mcw newsletter
DESCRIPTION
Volume 1, Issue 4TRANSCRIPT
Broadway House, Broadway, Cardiff, CF24 1PU Tel: 029 2034 4555 Fax: 029 2049 2860
Website: muslimcouncilwales.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
June 2012
Volume 1, Issue 4
Inside this issue:
Alhumdulillah, we have now bought to you the 4th edition of Reflections. We apologise for its late re-lease but hope it‟s worth the wait.
With the grace, mercy and blessings of Allah (SWT), it‟s been an amazing and inspiring few months - the rise of Muslim chaplaincy and councillors in Wales, the launch of Citizens UK brighter futures campaign, new MCW initiatives being born and the successful completion of iLead Wales‟s pilot year, the first ever Islamic Leadership Course in Wales for the youth aiming to empower and develop a future generation of community leaders - all to read about in this is-sue. Let us also not forget the people of Syria in our prayers - to pray for the victory of our fellow broth-
ers and sisters, for justice and for the removal of their oppressors. From the plumes of destruction that we witness in the distance, deep down amaz-ingly resilient and dignified people are emerging, spurred on by their faith to re-write the books of history and put an end to their era of tyranny once and for all. May the eyes of cowards never find rest in sleep!
We pray this edition of Reflections is an insightful read. If you would like to contribute to future edi-tions of the newsletter, please feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected]
Saira Chaudhry
I wish to congratulate the newly elected members of the local authorities in Wales, particularly the Muslims.
It has been just over 10 years since MCW invited the leaders of all 4 political parties to address the Muslim community and present their parties ethos. At the time despite being 73% of the ethnic community, Muslims did not have a single counsellor in the local authority, but it is heartening to note that in this year in Council elections in Cardiff alone there were 18 Muslim candidates representing all 4 political parties and in Wales on a whole there were around 25 Muslim candidates of which 9 have become counsellors. This is a historic step for the Muslim community
showing their maturity and their vision to serve all communities making an important contribution to the civic and political life of our country.
My request to the individuals who have lost election, you can and
will make a great contribution so continue to be involved in the
political process as you have the enthusiasm, vision, ability and
commitment so please continue to channel it. May Allah SWT guide
you, guard you, and give you the courage and wisdom to make the
right decisions for our country and its people.
Saleem Kidwai
Opening Message from the Secretary General:
Letter from the Editor:
Editor:
Saira Chaudhry
Graphics:
Suffiya Hasan
Contributors:
Abdul Azim Ahmed
Mohammed Alomgir
Ahmed
Bethan Grant
Omar Arabi
Dr. Sophie Gilliat-
Ray
Sahar Al-Faifi
Acknowledgement:
Saleem Kidwai
Special Edition: A Historic Beginning to
National Interfaith Week in Wales 2
Special Feature: The Forgotten Revival 3
Special Feature: The Rise of Muslim
Chaplains 4
Success for Muslim Councilors 4
Building Relationships: A Brighter Fu-
ture for the Young People of Cardiff 5
MCW Initiative: Get Job Fit in 2012 7
Education: Renewed funding enables
expansion of unique scholarship oppor-
tunities at Cardiff University
8
FOSIS National Student Qur‟an Com-
petition (NSQC) Wales & West Eng-
land
9
Special Feature: Welsh Solidarity for
Syria
10
MCW Interfaith Event Photographs 12
The Muslim Council of Wales was
pleased to launch National Interfaith
Week in Wales with a historic inter-
faith event between the Anglican
Church and Muslim faith in the Na-
tional Museum of Wales on Tuesday
22nd of November 2011.
The Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry
Morgan and Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra
addressed an audience of over three
hundred on the topic of „Believing in
Faith‟. The events attendees in-
cluded the First Minister of Wales
Carwyn Jones who also spoke on the
importance of interfaith to the Welsh
Assembly. Representatives from The
Board of Deputies of British Jews
were also present.
Both speakers shared their own
experiences of the value of faith to
society today, and how partnership
and co-operation between religions
can empower the individual and
society to address global and local
injustices. Following the talks, at-
tendees were invited to a three
course meal to discuss the talk and
begin to form relationships between
those present.
The Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan has
led a distinguished career as leader
of the Church in Wales, contributing
to public debate on the role of faith
in society, social injustice and many
other key issues. He has always
strived towards greater openness
between faith communities in Wales.
Likewise Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra is a
graduate of a Dar al-Uloom Institute
of Higher Education, Holcombe, and
al-Azhar University, Cairo. As such,
he is one of the leading Imams in
Britain today. He balances numer-
ous roles speaking on Islam in the
media alongside dedicated interfaith
work and pastoral duties to many
Muslims across the country.
Saleem Kidwai, Secretary General of
the Muslim Council of Wales, com-
mented that "the event illuminated
the way in which faith plays a part
in the fabric of our society, and what
it can offer to the believer and non-
believer alike.”
Saleem Kidwai concluded by saying
that "Muslims and Christians make
up over half the world's population,
and Islam and Christianity have a
long and glorious history both glob-
ally and locally in Wales. Interfaith
events such as this are not simply a
luxury but a necessity to ensure that
we all take part in creating a cohe-
sive and close society based on
friendship and trust”.
A Historic Beginning to
National Interfaith Week in Wales
Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 4
"The event illuminated the way in which faith plays a part in
the fabric of our society, and what it can offer to the believer
and non-believer alike.”
Saleem Kidwai, General Secretary of MCW
Special
Edition
For those familiar with the history of
Wales, the phrase 'Welsh Revival' of
1904-1905 evokes very powerful
images. It describes an era of in-
tense religious fervour amongst
Welsh Christian communities. The
revival began with smaller move-
ments in towns such as Ammanford
but soon spread until all came to a
climax in 1904 as key preachers,
notably Evan Roberts, went on tours
across Wales. Roberts and others
spoke powerfully about the impor-
tance of repenting all sin, publically
professing their faith in Christ and
opening oneself to the transforma-
tive power of the Holy Spirit. It is
estimated that over 100,000 con-
verts were received during the pe-
riod of a single year into Welsh
churches, including greater religios-
ity and piety among pre-existing
congregations.
The Welsh Revival is an important
part of Welsh history and it takes its
place in a backdrop of other Chris-
tian revivals in Britain and Europe
during the nineteenth and twentieth
century.
There is however a forgotten re-
vival, one that is not included in the
history books but still influenced the
future direction of Wales.
It was however an Islamic Revival,
that swept across South Wales dur-
ing the 1930s-40s. It was led by a
single man, Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi,
and its influence is still important
today.
Cardiff during this era was a bus-
tling port city, one of the largest in
the UK. The first million pound
cheque in the world was written in
Cardiff's Coal Exchange, evidence of
the size and prominence of the port.
Thousands of Muslims working on
ships found themselves in Cardiff,
sometimes for short stays and
sometimes for longer. They would
be in between employment on ships
- usually as firemen. Some decided
to abandon the difficult life at sea
and make a home in Cardiff. Most of
these Muslims lived in the Docks
area which became known as Tiger
Bay. They came from diverse re-
gions of the world, Somalis, Indians
and Malays. By far however the
largest contin-
gent came from
Yemen, specifi-
cally the Aden.
It was esti-
mated there
were about
5,000 Muslims
living in Cardiff
dur ing this
time, a large
community by
the standards
of the day.
The adherence
of these men to
their faith how-
ever was some-
thing that con-
cerned the religious leaders of the
time, and so Sheikh Ahmed ibn
Mustafa al-Alawi (founder of the
Allawi Tariqa), sent his student
Shaykh Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi, a
Yemeni scholar, to Britain to ad-
dress the issue.
Sheikh al-Hakimi was erudite
scholar of Islam, but also a gifted
speaker and a natural diplomat. His
piety and knowledge led to him be-
ing chosen as a muqaddim within
his tariqa. He was by profession a
merchant and a businessman, and
earned his own livelihood while de-
voting time and energy to his faith.
In the space of a few short years,
Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi successfully
transformed the local Muslim com-
munity in Cardiff (and to a certain
extent, South Shields, Liverpool and
Hull). He established a mosque at
Peel Street (most likely, the first in
Wales), regular Quran study classes
for children and adults alike, created
a number of welfare services for the
local community. Al-Hakimi dis-
played an impressive ability to en-
gage with the political system by
negotiating the establishment of the
Wales' first Muslim burial site in Ely
- something the Muslim community
in South Wales still benefits from.
Al-Hakimi's work also extended to
the wider community. He had a
close relationship with politicians,
the media and local leaders from
other faiths, holding annual dinners
where he would bring them all to-
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 4
gether. His diplomatic success is
demonstrated by the attendance of
the Mayor of Cardiff at the re-
opening of Peel Street mosque after
it was destroyed in the Blitz of
World War 2.
Kevin Little, a social scientist, car-
ried out a survey of Loudon Square
in 1944, a key area in Tiger Bay. He
describes the Muslim community
below: -
“Mention should be made again of
the strong body of Islamic faith. The
adherents of this creed not only
carry out their religious and ritualis-
tic obligations with more fervour
than the rest of the community, but
are correspondingly surer both of
their creed and of themselves. The
various prohibitions enjoined by the
prophet are on the whole rigorously
observed, as are Ramadan and
other fasts and festivals. In the
celebration of the latter, ritual dress
is worn by a large number of the
Arabs and other Moslems”
This description is one that stands in
contrast to the Muslim community
prior to the arrival of al-Hakimi.
There is much more detail still
needed about his life and works,
and how his influence still survives
in Cardiff today. Regardless, it is
clear that the Muslim community of
Wales is indebted to his efforts and
leadership. His legacy is survived
today by Noor al-Islam Mosque and
South Wales Islamic Centre, both of
which trace their lineage to the Peel
Street Mosque.
The Forgotten Revival
Opening of Peel Street Mosque
Special
Feature
Chaplaincy has traditionally been as-
sociated with the Christian tradition.
The Chaplain would provide spiritual,
emotional and pastoral support to
those in need. Recently however, the
role has seen diversification with
Chaplains catering for almost all faith
traditions and indeed none.
The Muslim Council of Wales is proud
to see the growth of Muslim chaplains
in Wales and recognises the important
role Chaplaincy has to play in shaping
our society.
There are currently a number of Mus-
lim chaplains in prisons. These include
Shaykh Kamal Idreesy and Shaykh
Abdel-Ati, serving prisoners across
South Wales. In addition, Shaykh
Foreed and Shaykh Abdul-Muhit are
based in Park Prison. They provide
care, attention and spiritual support to
Muslim inmates, helping them to re-
form and reconsider their options in
light of religious guidance. Chaplaincy
does not end there however, as Faith
in the Future, a Muslim Council of
Wales project, provides community
chaplaincy to former prisoners upon
their release. Support after completion
of a prison sentence is seen as vital to
integrate the individual back into soci-
ety. Faith in the Future has played a
key role in helping reduce rates of re-
offence and offering support to the
most vulnerable individuals. Shaykh
Yacoub Kutkut, Shaykh Mujahid Ali,
Shaykh Ali Omar and Mufti Javed all
provided community chaplaincy to
former inmates through Faith in the
Future.
Muslim Chaplains at university are
also becoming increasingly common,
equally so in Wales. Cardiff University
and Cardiff Metropolitan University
both introduced Muslim chaplains in
2011. Dr Sameh Otri serves as Muslim
Chaplain to Cardiff University, based
at Dar al-Isra Community Centre on
Wyeverne Road. He enjoys a positive
working relationship with the univer-
sity's Anglican, Methodist and Catholic
Chaplains and serves the needs of
nearly 3000 Muslim students. Cardiff
Metropolitan's Laura Jones is Wales'
first serving female university Muslim
chaplain. Cardiff Metropolitan has lead
the way in faith provision, having re-
cently been rated one of the best uni-
versities according to the International
Student Barometer, especially for their
outstanding faith provision. Both
Sameh and Laura are graduates of the
Markfield Institute of Higher Educa-
tion's Muslim Chaplaincy course.
Shaykh Mohsin Elbetagi, Imam of
Swansea University Mosque also pro-
vides key chaplaincy duties in Swan-
sea University. The Muslim Council of
Wales is hopeful that other universities
in Wales will recognise the importance
of Muslim Chaplains and begin to in-
troduce them.
Muslim Chaplains can also be found in
hospitals, schools and even in com-
mercial locations such as Birmingham
NEC. Amina Shabaan and Fehmida
Ahmed currently provide chaplaincy
services in hospitals in South Wales.
Research on the role of Muslim Chap-
lains in the UK has been conducted by
the Centre for the Study of Islam in
the UK at Cardiff University, with a
publication on the findings of their
research due to published very soon.
The researchers, Dr Sophie Gilliat-Ray
and Dr Mansur Ali, interviewed dozens
of Muslim chaplains in the UK. The
research was conducted in association
with St Michael's College, a seminary
specialising in chaplaincy studies. All
of which means Cardiff is certainly
leading the way in academic study of
chaplaincy in Britain.
The Muslim Council of Wales has sup-
ported the growth of Muslim
chaplains by sponsoring individuals to
c o m p l e t e a C e r t i f i c a t e i n
Muslim Chaplaincy at the Markfield
Institute of Higher Education.
The last decade has seen Muslim
Chaplains come to prominence in pub-
lic life and we can certainly expect to
see more growth and development in
the next few years, especially in
Wales.
Page 4 Volume 1, Issue 4
“The last decade has seen Muslim Chap-lains come to prominence in public life and we can certainly expect to see more growth and development in the next few years, especially in Wales”
The Muslim Council of Wales believes
local politics are a key part of our
nation‟s democracy, and for govern-
ment at large to work well, citizens
must be engaged at the grassroots
level.
It is with this in mind that the Muslim
Council of Wales is pleased at figures
that show a record number of Muslim
candidates standing for council elec-
tions as well as a record number of
elected Muslim councillors across
Wales.
The results show Welsh Muslims are
both engaged and participating in
civil society. Islam instructs its fol-
lowers to take an active role in their
local community, to care for
neighbours and that a Muslim should
not sleep content while his neighbour
is hungry. We believe the increase of
Muslim councillors in Wales is simply
one of many signs of Welsh Muslims
implementing such Islamic teachings.
In total, over two dozen Muslim
councillors ran in Wales and nine
were elected, mainly across South
Wales.
We pray for their success and hope
they fulfil the responsibility of leader-
ship to the best of their ability. As
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) taught: “the leader of a
people is their servant”
Success for
Muslim
Councillors
Special
Feature The Rise of Muslim Chaplains
“The Leader of a
people is their
Servant”
Prophet Muhammad
(SAW)
Page 5 Volume 1, Issue 4
single listening campaign hinged on
asking the question „What is putting
pressure on young people in Car-
diff‟? The aim was to have 1000
conversations with young people
across the city to get a true repre-
sentation of what was causing the
strain on our young people. This
question has been asked all over
Cardiff, participants from iLead
Wales, the Somali community, St
Teilo‟s Church in Wales High School,
Bishop of Llandaff high school, Car-
diff University, „Save the Children‟,
Mary Immaculate High School, to
name a few, have been asking this
question in their own institutions and
in their own communities.
Within iLead Wales and MCW, we
have been working closely with Saira
Chaudhry and Abdul-Azim Ahmed on
this project and during February,
with them, some of the younger
delegates of iLead attended training
on how to run a listening campaign.
With the energy buzzing they started
their „listening‟ straight away. Taking
advantage of a sunny Sunday after-
noon in Cardiff Bay they managed to
have over 200 conversations with
people in the bay, each conversation
answering the question – „What do
you think is putting pressure on
young people in Cardiff?‟.
Continued on page 6:
Citizens UK is the national home of
community organising. Their goal is
to build the power of communities,
who then work together for the
common good. Citizens UK only
exists so far in London and Milton
Keynes. In London it is has been
running for over 20 years, splitting
into North, East South and West
London Citizens, made up of bor-
oughs in the city.
In the past few years dele-
gates from Cardiff have at-
tended London Citizens As-
semblies. Here, they watched
ordinary people, living in Lon-
don; tackle the problems that
were causing strain on their
lives. They watched as people
held politicians accountable to
the issues that they had the
power to change; making the
streets a safe place to be,
ending child detention, imple-
menting a living wage to com-
bat the levels of poverty that fami-
lies face when trying to survive on a
minimum wage income in London.
Citizens UK form alliances on rela-
tional power - creating relationships
and links within your own church,
school, university, mosque, trade
unions, strengthens that organisa-
tion. Continuing this, in conjunction
with other civil society institutions,
finding common ground and forming
a relationship based on understand-
ing one another creates a powerful
base to form an alliance. This alli-
ance will always be stronger because
of the time people took to under-
stand one another and their shared
goal of working for the common good
of all. From this, change is possible.
Before a Cardiff Citizens alliance is
set up we must ensure there is both
a need and want for it. Therefore we
decided to run a smaller campaign,
generously funded by the High Sher-
iff of South Glamorgan,
Roger Thomas. We fo-
cused on young people
and in a condensed time
slot, to illustrate the
process of community
organising to those who
were already intrigued.
„Brighter Futures‟ aims to
build relationships be-
tween young people from
different civil society
institutions across the city, train
them in community leadership skills,
and support them to take action to-
gether on local issues of injustice -
across faith, denominational, genera-
tional, racial and neighbourhood di-
vides - to build a brighter future for
all young people in the city.
The process began with listening
campaigns. Each institution ran
theirs differently depending on the
unique set up of their school, com-
munity group, college etc, but every
A Brighter Future for the Young People
of Cardiff
“Brighter Futures aims to build re-
lationships between young people from dif-
ferent civil society institutions across the
city, train them in community leadership
skills, and support them to take action to-
gether on local issues of injustice”
Bethan Grant, Trainee Community Organiser,
Brighter Futures
Building
Relationships
On the 22nd of March we held the
Launch of Brighter Futures. Here 80
representatives from the organisa-
tions taking part gathered to discuss
the results of their listening cam-
paign and share testimonies on the
issues that had struck them. Al-
though the stories themselves dif-
fered from all over the City, they
centered around four main themes -
transport, safety on the street, dis-
crimination and job opportunities for
the young.
The launch was a huge success in
our campaign, bringing together
people who shared the same ideas
but perhaps not the same neighbor-
hood, faith or race. People were
encouraged to talk to those they
didn‟t know, to discuss the issues
but also, to discuss solutions. From
these conversations, our agenda of
winnable and workable asks was
born. This is what was carried with
us as we spoke to council leaders,
including Plaid Cymru‟s Councilor
Neil McEvoy and Labour‟s Councilor
Heather Joyce and the public over
the past few weeks leading up to the
election on May 3rd. We negotiated
with council leaders to take the
young people of Cardiff into consid-
eration, to take the pressures they
face seriously and to use the power
they hold to secure them a brighter
future. We didn‟t stop there, we
spoke to members of the public,
encouraging them to use their vote
on 3rd May and take the „Young Peo-
ple‟s Agenda‟ into consideration.
Although many of the participants
were too young to vote, they are
still taking part in the democracy
they are living in and asking those
who could vote to take that opportu-
nity to have a say in Cardiff‟s future.
The future is certainly bright as the
recently elected Councilor Heather
Joyce agreed to meet our brighter
futures youth again to discuss the
implementation of the solutions
further, helping to build a brighter
future for the young people of Car-
diff.
For more information of Citizens UK,
please visit: http://
www.citizensuk.org/
Article continued from page 5
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 6
Building Relationships
iLead Wales just completed its pilot year with over 40 delegates
of varied ages and experiences going through the programme.
The style and set up of iLead allows a very easy journey of
learning and the separation of age groups ensures that all mate-
rial is delivered in a way that will engage with the delegates and
be properly understood. The year was strategically broken down
into 3 semesters each with their own unique learning outcomes
– self development, engagement with the wider community and
leadership.
iLead Wales was initiated in order to develop the youth into lead-
ers. The course is aimed at arming them with resources, meth-
odologies and concepts of thinking and strategy that would allow
them to benefit their communities and achieve their goals. The
content of the course is designed to stretch their capabilities and
expose them to areas that they would normally encounter in
later life. Here is what one delegate had to say after completing
the iLead course:
“Before I took part in this programme, I had a lack
of motivation, low self-esteem and no confidence in
myself. After having participated in every session, I
was able to increase my confidence, increase my self
-esteem and the contents within some of the ses-
sions, taught me all about self-motivation, but over-
all the ILEAD programme taught me how to become
a great leader, to myself, the Muslims and the com-
munity. I can personally say that I am proud to be
an ILEAD delegate, for everything this course and its
tutors have taught me. As well as learning, the envi-
ronment was very friendly; there were many team
building activities to participate in within each ses-
sion, which made learning about each of the topics
fun. I was also able to make new friends and enjoy
my experience from day 1. It’s very hard to believe
that the season is already over. I would definitely
recommend this course to anyone who wishes to ei-
ther develop themselves personally, or even to learn
how to become a great leader, this would definitely
be the right course for them”
The programme will run again in September 2012 with the application and
recruitment process beginning at the end of May 2012.
For more information or to register interest, contact:
The beginning of this year saw the
launch of a new community initiative
to help the South Wales Muslim Com-
munity into employment, in conjunc-
tion with Muslim Council of Wales
and Dar Ul Isra Community Centre
and Mosque. It was the brain child of
Mohammed Alamgir Ahmed, a Re-
cruitment Professional, who currently
works as regional manager at one of
South Wales largest IT recruitment
Consultancy Company, who recog-
nised that too many people were
missing out on potential job opportu-
nities due to a lack of understanding
of the recruitment process. His many
years of experience in the industry
gave him insight into how best to
approach job hunting and how best
to improve the chances of the poten-
tial candidate.
It was specifically designed at those
individuals made redundant, post
graduates who are looking for their
first step onto the career ladder and
those who are new to the country
and don‟t know how best to search
and apply for work.
The workshop was held at Cardiff
University and attended by a large
number of mixed individuals from all
of the above segments of the com-
munity – Mohammed was able to use
his expertise and knowledge of the
process to break it down into 3 key
areas: CV Writing, Job Hunting and
Interview Tips.
Mohammed gave the participants a
very unique insight into what a CV
should be used for and how best to
structure it – he explained that a CV
is a selling tool so every word used
should be purely to sell the applicant.
He gave a great example to demon-
strate what he meant then asked
„who would you ask in for an inter-
view?‟
After discussing what the best con-
tent for a CV is and how to write the
key achievements he moved onto job
hunting which was a real eye opener
for everyone. He explained how po-
tential employees and Recruitment
Consultants initially shortlisted CV‟s
based on key words so it was vital to
include key words needed for the job
you are applying for. He said to iden-
tify the key word, for example in
sales it is about targets, motivation
and resilience, in administration it is
about attention to detail, accuracy
and organisation so to include these
words and other relevant ones as
much as possible. He also advised
using all the online job boards like
Monster, Jobsite, CWJobs and then
following up applications with a phone
call to the Recruitment Agency or
Employer asking „what did you think
of my CV?‟ rather than „have you
received my CV?‟. The open question
forces them to bring out and look at
the CV and respond (which might just
catch their eye) whilst the latter al-
lows them to just say yes and brush
you off.
The final part of the workshop was
interview techniques and what really
stood out from this part was how
important preparation was, Moham-
med explained a recent survey said
the average time spent by successful
applicants on preparation was 3 hours
per interview. He also made it clear
that an interview was just the em-
ployer qualifying the applicants ex-
perience, attitude, characteristics,
skills and background in line with the
job vacancy so it was vital that the
applicant understood the job inside
out and then gave responses that had
synergy with the job. He gave an
example of someone interviewing for
an office administration job and the
interviewer posing the open question
„tell me about yourself;
Bad answer – I love shopping and
have a passion for Bollywood movies,
I also like relaxing and watching TV.
Appropriate answer – I am a highly
organised person with an eye for de-
tail and accuracy, I like maintaining
control of situations when I can but
am not afraid to delegate when nec-
essary. My ambitions are to become
the best at what I do and lead from
the front.
In Mohammed‟s own comical way he
was able to get the point across to all
those who attended and the feedback
was great with some people com-
plaining it should have been longer.
Mohammed also did a follow up ses-
sion on email which was a great help
as many people emailed their new
revised CV to him for review.
We asked Mohammed on his
thoughts on the day; “it was a great
turn out and the people really
seemed to get value from it, I tried
to keep it as simple and relevant as
possible and I know it was a lot for
people to take in so I pray I didn‟t
rush as I have a tendency to talk
too fast, must be the 3 litres of cof-
fee I drink per day”.
If you would like to attend the next
workshop or would like Moham-
med‟s help on your own job hunt he
has offered his support to anyone
and asked them to get in touch –
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 7
MCW Initiative
Get Job Fit in 2012!
Sample CV 1
I would add the cherry on top
of a Cherry Bakewell cake
I worked in a team
I would sometimes train new people
Sample CV 2
I had complete responsibility
for the final decoration and quality check of a market leading brand of Kipling
cakes
I was a key member of a high performance team that con-
tinuously surpassed produc-tion targets
My knowledge, expertise and exceptional communication skills were used to train and mentor new starters
Correction:-
It was bought to our attention that
page 9 of the last edition of the
newsletter made some inferences
to sufis which was incorrect and not
based on facts. We apologise for
this grave error, it was never in-
tended to cause any ill feelings or
incorrect perceptions and we ask
for forgiveness for this mistake.
Apologies.
The Islam-UK Centre, based at
Cardiff University is delighted to
announce the expansion of the
Cardiff University Jameel Scholar-
ships from September 2012. The
generous scholarship scheme,
which started in 2009, enables the
very best students to go to Cardiff
– those who have the intellect and
determination to apply their
knowledge for the benefit of Mus-
lim communities in the UK, and to
promote better understanding of
Islam in wider society.
Through the support of Mr Yousef
Jameel, the expanded Cardiff Uni-
versity Jameel Scholarship
Scheme will now offer three more
years of support to three fully
funded PhD students and 12 MA
students. This builds on the suc-
cess of the scholarship scheme
which has already seen two PhD
students and nine MA students
study at the Islam-UK Centre.
Current PhD Jameel Scholar Rosa-
lind Warden is researching Social
Services provision for Muslims in
Britain using Cardiff as a case
study. She is aiming to highlight
issues and challenges within
mainstream social services provi-
sion as they engage with Muslim
clients and in time to provide a “blue
-print” for social services provision in
the UK to improve social policy. “My
research has allowed me to work
closely with members of the local
Muslim community in Cardiff which
I‟ve really enjoyed and I hope that
the research really focuses on the
issues of relevance to the community
which in time will make a difference”
said Rosalind Warden.
The Islam-UK Centre is the only one
in the world which specialises in Is-
lam in the UK with many of its
alumni going on to work in commu-
nity organisations, the voluntary
sector, legal services and education.
The Centre‟s Director Sophie Gilliat-
Ray said: “Mr Jameel‟s generosity
enables in-depth scholarship and
unique teaching for Muslims and non
-Muslims alike, particularly in the
areas of education, religious leader-
ship, inter-generational and family
relations and British Muslim Arts and
Heritage. We are immensely grateful
to Mr Jameel for his generosity in
supporting students at Cardiff – his
support will make a huge difference
not only to the students, but in the
long-term to Muslims throughout the
UK.”
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 8
Education Renewed funding enables expansion of
unique scholarship opportunities at
Cardiff University
“Mr Jameel’s generosity
enables in-depth schol-
arship and unique
teaching for Muslims
and non-Muslims alike,
particularly in the areas
of education, religious
leadership, inter-
generational and family
relations and British
Muslim Arts and Heri-
tage.”
Dr. Sophie Gilliat-Ray,
Director of Islam
Centre UK
You can keep up to date with all of
Islam-UK Centre‟s activities by sign-
ing up to their mailing list here:-
https://www.surveys.cardiff.ac.uk/
iukccontacts
The Federation of Student Islamic
Societies (FOSIS) aims to represent
and serve over 90,000 Muslim
students throughout the UK and
Eire. FOSIS organises conferences,
speaker tours and many other high
quality activities throughout the
year, which has given the Muslim
student community many opportuni-
ties to learn about Islam as well as
to ask important questions based on
their theological concerns. This has
led to the strengthening of many
individuals.
In the aim of improving our service
to Muslim students, FOSIS brain-
stormed a way where Muslim stu-
dents would individually be ad-
vanced in their own personal jour-
ney of Islam through the organisa-
tion of a student Qur‟an competition.
We all know how difficult it is for a
student to study hard. For example:
medicine, maths, engineering, eco-
nomics, etc. eventually earn you a
distinction by doing well in exams
and essays, and, at the same time,
you can make considerable effort to
learn how to recite and memorise
the Qur‟an. By launching this com-
petition, FOSIS is inviting Muslim
students to begin this thousand mile
journey through the Qur‟an with the
first step: their participation in this
NSQC.
The FOSIS National Student Qur‟an
Competition (NSQC) aims to get
students closer to the Qu‟ran, its
meanings and its stories, motivating
students to develop a habit of recit-
ing and memorising the Qur'an on a
daily basis.
“The Quran Competition is a
great motivation for Muslim
Students to be productive &
active in their student life. It
inspires them towards achieving
a noble goal, which demands
action from them, and great self
-discipline!”
The competition allows students to
compete, learn and most impor-
tantly discover the sweetness of the
Qur'an and their great potential in
memorising it. The categories varied
from the art of recitation, Tajweed
where no memorisation is required,
to the memorisation of a quarter of
the Quran – every level is repre-
sented.
In Wales this year, NSQC was held
in Cardiff and Bangor in collabora-
tion with the universities Islamic
Societies (ISocs) on Saturday 17th of
March and Saturday 24th of March.
Alhamduillah, with 30 participants,
the competition was very successful.
The prizes for all categories grate-
fully were sponsored by Muslim
Council of Wales (MCW) and given
to the winners as follow:
Brothers
1- 1/4 Qur'an: Ali Abu Hashim, Ban-
gor University
2- Al-Baqarah: Isa Ashworth, Ban-
gor University
3- Juz Amma: Zulqarnain Majid,
University of Bristol
4- Tajweed: Mukhtar, University of
Bristol
Sisters:
1- Al-Baqarh: Marwa El-Gaby, Car-
diff University
2- Juz Amma: Azyan Kamarudin,
Cardiff University
3- Tajweed: Nur Ili Nadiah Zulkiple,
Cardiff University
MCW was proud to sponsor NSQC
and looks forward to further collabo-
ration as the year progresses.
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 9
“The competition allows students to com-
pete, learn and most importantly dis-
cover the sweetness of the Qur'an and
their great potential in memorising it”
Sahar Al-Faifi. FOSIS Wales & West Chair
Supported by MCW
FOSIS National Student Qur’an
Competition (NSQC) Wales & West England
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 10
Special
Feature
The freedom and dignity of Syria
has been compromised for 41 years;
it was compromised so the country
can be dominated by one family, by
one party, so the people live in fear.
Due to recent events the family
name has become infamous across
the world. It was Hafiz Assad, the
father of Bashar Assad, who through
a coup took power in 1970. He led
with an iron fist and increased re-
pression, through a vast web of
police informers and agents. In the
80‟s, the people showed signs of a
popular uprising against the regime.
The response was brutal and un-
precedented, the whole country was
stifled and an entire city was demol-
ished and its people massacred.
Reports vary as to how many were
massacred in Hama, 45,000 is often
quoted. The Syrian Human Rights
Committee estimates “over 25,000”
or between 30,000 to 40,000 people
were killed. The attack has been
described as one of "the single
deadliest acts by any Arab govern-
ment against its own people in the
modern Middle East”.
Abdulhadi Arwani, who was invited
by Welsh Solidarity for Syria (WSS)
to Cardiff on 24th April 2012, was
only 16 years old when he wit-
nessed this massacre. He was lucky
as he was able to escape Syria and
has now lived in the UK for 17
years.
In 2000, the constitution was swiftly
amended after the death of Hafiz
Assad to reduce the mandatory
minimum age of the president from
40 to 34. This paved the way for
his son, Bashar, to take the helm,
who was 34 at the time. In May
2007, Bashar was approved as
president for another seven-year
term, with the official result of
97.6% of the votes in a referendum
without another candidate. Like his
father, Bashar showed a disregard
to human rights and continued an
era of corruption and economic
lapses. Any political opponents were
routinely tortured and imprisoned.
There was reason to believe he
would implement political reforms,
as he was young, liberal and re-
ceived a western education in the
UK. Although at the beginning of his
presidency he released many politi-
cal prisoners, but within a year se-
curity crackdowns commenced on
any political opposition or reform.
The revolution which began on 15th
March 2011 was peaceful; it re-
mained peaceful for many months.
Pockets within the Syrian army be-
gan to defect and join what is now
called the „Free Syrian Army‟ (FSA).
These soldiers and civilian volun-
teers made it their duty to protect
the civilians and protestors from
attacks by the Syrian regime. The
FSA defectors refused to turn their
guns on their own people and to
follow such orders from their gener-
als and leaders. Many soldiers have
been executed simply because they
could no longer stay within the
ranks of an army who instead of
protecting their own people are kill-
ing them and forcing them to flee
their homes and cities.
The popular uprising was not due to
hunger or poverty, but for dignity
and freedom. Although economic
reform will come about if the Assad
monopoly on businesses and the
Syrian economy is broken. Rami
Makhouf, is the maternal cousin of
Bashar Assad, and according to
the Financial Times he controls as
much as 60% of the Syrian econ-
omy through his web of business
interests that include telecommuni-
cations, oil and gas, construction,
banking, airlines and retail. No for-
eign company can do business
in Syria without his consent and
partnership. He is a part of Bashar
Assad's inner circle, the regime has
a strong monopoly on what people
can do and any form of entrepre-
neurship is seriously inhibited.
After over 13 months, the statistics
are staggering and it beggars belief
that nothing practical has been done
by the international community to
put a stop to the killing, torture and
persecution. As of 29th April 2012:
14,028 have been killed. Of them
967 children, 904 women and
12,102 men
More than 44,500 refugees in Tur-
key, Lebanon and Jordan
More than 65,000 missing
More than 212,000 protestors in-
carcerated
The regime has transgressed all
boundaries and has committed war
Welsh Solidarity for Syria
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 11
crimes. A humanitarian crisis is tak-
ing place in Syria, with hundreds of
thousands living under difficult cir-
cumstances, in fear they could be
the casualty. There are many pain-
ful accounts of torture. Hearing
about them will cut your hearts into
pieces.
On 29th May 2011, Hajar Al-Khateeb
and 12 other children ‒ including
her brothers, sisters, and cousins ‒
were riding the school bus on their
way to Al-Wafd school in Homs
when their bus was attacked out of
nowhere by Syrian security forces.
Hajar died and 5 other children were
injured. Their only crime was they
wanted to live in a free Syria. Many
a hero has fallen at the hands of the
Assad Regime. Ibrahim Qashoush
led singing and chanting at the
demonstrations in Hama. He was
killed by agents of the Syrian re-
gime in Hama and his broken body
was found in a river on 4th July
2011. He raised people‟s spirits
through his song and inspired oth-
ers, famously singing
“Your legitimacy has ended,
Freedom is at the door,
Time to leave Bashar,
Syrians won‟t be humiliated”
Heavy artillery and shelling has
been constant, especially in Homs,
Hama and Idlib. The scale of the
destruction is severe, and people‟s
homes have been converted into
rubble. The shelling has been indis-
criminate, many mosques have
been targeted, and churches have
been bombed as well as ancient
landmarks of Syria. The Madiq cas-
tle in Hama was bombed in March
2012, the castle is a UNESCO world
heritage site.
My parents came to Cardiff in the
late 1970‟s, my father was supposed
to complete his doctorate in electri-
cal engineering and then return to
Syria. They were forced to seek
asylum as they were advised not to
return due to the severe crackdown
on political opponents. I went to
Syria for the first and last time when
I was only 10 months old. My heart
yearns to go back and meet my
cousins/uncles/aunts whom I have
never seen and discover the land of
my ancestors. My mum tells me
about the beauty of her home town,
how her house overlooked the Medi-
What you can do:
Like our facebook page, www.facebook.com/
WelshSolidarityforSyria, to get the latest on our
events and campaigns
Arrange an appointment with your MP and explain the
current situation, ask him or her to sign Early Day Mo-
tion 2729, which calls for the expulsion of the Syrian
ambassador, and to hand over the keys to the Syrian
embassy in London to the rightful owners.
Tell your friends and family about the current situation
and atrocities taking place. Global awareness is the re-
gime‟s biggest enemy. Only the worlds silence is allow-
ing it to get away with its crimes.
terranean sea,
and the eve-
nings her family
would spend in
cafe‟s along the
coast. As the
poem goes:
If the love of
Syria was a
disease....I do
not want a cure
And if her love
was rain...then
let the skies
bring forth its
rain
And if her love
was the
cold...long live
the days of winter
And if her love was tears then I will
not stop crying
At Welsh Solidarity for Syria we rely
on volunteers and supporters to
coordinate activities to spread
awareness about what is happening
in Syria and raise much needed
funds. The supporters and volun-
teers come from different back-
grounds, nationalities and faiths.
The situation in Syria is a concern
for humanity and not only for Arabs,
Muslims or Syrians. The people and
governments must unite against any
massacres and war crimes.
There is much more that can de
done, and we want the people who
represent us, the politicians and the
Welsh assembly, to do whatever
they can to end the killing and give
the power back to the people so
they can choose their future. The
children of Syria need to live in a
free society, free from fear and tyr-
anny. Below are some of our recent
events:
It is important to remember the
significance of Syria and Al-Sham in
the Islamic tradition, Al-Sham is the
area covering the lands of present-
day Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and
Jordan from the Euphrates to Sinai.
The Prophet said: "Blessings to
al-Sham, blessings to al-Sham,
blessings to al-Sham. They asked
why and he replied: "Because the
wings of the angels of the Merciful
are lowered over it." The
Prophet also said: "O Allah,
bless us in our Sham and our
Yemen!"
Omar Arabi, Welsh Solidarity for
Syria
Broadway House, Broadway, Cardiff, CF24 1PU Tel: 029 2034 4555 Fax: 029 2049 2860
Website: muslimcouncilwales.org.uk E-mail: [email protected]
Volume 1, Issue 4 Page 12
MCW Interfaith
Event