Dr. Nasseef visits KAICIID and VIVA Mayr in Austria

Dr. Nasseef visits KAICIID and

Viva Mayr in Austria

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Dr. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, former President of the Jeddah-based King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU) and present Secretary General of the Cairo-based International Islamic Council for Dawah and Relief (IICDR) visited Austria and the United Kingdom in the month of September, 2013. Those visits were both informative and educational. I interviewed him to know in greater details about his experience in those visits. Of course, part of the visits was official.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre

for Interfaith & Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna

Dr. Abdullah Omar Nasseef is the Vice-President of the Presidential Commission of the King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue of Saudi Arabia. He went to Vienna, Austria in the 1^st week of September and visited King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interfaith & Dialogue (KAICIID) which was opened in at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on the 26^th of November, 2012 in the presence of a global audience of almost 800 guests, including ambassadors, government representatives, religious leaders, academics and scholars.

Speaking about his visit in Vienna, Dr. Nasseef said, “King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interfaith & Dialogue, in Vienna, Austria has a very big historic building. It has various activities and there is regular meeting every month on humanitarian and international matters. Next meeting will be in October 2013. So I visited the Centre.”

Mayr Medicine Viva

Dr. Nasseef then went to Mayr Medicine Centre in Viva, which is 350 kilometres from Vienna. VIVA, the Centre for Modern Mayr Medicine, is one of the most modern health hotels. This special peaceful place with its ancient ritual floor, right on the shores of the turquoise lake Wörthersee conveys a magical atmosphere. The beautiful beach and the romantic garden invite you to relax and let your mind wander within a wonderful oasis to discover yourself, to soak up the tranquillity and the energy of the nature’s beauty. Of course the hotel VIVA is equipped with every imaginable comfort spa.

Speaking about the Mayr Medicine VIVA, Dr. Nasseef said, “I went to rest in resort where there are internal medicine treatments. This is called the Mayr medicine centre in Viva about 350 kilometres from Vienna; the Lake City of Austria. It is very attractive place, not only for that centre of treatment, there are hotels and resorts; nice hotels. We try the centre of treatment; just for the sake of knowing more and also for making the maintenance for the body.”

Speaking about the treatment at the Mayr Medicine VIVA, Dr. Nasseef said, “The philosophy behind that Mayr medicine viva is to clean the body from the toxified materials coming from the air, water, wood and foods. So the poisons accumulated in the body. People are not living healthy life; they do not eating healthy food; they eat all junk foods; even at home, not only in the street. So the accumulation of those poisons cause troubles and upsets the system of the body. Some people are seriously in a bad shape and some people moderately and I said I am not complaining from anything; I want to test something; I checked my blood pressure, my weight and they said everything is all right.”

“So the philosophy behind the thing is that you eat very slowly. I chew the bread or anything for 40 times so it becomes liquid; don’t swallow it unless it becomes liquid.  So it has ferment of saliva going through the digestion of foods. In this process it will dissolve some of the poisons accumulated, especially, in the stomach and the intestines. Intestines are the place where it is stored. So I am going to see other treatment,” said Dr. Nasseef.

There are different kinds of medical treatments: Active Exercise Therapy; Medical Therapies; Laboratory tests; massages; kneipping; kosmetik and healing principles. Manual Abdominal Treatment by your Doctor.

Varieties of treatment, massage, exercise: Mayr Medicine VIVA has many varieties of treatment, such as massage, exercise, relaxation, swimming, footbath, hydro aerobic exercise etc. Dr. Nasseef mentioned, “They give other treatment; massage. Body’s massage system makes the body active and drives things out through special massage of the certain parts of the body, especially stomach and intestines. They also have exercise; outside exercise – drive bicycle under water; it is called hydro aerobic exercise. They also ask you to relax. Relaxation is part of the treatment. When this relaxation session started you forget anything whether it is academic or commercial life and sit at the side of the lake and watch the nature and also they ask the people to watch the people swimming. .It is nice thing that everybody is swimming.”

Nutritional treatment: Besides this, there is treatment also through diet, what type of food and fruits you will eat; what sort of juice or tea or coffee you will drink. Speaking about the dietary treatment at the Mayr Medicine Centre in VIVA, Dr. Nasseef said, “Food is very little. Mainly vegetables, fruits, chicken and fish; specially salmon, steamed salmon, every day business. The only vegetable you have the avocado, and the yogurt, goat yogurt and also goat cheese of different forms. They have also almond crashed and a little bit of walnut oil.”

“And there are all kinds of soups, watercress, beetroot, ginger, light soup and standard vegetable and fish; all these are only of limited amount. People who are fat, they have little; but other people take a little bit more. People who are normally shaped they take little bit more food. They have two kinds of bread, soya bread or spelt bread; spelt is a kind of wheat; natural wheat. The amount of food is very little. Drink tea or coffee is totally forbidden. Tea and coffee should be eliminated from the life of the people. Tea and coffee both and also the carbonic acid soft drinks or fizzy drinks are forbidden totally. You can drink spring water and natural water, but no juice. They have only herbal teas. They have 16 or 18 kind of herbs to boil them and drink them. Ginger is also another kind of drink. Those drinks you can drink as much as possible between meals; one hour before meal or after meal. They give you pills of vitamin or something to drink with very little water to swallow them,” mentioned Dr. Nasseef about drinks.

Footbath treatment: Mayr Medicine VIVA has another kind of treatment such as footbath. Describing about this kind of treatment, Dr. Nasseef mentioned, “They have also footbath. They put the foot of the people in a bathtub, big pot and then put electronic machine to analyse the water and bring the poison through the feet from the body. Usually the water becomes brown, dark brown or sometimes black as because the poison coming out from the body.”

Besides the above treatment, there are very beautiful scene and scenarios. There are scene scenarios and flora, fauna and sauna, and steam bath and music to listen. These are free and are not part of their treatment but you treat yourselves, said Dr. Nasseef.

Dr. Nasseef also mentioned, “They check everyday blood pressure and other things and they also give lot of vitamins, especially V12 and other things and also some materials making fusion to deliver; because deliver is very important in extracting poison from the body. Those people who make their body bath for their liver they have hot water bag to put it on bed and sleep overnight under the ribs of the right hand side to cleanse the body. People who are there are either they have certain complaints; of course people who have serious problems there are other treatments in addition to these. But there are some people who are there to enjoy the time and to renew their holiday, clean their body and other treatment.”

Viva means losing weight as a pleasant side effect of becoming healthier.

United Kingdom

From Vienna, Austria, Dr. Nasseef came to the United Kingdom. He is the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and that of the Islamic Academy, Cambridge.

 

Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies

Trustees’ meeting in Oxford

From Vienna Dr. Nasseef came to the United Kingdom and went to Oxford to attend the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OXCIS) of which he is the chairman. Speaking about the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 10^th and 11^th of September, 2013 at Oxford, Dr. Nasseef said, “We have different committees, the finance committee, the strategy and planning committee, the education committee and so on and so forth. As usual, we run the business, approving the budget, the auditor’s report and the education policy. The Director’s report was very intensive and important; because it mentioned about the centre’s activities in the field of research and scholarships, training young Muslims in Britain and other things. Their programme is really very rich.”

“OXCIS’s Director spoke for one hour discussing those activities which has been completed. People thank Director for his activities with his people. The Centre’s publication, the Journal of Islamic Studies, is making money. It is covering its expenses and is in very big demand as because it is published by the Oxford University Press. All the publications are very important. There are other publications ready which are needed to be published,” said Dr. Nasseef.

The chairman of the Board of Trustees of OXCIS also mentioned about the new building of the Centre. Dr. Nasseef said, “We also talked about the new building. The new sight is one of the wonders in this world of today. The building has been designed by Abdullah Waheed and his group and it is really very attractive, very practical and very beautiful. The centre receives donations from several countries. Malaysia gave woods. Some woods came from other countries Yemen gave marvel. Turkey gave something. So the building is really collective wonders from the Muslim world. The dinning Hall which is donated by Sultan. The building is finished almost now; the final touches and the furniture which needs at least ten millions pounds. It’s on the way Insha Allah. So the people visited the centre. It can be opened on the spring of 2015 after 18 months almost. So this is generally what happened.”

Cambridge-based The Islamic Academy’s

Trustees meeting in London

Then Dr. Nasseef came to London to attend the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Cambridge-based The Islamic Academy of which he is again the chairman. Speaking about the Board of Trustees meeting of the Islamic Academy Cambridge, which was held at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, on Wednesday, the 11^th of September, 2013, Dr. Nasseef said, “We talked about its future and how can we affiliate it to some other organisation. Because here things are very low profile; no money and activities are very limited. So we discussed whether it can be affiliated to other bigger organisation to activate the Academy and absorb its activities.

Prince Turki al-Faisal’s lecture at

British Parliament London

Dr. Nasseef, the former Deputy Chairman of the Shoura Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stayed overnight at the Hilton Hotel to attend the lecture of Prince Turki al-Faisal at the Committee Room of the British Parliament on Thursday, the 12^th of September, 2013. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Transatlantic & International Security organised a Talk on “A Saudi Perspective on a Changing Middle East” by His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al-Faisal, who served as the Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate (GID) from 1977 to 2001 and served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland from 2002 and from July 2005 he was appointed as Ambassador to the United States.

Speaking about the lecture by Prince Turki al-Faisal, Dr. Nasseef said, “I went to the British Parliament to attend to the meeting to listen to the speech of Turki al-Faisal in one of the Committees Room. He spoke as usual, the policy of Saudi Arabia towards her neighbours, the international community and the world about everything. He spoke very well about the future relations of Saudi Arabia as a country and Saudi Arabia is looking for more stability and peace and development of the country and its neighbours and Arab countries are the best. He spoke about Israel and Palestinians and he mentioned that Israel is reluctant to bring any solution; so things will be going in the same way.”

Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the

Islamic Foundation, Leicester

Dr. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, former Secretary General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL) and the present President of the Karachi-based World Muslim Congress (WMC) is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester. He attended the Board of Trustees meeting at Leicester. I went to Holiday Inn Heathrow near the Heathrow Airport where Dr. Nasseef was staying overnight on his way back to Saudi Arabia. I interviewed him on Thursday, the 19^th of September, 2013 about his visit to The Islamic Foundation, Leicester where he went on Friday, the 13^th of September to attend the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Foundation. About the meeting, Dr. Nasseef said, “We had the meeting of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester and as usual we spoke about the progress and the problems and the lack of money.  They have some debts; because they have borrowed money and they could not pay. So we promised that everybody will try their best to raise funds and also seek the possibility of find other solutions; because money is not coming and fund-raising is becoming so they will seek some other sources.”

Dr. Nasseef also mentioned, “I gave them the proposal of taking over the Islamic Academy in Cambridge.  In principle, they accepted but they will send somebody to go within this week for field-survey and to interview Dr. Shaikh Abdul Mabud Director General of the Islamic Academy Cambridge. So we will see what will happen. Of course, they said we don’t have money; but we see and negotiate; and find out some solution. It took long time. They were talking about their financial problems and the budget and it took long time. Making money in some places; publications are alright. Committee will look into the possibility of raising the income of the Foundation.”

East-West University in Chicago

Dr. Wasiullah Khan, the founder and chancellor of East-West University, a private, non-profit, non-denominational college based in Chicago, was here in London to have a meeting with Dr. Nasseef. About his meeting with Dr. Khan, Dr. Nasseef said, “Committee is coming to Jeddah. They borrowed money from bank and they have to pay and that’s the main problem they have now. They are fund-raising in America but they need more. I told them that the Gulf areas will not help; people are not interested there. They have their own problems; they will look for other possibilities.”

 

The Niqab/Veil Debate

The Niqab/Veil debate

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The British Home Office Minister called for a debate on wearing a face-veil. Jeremy Browne, the first senior Liberal Democrat, called for a national debate. Mr Browne told The Telegraph: “I think this is a good topic for national debate. People of liberal instincts will have competing notions of how to protect and promote freedom of choice.” He added: “I am instinctively uneasy about restricting the freedom of individuals to observe the religion of their choice. That would apply to Christian minorities in the Middle East just as much as religious minorities here in Britain.”

“But there is genuine debate about whether girls should feel a compulsion to wear a veil when society deems children to be unable to express personal choices about other areas like buying alcohol, smoking or getting married,” said Mr. Browne.

“Do you feel we simply don't have enough discussion about how women dress? Do you worry that every conceivable angle of what might be considered too modest or immodest has yet to be thoroughly interrogated, even regulated?” enquired Ms. Kira Cochrane, while writing in The Guardian, on 16 September, 2013. She also wrote, “Well, you're in luck. In the last few days it has become abundantly clear that we are back in the middle of the seething debates over full-face veiling so roundly explored in 2006, when the then leader of the House of Commons, Jack Straw, declared veils made him "uncomfortable". If possible, it seems the arguments might be even more heated this time.”

London’s Blackfriars Crown Court ruling

This issue has never really gone away. Back in August, a trial started at Blackfriars crown court, in which a Muslim woman was accused of intimidating a witness. The accused woman wears a niqab – a full-face veil that leaves only a slit for the eyes. Last Monday, the 16^th of September, Judge Peter Murphy, sitting at London’s Blackfriars Crown Court, ruled a Muslim woman standing trial could wear a full-face veil but would have to remove it when she gives evidence.

Liberty, which campaigns on civil liberties and human rights issues, said it welcomed the ruling. Director Shami Chakrabarti said: "Credit to Judge Murphy for seeking to balance the freedom of conscience of the defendant with the effective administration of justice. He has shown a sensitivity and clarity that can only further build confidence in our courts in Britain's diverse communities and around the world.”

Birmingham Metropolitan College decision

The above ruling came just a few days after the reversal of the decision to ban Muslim women from wearing veils on the grounds of “security risk”. The college, Birmingham Metropolitan College, one of Britain’s largest institutes of higher education, had originally said students must remove all hoodies, hats, caps and veils to ensure individuals were ‘easily identifiable’ as part of keeping a ‘safe and welcoming learning environment.’ The ban had come to light when a teenager tried to enrol for an A-level course, to be told she could not wear her niqab, because of security concerns. This decision prompted a huge social media campaign, including a petition signed by 9,000 students and a plan for protest demonstration. The multi-campus college, which teaches more than 9,000 16- to 19-year-olds as well as thousands of adult learners, decided to reverse its decision. Shabana Mahmood, MP has described the college’s decision to reverse its ban on the Muslim face veil as ‘enormously welcome.

Shabana Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, said: “This change in policy is enormously welcome. The college has made a wise decision to rethink its policy on banning veils for a group of women who would have potentially been excluded from education and skills training at the college had the ban been enforced.”

Aaron Kiely, national black students’ officer for the NUS, said: “I'm delighted that the petition attracted so many signatures in such a short amount of time, which affirms just how outrageous the decision to enact this policy was.”

Shaista Gohir, chair of the Muslim Women's Network UK, said: "The complete ban of the face veil on campus by the Birmingham Metropolitan College was a disproportionate response because female students who wear the veil are not only very small in number but were also willing to show their face when required so their identity could be verified.” This was reported by James Meikle in The Guardian, 13 September, 2013.

Those individual negotiations and decisions could have been the end of it, but some MPs are clearly keen for the arguments to continue, wrote Ms Kira Cochrane in The Guardian. Liberal Democrat Jeremy Browne, the Home Office minister, has called for a national debate. Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes, has suggested that the niqab should be banned in schools and colleges, saying the veils are “deeply offensive” “In my opinion it is time for politicians to stop delegating this to individual institutions as a minor matter of dress code and instead set clear national guidance,”she wrote in The Daily Telegraph, on 15 September, 2013.

BBC conducted several interviews on this issue and below are some of the viewpoints on this issue:

Shaista Gohir, chair of Muslim Women's Network UK.

Shaista Gohir, chair of Muslim Women’s Network, UK and also member of International Advisory Group of Musawah, a movement for equality in Muslim families, said, “Women and girls should not be pressured to conform - it's important they make autonomous choices about their lives and their bodies including what to wear and not wear. For this reason I oppose a complete ban of the face veil.”

“The vast majority of the 1.4 million Muslim women in Britain do not even wear the face veil, as it is not considered a religious obligation. The tiny minority that do are probably happy to remove the veil when required,” she added.

Ms. Gohir said, “Everybody should be free how to dress and how to practise their faith”

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation

Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, a UK Muslim organisation working to build better understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, said, “In a liberal democracy, as we claim we are, everybody should be free how to dress and how to practise their faith. And if there are a small number of women who choose to wear the veil, then they should not be discriminated against and parliament should not pass laws to restrict Muslim dress. That's very clear if you believe in a liberal democracy and individual freedom.”

“This is political opportunism of its worst kind. These are politicians who don't really talk to Muslim women. Jeremy Browne, for example, I don't know how many Muslim women he spoke to that wear the veil and have been forced to [do so]. I've not seen any evidence of that - this is politicians trying to look tough on the back of Muslim women,” Mr. Shafiq told BBC.

Stephen Evans, of the National Secular Society

Stephen Evans of the National Secular Society, said, “There are however compelling reasons, both practical and on principle, to oppose attempts to introduce a general ban on the veil - not least a woman's right to choose what she wears and her right to religious freedom. Forcing a woman not to wear a burka or niqab contravenes a woman's right to choose in the same way that forcing her to wear one does; both cases represent an attempt to control the woman and dictate how she should express herself.

Are women who wear the niqab really a threat to national security any more than a nun?”

Ameena Blake, vice president of the Muslim Association of Britain

Ameena Blake, Vice-President of the Muslim Association of Britain, said, “To allow the face veil or not to allow the face veil? That is the question on media minds at the moment; and indeed the Muslim community. However, the question seems to hide a more hidden: “To have freedom of rights or to not have freedom of rights?”

She added, “What we, the folk of Britain - a hub of diversity - need to consider, in [deciding] whether we agree with the principle of covering the face or not, is: “Is it ok to remove the right to dress how we please from any individual?” Are women who wear the niqab, or face veil, really a threat to national security any more than a nun or any other individual who chooses to dress in a way that is maybe not the same as the majority of people?”

“There's no reason spectators in court or dinner ladies in schools shouldn't cover their faces,” Ms. Blake said.

Dolan Cummings, of the Manifesto Club

Dolan Cummings, Co-founder of the Manifesto Club, which campaigns against over-regulation, said, “In principle people should be allowed to wear whatever they want, and it's not the business of the authorities to dictate what is and is not acceptable.What we should certainly object to is any blanket ban on face coverings, in particular places regardless of context: for example, there's no reason spectators in court or dinner ladies in schools shouldn't cover their faces if that's what they want to do.”

Also one of the organisers of the annual Battle of Ideas festival in London, said, “In a free society, the state must allow citizens to do as they please as long as it doesn't harm others, and to resolve any problems that arise through negotiation and informal give and take, rather than legislating on the minutiae of everyday life.”

Richard Freeth, education lawyer at Browne Jacobson

Richard Freeth, education lawyer at Browne Jacobson, said, “The recent decision about wearing the veil in the court when giving evidence provides a clear example of the need to balance competing considerations and find a suitable compromise. The same applies in the school context where individual needs must be balanced against other important factors such as the school community, the ethos of the school and the impact on the wider community. This is not a case where one-size-fits-all will produce the right response.”

Salma Yaqoob on Niqab debate

Ms. Kira Cochrane said in her write-up in the Guardian mentioned above, “Salma Yaqoob, formerly a Birmingham city councillor, sounds weary at the idea of another national debate on the issue. “How many national debates have we already had on this?” she says. “It just seems an easy distraction for our politicians. I mean, really? Is this the biggest issue we face in the UK right now? I'm a bit cynical when politicians call for a national debate that has already happened many times over.”

“Such debates have a detrimental effect on Muslim women in general, she says. “The women who do wear the face veils are a tiny minority within a minority, so the thought that they're any kind of threat to British society as a whole is beyond laughable. But at the same time, [these debates] do, of course, increase the vulnerability of Muslim women as a whole. Time and again, verbal and physical attacks on Muslim women increase when we have these so-called national debates. In emotional and psychological terms, I think it does a huge amount of damage."

Women who wear the veil "are trying to observe what they feel are their religious convictions", she says, "but are made to feel that they are somehow imposing on the whole of society and that they are the biggest problem. And, of course, that isn't conducive to integration, belonging and a positive atmosphere. It doesn't foster cohesion, I think it does the very opposite, and ironically it actually stifles healthy discussion and debate.”

Mrs. Talat Ahmed of Muslim Council of Britain

Mrs. Talat Ahmed, chair of the Muslim Council of Britain’s Social and Family Affairs Committee, said: “There are few people who wear the niqab, and they should be allowed to wear this veil if they freely decide to do so. All Islamic junctions make provision for necessity and exceptional circumstances.”

She also added, “Nevertheless, this is a personal choice. In Britain, we cherish our right to freedom of religion. I would like to remind those who call for a ban to heed the warning of minister Damian Green who said that introducing such a ban would be ‘un-British’. To do so, would involve embarking on a slippery slope where the freedom to wear religious attire of all faiths would be at risk.” 

Muslim Council of Britain on The Niqab in Hospitals

Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has issued a press release on 19^th September 2013 on “The Niqab in Hospitals – Let Pragmatism and the Needs of the Patient Prevail”. The press release runs as follows:

The Muslim Council of Britain has been inundated today with media enquiries concerning the veil, this time in hospitals. In response, Dr Shuja Shafi, Deputy Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain and a senior health professional for many years issued the following statement:

"In the latest twist to the ‘moral panic’ about the niqab, or face veil, many are now getting quite exercised by the possibility of a health professional wearing this in our hospitals. That this has become an issue is a surprise to all of us. Having worked closely with hospitals and hospital chaplains, we have never been made aware of any concerns or complaints raised about doctors, nurses or healthcare professionals wearing the niqab. That is primarily because there are few, if any, who do adopt the face veil in hospitals. It is our understanding that Muslim women who do wear the veil are prepared to be pragmatic and take off the veil when required. For example, a basic security requirement for all hospital workers, without exception is to wear photographic ID. This would be a requirement for people who wear the face veil as well."

Dr Shuja added: “We are puzzled why the face veil is being made more of an issue than it really is. Surely there are greater concerns we should worry about, such as the quality and provision of care we give to all our patients."

Earlier this week, Mrs Talat Ahmed, the chairwoman of the Muslim Council of Britain's Social and Family Affairs Committee said: “Every time we discuss the niqab, it usually comes with a diet of bigoted commentary about our faith and the place of Islam in Britain.”

The comments came after a judge ruled that a Muslim woman take off her face veil during the trial. The Muslim Council of Britain welcomed this decision saying the judge made “the right decision by allowing women to wear Niqab and take it off when giving evidence. We should accept that reasonable accommodation has been made to respect her religious rights.”

Hajj - A Lifetime Journey to Grand Muslim Congress

Hajj: A Lifetime Journey to

Grand Muslim Congress

Dr. Mozammel Haque

ISLAM IS A PRACTICAL RELIGION which lays down a complete code of life. It makes various provisions for creating peace and harmony in the lives of mankind as well as in the universe. Peace and harmony can be achieved only when there is solidarity and universal brotherhood among human beings. Islam preaches this concept and puts it into practice through the unique annual assemblage of the pilgrims during Hajj.

The institution of Hajj in Islam is quite extraordinary and unparalleled. It is only Islam that has made the annual assemblage at one place, Makkah, an obligation for the capable Muslims from all corners of the world. In other words, it may be called the World Muslim Congress. This assembly has many distinctive features which no other gathering has and no other religion stipulates. The concept of unity and brotherhood is embedded in Islam in such a way that one is truly amazed to see millions of Muslims dressed in two white sheets of cloth gathered at one particular place, i.e. in Arafat during a fixed time on certain fixed days in the year. All human and man-made barriers and distinctions are demolished during that assembly.

We shall here deal with the aspects of unity and universal brotherhood which, besides others, are quintessential among the concepts of Hajj. First, let us take universal brotherhood. This universal brotherhood emanates from the following basic concepts and is demonstrated in a most authentic and brilliant manner here on this occasion:

Adam is the first man from whom all human beings have sprung up;

Abraham is the father of monotheistic religion;

Acceptance of all prophets as prophets of God;

Belief in all revealed books of Allah.

Thus, this acceptance of Abraham as the patriarch of the concept of Tawheed and recognition of the continuity of Prophethood from Prophet Adam to the Last Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and having faith in all revealed books keeps up a chain of faith known as Islam throughout the world. This binds the whole humankind into a bond of brotherhood whose genealogical father is Adam and the spiritual father Abraham. Thus Muslims believe in the continuation of the human race on earth. There are no conflicts and controversies in the monotheistic religion decreed by God. All Muslims (those who consciously and willingly surrender to the Will of the Creator) belong to this Ummah and therefore constitute a fraternity of faith. This is one way the Hajj conveys the message of universal brotherhood.

This aspect of universal brotherhood can also be noticed during Hajj when Muslims come from remote corners of the world and congregate in Makkah in the vicinity of the House of God, i.e. Baitullah. Though they might have come from the east or west, north or south, and all differences in colour, language, race and nationality notwithstanding, they find their oneness on the basis of their faith in One God, One Qiblah, One Book and One Prophet.

The practical training for this universal brotherhood starts from the local or neighbourhood level with the five times daily prayers in the mosque, which gets enlarged with the Friday prayers once a week. The circle is again made substantially larger during the Eid prayer, and it becomes internationalised transforming into a global gathering once in a lifetime. So the concept and training in universal brotherhood, which reaches its peak, starts from the very childhood at the local level.

As regards unity, Islam, first of all, removed all man-made bonds and barriers bringing all human beings into one global family tracing their genealogical origin to common parents and biological chemistry to one element, i.e. clay. Almighty God has laid down in the Holy Qur’an, “O Mankind, We have created you from a male and a female.” (49: 13) This establishment of absolute equality on the basis of their ancestral origin and biological composition removes all artificial differences between man and man.

The enforcement of the concept of Muslim brotherhood is the greatest social ideal of Islam. Islam places emphasis on unity and unifies mankind on the basis of one God, one Book - the Qur’an, one Qibla - the Ka’aba and one leader - the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Noble Prophet’s mission was to establish unity and peace throughout the world. The Islamic concept of unity transcends all other forms of unity based on territory, geographical boundary, linguistic and ethnic affinity. He united Muslims on the basis of faith, which is the Oneness of God, Islam.

On this vital concept was based the Prophet’s sermon in his last pilgrimage, which shows that Islam cannot be completely practiced until this ideal is achieved. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) unified and cemented the Muslim Ummah under the banner of La ilaha illallah Muhammadur-Rasoolullah by establishing the first-ever Islamic state in Madina, which later on took the shape of a grand Caliphate. Under the Caliphate the Muslim Ummah was unified and integrated. Thus the first concept of universal and worldwide unity was demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad more than fourteen hundred years ago having been guided and inspired by God for establishing unity and peace in the world.

Islam is essentially a community and group-oriented religion. So, the practical lesson in unity and equality first starts within the family, then in the neighbourhood, especially through the institution of five daily prayers in the mosque and still on a larger scale in the locality, during weekly Friday prayers, and then in much larger gatherings in the two Eid prayers and ultimately in the international or global gathering during Hajj. This very characteristic and feature of Islam demonstrates the universality of this religion and its heavenly origin which transcends all worldly barriers of race, colour, class and nationality.

Pilgrimage is the best occasion to bind again the loose threads, tighten them on the basis of belief and in the presence of God and frustrate the nefarious machinations of the enemies of the Ummah’s unity.

Another aspect of Hajj is making sacrifice in the way of God for the cause of Islam. As Islam itself is a religion of sacrifice, its different pillars also contain the same features and characteristics. It is a known fact that the Islamic or Hijra calendar starts with the month of Muharram and ends with the month of Hajj. The first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, is the month of sacrifice – a sacrifice made by the grandson of Muhammad, Hussain ibn Ali, who laid down his life at Kufa in the cause of Islam and its ideals. Similarly, the 12 months of the Hijra calendar, the month of Hajj, marks the remembrance of the sacrifice made by the Prophet Ibrahim for the sake of God and His Pleasure.

The Patriarch, the first Prophet of monotheistic religion, Islam, the Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his most loved one for the sake of God. He loved his only son, Ismail, more than anything else. God asked him to sacrifice Ismail. Ibrahim was going to sacrifice Ismail, in the way of God by His Order. The Holy Qur’an explains the story of Ibrahim and his son Ismail thus:

Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: “O my son; I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice. Now say what is your view.” (The son) said: “O my father; do as you are commanded; you will find me, if God so wills, one practising patience and constancy.” So when they had both submitted their wills (to God), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice), We called out to him, “O Ibrahim; you have already fulfilled the vision; thus indeed do We reward those who do right.” (37:102-105) The Qur’an says: “And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice.” (37:107)

The sacrifices made by Prophets Ibrahim and Ismail for the love of God left an indelible imprint on the history of mankind. This sacrifice is still remembered and re-enacted during Hajj. Ibrahim left a glorious record of sacrifice to please God.

In modern times, sacrifice is symbolised by an act of slaughtering a camel, cow or lamb for the sake of God during the days of Eid-al Adha, i.e. starting after the Eid prayer till the sunset on the third day of Eid. Sacrifice is a strongly recommended Sunnah of the Prophet and was introduced in the second year after Hijra. The purpose of sacrifice is to remind oneself of the great sacrifice of Ibrahim.

The sacrifice of life and wealth in the way of God is the zenith of a man’s belief. God says: “By no means shall you attain righteousness unless you give (freely) of that which you love; and whatever you give, of a truth God knows it well.” (Al-Qur’an 3:92) This means that when something, which has been held so dear, is sacrificed in the way of God one may hope to secure God’s Pleasure. The verse tells us that to attain righteousness one has to sacrifice things, but to attain it in perfection one has to sacrifice things, dearer to one.

Every sacrifice and every effort is to be aimed at seeking God’s Pleasure. That God be pleased with us is the real capital of our lives and it is to win this pleasure that everything should be sacrificed. In the words of the Qur’an: “Surely my prayers and my sacrifice, my life and my death is for God alone, the Lord of the Universe.”

In the modern age, the pilgrims, when they start their journey to Makkah for performing Hajj with only two white sheets on their bodies leaving behind their wives, children, kith and kin and their wealth and properties, they practically exemplify their act of sacrifice for the love of God.

Hajj is the greatest training and practical demonstration of the spirit of sacrifice and the spirit of Jihad in the way of God. It shows that Islam does not end with giving some utopian ideals for the human life. It is not only a religion, it is the guidance for the whole mankind to shape their lives in this world and hereafter. That’s why God makes provision for the teaching and training of humankind in every quality through practical implementation.

Interfaith Dialogue Conference in Islamic Cultural Centre London

International Interfaith Dialogue 

Conference at Islamic Cultural Centre

Dr. Mozammel Haque

The ISESCO & The Islamic Cultural Centre, London, held a joint two-day international conference for the 13^th Meeting of the Supreme Council of Education, Science & Cultural for Muslims outside the Islamic World and the 10^th Meeting of the Directors of the Islamic Cultural Centres and Islamic Associations in Europe at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, on 26^th and 27^th of June, 2013. The Two-day conference has four sessions besides the Opening and Concluding sessions.

The Two-day conference was mainly focussed on Interfaith Dialogue and many Islamic organisations in the UK were involved in this conference. The members of the Supreme Council of Education, Science & Cultural for Muslims outside the Islamic World came from very different places starting from South-East Asia with Dr. Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of the Jamiyah Singapore and his colleague Mohamed Yunos who presented later on one of the latest projects of advanced technology in terms of dialogue of the tradition of Islamic wisdom. Then other members of the Council came from Latin America, South America, from Argentina Dr. Yousuf and all other members coming mostly from Europe, Russia, Switzerland, France and Dr. Yahya from Italy.

Opening Session

The opening speeches were delivered by Dr. Ahmad Al Dubayan, the Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London; Dr Abdelilah Ben Arafa, expert in cultural policies and cultural diversity at ISESCO Directorate of Culture and Communication, Rabat; Dr. Yahya Pallavicini, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Education, Science and Culture; Dr. Nasir Al Hujailan, the representative of  the Ministry of Culture in Saudi Arabia and His Excellency Mr Faisal Bin Muammar, Secretary General of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna, Austria.

HE Faisal Bin Muammar

Secretary General of KAICIID

HE Faisal Bin Muammar in his opening speech introduced King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna. HE Bin Muammar mentioned about the three founding member-states of KAICIID. He said, KAICIID was established in Vienna, Austria with its three member states, Austria, Kingdom of Spain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was opened at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna, in the presence of The Holy See, the strong supporter of the Dialogue Centre, on 26^th November, 2012. He also mentioned about the trustees of KAICCID who belong to three religions and cultures such as, three Christians, three Muslims, a Jew, a Hindu and a Buddhist.

Then His Excellency mentioned about the aims and objectives of the Dialogue Centre. He also elaborated the programmes of the KAICIID. After his speech, a film on KAICIID was shown to the conference.

First Session

After introductory and opening speeches, the first session was on Introducing the Initiative of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to strengthen the dialogue between Religion & Culture and was followed by brief discussion. This session was chaired by Dr. Yahya Pallavicini, member of the Supreme Council of Education, Science & Cultural for Muslims outside the Islamic World and the speaker is Abdelilah Ben Arafa.

While introducing the first session, Dr. Pallavicini spoke about the initiative, the issue is the scope, development and engagement in interfaith dialogue. Referring to the film shown on KAICIID earlier, Dr. Yahya Pallavicini said, “Thanks to King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz who actually took the initiative of a very outstanding and important engagement in the field of dialogue which is actually somehow inspirational issue that opened the centre of KAICIID in Vienna but ISESCO has taken the intellectual and international development of this analysis in order to develop strategy, guidelines, network and implement this vision of dialogue in concrete terms but also adopting these guidelines according to situations and places.”

Dr. Yahya Pallavicini also said, “I am very glad to mention that the development of this situation is quite easy because I came back just last week from a meeting with Pope Francis that was actually somehow followed by Dr. Hamed al-Rifai with Dr. Abdullah Omar Nasseef, two leading personalities coming always from Saudi Arabia engaging with new Pope Francis and trying to develop a better qualified relations with Islamic World, with Muslims and with Islamic civilizations and with our own identity and spirituality.”

Dr. Ahmad Al-Dubayan

Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London gave a summary of what has been said before in the paper. He said:

“Number one: Need cultural dialogue centres in the major cities in Europe; at least adopt projects in major Islamic centres in Europe. Number two: it is very important to have database, events, publication, supporting the culture of faiths, Muslims and non-Muslims. Number three: it is important to target the youth, the young with some cultural activities especially, arts and sports, like football, or whatever; to concentrate on sports, supporting the culture of dialogue and understanding. Number four: They suggest having Islamic cultural art activities, I welcome the idea; because from my experience, Islamic art is a very big approach for non-Muslim to come to Islam; how Muslims think, how they see the world. Art is very very important.”

While dealing with the fourth point on Art, Dr. Dubayan mentioned, “These things will bring more understanding, I think, the non-Muslims will understand Islam and they will see Islam not just as they think something we can summarise it in a word of hate or terror. Art is a very real approach, I know some Europeans who became Muslims and embraced Islam because of art. They started with art; some of them started with calligraphy, some of them started with architecture, some of them started with manuscripts and at the end of the day, they are Muslims.”

Dr. Dubayan continued with the summary of the papers presented, “Number Five suggestion in the paper Coordination of the Islamic centres here with the British Institutions. I think coordination with the British institutions particularly why we put it in the paper in this centre here because Muslim communities in UK have achieved a lot of things more than other active communities in France, in Germany, in Denmark, in Italy or anywhere. Muslim Communities in Britain have their own experience. They have achieved a lot of things or built institutions. They have more schools, more Muslim figures who work in the political arena; Islamic media or press, more than other Muslim communities around in Europe, even more than Muslims in America.”

In this connection, he also mentioned the role of the British government who has “given Muslims more space and their philosophy is co-existence; country supporting co-existence. London itself is a city of multicultural nature; that’s why; you find interfaith activities are more than other European countries. The directory of the interfaith network, their book, they registered about 300 organisations only in UK dealing with interfaith and dialogue activities. Some of them, of course, are local, between the mosques and the church or synagogues or temple or something or some of them really are nationwide. Some of them are international,” Dr. Dubayan said. .

Proposal to establish ISESCO Regional

Research Centre in Singapore

Dr. Mohd Hasbi Abu Baker, President of Jamiyah Singapore expressed his gratefulness and gratitude at the very outset to ISESCO, in particular, for choosing Jamiyah to work with ISESCO for more than ten years now. “We shall do our best to closely work with ISESCO. We are proposing to establish an ISESCO Regional Research Centre in Singapore to serve the Ummah in South East Asia, in the Pacific region. The Regional Research Centre shall be the focal point of scholars, researchers, institutions, organisations within and outside of South East Asian countries and deal with the studies and research on various aspects of Islamic civilization. I will forward the complete detail of this regional research centre to ISESCO, through Dr. bin Arafa soon,” Dr. Mohd Hasbi said.  

Jamiyah President also mentioned, “We are moving towards utilising technology to spread our Islamic work. For example, two weeks ago, we launch a project called I-council at our 37 free legal clinics where I constantly use the internet technology to provide legal counselling.” He requested his colleague, Mohamed Yunos to make the presentation. This is another attempt by Jamiyah to talk to more people to learn reading Qur’an in 48 hours through utilising the modern technology to reach out to more Muslims around the world.

Learn Qur’an in 48 Hours

Muhammed Younus, Jamya Singapore

Mr. Mohamed Yunos, Vice-President-II of Jamiyah Singapore presented and demonstrated the most effective and productive way to learn Qur’an through the use of modern technology. He said, “Jamiyah Singapore have to find an effective way how to educate our brothers and sisters in Islam in the most efficient and in a more productive manner. That’s why; recently there is big interest, a big charm in Islamic education. Jamiyah Singapore has seized this opportunity and come up with various programmes to address the needs of brothers and sisters in Islam.”

Mr. Yunos mentioned, “One of the projects that we are embarking on is to learn Qur’an in 48 hours. We have completed this book. We have been using this book since December 2012 and we have great response from brothers and sisters who do not know how to read Qur’an.  They have zero knowledge. Alhamdo Lillah, within 48 hours they are able to read Qur’an with Tajweed. This is quite a remarkable achievement.”

Brother Yunos demonstrated how to use the technology, learning the lesson which emphasize on reading Qur’an with proper Tajweed. “The book is designed for all age-groups, whether seven years old or seventy years old, who have zero knowledge of the Qur’an, they can use this. And this book is suitable for beginners, as I said before. Zero knowledge of Arabic language,” said Jamiyah Vice-President-II.

Mr. Yunos also mentioned, “This Apes will be launched on the 7^th of July 2013 and it will be available. We call it learn Qur’an in 48 hours. If you go to the apotos; you make a search learning Qur’an in 48 hours, you will be able to see this Aps and you can download from there Insha Allah. This is our first step to impart Dawah, especially in Singapore and we are minority Muslims and we have to do something that most efficient and most effective in order to educate our Muslims in Singapore.”

Mr. Yunos made a proposal to ISESCO and its members to get endorsement from ISESCO. He said, “We have no choice but we have to speed up our efficiency in delivering the knowledge of Islam and my proposal down here today to ISESCO is to get endorsement from the ISESCO and its members before you go to the apes. When you saw this with the symbol, the logo from the ISESCO, logo from its members, people would not have any doubt whether this Aps is valid, real or whether it has been verified by Muslim scholars. We have done it and continue with all the Muslim scholars all over Singapore to come up with programme learning Qur’an within 48 hours.”

Jamiyah Singapore is an Islamic society which has been in existence for 81 years. Mr. Yunos expressed his hope to get the support, the endorsement, from ISESCO and all its members.”

Recommendations

We are asking ISESCO to teach Arabic for non-Arabic speakers in collaboration with Ibne Sina Institute in Leeds/Leon.

We are asking ISESCO for the 14^th meeting of the leaders of the Islamic Councils collaborating with their head office also asking the Vatican to collaborate with ISESCO.

We are also asking ISESCO to have the 9^th meeting in the Caribbean and Latin America in the Republic of Guinea during 2014 to study the activation of Latin America.

The conference thanks Jamiyah Singapore for their centre promoting Islam asking their representative to collaborate with the ISESCO for scholars.

We are asking ISESCO and all other organisations to have initiative called Muslim Makers of Peace.

Role of Islamic Centres in correcting misconceptions -Opening Ceremony

Conference on the Role of Islamic

Centres in Correcting Misconceptions

Dr. Mozammel Haque

One-day Conference on “The Role of Islamic Centres in Correcting Misconceptions,” organised by Muslim World League, London Office in cooperation with Islamic Cultural Centre, London, UK, was held in the Library Hall of the Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC), London, on Thursday, 15^th of August, 2013 corresponding to 8^th of Shawwal, 1434AH. Islamic Cultural Centre was very happy to host this conference and was also very happy to cooperate with the Muslim World League, expressed Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre in his opening speech.

Proceedings of the Conference

There were three sessions besides the opening and final sessions on the recommendations. The Opening Ceremony was started with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an followed by a speech by Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director-General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London; HRH Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf al-Saud, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom & Ireland; Lord Mohammad Shaikh, Peer of the House of Lords, British Parliament and HE Dr. Abdullah bin AbdelMohsin al-Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Makkah al-Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia.

In the First session on “Misconceptions between Truth and Falsehood”, chaired by Sh. Muhammad Ismail Rashid, Secretary General of the Association of Muslim Scholars of Britain. Muhammad Ali Harrath, Editor of Islam Magazine, CEO of Islam Channel spoke on Western Media and the Creation of Islamophobia; Dr. Abdul Hakim Murad, Lecturer in Islamic Studies and Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge University, UK lectured on Oriental Studies and Dr. Nour al-Din al-Miladi, Head of the Media Department, Qatar University, UAE spoke on Media & Importance of Renewing Religious Discourse.

The Second session on “Towards Comprehensive Correction on Misconceptions” was chaired by Dr. Abdul Rahman Abdullah al-Zaid, Assistant Secretary General of the Makkah-based Muslim World League. Dr. Aminah Osman, Director of the Turning Point Organisation, UK spoke on Projects of Introducing Islam; Dr. Suhaib AbdulGhafour, Secretary of the Sharia Council of Britain spoke on Terrorism and Extremism and Sir Iqbal Abdulkarim Sacranie, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) spoke on Islamic Reference and the Position of Unity.

The Third session on “Islamic Associations between Duplication and Coordination” was chaired by Dr. Ahmad Turkistani, Director of the Cultural Affairs in the Saudi Cultural Bureau, London. In this session, Mr. Yousuf Muhammad Bhailok, former Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) presented a paper on The Danger of Duplication in Islamic Work; Dr. Musharraf Hussain, Director of the Karimia Institute in Nottingham, UK spoke on Muslims in the West and Bridges of Dialogue; Sheikh Khalifa Ezzat, Imam of the Regents’ Park London Central Mosque, spoke on the Importance of Integration in Coordinating Islamic Organisations Work and Councillor Asghar Majeed of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, UK, spoke on Islamic Associations and Cultural Partnership.

The Final session was presided by Dr. Abdullah Mohsin al-Turki. Dr. Ahmad Al-Dubayan read out the Resolutions of the Conference in Arabic which was simultaneously translated into English.

Opening Ceremony:

Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan

Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director-General of the ICC, first of all, spoke about the activities of the Muslim community and their needs. He mentioned that the Muslim community had made great advances in looking after all the aspects of the Muslims, such as building mosques, charity and social works, establishing Islamic schools etc. These works are increasing day after day.

Dr. al-Dubayan also mentioned about the two important needs of the Muslim community, one is education and the other the social side. “Recently we notice there are two needs: first one is, taking care of their education; because education is the basic need for this Muslim community after they got their citizenship in this country. The other one is the social side and the social services; looking after the families, educating the women and looking after the new generation of Muslims. Because the new generations have lot of problems, first of all the identity and belongings,” said Dr. al-Dubayan.

The Muslim World League serves lot of works around the world, Asia, America and Europe. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Muslim community look toward the Muslim World League for their needs. Education needs lot of supports and these communities look forward to cooperate with the Muslim World League because Muslim World League represents Muslims all over the world. We, in the Islamic Cultural Centre, are very happy to host this conference and to cooperate with the Muslim World League.”

Mr. Abdul Rahman Aneezi of the

Saudi Embassy in the UK

Mr. Abdul Rahman al-Aneezi from the Saudi Embassy in London spoke on behalf of His Excellency, Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf al-Saud, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom & Ireland. First of all, after conveying the greetings on behalf of the Saudi ambassador, Mr. al-Aneezi said, “The Saudi Ambassador Prince Mohammad could not attend today because of his previous engagement long time ago. He directed me to deputise him and attend this conference which is talking about misconception about Islam.”

Mr. al-Aneezi also mentioned, “The choice of this title is a very good one and now we need to spotlight the role of the Muslims and the Islamic centres in the West.”

Lord Mohammad Shaikh

Lord Mohammad Shaikh, Peer of the British Parliament, commended Dr. al-Dubayan for organising this conference, especially about the theme of the conference, The Role of Islamic centres and the misconceptions. Lord Shaikh said, “Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions about Islam which I think we have to rectify but we need to do it gently.”

Lord Shaikh said, “Education is very very important. In fact, we are proud of our educational inheritance. Our achievement has been marvellous,” In this connection, Lord Shaikh reminded the education heritage going back to the time when the Ummayyad were holding ruling and the development in Cordova, Spain.

Referring to the social side, Lord Shaikh said, “We tackle this concept or term of misconception. In the last meeting of the Conservative Muslim Forum people of the Christian community came to me and said we do not know that there is a chapter in the Holy Qur’an relating to Jesus Christ.”

“I think this is very very important that we tell the world what is Islam all about. It is indeed the religion of peace. In the Holy Qur’an, Prophet Issa, Prophet Moses were mentioned more times than Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). We also need to tell the people of the Books, the Christians and the Jews and all the revealed Books of Allah, the Injil, az-Zabur, at-Taurat and the Holy Qur’an. So there are misconceptions which we must correct. The way to do it is a gentle way,” mentioned Lord Shaikh.

Speaking about how Islam was spread in the largest Muslim country like Indonesia, Lord Sheikh said Islam was spread in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country, by Muslim missionaries and traders and we never conquer Indonesia. Similarly, he mentioned about Sri Lanka and Maldives, he visited recently. He also talked about how Islam is spread in Malaysia by Muslim missionaries and traders.

Lord Shaikh said, “I like to say, every one of us has a role to play. We all are ambassadors of Islam. It is incumbent on all of us to tell others what Islamic principles are all about.”

HE Dr. Abdullah Mohsin al-Turki

After thanking all those brothers who participated in the conference and who collaborated to organise this conference, especially Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan Director-General of the Islamic Cultural Centre London  and Dr. Ahmad Makhdoum Director of the Muslim World League, London Office and also all the participating researchers and scholars, Dr. Abdullah Mohsin al-Turki, Secretary General of the Makah-based Muslim World League (MWL) said, “We appreciate their efforts and their collaboration in this important subject of the role of Islamic centres in correcting the misconceptions.”

Dr. Al-Turki said, “We do not forget that there is a conflict between right and wrong since mankind started and it is going to go on until the doomsday. So we are not surprise that there is someone who distort religions and their prophets and talks about the wrong ideas about this.”

From Adam until Muhammad (peace be upon him) they all faced challenges and objections. Some of the prophets had only very few followers; so this thing is not a surprise, he said.

Dr. al-Turki said, “Islam is a summary of all the Divine Books that were revealed by Allah the Almighty. They might have differences about the environment or about time but in summary they don’t. They all call for obedience to God and following God; talked about justice, peace, security and anything that will bring happiness to mankind.”

Speaking about the similarity in origin and message, the MWL chief said, “If we go about the story of Prophets Adam, Noah, Ibrahim and many many prophets at different times we find that the main goal of these Missions is to convey that human being is the creation of God and this message is from God just to guide mankind into the right path and correct direction. It is not that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was telling us about this Mission. The Message of Moses or of Jesus to his people is the same.”

Dr. Al-Turki said, “But we have to admit that there are many many personalities who are fair and they know that Islam is all about the religious messages. So there is a big role for all Muslims and non-Muslims to correct the bad image that is damaging Islam and all the messages from God.

Mentioning about dialogue, MWL chief said, “Everyone must collaborate on this subject and they have to find the means and ways to help them. That’s why we have to engage in dialogue. We have to come back to dialogue between religions that was started by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his Crown Prince. They are keen to take any step that helps and serves the Muslims and the humanity and everything that will take humanity out of wars and conflicts. Of course dialogue is a very good thing in this subject.”

“I have to say there are lot of ways used to distort the image of Islam,” said Dr. al-Turki and added, “Muslims have a great role. They have to introduce Islam to people who do not know anything about Islam. It’s a trust that any Muslim has to convey the correct message of Islam. In this meeting, we have to talk about the appropriate ways that Muslim minority should take in Europe generally and especially in Britain because there are people, who are open to learn, open to know from Islamic organisations and non-Islamic organisations. Yes, Islamic organisations should have a strategy and they should collaborate with other organisations in order to clarify the facts.”

“Media, of course unfortunately, can give distorted image of Islam; that’s why we should look into the media; and we should look into the appropriate media ways to collaborate with them to correct the image of Islam through conferences, exhibitions, forums and contacting Muslims and the scholars and researchers in Britain. We are talking about the people of Britain and also that of Europe and everywhere else. Are they contacting the non-bias researchers and people who are interested in research in all the universities and institutions?” enquired Dr. Al-Turki and said, “This thing is very important. Muslim minorities have responsibilities to educate their children and direct them like what Dr. Dubayan said we need to educate the youngsters so that they can face these problems and they can communicate with others.”

Speaking about the method of cooperation with scholars and non-Muslims, the MWL chief said, “I must say that the Muslim communities must cooperate with other communities. They should not isolate themselves; they should cooperate with the communities and the countries they are living in. They should respect the laws of the countries they are living in and they should also contribute in the social and religious affairs of those countries they are living in. That is the way to show the truth about Islam.”

Another aspect about which MWL chief emphasized is communication between Islamic communities, especially the scholars and thinkers of these communities because Islam is one nation with all the racial differences. “The communication between all these communities should be to serve and clarify the misconceptions about Islam and Muslims and this communication should serve this important cause. This matter, of course, needs a lot of efforts and this conference should play a role,” he said.

“After this conference, there should be meeting of all Islamic thinkers in the European and non-European countries to formulate a strategy; specific strategy to introduce Islam by the communities in order to rectify the misconceptions,” proposed Dr. al-Turki.  

MWL chief said, “Islam is not fanaticism or terrorism. It’s a fact that Islam is against terrorism and fanaticism. Islam stresses on security of organisations and respect by the Muslims of the rules and laws of the countries they live in. If some individuals make any mistake they should not be assigned to Islam.”

While concluding his speech, Dr. Abdullah Mohsin al-Turki expressed his thanks to all the brothers for their efforts. He specially thanked the Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom for his efforts and for his cooperation and also Mr. Abdul Rahman Aneezi for his efforts and cooperation on this occasion and also thanked Lord Muhammad Shaikh for his contribution and his speech.”