Fajr prayers - planning rejection

unfortunately the council has refused permission for us to use the centre at 123 headlands to perform Fajr prayers as it is outside the permitted hours of use (9am till 12am), even though when granting the original application they were aware the centre was to be used as place of worship and that there would be a requirement for access at Fajr times.

we cannot ignore any issues raised by neighbours in terms of inconvenience caused by people arriving and leaving at dawn, and we have tried to accomodate their concerns by changing the jamaat times and keeping the noise down to a minimum. inshaAllah we will continue to apply for permission (currently we are continuing to attend for fajr prayers as we are allowed to under the planning process).

also this is a good time for the local muslims to consider the importance of patience when faced with any hardship

Allah Subhanawataala says in the Quran:

“Nay, seek (Allah’s) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit, Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and that they are to return to Him. ” [Quran 2:45-46]

once could use this as an opportunity to become even more regular in one's salat, especially with jamaat at the Centre. for therin lies the path to success in this world and the next.

The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is no affliction which strikes the Muslim except that
 Allah expiates with it (sins), even with a thorn that may poke him.” (Bukhaaree & Muslim)


taken from the ET today:

A muslim group has said it will appeal after plans to open a community centre for dawn prayers were rejected.

Kettering Muslim Association had applied to change one of the conditions for 123 Headlands, in Kettering, after it was given permission to convert a house into a community centre.

The group wanted to be able to open for Fajr – morning prayer – which must be recited from dawn until sunrise.

A list of sunrise times was submitted to Kettering Council, with the earliest time for sunrise on June 20 at 4.39am.

At the moment the centre closes between midnight and 9.30am and Kettering Muslim Association said usually only about six people would use the centre for morning prayer.

But Kettering Council has decided to turn down the application, saying the condition was imposed to protect the amenity of occupiers of neighbouring properties.

A report by officers stated: "Its removal would allow activity associated with the permitted use during the early hours of the morning, and enable the daily arrival and departure of people in vehicles as early as 4am and before 6pm, for more than half of the year. Such use, even at low levels of activity would produce unacceptable noise disturbance to occupiers of nearby residential properties."

Kettering Muslim Association chairman Imran Shuja said: "The community is very disappointed and feels let down by the council in not allowing them to practise the basic requirement of their faith as practised by communities in most towns and cities in the country.

"We offered a very fair compromise by delaying the prayers to the last possible moment, something the members were happy to go along with within the interest of community cohesion, and now feel somewhat rejected.

"We will consider our options and continue with our aims of providing a centre that is of benefit to local Muslims and other communities, for which we're extremely grateful for the support we have received, especially from other faith groups in the town."

Home is where the Heart is

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29205195@N02/sets/72157612943348645/

series of photos of the remains of a refugee camp in Gaza.

words are not needed.

may Allah grant them mercy.

in the words of one of the photographers, borrowing from Martin Luther King...

'In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends'.

masalaam.

free press.

Salaams

edit : @14:08 BBC are reporting that ITV will show the appeal ad. although having checked the ITV website, no mention of it on their homepage or news page. how odd.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7848673.stm

they think people are just being paranoid when they talk about pro zionist conspiracies and the influence on the media of the Israeli / jewish lobby. would never happen here would it....

you can make a complaint to the BBC using this link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/complaints_stage1.shtml

- this article on medialens summarises the situation very well:
http://www.medialens.org/alerts/index.php

MAKE THAT COMPLAINT.

(from the press association):

>Veteran politician Tony Benn will accuse the BBC of a "betrayal" of its public service obligations following its decision not to broadcast a public appeal for funds for Gaza.

He will address a pro-Palestine rally called by the Stop the War coalition outside Broadcasting House in central London.

The former Labour MP and Stop the War president will say: "The decision of the BBC to refuse to broadcast a national humanitarian appeal for Gaza, which has left aid agencies with a potential shortfall of millions of pounds in donations, is a betrayal of the obligation which it owes as a public service.

"The destruction in Gaza, and the loss of the lives of over a thousand civilians and children, has shocked the world as Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki Moon, made clear, when he saw the devastation for himself.

"The human suffering that the people of Gaza have experienced over the last few weeks has appalled people who have seen it for themselves on their television screens.

"To deny the help that the aid agencies and the UN need at this moment in time is incomprehensible and it follows the bias in BBC reporting of this crisis, which has been widely criticised.

"I appeal to the chairman of the BBC Trust to intervene to reverse this decision to save the lives of those who are now in acute danger of dying through a lack of food, fuel, water and medical supplies."

The Disasters Emergency Committee - which brings together several major aid charities - wanted to run TV and radio appeals to help raise cash to assist people in need of food, shelter and medicines as a result of Israel's military action in the Palestinian enclave.

Similar appeals have been aired during previous humanitarian emergencies, raising millions of pounds from the British public. But the BBC, ITV and Sky have said they will not show the appeal.

The BBC said it is concerned about compromising public confidence in its impartiality in the context of a conflict which has sparked fierce debate. And the Corporation also raised questions about the delivery of aid to Gaza in the current volatile condition<<<

hope and reason

Salaams

I was speaking to a brother from Kettering yesterday and he was telling me about a conversation he just had with a relative in Gaza. A Doctor, and how the people in Gaza literally were walking around in a state, with the feeling that they could be killed any second.

Thought about that whilst watching newsnight and seeing the white phosphorous being used on civilian compounds. (for those that dont know phosphorous burns right thru the skin and flesh to the bone and its fire cant be treated with water as it release toxic fumes - its illegal to use against civilians - the US and UK wont complain as they use it in Iraq)...

what we are seeing is not just chemical warfare but an overall strategy of psychological terror - which no amount of food parcels or tents will fix.
'

ma'salaam.

the truth is out there......somewhere

lead story from NY times regarding Gaza today: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/14/world/middleeast/14mideast.html?ref=world

you have to go some way down the story before any mention at all of Palestinian civilian casualties...and no mention of continued Israeli shelling during their own declared stoppages for aid....

yet you have the big photo at the top of the destroyed house, and then all the commentary is about IDF casualties and unsupported Israeli claims, it is bizarre.

also did a search for this story (from the BBC) - and no mention of it in the mainstream US press, which is odd considering it concerns Christian Aid.

>>The charity Christian Aid says a clinic for mothers and babies in Gaza, which it funds along with the EU, has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike.

The clinic, which was run by the Near East Council of Churches, was struck by a missile after a 15-minute warning was sent to the building's owners.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of medical equipment was destroyed by the strike, which happened on Saturday. <<< http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7825215.stm

(photo from Christian Aid)

Kettering Demonstration For Gaza

link to press coverage: http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Kettering-protest-calls-for-end.4864319.jp

(there were more than 70 there, and a photo showing the crowd would have been better, as well as some more comment...but it could have been worse, it will be interesting to see if there is any editorial, or if they get leaned on by 3rd parties to change the tone of the coverage)....

the battle of badr

this is taken from Islamonline.net

(think it is especially relevant at the moment, with the different voices - some calling for direct action, others for political / economic courses and some for prayers) . suhel.

>>http://www.islamonline.net/English/Ramadan/1425/HopeSpringsEternal/Ramadan%20Victories/11.shtml

All Muslims are touched and their hearts are bleeding for what is going on in the Islamic world today. We all have painful memories of the cruel scenes of the occupation in one Islamic state and the usurpation of another one, and the carnages carried out in a third. Whenever we remember any of such many painful scenes, our hearts grieve, our eyes shed tears, and our sense of responsibility towards our religion increases. However, some of us are content with the feelings of pity and sympathy and the shedding of tears, doing nothing else; whereas some others keep trying and endeavoring to reinstate the Muslim nation’s status and restore its might and honor. Yet, such devoted believers lack a successful approach to the laws and signs of Almighty Allah in this universe, and fall short of the crucial requirements of victory such as learning the lessons of history, fulfilling the prerequisites for victory, and, most importantly, becoming true believers.

On remembering the great Battle of Badr, we need to pinpoint the attributes of those victorious warriors who were in truth believers, and try hard to realize these attributes, heart and soul, and practically apply them to our lives. These glorious attributes of the true believers can be summarized in the following phrases from the first verses of Surat Al-Anfal:

* They keep their duty to Allah.
* They adjust the matter of their difference.
* They obey Allah and His Messenger.
* Their hearts feel fear when Allah is mentioned.
* When the Revelations of Allah are recited to them, they increase in faith.
* They trust in their Lord.
* They establish Prayers.
* They spend of what Allah has bestowed on them.

When we realize these attributes, we will deserve to be among those [who are in truth believers. For them are grades (of honor) with their Lord, and pardon, and a bountiful provision] (Al-Anfal: 4). Only then do we become worthy of Allah’s support and help. Almighty Allah says: [When ye sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): “I will help you with a thousand of the angels, rank on rank.” Allah appointed it only as good tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh only by the help of Allah. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise. When he made the slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from Him and sent down water from the sky upon you, that thereby He might purify you, and remove from you the fear of Satan, and make strong your hearts and firm (your) feet thereby. When thy Lord inspired the angels, (saying:) “I am with you. So make those who believe stand firm. I will throw fear into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Then smite the necks and smite of them each finger”] (Al-Anfal: 9-12).

The attributes of the true believers are so clear now, but who will apply and stick to them?

The Muslim nation is waiting for those [who are in truth believers] and when they come, victory will be achieved, for Allah says: [Allah appointed it only as good tidings, and that your hearts thereby might be at rest. Victory cometh only by the help of Allah. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise] (Al-Anfal: 10).

In fact, the Battle of Badr was witnessed by those who are in truth believers so let the members of this Muslim nation follow in their footsteps and be among those who are in truth believers.