Baby joy for Professor Abul Kalam!

Professor Abul Kamal from Jamiatul Ummah and his wife have been blessed with a beautiful, healthy and bouncing baby daughter - Nawsheen Azad- on Wednesday 27th December 2006. The baby and her mother are so far fine, Alhamdulillah. They are now at home. Professor Kalam requests prayers for the baby and her mum.

The Editor and readers of this blog would like to send best wishes and prayers and Eid Mubarak to Professor Kalam and his family during this joyous period.

EID MUBARAK!

EID MUBARAK!

Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rehmatullahe Wa barakaatuh

Brothers & Sisters in Islam

May the Angels be your constant Companions.

May Happiness, love and contentment surround you every day,

May the Nur of the Qur'an fill your heart and soul,

May we increase in righteous actions & do good deeds sincerely for Allah Alone.

May Beauty and harmony,

Unity in the Ummah and

Peace in the Dunyah prevail.

Eid Mubarak

Anan visits Egypt...

I went to Egypt on the 29th March. I went with my parents and my mum friends and her daughters and their dad. First I visited Cairo. At Cairo I did lots of stuff like going to the mosque and went to a museum and in the museum I saw statues and a model of a pyramid. There was a mummy inside the glass and there were stones for jewellery behind the glass so they don't fall out the glass. The looked nice and it was painted with glass paint. There were carpets that were decorated. At Giza I rode camels and the one I was sitting on was a grey camel. I saw three pyramids and one of them was a step pyramid. There was a tour guide that liked me then he let me sit on a horse.

I went to pizza hut to eat. I saw a garden with different kind of flowers. People were knitting mats and some people fixing the wall then we went to Luxor. In Luxor we went on a boat trip on the River Nile. We visited the valley of kings and Queens, then we went to banana island and I had one of the bananas from the tree. I went swimming with my mum's friend daughter every day I really enjoyed myself in Egypt. I came back home on the 8th April.

Carrom tournament update

Dear All,

Please join us to watch the final matches of Carrom Men's Double and Carrom Mix Doubles organized by Bangladesh Indoor Sports Tournament 2006.

Venue:

Jefferson Park Community Room
1 Jackson Place
Cambridge, MA 02140

Click Here for directions...

This is a different venue than our usual venue but very close from the previous venue. For any question regarding venue, feel free to contact
Kazi Nuruzzaman (617) 905-9562
Rezaul Karim (617) 547-6129

Date: December 31, 2006

Match Fixtures:

Final Match of Men's Double

Obaid & Babu Vs. Mohsin & Alvi

Time: 03:00 PM

Final Match of Mix Double
Babu & Poly Vs. Sahab Chowdhury & Samiha
Time: 05:30 PM

Also please be invited to an award ceremony which will be held on January 06, 2007. On the same day we will have final match of Men's Single.

Feel free to reply for any kind of quesiton, feedback and/or comment.

Thank You,

Mohammad Khan

On behalf of Tournament Committee
Bangladesh Indoor Sports Tournament 2006

A man of God?

Not everyone can pull of the label 'A true man of God.' Nazir Ali should do all true Christians a favour by crawling back down into the hole he just came out of... along with those sanctioning/backing his comments. I will personally be asking what the Reverand Allan Green (Chair of Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum)for his opinion on this...

Radio legend Mike "the king" Dickin dies in crash

Talksport phone-in host Mike Dickin, known to listeners as "The King", has died in a road accident in Cornwall. READ full story...

History of religion

Click HERE. Very short, very interesting...

Cultivasion

Thursday 11th January 2007, 10.15-16.00, Vaughan Jeffries Lecture Theatre, Education Building, University of Birmingham

10:20 Registration

10:50 Chairman’s opening comments

11:00 Keeping the faith: should we be delegating politics to God?
- Examining the role of religious schools in society
- Are we breeding a generation of religious androids?
- Lost souls: the radicalisation of religion
- Are community faith leaders destroying our communities?

Moderator:
Dolan Cummings, Research Director, Institute of Ideas

Panellists:

Salma Yaqoob, Vice Chair, Respect Party
Philip Bond, Professor of Theology, Lancaster University
Gurjeet Kaur, Editor, The Sikh Times

12:00 Rooting apathy out: is it time for a new grassroots political revolution?
- Who cares about political apathy?
- Examining whether “Gandhigiri” could work in the 21st century
- Should political power and authority be completely devolved to local communities?
- Student politics: is it more about “open all hours” than open minds?

Moderator:
Munira Mirza, Freelance Journalist

Panellists:
Ruqayyah Collector, Black Students Officer, NUS
Dr Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi, St Philips Centre for Study & Engagement

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Charity starts at home: Do minority ethnic communities care about development work?
- International development work: is it a white man’s burden?
- Make Poverty History campaign”: guilty conscience or genuine political activism
- Should third world debt be kept to the third world?

Panellists:
Ceri Dingle, Director, WORLDwrite
Kofi Mawuli Klu, Joint Coordinator, Rendezvous for Victory
Audrey Miller, Director, Jubilee Debt Campaign
Ruth Thompson, Campaigner, Oxfam

15:00 “Racist relations: we should all stick to our own kind”
- Lifting the veil on inter-community racism
- Is it simply a game of economics that shapes and divides communities?
- Neighbourhood watch: does anyone care about community cohesion?
- Backyard politics: why the government should keep its nose out?

Moderator:
Matab Khan, (New Style Community Radio (Birmingham)

Panellists:
Ted Cantle, Associate Director, IDeA
Joy Warrington, Director, BRAP
Karen Chouhan, Executive Director, The 1990 Trust
Lee Jasper, Senior Policy Advisor, GLA
Tahir Abbas, Director, Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Culture, Birmingham University

16:00 Chairman’s closing conclusions

16:05 Networking drinks

17:00 Close of conference

Attendance is FREE but requires registration. Please confirm your attendance by emailing CultivAsian via: email:Conference Registration Enquiry
Tel: Vik on 07956 341375

The 1990 Trust: email: ruhul@blink.org.uk
Tel: Ruhul on 07908 750748

Mayor receives Professor Faruque

Professor Omar Faruque The Author of the book; Bangladeshi Expatriates in Britain recieves a crest from the Mayor of Tower Hamlets Councillor Shafiqul Haque. Professor Faruque was lauded at a reception Ceremony arranged om his behalf on 21/12/06 in the Mayor's parlour in London. Guests included Councillor Abdul Asad,Councillor Rofique U Ahmed, Al Hajj Shamsujjaman Choudhury; Chairman of Madani Development Foundation, Media Secretary of Jamiat ulama Islam Europe; Hafiz Syed Naem Ahmed and Junaid Choudhury.

'What would happen if the Virgin Mary came to Bethlehem today?'

Johann Hari on the plight of pregnant women in the West Bank, where babies are dying needlessly
Published: 23 December 2006

In two days, a third of humanity will gather to celebrate the birth pains of a Palestinian refugee in Bethlehem - but two millennia later, another mother in another glorified stable in this rubble-strewn, locked-down town is trying not to howl.

http://news.independent.co.uk/appeals/indy_appeal/article2097790.ece

Wor Shahin Badar Scoops Channel S Award

On 17th December Shahin Badar was awarded the prestigious community award in the music catgory By channel S. This is the second year running Shahin has won this award. "A wonderful way to end the year and start another InshaAllah" she beamed. "The award was for my contribution of works in the mainstream over the years, there were other successful people who too were awarded from all professional categories, all very high profile achievers .I was very proud of the bengali community ,proud of the achievers and also that channel s took the time out to recognise talents within the british Bengali community" she added.
Guests in attendance included Baronness uddin, Dr.Fazul Mahmood and the chairman of Channel S, Mahi Jalil.

Shahin took time out to wish all readers "a fab new year and may all your wishes come true my duas are with you always."

Double celebration for Abdul Ahad

Pride of Bangladesh, Author Abdul Ahad and Mrs Ahad have just received a double whammy blessing of twins... on his birthday. Below is a message. Pics to follow soon...

Salams Emdad bhai, hope everything's going well for you and your family. I just wanted to let you know that my wife gave birth to twin babies on my birthday last week, inshallah. Details are on the first blog at the top of my page on Myspace:-

http://www.myspace.com/aa_spaceagent

I would be grateful for your du'aa for us that our babies make it. They are about 3 months premature, so we are praying that they will make it through to normal, healthy youngsters over time, inshallah.

Wishing you and your family all my very best,

Abdul Ahad

To win a signed copy of Abdul Ahad's book please visit: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=66837154&blogID=198766359&MyToken=ec567a8a-206b-473e-98cf-0bf3d116d944

LOCAL COMMUNITY FIGURE IS AWARDED MBE

Bashir Ahmed, Manager of the Walsall Housing Regeneration Agency has been awarded an MBE for his work within the Community in Walsall and Neighbourhood Wardens.

Bashir was awarded the medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June and collected the honour in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November. Bashir has been actively working in the Walsall community for many years as the Manager of Walsall Housing Regeneration Agency, which manages the award winning Walsall Neighbourhood Wardens.

Through his work with the wardens he was appointed as a ‘Champion of Wardens’ by the then Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions’ (DTLR) Neighbourhood Renewal Unit in 2002, then shortly after in 2003, was awarded the manager of the year title at the National Wardens Conference. Bashir won his award for the time and dedication given to running and expanding the Wardens scheme in Walsall.

In the last three years Bashir has also successfully set up and managed the thriving West Midlands Wardens and Neighbourhood Resource Centre, a source of information, advice, training and support to around 60 Neighbourhood warden schemes who are actively working to combat crime and Anti – Social Behaviour.

“All of us who work with Bashir are immensely proud of this public recognition of his tireless work in creating and developing the highly successful regional Wardens Resource Centre, one of the first in the country and now a model of best practice,” says Chris Handy, Chief Executive of Accord Housing Association, “Countless local communities and neighbourhoods have benefited from the inspirational work he and his colleagues have carried out at the Centre to train and support their wardens.”

If you would like to contact the wardens or obtain any more information on what wardens are doing in your area please contact Rhona Gudgin, Wardens co-ordinator on 0121 568 7070.

First Bangladeshi Community School to get State funding

Consultation Meeting 16th December 2006 5:00 pm @ Madani Girls School

Madani Girls School is an independent secondary Girls School in Tower Hamlets. The school promotes moral, academic and professional excellence in a caring and secure Islamic environment, and we seek to provide opportunities for the fullest realisation of our children’s potential, so that they are better equipped to meet the challenges of adult life.
The School was founded in September 1991 with 17 students at 38 Cannon Street Road, within four years we moved to a new site nearby at 15/17 Rampart Street to accommodate the growing student population. In 2001 with a population of 88 students we moved to our current site at Myrdle Street, a fifteen and a half thousand square meter site formerly occupied by Grenfell Primary School.
The work of the school has evolved since the 1990s in response to the needs of young adult females from the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets. The most satisfying aspect of the work of the school has been to oversee the development of a curriculum and approach to education designed to meet the social, educational and religious aspirations of young Muslim women in Tower Hamlets, and becoming the highest achieving school within Tower Hamlets. As well as providing a comprehensive secondary education within an Islamic framework, the school also offers educational, religious and leisure services to young Muslim women in Tower Hamlets, the School’s community projects serve young people from five years of age to twenty one. Madani is uniquely the only independent Muslim secondary girls school in Tower Hamlets, its female only environment provides a safe and comfortable social space for young women to come and realize their full potential.
In September 2006 the Department for Education (DfES) updated its handbook1 (under section 28 [new primary school] or 28A [new secondary school] which outlines 11 steps the promoters of an existing independent Muslim school needs to go through to join the maintained sector. It also offers guidelines for all interested parties including the Local Authority and provides a framework for action. From 1st September 2006 new provisions have been introduced which require local authorities to run a competition and invite proposals for a new secondary school, except where the Secretary of State has granted consent for the publication of proposals.
Madani Girls School was advised by the Department for Education (DfES) through the Association of Muslim Schools UK (AMSUK) to seek exemption from such a competition within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Accordingly an application has been sent to the Secretary of State for permission to publish proposals for Madani Girls School to join the maintained sector as Madani Girls VA School.
The school is currently seeking support, advice and comments about plans to re-designate the present independently funded Madani Girls School into a two form entry denominational secondary girls’ voluntary aided school within the mainstream education system.
The Trustees and Governors of the school strongly felt that members of the community in Tower Hamlets there should be an opportunity to have a detailed discussion on the proposal. Therefore the Trustees held a consultation meeting on 16th December 2006 5:00pm at Madani Girls School. Food and refreshments was be provided.
Various Ulema from East London attended the event. Speeches we given by the following scholars who had were involved in educational institutes in East London:
Mufti Umair Zulfiqar-Cityside Primary
Hafiz Zubiar - Imam Zakaria Academy
Moulana Sharif - Al Falah Primary
A speech and answers to questions were given by the General Secretary of Madani Girls School, Altaf Hussain JP.
All those who participated at the meeting believed that the schools commitment to greater community cohesion and meeting the needs of young people in Tower Hamlets will be strengthened by Madani Girls School entering the state funded education sector.

Labour hits back on Respect/SWP Strip Club Slur

Tower Hamlets Labour Group has now twice agreed policy seeking to investigate the more effective use of the Council’s discretionary powers to regulate strip clubs, in meetings both before and subsequent to the meeting of the Full Council on Wednesday 13th December 2006. Councillor Denise Jones, Labour Leader of the Council, had agreed before the meeting of Full Council to meet with Respect/SWP councillor, Rania Khan to seek a cross-party approach to the issue and will also meet local campaigner, Mr. Michael Collins, to listen to his views in order to take this issue forward.

The Council takes a robust approach to establishments using strip tease as a form of entertainment. Up to now, we have used the limited scope available to us to restrict the range or what comes to the borough and have taken matters to court where necessary. Unlike most other local authorities there are no sex shops or sex cinemas in Tower Hamlets due to the strong policy of the Council.

Throughout of Full Council meeting, Labour councillors were subjected to constant and aggressive verbal abuse by Respect/Socialist Worker Party (SWP) councillors. If the meeting had not been subject to frequent disruption, in particular by Respect councillors and Respect members in the public gallery, it may have been possible to have debated the motion. If this had happened, subject to an amendment to specify who should undertake the suggested investigation, the Labour councillors would have unanimously backed the motion. The Labour councillors at the meeting only voted against repeated procedural motions by Respect/SWP, which would have put at risk agreeing important and urgent debates on issues of critical importance including Crossrail, gambling and extensive works to the Docklands Light Railway.

The Labour Group has now submitted a motion to the next meeting of Full Council (28 February 2006) which outlines a clear strategy to deal with this issue of strip clubs. A motion unanimously backed by the Labour councillors and one which is more wide ranging and pro-active than the approach suggested by Respect/SWP.

Labour Leader, Cllr. Denise Jones (pictured)said:

“The Labour Group offered to work with Respect/SWP in a spirit of co-operation on an issue which concerns many local people. It is a shame that such a desire to work together was undermined through Respect/SWP seeking to use the issue as a political football. The Labour Group has been absolutely clear on its approach to the licensing of strip clubs, and on listening to the views of local people. By suggesting otherwise, Respect/SWP are deliberately causing undue concern and upset for residents across the borough.”

There will be a Tower Hamlets Labour Group Press Conference tonight at 18:30 at the Shahjalal Community Centres, 83 Duckett Street, E1.

Poem: Sweet Liverpool

Liverpool win three on the trot
Eleven goals, wow they're hot

A poor phase, followed by a blistering streak
Now can we keep it going week after week

We can go places say's Rafa the Sage
As the form book declines before the turn of the page

Losing streak hits home as the Reds are overturned
Normal service resumed as far as I'm concerned

Istanbul brilliance, consistency we rue
Oh Liverpool we love you

(c) Emdad Rahman - www.footballpoets.org

FL WEB HOST ASKED TO DROP 'KILL ALL MUSLIM KIDS' SITE

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/fl_web_host_asked_to_drop_kill_all_muslim_kids_site/0012276

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/fl_web_host_asked_to_drop_kill_all_muslim_kids_site/0012276

http://www.hernandotoday.com/MGBJE0LJ4VE.html

http://www.cairfl.org/tampa/images/rwh/rightwinghowler-kill-all-muslim-kids01.jpg

BGTC pupils rewarded for regular school attendance

Thanks to Mark Perryman at www.philosophyfootball.com

Moves grow to give Brick Lane a Tube station

A SENIOR councillor has called for transport bosses to celebrate the
diversity of the East End by changing the name of Aldgate East underground
station to Brick Lane.

Labour's Cllr Abdal Ullah (pictured) believes the move would boost both the morale of
the area and be a boon for tourism. He flagged up his idea at last Wednesday's Tower Hamlets council cabinet meeting and wants the change to come ahead of the 2012 London
Olympics.

Some believe the costs would be prohibitive, but Cllr Ullah said he had been told that London Underground was due to revamp their signs and maps in 2011 anyway.

But during his question time at the London Assembly yesterday, Mayor Ken Livingstone said that if there was 'widespread demand' for the proposal then London Underground would look into it.

Cllr Ullah said: "That would be an ideal time to make the change. What greater way could there be than to celebrate the cultural diversity and the rich history of immigration in the Brick Lane area than to name a Tube station after it in the year before the Olympics.

"It's an incredibly popular destination for both Londoners and tourists, but many people have trouble finding it on a transport map because there's no Tube station."

Pre-empting concerns he was interfering with London history, he said: "Aldgate station is named after an historic area, but Aldgate East doesn't have those links.

"Brick Lane is far more identifiable."

Please Vote by Visiting

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk

Stranger in the Dark

Written by a Muslim brother, for a nationwide essay competition in Canada. Needless to say, he took the first prize.)

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Bilal, five years my senior, was my example. Fatimah, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play big brother' and develop the art of teasing.

My parents were complementary instructors- Mom taught me to love the word of Allah, and Dad taught me to obey it.

But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries, and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it.

He knew about the past, understood the present, and seemingly could predict the future. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Bilal, and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several movie stars The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind but sometimes Mom would quietly get up while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places, go to her room, and read her Qur'an and pray. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave.

You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this
stranger never felt an obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house-not for some of us, from our friends, or adults.

Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that turned my ears and made Dad squirm. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home, as good Muslims should. But the
stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.

He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much, too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that the
stranger influenced my early concepts of the man-woman relationship.

As I look back, I believe it was the grace of Allah that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents.

Yet, he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Wangee Road. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents' den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

His name you ask? We called him TV.

Press conference - Stop this descent into sleaze!

George Galloway and Respect’s group of councillors in Tower Hamlets are holding an emergency media briefing following the disgraceful decision by New Labour councillors this week to prevent criticism in the council of the sleazy strip club operators who are spreading like a virus through the borough. New Labour voted down moves to discuss a motion on halting the spread of these unsavoury “clubs”. Respect has not only received a huge number of complaints from residents at the proliferation of these degrading clubs, we have also amassed compelling evidence that the council is failing to use its planning and licensing powers effectively to stop their spread.

Monday we see the launch of a major campaign to clean up the borough and prevent it from being turned into a sexist peep show for sleazy City spivs.

Galloway and the councillors will also be hitting back at a disgraceful Newsnight piece on Tuesday of this week that claimed that Bengali people in Tower Hamlets are refusing to learn English and are relying on translation services to live “separate lives”. We will be highlighting scandalous cuts at Tower Hamlets College, which will savage the provision of English teaching. Respect’s representatives will be explaining how they intend both to put the record straight and to campaign for language provision for all.

Pic after completion of half marathon

In aid of Lansbury Lawrence After School Club Xmas Party. Amazing that these kids did not get a penny from the borough for a festive party...If you want to help, get in touch with me...

IHRC statement in response to Andy Hayman’s comments

In response to Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman’s comments today, IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh stated:

“The policy of stop and search without reason or suspicion has only lead to racial/religious profiling which has alienated entire communities.”

“Now that even Britain’s most senior anti-terror police officers are publicly recognising the inherent flaws of this policy, IHRC repeats its call for the repeal of section 44 stop and search and other elements of the anti-terror laws.”

For more information please contact (+44) 20 8904 4222, or (44) 7958 522196 or email:info@ihrc.org

KICK IT OUT PROJECT OFFICER

If you are enterprising, committed to equalities and inclusion, and have a knowledge of the administration of sport you may be the person we are looking for.

Kick It Out is seeking a temporary project officer to work with us on a variety of projects for four months from next January (2007).

For full details read the Job Description and Person Specification on our website.

http://www.kickitout.org/files/Temp%20Project%20Officer%20JD.doc
http://www.kickitout.org/files/Temp%20Project%20Officer%20skills%20sets.doc
To apply, download the application form from our website and post or fax to Alison Vaughan by 5pm December 13.

http://www.kickitout.org/files/KIO%20application%20form.pdf

Interviews will take place on the morning of the 19 December.

Send completed forms to:

Alison Vaughan
Campaigns Manager
Kick It Out
Unit 3
1-4 Christina Street
London, EC2A 4PA

Fax: 020 7684 4885

A Call for peace...

Intelligence test

A South American scientist from Argentina, after a lengthy study, has discovered that
people with very low intelligence read with their hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

Voices', discussion chat show for Muslim women on channel 791

Watch 'Voices', the discussion chat show for Muslim women on channel 791, Bangla TV, live on Tuesday 7.30pm.

We aim to chit chat over coffee - in front of cameras of course! - on a whole host of issues ranging from how to guide our youth, the pressures of being beautiful, to the infamous problem of dealing with in laws!

This week we will be looking at a continuing problem within the Bangladeshi and Asian community of how women are viewed and treated. Does certain aspects of Bangladeshi culture deem women to be l ower status? If so, what does this mean? How do women in the community feel about this?

Tune in this Tuesday, 7.30pm to join the debate!

Flamengo's greatest ever triumph...beating Liverpool in 1981...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_football/6167955.stm

New Labour Council Loves Large Casino Proposal

Newham Respect is appalled but not surprised that yet again Newham council has not consulted with residents about a proposal for a large casino to be built in Newham. The Mayor and Labour Cllr's confirmed that they support the application for the building of the proposed casino as they rejected the motion proposed by the CPA at this month's council meeting which called for the casino application to be withdrawn.

Respect Cllr Abdul Karim Sheikh said, "Community Forums are one of the many ways that the council can consult with residents about important issues that may have an impact on the quality of life for Newham residents. Yet Newham council has still not consulted with residents about plans to build a large casino at one of three sites in Newham. At this month's council meeting the Mayor kept trying to confuse the casino issue with the consultation that was already carried out over the council's proposed gambling policy. The proposed casino and the gambling policy are two different matters so the Mayor should stop trying to mislead the council and residents in order to cover up the lack of consultation over the large casino issue."

Newham Respect believes that Newham already has avenues of gambling like bingo clubs and betting shops, so there is no value in building a casino that may add to the potential problems associated with gambling addiction. Newham's Mayor Sir Robin Wales should stop thinking purely about profit and start thinking more about Newham's people.

Bangladesh Indoor Sports Tournament

Dear All,


The final match and award ceremony of Bangladesh Indoor Sports Tournament will be occurred
on January 06, 2007
at 56 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA

We will sent another email with detail information when we will have them available.


Thank you,

Mohammad Khan

On behalf of
Tournament Committee
Bangladesh Indoor Sports Tournament 2006

Lansbury Lawrence After School Club Xmas Appeal

Thought I'd lend a hand to my buddy Michelle who does a fantastic job co-ordinating the club. There are approximatewly 50 service users and no xmas party unless I run. Parties on the fifteenth. If you would like to donate some spare dosh, please email me. Next week I run for the Muslim Womens Helpline...

http://icthewharf.icnetwork.co.uk/thewharf/letters/tm_headline=party-cash-needed&method=full&objectid=18181013&siteid=71670-name_page.html

Back by popular demand...

Euro Champs: Hairs on end time...

THE GREATEST TEAM IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM !!!

Investigation to be launched into racist article in ultra-orthodox magazine

Report, Adalah, 7 December 2006

In a letter received by Adalah on 23 November 2006, the State Prosecutor's Office in Israel announced that a criminal investigation for racial incitement into the publication of an article in Issue 160 of the ultra-orthodox Hassidic World magazine will be launched.

Adalah Attorney Abeer Baker sent a complaint to the Attorney General on 23 August 2006, demanding the opening of an immediate investigation on the grounds that that the article, written by Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, contains racist statements and opinions which constitute incitement against Arabs in general and Muslims in particular.

The article, entitled "All Arabs' Intentions are Bad," states that Arabs are an inferior, imbecilic people full of hatred, that they are deceitful and hypocritical savages similar to donkeys and take delight in killing. The author also describes Arabs as more cruel than the Nazis, and writes that Christians are pigs and Muslims are camels because they live in the past, just as a camel chews over food many times. He also calls the Prophet Muhammad a false prophet. The article was first brought to public attention by the Arabic language newspaper Kol al-Arab, which asked for Adalah's legal intervention.

As Adalah argued in the letter, Ben-Zvi attempted to base his racist expressions on religious sources and rabbis' statements, as if he was expressing their words. For example, the author calls on statements made by one rabbi who, in his opinion, asserted that the hatred and aggression of Arabs towards the Jews greatly exceeds that of the Nazis, and that it is natural that hate must have been sown in the hearts of the Arabs in the present day, too.

Adalah demanded that a criminal investigation be opened into the publication of the article for offenses such as racist incitement (Article 144b(a) of the Penal Law (1977)), and harming religious sensitivities (Article 179 of the Penal Law (1977) and Article 6 of the Anti-Defamation Law (1965)). Adalah argued that the criminal law prohibits the publication of material aimed at incitement, including the use excerpts from the Torah or the statements of religious leaders if the intention of quoting them is incitement. The enormous number of racist and insulting statements made in the article against Arabs purely on the basis of their national and religious belonging demonstrates that the author's goal is racial incitement and to convince the readers of the accuracy of his racist views.

The State Attorney's Office refused to open a criminal investigation for the offense of harming religious sensitivities, stating that: "There is a basis for suspecting that such an offense was committed. However, taking into consideration that it is our policy to minimize offenses which fall on the line of contact with freedom of expression, an investigation into this offense is not justified in this case."

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/12/08/18335903.php

Edwards Miles: 'failed' by mental care system

This front page in the East London Advertiser (see link below) knocked me for the mother of all sixes. I used to run a family grocery store in Bethnal Green, London E2 with my Dad and brother. Edward Miles was a regular shopper there. It is no overstatement to say that this man was one of the most genial I have ever had the fortune to meet. You will not find one person who could say a bad word about this gentleman. I had no clue whatsoever that he was murdered in 2003 by his wife and her lover. My heart goes out to his children, his family and I would hope at all my readers will join me in sending condolences to his family. May the wounds heal fast and may you find peace with time. Edward miles, rest in peace, Ameen!

http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/postbag/story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=postbag&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=postbagela&itemid=WeED07%20Dec%202006%2016%3A14%3A42%3A560

Construction Excellence - Best Practice

Hat tip: Ghulam Zilani...

Somali Voice Radio Live Fundraising Event 8/12/06 @ 18:00 to 19:00 and night show 23:00 to 02:00

www.somalivoice.org
**Somali Voice Radio London Live Fundraising Event**
Friday 8/12/06 from 6pm - 7pm Live

Hotline: 07930 593 888
office 0208-980-9771
Email Adam@somalivoice.org

on 1503Am/Mw or by using the link on www.somalivoice.org
Dear all,

As you are all aware there has been a recent disaster in the heart of Somalia. Many people have been affected by the flooding water and we really need to help our brothers and sisters out there. Somali Voice Radio will be holding a fundraising event live on the radio this Friday 8/12/06.

Guest speakers include Sheekh Said (imaam at Al Huda Mosque), artist and actor Abdulahi Soraan and a speaker from Muslim Aid. Muslim Aid has already raised 35,000 and we need your help in raising some more.

We would like you to let your readers and service users know about this unique event this Friday and you can also call in live to take part.

Allah willing, our Muslim brothers and sisters will get through this disaster but they really need us too!

Thank you all,
Regards
Adam Dirir

The Lascar

The Lascars, who were instrumental in the expansion of the British Raj during the 19th and 20th centuries, were employed on ships ferrying cargoes back to Britain, with some 3,000 Lascars visiting Britain annually. Between 1830 and 1903 approximately 40,000 foreign seamen sailed with British merchant and war ships, the majority spending some time in British ports, either in transit or discharged.

http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2006-12-07&hidType=HIG&hidRecord=0000000000000000140907

Rahi wins player of the year award

Hotshot sweeps the board at Vallance FC

EMDAD RAHMAN

Muhammad Rahi has been voted Vallance FC's player of the year. The 12 year old from Bow, East London scored 22 goals in last season for Vallance.
Rahi, a year 8 student at Bethnal Green Technology College in Tower Hamlets plays centre midfield and lists Steven Gerrard as his favourite player. "I would like to thank my team mates and my coach Iqbal Bhai for their support" said Rahi.

Tsunami - The Aftermath

Civic Reception in Honour of Dr. Muhammad Yunus

We would like to invite you to attend a Civic Reception in Honour of Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Prize for Peace winner 2006. The event is organised by the Bangladesh High Commission in London and it will be held on 15th December, 8:00pm to 9:30 pm at Alexandra Palace, Woodgreen, London N22 (doors open 6:30).

If you are interested in attending, there are limited number of seats available and it will be given out on a strictly first come first serve basis

All who wish to attend must be registered on our website. Please send an email with your full name and address (for the invite) if you are interested. We will confirm by early next week whether you have been allocated a ticket.

Kind regards

The bobNetwork
E: info@thebobnetwork.com
W: www.thebobnetwork.com