Aug 30, 2010 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) rejects utterly libellous allegations made against it by co-director of the Quilliam Foundation Maajid Nawaz. On Sunday 8 August on the Sky News Sunday Live programme, Nawaz falsely claimed that “The Cordoba Foundation, they in Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall, hosted the Al Qaeda preacher Anwar al-Awlaki”.
This accusation is baseless, since TCF has at no time organised or hosted any event at the Kensington and Chelsea Town Hall. Nawaz is basing this accusation on a similar report issued by the Centre for Social Cohesion in 2009, which TCF refuted in a statement on 13 November 2009.
It is utterly absurd for Nawaz to state that TCF had hosted Al-Awlaki given that Al-Awlaki has attacked and declared un-Islamic (Haram or Kufr) a number of initiatives and projects which TCF either run or fully support that encourage wider engagement of young Muslims with British and European politics and the media.
This accusation by Nawaz is illustrative of the lack of professionalism, accuracy, sound academic research and even truth, demonstrated by him and the Quilliam Foundation.
Anas Altikriti, CEO of The Cordoba Foundation said “Nawaz’s baseless claim exposes the Quilliam Foundation’s amateurish and flawed working methods for what they are: cheap and simple, for the purposes of achieving mudslinging tabloid notoriety. It is surprising that any political party, organisation or individual should continue to accord such organisations credibility or respect.”
TCF demands Nawaz and the Quilliam Foundation retract the accusation forthwith. Failing to do so will compel TCF to seek legal council.
The Cordoba Foundation continues to pursue its aims and objectives through actual projects, real initiatives and true engagement with those who matter for the future of our country.
Aug 20, 2010 | News & Press
Michael Henderson is the first to admit that his work has no academic basis. Rather he prefers to ‘tell stories’. The difference though is that his stories are based on hands-on experience of real life men and women working to build bridges between people of differing colours, cultures and languages.
mh 5.jpgSo on the 17th of August as part of The Cordoba Seminar series in the impressive settings of St Ethelburgas Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, he shared his stories ‘as a privilege of highlighting the readiness of men and women to forgive and ask for forgiveness’.
mh 3.jpgFrom Nigeria, to Lebanon, to Israel, India and Northern Ireland, Michael criss crossed the countries sharing the stories of individuals taking responsibility to move beyond victimhood, to create safe spaces in the purposes of forging alliances. In his words, Michael says ‘ The building of relationships of trust is a priority and now more than ever, we need reconciliation and forgiveness’.
Michael highlights 6 key steps which he has found is essential in the process of reconciliation and forgiveness and which he has found are backed up by his stories:
The concept of ‘a Clash or an Alliance?’
The need to ‘Reach out to the “Other”’
The need to ‘Move beyond Victimhood’
The need to ‘take Responsibility’
The concept of ‘Creating a Safe Space’
The need to ‘Acknowledge the Past’
mh 1.jpgThese are not mutually exclusive according to Michael but are systematic milestones that need to be achieved if true reconciliation is the end goal.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, where forgiveness and mercy from two key components, Michael’s speech was even more poignant, a factor reiterated by the chair of the event, Anas Altikriti, CEO of The Cordoba Foundation
As he concluded his speech Michael quotes Rajmohan Ghandi (the grandson of Mhatama Ghandi) who says that the ‘call for reconciliation is in the end a call for sanity’.
Jun 5, 2010 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) welcomes the launch of the Inspired by Muhammad Campaign, featuring ordinary Muslim professionals who contribute positively to Britain’s prosperity whilst being inspired by the role played by Islam and its final Messenger, Muhammad in their lives. This Campaign comes on the back of the findings of a YouGov poll published this week, highlighting misconceptions held by large sections of the British public linking Islam with terrorism, repressing women, among other things.
The Chief Executive of TCF Anas Altikriti said ‘the YouGov findings highlight a gap in perceptions about what people think about British Muslims and what they really are. Challenging this publicly in the media is a welcome-sign since as the poll suggested; most of the information obtained by the public on Islam was from the mainstream media. That is why we support the Campaign’
TCF welcomes adverts about the campaign placed across the city in tube stations, bus stops, bill boards, and on London taxis which highlight Prophet Muhammad’s universal teachings about caring for the environment, gender equality, and social justice.
For more information, please click here
[End]
Notes to editors
- For further information, please contact Amjad Saleem, Head of Communications on 020 89913372 or media@thecordobafoundation.com
May 4, 2010 | News & Press
This documentary will reveal how and why public opinion and engagement with the political process in the United Kingdom has changed with more and more people becoming disengaged and apathethic.
The documentary will ask the question: ‘How much are Muslims and Ethnic Minorities in Britain contributing to the rise of the BNP?’
Designed to be launched on the night before the election, the documentary aims to inspire action and get people involved where they can have a voice and CAN tip the scales thereby ensuring that the sacrifices that our elders undertook to make a place for us in society is not undone.
Produced by: Tre Azam
‘We owe it to our elders, our children and ourselves to do what we can to have more of a say in the country we love and live in’
Directed by: Abid Mahi
‘People all over the world to this day are dying for the right to vote and the right to a fair and democratic society. Every year, hundreds and thousands of people including Muslim Brits choose not to vote in local and general elections, yet get angered and shocked with the rise of groups such as the BNP’
Executive Producers: The Cordoba Foundation
‘We can not be passive observers as policies and futures are shaped. Voting is one of the most important means of being at the heart of society’ (Anas Altikriti, CEO)
The documentary will be aired on 5th May 2010 at 8pm on Islam Channel (Sky 813)
For more information, please click here
Apr 30, 2010 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation is pleased to announce that its CEO Anas Altikriti has been selected in the inaugural issue of the Muslim Power List 2010
Commenting on his selection, Anas said ‘It is humbling to be included in such a diverse list of unique and talented individuals that are a reflection of the best that the British Muslim Community can offer. To be nominated by members of the public is an honour’
The Muslim Power List for the United Kingdom has been launched this year to demonstrate the important contribution that Britain’s Muslim community makes to the social, financial and spiritual prosperity of the UK.
For further information, please contact the Muslim Power List
Apr 20, 2010 | News & Press
On the 20th of April, The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) facilitated a public meeting between the Hammersmith and Fulham Council (and related public service providers) and members of the Moroccan community, following the tragic murder of 17 year old Sofyen Belamouadden, a 3rd generation Moroccan who was stabbed to death in broad daylight in Victoria Station as part of a suspected gang ‘turf war’ battle.
TCF were invited by the community as independent facilitators to initiate a dialogue between the local authority and members of the Moroccan community who despite there being a large number living around North Kensington, feel that they are marginalised because of the ignorance about them, a fact that was further highlighted by one of the local authority officials who admitted he was unaware of the numbers.The meeting which was mainly attended by mothers (including the family of Sofyen) voiced concerns about the safety of the youths on the street.
Mothers repeatedly echoed the view that ‘they were not comfortable when their children left home because they were not sure whether their children would be stopped by the police or be attacked by gangs’.Members at the meeting highlighted the following as key concerns for them:
1) Children of Moroccan origin are over represented in the youth criminal justice system.
2) The current ‘Children & Young People Services’ were not adequate in meeting the needs of the young people.
3) The current extracurricular and youth activities were not accessible by the whole community thereby leaving youth with a lot of time on their hands and falling prey to bad elements.
4) A lack of communication between the authorities and parents due to miscommunications on both sides.
5) A lack of basic security systems (such as CCTV not working properly)
All this was leading to ‘a climate of fear in London’ according to one community outreach worker who urged ‘A government response to the problem even to the level of establishing an emergency response team to deal with the matter’.
Commenting on the meeting, the CEO of TCF Anas Altikriti said, ‘Meetings like this give you an insight into the issues faced on a daily basis by youth and their families. Understanding the failure to address concerns of services for the youth are important because these are often some of the catalysts for extremist and anti social behaviour’
The meeting came up with practical steps that would be taken by the local authority and the community (with support from organisations such as London Citizens, Street, Al Mannar Centre) to bridge the gap of miscommunication and identify ways of meeting the needs of the community including setting up mentoring programs and establishing more liaisons between the police and the community.
What was particularly striking was that though some of the concerns raised were directly related to the Moroccan community they were also generic to other parts of London.
Apr 12, 2010 | News & Press
Sheikh Michael Mumisa has seen it all before. As the general elections draw closer, the same old debates in the Muslim community start to resurface.
The debates have nothing to do with which party or candidate to vote for but with the very premise of voting and getting involved in the elections. For some Muslims voting in a Western democracy is considered to be ‘an act of apostasy’. In 2005, things were so complicated that “some Mosque ‘elders’ and Imams had their beards and turbans pulled by small groups of angry young men who argued that voting in what they believed to be a ‘kufr system’ was a ‘violation of the Shari‘ah’.” Things got to such a difficult point according to Sheikh Mumisa that he was approached to clarify the issue, releasing an article which could hopefully clarify the matter. His article, “Muslims in Britain and the Elections: What does the Shari‘a say?” was then carried by the Muslim Council of Britain amongst other organisations.
5 years on despite the debate still existing, Sheikh Mumisa is confident things are getting better. ‘At least people are less violent and moving beyond the basic arguments ’ he said as he once again addressed the issues of Muslims and elections on the 12th of April at the bi-monthly Cordoba Seminars organised by The Cordoba Foundation.
Addressing a sizeable gathering at the London Muslim Centre, Sheikh Mumisa approached the issue in a different manner. “When it comes to the question of ‘Islam and Voting’, incontrovertible textual evidence should be produced to prove that it is not permissible for Muslims in Britain to vote. We do not need proof to argue that it is permissible for them to vote since that is the asl (original state of affairs)”. By saying this, Sheikh Mumisa is confident that the detractors will at least have to think twice before trying to engage in a debate on the subject, since “the burden of proof is thus upon those who argue that voting is not permissible”.
The principle behind this is very simple. The Islamic legal maxim ‘al asl fi al-ashya’ al-ibaha’ [the doctrine that “all matters of human and social activity are considered a prioripermissible (mubah) under Islamic law unless clear and incontrovertible textual evidence from the primary sources of Islamic law (Qur’an and Sunnah) exists to prove otherwise] has historically been the basis of all acts of ijtihad (legal reasoning) within both the Sunni and Shi‘ah schools of law. Thus according to this principle, we need not look for proof from the sources of Islam to argue the case for Muslim participation in the British general elections, rather what is needed is incontrovertible proof that voting in such elections isharam (not permissible) since as a general principle “all matters of human and social activity (mu‘amalat and mu‘asharat) are originally permissible” as defined by the theory above.
This has been the norm adopted by classical jurists who were very much aware that texts accommodated multiple meanings and possibilities. According to Sheikh Mumisa, it is not enough to say “God says so” or “the Prophet says so.” A number of factors have to be taken into consideration such as: the context of the revelation of the text; the language of the text; the special circumstances of the addressee of the text; other texts on the same topic; the local customs (‘adah and ‘urf) of the addressee and how they may differ from the contemporary reader.
The problem as Sheikh Mumisa explained is that contemporary Muslims, particularly those now living in non-Muslim societies, have not properly explored or understood the principle. Sheikh Mumisa impressively drew on the works of a number of classical scholars like Ibn Abidin and Ibn Taimiyyah to highlight the precedents that have been set in Islamic Jurisprudence. However it is al-Shatibi, in the Sheikh’s opinion, whose work (al-Muwafaqat), makes the case that the texts of law are considered open, dynamic and subject to re-interpretation. By employing other hermeneutical tools in the study of the texts, Sheikh Mumisa argued that scholars like al-Shatibi show that the Qur’an and Sunna are not closed texts, and that interpretation is contingent upon the historical context, the cultural situation and level of development, and the philosophical presuppositions of the period in which that interpretation is taking place.
In other words, early and later Muslims jurists always treated the kulliyyat(universal principles) as the spirit and the intention of the Law-giver (qasd al-Shari‘) which could override the specific legal rulings (juz’iyyat) and other interpretations of law that were seen to be at odds with the spirit of the law. It is safe to say that according to this theory, as the Sheikh highlighted “the purpose of law in Islam is not necessarily to follow the letter of the law but to fulfil a higher goal and great purpose (maqasid):that of establishing a just society. Thus whatever moral and just method adopted to reach this goal is considered ‘Islamically’ correct”. Hence any political and legal system that fulfils the kulliyat is acceptable and considered as fulfilling the requirements of the Shari‘a. The question thus becomes, “Does the British and political systems fulfil the kulliyat as required under Islam?”. Sheikh Mumisa came to the conclusion that the British legal and political systems as they stand at the moment meet the goals of the Shari‘a.
As he concluded his speech Sheikh Mumisa warned that “Muslims will have no advantage in isolating themselves from the mainstream of political life and becoming a marginalised community”. The Muslim community would thus have to commit themselves to a system of cultural and religious pluralism within which they are free to assert their religious freedom. While maintaining their specific religious identity in the Western democratic order, they must remain conscious of their British identity
Mar 31, 2010 | News & Press
Lessons Learned
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) welcomes the publication yesterday of the Communities and Local Government (CLG) Select Committee report on its enquiry into the Government’s Prevent program, which concluded that Prevent “stigmatized and alienated those it is most important to engage with, and tainted many positive community cohesion projects”.
Anas Altikriti, TCF Chief Executive said “the report puts credibility to what a lot of community leaders have been saying all along about rising distrust and suspicion about the Prevent program, namely allegations of spying on Muslims and the specific targeting of the Muslim community”.
After the initial allegations emerged as a result of investigations carried out by the Institute of Race Relations, TCF convened a roundtable in October 2009 at the House of Lords where prominent academics, human rights groups, community leaders and experts discussed their concerns which were later forwarded to Dr Phyllis Starkey, chair of the select committee. “We are happy that we were able to contribute some of our concerns and suggestions to the CLG Select Committee” said Altikriti. Moreover, “the proposed independent review of Prevent operations is a welcome sign and will improve confidence in the community”, added Altikriti.
TCF supports some of the recommendations that were made by the committee to the Government which includes:
- Research on risk factors for radicalization;
- Investments to tackle socio-economic deprivation;
- Avoiding interference in theological matters;
- Need for the Government to engage with those who demonstrate a desire to promote greater understanding, cohesion and integration.
In the light of the upcoming elections, it is hoped that these recommendations will be taken forward by the new Government in a bid to repair damage done to community cohesion through the Prevent program.
[Ends]
For more information about TCF’s roundtable on the Prevent Program, please click here
For more articles on the Prevent program, please click here
Notes to editors
- For further information, please contact Amjad Saleem, Head of Communications on 020 89913372 or media@thecordobafoundation.com
Mar 5, 2010 | News & Press
The Muslim Council of Britain hosted a special closed-meeting to discuss the growing spate of attacks in all its forms against British Muslims on March 3rd at the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons.
The event entitled ‘Tackling Islamophobia: Reducing Street Violence Against British Muslims’ brought together distinguished Parliamentarians, academics, journalists, police, public servants, and community representatives who all endorsed calls for the establishment of an All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Islamophobia with a view to holding a parliamentary inquiry on Islamophobia in the UK.
The meeting took contributions from experts and responses from parliamentarians and was concluded with a Q&A session with the audience who comprised of individuals from over 80 organisations.
Mohammad Sarwar MP who sponsored the event said ‘Islamophobia is a big challenge’ and offered his full support for an All-Party Parliamentary Group.
Internationally renowned journalist and political commentator Peter Oborne said ‘tolerance defines our constitution and the British people. If the UK is to live up to its tradition of tolerance, this needs to be taken seriously. Islamophobia needs to be abolished’. He added that the committee had a ‘big job to do’. Mr Oborne previously presented a Dispatches programme on Channel 4 in July 2008 called It Shouldn’t Happen to a Muslim where he argued that the demonisation of Muslims has become widespread in British media and politics.
Robin Richardson former director of the Runnymede Trust who was the Editor of the groundbreaking report Islamophobia: a challenge for us all (published in 1997), highlighted the various forms which encompass Islamophobia: ‘discourse, violent behaviour, discrimination and social exclusion.’
Dr Phyllis Starkey MP, Chair of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee fully endorsed the initiative and emphasised the importance of focusing on ‘respect’ as opposed to ‘tolerance’.
Shadow Minister for Justice, David Burrows MP urged people to contact their local MPs to motivate them to get more involved. ‘The community must show the extent of the problem and make politicians act’.
The Liberal Democrat Communities and Local Government Minister Dan Rogerson MP said that a parliamentary group is an ‘excellent way forward for these issues’ adding that ‘it would be a means of defending UK values of tolerance and respect for human rights’.
Other Parliamentarians who spoke in support of the initiative included Baron Ahmed of Rotherham who said ‘demonisation of Muslims and Islam has become fashionable’, Baron Sheikh of Cornhill who said the ‘media and politicians need to refrain from inflammatory reporting: freedom of expression must be exercised with responsibility’ and the cross-bencher Baron Hylton of Hylton who stressed the need to ‘promote good community cohesion and civic involvement’.
Other messages of support were received from Jeremy Corbyn MP and Diane Abbott MP.
A host of academics added to the discussion: Dr Jonathan Githens-Mazer from the European Muslim Research Centre who in January published the report ‘Islamophobia and Anti Muslim Hate Crimes: a London case study’ said discrimination is becoming ‘privately rationalised and understood’. Islamophobia and Anti Muslim Hate Crime have ‘tangible affects on the UK as a whole’ and that ‘anything done to tackle this will benefit the whole of the UK’. Co-director Dr Robert Lambert MBE added that ‘the Far Right’s position of making Muslims the enemy is being rationalised by what is portrayed by the media’. He said that recommendations from the community would provide a ‘clear driver’ on this issue.
Maleiha Malik, from Kings College London, emphasised that ‘British history teaches us that minorities should not be feared’, while Dr Chris Allen from Birmingham University academic mentioned that despite Islamophobia being a ‘real experience’ it is still not taken seriously enough. ‘For the past 15 years we have had a number of reports, from a number of sources of the ‘hardening of attitudes and perceptions’ and there is still a lack lustre response. Why?’ He welcomed the call for a parliamentary group, saying it was ‘long overdue’.
‘Practitioners who work in this area also added to the discussion. Abdurahman Jafar, Chair of the Muslim Safety Forum said there is a ‘lack of institutional recognition and understanding’ regarding these issues while the President of the National Association of Muslim Police Zaheer Ahmed reiterated the fact that ‘Islamophobia and Anti Muslim Hate Crime have been affecting the Muslim community for years’. ‘Today is the start of raising awareness of these issues at a national, strategic level’.
In his keynote address, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said ‘at a time when Muslim communities are being exhorted to do more to tackle violence by a handful of extremists who purport to be Muslims, it is vitally important that our government and police are equally pro-active in seeking to tackle extremist violence against British Muslims and the Islamophobic climate that gives rise to it.’
He added, ‘the need for fair and equal treatment for British Muslims is even more pressing because many Muslims do not have sufficient confidence to report attacks against them to the police. There is therefore an urgent need to restore Muslim community confidence to tackle the problem of under-reporting of violent crime in much the same way as has been achieved with other minorities in the recent past. Time has come for politicians to finally take this issue as seriously as racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia’.
He ended by saying ‘the formation of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes would be a crucial step and one that would inspire confidence in Muslim communities’.
The event was co-ordinated by Kawsar Zaman from the Muslim Council of Britain and supported by the Muslim Safety Forum, the Cordoba Foundation and the European Muslim Research Centre.
For more information, please check the MCB website`
