islam today - july 2016 - issue 37

issue 37 vol. 4July 2016

iissllaamm ttooddaayy

Farewell to Ramadan

‘Personhood, virtue and moral cultivations'

Imam Khomeini & the Status of Women

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 37 vol. 4

July 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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Contents

Shi s and Sunni scholars keep up the momentumBirmangham

Pre-Ramadan religious scholars’ meetingIslamic Centre of England - London

Personhood, virtue and moral cultivationA Christian-Muslim workshop - Germany

Imam Khomeini and the Status of Women19th International 'Imam Khomeini Conference'

Islamic centre of England

Farewell to Ramadanby Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali

Passing Away of a Pious AcademicianTribute to Hujjatul-Islam wal-Muslimin Dr Muhammad Jafar Elmi

Artby Moriam Grillo

Teaching with EthicsMSEN

A journey to ChileHujjatul-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Razavi’s visit to Chile

Conscience vs the might of the stateby Revd Frank Julian Gelli

Diet & mental healthby Dr Laleh Lohrasbi

Children Cornerby Ghazaleh Kamrani

What & WhereListing of events

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Shi a scholars from across the UK meet at the IslamicCentre in the customary pre - Month of Ramadan meeting.The objective of these meetings is for scholars andcommunity preachers to discuss the most pressing issuesfaced by the congregations and to set guideline on topic tobe discussed during lectures and talks given throughout themonth of Ramadan.In this year event for the first time after the welcomingspeech by Hujjatul-Islam Dr Shomali the participants weredivided into three special committees in three differentlanguages. One committee discussed the importance and

methodologies of interfaith. Hujjatul-Islam Dr Shomali gavethe main presentation. A second committee was set todiscuss legal issue related to Islamic centres and mosque inrelation to regulations and new political development. Athird commission discussed various suggestions for topic tobe covered by speakers in lectures during the month ofRamadan. A number of scholars provided reports andpresentations. Spokesmen for each committee addressedthe participants after they all reconvened in the main hall todiscuss the outcome of each committee.

Sunday the 5th of June 2016, a group of Shi scholars wereinvited to a meeting by their Sunni counterparts inBirmingham. The Sunni group was made up of leaders ofdifferent denominations in the UK. The attendees describedthe atmosphere of meeting as very brotherly and welcoming.

The meeting addressed issues of unity and cooperationamong Muslims underscoring the need for bridge buildingbased upon great commonalities that exists among them.The event was the follow up to an number of previousencounters, one in Birmingham in 2004 during acelebration of the Milad ul Nabi and the other one in Qum

(2016) where a group of Sunni scholars were invited to visitthe country and meet Shi a religious personalities as well asleaders of the Sunni minority that live there. (See islamtoday issue May 2016 issue 35 ). While Sunni and Shi ascholars meet regularly at local level, the meeting on Sunday5th of June saw the participation of scholars not only fromBirmingham but also from Manchester, Watford,Wolverhampton and London.Further meeting are expected to take place in the nearfuture including an event open to the public too to be heldat a Birmingham mosque.

Pre-Ramadan religious scholars’meeting

Shi s and Sunni scholars keepup the momentum

he first two days of June 2016 saw the Universityof Paderborn in Germany host a two-dayworkshop titled ‘Personhood, virtue and moralcultivation; a Christian-Muslim workshop’. This

is part of a collaborative project by which the participantshope to enhance the mutual understanding of Shiite, Sunni,Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican moral traditions and themoral visions that these different traditions have formed, andalso to explore the potential of these traditions to meetchallenges that contemporary society is confronted with.Strong academic relations already exist between theSeminary of Qum and universities in Germany, especiallyPaderborn University. A number of regular visits anddiscussions involving PhD students, lecturers andpostgraduate students from different German institutionsand the Qum’s Seminary have taken place.

Recently the University of Paderborn has also launched adepartment of Islamic Studies, offering degree courses. TheGerman academic system entails that any religiousacademics who are employed by universities should beapproved by a recognised religious establishment. In thecase of a Muslim lecturer they should be approved by the

Muslim Council of the particular area or region. This appliesalso to representatives of other religions. So if a Jewishperson wants to teach Judaism they should be approved bythe Jewish Council of the area. There are currently threestudents from Qum studying for PhD and another Muslimlady undertaking post - doctoral research at PaderbornUniversity.This year the coordinator of Muslim Shia representation wasDr Javadi from the University of Qum while Dr Schmidt wasthe organiser from the German side. Among the participantsthere was also Professor Klaus von Stosch, Deputy Head ofthe department of Catholic theology. He is a Catholicphilosopher with knowledge of Islamic Philosophy. Hecurrently supervises Iranian students.

Of the fourteen participants seven were representing Shi’aIslam, five from Qum, one from Mashhad and Dr Shomalifrom London. Other participants were Prof. George Pattison(Glasgow), Dr Amber Griffioen (Konstanz), Andrew Massenaand Bethany Slater (Boston), Dr Tuba Isik (Paderborn) theSunni scholar who is currently conducting post-doctoralstudies and finally Prof. Jochen Schmidt (Paderborn).Presentations were about ethics and virtues of ethics. Every

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Personhood, virtue andmoral cultivation

A Christian - Muslim workshop

Report


side presented a paper and the other side had one person torespond and vice versa. Shi'a presentations were wellreceived and sessions involved intense questions andanswers. In addition to the presentation the delegates hadmany other informal discussions, including the planning forthe next meeting which, God willing, will be held in Iran on‘Truthfulness’, considered by Dr. Shomali as one of the mostfundamental topics for discussion . Participants’ papers willbe published as a journal at a later date.

In his presentation Dr Shomali said: “With an objective tounderstand the core of Shi a Islam, the attention should begiven to three major elements in a belief system. These arerationality, spirituality and social justice. Some people mayhave one or two but what gives you a balancedunderstanding of reality is a combination of the three”. DrShomali clarified that; “…everybody can have these virtuesbut Shi a Islam scholars have been consistent throughouthistory in using these three elements.” While brieflydescribing all three elements, Dr. Shomali places his focus onspirituality.

He explained: “For Shi a Muslims, spirituality is veryimportant. Religion is not just about performing rituals but itinvolves the intellect and the heart also. Spirituality is anessential part of a religious life”. Dr Shomali has beenlecturing about spirituality to Muslims and non-Muslims formany years. After giving a basic framework for achievingspirituality according to the teachings of Shi a Islam hereferred the audience to his book ‘Self-development’ wherehe has given a breakdown on how to embark on the path ofspirituality .Dr Shomali clarified that the spirituality starts with yaqzah(awakening). To begin the journey into spirituality a personshould first be awake he added. He further explained howghafla (heedlessness or inattentiveness) has been consideredby Muslims as a main obstacle. He acknowledges that somepeople consider yaqzah as the firststation of the journey and somesay it is ‘zero’ station since it isonly after that the journey starts.Dr Shomali continued by statingthat after awakening comesma'rifat al-nafs (self-knowledge).He further elaborated on thesignificance of self-knowledgesaying it is connected toma'rifatullah (knowledge of God).“If you don’t know God you willforget yourself”, explained DrShomali.“So now that you are awake, and

know yourself – knowing oneself, does not mean to knowbiographical data – but to knowyour potential, your talents, your capacity that God has put inus, then follows ‘self-care’”, said Dr Shomali.“At the stage of self-care one has to work on one’s belief,action, the qualms of one’s heart, and try to keep close toGod so that process never stops. So you cannot say I finishedone stage and start another. All the stages requirecontinuous attention. We divide these elements just tounderstand them better otherwise one does not finish andanother starts”; explained Dr Shomali. He reminded theaudience of the importance of not having bad feelings in thehearts as these will decrease the value of our good deedsand actions.He further explained that among the good virtues andqualities of the heart some are more important than others,such as love, compassion but most important in Islam iscommitment to the truth. He reiterated how he underlinesthis point when he teaches ethics to the Hawza students.

He said: “I believe that based on Qur’an and traditions, themost important thing is sidq (truthfulness) and commitmentto haq (the truth) - all else emanates from this. He pointedthat love for God should lead to love for the sake of God,and that a sign of getting closer to God is that you startloving other people. If you get closer to God your relationshipwith others will be improved.”

Dr Shomali quoted an Islamic tradition which says: ‘if yousort everything between you and God, everything betweenyou and people will be sorted out by God.’ Dr Shomaliconcluded with a few statements on love for God saying thatsome people want to possess God which is wrong, as oneshould rise to God. One should be possessed by God. Weshould have a Godly vision instead of bringing God to ourown level.


Conference

IImmaamm KKhhoommeeiinnii&&

tthhee SSttaattuuss ooff WWoommeennThe 19th International conference on Imam Khomeini (The founder of the IslamicRepublic of Iran) was held at the Islamic Centre of England (ICE) on 4th June 2016

or almost three decades, the demise of AyatollahRoohulla Mousavi Khomeini – the founder andspiritual leader of the Islamic Revolution – hasbeen marked by conferences and discussions, in

which many international speakers have addressed differentaspects of his personality and his views.

This year the 19th International conference on ImamKhomeini was held at the Islamic Centre of England.Hujjat ul-Islam Dr Mohammad Ali Shomali, the head of theICEL, emphasised the lofty status of women in Islam and inthe speeches and declaration of Imam Khomeini. Dr Shomalibegan by comparing the status of women before the adventof Islam and afterwards. ‘A girl having no love even in theheart of her own father in the Jahiliyya period reached apoint where the Messenger of God used to stand up [out ofrespect and love] before Hazrat Fatima(sa) [his daughter] andout of respect, he would call her the Mother of Her Father(Umm Abiha)’. He added that Imam Khomeini would ignorethe edicts of the conservative clerics in favour of bringingabout more participation of women. ‘I remember there was amuch respected scholar who had mystical leanings. He wrotean essay in which he said women should not serve in theparliament. But this was not the idea of Imam Khomeini.Women were allowed to serve in the Parliament, judiciary,army and police force,’ Dr Shomali added.He said; Imam Khomeini would almost equate women withthe Holy Qur’an in some of his writings. ‘Imam Khomeinisaid that the Holy Qur’an builds the character of the humanbeings and women build the character of human beings, ineffect equating women with the Holy Qur’an.’He concluded by stating that a number of factors influencedImam Khomeini’s position on women. ‘I think hisunderstanding of Islamic philosophy, mysticism, and shari’ain its enlightened form played a significant role in his

approach. Finally being looked after as a child by his greataunt following the martyrdom of his father really influencedhis views on women,’ he said.

Hujjatul-Islam Abbas de Palma from Italy stated that theIslamic Revolution in Iran introduced the Italian people to anew type of revolution. ‘Many people in Italy saw a revolutionin which demonstrators were chanting “God is Great!” andthey were not protesting for bread or other material things,’he said. De Palma added: ‘We needed a revolution in whichpeople would return to the purpose of the creation. God says:“I did not create the human beings and the jinns except forworshipping me.”'He added that Imam Khomeini led this revolution so thathuman beings would return to the purpose of their creationand would fashion their lives on the basis of spirituality.

Umm Farwa, from Labaik Ya Zahra Foundation, said in heraddress that ‘Imam Khomeini was the greatest personality ofthe 20th century. He spoke like a prophet with the people.He should never be compared with the average person. Hewas a far-sighted, progressive, multi-faceted leader.’

Dr Mahnaz Haidarpour, a university lecturer, said ImamKhomeini fully appreciated the role that women play ininfusing the fabric of family with love and kindness. Shequoted Imam Khomeini saying: ‘The kindness seen inwomen is specific to them and men do not have suchsentiments.’ She also quoted him saying: ‘God Almighty haspermeated His Mercy in the heart of women in such a waythat it cannot be described and none except mothers canunderstand this.’

Rodney Shakespeare, a barrister and social activist, stated inhis lecture that he visited Iran recently and was full of

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admiration for the massive social participation of Iranianwomen, especially in the academic world. He said: ‘In oneword, the message of Imam Khomeini was politicalindependence. One of the ways that Iran can achieve thisindependence would be through utilising the existingresources and women, as half of the society constitutes halfof Iran’s resources.’

The talks were followed by showing a documentary whichcelebrated the achievements of Iranian women in the pastthree decades. The documentary stated that in 2014women constituted 59.04 percent of those who took part inuniversity entrance examinations across the nation.

Mr Jalal Fairouz, former MP from Bahrain, recountedanecdotes from the life of Imam Khomeini, showing how heinteracted with members of his family based on love andkindness. The Imam would never issue orders to his wife.

Dr Amina Inloes, the executive editor of the Journal of Shi’aIslamic Studies, praised Imam Khomeini as a man of actionand resolve. ‘Faced with challenges, Imam Khomeini roseup to deal with them. He rose up in the same manner thatthe Messenger of God rose up,’ she told the audience. Sheadded that one of the achievements of Imam Khomeini wasto bring about massive participation of women despitereluctance in certain quarters.

Ms Nicole Correri, from the United States, said that ImamKhomeini was keen on seeing more women’s participation.‘As a leader, Imam Khomeini addressed the women of hissociety and even later stated that women were more activein defending the revolution than men,’ she said. Shereminded the audience that from the advent of Islamwomen were active both in politics and business. ‘HazratKhadija showed that women can be both good merchantsand good mothers and wives,’ she said.

Zahra al-Alawi, a presenter with Ahlulbayt TV, criticised theWestern media for their wrong portrayal of Muslim womenand suggested that the new generation of Muslim womenliving in the West has been able to debunk suchstereotypes. ‘Some of the people who were calling our liveshow were non-Muslims and were surprised to find thatthere are articulate Muslim women fully capable ofdefending their own views on a live programme,’ she added.She also added the best way to know Imam Khomeini is toread his writings which contain his views.

The conference concluded by showing a documentaryabout an affectionate letter Imam Khomeini wrote to hiswife.

islam today June 2016 7

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Faith

Farewell to the month of RamadanThe following is an extract from a talk by Hujjatul-Islam Dr M A

Shomali on the end of the month of Ramadan based on a

supplication of Imam Zainul Abedeen(a)

This month stood among us in a standingplace of praise, accompanied us with the

companionship of one approved, and profited us withthe most excellent profit of the world's creatures”. (Foma supplication of Imam Zainul Abedeen(a))

This month which was with us for twenty-nine or thirty days,is now about to leave us. It is time for us to go back and seehow this guest treated us. Imagine you have guests for amonth. Soon after they are gone you go home and go to theroom where your guest was staying in, and you feel theirabsence, their empty space. You remember the wonderfultime you had with them during their stay. You remember thegood times, their kindness. There are people, who we neverget bored with no matter how long they stay with us as theyare gentle and good company. Imam Sajjad(a) says:“... the month of Ramadan was staying with us in a verygreat way, and it was a very good companion for us, a verygood friend.” This is the example of the month of Ramadan.This month enables us to benefit more than any other time.But how much we have earned in this month?

“Then it parted from us at the completion of its time,the end of its term, and the fulfilment of its number”.

When the time finishes, the guest leaves us, because theyhave a limited time – they cannot stay forever. The samegoes for Ramadan. We soon realise how quickly the monthof Ramadan has finished.

“So we bid farewell to it with the farewell of onewhose parting pains us, whose leaving fills us withgloom and loneliness, and to whom we have come toowe a safeguarded claim, an observed inviolability,and a discharged right”.

We are saying goodbye to the month of Ramadan - the onewhose departure is very heart-breaking., and this is botheringus. It puts us in deep grief, makes us lonely, we will miss themonth of Ramadan. But of course we will always remain indebt to the month of Ramadan, and we feel protectivetowards the honour and dignity of the month.

“We say: Peace be upon thee, O greatest month of God!O festival of His friends”.

With only a few days left, we are saying goodbye to thismonth: “Peace be upon you, oh greatest month of God”. Youare the greatest month of God; you are the feast and thebanquet of the friends of God.There are people who are weak in their faith; they count thedays to see when the month of Ramadan finishes. Thisshould not be the mentality of God’s friends. In contrast,from the middle of the month they get worried and anxiousthat soon Ramadan is going to leave them.

“Peace be upon thee, just as thou hast entered upon uswith blessings and cleansed us of the defilement ofoffences”!

Another day passes. We say, Peace be with you. You cameand brought us lots of gifts of barakah. Let’s remindourselves the hadith of the Prophet: “the month of Ramadanhas approached you with blessing, mercy and forgiveness.”When a guest comes, he brings gifts and souvenirs.Ramadan also brought with itself lots of blessings, and whenRamadan passes, it removed and washed away all the dirt –as if a good friend comes around and stays with us but alsohelps us in our daily chores. When they leave our house is ina better position. This is the example of the month ofRamadan.

“Peace be upon thee - Thou art not bid farewell inannoyance, nor is thy fasting left in weariness”!

We say goodbye to Ramadan, but not because we havebecome tired of it. This farewell is only because we knowthat it cannot stay for longer.

“O God, bless Muhammad and his Household, redressour calamity at [the loss of] our month...”!

At the end of Ramadan we send salutations to the Prophetand his progeny, and ask God to compensate us for ourmusibah (calamity) because we have lost the month of


Farewell to the month of Ramadan

Ramadan. This is a musibah. When we lose a relative, or afriend, we have majalis, or mourning; we dress in black. Forthe month of Ramadan it should be the same, if not more.The Imam says,

“O God, this is a musibah that month of Ramadan hasleft us”.“Bless us in this day of our festival and our fast-breaking”.

We are compensated for the loss of Ramadan with thefestivity of Eid. We are granted a way to fill the cavity which iscreated by the departure of the month of Ramadan in ourlives. When our dear guest wants to leave, we escort thembut with eyes filled with tears we see them go and disappear.This guest however has left us a letter and some gifts, so weread the letter and examine the gifts with pleasure andhappiness. We enjoy the gifts as it helps us to forget just for awhile that our guest is not with us anymore but our guestknows about our pain after his departure.This is the example of the month of Ramadan. The joy andthe gift that the month of Ramadan has bestowed upon us tocompensate for its leaving is Eid ul-Fitr.

Eid Mubarak


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Obituary

Hujjatul-Islam Dr Muhammad Jafar Elmi, the founder and former principalof the Islamic College of Advanced Studies in London, passed away at theage of 55 in North London on 29th May 2016 after a long battle withcancer. Reza Murshid gives a brief account of his achievements


efore coming to London in the mid-1990s toestablish the Islamic College, Dr Elmi studiedIslamic philosophy, ‘Irfan, Islamic jurisprudence,and Quranic sciences at the Hawza of Qum under

such luminaries as Ayatollah Mirza Javad Tabrizi, AyatollahAbdollah Javadi Amoli and Ayatollah Hossein WahidKhorasani. His areas of expertise and interest includedIslamic philosophy, interpretation of the Qur’an, andmodern Islamic thought.

He also served as the Director of Islamic ThoughtFoundation (Bonyad-i Andisheh Islami) in Tehran in theearly 1990s and was influential in increasing the quantityand enhancing the quality of the English magazinespublished by that foundation, including the Echo of Islammagazine.

Dr. Elmi completed his PhD at the University ofBirmingham with an exposition of the philosophicalhermeneutics of ‘Allama Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i,the renowned Shi‘a philosopher and exegete.

Dr Elmi became the driving force for the nascent IslamicCollege for Advanced Studies (ICAS) taking it from strengthto strength. The institution he established with the help oflike-minded colleagues initially offered A-Level courses toMuslim students from different walks of life in north westLondon. The A-Level programme was offered in conjunctionwith the College of North West London. Many successful

Muslim entrepreneurs andprofessionals working in Londontoday received their A-Leveleducation in that old listed buildingon Willesden High Road at thecorner of St Andrews Road.But soon the institution rebranded itself as The IslamicCollege and expanded its activities to become a fullyaccredited academic institution offering BA, MA andProfessional Doctorate in collaboration with MiddlesexUniversity.Simultaneously with its rapid growth as an academicinstitution, the College also began offering a Hawzaprogramme in English, recruiting some of the brightestminds in the UK and Europe who, for the most part, nowserve as ‘alims, public speakers, TV presenters and religiousleaders here and abroad.Dr Elmi himself taught a number of modules at the Collegeand the Hawza including modules on the Qur’an andhadith sciences, Islamic philosophy and Neo-Mu‘tazilitethought.He served as the College principal during two periods, from1998 to 2007 and from December 2011 to 2015. After hisfirst stint as principal, he returned to Iran and served asone of the three editors-in-chief of The Encyclopaedia ofthe World of Islam (EWI), a mammoth research andtranslation undertaking that introduced different entries ofDanishnamih-yi Jahan-i Islam to the English-speakingworld. The entries, published by EWI Press as independent

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Passing Away of aPious Academician


titles, include Politics & Political Parties, Hadith, Sufism,Tafsir, Hawza-yi ‘Ilmyiyya, History and Historiography,Pahlawi Dynasty, Education in Islamic Civilisation, Qur’anicCommentaries, and Muslim Organisations in the TwentiethCentury: A Survey.He also served for a while as Vice-President for Research atthe Islamic Culture and Communications Organisation, andas the Vice-Principal for Research and Vice-Principal forEducation at Al-Mostafa University.

Dr Elmi also served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal ofShi’a Islamic Studies, the first peer-reviewed journalfocusing on research on Shi’a Islam. Among the works thatDr Elmi himself authored are the following:

-Co-author of Fihrist-i Mawzu’i-yi Asfar (A Thematic Index toMulla Sadra’s al-Hikmah al-Muta’aliyyah fi al-Asfar al-Arba‘ah), Tehran: Hikmat, 1996.

-‘Word of God & Perception of Man: Divine Revelation &Human Interpretation’, in A Catholic-Shi’a Dialogue: Studiesin Theology and Spirituality, ed. A. O’Mahony, W. Peterburs,M. Shomali, London: Fox Communications & Publications,2003.

-Co-author of Kitabshinasi-yi Jami‘-i Qur’an (AComprehensive Bibliography of the Qur’an), Tehran: Ministryof Culture and Islamic Guidance, 4 vols. 2003.

-‘Bar-rasi va Naqd-i Nazariyih-yi Fadl al-Rahman dar Baz-Sazi-yi Ijtihad dar Din’ (A Critical Study of Fazlur Rahman’sViews on Religious Reformation in Islam) in Journal ofPolitical Science, Qum: Baqir al-Ulum University Press,Spring 2007, vol 37, pp. 71-124.

Man of Piety and Knowledge

The aim and motto of the institution that Dr Elmiestablished was ‘Islamic Education in an IslamicEnvironment’. It is in this institution that during the Salattimes at noon all classes are suspended and students andlecturers attend the prayer hall for congregational prayer.

The institution reflects two aspects of the character of thelate Dr Elmi himself. He was both a pious man and a manof knowledge, a man concerned with the Hereafter and aman preoccupied with the challenges posed by modernacademia to religion.

While being fully grounded in his faith, he kept himself well-informed about what the adversaries of religion wrote intheir academic writings. He was well aware of thediscussions that aimed at weakening the faith of Muslimacademicians and attempted to respond to them in hislectures, discussions and writings.

It was his piety that helped him in his battle with cancer,during the tribulations of chemotherapy when one issuspended between the world of the living and the world ofthe dead. He accepted his fate without any resentment andspoke of his impending departure from the world of theliving with an amazing serenity.

In one of his last encounters with a good friend, with a smileon his face, he intimated that he was ready to go to the nextworld to be with the Ahlulbayt(as). In one of his lastcommunications three days before he passed away, hewrote:‘I believe that today or tomorrow might be my last day inthis evanescent world (hayat-i fani). I look forward to seeingyou in the presence of Divine Justice (bi-omid-i didar darmahzar-i ‘adl-i ilahi), benefiting from the saving grace andforgiveness of the Lord (wa bahre-mandi az amurzesh wamaghfirat-i Haqq).


Art Editor Moriam Grillo

Art

ast month we looked at the power of story.This month, with Al-Quds Day close to ourhearts, we're remembering Palestine. Justweeks after the gatherings to remember

the 68th anniversary of its illegal occupation, thestory of the Palestinian struggle is something thatweighs heavy on the heart. As we leave this most sacredmonth, I pray for ease after difficulty and relief after distressfor our brothers and sisters.

Theatre Scenes from 68 years by Hannah Khalili

"Watching this play, one cannot help but be moved.Witnessing the multitudinous stories that portray theshifting nature of the country through its tumultuous battleagainst occupation hurts." - Moriam Grillo

The word theatre is defined in ancient Greek as 'house ofGod'. Theatrical performance was once thought to depict,through metaphor, allegory and shadow play, the meaning oflife, with the unfolding drama being overseen or witnessedby the Divine consciousness.

The play, 'Scenes from 68 years’ toys with the literality of thisadmirably well. It offers us a microscopic insight into amacrocosmic quandary: 68 years of occupation in a littleover 68 minutes. The playwright Hannah Khalilicompetently pens a juxtaposition of dismembered sceneswhich time has all but forgotten. One scene unfoldsseamlessly after the other even it has occurred a decadebefore or after. By doing so, the theme of ongoing struggle ismade all the more apparent. A solitary beat connects onevignette to the next, haranguing the attention of its audienceto be on guard and ready for what is to come. Inconversation with Khalili, I was eager to understand whatinspired this depiction.

What inspired you to write the play?

My last play, Plan D, told the story of what happens to onerural, everyday family when great forces move around them.It was based on testimonies of people who lived through1948. During and after that show many people came andtold me their stories, and conversations I'd not had beforeopened up in my own family. It is all of these tales that led tome writing Scenes from 68 Years.

Are there aspects of your own personal experiencewithin these stories?

Mainly these are the stories of other people and familymembers - though I think it is impossible for a writer not toput their personal experience into their writing some way oranother. And that's true here. I, of course, exist in parts of theplay.

Each vignette is presented in a non-chronological order,why is this?

The writing of all these scenes was very easy - they camenaturally and easily. The difficulty came when trying to orderthe play. In a traditional play you have one character on aquest and there's a clear way to structure such a piece. Thisis very different, but I wanted to make sure the emotionaljourney was clear and that there was a story climax at theright moment and pathos and so on. As such the play wentthrough many different drafts through development andworkshops. I never actually thought to put it in chronologicalorder. And in fact the dates of the scenes which you aregiven on screens in this production are not vital for aproduction. The point is that since 1948 Palestinians havebeen in stasis because of the predicament in which theyhave been placed.

There is a rhythm to the play, a beat that on the onehand comforts as a directive, but is preceded bydiscomfort. Is this what you hoped for?

Yes! It's something that is hard to write on the page, and forpeople to understand or feel when they read the play - that iswhy this production is so gratifying. The director, designer,crew and actors all understood what was in the writing andhave brought it out to perfection.

One comes away from the play affected by itsconcentrated nature. Has writing the play changed you?

It's been a long process that started six years ago... so Isuppose it must have changed me, though it's hard to pinpoint how exactly. People's reactions have really encouragedme and made me confident in human beings and theirability to be open and listen and care. Also, despite thefragmented form, people seem to be able to follow andengage with the stories. That's served to give me faith inmyself, audiences (whatever or whoever they may be) andtheatre as a form in general.

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Photography - Sara Russell

"I believe that images are powerful instigators of emotionand I intend always to capture such moments that can tella story and create room for expansion of inspiration."- Sara Russell

I have interviewed Sara Russell for both television andprint. She is a most inspiring artist whose photographicdocumentation speaks volumes. As the old adage goes ‘apicture paints an thousand words', and the words thatRussell's photos convey reflect the depth and currency ofher personal reflections on life and spirituality.Russell initially studied Art & Design before moving on topainting abstract narratives on canvas and experimentingwith mixed media to create textile aesthetic designs.

In conversation, Russell recounted that from an early age,she enjoyed documenting the mundane. It was only fouryears ago that she decided to take a photography course,which she describes as a journey of discovery in which shefelt excited about the prospects of going back to exploringand documenting work with the intention of becoming aprofessional. Russell is fundamentally self-taught, as isgraffiti artist Muhammad Ali, who was recently awarded anMBE in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to Art.

To further her journey in self knowledge, Russell embarkedon trip to Palestine. Travelling as part of an officialdelegation, Russell was asked to document the experience.The exhibition that followed, entitled 'Another Day',contained a selection of images that conveyed the humanstruggle of Palestinians under an oppressive apartheidregime. Russell feels that these images reflect the hopesand fears to which we can all relate. Adding that theexperience of visiting Palestine has continued to remindher of the ultimate task at hand, to serve Truth by allmeans and allow faith in God's Justice and in His Onenessto influence every course of action.

Russell believes the Arts and creativity are an essential toolfor expression which encourage reflective dialogue. Sheadds that art and creativity should be explored by

everyone, whether this be through poetic expression ofwords, painting, music, or creative performance.

Ultimately Russell's hope is that her work inspires andencourages others to think more deeply about the conceptof oneness and unity since she believes such connectionsaid heightened spiritual awareness and progression.Russell is currently working on a new exhibition entitledthe 'Perception of Unity.'

The objective of this body of work will be to explore theconcept of mutual connectives and the endlessperspectives and perceptions that our minds considerconsciously or subconsciously.

“I believe that there is sometimes if not always, an elementof deception as well as a higher truth evident behind allphotographs. This has taught me the importance ofperception and selective perspective, the power in contrast,light and dark and the balance being portrayed in thedetail, providing depth." Sara Russell

An exhibition of Sara Russell's work will be on show atLiving Islam festival in Lincolnshire 20-31 July

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

Teacher Training on Ethics washeld at the Islamic College Londonon Saturday 4th June 2016. This

was the third of a series of teacher training sessions thattook place this academic year. Teachers from a widevariety of weekend and weekday schools (Madrassahs)attended. In total around 80 teachers participated andbenefitted from the training. The programmecommenced with recitation of the Holy Qur’an by SayedJalal Ma'soomi.Teachers were welcomed by the host, Sister AsmaHussain, a primary teacher who volunteers as aMadressah teacher at Idara Jafferiya. She provided thebriefing of the programme for participants, shared theschedule and introduced the guest speakers.

The keynote Speaker, Hujjatul-Islam Dr Sayed FadhilMilani, delivered an inspirational talk on the topic of theImportance and place of akhlaq (ethics) in Islamiceducation. The feedback from the participants wasexcellent with comments on how much they hadbenefitted from his speech. Syed Fadhil Milani

emphasised the importanceof akhlaq with references tothe Holy Qur’an and the traditions.

This was followed by the first of threeinteractive sessions; ‘The requirements ofan ideal akhlaq teacher’, by Hujjatul-Islam DrMohammad Ali Shomali. He emphasised theimportance of akhlaq which a teacher shouldportray on a day to day basis. It has to be of the higheststandard so that this inspires the students to be like theirteacher. He also spoke about choosing a teacher who isrecognised in society for their good akhlaq. Whileadvising teachers he suggested that learning objectivesshould be repeated through different mediums such aspaint, drama, story, poetry etc in order for children togain a deeper understanding.

The second interactive session was on ‘Classroombehaviour management’. This was delivered by Hujjatul-Islam Dr Mohammad Zakaria. In this session Dr Zakariadiscussed child-centred learning. He emphasised on

MSEN


TTeeaacchhiinngg wwiitthh EEtthhiiccss

getting to know the children asa whole in order to develop a

good teacher-student relationship.He also advised that teachers should

know and call children by their namesand communicate using gestures to develop

a strong bond. Furthermore, he added that inrelation to children, we should focus on enhancing

positive behaviour.

This was followed by a series of presentations by teachersacross a number of Madressahs who were required to sharegood practice by delivering an interactive and creative lessonthey had done with their students. Each presentation wasmoderated by Hujjatul-islam Muhammadian, who gaveconstructive feedback after each session.

Idara e Jafferiya - Sister Tahira Ali presented a lessonon the ‘Mercy of Allah’ where she shared her lesson aswell as ‘mercy cards’ where children could recognise andcheck their acts of mercy in their daily life.

Muslim Community of Essex - Sibar Ali presented alesson on the ‘Ayah of the week’ – “put on your bestclothes to go to mosque". She planned the lesson for 5-7year olds by providing props and then allowing childrento choose appropriate clothing and items used how tolook and keep clean.

Masjid e Ali Education Luton - Sister Shaheen Haiderand Sister Nazira Moosa presented a lesson on theimportance of dua (supplication). The lesson was presentedin a child-friendly manner introducing the lesson with bird

talk followed by presents given to children for betterengagement and outcome.

Iranian School (Wise Academy) - brother Sayed Jaffarelaborated on children's cognitive development and howakhlaq and aqaid (beliefs) should be taught accordingly.

Islamic Centre of England - Sister Muna Hassanshared her experiences of how to teach akhlaq to olderchildren. She also showed her structure of lesson plansas an example as to how lessons should be structuredstep by step.

Hujjatul-islam Muhammadian provided teachers withindividual constructive feedback of their presentations.He encouraged teachers to use a variety of methods todeliver lessons and particularly emphasised theimportance of using body language and age appropriatevocabulary, as well as interactive activities that havebetter engagement and outcome for the children'slearning of akhlaq, to enable this concept be embeddedin their daily lives. He appreciated the effort that theteachers had put in to prepare and deliver lessons intheir madressahs.

The programme ended with a closing speech by thepresident of MSEN, Dr Azhar Hassan Raza. He thankedthe honourable guests and the teachers who hadparticipated in the training. He also outlined theupcoming MSEN events and projects, which include ayouth camp in Iran in July 2016 as well as the newMSEN syllabus which will be available for schools to usein the near future.

16 islam today June 2016

Hujjatul-Islam Sayyed Mohammad Razavi’s recent visit toChile reveals some of the most important needs of thegrowing Shi’a Muslim community of that country

A journey to Chile



What was the purpose of your visit to this SouthAmerican country?

his was my second visit to Santiago, Chile. The firsttime I was invited to give sermons for thecommemorations of Ashura during the first 10

days of Muharram. However it soon became clear that myengagement there would be extended to other activitiesbesides reciting sermons. On the first day of my arrival I wasrequested to attend a seminar at the Centre of InternationalStudies at University of Santiago entitled ‘The ModernWorld and Harmonious Living in a Multi-Faith Society’..This occasion gave me the opportunity to be introduced tomany Chilean theologians and university lecturers. Myparticipation in this event led to other meetings in churchesand educational establishments. Due to the short length ofmy first trip I was unable to accept other invitations so itwas suggested that I make another trip to Chile. Six monthslater I went back during the holy month of Rajab in 2016.This time a schedule of meetings was prearranged thatincluded visit to schools and universities as well as the localcommunities in Santiago, Cabrero and other parts of thecountry. I met church leaders and some political officialssuch as the Intendente of Magallanes, the representative ofthe Chilean Antarctica region and the representatives of theChilean Foreign Office. I was invited to go to Antarctica tomeet scientists who are engaged in research and amongthem were some Muslims who often had religions queries.For many of these officials this was the first time they hadmet a Shi’a religious scholar.

Could you briefly describe the make-up of the ChileanIslamic community?

was told there are fourty million migrants of Arabdescent living in South America. These are mainlySyrian, Palestinians and Lebanese Muslims. In Chile,

Shi’a Muslims are comprised of Zaidi, Bora, Ismaili andIthna 'Asharis (Twelvers). These are descendents ofimmigrants who migrated due to upheavals in theircountries and settled in Chile 130 years ago. The earlymigrants were single men who later got married to localwomen. Due to the absence of scholars and the limitedlevel of religious education they gradually lost their identityand by the next generation, they were Christianised.Today, thanks to developments in communicationtechnology, people are learning and rediscovering theirancestors’ ethnic cultural and religious origins and wishever more to reconnect to it.On my last trip I managed to help two families to get closerto their Islamic roots, and naturally we opened the door formany more. The basic programme consists in visiting thearea, giving talks and trying to reconnect people to theiroriginal identity.

In general how is the situation of Shi’a Muslims there?Are there any Shi’a organisations in any part of Chile?

here are many communities of Muslims and a feworganisations but they need Islamic education. Theone I was invited to visit is basically run by converts

to Islam. There are around 100 Lebanese, mostly recentimmigrants, around 100 Afghani refugees, and at least 60Pakistanis.There have been some visiting scholars, mostly from Iran,Iraq and Lebanon who visit but never a permanentpresence.

How do you describe the attitude of local peopletowards Muslims and Islam?

n one of the areas in northern part of Santiago thereis a mosque on top of a hill next to another hill wherethere is a Church. The mosque was built by

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Moroccans and it has become an attraction. According tolocal people at least 200 people visit this mosque everyweek, tourists and local people alike.I met some youths when I was there and found them veryeager to know more about Islam. They are able to speak inEnglish making it easy to communicate compared with theolder generation with whom I had to converse viatranslators.

What kind of questions would they ask?

verything from A-Z. Many were quite surprised inlearning about the commonalities that exist betweenChristianity and Islam. I went to address students at

a high-ranking all-girl Catholic School where future leadersare educated. Students had done their homework aboutIslam. They asked me why Muslims have no singleleadership like the Catholics have. I explained that we dohave a similar structure with a hierarchy of knowledge. Onestudent said: ‘… you believe in God, you believe in Jesus(a),you believe in Virgin birth, you believe in return of Jesus(a),you believe in the Day of Judgment, you believe in heaven,so what is the difference between Christianity and Islam”?

With regards to the economic strength of thecommunity, how did you find it?

he Shia community has deep roots, even thoughthere are many non-practising Muslims. Accordingto the information we have, there are around 60

important landowners originally from Lebanon. There aremilitary commanders in the air force and police who areoriginally Shia Muslims. There is a Muslim Shia senator; Iwent to his house as well. In Carperrero, the city he lives in,he owns at least 80% of the farms. Most of this city is ownedby his family. There are many Shia Muslims who have avague idea of who they are and where they come from andwould like to rediscover their roots. If we leave them we willlose them forever. These visits are important.The community has the potential to be self-sufficient. Ourresponsibility is to provide religious educational services tothem for a few years. The community is quite rich; its

members need encouragement and some expertise inrunning their establishments. They definitely need schools.There were many Lebanese who first migrated to Chile, butlater due to lack of religious schools and scholars to teachtheir children then migrated to Brazil.

At the moment how is the political situation in Chile,considering it had a long history of dictatorship?

hile looks and feels stable at present. When I wasthere one of the presidents who took over fromPinochet died and we went to his funeral. I was

standing next to his family. I was treated with much respect,as they have reverence for religious personalities and in mycase I represented one of the few Muslim scholars presentat the funeral.

What are the future plans?

trip in Ramadan has already been arranged and Iam invited to have Iftar in the Presidential Palace.We are also looking forward to the possibility of

exchanging university lecturers between Iran, Iraq and Chileso they can have Islamic Studies Chairs in Chileanuniversities.I have also been requested to go back at least every threemonths for about two/three weeks each time. There aresome other scholars in nearby countries such as Argentinaand Brazil. At the moment Sheikh Faisal from Argentina,along with some other visiting scholars and I, look after theMuslim communities’ needs in Chile. Sheikh Ghassan fromLebanon is also due to visit. He is one of the financiers ofthe organisation that helped the community buy a newcentre.There is an idea to build a unique mosque in the centre ofSantiago which could serve as a centre for all thecommunity’s gatherings. This represents a uniqueopportunity insha-Allah.

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Hujjatul-Islam Sayyed MohammadRazavi is the head of the Family Section atthe Islamic Centre of England



re human beings to be ruled by God’s law or bythe whims of a despotic monarch? Are men andwomen like chattels, the property of the State, orare they free souls, responsible to their Maker? Do

the claims of a religious conscience sometime takeprecedence over a citizen’s duty to obey the ruler? Theexample of Sir Thomas More is a guide to answering thesetremendous moral questions.

On the 6th of July 1535 Thomas More, former LordChancellor of England, was beheaded on Tower Hill,opposite that grim medieval prison, the Tower of London.On the scaffold, before being executed, he told the crowd ofspectators: ‘I die the King’s good servant, but God’s first!’Someone called them ‘the most weighty words ever spokenby a man about to die’. Indeed. Especially considering thatthe victim could have saved his life, if only he had beenwilling to compromise his Christian conscience. But he didnot…

Born in 1478, Thomas More started public life as a lawyer.He quickly became a favourite of King Henry VIII, whoknighted him and sent him on several European embassies.The King, a vain character who liked to posture as ahumanist, admired More’s vast learning and scholarship. Hetreated Thomas as a personal friend. Many times Henryinvited him at court but the wise man had no desire to be asycophant and declined, until the King himself cameuninvited to stay at More’s house at Chelsea. EventuallyHenry made Thomas his Lord Chancellor – the roughequivalent of a Prime Minister today. At a time of widespreadlegal corruption and contrary to usual practice More wouldaccept no bribes from litigants. ‘God has given us anotherSolomon’, declared a bishop awed by the Chancellor’sincorruptibility.

While the tumults engendered by the Reformation spreadaround Europe, King Henry had initially assured the Pope ofhis Catholic orthodoxy. His Chancellor, also a finetheologian, was commissioned to ghost anti-Protestant tracts

on behalf of his royal master. Fatally, however, as the Kingbecame infatuated with Anne Boleyn and craved a divorcefrom his wife Catherine of Aragon, More fell from grace. Hecould not accept the dubious scriptural arguments the Kingadvanced for declaring his marriage null and void.Nonetheless, Henry so admired More’s righteousness andstanding with the people that he invited him to his weddingwith Anne Boleyn. Thomas, true to his conscience, refusedthe invitation. He regarded his monarch’s second marriageas adulterous. It would have been sinful for him to approve.

In 1534 King Henry grew increasingly dictatorial. He orderedParliament to pass the Act of Supremacy. That law grantedhim and all subsequent monarchs absolute authority andjurisdiction over the English Church. The King was thereforemade the supreme Head of the Church of England. (It is, stilltoday, the legal power of the Sovereign in England.) Ofcourse, it was an absurdity. The Bible states clearly that theonly Head of the Church is Jesus Christ. Later, under QueenElizabeth I, the title was changed to that, more modest, of‘Supreme Governor’.Thomas More’s conscience prevented him from swearing theoath of assent to the Act of Supremacy. That the King hadsupreme authority in matters of secular power was not indispute. But in matters spiritual? Concerning the Word ofGod and its interpretation? The prerogatives of the Church?The Sacrament of Marriage? More declared that he knew ‘ofno Teacher of the Faith who ever approved that a merelytemporal ruler could be a Spiritual Head’. For that opinionhe was treated as a traitor and incarcerated in the Tower ofLondon, a long captivity deliberately made harsh in order tobreak his resolve. His own wife and daughter pleaded withhim to take the oath, maybe using the subterfuge of addingmentally ‘as far as lawful’. However the illustrious prisoner’sintegrity would not be soiled despite cruel Henry deprivingMore’s family of their property, so that Lady More had to selleven her personal jewels to pay the exorbitant prison fees.The King and his servile ministers, including the hideousThomas Cromwell, Norfolk and Richard Rich, sought tofrighten the helpless prisoner with threats of torture but to

A

Interfaith

CONSCIENCE

vsTHE MIGHT OF THE

STATE


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

no avail. At last they fell back on downright lies. RichardRich visited More in his cell, pretending to seek hisrelease. Rich later swore that Sir Thomas had told himthat Parliament could never make the King supremeover the English Church. In reality, More’s true wordshad been that ‘Parliament could not make a law so thatGod should not be God’. Quite a different matter! Hissentence to death as traitor in Westminster Hall wastherefore tantamount to judicial murder.

Thomas as a young man had felt drawn to the religiouslife. He had lived with the Carthusians, a monasticcommunity. But God had other plans for him and hebecame a statesman. All that makes me think of him asa true ‘contemplative in action’. A type of God-shapedhuman being, both practical and spiritual, a figure muchneeded in all epochs.

Robert Bolt’s sensitive political play, ‘A Man for AllSeasons’, later made into a film, well conveyed thesaintliness of Sir Thomas. It is sad to observe that, bycontrast, writer Hilary Mantel’s recent novel, ‘Wolf Hall’,offers a perverse and disturbing inversion. Sir ThomasMore is portrayed unsympathetically as somewhatnarrow and fanatical whilst Cromwell, Henry’s chiefhenchman and vile persecutor, is whitewashed and

viewed as a commendable character. The TV renderingof the novel also has stressed that distorted take.Perhaps that is just as well. A decadent and unbelievingage would more naturally be drawn to darkness than tolight, wouldn’t it?

In 1935 Pope Pius XI declared Thomas More a saintand martyr. The Church of England’s Lectionaryremembers him on July the 6th. Quite appropriate.Although Henry VIII’s messy divorce provided theoccasional pretext for the original separation betweenCatholicism and Anglicanism, the latter today isecumenical and far-sighted enough to honour thememory of Sir Thomas More, martyr to his conscience.

The Tudor tyranny has long gone. Monarchs no longerwield effective powers but novel and more insidiousforms of state abuse continue to abound in our time asdictatorships but often also under the guise ofdemocratic regimes. It’s a strong reason to treasure thevalue of the shining example given by that stupendousman of God nearly 500 years ago. Hurrah for SirThomas!

Health

Health Editor Laleh Lohrasbi Diet&

mental health

e all know that there are some foods which aregood for reducing cholesterol levels orcontrolling high blood pressure, or even foods

which can help people have stronger bones or hair.However diet and nutrition have a much bigger role in aperson’s life, in both physical and mental aspects.

“You are what you eat", is not just a saying, it is in fact verytrue. What we eat can determine how we feel but how wefeel can also determine what we eat. The body of evidencelinking diet and mental health is growing rapidly. As well asits impact on short and long-term mental health, theevidence indicates that food plays an important role in thedevelopment, management and prevention of specificmental health problems such as depression, schizophrenia,attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’sdisease. People with mental health problems are more likelyto have a weight problem; some always feel tired and justnot up to any activity while others always feel hungry.Nearly two thirds of those who do not report daily mental

health problems eat fresh fruit, fruit juice, fresh vegetablesand salad every day, compared with less than half of thosewho do report daily mental health problems. Those whoreport some level of mental health problem also eat fewerhealthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods andmeals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chipsand crisps, chocolate, ready meals, sugary drinks andtakeaways).Overconsumption of sugar alone can negatively impactpeople’s mental health. In a sample of 5,498 youth aged 15-16 in Oslo, Norway, researchers found a strong associationbetween sugary soft drink consumption and mental healthproblems. In a related study among adolescents aged 12-19in Jiangsu Province, China, researchers found a positiveassociation between consumption of sugary soft drinks andsweet foods and risks for suicidal behaviours. Food and thechemicals in our brains interact to keep us goingthroughout the day. For example, carbohydrates increaseserotonin, a brain chemical that has a calming effect.Perhaps that's why people often crave carbohydrate-rich

The body of evidence linking diet and mental health is growing at a rapidpace, as well as the impact of diet on short and long-term mental health.Laleh Lohrasbi explains

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Dr Laleh Lohrasbi is apharmacologist. She hasworked as an editor for themedical section of“Hamshahri”, a dailynewspaper in Tehran.

foods when they are understress. Protein-rich foodsincrease tyrosine, dopamine,and norepinephrine, whichhelp to increase alertness. Inaddition, certain healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids) becomepart of the membranes of brain cells and control manybrain processes. Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found infish and fish oil, are beneficial to neural functioning.Researchers have found that fish oil may preventprogression of psychosis in high-risk youth aged 13-25.Vitamin D is another supplement that can positively affectmental wellbeing. Multiple studies have linked vitamin Ddeficiency to cognitive impairment, depression, bipolardisorder, and schizophrenia. Therefore, many mental healthprofessionals and physicians recommend a regular intake ofvitamin D.

A bigger brain means more cells. At about 40- 45, ourbrains begin to shrink giving rise to some mental healthissues like insomnia and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies haveshown that people who eat a diet based on colourful plantfoods, seafood and whole grains, with the omission ofprocessed foods, have bigger brains at the age of 60 to 65and their brains shrink at a slower rate.A high protein diet may also be helpful for ADHD (AttentionDeficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Beans, cheese, eggs, meat,and nuts can be good sources of protein. Eating these kindsof foods in the morning and for after-school snacksimproves concentration and possibly makes ADHDmedications work for longer. Protein triggers alertness-inducing neurotransmitters in the brain. Depending on theirage, children need between 24 to 30 grams of protein a day.Adults need 45 to 70 grams. A cup of milk or soy milk, oneegg, or an ounce of cheese or meat contain seven grams ofprotein.While nutrient deficiencies are usually rare certaindeficiencies may also have effects on mental health.Thiamine (vitamin B1), which is found in legumes, someseeds, and fortified grains, is necessary for maintainingenergy supplies and coordinating the activity of nerves and

muscles. Thiamine deficiencycan therefore lead to weakness,irritability, and depression.Folate (vitamin B9), which isfound in leafy greens, legumes,

and fortified grains, is essential for supporting red blood cellproduction, helping to prevent homocysteine build-up inyour blood, and allowing nerves to function properly. Folatedeficiency can result in depression, apathy, fatigue, poorsleep, and poor concentration.Extensive reviews of the benefits of nutrition and diet onmental health suggest that one’s diet should: contain a widearray of multicolour fruits and vegetables, some fish, withpreference given to cold deep-seawater fish and reduction ofsugary drinks and excess calories,. Implementation of thesedietary changes could result in improved mental well-being.However, before making any dietary changes, speaking witha doctor is recommended. Good nutrition is an importantcomponent of an improved mood and an increased senseof wellbeing but it is not a substitute for medical care.While what we eat can have a significant impact on how wefeel, when we eat is equally important. Often the low energylevels that people feel throughout the day are a result ofpoor meal timing. For example, eating patterns that involveskipping meals may contribute to mood swings by causingfluctuations in blood sugar levels. Food restriction can leadto binge eating, bigger emotional responses, poorconcentration, increased stress, and an overall lower senseof well-being. Depression has been shown to develop inpeople with disordered eating who frequently restrict food.The optimal way to fuel your body is to space meals andsnacks 3 to 4 hours apart and choose a healthy protein andcarbohydrate source at each meal.

food plays an important role in the

development, management and prevention

of specific mental health problems such as

depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit

hyperactivity disorder, and Alzheimer’s

disease.



ear Children Assalam un Alaikum

I hope you had a nice and fruitful Ramadan andyou managed to take advantage of all theblessings of this holy month. It is almost the endof Ramadan and although we are sad that isfinishing, we should be happy and hopeful thatGod has accepted our prayers and worship andthat He has destined for us the best that Heknows is good for us.

Children, like other months in Islamic calendar,the beginning and the end of the month ofRamadan can only be known by sighting the newmoon in the sky. Now in some countries this canbe done easily but in some other countries such

as the UK it is not always possible. Muslimsmake a special effort to find out for themselves ifthe moon of the new month can be seen andthe end of Ramadan is announced.

As you know, Anbar, the young girl in our story,had decided to start fasting for the first time.There are now only a few nights left to the end ofRamadan. Anbar’s father, who is a member ofthe moon sighting committee of the mosque, istrying to see if he can sight the new moon in thesky with the aid of a telescope.Ghazaleh, our illustrator has captured this eventso as to explain how we find out if the month isfinished or not. But she has also left somedifferences in each image for you to have fun infinding them.

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Children Corner


Illustrator Ghazaleh Kamrani

Without looking at the answers in the belowimage, try to find five differences Ghazaleh hasmade between these two illustrations.

Eid ul-Fitr Mubarak


Through July

Commentary (Tafseer) of the Holy Qur'an

Conducted by Shaykh M S Bahmanpour

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 MaidaVale, London W9 1QBMoreTel: 0207 604 5500

1 July

Dua Abu Hamza

Recitation of Dua Abu Hamza by SheikhHassan Roushandel followed by Iftar.

Venue: Kanoon Towhid, 30-32 SouthertonRoad, Hammersmith, London, W6 0PH

2 July

Ramadan Calligraphy Tour

Join the calligraphy tour this Ramadan anddelve into something new and exciting whilsthelping ‘Orphans Worldwide Campaign’. Youwill be joined by Samiur Rahman fromHouse of Calligraphy who will guide you onyour master class in calligraphy and you getto take away a piece of beautiful artworkcreated by YOU.

Venue:Hasanat College, Leigh Road,Birmingham, B8 2YHTime: Starts at 10.00 AMEntry: £30More info: [email protected]

The 1916 Arab Revolt

July 2016 marks the centenary of the ArabRevolt, made famous to British audiencesthrough the involvement of T E Lawrence –Lawrence of Arabia. In this study day a panelof experts will explore the many perspectiveson the reasons and course of the Revolt.Chaired by Professor Eugene Rogan,University of Oxford.

Venue: The British Museum, BP Lecture TheatreTime:10.30–16.30Ticket: £28Ticket Desk: (0)20 7323 8181

3 July

Al Quds Day 2016

Organised by the Quds Committee of theIHRC, people from all over the country willbe uniting for the freedom of the oppressedin Palestine and beyond. The rally willmarch through the busy streets of London toGrosvenor Square. Speakers include: MichelWarschawski - Israeli Anti-Zionist Activist,Aadam Siciid Muuse - NUS Black Studentsand Mick Naiper - Scottish PSC.

Venue:Assembly at Duchess StreetTime: Starts at 3.00 PMInfo: email [email protected]

Building Bridges Shared Spaces Festival

Bristol

The interfaith project Salaam Shalom wasfounded in 2006 with the intention ofpromoting greater familiarity andunderstanding between Muslims and Jews, aswell as the wider communities that they arepart of. The art exhibition Shared Spaces isa recent offering from the project. Theultimate aim of the project is to promote amore tolerant and socially cohesive societyby encouraging dialogue between differentcommunities; Salaam Shalom is proof thatthe Arts are a fundamental building block inthis process.

Venue:The Grant Bradley Gallery, St PetersCourt, 1 Bedminster Parade, Bristol, BS3 4AQTime: 10.00 AM - 5.00 PMinfo:http://www.sharedspacesfestival.co.uk/

Through 3 July

I AM with Them: A Photographic Manifesto

for the Refugees

Photographer Anne A. R. follows the lives ofthousands of refugees - mostly from Syria -from the Greek Island of Lesbos en route toGermany, giving voice to her subjects whilecapturing their fears, courage and hopes.Anne A. R.’s photographic manifesto restorestheir identity, dignity and humanity.

Venue: Institut Du Monde Arabe, Paris

Through Ramadan

English lecture last 10 days with SheikhAhmed Haneef

Venue: Islamic Centre of England, 140 MaidaVale, London W9 1QBmTime: one hour before Iftar, followed byprayers and iftar

Educational programmes during the month

of Ramadan 2016

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

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

6 or 7 July*

Eid Prayers

Congregational prayer will be held atthe Islamic Centre on the day of Eid ul-Fitr at 9amZakat ul-Fitr is £ 4 per person

* (Eid day is subject to the sighting ofthe new crescent moon.)

9 July

Lotus, sun and Yogi: from the Indus to Islam

A gallery talk by Hilary Lewis Ruttley,independent speaker and founding directorof Calm Energy Yoga. Gallery talks last 45minutes. They are given by museum staff orguest speakers and are suitable for all levelsof knowledge.

Venue: Room 56, British Museum, GreatRussell Street, London WC1B 3DG

What&

Where


Time: 1.15 PM - 2.00 PMFee: Free, drop in.

Eid Festival 2016

Eid Festival is a Mayor of London event tomark the end of Ramadan.Everyone is invited to come and celebrateEid on Trafalgar Square.Now in its 11th year, the festival willcelebrate and host a variety of specialactivities for the whole family to enjoy.Highlights include a food festival where youcan sample a host of delicious cuisinesfrom across the world. There will also be arange of fun activities for children like face-painting, henna, calligraphy and story-telling.

Venue: Trafalgar Square, Westminster,London, WC2N 5DNTime: 12:00pm to 6:00pm

14 July

Lecture: Sicily under Muslim rule

Alex Metcalfe of Lancaster University,presents an illustrated introduction to thecultures and peoples of Muslim Sicilybetween the 9th and 11th centuries.During this little-known but pivotal period,the island became an independent colonyof Arab Muslim North Africa in whichsettlers from the Islamic worldintermingled with the Byzantine Greekpopulation in an increasingly multilingual,inter-confessional and multicultural space.Among its many legacies was the greatcultural and political metropolis ofPalermo which came to be one of thelargest and wealthiest cities in Europe.

Venue: Stevenson Lecture Theatre, BritishMuseum, Great Russell Street, LondonWC1BTime: 1.30 PM - 2.30 PMFee: Free, Booking essential

15 17 July

FOSIS 53rd Annual Conference

The FOSIS Annual Conference is thelargest gathering of Muslim students in theUK - it's the place where the nextgeneration of Muslim leaders cometogether under one roof for three days todiscuss the future of our Federation andour community. This year the conferenceis set around the Seerah of the Prophet(s)and is titled “The Pathway of the Prophet".We aim to revive our relationship with theseerah through relating lessons from theseerah to today's society.

Venue:University of ManchesterTickets: £25More info: http://fosis.org.uk/events/53rd-annual-conference

16 July

Sky Dive for Africa

Event organised by Islamic Help Volunteers.

Venue:Ombersley Rd, Birmingham, WestMidlands B12 8URTime: 5.00 PMFee: £70Fundraising Target: £500

The Unity In Diversity Festival 2016

A follow up to last years Eid Arts andCultural event at the Brent Cross ShoppingCentre, London.It is essentially a celebration of Britain'sdiverse Muslim cultures and will exploreour communities diversity and reach out toour neighbours too. The festival isfocusing, this year, particularly on engagingchildren and families through theperforming arts, creative workshops and anarts, crafts and literature exhibition.The organisers would like to invite artists,craftsman, performers, volunteers ormedia wala's to consider participating inthe Eid celebration.The festival will have the main stage wherevarious arts performances or workshopswill take place, plus an arts exhibition area.Please send a brief synopsis about yourproposal, your bio and perhaps links to

pictures and videos to the below email.The event is free to the public.

Venue: the Brent Cross Shopping Centre,London.Time: between midday to 5PMMore info: www.unityindiversity.comEmail: [email protected]

18 20 July

Shifting Cultures and Rituals in the

Medieval Mediterranean

Dr Esther-Miriam Wagner will be giving apaper called 'Muslim Norms in JewishWriting'.

Venue: Konstanz, GermanyMore info:

http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/events/details?

25 July 1 August

Summer Equestrian Leisure Retreat

(Sisters Only)

Escape to the country at PennybridgeHouse for three days or a week with AlBuraq Club. This prestigious property, setin eight acres, makes the perfect venue foran equestrian orientated vacation. Unwindin a feminine environment with full spaand leisure facilities... win enviable luxuryprizes in our contests and saddle up for afun - packed range of equine activities!Riders of all levels are welcome, evenbeginners.

Venue: Pennybridge House, Wadhurst,East Sussex, UKMore info: http://www.alburaqclub.com

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 - july 2016 - issue 37

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