You are on page 1of 48

issue 26

March/April

What if we had a
Muslim Manifesto?

Children and mental health


Communication with God
The mosque of Fatima

vol.3
2015

Editorial team
March / April 2015
Issue 26, Vol. 3

bi-monthly magazine

islam today magazine intends to address the concerns


and aspirations of a vibrant Muslim community by
providing readers with inspiration, information, a sense
of community and solutions through its unique and
specialised contents. It also sets out to help Muslims
and non-Muslims better understand and appreciate the
nature of a dynamic faith.

Managing Director

Mohammad Saeed Bahmanpour

Chief Editor

Amir De Martino

Managing Editor

Anousheh Mireskandari

Health Editor

Laleh Lohrasbi

Art Editor

Moriam Grillo

Layout and Design

Innovative Graphics

Contact us
Information

info@islam-today.net

Letters to the Editor

letters@islam-today.net

Contributions & Submissions submit@islam-today.net


Subscriptions

subscriptions@islam-today.net

www.islam-today.net
Follow us on facebook

www.facebook.com/islamtodaymag

Batool Haydar
Cleo Cantone
Frank Julian Gelli
Hannah Smith
Harun Yahya
Julia Khadija Lafene
Rashid Rose
Sabnum Dharamsi
Back Cover
The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque
17th century Mostar - Bosnia and Herzegovina
The mosque was seriously damaged
during the war in the 1990s and was
later restored.

Publisher:
Islamic Centre of England
140 Maida Vale
London, W9 1QB - UK

ISSN
2051-2503
Islamic Centre of England

Disclaimer: Where opinion is expressed it is that of the author and does not necessarily coincide with the editorial views of the publisher or islam today. All information in this magazine is verified to the best of the authors and the publishers
ability. However, islam today shall not be liable or responsible for loss or damage
arising from any users reliance on information obtained from the magazine.

From the Editor

20
5

A long road ahead

Children and mental health

Addendum
Illustrator - Yusef Abdul Jaleel

Life & Community


The Place to Be

The number of children with mental


health issues has reached alarming proportions Sabnum Dharamsi asks why and
suggests some answers

Natural History Museum

10 Raising thinkers not thought

Heritage

Underlining the importance of independent thinking, Batool Haydar advises


parents to consider a different educational
approach in the relationship with their
children

The Conference of the Birds

21 Medium Photography

14 Lofty Proportionality: Is raising the


skyline the way to go?

The Horsehead Nebula

The desire to build ever taller buildings


out of steel, glass and concrete is questioned by Cleo Cantone who believes that
we should seek inspiration from our past

Painting

Art

Masked Man

18

In the Spotlight
Playwright - Rohina Malik

Opinion
19 Masterpiece
Painting - Helen Zughaib

22

Is Democracy the modern


Colonialism?
Western style democracy is failing to address the needs of the poor, but continuously demands the world adopts it, argues
Rashid Rose

Cover

What & Where


26

What if we had a Muslim


Manifesto?
With Muslim communities coming
increasingly under pressure in Europe
and the UK, Hannah Smith believes that
the time is now right for a new phase of
Muslim political engagement

46

Listings and Events


Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Quran

Poetry and Exile in Works

Approaching Islamophobia from a Human Rights Perspective

Faith
30

It is in your power to attain


goodness
True goodness is an elusive concept
that is becoming hard to find in todays
society. Haroun Yahya believes that a true
adherence to the faith of Islam can help
us achieve true goodness

32 Communication with God


There are many ways in which we can
interact with our Creator. Julia Khadija
Lafene gives us some insight on how we
can converse with our Merciful God

Ways of Writing in Medieval Islam

The Islamophobia Awards

Rediscovering Hadhramaut: Paradigms of Research

Diversity in End of f Life Care

Negotiating covenant, Prophethood and redemption in


the Quran
Saverah Women Expo

Challenges and Opportunities: British Muslim Women


and Maktab Education

Interfaith
34

St Bernadette of Lourdes, a
bringer of Hope
St Bernadette believed she saw the Virgin
Mary at Lourdes. Today her visions still
work miracles of healing and hope, says
Frank Gelli

Health
38 Eat right for your type
A diet based on blood group type may
be the answer overweight peopleare for.
Laleh Lohrasbi explains

Places
42 The mosque of Fatima
One of the daughters of Imam Musa Ibn
Jafar Al-Kadhem(a) is believed to buried
in Baku Azerbaijan. Islam Today takes a
look behind the legend of Fatima

Glossary of Islamic Symbols


The letter (s) after the name of the Prophet Muhammad(s) stands
for the Arabic phrase sallallahu alaihi wasallam, meaning: May
God bless him [Muhammad] and grant him peace.
The letter (a) stands for the Arabic phrase alayhis-salaam,
alayhas-salaam (feminine) and alayhimus-salaam (plural)
meaning respectively: (Gods) Peace be with him/ her/ or them.

From the

Editor

A long road ahead

f we take into consideration the


events of the beginning of the year,
as an indicator of what to expect
in the subsequent months, we can
conclude that the Muslim community
in the UK and the rest of Europe is
in for a rough ride. Demonised for the
despicable acts committed by a few, the
majority of the Muslim community finds
itself, once again, at the receiving end of
a relentless media campaign putting on
trial Islam and all its followers. Another
crisis? It certainly looks that way. But
should it necessarily be all doom and
gloom?
If we look at the history of the Muslim
communities in the UK, we can see
how it has often been the response to a
crisis that has provided an opportunity
for positive or negative changes. The
British Muslim communitys interaction
with governmental bodies has been
long and slow. Early Islamic institutions were only marginally interested
in issues related to ethnic minority
communities. They were centred mainly
around the activities of mosques that
began to appear soon after the 1962 act
on immigration, which resulted in the
reunification of families on British soil.
For a long time Muslim organisations
that attempted to establish a public
profile did it primarily in the cultural
context rather than the religious one
and they rarely negotiated with local
government institutions. The case of
religious education in British schools is
one good example. It was during these
initial contacts that both sides came to
know each other and started to develop

some forms of mutual understanding.


The example of the Muslim Liaison
Committee of Birmingham back in 1983
would provide one of the first examples
of how positive action by a joint pressure group to steer the local authority in
a favourable direction in matters of religious education would have nationwide
repercussions. In the last half century,
perhaps the most significant event
which mobilised Muslims in the UK,
on a single platform, was the Rushdie
affair. Muslim pressures started, as
usual in a very casual way - but soon
frustration within the community began
to build up. In the absence of any public
reaction, coordination efforts increased
across the country. It was only then that
national institutions began to take the
Muslim community seriously. First the
Home Secretary and then the deputy
chief of the opposition gave speeches,
to members of the Muslim community
in Birmingham Central Mosque. At the
same time, the media suddenly became
aware of the evolution of a Muslim
community, with Islam being raised to
the top of the agenda of correspondents
dealing with communities or religious
affairs. Despite the outcome of the
case, the community demonstrated the
ability to come out of its shell claiming
a platform in the public arena. There
have been many challenges for the
Muslim community post-Rushdie, but
what made the reaction of Muslims
much more newsworthy was the fact
that Muslims had gradually abandoned
their cultural identity and started to
claim a new culture as British Muslims.
In a sense this transformation was the
greatest challenge to British society

resulting in the intensification of the


activities of an Islamophobic mass
media that had identified a religious
minority to oppress and bully into
submission.
In the cover story of this issue Hannah
Smith talks about a possible scenario
to take Muslims out of the current
quagmire and set them on a course
to reclaim their rightful place within
British society. Hannah speaks about
a new initiative undertaken by a
Muslim group which set out to produce
a Muslim Manifesto in the wake of
the next general election in May. She
believes this might be a move in the
right direction in providing a rallying
point for a disunited community to
come together. Is this wishful thinking?
Only time can tell. The fact that there is
a need for a proactive strategy is all too
obvious and as the first generations of
Muslim leave their place to the second
and third generations the new element
will need to think and act taking
into consideration local realities and
mentalities and engage in the political
process with a new-found confidence,
hope and the understanding that there
is a long, hard road ahead of us.

Children and
Mental Health

With mental health disorders rising among children, Sabnum Dharamsi underlines
how correct parenting at an early stage can provide a healthy future for our
children

sometimes feel that childhood has


lost its former innocence. Gone are
the days of children happily playing
outside, discovering the glory of life,
restricted only by teatime curfews and
pocket money limits. And now it seems
that all we speak about is iPads and
protecting children from abuse. It feels
stressful to think about all of this - and
surely childhood is still idyllic. Arent
kids just still kids?
Well, unfortunately the answer is no,
but also well, maybe. Let me explain.
Consider the following statistics:
yy Three children in every classroom has
a diagnosable mental
health disorder (and
thats just those who
have been diagnosed)

It is difficult to determine why childrens lives are so stressful; studies


have identified increased stress from
bullying, anxiety over future prospects
and school performance, a 24/7 online
culture, body image pressures and family
breakdown as well as poor economic
conditions. And whilst difficulty is a part
of everyones life, including that of children, its clear that some children are
really suffering. Maybe they always have.
Maybe we are just recognising it better.
But in any case, whilst a part of me still
does very much believe that childhood
can be and often is a beautiful part of
life, I do want to raise awareness about

yy One in five young


adults show signs of an
eating disorder
yy One in 12 deliberately
harm themselves
yy Nearly 80,000 children
and young people
suffer from severe
depression
Its
worrying.
While
these statistics do not
represent every child, we
do know that the culture
that children live in can
also be a stressful one.
Why is that? And is there anything that
can be done? And can we ever go back
to a time when childhood is what our
hearts tell us it ought to be?
First we have to understand the term
mental health. If we break down the
words mental health, its easier it
simply means well-being of the mind.
So the work of a counsellor, alongside
other mental health professionals, is to
support that. Unlike when you go to a
medical doctor, when the emphasis is
on your physical state, a counsellors
emphasis is on the inner state of a
person although as all medical practitioners will tell you, the inward and
outward state of a person are intimately
connected.

this issue.
This is because if you are aware, you
can find help or address things before
they get worse. Most of us get very
protective over children. If they fall
over, and bruise their knees, we cradle
them, give them plasters and kiss their
pain better. But mental health is a
hard subject to even contemplate and
when it comes to applying these words
to children, its even harder. We dont
like to think about these young minds
being damaged or hurt in any way. And
when things are hard to think about,
we sometimes ignore or avoid things we
really shouldnt.
So whats going on inside your childs
mind? Its so important to get to know

your children. A big part of this is to


recognise that they have a lot going
on inside them. Its easy to forget that
while children may not articulate or
even understand their feelings in the
way that adults do, it doesnt mean they
dont feel. So the first thing to do is
to look out for how your children are
feeling.
Secondly, its important that you teach
your child about feelings. Not just
difficult ones, nice feelings too. Talk to
them. Even young children can understand if you explore their feelings with
them gently. So reassure them if they
are hurt, explain to them if you shouted
because you are tired,
and show them love and
appreciation. Treat your
children fairly, with affection, and compassion.
I love this advice from
Imam Ali(a): It should be
your aim to display more
kindness towards your
child than the kindness
that he displays towards
you.
This
kind
of
parenting can have a
lifelong impact, because
it is in childhood that
we establish patterns of
how to deal with those
feelings. Consider your
own past feelings for a
moment; how were you taught as a
child to express love? Was it through
physical signs of affection (a kiss or a
hug) or perhaps through more material methods (food or money)? If you
compare this with how you show and
receive love now, youll probably see
some connection. In fact these childhood ways of being are so powerful
and run so deep that they form the way
we see the world what psychologists
might call internal constructs.
Now take a difficult emotion, like anger;
its normal in certain situations, but
some children have learnt to express
anger aggressively. Others have learnt
to repress anger. Negative forms of
anger expression in children have been
associated with a number of negative

health and mental health


outcomes, including elevated
blood
pressure,
psychosomatic symptoms, poor
perceived health, depression
and aggression. So we have
to be really careful how we
parent it sticks.
I believe what makes the
most impact is when parents
are able to model ways of
expressing a range of feel-

Three children in every classroom has a


diagnosable mental health disorder (and
thats just those who have been diagnosed)
One in five young adults show signs of an
eating disorder
One in 12 deliberately harm themselves
Nearly 80,000 children and young people
suffer from severe depression

ings and ways of being that


are healthy. Modelling or
walking your talk - is really
important
for
children
because this is what they
really absorb, rather than
what you tell them. As
Imam Ali says: For sure,
the heart of a child is like
fallow ground: whatever is
planted in it is accepted
by it. A recent study (data
tracking 9,000 people from

A recent study (data tracking 9,000 people from


birth) has concluded that: by far the most important
predictor of adult life-satisfaction is emotional health,
both in childhood and subsequently.

Finding this balance is something that I


think we learn as we go along, not just
something that just happens once and
for all. But also, one aspect of balance
that we so easily overlook is to take
pleasure and enjoyment in life and in
children. Sometimes we try so hard,
that life itself becomes a chore. I find it
so reassuring to be reminded:
God has created for your enjoyment
everything on earth (Quran 2:29)
Life is a challenge, but childrens
hearts and those of their parents - are
precious and need to be taken care of.
Learning how to be emotionally healthy
yourself is one aspect of balance
telling yourself for example, that its
not wrong to give yourself a break, take
time out and enjoy life as a family and
for yourself. Create times when you can
have those golden rewarding moments,
whether its laughing over the simple
things that happen, playing games in
the park or talking about a verse in
the Quran. Thats paying attention to
mental health too and it neednt be
all doom and gloom.

birth) has concluded that: by far the


most important predictor of adult lifesatisfaction is emotional health, both in
childhood and subsequently. It is even
more important than if they achieve
academically when young, or acquire
wealth when older. And as a counsellor,
the link between childhood and adulthood seems so obvious sometimes; Ive
seen people go through similar events
yet the way they respond to them is
completely different and therefore their
experience and expectations of life are

totally different. If you are a parent


reading this, you may feel getting it
right is a million miles away, as you
struggle to pay the bills and just get
some dinner cooked before the mad
rush of getting ready for bedtime and
prepping for next days school. I think
then its helpful to remember that Islam
is all about balance:
Thus we have appointed you a middle
nation, that you may be witnesses for
mankind. (Quran 2:143).

Sabnum Dharamsi is a therapist and co-founder of Islamic


Counselling Training.

Raising Thinkers
Not Thoughts

How successful our next generations will be depends on how


we train and impart them with knowledge. Batool Haydar
provides some guidelines that should help parents to raise
individuals who think for themselves

10

Teaching how to acquire knowledge


is an important responsibility, but
what is more important is teaching
children and teenagers how to think.
Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khameini.

the mystery that many a child accepts


as part of adult behaviour. On the
flipside, you could ask your child questions about what they think and how
they would handle a situation.

nformation is power. This has


been the catch-phrase of the past
couple of decades. We have been
encouraged to gather as much
knowledge as possible and ensure the
next generation do the same. The more
you know, the more you can do, the
more you can control. At least, thats
how its supposed to work. In reality,
information is simply data. Without
the ability to use it or deduce new
ideas from it, it becomes trivia that we
collect to pull out of our pockets for
the purpose of impressing others, much
like a party trick. However, progress and
growth requires a different approach
to knowledge. In order to ensure that
the things we learn will have an impact
on our lives, our characters and on our
futures, we need to ensure that we know
how to think for ourselves; that we can
analyse and assess the reliability of the
information we receive from the many
sources around us. This is an essential
skill that we also have to pass on to our
children if we want them to survive in
the world and maintain their character
and belief. One of the best ways to do
this is to start early! By encouraging our
children to think for themselves from a
young age, we give them a gift that will
help them through their entire lives.

2. Encourage Free Play

Encouraging Independent Thought

Starting off a child on the path of


independent thinking can be a scary
experience; however, as the child begins
to make decisions and connections,
watching them grow and come into
their own is a reward that only a parent
can truly appreciate.
The following habits can help trigger
innovative thought-processes in your
child:
1. Lead by Example
It is well known that your own behaviour
is the best example for your children to
follow. By verbalising and explaining
your reasoning behind the simple daily
decisions you make, you can remove

One of the most consistent pieces


of advice when it comes to nurturing
creativity, inventiveness and thinking is
to allow and encourage free play in children. Free play involves simply removing
structure from play time. Allow children
to come up with their own games, to
daydream and explore in their own
manner without specific instructions.
3. Allow Experience to Teach
Dont think for your children. Give
them small choices and then accept
and trust their decisions. Allow them to
make mistakes without judging them.
When things go wrong, talk about what
happened, ask them why they think it
happened and what they would consider
doing differently next time around. In
this way, you let experience and trialand-error guide them. Dont try and
protect them from the consequences of
their actions or decisions.
4. Nurture Curiosity
We often expect children to be silent
and obedient observers of life. In many
cultures, questioning is considered rude.
However, if you dont allow curiosity
and the natural inclination to ask in a
child, you will stunt their exploratory
instincts. Give your child the confidence
to ask questions - politely and within
context. Let them take the initiative
and follow through without interfering
or trying to help them get it right.
Discouraging Dependency

A lot of our current parenting habits


are actually detrimental to the growth
of children. We try too hard to teach
them skills and feed them information
that we think they will need or will keep
them ahead in the rat race. Often, out
of misplaced love, we step in to save
them and make things better, easier,
smoother, swooping in with solutions sometimes at simply the intimation of
a problem!

11

If you find yourself doing any of the


following, it may be time to step back
and re-visit your upbringing strategy...
1. Hovering

Playstation or any other device that


will keep them entertained. Studies
have shown that even the so-called
educational programmes and games
will never compare to actual active
involvement in activities.

as jigsaws, 3-D puzzle sets and brain


teasers. For older children, a cheap
camera or camcorder could be the
beginning of a career in film, or craft
activities could open the door to creative expression.

Dont watch over your childs shoulder


all the time. Give them room to do
3. Solving
their own thing, to make
mistakes, to get hurt and
then to pick themselves up
and try again. If what they do
has less than perfect results,
We try too hard to teach them skills and feed
its fine! Theyre learning
through the process, not
them information that we think they will need
in the result. By admiring
or will keep them ahead in the rat race.
and complimenting the
effort, you also remove the
pressure of comparison to
others.
2. Relying on Passive Entertainment
Its so easy to get carried away with
chores and duties and leave our children with the television, iPod, iPad,

12

If you work or dont have the time to


do things at home with your child, sign
them up for activity clubs or give them
creative mediums to play with such

the Boredom Issue

When
our
children
complain
that
theyre
bored, we usually try and
provide them with a list of
things they can do. On the
other hand, our parents
used to react to the same
complaint with a refrain of
children dont get bored.
A balance between the two
would be to challenge your
child to come up with ideas
on their own. This may be
difficult at first if your child has been
used to not thinking but with a bit of
encouragement and consistency, they
will soon thrive on activities of their

own invention.

children. In actual fact though, they


are all adults-in-training. Every day of
their childhood is a classroom in which
How often do you find yourself saying
they are gathering the skills they will
something along the lines of Because I
need to live the rest of their lives as
said so! or Im the parent and I make
constructive adults. If we manage to
the decisions! Children have the ability
shift our perspective from being figures
to reason and understand,
of authority who dictate the
albeit at a simpler level
lives of our children because
than us.
we know better, to being
mentors and guides who
By asking us for things, they
are sharing what we have
are seeking answers as well
By encouraging our children to think for
learned through the years
as hoping to discover how
themselves from a young age, we give them
and who are willing in turn
we reach the conclusions
a gift that will help them through their entire
to learn from our children,
we do. So when a child
we may experience a parentpresents an unreasonable
lives.
child relationship deeper
request, keep in mind that
and more satisfying than we
to the child there is logic
ever imagined possible.
behind the query. It is only
lack of information and
experience that prevents them from
Sowing And Reaping
knowing what you do.
Implementing a new way of interacting
Batool Haydar is a wordsmith who has writIn such cases, try and get the child
with children is a difficult process
ten many articles and blogs
to figure out why you are refusing by
for some. We see children as ...well,
4. The Unexplained No

discussing the issue with them. Yes,


they must understand that as a parent,
your decision is paramount, but they
also must trust that your choices are
made in their best interests and not on
a personal whim or with the intention
of disappointing them.

13

Lofty Proportionality:
Is raising the skyline the way to go?

Pondering over the human obsession to build taller buildings, Cleo Cantone wonders if our past can provide
inspiration to move away from the disproportionate towers made of steel, glass and concrete

ts a precarious life for the Latin


American window cleaners in New
York City. Dangling from dizzying
heights in a gondola for $15
an hour seems a disproportionately
low amount for such a potentially
hazardous job. There seems to be
little accountability when it comes to
the architects of such tall and window
cleaner-unfriendly buildings.
If building one taller than the last
one appears to be the sole feat of the
modern architect, some people (mostly
ordinary citizens) are starting to question the validity of the mushrooming
phenomenon of skyscrapers. A recent

14

petition by 38 degrees, Save Londons


Skyline reflects this concern, alleging
that a further 238 monsters are planned
in the capital alone. If their banal
names are anything to go by, Londons
famous skyscrapers pose little threat to
the worlds existing seven wonders.
According to philosopher-sociologist
Henri Lefebvre, the masculine principle
is responsible for the construction of
phallic architecture. Gherkin, Shard,
Walkie-Talikie, Cheese-Grater represent
little else than massive erections to
their creators egos. The last of their
considerations, surely, are the cleaners
and their poorly paid services to keep

these mega-galactic monoliths in pristine condition.


The rationale for vertical buildings
and cities rests on the premise that
high-density dwellings are space saving.
Indeed, according to the doyen of
modern architecture, Le Corbusier:
Make advantageous use of the free
space on the ground; preserve space
that is free; magnify things by the
feeling of space. With cities razed to
the ground in the Second World War,
Europes cities needed to be rebuilt and
Le Corbusiers vision was to fill empty
spaces with greenery, housing people in
high-rise buildings. Opposing Auguste

Rather
than
heeding
the
While it may be difficult to agree on what
Qurans admoconstitutes an excessively tall building, the
nition:
How
many populabody known as the Council on Tall Buildings
tions have we
defines a supertall building as one that
destroyed which
measures 300 metres of which a percentage
were given to
usually consists of vanity height.
wrongdoing?
They tumbled
down on their
roofs. And how
Lumires vision of the horizontal city
many wells are lying idle and neglected?
made up of bungalows, Le Corbusier
And castles lofty and well built (22:42)
profoundly disagreed that this was
or Prophetic traditions about the signs
a valid solution, rather it was the
of the end of the world including when
conquest of height that could integrate
shepherds compete to build tall buildthree essential elements: sun, space,
ings (Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states
greenery.
apparently have an insatiable appetite
Thus if the main consideration is to save
for things vertical).
space as may well be the case in New
While it may be difficult to agree on what
York, can spiky architecture be justified
constitutes an excessively tall building,
in the vast expanses of the Gulf desert?

the body known as the Council on Tall


Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)
defines a supertall building as one
that measures 300 metres of which a
percentage usually consists of vanity
height, i.e. uninhabitable space (in the
case of Dubais Burj Khalifa, 29% of
its vertiginous height is a sacrifice to
vanity).
A cursory glance at Islamic history
reveals sensitivity to matters of urbanisation, down to the finest details of
which materials should be used and
how they should be priced. For the
Hispano-Umayyad caliphs of Cordoba,
proportionality was seen as an expression of beauty as these verses by Abd
al-Rahman III (r. 912-961) illustrate:
When kings want to immortalise the
memory of their loftiest thoughts, They
do so through the language of architecture. A building, when it is of noble

15

proportions, Reflects the majesty and


rank (of its builder). (Trans. Ruggles)
The inheritor of a diminished empire
and ruler of Delhi, Firuz Shah (r. 13511388) was not only a prolific builder
but also a keen restorer of architecture
fallen into disrepair: By the guidance
of God, I was led to repair and rebuild
the edifices and structures of former
kings and ancient nobles, which had
fallen into decay from lapse of time:
giving restoration of these buildings the
priority over my own building works.
Among his impressive list of restorations, he also built a Dar al-shifa (house
for the sick) making no distinction as to
the status of patients, bonded or free.
Firuzs dedication to curing the sick is
mirrored in the care he took to repair
his predecessors buildings. His wish to
leave an architectural legacy seems to
be counterbalanced by a list of good
works, signs of altruism rather than
merely self-aggrandisement.
In Abdul-Fazl Allamis history of the
Mughal emperor Akbar, the monarch
similarly pays great attention to building
practices, specifying prices of materials
to prevent lack of honesty and conscientiousness among traders. According
to Allami, part of the urbanisation
process includes building splendid
edifices, mighty fortresses, delightful
villas and imposing towers that afford
excellent protection against cold and
rain, provide the comforts of the princesses of the Harem and are conductive
to that dignity which is so necessary for
worldly power.
Around the same time Thomas Moore
wrote Utopia foreseeing this heightening
trend: the houses in the beginning
were very low, and like homely cottages
or poor shepherd houses, made, at
all adventures, of every rude piece of
timber that came first to hand, with
mud walls, and ridged roofs thatched
over with straw. But now the houses
be curiously built, after a gorgeous and
gallant sort, with three storeys, one over
another. The outsides of the walls be
made either or hard flint, or of plaster,
or else of brick, and the inner sides be
well strengthened with timber work.

16

The roofs be plain and


ture may not be the solution
flat, covered with a certain
for our post-modern, angstkind of plaster that is of no
ridden, rat-racing population
cost, and yet so tempered
but
possibly
something
A cursory glance at Islamic history reveals
that no fire can hurt of
other
than
steel,
glass and
sensitivity to matters of urbanisation, down to
perish it, and withstandeth
concrete could be envisthe finest details of which materials should be
the violence of the weather
aged. As well as flexing their
used and how they should be priced
better than any lead. They
muscles with more sustainkeep the wind out of their
able materials, architects
windows with glass, for it
could contemplate more
is there much used, and
sustainable solutions to
some here also with fine
deal with the ever-widening
tall structures blended in with the
linen cloth dipped in oil or amber, and
concrete footprint of man on earth.
surrounding landscape.
that for two commodities. For by this
Another example of tall vernacular
more light cometh in, and the wind is
architecture are the mud-brick or
better kept out.
banco constructions in Mali and the
Three storeys for 16th century Europe
Niger Bend: the Great Mosque of Jenne,
must have seemed exotic. In southern
for instance, towers 20 metres above its
Dr Cleo Cantone holds a
Arabia, since pre-Islamic times inhabitPhD from the University of
worshippers. Ironically these tall tradiants had dwelled in multi-storeyed
London. Her book Making
tions are millennial and still stand the
houses with terraces on their flat roofs.
and Remaking Mosques
in Senegal, based on her
test of time. If properly maintained - and
Indeed, the so-called samsara of Yemen
doctoral research, has been
it takes a whole community to make
were six or seven storeys high. Made
published by Brill.
this happen - they last. Banco architecof baked brick and stonework, these

17

Art Editor Moriam Grillo

Each character offers insights into


their ego and own personal story. Their
reasons for partaking in the arduous
journey unfold as they progress. Each
of the five diverse women in the story
slowly reveal the pain and passion
which motivates them to make the
journey:

In the Spotlight
Playwright - Rohina Malik

yy Malika, an African-American medical


student, decides to undertake the
pilgrimage after experiencing the
death of a patient.
yy Bina, the Pakistani-American wife of a
doctor is seeking relief from the dark,
unhappy moments which pervade her
seemingly perfect, affluent life.
yy For Salaam, an Arab-American born
in a refugee camp, the pilgrimage is
cryptic, connected to the story of three
critical hours in the life of her parents
- and a pen, which mysteriously disappears during the camping trip.
yy For Alma, an Argentine-American, it
is a journey of redemption to counter
the anger and depression she feels
toward her newborn child, born with
a cleft palate.

Rohina Malik is a critically acclaimed


playwright, actress and solo performance artist of South Asian heritage.
Born and raised in London, Malik
currently resides in the US and is resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists
theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Her play,
The Mecca Tales will be performed
for a month from mid-March. It is
Rohina Maliks third play and was
first written in 2011. Her first play was
entitled Unveiled and is a critically
acclaimed solo performance which tells
the story of the post-9/11 experiences
of five Muslim women. Her second,
Yasminas Necklace, is also a powerful
and complex story, which homes in on
issues around identity and heritage.
The Mecca Tales is a spiritual journey
which explores the power of ritual and
redemption. The work itself centres

18

around five Muslim women who go on


a camping trip to prepare for the Hajj,
the greater pilgrimage to Makkah. As
the drama unfolds, each pilgrim reveals
their unique and personal reason for
choosing to make the pilgrimage, a
choice, for each of them that begins
a spiritual journey and signals how
each individual character will progress
along the path, beginning a journey
of self-discovery, or not, as the story
unfolds. The play skilfully allows the
characters to choose to reveal aspects
of themselves. If they do, their journey
progresses positively and goes forward.
Maliks work makes reference to the
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
and The Conference of the Birds by
Farid Ud Din Attar.. It catalogues the
challenges faced by pilgrims as they
travel together on a religious journey.

yy Grace, a white American convert and


leader of the group, uses the hajj as
an act of service assisting pilgrims to
make the voyage year after year, while
busying herself in order to hide her
own pain.
The search for meaning within each
complicated narrative ties the stories
together, making the play a complex
mix of emotions, driven forward as each
character struggles toward hope and
away from fear. Their stories are told
in a poetic and touching way allowing
us to relate to and engage with each
character sympathetically. Through
the act of sharing their secrets and
vulnerabilities, the women are able to
lighten their individual loads of sin and
sadness, emptying out of themselves in
preparedness to commune with God.
Malik has recently been awarded the
Y Award with the Evanston YWCA for
her work to end racism and empower
women.
The world premiere of The Meccan
Tales is 13 March to 12 April 2015.

Masterpiece
Painting - Helen Zughaib

I am an Arab American, born in Beirut,


Lebanon. I also lived in Kuwait and Iraq
with my family, Though I am an Arab
American, I feel that my background
in the Arab world provides me with a
platform to address issues that affect
both women. - Zughaib
Helen Zughaib was born in Beirut,
Lebanon, and lived most of her life in
the Middle East and Europe before
moving to the United States and
receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts from
the College of Visual and Performing
Arts at Syracuse University.
Zughaib works primarily with gouache
on canvas or and ink on board. Her
recurring themes are portraiture, still
life and landscapes. While the latter two
remain apolitical, she uses portraiture
as an area to discuss gender, equality
and cultural ideologies.
With much of the media focused on
negative stereotypes of Muslim Arabs,
especially Arab Americans, I began to
work on a series I call Changing Perceptions. In these paintings, I use the
black abaya and veil, juxtaposed with
elements from recognisable Western
artists such as Picasso, Mondrian and

Lichtenstein, to create a new vision of


the abaya, so often misunderstood in
the West. - Zughaib
Zughaib believes that art is one of the
most important ways to help shape and
foster dialogue and positive ideas, and
this is apparent in her work. While her
landscapes and still life studies carry
strong Middle Eastern cultural themes
they are also made palatable to a
broader audience through their lively
use of colour. Zughaib uses her portraiture to tackle complex social issues.
Blue Abaya Driving is one such piece
which caught my eye. A painting
that Zughaib says is about freedom
and giving power to women, silently
responding to the cultural inhibitions in
some lands that do not permit women
to drive.
Throughout her work, Zughaib mixes
familiar Western motifs with the traditional Islamic abaya in an attempt to
bridge East and West and confound
prevalent stereotypes. Zughaib says the
abaya represents tradition, modesty
and a sense of comfort and shelter,
and is not seen by those who wear it,
as a restricting or inhibitive garment

as is often implied. She believes it is a


personal choice that has helped women
to feel less objectified. Malik frequently
uses the apparel in a conversation
which is continued throughout her
work, constantly asking the viewer not
to judge by outward appearance alone.
Interestingly, her palette is more European than Middle Eastern with hues
remaining bold and, in her portraiture,
reminiscent of western art. There are
polite allusions to Matisses cutouts and
Mondrians use of primary colour and
geometric form, weaving together East
and West, as a symbolism of shared
identity and dialogue.
Helens works are a stark reflection
of her Middle Eastern background
thrown against her experiences of living
in America, allowing her to remain
an observer of both cultures and a
resounding voice of a modern art movement that unifies a variety of themes
and ideologies.
Zughaibs work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums in the
United States, Europe and Lebanon.

19

Addendum
Illustrator - Yusef Abdul Jaleel

Yusef Abdul Jaleel is an African-American Digital Media Artist.


Jaleel has over 20 years of experience
in digital print production and currently
specialises in vector based illustration.
He uses geometrical primitives such as
points, lines, curves and shapes, which
use mathematical expressions to represent images in computer graphics. With
this, he has created a series of colourful
illustrations of Muslim women in order
to reflect positive representations and
counteract negative stereotypes.
Covered: Celebrating Muslim Women
is a series of illustrations depicting a
variety of Muslim women from around
the world. Jaleel says that these images
were inspired to combat negative
stereotypes associated with modesty
and covering. The word Hijab is associated strongly with not just covering,
but being hidden, so it is no surprise
that when seeking positive representations of the Muslim woman in the
media and the art world, one is often
met with a void. Jaleel hopes his work
will go some way to dispel this reality.

The Place to Be
Natural History Museum
Images of Nature

The Natural History Museum is home


to the 3rd rotation of natural history
artworks into the Images of Nature
Gallery. This new rotation features
the artworks of 18 women artists
whose artworks are represented in the
Musuems collections. This temporary
exhibition showcases botanical and
zoological artworks from the museums
extensive collection. Many of the
artworks include watercolours dating
from the 18th century as well as works
by some of the most outstanding female
nature artists of our time. From detailed
scientific studies to bold and beautiful
botanicals, all the works displayed
demonstrate the skill, motivation and
determination of women in their visual
portrayal of the wonders of the natural
world. This gallery houses more than
110 images of nature from over the last
350 years.
The exhibition Images of Nature is on
show now. Entry to the Gallery is free.
Cromwell Road, South
London SW7 5BD
Open Daily 10am-5.45pm.

20

Heritage

Kensington,

Scene from the Conference of the Birds


in a Persian miniature.
The Hoopoe instructs the other birds
on the spiritual path

Medium
photography
The Horsehead Nebula (IC 434) by
Shishir and Shashank Dholakia,
USA, Aged 15.

Our main academic interests are


science, science and science. - Shishir
and Shashank
In an attempt to understand the universe
better, 15 year-old twin brothers, Shishir
and Shashank Dholakia have been
photographing the heavens, capturing
the beauty and splendour of accessible
aspects of our universe by documenting
incredible images of the sky, ranging
from solar system to far into deep space.
The brothers are the latest winners of
the Young Astronomy Photographer
of the year and have used their love of
science to create a phenomenal work
of art - out of a cloud of gas and dust.
The famous Horsehead Nebula is
arguably the most recognisable of
celestial objects. And their winning
image comprises the dark nebula, the
surrounding red emission nebula and
the flame nebula.
The brothers used their fathers equipment to take the image during their
first trip to Lake San Antonio, from
where the Milky Way is easily visible.
As an avid photographer, I am stumped
by the sheer brilliance of this image.
The brothers used an Astro-Tech triplet
refractor telescope with varying exposure times. And it is, apparently, these
exposure times which make all the
difference. They also used a variation
of red, green, blue, and clear filters in
front of the camera to produce a series
of images, before combining them
to create one full-colour image. The
winning photograph had a total exposure time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Painting
Masked Man

Al Mawoud - Oil on canvas, printed by


Ayman baalbaki

ravaged his land and killed thousands


of his people, many survived. And in his
depictions of death, threat and carnage
there is a counter narrative that lives
on, one that enforces the reality of a
people that overcame hardship.

The Lebanese dont want to address the


issue of the war, but at the same time
its everywhere. I am part of a generation of artists and writers who lived 20
years of it and dont have anything to
say but about the war.
Baalbaki Lebanese artist, Ayman
Baalbaki was born in 1975 in Odeiss,
near Lebanons border with Israel. He
studied Fine Arts in Beirut, before
pursuing a doctorate in Paris. For me,
Baalbakis work is an interesting mix
of opposites. Depicting a life of an
individual whose foundation has been
subjected to devastation. Baalbaki was
born at the beginning of the Lebanese
civil war and subsequent Israeli occupation. His work is deeply informed by
first-hand accounts and memories of
the events as well as the aftermath that
no doubt shaped his adolescence and
fuelled his sense of identity. But theres
more to Baalbakis narrative than
being a refugee in his own country and
suffering the traumas of war. Baalbakis
paintings are expressionist in their
intimation and although depictions
of destruction and war, hold a sense
of sweetness in them. It is as though
Baalbaki is telling us that although war

Self-portrait

A people that were able to rebuild what


was broken. This is evident in Baalbakis
ability to tell the story decades later.
Although Baalbaki presents us with
dilapidation, what he is really saying
is this is from where I have come. It
is in this context that one can observe
his bright and varied use of colour. A
point which, for me, reflects Baalbaki
in his truest sense, as a Phoenix rising
from the ashes to live another day.
Ayman Baalbaki lives and works in
Beirut. He has exhibited extensively in
Beirut and Paris.
Moriam Grillo is an
international artist. She
holds Bachelor degrees in
Photography & Film and
Ceramics, her current projects
include a commission for the
Queen Elizabeth hospital in
Birmingham.

21

Is Democracy the

Modern Colonialism?

ased on the current political


and economic events in the
world, once again we are
witnessing the dominance of
the former colonial masters, Europe
and the USA, joining forces and using
their economic and political influence
to spread their brand of democracy.
In doing so they have sought to dispel
other forms of democratic practice. The

22

USA/EU alliance argues that the world


will be safer if all the nations embrace
modernisation or in reality, western
democracy. Consequently, those countries that do not toe the USA/EU line
are considered a threat to the stability
of the western way of life.
During the era of slavery European
nations were responsible for implementing the Whip or the Bible method

of coercion. Today they seek psychological and ideological changes in


the thought processes of those under
colonial rule. The area of the Caribbean
provides a typical example of such a
policy.
Europe has played a significant role in
using religion as an ideological base to
bond European nations, helping them
to become a dominant force throughout

There is not much difference between the


old colonialism and modern democracy.
In fact the worlds powers use the same
tactics to colonise and control poor and
needy nations, argues Rashid Rose

the world for centuries. This dominance


and influence is still today, to some
extent, used to spread democracy
among the nations of the world. This
process is also constructed as a modern
crusade waged against some nations.
Today the choices are similar. Countries
are asked to embrace western style
democracy or suffer the consequence,
which is ostracism. The resources spent

and the emphasis placed on democratising countries today by the US and


her allies is enormous. As oil is the key
need for the US and European economies, their penetration into oil-rich
countries is vital. The USAs ability to
establish a foothold in Middle Eastern
nations has been made easy due to the
preoccupation of these governments
with the acquisition of wealth.

The Wests association with some of


these countries is important for the
stability of their economies. The USA
single-handedly shifted the balance
of global economic power by forging
an agreement between the major oil
producing countries to convince them
to use the US dollar as the main
currency to trade oil. In return the
USA agreed to supply the oil producing

23

Glass window at St. Therese Chapel - Paris 16

24

states with military support to protect


the union between five nations: Brazil,
such as the World Bank and the IMF.
their oil fields through the establishRussia, India, China and South Africa
This allows them to maintain control
ment of permanent military bases.
(BRICS). BRICS was initially conceived
in these nations. Anyone attempting to
Indeed Britain has just announced
in 2001 by economist Jim ONeill of
establish an alternative style of governplans to open its first base in Bahrain
Goldman Sachs, in a report on the
ance is ostracised and falls out of favour
since 1975. If the agreement to use the
growth prospects for the economies of
with the US and her allies.
US dollar as the primary currency for
Brazil, Russia, India and China which
The ploy to deceive the world has failed.
the purchase of oil were
Unlike the Iraqi invasion of
to collapse, it would bring
1991, when the USA misled
about a seismic change
the world by claiming that
in the US and European
Iraq possessed weapons
Europe has played a significant role in using
economies
and
would
of mass destruction today
diminish the political influreligion as an ideological base to bond European
the world is on alert and
ence of the US. For example
nations, helping them to become a dominant
is aware that the US will
when Gadhafi refused to
use any means necessary
force throughout the world for centuries. This
sell Libyan oil in US dollars
to try to destabilise the
dominance is still today, used to spread
and instead demanded
non-compliant nations in
payment by gold-backed
democracy among the nations of the world.
the same way it destabilised
dinar (a single African
Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.
This
process
is
also
constructed
as
a
modern
currency made from gold)
The
ultimate
objective
crusade waged against some nations.
he created a real problem
seems to get the world to
for the US, an act which
embrace the Western style
some argue may have led
of democracy. The underto his eventual downfall.
lying practices of western
together
represent
a
significant
share
of
Libya is Africas largest oil producer.
democracy are bedded in the legacy of
the
worlds
production
and
population.
The Libyan regime had been sitting on
colonialism, once used to dominate the
After the first summit held in Yekatermassive amounts of gold, estimated at
world. Today democracy is being used to
inburg in 2009, the depth and scope
150 tons. Gadhafi was pushing other
achieve the same ends. In the colonial
of
the
dialogue
among
the
member
African and Middle Eastern governperiod the commonwealth countries
states
was
further
enhanced
(by
this
ments to follow his example and
were all dictated to by their colonial
time South Africa had also joined the
succeeded in gaining some momentum
masters, so what has
among leading African
changed? Colonialism has
nations to regain control
been replaced by western
over their oil. Shifting from
style democracy to continue
the dollar as a single
The common approach of the USA and the
the same dominance and
currency - could potentially
control over the politics of
EU is to provide the poorer nations with cash
bring down the world
these nations. Some nations
in
the
form
of
loans
from
US-led
institutions
monetary system. Nicolas
are afraid to choose other
Sarkozy, the French Presi... This allows them to maintain control
styles of democracy for fear
dent at the time, reportedly
in these nations.
of economic sanctions.
went as far as calling Libya
We need to ask what these
a threat to the financial
so-called
democratised
security of the world.
nations
have
done to
However, it would have
union) and BRICS emerged as a new
combat poverty in Africa, India, Central
been especially devastating for the US
force in the international economic
America and the Caribbean. The answer
economy and particularly the elite in
order.
BRICS
also
became
a
new
and
is very little. Millions of dollars spent by
charge of the global financial system.
promising
political-diplomatic
entity.
the USA and the EU on unnecessary
A Gadhafi-driven gold revolution would
wars has demonstrated that they dont
have imperilled the positions of central
Democratisation of other countries
intend to relinquish power and the
bankers and their political and media
gives the USA and her allies control
dominance of Western style democratic
power-brokers, stated Wile.
over the world and will restrict organipractices.
sations such as BRICS from functioning
The collapse of Gadhafis plan did not
independently.
The
common
approach
deter others from trying to reduce the
of the USA and the EU is to provide
Rashid Rose is Co-founder of the
influence of US and EU economic poliAfro-Caribbean Muslim Federation
the poorer nations with cash in the
cies. One response was the creation of
form of loans from US-led institutions

25

What if we had a
Muslim Manifesto?

With Muslim communities coming increasingly


under pressure in Europe and the UK Hannah
Smith believes that the time is now right for
a new phase of Muslim political engagement.

orget about self-styled Islamists and their idiotic dreams


of a British Caliphate. Or the
embarrassing
State-manufactured moderate Muslims with their
neo-liberal visions of servile Muslim
assimilation. What Muslims in Britain
actually need is a Muslim Manifesto!
And yes I do mean a political manifesto!
Imagine that an independent free
thinking Muslim inspired agenda that
emphatically and empirically outlines
the commitments we as a community

26

expect of our prospective candidates for


political leadership. These candidates
are already campaigning for your votes
to empower them beyond the May 2015
General Elections and if they are not fit
for purpose perhaps Muslims need to
choose their own.
Lets be under no illusions about what
is now at stake here in Britain - it is our
very right to exist equally, in a nation
that we and our ancestors have helped
to build with our blood sweat and tears.
But make no mistake - Muslims are

day by day, law by law, inexorably being


relegated to second class citizenship.
The neo-con inspired cycle of baiting
Muslims with a range of provocations
from the latest disrespectful Charlie
Hebdo cartoons to the roll out of full
blown socio-religious and political engineering programmes, is simply a means
to an end. And what is their end game?
Well, all the evidence suggests we are
being set up to become the new target
for fascist right wing bigots. Muslims
are, today, becoming the potential heirs

our best thinkers to define a holistic


well-researched and evidence-based
Muslim community vision. The next
is to resource the development of a
roadmap towards achieving that vision
and employing professional community
developers to deliver the initiative.

of the 20th century Jewish holocaust


legacy (Bosnian Muslims will bear
witness as to how quickly that can
happen).
Muslims must very quickly learn the art
of setting the agenda and not simply
being victims or apologists. It is time
to go beyond predictable reactionary
knee-jerk crisis management of the
various institutionally inspired racist
attacks against vulnerable Muslim
minorities. Meritocracy must prevail
and the sincere intellectual and crea-

tive capital within the communities


must be acknowledged, empowered,
resourced and mobilised to set a fresh
proactive British Muslim Community
agenda - one which takes the fight
to the cowardly social engineers who
lurk in the shadows of the corridors
of power. Muslim intellectuals, businessman, charities, religious leaders
and politicians need to show some
wisdom and push back against the
institutional bullying. The first step
towards achieving this is to sponsor

Given that many Muslim leaders are


incredibly highly qualified in dividing
their communities on ethnic, cultural,
racial and religious grounds, and given
their egos and vested economic interests in maintaining power; it is indeed
a daunting challenge. However with the
grassroots now rattled by Charlie Hebdo
and other counter-terror imperatives, is
this notion of a collective vision realistic
and achievable? The policy content of
the new Muslim Manifesto says yes, unity
of purpose is possible. Because all the
statistical evidence shows most of the
Muslim communities, rather worryingly,
have common purpose in the enormity
of their shared social, legal, educational
and health related problems. Muslims
are more than twice as likely to have
poor health, poor education, poor career
prospects, high unemployment, high
crime rates, a negative media stereotype
and they are virtually discriminated
against at every level. This might just be
enough to give them a point of unity in
adversity. Along with the commonality
of basic religious tenets and their moral
and ethical values, it could provide the
basis for a unified political purpose that
could even reach out to other ethical
Britons. But arent Muslims violent and
power-crazy? I hear Middle England
cry. Well, a tiny minority clearly are,
but that shouldnt be a reason to let
Muslims shy away from making their
political demands heard. In fact, there is
no better time than now for the Muslim
community of Britain to throw itself
into the democratic process with full
force. At a time when the beautiful religion of Islams reputation lies in tatters,
as yet more atrocities are committed in
its name, a serious democratic engagement may be the only way of saving our
community from a bleak future. The
alternative is to be marginalised even
more.
I am probably not the only one who felt

27

that the Charlie Hebdo incident was the


latest Counter-Terrorism and Security
blighted British Muslim communities. It
final straw, and when you count the fact
Bill passed through its third reading
may succeed where hundreds of Muslim
that this umpteenth act of terrorism
in the House of Commons, and cries
organisations have failed; to address or
occurred in the same week as the
to deport Muslims gained momentum
tackle entrenched social problems such
massacre of allegedly 2000 Nigerians by
across Europe.
as poverty, high unemployment and
Boko Haram and a cyber-attack on the
academic failure.
In the face of such a great challenge,
US Central Command
I believe that a
by ISIS, it felt like we
Muslim Manifesto is
had crossed some
the antidote to restore
invisible
threshold;
health, vitality and
that the British and
vigour to the Muslim
European
public
The neo-con inspired cycle of baiting Muslims with
community. At the
just cannot tolerate
end of January 2015,
a range of provocations from the latest disrespectful
what seems to be
Muslim
CommuCharlie
Hebdo
cartoons
to
the
roll
out
of
full
blown
the persistent resistnity
Development
ance of Muslims to
socio-religious and political engineering programmes,
Network
launched
conform to what any
is simply a means to an end.
a
Muslim
Manisane person would
festo for the 2015
consider fundamental
General Election on
values of decency. In
behalf of all British
the last issue we heard
Muslims.
Following
from Sayed Kazmi, who painted an
and time quickly running out, asserting
a nationwide community consultation
Orwellian-type future in which British
ourselves politically may be the only
with leading Muslim organisations and
and European Muslims are treated with
saving grace for the Muslim community,
Muslim communities across England,
increasing suspicion, spied on, and engiat least one that could stave off our
a set of straightforward and inclusive
neered to conform to a neutered state
relegation to the status of virtual second
policy
recommendations
covering
religion that falls short of the powerful
key issues of high importance to the
class citizens. A political stand may also
values of justice and compassion that
Muslim community were formulated.
be the right manoeuvre to persuade
the Prophet Muhammad conveyed to us.
The resulting document is a clear
politicians
to
stop
neglecting
the
socioIn January we moved quite a substantial
statement of intention of relevance
economic
and
cultural
situation
of
step closer to this dark reality when the

28

on British elected representatives,


including members of parliament and
local councillors. The Muslim population, estimated at 2,786,635 in the
2011 census, makes up a substantial
proportion of the British population approximately 4.4% - a source
of considerable leverage for Muslim
needs (There is evidence to suggest
that the unofficial number of Muslims
is likely to be significantly more than
the above figures). Muslim influence is
particularly great where Muslims are
clustered in a number of British cities
and it is estimated that as many as 40
constituencies could be determined
by a Muslim swing vote. The failures
of previously elected Muslim MPs and
the ineffectiveness of the hundreds of
to British Muslims of diverse sociogrowth and storing up trouble as these
local Muslim councillors has left many
economic background, ethnicity and
socio-economic issues lie at the heart
Muslim voters disillusioned with the
religious persuasion. Fundamentally
of radicalisation and violent extremism.
notion that democratic engagement
it is non-sectarian and not owned by
It is simply unacceptable that politithrough the morally deficient existing
any single organisation or individual; it
cians have failed to acknowledge the
political parties will make any meanis a proud move forward, which could
real roots of radicalisation; that is the
ingful difference. The answer is to stand
forge a more united
your own independent
future for the British
candidates in high
Muslim community,
density Muslim areas
historically
held
and fight on an ethical
back by community
Muslims must very quickly learn the art of setting the
platform based on the
in-fighting
and
agenda
and
not
simply
being
victims
or
apologists.
It
Muslim
manifestos
organisational
principles!
A number
power games.
is time to go beyond predictable reactionary kneeof prospective Muslim
Currently the Muslim
jerk crisis management of the various institutionally
MPs in Muslim majority
community with all
inspired racist attacks against vulnerable Muslim
areas, frustrated at the
its inherent ethniciexisting political will,
minorities.
ties lags behind
have already decided
other religious and
to do just this. It is
ethnic
communihoped, however, that
ties in many areas
politicians regardless of background or
impoverished,
isolated
and
marginincluding
academic
attainment,
faith will champion the Muslim Manialised inner city communities where
employment, household wealth, health
festo and ensure a brighter Britain for
lack
of
investment,
ineffective
secular
and well-being, and crime. Muslim Pakiall.
education and high unemployment is
stani boys are twice as likely to have no
leaving
young
Muslims
vulnerable
to
GCSEs as their peers and Muslims are
Hannah Smith is a writer
the criminal cartels and simple slogans
three times more likely to be behind
and social activist. She
of
violent
extremists.
bars than people of other faiths. Clearly
has a Masters degree from
University of the Michigan
neglecting to properly tackle these probThe Muslim Manifesto gives Muslims
lems is both holding back economic
the opportunity to put pressure

29

It is in
your power
to attain goodness
Human beings are becoming more desensitised towards the suffering of
others. Haroun Yahya believes that the transformative Power of the Islamic
faith can provide us with the necessary tools to achieve true goodness

ews reports appear in both


the printed media and on
television every day telling of
murders, acts of terror, thefts,
jealousy, child abuse, rapes, violence,
injustice and torture of animals. These
acts all fall under the heading of evil.
But do these crimes represent the limits
of evil? Or does it have a wider scope?
How is it that from being pure and
innocent at birth and during childhood,
a person can gradually develop a cruel
and ruthless personality? How is it that
he can consider acts of revenge, anger,
hatred, envy, selfishness and lying as
possible? Or how is it that he finds it
possible to hold the idea of Who cares
what happens, so long as it does not

30

happen to me when other peoples


rights are being violated, or when they
are being oppressed and mistreated
and slaughtered? How is it that while
murder or theft is regarded as evil,
nobody regards insensitivity or apathy
in the same light?
There is actually something in common
between the behaviour of a bloodthirsty
killer, or someone who occasionally
makes concessions on moral values for
the sake of his own self-interest, and a
selfish person who thinks of nobody but
himself. All of these actions fall into the
category of evil and all are caused by
an emptiness of the soul which can be
described as lovelessness.
Lovelessness hardens the heart. And as

a result, those who suffer from it provide


an opportunity for the internal space
that should house love to become populated by ruthlessness, anger and hatred.
Under the influence of the ruthless
spirit brought about by lovelessness,
these people, who value nobody, may
also become killers or thieves. When a
lack of compassion pervades the heart,
people become uncaring about the
suffering of others. In fact, that last step
is the most insidious of evils to care
nothing for the sufferings of others.
Insensitivity is a deadly scourge that
infests societies like a plague: it is
present in a mother who has no qualms
about sacrificing her own life for her
children but cares nothing for the

They then begin to love with sincere


intentions, solely for the sake of God,
with no expectation of earthly reward.
They show affection for the sake of God
and are compassionate for the pleasure
of God. That is because they know that
God created human beings and true
believers show their love of God by in
turn loving all living things that are the
manifestations of God.
Let us not forget that God created the
world for love, beauty and goodness.
That is the essence of Islam and the
Quran. That is the reason why God
created the universe and this world.
The test in the life of this world is a
test of love and becoming a good
person of whom God approves. A heart
filled with love will never even hurt
the tiniest insect created by God, let
alone offend another human being. For
someone whose heart has been purged
of lovelessness and pollution, being
good is just as essential as food and
water. Moreover, all it takes to attain
the true goodness beloved of God is to
live by the Islam of the Quran. As our
Almighty Lord reveals in one verse, this
is the only way to enjoy true goodness
and please the Almighty Creator:

children of others suffering hunger and


slaughter and war, or in a father who
sits and watches images of violence on
social media as if they were scenes from
a film and then forgets all about them
and goes on with his daily business, or in
young girls and boys who seek to offend
other normal people through their
hateful views and unpleasant language.
In other words, people you meet in the
course of daily life can easily fall prey
to this insidious evil. If asked, all these
characters will proudly claim to be good
people; after all, they have never killed
anyone, nor stolen anything, nor taken
part in any acts of violence. Yet they
have also demonstrated little in the way
of affection or compassion or goodness
to others.

Of course, nobody enters that state of


being consciously. Lovelessness, just
like a cancer invading the body, has
emptied the souls of the majority of
people in todays society, so much so
that they have become insensitive and
uncaring without even being aware of it.
Well then, since nobody is born evil but
falls prey to the snare of evil over the
course of time, can one ever be saved
from it? Can one ever achieve the true
goodness beloved of God?
There is only one way to achieve true
goodness - faith. Faith brings with it a
love of God. And the love of God has a
very fine and positive effect on people. It
inspires people to exhibit good morality
in order to earn the approval of God.

It is not devoutness to turn your faces


to the East or to the West. Rather, those
with true devoutness are those who
have faith in God and the Last Day,
the Angels, the Book and the Prophets,
and who, despite their love for it, give
away their wealth to their relatives and
to orphans and the very poor, and to
travellers and beggars and to set slaves
free, and who establish prayer and pay
the poor-alms; those who honour their
contracts when they make them, and
are steadfast in poverty and illness and
in battle. Those are the people who are
true. They are the people who have
piety. (2:177)

Adnan Oktar, also known as Harun Yahya, is a


Turkish author and an Islamic creationist

31

Communication
with

God
While we all hope for the mercy of God, our request for help from Him should be put in such a way as to
maximise the chances of acceptance. Julia Khadija Lafene explores the guidelines with which we can achieve
this

Conversation implies a two way


communication, usually between two
or more people - when one person
speaks and the other responds. How
can we have a conversation with God,
a Being so vast and ineffable? Can we

32

really speak to God, and if we can,


how does He respond? Obviously a
conversation with God is not like any
other conversation; perhaps the nearest
thing to it in human terms is a young
child learning to communicate with

adults, but even this analogy is faulty


because God is always present and
ready to hear us. Communication with
God is more often than not an inner
process without words or gestures but
it is still a two-way process, in which the

petitioner expresses him/herself and


God responds, or God communicates
with His creation and creation must
respond.

Quran 2:186).

The Prophet Muhammad(s) said: The


difference between one who engages in
dhikr, remembrance and awareness of
the Divine Presence, and one who does
not, is as the difference between the
living and the dead.

So how does God respond to us? The


Prophet said: God will not answer a
prayer from a heart that is distracted.
He also said we must be sure to rely
entirely upon God. If we rely on creation it will disappoint us in the end.
For example, however safe we think
our savings and investments are, they
can all disappear in an instant because
they depend on human agencies. But if
the seeker relies on God, he will receive
relief in one way or another. So if we go
to the doctor to heal us, we must bear
in mind all the time that God is acting

The renowned saint Rabia al-Adawiyyah


said: The door is open! You are running
away from it by means of your actions.
How then will you approach it?

through the physician as the primary


cause.

We have also been advised in sacred


traditions that remembering, thanking
There are many accounts in the Holy
and praising God is better than making
books of Prophets and saints commurequests, because He already knows
(a)
Imam Jaafar As-Sadiq has warned us
nicating with God. These communicawhat we need. We might have asked
tions often began with
for something which was
God sending an angel or
harmful for us, though we
communicating
directly.
might not have realised
The prophets themselves
it. We might have actually
would go to lonely places
received an answer but
...and whoever trusts in God, then He will
to speak with God. But
failed to recognise it. For
suffice him. (65:3) and If indeed you give
they never saw God
example, I have a chronic
thanks, I will surely grant you increase. (14:7)
with the normal eye, only
disability which I wish to be
through their inner eye.
healed. In spite of begging
If God showed even a
God to heal me, it is as if
small aspect of Himself,
He is not listening. But I
a human being would be
have not fulfilled the correct
overwhelmed.
conditions. I am not in a
to maintain the correct courtesy, know
state of tawakkul, or trust; I have not
Ordinary human beings who are not as
whom we are calling on, realise His
reflected on the meaning of my illness
spiritually advanced as Prophets have
greatness and Majesty, and be aware
or what I can learn from it. He has given
been given specific instructions on how
that He already knows what is in our
me an inner answer, but so far not an
to communicate with God, through
hearts.(7: 55-56)
outer one.
prayer, supplication, His remembrance,
These great souls knew that Gods
asking forgiveness, praise, expressing
Imam Ali(a) suggests several reasons for
response depends on the attitude of
gratitude and making requests. There
an apparent delay in an answer from
the seeker, just as a successful human
are both formal and informal ways of
God. The response may be stored up
conversation depends on the attitude of
doing this. But the response of God will
for us in the next world; what we seek
the participants. The difference is that
depend upon the state of the supplimay not be for our ultimate good; we
in conversing with God, we are reliant
cant.
might have committed an action which
upon Him.
nullifies our supplication. It is no use
We must approach God with purity,
... Indeed God leads astray whomever
asking for Gods generosity or forgiveempty hearts, humility and the highest
He wishes, and guides to Himself those
ness if we have not been generous or
expectations that he will respond to us,
who turn penitently. Those who have
forgiving to others. In the Holy Quran,
though not necessarily in the way we
faith and whose hearts find rest in the
human nature is described as needy
might wish. God knows what we do not
remembrance of God. Look! The hearts
and insecure, so we need to recognise
know, what is good for us may not be
find rest in Gods remembrance!
our weakness, but at the same time
what we think. We have been given a
have trust and hope, and persist in
Those
who
have
faith
and
do
righteous
great deal of guidance by the Prophets,
supplication and prayer.
deeds,
happy
are
they
and
good
is
their
Imams and saints as to the correct way
[ultimate] destination. (13:2729)
of approaching God.

Imam Ali(s) said: Be mindful of God and


He will be mindful of you. Remember
God and you will find Him before you.
Go to God in times of wellbeing, and He
will come to you in times of difficulties.
If you ask of anyone, ask of God. If you
seek help, seek help from God (see also

Julia Khadija Lafene


graduated in Modern
History from Oxford
University. Since embracing
Islam she has studied
Islamic psychology and selfknowledge.

33

Interfaith

St Bernadette
of Lourdes,
a bringer of Hope
Visions of the Virgin Mary at
Lourdes brought the simple
girl Bernadette many trials but
innumerable miracles of healings
and hope have vindicated her,
says Frank Gelli

34

Providence brought me to Lourdes,


wrote the noble Jewish writer Franz
Werfel. In flight from the German
Armies which had defeated and
invaded France in 1940, Werfel and
his wife received hospitality and refuge
amongst the local people in the little
town by the Pyrenees. In Lourdes they
found not only safety but hope. It was
there and then that he vowed to write
a novel inspired by the wonderful life of
St Bernadette. Eventually, Werfel made
his escape to America and faithfully
fulfilled his vow. The Song of Bernadette was the result, a moving book
also made into a successful film.

she also suffered from asthma. Could


not her visions be put down to a case
of all too human pathology rather than
celestial theology?
Significantly, Bernadette herself did
not claim to know outright the identity
of the shining figure. At last, she gathered enough courage to ask her, not
once but three times: My lady, please
tell me your name. Who are you?
I am the Immaculate Conception the
answer came.

plicable - took place in the aftermath of


the Virgins apparitions.
After Bernadette was examined over a
period of four years by a commission
set up by her Bishop, it was concluded
that she was a dignified, perfectly
honest and simple soul, without guile
or ulterior motive. The Bishop eventually declared that her visions were not
a fake. They appeared true and so the
faithful were justified in believing in
their truth.

A very remarkable response because


the Immaculate Conception is not
an everyday expression but a special
religious title. It means that the grace
of God exempted the Mother of Jesus
from the stain of original sin. How could
Bernadette, an uninstructed and unlettered person, have learnt it? Unless,

Bernadette also had to contend with


tricky political implications. The France
of her time was ruled over by Louis
Napoleon III, a lesser nephew of the
The name of Lourdes is bound up
great Napoleon. Before coming to the
with that of Bernadette Soubirous,
throne Louis had been a revolutionary
an adolescent, pious peasant girl. In
and a freemason and under his regime
1858 the town witnessed a number of
there was a constant tug of war between
wondrous,
supernatural
Catholics and secularists.
events. The Virgin Mary
That is why Bernadette was
appeared to Bernadette in
closely investigated by the
the grotto eighteen times.
[Bernadette] described a young, smiling and
local Prefect of Police. He
Simultaneously, a spring
had the cave of her visions
shining figure with yellow roses at her feet.
sprang out of the earth at
sealed shut. They feared the
Her dress was white, with a blue sash and she
the apparitions bidding.
girl to be manipulated by
wore a veil over her head, shoulders and arms
Miraculous
healings
clerical, pro-Church forces
followed. The young girl
and they also forbade access
butcould they not be simple hallucinations?
at first suffered sceptito the spring. Fortunately
cism, derision and even
the Emperors wife, Eugenia,
downright hostility but
was a devout believer and
she steadfastly held true to her visions.
of course the Lady really had spoken
so she ordered the place to be opened
The Virgin Mary had told her that
those words.
again to the pious crowds. More healshe wished a church to be built over
ings followed.
Contrary to popular opinion, the
the grotto and Bernadette spread the
Catholic Church is by no means
Bernadette continued to live with her
message. Years later the girl entered
enthusiastic about personal claims to
parents but inevitably she had become
a convent and lived an obscure life of
divine revelations. She subjects putaa celebrity. She was the centre of much
service as a simple, self-effacing nun
tive visions to rigorous criteria. For
popular attention and morbid curiosity.
till her death at the age of thirty-five.
example, the claimant must be a person
It was thought advisable for her to go
Today Lourdes is one of the greatest
of genuine piety, personal honesty and
and stay as a boarder with a community
Marian shrines and places of healing
of nuns, the Sisters of Charity at Nevers,
sincerity. But even all those qualities
and pilgrimage on earth.
but then a full vocation to the religious
are no protection against error or selfHow did Bernadette know that the
life blossomed in the girls heart. She
deception. Saints too can get it wrong
woman who appeared to her was the
took the three monastic vows of poverty,
at times: St Catherine of Siena believed
Blessed Virgin? She described a young,
obedience and chastity and for thirteen
the Virgin had disclosed to her that
smiling and shining figure with yellow
years she dwelled in the convent as a
she was not conceived immaculate.
roses at her feet. Her dress was white,
simple nun, modestly and darkly.
However, when a vision is accompanied
with a blue sash and she wore a veil over
by miracles, supernatural events that
Saints are supposed to be extraordinary
her head, shoulders and arms. All very
strengthen the faith and morals of those
people but not necessarily in the way
lovely and Bernadette felt quite ecstatic
involved, then there are good grounds
many imagine. A story is told of a novice
at the ladys manifestations butcould
for crediting its authenticity.
to the community who was looking
they not be simple hallucinations?
forward to meeting the famous BernaQuite apart from the spring, many
Bernadettes parents were poor and she
dette, the exceptional girl who had
miraculous healings medically inexwas not well-fed. Too small for her age,

35

seen the Blessed Virgin. She


expected someone looking
like an angel but she was
disappointed when she saw
a very unremarkable nun,
like all others. She could
not hide her chagrin: What?
You are only like this? she
exclaimed. The episode
amused Bernadette. Yes.
Only like this! she laughed.

when a vision is accompanied by miracles,


supernatural events that strengthen the faith
and morals of those involved, then there are
good grounds for crediting its authenticity.

Bernadettes health did not improve


in the convent. Asthma tormented her
and she started spitting blood. But she

36

bore it patiently and never complained.


My task is being ill, she once said.
She clearly was a saint with a sense
of humour. She died calmly reciting

the words of that beautiful


prayer, the Hail Mary. For
four days after her death
her body remained extraordinarily intact. In 1933
Pope Pius XI proclaimed
her a saint and there is
now a universal Feast of
Our Lady of Lourdes.

By their fruits you shall


know them, says Jesus on
how to recognise his true followers
from false ones. The fruits of St
Bernadettes work are manifest in the

flourishing shrine at Lourdes, in the


pilgrims, the devotions, the healings,
the many miracles and above all in
the faith and hope that continues
to emanate from her experience.
Five years ago I saw an impressive
movie entitled Lourdes. It is about a
young, severely disabled girl who is
taken to Lourdes in search of healing.
She suddenly gets out of her armchair,
is able to stand, she walks: miracle!
The song of Bernadette breaks out
again. Alleluia! The results in the hearts
of the people around the girl are not
very positive, however. Jealousy, envy

spite, hypocrisythe miracle has its


flip side. Later the girl unfortunately
has a relapse. She sinks back in her
wheelchair but her face radiates hope.
She may not be cured but she is not
crushed. She is not bitter, she does not
despair. She still hopes. That is the true
spiritual miracle the Virgin Mary can be
said to have done at Lourdes.
I trust that St Bernadette would be
pleased with that conclusion. The
Blessed Virgin, the mother of Christ,
keeps performing miracles today.
Foremost, miracles of hope, like that

experienced by Franz Werfel and by


innumerable others. A hope that springs
eternal because it has something of the
Eternal about it.

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is an


Anglican priest, cultural critic
and a religious controversialist,
working on religious dialogue.
His last book The Dark Side
of England. An expos, is
available on Amazon Kindle.

37

Health
Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi

Eat Right

For
Your Type
It is said we are what we eat. However according to Dr DAdamos theory our blood
group actually determines what we should eat. Laleh Lohrasbi puts his theory under the
microscope

38

In fact the presence or absence of


antigens a substance that can trigger
an immune response - creates different
blood types or groups such as (A, B, AB
and O). Blood is made up of red blood
cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC),
platelets and a liquid called plasma.
On the surface of the red blood cells
which carry oxygen through the body
and remove carbon dioxide, there are
certain antigens or proteins which vary
from one blood group to the other.
Antibodies which are found in plasma
recognise anything foreign in the
body and alert the immune system so
that it can destroy it. As the red cells
of different blood types have specific
antigens then antibodies found in the
plasma only recognise that specific
antigen as safe and all other types as
foreign elements. This sends a signal
to the immune system to eliminate the
foreign substances. That is why knowing
our correct blood group is of utmost
importance because in case a blood
transfusion is needed, using even one
unit of incompatible blood will cause a
severe reaction, potentially leading to
renal failure, shock, and even death.
What Dr. Ddamo suggests about food
follows the same theory. He states that
lectins - certain kind of proteins found
in food - can act as antibodies and
Since his ideas came to light many
interact with different kinds of blood
dieticians and physicians have tried to
group antigens which can be harmful
evaluate DAdamos theory, with diverse
to the body. So it is important for each
outcomes.
individual to consume foods containing
lectins compatible with his or her blood
Blood is made up of the same elements
type. Lectins have agglutinating (clotin all individuals, but not everybody
ting) properties that affect our blood.
has the same blood characteristics.
So when we consume food
containing protein, lectins
that are incompatible with
our blood type antigen, the
Dr DAdamo believes that eating proper food
lectins target an organ or
bodily system and begin to
according to our blood type is not only useful
clot blood cells in that area.
in maintaining good health but it also helps in
DAdamo claims that each

e are repeatedly told that


if we have our five daily
fruits and vegetables, eat
plenty of omega 3 fish,
salads, plenty of dairy products and do
regular exercise, our health will be fine.
But how is it that we still feel exhausted,
have digestion problems and cannot
lose weight? Dr. Peter J. DAdamo, a
naturopathic physician, believes he
knows the answer.
Years ago Dr DAdamos
controversial article Eat
Right For Your Type was
published in the NY Times.
It claimed that blood types
play a major part in determining the appropriate

diet for us. DAdamo believes there is a


direct chemical reaction between blood
and our food intake.

losing weight and preventing diseases.

Eat Right

For
Your Type

39

blood group has unique dietary recommendations. For example:


Blood group O

Blood group A

DAdamo believes the group A, or the


agrarian or cultivator, dates from the
dawn of agriculture, about 20,000 years
ago. He claims that since this blood
type group have a sensitive immune
system individuals with this blood

group should have a vegetable based


diet such as a meat-free diet based on
fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole
grains - ideally, organic and fresh.

This blood group is described as the


Blood group B
hunter. He recommends that those of
this blood group consume a higher
This group is called the nomad by
protein diet, heavy on lean meat, poultry,
DAdamo, who dates its origins to 10,000
fish, and vegetables, and
years ago. He states that
light on grains, beans, and
this type is associated with a
dairy. DAdamo also recomstrong immune system and
mends various supplements
a flexible digestive system.
to help with tummy troubles
He also asserts that people
As the red cells of different blood types have
and other issues. He claims
of blood type B are the only
this group is the first blood type
specific antigens knowing our correct blood
people able to thrive on
to have originated 30,000 years
dairy products; Blood group
group is of utmost importance
ago, although other research
B should avoid corn, wheat,
indicates that blood type A is
lentils, tomatoes, peanuts,
actually the oldest.
and sesame seeds. Chicken

40

meat is also problematic.He encourages


the individuals with this blood group
to eat green vegetables, eggs, certain
meats, and low-fat dairy products.
Blood group AB

AB group is described by DAdamo as


the enigma; he believes it to be the most
recently evolved type and to have arrived
less than 1,000 years ago. In terms of
dietary needs, he treats this group as
an intermediate between blood types A
and B. Food for this group type recommended by DAdamo includes tofu,
seafood, dairy, and green vegetables. He
says people with type AB blood tend to
have low levels of stomach acid so they
should avoid caffeine and smoking.
Dr DAdamo believes that eating proper
food according to our blood type is
not only useful in maintaining good
health but it also helps in losing weight
and preventing diseases. For example
DAdamo states that wrong lectins
will affect our gastro intestinal system

and will cause bloating, slowing down


the rate of food metabolism, which
consequently prevents the calories from
burning efficiently for energy, compromising the production of insulin, upsetting hormonal balance, causing water
retention, thyroid disorders and many
other problems. So by simply replacing
the key weight-gaining foods in our diet,
we can lose weight and at the same
time gain more energy.
DAdamos theory has many opponents
who believe there is not enough
scientific evidence to support his ideas.
One of the most common criticisms
is in relation to weight loss. It is said
the way an individual responds to any
diet has absolutely nothing to do with
that individuals blood type and instead
has everything to do with their ability
to stick to a sensible low-carbohydrate
diet and the reason why DAdamos
suggested diets usually help in losing
weight is because they are based on
proteins, seafood and vegetables.

On the other hand there are those who


follow Dr DAdamos theory to the letter.
Among them are famous people such
as Tommy Hilfiger, the fashion designer,
who believes that DAmato is an
amazing healer with the most advanced
natural healing methods incorporating
age-old techniques in a very thoughtful
way!
I suppose time will show if DAmatos
recommendations and theory has what
it takes to help a generation of overweight individuals who are constantly
on the lookout for a type of diet that
will help them lose weight.

Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is
a pharmacologist. She
has worked as an editor
for the medical section
of Hamshahri, a daily
newspaper in Tehran.

41

Places

The Mosque

of Fatima
Overlooking the port of Baku in Azerbaijan is the Mosque of Fatima. Erected in the 13th century
in honour of a special lady from the progeny of the Prophet Muhammad(s), today the mosque is a
place of pilgrimage and spiritual retreat.

he Bibi-Heybat Mosque on
the outskirts of Baku in Azerbaijan, known locally as the
Mosque of Fatima, was built
to honour the Lady Fatima as-Sughra,
daughter of the 7th Shiite Imam Musa
Ibn Jafar Al-Kazim(a). The mosque, was
the only Islamic building during Stalins
rule that was destroyed.
The origins of this mosque go back to
the 7th century, when many Alids perse-

42

cuted by Abbasids caliphs migrated to


the North. After the death of Harun
ar Rashid and during the reign of his
son Mamun, to appease the Alids,
Mamun summoned the eighth Imam,
Ali ibn Musa Al-Reda(a) to go to Marv
in Khorasan in order to keep the Imam
under his watchful eyes. The Imam had
no choice but to accept. He left his wife
and son, Muhammad Ibn Ali al Jawad,
and went to the province of Khorasan

(Iran). Almost a year after Mamun who


felt threatened by the Imams popularity
among people ordered his death by
poison.
After the Imam left Baghdad his
sister Fatima Masouma, accompanied
with some other elders from Ahlu ul
Bayt left Madinah to join Imam Reda.
Her caravan stopped in Qum - Iran,
where she fell ill and was not able
to continue the trip. She died and

was buried in Qum. Another sister of


the Imam, Fatima as-Sughra (Okuma
Khanim), also left Baghdad during the
persecution of Alids and settled in
Baku along the shores of the Caspian
Sea. There she was considered a holy
and blessed woman, respected by the
locals as a descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad(s). After her death, the
people erected a small crypt over her
grave. Years passed and rumours about

the grave of a holy woman from the


Prophets family spread throughout the
East and soon the site was declared a
holy place.
Religious people, particularly Shiite
scholars, began to settle near the site
and the village was given the name
Sheikhovo or Shikhovo (place of
Sheikhs). Pilgrims from distant Muslim
countries flooded to the land to visit
Okuma Khanims grave. Eventually, a

small mosque was built over the tomb.


The mosque which consisted of a single
room had an inscription which said:
Built by Mahmud ibn Saad. Another
plaque indicated that the mosque had
been built between 663AH/1264CE
and 665AH/1266CE.
The remains of the building showed
that the interior of the mosque was
decorated with blue tiles with a crystal
lamp suspended from the ceiling. When

43

the strong Baku winds blew, the crystals


would hit against each other and make
tinkling sounds. The mosque had a
20 metre-high minaret from which the
Adhan (call to prayer) would be made.
There were around 40 stone
steps leading from the
mosque to the nearby pier
where foreign ships docked.

new wave of mosques, churches and


synagogues were built.

or workshops or used for storage.

In days gone by it was not proper to


call a woman by her first name. Any
respectable woman should have had
a given name by which she was called.
The name given to the
mosque was Bibi-Heybat
because Okuma Khanim
had a devoted servant
In the 1930s, Stalin began his campaign to ban
named Heybat. In the Azeri
language bibi means aunt,
religious practices and ordered the widespread
so calling the mosque
destruction of religious buildings. The first
Bibi-Heybat was the same
target in Baku was the Bibi-Heybat mosque.
as saying the mosque of
Heybats aunt, rather than
saying Okuma Khanims
Mosque.

When foreigners flocked


to Baku during its first
oil boom at the end of
the 19th century, they
brought
their
religious
beliefs with them. Although
Azerbaijan was traditionally a Muslim country, it
was open and tolerant
of
other
religious
traditions
including Judaism and Christianity.
The architectural landscape of Baku
soon revealed this religious diversity.
Along with palatial residences, community theatres, clubs and music halls, a

44

In the 1930s, Stalin began his campaign


to ban religious practices and ordered
the widespread destruction of religious

buildings. The first target in Baku was


the Bibi-Heybat mosque, followed by the
large Alexander Nevski Cathedral and
several churches which were dynamited
shortly thereafter. Other centres of
worship were converted into museums

In 1903, an artist drew a


painting of the mosque. An Englishman
liked the painting and convinced the
artist to sell it to him. But it has been
said that the famous Azerbaijani oil
baron Taghiyev found out about it and

as an act of national pride bought the


painting back from the Englishman
so that it could stay in Azerbaijan.
However during the Bolshevik Revolution (1920) when all of Taghiyevs
property was confiscated, the painting
disappeared. Some 44 years later in
1964 and after Stalins death, someone
anonymously donated the painting to
the Art Museum of Azerbaijan where
it remains on display today.
There are many legends surrounding
the Bibi-Heybat mosque. While it
may be difficult to separate fact from
fiction, what is undeniable is that
Bibi-Heybat has remained significant
to the Azerbaijani people. Maybe the
legends were created to cope with the
disturbing fact that their holy place
had been desecrated and it was their
way of avenging the destruction and
creating a mental construct of justice
as a substitute for their inability to
defend such an important symbol of
their faith.
But what is interesting is that more
than 60 years after its destruction, the
Bibi-Heybat Mosque has been rebuilt.
It was restored in the 1990s; a re-creation of the original mosque built
in 1281 by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad
II Ibn Ahsitan II, and destroyed on
Stalins orders by the Bolsheviks in
1936. The new Bibi-Heybat Mosque
is an example of the Shirvan School
of
Azerbaijani
architecture.
A
commemoration ceremony, attended
by President Heydar Aliyev, was held
on 11 July 1997.
Regardless of whether the stories
are true, the fact that the mosque
continued to live on in the memories of
the Azerbaijani people through legends
has clearly contributed to bringing the
mosque back to physical reality.
Based on Legend of the Bibi-Heybat Mosque When Legends Shape Reality Decades Later by
Azad Sharifov from Azerbaijan International (6.3)
Autumn 1998

45

Through March & April


Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy
Quran
By Shaykh Bahmanpour

More info: http://www.mbrn.org.uk/islamuk-centre-cardiff-university-public-lectureseries-2015/4

general.
For more information on the Hadhramaut
Research Centre (HRC) please visit: www.
hadhramautresearchcentre.com.

4 March

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 Maida Vale,


London W9 1QB
Time: Every Friday starting at 7:45

Ways of Writing in Medieval Islam

Organiser: Hadhramaut Research Centre and the


London Middle Institute
Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings, Room:
DLT, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London
WC1H 0XG

1 March
Poetry and Exile in Works
Poetry and Exile in Works by Abdallah
Benanteur, Ipek Duben, Mona Saudi
and Canan Tolon, drawn from recent
acquisitions of works by artists of the
Middle East and North Africa by the
British Museum, explores the effects of
exile through the eyes of five artists.
There are many forms of exile expressed
here. For Canan Tolon, it is exile from her
home in Istanbul as a result of contracting
polio as a child, the story of which she
evokes in Futur Imparfait. Ipek Dubens
book Refugee, with its delicate gauze
pages, belies the terror and helplessness
of people forced to flee their homeland.
Mona Saudi and Abdallah Benanteur
combine the powerful verses of Palestinian
poet Mahmoud Darwish with drawings.

Venue: Room 34, The British Museum, London

3 March
Approaching Islamophobia from a
Human Rights Perspective

Chris Allen is a Lecturer in the Institute


of Applied Social Studies at the University
of Birmingham. For the past decade and a
half, he has been undertaking research on
the phenomenon of Islamophobia including researching the experience of Muslim
women who are victims of Islamophobic
hate crimes, opposition to the building of
mosques, and the role of the far-right in
promoting anti-Muslim hate. This lecture is
organised in partnership with the Equality
and Human Rights Commission in Wales.
This lecture will be preceded by a Reception at 6.30 pm in the Glamorgan Building Coffee Shop. Booking for this lecture
is ESSENTIAL.

Speaker: Dr Chris Allen


Time: 7 p.m.
Venue: Glamorgan Committee Rooms 1and 2,
Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue,
Cardiff, CF10 3WT

46

In medieval Islam, the written word assumed many functions and many meanings. In some cases, writing functioned not
in opposition to images, but in relation
to them. In other cases, writing combined
with images and designs. In yet others,
writing, or signs resembling writing, served
an apotropaic function.
This lecture looks at the many functions
that the Arabic alphabet assumed in the
medieval period, considering it both traditionally as a bearer of content and meaning, as well as part of systems of graphemes that carried other meanings and
combined with other visual systems.

Speaker: Professor Scott Redford


Time: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Venue: Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre, Brunei
Gallery, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London
WC1H 0XG

7 March
The Islamophobia Awards

The Islamophobia Awards is an annual


event to acknowledge - through satire, revue and comedy - the worst Islamophobes
of the year. Centred on a gala dinner, the
awards themselves are both entertaining and raise awareness of a serious and
growing prejudice. Real awards are given
to those who have battled against Islamophobia - often against enormous odds.
This years event will feature the acclaimed
comedian Aamer Rahman.

Time: 6.30 pm - 11.00 pm


Venue: Holiday Inn, Empire Way, Wembley, HA9
8DS
Fee: Single ticket - 45 / Child ticket (up to the
age of 11) - 20
More info: http://www.ihrc.org.uk/
events/11316-islamophobia-awards-2015

Rediscovering Hadhramaut:
Paradigms of Research
The HRC is pleased to announce its first
international conference. Distinguished
academics from across the world will
participate in panels to cover topics on
Hadhramaut in particular and Yemen in

10 March
Diversity in End Of Life Care
The Woolf Institute offers bespoke courses
for nurses, doctors, chaplains, volunteers
and other professionals that address issues of religious and spiritual diversity in
end of life care. This training is delivered
through workshops and presentations.
Expert staff from the Woolf Institute lead
the course in conjunction with a qualified panel, including chaplains and medical staff, from the hospital or institution
in which the course is offered. Dr Philip
Lodge (Consultant in Palliative Medicine,
Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, Marie
Curie Hospice, Hampstead) is the courses
permanent clinical advisor.

Venue: Compton Hospice, Wolverhampton, West


Midlands WV3 9DH
More Info: Sughra Ahmed, Programmes
Manager, sa692@cam.ac.uk

12 March
Negotiating covenant,
Prophethood and redemption in
the Quran
The lecture will outline the successive
formation of a new community, and map
the theological negotiations between the
already established liturgical communities in the Arabian peninsula, i.e. Christianity and Judaism. It will be shown that
the Quranic texts write themselves into
an environment infused with monotheistic
traditions, based on the knowledge of an
extensive Biblical heritage, including the
interpretive traditions of Christianity and
Judaism.
Reading the Quran as a documenting text
of the formation of a new community in
negotiation and/or competition with Jewish and Christian traditions, the Quran
can no longer be seen as an insufficient
replica of the Bible, the product of a
confused impostor. Rather, it must be acknowledged as a theologically challenging

text, an initial religious revelation subject


to human development
Speaker: Dr Dirk Hartwig, University of St
Andrews

Time: 6.00 pm
Venue: Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education,
124 Blackness Road, Dundee, DD1 5PE
Registration: Free, booking required.
Booking: openlectures@almcollege.org.uk
More info: www.almcollege.org.uk

15 March
Saverah Women Expo
Saverah Women Expo is an empowering,
motivational, and entertaining event that
targets the specific needs and interests of
Muslim women.
You can experience spectacular fashion
shows, shop, sample and view products,
discover organisations and services relating to your lives and well-being, attend
seminars, or simply relax in the pampering zone.

Time: 11.00 am - 8.00 pm


Venue: De Vere Canary Wharf, London
Fee: 9.00
Bookings: www.saverahwomenexpo.co.uk
Enquiries: events@saverah.com

17 March
Challenges and Opportunities:
British Muslim Women and Maktab
Education

Imran Mogra is a senior lecturer in


Professional Studies and Religious
Education in the School of Education,
Faculty of Health, Education and Social
Sciences at Birmingham City University.
Imran has designed a training course
which he has been delivering for
several years to teachers in the Muslim
supplementary school sector. Alongside
this, he is also a mentor on the Mosaic
programme which provides support to
young people to close the gap between
their aspirations and attainment. This
lecture is organised in association with a
number of Muslim supplementary schools
in Cardiff.

Speaker: Imran Mogra


Time: 7 pm
Venue: Glamorgan Committee Rooms 1and 2,
Glamorgan Building, King Edward VII Avenue,
Cardiff, CF10 3WT
More info: http://www.mbrn.org.uk/islam-

uk-centre-cardiff-university-public-lectureseries-2015/

22 March

Walk-in Tour: The Influence of


Religion on Art
This tour will examine how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influenced the creation
of art.
On Sundays and selected Saturdays, the
Walters Museum offers docent-led tours of
a different part of the collection.

Time: 1.00 pm - 2.00 pm


Venue: The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles
Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Fee: Free

Through April

Creative Calligraphy 6 week Course


Kufi was the first Arabic script to be
consciously made beautiful. Unlike later
scripts characterised by strict formal rules,
it lends itself to being constantly reinvented, so that it thrives on the same creative
freedom that animated the first calligraphers.
Joumana Medlej learned to work with
Kufi through years of apprenticeship with
renowned Lebanese calligrapher Samir
Sayegh, and has put together an original
course to transmit this material. The aim
of the course in returning to Kufi is to
guide students towards finding their own
approach to the art of Arabic calligraphy.
All materials for the course are provided,
including basic materials for the final project, which students can choose to supplement with their own. Knowledge of Arabic
is not required. As the script is mostly constructed, not freehand, drawing skills are
not essential.

Venue: Arab British Centre, 1 Gough Square,


London, EC4A 3DE
Time: Wednesdays, 6:00 pm - 8.00 pm
Fee: 190
Register: info@arabbritishcentre.org.uk

1 April

tioners from across Britain to discuss the


changing forms of Muslim leadership in
the UK. There will be an emphasis on examining the challenges and opportunities
facing Muslim leaders and professionals
from across a range of different sectors.
Through this multi-partner approach there
will be an attempt to discuss and share
forms of best practice for the evolving role
of Muslim leaders in modern Britain.
The Conference keynote address will be
delivered by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi.
The programme includes a roundtable
talk involving Muslim practitioners from
chaplaincy, education, faith leadership, local government and the charities sector,
papers/presentations from academics and
Muslim practitioners, and Islamic art and
academic/research display boards.

Time: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm


Venue: University of Central Lancashire, Fylde
Road, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE
Organisers: Muslims in Britain Research Network
and the University of Central Lancashire.
Registration details: http://www.mbrn.
org.uk/mbrn-conference-muslim-leadershipin-britain-developments-challenges-andopportunities/
More info: muslimleadersconference@gmail.com

7 - 9 April
An Islamic Perspective of
Accounting, Finance, Economics
and Management
The Adam Smith Business School will
host an international conference presenting research on an Islamic perspective of
accounting, finance, economics and management. This two-day conference will provide opportunities for participants to present their current research in this area as
well as build their collaboration network
with other delegates.

Venue: The University of Glasgow, University


Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, G12
8QQ
Conference fee: 325
Student Conference fee: 175

Muslim Leadership in Britain:


Developments, Challenges and
Opportunities
This conference will bring academics together with Muslim leaders and practi-

47

You might also like