A MUSLIM Imam from Rochdale has received the MBE for services to the muslim community in his home town, where he has been actively involved in community and religious affairs for a number of years.
Father of three Muhammad Chishti, 35, has been an Imam at Forest Bank Prison for eight years, and has served in the same role at Buckley Hall Prison for the past two years.
His work involves planning and delivering weekly sermons to Muslim inmates, and he has been particularly effective in helping them make plans for resuming life when they have completed their sentences.
He has also made a significant contribution at both prisons by advising prison officers and management on Islamic issues. He represents the Muslim community speaking at churches and temples and is also a presenter, on Crescent Radio, a local community station which broadcasts from Rochdale, addressing social issues faced by all sections of the community.
He was one of the founder members, and the Director of Citizenship, of the Sufi Muslim Council, an organisation that has successfully been able to project moderate British Islam and organises and promotes presentations from the Jewish and Christian communities to pupils in his local mosque.
He said of his award: "I feel genuinely honoured, though I had to ask myself what I had really done to merit the award. To me, I just do what I do."
He said: "My prison work is something that I have found particularly rewarding, and I have been humbled when inmates have told me that had they had an Imam like me, they might never have ended up inside in the first place.
"Similarly my multi-faith work is something that I believe is both very important, and again rewarding. I have been involved in numerous sermon exchanges with other faiths and it is essential that we inter-react and learn to respect each other.
"I think it is all a matter of being approachable. I consider myself a human being first, and a Muslim second. It takes a great deal of time to build relationships, but it can be done."
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 4 and replies | View All
MysteriousBoy, Manchester (31/12/2008 at 19:50)
David, North M/C (03/01/2009 at 00:26)
Iftikhar, Forest gate London (05/01/2009 at 17:59)
• A Muslim charity In Swindon is bidding to run the first Multi-faith Muslim School for Muslim and non-Muslim children and have teachers from different faiths. An hour of the timetable each day would be dedicated to studying Arabic and the Holy Quran. Non-Muslims pupils would be able to be exempted from the lessons, but it is hoped that the majority would choose to stay in class to gain more “insight” into the Islamic faith.
• In my opinion, Multifaith school is not going to be successful because non-Muslim parents would not send their children. In the past, a plan for a Multi-faith secondary school in Westminster for 1000 pupils could not be materialised because faith groups could not come to any agreement. Now even Hindu community has set up state funded school in Harrow. Black community is also thinking of setting up its own school with Black teachers.
• According to David Lammy MP, there are still too many inequalities in the education system which prevents disadvantaged children from applying to study for a degree. British schooling is wholly responsible for the inequalities. A culture of low expectation and a lack of rigour holding these pupils back. Every child must reach his full potential regardless of his background. Justice Secretary Jack Straw MP said British society should be one which recognizes and celebrates differences. One in which we all have an opportunity to flourish, regardless of who we are or where we are from. British schooling has been trying to integrate and assimilate Muslim community through education in the name of integration. The Imams and Masajid have been playing their parts to keep Islamic faith alive, but that is not enough. British schooling does not promote global cohesion. It does not encourage dialogue and increases understanding.
• Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. They need to learn and be well versed in Standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to learn and be well versed in Arabic to recite and understand the Holy Quran. They need to learn and be well versed in Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
• Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
andanotherthing, Mcr (05/01/2009 at 19:10)
No matter how hard the worked for the community, if they banged on about being atheist all the while.