Global Peace and Unity - AFTERTHOUGHTS

[azim]

Salaam.

I realise there is another topic similar to this, but I hope that since that was created for discussion up to the event - this could remain seperate and talk about after the event (perhaps close the earlier thread).

Jazakallah.

I went to the event myself with brothers from Cardiff, there were 10 of us travelling together. Alhamdulillah it was a very good event with some very good speakers. It was nice to see such an amazing turnout with some many people. I was slightly disappointed that 'The Knowledge Room' thing didn't happen, and also that they never really explained what it was. Some of the key speakers (such as Yusuf Estes etc...) definately needed some more time and the politicians less time (although some had some very important things to say). Overall, considering this was a first time event and the mass of people who attended (25,000!!!) it was amazing.

Btw - Yvonne Ridley! Didn't realise see was like that at all, alhamdulillah, an amazing speech.

Favourite quote of the day - George Galloway - "If they invade Damascus... we will not protest on the streets of England, we will RIOT!" ..*nervous applaude while looking around for goverment spies*

 

[TEH]

OK, from the other thread...

I was really dissapointed, no segregation, brother and sisters sitting together laughing, cheering, whistling, clapping, chanting, singing, shrieking.

No segregation on the streets either, do you never go out? Did you ever think those brothers and sisters could be family? Whats wrong with laughing, whistling, clapping? I was there and I didnt hear any shrieking and the only people that chanted or sang were the performers...

I agree though, some sort of segregation would have been better...

And also, they were clapping to the adhaan??

Unless someone can actually say that they heard people clap after the Adhaan, it didnt happen, I was there, I didnt hear any...

think twice before making excuses for such apalling events.

Why was it appaling? Are you saying then that people like Zakir Naik attend appalling events?

but the clapping....!!!!

What about the clapping??

i mean bros and sis were sitting together even prayed in same room...dont think thats islamical

Yes they were sitting together in families, and why cant brothers and sisters pray in the same room?? I do think though they should have blocked the sisters off completely with a higher sheet...

but i heard it was a shamble and very disorganised

I assure you it wasnt...

salam
i didn't go to the event as soon as i found out that SAS will not be coming, the event was too political and i don't think the event was that good
wasalam

LOL, you didnt go because an Imam didnt come? Even though there were other scholars there? Anyway, why wasnt it that good??

was too political and there was nasheeds which i don't like

That doesnt make the event bad does it...

There was also a lot of bad stuff, ie clapping, freemixing etc.

I kinda agree as ive said about the freemixing, but clapping is bad??



Now then, what did I think? I thought it was a start, I thought it rather be positive than negative, has something on this scale ever been tried before, no it hasnt...

I agree, some sort of segregation would have been good, but clapping? Clapping isnt haraam...

I brought a non Muslim friend, and do you know what, he really enjoyed it, in fact, a non Muslim lady converted right there on the stage...

So all I say is to look at the good points aswell as the bad...

 

[Sahabiyaat]

i watched it all on t.v
it was EXCELLENT!

arrghh i wish i cuda been there
a classmate of mine did attend and made me very jealous by telling me just how amazing it was.

lol was funny wen the guy presenting it picked up that lil lost kid
and sed stuff like 'if u have lost a husband or a wife or a dear one plz go to such and such place' lol that cracked me up.

i missed doc zakir tho :-\ sob...

 

[Arwa]

I gorra agree.. It was really good masha'Allah.

 

[Sahabiyaat]

u went aswell ?

 

[TEH]

lol was funny wen the guy presenting it picked up that lil lost kidQUOTE]

That little kid was such cuteness...

:loving:

 

[Arwa]

Nopes. Watched it on TV

 

[Sahabiyaat]

oh i see


i know that kid was sooo cute
MashaAllah he was fat and fair
and he sounded so cute wen he sed helllooo into the mike
how much was he selling for 2,999..lol i wud have gladly bought him.

 

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace to you all,

Come on you guys there had to be more to the conference than a child finding service.

Did they come up with any suggestions as to how peace or unity might happen?

What do we have to do for peace and unity?

In the spirit of searching for peace with justice

Eric

 

[Far7an]

Assalamu alaikum

No segregation on the streets either, do you never go out? Did you ever think those brothers and sisters could be family?

Firstly leaving the house is a neccasity, attending such events is not. If you watched the programme on Islam Channel, you would have noticed, the camera at times was focused on the women. In case you didn't know, we should be lowering our gaze upon seeing the opposite gender. The same applies when we leave our houses. Maybe the families were sitting together, but since when was Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra related to the woman he was seated next to (I have nothing against the sheikh, but this is the easiest example I could give)

I was there and I didnt hear any shrieking and the only people that chanted or sang were the performers...

You mean, you were able to hear all 25, 000 who attended the event? During one of the performance of a naat he encouraged all "brothers and sisters" to join him. I do not remember his name, but the lyrics of the naat were...

my god and your god are the same
the paths are only different

Unless someone can actually say that they heard people clap after the Adhaan, it didnt happen, I was there, I didnt hear any...

Once the adhaan for 'Isha salah was over, there was clapping, to say it did not happen, is a lie, because I saw it, and heard it.

Why was it appaling? Are you saying then that people like Zakir Naik attend appalling events?

I am not making any comments in regards to the sheikh, if anything he brought back a little respect to the event.

What about the clapping??

Clapping isnt haraam...

Please refer to what the 'ulema have to say about this, and stop making rulings without 'ilm (knowledge)
http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=20047&dgn=4

We are trying to justify the events that took place, by saying some good came out of it? Allah tells in the Qur'an that there are also benefits to drinking alcohol, but the bad far outweighs the good, therefore it is forbidden.

Also please read the article by Yusuf Al Qardawi, titled..

Good Intentions Do Not Make the Haram Acceptable

Finally, I would like to leave you with the words of our beloved prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)..

"Every religion has a quality that is characteristic of that religion, and the characteristic of my religion is haya."

Did we get any feeling of haya from observing this event?

 

[- Qatada -]

Greetings and peace to you all,

Come on you guys there had to be more to the conference than a child finding service.

Did they come up with any suggestions as to how peace or unity might happen?

What do we have to do for peace and unity?

In the spirit of searching for peace with justice

Eric

hey eric, it came on islam channel (channel 837) i think.. on sky digital, you could have watched it. lol but its over now..

 

[ifi]

salaams

I went to the event and found it quite interesting and most of the speakers wer very good. i started a thread without knowing bout this one so mine is kinda pointless. yeh the seperation of men and women cud hav been done betta considering the size of the hall... it wudnt hav been hard keepin about 5 metre gap..... oh well atleast they can improve it 4 next year and i hope it continues 4 years to com.

i am sad to say but the guy above is rite in sayin ppl did clap after the 'Isha call to prayer. som ppl neva cease 2 amaze me.....

ok to conclude i thought the event was very good but had a few flaws.... but sayin that it was the first of its kind

Salaams

 

[Noor]

Did anyone of you who attended the conference write any notes down? If so, what was one piece of information that you thought was amazing? Who was your favourite speaker, and why? What points did you take home? What points do you think will benefit the members on this forum?

 

[TEH]

In case you didn't know, we should be lowering our gaze upon seeing the opposite gender. The same applies when we leave our houses. Maybe the families were sitting together, but since when was Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra related to the woman he was seated next to (I have nothing against the sheikh, but this is the easiest example I could give)

I agree with you, the camera should not have done that, and yes, brothers and sisters should not have been sitting together, if they were non mehram, but that doesnt make the event haraam, it makes the people sinful...

You mean, you were able to hear all 25, 000 who attended the event? During one of the performance of a naat he encouraged all "brothers and sisters" to join him. I do not remember his name, but the lyrics of the naat were...

my god and your god are the same
the paths are only different

Yes he did, did you hear anyone actually do it?? And whose lyrics were they??

Once the adhaan for 'Isha salah was over, there was clapping, to say it did not happen, is a lie, because I saw it, and heard it.

Well then, I apologise, for I did not hear it, then again, they were expressing their praise, that was all..

Please refer to what the 'ulema have to say about this, and stop making rulings without 'ilm (knowledge)
http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=en...QR=20047&dgn=4

That is one opinion bro, just as this,

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=7&CATE=30

is another. Perhaps it would have been better for you to ask me for a source than speaking without knowledge...

One more thing, the source that you gave also says that it could be disliked, and not haraam...

Also please read the article by Yusuf Al Qardawi, titled..

Bro, I dont disagree with you there, but like I said, I think there were more good points than you gave credit for...

Did we get any feeling of haya from observing this event?

My non Muslim friend who I brought with me, he said, I have never seen so many Niqaabis or Hijaabis in my life, and you know what, I agreed with him..

 

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace Akhee,

I am genuinely interested in unity and peace and even though I am a Christian I would still like to understand how unity can be approached through Islam.

I am more interested in interfaith friendships and relations and I had hoped that this would have been mentioned.

So far the comments about the conference have been to do with seating arrangements, lost children, applause and generalizations.

Like Noor says lets have some details.

Thank you TEH for this comment.

my God and your God are the same.
the paths are only different.

In the spirit of seeking interfaith friendships

Eric

 

[TEH]

Greetings and peace Akhee,

I am genuinely interested in unity and peace and even though I am a Christian I would still like to understand how unity can be approached through Islam.

I am more interested in interfaith friendships and relations and I had hoped that this would have been mentioned.

So far the comments about the conference have been to do with seating arrangements, lost children, applause and generalizations.

Like Noor says lets have some details.

Thank you TEH for this comment.

my God and your God are the same.
the paths are only different.

In the spirit of seeking interfaith friendships

Eric

Wo ho, dude, hold up, I did not say that, supposedly one of the artists did, and Im just waiting for Bro Farhan to tell me which...

 

[Muslimah81]

Salaams to all

I think like many, I have some positive and negative things to say about the global peace and unity event.

Negative Points:

The organisation of the prayer section for brothers and sisters was probably the most negative part of the event for me. Sisters were exposed to brothers whilst praying, 4ft screens were not sufficient as a barrier. The entrance for the prayer hall was narrow and as I was emerging after the maghrib prayer I was pushed into the crowd and suddenly found myself stuck between hundreds of brothers and not a single sister in sight! I felt so sick and disgusting because people were crushed against each other – Astagfirullah I must have bumped into atleast 50 brothers.

During one of the jamaats, whilst the imam was leading the prayer, sami yusufs musical nasheeds could be heard quite loudly in the background.

Food was charged at a colossal price.

I had to leave at 5.00 so after ALL that I missed the main attraction – which for me was Dr Zakir Naik.

When I left the conference, I was dissatisfied. I don’t know why, but I was expecting the same feeling when I left the jimaas conference earlier on this year! Then I realised it wasn’t really a spiritual Islamic event (i.e. learning about Tawhid, Islamic Fiq e.t.c). …..it was more a political event sprinkled with spiritually uplifting talks from muslims like yasir qadi and Zakir Naik.

Positive Points:

I seriously believe that things can only get better (Man! I sound like Tony Blair when he was promoting New Labour )

All credit due to Islam Channel for taking on such a master feat. It must have been near impossible to have anticipated all the logistical problems that occurred during this event. This was probably the biggest Muslim gathering in the UK ever attempted….so well done Islam channel.

Since it was promoted as a mainstream muslim event it was recognised and attended by politicians and other well known non muslims. So in some ways it felt like the Muslims in the Uk were actually being noticed and taken seriously for once!

Its not everyday that Muslims in the UK are surrounded by over 20,000 other Muslims.

Finally, it appears that those who watched the event live on TV enjoyed it more than those who were actually there! Next time I think I’ll be watching it from the couch inshaAllah.

Wa- alaikum salaam

 

[azim]

I agree with some of the comments about the clapping after Isha adhaan (I think it was because someone performed it on stage, as if its a performance) and disorgansation however as far as freemixing while sitting went, I did see whole blocks devoted to sisters (probably not intentionally but self-made by the sisters) and the same for the brothers. For the large part on families seemed to be mixed.

I'd say the source of most of these problems is that the scope was too broad, there were politicians, nasheed singers, lectures and scholars all in the same event. Thus you get a mix of people attending for different reasons and a bit of a haphazard event.

In support of the event however - like Sheikh Tariq Suwaidan said, our elders had a immigrant mentality coming to this country. We, as the later generation view this as our home, and we should spread the message and do things for our deen. I think this is one of the most important things the muslim youth need to hear.

The Global Unity and Peace Event was a first time event, it had problems but alhamdulillah it was a step forward. If you think 'this shouldnt have happened' or 'they should've done this' then instead of sitting, pointing out its problems saying this and that is haram, participate in helping the next event and make it better and more Islamic.

Alhamdulillah, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the UK - but in a survey done by the BBC recently, over 1/3 of people said they had no idea what Islam is about.

This 1/3 - about 18 million people - have NO IDEA about the message of Islam. How many of this 1/3 are muslims waiting to receive the message. Events like the Global Unity are the sort of things which spread this message. I was suprised by the amount of non-muslims I saw there, simply hearing of the event may prompt a non-muslim to investigate Islam.

I dont think anyone can rightfully say that the event wasnt a step in the right direction and inshallah we can do it again, even better and bigger next year.

 

[Umm Yoosuf]

I didn't go and didn't want to go either. Something just put me off it.

 

[Far7an]

Assalamu alaikum

but that doesnt make the event haraam, it makes the people sinful...

If a brother was assigned to seat A1, and a sister who is not related to him, to seat A2, surely the organisers are responsbile for this? The people did not have a choice as to wear they could be seated. Akhee said in a post, in the previous thread...

its funny cz the presenters gota keep remindin the people to get to their proper seats.

I am using this quote to support the fact, that each person had a seat which they were assigned to.

Yes he did, did you hear anyone actually do it?? And whose lyrics were they??

I would not have said it, if I had not heard or seen it myself. The naat was in urdu, and he later translated it into english. The naat singer was Najam Sheraz.

Well then, I apologise, for I did not hear it, then again, they were expressing their praise, that was all..

I am sure you are aware of the islamic ruling on praising someone, and ask yourself, is this kind of behaviour appropriate?

That is one opinion bro, just as this,

The fatwa you provided, actually advised against it....

As such, it would be best to avoid it. But given that most scholars have not considered it impermissible, it is not something one should normally correct others about, except through good, sincere advice.

If you feel, my naseehah was not appropriate, then I apologise, I am not arguing for the sake of it.

One more thing, the source that you gave also says that it could be disliked, and not haraam...

I did not say it was haraam.

Wo ho, dude, hold up, I did not say that, supposedly one of the artists did, and Im just waiting for Bro Farhan to tell me which...

From the above statement, you are implying that I made this up, I have provided the name of the artist, please read above.

Barakallahu feekum..

Once again, I would like to apologise if I have upset anyone with my comments, this is not what I intended.