By Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari

The urge for education and learning is in the Muslim psyche, thanks to inspirational texts in the Muslim holy book and strong encouragement by the Prophet (PBUH). The shining contribution of Muslims in all spheres of life in the dark period of Europe was due to the thirst for knowledge among the masses and promotion of scholarship by most Muslim rulers.  Sadly, the severe stagnation due to colonial take over of many Muslim lands and post-War mismanagement of Muslim countries have impacted negatively on Muslims in many ways, including in the education sector. But over the past years the situation has gradually been changing. The Muslim community in Britain today is a prime example of where even a disadvantaged start by diverse Muslim communities has not barred its young people from achieving highly in the educational ladder. This is significant in their fight against socio-economic deprivation.

By Asma Abdur Rahman

The issue of climate change has been popularised, and quite rightly – most people will at least be aware of its importance. The most widely known effects of global warming are the melting of ice caps and the rise in sea levels. Of course, that alone is enough to endanger low-lying countries such as Bangladesh; large areas of which are subject to being permanently lost if global temperatures rise by even 1ºC. But for those who do not live in or have any connection to such places, the effects of global warming might seem irrelevant.

By Tarek El Diwany

Five hundred years ago, a person who attempted to lend money for a commercial gain in the City of London risked arrest for the crime of usury. On those same streets today the cream of our educational establishments vie for a share of the usurer’s pie, and in plush city boardrooms those who were once despised make decisions that affect the entire world of commerce and politics. Yet the wealth earned through usury is an illusion. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that “even when usury is much, it always leads to utter poverty” (narrated by Ibn Mas‘ūd, in Ibn Majah). The implication is that for every penny earned through usury, a far greater cost is inflicted somewhere else in the economic system.

By Ruhana Ali

Passing through the first decade of the 21^st Century, witnessing illegal wars, a deepening poverty gap and a global financial crisis makes me reflective over our nation’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals and the reduction of poverty and provision of opportunities in our communities. As I think about the dormant potential of our communities and the cloudy reputation we take forward as Muslims living in Britain I am filled with an enthusiastic optimism that together we can achieve a better and stronger civil society if we work together and organise. My hope for the next ten years is that we are more proactive in our role as public citizens and take responsibility for the state of our communities in a way that I have started to see in the last ten years. This optimism comes from seeing the silver lining; witnessing the pockets of hope, activity and accountability that working with other public citizens brings, and joining the fight to reduce poverty in our communities.

By Dr Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed

The next 10 years does not bode well for British politics. At the European elections this year, only 22% of eligible British voters actually voted. The cash-for-honours and the MPs expenses scandals have generated widespread disillusionment. The EC predicts that in just 2 years, Britain’s national debt will increase to 88.2 per cent of GDP, and that by 2020 this could rise to 140 per cent of GDP. Meanwhile, the politics of the far-right are becoming increasingly mainstream, even prompting Labour and Tory spokespeople to co-opt their concerns on immigration, multiculturalism, and so on.

Monday 25 January to Sunday 31 January 2010

Editorial

We open the discourse of this blog with an issue which has perhaps dogged humanity from our very existence, and one which has perhaps posed the most questions for us in the last decade than ever before: what are the values which are universal to all of us? Are those values common to everyone or confined to a particular community or country?