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Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Muslims of Europe conference 'Challenges and Opportunities' to Islamise the West July 1-2 -06 Turkey

Muslims of Europe conference 'Challenges and Opportunities' to Islamise the West July 1-2 -06 Turkey

June 21, 2006

MIM:The agenda for the upcoming Muslims in Europe conference reads like an radical Islamist Who's Who and includes such fundamentalist luminaries as Tariq Ramadan, the faux moderate who was banned from entering the US to take a teaching position because he is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. At the time that the ACLU is attempting to get Ramadan into the US a member of Ramadan's brother's 'Islamic Center of Geneva was aarrested in connection with a plot to down an El Al plane as it took off from a Swiss airport.

Both Ramadan, and Ceric are the poster boys for the new European Islam, which translates into what Ceric terms

MIM: Radical Islamist cleric Mustafa Ceric outlined the Islamisation of Europe in a Declaration of European Muslims.

http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/455

For more on Ceric see:

Bosnia and terrorism : Mufti Mustafa Ceric tells the West " I am proud that Islam defines my European patriotism"

Bosnia as launching pad for international terrorism - the Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman - Bin Laden/Itzebekovic connection
February 21, 2005

Dr Mustafa Ceric: Came to prominence during Balkans wars

MIM: Ceric made it clear in a recent interview (see below) that he sees the UK as one of the first 'trophies' in the Islamisation of Europe. He is falsely presented as a 'man of peace' and his visit was reported as an effort to 'increase understanding' of Muslims position in Europe. His words are clearly a call for Muslims to further insinuate themselves into the social and political institutions in the West. He also expressed his pleasure at the increasing dhimmitude he found in the UK 'praising' Britain's accomodation of Islam and Muslims.

MIM:Note that in his declaration Ceric writes that Europe is 'expected' to liberalise their immigration laws- which means more Muslims entering Europe and epitomises what he means by the 'globalisation of Islam' .

"They (Muslims) know where they stand in this society"-they have the freedom to oppose the government for instance, over the war in Iraq" -"London is good place for us to discuss what the third encounter will mean"...

REUS-UL-ULEMA CERIĆ INTRODUCES IN ZAGREB DECLARATION OF EUROPEAN MUSLIMS

Excerpts:

The head of Islamic Community in BiH reis-ul-ulema Mustafa Ceric introduced yesterday at Zagreb Islamic Centre the Declaration of European Muslims in which he calls for the institutionalisation of Islam in Europe and stresses that Muslims are totally fully committed to European values and want to be a part of European life and progress. ..., Mustafa Ceric said that a purpose of the declaration is to call on Europeans to help Muslims find their place in Europe is expected to liberalise its immigration policy, have better protective mechanisms against islamophobia, and make it possible for the Muslims to have Islamic schools and enjoy political and economic freedoms... Addressing the Muslim world, Ceric pointed out the need of Muslims to build their own "original idea of Globalisation" as opposed to the stigma "of global terrorism" which they carry now and call on them to "change the globally bad image into a globally good image of Muslims, especially when it comes to their religion". This Declaration was drafted by Ceric last year and it was first introduced in August at the Conference of the Islamic Forum of Europe in London.

Conference Agenda

http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/agenda.php

speakers bios http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/steering.php

invitees http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/invitees.php

The publication of cartoons demonising the prophet Mohammed across Europe and the violent reactions this has provoked amongst Muslims living in Europe and the Middle East , has thrown into sharp relief the issues surrounding tolerance and understanding. As the Observer newspaper in Britain said on 5 February 2006: "..two conversations were happening: one where journalists and politicians debated freedom of expression and one where Muslims talked about the rights and wrongs of depicting the Prophet. But the two conversations took place far apart from one another and the gap is too easily exploited by religious extremists and racists. For a broader dialogue to happen, we must state clearly and often that Muslims can also be Europeans. This is not a clash of civilisations. We have a common interest in being vigilant against Islamophobia and in standing up to the advocates of terror".

The objectives of this conference on Muslims of Europe is to highlight this common interest and start the broader dialogue.


Background

Muslims have lived in Europe for more than one thousand years. Until the last twenty years or so, their presence has largely been unnoticed and unquestioned. It is only as numbers have increased that their presence has posed challenges to perceptions of what it is to be European. The debate has taken dramatic form because of terrorist attacks in Istanbul , Madrid and London and because of the murder of Dutch film maker Theo Van Gogh and the riots in France . These events and the growing gulf of understanding between citizens highlight the urgent need to address these issues publicly: to address the problems Muslims are facing in becoming part of European society and to address the misperceptions that some in Europe have about the implications of welcoming a Muslim presence in Europe .

The Amman Message

Separately similar discussions are taking place in the rest of the Muslim world. In June 2005 a wide range of Islamic scholars from across the world endorsed the "Amman Message" which recognises that "Evils threaten the identity of the Islamic nation, incite disunity, tarnish it religion and assail its tenets; they attack fiercely the very message of Islam. Some who attack Islam imagine it is their enemy. But it is not their enemy. Others, who claim to belong to Islam, have done gruesome and criminal acts in its name. The message that is under attack is the message of tolerance, revealed by the Almighty to His prophet . a message of brotherhood and humanity; forming a righteous religion that embraces the entire sphere of human life, upholding what is good and forbidding what is wrong, accepting of others, and honouring all human beings. Islam calls on Muslims to demonstrate tolerance and delight in human life; it opposes extremism, exaggeration, and intransigence.."

OIC summit

In December 2005 the Heads of State of the countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference similarly affirmed that:

" Islam is a religion of moderation which rejects bigotry, extremism and fanaticism, and underlined in this connection the importance of combating deviant ideology using all available means, besides developing educational curricula that firmly establish the values of understanding, tolerance, dialogue and multilateralism in accordance with the tenets of Islam.

The Conference stressed that dialogue among civilizations based on mutual respect, understanding and equality between people, is a prerequisite for establishing a world marked by tolerance, cooperation, peace and confidence among nations.

The Conference called for combating pseudo-religious and sectarian extremism, and for the need to refrain from accusing followers of Islamic schools of heresy, and reaffirmed the need to deepen dialogue and promote restraint, moderation and tolerance and issuance of Fatwas by those not eligible to issue them."

In this international context the voice of European Muslims needs to be heard, endorsing this international message but also setting out the parameters of the debate on European Muslim identity.

While there are now a number of very important dialogues and discussions between Muslim community leaders and the representatives of European states there is still a lack of comprehensive, inclusive and open arenas to bring together Muslim intellectuals and leaders from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds and engage them in formal discussion to look at some of the most pertinent issues that face European society vis-à-vis the Muslim community.

Issues such as combating extremism, citizenship, identity, faith and its public role are highly charged topics that need to be addressed carefully, but directly and without delay. The focus for this conference is ' Europe ' because there is a common legacy of migration, minority status and culture that is distinct and the event should allow for interaction, discussion, dialogue and opportunity for new networks to be created.

Range of Sub-topics :

Integration
Combating Extremism
Religion, Secularism and European society
European/Western Muslim identity/ citizenship
Institution building and political representation
Leadership and authority in the community
Islamophobia and media representation.

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

STEERING GROUP http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/steering.php

United Kingdom

Biographies

PROFESSOR FARHAN NIZAMI,

DIRECTOR, OXFORD CENTRE FOR ISLAMIC STUDIES


Farhan Nizami (D.Phil.Oxon) is the Prince of Wales Fellow in the study of the Islamic World, Magdalen College , Oxford University and the Founder Director of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. He read Modern History at Wadham College . From 1983 he was a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford : Rothman's Fellow in Muslim History and subsequently Fellow in Islamic Studies. He is an Emeritus Fellow of St Cross College and a member of the Faculties of Modern History and Oriental Studies at the University of Oxford . He is Founder Editor of the Journal of Islamic Studies (OUP, 1990-); Series Editor, Makers of Islamic Civilization (OUP, 2004-). He specializes in Muslim social and intellectual history.

Dr Nizami is the Chairman of the Academic Council of Wilton Park, U.K; Member, Academic Committee, Cumberland Lodge, U.K; Member, Steering Committee C-100, World Economic Forum, Davos; Member, International Advisory Panel, World Islamic Economic Forum, Malaysia; Member, Council of the Al-Falah Programme, University of California, Berkeley (2000 – 2005); Member, Advisory Board, Duke University's Islamic Studies Centre; Member of the Court of Oxford Brookes University; Member, Christian Muslim Forum; Patron, Oxford Amnesty Lectures; Director, Oxford Inspires, (2002-3).

DILWAR HUSSAIN,

DIRECTOR, POLICY UNIT, ISLAMIC FOUNDATION

Dilwar Hussain is Head of the Policy Research Unit and Senior Research Fellow at the Islamic Foundation, Leicester. He currently teaches a post-graduate course on Islam in Europe and his primary research interests are citizenship, Muslim communities in Britain and Europe , and British Muslim identity. He has worked in academic research and consultancy for the last ten years, and is an advisory editor to the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World.

He was appointed as a Comissioner to the Comisison for Racial Equality in April 2006 and has also served on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Commission on Urban Life and Faith (2004 to 2006), worked on the Preventing Extremism Together workgroups set up by the Home Office after the events of 7 July 2005, and is co-Chair of Alif-Aleph UK, a network which brings together British Jews and Muslims. He is also a Trustee of the Wroxton Institute for Global Dialogue, a Fellow of the Royal Foundation of St. Katharine's Contextual Theology Centre, London and a Fellow of the Citizen Organising Foundation.

His recent publications include: Faith as Social Capital (with Rob Furbey et al), 2006, 'Can Islam Make us British?' in Madeleine Bunting's Islam, Race and Being British in 2005, British Muslims between Assimilation and Segregation (co-author) in 2004, and British Muslims: Loyalty and Belonging (co-editor) in 2003.

DR ANAS SHAIKH ALI,

CHAIR , FORUM AGAINST ISLAMOPHOBIA AND RACISM

Dr. Anas Al-Shaikh Ali is currently Chairman of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK ) and Chair of the Forum against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR). Dr. Anas has a PhD in American Studies and has taught Literature and Translation at universities in the Middle East . He is a Trustee of FED 2000 UK (for Education and Development). He is academic advisor to the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Director of its Translation Department. His current research interests: Islam in Western Popular Culture, Islam and the Media, Muslim Education in Europe and Muslim Discourse in Europe . Dr. Anas is Executive Director of Legacy Publishing and on the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences.

PROFESSOR TARIQ RAMADAN,

RESEARCH FELLOW, OXFORD AND LOKAHI FOUNDATION

Professor Tariq RAMADAN holds MA in Philosophy and French literature and PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva . In Cairo , Egypt he received one-on-one intensive training in classic Islamic scholarship from Al-Azhar University scholars.

Tariq Ramadan has resigned from the post of Professor of Islamic Studies at Notre Dame University (Classic Department) and Luce Professor at the Kroc Institute (Religion Conflict and Peacebuilding). He is currently Senior Research Fellow at Lokahi Foundation and visiting Professor at Oxford St Antony 's College. Through his writings and lectures he has contributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is active both at the academic and grassroots levels lecturing extensively throughout the world on social justice and dialogue between civilizations. Professor Tariq Ramadan is currently President of the European think tank : European Muslim Network (EMN) in Brussels

SARAH JOSEPH,

EDITOR OF EMEL MAGAZINE


Sarah Joseph is the Editor of emel magazine, a lifestyle magazine with a Muslim focus. Launched in September 2003, emel is unique in Muslim media covering everything from current affairs to big name interviews, health to finance, education to environment, interior design to gardening. The magazine is the only Muslim magazine to achieve mainstream distribution and has readers in over 30 countries.

Sarah has lectured on Islam both within the UK and internationally for almost 15 years. Given that she embraced Islam 18 years ago Sarah has the fortunate position of experiencing two worlds and has attempted to use that position to promote mutual respect and understanding, and to act as a bridge for peace and tolerance.

Many high profile events have required Muslims to appear on the media to put across the Muslim perspective. Sarah has been at the forefront of such appearances appearing on a variety of television programmes including the BBC's Panorama and ITV's Johnathan Dimbleby.

Sarah has also scripted for and recorded for a variety of BBC and independent radio productions including Pause for Thought, Nicky Campell and Late Night Live. Sarah worked as a Specialist Researcher for the BBC's Learning Zone in the 2001 Islam series. She helped put together a new programme called "Inspired by Islam" which looked at the contribution of Islam and Muslim heritage to contemporary Western life.

Sarah has worked as a consultant on Islamic Affairs - exploring issues with, and providing diversity training to, employment, education, health bodies, police etc on the beliefs and needs of Muslims in the UK . Sarah has a BA (hons) in Religious Studies from King's College London and did post graduate research into Britons Embracing Islam at the same institution.

She was the winner of the 1999-2000 Prince of Wales Chevening/King Faisal Foundation Scholarship and travelled to Saudi Arabia to pursue research in the theological perspectives of conversion.

Sarah was awarded an OBE in the June 2004 Queen's Birthday Honour's List for services to inter-faith dialogue and to the promotion of women's rights.

arried to Mahmud Al-Rashid, she is the mother of three children: Hasan 10, Sumayyah 6 and Amirah 4.

SIR IQBAL SACRANIE,

SECRETARY-GENERAL, MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN


Sir Iqbal AKM Sacranie has been actively involved in voluntary capacity with community and charitable work for the last thirty-five years, both nationally and internationally. His main interest has been to ensure that faith and ethnic communities are treated fairly, equally and justly and given due recognition of their contribution to the society.

He is a Fellow of Institute of Financial Accountants and an Associate of Institute of Administrative Management

He was re elected the Secretary General of The Muslim Council of Britain, a national umbrella and representative body of British Muslims in 2002 and completed his four year term maximum allowed under the Constitution in June 2006. He was the founding Secretary General when the MCB was established in 1997.

He chairs the Board of Trustees of Memon Association UK, Balham Mosque and Tooting Islamic Centre. Also chairs the Al-Rissala Education Trust, which runs independent primary and secondary schools.

He was elected Deputy President of World Memon Organisation (WMO) in 2004, an international organisation of the world Memon community.

He was appointed Vice President of Family Welfare Association, a national charity in the UK that focuses on helping suffering children around the world. He is a trustee of Muslim Aid an international relief agency serving in more then 45 countries.

He was awarded OBE in 1999 Honours List and a recipient of Muslim News Award for Excellence - Good Citizenship, by Prime Minister Tony Blair. He was awarded a plaque for Commitment and Dedication to Community work by Memon Association UK which was presented by HRH Prince of Wales in 2001. In March 2005 he was presented with the Life Time Achievement Award for community work presented by the World Memon Organisation in Bombay , India .

In 1999 the Observer magazine produced a Power List of 300 most powerful people and he was numbered at 246. The Guardian newspaper named him in 2002 as ‘The most influential Muslim in the UK '. In 2005 the GQ magazine produced a list of 100 Most Powerful Men in Britain and he was ranked at number 10 as the voice of Muslims in Britain , who plays a vital role as mediator in multi-cultural Britain .

He was knighted in June 2005 for services to charities and community relations.

AMR KHALED,

TELE-EVANGELIST BASED IN EGYPT/UK


Amr Khaled is the Head of the Islamic Programme Development at ART (Arab Radio & Television). He is currently presenting the Sunaa Al-Hayah (Life Makers) series on the ART satellite network, which won him the 'International Non-Smoking Day' award from the World Health Organisation in May 2004. His previous Television series include, 'Wa-Nalqa Al-Aheba' (Let's meet the beloved), Islamuna (Our Islam), and 'Till they Change themselves', and he has been delivering the ART flagship 'Ramadan Lectures' since 2002. He has produced numerous Audio serials, totalling over 140 lectures, and has authored several publications, which have been translated into many languages. He graduated from Cairo University in 1988 with a degree in Commerce and Accounting, became a founding member and partner at the Arab Accountants Bureau in Egypt, and is currently studying for his Ph.D. in 'Peace and Coexistence' at the University of Wales

Turkey

Ibrahim Kalin, SETA (Foundation for Political, Economic and Social research

?brahim Kal?n

Ibrahim Kalin, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA and the director of the SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research based in Ankara, Turkey. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Istanbul, Turkey, M.A. from the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), Malaysia and Ph. D. from the George Washington University, Washington DC. At Holy Cross, he teaches a number of courses on Islam including Introduction to Islam, Introduction to the Qur'an, Islamic Philosophy and Theology, Sufism, Islam and the West, and Islam in the Modern World. His field of concentration is post-Avicennan Islamic philosophy with research interests in Ottoman intellectual history, Islamic scientific tradition, interfaith dialogue, mysticism, and comparative philosophy. He has contributed to several encyclopedia including MacMillan Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2 nd Edition and Encyclopedia of Religion 2 nd Edition He has published widely on Islamic philosophy and the relations between Islam and the West. His recent publications include

"Organization of the Islamic Conference: A Voice for the Muslim World?", ISIM Review , No 17 (Spring 2006), pp. 36-37

"The Sun Rising from the West: The Influence of American Islamic Thinkers on Turkey" in Muslims in the United States: Identity, Influence, Innovation, ed. by Philippa Strum (Washington DC: The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 2005) pp. 131-141.

"Islam and Peace: A Preliminary Survey on the Sources of Peace in the Islamic Tradition" Turkish Journal of Islamic Studies , Vol. 11 (January, 2004), pp. 1-37,

"Derrida's Last Postcard", Islamica Magazine , Vol. 4, (Summer 2004), pp. 109-110.

"Roots of Misconception: Euro-American Perceptions of Islam Before and After September 11 th " in Islam, Fundamentalism, and the Betrayal of Tradition ed. by Joseph Lumbard (Bloomington, IN: World Wisdom, 2004), pp. 143-187,

"Mulla Sadra's Realist Ontology and the Concept of Knowledge" The Muslim World , Vol 94, No 1 (January 2004), pp. 81-106,

"Christianity, Islam, and the Religious Other: From Indifference to Understanding", Muslim World Book Review Vol. 25, Issue 1 (Autumn 2004), pp. 6-20;

"Between Physics and Metaphysics: Mulla Sadra on Nature and Motion" Islam and Science Vol. I, 2003, pp. 65-93

"Three Views of Science in the Islamic World", God, Life and the Cosmos: Christian and Islamic Perspectives , eds. Ted Peters, Muzaffar Iqbal, Syed Nomanul Haq, (Ashgate, 2002), pp. 43-75.

Prof. Ali Kose, Marmara University

Curriculum Vitea
Ali Kose, Prof.
Marmara University Faculty of Theology Lecturer in Psychology of Religion
Birth date: 1963
BA: Faculty of Theology, Dokuz Eylul University (1985).
MA: Institute for Social Sciences, Marmara University (1988).
PhD: King's College, University of London (1994).

Publication

Books

Conversion to Islam: A Study of Native British Converts, London: Kegan Paul, 1996.

Natural Disasters and Religion: A Socio-Psychological Study of the Marmara Earthquake in Turkey (in Turkish), Istanbul: Centre for Islamic Studies, 2000, (Co-author Ass. Prof. Talip Kücükcan).

Freud and Religion (in Turkish), Istanbul: ?z Yay?nc?l?k, 2000.

Secularism on Trial (in Turkish, ed), Istanbul: Ufuk Yay., 2002. Three Josephs and One Islam (in Turkish), ?stanbul: Etkile?im Yay?nlar?, 2005.

Millennium Cults (in Turkish), ?stanbul: Truva yayinlari, 2006. Secular but Sacred (in Turkish, ed), ?stanbul: Etkile?im Yay?nlar?, 2006.


Articles

"Post-Conversion Experiences of Native British converts to Islam" Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, 1994, V, 2, 195-206.

"Native British Converts to Islam: Who are They? Why Do They Convert?", The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, 1995, XII, 3, 347-359.

"Religious Conversion: Is it an Adolescent Phenomenon? The Case of Native British Converts to Islam", International Journal for the Psycology of Religion, 1996, VI, 4, 253-262.

"The Assesment of Various Factors in the Spread of Islam During the Medieval Period", Turkish Journal of Islamic Studies, 1997, I, 1, 65-89.

"The Journey From the Secular to the Sacred: The Experiences of Native British Converts to Islam", Social Compass 1999, (46)3, 301-312.

"East is East, and West is West: Remarks on Muslim Perspectives on Europe and Christianity", Turkish Islam and Europe, (ed) G. Seufert and J. Waardenburg, Istanbul 1999, pp. 179-189.

"Conversion Motifs Among British Converts to Islam", International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, 2000, 10 (2), 101-110. (Co-author M. Loewenthal).

France

Fouad Alaoui, Conseil Francais du Cult Musulman

WAITING

Germany

Ali Kizilkaya, Chairman, Islamic Council of Germany

Ali Kizilkaya is currently Head of Islamic Council of Germany. He worked in the different positions in Islamic communities in Germany . Ali Kizilkaya was a Secretary General of Islamic Federation of state Bremen . Also, he was a Head of Muslim Youth and University Students Organization. In 1980s he worked in Central Islamic Archive of Germany. Since 1984 Mr. Kizilkaya is working in Dialog group. After that Mr. Kizilkaya had a position of Secretary General in Islamic Society Milli G?rü?. Since 2002 the Head of Islamic Council of Germany (Islamrat). Islamrat – is the oldest open-roof Organization which has got more than twenty societies as the members .

Bosnia

Grand Mufti Dr Ceric

Dr. Mustafa Ceric is the Raisu-l-Ulama of Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grand Mufti of Bosnia since 1993. He is also the Grand Mufti of Sanjak, Croatia and Slovenia. He is reelected at the position of Raisu-l-Ulama 2005.

He was born in Visoko, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1952.

He graduated from Madrasah in Sarajevo as well as the Faculty of Arabic Language and Literature at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. In 1987 received his Ph.D. in Islamic studies from the University of Chicago, where he studied under the late Dr. Fazlur Rahman.

He served as an imam (Islamic Cultural Center, Chicago and Islamic Center of Zagreb, Croatia) and professor in Bosnia (Faculty of Islamic Schiences), Malaysia (International Institute for Islamic Thought and Civilization, Kulalulumpur) and the United States (American Islamic College, Chicago).

He is the co-recipient of the 2003 UNESCO Felix Houphoet Boigny Peace Prize for Contribution to World Peace and recipient of the International Council of Christians and Jews Annual Sir Sternberg Award for exceptional contribution to interfaith understanding.

Dr. Ceric is a member of several local and international scientific organizations and societies, including the Interreligious Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Foundation of Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial and Cemetery,

the Council of 100 Leadres of the World Economic Forum, the European Council for Fatwas and Research, World Conference of Religions for Peace, the Executive Committee of the European Council of Religious Leaders, the Board of Trustees of International Islamic University Islamabad, the Sharia'h Board of Bosnia Bank International, the Fiqh Academy in Mecca, Aal Albayt Foundation for Islamic Thought in Jordan, International Commission for Peace Research chaired by dr. Henry Kissinger, UNESCO and Executive Council of World Forum of Ulama.

He has delivered numerous lectures and led several workshops on interreligious and interfaith issues at local and international conferences.

He authored «Roots of Synthetic Theology in Islam»; «A Choice Between War and Peace», and «European Muslim Declaration» among other numerous publications in Bosnian as « Religion, Nation and Homeland".

He speaks fluently Arabic and English.

List of Participants (as of 20 June 2006) "

TITLE NAME SURNAME COUNTRY
Sheikh ABDILLAHI ABDI KENYA
Mr MOHAMMED ABDUL AZIZ UK
Mr RAED ABU BAKER JORDAN
Dr KHALED ABU NAHLEH AZERBAIJAN
Major OMAR ABU SABBAH JORDAN
Sheikh ABDALLAH ADHAMI SYRIA
Mr KHURSHID AHMED UK
Dr MANAZIR AHSAN UK
Ms FATIHA AJBLI FRANCE
Mr TAHA AKYOL TURKEY
Mr SAYYED JAWAD AL KHOEI UK
Ms FAREENA ALAM UK
Mr FOUAD ALAOUI FRANCE
Mr FATIH ALEV DENMARK
Dr ANAS AL-SHAIKH ALI UK
Mr HAIDER ALI USA
Mr MOCKBUL ALI UK
Mr AHMET ALIBASIC BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA
Mr ABDULRAHEEM ALJABARI MOLDOVA
Dr NOOH AL-KADDO IRELAND
Mr ŞAHİN ALPAY TURKEY
Dr YOUSEF ALQARADAWI QATAR
Mr AHMED AL-RAWI UK
Mr AYMAN ALY AUSTRIA
Mr ISMAIL AMLA UK
Dr MEHMET ASUTAY UK
Mr NIHAD AWAD USA
Mr KURTULUŞ AYKAN TURKEY
Dipl. Ing. TARAFA BAGHAJATI AUSTRIA
Dr AHMED BAKCAN FRANCE
Mr ABDELWAHEB BAKLI FRANCE
Mr SHARIF BANNA EGYPT
Dr SAVAŞ BARKÇİN TURKEY
Sheikh ISSAM BASHIR KUWAIT/SUDAN
Mr İSMAİL BATAKLI BELGIUM
Mr BRAHIM BELKILANI NORWAY
Mr Cheikh BENTOUNES FRANCE
Prince GHAZI BIN MUHAMMAD JORDAN
Mr EL HADJI BABOU BITEYE FRANCE
Mr ALI BOUSSAID SPAIN
Mr AHMED BOUZIANE BELGIUM
Ms SELİN BÖLME TURKEY
Mr RON BRANSCOMBE UK
Mr LHAJ THAMI BREZE FRANCE
Dr MUSTAFA CERIC BOSNIA
Mrs CHABERT FRANCE
Mr KARIM CHEMLAL BELGIUM
Mrs COROLLER FRANCE
Mr RIDVAN ÇAKIR GERMANY
Mr YAŞAR ÇOLAK UK
Mr HAYDAR DEMİRYÜREK FRANCE
Sheikh BASHIR AHMAD DULTZ GERMANY
Mr BELAL EL-MOGADDEDI GERMANY
Mr IBRAHIM F. EL-ZAYAT GERMANY
Mr MANSUR ESCUDERO SPAIN
Mr SAID FERJANI UK
Dr SOPHIE GILLIAT-RAY UK
Sheikh Dr ALI GOOMA EGYPT
Sheikh OUNIS GUERGAH

MIM: The Muslims of Europe Declaration made in Mecca speaks for itself and strips away any pretence of MOE as being a moderate voice of Islam in Europe.

http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/mecca.php

Mecca Declaration

Bismillahi Arrahmani Arrahim

In the Name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH DECLARATION

We, the Kings, Heads of State and Government, and Emirs of the Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), meeting in the Third Session of the Extraordinary of the Islamic Summit Conference, held in Makkah Al-Mukarramah from 5 to 6 Dhul Quidah 1426H (7-8 December 2005), declare:

We praise high the Name of Almighty Allah, Who has blessed us with the grace of gathering together on the soil of this hallowed land, cradle of the revelation of Islam and its message, and Qibla of all Muslims, from which the light of Islam shone forth to guide humanity to the path of prosperity and peace, thus enabling the foundations to be laid of an Islamic civilization that was able to bring a much-needed, timely, and decisive contribution to human civilization.

Whereas the purport of the lofty essence of Islam was to ultimately bring the world out of the darkness of ignorance, oppression, and tyranny and into the light of truth, justice, developing sciences and knowledge, and peaceful co-existence, we find ourselves today at an age of muddled concepts, misguided values, and pervasive ignorance, as diseases and epidemics gain ever-greater grounds, injustice takes hold, and man's environment grows despoiled by the day. More than ever before, we stand in dire need of a fresh vision to turn the tide and the Ummah, as Almighty Allah has rightfully ordained, into a guiding beacon and source of light that radiates forth science, knowledge, and morality for the benefit of all humanity.

Protecting our Islamic identity, our basic values, and the higher interests of the Ummah can only be achieved through the sincere loyalty of Muslims to true Islam and their commitment to its original principles and values as their cherished way of life. Only then will the Ummah be able to rise to the challenge of playing an instrumental, proactive role in the service of humanity and human civilization.

Therefore, our conscience throbs in deep synchronicity with the hearts and minds of the Ummah as expressed by its scholars and intellectuals-may God bless them on our behalf---in their meeting only weeks before this Summit Conference. Thus are we only too aware of the political, developmental, social, cultural and educational challenges they brought to the fore; only too aware are we of the internal and external threats that have helped to exacerbate the Ummah's current plight, as they not only menace its very future but also that of the whole of humanity and civilization.

These challenges must, therefore, be dealt with through a strategic vision, which needs to plan for the future of the Ummah just as it needs to maintain a responsive pulse to international developments so as to gradually refine itself into a forward-looking vision that enables the Muslim world to tackle the challenges of the Twenty-first Century by leveraging the collective will and Joint Islamic Action.

At this stage, we are consequently called upon to take a pause for a sincere and firm reflection on reforming the Ummah, which is a process that starts with reforming the self by rallying round a common stand based on Almighty Allah's Holy Quran and the Noble Tradition of His Prophet (PBUH). This reform process should then naturally end in a staunch counteraction of any miscreants who would wantonly work evil sedition, who would misguide and mislead, and would distort the loftiest tenets of our Islamic faith enshrined in its intrinsic call for love, peace, harmony, and the civilized way out. How can they speak and act for such perverted ideas entrenched as they are in ignorance, isolationism, hatred, and blood-letting?

Nevertheless, our Muslim Ummah is called upon to meet today for the highest good and right in affirmation of Almighty Allah's words enjoining us to: "Hold fast to Allah's rope [in unity] and not to be divided". And that unity requires our scholars and experts of jurisprudence to unify their stand on exposing the corruption of these miscreants and the falsehood of their claims in a determined show of strength and undivided condemnation.

While we affirm, in this regard, that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is a global phenomenon that is not confined to any particular religion, race, color, or country, and that can in no way be justified or rationalized, we are determined-with Almighty Allah's help and grace--to develop our national laws and legislations to criminalize every single terrorist practice and every single practice leading to the financing or instigation of terrorism. Similarly, we are also called upon to redouble and orchestrate international efforts to combat terrorism, including the establishment of an International Counter-Terrorism Center as endorsed by the Riyadh International Conference on Combating Terrorism.

Even so, all the governments and peoples of the Ummah are unanimous in their conviction that reform and development are the priority to which all efforts should be channeled within a framework that is intimately molded in our Islamic social make-up. At the same time this framework needs to remain in harmony with the achievements of human civilization and steeped in the principles of consultation, justice, and equality in its drive to achieve good governance, widen political participation, establish the rule of law, protect human rights, apply social justice, transparency, and accountability, fight corruption, and build civil society institutions.

Indeed, the Islamic civilization is an integral part of human civilization, based on the ideals of dialogue, moderation, justice, righteousness, and tolerance as noble human values that counteract bigotry, isolationism, tyranny, and exclusion. It is therefore of paramount importance to celebrate and consecrate these magnanimous values in our Muslim discourse inside and outside our societies.

As we reaffirm our unwavering rejection of terrorism, and all forms of extremism and violence, we strongly voice our feelings of stigmatization and concern over the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia around the world as a form of racism and discrimination and declare our resolve to work hard to combat this phenomenon with all available means.

Given the deep import of economic and social cooperation in strengthening solidarity among Islamic States, maximizing the advantages and averting the pitfalls of globalization, we consider the eradication of illiteracy, diseases and epidemics, and the fight to alleviate poverty in Islamic States as urgent, strategic objectives requiring us to drum up all necessary resources.

If we are to succeed in achieving our desired objectives, then of necessity we must show commitment and credibility in our Joint Islamic Action. Therefore, proceeding from a new vision of the Muslim world that tackles head on international challenges, as well as political, economic, social, and cultural variables in a manner that safeguards the values and interests of the Ummah, we adopt and endorse the Ten-Year Programme of Action to face the challenges of the Muslim Ummah in the Twenty-first Century.

To Almighty Allah we pray that He may guide us onto the right path, crown our endeavors with success, and bless our lives with abundant prosperity.

"Allah has promised those who believe among you and who have done good deeds that He will surely empower them in the earth just as He did with their predecessors and that He will surely establish for them (therein) their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security (for) they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that-then those indeed are the evil doers." (Al-Nour 53, True are the Words of Allah).

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http://www.muslimsofeurope.com/amman.php

Amman Statement

Statement issued by the International Islamic Conference held in Amman , the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , under the title: 'True Islam and its Role in Modern Society'. 27-29 I Jumada 1426 H./4-6 Tammuz (July) 2005 C.E.

In accordance with the fatwas issued by the Honourable and Respectable Grand Imam Shaykh al-Azhar, the Grand Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, the Honourable and Respectable Grand Mufti of Egypt, the Honourable and Respectable Shi'i clerics (both Ja'fari and Zaydi), the Honourable and Respectable Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, the Islamic Fiqh Academy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Grand Council for Religious Affairs of Turkey, the Honourable and Respectable Grand Mufti of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Respectable Members of its National Fatwa Committee, and the Honourable and Respectable Shaykh Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi;

And in accordance with what was mentioned in the speech of His Hashemite Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan during the opening session of our conference;

And in accordance with our own knowledge in sincerity to Allah the Bounteous;

And in accordance with what was presented in this our conference by way of research papers and studies, and by way of the discussions that transpired in it;

We, the undersigned, hereby express our approval and affirmation of what appears below:

1) Whosoever is an adherent of one of the four Sunni Schools of Jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali), the Ja'fari (Shi'i) School of Jurisprudence, the Zaydi School of Jurisprudence, the Ibadi School of Jurisprudence, or the Thahiri School of Jurisprudence is a Muslim. Declaring that person an apostate is impossible. Verily his (or her) blood, honour, and property are sacrosanct. Moreover, in accordance with what appeared in the fatwa of the Honourable and Respectable Shaykh al-Azhar, it is not possible to declare whosoever subscribes to the Ash'ari creed or whoever practices true Sufism an apostate. Likewise, it is not possible to declare whosoever subscribes to true Salafi thought an apostate. Equally, it is not possible to declare as apostates any group of Muslims who believes in Allah the Mighty and Sublime and His Messenger (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) and the pillars of faith, and respects the pillars of Islam and does not deny any necessary article of religion.

2) There exists more in common between the various Schools of Jurisprudence than there is difference. The adherents to the eight Schools of Jurisprudence are in agreement as regards the basic Islamic principles. All believe in Allah the Mighty and Sublime, the One and the Unique; that the Noble Qur'an is the Revealed Word of Allah; and that our master Muhammad, may Blessings and Peace be upon him, is a Prophet and Messenger unto all mankind. All are in agreement about the five pillars of Islam: the two testaments of faith (shahadatayn), the ritual prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting the month of Ramadan (sawm), and the Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah. All are also in agreement about the foundations of belief: belief in Allah, His Angels, His Scriptures, His Messengers, and in the Day of Judgement, in Divine providence - good and evil. Disagreement between the 'ulama' is only with respect to the ancillary branches of religion (furu') and not the principles and fundamentals (usul). Disagreement with respect to the ancillary branches of religion (furu') is a mercy. Long ago it was said that variance in opinion among 'ulama' "is a good affair".

3) Acknowledgement of the Schools of Jurisprudence within Islam means adhering to a fundamental methodology in the issuance of fatwas. No one may issue a fatwa without the requisite personal qualifications which each School of Jurisprudence defines. No one may issue a fatwa without adhering to the methodology of the Schools of Jurisprudence. No one may claim to do absolute Ijtihad and create a new School of Jurisprudence or to issue unacceptable fatwas that take Muslims out of the principles and certainties of the Shari'ah and what has been established in respect of its Schools of Jurisprudence.

4) The essence of the Amman Message, which was issued on the Blessed Night of Power in the year 1425 H. and which was read aloud in Masjid al-Hashimiyyin, is adherence to the Schools of Jurisprudence and their fundamental methodology. Acknowledging the Schools of Jurisprudence and affirming discussion and engagement between them ensures fairness, moderation, mutual forgiveness, compassion, and engaging in dialogue with others.

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