TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT – British Delgation to Bosnia-Herzegovina

May 29, 2012 | Events

Brief:
The Cordoba Foundation will be leading a delegation of British Muslims to Bosnia-Herzegovina this year, between 6/7* July to 15 July. The trip is part of ongoing work by The Cordoba Foundation in Bosnia, namely raising awareness around the massacre in Srebrenica and supporting specific projects.

2012 is the last year before the month of Ramadan coincides with the annual Srebrenica memorial (11th July), thus making it difficult for people to travel for the next few years. Join us this year inshaAllah.

Aims:
To:
1.    Partake in the 11 July 2012 Srebrenica International Anniversary, where the janazah of hundreds of Bosnian Muslims will take place.
2.    Observe how Bosnian Muslims have responded and are recovering from the long years of war, destruction and ethnic-cleansing.
3.    Discuss and exchange ideas and thoughts about the Muslim experience in Europe and future scenarios.
4.    Support a specific fundraising projects.
5.    Raise greater awareness of the genocide.

Schedule:
The week-long trip (6/7-15 July) will include visits to important sites and meetings with prominent people, including the Grand Mufti, scholars, families of shuhada, teachers, community leaders, campaigners, families and orphans. The trip will also include recreational and sightseeing activities, including water-rafting and mountain-climbing.

A detailed scheduled will be provided closer to the time of the trip.

Fees:
Fees inclusive of flights, hotels, transportation inside Bosnia, trips and meetings/briefings. Cost is £800

Deadline for confirmation:
11th July 2012. Confirmation will need to be accompanied by full payment (cash and non-refundable) and the completion of form, below. To arrange payment of fees email: admin@thecordobafoundation.com (send completed form, along with a copy of a valid British passport to the same address).

Notes:
1.    British citizens do not require visa to enter Bosnia. Non-UK residents will need to apply for visa, which can take time and may result in complications. We are therefore only accepting people who hold British passports.
2.    Children are not encouraged on this trip given the packed schedule and extensive travel.
3.    Pre-trip briefing and full itinerary will be provided nearer to the date.
4.    The Cordoba Foundation will have the final say on the composition of the delegation.

Enquiries:
Abdullah Faliq – Organiser 07947 787 222 | abdullah@thecordobafoundation.com

Roundtable / Reception – Security in Europe

May 1, 2012 | Events

A dialogue on Security in Europe, organised by the European Network on Religion and Belief (ENORB), exploring the contribution of Europe’s diversity of religions, humanist and philosophical traditions to overcoming discrimination, violence and extremism.

This event is the first public seminar organised by ENORB, a new European network combating discrimination and prejudice and promoting mutual understanding and harmony in the field of Religion and Belief.  As with other EU Equalities networks, ENORB works for common action on the basis of the inclusive policies enshrined in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights

There is a deadline of May 15th for registering.  Please click here to register

Cordoba Heritage Series: Victoria and Abdul – The Story of a Queen and her Muslim Confidant

May 1, 2012 | Events

The Cordoba Foundation is launching a new series of talks called ‘Cordoba Heritage Series‘ aimed at exploring, understanding and appreciating our common heritage and creative legacy to offer solutions to difficult questions of identity and belonging in today’s  ‘West’.  By exploring the shared history that acknowledges the many sources of western culture from the east, we recognise the history of empire as a history that belongs equally to all its heirs, of every race, faith and nation.

In June 1887 two Indian servants were sent to Queen Victoria as a present for her Golden Jubilee. One was the 24-year-old Abdul Karim.   Young Karim immediately caught the Queen’s eye and was rapidly promoted to become her Indian Secretary. He cooked her curries, became her Hindustani tutor and delighted the elderly Queen with his stories about India. She honoured him with titles, gave him houses in Windsor, Balmoral and Osborne and extensive land in Agra. He advised her on Indian politics and soon became the lonely monarch’s closest companion. Despite the objections of her family and courtiers, who even threatened to overthrow her on grounds of ‘insanity’, the Queen stood by Karim till her last days, and refused to let him go.

Victora & Abdul is the story of an unusual relationship between the Empress of India and a humble servant which flourished at a time when the British Empire was at its height. At its heart, it is a story of love and friendship in the midst of tensions and unease about the ‘Other’.

Venue: Initiatives of Change UK, 24 Greencoat Place, London, SW1P 1RD. (Click here for more directions on getting to the venue)

Date and time: Thursday 10th May 2012, 6.30pm

Roundtable Discussion: Islam in the Balkans

Apr 20, 2012 | Events

A roundtable discussion with
Dr Ahmet Alibašić – Bosnia-Herzegovina
Thursday 26 April, 2012
6:45pm
Islamic Forum of Europe (Meeting Room)
3rd Floor, Business Wing,
London Muslim Centre,
38 – 44 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1JX
Nearest tube: Whitechapel or Aldgate East.

Dr Ahmet Alibašić is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo where he teaches Islamic culture and civilisation. He is also the director of the Center for Advanced Studies in Sarajevo. Dr Alibašić completed his doctorate at the Sarajevo University in 2011 researching Islamic opposition in the Arab World. He studied Arabic Language and Islamic Studies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, later studying Islamic studies, political science, and Islamic civilisation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Dr Alibašić is actively involved in inter-religious dialogue and served as the first director of the InterReligious Institute in Sarajevo (2007-2008), which was jointly established by the Islamic Community, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, and Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From 2003 until 2007, he served as Deputy President of the Association of Islamic Scholars in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dr Alibašić has authored and translated a plethora of books and articles, ranging from Islam and politics, Islamic movements, Islam in the Balkans, democratisation of the Muslim World, human rights, opposition legitimisation in Islam, to church-state relations in Europe and the United States.

An invitation-only event. Limited spaces.

RSVP. abdullah@thecordobafoundation.com

Launch Event: An Introduction to Effective Lobbying & Campaigning

Mar 12, 2012 | Events

As a sequel to Working with the Media guide released in 2008, this is the second in a series of training manuals produced by The Cordoba Foundation. The guide provides the targeted  readership with practical guidelines and tips to ‘up-skilling’ with the necessary information, tools and guidance to become not just active but proactive citizens – and ultimately to play a better and more effective role in society.

The guide aims to give our readers, in particular British Muslims, the knowledge and confdence to engage with lobbyists, politicians, campaigns and people of infuence to bring about changes – from addressing national and international issues by lobbying MPs and Ministers, to local issues such as services provided to the surrounding community and residential areas.

Speakers:

SAJJAD KARIM (Member of European Parliament) – Video

JEREMY CORBYN (MP for Islington North, London)

NEIL JAMESON (Director, London Citizens)
AISHA ALVI (Barrister) – Won the legal right to wear the headscarf in school.
MOAZZAM BEGG (Director, Cage Prisoners)
NABIL AHMED (President, Federation of Students Islamic Societies (FOSIS))

Moderator: ANAS ALTIKRITI (CEO, The Cordoba Foundation)

Date & Time : 1 March 2012, 6pm

Venue:  The Islamic Cultural Centre and The London Central Mosque, 146 Park Road, London NW8 7Rg (Nearest Tube – Baker Street)

Places Limited!!! Registration is essential!!!

To book your place, please click here (External website registration and ticket printing)

Poetry Masterclass & Performance: Mark Gonzales

Feb 10, 2012 | Events

Following ongoing demand, internationally reknowned spoken word artist Mark Gonzales will make his UK debut with this poetry masterclass and performance in London, exclusively with Muslim Writers Awards.

Date: 18th January

Masterclass: 10am – 4pm (Senate House, Malet Street, WC1E)

Performance: 7pm – 9.30pm (D’Gaf, Stratford, E15)

Tickets: £25 (for masterclass and performance) / £10 (for performance)

Places are limited.  Booking essential at muslimwritersawards.org.uk

This event is supported by The Cordoba Foundation

Forum: After the Riots

Jan 30, 2012 | Events

Organised by Initiatives of Change (IofC) UK, the Civil Society Forum and The Cordoba Foundation,

How best to understand and respond to the recent riots in England has been the cause of much debate and concern both with decision-makers and the media. The situation challenges us to consider what can be done to reverse the trends that cause such unrest and lead to a breakdown in ‘civil behaviour’ and also to recognise the positive response of those who came forward to mitigate the impact of the riots.

Initiatives of Change (IofC) UK, together with the recently established Civil Society Forum and The Cordoba Foundation, plan to hold a one day forum to understand different perspectives on the underlying civic, moral, political and social challenges and explore what we can do individually and collectively in response.

The keynote address will be given by Dr Peter Selby, President of the National Council for Independent Monitoring Boards. He was previously Bishop of Worcester, Bishop to HM Prisons and a Church Commissioner. His book, Grace and Mortgage, opens people’s eyes to the corrosive effect of debt on the poor and the environment.

The Forum will be held at the IofC UK centre at 24 Greencoat Place, London SW1P 1RD on 1 February 2012. As individual citizens, communities, and NGOs and government organisations have been collecting thoughts and gathering together in and towards action, the event will bring people together to take the thinking further, share understanding and look at what can be done.

We will explore the underlying issues, particularly the challenge of re-engagement both practically and morally, approaches to tackling the main challenges, identify specific ways forward, and consider how all participants can make a contribution, individually and collectively.

The day will be a combination of inter-active presentations, and large and small group dialogue. It will create space to reflect and explore ways to tackle dis-enfranchisement and dis-engagement in civil society and include consideration of what stopped the violence starting and spreading in different areas

The forum will focus on seeing where we may need to build and adapt our approaches, and to find action that we can take in our own communities, and organisations.

The organisers are inviting individuals and groups including community and faith-based groups, NGOs and government organisations, who can make a particular contribution.

To ensure workable numbers for the venue and the participatory nature of the event, attendance will be by application. Notification will be given at least four weeks before the event.

If you wish to attend, download the application form and send to either Esther Risdale or Don de Silva

For more information about the event, please click here

Please click here for a briefing note on the riots