In Britain, a 75-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of planting a bomb near a mosque in Walsall on Saturday.

The homemade bomb exploded near the mosque that is in close proximity to almost 40 homes. Luckily, there were no causalities to the incident and the damage caused was minimal.

About 150 people were evacuated from the area following the discovery and kept away for several hours before being allowed back to their homes.

The 75 year old was arrested at his home in Walsall, Central England by counter –terrorism officers. He was taken under police custody, and his home was searched.

According to Superintendent Keith Fraser, from Walsall police, the incident is being treated as a hate crime.

A number of Islamist extremists are relating the incident to the death of a British soldier. This is because a number of Islamic centers and mosques were vandalized following his death.

On May 22, following a vicious daylight attack, a British soldier was killed in the London suburb of Woolwich. The soldier was hacked to death by two men shouting Islamic slogans. In news unfolding from the event, two men, both of Nigerian descent were arrested and charged with the murder.

The British soldier, Lee Rigby, 25 was on slain as he walked near a military barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. He was a drummer in the 2nd Battalion of Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. He survived by a wife and a 2-year-old son. The incident has since spiked a number of anti-Muslim activities in the country.

In other news, two prominent American anti-Islam activists were banned from paying a visit to the country. The two, Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller were set to address a rally on Saturday of the far right English Defense League (EDL) in Woolwich, where the soldier was killed.

Britain’s home secretary responsible for interior affairs, Theresa May sent them a letter telling them that their presence would ”not be conducive to the public good.” The two are right wing bloggers and co-founders of Stop Islamization of America. The English defense League is a right wing group with strong anti-Islam learning. In the past, E.D.L supported the Stop Islamization of America association against the “Ground Zero Mosque,” which was a planned mosque and community center near the site of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

The two were banned based on the fear that they would use their visit to repeat what were regarded as their provocative and unacceptable statements about Muslims that might lead to violence.

The ban followed a campaign by Britain’s anti-fascist Hope Not Hate movement against allowing the pair into the country.

All around England, there were attacks on the Muslim world following the soldier’s death. A mosque in the northern England town of Grimsby was firebombed, and the world “ISLAM” daubed in big red letters across the Royal Air Force Bomber Command Memorial in London’s Green Park. Another mosque in the English town of Redditch was broken into and daubed with Swastikas, racist slogans and the letters “EDL.”

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Muslims account for about 25 percent of the world’s population. Islam is the second largest religion according to the number of followers, and it is the fastest growing religion in the world. Although the roots were planted by Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) in the city of Mecca and Medina more than 1400 years ago, the religion has spread to far reaching corners of the world and even to places that would not be expected to be homes for Muslims.

Now, I am not saying that countries like Switzerland are not expected to house the followers of Islam, it’s just that the image of the country presents otherwise, so does their lack of connection to the current affairs pertaining to the Muslim world. That does not mean that Islam is nonexistent in Switzerland; according to a research published in 2011 by The Pew Research Center –an American think tank organization, there were 433,000 Muslims in Switzerland. That is nearly 5.7 percent of the population of the country at that time. The research, which is popularly known as The Future of the Global Muslim Population, tells that this is an increase from the 2001 census results that placed the Muslim population at exactly 5 percent. Surprisingly and in contrast to the usual European setting of Muslim populations that tend to be more saturated in certain parts of the country and be virtually nonexistent in others; the Swiss Muslim population is quite evenly spread throughout the country. To me this shows a more intermingled society –a welcome step.

Most of this population is a result of immigrations that started in the post World War Two era though there was a time when certain Arabs settled in Valais –a canton in Switzerland and St. Gallen back in the 10th century. Notable changes in the Muslim presence accrued nearly a millennium later when the first mosque was built in 1978 called the Geneva Mosque of the Le Petit-Saconnex neighborhood. This mosque also has the honor of having the first Muslim mosque minaret in the country. Since then, numerous other mosques were built, but there in stood an expected problem.

The Swiss government, in opposition to international human rights conventions, in opposition to the core values of their own constitution; put a ban on building minarets on mosques. A referendum was held and 57 percent votes went in favor of the ban, and since then no new mosque can have a minaret on it. This was called “religious defamation” and “islamophobic” by the UNHRC, an “expression of intolerance” and “religious oppression” by France and “prejudice” by Sweden. The Swiss Federal Assembly and the Swiss Federal Council itself opposed the decision that was taken under the referendum. It was a clear violation of human rights, and it does not matter that the population of Muslims there is a minority –in fact it was a reason to make sure their rights were not subjugated. This was clear evidence that it’s not just Muslims who need to change their behavior –and when I say Muslims it does mean the extremists - since the ordinary Muslims have nothing that the west needs to fear.

Moving on, the people of Switzerland do have trouble mixing up in the society to some extent –the aforementioned must be evidence enough. According to Francis Piccand a Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs analyst; Islam is generally restrained to meetings in backyards, garages and shops because most of the times Muslims do not have enough mosques or Islamic centers around them –mostly owing to the slightly prejudiced behavior of the government towards such institutions. He also states that Muslims face troubles when it comes to residences and work permits –another attempt to limit the inclusion and propagating exclusion. All this is mostly because of the exclusivists among Christians who are the majority and other hardliners among the public. Muslims on the other hand, hope for their rights and freedom of expression that the west –including Switzerland, advocates all over the world; they urge the majority to allow inclusion.

The story is the same as it is with many other countries where Muslims are a minority. Hence, I suggest the same solution; a joint dialogue. There are troublemakers on both sides, there are prejudicial behaviors, but there are people on both sides who want peace and harmony. For the people who want to coexist; the Swiss population might need to put aside their premade notions about Muslims and give them a chance. The acts of a few cannot be used to label a whole faction of human beings, and it certainly doesn’t give anyone the right to discrimination against them.

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by Hena Zuberi, Muslim Link, 24 June 2013
 
The Northern Virginia community in Alexandria welcomes a new imam for the ICNA masjid. Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan is a graduate of the Islamic University in Madinah Munawwarah, in the faculty of Shari’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence) specializing in Islamic Inheritance. He attended the university from 1982 to 1989.

His soft accent gives away that he is originally from Guyana, South America. Sh. Abdool Rahman Khan is a father of two daughters and one son. Currently, his son is a student in Madinah University, his elder daughter is attending medical school and the younger one is completely 10th grade in Chicago. ”My family will join me here in Virginia after her school year,” says Sh. Khan in an interview with the Muslim Link.

He is the former Principal of the Guyana Islamic Institute and also of Al-Rahmah School, Baltimore, MD. He served as the resident scholar and Imam at Masjid Tawheed in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. As the Resident Scholar and Khateeb at Islamic Foundation, Villa Park, Chicago, IL for 13 years, he was outspoken and actively involved in the field of religious dialogue and social issues.

He is also the chairman of the Shari’ah Council of Islamic Circle of North America and a member of the Fiqh Council of North America.

Space is the biggest challenge that the Imam sees at the, even though the facility was just completed, it is already too small for the growing community.

“One positive thing here is that I am very comfortable with the board of directors here,” he says. The board has told the imam that he is in charge.

“There is a great difference in how an Imam is treated as a leader of the community rather than [just] an employee,” he says. Sh. Khan thinks that a lot more can be done in guiding the community when the imam has more authority, and doesn’t have to dance to the tune of the BOD.

The community is more diverse than his congregation in Illinois, which is a great blessing in his eyes. Most of them in Virginia are immigrants. “We learn about Muslims from around the globe and when things aren’t right then we have an opportunity to rectify,” said Sh. Khan.

The imam has started Aqidah Studies, Tafseer and Hadith classes every Saturday and Sunday morning. Fridays are family nights where issues concerning the family are discussed.

Another program is a potluck breakfast that has helped him get to know the brothers in the community. “[It] gives us a means to socialize and learn about each other’s culture and food,” says the imam.

He plans on using his experience in Chicago to help the ICNA masjid in Alexandria to do more outreach, joining other interfaith organizations and addressing social issues. “I would like to be the leading effort for the poor and needy; it is a part of our religious obligation,” says Sh. Khan.

Shaykh Khan is a sisters friendly imam. “Sisters are an integral part of the community and, they should have the opportunity to have their questions addressed and to be heard. They should not feel intimidated,” says Shaykh Khan. He plans on holding classes specifically for the women in the community.

One of the challenges facing the imam is reaching out to disenfranchised Muslims. Concerning the pockets of community that has been alienated or have stopped coming to masjid the imam says that he would like to meet with them. “This is the house of Allah,” The imam does not believe in divisions based on madhhab (school of thought) differences. “Once you make madhab an issue then you are shutting down dialogue,” says Sh. Khan.

When asked about other community organizations emerging in the area, he says that he likes the idea of help in providing services that the masjid is not equipped to provide or doesn’t have the expertise to offer. He would like to have a hand and glove approach with community and youth organizations.

Tolerance and an open door policy are needed to serve as an imam in a diverse masjid. His fingers laced together to emphasize his point, he says “nothing can replace the masjid …no parallel service, the masjid has to be the focal point of a [Muslim] community.”

Article Courtesy: Muslim Link

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Islam was preached to the world without any force and compulsion. The invitation was open to all and many of the Non-Muslims accepted Islam after discussing the teachings of Islam with scholars. One biggest example is “Zakir Naik” who is able to convert many non believers, and to make them accept the reality and be true Muslims. He uses his power of words and knowledge to inspire and dig the hearts. We can see big storms of non-believers who sit before him to listen to what Islam preaches as they are seeking for the right path to live their lives.

Islam teaches love, peace, brotherhood, and respect for humanity. The majority of Muslims accepts Islam by their own will and wish. Thousands of non Muslims embrace Islam just due to its wonderful and attractive teachings. Before the advent of Islam the majority of people fell in darkness and completely disobeyed Allah’s Almighty orders. When Allah Almighty sent Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), the whole picture of the world and people of the world completely changed. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) started teaching the manners of Islam and told the people that there was no lord except the Allah Almighty.

Some people think that Islam spread under the shadow of sword, and they think that Islam is implemented on others forcefully. In reality Islam is completely opposite to their thinking and perception. Islam gives equal rights to all without any discrimination and differences. No matter being a Muslim or a non Muslim, Islam gives equal rights to all. Before the advent of Islam, women had no respect in society but Islam was the only religion that gave equal rights to women as given to men.

This shows how much Islam is a beautiful and peaceful religion that gives equal right to everyone.

In a verse of Quran, Allah Almighty said:

The mission of the Prophet Muhammad is one of peace and mercy to humankind. (21:107).

These are some teachings of Islam. Islam is an Arabic word, and it was derived from the Arabic word Salema. Meaning of Islam is obedience, peace, submission and purity.

These are some characteristics of Islam which attract non Muslims to become Muslims. People living in many western countries embrace Islam quickly especially in England. The only reason behind the popularity of Islam in non Muslims countries is its wonderful teaching and direction to spend this life in a good way. Thousands of people living in England accept Islam without any compulsion.

To conclude, it is necessary that we, as Muslims who were gifted the treasure of Islam by birth, follow it in its true essence. Now, it’s our duty to spread the message of Islam and invite people to embrace it, but this cannot be possible until we style ourselves according to the true teachings of Islam. May Allah grant us the power to follow the real teachings of Islam and invite others to follow its path!

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In the past few decades, Muslims reached every nook and corner of the world. Whether it is for preaching the religion of Allah, or it is the quest for better earnings; it is a fact that every part of the globe has Muslim population to some extent. When it comes to preaching, Muslims have gone as far as the thick and impenetrable forests of Africa and America. They have taken the message of Islam to such regions where people are still uncivilized and cannot understand other languages.

Whereas, when it comes to migration for better jobs and businesses; Muslims have mostly travelled to USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Europe. A great number of Asian Muslims are present in the United Kingdom, who migrated there few decades ago. Now, they have their families settled there, with their businesses set up, and jobs matured.

The highest concentration of Muslims in England is found in London, Bradford, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. Islam is the second largest religion in England after Christianity. Most of the Muslim community there has come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh; whereas, a considerable number is from other Asian and African states.

Manchester is one of the most loved cities by Muslims living in the UK. According to 2001 Census of the United Kingdom, Muslims constitute 9.1% of the total population of Manchester; whereas Pakistanis make up 3.8 percent of Manchester’s total population.

The Muslim community of Manchester includes both Sunnis and Shiites. They have their respective Islamic centres in the city where they gather for prayers as well as other events. Manchester Islamic Centre and Didsbury Mosque is a place for all Muslims where they can gather for five prayers and specially Jumma prayers. There is a community/activity hall in the centre which is available for hosting many activities and functions. They can get the hall booked for expositions, weddings, sports, and tutorials. Consistent social gatherings and Quranic classes are also held where there is a library, Sharia department for fatawa, Quran School and Arabic classes.

A very important spot in Manchester is the “Curry Mile”, which is packed with South Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants. About 70 restaurants are spread over an area which is less than a mile. Indian and Pakistani cuisines remain dominant; whereas, Afghani and Arab cuisines also got much recognition in the past years. Every year, a lot of Muslims gather together at the occasions of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha at the Curry Mile.

Manchester has offered better economic and financial prospects to Muslims; they own food and clothing businesses. On the other hand, a great number of Muslims are unable to get a white collar job with handsome salary; they are the victims of poverty even after having gone abroad. Also, a lot of Muslim students reside there in order to enhance their educational qualifications and expand their knowledge.

Muslims in Manchester also work towards preaching the basics of Islam not only to the non-Muslims, but also to the younger Muslim generation who were born and brought up in the UK. They are doing a great service to Islam by spreading Allah’s message to those who seek the illumination of faith.

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Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was keen to have peace talks with Taliban in Doha but the meeting that was to be held between the peace delegations send by Hamid Karzai and Taliban officials was suspended, and in a statement Hamid Karzai said that US is responsible for the suspension of security talks.

After the war against terrorism was being fought by the US and its allies particularly NATO forces, it was decided that NATO would be leaving Afghanistan in 2014, but the status of US army was still unclear. Karzai wanted to have a mutual understanding between the US and Taliban regarding the current security concerns in Afghanistan. But the way the US is handling the situation does not make it seem that it is keen to have security talks, said the  president of Afghanistan.

For the first time since 2001 it was speculated that Taliban would be sitting with American diplomats but there is no further progress made.

The Taliban have already shown interest in having a peaceful solution in Afghanistan, and for the same reason they have established their political office in Qatar, but soon after the establishment of the political office the statement from Hamid Karzai came up to the media.

The major focus of the negotiations was to tackle the situation in Afghanistan including prisoner exchange. America is of the view that there should be no concern with Al-Qaeda, and it is expected from Taliban that they would not be using Afghanistan as a platform to harm any other country.

However, the announcement made by the Afghan officials showed that they would be keeping in touch with Taliban while they also condemned the role played by the US officials. US diplomats didn’t respond the way they were expected to respond; however, it was made clear that the delegation will not be having a meeting with Taliban.

One of the senior Afghan officials said that the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” and the white Taliban flag would be used in print media as the backdrop. When the white flag was used in the media, the major perception was that the government would be in exile while Taliban would be ruling Afghanistan.

While talking to the Guardian, the Afghan officials said that the statement, made by the US, was a clear violation of the agreement, and Afghan president is unhappy with both Taliban and the US. The meeting was called off after having discussions with the security team. Four American troops were killed in an attack on Bagram Airbase, and Taliban took the responsibility for the attacks. Karzai played an important role in bringing Taliban and US on table talks. It is also made clear that Afghanistan will not allow its soil to be used as a platform for fundraising. Peace Council is still trying to find a way out as they are still planning to send peace delegation to Doha, but it is not sure if progress can be made or not.

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The US Independence day, which is on the 4th of July will bring more than celebrations to the table. “The Innocence of Islamic Jihad” is  an anti-Muslim movie is also set to be released on this day amid the celebrations.

The movie is predicted to follow in the footsteps of its previous counterparts, The Innocent Prophet, and Innocence of Muslims that created widespread unrest.

The director is a Pakistan-born anti-Islam activist who is currently a refugee in Spain by the name of Imran Firasat.

According to Firasat, the movie is based on four major episodes of Jihad violence in recent times. He said that his target audience were radical Islamists, Western politicians, Islamic politicians and civilized citizens of any country around the world being a Muslim or non-Muslim country.

He added that the reason why he decided to produce this anti-Islam movie in animation was that it was difficult to get people who were willing to face the camera for this kind of movies as many fear from the extremists and Islamists.

Imran Firasat further stated that he was so proud to do this anti Islam movie in a very good way.

The Innocent Prophet which was Firasat’s first movie infuriated a number of ordinary Muslims all over the world, sparkling angry clashes. His refugee status was revoked by the Spanish government which resulted in him taking legal action.

Imran Firasat has however denied deliberately provoking Muslims by any way. He claimed that his sole objective from the movie was to express his own point of view on Islamic Jihad.

He added that all what he wanted was for the people to speak in public more openly, freely and frequently about Islamic jihad in order to find out where things are going wrong. He said that for as long as he was alive, no matter what happened, he would continue producing films on Islam until such a time that he had made the world aware of those hidden points of Islam which the current people are not aware of.

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Islam exists in the United Kingdom since its framing in 1707; however, it was not lawfully distinguished until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today, it is the second biggest religion on the land with outcomes from the United Kingdom Census 2011 inferring that by 2011 the sum of Muslim population reached 2.7 million, which is 4.8% of the sum population.

The greater part of Muslims in the United Kingdom lives in England and Wales: of 1,591,000 Muslims recorded at the 2001 Census, 1,536,015 were existing in England and Wales, where they framed 3% of the population in 2001; 42,557 were existing in Scotland, shaping 0.84% of the population; and 1,943 were existing in Northern Ireland. In 2011, it was counted that the United Kingdom has around 100,000 new Muslims, to Islam (picking up 40,000 since 2001) with 66% of them being ladies. The amount of transformations appears to be expanding, in 2011 only the converts number was 5,200 believers for that year.

“Muslims in London” is the tenth report about the Muslims in EU Cities that is transformed by the Open Society Foundations as a part of ”At Home in Europe Project”. It is the consequence of research that looks at the level and nature of incorporation of Muslims in 11 urban communities all over Europe.

England’s present and future are very much multicolored. Anyway it’s correct; we have seen a development in Islam in the second and third generations of Muslims. Junior individuals are moving away from ethnicity towards religion. As you can see, a considerable measure of Muslims is not prevented from coming to London. How many mosques are there in London? A year ago Eid was celebrated in Trafalgar Square, and the PM gave a discourse praising everyone on Eid. London is the most cosmopolitan city on the globe, and Islam has fitted into that environment extremely well.

The arrangement of Met Police Deputy Commissioner, Tariq Ghaffur [a practising Muslim] sends an effective note to Muslim neighborhoods that there might be securities; however, both the police and neighborhoods need to function harder to advance them. Be that as it may, an operation such as Forest Gate made consider about the insight of the aforementioned operations. They can appear a touch gung-ho. They could keep away from sensational intercessions by simply asking more inquiries to the group first. They could be more touchy. Mosques could additionally accomplish more; some are extraordinary; however, some of the time you head off to a mosque and there’s no English spoken. You require attachment to live in London and that includes speaking English.

Our concern is not terrorism, yet radicalization of youthful men. If something is Islamophobic hinges on upon your senses. People call names to individuals like calling them terrorists, but you can laugh over it instead of reacting violently, this way a peaceful environment can be around. All religions face the issue of how to have an open and straightforward discourse without feeling offended.

The most well-known misperception is that Muslim ladies cover their heads with hijab. Not a single person can be accused of being a terrorist for that. Number two, we need to look inside us – the Muslim group, and see why there is such an observation of unevenness, bitterness, and of unacceptance.

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