september 2009 ramadan 1430 ah new report on...
TRANSCRIPT
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 1
New Report on Muslim Youth by the Policy Research Centre
september 2009 / ramadan 1430 ah • number 35
much is written about young British
muslims, but what are young muslims
themselves saying and thinking about the
lives they live?
Seen and Not Heard: Voices of Young
British Muslims, by sughra ahmed,
brings together the views – the thoughts,
aspirations, and frustrations – held
by young British muslims of over 15
different ethnicities, from across england,
scotland and wales. in the foreword to
the report, the rt rev tim stevens, Bishop
of leicester and chair of the children’s
society writes: ‘As this report suggests,
“much is written about young Muslims but
we rarely seem to actually hear their voices”.
This report goes a long way to rectifying this
issue so that young Muslim voices are heard
and valued…’
the report was released on 1st september
and attracted media coverage domestically
as well as abroad – as far as the us,
malaysia, india, Pakistan, the Gulf
countries and much more. the Policy
research centre’s website received over
3,000 hits on the week of the launch and
over 1,000 copies were either downloaded
or sent out to people in the first week.
a variety of websites and blog sites have
also covered the report making it a useful
talking point.
a number of positive comments
have already started to come in from
politicians, community leaders, youth
workers and young people themselves,
including the Young muslims advisory
Group (which works with the
communities and local Government
department) and the mosques and
imams national advisory Board
(minaB).
the report enables female and male
voices to express, in their own words,
their outlook and how they feel they are
perceived, scoping topical issues such as
intergenerational challenges, identity,
gender, religious teachings, mosques
and the media. the findings contained
within this research provide an insight
into some of the more pertinent
questions asked by policy makers,
statutory services and community
institutions concerning a new generation
positioned to make its impact on society.
25 recommendations are made in the
report addressing issues as diverse as
education, policing, media and the need
for more investment in youth work.
crucially, women formed over 45% of
the participants in the research process.
women are largely forgotten in most
research ventures on young muslims,
which typically dwell on inner-city
concentrations that have already begun to
suffer from “research fatigue”. it’s an easier
route but by accessing male voices from
a single spot to speak for young people
across Britain, research projects can
inadvertently perpetuate stereotypes (for
example, less than 5% of British muslims
live in Bradford). according to census
data, the average muslim is 28 years old
(which is 13 years below the national
average), roughly half are below the age of
25 and one third is 16 or younger.
Seen and Not Heard challenges both
British society and the muslim commu-
nity to do more to connect with young
people and their latent talents. it makes
a number of recommendations to poli-
cymakers, statutory services and muslim
communities, including: better and more
informed outreach programmes to con-
nect with young people; the need for
greater investment in young people to
develop their capacity and to create lead-
ers and role models; and the need for ini-
tiatives that help bridge inter-generation-
al gaps within the muslim community.
Printed copies of the report can be pur-
chased on our website or via amazon and
a pdf version can also be downloaded for
free from: www.policyresearch.org.uk.
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
2 newsletter september 2009
research methodology and a period at the end of their research to finalize their thesis and take the university’s examinations. the periods in the uK would be approximately 10 weeks duration and the remainder of their research would be carried out at home with the assistance of a local supervisor directed by the lead supervisor from mihe.
Markfield Institute of Higher Education
principle approved the introduction of a “split site Phd” commencing in september 2010, subject to the finalization of arrangements for the validation of centres with partner overseas universities and training on the university’s requirements for research supervisors. students accepted onto this programme would spend a period at the beginning of their research to take training on
with effect from august 2009 the markfield institute of higher education became an approved candidate for accreditation of the British accreditation council for independent further and higher education. the new uK Borders agency (uKBa) guidelines under the points based system, now requires institutions of higher education in the united Kingdom to register with such accreditation bodies to enable them to obtain the uKBa’s license. the license, it is hoped, will streamline the process of visa applications for overseas students in the future.
M.Ed in Islamic Education a new master’s degree in islamic education: new Perspectives, validated by the university of Gloucestershire, will commence in february 2010. this new, full time programme is designed to critically explore diverse interpretations of “islamic education” and examine in depth the historical, theological and philosophical aspects of classical muslim educational thought and its institutions.
“split site” Phdtraditionally mihe receives a large number of applications from academic staff employed in universities and staff employed in the financial, legal and government sectors who wish to carry out research related to a topic in their home country and gain a Phd degree from a uK university. the university of Gloucestershire has in
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 3
UNISSA students can now pursue studies in UK
B o a rd of Tr uste e s Annual Me e t i ngthe Board of trustees of the
islamic foundation held their 36th
annual meeting at the markfield
conference centre on 28 august
2009. the chairman of the Board,
Professor Khurshid ahmad and
the director General, dr manazir
ahsan, presented the annual report
for the period July 2008 to June
2009 and highlighted some of the
challenges facing the institution
in the future and the plans and
strategies to tackle them.
the meeting was attended by
trustees from the uK and abroad,
including dr abdullah omar naseef
from saudi arabia. amongst
the special invitees were Prof
Galadanchi and Prof ibrahim
umar, Vice chairmen of
islamic foundation nigeria,
who presented their annual
report for 2008.
one of the main resolutions
passed this year by the
Board of trustees, was the
constitution of the islamic foundation
advisory Board. the advisory Board
would seek to enlist the cooperation
and participation of a wider spectrum
of scholars and community leaders in
the promotion of the objectives and
activities of the islamic foundation
and will comprise prominent
individuals from wider society. it
is hoped that the advisory Board
will be formulated some time in the
coming year.
tuesdaY, aPril 28, 2009uniVersiti islam sultan sharif ali (unissa) and the markfield institute of higher education of united Kingdom have agreed to cooperate on exchange programmes for students and staff, as well as academic materials, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (mou) yesterday.
signing on behalf of unissa was its rector, dr hj mohd Yusop hj damit while rector dr m. manazir ahsan represented markfield institute of higher education.
Present to witness the ceremony were Pg dato seri setia dr hj mohammad Pg hj abdul rahman, deputy minister of education, and the British high commissioner to Brunei, John saville.
in an interview with the Brunei times, hj tarip mat Yassin, registrar of unissa, said that students of unissa will have the opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies in islamic studies and islamic banking and finance at the markfield institute of higher education based in leicestershire in uK, under the mou.
according to the markfield institute of higher education website, the islamic Banking and finance programme aims to develop a critical and analytical approach to economics, banking and management founded by islamic perspectives and provide a greater awareness of islamic values and principles. this is done through appreciation of their application in management and financial institutions.
the islamic studies programme is designed to develop a critical and analytical approach to the study of islam and provide a greater insight into the sources and origins of islamic thoughts, particularly the al-Quran and al-sunnah , together with a knowledge and understanding of the life of Prophet muhammad (Peace be upon him) and its contemporary significance.
unissa said the mou will facilitate both institutions to promote cooperation in
the academic field for the advancement of knowledge and intellectual development.
in a statement issued by the university, unissa has been active in promoting itself internationally by establishing partnerships with higher educational institutions in malaysia and middle east to facilitate cooperation in the various fields of mutual interest.
The Brunei Times
unissa rector dr hj mohd Yusop with mihe rector dr manazir ahsan, deputy minister of education Pg dato seri setia dr hj
mohammad and British high commissioner John saville.
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
4 newsletter september 2009
dr m. umer chapra, delivered a series of lectures under the theme: “the islamic Vision of development and its implications for islamic economics and finance” from 27 - 29 may 2009. dr. m. umer chapra who is a senior advisor at the islamic research & training institute part of the islamic development Bank Group in Jeddah, is regarded as one of the most prominent islamic economists in the world. he has made seminal contributions to islamic economics and finance over more than three decades in the form of books and monographs and more than seventy papers and book reviews. he dr chapra has received a number of awards, including the islamic development Bank award for islamic economics, and the King faisal international award for islamic studies.
each of the lectures was extremely well attended and included students and staff of the markfield institute of higher education together with invited guests. the lectures covered the following subjects:-
lecture 1 - “the islamic vision of development (Maqasid al Shari‘ah) and its implications for islamic economics and finance”: here dr chapra discussed how the islamic vision of development emanates from the fact that islam is a blessing for mankind and promotes the well-being of all. the islamic vision guides the development of islamic economics because it outlines the meaning and purpose of life and the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families, groups and organizations.
lecture 2 - “the nature and significance of islamic economics in the light of the Vision specified above”. : the purpose of islamic economics is to both provide a solution to problems using scientific methods and promote human well-being.
the pursuit of well-being demands fulfillment of the basic needs of all
people, satisfying both material needs and non material needs. a balance is needed between the material and the non-material needs. what is necessary is to inject a moral dimension into economics. we need to realize humanitarian goals.
lecture 3 - “the Global financial crisis: is it possible for islamic finance to help minimize the frequency and severity of such crises in the future and to help realize the islamic vision?”: the prevailing global financial crisis is the most severe in living memory. the cause could be excessive and imprudent lending. islamic economics provides risk sharing and says that a debt cannot be sold. this market discipline imposed by islam will put a check on excessive expansion of debt.
lecture 4 - “is the movement for integration of the world economy or Globalization in conformity with the islamic Vision? strengths and failures of the globalization movement and what needs to be done to enable it to realize its professed objectives”. integration of the world economy is necessary because it leads to greater efficiency, accelerated development, mutual dependence and promotes better understanding. there cannot, however, be integration without justice. fairness in human interactions is indispensable, everyone should benefit from integration. the new global economy does not give justice the place it deserves. Justice requires values and principles other than self interest or material benefits alone
lecture 5 - “the causes of muslim decline and the need for reform in the muslim world”. in the early centuries, islam did serve as a blessing for all mankind, it promoted moral as well as material uplift, ensured justice, good governance and removed barriers to trade. islam was far more advanced than europe or china.
the position now, however, is that muslims are 22% of the population of the world but produce only 8% of the real GnP of the world. there is bad governance, corruption, lack of justice, poverty and misery of the poor. muslim states are backward in several walks of life, moral, economic, political, social, educational, technological, and military. the world needs to promote moral as well as material development. without justice there can be no development.
it is, however, possible for muslims once again be a blessing to mankind but as the Qur’an says: “allah does not change the condition of people until they change themselves”. so what needs to be done? start from where the Prophet (peace be upon him) started - reform the human beings and the institutions that affect them. Values are of no significance if people do not know them, this requires proper upbringing and education. improve the condition of the people first then hold dialogue with their Governments and try to reform them in a peaceful manner.
these lectures covered important and wide ranging issues and provoked a great amount of thought and questions, all of which dr chapra dealt with in a patient and informative way. a high level of audience response took place.
we are extremely pleased to announce that dr chapra has accepted the role of Visiting Professor to the markfield institute of higher education. we look forward to welcoming him back in the future.
lecture series by dr umer chapra on
“The Islamic vision of Development and its implications”
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 5
my experience at mihe covered three
months and eighteen days time, from the
13th of february to the 31st of may 2009.
during my permanence at the campus, i
had the pleasure of experiencing mihe’s
hospitality, thanks to the mihe staff,
the library staff and those colleagues
belonging to the islamic foundation.
all of them were very helpful in many
ways - the accommodation and facilities;
the programme of studies attended; my
research and access to the internet and
english and arabic sources.
as for the study program, i wanted to
limit my courses to those of history
of islam; muslims in Britain and to
islamic Philosophy and theology, so as
to have more time to interact with the
students and the staff. my first purpose
was to look at the mihe methodology
of teaching islamic subjects to muslim
students, by participating in the
different classes and debates, which were
facilitated by the lecturers. i discovered
that mihe’s methodology is more
focused on the active reasoning and
exchange of experiences, rather than
passive memorization of principles. in
this sense, some of the students found it
difficult to accept such a methodology,
trying to reproduce the same method
used in their own countries. in fact, it
was interesting to see how they reacted
during the debates on very sensitive
issues such as the crusades, colonialism,
western and european policies on
immigration and integration and even
philosophical and theological issues.
however, after a few classes almost all of
them were able to accept the challenge
of approaching islam in another way.
Because of this, i consider mihe’s
methodology well integrated within the
european context and particularly in the
British academic system.
students at mihe come from england,
asia and middle-east countries, with
their own academic background. such
a richness of cultures, languages and
way of understanding life and the west,
gave me the opportunity to widen my
knowledge on the different aspects of
their countries, but also to question
my own way of teaching islamics to
christian students in italy. teaching,
studying and research are not intellectual
activities only. they are related to prayer,
becoming part of students’ life. in this
sense, looking at my muslim friends
praying their prayer, inspired me to do
the same and to dedicate my prayer
to them. it has been really a dialogical
exchange of spiritual and intellectual
insights, which gave us the opportunity
to know each other, beyond our
prejudices and misunderstandings.
Beyond the academic activity, i had the
opportunity to see how mihe covers
the area of inter-religious relations
with the christians: church of england
and the different British protestant
denominations. in collaboration with
st. Philip’s centre, located in the city of
leicester, mihe provides a formation
for chaplaincy in hospitals, prisons and
other important social places. such a
formation is very important for giving a
valuable social service to Britain and for
promoting integration between muslims
and non muslim communities.
as for the collaboration with the
catholic church, unfortunately, there
is more to be done for deepening
relations, whether at local level and at
institutional level. in this sense, after
having established linkages with the
diocese of nottingham and in special
way with the local catholic community
of markfield, coalville and leicester, i
can offer mihe my collaboration for
deepening such relationships in the field
of inter-religious relations. the same
can be done, by appointing a visiting
professor, for presenting to muslim
students the catholic understanding of
history, Philosophy and theology in
relation to important socio-historical,
Philosophical and theological muslim
issues. such collaboration can be fruitful
in the long term in order to enhance that
spirit of good relations and dialogue,
which is so crucial in the present
european christian and muslim social
and religious contexts. Best wishes to
mihe for its commitment to muslim
education in Britain,
Dr. Father Paolo Nicelli is an Academic at
Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy
Father Paolo Nicelli’s experience
at Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE)
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
6 newsletter september 2009
KUBE PUBLISHING FORTHCOMING TITLES
Kube has implemented a new stock/accounting system
to allow accurate costing and stock management. this
system has brought to light important information which
has allowed the Kube management to make changes and
improve operations.
in december 2008, Kube also signed a distributor agreement
with consortium, minneapolis, usa and will be supplying
its titles to mainstream usa and canada from september
2009. Kube has also signed distributor agreements in egypt
and iran and are supplying books in these two new regions.
further distributors are being explored with the aim to
have global distribution deals in place by the end of 2010.
on the editorial front a number of exciting new titles are
under development covering a very wide range of subject
areas, keeping the current market in mind. a number
of new titles are also in the pipeline for release in 2009
and 2010 which will inshaAllah help improve Kube’s
performance in the coming years. Kube has also forged a
co-publishing agreement which will allow publication of a
greater number of titles at a fraction of the cost.
Kube Publishing
www.kubepublishing.com
in the shade of the Qur’an, Volume XViiSayyid Qutbsurah 62 -77
Pp. xxxiv + 444
isBn: 978-0-86037-417-6 PB, £11.95
isBn: 978-0-86037-412-1 hB, £17.95
Volume XVii completes the set to bring
out the largest and most profound work
of sayyid Qutb. this tafseer has been
universally recognized as an outstanding
contribution to islamic thought and
scholarship. edited and translated by
adil salahi
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 7
KUBE PUBLISHING FORTHCOMING TITLES
Al-Ghazali’s Revival of the religious
Sciences: an abridgement by salih ahmad
al-shami
Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
Translated by Mokrane Guezzou
Ihya al-‘Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the
Religious Sciences) is the masterwork of
imam abu hamid al-Ghazali (1058–
1111 ce), widely considered as one of
the most significant figures in islamic
intellectual history. in the east, al-Ghazali
was generally thought to have been the
renewer (mujaddid) of the fifth century of
the hijrah, while in the west, the works
of ‘algazel’ were translated into latin as
early as the twelfth century ce. al-Ghazali
provided a synthesis of islamic orthodoxy that, in achieving
a balance between exaggerated literalism and excessive
rationalism, has exercised great influence down to the
present day. armed with an impressive philosophical and
religious erudition, al-Ghazali wrote powerful refutations
of the ismailis and the muslim philosophers in defence of
islamic orthodoxy. al-Ghazali’s scholastic brilliance was
shown by his works in logic, philosophy, jurisprudence,
legal theory and mysticism, all
acknowledged as classics in their respective
fields. the widely-praised abridgement by
the syrian scholar salih ahmad al-shami
preserves the gist of each chapter without
adding anything to the original text, and
has retained only those Prophetic reports
(ahadith) regarded as authentic, relying on
the works of the hadith specialist al-hafiz
al-iraqi and murtada al-Zabidi, the
famous commentator on the Revival. the
abridgement is accompanied by indexes of
Qur’anic verses, Prophetic reports and of
persons as well as a general subject index
to provide for full and easy referencing.
Presented conveniently in a single
volume, this first authoritative abridgement in english of
al-Ghazali’s Revival will be of broad interest to specialists
in classical islamic thought as well as to general readers and
students.
750 pp. isBn 978-0-86037-452-7 hB
Price £40.00
Publication date: march 2010
towards
understanding the
Qur’an
Volume 9: surah
al-ahzab –
as-saaffat Sayyid
Abul A’la Mawdudi
translated & edited
by Zafar ishaq
ansari
isBn: 978-0-860374-22-0 hB, £17.95
isBn: 978-0-86074-27-5 PB, £10.95
Release Date: december 2009
this tafsir answers contemporary
questions and makes the Qur’an fully
relevant to the concerns of our day,
yet it loses none of its timelessness
nor sacrifices any of the traditional
understanding. each surah is prefaced
by an account of the background and
teachings. maps and indexes add greatly
to the work.
a trust of treasures
Mehded Maryam Sinclair
32 pages
isBn: 978-0-86037-462-6 hB, £5.95
recommended age: 5+
do you ever sit down and watch the
world go by? or visit the countryside and
cherish the beauty around you? do you
ever get the time to think, appreciate,
and acknowledge the beautiful world
allah has created for humanity?
Beautifully illustrated, this book will
definitely make you wonder and reflect.
for whom the
troubadour sings
Dawud Wharnsby
extent: 156 pages
isBn: 978-1-84774-
011-3 PB, £6.99
dawud wharnsby’s
unconventional
approaches to
writing and religion
challenge how we look at our own lives
in relation to others and the world
through which we all journey. this book
collects together all the lyrics that have
inspired faith communities around the
world for two decades. dawud’s work
as a writer, inspired in part by his deep
respect for spiritual scriptures and
the Qur’an in particular, goes beyond
the realms of testimony, praise or
propagation. readers of all ages and faith
traditions are offered intimate glimpses
into the human experience.
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
8 newsletter september 2009
New Muslim Projectduring april 2009 the nmP took a
group of new muslims to perform
umrah in makkah and to visit the holy
sites of medina. the converts were
guests of the international association of
new muslims who provided an extensive
programme and were extremely
hospitable. to sum up the visit one
convert said, ‘the spiritual blessings
of our journey, cannot be captured in
words.’
June 2009 saw the return to the uK of
the two arabic language scholarship
students from Qatar university and as we
write another two students are preparing
to depart for Qatar. the scholarship
programme is proving to be a great
success and all students state how much
they have benefited from the time spent
in Qatar.
the beginning of ramadan afforded the
opportunity for a group of new muslims
led by sr. Batool al-toma to enjoy the
spiritual benefits of a week
spent in turkey. a full
programme of excursions
to places of historical
and cultural interest took
place along with visits to
the beautiful mosques of
istanbul and Bursa. the
participants were able
to experience the best of
ramadan as it is embodied
in turkish culture.
the latest edition of the
meeting Point newsletter was published
to coincide with the start of ramadan.
this has continued in its new extended
format and continues to be a highly
regarded resource for those new to islam.
the Qura’nic arabic courses have
continued to be much in demand.
courses were held in march and may
2009 and were as usual well attended by
students from around the uK. sheikh
tijani’s ability to inspire his students
means that they leave feeling spiritually
refreshed as well as making marked
progress in their understanding of
Qur’anic arabic.
the preparations for the annual
programmes for ramadan, the ramadan
retreat and the eid open day are
underway and we are expecting the
attendance of a large contingent of
converts from all over the country.
Interfaith Discussion at the Library
in the last lunch hour lecture event on 23 July 2009, we
discussed interfaith and what it means to people personally.
mary Barber, from st. Philip’s christian-muslim women
dialogue group in leicester, and sughra ahmad, research
fellow at the islamic foundation, were invited to talk about
their experiences and how they see interfaith. the talks were
very elucidating and illustrated the importance of interfaith
relations in communities. Both speakers talked on a personal
level and how they are involved in dialogue and the difference
it makes to them and to others’. during the question and
answer session, the audience commented and were keen to find
out how they could get involved in local activities on interfaith
and dialogue. one of the suggestions made is that a local group
could be established in markfield and meetings could take
place in the library. this is another example of how the library
can be a centre of any kind of learning or education activity in
the local community. this also encourages the local residents
to use the special library in the village.
Donations
the library’s collection has been developed mainly by receiving
donations from different organisations or people who have an
interest in islamic studies or the muslim world. in July 2009,
the library received a large collection of books on islamic
civilisation and north africa from dr elizabeth savage,
director and co-founder of sanders research associates in
dublin. we would like to thank to dr savage for her very kind
contribution to the library and its development. we always
welcome book donations to the library and would like to
thank all the donors who have made it possible for the islamic
foundation library to grow and become a well established
a academic library as well as a private collection. for more
information about membership and donations please check
www.iflibrary.org.uk or call +44(0)1530 249 301.
Journal Section
the library updated its journal section in June 2009 to
provide easy access and to make more use of the sources.
firstly, the ‘weeding’ process took place under the supervision
of dr ataullah siddiqui. on completion of this process shelf
guides were amended accordingly. the subject guide, which
lists the journals by subject, has been updated and more
journals were included into the list. nearly 100 journals have
been sent for binding. Journals not yet catalogued have been
identified and entered into the system for readers’ use. the
section has more journals and more space after the project
finished and readers find it easy to use.
LIBRARY
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 9
Conference on Islamic Perspective of Management and Finance at the University of Leicester
the islamic economics unit extended cooperation and provided logistic support in organising an international conference on islamic Perspective of management and finance held on 2 – 3 July 2009 which was organised by the management school of the university of leicester. academics and scholars from malaysia, indonesia, oman, saudi arabia, uae, Pakistan, Bangladesh, sudan, nigeria and the uK presented 21 papers during the two day conference.
Giving a key note address at the inaugural programme of the conference, Professor Khurshid ahmad, chairman of the islamic foundation, said that islam is not merely a religion in the limited sense of the word, but a guide for human interaction in all realms. the modern world, he argued, has severed the links between economics and ethics. efficiency has been given precedence
over justice and equity. a new holistic approach – an islamic approach – is needed, so that efficiency and justice can co-exist.
Professor ahmad asserted that islamic Banking and finance now seems to be a reality and is on its way to being institutionalised, although at different levels in different countries. the western world, especially the uK, is now selectively and cautiously positioning itself to invest in this system. he said that there are promising signs that islamic finance spread across 70 countries, has grown to almost a trillion dollar industry. despite its growth, given its current size and composition it is still a niche market in the overall global financial industry. he emphasised that in order to address the current financial crisis, the global economy must be reformed so as to accept a diversity of cultural regimes and economies based on justice, equity
and welfare to become a permanent reality.
Professor martin Parker of the management school, university of leicester, welcomed Professor Khurshid ahmad. he said that it is vital that we regularly update our ethical knowledge so it continues to reflect our academic life. it is good to know that participants and presenters of the conference will demonstrate and continue to value the ethical approach to islamic banking. People think that shari‘ah compliance is an ethical way of doing business as well as managing relations and that is why there is a need for fruitful dialogue between islamic and conventional financiers in the academic discourses.
dr. manazir ahsan, director-General of the islamic foundation also attended the inaugural programme of the conference.
the islamic foundation organised a summer programme for 34 boys and girls from the sultanate of oman on 23 July – 6 august 2009 at the markfield conference centre. the programme was organised in partnership with maths Genius, a youth training company based in muscat. the group of young people were accompanied by sheikh Khalfan al-esry and mrs azza al-ismaily, chief executive of the company. the programme consisted of a wide range of activities including formal english lessons, interactive skills development sessions and organised visits to various museums, attractions, theme parks and other places of interest.
Summer Programme for Omani Youth
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
10 newsletter september 2009
Staff Activities
Dr Ataullah Siddiqui• delivered two lectures to licensed
ministers at chester diocese on 23
april 2009 entitled ‘a short history
of christian-muslims relations in
Britain’ and ‘islam and christian
theology’.
• delivered two lectures on ‘islam’s role
in modern muslim states’ Politics’
and ‘educational establishments’
relationship with islam’ at the
school of lifelong education and
development of Bradford university
on 28 april 2009. these lectures were
attended by the senior management
of the university including the Vice-
chancellor.
• delivered the Keynote speech at
the annual General meeting of
Peterborough interfaith council on 16
may 2009.
• spoke on ‘inter-religious cooperation
in the uK’ at the university of utrecht
consultation on ‘muslim Participation
in multicultural societies: inter-
religious cooperation’ on. 20 may
2009. the consultation was organised
jointly by the department of theology
(faculty of humanities, utrecht
university)and netherlands research
school for theology and religion
sciences (noster).
• invited on 21 - 22 may 2009 at the
deutscher evangelisher Kirchentag
Bremen Germany to speak about the
‘common word’ document addressed
to christian leaders all over the world
by muslims. the Kirchentag is one
of the biggest bi-annual christian
gatherings in europe attended by the
most senior politicians and public
figures and by the students and their
families. this year it was attended by
over 100,000 people.
• delivered the Keynote speech at
the methodists for world mission
conference at the hayes conference
centre, swanwick on 6 June 2009. the
conference was supported by various
other christian organisation including
christian aid.
• spoke on ‘realism and expectation:
critical approaches to islam in
teaching’ on 13 July 2009 at the
‘centre for trans-cultural studies and
Global cultures’ of hope university of
liverpool.
• delivered two lectures – ‘state of
higher education in england’ and
‘islam and/in the west’ to an invited
audience at muslim college london
on 21 July 2009.
• spoke at the ‘Young muslims
leadership Programme’ at oxford
centre for islamic studies on 6 august
2009.
Dr Abdullah Sahin • developed a new ma level study
program entitled med in Islamic
Education : New Perspectives. the
programme aims to offer professional
development opportunities for
practitioners in diverse muslim
educational settings and those in the
wider educational field. the course
contains three new modules: Islamic
Education: Theory and Practice;
Introduction to Educational Studies:
Religion, Pedagogy and Identity
Formation; Developing Research
Strategies in Islamic Education. the
programme is validated by the
university of Gloucestershire and will
be offered at mihe beginning with the
spring term 2010.
• in June 2009 gave a seminar
presentation at the Queen’s
foundation, Birmingham on
“re-thinking islamic mission
in multi-faith Britain”.
• conducted a workshop on “challenges
facing muslim communities in
Britain” at the national conference
entitled Hospitality, Anglicanism and
Islam held in Birmingham (17-19
august 2009)
Sheikh Faizal Manjoo• faizal manjoo has been presenting
live talk shows on radio ramadan in
leicester. he ran two sessions, one on
islamic finance and another on the
biographies of muslim personalities,
who have influenced islamic history
such as shah waliullah al-dehlavi,
al-Ghazali, rabia Basri and al-razi.
• he also participated in a conference in
london on ‘transition management
for Pension funds’ organised by Global
Pensions on 9 september 2009.
Dr Abul Hassan• delivered second oxford islamic
finance round table talk organised by
dar al istithmar and oxford centre
for islamic studies and held on 15
april 2009.
• attended the “faith in capitalism”
conference held on 16 June 2009 in
london. contributed in the panel
discussion in the high level academic
research on ‘faith consistent investing’.
the conference was organised by
international interfaith investment
Group in association with islamic
cultural centre, london
• Presented a paper titled “after credit
crunch: the future of the shari‘ah
compliant sustainable investing” at
the conference on “islamic Perspective
of management and finance held
on July 2-3, 2009 at the university of
leicester.
• delivered lectures of the teaching
module” islamic capital market” at
the Post Graduate ief Programme at
the trisakti university on 21 July to 1
august 2009 at Jakarta campus.
Publications
• “Bringing swfs towards shari‘ah
compliance”, Business Islamica,
Vol.3(6), June, 2009, pp.52-55
• “shift of Power: muslim countries and
sovereign wealth funds”, Capital, Vol.
4(6), June, 2009, pp.56-60
• “following the rules: how do islamic
and ethical investing impact Portfolio
Performance?” Business Islamica, Vol.
3(no. 6 &7), July-august, 2009,pp.
32-39
• “corporate social responsibility of
islamic financial institutions and
Businesses: optimising charity Value”,
Humanomics, Vol. 25, no. 3, pp.177-
188(issn 0828-8666, emerald Group
Publishing limited, uK 1526-5943)
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
september 2009 newsletter 11
Dilwar Hussain Seminars and Lectures
• four presentations between may and
July 209 on British Muslim Identity, st
Philips centre, leicester.
• three lectures on Muslims in Britain,
spectrum national methodists
conference, derby, 12 may 2009.
• lecture on Islam and Pluralism,
university of Birmingham &
Birmingham faith leaders summer
school, 16 July 2009.
• Presentations on Muslims in Britain
and Islam in the modern world,
akademie der diözese rottenburg-
stuttgart interfaith summer school,
weingarten, Germany, 22 – 23 July
2009.
• Presentation on Islam and Community
Organising, citizen organising
foundation summer interns training
seminar, london, 30 July 2009.
• two presentations on Muslims Trends
in Britain, Pew forum on religion in
Public life, washington, 6 – 7 august
2009.
• two presentations on British Muslim
Identity and Is Britain Christian?,
Greenbelt christian festival,
cheltenham, 28 august 2009.
Yahya Birt Publications
• ‘the radical nineties revisited: Jihadi
discourses in Britain’ in madawi
al-rasheed and marat shterin (eds.)
Dying for Faith (london: routledge,
2009), pp.105-110.
• ‘islamophobia in the construction of
British muslim identity politics’ in
Peter e. hopkins and richard Gale
(eds.) Muslims in Britain: Race, Place
and Identities (edinburgh: edinburgh
university Press, 2009), pp.210-227.
• ‘Promoting Virulent envy?
reconsidering the uK’s terrorist
Prevention strategy’, RUSI Journal,
154/4, august 2009, pp.52-58.
• ‘the personal isn’t always political’,
Guardian Comment is Free, 20th
august 2009.
• ‘don’t repeat this mistake’, Guardian,
14th september 2009.
Batool Al-Toma• delivered a final Journey course in
Bristol on 30 may 2009.
• Participated in a workshop held in
ipswich as part of the Jimas regional
conference on new muslims on 28
June 2009.
• invited to speak at the launch of
the Peterborough muslim women’s
network in 30 July 2009.
made in europe organised a pilot
run of its act Global Project in June
2009 at the markfield conference
centre. the act Global project
aims to develop understanding,
skills, motivation and networks
among young muslims to take
an active role in the fight against
global poverty.
made in europe is a new
organisation which has grown
out of a vision to harness the
enormous energy and potential
of young european muslims
to contribute and add value to
the current responses to global poverty
issues. it seeks to address the under-
representation of the muslim and
ethnic minority communities within the
sector and facilitate the recognition and
contribution of faith in international
development.
in the act Global Pilot, made in
europe, in partnership with
Globalmedic provided training to
young people in the uK on key
issues around global poverty, team
work and campaigning skills and
basic training on water purification
devices and mobile hospitals. the
participants will then take part in
an accompanied disaster response
deployment overseas for 10 days.
on their return, they will participate
in a community awareness raising
campaign about global poverty and
the millennium development Goals
(mdGs) in the uK engaging with other
young people, community groups,
mosques and the media.
Events at Markfield Conference Centre
t h e i s l a m i c f o u n d a t i o n n e w s l e t t e r
12 newsletter september 2009
w w w . i s l a m i c - f o u n d a t i o n . o r g . u k
The newsletter is published by the Islamic Foundation. For further copies or more information about its projects, publications and courses, contact:
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION, markfield conference centre, ratby lane, markfield, leicestershire le67 9sy, uKTel (01530) 244944/5 Fax (01530) 244946 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Visitorsa number of prominent national and
international visitors have graced the
foundation during the last few months:
Prof Paolo
Branca, head of
arabic &
islamic studies
at the universita
cattolica del
sacro cuore,
italy visited the
markfield institute of higher education
on 29 may 2009. Prof Branca was
following up on the work initiated by
father Paolo nicelli during his stay at
markfield. during his discussions with
members of staff at mihe, he was keen
to explore ways of further cooperation
between the institutions.
Prof Yasir
Suleiman, head of
department,
department of
middle eastern
studies at the
university of
cambridge, visited
the foundation on
3 June 2009. Prof suleiman was
impressed by the range of work being
done by the foundation and was
thankful to senior members of the
foundations staff for their active
participation and contribution to the
government project he heads on
‘contextualising islam in Britain’ project.
he was keen to explore areas of mutual
benefit and cooperation between the
foundation and the university of
cambridge.
Prof M.H.
Jawahirullah,
President,
tamilnadu
muslim
munnetra
Kazhagam, a
muslim
political
party based in tamilnadu, india, visited
the foundation on 12 June 2009
accompanied by dr saleem ajumal. Prof
Jawahirullah appreciated the work that
has been done by the foundation at local
muslim community level as well as its
international contribution. Prof
Jawahirullah was on a lecture tour to the
uK where he was speaking at a number
of venues.
Aneeq Ahmed from ARY Digital and
Orya Maqbool Jan from the Daily
Express, Pakistan, visited the
foundation on 18 June 2009. the
visitors expressed happiness with the
contribution that has been made by the
foundation in promoting true islamic
values over the years. they were
particularly impressed with the
foundation’s contribution in the field of
publications and suggested ways in
which the literature could be more
accessible.
Dr Adnan Al-Bazi,
chancellor,
al-ittihad university
in the emirate of
ras al-Khaima,
united arab
emirates visited the
markfield institute of higher education
on 29 June 2009. dr al-Bazi met the
management and senior members of
staff at mihe and discussed areas of
common interest that could be explored
for future cooperation between the two
institutions. the meetings considered
how the university could act as an
overseas postgraduate centre for mihe
and also looked at students from the
university joining mihe for their
postgraduate studies.
Sheikh Khalfan
Al-Esry, from the
sultanate of
oman who
accompanied the
group of omani
youth in the
summer was in
the foundation
from 23 July 2009 to 6 august 2009.
sheikh Khalfan is well known in oman
for presenting islam and actively
promoting better understanding
between muslims and non-muslims
residing in the sultanate. he appreciated
the efforts being made by the
foundation in creating awareness about
islam and muslims and was keen to
continue to cooperate in the area of
youth training.