Concern has been expressed after figures showed there have been more than 600 attacks on places of worship in Northern Ireland in the last five years.

According to police statistics, there have been 601 incidents of criminal damage to religious buildings, churchyards or cemeteries since 2014/15.

The number of attacks has remained relatively consistent each year, with 136 in 2014/15, 128 in 2015/16, 118 in 2016/17, 115 in 2017/18 and 104 in 2018/19.

Most of the incidents took place in Belfast (173), followed by Lisburn and Castlereagh (60), Newry, Mourne and Down (58) and Ards and North Down (57).

Most recently, St Saviour’s Church in Craigavon suffered an arson attack in July, while Brantry Parish Church in Co Tyrone was attacked, with a window smashed and damage caused to the interior, in April.

Both the Belfast Synagogue and Belfast Islamic Centre have suffered property damage in the last 10 years.

The figures were uncovered by Christian Action Research & Education (Care NI) following a Freedom of Information request.

The Christian charity has called on the Stormont Executive to consider policies to ensure that places of worship are properly protected.

It has previously called for a Places of Worship: Protective Security Funding Scheme to be set up, mirroring a similar scheme available in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government has announced it is introducing a similar scheme there, leaving Northern Ireland as the only part of the United Kingdom without such a scheme.

Rev Aaron McAlister, rector of Derriaghy Parish Church, saw his church broken into and vandalised in 2019.

He said significant damage was caused to the vestry and sanctuary.

“The individuals concerned managed to get in behind our organ while searching for valuables, but fortunately there was nothing to take,” he said.

“It left many of my parishioners deeply upset. An attack on a place of worship is an attack on the community that worships there.

“Rather than getting on with serving our community, we have had to spend valuable hours repairing the damage caused.

“I would support additional government measures to protect places of worship. Action to prevent attacks happening to other faith communities would be hugely welcome.”

Care NI policy officer Mark Baillie said churches are being attacked with “alarming regularity”, adding that it makes sense to consider introducing a security fund.

“More than 600 attacks in the last five years is a reminder that places of worship, which should be safe spaces for worshippers and congregants, are all too often targeted by vandalism and violence,” he said.

“The gradual easing of lockdown will surely only increase the opportunity and risk of further attacks and therefore it’s important MLAs take action.

“Last year, following Care NI’s previous research into this issue, we wrote to the party leaders asking for a manifesto commitment to create a security fund.

“We had positive engagement with a number of political parties and we are today calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to take this up.”

He added: “The scheme in England and Wales is a practical step we could introduce here to equip places of worship to invest in adequate security to prevent criminal damage.

“In a free and democratic society, no-one should be afraid of gathering together with those who share their faith in a place of worship.”

As the COVID-19 lockdown has progressed, Mosques and other religious venues have been eerily empty. Ramadan has started and the COVID-19 induced disruption of the rituals that Ramadan usually consists of, has given Muslims a unique opportunity to examine the religious status quo.

Religion is like marmite; there are those who love it, those who hate it and those who feel everything in between. It is extremely personal. One thing I can say for certain is that in most cases religion creates a glass ceiling that inhibits true human unity because there is the inevitable othering of the non-believer. When this othering becomes absolute, it is often the first step for many of those who I have worked with on the other side of a terrorist conviction.

I learned the term “preacher hustle” from Ismael when he questioned me after one of the informal talks I gave at Cafe Sara off Edgware road. Cafe Sara was a fashionable sheesha venue that was a second home for middle eastern professional criminals. I later found out Ismael was a former PKK assassin who was now selling his trade on the street. His question was whether what I was doing, speaking to them about connecting to a higher consciousness beyond imagination and appetite, was a “Preacher Hustle”; he was puzzled by my continued talks and regular support for this community without the presence of a charity bucket.

The evangelical vigour of the 90’s Dawaah movement was a powerful force pre-9/11 and the Islam that it propagated had less of the political top down ambition and more of a relational understanding that emphasised brotherhood and community. Something attractive to those coming from a underclass background like myself. Perhaps it was the fact that my early experience was idealistic and I was surrounded by  converts whose  experiences echoed Malcolm X’s words;

“I have eaten from the same plate, drank from the same glass, slept on the same bed or rug, while praying to the same God— with fellow‐Muslims whose skin was the whitest of white, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, and whose hair was the blondest of blond—yet it was the first time in my life that I didn’t see them as ‘white’ men. I could look into their faces and see that these didn’t regard themselves as ‘white’”.

However, this entry level romantic humanism was soon hijacked by the religious paradigm. Religion as a concept in the west relates to a set of beliefs that is held by a group of people reflected in a world view and often expressed with some form of ritual. The divine laws dictated within these belief systems are based on texts. This creates a transactional system where the religious observer abstains from sin to be awarded with a divinely authorised version of the same thing in the next life.  This reward system fits perfectly into a consumer system that also relies upon imagination but never liberates the individual from his lower consciousness or reptilian mind. So in other words, anticipate and dream over buying that expensive leather coat, restrict yourself by not spending on anything else then you will be rewarded with the leather coat. And see yourselves as part of the cooler group and look down upon those without.

This text based simplistic understanding and its validation through proselytising was something that I saw a lot of when I first discovered Islam with the Malcolm X craze in the nineties. I had grown up  in a single parent family on a white underclass estate in Farnborough just outside of the army town of Aldershot. The area was also one of the drugs hubs for the south of England.  We had moved there when I was 8 from East London and my father left shortly afterwards leaving my mother to care for three children through being made homeless and living in a hostel to the daily racism and violence of a xenophobic community where we were the only asians.

Ben, who was one of the elders in our gang initially started looking into Islam. I recall watching Ahmed Deedat debate Christian preachers on video tape.  Each of the debaters would be grasping his text book whether Quran or Bible and trying to prove the other wrong by referring to the text.

In the 90’s the concept of atheism was not within mainstream thought and schools still sung hymns but the paradigm that Islam was taking was distinctly western. Ahmed Deedat’s methodology of debate was something formalised in Europe during the reformation.

This was in contrast to what had happened in the 60’s when Europeans were travelling to the East to study Islam as an Eastern Philosophy and bringing back the teachings of Maulana Rumi and Ibn Arabi  but in between we had the re-contextualisation of the term Jihad in order to propagate recruitment to the Afghan conflict and Saudi sponsored mosques with £20,000 sponsorships.

As someone who has spent over a decade in the rehabilitation of the some of the toughest terrorists and most recently IS members, I cannot help but raise my head above the pulpit and ask “Is anyone looking at the BS that these guys are following?” As the late great Robert Anton Wilson said “Your always following someone’s belief system, someone’s b….s!”

Let me be clear that I am not attacking the ritualistic practice or an individual searching for spiritual awakening within a collective through moral symbolisms of systems like Islam, Hinduism, Judaism etc. I am simply asking all of us who subscribe ourselves to a particular group to consider the possibility of stepping back from own imagined allegiances to a more universal perspective. To consider the fact that everyone is searching for tranquility and that if someone is aggressive towards you, it is a veil borne of their own vulnerability. To consider we approach each other without ego and with compassion and truly understand and practice the othering does not separate us from the one true community of this earth; the community of humanity. I do not claim any enlightenment but I do bask in the reward of love and stillness that such an approach delivers and it is this that compels me to invite you to join me.

By Rashad Ali

Prologue

From wild conspiracy theories to denial of the extent of the spread of the disease known as Covid19, to zealous and dangerous displays of religious fervour, to behaviour betraying complete ignorance of maintaining safe distancing across Muslim countries and even in the UK irrational edicts have lead to Mosques endangering their communities by holding Friday congregational prayer against government scientific advice and a plethora of sensible Muslim edicts.

In fact Western Sociologists have pointed out this is against the spirit of prophetic teaching. But this doesn’t take away from age old debate about the assumed irrationality of religion and the religiously minded versus progressive secularists or even challenging the faith of believers due to the obstinate responses of their Faith’s, Islam and others.

The Debate Around Religion and Science

In light of the above the debate about Science and Islam, and the place of empirical thought, scientific methodology and knowledge, and the relationship or antagonism with Islam is still an important discussion for believers and wider society alike. Whether this is an antagonism essential to the faith tradition. Or a manifestation of contemporary fundamentalism? Or something decidedly more complicated? With this in mind the following short essay seeks to address these questions.

The debate surrounding religion and science is certainly not one unfamiliar to either scientists or religious people. Nor is it by any means a new debate. Nor is it a debate that exists exclusively vis-à-vis Islam and science or in Eastern societies alone. Hence the debate itself does not really require an introduction. It is however still a relevant one, which has led in recent times to various conflicts in the intellectual, political and religious realms.

A number of popular books on the subject start by suggesting an intrinsic harmony between science and religion in general. There’s ‘Pathfinders – The Golden Age of Arabic Science’[1], authored by respected scientist, mathematician and physicist Jim al-Khalili[2], which discusses the development, definition, and application to astounding results, of early Arab, often Muslim scientists in the pre-modern era. A book by the Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks[3], ‘The Great Partnership – God, Science and the Search for Meaning’[4], also seeks to demonstrate that, at least from within the Jewish tradition, there has been a necessary interdependency and healthy respect for science and all things scientific. Sacks also argues a necessary neurological and psychological relationship between the two methods and styles of thinking used by different sides of the brain.[5]

That’s not to say the other side of the debate hasn’t also been forcefully put forward by respected scientists and thinkers, all seeking to demonstrate the retarding effect that religion has had on people’s perceptions of reality, science, and even what they see as basic facts. Most well-known – or notorious depending on where you stand on the debate – is renowned author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins[6] in his various books including ‘The God Delusion’[7]. Similarly on the socio-political level, we have contributions by the late thinker Christopher Hitchens[8] in his works including ‘God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything’[9].

Whilst the debate and at times conflicts surrounding these issues did occur in what historically is described as the dark ages and subsequently the medieval times or pre-modern times; the level of debate and dispute among pre-modern Muslim theologians was actually less than the conflict we see today. This is arguably why we see efforts and books like Khalili’s, which arguably demonstrate that early Arabic science was deploying a scientific method that was on the whole institutionally supported by religiously-based empires or within societies which religion and religious values played a significant role. In this case, it means the Islamic faith as embraced by Muslim scholars within a strong religious society, including many not well known to agnostics and atheists.

In other words, an understanding of science, as a sub-branch of rational sciences with a rationalist philosophical approach (with noted exceptions) as the foundation for enquiry, was internalized within a part of the myriad of “ulūm”, collectively referred to as Islamic sciences. If not seen as a religious discipline in itself by some, it was often seen as a necessary discipline and a part of broader civilization in general. Hence Islam as understood by the many leading theologians placed scientific enquiry and knowledge derived there-from within such a context. The nature and extent of the conflict that we see played out today is something of a modern phenomenon, it’s causes best investigated elsewhere.[10] 

Defining terms as a means of conceptualizing science, scientific theory, and its relationship in or with Islam

Whilst it is common knowledge among scientists, the definition of scientific method and what is meant by science should be conceptualized here, before assessing their existence and acceptance or otherwise in classical or pre-modern Islam.

Science is defined by the Encyclopedia Britannica as ‘any of various intellectual activities concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and entailing an unbiased observation and systematic experimentation.’ The latter part of the definition actually defines the scientific method i.e. the unbiased approach to observing and recording, so that the observations maybe tested through reproducing the same experiment in another environment to ensure no bias; and systematic so that all factors are considered; and when reproducing the experiment and performed ceterus paribus i.e. all factors should be equal and the same, thereby not inadvertently affecting the results.

The explanation continues to define what it is that is being sought through such systematic observation and states ‘In general, a science involves the pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of fundamental laws'[11]. This then covers the aim (i.e. knowledge) and scope (i.e. general truths or universal laws or norms), covering all subject matters in this definition including social norms and laws, at least by definition, and also subjects which we commonly describe as sciences, (i.e. physical laws whether pertaining to: chemistry, biology and physics, and their sub branches that have evolved further from them.

Muslim history – scientists and scientific feats

Muslim history, scientists and scientific feats are not the focus of this essay. For exhaustive discussions of there, I refer to the recent works mentioned above. It is important to note, however, that they demonstrate that in pre-modern Muslim society there was a tolerance at least, if not an encouragement from political and imperial powers, for further theoretical and practical scientific development, whether related to mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geography (or geology to be more precise), and various aspects of physics and medicine including optics and study of light. [12]

Muslim theology and the Role of Science

There are various questions that we would need to look at and seek to answer, even if briefly, and assess in regards to pre-Muslim thought on theology, religion and the role of science. These would include, but not be restricted to, the following: How was science conceived? How was it, if it was at all internalized to Muslim theological discourse? How was it outweighed vis-à-vis scripture?

Regarding conceptualization and conception of science, with notable exceptions Muslim theologians were generally rationalists i.e. belonged to the rationalist school of philosophical enquiry. Ergo, they believed in the necessity of the priori postulate in order to conceptualize and understand and interpret any sensory reality or data. Therefore, they were more akin to the rationalist thinking being the foundation for their thought and even theology.

There were notable exceptions that discussed proofs and hierarchy of proofs that in connection with matters of creed. For example, when discussing what is evidence or rather proof for beliefs in the sense how does one arrive at basic truths, and knowledge which can form basic creedal beliefs, the list begins with darūriyāt – rational necessities or priori truths; followed by ihsās or sensed truths i.e. observations; and then mention of khabr or riwāya i.e. transmitted information or reports e.g. revelation in the Qur’an or prophetic sayings or transmitted facts like for example the existence of a distant city.

This is in most works of Muslim theology when discussing creed and beliefs and in what is often described by Muslim scholars as the definitive and final summation of sunni creed in Aqīdah al-Nasafī[13] and it’s well known commentary Shar’h al-Taftazâni – the explanation of Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazāni[14] of the creed[15]. This is a work which is considered a classic in the genre and an “orthodox” transmission of the creed.[16] Rational and sensory knowledge is given priority over all other sciences, including narration. The text states that mere “spiritual illumination” or “ilhām” is not a proof.

Furthermore, it is explained that this is the case due to the rational beliefs forming the foundations of the dogma i.e. one believes in God not because of scripture but because one is rationally convinced. Hence this is the first root or means of belief. Rejecting rational truths would therefore lead to rejecting rationality as the basis for belief, which is the foundation upon which faith in the scripture and God relies, thereby invalidating faith in God and the scripture as they branch off from the root or foundational belief. This is a principle discussed by all major medieval theologians, whether the likes of Juwaynī or Fakhr al-Razī and Ash’arite theologians. This is stated in no uncertain terms by al-Zahāwī, in his refutation of the puritanical reformist Salafi/Wahabi movement in the work ‘the True Dawn'[17].

This though does not specifically deal with science and the scientific methodology, though it established two components: necessary priori concepts and rational enquiry, and sensory observation. These two components take precedence even over transmitted textual evidence and scripture.

It also establishes the supremacy of the rationality over literal interpretations of scripture, and at times scripture itself, within orthodox and classical pre-modern theology. This should help demonstrate that this is not a “reformist” modern trend, or something alien to the tradition. This does not mean that this was universal, but it was the established position. And different authorities in theology dealt with these matters with slight differences in emphasis, hierarchy, albeit this was the prevalent view and even predominant attitude.

There were various extensions of this in understanding the role of the scientific approach and experimentation. To give examples from two well-known and famous pre-modern authors who also add to the list of sources of knowledge experimentation, include the theologian of what people today view as a conservative and scripturalist school, due to its association with Saudi Arabian puritanical Wahabism, the jurist ofthe Hanbali school of Islamic law or fiqh. The major scholar Ibn Qudāma al-Maqdisī [18] who authored a text on fundamental principles of Islamic law (usūl ul-fiqh), in which he stated in addition to the intellect, that knowledge is also acquired through observation and “tajriba” “experimentation”. This outlined in general the abstraction of knowledge through observation and recording of experimental data as a basis for knowledge, which was a source of definitive knowledge, which took precedence over speculative interpretation ‘Zann’ or over analysis from scripture[19]. The discussion is summarized from Imam al-Ghazali’s Mustasfa fi Ilm ul-Usul[20], the well-known scholar, theologian, sufi, and jurist. al-Ghazali[21] was given the title Hujjat al-Islam – literally the proof of Islam, as he embodied the revival of the religious sciences in their whole, including theology, and jurisprudence (fiqh) and the principles of law (usūl).

Another major authority in Islamic legal maxims (Qawa’id) and in fact a pioneer in defining the science of maxims of law as opposed to source principles was al-Imām al-Izz bin Abdul Salām.[22] Interestingly he took the philosophical principle further. He stated that worldly interests i.e. that which is beneficial for mankind and their interests and that which is harmful both physically and morally, could also be known in almost all cases through rational and scientific enquiry. The distinction would be known, he states by: ‘bil-tajārib wa-adāt'[23] meaning ‘through experimentation and established customs/rules’. This is a little explored area but essentially he stated that this would be in almost all matters of public interests, and only the odd religious conflict would occur on matters that were supra-rational, and therefore covered by an explicit religious injunction which is not rational, mainly in matters of worships. This actually subjects not only beliefs and knowledge in creed i.e. theology proper to rational and scientific enquiry, but interestingly social values and societal interests i.e. rules and ethics concerning social lives should also be rational and subject to scientific enquiry.

Conclusion

Whilst this is by no means a comprehensive survey of the literature, it is to sufficient to demonstrate the rationalist basis, which was embraced included one of its methods pf learning, the scientific method, observed facts, and science as a means of knowledge. Whilst it is beyond the scope to examine cases where this did take place in Islamic history in the works of scholars such as Ibn Hazm (456AH1054CE), the so-called literalist (Dhāhirī), by Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzi[24] (540AH 1149CE), an orthodox Ash’arīte, and Imām Abū Bakr al-Jassās (died 370AH 980CE), who was a major scholar belonging to the Hanafi rite, exemplify this. It must be emphasized here that historically, literalist and orthodox theologians have concurred on eminently rational and scientific positions and arguments in their relevant commentaries of the Qur’an and legal works, rejecting the superstitious, ideas such as magic, demon possession, and establishing the spherical nature of the Earth – the above names are just a few who took these positions, and crucially, interpreted scripture in light of those rational beliefs (some may say today ‘facts’). 

This should further substantiate not only the scientific heritage, and achievements, but also that there was no intractable conflict between the rational and scientific and the religious realms of thought, though much debate, amongst pre-modern Muslim scholars on the topic of science and religion. The scientific approach did not threaten Muslims reading of scripture in pre-modern times, unlike what we see in some circles today.  

[1] ‘Pathfinders – The Golden Age of Arabic Science’, Penguin books 2010, England, Jim al-Khalili.

[2] Jim al-Khalili is a professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Surrey and also holds the chair in Public Engagement in Science, and has been awarded the Royal Society’s Michael Faraday Prize for Science Communication in 2007, and an OBE in 2008. A popular broadcaster and author.

[3] Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has authored 18 books including ‘the Dignity of Difference’ and ‘Future Tense’ as well as the mentioned text. A broadcaster who regularly comments on intellectual and political matters on Radio 4.

[4] ‘The Great Partnership – God, Science and the Search for Meaning’, Hodder & Stoughton 2001, UK, Jonathan Sacks.

[5] The author had the opportunity to attend the book launch of ‘The Great Partnership’ where there was an exchange of ideas and perspectives between Jim al-Khalili and the Rabbi Sacks, where the atheist Khalili demonstrated a rather more positive approach to religion in the contribution that it made to values and science and interestingly than Sacks who spoke of the scientific distinction between brain functions, which were related to scientific and clinical thought and the imaginative and values/narrative side, functioning as two necessary parts of the brain. 

[6] Richard Dawkins a respected scientist who has won numerous awards, and taught at Oxford university and authored many books, the first of which ‘The Selfish Gene’ has been translated into many languages.

[7] ‘The God Delusion’, Transworld Paperbacks 2007, Richard Dawkins.

[8] Christopher Hitchens was a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, a professor of liberal studies at theNew School in New York and prolific author, polemicist and intellectual. His books included ‘Why Orwell Matters’ and ‘Thomas Jefferson Author of America’. 

[9] ‘God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything’, Atlantic Books 2007, US, Christopher Hitchens.

[10] Khalili however does discuss some of the factors for this in society at large and also ideas related to what is needed in Muslim/Arab majority countries to reverse the trend of the shift and lack of scientific progress and achievement which he documents with statistical data in his book, in chapters 15 and 16 ‘Decline and Renaissance’ and ‘Science and Islam today’.

[11] Page 552, Volume 10, Micropaedia, ‘Encyclopedia Britannica’ 1990

[12] Again I would refer to Khalili’s book for more details where he documents, and assesses and critiques claims of individual contributions made by various historic figures.

[13] Aqīdah al-Nasafī named after the author – Abū Hafs Umar al-Nasafī died in the year 537AH i.e. in the Muslim Calendar correlating to 1142CE. Elder goes as far as stating that the text has the place of catechisms and confessions in Christianity i.e. core statements of creed, in his introduction page xix (the introduction is numbered in Roman Numerals unlike the rest of the text.

[14] Sa’d al-Din Taftazānī born in 722AH 1322CE and was described by the polymath and well known scholar Ibn Khaldun as “[h]e was well versed in the philosophical sciences and far advanced in the rest of the sciences that deal with reason.” Introduction page xxi of Elder’s translation of the text.

[15] The text is available in English as ‘A Commentary on the Creed of Islam Sa’d al-Din al-Taftazani on the creed of Najm al-Din al-Nasafi – translated with introduction and notes by Earl Edgar Elder’ Columbia University Press – New York 1950, Great Britain, Canada and India published in the United States.

[16] See Elder’s introduction to the above text.

[17] Zahāwī is Shaykh Jamāl Effendi al-Sidqi al-Zahāwī born in 1836, an Iraqi scholar, editor of al-Zawra historian, theologian, and writer and author of modern day Iraqi origin. ‘The Doctrine of Ahl al-Sunna Versus the “Salafi” movement’ Jamal Effendi al-Iraqi al-Sidqi al-Zahawi translated by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, As-Sunna Foundation 1996, US.  

[18] Abū Muhammad Abdullāh Ibn Ahmad Ibn Qudāma al-Maqdisī born in 541AH 1147CE, major author and scholar in Hanbali law proper and theory or usul as it is known.

[19] Rawdat ul-Nāzir wa Junnat ul-Manāzir, section on ‘Ilm’, knowledge. The text is yet to be translated into English but has several popular publications in Arabic.

[20] Mustasfā fī Ilm ul-Usūl, Dar ul-Arqām, Beirut-Lebanon 1999, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. See section on Ilm/Knowledge. Partial translation is available at ‘al-Ghazali’s webiste’ – www.ghazali.org/ 

[21] Imām Abū Hamīd al-Ghazālī born 450AH 1058CE, was a major figure whose writings in creed, methodology, principles and law proper are the mainstay of the Shafi school thereafter, and in creed and principles studied and commented upon by all schools. His last major work is said to be al-Mustasfā fī ilm ul-Usūl on the science of Usūl or principles of Islamic law which form the foundation of deriving beliefs and laws in Islam.

[22] Sultân ul-Ulemā Imām al-Izz ibn Abdul Salām born 578AH 1182 CEwas a considered a major scholar who was considered an absolute authority (Mujtahid mutlaq) a level acknowledged to have been reached by very few in traditional Islamic circles. He authored several books on Islamic maxims and even summarized his own, of which the referred text is a summary of his own work – Qawā’id ul-Anām fī-Masālih ul-Ahkām. 

[23] Page 109, ‘Mukhtasar al-Fawā’id fil-Ahkām ul-Maqāsid – al-Ma’rūf bil-Qawā’id al-Sughra’, Dar ibn al-Jawzi 2009, Saudi Arabia/Cairo/Beirut, Imām al-Izz ibn Abdul Salām 

[24] A fascinating study of the works and thought of Fakhr al-Din al-Rāzī is available in the English language titled ‘Theology and Tafsir in the Major works of Fakh al-Din al-Rāzī’ which explores some his scientific and philosophical contributions, and analysis of Qur’ān through scientific lens’ related to astronomy, and also matters such as demon possession and magic (which he rejects as do the others mentioned in their various works) and other such issues. It is published by ISTAC in Malaysia (1996), authored by Yasin Ceylan. 

]]> 8943 https://www.faith-matters.org/anti-ahmadi-rhetoric-rumbles-terms-kafir-used/ Sun, 11 Feb 2018 17:20:32 +0000 https://www.faith-matters.org/?p=7082

In 2018 in modern day Britain, there are religious leaders who think that believers of their faith are so weak that different sects may ‘affect’ believers in their faith. Forget the fact that social media, access to the Internet, Daesh, unemployment and reduced life chances may affect the faith of the congregation, today, they are speaking about the ‘perils’ of a community that are so small and who feel so embattled, that such comments should concern us. 

Who are they speaking of? Well, here is Imam Muhammad Yasir Ayub who is commenting about an open day which was held by the local Ahmadi community in Nottingham. Such is the concern around an open day held by a peaceful local community (which regards themselves as Muslim), that it led to this outburst by this Imam who has preached in several mosques and in places like Manchester.

Here are his comments on the 4th of February and made on this social media page: 

Calling another community group ‘Kafir’ in today’s context and putting their address up online, is potentially putting this community at risk. and is unacceptable. It also raises the issue about spiritual guidance and how easily it can be turned to attach to the political and social views of an individual, something that we have seen over history. What this has to do with Islam, can also be questioned, when Islam repeatedly asks for patience, introspection and for moderation. This is not to detract from other verses in scriptural texts, that within historical context were made at a time of instability that affected the first Muslims. So, in other words, since there is no physical threat to Muslims as a whole, why are such statements being made and which add to community tensions and fractures and being made by someone with a pastoral and spiritual responsibility. We stress the responsibility since turning people against another set of people is, we believe, hardly responsible.

We know that the vast majority of Imams in the UK may disagree with the Ahmadi movement. That is their right to do so and they disagree by listening, through dialogue and by ensuring that they do not play a role in inflaming tensions. However, there are some Imams who believe that if someone calls themselves a Muslim, then they should be treated as such. As said before, Ahmadis are a peaceful, well integrated and deeply introspective community. Not one of their community have been involved in extremism or terrorism and they work to raise large amounts of finance for charity work. They are a community who are an asset to our country who do not deserve such outbursts made in public.

The Daily Star on Sunday must print a clarification that its investigation into UK mosques raising funds for terrorism was significantly misleading.

A journalist for the newspaper had posed as a man wanting to transfer money abroad “with the help of a group of Bradford-based Isis sympathisers”. The original print headline published on November 22, 2015 read “UK mosques give cash for terror”. The online edition had used the headline “UK mosques fundraising for terror”.

Miqdaad Versi’s complaint to IPSO on grounds of accuracy (Clause 1) was upheld on April 4. The committee ruled that both headlines did not expose serious, organised wrongdoing when the money was collected by a few individuals.

The Daily Star on Sunday has offered to publish a clarification in a forthcoming edition on page 2. It reads: “The headline of an article, published on 22 November 2015, stated ‘UK mosques give cash for terror’. We would like to clarify that the headline was based on the claims of radical Isa Amriki that funding for terrorism came from collections at mosques, not by or on behalf of UK mosques, which were not involved in any way.”

It also offered to amend the online headline and publish a clarification as a footnote. The newspaper, however, rejected Mr Versi’s offer of writing a positive story about Muslims and to work with him in the future to avoid such inaccuracies. And so Mr Versi then requested that the Committee adjudicate on the matter.

The original online headline

The amended online headline

The original article had received thousands of social media shares. Tommy Robinson, the founder and ex-leader of the English Defence League (EDL), now of Pegida UK, tweeted it.

The hooligan-linked EDL splinter the Pie and Mash squad wrote “I’m shocked by this. Not” after sharing the link on their Facebook on January 4.

Whether the amended article will generate the same level of social media shares remains to be seen.

The post Daily Star on Sunday amends misleading story on UK mosques appeared first on TELL MAMA.

A school in Guernsey made headlines after a homework assignment about Islam went viral.

Miss Stables, a Religious Education teacher at Les Beaucamps High School in Guernsey, had asked students to complete a letter to their parents about their choice to convert to Islam. This creative writing exercise sought to test their knowledge and argue objectively. The homework assignment asks students to focus on how their parents would react to the news. It sought to engage their emotional and critical faculties. It had little to do with prosletyising Islam. But asked students to empathise with others of a different faith.

Complete the letter you started or started planning in class to your family on how you are converting to Islam.

Include: How you’re feeling, how becoming a Muslim has changed your life, how much you love your family and hope they can accept your choice.

Focus: How would it make you feel having to tell your parents this?? How would/could they react?

**Please also note this is a piece of creative writing and completely fictional YOU ARE NOT ACTUALLY CONVERTING TO ISLAM. It is purely to test your knowledge of what we have learnt this year and how well you can argue objectively!!!!

The Sun and the Daily Star called the assignment ‘controversial’ due to the reactions of parents. But there is no evidence that the comments had come from parents. To their credit, the Mirror cited them as ‘locals’. But all the comments came from a single article published on the local Guernsey press on February 18.

Guernsey’s syllabus on religious education ensures that students study the five major religions with ‘sufficient depth’. Take for example, how Year 8s recently had a homework assignment that asked them to produce a one-page report on each faith. That assignment generated no outrage.

Muslims make up less than one per cent of British Crown dependency’s island population. There are no mosques. Yet it has banned Syrian refugees from seeking asylum.

The Daily Express labelled it ‘bizarre’ and linked it to the Trojan Horse scandal.

So how did this simple homework assignment make headlines? A link to the assignment first appeared on a 4chan thread on February 16. Toni Bugle (The Matriot) then tweeted the link at 2:12pm on February 17.

Converting to Islam Letter
homework assignment for children in Guernsey https://t.co/mHBrITsqlb

— The Matriot (@DICS131294) February 17, 2016

Her organisation, Mothers Against Radical Islam And Sharia (MARIAS), shared a platform with Anne Marie Waters, who now sits on the leadership board of Pegida UK.

On February 18, the far-right blog Fahrenheit 211 picked up the story from Bugle. And had thanked her for ‘alerting me and others to this act of appalling Islamopandering’.

Over on Infowars.com – Paul Jospeh Watson framed the story as another example of ‘Islamization of western education’ on February 19. Watson’s story borrowed heavily from the Fahrenheit211 blog.

Watson and Fahrenheit211 argue that a deeper conspiracy is at work. The proof of this ‘Islamisation’ hangs on their ability to selectively cite news articles.

This story made national headlines on the whims of a manufactured outrage.

Even the Sun’s headline ”Tell your parents you’ve converted to Islam’: School sparks fury with ‘dangerous’ homework assignment” overstates the issue.

Its success as a story may owe to its ability to play on the anxieties of those who imbibe conspiracies about ‘Islamisation’.  And how a small number of connected indivdiuals helped push the levels of outrage.

The post How a small group of people helped generate anger at ‘Islam conversion’ homework story appeared first on Religious Reader.

Georgia with its devoutly Orthodox Christian set of communities, is proposing a ‘blasphemy bill’ that will make religious caricaturing and comedic lampooning of faith, punishable in law.

The bill, which has been approved at committee stage, has led to critics suggesting that it will cause a chilling effect on those critics of the official church line and more importantly, on dissent regarding religion. Some have suggested that even theatre, art and plays which explored faith could fall of the blasphemy bill.

The proposed bill attaches fines to those who target “insults to religious feelings” with a 100 lari fine ($120) attached to any comment deemed to fall foul of the law. This would double if there was a repeat of the incident and desecration of a religious icon would lead to a fine of 1000 laris. Given that the average salary in the country is about 800 laris, the new bill seems to hit those in the pocket willing to take a dissenting line to faith and belief.

This bill comes on the back of opposition to the opening of mosques and madrassas in the west of Georgia where groups have been active in lobbying against Muslim institutions.

The post Christian Georgia Proposes a ‘Blasphemy Law’ appeared first on Religious Reader.

Sometimes, many of us forget about Northern Ireland and the social dynamics that make up this part of the United Kingdom. Recently Northern Ireland has been in the news for a series of racist attacks in South and East Belfast, by the Ulster Group – the Ulster Volunteer Force.

A Muslim woman reported into us last week on the intimidation that sections of the Muslim community are receiving, including death threats from what seem to be, people associated with a Loyalist group.

Last year, Eid-Ul-Fitr prayers were held by the local Muslim community in Belfast. Worshippers had to be evacuated due to a hoax fire alarm and online threats to worshippers were also made. This year, the local Muslim community held official prayers in the town of Lisburn and within the large Lisburn Leisureplex. Plans were made to hold it in the Leisureplex since there was ample parking and it was not near the city centre so that any inconvenience to local residents could be reduced.

Yet, as can be seen by the following comments, threats and anti-Muslim abuse by Loyalists came thick and fast.

The following comment was also made by the Muslim female who reported this material into us. She stated:

“I have been an involved member of the community for over 10 years. I feel it has never been this bad…”

On Wednesday, the former pastor of the largest church in Northern Ireland, James McConnell, will be up in court for his inflammatory comments about Islam. The pastor has not withdrawn his comments and has suggested that he is willing to go to jail, with some stating that he is being persecuted by Muslims for his faith.

Some within Muslim communities are genuinely concerned that Wednesday and the James McConnell case will further inflame tensions. If he is found not guilty, some Muslims feel that it will open the door to possible anti-Muslim hatred and his views being legitimised. If he is convicted, others feel that there will be a backlash against Muslims. Either way, the future for race and faith relations in Northern Ireland certainly does not look healthy.

The post Intimidation in Northern Ireland Towards Muslims is Deeply Worrying appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We thought that we would bring you a monthly round-up of cases that have been referred to IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation. These are complaints made on topics including Islam, mosques, Muslim communities and events that have involved people from Muslim communities.

0048-14 Adams v Metro – Not Upheld (02/12/14)

Daniel Adams complained that the Metro breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in September 2014. The story related to CSE in Rotherham. Adams’ central complaint was an image of a mosque in the story linked Islam/Muslims with CSE.

IPSO did not uphold the complaint but acknowledged that the prominence of the mosque in the photo had the potential to link CSE with Islam/Muslims. While it did not breach the Editors’ Code the board would pass on the message that the text did not explain the image choice.

0274-14 Miah v The Daily Telegraph – Not Upheld (15/12/2014)  

Mr Kabir Miah complained that the Telegraph breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 12 (Discrimination) in an article headlined “How our allies in Kuwait and Qatar funded Islamic state”. Miah’s complaint focused on the article linking the al-Muntada mosque in West London to ISIS and diverting charity funds for people in Syria to the terror group.  Miah argued the article was both Islamophobic and divisive for communities.

IPSO did not uphold because it found the journalist made a strong case to describe the mosque as “hardline” (therefore not a breach of accuracy); given the wider context in the article the journalist was entitled to question the legitimacy of their fundraising. Mr Miah did not challenge the main assertions that “had close links to British mosques accused of radicalising young people into Isil”. Discrimination only applies to individuals and they found no pejoratives comments towards any person’s faith.

01733-14 Sattar v The Sunday Telegraph – Not Upheld (09/03/2015)

Saqib Sattar, complained on behalf of iERA, that the Sunday Telegraph breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in an article headlined “Hate preachers ‘at schools, campuses and even Scouts’”. Article predicated on Sharia Watch report that pertained to expose extremism and bigotry from iERA’s speakers. Complaints focused on a lack of balance (e.g. not highlighting iERA’s good community work) or providing context for quotes that discuss beheadings and adultery. The complaint also focused on the journalist not asking named iERA speakers for comment.

IPSO did not uphold because the complainant did not provide the evidence to contextualise the extreme statements. Nor were they obliged to report on iERA’s positive community work. They found no grounds for a breach of accuracy.

01840-14 Sattar v The Sunday Telegraph – Not Upheld (09/03/2015)

Saqib Sattar also complained (again on behalf of iERA) that the Sunday Telegraph breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 2 (Opportunity to reply) in an article headlined “Friend of murdered hostage Alan Henning defends Isil online”.  Like the above complaint, the question of accuracy when describing iERA speakers as “extremists” without contextualising quotes.

IPSO did not uphold because “the Committee did not consider that the context provided by the complainant substantively changed the nature of the quotations cited by the newspaper”. Not upheld on Clause 2 because there was no ‘established inaccuracies’.

00544-15 Walker v Daily Mirror – Not Upheld (23/04/2015)

Mark Walker complained that the Mirror breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 2 (Opportunity to reply) in an article headlined “UKIP candidate shares race hate article on Facebook branding mixed-race couples a ‘plague’”. He was concerned that the use of the word ‘circulated’ implied the person created it when he merely shared it. Walker worried he’s now been labelled an antisemite and racist as one post linked Mossad to Charlie Hebdo.

IPSO did not uphold the complaint; the committee found that the term “so sad but true” implies endorsement. The term circulate did not mislead readers that Walker merely shared and commented on the original inflammatory content.

00184-14 Tameez v The Sunday Telegraph – Not Upheld (08/05/2015)

Sajjad Tameez complained on behalf of the Wycombe Islamic Society (WISE) that a Sunday Telegraph article breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 2 (Opportunity to reply) in an article headlined “High Wycombe, jihad central”. The article looks at radicalisation of young Muslims and claims they previously attended the WISE mosque. One of the men handed out propaganda leaflets outside the mosque. The imam from WISE indicated the men was banned from the mosque and a further statement from WISE condemning extremism appeared in the article.

The complainant challenged the accuracy of the report on grounds that no former students of WISE were missing; it was inaccurate to claim the leaflets handed outside WISE mosque were ‘extremist’; quotes attributed to Zaif Hussain, a community leader quoted in the article did not exist; Sheikh Abu Suhaib, the Imam at WISE is not an official media spokesperson; the Imam had been asked about missing “youths”, but not “students”.

IPSO did not uphold the above because it felt that whilst the imam was not the media spokesperson, he was still an authority within WISE; in spite of the claims of inaccurate quotes the committee was satisfied that the detailed notes provided proved by the journalist corroborated the claims; the claims about missing students and leaflets came from sources within the community; while there was issues about “youths” vs “students” the WISE imam did not refute the central point that men who had attended the mosque were now missing – therefore it was not a breach of accuracy. In light of the above, Clause 2 was not activated.

00870-15 Hussain v The Sunday Telegraph – Not Upheld (22/05/2015)

Mohammed Hussain complained on behalf of iERA that the Sunday Telegraph breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 2 (Opportunity to reply) in two articles headlined “The rising tide of anti-Semitism” and “How the Muslim brotherhood fits into a network of extremism”.

Like previous complainants, Hussain argued that a lack of contextualisation in relation to claims of antisemitism iERA staff.

IPSO did not uphold because the committee previously found the newspaper was entitled to label iERA as “extremist”.  Therefore, the committee did not consider the relevance of Clause 2.

00588-15 Burbage Council v The Hinckley Times – Not Upheld (01/06/2015)

Burbage Parish Council (Leicestershire) complained the Hinckley Times breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in an article headlined “Dispute over grave plots after burial of Gypsy”. The story focused on the dispute over grave plots at Burbage Cemetery, following the burial of Shadrack Smith in the grave adjacent to the grave of a Muslim man. The council did not intend to exhume the body but argued this oversight was missing in the article.

IPSO did not uphold because the newspaper was entitled to report the family’s concerns and did not state the council’s intent to exhume the body.

03470-15 Ismail v The Times – Not Upheld (22/06/2015)

Sufyan Ismail complained on behalf of Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND) that The Times had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in an article headlined “Muslim radicals send death threats to teachers”. The story relates to the so-called “Trojan horse” plot where a headteacher alleged that petitions and death threats (via social media) were sent to the school relating to teachers who taught against homophobia.

Ismail insisted that there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest Muslims had sent the death threats or left animal remains outside schools.

IPSO did not uphold because it felt the newspaper headline accurately reflected the views of the headteacher – who spoke in the wider context of ‘Muslim extremism’. The first sentence of the article made clear that the headline claims came from the teacher.

01902-15 Afzal v The Sunday Telegraph – Not Upheld (23/06/2015)

Feroza Afzal complained The Sunday Telegraph had breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) in an article headlined “New school ‘Islamising’ plot uncovered”/”Another Birmingham school put in special measures amid ‘Trojan Horse’ fears”, both in print and online.

The complainant focuses on a school named in the so-called “Trojan horse plot”. One claim argued that Ofsted found a “narrowing of the curriculum” (though the opposite was true in the published report); rather it had praised the breadth of the curriculum at the school, and noted that “discrimination is not tolerated in any form”.

IPSO did not uphold because the clarification prevented a breach of Clause 1.

00776-15 Nielsen v Daily Mirror – Not Upheld (24/07/2015)

Magnus Nielsen, prospective Ukip candidate at the 2015 General Election complained that the Mirror breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 10 (Clandestine devices and subterfuge) in an article headlined “Manifestoads”.  The article related to a march he spoke at – Mothers Against Radical Islam and Sharia (MARIAS); he made a speech at the rally in which he warned of the threat which he believes Islam poses to democracy.

Nielsen complained that the journalist used illicit tactics to gauge his views on Islam and potentially misled voters; he also claims the journalist distorted his quotes and claimed he was a member of the EDL; the newspaper editorial team purchased the story and decided the public interest trumped a breach of Clause 10; Nielsen’s Facebook postings were also used to highlight his views on Islam and the journalist disclosed that he did not use a camera in public over safety concerns.

IPSO did not uphold because the public interest defence trumped a breach of Clause 10; the journalist was entitled to attend the public event; the committee checked Nielsen’s full transcript and did not find the journalist had distorted his beliefs; because the leader of MARIAS said “unfortunately whether we like it or not, if you support the English Defence League you are automatically deemed as being a racist Islamophobe. Which is complete nonsense…MARIAS takes away that. So everybody, no matter who you are affiliated with, can stand together under one umbrella.” – It was not inaccurate for the journalist to make links between the organisation and the EDL – nor did the journalist claim Nielsen was a member of the EDL.

The post IPSO Complaints Related to Muslims, Islam, Mosques etc appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Faith Matters undertook the fieldwork and write up on the ‘Mosques in the Community‘ programme which was conducted on behalf of MINAB (the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board). This report builds good practice and ensures that mosques become not just institutions but living parts of their local communities, thereby ensuring that they play constructive civic roles. There are a number of recommendations made in this report which touch upon (i) Communication and inclusion (ii) Governance (iii) The role of Muslim faith leaders / imams (iv) Operational delivery in mosques (v) Relations with local authorities and (vi) Engaging with civil society organisations. We hope that mosques, mosque executive committees and imams find the recommendations practical and deliverable.

It is really hoped that this report can begin some of the discussions about how such institutions can play greater outreach roles in what will be a difficult economic climate over the next few years. We all have core responsibilities in that journey and in realising that we all have local social responsibilities to each other and for the common good.