islam today -issue 36 - june 2016

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Publisher

The Islamic Centre of England140 Maida ValeLondonW9 1QBTel: +44 20 7604 5500 ISSN

22051-2503

Editorial team

Managing Director M. Saeed Bahmanpour

Chief Editor Amir De Martino

Managing Editor Anousheh Mireskandari

Layout and Design Innovative Graphics

islam todayissue 36 vol. 4

June 2016

islam today magazine is a monthly magazinepublished by the London based Islamic Centreof England. It focuses on the activities of thecommunities affiliated to the Centre, reflecting aculture of openness and respect towards otherreligious communities both Islamic and non.The magazine is available in paper and digitalformat.

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ContentsThe 7th Catholic - Shi'a DialogueQum & Mashhad, Iran

Visit to the Instituto Universitario SophiaLoppiano (FI), Italy

Muslims and Christians continue building bridges throughdialogueSt. Ottilien Archabbey, Germany

2nd International Conference on Shii Studies

7 - 8 May 2016 - London

MSEN 2nd Annual Presentation Day 2106at the Islamic Centre of England

ArtOne 2 One with Muhammad Umar - by Moriam Grillo

Camp Fatimiyyah and Camp BaqiriyyahOrganised by Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Shia (Europe)

Ramadhan; Opportunity Knocks'by Sheikh Mirza Abbas Raza

The Holy Fasting MonthPoem by sister A Abrahamsen

Women in the Catholic Church; are they being ignored?by Revd. Frank Julian Gelli

A new perspective on High Fat Dairy Foodby Dr Laleh Lohrasbi

Children Cornerby Ghazaleh Kamrani

What & WhereListing of events

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2 islam today June 2016

he cities of Qum and Mashhad in Iran hosted the7th round of Catholic - Shia dialogue early thisMay. The Catholic group which was invited by DrMohammad Ali Shomali comprised of Abbot

Primate Notker Wolf, head of the Benedictine Confederation,Father William Skudlarek, General Secretary of Monastic andInterfaith Dialogue, Fr. Timothy Wright, the former Abbot ofAmpleforth Abbey, England (currently lecturer at BerkleyCentre for Religion, Peace & World Affairs USA), BrotherGodfroy, Brother Ponte and Sister Loraine from France, FatherMaximillian from Kenya (PhD candidate at Pontifical Institutefor Arabic and Islamic Studies) and Dr. De Colina fromGermany.

During the three-day dialogue the group presented papers andengaged in discussions on various subjects. While in Qum, theyparticipated in a lecture by Ayatollah Javad Fadhil on HumanDignity in Shia Jurisprudence at the Institute of the AemehAthar. A visit was arranged to the University of Religion andDenominations, the holy shrine of Lady Masoumeh(sa) and theMosque of Jamkaran, followed by a trip to the InternationalBook Fair in Tehran.

The group of scholars visited the shrine of Imam Redha(a) inthe holy city of Mashhad and were greeted by the Director ofInternational Affairs. They attended a lecture on the history ofImam Redha(a) and the concept of Imamate. This was followedby a visit to the Museum of Quran house to some magnificentQuranic manuscripts attributed to Imam Redha(a)and ImamSajjad(a). Other visits included the School of Theology at theFerdowsi University and the tomb of Abul Qasim Ferdowsi inTus.In an interview with islam today Dr Shomali said thesemeetings are important to help believers face the challenges oftodays world: As I was saying to a Catholic friend once, whenwe [believers] love each other and show friendship towards oneanother, no media will cover this. If a Muslim clergyman andCatholic monk start fighting over their beliefs all the media will

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The 7th

Catholic - Shi'a DialogueQum & Mashhad - Iran

Report

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Catholic - Shi'a DialogueTimeline

come to cover the story. Maybe this is not such a bad idea asbeing good is a natural thing and the media only coverssomething which is unusual. Unfortunately we do not haveequal coverage of positive initiatives. So I believe today is veryimportant for religious people to be seen together. It is onething to have this relationship and another to show thesetestimonies to others. Some people, who have no religion, loveto see religious people fighting among themselves. They like todismiss all religions and any concept of holiness. If we inviteother people to God and to faith we can overcome the problemsand together we can be stronger in our message, because weare no longer seen as sectarian messengers of the things weonly have an interest in.Dr Shomali said he believes strongly that Christians andMuslims are but people of the same family as we all arefollowers of Prophet Abraham(a). He said that Islam, Christianityand Judaism belong to the same tradition but different branchesso it would be much more natural to be in dialogue with eachother [believers] than with people who have no faith in theDivine, or have no religion or do not belong to the Abrahamictradition. He added: Of course even with others we can havedialogue but with these people it comes very naturally becauseof our commonalities.He further expanded on the view of Islamic eschatology andwhat happens at the end of time. He said: There is a kind of anindication and reference to Islam and Christianity comingtogether and playing a great role when time comes. Our belief isthat when Imam al-Mahdi(aj) comes Jesus(a) will also return.There must be a reason for this! Why among all the prophets isthe Prophet Jesus(a)appointed to return? It shows thatChristianity will be an important player just as Shia Islam.These two communities should work together for thebetterment of humanity. So we need this relationship to developand grow fellowship and collaboration.

According to Dr Shomali participants in this interfaith andinterreligious trip felt a deep sense of friendship that is gettingdeeper with every meeting. Even those who attended for the firsttime felt the same.It is planned for the next meeting of dialogue to be held inKenya where there has been some tension between Christiansand Muslims and where meetings such as this may carrysignificant importance as a testimony of love and brotherhoodamong both faiths.It is hoped that the 7th round of Catholic - Shia dialogue willbe followed with another book as per previous dialogues.

7th Catholic - Shia Dialogue in Qom/MashhadOn Dignity of Being a Human

2016Publication of the book: Monks and Muslims III:

Towards a Global Abrahamic Community2015

6th Catholic - Shia Dialogue in AssisiOn Community

2015Publication of the book: Monks and Muslims II:

Creating Communities of Friendship2014

5th Catholic - Shia Dialogue in QomOn Friendship

Publication of the book: Monks and Muslims: MonasticSpirituality in Dialogue with Islam

20124th Catholic - Shia Dialogue in Rome

On Scripture and Praying2011

Publication of the book: Ethics in todays society2008

3rd Catholic - Shia Dialogue in UK Heythrop Collegeand Worth Abbey

2007Publication of the book: Reason and Faith, in Theory

and Practice2006

2nd Catholic - Shia Dialogue in UK Heythrop College -London and Ampleforth Abbey

2005Abbot Timothy and Father Bonaventura and twopeople from Heythrop College, Anthony Mahony

and Michael Barnes SJ visited Qom2004

Publication of the book: Catholic and Shia in Dialogue:Studies in Theology and Spirituality

20041st Catholic - Shia Dialogue in UK Heythrop College -

London and Ampleforth Abbey2003

Abbot Timothy Wright and Father Wulstan visitQom - Iran

2002Dr Shomali invited by Abbot Timothy Wright to give

lectures on Islam at Ampleforth Abbey2001

Dr Shomali visit to Rome and Loppiano1999

First visit to Ampleforth AbbeyInitial encounter - Liverpool - UK 1997


islam today June 2016 5

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St. Ottilien Archabbey Germany

We live in a world where all too often religion only makes theheadlines when being employed by a group of extremists tryingto justify their warped ideologies, ideologies, which are rarelyshared by the majority of those who follow the same faith.Not a day passes without an Islamophobic or anti-Semiticincident occurring somewhere, or a person or group of peopleare brutally murdered for the faith they choose to follow.Unfortunately, rarely do the media give any attention to thetireless efforts by people of faith to counter this extremism andhate, which is sweeping across Europe and the rest of the world.The media does not tell us when people of one faith arestepping out of their comfort zones and extending an olivebranch to other believers. The majority of us remain oblivious tothe friendships which are being formed through these efforts.

One such event took place in late April at St. Ottilien Archabbeya beautiful and tranquil Benedictine Monastery in Emming, inthe German district of Landsberg. St. Ottilien boasts its ownfarms, power station, guest house and a school for 700 children.The Monastery became the unlikely venue for a meetingbetween a group of monks, led by Brother Josef Gotze, and agroup of Shia Muslim Scholars and students from variouscountries, led by Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali.

During the course of these four days, members from each grouppresented papers on topics such as; the importance of dialogueand peace between different religions, family values, hospitalityand refugees, social justice, the environment, and prayer.The presentations and subsequent discussions providedparticipants with the opportunity to think and look beyonddifferences and realise just how much the two faiths share incommon. As Dr. Shomali so eloquently put it, as humans we aremore attentive to differences. It is time we trained ourselves tolook beyond these differences and see the commonalities, to seeour shared humanity and shared belief in God.The meeting became a prime example for tackling the risingtide of hate with dialogue and love. And even though the eventonly lasted a few days, the friendships formed will continue formany years to come.

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The Sophia University Institute in Loppiano (FI), Italy wasestablished in honour of Chiara Lubich (founder of the FocolareMovement) in 2008 after her death.The relationship between the university and the Shia Scholarsstarted long before it became a university. Hujjatul-Islam DrMuhammad Ali Shomalis first visit took place back in 1999.These meeting represent the foundation of a long friendshipand dialogue. Discussions varied from talking about Sophia[Latin word for Wisdom] to the future of humanity. From thediscussion between the university academics and Shia scholarsit soon became clear that they had many common ideas aboutunity and inter-religious dialogue that could be developed inpractical projects.Dr Shomalis recent visit to the university took place in February2015, where he held public as well as informal meetings withstaff and students. Following that meeting Dr Shomali wasinvited by the president of the university Prof. Msgr. Coda Pieroto return to the university and teach a course to MA studentswhich was scheduled to start in 2016. The course which isbased on inter-religious dialogue was for the first time to betaught by lecturers from different religious traditions in order toshare similar experiences and ideas.Dr Shomali delivered his first lecture during a four-hourmorning and afternoon session in April 2016. He talked abouthis personal involvement in inter-religious dialogue, presenting abrief summary of his twenty-year rich experience in the field ofinterfaith. A part of his discussion was also about Shia Islamand the foundation for dialogue according to Shia Islam. DrShomali further spoke about the importance of inter-religiousdialogue and the future of humanity based on unity.Following this academic engagement, the plan is to have athree-day programme in July 2016 [after the month ofRamadhan]. The university president Prof. Coda Piero and DrShomali will be discussing subjects related to unity betweendifferent faith groups, Muslim and Christians in particular andsome of the ideas can be actualised in the near future.Hujjatul-Islam Dr Shomali will be taking a group of scholars inthe next encounter to present the Muslim Shia perspectivewhile Prof. Coda Piero will lead the Catholic/ FocolareMovement side.The April meeting was a fruitful meeting. After many years offriendship and talk, the two groups are now ready to move intomore focused, scholarly but at the same time spiritualdiscussion on unity and cooperation, said Dr Shomali.


n international conference on Shi'i studiesbrought together speakers and participants fromacross the globe, some travelling from as farafield as Australia and Argentina. The

conference was hosted at The Islamic College on 7-8 May inLondon. This years conference successfully highlighted thediversity of new research within Shi'i studies. Talks rangedfrom the traditional scholarly subjects such as fiqh andhadith to sociological, anthropological and epistemologicalstudies. Key contemporary issues involving Shi'as andShi'ism, such as feminism and Tafkikis were also discussed.

This is the second year the Islamic College has hosted theInternational Conference on Shi'i Studies. The conferencewas organised by the Journal of Shia Islamic Studies, theIslamic Centre ofEngland, and theInstitute for Islamicstudies in Iran.Following on from lastyears success, theydecided to hold thisyears event over twodays. While last years

discussions were mostly focussed on the pedagogical studyof Shi'ism itself, this years agenda was more diverse andincluded pedagogical studies.

The proceedings of the conference will be published in theJournal of Shi'a Islamic Studies, an academic, peer-reviewedjournal, focusing on studies of Shi'ism and Shi'as which isnow in its ninth year.

One of the speakers at the conference, Professor Ali Payadelivered a talk looking at The Disenchantment of Reason:An Anti-Rational Trend in Modern Shi'i Thought TheTafkikis. He focused mostly on an epistemological point ofview of the basic tenets of a powerful anti-intellectual trendin modern Shi'i thought known as the Tafkikis School.

While anti-rationaland non-rationaltrends, tendencies andapproaches form aspectrum in which alarge variety ofpositions can beidentified, rationality isidentified solely by

AA

Conference

subscribing to valid and soundarguments. It is important to notethat even anti-rationalists andnon-rationalists, e.g. Sophists,make use of arguments but thetype of arguments they use areinvalid and fallacious. Moreover,for them, the final arbiters injudgements about knowledgeclaims are things other thancritical reason and reality. -Professor Ali Paya The IslamicCollege, London and University ofWestminster, London

The college also put up a bookstall selling ICAS, MIU, andEWI publications offering all participants and attendees 50%off all books.

The Annual International Conference on Shi'i Studies aimsto strengthen the field of Shi'i Studies by bringing togetheracademics to present the outcomes of their latest researchand to cultivate an environment for intellectual discussionsand interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaborations.

With regard to this years conference it seems the consensusof the participantsand attendees wasthat it succeeded inachieving its statedgoal by creating aplatform for criticalexamination andscholarlyelaboration of newideas and emergingtrends within thesphere of Shi'iStudies.

The conference was an opportunity forresearchers from around the world to gatherand present their research on differentaspects of Shiism and the experiences ofShii peoples. I enjoyed the diversity of thesubjects as well as the thoughtfulness thatthey approached their topics with. We arelooking forward to printing their papers.-Amina Inloes - Managing Editor, Journal ofShia Islamic Studies

The Conference was absolutely fantastic,and the wide variety of speakers and topicswere intellectually stimulating. It was goodto see that this conference attractedspeakers from around the world. - FatemaMuraj, an attendee



MSEN held its 2nd annual presentation day in late April atthe Islamic Centre of England in Maida Vale London.The event was well attended by over 400 madrasa children,parents, teachers and honourable scholars from all over theUK representing 11 Shia Islamic Centres/ImamBargah.

The APD event was managed professionally by MSEN(Muslim School Education Network). The purpose of theevent is to provide a national platform for children tocreatively perform, gain confidence and motivation fromothers and importantly, build networks, friendship andunity with all.The event had everything frombeautiful Nasheeds, Quranicrecitations, creative comedysketches, to a very physicaldisplay of self-defence! Theaudience had a great time, witha lot of happiness, laughter andappreciation evident throughoutthe day.The performances were verywell-prepared and everyoneenjoyed them all. MSEN partnerSchools teams who performedon the day were:

Educational Institute of Islamic Centre of England Masjid-e-Ali Education Centre Luton Hussaini Islamic Mission Hunslow MCE Quran Madressa Ilford Imamia Mission London Ahlul Bayt School East Londo Idara-e-Jaffariya London PreHowza London Islamic Republic of Iran School London Hidayah Youth Sakina Trust East London Zainbiya Islamic School Reading

After the performances an awards ceremony was held inwhich the extraordinary efforts of some teachers wererecognised.The welcome speech was delivered by the President ofMSEN Dr Azhar Hassan Raza. Dr Azhar discussed theMSEN roadmap and its future plans.The guest speaker was the honourable Shiekh DrMohammad Ali Shomali who discussed the rights of thestudents over the teacher and vice versa. It was afascinating speech inspiring all teachers, parents andstudents present.The closing speech was delivered by Sheikh Isa Jahangir Head of Islamic College for Advanced Studies. In his talkJahangir thanked parents, teachers and all teams for theirhard work to make the event successful.One exciting feature of this years APD event was the

exhibitions set up by five schools;-Islamic Centre of England (Theme: Imam Zaman(aj) andQuran)-MCE Quran Madressa (Theme: Chapter Al-Feel [TheElephant])-MAEC Luton (Theme: Quran & Imam Ali (a))-Hussaini Islamic Mission-Ahlul Bayt

The planning for this event started back in January 2016, inclose collaboration with the Islamic Centre of Englandteam. Hours of meetings, discussions and preparations wentinto its organisation. According to the result of feedbackforms the event scored 86% satisfaction, which represents agreat result.



Art Editor Moriam Grillo

Art

One 2 Onewith Muhammad Umar

t is the Prophet Muhammads(s) Sunnah (example) whichinspires and motivates us towards actualising the bestin ourselves. The prophet used sacred stories toelucidate his visionary mission and charge our

imaginations. This month, in conversation with Nigerianwriter Muhammad Umar, we discuss the power of story andhow it can shape hearts and minds.

I am naturally a very curious person. Ialways wanted to know things. I am inspiredby political themes more than others. AsMuslim I am inspired by justice and fairnessbut as a writer, I get drawn to try my hand onother topics, just to prove that I can do it." -Muhammad Umar

Muhammad Umar came to book writing afteran established career in journalism. To datehe has written several books for both adultsand children. Only haven I recently becomeaware of his work, I was curious to find outwhat inspired him to combine his love of

realism with imagination.

Your first novel 'Amina' is a social documentwhich recounts a startling reality whilstencouraging the reader to hope and dream. Whywas writing this novel important to you?

When I saw what was happening in and around my area, Ibegan to ask questions and no one seemed to have answersfor me. It was the search for answers that led me to writingthe story. I always wanted to be a writer and in my novel Iwanted to show the reality for posterity. There is too muchinjustice and oppression being carried out especially inMuslim countries and especially in the name of religion.When I realised that I could write I decided to make surewhat I experienced was shared in the form of a story. I justcouldnt keep those experiences in me. Someone ought tospeak out loudly and expose the hypocrisy and outright liesof the ruling classes.

Your protagonist Amina has been described asan Islamic feminist...

Yes she is and I make no apologies for that. It is not acontradiction at all. Amina is a woman who becameconscious of the way her beloved religion was beingmisinterpreted to suit the patriarchal society. She recognisedthe way in which women especially were being subjected tounnecessary restrictions in modern day society. These arerestrictions she found hard to accept because they were notpractised even during the time of our beloved ProphetMuhammad(s). So first she organised the women andeducated them and when the government banned them shedecided to demonstrate against such harsh policies with aview to making other people understand the inhumannature of such practices.

What experiences whilst working as a journalistinfluenced your writing?

So many experiences. Straight after my expulsion fromAhmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1981, I was fortunate tobe offered a job as a reporter in a radio station. I travelled todifferent parts of the state and reported from courts, offices,police stations, prisons, mosques etc. It was a hugeexperience because even though I was born and brought upin that area, I took so many things for granted until I had tolisten to the stories of ordinary people and report theseincidents. I think it was my experiences in the courts thatmade me think more than any other. It was there that I sawfirst-hand legal oppression and powerlessness of the poor. Iwitnessed the brutality of the security forces and corruptionin government offices. Visiting and reporting on drought-stricken areas really opened my eyes.

Having studied Political Science and Journalism,is it fair to say you perceive the world through aparticular lens?

Yes it is. Political science taught me to look at particularissues from a particular angle. I was very fortunate to havebeen exposed at an early age to different political systemsand theories. When I accidentally became a journalist, theknowledge I acquired in the classroom helped meunderstand the way the society was formed and how itfunctioned. Journalism taught me to examine things critically

Mohammed Umar was born in Azare inNigerias Bauchi State. He studied journalismin Moscow and political economy in London.Mohammed Umar serves as a judge for theCaine Prize for African Writing in 2009. Hisfirst novel Amina (2005) has been publishedin over thirty languages. His other booksinclude the Adventures of Jamil (2012), TheIllegal Immigrant (20160, and the HunterBecomes Hunted (2016). He lives in London.

I


before reaching aconclusion. I leant to askquestions and not toassume. I was veryfortunate because I studiedJournalism in Moscow underthe Communists aneducation that enriched myunderstanding of the systemin the former Soviet Union. Ithen studied PoliticalEconomy at MiddlesexUniversity in the UK. Thelatter education helps meunderstand the system in thewest.

Why do you believethere is a lack ofimagination beingexercised amongstMuslims?

The short answer is thetype of education that hasbeen in place in Muslimcountries over thecenturies. Muslims are nottaught to have multi-dimensional thinking. Once a child ismoulded in a one-direction mode of thinking its very hardto think critically and imaginatively. Partly, that explainswhy Muslim writers are not very prolific because theirreaders are not very receptive to imaginative ideas. There isalso a fear factor. Most Muslim countries are very repressiveand repression has a way of making people fearimagination. Although some Muslim countries are rich inresources, lack of imagination has made Muslims poor inutilising these resources.Our lack of imagination is primarily down to our attitude toknowledge in general. As Muslims we do not takeknowledge seriously. Knowledge that was once the strengthof Islam is now its weakness. Ignorance is the biggestenemy of Islam. We must not forget that a lot of Muslimcountries were colonised and have not really freedthemselves from this yoke and become creative. In westernsocieties, Muslims find themselves restricted by so manycontradictions. While on the one hand we know we coulddo better because we are intellectually capable like anyother people, we tend to sit back and hope instead ofaspire to be better human beings.

How can engaging with story improve this?

Stories are the best forms of engaging the mind especiallyfrom an early age. Its important the mind is opened asearly as possible and only imaginative stories can do that.The developed countries are way ahead because of the waythey engage the minds of the people. They spendsubstantial amounts of their resources engaging the mindsof the people while most Muslim countries do the exactopposite. Having said that, its not in all cases thatrepression stifles imagination. The Tsarist period in Russiaproduced the most imaginative and prolific writers.Unfortunately in the Muslim world, repression has put bothphysical and mental veils on the people.

Amina opens up like a soft music and it keeps thatrhythm going even when tough things are happening.I think this is what is special about it. The soft musiccarries on even when the fury and anger grows loud.- Fatema Mernissi, sociologist and writer

The novel Amina is available in paperback from Amazon

Moriam Grillo is an international artist.She holds Bachelor degrees inPhotography & Film and Ceramics, hercurrent projects include a commission forthe Queen Elizabeth hospital inBirmingham.

Life&

Community

ajlis-e-Ulama-e-Shia (Europe) organised twocamps this year during the Easter break: CampFatimiyyah for girls, which took place at the endof March 2016 and Camp Baqiriyyah for boys the

following month. The venue for both camps was CondoverHall, a prestigious and elegant Elizabethan manor housenear Shrewsbury in Shropshire.Camp Fatimiyyah was attended by 87 girls, as well as a staffof 10 team leaders and teachers, including Dr. RebeccaMasterton and the supervisor and coordinatorSyeda Umme Farwa.

There was great enthusiasm from all involved.Various physical and spiritual activities were organised,including workshops on prayers, wudhu (ablution),responsibilities towards parents and the purpose of ourcreation. Congregational prayers were held outdoors, as wellas the recitations of Dua-e-Ahad and Ziyarat-e-Ashura. Thefocal point of the camp was when the girls celebrated thebirth of Lady Fatima Zahra(s), and this involved an Islamicquiz. This ceremony provided the girls with an opportunity

to learn as well as connect with one another and theteam leaders in an informal setting.Similarly, Camp Baqiriyyah enjoyed a high attendanceof 60 boys, as well as 13 staff members, including fourscholars. Various physical activities were organised inaddition to spiritual and educational workshops andlectures, covering many areas of Islamic teachings,from Islamic law to the Seerah of the Infallibles(a).Lectures were delivered by Maulana AhmadMukhtar Najafi, Maulana Syed Asrar Kazmi, andMaulana Muazzam Ali Qummi.

The highlight of the boys camp was thecelebration of the birth of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir(a), in which they learnt about his life and his

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legacy. This was followed by a quiz to test their Islamicknowledge and what they had learnt during the camp.

Each of the camps ended with a presentation ceremonyattended by Allama Zafar Abbas Malik, the President ofMajlis-e-Ulama-e-Shia. Trophies were presented to winnersof the quiz, and attendance certificates were given to allgirls and boys.

The participants in both camps and their families gave verypositive feedback with many saying they would like thecamps to last longer. The camps provided an opportunity tothe participants to reconnect with their religion and withGod, as well as to form new bonds and friendships amongstthemselves. They provided an uplifting experience for thesoul and left an enduring impact on everyone involved.


Faith


e are probably all familiar with sayingsopportunity only knocks once" and ifopportunity does not knock built a door". ForMuslims the month of Ramadhan is a great

opportunity to tap into the meta-physical realities andhidden secrets. The Divine Mercy not only builds a door forus but also knocks it many times over and says do not losehope in the Mercy of God".

For Muslims, Ramadhan is known as the month of Godand this has been mentioned in a sermon delivered by theProphet in Shaban, the month proceeding the holy monthof Ramadhan. In another narration the 8th Shia Imam alRidha(a) mentions that Do not say Ramadhan arrived andRamadhan went but rather say the month of Ramadhanarrived and the month of Ramadhan is gone, becauseRamadhan is one of the names of God. When the monthof Ramadhan is the month of God and also one of thenames of God then what it contains within will be Godly aswell. This month will contain within it a source of return(ruju) towards God. I would like to point out few facets ofthis divine month. As we mentioned earlier it is primarilyan opportunity.

Ramadhan as an opportunity to perform takhliya(making oneself empty / detachment)

The month of Ramadhan is the month of takhliya, knownas detachment and also making empty in the lexical senseand once this making empty takes place then the nuzool(descent) in the true sense will take place. An echo of thiscan be seen in the far eastern Taoist philosophy whichasserts, it is the empty space of the wheel which makes thewheel. The goal is to empty oneself of desire for food, sex,

lust, passion, ego and most human conditions, so that theword of God can fill this void as it descends on the night ofqadr (power).

The detachment from ego, worldly desires or world(dunnya) must happen first for one to get attached to thespiritual, heavenly qualities or the hereafter (akhira). Noteating & drinking is very symbolic of the fact that you areemptying yourself that you are detaching yourself from thehuman condition to aspire and to acquire angelic qualitiesbecause angels do not eat or drink but rather are filled withthe remembrance of the Divine. No wonder the Prophet ofIslam in the last sermon of Shaban is reported to havesaid: The breath of a person who fasts is remembrance(dhikr) and their sleep is worship (ibadah).

Ramadhan an opportunity to perform khalwa (spiritualretreat)

Truth is self-evident and it does not require a profoundexplanation. Man has completely realised that occasionalwithdrawal from full life not only tends to provideappreciation of life but also to provide a better means totreat and utilise it. This withdrawal can be consideredascetic in the spiritual terminology. Ramadhan becomesthe vehicle through which man performs a khalwa whilenot eating and drinking (fasting), appreciating that food anddrink are blessings and gifts of God and that He is the fail(Actor) and the provider of this blessing. Thiscontemplation is made possible by khalwa, where thefasting person yearns for food and realises in the firstinstance the command of God that he or she is fasting andon a deeper level yearns to receive the reward of the fastthrough God Himself.

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Do not say Ramadhan arrived and Ramadhan wentbut rather say the month of Ramadhan arrived andthe month of Ramadhan is gone, because Ramadhanis one of the names of God. Imam al Ridha(a)

As the Prophet of Islam has said: God says, Fasting is forme and I am the one to give the reward. The usage of Iis considered quite unique by 16th century scholarMuhammad Taqi Majlisi in the sense that: God did notjust say fast is for Me but rather He says I will reward. Heuse the term I which is in the first person pronoun. Thereason for this unique portrayal of the importance offasting is because God usually speaks either in the thirdperson pronoun such as He is the one who sent down,He is the one who sent the revelation or He speaks withthe connotation of Majestic We, for instance, We revealedon the Night of qadr.However in this narration He has used the first personpronoun. Furthermore this narration can also be translatedas, I am the reward and this makes it more mysteriousand spiritual that the reward of fast is God Himself. Godbeing the reward can be understood, when one reaches thelevel where one sees the Nourisher (Razzaq) Himself whenhe realises he or she needs nourishment in the same wayas a person yearning for food or drink. This is what wemean when we say seeing the fail (Actor) Himself.Regardless, in both cases the performer of the fast will havethe opportunity to meet God in order to take the reward orbe graced by being allowed in the presence of God if thereward is God Himself.

The month of Ramadhan an opportunity to freedom

The most precious and valuable phenomenon for humansis freedom. God is free and He wants us to be free as well.When man achieves his freedom then he is a truekhalifatullah (vicegerent) of God. There is no other valuegreater than the value of freedom. The month of

Ramadhan provides an opportunity to free ourselves as theProphet of Islam has reportedly said: O people you are notfree but imprisoned and you do not even realise that youare in one. The sins that you have committed haveimprisoned you, in the month of Ramadhan with istaghfaar(seeking forgiveness) free yourself.

As the first Shia Imam Ali(a) says, the way to freedom is bycleaning what has remained in our teeth, which isexplained as one must leave the previous leftoverthoughts, his positions or designated status, heritage,wealth, lineage etc. If man divests himself of all these whichmeans he pays no attention to and he does not desirethem then he is free. As the Quran says; every man ishostage to what he has earned (52.21). In another chapterit asserts the same with an exception, Every soul is held inpledge what it earns. Except the people of the right hand(74:38-39). The people of the right hand are those whohave freed themselves from all the ills and norms thatsociety dictates. The methodology provided is seekingforgiveness while fasting in order to free ourselves from theidols or ideals that imprison us.

Photo by Taraneh Eskandari

Sheikh Mirza Abbas Raza holds an MA inTheology from University of Birmingham. He iscurrently working on his Phd on IslamicMysticism (irfan) at the University of Exeter. Healso lectures at Hawza Ilmiyya of England andIslamic College of Advanced Studies in London.

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In the name of God the compassionate the Merciful

The Holy Fasting MonthBlessed Ramadhan of the Faithful

With Mystic Eye turned inwardGazing uponAll that is Beauty Grace Mercy

The Abundance of OurLord Most High

Descending upon Thosein Prostration

Its fragrant petalsUnfolding

Day by DayMoment by momentPrayer-time by prayer time

In our ecstasy, weBarely even canTake leave of our praise

And adoration of You, O Lord!

Most Magnificent, Most PowerfulMost PraiseworthySweetness, Bliss, and Light upon Light

To return, earthly existenceCalling! The Fast timeApproacheth! Finish theBodys nourishment

While the Heart callsReturn! Return!Dwell with MeIn Timeless Ecstasy!

Poem by sister A Abrahamsen

The Holy Fasting Month

Interfaith

tthhee CCaatthhoolliicc CChhuurrcchh;;



hen the next Council of the Catholic Church willtake place the Pope will have his wife with him.And the Pope presiding over the next councilafter may well have her husband with her! An

old joke we used to laugh at when I was a theologicalstudent back in the 80s. Decades later, the joke remainsjust that. The Pope is still male. And unmarried. Yet, thedebate concerning the role of women in the CatholicChurch has not gone away. When I told a Roman Catholicpriest friend, Father Marius, that Italian feminist journalistand academic Lucetta Scaraffia contends that the Churchneglects the contribution of women, he exploded: That isabsurd! Nuns are, and always have been, some of the mostactive, powerful and influential figures in parish life andother ministries.That is true but it partly misses the point. Any priest willvouch that nuns are often authority-laden figures in parishlife. Further, religious women doteach in church schools andseminaries, minister to the sickin hospitals, work as chaplains,and conduct retreats and so on.However, the reality is that not allwomen have a vocation to benuns. They are and will remain asmall minority. Dr Scaraffiascriticism was directed chiefly atthe limited role of lay women inthe intellectual life of Catholicismand in matters of leadership. Forexample, early in Pope Francispapacy it was mooted that he might have appointed afemale cardinal but nothing has come out of it. Nor is anyVatican major department headed by a woman. Despitewomen having an increasing presence inside Vatican City asart historians, journalists, office heads and archivists, thetop ranks of the Church remain resolutely and uniformlyoccupied by men.The almost revolutionary idea of allowing women to preachthe sermon (Catholics call it homily) during Mass wasadvanced in an article by Catherine Aubin, printed in awomens supplement of LOsservatore Romano, the officialVatican publication. She invoked the names of famous andgreat saints like St Genevieve, St Joan of Arc and StCatherine of Siena. In support, the author also mentionedthe opinion of the progressive monk and theologian, EnzoBianchi. He claimed that there is no Gospel prohibitionagainst having women preachers and therefore asked: Whynot? Actually, there is a passage in the New Testament, in

St Pauls First Letter to Timothy, that seems to contradictBianchis assertion: I permit no woman to teach or haveauthority over men (2:12). Nonetheless, observe that this isthe Apostle speaking, not Christ himself. Thus Bianchi hasa prima facie point. Still, in a subsequent recantationpublished in the same organ, Bianchi apologised for hissuggestion. His intention was to stimulate discussion but heaccepted that the actual canonical discipline of the CatholicChurch is crystal-clear: the homily during the celebration ofthe Mass is strictly reserved for either the priest or thedeacon. Women can be neither. Therefore no woman canpreach. End of the story for the time being.Pope Francis has recently dedicated his prayer intention forthe month of May to women. That means that women arethe purpose or aim of his regular devotions for the whole ofthat month. Of course, May is already the appointed timefor invocations to the Virgin Mary in Christianity the ideal,

all-holy model woman. So thePope has rightly emphasisedwomens key role in family life, aswell their many sufferings whenthey are enslaved or raped andabused across the world. Thatwill not be quite enough topacify Catholic feminists, Isuspect. Particularly, thereference to womans traditionalrole in family life is unlikely toplease them.

Secretary of State CardinalParolin has said to journalists that there is no reason oneday a woman could not have his job. He means that thepolitical job of a Secretary of State is not identical with thatof an ordained priest. His function is essentially that of astatesman, not a prelate, and so even a lay person, male orfemale, could do it. All that is technically true but theVatican State is not really like other States or politicalentities. It is a theocratic organisation, headed by a Pontiffand run largely by clergy. Maybe a female Vatican PrimeMinister is conceivable but, ahem, it would still be a bit ofan anomaly, at best only a token gesture.

The biggest stumbling block to womens careeradvancement in the Catholic Church is that they cannot bepriests. There is no indication that the Pope is willing tocontemplate a change there. Such a move would contradicttwo thousand years of unbroken tradition, cause a rupturewith the Eastern Orthodox Churches and probably

Pope Francis has recently dedicated his prayer intention for the month of Mayto women. That means that women are the purpose or aim of his regular

devotions for the whole of that month.

W

... the Pope has rightly emphasisedwomens key role in family life, aswell their many sufferings whenthey are enslaved or raped andabused across the world. That willnot be quite enough to pacifyCatholic feminists...

Revd Frank Julian Gelli is anAnglican priest, cultural criticand a religious controversialist,working on religious dialogue.His last book The Dark Side ofEngland. An expos, is availableon Amazon Kindle.

precipitate a worldwide schism. Incomparison with which thesecession of traditionalistArchbishop Lefevre after Vatican IIwould be like a Vicarage tea party.

In the Gospels Christ does not ignore women. He addresseshimself to both genders without distinction. His message isas much given to women as to men. Devout womenfollowed him and ministered to his wants. At last, when thedisciples had fled, women stood by him at the foot of theCross. After the Resurrection, not men but women were thefirst to receive the privilege of seeing the risen Lord.

On the other hand, the twelve Apostles Christ chose weremen and so were the Seventy who were sent forth topreach the good news of the Kingdom of God. It shows thatthere were functions and responsibilities which at first theLord assigned to men and not to women. In terms ofspiritual privilege, there is equality between genders but asregards religious vocation and public duties it can beargued that Christ laid down diversity, not sameness.Another argument against womens ordination is that

female priests were a rare custom found only amongstheretical sects. St Epiphanius of Salamis (315-403 AD)indeed wrote a treatise against eighty heresies or falseteachings known to him. One he calls the Collyridians.They offered idolatrous sacrifices to the Virgin Mary andappointed priestesses. Such deviant practices were enoughfor the Saint to declare the Collyridians as heretical.

Some Christian churches havealready embraced femaleordination. Mostly they areProtestant or post-Reformationbodies, like the Church of

England and its US counterpart, the Episcopal Church.One key argument put forward in favour of women priestshas been that the Church needs to reflect the society towhich it ministers.As women are now largely equal in full employmentopportunities with men, how can a church that does notopen its priesthood to women be taken seriously bysociety? However, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Episcopalians ordained women 40 years ago but thatchurch has not flourished thereafter. Instead, it has lost halfof its membership. Similarly the Church of Englandsdecline has continued apace since 1993, when the GeneralSynod passed legislation permitting womens ordination.For the first time Sunday attendances have fallen to an all-time low, 760.000. There may be additional causes for thecrisis but the least you can say is that having womenpriests has not dramatically helped.

At the end of the day, the feminist claims tofull equality in the Church cannot bedefinitely rebutted with either rational orpragmatic arguments. Feminism is, I think,an irresistible expression of the spirit of theage, the dominant ethos of Western culture.A witty remark by Dean Inge comes to mind,however: He who marries the spirit of theage will soon find himself a widower.

In the Gospels Christ doesnot ignore women. He

addresses himself to bothgenders without distinction.

His message is as muchgiven to women as to men.


Translated by Alexander KhaleeliIntroduced by Mohammad Mehdi BaghiEdited by Mohammad Mehdi Baghi and Mohammed AliIsmailPaperback: 20:00Hardback: 30:00Publication of The Islamic College for Advanced Studies


Sheikh Shomali series of lectureson the Munajat al Murid

https://www.youtube.com/user/safintunnajaah/

Munyat al-Murid, part 1, Introduction for the

KLC by Sheikh Dr Shomali, 20th March 2016

Health

Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi


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oonn HHiigghh FFaatt DDaaiirryy FFoooodd

People who eat a lot of high-fat dairy products actuallyhave the lowest incidence of diabetes leading researchersto speculate that while calcium, protein, vitamin D andother nutrients in yogurt are indeed good for us, we needthe fat that goes along with them in order to benefit fromtheir protective properties.

eople are tired of hearing what is good and whatis bad for their health. One day you hear that eggyolk is very bad with high cholesterol levels, andthen you get bombarded with posts on social

media that we should eat at least two eggs a weekotherwise we will develop high levels of bad cholesterol.There is much confusion. While some people may simplychoose to forget all they hear and just do what they want,others become stressed, doubting whether what they eat isright or wrong. The reality is although we should take whatwe hear with a pinch of salt we should accept thatinformation coming from expert sources is usually based onlong-term studies and cannot just be dismissed.

One of the best examples is the debate around intake offatty food. For years people were encouraged to avoidsaturated animal fat and instead to use carbohydrates, butrecent findings reveal that cutting fat from the diet canincrease the bodys craving for sugary carbohydrates whichis far more dangerous in building up bad cholesterols.

The other interesting finding is related to the use ofskimmed dairy products for children and adults. For years,on the basis of studies that found children who consumedlow-fat milk as part of a reduced-saturated-fat diet hadlower concentrations of LDL cholesterol, the AmericanAcademy of Paediatrics believed that when the fat is takenout of milk, calories will be also reduced, therefore helpingprotect kids against becoming overweight.However a study of preschool-aged children published inearly 2013 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, a sisterpublication of the British Medical Journal, found that low-fatmilk was associated with higher weight. In fact kids drinkinglow-fat milk tended to be heavier. The study included about

PP

Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is apharmacologist. She hasworked as an editor for themedical section ofHamshahri, a dailynewspaper in Tehran.

10,700 children in the United States, chosen across allracial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Parents wereinterviewed about their child's milk consumption at twoyears old and again at age four.These findings were confirmed by two separate studiespublished by Swedish researchers in the European Journalof Nutrition in Feb 2013 and the Scandinavian Journal ofPrimary Health Care in June 2013. Both studies found thathigh-fat dairy was associated with a lower risk of obesity.

In her article Full Fat Paradox in NPR.org, Alison Aubreycites a study involving almost 3000 adults. This researchhas found that the dairy fats in milk, yogurt and cheese mayhelp protect against Type 2 diabetes. Beginning in the late1980s, researchers took blood samples from theparticipants and measured circulating levels of biomarkersof dairy fat in their blood. Then, over the next two decades,the researchers tracked those among the participants whodeveloped diabetes, she writes.She quotes Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the authors of thestudy: People who had the most dairy fat in their diet hadhad about a 50% lower risk of diabetes compared withpeople who consumed the least dairy fat. This selection ofevidence suggests that dairy fat impacts positively ondiabetes and cholesterol.What might explain this phenomenon is that thehigher levels of fat in whole milk products may makeus feel fuller and as a result, the thinking goes, wemay end up eating less. Or the explanation could bemore complex. There may be bioactive substances inthe milk fat that may be altering our metabolism in away that helps us utilise the fat and burn it forenergy, rather than storing it in our bodies.Aubrey quotes Mark DeBoer, a paediatrician at theUniversity of Virginia who believes the notion ofsaturated fat is always bad for us is now under thequestion. DeBoer and Mozaffarian both believe thatwhen people consume more low-fat dairy, they eatmore carbohydrates as a way of compensating. Manyhigh-carb foods such as cereals and breads thatcontain highly refined grains may in fact be lesssatisfying and can cause people to consume morecalories.With all the new evidence that challenges the low-fat-is-best orthodoxy, Mozaffarian says: .it may betime to reconsider the National School LunchProgram rules, which allow only skimmed and low-fatmilk and national policy should be neutral aboutdairy fat, until more information is available.However the recommendations that led to the fat-freedairy boom were, in part, born out of concerns aboutcholesterol. Whole-milk dairy products are relatively

high in saturated fat. And eating too much saturated fat canincrease the risk of heart disease. This leads many expertsto continue to agree that adults with high cholesterolshould continue to limit dairy fat.

It has long been known that organic whole milk containsbeneficial omega-3 fatty acids which can help preventclogging of the arteries and that calcium, protein, vitamin Dand other nutrients found in yogurt are indeed good for us.However it is also increasingly becoming clear that we needthe fat that goes along with them in order to benefit fromtheir protective effects.


Children Corner

Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani


hildren, it is the time of the year whenMuslims all around the world fast. Yes, theholy month of Ramadhan has arrived.

According to Islamic principles all Muslims who haveno health issues or are not travelling should fast. Butchildren only need to observe this rule from the ageof the religious obligation.Here, the boy of our story Ali Akbar, is only seven buthe is insisting on starting a full fast (not eating ordrinking from dawn to sunset). His parents allowedhim to try for a couple of days but half way throughthe day he became weak and felt sick. His parentshave asked him to eat during the day, but he refuses

to eat. Ali Akbar believes that if he fasts then justlike adults who perform their religious customs hewould be a good Muslim. Therefore he has decided tofast no matter what. He is right in thinkingperforming his Islamic rituals is good for his soul butGod knows better. He has ordained a rule but with itsown conditions. Ali is performing his prayers, butfasting, especially during these long summer days hasproved difficult and dangerous for his health.Ali Akbar says he wants to receive Savab (blessing) ofGod by fasting and performing daily prayers. That isall fine but fasting needs other strength that he hasntgot at the moment. His parents, who appreciate his

C


anxiety, have come up with a noble idea. Theyve toldAli Akbar that they are proud to have a child wholoves God so much and yearns to gain His blessings,but at the same God does not want little boys such asAli Akbar to get ill by fasting when they are not readyto do so.So we have come up with an idea which earns youequal blessing, they told Ali Akbar. There aredifferent ways to gain Gods blessing in this holymonth. For example if someone gives food to a fastingperson to open his fast (iftar) that person earnsblessings of God as much as a fasting person. Sowhen we go to the mosque for iftar, why dont you

help in giving food out to the people who fasted soyou get the blessings of God too?Ali Akbar thought about their suggestion, andaccepted it. He said: Ok this year I will try to get theblessing of God this way. From that night on he wentalong with his parents to the mosque and was thefirst person to offer his help to the organisers whowere giving food to the fasting people.



2 June

Sadaqah and Salaam Storytelling andRhymesJoin children's authors Aisha Mohammed,Sajida Mohammed and Elizabeth Lymerfor stories, rhymes, and interactive funabout giving charity and spreading peace.

Venue: IHRC Bookshop & Gallery, 202Preston Road, Wembley, HA9 8PATime: 1.30 PM - 3.00 PMFee: Free family event (recommended forchildren 2 yrs+)Booking:[email protected]

3 June

Languages or dialects? Celebrating thediversity of Arabics

A one-day workshop featuring scholarsfrom across Europe, North Africa and theMiddle East, with presentations onlinguistic and cultural aspects of theArabic-based languages/dialects of Malta,Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine andSouth Sudan.

Venue: Kamran Djam Lecture Theatre(G2), College Buildings, SOAS University ofLondon, Thornhaugh Street, RussellSquare, London WC1H 0XGTime: 9.00 AM - 6.00 PMMore info:www.soas.ac.uk/nme/events/03jun2016-languages-or-dialects-celebrating-the-diversity-of-arabic.html

City Circle Friday Talks: Preparing forRamadhan

This is the last open talk at City Circlewhere a number of speakers will addressissues surrounding Ramadhan. Ibn Jabalwill talk about the excellence of the Arabiclanguage. If not inspired to take up Arabic,we hope you will walk away with anappreciation of its power to shine a lighton the Qurans meaning. Iqbal Nasimfrom the National Zakat Foundation willtalk about Zakat, often termed theforgotten pillar of Islam, especially inWestern Muslim communities. The finalspeaker, Shahbaz Mirza, will presentRamadhan Legacy, a social enterprise thatis dedicated to connect and empower

Muslims to fulfil their Ramadhan andmake key spiritual changes to their life.

Venue: Abrar House, 45 Crawford Pl,Marylebone, London W1H 4LPTime: 6:45 PM 8:30 PMEntry: Free.Prayer space available and street parkingfree from 6.30 PM

4 June

PREVENT, Islamophobia & Civil Libertiesnational conference

One year ago the Prevent duty becamestatutory and has in practice chargedteachers, doctors and other professionalswith monitoring peoples religious andpolitical views. It is eroding civil libertiesand deepening discrimination againstMuslims who are treated as a suspectcommunity. This conference will examinethe acts implementation across differentsectors. It aims to build on the growingopposition to the duty which has seenlecturers, teachers, lawyers, students, andcommunity organisations come togetherand call for the act to be repealed.

Venue:Goldsmiths, University of London,SE14 6 NWTime: 11.00 AM - 6.00 PMTickets: 5Bookings:http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prevent-islamophobia-and-civil-liberties-

Structural Dividers in Qur'anic Material: ASynthesis of Approaches

This workshop will investigate theplausibility, and the implications, of anumber of possible methods forunderstanding the Quran in accordancewith a set of structurally-informed rules.

Convener: Marianna Klar (SOAS, Universityof London) [email protected]: Russell Square: College BuildingsRoom: 4429 & 4426Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PMAttendance is free of charge, butregistration is required (limited space).

45 June

Treasures of Revelation

Join Al Kauthar on a journey through theMiraculous Quran. The Treasures ofRevelation will take a detailed look intothe sciences that relate to the preservedand sacred Quran. Explore the reasonsfor revelation and some of the specificincidents that occurred during that period.The serene experience will leave youwanting more. Increase your love for theQuran on this epic journey.

Venue: Queen Mary University, TheBancroft Building, Whitechapel, LondonE1 4NSTime: 8.30 AM - 7.00 PMFee: 60.00Registration:https://alkauthar.org/course_enrol.php?course=704

5 June

Writing your Will

Al Ayn Charitable Foundation presents aseminar, at a unique setting, will introduceIslamic and legal perspectives on willwriting. Join us for an opportunity to bebetter informed of your choices as well asa chance to have your questions answered.The ticket price is inclusive of a will writingguide, and all profits go towards supportingorphans.

Venue: Harrow School, 5 High Street,Harrow, HA1 3HPTime: 4.00 PMRegistration: www.wills.alayn.co.uk

From 7 June

English lecture every night of the holymonth of Ramadhan

Leturers are delivered by:Sheikh S Bahmanpour - 7th to 16th JuneSheikh M A SHomali - 17th to 26th JuneSheikh A Haneef - from 27th till the end

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140Maida Vale, London W9 1QBmTimeone hour before Iftar, followed byprayers and iftar

What&

Where


Educational programmes during themonth of Ramadhan 2016

-Quran recitation and Islamic Beliefsclasses for children -7pm - 9pm (everyday)-Quran classes 6pm - 8pm (age 13 -18)-Half Joz Quran memorisation age 9 andunder (one off session) 2pm - 5pm on 12th-Quran reading and Arabic language forConverts (Ladies only)Wednesdays 10am - 13pm

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140Maida Vale, London W9 1QBMoreInfo/enrolment: [email protected]: 0207 604 5516

8 June

Friedrich Sarre and how Islamic ArtCame to Berlin

Organised by Rosalind Wade Haddon, aseminar by Dr Julia Gonnella, Curator,Museum for Islamische Kunst, Berlin.

Venue:Room KLT, College Buildings, SOASUniversity of London, Thornhaugh Street,Russell Square, London WC1H 0XGTime: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PMInfo: [email protected]

9 June

Bridging Voices: Violent Extremism,Gender & the State

This meeting will bring togethergovernment practitioners, religiousauthorities and academics from acrossEurope, the US and the MENA region todiscuss how governments can address theunderlying drivers of extremist violenceand work effectively to challenge extremistmessaging. The four sessions will coverthemes such as faith-based hatred,extremist propaganda and recruitment, therole of education and families in counter-extremism and cooperation betweengovernment and community groups.

Venue: St. Edmund's College, CambridgeInfo:http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/events/details?year=2016&month=6&day=9#ID1070

10 June

Iftar for Aleppo Islamic Relief (LADIESONLY)An Iftar aiming to leave you feelinginspired and giving you the opportunity togather the Rewards Of Ramadhan. As oneof the very few NGOs that still has anoperational office inside Aleppo city,Islamic Relief are standing alongside theSyrian people and supporting them intheir hour of need.

Venue: The Vine Community Centre,Bobbers Mill Rd, Nottingham,Nottinghamshire NG7 5GZTime: 6.30 PMMore info: Call 07753 443 673

Religion in Sasanian Iran

A gallery talk by Rachel Wood, BritishMuseum. Gallery talks last 45 minutes.They are given by Museum staff or guestspeakers and are suitable for all levels ofknowledge.

Venue: Room 52, British Museum, GreatRussell Street, London WC1B 3DGTime: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PMFee: Free, drop in.

The Splendours of ancient IranA gallery talk by Carolyn Perry,independent speaker. Gallery talks last 45minutes. They are given by Museum staffor guest speakers and are suitable for alllevels of knowledge.Venue: Room 53, British Museum, GreatRussell Street, London WC1B 3DGTime: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PMFee: Free, drop in.

13 June

Natural Philosophy in the Islamic World1500 1800

A Centre for Research in the Arts, SocialSciences and Humanities Work in Progressseminar - the project by Khaled El-Rouayheb (Leverhulme Visiting Fellow2015-16) is to investigate the hithertounexplored tradition of natural philosophyin the Islamic world in the period 1500

-1800 AD. There was a keen interest innatural philosophy in Islamic lands in theearly modern period and the disciplineformed a regular part of the curricula ofOttoman, Safavid and Mughal madrasas.Thousands of manuscript folios on naturalphilosophy from this period remainunedited and unstudied.

Venue: CRASSH Meeting Room, Alison RichardBuilding, 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DTTime: 12.30 PM - 2.00 PMMore info: http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk

19 June

Digital Workshop Explore IslamicPatterns

Use smartphones to explore beautiful andcomplex patterns on Islamic objects inRoom 34. Then create your own designinspired by what you've discovered. Tosecure a place sign up on the day of thesession at the Samsung Digital DiscoveryCentre.

Venue: Samsung Centre, British Museum,Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DGTime: 11.00 AM - 1.00 PM and 2.00 PM -4.00 PMFee: Free, limited places.

Through 25 June

On Palestine Photographs by AnniePfingst 20072014

Opening with Ilan Pappe (University ofExeter) and Annie Pfingst. Supported bythe European Centre for Palestine Studies,Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies aspart of the AHRC project on Gender andSettler Colonialism: Women's OralHistories in the Naqab.

Venue: The Walkway Gallery, ExeterPhoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter EX4 3LSTime: 5.00 PM - 7.00 PM

Disclaimer: islam today does not necessarlyendorse or recommend any of these events. Theircontents and individuals or groups involved inthem. We are not responsible for changes to times,fees or venues. Further information should besought direclty from the organisers.

islam today -issue 36 - june 2016

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