A letter to my Self-less Ego

Dear Ego,

In the chambers of Corazon, we drank from the fountains of Zest

You favoured only those liquors sweet, disliking the rest

Scorning my indifference as My Self drank those acrid

Telling My Self to indulge the sweet Senses, whenever they’re arid

I loved you as I loved My Self, effects of the sweetness you made me taste

Little did I know, it was the last this Trinity of mine was ever chaste

Do you remember how our feet danced away in the court of Dionysus?

You said we could dance forever, ‘til we became one, ‘til our joy would never cease

Thereon you became my elixir for Life, guiding me as did Hero for Leander

For you I’d have braved the Seven Seas, and all other waters that meander

In return you trapped me in the nihilism of the Mind, leaving me in a state forlorn

If corruption is the sceptre of Mankind, then surely all Mankind you adorn

You convinced my Soul objective was in attaining social status

But oh how you used me as Your Self-propelling apparatus

All my sinews now rigid, each bit a whole of this Heart so Hardened

Be gone, I beseech you! So that I may be pardoned

Even your silence slowly diminishes all that is left of Life

Peace you promised ephemeral –  now just inexorable strife

No concord Within until I am stripped of these remnants of you

No living until you pass, your entire form I must eschew

Too weak to fight, I am resigned to accept the pen is mightier than the sword

And so I write to say please let me Be, as we can no longer live in accord

Bereft, I stare inconsolably at the mirror not knowing who I see

And realise that I do not even know if this is written by You, or if it is Me

RE : A letter to my Self-less Ego

Dear My-self,

Thanks for your letter, but you know very well, you and I have a pact

Of the unwritten form from which no man can detract

We drank of selfsame fountains, thenceforth in one we dwell

Consummating our bitter-sweet mantra, we created an inimitable shell

It seems our attachment has caused you to feel great sorrow

But don’t you see its freedom, where we roam like there’s no tomorrow?

You will never truly live if you want rid of me, for I cannot die

Transcend me perhaps, but so many have failed and still will try

You regret our trysts but please, ask Your Self this one question

Was I not born because you let others build your guise – that gilded bastion?

Once rapt and engrossed, now wanting to give up all that you own

Without abiding what owns you –  I, bearer of Hubris’s throne

Adorned with titles, calling Your Self Muslim, and sometimes even British

Neither of these groups did you serve, always fulfilling my next wish

In a decade with more injustice, your legacy was a thirst for fame

When you depart, it will be just a portrait of Me, signed in your name

With your days here now numbered, there is much to regret

A new decade awaits my next victim, yet another target

One more who also forgets to love for their Society

All that they love for me – all the teachings of their Deity

I will leave you to Your Self, in so much as we will never again dine

But I know that you will always be My Self, your actions forever mine

Oh, and you should know that right now I’m feasting on mattake and caviar

Farewell my friend, it seems these Isles were meant to be My Shangri-La.

Iqbal Chowdhury graduated in Economics & Economic History from the London School of Economics, and has subsequently gone on to work as an accountant. His poetic works aren’t influenced by any one person, but he is rather fond of the artistic movement instigated by the 19th century Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

I dedicate this short piece to my late father, Dr. Abdur Rab Alvi, 1929 -2006. The dedicated support and guidance through our long, drawn-out hijaab fiasco was exemplary of what a Muslim should be; he displayed humility, tolerance and gentility.

Over the last 10 years, the British Muslim community has endured and witnessed the toughest decade since the post-war period when mass migration of Muslims to Britain took place. Unlike our elders whose self-segregation from mainstream British society was a defensive reaction to racism, second and third generation Muslims have been under attack for their faith.

By God’s Grace, as far back as 1990, my sister Fatima Alvi and I won the right to wear the Islamic headscarf at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Cheshire. Prior to this, we were suspended from school after two long years of persuasion, and negotiations broke down. Finally, in December 1989, we made a completely independent decision to attend school and refused to remove the covering from our heads. What did we go armed with? Our faith in God and knowledge of our educational rights.

What was all the fuss about? This was not a battle of wills and we did not want to jeopardise our education. We were privileged and attended one of the best Grammar schools in the country, but we simply wanted to follow our religion as prescribed by the tenets of Islam. Discussions ensued between ourselves and the head of the school, and on one notable occasion, the Holy Quran was opened and the school insisted that there was no evidence to suggest that we needed to cover our heads. At the tender age of 14 and 15 respectively we were not only attempting to secure a basic right to practice our faith, but we were having to justify that donning, what was to us, an inconspicuous cloth on our heads was compulsory in Islam.

This was an out-of-court battle won by the media. Being the first such case of its kind in Britain, it hit the headlines, creating phenomenal national and international media interest. The tabloid front-pages relished it. The school’s attitude was to find an alternative school, the public’s was, ‘if you don’t like our way of life, then you should go back to your own country.’ Everyone had an opinion and we were the centre of discussion everywhere.

Britain was being tested on its levels of tolerance, something novel for the Muslim community at the time. The school was in the limelight for the wrong reasons – not for their usual academic recognition, but for being intolerant of Islam. We gained unexpected support from the Commission for Racial Equality, National Union of Teachers, Jewish Gazette, Manchester Council of Mosques; the list was growing and swinging the pendulum back in our direction. So the head and Governing Body were being forced to back down.

My love for wearing hijaab is purely, this:  it is a commandment by Allah, my Creator, in the Quran.  My scarf is my pride, honour and dignity and it has shaped the person who I am today. It may bring hardships and difficulties but it is with pride that I deal with these. At the time, anti-Islamic sentiments were not widespread.  Our conclusion from the school’s attitude and the piles of hate mail was simply that ignorance prevailed in Britain, but we never considered that these were deeply-rooted prejudices. How naïve we were.

20 years on? I am not so sure.

We are witnessing in Britain, like many in Europe, an unashamed national reaction to the new visibility of Muslims. Our memories are short but need we be reminded of the genocide of Bosnian Muslims in 1992, long before 9/11 and 7/7. They did not practice Islam assiduously, they inter-married with fellow citizens, and were certainly not visibly Muslim. Nevertheless, this did not prevent a mass victimisation of Muslims through an ethnic cleansing.

In the Summer of 2009, Marwa Al-Sherbini died the ‘headscarf martyr’. Marwa was a 31-year-old veiled Egyptian pharmacist who was brutally stabbed eighteen times in a German courtroom as her 3-year-old son watched.  Her attacker was a German man who was being prosecuted for calling her a “terrorist” and, in one incident, tried to rip off her headscarf. Marwa’s tragic death took place just days after Nicolas Sarkozy gave a major policy speech denouncing the burka and the resurgence of far-right groups in the latest European elections.

We can now ask ourselves this question: does the law afford us any protection in our varying forms of Islamic dress? The answer in short is ‘No’. The same battles rage on in a climate where prejudices towards Islam and Muslims have intensified beyond comprehension in my lifetime. The right to wear the hijaab in schools has brought the same arguments back to the drawing board, the arguments which we once faced by our head, whose sentiments echoed “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”.  Globalisation has changed multicultural Britain overnight. New citizens, skins colours, traditions, cultures, religions and open ostentatious symbols means English society has dug its heels in hard and regurgitated the same old clichés of “our way of life” and “our values”. We cannot all be deported back to our motherlands, so we are being told the best Muslim is the one we cannot visibly see.

My vision for the next ten years is this. We need to enlighten people so they know that the hijab, niqab and jilbaab are part of our religious freedom. If you don’t want religious freedom in this country, ban the religion, but don’t ban parts of a religion that don’t fit in with British sensibilities. Islam is totalitarian and let us not be apologetic for that. It is one and whole and not to be de-fragmented to divide Muslims with the introduction of various classifying notions, such as Radicals, Moderates and Islamists. There is no difference between forcing hijaab off or forcing it on.

Real practical progression over the next decade will only be seen when Muslims are truly accepted in wider British society and Muslims genuinely feel free to practice their faith. My vision is a Britain that allows Muslims and all other faiths to practice their faiths openly and freely without the fear of England’s green and pleasant land being taken over by people who are not white enough, or not atheist, secular or Christian enough.

The future is bright, the future is an Islam which is part and parcel of British life. The solution lies in the hands of each and every single Muslim living in the UK and all Muslim organisations. We need to take ownership of our community before others do.

Aisha Alvi , Barrister at Law, LLM (Islamic Law) University of London, aims to use the privilege of her training not for personal gain, but to show the wisdom of the Shariah. Recently, her expertise in Islamic law and the English legal system has led her to be involved as a key advisor in several anti-terror prosecutions. Her expertise in the Islamic law of transactions has also allowed her to become a pioneer in the development and promotion of Islamic wills.

Religion is important to most people in the UK according to the last census data. For the first time, in the 2001 Census, an optional religion question was included where an overwhelming 76.8% expressed their allegiance to a religion. However, the majority of the contemporary media representations of faith give a negative picture of religion. According to Biernatzki (2003) religion in the media, is, “… either ignored or sensationalized — and either of those extremes distorts its reality…”

After the tragic incidents of 9/11 and 7/7 there has been increased interest among the media on religious issues, particularly concerning Islam and Muslims. Current trends in the media clearly show that the images, representations and discourses relating to Islam and Muslims in mainstream Western media tend to be negative and hostile. A Cardiff University study analysed 974 stories about Islam and Muslims in the media between 2000 and 2008, and found only 5% positive news.

A contemporary report by the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex concluded that the media re present Muslims negatively and in some cases persecute them. The report outlines that the media do not treat Muslims with tolerance, decency and fairness that is claimed to be the British way. Another report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (2007) finds ‘structured’ and ‘institutionalized prejudice’ against Islam and Muslims in the western media.

I conducted a piece of research in 2008 on how people react to negative media propaganda against Muslims and their place of worship. The majority of the non-Muslims who knew Muslims and knew about Mosques found these media representations untrue. A Non-Muslim community leader in East London said,

Muslims have suffered a lot of misconceptions, not that this is their fault, but because media has encouraged and exaggerated things arising from this misconception. I believe Muslims are very sincere people, humble and very god-fearing.

A non-Muslim living in East London found the media scapegoating Muslims:

The tabloid and right-wing media have been scapegoating Muslims and generating fear and hatred against Islam. The IRA terrorists were never called Catholic terrorists in the way Islam has been anointed with extremist activity.

The role played by the media in representing Islam has not been very responsible. Investigative reports should be more evidence-based. For example, the Dispatches programme ‘Undercover Mosque’ shown in Channel 4 on 1 Sept 2008 could not prove the Mosque’s involvement in hate preaching, but implied that they were responsible for it. In 2007, The Times published an investigative report where they implied that the Chairman of East London Mosque was responsible for some of the books being sold at a bookshop in the Mosque building. They later had to apologise and accept that they were wrong.

Who are the terrorists? Do they really have a religion, or do they exploit people by using some out-of-context verses from religious scriptures? A recent MI5 research found that most of the stereotyped images of terrorists in the media are wrong. It found that a large amount of terrorists are religious novices who do not practise their religion regularly. Some take drugs, drink alcohol and visit prostitutes. The research found that “a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation”. This is contradictory to most of the media representations on terrorists.

Negative stereotyping and propaganda in the media can never be a recipe for a cohesive society. The media expects Muslims to integrate into the British way of life, but at the same time publishes articles and reports that contribute to prejudice and hatred against them. Whether the media likes it or not, modern British society is increasingly becoming a mosaic society with people from all denominations. By attacking a particular community will only lead to misunderstanding and miscommunication.

There have been various efforts in the UK in recent times to bridge the gap between media and different faith groups. In 2004 a national conference on media and multifaith society aimed at ‘finding ways to harness the positive energy of the UK’s faith communities and the media to help build stronger and more cohesive communities, based on a spirit of tolerance and understanding.’ In 2005, the Board of Governors of BBC held a seminar, Taking Belief Seriously to discuss how mainstream programmes can directly or indirectly reflect the experience of ‘belief’. This is a positive trend, but much more needs to be done to minimize the gap between media and religion, particularly Islam.  An Islamic Human Rights Commission report (2007) suggests ‘wide and effective consultation’ between Islamic scholars, the Government, and the media to create a better understanding of Islam. There needs to be sincere efforts from all these stakeholders to come together and develop this understanding.  While media has a wider responsibility to represent Islam without prejudice and stereotyping, Muslim leaders also need to play their role in removing the negative mindset of media practitioners.  Initiating positive dialogues between these people will contribute to creating an environment where Islam will be represented in its true essence. We will definitely see a change in people’s attitude towards Islam and Muslims if this can be successfully implemented.

Finally, I would like to conclude with the concluding comment in the Guardian editorial on MI5 findings published on 21 August 2008:

“MI5 is right too to highlight the importance of politicians and the media. If they had played a less provocative role on many occasions in the past then MI5’s job would not be as difficult as it now is”.

Dr Salman Al-Azami holds a PhD in Linguistics and is a Lecturer in English Language at Liverpool Hope University. Dr Al-Azami has taught at universities both in the UK and in Bangladesh.  He has written three books and has published a number of articles in international journals. His research interests include bilingualism, language in education, religious discourse & media and language of advertising.

Scenes of Spirituality from Around the World

Above and beyond

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© Photos by Mostafa Albayati

Photography allows me to explore and express both the subtle and the beautiful characteristics in life: peace, freedom, faith, love and longing, and silence. Much of these are constantly manifesting in us, but are only expressed very briefly and often with little attention. Therefore, to be able to capture these characteristics in people in a still image, to afford the ability to reflect upon them, is central to me and my work.

Mostafa Albayati is a final year medical student at the University of Southampton. He has recently completed an intercalated BSc in Anatomy at King’s College London, and is currently undertaking a research programme at Imperial College London.  He has a deep interest in photography, culture and travelling.

By Mahera Ruby

Most Muslims are very proud of the historical presence of Muslims in Britain for at least the past 300 years, since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Seamen came from Yemen settling in small communities in Cardiff, Liverpool, London, South Shields and Tyneside setting up small prayer rooms to help them meet and pray together. We are even more enthusiastic in sharing the history of prominent British Muslim intellectuals, who began to emerge during the late 19^th century, responsible for establishing the first mosque at Woking in Surrey.

This surge of Islamic spirit continued into the early 20th century with a group of prominent British Muslims, including Lord Headley and Syed Ameer Ali, who met in central London and formally established the London Mosque Fund, to finance the building of a mosque in the capital. In 1941 the East London Mosque Trust purchased three buildings in Commercial Road, Stepney, and converted them into London’s first mosque. In the 1980s the East London Mosque moved to its present site in Whitechapel Road. At a similar time in the 1940’s the current site for Central Mosque situated in London’s Regent’s Park was presented to the Muslim community as a gift from the British government. Since then there are now over 1,000 mosques all over Britain.

Often our mosques were founded by energetic pioneers with little in the way of money or resources. They have become hubs within our communities, earning their place in the Muslim history of this country as places of prayer, enlightenment, refuge and comfort for those they aim to serve – most usually, MEN.

Majority have and are seen as ‘prayer clubs for men’. Every mosque committee will confidently say they are following the ‘Prophet’s model’, raise money from their worshippers to make the sites bigger and better, and yet a vital and most important portion of the community are neglected and not catered for – the Women and the youth. Yes, I do agree there are genuine limitations, as most places of prayer are converted flats, small houses and do not have the capacity to accommodate this section of the community. However, what does worry me are the attitudes of the people who are responsible for running these places, who openly alienate and are hostile to women and the youth and rarely have any arrangements or programmes at all for new converts, especially women.

I believe as I’m sure many would agree that it is time to re-think the role of our mosques. Our mosque facilities and our people-skills are the most valuable assets our communities possess. Now we are in the 21st century, we must develop what we have, and move forward to recreate our mosques as places buzzing with spiritual blessing and of care and compassion, not only for men but for the whole community, including the non-Muslims. I sincerely believe the most constructive way forward is to have people on management committees that represent the wider community, men, women, youth, professionals and the Islamic scholars that can address the needs of the community openly and objectively. I know this can work because I am part of such a committee of a large mosque. This wholesome representation and levels of expertise has allowed this particular mosque to grow from strength to strength, where every part of the community from far and wide feels there is something in it for them.

What are some of the strengths in having women on the committee? We are able to share what our needs are as women and this can be met from a faith perspective. Hence a women’s project has been set up and fully supported by the staff and committee members of our particular mosque. Women can also have an input into the education programmes that are running as professionals and as educators of our children. We can give our views on all matters discussed and give confidence to the women that are the cornerstone of our society; that they have a role to play as did the women during the time of the Prophet (SAW).

In ten years time I hope to see this model grow and become a ‘natural’ part of mosque settings. Mosques where, in ten years time, women will be able to seek Shari‘a advice from female scholars; where our new generation of women can be taught by home grown female scholars that understand the context in which we live in. A provision where there will be something for the whole community with women playing a key role and their contribution celebrated rather than put on paperwork to meet the criteria for funding or even just for the sake of minutes!

I look forward to seeing a change in ten years time, where we as Muslims will be the pioneers for social change, driven through our mosque institutions with our men, women, and the youth at the forefront of these changes – Amin.

Mahera Ruby is a researcher in Education with Goldsmiths College, University of London. She has served as a central mosque committee member for the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre. Historically the mosque is the first to be established in London and the largest of its kind in Europe, serving thousands of Muslims in London and attracting visitors from the UK and abroad. She is also head of Muslimaat UK, a national community based Muslim women’s organisation that works to bring about the empowerment of women and positive change in Britain for all.

Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, politicians, journalists and community leaders have been criticising Imams in Britain for not doing enough to counter the apparent increasing number of Muslims, especially the youth, from being swayed by ‘radical Islam’. Although I understand, to a certain extent, why people may suggest this, I think the overwhelming majority, if not all Muslims in Britain, will concur that Imams are in fact not to be held responsible for the actions of some ignorant vigilantes.

Studies have demonstrated to us that it was and is our government’s careless foreign policies which were the prime instigators of these (undoubtedly illegal and wrong) responses. Therefore to castigate the Muslims or the Imams for this is neither justifiable nor valid. Nevertheless, I do think that particularly Imams and people in positions of leadership and responsibility must reflect and consider where we could have helped, directly or indirectly, in preventing these horrific attacks, such that in future we help prevent the youth from channelling their frustrations in the wrong way.

With Islamophobia on the rise, social ills, crime, disaffected youths, rise of the far right, the foreseeable change in the political demographics in Britain, combined with a deep misunderstanding of Islam by both Muslims and non-Muslims; I believe that British Imams in the coming years need to play a more proactive role in British society. In order to be in a positive situation to tackle some if not all these challenges, the coming decade must see British Imams take into consideration and adopt some of the following points:

British Imams should not be constrained by ‘historical’  or ‘cultural’ Islam.

‘Those are a people who have passed away. For them is what they earned, and for you is what you earned, and you shall not be questioned about what they have been doing’’. (2:133.141)

An Arabic proverb states ‘whoever holds history in his heart has added the lives of others to his own.’ This, however, does not mean that people blindly imitate the past in every detail. Every age has its own challenges and opportunities which require dynamism and innovative methods in order to remove the problems people may encounter.

Unfortunately, what tends to often surface when discussing Imams is that most are born and trained abroad (although this is changing). The consequence is that people begin to articulate a cultural Islam which is far from the contextual and relevant teachings of the scriptures – physically they may be in Britain but psychologically they are somewhere that is alien to the needs of society.

I have had the great fortune to study in the Middle East as well as graduate from an Islamic seminary here in the U.K. We were always encouraged to integrate and contextualise our traditional learning with the culture and society in which we live; I pray this attitude will become more widespread among the scholars and institutions of learning.

This will, naturally, require time and investment in resources. However, for the government to import more Imams from abroad and simultaneously demand them to tackle extremism seems to be contradictory and only enhances the cultural gap existent between the people and some of the Imams. Our government needs to abandon this approach and support existing mainstream Imams in Britain to ensure the integration of their traditional learning with the British context. This process can only take effect if the Imams move away from blindly imitating historical or cultural traditions.

British Imams need to engage and work with other communities

“Help each other in righteousness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and aggression. Fear Allah. Surely, Allah is severe at punishment’’. (5:2)

Although there are many Imams working and participating in activities with other communities , I hope the coming decade will see more collaborative work between Imams and other faith and community leaders, which is done to effect genuine change and achieve community cohesion in the ambiance of friendship and good will rather than with the sole intention of political expediency. I hope the insular image people have of Imams will be dispelled by an increase in proactive engagement and a welcoming approach to other communities by Imams.

British Imams need to communicate using the same frame of reference as the target audience.

The simplest means of exemplifying this point is by reference to the Prophetic example. As with previous prophets, Imams must convey their message in the language and terms understood by the followers.

British Imams must focus on contemporary issues.

Different Prophets had different focuses based upon that which was relevant to their particular audience. Prophet Nuh (peace be upon him) focussed on the issue of caste and class differences, Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) on imperialism, and Prophet Lut (peace be upon him) on permissiveness. In the next ten years British Imams need to hone their message to be relevant to addressing the ills degrading society today, such as pornography, nuclear proliferation, environmental degradation, drugs, etc.

The aforementioned points are not a definitive list, but only a brief overview of the task of Imams in Britain. It is hoped that, over the coming decade, by considering and adopting these points, students of knowledge and trainee Imams may equip and develop themselves with the skills necessary to convey the Islamic message in a contextual and relevant manner to the Muslims and the wider community in Britain. As a result, by 2020, we may hope to have a community of Imams that the Muslim society, and indeed British society as a whole, can depend upon as guides that lead Britain towards moral and spiritual progression.

Imam Abdullah Hasan graduated with an Imam Diploma and BA in Islamic Studies from the European College for Islamic Studies (Wales). He holds a diploma in Arabic from Zarqa Private University (Jordan) and studied with numerous renowned scholars of Jordan. He was a teacher and Director of Student Affairs at the European Academy for Islamic Studies (London, UK). He is a founding director of Spring Foundation (SF), a scholarship charity, a member of the European Assembly of Imams and Spiritual Guides and the Imam of UKIM Mosque in Euston Square. Abdullah Hasan is also pursuing a postgraduate programme in Counselling Psychology, focusing on youth counselling. He keeps a regular blog at www.abdullahhasan.net

How effective has the education system been in the past ten years and where do we envisage it being in the next 10 years? This is a central and essential discussion, more so in recent times. Under this comes a further debate, and one of the most prominent questions at the forefront of education today: the place of faith schools in the United Kingdom. Are such schools justified? What role do they play, if any?

Faith schools have been in existence for centuries in Britain and I believe, regardless of their disadvantages, they have a positive impact on individuals and society as a whole.

As one who has, over the past decade, been through the education system and become a practitioner herself, as well as becoming a school governor in a primary and secondary school, I feel that the education system in this country has dramatically changed for the worse. If this was not the case, an increasing number of parents would not be opting to home school their children or send them to independent schools, whether faith schools or otherwise, as opposed to state-run institutions. Certainly policies and provisions are put in place to ensure the importance of education is reflected in the system. Yet, in addition to this, institutions in themselves should play a role to ensure that the education system in this country is effective. This joint action would not only assist in eradicating bullying, racism and hatred within schools, but also outside schools. It would contribute to emphasising community cohesion in this country and ensure it is filtered out into mainstream society. Educational institutions could and should play a pivotal role in realising this.

The central argument levied against faith schools is that the pupils attending are separated from mainstream society and this form of exclusivity undermines community cohesion. Thus instead of assimilating or integrating in society as a whole, pupils become more dysfunctional and unable to adjust to social and life expectations. This same argument could also be the case for parents who are opting for home schooling their children instead of allowing them the opportunity to meet new friends or learn things that are taught by the hidden curriculum of schools.

However, recent studies carried out by York University have shown that faith schools are achieving community cohesion far better than state schools.  The turn in the millennium has also shown an increase in not only faith schools but parents who are opting to home school their children or send them to academies. These latter institutions are usually failing schools that are sponsored and re vamped into academies in which parents have a greater input into what should be taught.

Having attended a faith school myself and recently taught in one, I have had the privilege of seeing the fruits of their existence from two sides of the spectrum.   Being a student at a faith school did not only equip me with the morals to survive in today’s society, but encouraged me to be a successful Muslim woman in any social realm, providing me with the necessary skills and opportunities to excel in life.  This has led to my activism in various fields in the wider community. It is true a few faith schools may marginalise their pupils and not equip them adequately for the wider world, but the shortcomings of a few should not be a measure and impact upon the whole. The argument for the existence of faith schools is further justifiable by the academic results of such schools, which often significantly excel that of state schools, alongside their subsequent role and contribution to society.

The next few decades must reflect a considerable change in both the approach to faith schools and the system of education itself. The incidence of bullying, racism and conflict has reached a height that requires immediate address and is arguably a mark of the education system’s failure to adequately tackle these issues. The contribution of faith schools to community cohesion must be appreciated, and the need to strengthen this within mainstream state schools must be addressed and realised. Over the coming decade, with campaigning and raising awareness, we can hope to impact a change in policy in bodies of influence such that this can be achieved.

Jamila Kossar studied Religion and Theology at the University of Manchester, where she headed a major student society on campus whilst working with numerous national student umbrella bodies. She completed her PGCE from Edge Hill University and taught in a secondary school for two years. Jamila is an LEA school governor at a primary school and Secretary on the PTFA at an Islamic secondary school. Her own schooling took place at both mainstream institutions and faith schools. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Islamic Education at Markfield Institute of Higher Education, Leicester.

Historical and Evolutional Perceptions of Islamic Law in a Continually Changing World

Islamic law remains one of the major legal systems in the world today. It is applicable in different forms as part of state law in countries of the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and also has strong influence amongst Muslim communities in the West generally, such as in Britain. Yet, it is probably the most misunderstood legal system in many parts of the world today, especially in the West. One of the major misunderstandings in Britain about Islamic law is the erroneous view that the system is completely divine, immutable, monolithic, inflexible, and that it is diametrically opposed to British law. These ideas have gained particular prominence over the past few years, and as such it is essential they be addressed.

The first step to a better understanding of the nature of Islamic law is to appreciate that “Sharī’a” and “Islamic law” are not technically synonymous concepts. Rather, the Sharī’a, strictly speaking, refers to the fundamental sources of Islam, namely, the Qur’an and the authenticated Traditions (Sunnah) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), both of which Muslims consider to be divine and immutable sources from which Islamic religious, moral, social, economic, political and legal norms are derived. Thus, the Sharī’ah, in the context of these two divine sources, covers more than just law – it is law-plus. Conversely, Islamic law refers to the law or rulings (Ahkām; singular: Hukm) that are derived from the Sharī’a by Muslim jurists and applied by judges. Muslim jurists therefore normally talk of “Ahkām al-Sharī’a” (singular: “Hukm al-Sharī’a”), meaning “Sharī’a Rulings” or “Sharī’a Law”, i.e. rulings derived from the Sharī’a, when referring to Islamic law as applied law. The “Ahkām al-Sharī’a” or “Islamic law” are reached through the process of human juristic effort called “Fiqh”. That is, human juristic understanding of the divine sources using different well defined classical and post-classical jurisprudential methods and principles formulated by Muslim jurists over time. These legal rulings of the classical Islamic jurists, unlike the Sharī’a itself, are neither divine nor immutable, but have become accepted by Muslims as established legal treatises of Islamic law in different parts of the world today.

In that regard, Islamic law as derived rulings from the Sharī’a can be perceived either in a historical or evolutionary sense. Perceived in a historical sense, Islamic law is often restricted to the traditional rulings of the classical jurists as if those rulings were immutable, like the Sharī’a itself. However this is not how Muslims understand Islamic Law; for them, it can and does change in accordance with the needs of society. This evolutional perception of Islamic law is the opposite of the historical perception, and it is to the effect that while the legal rulings of the classical jurists provide a rich source of jurisprudence they do not stop the continual development of Islamic law based on modern jurisprudence (Fiqh) through the process of legal reasoning (Ijtihād). In essence, the evolutional perception represents Islamic law as a system that evolves in necessary response to the dynamic nature of human life. Thus many legal scholars, Muslim or otherwise, see no problem in the incorporation of elements of Islamic civil law—those aspects relating to resolving marriage disputes, or those prohibiting transactions based on interest or usury—from being incorporated into the laws adhered to by Muslims in the West. In fact this is already happening, and has happened in the case for Jewish civil law—which is very similar, if a little more rigorous than Islamic civil law—many years ago.

At the same time, there are Muslims and non-Muslim commentators on Islamic law who advance a strict historical perception of Islamic law. There is, however, abundant theoretical and practical evidence to establish that, Islamic law as “Ahkām al-Sharī’a” (i.e. rulings derived from the Shari’ah) through Fiqh has not actually been inherently static or immutable, but has responded and adjusted to the factors of time and circumstances since its inception. There are, indeed, many established jurisprudential principles and maxims of Islamic law depicting its evolutional and flexible nature both in theory and practice. A relevant Islamic legal maxim in that regard is that Islamic legal rulings may change with relevant changes in time and place within the context of the Sharī’a.

Contrary to a strict historical perception, the evolutional nature of Islamic law is currently reflected in the practices of most Muslim States and communities as well as in the views of contemporary Muslim jurists and scholars in the Muslim world and amongst Muslim communities in the United Kingdom and  the West generally. While there are Muslim and non-Muslim commentators who do advance a strict historical perception of Islamic law, current trends clearly demonstrate that the humane objectives of the Shari’ah can be better realised through the evolutional perception of Islamic law in a continually changing world.

In the coming years, it is imperative that we seek to understand these ideas, and engage in the critical study of the Islamic legal system. By doing so we can hope to achieve a better appreciation of the nature of Islamic Law as a system that is not dated, rigid and directly opposed to British law but as one that is evolutional and adaptable to changing times.

Professor Mashood Baderin is Professor of Law and Head of the School of Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and co-founding editor of the Muslim World Journal of Human Rights. He holds an LLB (Hons) in English Common Law and Islamic Law, an LLM in Public International Law and a PhD in International Human Rights and Islamic Law. He is specialised in the areas of Islamic Law, Human Rights and International Law, and has published extensively in these fields.

The idea of interfaith cooperation seems wonderful, with two or more communities with different sets of beliefs coming together to learn a little more about one another. In 21^st Century Britain, we have witnessed different races, beliefs and creeds living together in multiple melting pots around the country; although they may know little about each other.

In an age where foreign policy provokes the sentiments of Muslims all over the world, there exists the media which seeks to sell their tales to evoke the same sentiments, but in opposition to Muslims. Muslims have it tough in countering distortions, misconceptions and blatant lies about their faith and themselves, as common citizens who reside on these shores. Thankfully, Muslims are resilient.

It is therefore ever more important for Muslims and Non-Muslims to know one another; but what exactly is the best way? It is students that give a real voice to issues that are of interest and affecting them whether they are religious, political or social issues. It is important that students are not only equipped to make the positive changes within their community, but also given a platform to show their vibrant intellects, attitudes and beliefs; thereby countering distortions about themselves and their faith.

At Campusalam, the philosophy centers on living and learning through peace and justice, supported by knowledge, skills, and advice. We have held training sessions with small groups of students around the country to develop their communication skills, and have also advised students during the planning stages of their events; one particular group decided against hosting a controversial non-Muslim speaker after we highlighted the controls necessary for risk management. This is essentially our contribution to ‘interfaith’, though not focusing solely on faith as such, but more on the contemporary cultural dimension with all its challenges.

It is also important to note that Muslims themselves are in need of more awareness regarding their own cultural and religious divisions, in an environment where Muslims have come together in a majority non-Muslim society. This is also something that Campusalam seeks to encourage and, at the very least, we can all hope to come together on common grounds rather than remaining divided through our differences.

Over the next decade more investment needs to go into religious education, along with educating our children with strong moral values from both a religious and humanistic perspective. This will enable us to combat the numerous social vices affecting us all. We cannot ignore bringing together the religious and the growing non-religious sections of society any longer, if we are to secure a safe space for both sections of our society. Additionally, more work needs to be done in helping religious institutions reach out to all sections of their local communities, who are often ignored and easily marginalised.

As human beings we are made in diversity; different colours, nations and tribes.

“O Mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” [Quran 49:13]

Look closely – the Qur’an did not say “O Muslims”; on this small Earth we need to live together for the short time we have, and each of us are a test to the best qualities that reside within all of us. For the theist, working together is to achieve divine grace. Conversely, for the humanist, the need to live in a functional society requires the implementation of truth and justice, for the protection and progress of humanity.

Humanity needs to know one another to coexist. As the famous Medinan constitution was established for the sake of a community, that spirit for the common good needs to be instilled in all of us. And hopefully, through the values that unite humanity can we begin to see the light out of the darkness, and provide a better future for our children in the coming years.

Mohammad Uz-Zaman is a project Coordinator for Campusalam and a student of Islamic Studies. His academic background includes a Bsc (Hon) in Psychology and Sociology and a pending MA in Islamic Studies from The Muslim College.