SO. FAREWELL THEN, SUGHRA AHMED

At the Bombay Pavilion, Victoria Park, for a surprise going-away party in honour of Sughra Ahmed. Sughra has been a stalwart of Leicester Council of Faiths all the years I've been in post. She has recently resigned from the Board of Directors as she is leaving Leicester to take up a post with the Woolf Institute, based at Cambridge University. That's her cake in the photo above, with her edible face on it.

Sughra has worked as a Research Fellow in the Islamic Foundation’s Policy Research Centre, based at Markfield Institute of Higher Education. She remains a Trustee of the Interfaith Network UK. She published Seen and Not Heard: Voices of Young British Muslims. She organised flashmob iftar during Ramadan and “Picnic in the Park” thereafter, feeding homeless people and refugees, coordinated through Facebook. She has been of considerable help to me in my post, most notably when she came forward to be one of a panel of speakers at the Amplified Leicester event I hosted at Phoenix Square in March 2011, Amplified Communities of Faith or Belief. I also recall, in particular, how she lit up our display in Highcross on a busy Saturday afternoon during Inter Faith Week 2010, like a flame attracting moths, at ease with the crowds that busy day, able to persuade people to stop and talk or to to take literature as they passed by. She did that gig better than just about anyone else ever involved in it. Not what I expected from someone whom I had thought of up till then as being something of a dry, closeted academic. How wrong could I be about a person, faithful reader? Seeing her in action that one afternoon completely rewrote the script. She also organised a successful seminar for Leicester Council of Faiths during Inter Faith Week 2012, under the title, Faith in Family.

There's a good turnout in her honour this evening and it's clearly been kept secret, to judge by the look on Sughra's face when she arrives.

Several friends and colleagues say their bit about how they got to know Sughra, what she means to them and how they're going to miss her. In the photo above, Rupal Rajani (from BBC Radio Leicester) is doing just that.

We all wish Sughra well in her new role and in her future. Personally, I'll miss her calling me "Georgie". I can't imagine anyone else doing that until I'm sitting all day in a high-backed leather chair, wearing a drool bib and being told to eat up while being fed Ready Brek by means of a plastic spoon. I'll be staring into the distance, trying to recall ... someone ... or something ... Anyway: good luck Sughra! Keep in touch.

INTER FAITH WEEK 2012, DAY 3: "FAITH IN FAMILY" SEMINAR

I didn't get to attend this meeting as I was manning my post at the exhibition in Highcross till 2000. I'm grateful to guest contributor Sughra Ahmed (photo above), who organised this meeting. Sughra writes:

Leicestershire Police HQ was the venue for Faith in Family, our special seminar for Inter Faith Week.

People from all walks of life from across the City and County came together to listen, share and debate topics such as inter faith marriage, protection of children and young people, as well as parenting and spousal relationships. 

Speakers from Leicestershire and Bedford included Rosalind Birtwistle, Nassera Butt and Batool al Toma - all of whom are experts on their topic. They spoke openly and frankly about their experiences drawing on official data and sources available for England and Wales.

Several members of faith groups went on stage as a panel to share their thoughts on how their religion reflects on such topics.

The discussion was vibrant and lively, people's honesty gave rise to a thorough discussion on how society and institutions could better support those whose lives included challenges and/or difficulties. For example questions were asked on how we can improve the way in which we understand those who have an inter faith marriage and are dealing with unique challenges rather than stereotyping them. Others expressed their thoughts on how Youth Offending Services could negotiate its way around the complex terrain of faith in a restricted environment that serve to punish whilst protecting the rights of people in their custody.

The overall sentiment from those who attended was that these issues are very important for all of us - no matter who we are. Further discussion was encouraged especially given that many people are living through these realities with very little of the complexities involved known about in wider society. Leicester Council of Faiths is glad to have held a seminar on the topic of Faith in Family, and especially pleased to see the appetite for more discussion. We hope others will consider creating opportunities for further discussion on these subjects and we look forward to working with others on these or other areas.

This is the third in the series of open meetings sponsored by Leicester Council of Faiths. I've posted about the other two on this blog: God in my faith, 13 March 2012; Open meeting with City Mayor, 31 January 2012.

"WOMEN-FRIENDLY" MOSQUES PRAISED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Women-friendly" mosques praised

Two mosques have been included in a UK directory of "women-friendly" Islamic places of worship.

Both in the Highfields area of the city, they were highlighted in a report published yesterday by Faith Matters, a national group which aims to build bridges between faith groups and to improve the position of women in Islam.

The group's researchers asked mosques across the country whether they provided space for women to pray, services such as childcare, access to an imam or female scholar, a role in decision-making and positions within the mosque's governing committee.

The Islamic and Community Centre, in Conduit Street received the maximum five-star grading because it satisfied all five criteria.

The Leicester Mosque and Islamic Centre in Sutherland Street was awarded four stars, dropping down a grade because it did not have any females on its governing body.

The report author stressed the list was only a guide to "good practice" because only around 500 of the UK's estimated 4,500 mosques were asked to take part in the research.

Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Faith Matters, said: "Such is the nature of the work, some individuals will be unhappy that their mosque wasn't included.

"It's not to say these are the only 100, but that they provide a snapshot of the ones who are providing these core areas.

"The long-term view is for other mosques and religious institutions to see the need for good service delivery and, within that, the importance of serving half of the population in the best possible way."

Sughra Ahmed, a research fellow in the policy research centre at the Islamic Foundation, in Markfield, said: "Reports like this are a good start in exploring the whole area of mosques. It's good to see mosques being appreciated for the work they are doing, but there is more work to be done."

Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the Leicestershire Federation of Muslim Organisations, which represents the majority of mosques in the city and county, said: "There are more than two in Leicester which would satisfy these criteria and I have never come across any mosque that says 'we should exclude women'.

"Some places of worship have restrictions on space because of the size of the building, for example, but overall this is still a good debate to have."

The Faith Matters research was supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

LEICESTER MOSQUE SERVES UP A TREAT FOR HOMELESS

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Leicester mosque serves up a treat for homeless

About 70 homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers were provided with support, advice and a hot meal at Leicester Central Mosque.

The Conduit Street building held an open day this week as part of national Islam Awareness Week.

The annual campaign aims to raise awareness of issues in the community which affect people of any religion.

In previous years it has included climate change and childcare.

On Monday people seeking shelter were invited into the mosque for free guidance by charities including City of Sanctuary and Refugee Action.

Hot meals were dished up by the Pakistan Youth And Community Association.

Visitors were also provided with bags of fresh fruit and vegetables and toiletries to take away.

Islam Awareness Week is run by the Islamic Society of Britain and coordinated in Leicester by volunteer Sughra Ahmed.

She said: "It has been about people of faith and non-faith collaborating to provide a service for those in need."

Other events taking place have included a ladies' fundraising meal for Rainbows.