THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER … · THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER ... Umer Chapra, Dr Sami Al-Suwailem and Dr Salman Ali from IRTI, Mr Nathif Adam, CEO First Community Bank,

T H E I S L A M I C F O U N D A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R

The Islamic Foundation and the

Markfield Institute of Higher Education

(MIHE) in conjunction with the Islamic

Development Bank and the Islamic

Research & Training Institute (IRTI),

Saudi Arabia held an Orientation

Workshop & Research Seminar

under the theme of “Asset-based and

Mortgage-based Financial Products

from an Islamic Perspective” on 10-

12 November 2008 in London. This

programme was in continuation of

the earlier training programmes that

were held in the 1990s and was revived

to address some of the key current

financial challenges that the world

was facing at the present time with

the primary objective of identifying

alternative solutions that Islamic finance

may be able to offer.

The programme comprised of a two-day

intensive training workshop and one

day Seminar which was opened out to a

wider invited audience. The workshop,

which was attended by academics,

scholars, practitioners and students

from the United Kingdom and a

number of countries around the world,

consisted of both academic lectures

and training sessions. A number of

research papers were presented by some

of the worlds leading academics and

practitioners in the field such as Dr

Umer Chapra, Dr Sami Al-Suwailem

and Dr Salman Ali from IRTI, Mr

Nathif Adam, CEO First Community

Bank, Kenya, Dr Andreas Jobst from

the IMF and Mr Mohammed Amin

from Pricewaterhouse Coopers amongst

others. The workshop which was held in

the Royal Foundation of St Katharine in

Limehouse, presented the opportunity

for participants to interact with the

lecturers and discuss the detailed well

researched papers that formed part of

the study material that was given to the

participants.

The workshop was followed by a Research

Seminar on 12 November 2008 and

held in the London Muslim Centre. In

addition to the workshop participants, the

Seminar was attended by a wider invited

audience comprising of practitioners

from the City, representatives of

community organisations, and interested

members of the public.

After a welcome and brief introduction

about the organisers by Dr Manazir

Ahsan, Director General Islamic

Foundation and Dr Sami Al-Suwailem,

Deputy Director IRTI respectively, the

Keynote address was delivered by Rt

Hon Stephen Timms MP, Financial

Secretary to HM Treasury. In his address

Mr Timms stressed the importance of

Islamic Finance in the current economic

climate and the vital role being played

by the Muslim community in actively

contributing to many areas of wider

society.

NewsletterOrientation Workshop and

Research Seminar on Islamic Finance

TheISLAMICFOUNDATION

/ •

continue on page 2 »»»



This was followed by the Inaugural

address which was given by Mr Mark

Hoban MP, Shadow Financial Secretary

to HM Treasury. In his speech he said

that there is unanimity amongst all

major political opinions about the

importance of Islamic Finance to British

economy. Next was a speech by Sir Iqbal

Sacranie Chairman, Muslim Aid, who

spoke on the Islamic Finance Industry

in the UK, in which he highlighted the

strides that have been made so far in

the UK to accommodate the growth

of the Islamic Finance industry. He

suggested that more needs to be done

to ensure that the benefits of Islamic

Finance are not only enjoyed by the

Muslim community alone but the

society at large. The inaugural session

was concluded with an Address by Sir

Peter Soulsby MP for Leicester South. In

appreciation of their participation, all

the speakers were presented with a copy

of Dr Umer Chapra’s latest book entitled

“Muslim Civilization: The Causes of

Decline and the Need for Reform” by the

author on behalf of the organisers.

The next session was devoted to

presentations of key academic research

papers that addressed some of the

critical issues currently being faced in

the financial markets with a view to

paving the way for potential solutions to

the present crisis. The speakers included

Dr Noureddine Krichene from the IMF,

Prof Habib Ahmed from University

of Durham, Dr Seif El-din Tag El-din

from MIHE and Dr Sami Al-Suwailem

and Dr Salman Ali from IRTI. The

topics undertaken started by analysing

the causes for the present crisis and

the lessons that can be learned from

this and then went on to propose

some potential solutions such as social

housing and offering assistance to

homeowners.

The third session of the Seminar

consisted of presentations from

a range of organisations offering

Islamic financial products in the UK.

These included representatives of

HSBC Amanah, Al-Buraq, Salaam

Halal Insurance and 1st Ethical. This

session helped in creating awareness

about the active efforts being made by

various organisations in the industry

and provided an ideal opportunity

to further discuss some of practical

difficulties being encountered by the

practitioners in the field..

The concluding panel of the seminar

brought together a number of speakers

from the Workshop and Seminar

and included Dr Umer Chapra. The

panel was able to answer a final round

of questions that were put by the

audience and offered advice to students,

researchers and practitioners on the

future direction and developments

within the Islamic Finance sector

worldwide.

Orientation Workshop««« continue from page 1

In August 2008, the Directorate for Justice, Freedom

and Security and European Commission published

the report, ‘Studies in Violent Radicalisation: Beliefs,

Narratives and Ideologies’ by the London-based

consultancy, the Change Institute. Yahya Birt, then of

the Policy Research Unit at the Islamic Foundation,

was the lead researcher for the UK portion of the

study and also provided the Change Institute with

the analytic basis for the core ideological elements

involved in violent radicalization that were used in

the executive report. He was ably assisted by Sadek

Hamid of the University of Chester during the research

phase of the project in the summer of 2007, in which

key activists were interviewed. The executive report,

summarizing research findings from Britain, France,

Denmark and Germany, can be downloaded from the

Directorate’s website.

EU Report on Radicalization Published

T H E I S L A M I C F O U N D A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R T H E I S L A M I C F O U N D A T I O N N E W S L E T T E R

On Tuesday 18 November 103 students graduated at the

Markfield Institute of Higher Education (MIHE). Following

the recital of the Qur’an, Dr. Manazir Ahsan welcomed

Professor Shirley Pearce, the Vice Chancellor and President of

Loughborough University, guests and students. In his address

Dr. Ahsan spoke of the vision for the Institute when it was

established in 2000 and of the contribution Loughborough

University over the past five years in helping the realization

of that vision. Sadly however, validation of our Degree

programmes has now ended and Dr. Ahsan expressed his

gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and Professor John Presley

for their support over the years and hoped that MIHE and

Loughborough University would continue to maintain links

and might work together in the future.

Dr. Ahsan then presented MIHE Certificates in The Training

of Muslim Chaplains, Islamic Counseling and Islamic Finance

and the Diploma in Islamic Finance and Professor Shirley

Pearce conferred Postgraduate Certificates, Diplomas and MA

Degrees on 47 students.

Professor Pearce then addressed the graduands. She

congratulated them on their achievements and on the

award of a Masters Degree in their particular discipline. She

acknowledged that this represented a great degree of sacrifice

and hard work on their part and wished them every success

in their chosen careers. She hoped that the future would

present opportunities for both institutions to work together

and wished The Markfield Institute of Higher Education

every success with its new partnership with the University of

Gloucestershire.

MIHE Graduation 2008

MIHE organised a

one day seminar on

Wednesday 29 October

2008 on the theme of

Justice and Suffering. The

aim of the seminar was

to discuss the issues of

“Justice and Sufferings”

that the participants may

have thought about, or

sufferers they had dealt

with or even experienced

over the years.

The attendance to the seminar was

limited to 45 participants, which

included a variety of thinkers from

the Jewish, Islamic, Christian and

secularist backgrounds, including

chaplains, clergy/Imams as well

as academics. The purpose of the

seminar was to promote greater

understanding of sufferings in

religious tradition. The first half of

the seminar consisted of four speeches

from a Christian, Muslim, Humanist

and Jewish perspective, delivered by

Professor Bernard Moss, Imam Shahid

Raza, Dr Allan Hayes and Rabbi Dr

Michael Hilton respectively. The

second half of the seminar involved

group discussions on subjects such as:

Natural Disasters, Crime and Cruelty,

Illness and Disease and Institutional

Injustice. Active debates ensued after

the speeches which showed a keen

interest in the subject matter. The

discussion groups in the afternoon

allowed participants to thoroughly

explore the relevant issues and put

forward their point of view.

This was a carefully planned event

which was rated excellent by

participants in terms of management,

organisation and the quality

of discussions. Participants

found the experience

enlightening, as they had

the opportunity to discuss

the issues related to Justice

and Suffering from different

perspectives and they

enjoyed meeting people

from various backgrounds.

Many of the participants

indicated their desire to

attend such events in the future.

Currently, a comprehensive report

on the seminar is being prepared and

will soon be published on our website

for wider circulation. MIHE plans to

organise similar seminars in future

to encourage discussions pertaining

to issues of mutual interest among

different faith groups.

This seminar was sponsored by

‘The Edith Murphy Foundation’

and accredited by the ‘Chaplaincy

Academic and Accreditation Board’

(CAAB).

A day seminar on ‘Justice and Sufferings’


University of Gloucestershire

Citation on 3 December 2008: The

University of Gloucestershire is

awarding an Honorary Doctorate of

Philosophy to Dr. Ataullah Siddiqui

for his outstanding contribution

to inter-faith understanding and

education. Dr. Siddiqui is a respected

scholar and is currently the Director

of the Markfield Institute of Higher

Education, a collaborative partner of

the University. Over the last twenty-

five years he has been involved in

a number of inter-faith initiatives,

especially Christian-Muslim relations.

He was the founder member of the

Leicester Council of Faiths, established

in 1986, and initiated Hindu-Muslim

and Sikh-Muslim dialogue groups

during 2003 – 2005 in Leicester. He led

the Inter-Faith project for twenty-two

years and headed the ‘Islam in Europe’

unit from 1996-2004 at the Islamic

Foundation. He was the convener

of the Christian-Muslim Dialogue

Group from 1985-1991 and a joint

convener from 2000-2006. He was

appointed a member of the Archbishop

of Canterbury’s ‘Listening Initiative

in Christian-Muslim

Relations’ (2001 – 2004)

by the former Archbishop,

Dr. George Carey. The

group produced its report

in June 2004. On the

recommendation of the

report, the Christian-

Muslim Forum was

established under the

patronage of current

Archbishop Dr. Rowan Williams, who

appointed Dr. Siddiqui the president

and vice-chairman of the Forum. He

has been a member, since 1998, of an

academic discussion group of Jews,

Christians and Muslims. He is also

involved internationally; from 2002

– 04 he was Advisor to the Programme

Task Force of the ‘Parliament of the

World’s Religions’ conference held in

Barcelona in 2004. He was involved

in a number of consultations with the

World Council of Churches in Geneva

and the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for

Interreligious Dialogue, and was invited

to deliver the prestigious Bradley

Lecture on the 50th anniversary of

the Pontificio Istituto di Studi Arabi

e d’Islamistica

(PISIA) in Rome.

Dr. Siddiqui is also

one of the founder

members of the

World Council

of Muslims for

Interfaith Relations

(WCMIR). He is

also credited with

the introduction

of innovative modules within post-

graduate Islamic Studies programmes,

such as ‘Islam and Pluralism’ and

‘Inter-Faith Relations’, as well as the

introduction of the ‘Certificate in

Training of Muslim Chaplains’. In 2006

the Minister of Higher Education,

Bill Rammell MP, invited Dr. Siddiqui

to review the teaching of Islam in

universities in England. The report,

Islam at Universities in England:

Meeting the Needs and Investing in the

Future was published in 2007, and

was widely received and debated. In

December 2006 the Queen invited him

and his wife for a reception to Bucking-

University of Gloucestershire awards an

Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy to Dr. Siddiqui

Chancellor! Vice-Chancellor

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you so much for this award

and recognition of my contribution

to inter-faith relations in Britain. The

thing that has motivated me over the

years, and persuaded me to participate

in inter-faith relations has been the

sincerity and commitment of people

of various faiths. It was their powerful

conviction that they could contribute

in a meaningful way towards building

a cohesive and just society which

attracted me. They draw upon their

spiritual resources for engagement in

public concerns.

They also affirm that a fruitful mutual

engagement cannot be strengthened

unless both convergence and

recognised divergence are held in a

creative relationship. In this process

I always emphasise that one has to

recognise and value the ‘otherness

of the other’. Many times, in my

experience, problems arose out of

mis-understanding simply because

we as individuals cast our image of

the ‘other’ and believe that this image

represents the other person as the

authentic image. One does not feel the

necessity to engage and explore what is

so different in others’ personality and

beliefs or way of life.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I would like to add my congratulations

to all of you who have graduated from

this university today. Your hard work

and dedication has paid off. When I

graduated [that was only few decades

ago], I reflected on the people who had

elped me to get to that stage. First

and foremost were my family. While

I was full of gratitude to my parents,

they too felt that in my graduation they

had achieved their own aspirations.

Their emotional, loving, and caring

investment has not been wasted. Hence

my congratulations are also for your

families. Their sacrifices signify a

landmark event in their lives, too.

Dr. Siddiqui acceptance speech

continue on page 5 »»»

ham Palace in recognition of his except-

ional contribution to British society’.

h


As the graduates are entering into a

world of employment, occupation

and livelihood, the challenges they

will face will be multi-dimensional.

The problems that I have faced after

graduating and entering into the job-

market and the world at large have

been two-fold:

One, my relationship with human

beings, I have realised, is constantly

being tested at every level and at every

opportunity. I have been conditioned

by the environment in which I live

and the technology that I rely so much

on. Things are taken for granted, and

I have very little opportunity or even

means to decipher what I have been

given. I have to disseminate not only

information but also mis-information

and disinformation. This is a constant

battle one has to engage with. What is

important in this respect is to develop a

mental process to look beyond what has

been presented to us. This exercise of

going beyond comes with a requirement

for patience and endurance.

Two, religious wisdom taught me that

human beings are created weak. First,

they lack determination, and second,

they are forgetful beings. What this

meant to me was that I had to be

considerate and forgiving to others,

and hope that others would do the

same. It is not easy. There will be

occasions when you will be tested, as

I was, and I hope you will overcome

these challenging moments in life with

graciousness.

I am so delighted to attend this

ceremony and honoured to share such

a wonderful day with the students,

their families and staff. Every student

graduating today from this university

should be proud of their achievements,

and I wish them all the best for their

future.

Finally, I would like to share this award

with those who are committed to make

a difference for good in peoples’ lives.

I hope you will be able to swell the

numbers of such groups of people. In

my case, the people who shared my

forgetfulness, my lack of determination

and my absence from home are my wife

and my twin daughters. I am grateful

for their love and enduring support

over the years. Thank you

Dr. Siddiqui speech

At the back of the recent success

of short courses in 2008, MIHE

is once again offering a range of

short courses specifically focused

on providing the skills to help

meet these needs of the Muslim

Community. The courses range

from basic introductory level

to a postgraduate diploma

level which enable students to

progressively develop their skills.

An important development

for short courses in 2009 is the

allocation of credit points for

certain courses towards specific

postgraduate programmes.

For example, upon successful

completion of ‘Diploma in

Islamic Jurisprudence’ and

‘Diploma in Islamic Finance’

courses, students will be

awarded credit points which

can be carried forward to

the specified MA Degrees

awarded by the University of

Gloucestershire. The following

Short Courses will be delivered

in 2009:

• Introduction to Islamic Counselling • Certificate in Training of Muslim Chaplains • Certificate in Muslim Family Law

• Certificate in Islamic Finance • Diploma in Islamic Finance • Diploma in Islamic Jurisprudence

Information and application forms are available from our website www.mihe.org.uk. Alternatively you can contact

Asim Riaz on 01530 244 922 [ext 290] or email [email protected] with your questions regarding short courses.



In the Shade of the Qur’an

Fi Zilal al-Qur’an Vol. 16

Surah 48-61

ISBN 978-0-860374-07-7 PB

° Price 11.95

ISBN 978-0-860374-02-2 HB

° Price 17.95

Publication Date: December 2008

Aisha goes in search of colour

Lisa Jane Dhar

Bubblesville, is

the capital of

Nectarland, it is

known to be the

most colourful

place in the

whole world. It

is home to the

world’s most special and unusual

insects. Aisha is one of those special

and unusual insects. Aisha is two

and a half days old, (that’s 10 and

a half years in butterfly years), she

is three inches tall, has four wings,

two antenna, and she is the most

unusual butterfly Bubblesville has

ever seen…… Discover what makes

Aisha so special and unusual in a

mysterious and enchanting place.

How does Aisha learn to live

with being different and how will

others react to her being different?

Find out for yourself, in this well

known and humorous classic tale

amongst the insect world.

32pp.

ISBN 978-0-86037-472-5 HB

° Price 3.95

Publication Date: December 2008

The Way of the Prophet:

A Selection of Hadith

Shaykh ‘Abdul Ghaffar Hasan

of Delhi

Translation by Usama Hasan

Features: Full Arabic text of

each hadith with translation

and commentary The Way

of the Prophet is a translation

of a selection of 401 traditions of the

Prophet Muhammad and includes

a commentary to elucidate their

meanings. This comprehensive

selection covers faith, worship, morality

and character, ethics, society, law and

politics in Islam. It was originally

compiled in the 1950’s by Sheikh

‘Abd al-Ghaffar Hasan of Delhi at the

request of Sayyid Abu’l A‘la Mawdudi

and is mainly based on Mishkat al-

Masabih of al-Khatib al-Tabrizi and al-

Adab al-Mufrad of Imam Bukhari. This

work provides a comprehensive and

concise introduction to the teachings

of the Prophet.

256pp. ISBN 978-0-860374-57-2 PB

° Price £9.99

Publication Date: January 2009

Discovering the Ottomans

Ilber Ortayli

Translated by Jonathan Ross

What was the significance of

the Ottoman Empire? What

kind of lives did people

live? What lessons can be

learnt from the civilization

that the Ottomans created?

What does the Ottoman Empire mean

to us today? One of Turkey’s leading

historians, Ilber Ortayli, answers all

these questions in Discovering the

Ottomans, a brilliant set of learned and

engaging reflections on the everyday

life, legacy and enduring relevance of

the Ottomans. Ilber Ortayli, born in

Vienna in 1947, is a leading expert

in the Ottomans, who is known for

making history accessible to a wider

audience, and is Director of the

Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul.

Sold over 150,000 copies in the Turkish

language

192pp. ISBN 978-1-84774-008-3 PB

° Price 7.99

Publication Date: February 2009

Seven Steps to Moral Intelligence

Musharraf Hussain

How do we develop a good

understanding of right and wrong?

How do we change ourselves so that

we can live by the universal moral

values of Islam? This straightforward

guide tell us how to do this in seven

steps including self-motivation,

realising that we need to change and

that change is possible for us, self-

examination, self-control, how to

go about changing ourselves, and

monitoring our progress. Based on

the teachings of Imam al-Ghazali and

upon years of practical experience

in teaching young Muslims, Dr

Musharraf Hussain has given us a

contemporary and accessible way

to understand and apply Islamic

teachings to character building.

ISBN 978-1-84774-009-0 PB

Publication Date: March 2009

KUBE PUBLISHING FORTHCOMING TITLES

Haris Ahmad, Managing Director, Kube Publishing Ltd,

recently signed a distribution agreement with Consortium

Book Sales and Distribution, Minneapolis, Minnesota,

USA. From September 2009 Kube and Islamic Foundation

books will be distributed into the mainstream market,

libraries, academic sector as well as Amazon.com in the

USA and Canada. This distribution arrangement is part

of a major initiative by Kube management to boost sales

of its products in one of the largest retail markets in the

world.

In addition, the past few months have seen the

appointment of new distributors for Kube in Egypt and

Iran. The first shipment to Iran and Egypt is expected to

be despatched some time in the early part of the New Year.

Kube Publishing

www.kubepublishing.com


First Principles of Islamic Economics

Abu’l A‘la Mawdudi

First Principles

of Islamic

Economics

collects

together the

major writings

on Islamic

economics

by Abu’l A‘la

Mawdudi

(1903-79), one of the leading

Muslim intellectuals of the twentieth

century. Written between the 1930s

and the 1960s, Mawdudi laid down

the foundations of modern Islamic

economic philosophy. Drawing upon

the teachings of the Qur’an and

Sunnah, Mawdudi spelled out major

elements of a new paradigm for

economic analysis and policy, wherein

economic pursuits take place in the

context of moral values and directed

towards achievement of personal

and social objectives. The uniqueness

of this approach lies in making

efficiency and equity inseparable

and interdependent. In an Islamic

framework creation and distribution

of wealth become instrumental in

promoting individual and social

well being, enabling the economic

discipline to open up pathways

to economic development, social

justice and human welfare. Khurshid

Ahmad, who edited the Urdu original,

Ma’hshiyat-i Islam, has contributed a

new introduction to this authoritative

English translation by Shafaq Hashmi.

ISBN 978-0-86037-492-3 PB

° Price: £16.99

ISBN 978-0-86037-482-4 HB

° Price: £29.99


The Perfect Gift

Julie Mair

Sarah is upset because she cannot find

an Eid gift for her mother. She decides

to take a walk along her secret path in

the woods, which always makes her

feel better. There, she not only finds

the perfect gift, but also learns to

appreciate nature and what it means

to live in submission to Allah (swt). A

‘Perfect Gift’ would only be suitable

for someone as special as a mother.

Take some excellent learning points

away as you read about the creativity

of a young girl and how with a little

imagination she finds a gift that is just

absolutely perfect!

22pp. ISBN 978-0-86037-403-9 HB

° Price £3.95


KUBE PUBLISHING FORTHCOMING TITLES

��

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Al-Ghazali’s Revival of the religious

Sciences: An Abridgement by Salih Ahmad

Al-Shami

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

Translated by Mokrane Guezzou and

M.Manazir Ahsan

Ihya al-‘Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the

Religious Sciences) is the masterwork of

Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058–1111

CE), widely considered as one of the most

significant figures in Islamic intellectual

history. In the East, al-Ghazali was

generally thought to have been the renewer

(mujaddid) of the fifth century of the

Hijrah, while in the West, the works of

‘Algazel’ were translated into Latin as early

as the twelfth century CE. Al-Ghazali provided a synthesis

of Islamic orthodoxy that, in achieving a balance between

exaggerated literalism and excessive rationalism, has

exercised great influence down to the present day. Armed

with an impressive philosophical and religious erudition,

al-Ghazali wrote powerful refutations of the Ismailis and

the Muslim philosophers in defence of Islamic orthodoxy.

Al-Ghazali’s scholastic brilliance was shown by his works

in logic, philosophy, jurisprudence, legal

theory and mysticism, all acknowledged

as classics in their respective fields. The

widely-praised abridgement by the Syrian

scholar Salih Ahmad al-Shami preserves

the gist of each chapter without adding

anything to the original text, and has

retained only those Prophetic reports

(ahadith) regarded as authentic, relying

on the works of the hadith specialist al-

Hafiz al-Iraqi and Murtada al-Zabidi, the

famous commentator on the Revival. The

abridgement is accompanied by indexes of

Qur’anic verses, Prophetic reports and of

persons as well as a general subject index

to provide for full and easy referencing.

Presented conveniently in a single volume, this first

authoritative abridgement in English of al-Ghazali’s Revival

will be of broad interest to specialists in classical Islamic

thought as well as to general readers and students.

750 pp. ISBN 978-0-86037-452-7 HB

° Price £40.00




Training

The Centre regularly delivers training

on Islamic issues for civil servants

and service providers, including

high security prisons, regional

government offices and central

government departments. A workshop

on extremism was delivered for the

Government Office of the North

West, also attended by a number of

senior police officers. A day course was

delivered to local government officers

and councillors in Crawley, where

a number of high profile raids took

place. Councillors struggling to engage

with community mosques welcomed

an insight into denominational

differences.

Policy Focus – briefing on new bills,

legislation and reports

A recent initiative developed by

the Policy Research Centre aims to

provide comments / briefings on key

bills, acts and reports. ‘Policy Focus’

began with briefings on the Forced

Marriage Protection Order – FMPO

(November) and the Queen’s Speech

(December). Both the briefings aimed

to provide a concise breakdown of the

topic, its contents and the potential

outcomes. Future briefings will take

the form of written documents as well

as contributions in the media through

local newspapers and BBC Radio

Leicester where discussions will be

held live on air each month.

The Policy Research Centre published

two contributions in the Leicester

Mercury (November) discussing

Children in Need and the Poppy

used to symbolise the sacrifice of

war veterans. The contributions were

welcomed by both the newspaper and

the local community; other pieces

include First Person columns in the

same newspaper.

Policy Matters – electronic journal

The Centre is in the process of

establishing an electronic journal

that will be composed of articles

commissioned to leading experts and

opinion formers. Through a series

of monthly comment articles, Policy

Matters – which be launched in early

2009 – will explore policy related

ideas and perspectives that will be of

interest to those working on issues

pertaining to British Muslims.

Seminar on Secularism

The PRC, MIHE and Kube Publishing

are holding a roundtable seminar

on British Muslims and the Secular

State. This seminar will be held on

Wednesday 21st January 2009 and will

bring together a group of prominent

intellectuals, experts and opinion

formers in the field. A short book will

be compiled from the proceedings.

NHS Project

On behalf of the NHS Heywood,

Middleton and Rochdale the PRC is

conducting research on educational

material designed to highlight the

dangers of tobacco consumption,

specifically aimed at Pakistani and

Bangladeshi communities.

Dilwar Hussain has been offered an

Honorary Fellowship at Goldsmiths

College, University of London (Faiths

and Civil Society Unit).

Policy Research Centre

Professor Zarka

visited the Islamic

Foundation

and Markfield

Institute of Higher

Education and

delivered 3 public

lectures on Islamic Economics and

Finance from 14-16 October 2008.

The following three broad themes

were explored:

a) The Sukuk Debate in Fiqh and

Economic Perspectives

b) Commercial Insurance, life

Assurance – The search for viable

Islamic alternatives

c) The debt earthquake in Islamic and

Sharia Perspective

Professor Zarka is a renowned scholar

and Islamic economist with a deep

insight into global financial affairs.

All the lectures were highly beneficial

and were thoroughly enjoyed by the

audience, which consisted of both

MIHE students and invited guests.

Professor Zarka was able to present the

complex financial ideas and theories in

a highly simplified manner, allowing

participants to relate to the subject

at hand. His friendly and accessible

manner kept the audience enthralled

and the sessions often extended

beyond the allocated time due to the

many questions from the participants.

Public Lectures by Professor Muhammad Anas Zarka


Dawud Wharsnby and Children

Islam Awareness Week was celebrated

all over UK with so many events and

activities on 17 – 23 November

2008. The Library, once again,

took active part in the Leicester

city celebration and ensured that

the small village Markfield was

fully represented. The theme for

IAW this year was “Celebrating the

best of Britain: promoting shared

values” and Dawud Wharnsby’s

music helped in conveying

perfectly the shared values we have

in common in multicultural Britain.

Mercenfeld Primary School joined the

music event with their music teacher

Karen Silverwood. The children enjoyed

singing and playing musical instruments

with Dawud, whilst learning about

other cultures and trying to understand

others without any pre-judgments. It

was a great day for children to learn,

think and enjoy. The event ended with

Mercenfeld school choir singing for

Dawud and showing their appreciation.

Many thanks to Karen and Dawud

for joining us and making the event

happen.

Celebrating Art

An art event was organized jointly

by Markfield village library and the

Foundation library to mark Islam

Awareness Week. Nargis Imran from

Leicester held a workshop on Islamic

calligraphy and introduced it to the

residents of Markfield village. The event

started with a general introduction

to Islamic calligraphy followed by

a practical session for everybody to

try and write their names in Arabic

alphabet. There was also a craft corner

to keep the children entertained whilst

their parents participated in the art

event. Participants were very

keen to develop their calligraphy

skills and promised to continue

to practice their skills. My thanks

go to Claire, Nargis and Sendra

for their help for organizing the

workshop.

External Membership Scheme

Since the external membership

scheme was introduced in 2005,

many researchers have enjoyed using the

library and benefit from its resources.

The scheme has proved very successful

over the years and has not only created

awareness about the library’s services

but has also managed to generate some

income to be re-invested in improving

the services further. If you would like

to know more information about

becoming a member, please download

an application from

www.iflibrary.org.uk

Islam Awareness Week at the Library

Ramadan commenced with a bumper

issue of Meeting Point full of useful

articles and information which was

dispatched to over 2500 individuals and

150 prisons. The newsletter has almost

doubled in size during the last year and

is now presented in a 20 page format.

Despite a dearth of funding the NMP

still managed to provide two of its

most popular Ramadan programmes

on a shoestring budget and is now

seeking new sponsors. The annual

Ramadan Retreat again proved to be

an outstanding success with over 60

participants from around the country

enjoying a weekend in the seclusion

of Markfield. The aim was to provide

an intensely spiritual experience with

the weekend falling during the last ten

nights of Ramadan. An interesting array

of speakers, presentations and prayers

were offered with the highlight being

an excellent and uplifting

talk by Luqman Ali entitled,

‘The Embodiment of

Dhikr.’ The Ramadan

Retreat remains an

important occasion on the

NMP calendar as it offers

the participants the chance

to strengthen their faith and

to meet with other converts in a friendly

and comfortable environment.

The following weekend New Muslims

from around the UK and their families

again joined together at Markfield to

celebrate Eid with an open day full

of enjoyable activities. For some New

Muslims this is their only opportunity

to celebrate Eid in a community setting,

as they often do not have extended

family networks or may not know of

groups of Muslims with whom they can

join in Eid activities.

Despite the inclement weather which

curtailed the outside activities an exotic

array of reptiles and animals kept the

children and their parents fascinated

and engaged inside. Chuckle Chops the

clown provided light entertainment.

Lunch was provided and refreshments

were available throughout the day.

The proceedings were rounded off

with renditions of humorous Turkish

dramatic sketches based on the life

of Sheikh Hoja Nasr ud-Din which

were followed by a melodic nasheeds

performance.

New Muslim Project



International Conference on Animal WelfareIn collaboration with leading

international Muslim and non-

Muslin NGOs, the Egyptian Society

of Animal Friends (ESAF) hosted

a two-day international conference

in Cairo, from 18th – 19th October

2008, on the subject of Animal

Welfare. The main theme of this

conference was “The Islamic

Principles on Animal Transport

and Slaughter” and was attended

by 120 delegates who came, not

only from Muslim countries, but

also from the UK, Australia and the

USA. Apart from many veterinary

experts, heads of NGOs, Ministers

and representatives of the Ashar

University, the highlight of the

conference was the attendance of

HRH Princess Alia al-Hussain of

Jordan. At the request and support

of Compassion in World Farming

(CIWF) and its Ambassador,

Joyce D’Silva, Dr Manazir Ahsan

represented the Islamic Foundation

and the Muslim community in the

UK at the conference, and chaired

its inaugural session. It is to be

noted that in collaboration with

Compassion in World Farming, the

Foundation has published the revised

edition of Hafiz al-Masri’s celebrated

book, Animal Welfare in Islam, and

organised a one-day seminar in the

Foundation on the issues of slaughter

(Dhabh) and stunning of animals

from faith perspectives.

The Islamic concept of humane

treatment of animals was reiterated

and highlighted by most of the

speakers at the conference and it

was felt that, despite the World

Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)

Code of Practice and Animal Welfare

Guidelines for the transportation of

animals, in many places animals are

still ill-treated during their transport

and slaughter. The conference

therefore adopted a number of new

recommendations to further alleviate

the suffering of animals and requested

the Sheikh al-Ashar and the Ashar

University to endorse these before

they are forwarded to all national and

international organisations in the

Muslim and non-Muslim world.

Dr Abdulhameed Al-Mazroo, Assistant

Secretary General for Offices and

International Relations, World Assembly of

Muslim Youth (WAMY), accompanied by

Mr Mohammad Abdulmughni Al-Babtain

from Saudi Arabia visited the Foundation

on 8 October 2008. Both visitors had an

opportunity to see first hand the activities of

the Foundation and its various departments

and were impressed by the strides that have

been made over the years. Dr Al-Mazroo

was keen to use the visit, to examine ways

in which WAMY could benefit from the

Foundations activities and work in the future.

WAMY official visits the Foundation


Dr Abdullah Sahin • In collaboration with colleagues

from the University of Warwick

and College of Basic Education in

Kuwait published a paper on attitudes

towards religion and morality among

young adults in Kuwait in the Journal

of Muslim Mental Health (3:9-

24,2008).

• In October 2008 contributed to

the panel discussion on “spiritual

care in religiously and culturally

diverse societies’ at the Spirituality

Conference at Launde Abbey

organised by the education

department of the Leicestershire and

Rutland Hospice (LOROS)

• In November 2008 gave a research

seminar at the University of

Birmingham (Department of

Theology and Religion) discussing

new developments in philosophy of

Islamic education.

Dr Abul Hassan Publications

• “Corporate Social Responsibility

Disclosure for Islamic Financial

Institutions”, Business Islamica

Magazine, Vol.2, September issue,

2008, pp. 66-72

• “Home Sweet Home: Islamic Housing

Financing in UK”, Business Islamica

Magazine, Vol.2, October issue, 2008,

pp. 48-54

• “Deep Roots: Islamic Finance

Education Thrives in UK”, Business

Islamica Magazine, Vol.2, November

issue, 2008, pp. 64-72

Lectures

• Delivered a lecture on the topic

“Shari‘ah Perspective of Islamic

Banking” organised by the Students

Islamic Society of Sheffield Hallam

University on October 22, 2008 held

at Sheffield.

Book Review

• 2008. Review of Khorshid, A(2004).

Islamic Insurance A modern approach

to Islamic banking, New York:

RoutledgeCurzon in Muslim World

Book Review.

Dr Ataullah Siddiqui• Was invited by the Intercultural

House, Stavanger Norwy on 11

September 2008. He gave a talk on

Theological roots of Islamophobia.

He also joined a panel discussion for

a question answer session on the same

issue.

• Was invited by the University of

Gloucestershire on 21 October 2008

to participate in a day-consultation

on Faith-based higher education

institutions and Universities. He spoke

on academic freedom and integrity in

the context of a belief system.

• Was invited by the Oslo Coalition

Norway on 25 November 2008 to

comment on the draft Codes of

Conduct document: ‘Missionary

Activities and Human Rights:

Proposing a Code of Conduct

regarding Missionary Activities.’ He

was also asked to give half an hour

presentation on ‘Missionary Activities

and Human Rights: Perceived

Problems’.

Dilwar Hussain Publications

• “Islam” in Zaki Cooper and Guy

Lodge (eds.), Faith in the Nation:

religion, identity and the public realm

in Britain today, IPPR, December

2008.

• “The Impact of 9/11 and 7/7

on British Muslims”, Open

University, http://learn.open.

ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.

php?id=171142&section=17

• “Islamophobia: Old Wine in New

Bottles?”, in Islamophobia and the

Challenges of Pluralism in the 21st

Century, ACMCU Occasional Papers,

August 2008.

Seminars and Lectures

• Panel for the Open University on

Alternative Perspective on Islam,

Nottingham Castle, 20th September

2008.

• Discussion on Muslim Communities,

Policy Planners Network, Organised

by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue

at the Commonwealth Institute, 17th

October 2008.

• Presented at a Symposium on

Education, Faith and Citizenship,

Magdalen College, Oxford, 22nd

November 2008.

Naved Siddiqi• Attended a conference on The Politics

of New Belonging at Cumberland

Lodge, Windsor, 6th October

2008. The event marked the 40th

Anniversary of the Runnymede Trust.

Sughra Ahmed• Presentation on Muslim women

and mobilisation at the Inter Faith

Network UK AGM, 30th June 2008.

• Seminar on Social capital and

dimensions of equality, Carnegie

Trust UK, 31st July 2008.

Staff Activities


w w w . i s l a m i c - f o u n d a t i o n . o r g . u k

The NEWSLETTER is published by the Islamic Foundation. For further copies or more information about its projects, publications and courses, contact:

THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION, Markfield Conference Centre, Ratby Lane, Markfield, Leicestershire , UKTel () ⁄ Fax () E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

VisitorsA number of prominent national and

international visitors have graced the

Foundation during the last few months:

Sahibzada Sultan

Fiazul Hassan

Sarwari Qadri,

Patron and

Chief of Hazrat

Sultan Bahoo

Trust visited the

Foundation on

16 September 2008. Sahibzada Sultan

Faizul Hassan appreciated the range

and breadth of activity being done the

Foundation and congratulated it for

the positive contribution it is making to

British society in general and the Muslim

community in particular. The visit

provided an opportunity to identify areas

of mutual cooperation with a view to

organising joint programmes between the

Islamic Foundation and the Hazrat Sultan

Bahoo Trust. Further meetings were

planned to follow up on the discussions

that were held during the visit.

Siraj Mashoor and Dr Saiful Islam,

Chief Executive Officer and General

Secretary of Muslim Foundation

for Culture and Development, Sri

Lanka accompanied by Ash-Sheikh

M Abdullah, Secretary General

Organisation for Muslim Students’

Education and Development, Sri

Lanka visited the Foundation on 30

October 2008. Both these organisations

are working in the area of education

and social upliftment of the Muslim

community in Sri Lanka. The visitors

were keen to develop close ties with

the Foundation and were especially

interested in organising some courses

being provided in MIHE that they

found could be delivered in Sri Lanka.

Dr Rafiuddin Hashmi, Head of Urdu

Department, University of Punjab,

Pakistan visited the Foundation in

August 2008. Dr Hashmi, who is

associated with the Iqbal Academy,

Lahore, is regarded as a leading expert

on the great poet and thinker Sir

Muhammad Iqbal. He is the author of

over 35 books on various subjects.

The Islamic Foundation

and Markfield Institute of

Higher Education welcomed

Dr Khalid M Al-Mathkoor,

Chairman of the Higher

Consultative Committee

for the Finalization of

the Application of the

Provisions of the Islamic

Sharia, at the Diwan Amiri

of the State of Kuwait on 20 October

2008. Dr Mathkoor was accompanied,

during his visit, by Dr Ayoub Al-Ayoub,

Secretary General and Mr Yaqoub

Al-Kandri, Treasurer of the Higher

Consultative Committee.

Dr Mathkoor is one of the senior most

government officials in Kuwait and has

previously been chair of Department

of Sharia at Kuwait University. He is

also a member of the Higher Planning

Council of the Fatwa Committee at the

Ministry of Endowments and Islamic

Affairs in Kuwait and is a member

of Sharia Supervisroy Boards of a

number of leading Islamic financial

institutions in Kuwait. During the visit,

the delegation met with senior members

of staff from the Foundation and the

Markfield Institute and explored areas

of mutual cooperation and discussed

avenues where the Higher Consultative

Committee may be able to contribute

positively to the progress of the

Markfield Institue through student

recruitment and development of courses

and programmes that may be offered

jointly in the future.

The Markfield Institute availed the

opportunity of the visit by organising

a seminar under the theme of

“Implementation of Islamic Sharia in

Modern Society” which was delivered by

Dr Mathkoor in the afternoon.

In his address Dr Mathkoor

explained how his Committee

has been working hard over the

years, and said that one of the

first tasks it undertook was to

try to correct the misconception

that existed amongst both

Muslims and non-Muslims

alike, which narrowly equated

the implementation of Sharia to merely

carrying out Hudood punishments. He

said that Sharia relates to all aspects of

ones life and that his Committee has

overall responsibility in ensuring that

laws that are passed in parliament in

Kuwait conform to the teachings of the

Sharia. This he said, is not imposed but

is done systematically by preparing a

conducive environment within society

for its acceptance. The audience were

fortunate to hear an authority on the

subject and to benefit from his wealth

of experience in practically working

towards implementing Sharia at a

societal level in Kuwait.

Senior Delegation from Kuwait

THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER … · THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER ... Umer Chapra, Dr Sami Al-Suwailem and Dr Salman Ali from IRTI, Mr Nathif Adam, CEO First Community Bank,

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