By Majed Iqbal- Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatahu,Inshallah you are all in the best state of health and Imaan.Please take time to send durood upon the Priophet (saw) especially on the Day of Jumah.

Abu Hurrayrah (Radi Allah Ta’lah Anhu) narrated Allah’s Messenger (Salallahu-aleihi-wasallam) said, “The person who recites eighty times on Friday (the following Durood) immeadiately after Asar Salah, before standing up from his place, eighty years of his sins will be forgiven by Allah and the reward equivalent to eighty years of worship will be written for him- Allahuma Sallay Ala Sayyidina Muhammadin Nabiyyil Ummiyi wa Ala Aalihi Wa sallim Tasleema“

Ya Mashar al-Muslimeen

In the last years. months and recent weeks none of us have failed to notice the dire situation which our brothers and sisters have been facing in Pakistan. News Stations have been beaming in pictures directly into our homes of the horrors that have been going on in the country.

Whether this has been former President of Pakistan Musharraf’s unstinting support for America after 9/11 to invade Afghanistan using Pakistani airspace and land or Musharraf’s role in the lal Masjid operation to build a hatred in the minds of Pakistani’s for those who call for Shariah in the country.

Or whether it was the circus politics of Nawaz Sharif and Zardari fighting for power like scavangers to see who can please America the most after the death of benazir Bhutto.

Or it may have been the swat and waziristan operations by the Pakistani Army where muslim have killed other muslims on the orders of America, disguised as combatting extremism and fighting terrorism. Because of these operations, millions have been displaced and the country is brinking on civil war despite the The Holy Prophet (sallallahu-alayhi wassallam) saying “The destruction of the world is lighter on Allah than the killing of one Muslim man.” [Tirmidhi]

The Holy Prophet, our guide, our master, the one who wanted goodness for this ummah in this life and the next, Muhammad Al Mustaf (sallallahu-alayhi wassallam) said in a hadith very apt for the situation we are facing “The believer is sharp and is not bitten from the same hole twice“

Our beautiful Messenger taught us not to become victims of the same plan time and time again. The muslims of Pakistan have risen to this hadith and no longer believe that America is helping their country. The muslims of Pakistan will no longer believe that there rulers are looking after them.

The muslims of Pakistan are not deaf, dumb and blind when American secretary of state Hillary Clinton comes in to their country claiming to build peace and stability when it was America, her plans and her agent rulers who have destroyed Pakistan, creating a scenario of internal fighting. Allah (swt) says in the Quran

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ

“And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers” (Surah al Baqarah- verse 11)

Our Holy Prophet (sallallahu-alayhi wassallam) reminds us about foreign countries dominating the affairs of Muslims when he said “Never does killing amongst a people appear, each killing the other, except that Allah makes their enemy sovereign over them”. (Tabarani)

Dear Muslims

The Government in Pakistan alongside the so- called opposition parties who change their colours to suit the season to please and get noticed by the West have all lost credibility in Pakistan.

They have, in the name of tackling terrorism, destroyed the country such that no person feels safe to walk the streets of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

Prime Minister Gilani on the 8th of May announced “for the sanctity of this pure land, for national dignity, to suppress the extremists, to ensure the protection of people, the army has been deployed.”, thereby announcing the start of a war in SWAT.

In whose benefit is this war? For whose interests was this war started? What has been and what will be the consequences of this war?

In order to “suppress the extremists” and to “ensure the protection of the people” – and yet the American army, who it has been revealed a few months back have actual photographic evidence of their soldiers raping and molesting our sister in Iraqi jails, are left to bomb the Pakistani people from pilotless drones which take off from land strips within Pakistan.

Or the recent arrests of American and Dutch personnel carrying a load of weaponary whom the pakistani interior minister Rehman Malik defended and bailed out. Why??

Dear Muslims

Let no one be in any doubt that this war is an American war, to help the Americans in their failed imperial war in Afghanistan, to make Muslims fight Muslims, to weaken one of the strongest Muslims states and armies, and to ultimately lead to the division of Pakistan and the strengthening of India as the strategic ally of America in the region.

This is a war that was started at the request of Hillary Clinton when she said that Pakistan was in danger of falling into “terrorist hands” due to “failed government policies”. This kind of false propaganda is the same false propaganda that the Americans used against Iraq before the invasion in 2003.

Dear Muslims

Allah warns us – that if we are not together, if we do not help and support one another, strengthen one another, unite together under one leadership, then there will be fitnah and corruption upon the earth. Allah has told us in His Book

وَالَّذينَ كَفَرُواْ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ تَفْعَلُوهُ تَكُن فِتْنَةٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَفَسَادٌ كَبِيرٌ

“And those who disbelieve are allies of one another, (and) if you (Muslims of the whole world collectively) do not do so [i.e. become allies, as one united block under one Khalifah to make victorious Allâh’s religion], there will be Fitnah and oppression on the earth, and a great mischief and corruption” (8:73)

Allah orders us to unite while Western powers are taking active steps to maintian the siunity that is surfacing in the country. They wish to convince us that the problems in Pakistan are due to a handful of extremists. How beautiful could the timing be of a blast in Peshawar where hundreds were killed on the arrival of Hillary Clinton?? Perfect fuel for her tour to get the muslims of Pakistan on her side! Allah has informed us in the Quran –

لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ‌ۖ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٲلِكَ فَلَيۡسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىۡءٍ

“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliyâ (supporters, helpers) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allâh in any way” (3:28)

Then why are our rulers actively, day and night supporting the American plan for Pakistan??

These are critical times for our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

Isn’t it high time for the people to speak against these rulers who are liars and traitors to Islam and the Muslim ummah? When the Americans wanted to weaken and divide Iraq they had to enter the country with their own troops, and install their own agents to incite the beginning of sectarian conflict, and yet in Pakistan the rulers are willing accomplices, who are so evil that they are happy to co-operate in inciting sectarian and tribal conflict that would ultimately lead to the destruction of their people!!! Allah has told us in his holy book

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوۡمً۬ا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنۡ حَآدَّ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ وَلَوۡ ڪَانُوٓاْ ءَابَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنَهُمۡ أَوۡ عَشِيرَتَہُمۡ

“You (O Muhammad SAW) will not find any people who believe in Allâh and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allâh and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people)” (58:22)

Dear Muslims

Remember the struggle of your forefathers who created Pakistan for the sake of Islam. Do you not remember their chants “Pakistan ka matlab kya? La ilaha illallah”

Is it not Islam that will honour us in Pakistan. Havn’t we seen the failure of both Democracy and Dictatorship in Pakistan today to steer the country on a progressive path?

Isn’t it time that Muslims established the Khilafah State and run their affairs as an independant nation and feel secure with the implementation of the Shariah- the laws of Allah (swt)??

Isn’t this what opinion poll after opinion poll is refferring to in Pakistan today???

Dear Muslims

Let us join our efforts, our voices and stances to act upon the following

• Speak out against the American war to destroy Pakistan
• Explain to our friends, family and community about what is happening in Pakistan
• Speak about it in your masajid and ask the congregation to contact their relatives in the armies and account them
• Contact your local media, print, web or digital television and air your views to them
• Contact the branches of the Pakistani parties based here and ask them why they are silent
• Organise campaigns at University and college
• Distribute leaflets in your community
• Set up stalls and engage with all members of the public on the issue
• Set up facebook groups, blogs, forums to discuss the issues.

Let us be the voices for our Ummah and be part of the inevitable change that is soon to come with the permission of Allah (swt)

وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٍ۬‌ۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ

The believers, men and women, are Auliyâ’ of one another; they enjoin Al-Ma‘rûf, and forbid from Al-Munkar; they perform As-Salât, and give the Zakât, and obey Allâh and His Messenger (9:71)

The following article was published in the Nationwide Passion Islam Monthly Magazine which addressed the recent and much awaited tour of American secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan.

The article looked at the perceptions of America from the ordinary citizen of Pakistan and raised the question if Americas War on Terror and the Af-pak Strategy is winning the hearts and minds of Pakistanis. The article can be read online on the Passion Islam Online Magazine on page 2. Click Here to read further.

Read the text of the article on the Blog by clicking here

  By Majed Iqbal- US secretary of state Hillary Clinton completed her three day tour of Pakistan in the last week of October attempting to win the hearts and minds of a population which has become instrumental to Americas War on Terror.

Many Pakistani commentators dubbed her visit as a ‘charm offensive’ to re-build that ‘trust deficit’; a long overdue initiative to ease tensions with the Pakistani masses that have been having second and third thoughts about their ‘use and abuse’ partnership with the US since its inception in 2001.

The tour saw concentrated efforts in dialoguing directly with the public on a range of issues which the people of Pakistan were thinking about on Pakistan- US relations.

Hillary Clinton’s “people to people” diplomacy — with journalists, students and common people, which included town hall meetings in a “no holds” barred question and answer session at a university in Lahore were part of a new packaging.

This was possibly an approach to re-build that trust in an open and transparent way, a somewhat ‘revolutionary’ step away from more clandestine approaches with Government ministers and opposition figureheads to manipulate political will.

Clinton, who professes deep personal affection for Pakistan and its people, was aiming to be cautiously optimistic in her visit to maybe change as many hearts and minds among Pakistanis.

“I’m going to try as hard as I can. But ultimately, we have to have actions between the two of us. Words are not enough,” she said at a women’s gathering.

Clinton got straight to the point; expressing disbelief that no-one in authority knew where al Qaeda leaders were hiding out.

“I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to,” she told a group of newspaper editors during a meeting in Lahore.

However Hillary Clinton realised that it wasn’t as simple as asking a question like this which in her mind should have stoked these journalists and editors to use their positions in media to pressurise the government to do more for America and its fight on the war on terror

She soon realised this on her tour where every time she tried to win over Pakistanis during with her charm, people fired back a polite but firm message “We don’t really trust your country”.

No matter how hard Clinton tried to reassure audiences in Lahore and Islamabad with talk of providing economic aid where it’s needed most, Pakistanis seized on her visit as the perfect moment to lash out at a U.S. government they perceive as arrogant, domineering and insensitive to their plight.

At a televised town hall meeting in Islamabad, the capital, on Friday, a woman in a mostly female audience characterized U.S. drone missile strikes on suspected terrorist targets in north western Pakistan as de facto acts of terrorism. A day earlier in Lahore, a college student asked Clinton why every student who visits the U.S. is viewed as a terrorist

The opinions Clinton heard weren’t the voices of radical clerics, insurgents, Taliban supporters, extremists or politicians with anti-U.S. agendas. Some of the most biting criticisms came from well-mannered university students and respected, seasoned journalists, a reflection of the breadth of dissatisfaction Pakistanis have with U.S. policy toward their country.

In those voices what rang clear was a sense that Pakistan was paying a heavy price for America’s “war on terror.”

“You had one 9/11, and we are having daily 9/11s in Pakistan,” Asma Shirazi, a journalist with ARY TV, told Clinton during the Islamabad town hall meeting.

Clinton’s visit came at a time when Pakistanis’ suspicions about U.S. intentions in their country are at an all-time high.

A five-year, $7.5-billion aid package to Pakistan recently signed into law by President Obama stoked much of the animosity. Measures in the legislation aimed at ensuring the money isn’t misspent have been perceived by Pakistanis as levers that Washington can use to exert control over their country.

The reactions of the ordinary citizen of Pakistan of Americas relationship with Pakistan may have surprised US officials on the tour. This was not the expected outcome.

The very people dissenting against America should have been the ones praising America’s campaign in Waziristan, they should have been supporting the drone attacks on ‘insurgents’, they should have been cheering on and championing the arrival of Private US security firms in Pakistan like Blackwater.

It was these people who America wanted on their side- after all they were the moderates. They were the ones who hate the extremists. America was cleansing Pakistan of these extremists. So logically, my enemy is your enemy? Unfortunately for America, this has proven wrong.

People in Pakistan have clearly voiced that turbulence in their country and the weekly blasts and bombings in their country were due to American interference in the nations politics.

What remains more questionable is silence on any discuss=ion by Hillary on the Pakistani government and the “un-stinting support” for US operations in Pakistan, a term which was coined by Musharraf in 2001. Both Dictatorships and Democracies in Pakistan have seen strengthening relations between the countries despite the master–slave set up and the uproar against this by the Pakistani public.

There was complete silence of America on Musharraf’s Rule so long as he executed American Foreign Policy designs in the region. This continues with Zardari today in the Af-pak strategy, a war which has used the Pakistani army to kill its own citizens and leave millions displaced from the war-torn regions.

What Hillary saw, heard and felt in her tour was not just directed at America, but to all the Political parties in Pakistan and the present Government who profess to have the interests of the nation at heart.

On Sunday morning 25th October, i participated in the BBC programme, The Big Questions’. The show can be seen on the link HERE.  My comments appear at 35.10 into the show.

The areas of discussion for the show were 1- Are strikes necessary  2- Does Britain have a moral duty for giving aid to other countries in light of the recession  3- Organ donation after death.

My comment focused on the second topic. Aid is never a moral decision but a financial one and will always be tied to the strategic interests of a nation. The release of the Libyan prisoner for the Lockerbie bombings was not based on humanitarian or moral grounds. Evidence later surfaced that Oil contracts and business relations were the driving force behind the release despite the denial of Politicians from the start of the case.

Similarly, Gordon Brown giving Pakistan £5 million is not for a moral cause but for that government to tow the British line on its domestic and international objectives.

African Dictators and Arab Rulers have also been financed with aid over the years. Egypt is the second largest recipient of US aid after Israel. WHY???

There are no morals in Politics only interests.

WATCH THE SHOW HERE

In light of the launch of the ICE (Islamic citizenship and Education) Curriculum, Majeds Blog has organised a Facebook campaign against this project. The ICE Curriculum is going to be launched on Friday 9th October in Rochdale.

This Facebook campaign wishes to mobilise Muslims in Rochdale specifically against such projects which have been crafted out and endorsed by the Government. This Project will be launched in Central West Minister Hall on the 24th October which highlights a clear governement connection to the this allegedly “independent” campaign.

The ICE curriculum has recieved £360,000 funding to promote Islamic classes licensed by the British Government which in itself speaks for the credentials of what type of Islam the Government wants. Hazel Blears, Communities Secretary until she resigned on June 3, said the project aims “to ensure young people are equipped with the skills they need to stand up to violent extremists”

Hence the curriculum is not a genuine effort to engage with Muslim youth on important issues related to their deen but rather a Politicised agenda that the Government wishes the Muslim Community to embrace such that Issues that Muslims feel about on local, national and international affairs are viewed ONLY from one standard- that is the way the British Government wants Muslims to see, think and behave in.

The facebook campaign wishes the readers to reflect on the Following ideas and then JOIN THE CAMPAIGN BY SIGNING UP ON THE FACEBOOK GROUP

- Why does the Government need to dictate to mosques about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable for teaching in Mosques? The Muslim community has built their own institutions like Mosques, Madrassahs and Islamic schools. We are independent and already have our own established curriculums.

- A big no to thanks to alleged Muslim leaders doing the Governments dirty work. We say, work for the interests of the Muslim community and not the Politicised agendas of the British Government.

- A big no to the funding for this project which is called “Prevention for Violent Extremism” from Central Government which deems all Muslims suspiciously and wants to CREATE a rift in the Muslim community by falsely labeling people as ‘Extremists’ or ‘Moderates’

- No to a British or European form of Islam- Islam is the Deen revealed by Allah (swt) and doesn’t need any government to validate it or change it.

- No to making Muslim youth look inward at Islam to make them feel that extremism and Terrorism is due to Islam rather than a brutal foreign policy of Britain and America where profit and Western interests are above people

- No to making our youth pacifists and silent on issues concerning the Muslim Ummah in Gaza, Pakistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan

- Our youth need to be taught to challenge and Question ALL ideas, including Liberal Democracy and Secular values which has seen invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan based on a dodgy Dossier, MP Expenses Scandal, a financial crisis with the credit crunch and the growing Social problems of Youth Violence and Teenage pregnancies which are plaguing modern Britain today.

- Many Muslim groups are already doing great work in their local communities. We do NOT need Government help for this.

- No other faith group in the country has been subject to so much scrutiny as the Muslim community has with project after project being designed to tackle all possible sectors and groupings of Muslims.

- The government should allocate its £70 million which was for tackling extremism instead to tackling drugs, Teen violence, unwanted pregnancies and educational achievement.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN BY SIGNING UP ON THE FACEBOOK GROUP

 By Majed Iqbal- In the last few years there has been an intense effort by the government in taking direct hands on approach in the affairs of the Muslim community in the name of tackling ‘radicalisation’ and combating ‘extremism’.

For some, this has been a welcoming gesture, seeing the Government playing a ‘positive’ role in understanding the issues of the Muslim community. For the majority, this has been viewed as intervention and a concentrated effort to make Muslims swallow ideas with a carrot and stick approach.

No other faith group in the country has been subject to so much scrutiny as the Muslim community has with project after project being designed to tackle all possible sectors and groupings of Muslims.

Muslim women groups like the Muslim women’s assertiveness course, Youth groups, National Mosque Groups like MINAB, ‘Extremism’ tool kits for schools and Colleges for Muslim pupils, New Government endorsed curriculum’s for Mosques in the North West titled ‘Nasiha’ and local councils given thousands of pounds to give to groups to promote key ideas which the government is interested in imparting to local Muslim residents- the list can continue with numerous more examples.

In this line up comes a new national drive to get Mosques and Madrassah’s to roll out an “Islamic” version of Citizenship courses across the country in areas like Leicester, London, Bristol, Kirklees, Bradford, Oldham and Rochdale.

The Islam and Citizenship Education Project has been funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government under the banner of the project “Prevent”- the Governments anti-radicalisation agenda which has seen over £12.5 million pounds spent already out of its £70 million pound budget over three years.

It claims to “to teach citizenship values through the Islamic perspective” and state that “citizenship values and Islamic values are broadly compatible”.

However the 44 lessons (22 for Key Stage 2; 9-11 year olds and 22 for Key Stage 3; 11-14 year olds) discusses many issues in the curriculum that are already widely addressed in many Mosques like morals, respect and good speech and character. So why does the Government feel the need to promote a state controlled version of an Islamic curriculum for mosques?

A closer look reveals that some topics are addressed in line with the Government’s view that Muslims have false grievances on international issues like Pakistan, Iraq Palestine and Afghanistan.

In Lesson 9 of Key stage 3, pupils are being taught to become pacifists by remaining silent and patient and controlling ones anger to ‘resolve disputes’. This would apply to attending demonstrations against perpetrators of war crimes against humanity like Musharraf or Zardari for declaring war on its own citizens in Pakistan on the orders of America and Britian. However, the curriculum would teach pupils that this is an ‘extreme’ response and that muslims should be patient.

In Lesson 10 pupils are being questioned on suicide bombings- “Is it ever right for people to threaten to blow up other people, or actually to blow them up? Why do some people take actions like this?”

Would there be any room in this curriculum to discuss the illegal war on Iraq where over 100,000 were killed, many of whom were innocent men, women and children?

In Lesson 11 pupils are being taught to understand the concept of “tolerance, respect and love for humanity”. Would the lesson aid pupils in questioning why politicians in Britain are encouraging segregation of communities through their highly controversial remarks on Islam like Jack Straw on the Niqaab or Jim Fitzpatrick on the segregation of Weddings?

In Lesson 12 pupils are being taught about community cohesion and how Islam embraces people of other faiths and beliefs. Would the lesson discuss why the Government has made Islam and the Muslim community the subject of intense suspicion with comments from Former Prime minister Tony Blair describing “aspects of Islam as an evil Ideology” or highlight Charles Clarke, the former foreign ministers statements who said that “Shariah law for the Muslim world is non-negotiable and the British state would never tolerate it”?

In lesson 14, Living and Working with Others, pupils are presented with a confused idea of the compatibility of Secular Democracy and Shariah law at a State level by claiming that the Constitution of the Messenger Muhammad is similar to that of Britain. This is despite that Islam has many social, political, economic rules that directly conflict with Secular liberal laws from Democracy.

Whilst even Gordon Brown has difficulty in defining what it means to be British and will be a subject of many conversations even amongst the indigeneous population, surprisingly the curriculum seems to force a sense of “Britishness” down the throats of pupils in Lesson 15 titled “British or Muslim, or British Muslim”.

In Lesson 20, “Understanding Democracy” pupils are presented with this model of Governance as an ideal to aspire to where it is only democracy which somehow has a monopoly and exclusivity on elected government, free and fair elections and the rule of law. However, pupils are not presented with the controversies surrounding Liberal democracy like MP’s Expenses, cash for Questions in Parliament, ‘Donations’ to parties, Foreign Millionaires meeting British Politicians on Holiday Yachts or the growing social problems, Financial crisis where bankers are being given thousands in bonuses while banks close down and unemployment rates soar exponentially.

Any independent observer will not fail to notice that the contents of the curriculum come in the backdrop of the Governments agenda to make the Muslim community embrace ideas, values and political persuasions more closer to its own, despite Islam’s and the Muslim Community’s contrasting views on these issues.

The Curriculum has been officially endorsed and mentioned the Governments Prevent Document in 2008 and will be launching officially on the 24th October 2009 at Central Westminster Hall in London.

However, like its predecessor, the Nasiha project piloted in Bradford nearly two years by the then Communities Minister Ruth Kelly which was rejected by many Mosques, Groups and Muslim bodies, the ICE project seems to already be heading for the same fate with its credentials of being a Government Sponsored Agenda.

By Majed Iqbal- A new report issued by the Tax payer’s alliance has singled out Rochdale Council, after it refused to disclose key information on how the Prevention for Violent Extremism (PVE) money had been distributed in Rochdale.

The Tax payer’s alliance, an independent body who research where tax payers money is being spent by the government, rubbished the Government “Prevent” strategy which was designed to tackle ‘radicalisation’ as part of efforts in its counter terrorism strategy. The Government promised £45 million to local authorities over three years as PVE grants, allocated to those Councils with Muslim populations of more than 5 per cent.

The new report by the Taxpayers’ Alliance used the Freedom of Information requests to compile the data, listing all the organisations that had received PVE (Prevention of Violent Extremism) funding in the last two years by their local councils.

Rochdale Council was the only council who refused to release the Information on spending, by citing that there would be ‘Commercial Detriment to a Third Party’. An appeal was submitted to provide the reasoning behind the decision in early May 2009. There has been no response since despite contact being made on several occasions.

In 2007/08, qualifying Councils received money through the ‘Pathfinder’ fund, and each local authority was then able to devise its own plan for how to use the money of which £12 million has so far been given out by local authorities to fund community groups through Prevent projects.

However, the Prevent strategy since its inception has been hugely questioned by the Muslim Community who are the key target of these plans. Many have argued that Terrorism has no religion and attacks in Western countries are a product of Western Foreign policy. Therefore it is International politics and agendas of nations and not the re-defining of Islam in Europe which needs to be addressed.

Muslims in Rochdale have challenged these plans when information was leaked early 2008 that Rochdale was allocated £100,000 of PVE money.

In community meetings, local Muslim representatives and leaders objected to the plans citing them as counter productive and non-conducive to community relations in the borough and that an atmosphere of suspicion and spying was being promoted.

The issuing of this report may have bought embarrassment to some Muslim groups and Mosques receiving PVE who had initially been in denial about government funding and had aired they were independent organisations with their own agendas.

Who these organisations are in Rochdale is still yet to be disclosed.

The following article was published in the Passion Islam Magazine Spetember 2009 edition. It evaluated how muslims can be selective about what parts of the Quran they wish to practice, despite Islam forbidding this.

Read the Article ONLINE on pages 18-19. Read the full text of the article by Clicking HERE

The following article was published in the Passion Islam Magazine Spetember 2009 edition. The article was written for this blog by one of the contributors.

Read the Article ONLINE on pages 24-26.  To read the full article by Zaythoun Suleman, please CLICK HERE.

By Majed Iqbal- The second presidential election in Afghanistan under the new constitution, designed after ‘liberation’ in 2001 was held on August 20, 2009.

The much awaited election has been at the forefront of international observers from the west. An election result which must prove that democracy has now been embedded in Afghan society and a living showcase to the world that the troops sent thousands of miles away from across the world were not fighting in vain.

The fight for ‘people power’ took a new form, away from the battlefield where western troops are fighting the ‘insurgency’. The fight to establish people power was now through Television allowing Afghanis to digest democracy through voting for their favorite singing stars by text messaging, in the form of the countries own version of Pop Idol.

The program titled “Afghan Star” drew viewing figures of 11 million people (a third of the population) who tuned in to watch the finale, gathering in homes, fruit shops, coffee houses and military barracks. The six-month-long television show, running for the third season would name the final two contestants, based on votes sent in from viewers via text message and offering a grand prize of £2,500 for the winner.

“Afghan Star is very good as it shows all the sleeping talent across Afghanistan,” one young man in the crowd said in good English.

“The young generation before, during the decades of war, could not stand up and show what they had, but now all the young generation can show their talents.”

According to the United National Development Programme around 68 percent of Afghanis are under the age of 25. So this is the generation which is being addressed to once again become part of the global community by sharing in the West’s version of Global values.

Lima Sahaar, one of the female contestants is from the southern province of Kandahar to Kabul. Her hair is usually covered with a scarf and is dressed in traditional Afghani clothing.

“I’m not afraid. Afghan people don’t care about risks or dangers. I think all of Afghanistan is in danger, but if we worry about those dangers we can’t move on and the country’s not going to develop.”

Western press have cheered on and ‘broadcasted’ the progress made for women since 2001 citing that the vey fact a young woman from the birthplace of the Taleban is on stage performing each week says a lot about the way Afghanistan has changed in the last six years.

In the midst of a war torn and ethnically divided country the show has attracted participants from different backgrounds attracting women, men, children, elders, Pashtuns and Hazaras.

Rafi, a 19-year-old from Mazar e Sharif, Hameed a classically trained musician from the persecuted Hazara ethnic group, Lima, a 25-year-old woman from conservative Kandahar) and Setara, a 21-year-old woman from Heart.

However, in the midst of this new wave of Afghanistan embracing a mock up a western Show, one of the female contestants who is voted off dances briefly and when her head scarf slips off, she does not replace it.

Backstage, horrified, her fellow contestants’ voices are thin when they ask, “Why is she dancing?” …”this is not what a woman should do on national television” said one of the male final contestants.

So is this the nation’s first flirtation with democracy? And is Afghanistan making that progress that liberation forces from Britain, America and around the world promised dispensing their ‘moral’ duty to take out the country from the cave age which the Taliban provided and drive the country to modernity?

A further question which stands un-answered, why are Afghanis still conservative, holding onto Islamic ideals despite the fact that the Taliban are not in power? Wasn’t this the very ‘conservatism’ which the West wished to remove and replace with ‘modernity’?

So why would, in the eyes of the West, a liberal person, contesting in the finals of a talent show, the pinnacle of Afghanistan’s ‘Liberation’, object to women dancing on stage?

Quite similarly, Afghanistan’s democratic route in the recent election has been boasted about in western media as a new dawn for the country.

However, according to human rights groups, at least 70 candidates with links to “illegal armed groups” were on the ballot list in the election. Both of Hamid Karzai’s vice-presidential candidates and many of his key allies in the election are alleged to have committed widespread human rights violations and war crimes.

Mohammad Qasim Fahim Better known as Marshal Fahim, the vice-presidential candidate is accused of having been a former Communist secret police chief, murdering prisoners of war during the 1990s, running private armed militias, and involvement in kidnapping and other crimes after 2001. Fahim, a key U.S. ally in the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, had also previously served as Karzai’s First Vice President and Minister of Defense, appointed to those positions in the interim and transitional governments installed after the 2001 invasion.

Democracy, a loaded and sensationalist ideal, proposed to be in function and continuously referenced on the lips of the American and British today has seen criminals, warlords and hand picked American government ‘Politicians’ take positions of authority, endorsed and rubber stamped by Western governments.

Violence and harassment is still on the rampage by Government Ministers against Women Ministers, against independent and outspoken Islamic Political parties and news stations which don’t tow a particular line. Education has not changed, women still feel insecure on the streets and prefer to wear the burkha and the youth can see duplicity in the West’s international approach to the Muslim World with the events like Gaza and Pakistan.

Both the recent elections and the Afghan Star show have highlighted that the west’s battle hasn’t really succeeded in winning the hearts and mind of the Afghani people but instead have used such smokescreens like voting and Afghanistan’s own version of pop idol to claim that progress has been made and the country is on its way to real change.

   The following is the text of an Islamic Circle delivered earlier this week in Rochdale on how to approach the Quran completely and comprehensively

By Majed Iqbal- Here we are now in the first week of the month of Ramadhan. The Quran which has been resting on the top of our shelves for days, weeks and for some months and has now found itself back in the hands of the believers.

We are now inshallah habitually reading it and trying our best to understand its meaning by deeply pondering over its purposes. Were hearing the Quran recited eloquently and beautifully by the Qari’s at Salaat-ul Taraweeh.

Many of us have realised that the Quran, its message, its verses and the vision of life which it proposes is no joke. We have also realised that it was in this blessed month that this noble kitaab was revealed and finalised for mankind as the last and final revelation for humanity and what Allah (swt) wishes for his creation to do on this Earth.

Allah (swt) says in the Quran in Surah al Hashr:

لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَىٰ جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَتِلْكَ الْأَمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“Had we sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and split asunder (crumbling) by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables that we put forward to mankind that they may reflect.” [TMQ - Al-Hashr: 21]

So the Quran is no pass time in this month or a motion of recitation, but indeed a final reminder to humanity that must be taken seriously.

Much emphasis on Reading the Quran

In this blessed month we are reminded daily on the importance of being more attached to the Quran. The Prophet (saw) said, “These hearts become rusty just as iron does when water affects it.” On being asked what could clear them he replied, “A great amount of remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur’an.” [Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman. Abdullah ibn Umar narrated]

Hence the Quran is a reminder for us about our life and our purpose of existence. Let us not allow our hearts to become rusty devoid of the Quran! The Quran is also a remedy for us in our lives for many situations. This acts as reminding us to be close to the Quran and to making it as a reference point for the many situations we face daily.

The Prophet (saw) said “Do not turn your houses into graves. Shaytan is barred from any home where Surah Baqarah has been recited.” (Muslim).

Regarding the 56th Surah of the Quran, Surah Waqiah, The prophet (peace be upon him) said of it “The one who reads Surah Waqiah at night will not face poverty.” (Bayhaqi)

Remembering the Quran

We are also encouraged to memorise the Quran such that our tongues remain moistened with its remembrance, acts as a guiding light in our hearts. Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (saw) said: “He in whose heart there is nothing of the Qur’an is like a house in ruin.” [Transmitted by Tirmidhi]

The Quran should never be allowed to left on our shelves gathering dust, we must realise that it is the Guidance that Allah (swt) has sent for humanity. This is the Quran that will intercede for us on the day of judgement. The amount of Quran that we memorise will determine our level in Paradise .

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas heard the Prophet (saw) saying: “It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Read and elevate (through the levels of the Paradise ) and beautify your voice as you used to do when you were in the dunyaa! For verily, your position in the Paradise will be at the last verse you recite!” [Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmithee, saheeh]

Our mindset dictates how we approach the Quran

Despite the overwhelming connection we have with the Quran, sometimes it can become an emotional affair. Hence the Quran will be read during Ramadhan and forgotten for the rest of the year.

Sometimes after a tragic event, a Muslim wants spiritual comfort, maybe a death in the family, feeling depressed or failed some major exams or loss of work.

Even listening to the Quran recited in the Taraweeh prayer may just be a comforting exercise for our souls as a soother after the stresses of the day.

Referring to the Quran for our actions

The Quran was revealed to be the reference point for our actions, a decider of what is good and what is bad for us, laws to do with our relationship with Allah (swt), laws to do with ourselves and laws for human interaction in society. Allah (swt) says in Surah Ibrahim

الر ۚ كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

“This is a Book we have revealed unto you, O Muhammad, in order that you may lead mankind out of darkness into the light”. [TMQ Ibrahim:1-2]

The Muslim who looks at Islam as the source for his thinking makes it his basis for all actions. Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Amr bin Al Aas (ra) reported that the prophet (saw) said “None of you truly believes until his desires are in line with what I have brought”

And in a similar hadith the prophet (saw) said “None of you truly believes until his aqal (thinking) is in line with what I have brought”

Hence the Prophet (saw) makes it explicit that we must make the revelation of the Quran as a permanent basis for our thinking. So are we making the Quran our source of thinking?

The “Selective” Quran Approach

We are affected by many thoughts such as Islam is only for our personal affairs, Islam is our ‘moral’ guide, Islam is a ‘religion’ like others, Islam needs to be packaged to fit with modern western standards……and the list goes on. With this mindset we are then affected by the way in which we approach the Quran. The reality dictates to us what to do and what not to do, instead of the Quran.

Islamic Schools vs Haraam Mortgage

Hence a parent will accommodate his children into an Islamic school to give them a good upbringing, a praiseworthy act in response to Allah’s command in Surah Tahrim

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ

“O ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones” At-Tahrim [66:6]

But the same parents will endorse having haraam mortgages on their house by making up excuses that there is no other option apart from this despite Allah addressing in the very same Quran in Surah al Baqarah.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

“O ye who believe! Fear Allah and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if ye are indeed believers”. Al-Baqarah [2:278]

The Gelatine Muslim vs having a Girlfriend

Some young people will follow the commands on diet by checking all food packaging for E Numbers, (this person is commonly referred to as the Gelatine Muslim) and will avoid eating at McDonalds and KFC’s despite non-Muslim friends encouraging them to come in, in response to the Quran in Surah Maida

يَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا أُحِلَّ لَهُمْ ۖ قُلْ أُحِلَّ لَكُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ ۙ وَمَا عَلَّمْتُم مِّنَ الْجَوَارِحِ مُكَلِّبِينَ تُعَلِّمُونَهُنَّ مِمَّا عَلَّمَكُمُ اللَّهُ

“They ask you (O Muhammad) what is lawful for them (as food). Say: “Lawful unto you are At-Tayyibat [all kind of Halal (lawful-good) foods which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]”. Al Maida (5:4)

But yet the same Muslim will have a girlfriend or boyfriend despite the Quran addressing this in Surah An-Noor

وَلْيَسْتَعْفِفِ الَّذِينَ لَا يَجِدُونَ نِكَاحًا حَتَّىٰ يُغْنِيَهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ

“And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah enriches them of His Bounty”. Surah An-Noor (24:33)

Pushing the Islamic Solutions VS Western Politics

When we face international situations as an Ummah like Gaza or the recent Swat offensive in Pakistan , many of us want to do something because Allah (swt) said

أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا

“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allah is a Better Protector to both (than you)”. Surah An-Nisa (4:135)

But many of us run to ANY option disregarding how Islam has asked us to solve our Political problems, including contacting MP’s, asking for UN resolutions, joining Political parties, asking for council motions, writing letters to the Prime Minister or President for help.

This is despite knowing that Western powers have caused the mess in the Muslim World and jeer at the continuation of this as it suits Western Political agendas. Muslims still endorse Western politics despite Allah (swt) declaring in the Quran in Surah An-Nisa

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا

“Have you seen those who claim that they believe in that which has been sent down to you and that which has been sent down before you and they wish to go for judgement in their dispute to the Taghout while they have been ordered to declare Kufr in them but Shaytan wishes to lead them far astray” An-Nisa (4:60)

“Consequences” of selectively referring to the Quran

Muslims should not fear to raise the correct Islamic solutions based on what the Quran says, but should stand for Justice and call for the true Solutions with no compromise. How can we in this month of Ramadhan after hearing the Quran, reading it, searching into its meaning and Tafseer still base our actions on other than it? Allah (swt) says in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ ۚ فَمَا جَزَاءُ مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلَّا خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ

“Then is it only a part of the Book that you believe in, and do you reject the rest? What is the reward for those among you who behave like this except disgrace in this life and on the Day of Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty.” (2:85)

The verses in the Quran are intertwined

The Quran has not come with chapters for specific topics. Hence there is no section only for prayer, zakat, hajj, Governance, fasting, inheritance, Economics, marriage, orphans or foreign policy. Rather the verses are addressed throughout the Quran and in some cases in three verses, one after the other, Allah addresses three completely different topics. In Surah Al-Baqarah Allah says between verses 187, 188, 189.

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ

“It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Saum (the fasts). They are Libas [i.e. body cover, or screen, or Sakan], for you and you are the same for them”. (2:187)

وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا بِهَا إِلَى الْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ

“And eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), nor give bribery to the rulers (judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully” (2:188)

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ

“They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage”. (2:189)

Hence the Quran makes no difference in Politics and Government and ablution and prayer. So why do we? So can a Muslim pick and choose what they want to practice in the Quran?

Conclusion

The Messenger of Allah (saw) was described as a walking example of the Quran. Was he not a judge, a family man, commander of the armed forces, leader of a state, a teacher of students, Husband of his wives and a ruler?

So why should Muslims separate commands in the Quran and claim that s too Political or this is too ‘extreme’ in this day and age?

Are we then approaching the Quran comprehensively??

Isn’t this what the British Governments British version of Islam all about? Isn’t this what Obama referred to as moderate Islam in his speeches in Egypt and Turkey ??

The Quran must be the source for our thoughts, actions and behaviours. Otherwise we will suffer in the misery that we are facing internationally as an ummah and individually in our personal lives.

The Quran came for implementation on a piece of land and not just for reading and memorisation or for Mosques and houses. Allah mentions in Surah Al-Maida

وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَن يَفْتِنُوكَ عَن بَعْضِ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ

“Judge between them by what has been revealed by Allah, and do not follow their whims and desires, and beware of them lest they lead you away from the guidance sent down to you by God.” [5:49]

The Prophet (saw) said: “Allah will elevate some nations through this book and degrade others with it” [Muslim]

The following is the text of an Islamic Circle delivered earlier this week in Rochdale on the preparation for Ramadhan

By Majed Iqbal- The blessed month of Ramadhan is just around the corner as we all await eagerly for this blessed guest to illuminate our lives once again.

This is the month of opportunity, the month for change, the month for addressing ourselves, the month of charity, the month of generosity, the month of looking at the state of affairs of the Ummah and making change and the month of evaluating our relationship with Allah (swt) and with what his final and beloved messenger, Muhammad al-Mustafa (saw) bought- The final revelation and the Furqan.

However, we can only reap the true benefits of Ramadhan if we truly understand our sole purpose of existence. Only by addressing this fundamental question can we truly appreciate what Ramadhan is, our relationship with this month and the benefits and consequences of fulfilling or not fulfilling its due.

In many ayaats of the Quran, Allah (swt) addresses mankind with remembering the meaning of life.

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Al-Mumenoon, Chapter 23, Verse 115)

وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ ۖ وَلَلدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the Hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?” (Al-Anaam, Chapter 6, Verse 32)

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَىٰ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“It is He Who takes your souls by night (when you are asleep), and has knowledge of all that you have done by day, then He raises (wakes) you up again that a term appointed (your life period) be fulfilled, then (in the end) unto Him will be your return. Then He will inform you of that which you used to do”. (Al-Anaam, Chapter 6, Verse 60)

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

“Every soul shall have a taste of death: and only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): for the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception”. (Aal-e-Imran, Chapter 3, Verse 185)

The person who is able to truly appreciate his role on life will be the successful one who has prepared his mind, body and soul for the blessed month of Ramadhan.

The Opportunity

If someone said that for next month, your internet service provider will be providing free internet at 50Mb download speeds, everyone would be busy maximising the number of downloads for the month, day and night, hour after hour, minute by minute to ensure that they don’t lose out on the benefits.

If someone said that if you visited such and such a place you will given free gold prizes, wouldn’t you jump for the opportunity of a lifetime?

If someone informed you that for the next month, your local post office is giving away cash prizes of £100 daily. All you have to do is queue up for an hour and the moneys yours. Wouldn’t it be worth the wait to be patience?

So how about being greedy to reap the rewards in the month of Ramadhan?

Valuing Ramadhan

These are some ways in which we can quantify what Ramadhan can bring for us, only if can see the value of it.

The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said “For everything there is a door, and the door of worship is fasting”. [Ibn al-Mubarak]

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Ramadhan has come to you. (It is) a month of blessing, in which Allah covers you with blessing, for He sends down mercy, decreases sins and answers prayers. In it, Allah looks at your competition (in good deeds), and boasts about you to His angels. So show Allah goodness from yourselves, for the unfortunate one is he who is deprived in (this month) of the mercy of Allah, the mighty, the exalted.” [Tabarani]

The Prophet (saw) said: “When the first night of Ramadhan comes, the devils and demons are chained up, and the gates of Hell are closed and not one gate of it is opened. The gates of Paradise are opened and not one gate of it is closed. And a caller calls out: “O seeker of good, come to Allah; O seeker of evil, desist.” Allah will have ransomed some people from the Fire, and that happens every night.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah with a hasan isnaad).

The Prophet (saw) said “The reward of every good deed is multiplied ten up to seven-hundred times, except that of the Fasting; it is usually done in sincerity and will be multiplied by as many times as Allah wills.“

Abu Said al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah, said: “No servant fasts on a day in the path of Allah except that Allah removes the hellfire seventy years further away from his face.” [This is related by "the group," except for Abu Dawud]

Hence we need to seize this opportunity and reap the benefits of this month and not consider fasting as a burden or as a motion that one needs to go through.

Focusing on the purpose of Ramadhan

Sometimes when asked about why Muslims fast we are presented with a whole range of reasons to explain the purpose of fasting. From we want to feel how the poor feel, this is equivalent to the Christian lent but more concentrated or it’s good to balance the diet for the body, none of these address the objective of Ramadhan. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn piety and righteousness” [TMQ Al- Baqarah: 183].

Hence we need to achieve Taqwa in this month and ensure this is what we strive for.

Umar ibn al Khattab (ra) once looked at those praying and said, “The great number of times any of you raises and lowers his head does not deceive me. The [real] deen is being cautious and meticulous in the deen of Allah, and refraining from what Allah has forbidden, and acting according to what Allah permits and forbids.”

The son of ‘Ali (ra), Al-Hasan (ra) once said, “The people who have taqwa (al-muttaqoon) are the people who avoided whatever Allah (swt) has prohibited and have done whatever Allah (swt) has ordained.”

Understanding the nature of the fast

Imam al-Ghazali in his Book of Forty Principles from the Foundations of Religion explains that Fasting has been singled out for two main reasons:

1. Its essence is that it is a personal abstinence, and such is a hidden action that no one but God can see, unlike the prayer, the zakah, or other (acts of worship).

2. It is a grief for, and subdual of, the enemy of God. Shaytan is the enemy, and the enemy cannot gain strength except through the medium of the passions. Hunger breaks all the passions that are the tool of Shaytan. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said “Verily Shaytan runs in the Son of Adam like blood. Therefore, constrain the passageways of Shaytan with hunger” [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Realising the Change

We need to make a reasoned change. The Messenger of Allah (saw) said “Whosoever does not stop saying and acting upon falsehood, Allah is in no need for them to abandon their food.” [Bukhari]

We need to set ourselves goals that are we can manage in Ramadhan

Perform the Good Deeds promptly

The Messenger of Allah (saw) addressed his companions on the last day of Sha`ban, saying,

“Oh people! A great month has come over you; a blessed month; a month in which is a night better than a thousand months; month in which Allah has made it compulsory upon you to fast by day, and voluntary to pray by night. Whoever draws nearer (to Allah) by performing any of the (optional) good deeds in (this month) shall receive the same reward as performing an obligatory deed at any other time, and whoever discharges an obligatory deed in (this month) shall receive the reward of performing seventy obligations at any other time. It is the month of patience, and the reward of patience is heaven. It is the month of charity, and a month in which a believer’s sustenance is increased. Whoever gives food to a fasting person to break his fast shall have his sins forgiven, and he will be saved from the fire of hell, and he shall have the same reward as the fasting person, without his reward being diminished at all.” [Narrated by Ibn Khuzaimah]

Increase your Ibadaat

Abu Hurairah said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say, ‘the one who does qiyam (staying up the night in remembrance of Allah) in Ramadhan with faith and sincerity, all his sins will be forgiven.’“

“Verily! We have sent it down in the night of Alqadr. And what will make you know what the night of Al-qadr is. The night of Al-qadr is better than a thousand months” [TMQ: Al- Qadr: 1-3]

Balance your Actions

Imam As-Shafee, once said, ‘It is beloved to me to see one increasing his acts of generosity during the month of Ramadhan, following the example of Allah’s Messenger (saw), and for one’s own good. There are many who become over-occupied with fasting and Prayers, forgetting the other benefits of the month of Ramadhan ‘ (Lataa’if-ul Ma’aarif)

Make Dua for forgiveness

Repent to Allah (swt) by reciting the Prophetic du’a, conveyed to us by the Mother of the Believers, Umm al-Mumineen Aaisha (ra): “Allahumma innaka ‘afuwan karimun tuhibbul ‘afuwa fa-’af’anni”

“O Allah! Thou art, indeed, the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and to forgive is most pleasing to Thee; so, forgive me my sins” [Musnad Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]

Value Ramadhan

Talha ibn ‘Ubaydallah (radhiallahu `anhu) reported that two men came to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) who had accepted Islam at the same time. One of them used to partake in Jihad more-so than the other, and so (one day) he fought in a battle and was martyred therein. The other remained behind him for another year, and then he passed away.

Talha said, ‘I saw in my dream that I was at the door of Paradise when behold, I was with both of them (the two men). Someone came out of Paradise and allowed the man who passed away later to enter first. Then he came out again and allowed the martyred one to enter. Then he returned and said to me, ‘Go back, for your time has not come yet.’

Talha woke up and began to inform others about this and they were all surprised. This reached the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and when they informed him of it, he said:

He (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘What are you surprised about?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Out of them both, this one strove harder (in Jihad) then he was martyred but this other one was entered into Paradise before him.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Did he not remain behind him for one year?’ They said, ‘Yes (he did).’ He said, ‘Did he not reach Ramadan, fast and pray with such and such number of prostrations in the year?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘So the difference between them is greater than what is between the heavens and the earth.’

Final words

If we understand the reasons for our existence then we will be on track to value Ramadhan time, reap it s rewards and benefits, adhere to the Shariah, re-connect with Allah (swt) and will be willing to work for the cause of Islam with passion and diligence and modelling ourselves on that praised generation who lived. Allah (swt) says

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“Say: “Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds”

Pubished on the Asian News Website-

By Majed Iqbal- A report released last week by think-tank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) has criticised the flagship £70 million Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) programme launched by the government two years back because it alienates Muslims.

Community groups across the North West and Yorkshire have refused to join a Government-funded scheme to prevent violent Islamic extremism because it “victimises” Muslims, it has been claimed.

The PVE programme was modeled to “promote shared values, support local solutions, build civic capacity and leadership and strengthen the role of faith institutions and leaders”.

The generic nature of the strategy was welcomed initially at the first look but rejected once the details became further apparent. The plans were considered divisive and an effort to divide the Muslim community on the lines of moderates and extremists by branding what ideas of Islam will be acceptable in Britain and what won’t.

This agenda was more clearly defined in the Government contest two strategy released late last year, stating that British Muslims would be considered “extremist” if they advocated non-participation in UK elections, called for the creation of a caliphate, promoted Shariah for the Muslim world and argued that homosexuality is a sin in the eyes of God.

Additionally, extremist views would include supporting armed resistance by Palestinians against Israel as seen in the January Gaza conflict – and a failure to condemn the killing of British service personnel in Iraq or Afghanistan.

A Bradford Muslim organisation said that although grants for community projects is positive, some groups have refused to apply as that would be admitting that ‘extremism’ is an exclusively Muslim issue.

Nazim Ali, general secretary of the Naqshbandia Active Development Association, which campaigns for inter-faith understanding, said: “I think the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda was a failure from the start because of the sole focus on Islamic extremism. It is a loaded phrase, and people in Muslim communities recognise that, so there is always going to be a lack of support.”

Many organisations have been under wraps for refusing to co-operate with local councils in dispensing the PVE plans in their towns.

The Rochdale Centre of Diversity, which is now being shut down, actively campaigned against the PVE proposals in Rochdale and stood at odds with the Rochdale council. In meetings with senior community leaders the plans were unanimously rejected and refused to participate in any programmes rolled out to carry out the PVE’s objectives.

RCD’s Chief Executive, Mohammad Naeem, said “RCD has had to take issue with the Council over the last eighteen months about its application of the government’s Preventing Violent Extremism policy and related funding”.

“Any research that has been commissioned by the government has concluded that the Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy is divisive and instead more needs to be done at building better community relations”.

Many Muslims have felt that those organisations that have taken the funding have damaged the essence of the Muslim community as the strategy is at odds with Islamic values, rules and standpoints.

Many groups have therefore operated undercover not disclosing that they have taken government money for these projects. With few partners, many councils have had to rethink their positions.

RCD’s Chief Executive, Mohammad Naeem “This standpoint alongside many other organisations in Rochdale led to the funds being used to ‘donate’ computers to mosques to ‘further education’ and successfully ticking a box that extremism was an issue in Rochdale”.

The New Local Government Network (NLGN) report’s author, Anna Turley, said reform of the scheme is “vital” to re-build confidence in local communities.

She said: “While Islamist extremism remains a very serious threat to our security, this kind of extremism is not the only threat to the stability and security of our communities. Concern has also been acknowledged over the agenda’s impact on relations with Muslim communities and whether it unfairly stigmatises an entire community.”

An NLGN spokesman said: “While it is too early to assess the success of the Prevent agenda, the lack of support from within the Muslim community, as well as the changing threat of wider extremist voices, mean that it is time to review whether the separation of the Preventing Violent Extremism approach from wider community cohesion approaches is still relevant.”

Whilst the report released last week by the think-tank raises certain concerns, many Muslims are still unhappy with its conclusions as it fails to analyse the role of British Foreign policy adventures in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan in playing a major role in the problems faced in Britain alongside the increased pressures on the Muslim community to be coerced with a set of ideals and values which conflict with their beliefs, political viewpoints and their vision.

Published on the Asian News Website

By Majed Iqbal- A government minister last week joined the list of Politicians in raising, once again, allegations that Muslims lead ‘segregated’ lives.

Following a similar line of discussion to his colleague, Jack Straw who raised similar comments on women in Blackburn attending his surgery with Niqaabs and dubbed it as a sign of segregation, Jim Fitzpatrick, the minister for food, farming and environment, stormed out of a constituent’s wedding at the London Muslim Centre after being told that male and female guests were to be segregated and that he could not sit with his wife.

Fitzpatrick said it was “strange” he could not sit with his GP wife Sheila at the ceremony on Sunday. “We’ve been attending [Muslim] weddings together for years but only recently has this strict line been taken. We left so as not to cause offence,” he said.

But the newly weds at the wedding ceremony did take offence after the minister contacted his local newspaper straight after the walkout to tell them he was “disappointed” by what had happened. “We are trying to build social cohesion in a community but this is not the way forward,” he said.

This all happened despite concentrated efforts by the family to accommodate the MP by ringing him up and inviting him to come back after he had walked out, saying there was a table where non-Muslims of different sexes could sit together.

The bridegroom accused Jim Fitzpatrick of “politically hijacking” his wedding by publicly criticising the traditional Muslim segregation of men and women at the ceremony

Bodrul Islam, the groom, said he was “amazed and shocked” that Mr Fitzpatrick had used his wedding to make a political point about radicalisation and social integration.

The 28-year-old said it would have been “common courtesy” for his local MP, who left the ceremony after being told he could not sit with his wife, to respect his religion’s customs.

“What surprised me was that if you have got a personal invite to a wedding then you respect that religious and cultural event. It is common courtesy.”

Mr. Fitzpatrick said “My beef is not with the family, they are entitled to have a segregated wedding if they want to. My beef is with the IFE and the undue influence they have over the social, cultural and political aspects of the mosque. They are the militants of the 21st century, they are religious zealots with their interpretation of the Koran and I think this has now been exposed.”

He told the BBC’s Today: “This is a very exceptional occasion, it’s a new occurrence. “It perhaps demonstrates that there is a degree of intolerance – certainly exclusion rather than inclusion, which we are trying to build in the East End.

Government ministers in the last years have been renowned for using a microscope to highlight ‘issues of concern’ in the Muslim community and become ‘self declared experts’ on what Shariah and Islam is all about.

David Cameron talked about the ghettoisation of Muslim communities, Peter Hain talked about Muslims accepting the political culture in Britain, Jack Straw labeled the Niqaab as a sign of segregation, MEP Chris Davies lectured that no where in the Quran is there any mention of the Niqaab, Tony Blair declared that certain aspects of Islam are part of an ‘Evil Ideology’ and Education Minister Edd Balls described Muslims voicing dissent on international issues as radicalisation in his ‘extremism’ tool-kit to be rolled out in schools and colleges this year.

Dr. Nazreen Nawaz, the Women’s Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain commented “He accuses the Islamic rule of separating men and women at social events as a symbol of extremism and cause of community division. Does he then also believe that those who organise bachelor and bachelorette parties, those who establish Gentlemen’s clubs, those who attend single-sex schools, or those of the orthodox Jewish faith who also separate men and women at weddings are reflective of the increasing radicalisation of British society and damaging to social cohesion?”

“The evidence of this being a cheap populist move is the hypocrisy of his position with regards to gender segregation. He has singled out Muslim practice for condemnation, yet his own government’s policy is to aim for complete gender segregation in hospital wards!”