Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri visited the world renowned Al-Azhar University, an ancient seat of Islamic learning, on the special invitation of the Grand Shaykh of Al-Azhar,Shaykh Dr Ahmad Tayyab.

The visit of the University was followed by a meeting between both scholars of the Muslim world in which they discussed contemporary challenges facing the Muslims living in Europe.
They highlighted the importance of unity within the Muslim ranks to fight off these challenges. They agreed that Islamic principles of pluralism, moderation, tolerance and inclusiveness which are also the core themes advocated by Al-Azhar University and the Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland were relevant to the present-day challenges of the World. The issue of setting up a representative body of Al-Azhar Graduates in Ireland also came under discussion as well as collaboration between Al-Azhar University and the Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland.

Shaykh-ul-Azhar highlighted the the tasks the Al-Azhar University was carrying out for the solution of intellectual and scholarly problems facing the Muslim world so that people could benefit from Islam teachings and traditions of moderation and tolerance and bring about constructive changes in their collective and individual lives.

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri thanked Shaykh-ul-Azhar for the invitation to visit the University and invited the Grand Shaykh to visit Ireland in 2018.

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri was also given a tour of the Al-Azhar Observer by Dr. Kamal Abdel Assalamu Alaikum wrwb. Al-Azhar Observer is a department which consists of 70 scholars that monitor the internet for news and articles about Islam and Muslims in 8 different languages. The purpose of the Observer is to tackle the misconceptions about Islam particularly those misconceptions that are spread by extremists and radicals. It monitors activity of radicals and responds academically to their propaganda. The Observer responds academically to the propaganda spread by Daesh (Dabiq).

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri also visited the Online Fatwa Department which consists of 100 Mufti’s that issue Fatwa’s online or through the Online Fatwa Helpline.

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri also met with Shaykh Ahmed Fadeel Qausi, previous Minister of Religious Affairs in Egypt and currently the Chair of World Graduates of Al-Azhar Graduates. Both scholars discussed also challenges the Muslim world is facing particularly the challenge of extremism and islamophobia.

Christmas and New Year Message 

Assalamu Alaykum; Peace be with you !

During these joyful days I write to you to wish you all a peaceful Christmas Holiday Season commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, Peace be Upon Him.

I pray during these blessed days, which have coincided with the Mawlid , which commemorates the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), that the New Year may bring healing and peace to our suffering world.

Today, the world is facing multiple crises of grave nature. The scourges of terrorism and extremism seem to eat into vitals of our collective ethos and value system. Existence of unsolved international disputes is great danger for stability and global peace and leaves space for extremism and terrorism to grow. The current refugee crisis, of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War, is a test to our humanity.

The dream of global peace will never come true unless followers of both Islam and Christianity, which together make up well over half of the world’s population, come forward in a spirit of cooperation, respect and goodwill to play their due role to promote peaceful coexistence.

The hollow notion of ‘Clash of Civilizations’ needs to be replaced with ‘Dialogue among Civilizations’ . Enhanced engagement among different religions especially Islam and Christianity would serve to build bridges and demolish walls that separate us.

Islam and Christianity both stand for peace, harmony and human development.

The in-dept account of Jesus Christ (Peace be upon Him) and the Samaritan woman at the well highlights that Jesus Christ (Peace be upon Him) saw the stranger at the well first and foremost as a person and therefore engaged with her and reached out to her. This reflects the true spirit of reaching out and loving the neighbour espoused by Christianity.

The historic incident of Najran whereby the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) treated the Christian delegation as his personal guests, hosted them in His Mosque and allowed them to worship there reflects the true spirit of harmony and brotherhood espoused by Islam.

During this auspicious season , all of us, whatever religion and society we may belong to, must pledge to work for promotion of Peace and Harmony in the world. Love can heal the wounds of decades and we must dedicate ourselves to spread the message of Love of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and Jesus Christ (Peace be upon Him).

We must also foil all conspiracies of blaming religions for actions of terrorism, for all religions promote love and discourage violence.

It is time to build bridges between our communities and start a result oriented dialogue that will prevent clash of civilisations and promote Peace and Integration in western society.

Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri
Chair Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council www.impic.ie
Head-Imam Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland www.islamiccentre.ie

On Thursday 24th November 2016, Aid to the Church in Need launched the “Religious Freedom in the World” report in the House of Commons. The report describes the impact of the persecution of faith communities and specially the impact of Islamist “hyper-extremism” and how it has unleashed a wave of violence and exodus, prompting record-breaking numbers of refugees and threatening the survival of Christians, Muslims, Yazidis and other minorities in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the world.

The report also highlights the genocide of the Rohingya Muslims by Buddhist extremists.

Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri (Chair of the Irish Muslim Peace & Integration Council and Head Imam of the Islamic Centre Ireland) delivered a keynote along with the Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church, HH Ignatius Aphrem II and Dr. Sarah Bernstein, Director of the Jerusalem Centre for Jewish-Christian relations.

After the launch Shaykh Al-Qadri and other senior figures from ACN met with HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales in his residence. In the one hour-long meeting with HRH Prince of Wales the persecution of religious communities and religious motivated violence was discussed.

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Key points from the lecture by Shaykh Al-Qadri :

• Reading this report will be very emotional and heart-breaking for all its readers but particularly for Muslims because the report highlights the emergence of a new phenomenon known as Islamist extremism. Violence perpetrated by extremists claiming to act in the name of Islam. Extremists that have hijacked the religion of Islam.
• The report also highlights violence committed by extremists claiming to act in the name of Buddhism in Myanmar
• History is full of examples of extremists in every religious community that have committed violence in the name of their religion
• The reality is no religion wether Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism teaches violence and extremism. All religions teach respect, tolerance and acceptance of the other.
• Persecution of Christians in Muslim Majority Countries is not inspired and motivated by Religious Scripture but is a new phenomenon which must be challenged.
• Misinterpretation of Islamic teachings and rise of the very radical ideology “Wahhabism” has contributed significantly to such violence.
• Quran guarantees religious freedom to all mankind.
• In 628 AD, a delegation from St. Catherine’s Monastery came to Prophet Muhammad and requested his protection. He granted them protection and provided them with a letter, which is called the “Charter of Privileges.” It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights, including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war.
• Throughout centuries 1200 years in most part of the Muslim world the “Charter of Priveleges” was observed.
• From Abbasid time, Christian scholars were advisors of Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs and used their money they got as courtiers to publish theological tracts.
•  St John of Damascus who was a Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church. He was advisor and lived at the Umayyad court and published a theological tract in which he discussed Islam as a Christian heresy.
• Persecution of Christians by so-called Muslims is worrying and must be challenged. In January 2016, 300 Muslim scholars from around the world issued the “Marrakech Declaration” in which they condemned religious persecution of non-Muslims in Muslim majority countries.
• The majority must unite against minority extremists and radicals.
• Other factors that contribute to religious motivated violence (political, social, economic) must be addressed honestly also.

The Religious Freedom in the World report can be read here:

http://religion-freedom-report.org.uk/full-report

MEDIA LINKS :

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/11/faith-communities-unite-on-red-wednesday-for-victims-of-religious-persecution.aspx

http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/launch-of-the-report-on-freedom-of-religion-british-parliament/

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/11/24/houses-of-parliament-lit-up-in-red-for-persecuted-christians/

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=31417

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/11/24/houses-of-parliament-lit-up-in-red-for-persecuted-christians/

http://raybarnett.tv/tag/sheikh-dr-umar-al-qadri/

http://www.trunews.com/article/sheikh-criticizes-western-government-for-being-too-soft

https://friendsinthewest.com/sheikh-blames-saudi-arabia-for-global-rise-of-islamist-terrorism/