786
KINGDOM OF GOD: the Archbishop, the Sharia and the Law

786
Muslim Action Committee Calls for the Immediate withdrawal of Insulting Cartoons attacking the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Swedish Newspaper: Nerikes Allehanda
The Muslim Action Committee (MAC)- a faith based umbrella organisation of over 700 Mosques, Imams and Religious scholars in the UK, which lead 50,000 Muslims through london in protest to the Danish Cartoons last February- have condemned the latest attack on our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)'s person and global civility by Swedish Newspaper Nerikes Allehanda who have published a blatantly provocative and insulting picture of a dog with a human head identified with our Prophet (PBUH).

The National Convenor of MAC Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi has called for the immediate withdrawal of these cartoons. We at MAC reiterate our stance that such short sighted sensationalist and insulting attacks on our Prophet (PBUH) do not improve dialogue or debate between communities.

We welcome constructive and civil debate about all aspects of our faith and way of life but we do not accept the right to freedom to insult and abuse under the rethoric of freedom of speech. Having the right to criticise and having freedom of expression and faith in our society is not the same thing as deliberatly provoking and insulting each other. The former leads to community growth and cohesion. The latter leads to hatred and bitterness. We should be aiming at the former and not the latter.

786
Honourable behaviour or sowing the seeds of discord?
Tuesday June 26, 2007The Guardian

We strongly deplore the recent conferring of a knighthood to Salman Rushdie (Letters, June 21). We see this as a deliberate provocation and insult to the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. The "honouring" of Rushdie at a time when the British government claims to be trying to build bridges with the Muslim community can only be seen as duplicitous. We regard this as a conscious effort not only to offend Muslim sensibilities but also to sow seeds of division. In honouring Rushdie, the prime minister has demonstrated how little regard he has for Islam.
Ali al-Hadithi Federation Of Student Islamic Societies,
Bashir Mann Muslim Council of Scotland,
Dr Abdul Wahid Hizb ut-Tahrir,
Dr Ahmad ar-Rawi Muslim Association of Britain,
Dr Mamoun Mobayad Northern Ireland Muslim Family Association,
Dr Muhammad Abdul-Bari Muslim Council of Britain,
Massoud Shadjareh Islamic Human Rights Commission,
Maulana Faiz Siddiqui Muslim Action Committee,
Muhammad Sawalha British Muslim Initiative,
Saleem Qidwai Muslim Council of Wales,
Sheikh Abdulhossein Moezi Islamic Centre of England,
Sheikh Shafiq-ur-Rahman United Kingdom Islamic Mission

786
MUSLIM ACTION COMMITTEE DEPLORES THE HONORING OF “A DESTROYER OF COMMUNITY COHESION”

The Muslim Action Committee, a faith based coalition of over 700 Mosques and Imams strongly deplore the honoring of Salman Rushdie. The Muslim Action Committee which led 50,000 Muslims in a mass demonstration February 2006 during the Danish Cartoons Crisis, are extremely disappointed in a government which has failed to uphold the principles of civility by honoring an author whose works have only contributed to division in British society. Rushdie has maliciously promoted stereotypes and has abused the name of the Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him.

MAC convenor Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi said “To honor a man who continues to insult 1.25 billion Muslims worldwide with the continued publication of his vile book is to send a message to Muslims that their religious sensitivities are of no value or consequence. This does nothing to promote community cohesion and does everything to promote community tensions and resentment. Rushdie is an ill mannered character who lacks all the virtues traditionally associated with knighthood and it is a travesty of British values to honor him in this manner.

It is not the intrinsic nature of the honor which is the question here but rather it is deeply symbolic of antipathy and arrogance towards the Muslim world. At a time when the British government is attempting to promote the values of Britishness and integration, they are undermining their position by giving this title to a malicious individual who profits off the pain and insult given to Muslim sensibilities. This move will only fan the flames of radicalization and help to further alienate those on the fringes of our community.”

MAC calls upon the British government to:
Engage in responsible dialogue with the Muslim community before making such unhelpful decisions;
To withdraw the knighthood to Salman Rushdie;

END

For further information contact MAC on 07947218529

786
SHARIAH COURTS
Shaykh Faiz-ul-Aqtab Siddiqi spoke yesterday to the Law in Action programme on Radio 4 about Shariah courts operating in the UK. Despite the scaremongering of obviously partisan characters such as Patrick Sookhedo who represents Evangelical Christians: The Baranbus Trust, there has not been a call for the implementation of Shariah law in Muslim majority areas in Britain by any mainstream Islamic organisations or Ulema. Shaykh Faiz made it clear that operating under arbitration laws was perfectly sufficient for our needs as practicing Muslims in this country.
The article can be found here and you can listen to the programme here.

March against the Danish Cartoons (Trafalgar Square-Hyde Park)

Demonstration Organised by the Muslim Action Committee against the Danish cartoons, from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park. Video shows Salaat-o-Salaam and a small part of the march.

786
POPE’S REMARKS IRRESPONSIBLE, NAÏVE AND CONTRARY TO THE PROCESS OF CIVILITY
The members of the Muslim Action Committee which constitutes over 1000 Muslim Ulema and clerics in the UK have expressed their shock and anger at the comments of Pope Benedict in his speech to a German university about Holy war in Islam.
The National Convenor of MAC, Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi said that the Pope seems to be following the trap of racist hostility that is affecting Europe today - with the Danish cartoons and the French hijab ban by quoting shallow pejorative remarks about Islam and Muslims. In making his comments the Pope has added fuel to a fire that has already ravaged and hurt many nations.
Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi said that at a time when religious leaders should be declaring and promoting an aura of global civility, it was irresponsible of the Pope to make such references which begets the language of the crusaders. Shaykh Siddiqi said that the Pope has forgotten that the teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammed p.b.u.h. in relation to Jihad was primarily targeting the purification of the self and civilising an egotistic selfish human nature.
The Pope has quoted the mistaken belief of an ignorant source, as there is no command in the religion of Islam either through the word of God or the Prophet p.b.u.h., which commands to spread the faith by the sword. In fact the command is to “spread faith by wisdom, good character and civilised debate” Al Quran. Shaykh Siddiqi said that Jihad in Islam codifies the universal belief that people can fight to defend their land and resist oppression. Surely the Pope does not object to all violence in the name of religion or else he would consider decannonising the hundreds of saints who have fought for their faith.Shaykh Siddiqi said that the Pope’s comment will damage the efforts of Muslim scholars in England, under the Muslim Action Committee to promote a dialogue through global civility, see www.globalcivility.com. Shaykh Faiz Siddiqi said that it was not enough for the representative of the Pope to say that no offence was intended, but that the Pope should categorically distance himself from such beliefs and offer an unreserved apology for the obvious offence that was caused.