Volume 1, Issue 4 June 2012 Opening Message from the Secretary General: Inside this issue: I wish to congratulate the newly elected members of the local Special Edition: A Historic Beginning to authorities in Wales, particularly the Muslims. National Interfaith Week in Wales 2 It has been just over 10 years since MCW invited the leaders of all Special Feature: The Forgotten Revival 4 political parties to address the Muslim community and present 3 their parties ethos. At the time despite being 73% of the ethnic Special Feature: The Rise of Muslim 4 community, Muslims did not have a single counsellor in the local Chaplains authority, but it is heartening to note that in this year in Council elections in Cardiff alone there were 18 Muslim candidates Success for Muslim Councilors 4 representing all 4 political parties and in Wales on a whole there Building Relationships: A Brighter Fu- were around 25 Muslim candidates of which 9 have become 5 counsellors. This is a historic step for the Muslim community ture for the Young People of Cardiff showing their maturity and their vision to serve all communities MCW Initiative: Get Job Fit in 2012 7 making an important contribution to the civic and political life of our country. Education: Renewed funding enables 8 expansion of unique scholarship oppor- My request to the individuals who have lost election, you can and tunities at Cardiff University will make a great contribution so continue to be involved in the political process as you have the enthusiasm, vision, ability and FOSIS National Student Qur‟an Com- 9 commitment so please continue to channel it. May Allah SWT guide petition (NSQC) Wales & West Eng- you, guard you, and give you the courage and wisdom to make the land right decisions for our country and its people. Special Feature: Welsh Solidarity for 10 Saleem Kidwai Syria Editor: MCW Interfaith Event Photographs 12 Saira Chaudhry Letter from the Editor: Graphics: th Suffiya Hasan Alhumdulillah, we have now bought to you the 4 ers and sisters, for justice and for the removal of edition of Reflections. We apologise for its late re- their oppressors. From the plumes of destruction lease but hope it‟s worth the wait. that we witness in the distance, deep down amaz- Contributors: ingly resilient and dignified people are emerging, With the grace, mercy and blessings of Allah (SWT), spurred on by their faith to re-write the books of Abdul Azim Ahmed it‟s been an amazing and inspiring few months - the history and put an end to their era of tyranny once rise of Muslim chaplaincy and councillors in Wales, Mohammed Alomgir and for all. May the eyes of cowards never find rest the launch of Citizens UK brighter futures campaign, Ahmed in sleep! new MCW initiatives being born and the successful Bethan Grant completion of iLead Wales‟s pilot year, the first ever We pray this edition of Reflections is an insightful Omar Arabi Islamic Leadership Course in Wales for the youth read. If you would like to contribute to future edi- aiming to empower and develop a future generation tions of the newsletter, please feel free to get in Dr. Sophie Gilliat- of community leaders - all to read about in this is- touch with us at [email protected] Ray sue. Let us also not forget the people of Syria in our Sahar Al-Faifi prayers - to pray for the victory of our fellow broth- Saira Chaudhry Acknowledgement: Saleem Kidwai Broadway House, Broadway, Cardiff, CF24 1PU Tel: 029 2034 4555 Fax: 029 2049 2860 Website: muslimcouncilwales.org.uk E-mail: [email protected] Page 2 Volume 1, Issue 4 Special Edition A Historic Beginning to National Interfaith Week in Wales "The event illuminated the way in which faith plays a part in the fabric of our society, and what it can offer to the believer and non-believer alike.” Saleem Kidwai, General Secretary of MCW The Muslim Council of Wales was pleased to launch National Interfaith Week in Wales with a historic inter- faith event between the Anglican Church and Muslim faith in the Na- tional Museum of Wales on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011. The Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan and Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra addressed an audience of over three hundred on the topic of „Believing in Faith‟. The events attendees in- cluded the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones who also spoke on the importance of interfaith to the Welsh Assembly. Representatives from The Board of Deputies of British Jews were also present. begin to form relationships between Likewise Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra is a Both speakers shared their own those present. graduate of a Dar al-Uloom Institute experiences of the value of faith to of Higher Education, Holcombe, and The Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan has society today, and how partnership al-Azhar University, Cairo. As such, led a distinguished career as leader and co-operation between religions he is one of the leading Imams in of the Church in Wales, contributing can empower the individual and Britain today. He balances numer- to public debate on the role of faith society to address global and local ous roles speaking on Islam in the in society, social injustice and many injustices. Following the talks, at- media alongside dedicated interfaith other key issues. He has always tendees were invited to a three work and pastoral duties to many strived towards greater openness course meal to discuss the talk and Muslims across the country. between faith communities in Wales. Saleem Kidwai, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, com- mented that "the event illuminated the way in which faith plays a part in the fabric of our society, and what it can offer to the believer and non- believer alike.” Saleem Kidwai concluded by saying that "Muslims and Christians make up over half the world's population, and Islam and Christianity have a long and glorious history both glob- ally and locally in Wales. Interfaith events such as this are not simply a luxury but a necessity to ensure that we all take part in creating a cohe- sive and close society based on friendship and trust”. Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 4 The Forgotten Revival Special Feature For those familiar with the history of largest contin- Wales, the phrase 'Welsh Revival' of gent came from 1904-1905 evokes very powerful Yemen, specifi- images. It describes an era of in- cally the Aden. tense religious fervour amongst It was esti- Welsh Christian communities. The mated there revival began with smaller move- were about ments in towns such as Ammanford 5,000 Muslims but soon spread until all came to a living in Cardiff climax in 1904 as key preachers, during this notably Evan Roberts, went on tours time, a large across Wales. Roberts and others community by spoke powerfully about the impor- the standards tance of repenting all sin, publically of the day. professing their faith in Christ and The adherence opening oneself to the transforma- of these men to tive power of the Holy Spirit. It is their faith how- estimated that over 100,000 con- ever was some- Opening of Peel Street Mosque verts were received during the pe- thing that con- riod of a single year into Welsh cerned the religious leaders of the gether. His diplomatic success is churches, including greater religios- time, and so Sheikh Ahmed ibn demonstrated by the attendance of ity and piety among pre-existing Mustafa al-Alawi (founder of the the Mayor of Cardiff at the re- congregations. Allawi Tariqa), sent his student opening of Peel Street mosque after Shaykh Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi, a it was destroyed in the Blitz of The Welsh Revival is an important Yemeni scholar, to Britain to ad- World War 2. part of Welsh history and it takes its dress the issue. place in a backdrop of other Chris- Kevin Little, a social scientist, car- tian revivals in Britain and Europe Sheikh al-Hakimi was erudite ried out a survey of Loudon Square during the nineteenth and twentieth scholar of Islam, but also a gifted in 1944, a key area in Tiger Bay. He century. speaker and a natural diplomat. His describes the Muslim community piety and knowledge led to him be- below: - There is however a forgotten re- ing chosen as a muqaddim within vival, one that is not included in the “Mention should be made again of his tariqa. He was by profession a history books but still influenced the the strong body of Islamic faith. The merchant and a businessman, and future direction of Wales. adherents of this creed not only earned his own livelihood while de- carry out their religious and ritualis- It was however an Islamic Revival, voting time and energy to his faith. tic obligations with more fervour that swept across South Wales dur- In the space of a few short years, than the rest of the community, but ing the 1930s-40s. It was led by a Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi successfully are correspondingly surer both of single man, Abdullah Ali al-Hakimi, transformed the local Muslim com- their creed and of themselves. The and its influence is still important munity in Cardiff (and to a certain various prohibitions enjoined by the today. extent, South Shields, Liverpool and prophet are on the whole rigorously Cardiff during this era was a bus- Hull). He established a mosque at observed, as are Ramadan and tling port city, one of the largest in Peel Street (most likely, the first in other fasts and festivals. In the the UK.