Buddhist monks in Bangladesh feed hundreds of Muslims during Ramadan

Buddhist monks in Dhaka, Bangladesh are distributing food parcels to Muslims this Ramadan. Outside the Dhammarajika Monastery, in the Basabo neighbourhood, monks distribute hundreds of iftar parcels. Suddhananda Mahathero, the monastery’s head monk told the AFP: “Buddhism taught us that serving humanity is the ultimate religion. We are feeding the poor Muslims who cannot afford to buy proper meals to break their fast”. Some individuals travelled several kilometers on foot to cue for food. When the AFP observed, over 300 Muslims sought food parcels. A measured police presence ensures peaceful transactions. Muslims in Bangladesh colour the majority of the country’s religious makeup (86.6 per cent). The noted Buddhist minority mainly occupies the southern regions (near the border with Myanmar). In 2012, in the southeast of Bangladesh, Muslims protested a blasphemous image on Facebook. Rumour spread that the individual responsible was Buddhist. In response, protesters burnt at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes of Buddhists. As some sought to ease community tensions, Amnesty International condemned the violence.

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“The 7/7 London Bombings: A Decade of Reflection,” a Joint Publication Between Faith Matters and the Centre for Trust, Peace & Social Relations.

This report is a set of reflections from key social activists, academics and civil society leaders who experienced the social impacts of 7/7 or who have worked with communities shaped by the experiences of 7/7 and scourge of extremism and terrorism. It is an insight into the private and public experiences of individuals and their […]

Anti-Muslim Hate Ten Years After 7/7 – 7 Infographics on 7/7

A decade after the trauma of terrorism hit London on July 7 2005, the anti-Muslim backlash quickly took hold in London. The Met Police recorded 68 “faith hate” crimes in the three days that followed 7/7. Within three weeks, the number of anti-Muslim incidents in the capital hit 269 – a 573 per cent increase

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Ignorning young British Muslim voices damages the radicalisation debate

This Tuesday marks the 10th anniversary of the London bombings done by four men who professed to be Muslims, and carried out this attack in the name of Islam. Yet, the words of George Gordon Bryon could never have been truer: “History, with all her volumes vast, hath but one page.” The notion that history all too often repeats itself is both sad and shameful. Looking back a decade later, it is hard to indulge the fact that although our efforts may have increased, the violent ideology that caused the death of 52 people, has evolved and spread. Where there was just Al Qaida and the Taliban, we now have a so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab and many other smaller death cults. The sad truth is that a decade on from the July 7 bombings, we are none the wiser as to what attracts Muslims, in particular young people, to travel abroad, and engage in some of the most brutal acts of violence under the guise of worthwhile deeds. In countering violent extremism, we have heard academics, security experts, political commentators, politicians and community activists take vastly different views on what are the drivers [...]

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Anti-Muslim Bigot Is a Top Mortgage Broker Living in Bradford

Thanks to Sheffield Indymedia, it seems that we have found out who @bigsteve1911 is after he trolled the TELL MAMA account yesterday with the following tweet: https://twitter.com/bigsteve1911/status/617428040008749056 What is also interesting to note is that he linked to a tweet from a female resident in Scotland who previously tweeted from the @dowheater account. We are currently

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Banner Inciting Hate Unfurled by EDL in Sheffield

The EDL have also suggested that they are against ‘radical’ Islam. They have tried to suggest that they are not prejudiced and that they have been targeted, as if they have been hard done by. Each time they try and make this case, a bone seems to fall out of their mouth which proves what a

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People of All Faiths & Creeds Were Attacked on 7/7

#UNITEDAGAINSTH8 – TEN YEARS ON FROM 7/7 This series of infographics intends to capture the changing face of community relations a decade after 7/7. That tragic day captures how individuals from various faiths and nationalities died on a day that should have started like any other, with the humble commute to work. Atique Sharifi, 24, […]

Buddhist actor mistaken for terrorist on Paris plane

A Buddhist was mistaken for a terrorist as he meditated to a sacred Tibetan text aboard a Paris plane. Alarmed passengers notified staff and Portuguese actor Heitor Lourenco, 47, found himself under arrest. Lourenco told SIC television, “Police told me that I had been denounced as a terrorism suspect aboard the plane because I was reciting the Koran aloud, that I was reading a text involving words ‘death’ and ‘bomb'”. In reality, the text contained Tibetan characters and a timer to calculate meditation time. Lourenco accessed it via his tablet device. Police detained Lourenco for six hours before uncovering his acting credentials. Officers confirmed his Buddhist beliefs via Wikipedia.

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As Prevent Centralises, Community Engagement and Local Capacity To Implement Local Tailored Solutions Falls

This report argues that the current strategy’s centralised and top-down deployment markedly reduces local capacity to find tailored solutions that make sense for a given community. The Prevent strategy’s move away [As Prevent Centralises, Community Engagement and Local Capacity To Implement Local Tailored Solutions Falls] from community engagement to a centralised approach is not likely […]

Meet the Sikh volunteers feeding the homeless in London

A key pillar of Sikhism asks followers to ‘share the fruits of one’s labour with others before considering oneself’ – inspires a selflessness and sense of community that goes beyond faith and ethnicity. Jagdeep Singh Sohal, 31, from Ilford, along with 15 volunteers, joined together with the Midland Langar Seva Society to feed 30 homeless individuals in Ilford, London. Nor does the support stop there as volunteers tidy up any leftover mess. Video of the event. Photos of the event. The idea was born from a discussion Sohal and other worshippers at Singh Sabha London East, High Road in Seven Kings, had about “giving back” to the community while using the gurdwara’s gym facilities. In time, the group hopes to extend its service to other London boroughs, as others express interest in supporting the project, including local businesses keen to donate food to expand their operation. Sohal told the Ilford Recorder: “This is just one way of helping out. It’s our duty to help people whether they’re Christian, Sikh or Muslim, it’s for everyone and we’re just tying to make a difference”. The group distribute every Tuesday at 8pm. To get involved call 077 9162 9666.  

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