We are one Ummah! Muslims..and those who are not...

Audh Billahi minash shaytahnir rajim Bismillah Hir Rahmanir Raheem

I’m not an orator so please have patience with me for the next few minutes. I am not accustomed to speaking to audiences. I’d like to say a few words that will serve as a reminder and also as instigation.

My words are not to cause you distress, it is only a reminder for those who are conscious of Allah.

“We did not reveal the Qur’an to you to cause you distress; it is only a reminder for him who fears Allah” 20:2-3

I first met Br. Syed at the very first Charity Week meeting, I was waiting outside the SAF building and he came out to meet me. Alhamdulilah this Brother was extremely motivated and had a wonderful persona about him. I was drawn to him. The meeting commenced and his exuberance was tremendous, I could clearly see, here was a Brother who had the passion and the sincerity to lead out on Imperial Charity Week and I wanted to help him in any way possible.

Myself and the rest of the Campusalam team decided we’d help and we assisted the fantastic CW team last week Friday. The day before, the Campusalam team were brainstorming ideas for what could be done in the short time available as we had to account for Jummah at around 1pm.

We came up with a cake competition which could involve as many people on campus as possible. On the day Campusalam purchased the competition cakes and sponsored the winner £50 to donate in their name to CW. We went around the hall getting as many people to come and observe. Many did and it was enormous fun. We got some great footage, which is not only good for Imperial Charity Week but also a great resource to show sceptics that Muslims are…pretty cool.

In all your prayers tonight or tomorrow, do remember Br. Syed, all three of the Br. Omar’s, Br. Bilal, Br. Mubeen, Sister Humera, Br. Salman, Br. Khafeel and others.

This ummah of ours, this ummah of Muslims and this ummah of those who are not needs to be served by all of us.

It’s crazy, when we have a vibrant student scene doing some amazing charity work, organising some great lectures with intellectuals and scholars with the likes of Br. Andreaz Tzortsiz, Shaykh Haytham al-Haddad and Professor T Ramadan and many others I’ve noticed, attended and even been fortunate to be part of in the last few months.

Our campuses, our student scene, our Isocs, so varied in culture, in schools of thought and their organizational skills have an enormous passion whether it was (to name a few) the Brothers and Sisters we met in Bradford University where we discussed the influence of drugs or at Birmingham where it was on the effects of political participation to UEL where the Campusalam team made the mistake of not being aware of certain sensitivities, though despite that had warm conversations with the sincere Brothers from the Isoc there.

This passion needs to be harnessed and supported in order it can reflect and contribute towards the development of this society. Boy, does it need it.

How? Read, listen, critique, speak and write and do not hesitate to do so. I still cannot believe that no-one on the Question Time panel categorically refuted the lies that Nick Griffin came out with last week regarding nonsensical and disgusting allegations about the Quran. I wrote a letter.

As much as this nation’s foreign policy is a cause for Ahmed’s and Amina’s concern, it is also for Daniel and Lucy, as much as the rise of racist attacks is a concern for you Omar it is also a concern for David. As much as the decline of values has led and is leading to an exponential growth of broken hearts and broken souls is a concern for Jessica it is also a concern for you Fatima.

Each and every one of us is extremely powerful; we need to contribute to every discussion and show the rest of society that we have something to give, we have an intelligent answer, that there is some wisdom in what we say, that we are not an alien entity made up of big beards and ninja outfits jumping up and down in Piccadilly Circus, but that there is a gentle heart behind that beard, and wisdom in those eyes.

I have just described my spirit within Campusalam but know it is a resource to aid students on issues that are of concern to them and I hope I’ve instigated you all to get connected, get active in whatever way possible be it writing articles, commenting on existing ones, or organising projects to deal with issues that we are all facing.

Finally, I would like to end with a quote:

“Show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant” 7:199

Dua: “Oh Allah forgive us, Oh Allah guide us, Oh Allah protect us”

Thank you for your time.

Alaykum As-Salam.