BMHC Newsletter September 2013

BMHCNEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2013 Reg. Charity No. 1110104

BMHC COMMUNITY  Ramadan & Eid  Eid Festival  WEEKLY YOUTH CLUB  HEALTH AND FITNESS

ACTIVITIES  GUESTS AT THE BMHC  Words and Wisdom

Open Mic Night  Friday Project  NHS FLU JABS  A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL FOR

VolunteerING AT THE BMHC  Heritage Women’s Project

BMHC ACADEMY  Islam, Science and

Scientism Conference  Made in Pakistan  Living The Legacy

Conference  LAUNCH OF THE EUROPEAN

Eid Festival see page 3

ACADEMY OF QURANIC STUDIES In this long awaited issue of the BMHC Newsletter, you will find updates on some of

BMHC DEVELOPMENT

the great work that has taken place at the Centre over the past few months. Since the

 BMHC STRATEGY

4,000 people attended, the first ever international conference on Islam, Science and

 Yaseer Ahmed / NeW

Scientism, and much more. In this issue we have also shared with you some of our

General Manager

last issue we have had: the holy month of Ramadan; the Eid Festival 2013 where over

future plans, such as the development of a permanent café and souvenir shop onsite called ‘The Al-Razi Coffee and Gift Shop’.

BMHC ENTERPRISE  The Al-Razi Coffee And

Gift Shop  VENUE FOR HIRE

The BMHC team wishes everyone a blessed Eid Mubarak.

COLLEGE ROAD, WHALLEY RANGE, MANCHESTER, M16 8BP 0161 881 8062  ADMINistrator@bmhc.org.uk  WWW.bmhc.org.uk

“Oh mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other...” - Quran 49:13

BMHC COMMUNITY

TIMETABLE & EVENTS

EAQS: Tajweed

 Al-Huda Urdu & English Tafseer Classes

 Tafseer ul Qur’an Class

 The Friday Project

 Muslim Heritage in Europe Couse

One academic year course.

0773 830 1775 / administrator@bmhc.org.uk

 Movie Screening

Le Grande Voyage

ANNUAL events  Eid Prayers

Qualified fitness instructor. £4 per session.

07905 428 683 / zumba_instructor@outlook.com

Qualified instructors. Children £2/session,

Adults £3/session.

 Girls and Boys Study Circle & Youth Club

0161 881 8062 / administrator@bmhc.org.uk

Al-Huda: English Tafseer Class

Second Saturday of every month (starts January 2014)

 Ladies Only Fitness Class

 Thai Boxing Class for Men & Boys

Thai Boxing Class

Third Friday of every month, 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

 European Academy of Quranic Studies (EAQS) 0793 991 9872 / events@eaqs.org / www.eaqs.org

Boys Only Study Circle/Youth Club

EAQS: Arabic Class

Second Friday of every month, 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

 NHS Physical Activity Referral Service Referral through your GP only.

EAQS: Tajweed

Al-Huda: English Tafseer Class

Al-Huda: Urdu Tafseer Class

Monthly events

07866 313 010 / alhudamanchester@gmail.com

Sun

Girls Only Study Circle/ Youth Club

Jumm'a

Al-Huda: Urdu Tafseer Class Ladies Fitness Class

EAQS: Tajweed

Sat

Weekly Events

 GCSE Islamic Studies

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Fri

Al-Huda: English Tafseer Class

Thur

Al-Huda: English Tafseer Class

Al-Huda: Urdu Tafseer Class

Wed

NHS: Fitness Clinic

Al-Huda: Urdu Tafseer Class

Tues

GCSE: Islamic Studies

Mon 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00

Next Eid Prayer commences on 15th October.

ONE OFF events  Heritage Matrimonial Event  An Evening with Rt. Hon. Andy Burnham MP  Quranic Calligraphy Exhibition & Classes  Muslim Heritage In Europe Course

BMHC COMMUNITY

Ramadan & Eid ul Fitr 2013 For the Holy month of Ramadan the British Muslim Heritage Centre made arrangements for Taraweeh (Ramadan evening prayer). A crèche, iftars (evening fast breaking meal) were held every Saturday throughout the month of Ramadan and every day during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Upto 700 people packed the Centre every evening to attend the Taraweeh prayers. The payers and Quran Dr M Sarumi, BMHC Trustee, presenting at the community Iftar

recitation were inspiringly led by Sheikh Ramza Rahman from Manchester and Sheikh Mustafa Salata from Egypt.

Together they enabled us to have the pleasure of listening to their individual and unique styles of recitation, which we all agree was a most beautiful and fulfilling experience for all those who attended. On the day of Eid, families attended the two Eid prayers en mass. We estimate that at least 3,000 people attended the two Eid prayers.

Eid Festival The BMHC was delighted to once again host a family and community event on a huge scale. The rich and diverse community of Manchester was reflected in the

Worshippers meeting and greeting each other after prayers on Eid day

people who attended in their thousands over the weekend. The event brought communities together regardless of faith, race and background.

The festival was held over two days this year and was featured on BBC North West. The family weekend took place on Saturday 17th August and Sunday 18th August 2013, where we hosted over 4,000 people. Special guests included The Lord Mayor of Manchester and the Greater Manchester

Guests at the ’Friends of the BMHC Iftar’

Police and Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd.

The programme included an exciting array of traditional performances by local and national artists, including a ‘Duff’ performance & workshops. The family friendly event featured a family tent with workshops, activities and henna, stalls, a fantastic family funfair, and halal food stations where people experienced a variety of food. The Sunday highlight was a static educational bird of prey display.

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BMHC COMMUNITY

Weekly Youth Club A weekly get together to relax, have some fun, and aspire to do more and aim higher. The British Muslim Heritage Centre has dedicated two permanent rooms for youth activities with a wide range of facilities such as pool tables, table tennis, and computer game stations.  Girls 11 -18 years old

Every Friday, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

 Boys 11 - 18 years old

Every Sunday, 12:00pm - 4:00pm

 Boys Thai Boxing Classes 5+ years old

Every Sunday, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Health and Fitness Activities  Weekly Ladies only aerobics class

Every Thursday - 7:00pm - 8:00pm

 Weekly NHS Physical Activities Referral Service

Every Tuesday - 2:00pm - 3:30 pm

 Walking Club in partnership with the NHS - TBC

GUESTS AT THE BMHC The British Muslim Heritage Centre has hosted a number of high profile dignitaries and guests from the UK and abroad. Most recently, on Sunday 29th September 2013, we had the pleasure of hosting Mr Harry R J Kandou, Deputy Chief of Mission for Indonesia to the UK.

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Deputy Chief of Mission for the Indonesian Embassy Mr Harry R J Kandou

BMHC COMMUNITY

Words & Wisdom Open Mic Another installment of the ‘Words and Wisdom’ night was held on the 10th of May 2013. We hosted members of the local community and provided a platform for creative dialogue and self expression.

We believe that a project such as this develops community relations and cohesion by providing a safe space for free expression. The volunteers running this project hope to carry on organising regular events and attract more local performers.

The Friday Project Ramadan As A Community The Friday Project is an initiative set up to bring the wider Muslim community of Manchester together with the purpose of debating and discussing issues affecting the Muslim community. An event was organised in partnership with Utrujj titled: ‘Ramadan as a community beyond prayer and fasting’. The attendees discussed ways of gaining reward during Ramadan other than praying and fasting. Other ideas that were discussed were how we, as a community can gain additional reward during this blessed month. The discussions were led by Sheikh Haitham Tamim and Sheikh Abu Nahla Alwazani.

Sheikh Haitham Tamim

The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X Through a life of passion and struggle, Malcolm X became one of the most influential figures of the 20th Century. Transcending from a ‘hoodlum’ to a Muslim minister. The strength of his words and the power of his ideas continue to resonate more than a generation after they first appeared. To celebrate Black History Month The Friday Project invited two prominent historians on Thursday 3rd of October 2013. Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick, a historian, social activist and religious leader of African and Native American descent to lead a discussion on the life and legacy of Malcolm X and Dr Stef Kerris, a historian and university lecturer to discuss the topic of the spread of from through Africa to America.

Dr. Stefanos Kefokeris

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BMHC COMMUNITY

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL FOR VolunteerING AT THE BMHC The Eid Festival and Ramdan were very much community events which brought together a section of young people from the local community to do something new and fresh during their summer holidays. Organising the Eid Festival was a unique environment for nearly 100 young local volunteers. The British Muslim Heritage Centre hosted a BBQ for the volunteers and their families on Sunday 25th August 2013.

Some of the Volunteers from the Eid Festival

Volunteers and their family at the volunteers BBQ

Heritage Women’s Project - CREATING A SPACE TO EMPOWER AND INSPIRE The Heritage Women’s Project was launched with a special evening on the 22nd of June 2013 to inspire and empower women to participate in activities and projects in their communities. The evening was also about celebrating women’s achievements and recognising women who are making positive changes in their society.

The evening also included:  Talks

 Stalls

 Designer Hijab Catwalk  Entertainment (Nasheeds,

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Poetry & Comedy)

 3 – Course Meal

BMHC COMMUNITY

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BMHC ACADEMY

Islam, Science and Scientism Conference The British Muslim Heritage Centre organised an

The event involved the participation of scholars and an

international conference on Islam, Science and Scientism.

audience of mixed faiths and backgrounds. The aim is for

The conference was held from 27th - 28th April 2013,

the British Muslim Heritage Centre to become an annual

and was the first major scholarly event organised by the

meeting place for all those working on, and those

BMHC; we intend it to be the first of many.

wishing to learn more about the legacy of Islam and its constituent cultures.

The major aim of this conference, and of those to follow, is to offer a better and greater understanding of Islamic

Besides the talks, there was also a series of other events

culture and civilisation, as wll as the Muslim contribution

and cultural expressions, including exhibitions and

to modern science and civilisation. The extent of which

workshops. One of the activities at the conference was

is little appreciated or largely misunderstood in society

the astrolabe workshop, which was initially developed

today. This event was also intended to bring a better

and performed by Hüseyin Sen, historian of Arabic science,

understanding of the interactions and exchanges which

and architect Mesut Balik, both of whom are from Holland.

have taken place between various faiths and cultures in enriching our common heritage.

The workshop consisted of two parts:  The first part was a short presentation on the history

of the astrolabe with a detailed description of the

original instrument. A cardboard workshop model was

used which is based on a surviving original, now in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and which

was personally made by a Rasulid Sultan from Yemen,

Malik al-Ashraf in 1291 AD. While the original

designed was kept, the star positions were

recalculated in order to reflect the 8 centuries

difference between the original being made and

our time.

 The second part started with a presentation on the

Prof. Martin Hall, Vice-Chancellor, University of Salford

anatomy and use of the astrolabe ending with a

hands-on activity, during which cardboard models

of an astrolabe were distributed to participants. The

participants were then asked to solve some problems

with the models, which were specially prepared for the

latitude of Manchester.

Made in Pakistan Exhibition The British Muslim Heritage Centre hosted an Exhibition from Pakistan between 4th - 8th July 2013. The ‘Made in Pakistan’ exhibition showcased exclusive designer brands from Pakistan such as clothes, jewellery, footwear, shawls, accessories and much more.

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BMHC ACADEMY

Living The Legacy Conference

Launch of the European Academy of Quranic Studies The European Academy of Quranic Studies (EAQS) was launched in partnership with the British Muslim Heritage Centre with a 2-day international seminar on Tadabbur Al-Quran. Tadabbur is the process of using intellect to ponder, analyse, contemplate, reflect, examine and understand the text of The Holy Qur’an.

The Institute is managed by a Board of Directors

Ather Khan (Peace TV - India)

under the guidance of a Board of Scholars and Advisors.

The Muslim civilisation stretched from Spain to China making leaps and bounds in science, mathematics,

The list of international speakers included: Shaykh

medicine and civil society. Great jurists such as

Abdullah Basfar (Madina), Professor Zagloul al Najjar

Imaam Abu Hanifa, great Muhadith such as Imaam

(Egypt), Professor Abdullah Mangood (Egypt), Dr

Bukhari and great liberators such as Saladeen

Muhammad Saleh (Al Azhar, Egypt), Dr Hanaa Abu

Ayubi have all gone down in the books of history

Dawoud (King Abdul Aziz University, Saudi Arabia).

for their legacy. To celebrate this great legacy, The

The European Academy of Quranic Studies, a not-

British Muslim Heritage Centre organised an evening

for-profit academic institution based at the British

of inspiration on Friday 28th of June 2013. The

Muslim Heritage Centre, has been established to

international line-up of scholars and orators, ignited a

promote the study, teaching and research of Al

passion for Muslims to continue the legacy and start

Tadabbur (Reflection and Contemplation), as well as

positive contribution to the world.

other Quranic Sciences, such as Quranic history and Tafseer (Interpretation).

Speakers Include:  Shaykh Shady Asuleiman (Australia)

The Academy seeks to promote a balanced and comprehensive understanding of the

 Shaykh Zahir Mahmood (UK)

Quran and its relevance to contemporary

 Ather Khan (Peace TV - India)

issues. They aim to achieve this by

 Ajmal Masroor (UK)

organising courses, seminars and by publishing educational materials for a wide variety of audiences including students,

Nasheeds / Spoken Poetry:  YouTube Sensation – Kama Saleh (Australia)

A packed audience captivated by the talks

teachers and members of the wider society both Muslim and non-Muslim.

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BMHC DEVELOPMENT

BMHC Strategy Our Vision for BMHC

Our Vision for BMHC

Our Offer

A centre of excellence,

Developing pioneering

celebrating the rich and diverse

initiatives that promote the

Muslim heritage, inspiring

rich and diverse Muslim

 A learning environment

all communities to embrace

heritage and making it

 Outreach

diversity and be instrumental in

accessibale to all.

 A welcoming environment

 Partnership

shaping a cohesive society.

 Centre of expertise Our aspiration is of a Centre “celebrating Islam’s rich

The BMHC will only achieve these aspirations with your

and diverse heritage, inspiring all communities to

help through the following:

embrace diversity and be instrumental in the shaping of a cohesive society”. We remain committed to the following principles: 1 The BMHC will be a centre for all communities

Muslims and non-Muslims.

2 We will strive to provide a welcoming environment for

BMHC scheme.

 We are always looking for dedicated volunteers.  You can donate to the ongoing work directly to the

BMHC bank account: Royal Bank of Scotland, Withington Branch

all, and work in partnership for the common good.

3 In focusing on Muslim heritage we mean: Muslim

 We invite you to become a member of the Friends of

history and contribution to human civilisation.

467 Wilmslow Road, Withington, Manchester M20 9AP

A/C No.:10088053

Sort Code: 16-34-27

IBAN: GB85RBOS

Swift: RBOSGB2L

friend OF BMHC This is an opportunity for you to help contribute to

Send us the following details and we’ll do the rest:

the vision of BMHC, and be part of an inspiring and unique project which aims to enrich, bring together,

Name:

and benefit all members of the community. Through

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a monthly subscription of only £10 per month, the scheme aims to:  Raise the profile of the BMHC  Raise much needed revenue to run activities

Address: ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

 Offer exclusive benefits to members including:

- Priority booking for BMHC events

- Annual Friends Dinner

- Exclusive preview of exhibitions, book

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launches and other similar events

- Regular email newsletter of developments.

________________________________________________ Tel: ________________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________

BMHC ENTERPRISE

Yaseer Ahmed New General Manager

The Al-Razi Coffee And Gift Shop

With expertise in promoting equality & diversity, community & stakeholder engagement, and in valuesled organisational development; Yaseers passion lies in doing one of the most important jobs that exists in society today: Values-based organisational, community, and leadership development.

Having had a range of amazing experiences and achievements, spanning the private, public and social sectors, Yaseer believes that through valuesled collaboration, there is absolutely no challenge too difficult to overcome. From the Clore Social Leadership Programme, the NHS, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Councillors Commission, Bolton CVS, Bolton Council of Mosques, right through to the Local Authority in Bolton, Yaseers portfolio of roles has consistently centred around breaking down barriers; cultural transformation; leadership; and organisational development.

The British Muslim Heritage Centre is excited to Yaseer has experience of working at a national,

announce that the Al-Razi Coffee and Gift Shop is

regional and local level, and as well as a qualified

in the process of opening. The coffee shop takes

trainer and coach, he has an extensive CV. His initial

its name from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya

focus over the next 6 months will be on developing

Al-Razi (850-922 AD, approx. 236-309 AH) or Rhazes

the infrastructure of the organisation, to better

as he is known in Europe, an Iranian physician who

facilitate partnership working for the future. He feels

is purported to be the first writer to make reference

that we have a great team of people at the BMHC,

to coffee in his treatise on medicine. It will provide a

and is looking forward to meeting and working with

comfortable and welcoming environment in which the

communities and individuals from Manchester, to help

Centre’s visitors can stop and take some time out to

as he puts it ‘collaboratively realise the ambition of the

enjoy a hot drink and sweet treat whilst browsing the

British Muslim Heritage Centre, for Manchester and

gifts and Islamic wares on offer.

for the UK’.

Starting small, the shop currently stocks books for adults and children, Islamic educational resources, HMC halal sweets, Palestinian fair-trade products and BMHC souvenir items, but the range of merchandise on offer will grow as the shop becomes more established.

Please come and have a look around if you are passing by, the shop currently opens on Fridays after prayer and main event days. We look forward to seeing you.

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BMHC ENTERPRISE

VENUE For Hire - IDEAL FOR YOUR SPECIAL OCCASION The BMHC is an 18th century Grade II listed building located in the heart of Manchester and situated within eight acres of attractive greenery.

Among the facilities we can provide are the following:  NEW! State of the art banqueting marquee. We will

be opening our impressive marquee in May 2014,

catering for events of 600+ people, with the option of

sectioning off for smaller events. The marquee will

be provisioned to cater for events all year round.

 Large conference / meeting and banqueting hall

capable of accommodating up to 200 people.

 Two large meeting rooms capable of accommodating

up to 100 people.

 Four meeting rooms capable of accommodating up to

40 people in each room.

 A boardroom capable of accommodating 14 people.  A fully equipped kitchen and serving area.  On-site free car parking for up to 250 vehicles.  Green space capable of hosting a variety of

outdoor events.

Our event management team offer their services to work with you to bespoke your event giving you the opportunity to actually take part in your event. For further information please contact our Events Team on 0161 881 8062 or by email on events@bmhc.org.uk.

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