1

This being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meaness,some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.Welcome and entertain all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you outfor some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,and invite them in.

Be grateful for whomever comes,because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.Jalal ad-Din Rumi,

By Saira Niazi

All my life I have lived in Tooting, one of the most culturally diverse areas in London. Walking down the high street on a busy Saturday afternoon I pass an array of vastly different shops, ranging from African Car-ibbean food joints and specialist Indian and Pakistani grocery shops to Polish general stores. Tooting is home to a number of reli-gious institutes, mosques and churches, a Temple, we’ve even got a Sikh Gurdwara; evidently we are a community grounded by faith.

Every morning on my way to the high street I pass two trolley homes. Transparent plastic sheets and cardboard boxes are placed shoddily over a disused Sainsbury’s trolley to form a makeshift dwelling and bizarre refuge for the occupants within. Stuck on the wall behind these homes are newspaper cut-outs and colourful hand-made posters with a wide range of different messages on peace and harmony. There are also a few religious notes including; ‘Jesus loves you’, ‘Eid Mubarak’ and ‘Merry Christmas’. Inside lives a Caribbean woman and her young daughter. They are our local peacemakers who have nothing but misunderstood advice to offer human-ity. I was once lucky enough to speak to the older woman, her name was Mary. She told me she had an epiphany from God at 2am down at the Broadway. She had been asked to set up a stable by the edge of a dusty road, to give up her material life and devote her time to bringing everyone together in this individualist society; to spread the calm. Tooting has its fair share of what can only be described as flamboyant eccentrics each drifting through the town, day in day out. It has its own unique set of characters, the blond dread-locked man who never seems to budge from his spot on the bus bench, the rambling old alcoholic, and the quiet hobbling giant. I live in an incredibly vibrant town, a town in which I feel the locals are integrated. Never have I waited at

the bus stop and not had someone strike up a conversation with me, the eastern European guy new to town, known locals, the old people who always have some-thing to say about the weather.

In recent years, however, I have seen my community change drastically. Tensions have risen and given way to racist attacks and vandalism fuelling mutual distrust amongst all parties. A few weeks ago an old Muslim man was attacked by a group of local youths. His subsequent death has been the cause of much distress and has led local Imams to plea with Muslims against revenge attacks. Since 9/11 there have been evident changes in community life, from an increase in police to unre-lenting whispers surrounding phoney ar-rests. In these troubling times, many are asking the question, is integration possi-ble?

I’m a Pakistani Muslim. Three year ago I started wearing the headscarf and I feel that it hasn’t changed things much for me. I still meet new people and make the most of all the opportunities that come my way. In the past I’ve worked in BBC World Service offices, I’ve started up a writers’ group, attended pottery classes, sign lan-guage classes, children's illustration work-shops and world crisis lectures. I’ve worked in diverse primary schools and busy pharmacies. Fellow classmates and colleagues have been from all walks of life, coming from countries such as Viet-nam, Bosnia, Colombia, Korea, the list is endless. (Continued on page 2)

Are people of different cultural and religious backgrounds learning to live together in harmony?

The Islamic Themed Papers

VOLUME I , ISSUE 1NOVEMBER 11TH 2009

The Messages above the Trolley Homes

Also in this weeks Issue

Young Muslims gather for Peacemaking conference in Caux, Switzerland–Halima Khanom reports on the Art of Reflection. See page 3

pg 2pg 3pg 4pg 6pg 7 pg 8

Discussions at the conference

Reflection of the Day...

Alchemy Of Happiness Arts and Culture Islamic Architecture Islamic Perceptions Cage Prisoners I-soc Low Down

2

They all have something in common; they each take pride in their heritage and accept people from other back-grounds. We get along very well as we’re always learning about each other’s cultures and ways of life, hence integration happens. Within these small classes and work places over time we bond and learn to get along in harmony. I think one of the problems is that people have trouble breaking out of their cultural group into the wider world, perhaps they don’t integrate as they feel that they won’t be able to relate to one another.

What would a Muslim youth have in common with a Korean lady? You’d be surprised. Sometimes you’ll find you can relate to the most unlikely people. Maybe it’s something else, maybe people fear rejection or they stick to their own as they share the same beliefs and ideals as each other. I’ve been volunteering at a refugee centre for a long time now, and I find that people from the same countries stick together. This could be down to similar negative experiences and their high level of understanding of one another. Segregation in different areas around London is evident, go down to Peckham on a weekday night and you’ll see mostly African and Carib-bean people around, or go to Southall and most of the population will be Asian. Read the newspapers and you’ll undoubtedly come across something very right wing and racist, something along the lines of ‘these bloody eastern Europeans are taking over the country’ or some more nega-tive propaganda on Islam, something really scathing. The British National Party is said to be getting stronger, the number of people in support of them is on the rise, perhaps due to fear evoked through newspaper articles like these. Although there is segrega-tion I would like to believe it is get-ting better- after all we’re all human. We all share the basics; flesh, blood, a unique mind. I think the only thing that is missing is empathy. If people

are to live together in harmony they’ll need to understand one another.

Since coming to Goldsmiths over a year ago, I have found myself spending most of my time with other Muslims. Why? Perhaps because we are all treading the same path, we’re all searching for the same thing. Islam is a religion that tran-scends the boundaries of race, and age, gender and ethnicity. Muslims are all connected in a deep way, they live their lives based on the universal Islamic principles. Those following the real Islam are never separated, or divided, they hold no feelings of enmity in their hearts. You can see it when they pass each other on the streets with smiles on their faces, when they offer greetings of peace.

I think the solution is to extend this good will to everyone, it should be adopted by both Muslims and non Mus-lims, then and only then will integration be possible and desirable. We will all need to reach out to one another un-afraid of receiving nothing in return. We need to let go of all this fear and anger and distrust and unite. After all we are the children of the earth.

Introduction

KNOW, O beloved, that man was not created in jest or at random, but marvel-lously made and for some great end. Although he is not from everlasting, yet he lives for ever; and though his body is mean and earthly, yet his spirit is lofty and divine. When in the crucible of ab-stinence he is purged from carnal pas-sions he attains to the highest, and in place of being a slave to lust and anger becomes endued with angelic qualities. Attaining that state, he finds his heaven in the contemplation of Eternal Beauty, and no longer in fleshly delights. The spiritual alchemy which operates this

change in him, like that which trans-mutes base metals into gold, is not easily discovered, nor to be found in the house of every old woman. It is to explain that alchemy and its methods of operation that the author has undertaken this work, which he has entitled, The Alchemy of Happiness. Now the treasuries of God, in which this alchemy is to be sought, are the hearts of the prophets, and he, who seeks it elsewhere will be disap-pointed and bankrupt on the day of judg-ment, when he hears the words, "We have lifted the veil from off thee, and thy sight today is keen."

God has sent on earth a hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets to teach men the prescription of this alchemy, and how to purify their hearts from baser qualities in the crucible of abstinence. This alchemy may be briefly described as turning away from the world to God, and its constituents are four: 1. The knowledge of self, 2. The knowledge of God, 3. The knowledge of this world as it really is, 4. The knowledge of the next world as it really is.

The Knowledge of Self

Knowledge of self is the key to the knowledge of God, according to the say-ing: "He who knows himself knows God," and, as it is written in the Koran, "We will show them Our signs in the world and in themselves, that the truth may be manifest to them." Now nothing is nearer to thee than thyself, and if thou knowest not thyself how canst thou know anything else? If thou sayest "I know myself," meaning thy outward shape, body, face, limbs, and so forth, such knowledge can never be a key to the knowledge of God. Nor, if thy knowledge as to that which is within only extends so far, that when thou art hungry thou eatest, and when thou art angry thou attackest someone, wilt thou progress any further in this path, for the beasts are thy partners in this? But real self-knowledge consists in knowing the following things: What art thou in thy-self, and from whence hast thou come? Whither art thou going, and for what purpose hast thou come to tarry here awhile, and in what does thy real happi-ness and misery consist?

You can purchase a copy of ‘The Al-chemy of Happiness’ at Play.com

The Alchemy of Happiness Al-Ghazali

3

Upcoming Movie: New Muslim Cool (2009)

‘NEW MUSLIM COOL takes viewers on Hamza’s ride through the streets, projects and jail cells of urban Amer-ica, following his spiritual journey to some surprising places — where we can all see ourselves reflected in a world that never stops changing.’

Puerto Rican American rapper Hamza Pérez ended his life as a drug dealer 12 years ago, and started down a new path as a young Muslim. Now he's moved to Pittsburgh's tough North Side to start a new religious community, rebuild his shattered family, and take his message of faith to other young people through his uncompromising music as part of the hip-hop duo M-Team. For more info see IMDb or the official New Muslim Cool website: ww.newmuslimcool.com/

My thinking had been opened wide in Mecca. I'm for truth, no matter who tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I'm a human being first and foremost, and as such I'm for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole. Malcolm X

But it wasn't sudden, you know, because if you had listened to my songs and if you actually followed my path, I was always searching.Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace. Muhammad Ali

The sayings of Muhammad are a treasure of wisdom not only for Muslims but for all of mankind. Mahatma Gandhi

I saw Islam as the correct way to live, and I chose to try to live that way.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Fisherman

One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the af-ternoon sun and the prospect of catching a fish.

About that time, a businessman came walking down the beach, trying to re-lieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman was fishing instead of work-ing harder to make a living for himself and his family. "You aren't going to catch many fish that way," said the busi-nessman to the fisherman. "You should be working rather than lying on the beach!"

The fisherman looked up at the busi-nessman, smiled and replied, "And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more fish!" was the businessman's answer. "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman, still smiling. The business-man replied, "You will make money and you'll be able to buy a boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The busi-nessman was beginning to get a little irritated with the fisherman's questions. "You can buy a bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said.

"And then what will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The business-man was getting angry. "Don't you un-derstand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats, sail all over the world,

and let all your employees catch fish for you!"

Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don't you understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this beach, looking at the sunset. You won't have a care in the world!"

The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I'm doing right now?"

Summary found at the NMC website

4

The Beauty of Islamic Architecture

By Safia Abdullah

My local mosque is striking, not only in its beauty but presence. Situated on Kingsland Road, Sülemaniye Mosque is a building that depicts the growing Turkish Muslim community. The Mosque’s ceramic tiles of deep blue’s and glistening jades are of Ottoman influence.

It was only in writing this piece that I looked at the Islamic architecture as an expression of art, and not always one that centred specifically on religion, but craftsmanship. Islamic art has en-compassed many areas from calligra-phy to ceramics, but architecture has always been in a league of its own. These artistic structures can be seen in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, and the holy Mosque in Mecca.

The essential dome and minarets can be seen in many cities populated by Muslims. Historically, the Mosque had symbolised simplicity and the birth of a new religion. After the death of Prophet Mohamed (pbuh)* Islam spread throughout Arabia. The Umay-yad dynasty was the second caliphate, after the death of the prophet. Origi-nally from Mecca, the Umayyads had chosen Damascus as their capital, and extended Islam to Andalusia in Spain. It was under their administration that

Islamic architecture was transformed into something both religious and cultural.

The first artistic attempt of the Umayyad dynasty is depicted in the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem. Built in 691 AD, this has to be one of the holiest places in Is-lam. Quoted in the Quranic verse of Surah 17 Al-Isra’, the dome houses the rock in which the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh)* ascended into heaven. The Umayyad architects created this building to commemorate that event and create a shrine.

The Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount

The mixture of the fruitful mosaics and the late Ottoman ceramic exterior does not depict a single living being, unlike ecclesiastical structures in Jerusalem, like the church of Holy Sepulchre. The Dome of the Rock became the template for Is-lamic architecture. It reflected the cul-tures surrounding it, as well as the reli-gious conventions.

The influence of the Dome of the Rock is also seen in the Great Mosque of Damas-cus. Built in 706-715, the Mosque was initially the Roman temple of Jupiter. After the Islamic conquest of Syria, it was used as a worship place for both Muslims and Christians. Although under the Umayyad dynasty the building no longer served a dual religious purpose.

The Umayyads were able to adopt Ro-

man architecture, but developed it into something specifically Islamic. This can be seen in the minarets, which re-semble Roman corner towers. The many mosaics that cover the walls are outstandingly precise, depicting pal-aces and luscious landscapes. However for the Umayyads, the Mosque was not only a worship place, but evidence of their Islamic conquest.

Western Islamic architecture took its own form, particularly in Spain. The Umayyad dynasty had taken control of Andalusia or Al-Andalusia, as it was called by the Arabs. This conquest had influenced the architecture to become both secular and religious.

This is shown in the palace fort of Al-hambra, Granada. Its intricate stone carvings mirror Arab influences, and the alcazaba (walled-fortification) that resembles many Christian buildings.

The Alcazaba of Alhambra Palace

It’s the clever fluidity of the space, the interior that compliments the exterior; it’s as if the Arabs had never left. The courtyard spaces and receptions are tourist hotspots, similar to those found in Moroccan buildings.

Alhambra Palace

This palace has to be the Islamic jewel of Spain. The artistic approach of the Umayyad dynasty to architecture is one that depicts the tolerant nature of Islam. The way in which religion and culture had merged can be seen as a sign of respect and comfort for the surrounding communities.

The Holy Mosque in Mecca

The Great Mosque of Damascus

5

The Art Of ReflectionBy Halima Khanom

Some may consider the fact that Mus-lims are expected to pray five times a day to be onerous, particularly in the 21st century when Muslims need to ne-gotiate praying, performing ablutions and wearing the correct dress in the age of meetings, constant travel and dead-lines. It is, as many of my peers, Mus-lim and non Muslim would say, “a mis-sion,” however to say this you would be ignoring the fulfilment and discipline prayer instils in our lives” could read “Many of my peers, Muslim and non-Muslim, would describe this as “a mis-sion”, however, this ignores the disci-pline and sense of fulfilment that prayer brings to our lives.”

The primary reason why Muslims pray is to worship and to communicate with God; this may sound familiar to those who follow other monotheistic faiths such as Judaism and Christianity. How-ever, it is easy to forget that prayer of-fers so much more. Prayer offers a time for reflection, contemplation and a time to just catch your breath from the life-style that we get caught up in.

This allows the development of perspec-tive on the struggles of daily life. That may mean thinking about those who are not as privileged as us. For example, those born into extreme poverty; those who do not have social security and are struggling in the US healthcare crisis and those who suffer as a result of the economic exploitation of many parts of Africa. It may mean reflecting on prob-lems closer to home, such as financial struggles, terminal illness or discrimina-tion. Either way, the perspective gained from this moment of contemplation al-lows us to look beyond trivial daily pre-occupations such as: what’s for lunch? Shall I update my Facebook status now? Or what time will I get home today.”

Reflection has been an integral part of many religious and non-religious tra-ditions. Reflection as a common prac-tice has been advocated by many tradi-tions, such as Buddhism as a way of inner reconditioning by replacing negativity with the virtuous. Even common activities such as meditation and yoga will incorporate reflection as a tool to focus the mind to go beyond daily stresses. For some, reflection requires being cut off from the daily routine and a change of environment.

This summer, I took part in the “how to be a peacemaker” course at the Ini-tiatives of Change. Cut off from the previously defined necessities of tele-vision and surrounded by an atmos-phere of open discussion, reflection was inevitable.

I had always thought reflection was part of my daily routine as I prayed five times a day, but I never really took the time to just stop due to the hectic nature of life in London. It be-came clear that a mountain range, nor a prayer timetable were necessary for reflection, but rather a clear mind and determination to alienate all other as-pects of life for a few minutes.

Reflection during our time in Switzer-land was designed to help the 50 Euro-pean peacemakers from Islamic back-ground think more clearly about physi-cal, ideological and emotional attack on Islam worldwide.

To move beyond what we already know and understand to gain a more wholesome outlook. I may not have agreed with government initiatives to “Prevent Violent Extremism” however I do understand the need to take into account all views, not in the name of plurality but rather of understanding.

It is important to understand the key issues young European Muslims face today. For example, some Muslim young women that I met during the con-ference, told me how in France, they have been barred from entering their lecture halls because they wear head-scarves. Also, Muslims in the Nether-lands facing discrimination due to poli-ticians using Islamaphobia as a tool to foster electoral support.

Switzerland offered young European Muslims a chance to reflect on some difficult issues. For instance, Islamic fundamentalism and the role it plays in the identity of European Muslims or whether there is a role to be played or whether this is a misconception. Is one’s Islamic identity coveted more than one’s British identity? Well the simple answer to that is yes. How many people actually do identify with Islamic funda-mentalist actions throughout the world? Or is it time to make a distinction be-tween the radical fundamentalists using religion as a means to further personal goals and young Muslims drawing on orthodox Islam to guide them relig-iously, socially and morally without reference or thought to hijacked planes, bombs and hostage situations. It can refer to projects aimed at young Mus-lims trying to create networks across Europe, inter-faith dialogue and a better understanding of Islam itself, particu-larly to our Non Muslim neighbours.

The next time I have the pleasure of getting a seat on the packed bus, I will use even those 20 minutes to think about all that I don’t otherwise get to think about. Getting onto the number 25 bus route the other day, I was able to forget about the extortionate bus fares, the health hazards associated with the bendy bus, even the stressful scramble to get on, and reflect. For more infor-mation visit, www.uk.iofc.org

View From Caux Palace, Switzerland

Muslims praying in congregation

Hijab ban demonstrations in France

6

What is Islam?

The word means submis-

sion to Allah (God) , and

the root meaning of the

word comes from salaam

which means peace.

‘Muslim’ is anyone or any-

thing that submits itself to

the will of God.

Pillars of Faith

These pillars are the

building blocks of Islam,

and are therefore a very

important part of a Mus-

lim’s life.

Shahadah- This is to

proclaim the oneness

of Allah and that Mu-

hammad ( peace be

upon him) is the last

messenger of Allah.

Salah- Performing the

five daily prayers which

are: Fajr, Duhr, Asr,

Maghrib, Isha.

Zakat- Paying charity

every year equivalent

to 2.5% of annual sav-

ings.

Saum- Fasting during

the month of Ramad-

han.

Hajj- Pilgrimage to

Mecca at least once in

a person’s lifetime.

Did You Know…

All Muslims are not Ar-

abs. In fact, Arabs con-

stitute only 20% of

Muslims worldwide. In-

donesia has the largest

Muslim population of

more than 120 million

There are Muslims in and

from virtually every

country in the world.

Islam has 1.5 billion follow-

ers, along with Judaism

and Christianity it is

considered one of the

three Abrahamic relig-

ions.

Muslims believe in all the

Prophets of old from

Adam to Jesus. These

prophets were Muslims

who submitted their wills

to God.

‘Shirk’ which means asso-

ciating partners with Al-

lah is one of the major

sins in Islam.

I-Coloumn

Jihad? This a word that

has given rise to many

problems within the Mus-

lim community and the

wider society. It came to

be known by European

historians during the

Crusades of the 11th and

12th centuries. It was un-

derstood to mean ‘holy

war’ fought by the Muslim

Empires of the time.

However, the Arabic

word for holy war is ‘harb

- ul muqhadas’ and not

jihad.

So, what exactly does

this word mean? The ba-

sic meaning of Jihad is to

struggle and to strive, so

every day is a struggle

against oneself. We are all

experiencing this process

of Jihad at some point,

whether it is struggle to-

wards an examination or

an interview for a job. It

first begins with the self,

struggling against one’s

own evil inclinations. Jihad

can also be a way of fight-

ing injustice and oppres-

sion.

Islamic Perceptions by Ijabo Ahmed

Ethnic Uighur Muslims

7

How Tipton Taliban inspired Guantanamo Bay guard to be-

come a Muslim

Edward Chadwick (Sunday Mercury)

A FORMER Guantanamo Bay guard has revealed how he turned from a beer-swilling American soldier into a de-vout Muslim after being inspired by the Midland men dubbed the Tipton Tali-ban. Terry Holdbrooks, who grew up in Arizona, says he renounced his life of heavy metal music and tattoos for Islam after seeing Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Ruhal Ahmed deal with their two-year incarceration at the Cuban terror camp.

The close friends from the Black Coun-try town were tortured and interrogated at Camp X-Ray after being snatched by rebel Afghan forces and handed over to US troops. They were among the first men to be locked up without a trial at the notorious camp in 2002 and became known as the Tipton Taliban. They were finally released without charge after being denied answers and repre-sentation for their alleged crimes. Hold-brooks, who has now changed his name to Mustafa Abdullah, recounted watch-ing the trio put aside their plight to laugh and joke during their nightmare behind bars. He said: “The Tipton Trio

were always playing tricks on the guards and the interrogators. I had all the freedoms they didn’t, but I was a slave to what the army wanted me to do.” Holdbrooks was just 19 when he was posted to the makeshift jail at a US naval base on Cuba.

He claims to have been converted to Islam at a midnight ceremony by a mentor, who was not one of the three Tipton men. After leaving the army in 2004, he now claims to be a strict prac-tising Muslim. His transformation will be revealed in full in a memoir called Traitor to be published next spring. Mr Rasul, now aged 32, and 28-year-olds Mr Iqbal and Mr Ahmed had travelled to Pakistan for Mr Iqbal’s wedding in September 2001 before their nightmare began. They crossed into Afghanistan the following month, intending to buy food and medical supplies for villagers as the prospect of another war in the troubled nation loomed. But as the dan-ger of their situation became apparent, the men’s attempt to escape failed when they were caught in shelling. They were treated as prisoners by the local militia and ended up being handed over to American special forces. After being flown to Camp X-Ray they were quizzed by FBI and MI5 officials up to 200 times each. Claims were made that the three men had been filmed in the background of a video featuring a meeting of al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden and Mohamed Atta, the leader of the 9/11 hijackers shot in August 2000. Mr Rasul was, in fact, working in a branch of the electronics store Curry’s, and was enrolled at the University of Central England. March 2004 finally brought an end to the ordeal of Mr Ra-sul, Mr Iqbal and Mr Ahmed but they have since faced a long struggle to re-build their lives.

What can you do for others still imprisoned:

-Make Dua/ Supplication-Donate to organisations like Cage Prisoners Ltd-Write to the prisoners, one of the cruel techniques used is isolation, visit the website for addressee and instructions

www.cageprisoners.com

Hadith In the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Mus-lim, it is narrated from Abu Huraira that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him, for-sake him or despise him.” Imam Naw-awi commented on this hadith in Sharh Muslim (16/120) saying, “the scholars said “forsaking him is leaving him when he is in need and despising him means, if he asks for help to remove an evil in his life, he must help him if he can and if he does not have a legitimate excuse not to”.

Ibn Rajab said in Jami Al-Ulum Wal Hukum, (p. 333), “by this, a believer forsaking his brother, it means that the believer is commanded to help his brother as the Prophet (PBUH) said, “help your brother, whether he is the oppressed or the oppressor”. He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, help the oppressed but how do I help the op-pressor?” He said, “by preventing him from oppressing. This is how you help him”. Narrated by Anas.

Prisoner of the month:Prisoner of the month:His crime:"If the construction of a mosque where prayer can be performed to God or the digging of a well for the thirsty people to drink water or the supply of hungry people with food are the sins that make me a detainee, then I willingly accept my detention." --Fayiz al-Kandari

Haleema Hoque

8

What’s to come this year!Charity WeekAnnual Eid DinnerDiscover Islam Day

A great opportunity to improve your recitation of the Quran

Weekly sports session in the upper gym for sisters, a choice between football and basketball. For information on times and venues email us at sisters.goldisoc@gmail.com

Stay active and make some new friends.

For more info about brothers activities and classes email; gcisoc@hotmail.com/ info@goldisoc.co.uk

An Islamic themed talk given by a fellow student. Be inspired! Increase your knowl-edge! Open to all females; Muslim and non-Muslim Mondays 2-3pm

An afternoon of presentations and discussions based on anything Islamic, from political issues, current affairs to book reviews. A great place to make new friends and there are free snacks to boot! Open to all females!

Taught in a very patient and encouraging manner. Starting from Surah Naziat; Juz Amma! 12-1 every Tuesdays.

Contact details

Saira Niazi saira.goldisoc@gmail.com (editor)

Ijabo Ahmed ijabo88@hotmail.com –Islamic Perceptions

Halima Khanom halimakhanom@hotmail.co.uk—Reflections from Switzerland

Safia Abdullah safia90@hotmail.co.uk –The Beauty of Islamic Architecture

Haleema Hoque ps702hh@gold.ac.uk –Cage PrisonersA special thanks to Aisha Phoenix for all her help and support.