Salamun alaykum,
Protest outside the mosque:
On Saturday 13th November, 2010 scores of demonstrators gathered outside a Mosque in Portsmouth. They were protesting against a small group of Muslim extremists who had chanted slogans and burnt poppies in Central London on Armistice Day during the two minutes' silence.
Support from the Local Community:
- Church leaders stood shoulders shoulder to shoulder with muslim leaders to oppose the demonstrators.
- Civic Leaders and members of the local community gathered outside the mosque to rally with the muslims.
- In my various engagements during the course of the week we have received words of support and prayers from several Faith and Political leaders in our local area.
It is gratifying to note the solidarity received. This gesture is greatly appreciated and highly valued by the muslim community.
How did this support come about?
This is as a result of our interaction, as muslims, with the wider community. Let us appreciate and cherish this.
We are living in a society where we meet people of different backgrounds, races and religions. We cannot live in isolation. It is important for us to reach out and be active ambassadors of our noble religion Islam.
It is only through these interactions that we are able to dispel the misconceptions, hatched by the likes of the EDL and other Islamophobes, against Islam and Muslims.
Bihamdillah the members of Wessex Jamaat have taken an important lead in this direction for which strategic relationships have been developed. The relationship of mutual trust and respect will continue to be built in the neighbourhood, Inshallah.
Another question : Do I have anything to do with it?
In my discussions on the incident of Saturday 13th November, the response I get from some quarters is an expression on the face conveying to me an unspoken question: what does it have to do with us?
Perhaps a reason for this thought coming to one’s mind is that we have our Centre and that we are not members of the affected mosque.
But is that right?
Our response:
Definitely that’s not right, it’s a loud NO.
Why?
We are all members of the muslim Ummah. The Holy Quran has emphasised on the unity of muslims.
Likewise the teachings from ahadith have likened the muslim community to the human body where if a part is in pain, then the whole body feels it.
The mosque is for Allah and the obligation of maintaining its sanctity is not restricted to a group of persons or membership. All muslims are obliged to take care and show due respect to the mosques.
On the other hand let us be conscious of the fact when such anti muslim or racist incidents are staged they do not identify a particular section of the Ummah. They target all as a group.
Wa ma tawfiqi illa billah
With salaams and duas
Fazle Abbas Datoo
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Resident Alim
Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat
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Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat. Al Mahdi, Wickham Road, Fareham, Hampshire . PO17 5BU. Reg. Charity Number: 1010076. Tel: 01329 832537. Fax: 02392-529766
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: Jamaat Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk:
Project Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk/almahdiproject
Member of the Council of European Jamaats
Member of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board
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Wessex Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat. Al Mahdi, Wickham Road, Fareham, Hampshire . PO17 5BU. Reg. Charity Number: 1010076. Tel: 01329 832537. Fax: 02392-529766
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.: Jamaat Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk: Project Web Site: www.almahdi.org.uk/almahdiproject
Member of the Council of European Jamaats
Member of Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board