The Tanzimat: Secular Reforms in the Ottoman Empire

Written by Faith Matters | 04 October 2011

Faith Matters is launching its paper that offers a brief insight into the secular reforms of the Ottoman Empire in order to analyse and debunk claims by extreme groups like Al Qaeda of it being an Islamic Caliphate, strictly governed by Shariah Law. The Ottoman Empire is often presented, by such groups as a model political system upon which to re-build a global Caliphate. Osama bin Laden marked the decline of the Ottoman Empire as the fall of Islam - that the Islamic world “has been tasting this humiliation and this degradation for more than 80 years” and that “the righteous Khilafah will return with the permission of Allah”. Through the implementation of an Islamic legal and political system, extreme groups who mis-use the beauty of Islam call for the rejection of liberal values and the current systems in place which do not fundamentally clash with Islam.

The report authored by Hussain offers a new challenge to these claims, arguing that the Ottoman Empire bares little resemblance to the model proposed by such groups. In focusing on the period known as the Tanzimat (1839-1876), Hussain shows that the Ottomans were in fact attempting to secularise their laws and state institutions rather than implementing religious laws into State laws.

Read more...

Mosques in the Community Project

Written by Faith Matters | 09 September 2011

Faith Matters undertook the fieldwork and write up on the 'Mosques in the Community' programme which was conducted on behalf of MINAB (the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board). This report builds good practice and ensures that mosques become not just institutions but living parts of their local communities, thereby ensuring that they play constructive civic roles. There are a number of recommendations made in this report which touch upon (i) Communication and inclusion (ii) Governance (iii) The role of Muslim faith leaders / imams (iv) Operational delivery in mosques (v) Relations with local authorities and (vi) Engaging with civil society organisations. We hope that mosques, mosque executive committees and imams find the recommendations practical and deliverable.

It is really hoped that this report can begin some of the discussions about how such institutions can play greater outreach roles in what will be a difficult economic climate over the next few years. We all have core responsibilities in that journey and in realising that we all have local social responsibilities to each other and for the common good.

Click image above or here to download the document.

Sikh and Muslim Media Monitoring Project

Written by Faith Matters | 27 June 2011

The Sikh and Muslim Media Monitoring group regularly meets in Ealing and has been looking at key themes that have included (i) the EDL and its attempts to drive a wedge between Muslim and Sikh communities in England (ii) Outreach by the EDL towards Black and Minority Ethnic communities in order to promote the false image that they are not racist (iii) the need to counter stereotypical statements within Sikh and Muslim press sources against each community (iv) the need to find ways of coming together and working on social projects against those who seek to divide.

The project has also scanned for blogs that incite hatred between both communities and has actively fed this information into a group of Muslim and Sikh social activists who have ensured that such material is countered with facts rather than innuendos and stereotypes that such blogs make.

The Our Faiths and Our Shared Futures Booklet

Written by Faith Matters | 20 April 2011

The Our Faiths and Our Shared Futures Booklet is an extension of the work that was initially conducted in the Midlands (Derby) and which was also carried out in the London Boroughs of Haringey, Enfield and Barnet. The booklet involved discussions on scriptural texts by religious leaders in the boroughs and with young people inputting into the content and the design of the booklet. All of the work involved local people and local organisations and fits under both the Big Society and Preventing Extremism agendas.

Discussions on (i) respect for diversity (ii) the protection of life and (iii) countering extremism have been included within the local contexts of the three London Boroughs. We hope that this booklet makes a useful addition to the learning materials for your work around communities learning to live side by side and working for the common good in areas.

Click here or image (left) to download the booklet.

Please note: this is a large file and may not open straight away on slow connections.