Nov - Dec 1996 by Ali Joudi

“And united their hearts; had you spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them, surely He is Mighty, Wise”. (8:63) Issue 2 : Volume 2. Nov / Dec 1996

IUS News

Editorial

salaamun-Alaikum Brothers and Sisters,

Welcome to another issue of the I.U.S Newsletter. I hope that Inshallah it reaches you in good health and Iman. By now you would have settled into your courses and the summer break is all but a distant dream as the colder weather settles in. ¶

As planned, the IUS is setting up a text book library, alongside our existing bookshop. We aim to provide a service which can be utilised by brothers and sisters at all levels of study. If anyone out there can help the scheme by donating textbooks (no matter how dated), all contributions will be gratefully received. Please contact Br Mohsen.

Mahe - Ramadhan is just around the corner and following the huge success of last years Eid trip to Lille, France. IUS welcomes any suggestions for this years trip....

I.U.S meetings for the academic year 1996 / 97 have already began and this year are being held every week, rather than once a fortnight. The introduction of bi-weekly study circles has Al-hamdulillah, been greeted with enthusiasm, and the attendance of members has been very encouraging. See back page (what's on guide) for dates.

Sisters !!!!! We are in the process of collating the results of the ‘Sisters questionnaire’ with a view to arrange activities for the oncoming year. If you have not received a copy please contact Sr Zillehumma or Sr Samira and listen out for more info....

Unfortunately, it seems that the Umrah trip in December may have to be canceled due to lack of response. However, never to be defeated, I.U.S is instead planning another trip next year, possibly to Syria / Iran. Inshallah. Price TBA if interested please contact us at the usual address.

Membership cards have been produced, and members will receive them when renewing their subscription ( £5 for one year , any contributions welcome) If you have paid your subscription before this newsletter went out then the card should be enclosed, if not then please send in your subscription as soon as possible.

This month’s Newsletter features a number of very interesting articles, including the events at I.U.S very first A.G.M where a number of new people have been included to help with the workload of running the I.U.S so it can continue its service and commitment to its members, Inshallah.

Another article which is of interest, particularly to degree students is on page two which concentrates upon the useful skills you learn whilst doing your degree. (Continued on page 2)

Contents in this issue of IUSN: IUS News / Editorial

IUS AGM Report (continued)

Editorial / Careers

Liberation by the Veil

Pearls of Wisdom

Liberation by the Veil (continued)

IUS Annual General Meeting Report

What’s On Guide and Dates to Remember

IUS Newsletter (Continued from page 1)

The Newsletter also plans to arrange a ‘ Careers Hotline’ where professionals in different subject areas could help students with any module decisions or any questions upon which path they should take in their chosen degrees. As ever the Newsletter relies upon you, to keep feeding us articles, with the holy month of Ramadhan being one of the major topics by our next issue, it would interesting to hear your thoughts about the issues of fasting, or any other subject for that matter. So put pen to paper and send us issues which are important to you. Remember to renew your membership if you have not already done so, the Newsletter relies upon these funds to continue its production. Please send you articles to: IUSN Editor Br Mehboob Khaki 64 Sunningdale Rd Sutton SURREY SM1 2JS Check out the previous newsletters on the Internet http://www.cs.ucl..ac.uk/ ~zcapn67/ius/ius.html

What Makes A Great Trainee ?

Careers....

related employment has the edge. hy

are English graduates

working in Chartered Accountancy ? Historians in Marketing? Or for that matter, geographers as factory inspectors? The answer is that they have all acquired personal and transferable skills whilst being undergraduates. About 40% of notices to higher education career services do not specify a degree discipline. Some of the necessary skills should be obtained on almost any degree course. Research and analytical skills come from preparing essays; students contributing to seminars, develop presentation skills; project work done in small groups introduce the concept of teamwork. What student has not to juggle academic work and social life, or learn to accept criticism and start again? In employment they will have to learn to prioritize and be flexible. However academic work is not the only factor. Other aspects of student life - organising student societies, running sports teams and doing voluntary work - are as important as intellectual skills when getting a job. So is paid employment. Once frowned upon, financial pressures now make it an accepted part of life. A student who has a business

Successful applicants must demonstrate managerial abilities , good brains and minds that can be trained. They need good analytical powers and highly developed communicational skills. Application forms are also expected to prove evidence of leadership, responsibility and initiative. Source : The Times Newspaper

The IUS provides career advice and is always trying to improve our service to our members. If you would like to contribute to this vital service then please get in touch. Simple and practical assistance can really make a difference. Please see letter enclosed with this newsletter

“ True knowledge is a virtue of the talented, but harmful to those without discernment. Spring water free of impurity, entering the ocean, becomes undrinkable.”

IUS Newsletter

Pearls of Wisdom Beware the sigh of an oppressed person, even though an unbeliever The gates of mercy are far wider than the doors of wrath To smile at your brother is benevolence To hide your problems and difficulties from the unconcerned, make up the treasury of virtues Proper care of her husband is a woman’s Jehad (struggle for the pleasure of Allah) If a man marries to avoid sin, then help from God is certain The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I (i.e. Allah’s Messenger) am the best of you all. Power in the hands of virtuous is hardship for the troublemakers, and power in the hands of troublemakers is a disgrace for the virtuous Safeguard your honour with the help of your wealth Spreading rumours about others is one of the greatest vices Inappropriate use of the tongue is the greatest calamity for a human being Assess the feelings of your brother by searching your own heart Your worst enemy is he who betrays your secrets Fast, so that you may remain healthy One who keeps himself aloof from the pious and learned, destroys himself Food from an almsgiver cures, food from a miser harms Oppression of people weaker than yourself is the worst kind injustice Uphold the truth even if it is against you The aim of a pious person is to gain the pleasure of Allah Affability towards relatives is a way to obtain longevity of life A little understanding of religion is better than abundance of worship Excess of fun and frolic is a cause of disgrace Could hearsay (gossip,rumour) be a better proof than an eyewitness ? Even to walk with a tyrant is a crime A child’s loving look towards his parent is an act of worship Respect the one from whom you aquire knowledge One who is unable to distinguish between truth and falsehood has destroyed oneself O Ali! That country which has neither happiness nor security is a country without beauty, and O Ali! No prayer is better than pondering over Allah’s creation. Compiled, Edited & Researched by Syed Mohammed Sarwar Sabzwary from “Keep in daily touch with the Holy Prophet” (SAW)

IUS Newsletter

THE I.U.S ANNUAL

his year’s Annual General Meeting if the I.U.S was held on the 5th October 1996.

Although the turnout was not tremendous it was nevertheless encouraging to see the attendance not only of trustees and the Executive Committee, but also of several members of the society. The meeting began with the recitation of Qur’an, followed by a welcome speech by the Chairman of I.U.S, Br Zafar Haider Naqvi. Br Zafar began with a general introduction to the reasons for the establishment of the society, and went on to outline its achievements during the first half of last year. These included: The formation of an Executive Committee; a Constitution; obtaining a postal address; recruiting over 100 members during the Society’s first major publicity campaign; organising fortnightly general meetings during term time (the attendance at which was extremely promising ); providing Iftar during Ramadhan; and culminating in the immensely successful Eid trip to Lille, France in March 1996. However, following this positive start to the year, it appeared that the enthusiasm, which previously had been so obviously displayed by the society had moved towards the second part of the year; many of the targets of various departments within the I.U.S had not been met, and progress was almost at a standstill. An analysis of this turn in events followed the presentation of annual reports from members of the Executive Committee. From the Treasury, Sr Marium Sajjad - Ali gave an overview of the accounts for the year, outlining the Society’s incoming funds and expenses. The main aims for the oncoming year were to set a budget for each department within the I.U.S, and to increase fundraising activities. The Events department, headed by Br Mohsen -Al - Rashed illustrated arguably the most dedicated and constructive efforts on the part of its team members. Br Mohsen reported on the regularity and quality of the general meetings, the setting up of the I.U.S Library and Bookshop, weekly football for brothers the trip to Lille, France. His aims for this year were to separate a textbook library for members, to arrange at least one trip during the holidays and the establishment of University accommodation for the sisters. Br Ammar Hasan reported on the Network and Database Department. It was encouraging to hear of the meetings undertaken with various Islamic personalities and organisations in order to publicise the activities of I.U.S. In consequence, the society’s Database was constantly expanding during the year. Increasing the membership of the I.U.S remains a prorate for the next year, as does the development of the I.U.S homepage. The annual report for the sisters unit was presented by Sr Zillehuma Ebrahim, who summarised the following positive outcomes during the year: An exceeding number of sisters attending general meetings, despite dark evenings; approximately an equal member of sisters to brothers on the trip to France; an overall warm and friendly atmosphere within the unit. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year, the proportion of sisters members in I.U.S had dropped, and due to a lack of feedback, in workshops specifically for sisters. The unit aims to rectify this during the next academic year.

IUS Newsletter

GENERAL MEETING The bi- monthly newsletter of I.U.S appeared to pose the biggest problem, having changed hands several times during the year, it was vital for there to be a greater degree of consistency in its management, which in turn would result it was reasoned, in a regular and quality production. Following the departmental reports the trustees opened up a floor discussion, beginning with identifying the main problems faced by the society: 1) 2) 3)

An apparent lack of motivation towards the year end Organisational defects Stagnant membership number

An extensive and thoughtful discussion took part and the following resolutions were made: 1) The inactivity towards the end of the year was due largely to oncoming exams. In future this can be resolved by: i) Preparing for exam time activities well in advance. ii) Compensating for inactivity during the summer holidays. 2)

In order to attract new members the following proposals was made: i) Greater publicity for I.U.S, posters, leaflets, representatives at every university, articles in Islamic publications, etc.

In order to guide the Executive Committee in certain areas trustees will in future attend Executive Committee meetings and pass on their knowledge and experience.

The discussion was followed by the election of the Trustees and Executive Committee for the next academic year, and this brought the A.G.M to its conclusion. The results of the A.G.M are shown below listing the positions and representatives for each department. By Sr Neelam Dhalla

IUS Executive Committee Chairman: Vice-Chairman: Secretary: Treasurer: Events:

Br S. Zafar Naqui Br Ammar Hasan Sr Neelam Dhalla Sr Nishat Bharwani Br Mohsen Al Rashed

Publicity: Sisters Rep: Newsletter: Homepage:

Br Ali Naderi Sr Zillehuma Ebrahim Br Mehboob Khaki Br Mohammad Kadiwal

The committee members are always available at IUS meetings and study circles, alternatively contact them via phone, letter or email. (contact detail on back page)

IUS Newsletter

Liberation by the Veil Modesty and chastity, very important ideologies with Islam, are achieved by prescribing standards on behavior and the dress of a Muslim. A woman who adheres to the tenements of Islam is required to follow the dress code called Hijab, other synonymies are Veil, Purdah, or just Covering. It is an act of faith and establishes a Muslim's life with honor, respect and dignity. The Hijab is viewed as a liberation for women, in that the covering brings about "an aura of respect" (Takim, 22) and women are recognized as individuals who are admired for their mind and personality, "not for their beauty or lack of it" ( Mustafa ) and not as sex objects. Contrary to popular belief, the covering of the Muslim woman is not oppression but a liberation from the shackles of male scrutiny and the standards of attractiveness. In Islam, a woman is free to be who she is inside, and immune from being portrayed as sex symbol and lusted after. Islam exalts the status of a woman by commanding that she "enjoys equal rights to those of man in everything, she stands on an equal footing with man " (Nadvi, 11) and both share mutual rights and obligations in all aspects of life.

Muslims believe that God gave beauty to all women, but that her beauty is not be seen by the world, as if the women are meat on the shelf to be picked and looked over. When she covers herself she puts herself on a higher level and men will look at her with respect and she is noticed for her intellect , faith ,and personality, not for her beauty. In many societies, especially in the West, women are taught from early childhood that their worth is proportional to their attractiveness and are compelled to follow the male standards of beauty and abstract notions of what is attractive, half realizing that such pursuit is futile and often humiliating (Mustafa). Chastity, modesty, and piety are promoted by the institution of veiling. The hijab in no way prevents a woman from playing her role as an important individual in a society nor does it make her inferior." (Takim,22) A Muslim woman may wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband and family or among women friends. But when she goes out or when men other than her husband or close family are present she is expected to wear a dress which will cover [her hair and] all parts of her body, and not reveal her figure. What a contrast with Western fashions which every year concentrate quite intentionally on exposing yet another erogenous zone to the public gaze! The intention of Western dress is to reveal the figure, while the intention of Muslim dress is to conceal [and cover] it, at least in public (Lemu,25).

Men and women though equal are not identical, and each compliments the other in the different roles and functions that they are responsible to. " From an Islamic perspective, to view a woman as a sex symbol is to denigrate her. Islam believes that a woman is to be judged by her [virtuous] character and actions rather than by her looks or The Muslim woman does not feel the pressures to physical features" (Takim, 22). be beautiful or attractive, which is so apparent in In the article, "My Body Is My Own Business", the Western and Eastern cultures. She does not Ms.Naheed Mustafa , a young Canadian born and have to live up to expectations of what is raised, university-educated Muslim woman desirable and what is not. Superficial beauty is not writes, "The Quran [ which is the Holy Book for the Muslim woman's concern, her main goal is Muslims] teaches us that men and women are inner spiritual beauty. She does not have to use equal, that individuals should not be judged her body and charms to get recognition or according to gender, beauty, wealth or privilege. acceptance in society. It is very different from the The only thing that makes one person better than cruel methods that other societies subject women, another is his or her character." She goes on to in that their worth is always judged by their say, "In the Western world, the hijab has come to physical appearance. The are numerous examples symbolize either forced silence or radical, of discrimination at the workplace where women unconscionable militancy. Actually, its neither. It are either accepted or rejected, because of their is simply a woman's assertion that judgement of attractiveness and sex appeal. her physical person is to play no role whatsoever in social interaction."

(Continued on page 7)

IUS Newsletter (Continued from page 6)

Another benefit of adorning the veil is that it is a protection for women. Muslims believe that when women display their beauty to everybody, they degrade themselves by becoming objects of sexual desire and become vulnerable to men, who look at them as " gratification for the sexual urge"(Nadvi,8). The Hijab makes them out as women belonging to the class of modest chaste women, so that transgressors and sensual men may recognize them as such and dare not tease them out of mischief" (Nadvi, 20). Hijab solves the problem of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances, which is so demeaning for women, when men get mixed signals and believe that women want their advances by the way they reveal their bodies. The western ideology of, 'if you have it, you should flash it!' is quite opposite to the Islamic principle,where the purpose is not to bring attention to ones self, but to be modest. Women in so many societies are just treated as sex symbols and nothing more than just a body who "display themselves to get attention"(Mustafa). A good example is in advertising, where a woman's body is used to sell products. Women are constantly degraded, and subjected to reveal more and more of themselves. . The Covering sanctifies her and forces society to hold her in high esteem. Far from humiliating the woman, Hijab actually grants the woman an aura of respect, and bestows upon her a separate and unique identity (Takim, 2). According to the Qu'ran, the same high standards of moral conduct are for men as it is for women. Modesty is essential in a man's life, as well, whether it be in action, morals or speech. Islam also commands proper behavior and dress of men, in that they are not allowed to make a wanton show of their bodies to attract attention onto themselves, and they too must dress modestly. They have a special commandment to lower their eyes, and not to brazenly stare at women. In Sura Nur of the Holy Qu'ran it says, " Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that will make for greater purity for them, and God is well acquainted with what they do".

Many of the misconceptions of the Muslim woman in the west, particularly her veil stems from Arab and Muslim countries that have deviated from the true doctrines of Islam, and have " mixed up Islamic principles with preIslamic pagan traditions" (Bahnassawi, 67) In this present period of decline from Islam, many Muslim women are alienated , isolated from social life, and are oppressed by Muslim men and rulers who use the name of religion for their injustices. (Bahnassawi,65) In this instance, the Hijab is used as a means of keeping many Muslim women away from society, with the misconception that it signifies isolation and weakness. But as many Muslim women come back into the fold of the untainted and true Islam, they are able to recognize the injustice of men who have for so long stripped them of their rights to be an integral part of society and "deserving the same dignity, honor, progress and prosperity as the men" (Nadvi,26). Women regaining their true identity and role in society, are now wearing Hijab and embracing its concept of liberation for women, and are taking their rightful places that Islam had endowed upon them fourteen hundred years ago. Works Cited: Bahnassawi, El Salem. Woman Between Islam and World Legislations. Trans. Abdul Fattah El-Shaer. Kuwait: Dar ul Qalam, 1985. Lemu, Aisha and Fatima Heeren. Woman in Islam. England: Islamic COE, 1978. Mustafa, Naheed. "My Body is My Own Business." Shia International. Oct. 1993: 29. Nadvi, Mohammad. Modesty and Chastity in Islam. Kuwait: Islamic Bk, 1982. Takim, Liyakatali. "The Islamic and Muslim Wiew of Women." Shia International. Oct.1993: 22. Please copy and distribute to whoever can benefit from the above paper. Thank you, peace and blessings of Allah to all my brothers and sisters in Islam,

Sehmina Jaffer Chopra Samichopra@aol.com This article was taken off the Internet

What's On... ¶ ¶ ¶ ¶

¶ ¶

IUS talks are continuing, a range of speakers give talks on a variety of topics. Wed 20th Nov, Wed 4th Dec, IUS Study Circles are continuing, Maulana Rizvi is giving a series on Usul e Din. Wed 27th Nov, Wed 11th Dec Course books are being provided at a discounted price. For further details phone Br.Fida on (0181) 769 4771, Alternatively send the details to the IUS address. The Muhammadi Trust has kindly offered IUS members discount up to 50% on al their books. For further details please contact the committee. Alif International , 109 Kings Avenue, Watford, Herts, WD1 and Al-Hoda Bookshop, 76-78 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0BB, are offering 20% and 10% discounts on their Islamic Books respectively for IUS Members. For further details please contact the committee. Pentium computers, upgrades and other computer components are being sold at greatly reduced prices. Phone Br Aezed on (0181) 551 1482. Holy Quran on CD-ROM is now available at a reduced rate for IUS members, the prices has been slashed from £69.99 to only £37.50 for a limited period only. Contact the committee

Dates to Remember JWilaadat JWilaadat Shahadaat JWilaadat JWilaadat Shahadaat Shahadaat Shahadaat JWilaadat JWiladat JWiladat JWiladat JWiladat

Janaabe Fatima (a.s) Hazrat Mohammed Baqir (a.s) Hazrat Ali Naqvi (a.s) Hazrat Moahammed Taqi (a.s) Hazrat Ali (a.s) Bibi Zainab (a.s) Hazrat Musa Kazim (a.s) Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s) MERAJ Imam Husain(a.s) Hazrat Abbas (a.s) Imam Zainul Abideen (a.s) Imam Mehdi (a.s)

19th Jamaadil Akhar 1st Rajab 3rd Rajab 10th Rajab 13th Rajab 15th Rajab 25th Rajab 26th Rajab 27th Rajab 2nd Sha’ban 3rd Sha’ban 4th Sha’ban 15th Sha’ban

Fri 1st Nov. Tues 12 Nov. Thurs 14 Nov. Thurs 21 Nov. Sun 24 Nov. Tues 26 Nov. Fri 6th Dec. Sat 7th Dec. Sun 8th Dec. Fri 13th Dec. Sat 14th Dec. Sun 15th Dec. Thurs 26th Dec.

All Dates Are Subject To Sighting Of The Moon

Islamic Unity Society Address: 15 Fountain Road London SW17 0HG

Telephone:

(0171) 723-0247 Email: A.Hasan@cs.ucl.ac.uk (0171) 582-6039 ucecmha@ucl.ac.uk

Facsimile:

(0181) 767-5840

Internet:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~zcapn67/ius/ius.html