UNITY

Bismillah. I was gonna support Holland on Sunday for footballing reasons, including the fact that Robin Van Persie is an Arsenal man and a convert to Islam (in an ideal world, he’d score a hat-trick, the winning goal and be man of the match).

But I’ve received this message (below)from Prof. Francis Boyle of Illinois today. Does the football team represent the government? Should sport & politics mix?

One solution is for some brave Dutch fans to unfurl a giant banner at the final saying, “We are sorry about Srebrenica.” Van Persie can then score that winning goal …

Joking aside, the more mature we become, the more we realise the truth of the Qur’anic revelation that “The worldly life is nothing but amusement and frivolity, play and sport.”
—

The Dutch National Team will be playing for the World Cup upon the fifteenth anniversary of the genocidal massacre at Srebrenica for which the Dutch National Government is jointly and severally responsible under international law.

Furthermore, for the past 15 years the Dutch National Government has lied about, covered up, whitewashed, and stonewalled the fact that it co-operated in the massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, also rendering the Dutch National Government an Accessory After the Fact to the “genocide” at Srebrenica, as determined by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the so-called World Court.

For these reasons, the Mothers of Srebrenica and Podrinja call upon all people of good faith and good will around the World, especially those at the World Cup Stadium in South Africa, to publicly root against the Dutch National Team in sympathy with the Victims at Srebrenica.‬‪

We will not rest until Justice is done!‬‪ ‬‪

Professor Francis A. Boyle‬‪
Attorney for the Mothers of Srebrenica and Podrinja
—

Further comments from Prof. Boyle:

This is the National Team representing The Netherlands, which is in substantial part responsible for the genocidal massacre at Srebrenica.‬‪

Also, the Dutch National Team will be playing in the Final on the very Day of Remembrance and Burial of more Remains at Potocari, Srebrenica, Bosnia. This should be a National Day of Shame in the Netherlands, not rejoicing.

(UH: if the team plays badly or unfairly enough, it could still be a National Day of Shame!)
—

‪Nacionalni tim kraljevine Holandije ce igrati u finalu svjetskog nogomentnog kupa na dan 15-te gosisnjice genocidnog masakra u Srebrenici za koji je vlada kraljevine Holandije kolektivno I individualno odgovorna po osnovu interanionalnog zakona.

Zadnjih petnaest godina nacionalna vlada kraljevine Holandije laze, sakriva I obstruira dokaze o svom ucescu u masakru 8000 Bosnjaka odraslih muskaraca I djecaka u Srebrenici, iako je njen doprinos genocidu u Srebrenici utvrdjen presudom Internacionalnog suda pravde u Hagu (tzv. Svjetski sud).

Abog ovih razloga, udruzenje gradjana Majke Srebrenice I Podrinja pozivaju sve ljude dobre volje u citavom svijetu, a posebno one na stadionu Svjetskog nogometnog kupa u juznoj Africi, da javno navijaju protiv nacionalnog tima kraljevine Holandije kao znak simpatije prema zrtvama u Srebrenici.

Mi necemo odustati dok ne dobijemo pravdu.

Francis A. Boyle,
Advokat Udruzenja gradjana Majke Srebrenice i Podrinja‬

Bismillah. Received today from the Dialogue Society:

Dear Friend,

Please find below details of a seminar being held tomorrow at the Dialogue Society. I wondered whether it might be of interest to you, members of your organisation or other contacts. Please do circulate it to anybody who might like to hear about it.

Warmest regards
Frances Sleap
Intern
Dialogue Society

Seminar: Understanding Judaism
By Judith Fox, Islington SACRE
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 18:45
At the Dialogue Society
402 Holloway Road, N7 6PZ, London
Free and open to the public (registration required)
Refreshments will be served

Abstract

This course will look at Judaism from a variety of different viewpoints, promote questions and seek answers for some of the following:

• A review from Adam and Eve to the present day
• Jewish literature, teachings and commentary
• The principal tenets of Judaism
• The impact of the Enlightenment in Europe
• Jewish life in Great Britain today
• The immigrant experience
• Family and communal life
• Integration, assimilation or community cohesion?

Biography of Judith Fox

Judith Fox graduated in Economics and Sociology from the London School of Economics. She has worked as a social researcher, as an economist and analyst of the construction industry, and edited a specialist economics magazine. Her voluntary work has covered the welfare of learning disabled people, a hospital for geriatric and psychiatric care, and she currently chairs Islington’s standing Advisory Council for Religious Education, which advises the local authority on RE, and is an active member of Islington Faiths Forum. She has also been a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

She also is an executive and personal coach, specialising in helping professional people to achieve their highest potential.

FORTHCOMING

Wed, 23 June Seminar:
Understanding the Baha’i Faith
by Sarah Perceval

Tue, 29 June Seminar: God and Community Cohesion – Help or Hindrance? by Canon Dr Alan Billings

Venue Information
Address: Dialogue Society, 402 Holloway Road, London, N7 6PZ

Phone: +44 20 7619 0361
Nearest Tube Station: Holloway Road (Piccadilly Line)
Buses: 43, 153, 271, 393

Bismillah. From the Christian-Muslim Forum:

This is the most recent news item posted on our News and Events page.

* Following in the Footsteps of Abraham – A Retreat for Men *

This was a very successful, enjoyable and spiritual event, living up to our expectations and the confidence of the Inlight Trust in providing the funding. Men from across the country, including Wales, converged on St Deiniol’s Library from Birmingham, Brighton, Burnley, Dorking, Leighton Buzzard, London, Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil, Nottingham and Rochester.

Tony Aylward, a Baptist from Rochester, wrote the following account.

Reflections on the Men’s Retreat

I went on this retreat with great expectation as I believe God wanted me to be there. It was entitled ‘In the Footsteps of Abraham’ and my hope was that it would inspire my thinking on male spirituality and also renew my contact with Muslims following my departure from Leicester. It was a small gathering of 13: 6 Christian and 7 Muslims and was led by Symon Hill and Abdullah Trevathan. We looked at 3 areas:

• The life of Abraham in the Qur’an and Bible
• Dealing with conflict
• Being Male

We shared worship in the form of meditation/reflection using Muslim chants from the Sufi tradition and Christian ones from Taize and Iona.

When we drew up a list of Abraham’s character from our scriptures, we discovered that many of them were the same. Key ones from both texts which we identified were:

• Spiritual wayfarer
• Absolute faith
• Friend of God

One major difference in respect to Abraham was that in the Muslim tradition all prophets are without sin whereas in the Christian tradition only Jesus is without sin and so the prophets are flawed people. We spent some time thinking about Abraham the Absurd, defining ‘absurd’ as not normal or ordinary. As people of faith we are called to be an extraordinary people. By being together as Christians and Muslims for this retreat we were being absurd. We were challenged as to whether we had become to cosy in our faith and not therefore taking risks. Are we going through the motions of faith without it really affecting the way we live our lives?The conflict resolution sessions were very helpful in enabling us to think about the root causes and not just the reasons people often give for their positions. We looked at a diagram that required us to think about where we were in relation to personal goals as against relationships when dealing with an issue of conflict. Although compromise in some cases is the only way we were encouraged to try problem solving the issue to see if there is a better way for the parties involved. I was not alone in finding how ready as a group we were to accept the very different issues between our faiths. Perhaps that said more about the participants who were more focused on areas of agreement.

The final session on male identity caused the most discussion as we completed a questionnaire expressing how important certain criteria were to our identity. What was striking for me was the relative passion that people gave to particular headings. We considered whether our responses would have been the same had there been a woman present, for which the majority view was that it would. The question of what are male characteristics is a problem area when it comes to looking at male spirituality. Draw up a list and there will be people who disagree with you. I am a firm believer that at times this is because men may not like a particular trait or they believe they do not portray it. The walk we had on the Saturday afternoon was a wonderful demonstration of a male trait in action. We had identified of Abraham that he was focused and indicated that this was a male attribute. On the walk we talked, mainly in pairs but on occasions in single file. We maintained a brisk pace rarely stopping to take in the creation around us. We even managed to be blissfully unaware of ‘Private’ notices. Now that is what I call focused!

Overall it was a great experience of men sharing the journey of faith. For me the translation of the Muslim chant, “La ilaha ill’allah” as “There is nothing but God; there is only God,” called me to refocus my life on the things of God. To daily ask the question, “What will God do with me today rather than what will I do today?”

Tony Aylward

What Next?

Many thanks to all who took part, the retreat leaders and Tony for his reflections. We would like to hold another retreat and have an invitation to an Islamic retreat centre in Spain. If you are interested in being involved in exploring Christian-Muslim men’s spirituality please get in touch.

We are also organising a women’s retreat for London-based Christian and Muslim women on 31 July/1 August in Kent. Please contact us for more details.

An event for everyone: Friends and Neighbours, 30 June/1 July 2010.

Julian Bond
Director
Following in the Footsteps of Abraham
Christian Muslim Forum
70 South Lambeth Road
Vauxhall
LondonSW8 1RL
Telephone 0207 820 0444
http://www.christianmuslimforum.org

Company Registration 5461960
Registered Charity 1114793

Bismillah.

The Prince of Wales gave a speech in Oxford on Islam and the Environment yesterday. The full speech can be found at – http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speechesandarticles/index.html

Summary:

http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/newsandgallery/news/hrh_makes_a_speech_about_islam_and_the_environment_707124419.html

9th June 2010

The Prince of Wales was in Oxford today to deliver a speech on Islam and the Environment at Oxford University’s Sheldonian Theatre. Bringing together two important strands of His Royal Highness’s work over the last three decades, faith and the environment, The Prince delivered the speech to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, of which he is Patron.

The central point of the lecture was the realisation of the damage which Mankind is doing to the environment and the importance of taking steps to halt it, before it is too late. He pointed out that one of the many issues of commonality between the World’s great faiths is a strong focus on protection of the environment – God’s creation. The Prince encouraged people of faith around the World to reconnect with their sacred teachings on this issue, saying that all the great faiths are rooted in an understanding of the fact that man is a part of nature, not apart from nature, and must always live within nature’s means and limits.

Detailing Islam’s teachings on this theme, The Prince noted that the Qu’ran describes nature as possessing an “intelligibility” and teaches that there is no separation between man and nature because there is no separation between the natural world and God. The Prince pointed out that this teaching is also evident in Judaism and in his own faith, Christianity. He noted that this understanding is particularly well expressed in the writings of Islamic poets and scholars, and Western poets too like Wordsworth.

In trying to draw attention to what unites faiths, rather than what divides them, The Prince said there are more similarities than differences in the approaches of different faiths.

Encouraging good relationships between all faith communities – by pointing out these similarities and common themes – has been a part of The Prince’s work for over 25 years.

In a speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 1993, The Prince identified the importance of the need for greater understanding between the West and Islam, and he today began his speech by reaffirming the need to help minority communities and faith groups integrate into British Society.

The Prince’s final point was that it is wrong to see tradition and traditional wisdom (of the kind seen in the teachings of the great faiths of the world) as backward looking. His Royal Highness believes traditional wisdom can blend with modern needs – that far from being backward-looking it is, in fact, visionary.

**********************************************************************************

Bismillah. A massive “thank you” to the UK’s Channel 4 for screening Michael Moore’s superb 2009 film, “Capitalism: A Love Story” tonight. A must-watch, much like John Pilger’s “The War on Democracy.”

The main message: let’s rescue US democracy from Wall St. & greedy bankers.

There were shocking examples as well as inspiring stories:

* Judges & private prison CEOs making money from locking up kids for minor misdemeanours.

* Pilots paid so little that they resort to waitressing & food stamps. Hence the “Pennies for Pilots” charity collections on some US flights.

* Walmart and other corporations making millions from taking out life insurance policies on employees, who do not even know about these. The financiers call such people “Dead Peasants”; see http://www.deadpeasants.biz.

* The Troidy family in Miami whose home of over 20 years was foreclosed (repossessed). With local community support, they moved back in, defying the police and bank who had to back down.

* A sheriff who halted all future foreclosures (repossessions) of houses in his county, saying that no more working-class families should lose their homes.

* The Chicago factory-workers who staged a sit-in after being fired without pay. The company gave in after massive support from the public, including President Obama (Wall St gave his campaign a lot of money when they realised he was going to win).

* The courageous Congressmen who opposed the $700 bn bailout of the banks in 2008, arguing that Bush used fear to intimidate their colleagues into passing the motion, just as he did with the illegal Iraq war.

* Michael Moore attempting a citizen’s arrest of bank CEOs & putting “Crime Scene – Do Not Enter” yellow tape around Wall St. banks and those “bull and bear” sculptures in protest at the bailout fraud. Then with a megaphone asking the CEOs to come out to be arrested. He then says something like, “I’m getting old & tired of doing this by myself. Please join me” – via http://www.michaelmoore.com

* Footage of Roosevelt’s speech to the US during WW2 where he proposed a Second Bill of Rights, including the right of every citizen to a decent home, job, wage, education & healthcare. He died soon after and 65 years on, Americans still don’t have those rights. Ironically, many of his team helped to write constitutions for European countries & Japan, where such rights are widespread. The opponents of such ideas in the US describe them as “dangerous socialism,” one of the many labels put on Obama now.

Such rights are also very Islamic. As my grandfather wrote in his “Way of the Prophet” (p. 218 under Hadith 374),

“An Islamic government is responsible for all the basic necessities of people who are unable to support themselves. The basic necessities are: (1) food, (2) clothing, (3) accommodation, (4) healthcare and (5) education.

If the citizens of any state are deprived of these basic necessities, the government cannot be regarded as Islamic in the true sense.”

* The film ends with a wonderful, moving song by Woody Guthrie entitled “Jesus Christ.” The lovely lyrics include lines like:

Jesus said to the rich: “Give your wealth to the poor!”
And they laid Jesus Christ in his grave.

If Jesus was to preach today as he did in the past,
They would lay Jesus Christ in his grave.

(The Koran rejects the story of the crucifixion of Christ, but this song’s powerful appeal for social justice is very Islamic.)

More quotes from the film:

* A leaked memo from top bankers admitted that the US was now no longer a democracy but a plutonomy, ie rule by wealthy corporations.

* Several priests described capitalism (or its current state in the US) as “evil.”

* The richest 1% of US households now have more wealth than the “bottom” 95% put together. But the latter have 95% of the vote, something the rich elite fear.

* “I truly believe that banking institutions are more dangerous than standing armies” – Thomas Jefferson, 1816.

It was Jefferson vs. The Bankers in one of the US Presidential Elections. Jefferson won, narrowly, despite all the dirty tricks used against him. I recommend “The Creature From Jekyll Island” by Edward Griffin for a fascinating, readable history of this period, the US Central Banks, the Federal Reserve, etc. Note that Griffin is right-wing whilst Moore is on the left. Griffin also criticises the international banking system for diverting US taxpayers’ money to help “international socialism” in Europe & Asia!

A final note: modern capitalism’s biggest problem is its foundation of riba (usury, exploitation, etc.). A key Koranic teaching is that usury is fundamentally opposed to charity. A clear illustration of this is that surplus wealth and profit is reduced by 2.5% per year under the Islamic charitable rules of zakat, with the money going to the poor and needy. Under a usurious system, the exact opposite happens: such money magically grows due to interest rates. If you trace it back, this increase comes ultimately from exploitation of the poor and indebted.

The net effects are:

Charity – wealth transfer from rich to poor
Usury – wealth transfer from poor to rich

May Allah give us the courage & wisdom to replace our current usurious system with a charity-based model of the free market and free enterprise.

As Salaamu Alaykum.

You may have been following the recent media blitz surrounding the Cordoba House, a joint project of ASMA and Cordoba Initiative. A few months ago SoHo Properties Inc. acquired a 4-story building with a vision of creating a community center with recreational facilities, classrooms, performing arts theatre, and programming geared towards the local New York community.

Cordoba House was seen as a groundbreaking effort towards building an unique Muslim cultural center near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, New York City. It was to be a bricks-and-mortar space to not only promote a thriving and diverse Muslim community but also provide new opportunities for interfaith harmony between Muslims and non-Muslims.

On May 5, Daisy Khan and Imam Feisal presented the vision and concept to Community Board 1, a committee of local stakeholders. The 12-member board welcomed the project and unanimously approved it by passing a resolution in favor of it.

Next morning, the press incorrectly reported the cultural center as a “13 story mosque near ground zero”. Blogs and social media outlets have claimed that the project is a step toward the “Islamization of America” and a “slap in the face of 9-11 families”. Some groups have launched hate campaigns and plan to hold a protest rally on June 6. Rarely does ASMA receive hate calls but we have received our share of it in the past few days. In addition, the story has taken a life of its own on blogs, twitter and other social networking sites. Here are links to some of the media stories (both positive and negative):

http://www.tribecatrib.com/news/2010/may/603_cb1-committee-hails-plans-for-a-mosque-two-blocks-from-world-trade-center-site.html

http://www.nypost.com/f/print/news/national/mosque_madness_at_ground_zero_OQ34EB0MWS0lXuAnQau5uL

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/14/plan-build-mosque-near-ground-zero-riles-families-victims/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joshua-stanton/muslim-cultural-center-gr_b_572767.html

On May 18, in response to the media frenzy, we called an emergency meeting with our interfaith partners who have thrown their full support behind us. They are writing letters and also asking other faith leaders to come forward in this moment of difficulty. Twenty institutional supporters have signed up so far.

On May 20, Scott Stringer, the Manhattan Borough President, held a press conference in front of the building to defend the center and to push back against the comments of Mark Williams, a Tea Party leader. So far, this is the most accurate report of this project:

http://www.dnainfo.com/20100520/manhattan/politicians-rally-against-tea-party-bashing-of-world-trade-center-mosque.

Daisy Khan has asked that I make a special request to you to support ASMA, Cordoba Initiative and the project at this critical moment. These are the ways you can help:

1. Weigh in on this issue by writing opinion pieces, blogging, tweeting etc. A good example is Kamran Pasha’s eloquent editorial on Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamran-pasha/the-mosque-by-ground-zero_b_578146.html?view=print.

2. Write a support letter on your organization’s letterhead for the project and send it to us.

3. Send a letter to Scott Stringer’s office thanking them for their support.

4. Send our sample letter to your local Muslim or interfaith leaders for their endorsement. Cordoba House has hit national and international news and by endorsing this project faith leaders will become a part of the rebuilding of lower Manhattan.

5. Think about individuals nationally who might be willing to lead a fundraising campaign for this project. There will be naming opportunities and other ways to get involved with the center.

Warmly,
Rushda
—
Rushda Majeed
Director, MLT
American Society for Muslim Advancement
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 248
New York, NY 10115

212.870.2552 x 2

http://www.asmasociety.org

‘Derision of West misguided’ By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS
May 17, 2010 23:48 Updated: May 17, 2010 23:48

US more in alignment with Islamic values than many Muslim states: Al-Qarni

ALKHOBAR: A popular Saudi author and religious scholar has raised some questions about governmental and societal practices across the Arab world and asserts that the United States is more in alignment with many Islamic values than many countries represented as Muslim states.

Aaidh ibn Abdullah Al-Qarni, whose self-help book “Don’t Be Sad” sells briskly both in English and Arabic, made the remarks in two recent columns published in Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News. In the columns, Al-Qarni compared a Saudi woman’s experience after being beaten by an abusive husband in the United States with what often happens — or doesn’t happen — in her native land. In the second column, Al-Qarni explored the reasons so many Muslims move to the US and find both greater opportunity and more tolerance that they could expect in their homelands. The thought-provoking articles have prompted many discussions at coffee shops and dinner tables.

“The US deals with its subjects through systems that look like they were based on Islamic teachings while Muslims fail to implement such systems,” Al-Qarni wrote in his column about domestic violence, which focused on a family that moved to the US while the husband was working on a university degree. Physically and verbally abused, the wife appealed to his family and her family to intervene but to no avail. “In fact she was rejected, insulted and threatened by them,” Al-Qarni wrote of the family members back home. “Having reached a dead end, the wife decided to put a stop to the physical and psychological pain she and her children were suffering; she contacted the police and told them about her husband.” He then described the response of several police squads visiting the residence and getting the story from both spouses and the children before deducing the man indeed was beating his wife. The husband was arrested and the wife and children moved to a hotel at the state’s expense and under police protection. Later, the wife was given financial assistance and an American attorney represented her for no charge. Authorities found her an appropriate job, escorted her children to school and made the husband agree not to come near any of them before the court hearing on the matter, at which time he was convicted of domestic violence. The wife was awarded custody of the children.

“Now, after listening to the story, let us ask how many women are beaten, insulted and hurt without anybody coming to their aid? I am aware of many terrifying stories of the worst kind of abuse and oppression that women experience day and night,” Al-Qarni wrote. “I fear that after people read this story, many women in the Arab world would want to go to the US. I believe that there should be a secret police force whose task is to rescue women who are being assaulted and suffering abuse. Any husband carrying out such abuse should share the same fate as the Saudi student in the US mentioned in the story above.”

Al-Qarni wrote it reminded him of a classic figure in Islam. “Over 14 centuries ago, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, the second caliph, defended an abused woman when he went to her husband’s house with his sword and rescued the woman and taught her husband a lesson, but in accordance with the principles of Shariah,” he wrote. He continued: “I remember that some colleagues and I toured 21 American states, and whenever we saw the accuracy and excellence of the traffic system, and witnessed people’s commitment to environment-protection laws, and the way daily affairs are managed, we thought of the words we read in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Even some of the Muslim professors there once said to us: ‘We swear it is as if the Americans took it from our religion word for word, while we ignore these great texts.’”

In the column about Arabs fleeing their homelands and traveling to the West, Al-Qarni notes that greater opportunities exist there than in many Arab nations.

“Some of them have fled from repression, whipping, torture, gagging, confiscation of freedom, with the traces of torture still on their backs and chests. Others have gone to look for a source of living after being stricken by poverty, stung by hunger and destroyed by unemployment and idleness. Others have gone to seek knowledge, leaving behind their countries where universities are ranked last in the list of the universities of the world,” he wrote.

Al-Qarni related the story of a Libyan man who fled his own country and found happiness and a good life in the US. “We were amazed. Amazingly enough, here is a man who fled his homeland after being terribly harassed, tortured, and maltreated there and came to a state that we are insulting day and night, and that some of us call the ‘Great Satan,’ a country that our preachers are cursing and wishing it bad,” Al-Qarni wrote. “Then, this poor Muslim man who was driven out of his country, tortured in his homeland, becomes rich, having a home, a farm and a job and enjoying a good life full happiness in an American state.”

Al-Qarni questions why the West is demonized when it provides so many opportunities to Muslims and is far more tolerant of Muslim sensitivities than many Muslim countries are to people of differing faiths. “Why don’t we Arabs think about our tragedies and disasters, and admit that many of our states have discarded justice, confiscated liberties, taken over rights and erased the freedom of expression? This is at a time when, in the West, they discuss their affairs calmly, solve their crises with dialogue and govern their subjects with justice,” he wrote. He suggests the Arab world needs to take a long look at itself. “In our Shariah, we read about order, justice, good character, calls for peace and human rights, respect for others, avoiding hurting other peoples’ feelings, showing interest in the environment, seeking knowledge, encouraging work and production, and fighting poverty, ignorance, disease, and injustice. We notice that they are observing all this in the West whereas we find that many Arabs are only paying lip service to it in their bitter reality.”

Al-Qarni said there was much to be learned from the countries of the West. “Please, let us stop cursing and insulting them and wishing them bad, and let us preoccupy ourselves with reforming ourselves, improving our level, promoting our universities, cleaning our environment, building our land, and rectifying our mistakes.”

(http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article54754.ece)

Bismillah. A forwarded message:

We’ve got hours left until the polls close – so forgive me for being a bit blunt: I need you to come to Barking & Dagenham today to help stop the BNP.

Any spare time you can give can make the difference. An hour, two hours – we’ll take it. We need you.

Sign up right now to let me know I can count on you this evening:

HOPE not Hate HQ
50-52 New Road
Dagenham, Essex RM9 6YS
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/electiondaypush

The situation in Barking & Dagenham is worsening. Turnout is heavy in those polling districts where we know the BNP have a lot of support. Unless we turn out our vote the BNP could win control of the council, and even elect a Nazi like Nick Griffin to parliament.

We can’t let it happen. We just can’t.That’s why we’ll be knocking on doors and handing out leaflets tonight – right up until the polls close at 10pm. We turn out the anti-BNP vote and the BNP cannot win. It’s that simple.

We’ve got to make sure every last one of the ballots cast this evening is a vote for hope, not hate.

Join us, please:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/electiondaypush

Thank you,
Nick Lowles

P.S. I sent this video around last night – but I wanted to make sure you had a chance to see it. Yesterday, Bob Bailey, a BNP candidate, attacked a young man on the streets of Barking. You can make sure that he doesn’t get elected today – volunteer now.

Bismillah. VOTE LIB-DEMS, unless there is a very good alternative in your area. There are many considerations in deciding who to vote for. The overriding one is that we need to break the two-party stranglehold on our UK politics.

Bismillah. In response to a request for advice on voting locally at the general election:

If you wish to be principled locally, vote for the local candidate you most agree with.

If you wish to be principled nationally, vote for the national party you most agree with.

The above two considerations can conflict, and this is a problem in our British system of democracy. But there’s no easy alternative.

Or you could abstain, of course.

If you wish to be pragmatic: Leyton & Wanstead has been a safe Labour seat for decades. Harry Cohen was a good and respected MP for years, but was hit by the expenses scandal. He also voted against the Iraq war, as he told me when he visited our mosque once. George Galloway described him as a “good man” in his talk at Tawhid Mosque some years ago. The new Lab candidate is an experienced ex-MP from Hornchurch who also voted repeatedly against the Iraq war. But he’s not local to the area. I think all MPs should be local to their constituencies.

LibDems are close behind Lab here, and are perhaps the only party who can beat them. The Tory candidate Ed Northover is a good local man (I met him when he came to our mosque last year to discuss the SRE bill), but the Tories seem to have very little chance of winning. Ditto the Greens, Respect, etc.

The LibDem candidate is Cllr Farooq Qureshi, a local man with years of council experience. Also served as Mayor of LBWF a few years ago. He is also standing in the local elections on May 6.

I think it’s between Lab and LibDems here.

I’d be grateful for other perspectives, whether local, national or international.

May Allah bless us with good leaders!

Meanwhile, some people are trying to convince Muslims in East London that to vote on May 6th means that you become an apostate (a renegade from Islam) and will end up in Hell!  Have a look at these leaflets or flyers, one from Leyton and one from Tower Hamlets:

(For those unfamiliar with Arabic terms, Shirk: polytheism; Jahannam: Hellfire; Tawba: Repentance)

Shirk: polytheism; Jahannam: Hellfire; Tawba: Repentance

seen on a pillar-box in Leyton before being torn off