Al- Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland

Transcription

1 In the name of ALLAH, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful Trustees of the Irish Council of Imams Clonskeigh Mosque (ICCI) 19 Roebuck Road, Dublin 14 5 th December 2015 Assalamu Alaikum, I am writing to you in response to the letter sent to me on the 24 th November 2015 regarding my statements in the Irish Media on the need to standardize the curriculum taught in the Qur anic and Islamic schools. I share with you the worry about possible repercussions in the Qur an and Islamic Schools but I am disappointed that you did not provide me with an opportunity to clarify my position and statements in the Media regarding the teachings in Qur an and Islamic Schools. As you are well aware it is not uncommon for some media outlets to take words out of context. I would like to remind you of the 6 th verse in Surah Al-Hujuraat where Almighty Allah commands us to investigate when news is brought to us. This is also the first and indispensable rule of journalism. O believers! If some wicked person brings you any news, inquire thoroughly into its truth (lest) you should cause (undue) harm to a people unknowingly, and later feel regret for what you have done (Al-Quran; 49:6) Allow me to clarify my position and statements in the Media. I was interviewed on the topic of religious education in Ireland by RTE and during the interview I stated the following: 1.) We are a young community in Ireland and are very well integrated with a very positive experience in Ireland. The Muslim community is growing rapidly and we need to ensure that our experience remains positive. We should learn from mistakes made by Muslim communities in other European countries. 2.) There is a problem of radicalism among some Muslim children in other countries (UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany) and this can be avoided in Ireland with pro-active initiatives and among these is regulating the education in Qur an and Islamic Schools. 3.) I believe that curriculum taught in Qur an Schools & Islamic Schools must be standardized and regulated by an umbrella body that truly represents the Muslim community. This ensures transparency and will benefit the Muslim community ultimately. Page 1of 3

2 4.) The curriculum taught in these schools should include material to promote peace, integration and understanding of other communities. It must also include teaching the true concept of Jihad, which is a noble concept. 5.) Teachers that teach in these Schools must be qualified and registered with the proposed umbrella body. 6.) At this moment the schools affiliated with the ICCI and IFI and Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre have a standard curriculum but not all Schools have this. These 3 Mosques do not represent more than 4000 Muslims in Ireland. The number of Muslims in Ireland was 49,204 in 2011 (Sensus 2011) and is now estimated much higher and with the Muslim community growing an umbrella body that overlooks religious education is necessary for transparency. 7.) Two schools have been identified by Muslim Parents where their children were taught hatred for Jews and other non-muslims. 8.) A small number of teens left Ireland to join militants. Would these children have been taught the true concept of Jihad, they would not have left. 9.) I never said that teaching of hatred of other communities is a widespread problem in the Qur an and Islamic Schools. Instead I said that not having a standard curriculum and regulation of these schools was a widespread problem. I share with you the worry about possible repercussions in the Qur an and Islamic Schools and this is also why I believe that there should be an umbrella body to regulate and standardize these classes. If the Government attempts to intervene in the religious education in Qur an and Islamic Schools I will be the first one to protest, however we as a Community bear the responsibility to be transparent and organised so nobody can accuse us of not having done anything about this. In my interview I stated the government could play a role to facilitate setting up such an umbrella body by bringing all Islamic organisations together. I accept that you have the right to disagree with my views and statement. The intention behind expressing my views is nothing but concern for the Muslim Community in Ireland. I am afraid that silence on these issues and not highlighting them will cause more damage than speaking out against it. I hope that you realize that there is no such Islamic forum or platform where such issues can be discussed openly. It is therefore imperative to make the Irish Council of Imams an effective forum where such issues can be discussed openly. This, however, will only be possible with transparency and democracy in the Irish Council of Imams. On the 8 th of May 2015, I wrote a letter to Chair and Vice of the ICI raising my concerns about the Council. I forwarded this letter in our annual meeting prior to Ramadan. I asked why there was no constitution of the Council and why there were no elections held. I also highlighted in the letter that there had been mostly just one meeting each year for the past 9 years and this had made the Council ineffective. Most members do not attend the meetings anymore due to the lack of trust and confidence in the Council. Page 2 of 3

3 In your letter you reminded me of the correct approach to deal with shortcomings and internal problems within the community and I agree with that. But do you realize that the ICI has not provided that opportunity and platform to members of the Council because of the concerns highlighted by me in my letter. I noticed that one of the signaturees of the letter I received is Imam Ismael Kotwal. May I ask whether Imam Ismael Kotwal was ever sent a letter advising him about his statement in an interview on RTE Primetime where he referred to Osama Bin Laden as someone who looked like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings be upon Him)? When Imam Ismael Kotwal compared Osama bin Laden with the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace & Blessings be upon Him), was he ever advised that it was absolutely unacceptable to do so? May I also take this opportunity and remind you that in the meeting held this year prior to Ramadan it was agreed that the constitution of the ICI and the details of the Trustees will be forwarded to all members. I have not received any of these until now and through the letter you sent me only have found out that Imam Ismail Kotwal is a trustee of the ICI. As a founding member of the ICI, I find it disturbing to only find out about the existence of trustees of the ICI after almost 10 years. Last but not least I would like to end with the following verse of the Holy Qur an, which emphasizes on the unity of the Muslim Ummah. And hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and do not generate dissension and factions (Al-Quran; 3:103) It is my intention to keep the Muslim Ummah united in Ireland and therefore I have in the past always stood firm with the decision of the Council regarding Ramadan despite personal disagreements. I therefore call upon you to organize a meeting of all members of the Council to reform the Council and make it a truly effective, transparent and democratic representative umbrella body of Imams in Ireland. Wassalaamu Alaykum, Dr. Umar Al-Qadri Imam Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland Founding Member of Irish Council of Imams Page 3 of 3

4 Al-Mustafa Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland 8 th May 2015 Questions to the Chair and Vice of the Irish Council of Imams As a Founding member of the Council I have some concerns in regards to the Council. I have communicated these to the Chair and the Vice personally on many occasions and had been promised that meetings would be organized to discuss these matters. However this has not happened. I now formally ask the Chair and the Vice of the Irish Council of Imams to address these concerns, which are shared by other members of the council also. 1. Why do we not have a constitution of the council? 2. Why are there no elections within the council? 3. The council seems to be a department of the ICCI with full support of the IFI without being a true representative council of Muslims in Ireland. (I am writing this because the secretary of the council has always been an employee of the ICCI (!) and the chair and vice are from the ICCI and IFI from the time the council was established (2006) 4. Last year the majority of Muslims in Ireland did not accept the decision of the council regarding the announcement of Ramadan. Most members of the council went against the council s decision. The reasons behind this are the failure to discuss and debate policies of the Council and merely "sharing" to the members the decisions. 5. I suggested to the Chair in Ramadan to call a meeting of members after Ramadan to review the policy on the beginning of Ramadan. The Chair promised a meeting but I suppose their busy schedule did not allow the meeting to take place. 6. The council is just good for PR as it is currently and without a proper transparent and neutral agenda it can not be what it aimed from the beginning : to be a truly representative council of Muslims in Ireland. 7. Do the position holders in the council have the minutes of the meetings of the past 9 years? No minutes are taken and if taken not shared. These are important questions, which need to be answered if we need the Council to play an honest role for the Muslim community. Yours Truly, Dr. Muhammad Umar Al-Qadri Imam Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland Ph:

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