Jeremy
Corbyn Visits ICC
for
Iftar and Dinner Event
Dr.
Mozammel Haque
The Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition
Party Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn visited Islamic Cultural Centre & Central London
Mosque Trusts for a Special Iftar & Dinner held at the Library Conference
Hall of the Centre, on 25 May 2019. Her Majesty’s Opposition Party leader, Rt
Hon. Jeremy Corbyn was accompanied by Karen Buck MP and Naz Shah, MP. The event
was attended by the Trustees of the Centre which included Ambassadors and
representatives of many embassies such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Indonesia,
Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Representatives of Sudan,
Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE, and Yemen. Among the attendees there were also
government officials and leaders of the Muslim community and other dignitaries.
Dr Ahmad al-Dubayan
Dr.
Ahmad al-Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, welcomed
the guests and addressed the gathering with the greetings of Islam,
Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahe wa Barakatuh. Peace be upon all of you here. On
behalf of myself, I would like to welcome you; and we are so happy to have you
here in the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque.”
Introducing
the Islamic Cultural Centre, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “This is one of the
biggest and oldest Islamic Organisations, not only in the UK but also in
Europe. We can recall the opening of this place in 1944 when His Majesty King
George VI himself came here to announce the opening of the Islamic Cultural
Centre, London and the Centre here is a result of the continuous efforts done
by many Muslims from the Muslim communities; from Muslim countries and also the
land was granted by the government.”
Speaking
about the role and activities of the Centre, Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “Since
that day this Centre has been serving the Muslim community in many aspects and
in many areas; teaching Islam, teaching languages like Arabic and English,
interfaith activities, empowerment for women, social services, etc. etc. and
many members of the government and other parties also came here one time or
more actually to deliver speeches, or to attend and participate in different
activities and we are so happy for that because this is the real role of the
Islamic Cultural Centre to be interacting all the time with the British society
and with all the institutions around and with the civil society.”
Ramadan – the Month of Blessing, Peace
and the month of the Qur’an
Dr.
Al-Dubayan mentioned about the importance of Ramadan and Fasting. He said,
“Ramadan is the month of blessing, the month of peace, the month of the Qur’an.
We would like you and the Rt Hon. Guests today with us also to test the
blessings of Ramadan with us today and to have some, and to catch some moments
of the spirituality of this month.”
“The
month of Ramadan for every Muslim is the most important season also with Hajj
in two months after. It is the turning point for every Muslim to see his works,
to see and to balance his relation with
God, with Allah, to balance his
relations with the society; to see actually to correct himself in the level of
manners, the level of actions, his relations with his relatives, his relations
with his neighbours, everything. And also to improve himself at the end of the
month to be better person, better than before, and improved person. And as they
say, usually Muslims say, if the month of Ramadan comes to an end and you find
yourself you are better than before then your Ramadan is accepted by Allah. If
you feel you are the same then you have to check yourselves, may be you have
not done properly,” mentioned Dr. Al-Dubayan.
Mentioning
about the recent terror attacks happened in New Zealand and also in Sri Lanka
after that, Dr. Al-Dubayan said, “It is important after these terror attacks
that we meet that we have to ask some questions and a lot of very important
questions around the wider society and among the Muslim community too. One of
them is the solidarity together against all these hatreds and these attacks and
radicalisation and extremism.”
“How do
we do it? How do we do the solidarity? How can we achieve that? How can we face
the new issues arising around us? For example, how can the Muslim
organisations, especially the big organisations contribute in the government
work, in the government plans and policies?” Dr. Al-Dubayan raised these
questions and added, “I am sure Muslims have some opinions about something,
they must have some inputs for many things around.”
The ICC
chief extended his hands of cooperation with the government to fight every
issue. He said, “We would like to have our hands together with the government,
hand to hand, shoulder to shoulder, to fight all kinds of extremism,
radicalisation, hatred, incitement of hatred around us among the people,
discrimination against anybody, whoever he is. How can we do this? This is one
of the most important question. How can we solve or address the issues of
identity for the new generations? This is one of the urgent issues.”
“It is
very important and many of these young people become radical; because
originally they are having the problem of identity,” mentioned the ICC Director
General.
Islamophobia
Dr.
al-Dubayan then mentioned the issue of Islamophobia. He said, “Islamophobia
rise now as we all know and we all see some results of it. Islamophobia has
made every Muslim and everybody worried, not only in the UK; but everywhere and
we, Jeremy, we appreciate so much actually all the efforts you are doing
against the Islamophobia; to clarify this also and we appreciate really what
you have done regarding the definition of Islamophobia recently and we know
that leads us to more peaceful society and better relations with everybody.”
“We
also appreciate what the parties are doing for the Muslim community and we know
the problems with the Islamophobia. Islamophobia is an action; actually there
is a reaction comes after it and that is the problem of it. If you leave this
action happens, then there will be reaction against it; by what happened in Sri
Lanka. And then there might be another action against that; the reaction
itself. So it will like be a chain. Spreading hatred, spreading fighting;
shedding blood everywhere around; so this chain must be stopped somehow; we
must put our hands together to stop it for everyone and everywhere,” said Dr.
Al-Dubayan
Rise of
Far Right
Dr. Al-Dubayan also mentioned about the
rise of far right. He said, “We are worried honestly about the rise of far
right wing in the discourses, some politicians’ speeches, not only in the UK;
everywhere; in the United States, in Europe. The discourses itself sometimes
unintentionally or intentionally; I don’t know, but it really supports some
people, Far Right wings and others also to hate Muslims and to start this
Islamophobia again.”
“There
are those people who reject to live in the present time; they live only in
history; and they always recall history. They will damage the present time and
the future because of something happened in the past. We should look at the
future in a better way. These are some words just in my hearts. I wanted to say
everyone and I am sure everybody carrying the same worries in his heart and
everybody having the same concerns in his mind. Thank you very much again,”
said the ICC Director General.
After
this Dr. al-Dubayan welcomed again the Opposition Party leader Jeremy Corbyn
and his staff and ICC staff, and all the scholars to the Islamic Cultural
Centre again.
Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of
Her Majesty’s Opposition Party
Her Majesty’s Opposition
Party Leader Rt. Hon Jeremy Corbyn paid tribute and thanked the Islamic
Cultural Centre and the Central London Mosque for inviting him for Iftar &
Dinner and also mentioned that he saw lots of colleagues here this evening.
Rt. Hon. Corbyn then
mentioned about Ramadan and Iftar. He said, “There is something very special
about Ramadan and about Iftar Sahoor during Ramadan when the whole community
comes together this wonderful spiritual feeling on the streets among the
communities. A number of colleagues is with me this evening, Karen Buck who is
MP for this area did come but she had a bit of emergency, she had to rash away
just now. Apologies from her. She is clearly and very strongly friend of this
Mosque as well as the entire community. Also I like to pay a very special and
very warm welcome to my friend and colleague Naz Shah MP for Bradford, for the
wonderful speech she made in Parliament earlier this week; describing the way
Islamophobia destroys our society and the enormous contributions made by the
Muslim community to our lives all over Britain. So, Naz thank you for that.
Thank you the way you put it; it is extraordinary.”
Rt. Hon. Corbyn mentioned about the
presence of so many ambassadors of so many countries from around the world and
also mentioned about the Trustees of the Mosque. He said, “We are joined by the
Ambassadors of many countries around the world and by the Trustees of the
Mosque. And the role the Muslim community in Britain plays in our society is
absolutely huge; the donations of hundred million pounds to charities is
incredible and the Muslim communities as a whole in Britain is not necessarily
wealthy community but they have the principle of donations to charities is
absolutely the heart of the faith - is something the wider society needs to
understand.”
Role of the Mosque
The leader of the Opposition Party Jeremy
Corbyn mentioned about the issues around us which we have to deal with. He
said, “There are enormous issues that we have to deal with around the world.
The suffering of the poorest people around the world is just as much as the
suffering of poorest people within our society. It is mosques around Britain
opened their doors to the homelessness; to those who are often given honourable
hope and to those who are desperate to have something to eat. The role it plays
in helping people is absolutely praiseworthy.”
Appreciating the work the Mosques do
and thanking them for their work, Jeremy Corbyn said, “I think, we need a
stronger, much better, systematic social security that prevents falling into
destitution in the first place. But I
wanted to thank Mosques all over Britain which opened their doors to help
people going somewhere deepest and darkest people of their life. Thank you very
much for what you do to people irrespective of their faith, I understand.”
Crises Around the World
While speaking about the crises
around the world in general, Rt. Hon Corbyn especially mentioned about Rohingya
and Ughur people. He said, “There are crises around the world that we have to
recognise and deal with; the crisis - the Rohingya people are facing and still
face the way they were treated and driven out of their own homes and gone to
take shelter into Bangladesh. And the support necessary for Bangladesh but also
it is necessary for political settlement in Myanmar so that they can actually
go back home and live in safety and security and be free to practice their
faith.”
Refugees in general –
More than 60
million
Speaking about the refugees throughout the world,
Opposition leader mentioned there are more than 60 million people. He said, “The
Ughur people and many others around the world are suffering because of their
faith. And then in the wider scale the world is faced with two huge issues, the
number of refugees or people who were displaced from their homes around the
world is more than 60 million. 60
million people in the world who are displaced as refugees, unable to return to
their own homes; that is the equivalent to the entire population of the United Kingdom
and around the world. And those that are refugees are human beings just like
all of us; human beings wanting to live and wanting to make contribution to
their society. And we should look upon them wanting to survive.
And the spirit of hope are huge among the refugees. I was saying this earlier
today when I was speaking in a Gurudawar.”
Jeremy Corbyn mentioned one of the most inspiring moment
of his life. He said, “One of the most inspiring moment in my own life was
meeting refugees in the refugee camps before on the borders of Syria, on the
borders of Iraq; Iraq and Syria. Never mind the reasons, why they are there;
they are people, they are refugees; and they are in the camps. They are poor,
they are hungry; they are in cold; and they are wet and their tents are being
burnt. And some are died because of that.”
“I was talking to the families what
their lives are like; what their hopes are were; the young girl, fourteen or
there about. I asked her what you wanted to do in your life. What you wanted to
achieve in your life? She looked at me; straight to my face, and said sir, I
want to be a doctor; a 14 year old girl in a refugee camp, unrecognised refugee
camp; in an apparently hopeless
situation wanted to do something to help other people in the world,” said
Jeremy Corbyn and enquired, “Can’t our media people look at the refugee as our
people that want to make contribution rather than treating them as a
threat to the whole of the continent; to the whole of our society. I
think we need to recalibrate some of the languages we used to those people as
victims.”
Environment and Climate change
The Leader of the Opposition Party also mentioned about
environment and Climate change. He said, “The other issues that faced that of
environmental and climate emergency; that affects everybody around the world. It
is not equal in the way side effects but it does affect. I don’t want the
poorest children in the most polluted cities in China and India; Western Europe
or in the United States, where they die early; because they are breathing foul,
polluted air and we should, all of us, use our resources wisely with nature,
rather than against nature; in order to, we can preserve the natural world and
the planet as a whole.”
Education
Speaking about education, Jeremy Corbyn said, “Now it is
about education, it is about people; how we can bring people up and again it is
the sanctity of the mosque in this country; the work they do in helping and
supporting young people; particularly the young Muslims to understand the
society they live in and the principles that is behind it.”
Rise of Far Right and Hate Crime
Her Majesty’s Opposition Party Leader lamented, “Sadly,
though, there is another agenda around; it is not just in this country, or
across Europe or the United States and that is the rise of the far right and
the rise of hate crime in our society. After Naz has made a wonderful speech in
the Parliament and her colleague Imran Khan made exactly the same kind of
message; I went through the social media and feel the way what they said; and I
was sick just reading the abuse they received online because of the way they
spoken for the community and for the victims of hate crimes.”
Terror Attack at Finsbury Park Mosque
Rt. Hon Corbyn mentioned about racist attack at Finsbury
Park Mosque. He said, “Friends are here, friends from the Finsbury Park Masjid;
Muslim Welfare House, Finsbury Park Mosque. Two years ago, Mokram Ali lost his
life on the road outside where I live; because a racist drove into the crowd
people walking home from prayers and killed him; we mourned his life, but in
response to that the entire community came out onto the street, came out in
front of the mosque, the Muslim Welfare House, led by Christians, led by Jewish
people, led by Muslims; and the people
of no faith saying that we want to live in a society that does not tolerate but
respect each other’s faith and each other’s values.”
He continued, “And so when the Far Right attacked synagogue in Pittsburgh, attacked a mosque in
Christchurch or attacked people going to prayer in Colombo in Sri Lanka, all
are abusive to individuals on the street; because of what they wear; because of
what they look like; or because of the faith they follow; they are actually
being abusive to every single one of us; the attack on anyone in a place of
worship is an attack on all of us; be a synagogue, mosque or a church or a temple. We have to deal with the issues
with the rise of the Far Right and recognise that racist language or the racist
division can solve nothing in our society; it only creates the horrible hordes
of hate which is easy to do but at the end of it you have not solved any of the
problems of the society; you have not build a house you have try to teach her
you have not help the child to take or build a hospital.”
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