in order to be able to see that we are now exposing that what is going on as it is now.”

Robin Marsh

Robin Marsh is one of the Directors for Justice 4 Rohingya UK. He is also Director for the Universal Peace Federation and he is involved in peace and human rights activities for the last 20 years. He works in various issues in partnership with other groups including conflict and sexual violence conflict and genocide awareness and intra-community cohesion.

Rabin Marsh said, “Together with Sheikh Ramzy and number of others we had formed this for last ten or twelve years organising regular events highlighting genocide; genocide issues, stages of genocide; raise awareness and also the responsibility to protect. Many times the Rohingya issue is going on now.”

“In the past we tried to raise awareness and to counter denial. For what is happening now we have the responsibility; we can work and raise awareness and indirect public opinion and gather evidence. These are things happening now. For example, happening sometimes there is much regret in the world wide community; we can do more. These things are happening now,” said Rabin.

Rabin also commended Sheikh Ramzy for so passionate about this and “because of his passion he created this organisation For Justice 4 Rohingya UK and we come along to support. We wanted to raise awareness first of all keeping in the public eye and then to raise the issue of accountability by creating the structure by which we can gather evidence. We have to find means and method to have an accountability for what’s going on now. If that is becoming obvious we are gathering the evidence of accountability; then, may be, some of the people who are perpetuating this currently would be very nervous about their future. This is why, we come together this evening,” mentioned Rabin.

Councillor Liaquat Ali MBE

Councillor Liaquat Ali MBE JP is a Labour Party member in the constituency of Waltham Forest. He is also chairman of the British Muslim Mayors Association of UK and he was the Mayor of Waltham Forest in 2007-2008.

Councillor Ali mentioned that tragic things are happening up there with Rohingya in Myanmar. He said, “I certainly call it a genocide, ethnic cleaning in there and certainly what is happening certainly what happened last year - abuse, violence; villages being burnt down. It’s time now that the international community takes some notice and put some pressure on the government of Burma to honour their commitment that they said that these people would be allowed to go back but that was a few months so; nothing happening on that front. I cannot see really anybody that has gone back from the camps that was set up in Bangladesh; it’s really important.”

Councillor Ali also said, “Those people who are responsible for this tragedy should be brought to justice through the international criminal court; I think that could be the way of making sure that these perpetrators who have brutally kicked these people and even the law. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and certainly we, as an international community, should do something on that. United Kingdom government needs to do more but the United Nations and the United States of America need to take some action on this because this is certainly the biggest genocide of this century.”

Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK and Barrister Michael Pollack also spoke on the occasion.

Faith is a great starting point for politics - Stephen Timms MP

Faith is a Great Starting Point

for Politics - Stephen Timms MP

Dr. Mozammel Haque

  

“Faith is a great starting point for politics – perhaps the best starting point there is. Because religious faith is the source of the values we need to make politics work: responsibility, solidarity, patience, persistence, compassion, truthfulness. The erosion of these values has led to an erosion of trust in politics. To rebuild trust in politics, as we must, we need to rebuild those values – and religious faith is a very promising source from which to do so,” said Rt. Hon. Stephen Timms, Member of Parliament (MP) representing the diverse community in the East End of London and also the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society at the event organised by the Forum for International Relations Development to celebrate UK Parliament Week and Interfaith Week at the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, the 13^th of November 2018.

Stephen Timms MP particularly extended his thanks to  Umar Mahmood from the Forum for International Relations Development for putting together the programme for today’s event by managing to bring the following illustrious panel which included Dr. Harriet Crabtree OBE, Executive Director, The Inter Faith Network;  Afzal Khan CBE MP, Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Immigration); David Clark – Head of Education and Engagement, UK Parliament; Dr. Rosena Allin-Khan MP – Shadow Minister (DCMS) (Sport) and Jehangir Malik, CEO Muslim Aid.

I had the opportunity to be present at the event on behalf of Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque, as one of his Advisor. I listened carefully and attentively and found Mr. Stephen Timms noticed after a lot of discussions with faith groups that they did not have a very good relationship with their Local Authority and came out with a Covenant.

Timms MP for East Ham since 1997 said, “We drew up something we call the Covenant for Engagement. Eleven local authorities have adopted it. It hopes to be a vehicle for building trust between faith groups on the one hand and local authorities on the other. I’m hoping that model will be adopted across the country as increasingly councils recognise the value and the potential that faith groups can make.”

At the beginning of his speech, Stephen Timms MP mentioned, “I represent a very diverse community in the East End of London. People who are not familiar with communities like the one I represent assume it must be fragmented. But this morning I met a young civil servant who has just moved in to our community who was commenting on how cohesive she is finding our community to be.”

He mentioned, “I think the way it works is that almost everyone in our community belongs to a faith group; and, as long as each of them is clearly part of our wider community, belonging to one of them extends to a sense of belonging to our community. Fragmentation doesn’t happen because people all belong to lots of different things. Fragmentation happens when lots of people doing belong to anything at all.”

“It is often said that “you shouldn’t mix faith and politics”. Those who say it point to trouble in any number of parts of the world to explain their argument. And you can see what they mean,” said Rt. Hon. Timms and added, “But I think they are drawing the wrong conclusion. The truth is that faith is a great starting point for politics – perhaps the best starting point there is. Because religious faith is the source of the values we need to make politics work: responsibility, solidarity, patience, persistence, compassion, truthfulness. The erosion of these values has led to an erosion of trust in politics. To rebuild trust in politics, as we must, we need to rebuild those values – and religious faith is a very promising source from which to do so.” 

Speaking about Britain and Faith communities, Stephen Timms, who is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society, mentioned, “Britain tends to think of itself as a pretty secular country these days. And yet it has turned out, at the beginning of the 21st century, that it has been faith groups which have uniquely been able to take on the sudden challenges of inequality of poverty which we have seen in recent years.”

Citing an example, MP Timms draw the attention to the food poverty and said, ““Let’s look at food poverty. It is perhaps not surprising that faith groups have had the motivations to run food banks. More striking is that they have also had the capacity – when no other network or institution has been able to. It has been a remarkable achievement, illustrating an important truth about where the capacity to change things for the better in Britain today can really be found.”

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As a chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society, MP for East Ham, Timms, mentioned that he has got the chance to look into the relationships between the Local Authority and Faith Groups. “We have looked closely in recent years at the relationships between Local Authorities and faith groups in their area. We would like to see a lot more examples of Local Authorities commissioning services from faith based organisations who are wanting to provide services,” said Mr. Timms and mentioned, “As part of our work, we have had a lot of discussions with faith groups – on a variety of topics, such welfare to work, children and young people, about oversees development. A very common theme of those discussions was faith groups feeling they didn’t have a very good relationship with their Local Authority.”

MP. Timms said, “The councils were suspicious of them, there was a fear that if they did give money to a faith based organisation to provide a service, then either that money be used to convert people instead of delivering the service, or the service would be delivered in a way that was biased and only for that particular group. But local authorities have a lot of anxiety and nervous about all this. And that is what our covenant is aiming to address.”

Mr. Timms, MP and a chair of All Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society talked about a Covenant which is aiming to address the issues presently facing. He mentioned, “So we drew up something we call the Covenant for Engagement. Eleven local authorities have adopted it. It hopes to be a vehicle for building trust between faith groups on the one hand and local authorities on the other. I’m hoping that model will be adopted across the country as increasingly councils recognise the value and the potential that faith groups can make. I imagine many of us sitting in this room recognise this potential. Let’s hope others do too! I hope the discussion today will give this collaboration a new impetus and energy for the future.”

Role of Scholars and Ulema

Role of Scholars and Ulema

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Before going into the question of who are scholars and what are their roles, it is essential to understand the philosophy of the religion, philosophy of Islam. Islam is a social religion or the religion for the society, not for individual only. Individual has to live within the society and has to perform his social activities and social responsibilities. Islam does not expect individual to be isolated or to live alone.

Philosophy of Islam

Speaking about the fundamental message and the philosophy of Islam, Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & the London Central Mosque Trust, said, “Islam is more for the society; not individual religion which exactly tries to keep you individually isolated from other people. No. Islam itself is like those who work; like those who are very useful in the society; like those who having engagement with the people around them. They do the best for everybody.”

Explaining this point of the message of Islam, Dr. al-Dubayan narrated one incident from the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He said, “During the days of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam, there were two brothers one of them actually used to spend all his time praying, sitting in the mosque, doing nothing. Praying, doing Tasweeh, reading Qur’an; he does not go out; rarely he goes out from the mosque; because he kept all his time busy. On the other hand, his brother, this brother, he is one who goes to work, here and there; and buys something and sells in the market to earn some money to live; and then he spends some money for his brother, the other one who most of his time worshipping Allah Subhanahu wa Taala. Then the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam asks about this man who most of the time worshipping. Then they told the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam, this is the man who dedicated his time for Allah Subhanahu wa Taala. Prophet asks them, how does he live; they said he has a brother and this brother is actually spending some money for him. Then the Prophet said; the other one is worshipping more than this man; because other one is more engaged working for the benefit of himself; his family around him. He is more generous to those who need including his brother.”

“So the Qur’an, the deen of Allah Subhanahu wa Taala does not want to be like this; relying on people. They feed you; they give you and you are sitting and doing nothing. You said, I am reading Qur’an all the time; I am busy; so you prepare for me lunch, dinner or whatever and then. No; those who prepare this; they are, may be, closer to Allah Subhanahu wa Taala more than you. You have to understand the philosophy of the religion. How Islam sees this. It is not only the worship; it is worship and something else. More than other things,” said Dr. al-Dubayan and added, “For us, this is Islam; this is the real message of Islam. Now we believe in this; then what is the role of the scholars after the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam especially after the companions and followers.”

Who are scholar

Dr. al-Dubayan then spoke about the scholars and their role in society and religion. He said, “After the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam, especially after the companions and followers, like any other society, many people engaged themselves with knowledge studying the Qur’an, Hadiths These people became scholars. We all know four imams: Abu Hanifa, Malek, Ahmed, these four and other imams. By the way, we do not only have these imams; we have many imams, many; but these four are well-known; and they have many followers. Other imams, Imam Daud Ali, Imam Muhammad bin Tabari, Imam Shafei bin Rafei, ibn Saad Imam, I can give you many many names, they are all imams exactly equal to Abu Hanifa, to Shafie to Ahmed, to Malek. They used to have followers. But after all these centuries, the followers of the four imams become more well-known; many students wrote books about them. So they are well-known about the others; others did not have all this heritage left behind by their students.”

Role of Scholars

Now Dr. al-Dubayan spoke about the role of scholars. He first of all, enquired what are the role of these scholars and immediately replied, “The role of scholars is to teach people, to explain; and when something new happen, then they have what we call Ijtihad.” He said, “Ijtihad means I studied the Qur’an, then I know it, then okay, I know Allah Subhanahu wa Taala says what is forbidden in the Qur’an, what Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said; then I can make judgement on some new things. For example, now smoking. Smoking did not happen during the days of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. Smoking came only when Christopher Columbus went to America. He found Red Indians used to smoke. Then he carried this; he brought to Europe, from Europe people started to smoke. Then some companies were established, to make cigarette business; it becomes a very big industry in the world now; say four hundred years.”

Speaking about smoking, whether it is haram or halal, Dr. al-Dubayan said how we will decide that. He asked, “What do you think about smoking? Is it haram or halal? Now this is the Ijtihad. You will never find a text in the Qur’an or Hadiths of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam or imams talking about smoking. It was not known at that time. So how do you say it is haram or halal; based on what? This is the ijtihad. Now we will see; is smoking very useful? For you as a person or is it damaging your health, for example or wasting money. Based on this, scholars, many of them, said, well, it is haram like drugs. What about drugs? Drugs are even more, for example; even more than cigarettes; drugs is actually Haram. Why scholars said, it is haram. I know in some countries, some people say to you, no; no, it is not haram. I know some countries said it is not haram; because some of those Sheikhs I know unfortunately they themselves do it; they think it is not haram. I discussed with them, how come you brothers, you are doing this; you are damaging your society; it is haram brothers.”

Smoking, Drugs, Alcohol

Then Dr. al-Dubayan elaborated this point by giving various examples such as about Alcohol, Drugs and smoking. He said, “Alcohol is haram and there is even logic in Islam. Show me your authority in the Qur’an or in the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him.) It is not mentioned but there is Ijtihad; anything you create it, making new damage; or damaging your health, wasting your time; wasting your money, actually that is why it is haram or at least it is hateful. Smoking is haram but drugs definitely haram, definitely. Drug is definitely haram; all kinds of them. About smoking, some scholars say, it is hateful; but you should avoid this;, but the word haram is big a little bit. But many great scholars say it is really haram, because it is damaging your health; wasting your money; that’s why some scholars say, like even wasting time is hateful; you cannot waste your time all the time.”

“Just for example, sitting somewhere playing chess or cards, you do nothing; if you do sometimes with friends; it is okay; but if somebody spends everyday like six seven hours playing cards, this is not allowed. Why? Because you are leaving some things which are more important in your life actually and you are keeping yourself busy with something which is not acceptable. You don’t give time to your family; you don’t give time to your wife; to your husband; to your children; you leave behind all your responsibilities; you just want to enjoy your time playing cards in a café with your friends. It goes beyond the normal limits; this is wasting of time. Though this is not wasting of health; it is wasting of time,” Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned. 

Waste anything is not allowed in Islam

Dr. al-Dubayan also mentioned about wasting anything is not allowed in Islam. He said, “Whatever you waste it is not allowed. Even waste of water; I talked about it once, it is not allowed. Wasting food, if you cook food, for example, for somebody in your home; for three people, when you are alone; meat rice or whatever, then you eat little and nobody is eating. Okay, throw it into the bin. This is haram. For you are destroying the natural resources; you are wasting food. You should give it to somebody to eat. If you don’t you must not cook it from the very beginning. Whenever you have extra food; try to find somebody who needs food, give it to him. Otherwise, if you cook specially for sisters, then don’t cook more than to eat; don’t cook because after that it would be in the bin. It is wasting of money, wasting the food, and wasting of time to cook it.”

Now going back to earlier discussion about the role of scholars Dr. al-Dubayan said, “The role of these scholars is really to judge the new things; to protect the Shari’ah; to protect the religion itself to keep it in proper perspective. After all these centuries; of course, there are many things added to the religion. The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam told us in his Hadiths that this Ummah, Muslims, is going to be divided into 73 sects or schools; he is the one who told us. Someone asked him, then which one I will follow out of these 73? The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam said those who are doing exactly the like I am doing now and my companions do; follow those. Those who are coming closer to the Qur’an and the real Sunnah of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam they are the one who comes close to Allah Subhanahu wa Taala.”

“If we come back to the principles I told you the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam delivered the message clear 100 per cent complete, nothing missing, nothing hidden. The Prophet said follow these messages I delivered. You should not add anything to it. Anybody adds something to it that is not from the Prophet, from the authority. The only authority is the Qur’an and the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam. If you remove a part of it you are not allowed to remove a part of it. Because this is the message complete from the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam,” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.

No Hierarchy in Islam

In Islam, there is no hierarchy. Nobody has the authority above the Qur’an and Sunnah. Speaking about this aspect of Islam, Dr. Al-Dubayan mentioned, “In Islam itself, we don’t have any hierarchy, religious or administrative religious system. That means somebody can say, well, I decide this is to be haram; or I decided alcohol was haram but now somebody decided it is halal; no, you cannot. You cannot do this, because it is complete Islam; it is done. You have to follow as it is, if you can. If sometimes somebody is weak, and he drinks alcohol sometimes, for some reason or other; may Allah forgive him or forgive her.”

“But there is a difference; if someone does something, he knows it is wrong, and someone who says no, no. no, it is halal, it is not haram. It is even worse. Who tries to change the judgement of things even worse than the one who does something, then he knows not halal, but Allah forgives him and Inshallah he will repent or try to change; but may be he does not or next morning he or she met friends who drinks also and again becomes weak again and then drinks again and then try to make repent again and say again even today I will not do it again and do it again and again three times you promise and one day you will succeed, but don’t  say or  the devil comes to you and say: every day you say I will give it up and do it again, no need to give up just continue. This is the one devils wanted from you, don’t stop, try to change to be better even if you do the things again and again,” said Dr. Al-Dubayan.

Role of Ulema

Speaking about the role of Ulema Dr. al-Dubayan made it clear that the role of Ulema is to advice you, to give you guidance and at the same time you have the right to check its authenticity. He said, “If you hear anything from Ulema you have the right to check it; you have the right to ask him; can you show me where did you get it from the Qur’an; show me where did you get it from the Hadiths; don’t follow someone blindly. Just like this without asking about that. This is very very dangerous. If you see some Muslims anywhere in the world follow blindly; they sometimes even did something directly contradict the Shari’ah.”

Explaining the situation Dr. al-Dubayan gave an example. He said, “For example, Allah Subhanahu wa Taala told us some times in the year are blessed times. Like what? Like the month of Ramadan; Okay, like the day of Arafah, the blessed time; .say like the day of Jumah, the blessed times; like the day of Ashoorah. That’s why we fasted. How do we know these days are blessed days or times; because Allah Subhanahu wa Taala told us in the Qur’an or the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam told us to do this. More than this, we cannot do this. You cannot come and say: listen; by the way, the day Wednesday is the blessed day, fast. You cannot, because Prophet Sallalahu Alayhe Wassallam did not say that. The religion is you have to follow the Prophet. The religion is you have to go back to the source. Don’t take from anybody whatever he says.

Similarly, there are some places which Allah . Subhanahu wa Taala called them blessed places, Makkah is one of them.