Pictures: Hajj 2009

Beautiful images from Hajj 2009

(Thanks to Brother Arshad for forwarding these images)

Click on the pictures to make them bigger

Happy New Year!

Al Hijra: Islamic New Year’s Day

Al Hijra is the first day of the Islamic New Year, marking the day when Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) began his migration from Mecca to Medina in Islamic Year 1 (1 AH), 622 CE.

In 2009, Al Hijra in the UK falls on 18 December: 1 Muharram, 1431 AH in the Islamic calendar. (source: National Maritime Museum, UK)

Al-Hijra, is a low-key event in the Muslim world, celebrated less than the two major festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.

New Year rituals
There is no specific religious ritual required on this day, but Muslims will think about the general meaning of Hijra, and regard this as a good time for 'New Year Resolutions'.

Muhammad Ilyes [Ilyes84] quotes Nadvi who wrote:
"It (the advent of the 15th century) is indeed, a unique occasion to ponder that the Islamic Era did not start with the victories of Islamic wars, nor with the birth or death of the prophet (PBUH), nor with the Revelation itself. It starts with Hijra, or the sacrifice for the cause of Truth and for the preservation of the Revelation.

It was a divinely inspired selection. God wanted to teach man that struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. The Islamic year reminds Muslims every year not of the pomp and glory of Islam but of its sacrifice and prepares them to do the same.''

A personal Hijra
The Qur'an uses the word Hijra to mean moving from a bad place or state of affairs to a good one - and so Muslims may think about how their faith helps them leave behind bad ways of living and achieve a better life.

'New Year Resolutions'
Some people may use this time to reflect everything and seek to improve their iman (belief). Some people may argue that Ramadan is the time to reflect oneself and make changes and may regard this "new years thing" as just another innovation. Personally I believe there is no harm in that i.e to improve ones iman whatever the day in the year. If you decide to make resolutions, then read the following advice on "Ten useless matters" and think about what you can do to improve youself. It would have been easy to write a list of resolutions to think over based around the five pillars of Islam, but the list of "ten useless matters" should make you think on what we are doing wrong and correct them accordingly.

Ten useless matters
(taken from lutonmuslims)
1. Knowledge that is not acted on.
2. The deed that has neither sincerity nor is based on following the righteous examples of others.
3. Money that is hoarded; as the owner neither enjoys it during this life nor obtains any reward for it in the Hereafter.
4. The heart that is empty of love and longing for Allah; and of seeking closeness to Him.
5. A body that does not obey and serve Allah.
6. Loving Allah without following His orders or seeking His pleasure.
7. Time that is not spent in expiating sins or seizing opportunities to do good.
8. A mind that thinks about useless matters.
9. Serving those who do not bring you close to Allah; nor benefit you in your life.
10. Hoping and fearing whoever is under the authority of Allah and in His hand; while he cannot bring any benefit or harm to himself; nor death; nor life; nor can he resurrect himself.

However the greater of these matters are wasting the heart and wasting time. Wasting the heart is done by preferring this worldly life over the Hereafter; and wasting time is done by having incessant hope. Destruction occurs by following one’s desires and having incessant hope; while all goodness is found in following the right path and preparing oneself to meet Allah.

How strange it is that when a servant of Allah has a [worldly] problem; he seeks help of Allah; but he never asks Allah to cure his heart before it dies of ignorance; neglect; fulfilling one’s desires and being involved in innovations. Indeed; when the heart dies; he will never feel the significance or impact of his sins.


Further reading:
(1) Story of the Prophet’s Hijrah - islamonline.net

(2) A Brief Introduction ToThe Islamic (Hijri) Calendar - Dr Waleed A. Muhanna

(3) What is the proper way of celebrating the Islamic New Year? - islamonline.net

(4) The best of the best, Have you ever wondered to yourself what it actually means to be the best? - lutonmuslims.co.uk

25 Rules Of Being Close To Allah

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu

1. Start off each day with 'adhkaar al-istiyqaadh' (waking up Supplications), thanking Allah for waking up in good shape.

2. Put Allah first in your life.

3. Broaden your horizons - learn 5 new verses from the Quran every day, travel to pray far in the mosque to brighten your day,take up a booklet having supplications and read them.

4. Pray Salaat Al-dhuhaa (after sunrise).

5. If someone says something mean to you, just shrug it off and dismiss it in a friendly, laidback manner; and pray that Allah shall forgive them.

6. When you get angry, remember Allah; and how short and worthless life is to waste in being Angry.

7. Remember that you can never have too many friends, but you can have few quality friends that help you fulfill the purpose of your creation (i.e. live for Allah).

8. When you're happy, try to share your happiness with others. Thank Allah for that, and pray its continuation.

9. When something bad or embarrassing happens to you, just think that it could always be worse, remember the reward of patience,and thank Allah that it's not worse than it is.

10. Do something extra of goodness once in a while, like feeding a poor person, or caressing an orphan's head.

11. Never stop believing that you can win Allah's love and thus work for it. Then you can win the love of Allah's slaves.

12. Spend some time thinking of Allah's amazing creation.

13. Always love those who love Allah unconditionally. This way you will ensure that you live for Him, love for Him, and hate for Him(those who are enemies of Him).

14. Find the righteous ways to express yourself, and if you think what you are about to say shall cause no benefit, maintain silence (this is tough!!).

15. Every now and then, give yourself a break. Play sports, give time to your family, friends, but always remember Allah and watch that He is watching you.

16. Pray for blessing to come to those being lost, and pray to Allah to guide them to the right path.

17. Hug your parents, kiss their hands and heads and always obey but stop at Allah's orders.

18. Smile to everyone, for your smile makes a big difference to him or her and you are rewarded.

19. Forgive, forget and smile.

20. Tears are not for women only... tears are for all human beings with feelings remaining in them. Don't restrain your tears when remembering Allah.

21. When people criticize your actions and effort, revise your actions and see if they please Allah or not. If they do; then ignore and remember how the Prophet (SAW) and the Sahaba were criticized, made fun of and even physically harmed, so have patience.

22. Read the Quran daily and try to have a schedule for completing it as much as you could. As you open the Quran daily, read with observation not just passing your eyes through the words.

23. Don't let popularity go to your head, for it never lasts and you may lose from it more than gain.

24. Never look down on anybody, for, to Allah they may be better than you.

Eid Mubarak!

Conman jailed for pilgrims scam

Taken from BBC News, Friday, 10 July 2009

A conman who tricked religious pilgrims out of hundreds of thousands of pounds has been jailed for six years.

Mohammed Faruk Ahmed pleaded guilty to using money meant for the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and spending some of it in casinos and betting shops.



Police say Ahmed conned at least 300 people in London's East End, many of whom devoted their life savings to the 2008 Hajj pilgrimage.

The Metropolitan Police is recovering some cash from accounts in Bangladesh.

Ahmed, of Brick Lane in London, was running a travel agency called Qibla Hajj Kafela Services.

He was offering to organise trips to the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia - but was in fact preying on the local Bangladeshi community and Muslims in other parts of the country.

The 41-year-old took payments of almost £2,000 per client, amassing £570,000 from 300 victims.


Instead of using the cash to secure visas, flights and hotels in Mecca, Ahmed went on a gambling spree in casinos and bookmakers - and then fled abroad.

Meanwhile concerned pilgrims began calling the Metropolitan Police asking for help. They had received no travel documents and the deadline to obtain Hajj visas from the Saudi embassy was fast approaching.

Office raided
Officers raided Ahmed's premises and discovered the 300 passports and paperwork showing £250,000 had been secretly moved from his business account to Bangladesh.

Detective Inspector Des McHugh of the Metropolitan Police told the BBC his team worked around the clock to ensure as many passports as possible were returned to victims so they could still submit them to the Saudi embassy for a pilgrimage visa.

"Ahmed shamelessly defrauded hundreds of innocent victims who had planned the most significant trip of their lives," said Det Insp McHugh.

"We worked hard to investigated the full scale of Ahmed's crime and officers placed themselves under additional pressure to process evidence and return passports to victims as soon as possible," he said.

Detectives eventually arrested Ahmed when he returned to the UK.

The £250,000 moved to Bangladesh had been frozen by court order, pending Ahmed's jailing. Officers are now finalising steps to return the cash to the UK so victims can make recovery claims.

"In many cases victims lost their entire life savings but still managed to retain their dignity and supply significant evidence to our investigation team," said Det Insp McHugh.

"Thanks to them and to a thorough police investigation Ahmed had no choice but to plead guilty," he said.

Punished for thinking about bad actions?

Taken from islamiccentre.org

Question: I have been thinking of something bad to do but didn't really have the guts to do it - so will I get punish for even thinking about it?

Answer:
There is a famous Hadith Qudsi which has been reported by Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Verily Allah has written the good actions and the bad actions and has then explained them. So whosoever intends a good deed and then does not carry it out, Allah will grant him one full unit of reward.

If the person intends a good deed and does carry it out, Allah will then grant him anything between ten and seven hundred units of rewards, and beyond.

Whosoever intends a bad action and then does not perform him, Allah will right a good deed for him. If the person intends a bad action and then perform its, Allah will write for him one unit of sin.’

From this beautiful narration, we learn that if a person intends to do a bad action, but then does not carry it out, then Allah will actually reward him for refusing to carry out that bad action.

It must be noted however, that this applies to when a person intended a bad deed, and then did not carry it out because of his fear of Allah.

If he didn’t carry it out because he was thwarted, then this is deemed as a sin. For example, if a person was about to rob a bank, but then stopped due to his fear of Allah, he will be rewarded. If he stopped because he did not have a weapon with him, or because his transport was inadequate and so on, then he will be punished.

Mother’s Day: The Islamic Perspective

Taken from Islamic Times, Tuesday, 16 May 2006

With the passing of Mothers day in the UK recently. We decided to look at the Islamic perspective on how Muslims should treat this annual concept. The date of Mother's Day, and the way in which it is celebrated, differs from one country to another. In Norway it is celebrated on the second Sunday in February. In Argentina it is celebrated on the second Sunday in October. In Lebanon it is on the first day of spring.

In South Africa it is celebrated on the first Sunday in May. In France it is celebrated more as a family festival, on the last Sunday in May, when family members get together for dinner, and then they give a cake to the mother. In Japan this day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, as in North America, where exhibitions are held of pictures drawn by children aged 6-14; these exhibitions are called "My Mother" This exhibition is moved every four years and has appeared in a number of countries.

How did it start in England?
In England the modern Mother's Day celebration, began as "Mothering Sunday" or (the Sunday half-way through Lent), because it occurred during their major fasting period (Lent). Some say that the celebrations that were held to worship and honour the Roman false goddess Sybil were changed by the church to celebrations meant to honour and venerate Mary (peace be upon her).

This custom began with some people encouraging people to visit the central church in their locality, bringing offerings. In the year 1600, young men and women of simple professions and servants started to visit their mothers on "Mothering Sunday", bringing gifts and food. Nowadays it is celebrated by non muslims on the last Sunday of March each year

The Islamic Perspective - Honouring the Mother
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masaakeen (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allaah does not like such as are proud and boastful" [al-Nisa' 4:36] And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.

And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour" [al-Isra' 17:23]

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "A man came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, who among the people is most deserving of my good company?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Your mother.' He asked, 'Then who?' He said, 'Then your father.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5626; Muslim, 2548)

Al- Haafiz ibn Hajar said: "Ibn Battaal said: what this means is that the mother should be honoured three times more than the father. He said, that is because of the difficulties of pregnancy, then giving birth, then breastfeeding.

These are hardships that are experienced only by the mother, then the father shares with her in raising the child. This is also referred to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): 'And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years' [Luqmaan 31:14]

So the recommendation to be dutiful and good refers to both parents, but the mother's share is greater because of the three things mentioned above.

Al-Qurtubi said: what is meant is that the mother deserves a greater share of her child's honour, and her rights take precedence over those of the father in cases where a choice must be made.

'Iyaad said: the majority of scholars were of the view that the mother takes precedence over the father in terms of honouring one's parents.

And it was said that both must be honoured equally, and this was narrated by some from Maalik, but the former view is the one which is correct." (Fath al-Baari, 10/402).

Indeed, even if one's mother is a mushrikah (polytheist), the wise and pure sharee'ah of Islam encourages one to uphold ties of kinship with her: It was narrated that Asma' bint Abi Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: "My mother came to visit me at the time of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and she was a mushrikah. I consulted the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), saying, 'My mother has come to visit me for some purpose, should I uphold ties of kinship with my mother?' He said, 'Yes, uphold ties of kinship with your mother.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2477)

It is extremely unfortunate that Muslims throughout the world have begun to adopt and practice western ideas and understanding when it comes to the quality of relationship between the mother and child.

For Muslims to begin to selfishly adopt a single day out of the whole year to express gratitude and show a materialistic form of affection.

Islam has no need of things that are innovated by others, be it Mother's Day of anything else. Its teachings on the honouring of mothers mean that it has no need for an innovated Mother's Day.

Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas issued a statement: It is not permissible to celebrate the so-called Mother's Day and similar innovated festivals because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected."

He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not celebrate Mother's Day and neither did any of his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) or the salaf (earliest generations) of this ummah. Rather it is an innovation (bid'ah) and imitation of the non Muslims.

"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" [al-Maa'idah 5:2] Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/86 In light of this, Muslims should be aware that honouring and showing sincere affection and gratitude to the mother is a full time duty that should be practiced each and everyday of ones life, to merely set aside a single day and feel you have fulfilled their rights is a gross misconduct to the parents and the teachings of the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

"And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination" [Luqmaan 31:14]

And Allaah knows best.


Further Reading: mothers-day-from-islamic-perspective

Pork found in Doner Kebab!

Eating Halal food can be an easy choice particularly that we have so many Halal food outlets to chose from. Unfortunately there are a few Muslim traders that (maybe unaware) have been selling haram products. Below is an interesting story of recent investigations on Doner Kebabs....


Taken from the Metro newspaper, UK, January 27, 2009

The doner kebab, the post-pub snack favoured by drinkers up and down the country, could be adding a whopping 1,000 calories to their daily diet, according to research out today.

A nationwide sample of the nutritional content of the takeaway meal found that the average doner contained close to an adult's entire daily recommended intake of salt and fat, before salad and sauce was added.

An average kebab contained 1,000 calories but researchers found some with as many as 1,990.



Officers from the Local Authority Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) found that the average doner contained 98% of an adult's recommended daily salt and 148% of their daily saturated fat allowance.

Doner fans might also be put off by the finding that 35% of the kebabs tested contained a different meat than that claimed on the label.

Even more worryingly, six were found to contain pork, two of which claimed they were Halal - permitted for Muslims to eat.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, chairman of Lacors, said, "We would never consider kebabs part of a calorie-controlled diet, but the level of saturated fat and salt in some is a serious cause for concern.

"The study shows that, even if there's a food label, it's not necessarily accurate. Even kebabs labelled as Halal had problems, with some found to contain pork. It is totally unacceptable that people that with certain faiths are unknowingly eating meats that are against their beliefs."

He added: "This study has turned the spotlight on doner kebabs and we hope that manufacturers rise to the challenge and work with councils to provide a healthier product that contains only what it says on the label."

The study sampled 494 kebabs from 76 councils and found that the calorie count varied up and down the country.

The average kebab in the North West of England contained 1,101 calories while in Scotland it was 1,084, in Wales 1,055 and 1,066 in south-west England.

The lowest calorie kebabs can be found in Northern Ireland where the snack weighed in at an average of 843.

Mr Theobald said: "This study has turned the spotlight on doner kebabs and we hope that manufacturers rise to the challenge and work with councils to provide a healthier product that contains only what it says on the label."

Notice: Lecture in Salah: Holborn (13 March 2009)

Assalamu-Alaikum,

This is a late announcement of a Lecture that will take place on Salah tomorrow at Holborn Muslim Community Association - starting 6:30pm uptil Isha Jammat.

The lecture will be on The Virtues of Salah (and not how to pray) but there will be a questions and answers time at the end of the lecturer for any type of questions you may have.

The lecture will be conducted by brother Saim Alom, who co-leads prayers at the mosque.

Due to the size of the venue - this particular lecture is for brothers only. In future this will hopefully change as they are hoping to expand this venue insha-Allah.

The address is as follows....

Holborn Muslim Community Association
33 Brookes Court, Baldwin Garden, London, England EC1N 7RR

Nearest tube: Chancery Lane (Central line)


Please tell others and come early.


Wassalam

Vid: Science and Islam - The Power of Doubt

Taken from the BBC
Part 3 of 3 ( First broadcasted 19 Jan 2009)

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.

Al-Khalili turns detective, hunting for clues that show how the scientific revolution that took place in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe had its roots in the earlier world of medieval Islam. He travels across Iran, Syria and Egypt to discover the huge astronomical advances made by Islamic scholars through their obsession with accurate measurement and coherent and rigorous mathematics.

He then visits Italy to see how those Islamic ideas permeated into the West and ultimately helped shape the works of the great European astronomer Copernicus, and investigates why science in the Islamic world appeared to go into decline after the 16th and 17th centuries, only for it to re-emerge in the present day.

Al-Khalili ends his journey in the Royan Institute in the Iranian capital Tehran, looking at how science is now regarded in the Islamic world.


SCIENCE & ISLAM - The Power Of Doubt 1/6



Here are the other parts....

The Power Of Doubt 2/6 - Click Here!

The Power Of Doubt 3/6 - Click Here!

The Power Of Doubt 4/6 - Click Here!

The Power Of Doubt 5/6 - Click Here!

The Power Of Doubt 6/6 - Click Here!


If the video get deleted then simply search on google and I'm sure there will be plenty of other sources.

Vid: Science and Islam - The Empire of Reason

Taken from the BBC
Part 2 of 3 ( First broadcasted 12 Jan 2009)

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.

Al-Khalili travels to northern Syria to discover how, a thousand years ago, the great astronomer and mathematician Al-Biruni estimated the size of the earth to within a few hundred miles of the correct figure.

He discovers how medieval Islamic scholars helped turn the magical and occult practice of alchemy into modern chemistry.

In Cairo, he tells the story of the extraordinary physicist Ibn al-Haytham, who helped establish the modern science of optics and proved one of the most fundamental principles in physics - that light travels in straight lines.

Prof Al-Khalili argues that these scholars are among the first people to insist that all scientific theories are backed up by careful experimental observation, bringing a rigour to science that didn't really exist before.

SCIENCE & ISLAM - The Empire of Reason 1/6



Here are the other parts....

The Empire of Reason 2/6 - Click Here!

The Empire of Reason 3/6 - Click Here!

The Empire of Reason 4/6 - Click Here!

The Empire of Reason 5/6 - Click Here!

The Empire of Reason 6/6 - Click Here!


If the video get deleted then simply search on google and I'm sure there will be plenty of other sources.

Vid: Science and Islam - The Language of Science

Taken from the BBC
Part 1 of 3 ( First broadcasted 05 Jan 2009)

Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.

Its legacy is tangible, with terms like algebra, algorithm and alkali all being Arabic in origin and at the very heart of modern science - there would be no modern mathematics or physics without algebra, no computers without algorithms and no chemistry without alkalis.

For Baghdad-born Al-Khalili this is also a personal journey and on his travels he uncovers a diverse and outward-looking culture, fascinated by learning and obsessed with science. From the great mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, who did much to establish the mathematical tradition we now know as algebra, to Ibn Sina, a pioneer of early medicine whose Canon of Medicine was still in use as recently as the 19th century, he pieces together a remarkable story of the often-overlooked achievements of the early medieval Islamic scientists.

SCIENCE & ISLAM - The language of science 1/6



Here are the other parts....

The language of science 2/6 - Click Here!

The language of science 3/6 - Click Here!

The language of science 4/6 - Click Here!

The language of science 5/6 - Click Here!

The language of science 6/6 - Click Here!


If the video get deleted then simply search on google and I'm sure there will be plenty of other sources.

The 'first true scientist'

Taken from The BBC, 04 Jan 2009
By Professor Jim Al-Khalili, University of Surrey

Isaac Newton is, as most will agree, the greatest physicist of all time.

At the very least, he is the undisputed father of modern optics,­ or so we are told at school where our textbooks abound with his famous experiments with lenses and prisms, his study of the nature of light and its reflection, and the refraction and decomposition of light into the colours of the rainbow.

Yet, the truth is rather greyer; and I feel it important to point out that, certainly in the field of optics, Newton himself stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier.

For, without doubt, another great physicist, who is worthy of ranking up alongside Newton, is a scientist born in AD 965 in what is now Iraq who went by the name of al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham.


An artist's impression of al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham

Most people in the West will never have even heard of him.

As a physicist myself, I am quite in awe of this man's contribution to my field, but I was fortunate enough to have recently been given the opportunity to dig a little into his life and work through my recent filming of a three-part BBC Four series on medieval Islamic scientists.

Modern methods
Popular accounts of the history of science typically suggest that no major scientific advances took place in between the ancient Greeks and the European Renaissance.

But just because Western Europe languished in the Dark Ages, does not mean there was stagnation elsewhere. Indeed, the period between the 9th and 13th Centuries marked the Golden Age of Arabic science.

Great advances were made in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, physics, chemistry and philosophy. Among the many geniuses of that period Ibn al-Haytham stands taller than all the others.

Ibn al-Haytham is regarded as the father of the modern scientific method.

As commonly defined, this is the approach to investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge, based on the gathering of data through observation and measurement, followed by the formulation and testing of hypotheses to explain the data.

This is how we do science today and is why I put my trust in the advances that have been made in science.

But it is often still claimed that the modern scientific method was not established until the early 17th Century by Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes.

There is no doubt in my mind, however, that Ibn al-Haytham arrived there first.
In fact, with his emphasis on experimental data and reproducibility of results, he is often referred to as the "world's first true scientist".

Understanding light

He was the first scientist to give a correct account of how we see objects.

"It is incredible that we are only now uncovering the debt that today's physicists owe to an Arab who lived 1,000 years ago" Prof Jim Al-Khalili

He proved experimentally, for instance, that the so-called emission theory (which stated that light from our eyes shines upon the objects we see), which was believed by great thinkers such as Plato, Euclid and Ptolemy, was wrong and established the modern idea that we see because light enters our eyes.

What he also did that no other scientist had tried before was to use mathematics to describe and prove this process.

So he can be regarded as the very first theoretical physicist, too.

He is perhaps best known for his invention of the pinhole camera and should be credited with the discovery of the laws of refraction.

He also carried out the first experiments on the dispersion of light into its constituent colours and studied shadows, rainbows and eclipses; and by observing the way sunlight diffracted through the atmosphere, he was able to work out a rather good estimate for the height of the atmosphere, which he found to be around 100km.

Enforced study
In common with many modern scholars, Ibn-al Haytham badly needed the time and isolation to focus on writing his many treatises, including his great work on optics.

He was given an unwelcome opportunity, however, when he was imprisoned in Egypt between 1011 and 1021, having failed a task set him by a caliph in Cairo to help solve the problem of regulating the flooding of the Nile.

While still in Basra, Ibn al-Haytham had claimed that the Nile's autumn flood waters could be held by a system of dykes and canals, thereby preserved as reservoirs until the summer's droughts.

But on arrival in Cairo, he soon realised that his scheme was utterly impractical from an engineering perspective.

Yet rather than admit his mistake to the dangerous and murderous caliph, Ibn-al Haytham instead decided to feign madness as a way to escape punishment.
This promptly led to him being placed under house arrest, thereby granting him 10 years of seclusion in which to work.

Planetary motion
He was only released after the caliph's death. He returned to Iraq where he composed a further 100 works on a range of subjects in physics and mathematics.

While travelling through the Middle East during my filming, I interviewed an expert in Alexandria who showed me recently discovered work by Ibn al-Haytham on astronomy.

It seems he had developed what is called celestial mechanics, explaining the orbits of the planets, which was to lead to the eventual work of Europeans like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton.

It is incredible that we are only now uncovering the debt that today's physicists owe to an Arab who lived 1,000 years ago.

Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday

It was calculated on Moonsighting that the 12th day of month of Rabi-al-Awwal, should fall in the UK on Monday, 9th of March (beginning from Maghrib, 8th of March). Please double check with your local mosque for moon sighting.

So what’s so special? – Well, it the date of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday. Some Muslims do not approve of celebrating the birthday, and regard doing so as a religious innovation. BUT There is nothing wrong for the Muslims to commemorated this day, if it is done to remind Muslims of the life and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the celebration is held within the framework of Islamic doctrines

Throughout the world stories are told about different aspects of the life of the Prophet, his birth, childhood, youth and adult life. The most important part is focusing upon the character of the Prophet (PBUH); on his teachings, sufferings, and how he forgave even his most bitter enemies.

As far as Islamic Shari`ah is concerned, a Muslim is encouraged to praise the Prophet (PBUH) without exaggeration and to refer to his good ethics and morals to encourage himself or herself and others to follow in his footsteps and guidance.

When praising the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), we should make sure that we do not exaggerate [in Arabic: ghuluww] in his praise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Do not overpraise me as Christians overpraised Jesus son of Mary. Say [when refering to me], 'Servant of Allah and His Messenger.'"


Here are some previous posts on the blog (including some links from various media):

(1) Famous quotes from Non-Muslims about the Prophet (PBUH)

(2) Short presentation Video: The Most Influential Human Being To Have Ever Lived

(3) The Life of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.S.)
http://wefound.org/home/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=39

Description of the Prophet (pbuh)
http://www.ummah.com/sunnah/viewsufeature1.php?sufid=5&suTopicID=6

The Miracles of the Prophet (pbuh)
http://ummah.com/sunnah/viewsufeature1.php?sufid=3&suTopicID=6

Could the Prophet remove the sins of Muslims?
http://www.ummah.com/sunnah/viewsufeature1.php?sufid=9&suTopicID=6

(4) 40 Traditional Practices of the Prophet

(5) Photos: Prophet Muhammad's Beard, Clothes, Swords, etc.

(6) Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon

(7) Videos: "The Message" & "Muhammad: The Last Prophet”

(8) Some Poems:

If The Prophet (pbuh) visited you?

The Simple Message of Islam


Other articles worth reading:

Muhammad's Sword - 23/09/06
This is a very good article written by Gush-Shalom a Jewish Peace group.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1159094813/

Pilgrims conned by rogue travel agent - Qibla Hajj Kafela (Rogue Agent has been caught!)

Updated 06.03.09 at 23:43 pm

On Thursday 13th November 2008, police raided the offices of Qibla Hajj Kafela Ltd (a rogue travel agent, based off Brick Lane in London) that conned over 400 pilgrims of fulfilling one of the five pillars of Islam - going to Hajj.

The travel agent owned by Al-Haj Md. Faruk Ahmed was offering one of the cheapest Hajj Packages available this year (£2,300 and £2,500 for Hajj). He falsely claimed to be an authorised agent approved by the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia and his words to reassure people regarding the package made pilgrims trust him and his fellow workers.

Picture of Md. Faruk Ahmed

Faruk Ahmed's business card


Poster that he distributed - Click on image to make it bigger.


Qibla Hajj Kafela Ltd was registered as a trading company by Md. Faruk Ahmed on 06.08.2008. He previously worked in a group called Al Qibla Travels Limited (a Ministry of Hajj authorised agent) in previous years and due to some dispute went his separate ways. It must be noted that although there is no business association between the two companies there is alledged family association.

Suspicions arose when pilgrims who paid their monies went to collect their passports and tickets from his office at an agreed pickup date and found out that the office was closed with a notice sign on the door. Md. Faruk Ahmed and his staff were nowhere to be seen. Police raided the office and confiscated hundreds of passports and other documents from locked cupboards. It is estimated that this con artist could have made away with up to £700,000. He is nowhere to be seen. If you spot him and his crew please contact the police immediately.

Arrests will be made as people like this cannot hide forever, the world is small place. I just hope for his own safety the police catch him before any of the pilgrims he conned do.

Here's a report in Bengali taken from WeeklyBangladesh. Click on image to make it bigger.


Here is a video report from BBC News - CLICK HERE!

Here is a press release by Al-Qibla Travels - CLICK HERE!

Here is a report in Asian News - CLICK HERE!

The Metropolitan Police have set up a helpline for all those who have been a victim of this crime. To report an incident or to gain updates call 0208 217 4947/8 or contact The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK on 0121 440 1700 for further help and advice.

If there is a victims groups set up or if you want to set one up please let me know and I will post it here.

Additionally if there are any additional photographs of this person and his group members as well as any other details such as his address in UK, Bangladesh or any other possible destinations where he could be hiding would be useful. You can email me in confidence info@al-islam.co.uk or post a comment anonymously in the comments section below. Remember any useful info should also be reported to the police - lets not let these crooks get away!

If you have intentions to go to Hajj then please see List of approved pilgrim agents

For those who have intentions of doing Hajj this year – may Allah (SWT) make your intentions come true and protect you throughout your journey and back – Ameen

----------------------------------------------------------

UPDATES:

On 25 November 2008: UK Channel S held a telephone interview with Md. Faruk Ahmed (who was somewhere in Bangladesh). He stated that he was unable to obtain the visas for the pilgrims (apparently was let down by a Gujarati person who was going to arrange the visas) and because he feared backlash from the pilgrims (i.e. unable to take them to the hajj trip) he panicked (couldn't think straight) and fled to Bangladesh.

He said that he has realised his mistake and hopes to come back to the UK and start returning the monies that people had deposited with him (that is if and when all the pilgrims collectively ask for their money back). He will pay back by looking at the receipts he issued to the pilgrims.

In total he stated that he had taken approximately 308 passports. He had collected about £350,000 (not the £700,000 widely suggested) as not everyone paid the monies in full. Out of that he still has approx. £263,000. The difference had been spent on expenses running the travel agency and deposit paid for the hotels in Saudi Arabia.

He has asked the pilgrims for their forgiveness as that is the only way he can be redeemed.

LATEST NEWS

On 05 March 2009: Mohammed Faruk Ahmed aged 41 ys of Brick Lane, E1 appeared at Thames Magistrates' Court today (Thursday 5 March) following an investigation into hundreds of complaints from members of the public. He is charged with Fraud by false representation and Money laundering under the Proceeds of Crimes Act 2002. He was remanded in custody to reappear at Thames Magistrates on April 2 2009 - Taken from MetPolice update page.

Below is an article in the London Bangla newspaper - dated 06 March 2009.

Click on the image to make it bigger.

New Nation: White, Welsh and Muslim

Taken from Daily Post North Wales

STUART Williams and his wife Kate are expecting their first baby.

Like many young couples on the brink of this life-changing event, they are full of anticipation. But Stuart and Kate are especially excited because they believe their baby will be the first white Muslim born in Wales.

The couple, who live in Port Talbot, are part of a growing UK trend of white Islam converts, and a new BBC Wales show, New Nation: White, Welsh and Muslim, follows their experiences.

The documentary also meets Stuart’s older brother Omer – formerly known as Owain – who converted to Islam at the age of 17. Omer feels when religious relations are so delicate, he’s in a unique position to challenge racism and stereotypes.

“Just the way I look, I could quite as easily be a Hell’s Angel,” says Omer of his beard, the only visible clue to his faith.”

Omer lives near Newport with his wife Shereen, who is originally from Singapore and embraces multiculturalism. Together with Omer, she hosts radio programme Salaam Shalom, an innovative idea aimed at bringing Jews and Muslims together.

The arrival of Stuart and Kate’s baby, named Adam, is joyful for the whole family. “This little one is born Welsh and Muslim from the start,” says Omer, a proud uncle. “Home-grown Muslims like little Adam will be able to bridge the gap even better than we’ve done. There’s a lot of hope, I think, in the younger generation.”

The documentary was broadcasted on BBC One, 10:35pm Monday 19th January 2009.
Narrated by Siwan Morris.

Part-1 of 3


Part-2 of 3


Part-3 of 3

Number of people adopting Islam rises by 71% in Dubai

Taken from The National, 29.01.09
ByRasha Elass

DUBAI // The Government said yesterday that 2,763 people converted to Islam in Dubai last year, 71 per cent more than in 2007.

The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department said the converts, from 72 countries, included 1,869 women.

Dr Hamad al Shaibani, director general of the department, said: “We are delivering our message properly by spreading Islamic culture. ... We are lending special care to new Muslims, providing them with all they need from audiovisual materials, books, lectures and training programmes in all languages so as to become true Muslims.”

Conversion to Islam is a simple process that requires the convert to say the shahada in front of two witnesses. He or she must then adhere to Islam’s four other pillars, including prayer, fasting during Ramadan, giving an annual percentage of net worth to charity and going to Mecca at least once for pilgrimage.

Non-Muslim men who marry Muslim women are required by Sharia law to convert to Islam. Non-Muslim women, however, do not need to convert to marry Muslim men, though many do.

The Dubai Islamic authority did not say how many converted for the sake of marriage. But the report indicated that all those who converted did so willingly.

“The converts last year came to us by their free will, and showed a sincere desire to embrace Islam out of personal conviction that it is the true way,” said Ayesha al Kash, the head of education and training at the department.The Quran has been translated into almost all languages and the authority gives it free to anyone who is interested.

Zayed House in Al Ain also provides services to new Muslims, including helping them with Arabic, Islamic jurisprudence and Quran memorisation. and teaching them how to worship.

Last year Zayed House extended such services beyond the country by inviting delegations of non-Arabic-speaking Muslims, including a group of American women and Malaysian government employees, to teach them about Islam.

Ex-Christian helps Welsh-Muslim converts adapt

New project set up to switch to Islamic way of life
Taken from alarabiya.net

Deciding to change religion can be a daunting and confusing process; luckily for those in Wales that decide to convert to Islam there is something called the New Muslim Project Wales (NMPW)--an initiative set up to help new Muslims make the transition.

Whether it is dealing with negative family reactions or finding the nearest Halal meat shop, the project aims to welcome people to the faith and offers educational classes, social activities and a buddy system.

Abdul Rahman, a 57-year old previously called Richard Fairclough, set up the initiative with fellow "reverts" as they are known, basing it on the U.K.-wide New Muslim Project.

The group said it is compiling a register of new Muslims across Wales, and noted the number of people converting to Islam had rapidly grown in a short time frame.

“I don’t want to play the numbers game…but I was surprised when I was updating the database that we had such a large number in such a short time,” Abdul Rahman was quoted on the Welsh website, WalesOnline, as saying.

Conversion
The report said Abdul Rahman was an active Christian for most of his life until he moved to South Africa, where he was intrigued by the call to prayer and felt compelled to learn more about the Prophet Muhammad.

“I went there [Capetown] in 1992, just post apartheid, when Muslims were put on a par with the main black group…I noticed that every Friday [Islam's holy day] many of the shops that were run by Muslims shut and that there was something spiritual going on," the website quoted him as saying.

“And in my neighborhood there were three or four mosques. I heard the call to prayer and it was lovely…Then I heard about the Prophet Muhammed and wanted to find out more,” he added.

“I had belief and understanding as a Christian, but what I have found with Islam is so much more straightforward," said Abdul Rahman.

A new Muslim's life
Abdul Rahman—who converted to Islam in 2002 when he returned to Wales—said he was well equipped to help deal with the negative reactions some converts face from family and said most new Muslims may have to give up some of their old ways of life.

This includes drinking alcohol, which can mean changing social habits and even finding new friends.

“As a Muslim I don’t drink because Allah doesn’t want us to drink, it says so in the Quran, so that meant I had to part company with all the friends I used to go drinking with,” he said.

“As a revert to Islam, people may have to cope with negative reactions because of the way the media often portrays Muslims as terrorists [but] as with all belief systems, you will get fanatics who interpret things badly and perhaps use religion as justification for their actions, but that is simply not true with the vast majority of Muslims," Abdul Rahman said.

Abdul Rahman stressed that the initiative was only for adults that had made the decision to convert by themselves and said the only purpose was to help people come to terms with Islam.

Members can gain access to a variety of services ranging from a pack that includes a copy of the Quran, a prayer mat and a biography of Prophet Muhammad. Although the website is still bare boned there is also a mailing list on offer that promises to connect converts to other members of the community.

"We are not converting people. These are adults who have already made that decision and just want to know where their nearest mosque is, where they can buy halal meat or if they have to wear funny clothes – which they don’t." he said, adding “we don’t go around banging on doors. The only time a Muslim will knock on your door is to offer hospitality.”

According to Abdul Rahman many of the NMPW members are converts, but the organization is open to born Muslims who want to learn more about their religion or those who have strayed but have decided to return to the fold.

Muslim footballer fined for supporting Gaza!

Kanoute says he does not care about Spanish fine

Taken from Al Arabiya News Agency, 10 January 2009

A Muslim footballer has been fined by the Spanish Football Federation for uncovering a T-shirt with the word 'Palestine' written on it in several languages after he scored a goal in the Spanish Cup.

Click here for another picture

Sevilla's Malian international striker Frederic Kanoute was reprimanded for lifting his shirt in what he said he had to do as an act of support for Palestinians in Gaza where an Israeli assault has claimed at least 800 lives since it began on Dec. 27.

"It was something that I felt that I should do. Everyone should feel a bit responsible when there is such a big injustice. I am 100 percent responsible for what I did and I don't care about the sanction," he told private television Telecinco on Thursday.

Federation rules prevent players from displaying any sort of publicity or slogan during matches. The federation did not reveal the amount of the fine but Spanish media said it was between 2,000 and 3,000 euros ($2,700 and 4,000).

The federation said it was not penalizing the political nature of the message but the fact that the player had displayed a message in violation of the rules. The incident happened after he scored a goal during his team's 2-1 win over Deportivo La Coruna in the Spanish Cup.

'Brave person'

France-born Kanoute, a Sevilla player since a 2005 move from English Premiership side Tottenham, is a Muslim who has supported various humanitarian causes in the past.

In 2006 he set up a foundation to help orphans in Mali and the following year he reportedly spent around 500,000 euros ($700,000) of his own money to save a privately owned mosque in Seville from being sold after a contract to use the premises by the local Muslim population had expired.

Raphael Schultz, Israel's ambassador in Madrid, told Radio Marca on Thursday that Kanoute's gesture "had gone beyond his profession and FIFA rules to this respect."

"I saw the match and the T-shirt bore nothing more than the name of Palestine. It was not an incitement against Israel. I don't think it extolled violence," Schultz said.

Meanwhile, Palestine embassy official Mahmoud Aluanen told the same station that Kanoute "has shown himself to be a very brave person to support our people at a public event."

"Sportsmen are human beings and cannot contain their feelings. They have all the right in the world to express their opinion about matters which contravene human rights. I'm sure that all Palestinian children, those who love football, will be happy about this gesture," Aluanen added.

EMERGENCY NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: Stop the Massacre : Israel Out of Gaza

EMERGENCY NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION: Stop the Massacre : Israel Out of Gaza!

(1) Join the Peaceful Protest and let your voice be heard!

National Demonstration: Saturday 10 January 2009
Time: 1230 Meet at Hyde Park, Speaker's Corner
(Nearest Tube: Marble Arch), march to Israeli Embassy.

Download leaflet

Confirmed speakers include:
Lord Ahmed
Lauren Booth
Jeremy Corbyn
Michael Cushman
Brian Eno
George Galloway
Manuel Hassassian
Billy Hayes (CWS)
Garth Hewitt
Sally Hunt (UCU)
Betty Hunter
Bruce Kent
Jean Lambert
Hugh Lanning (PCS)
Martin Linton MP
Ken Livingstone
Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers)
Michael Rosen


(2) GAZA Crisis - Please donate genourasly (it's your duty)...

The second phase of the war with Gaza is now taking place. Over 750 Palestinians have died since the conflict began two weeks ago,over 3,000 have been injured and thousands more people have been internally displaced as they flee the bombings and gunfire.

With the battles intensifying and no end in sight, the figures of dead and injured look set to rise. The threat of a humanitarian crisis is worsening, as the Gaza strip- home to more than 1.5 million people- suffers shortages of food, water, electricity and fuel. Medical supplies are running dangerously low in hospitals and clinics, as aid supplies from outside Gaza remain at border crossings. - more info: Muslim Aid

More money is required - please dig deep.

other recommended charities: Islamic-Relief, Muslim Hands and Ummah Welfare Trust


(3) The Gaza Crisis - How can we help the People of Gaza?

Click here for info - Muslim Council of Britain.

How to help the people of Gaza

How to help the people of Gaza
Taken from Muslim Council of Britain Website

Join a Peaceful Protest and Let Your Voice be Heard



You will by now have witnessed the horrific scenes of murder of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli missiles. There has been widespread revulsion about this massacre and a sense of helplessness from people around the world, unable to do anything about it. Aside from our prayers to Allah to seek His Mercy, many of us may wonder what we can do to help the people of Palestine and persuade our government to condemn the Israeli military machine and stop giving it diplomatic cover to carry out its task with impunity.

You can join other MCB affiliates to make a difference, and do things yourself in your own community and call for change from the grassroots:

1. Donate Money
The Palestinian people are in urgent need for your donations for urgent medical aid and you can donate to:

MCB affiliate - Interpal, the specialist charity helping Palestinians:
Phone: Call the Interpal hotline: 02089619993
Online: Go to website and follow the online instructions
Interpal Account Details: Account Name: Interpal, Bank: Islamic Bank of Britain, Sort Code: 30-00-83 Account Number: 01095401 BG52LOYD3096401024192

Other MCB charity affiliates specialising in the region are: Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid, Muslim Hands and Ummah Welfare Trust.

2. Join a Peaceful Protest and let your voice be heard

• Emergency Demonstration:
Sun 4 January 2pm Israeli Embassy, High St, Kensington, London (Nearest tube High Street Kensington.)

• Daily protests:
5 - 9 January, 5.30pm-7.00pm Israeli Embassy, High St, Kensington, London

• National Demonstration:
Saturday 10 January March to Israeli Embassy, High St Kensington, London

Check the MCB website for further updates.

3. Sign the petition. (Demand that Israel immediately stops its bloody campaign in Gaza)

There is also another petition underway on the Downing Street website: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Israel-Sanctions

4. Lobby Your MP.
Get your community to write, call and meet your Member of Parliament. Our MPs have been elected to serve us and we should make sure that we contact them and pressurise them to do something against this Israeli brutality. Lobby your MP to sign or initiate an Early Day Motion that calls on our government to condemn the Israeli government for massacre of Palestinians. Be polite, to the point and make your request specific. You can find out you your MP is here.

5. Get yourself heard.
Participate by writing letters to the editor and taking part in television, radio and online discussion forums. Remember to keep your points succinct and polite. You can find some letter-writing tips here.

6. Seek Coalitions.
Change starts at home so you might also wish to seek local coalitions and work with people around you, of all faiths, to highlight the plight of the Palestinians. This is an issue of humanity and we should work to seek coalitions across faiths.

7. Call the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Express your concern with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, please call 020 7008 1500.

The MCB has written to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and has asked for tougher action against Israeli war crimes. We sought a meeting with the Secretary of State to make our points known. Click here for further information. In addition, a wide coalition of groups has published an open letter in the national press, click here for the letter.

8. Remember the power of prayer.
MCB is initiating amongst its affiliates and the ulema Special prayers, Qunooot Al-Nazilah, this prayer of the Prophet is recited when Muslims face calamities. For further information, Click here

Boycott Apartheid Israel - Boycot their products!

Boycott Apartheid Israel - Boycot their products!

People of good conscience have chosen to boycott Israeli products and companies supporting the zionist entity.

Innovative Minds (INMINDS.co.uk) have carried out extensive research to identify companies that trade with Isreal and Israeli products in the UK - sometimes products produced by settlers from illegally occupied Palestine. The reasons why we should be boycotting the companies (listed below) can be found on their website: Click here!

COMPANIES TO BOYCOTT

AOL Time Warner
Time Life magazine, CNN, ICQ

Apax Partners
Jonny Rockets, Sunglass Hut.

Arsenal Football Club

Coca-Cola
Fruitopia, Fanta, Kia Orange, Lilt, Sprite, Sunkist..

Caterpillar

Danone
HP foods, Evian, Volvic, Jacob

Delta Galil
Hema, Barbie, Carrefour, Auchan, Tchibo, Victoria's Secret, GAP, Banana Republic, Structure, J-Crew, JC Penny, Pryca, Lindex, DIM, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Playtex, cK, Hugo Boss, M&S

Disney

Emblaze

Estée Lauder
Aramis, Clinique, DKNY, Prescriptives, Origins, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Jane, Donna Karan, Aveda, Stila, Jo Malone, Bumble & Bumble, Kate Spade

Home Depot
Villager's Hardware, Georgia Lighting, Apex Supply, EXPO Design Centres

IBM

Intel

Johnson & Johnson

Kimberly-Clark
Kleenex, Kotex, Huggies, Andrex

Lewis Trust Group
River Island, Isrotel hotels, Britannia Pacifi

The Limited Inc
Express stores, Lerner New York, Structure, New York & Company, Mast Industries, Intimate Brands, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, White Barn Candle Company, Henri Bendel

L'Oreal
Giorgio Armani, Redken 5th Avenue, Lancome Paris, Vichy, Cacharel, La Roche-Posay, Garnier, Biotherm, Helena Rubinstein, Maybelline, Ralph Lauren, Carson

Marks & Spencer
M&S, St.Michaels

McDonald's

Motorola

Nestle
Nescafé, Perrier, Vittel, Pure Life, Carnation, Libby's, Milkmaid, Nesquik, Maggi, Buitoni, Cross & Blackwell, KitKat, Milkybar, Quality Street, Smarties, After Eight, Aero, Polo, Lion, Felix cat food, L'Oréal

News Corporation
TV: Fox, Sky, Star, Phoenix, Granada, CNBC.
UK newspapers: Standard Newspaper, News of the World, The Sun, The Times.
Australian Newspapers: The Telegraph , Gold Coast Bulletin, Herald Sun, Independent, Sunday Mail.
US newspapers: New York Post. Publishers: Harper Collins Ragan, Zondervan, National Geographical. Nursery World, Rawkus, NDS, Mushroom Records, ChinaByte.com, Festival Records

Nokia

Revlon
New World Entertainment, Forbes

Sara Lee
Hanes, Playtex, Champion, Leggs, Douwe Egberts, Bryan, DIM, Ambi Pur, Bali, Superior Coffee, Just My Size, Kiwi, Maison Cafe, Nur die, Pilao, Lovable, Outer Banks, Wonderbra, Sanex, Pickwick, Gossard, Body Mist, Brylcreem, Aqua Velva, Radox

Siemens

Selfridges

Starbucks
Seattle Coffee, Pasqua, Hear Music, Tazo

Timberland

Gaza Emergency Appeal

EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR GAZA
as of 29 December 2008

EMERGENCY APPEAL - DONATE NOW!

According to Reuters more than 300 people have been killed and hundreds injured in the third day of bombing in the Gaza Strip.

Ordinary Palestinian civilians have been severely affected, with those injured needing urgent medical attention. Hospitals in Gaza are already overflowing, with many running out of medicines and staff.

Thousands more people are suffering from fuel and food shortages, while over 750,000 people dependant on food distribution from aid agencies have had their supplies halted.

A university and medical warehouses were among the buildings hit.

Please donate to Muslim Aid. Their partners in Gaza are assessing the needs and working to secure much needed supplies of food and medicines.

DONATE NOW!