War, Terror and Community – an Islamic Perspective

Can you “bomb an ideology”?

How do we work with different religions together so that there is understanding between our communities and what common values can we identify that will create cohesion?

We are hosting this meeting in collaboration with GlobalNet21 and we hope this will be the first of many such meetings we hold with them.

The threat of global terrorism has been growing and governments and the media have sometimes linked this to the growth of Islamic extremism.

This meeting will discuss:

• What are the root causes of terrorism and how does Islam fit into that picture?

• What are the contributing factors especially external ones?

• What is the position of Islam on war and peace and is the overwhelming message of Islam one of peace?

• What are the ethical issues here concerning how communities can work together and understand each other better?

The invited speakers at the event will be:

Asghar Bukhari, a founding Member of Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPACUK), a non-profit London based British Muslim lobby and civil liberties group founded to address what it perceived as the under-representation of Muslims in British politics. Asghar can be regularly seen in the media giving his opinion on events relating to politics, terrorism and Islam.

Sayeed Ali Razawi, is an international speaker and lecturer. His background is in ethics, theology and spirituality and he is concerned with breaking social barriers, creating awareness and healing communities. Sayeed was joint secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama Shi’a Europe, the representative body for Shi’a Muslims. Sayeed is a representative on the National Council of Imams and Rabbis and a trustee of Maimonides Interfaith Foundation, one of the largest interfaith foundations in the UK.