For Muslim pilgrims, solar-powered umbrella offers cool respite

A Saudi-Palestinian firm has invented a multi-purpose umbrella with a fan, navigation system and flashlight, to meet the needs of Muslims performing the Hajj pilgrimage.

Rabbi Wittenberg Reflects Post Nice On the Value of Life

Shalom New North London Erev Shabbat, 9 Tammuz 5776 Friday, 15 July 2016 Dear Community, I’ve just spoken to my colleague David Touboul, rabbi of the Masorti community in Nice. Mercifully, it seems his congregation are safe, though many were nearby when the attack took place. But poor people of Nice. Our thoughts are with […]

Shock, Horror, How Dare Top Commissioning Editor Question the Status Quo

Anyone reading the Sun newspaper a few days ago would have thought that the end of the world had arrived since the ‘Muslim’ Head of Religion and Ethics, Aaqil Ahmed, had simply made a comment. So, what was that comment that the ‘Muslim’ Head of Religion and Ethics had made – (apologies for stressing the

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Muslims Win Eurovision, the London Mayoralty and the Great British Bake Off

As the nation was glued to their television screens, a small but important fact missed many by. This fact, was that the Ukrainian lead singer known as Dzjamala, is in fact a Muslim female – Susanna Jamaladinova. Dzjamala performed the song “1944” during the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm and was born in Kirghiz (Kyrgyzstan)

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Pope returns with 12 refugees after visit to Greek island

Pope Francis took three families of Syrian refugees back to Rome on Saturday after visiting the frontline of Europe’s migrant crisis at a camp in Greece where migrants wept at his feet, kissed his hand and begged for help. At a sprawling fenced complex on the Aegean island of Lesbos, adults and children broke down […]

Azerbaijan Declares 2016, the Year of Multiculturalism

Not many people know about this nation surrounding the Caspian Sea. When some hear of Azerbaijan, they think about an exotic land and possibly about energy resources if they have kept abreast of news stories recently. Yet Azerbaijan has a deep history of tolerance towards other faiths and traditions. Many do not know that Azerbaijan […]

Killings in Brussels Warrant a Response That Does Not Alienate

The mass murder and carnage that took place today in Brussels has led to a measured response from the public and from others on social media. The sheer brutality of the killing has led to a response that has talked of communities ‘coming together’ against the extremists and terrorists. This is the right and proportionate […]

UN Secretary-General condemns rising anti-Muslim and anti-refugee bigotry

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the divisive myth-making of the far-right and the growing hostility towards Muslims,refugees, Jewish communities and other minorities. His remarks at a General Assembly meeting marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. This growing hostility and violence is ‘manifested most directly in anti-refugee, anti-migrant and, in particular, anti-Muslim bigotry, attacks and violence’. As moderate parties harden their positions and far-right parties sow division. The Secretary-General’s grave tone bore the weight of Europe’s violent history. As the anti-refugee rhetoric mirrored ‘the darkest chapters of the last century’. Ban Ki-moon spoke a universal and pluralistic truth: that ‘an assault on one minority community is an attack on all’. And that requires us to speak out against antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and other forms of hate. This year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination also focuses on the challenges and achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action promised a robust response to racism. Ratified in 2001, the framework raised concerns about growing antisemitism and Islamophobia. Point 150 “Calls upon States, in opposing all forms of racism, to recognize the need to counter anti-Semitism, [...]

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How Nazi Ideology is Associated in Minds with Being Against Other Races or People

We received this report from a Muslim female who has had problems with anti-social behaviour from young teenagers in her street. The issue continues to build even though she has reported the incident to the police and with no action to date. We will no doubt, make contact with her local force and explain the

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Christian Georgia Proposes a ‘Blasphemy Law’

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.

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