Irish Muslims condemn actions of Islamic State

The Islamic Cultural Centre Ireland (ICCI), based in Dublin’s Clonskeagh, has strongly condemned Islamic State (IS), which , it says, is acting contrary to the teachings of Islam.

In a statement it states that “in full conformity with Islamic teachings” it “vehemently abhors and deplores terrorism of all kinds regardless of the perpetrators’ race and faith.”

The statement comes a day after s the Islamic State posted a video showing the American journalist James Foley being beheaded.

The cultural centre points out that “murder, the most horrendous act of terrorism, is strictly forbidden in Islam” and that “Allah states that the murder of one person is as evil as killing all people. In the Qur’an it is stated: “whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption (done)in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.”

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Islam to become Ireland’s second religion by 2043

Source: Irish Independent

The revelation came as construction work is expected to begin next year on Ireland’s largest mosque.

The Clongriffin centre, on Dublin’s northside, will be the largest Islamic religious complex in the State and will also boast a major cultural centre.

An Bord Pleanala earlier this year granted planning permission for the three-storey complex, which is earmarked for a six-acre site owned by developer Gerry Gannon.

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Irish Muslims worried about meat industry

islaminireland.com

Source: Irish Times

The discovery of pork DNA in halal meat will negatively affect the Irish meat industry, Irish Muslims have said.

“The news of this has reached all Muslims residing in Ireland,” said Dr Ali Selim of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland.

On Sunday British food distributor 3663 identified McColgan Quality Foods Limited, a Tyrone-based company, as the source of “the very small number of halal savoury beef pastry products” found to contain pork DNA, supplied to British prisons.

Shops selling halal meat, of which there are 22 in Dublin, face declining trade because “if we know it might have pork in it we definitely will not buy it”, said Dr Selim.

Dr Mudafar Al Tawash, from the Islamic Foundation of Ireland, said contaminated food was “religiously and ethically” unacceptable and would undermine exports.

“We are very disappointed. That affects the market and we are working very hard to convince people from the Middle East market to come to Ireland to buy meat.”

Abdul Haseeb, a former editor of the Irish Muslim magazine, said the discovery raised the question of whether the presence of trace amounts of pork in food was acceptable.

Plan to build massive new Islamic Centre in Dublin

Source: Irish Central

According to reports in the Irish Times, “a Dublin-based Muslim group with support from many parts of the world has agreed purchase terms for the six-acre site located close to the Gannon-funded Dart station.”

Previous reports in the Irish Times stated that the new development, “could put Ireland in a very favorable position in the Muslim world and lead to significant inward investment.”

The development will include the mosque and support facilities, including a 34-classroom school, conference centre, assembly hall, playground and swimming pool. It has been designed by Paula Gill of architects Conroy Crowe Kelly.

Colin Farrell to star in film about Ottoman aide to Ireland during the Irish Famine

There is little known in Ireland about its relationship with Islam and Muslims throughout the years.  Indeed, for many Irishmen (and women), it’s difficult to even figure out where to start analyzing this relationship.  So, let’s begin during the Irish Famine.  In Ireland, it was perhaps the most difficult time in the island’s history.  Half way around the globe in Turkey, the Ottoman Empire was exactly that: an Empire, and one of the most powerful political entities in the entire world.  Little does anyone know that Irishmen (and women) and Turkmen (ditto) during the 1840’s actually had an important and heartwarming relationship:

Turkish Sultan Abdülmecid decided to send 10,000 pounds in aid to Ireland after being informed of how devastating the famine was in Ireland. However, Britain’s Queen Victoria replied, saying they would only accept a thousand pounds in aid. In response, Sultan Abdülmecid secretly sent five ships full of food, as well as cash, to Ireland (Source: Hurriyet Daily News).

To capture this time, a joint Irish-Turkish film producing company is putting together the film ‘Famine’, starring Colin Farrell, about a love story between Fatih, an Ottoman sailor, and Mary, an Irish girl, during the famine.  Below you can read more from the Hurriyet Daily News:

Bringing a little-known aspect of the most traumatic period in Ireland’s history to the silver screen, a new film is set to tell the story of how the Ottoman Empiresent aid to the emerald isle at the outset of the potato famine in 1845.

“Famine” will be shot in both Ireland and Turkey on a $50 million budget and include noted Irish actors like Colin Farrell, as well as several Turkish movie stars.

Shooting on the film is set to start in October, while the movie is expected to be in theaters sometime next year.

Ömer Sarıkaya, the film’s scriptwriter and project manager, said they had signed an initial agreement with the Independent Film Development Corporation (IFDC).

Sarıkaya said that as well as including well-known actors like Saoirse Ronan, Sean Bean and Farrell, renowned Turkish actors Burak Özçivit and Kenan İmirzalıoğlu would also act in the film as well.

The film’s screenplay, which was written by Sarıkaya himself, details a love story between Fatih, an Ottoman sailor, and Mary, an Irish girl, during the famine.

“With the film we aim to shed light on a lesser-known aspect of history. The character Mary will be played by Irishwoman Saoirse Ronan while Fatih and Sultan Abdülmecid will be played by Özçivit and İmirzalıoğlu, respectively,” he said.

It was after taking a trip to Ireland that Sarıkaya said he decided to write the screenplay for the film. Four years ago, while he was preparing to head to Ireland for his trip, Sarıkaya noticed the northwestern city of Drogheda’s coat of arms included a crescent and star. His interest was piqued by an Irish city’s use of a Turkish symbol, and so Sarıkaya set off for the city, which lies 50 kilometers north of Dublin.

“I searched through the archives in Ireland and Turkey, and I visited many libraries to complete the screenplay [on the basis of the Ottoman aid for Ireland during the famine]. I also added the love story of Fatih and Mary,” he said.

Irish Great Famine

The Irish famine first began in 1845 due to blight on Ireland’s main source of food — the potato, and lasted until 1851, resulting in the deaths of a million people and the immigration of more than 2 million citizens. Ultimately, the famine caused Ireland’s population to drop from 8 million to 5 million.

Turkish Sultan Abdülmecid decided to send 10,000 pounds in aid to Ireland after being informed of how devastating the famine was in Ireland. However, Britain’s Queen Victoria replied, saying they would only accept a thousand pounds in aid. In response, Sultan Abdülmecid secretly sent five ships full of food, as well as cash, to Ireland.

Because the ships could not approach Dublin’s port after their long journey, they altered their course, bringing their food instead to Drogheda.

With this generous act the Ottoman Empire gained the appreciation of the local public. The crescent and the star was subsequently adopted as the local football team’s symbol, while a copy of a plaque of appreciation that was given to the Ottoman Empire was hung on the façade of a Drogheda hotel located on the city’s most important avenue.

A letter of gratitude to Sultan Abdülmecid

In addition, Irish noblemen sent a letter of gratitude to Sultan Abdülmecid for the Ottoman ruler’s efforts. The actual letter, which is now located in Topkapı Palace, said, “We, the undersigned Irish noblemen, gentlemen and residents present our gratitude respectfully for the generosity, benevolence and concern and [monetary] donation that is endowed by your majesty to the suffering Irish public to meet the needs of them and appease their sorrows.”

Noting that the historical bond between Ireland and Turkey was unknown, Sarıkaya said the film’s biggest aim was to promote the Ottomans’ tenderness and greatness to the world and to show that Turkish people, the successors of the Ottomans, were not “barbarians or invaders.”

“The film will be in theaters in many countries, particularly in the United States, Turkey and Ireland, and will contribute to Turkey’s promotion to the world,” he said.

He also said he would go to the U.S. to sign the final agreement with the IFDC and that the Irish culture minister had given his full support for the film at a recent meeting in Dublin.

Royal Surgeons Dublin trained doctors imprisoned in Bahrain

Source: The Journal

Sinn Féin has urged the Irish government to publicly call for the sentences handed down to nine Bahraini doctors, some of whom trained in Ireland, to be dropped.

In one case Dr Ali Al Akri, an orthopaedic surgeon who trained at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) in Dublin, was abducted from the operating room at Salmaniya Hospital and reportedly imprisoned and tortured.

His sentence was today cut from 15-years to five years. Eight others, including Irish-trained doctor Bassam Dhaif were given sentences ranging from a month to three years.

The RSCI has expressed its concern at the developments and urged the Bahraini government to release all the medics in light of claims that they were tortured.

Growing xenophobia across Europe

Source: Irish Times

Xenophobia and discrimination were “growing from Norway to France as part of an anti-emigrant outswell”, the UN special representative for migration and development Peter Sutherland said yesterday.

Speaking at the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin he said just 17.5 per cent of Europeans “believe that immigration is a positive”.

The condition of the 15 million to 20 million Muslims in Europe involved “high levels of discrimination which we as Christians must absolutely oppose”, he added.

He noted that “60 per cent of Europeans believe all Muslims are fanatics” which stereotype “could hardly be further from the truth”. He said “without being complacent”, immigration had been “a remarkable success in Ireland, with 760,000 immigrants recorded on last year’s census and an increase in immigrant numbers over the past three years.

Plans for huge Islamic Centre in Clongriffin

Source: Irish Times

A Dublin-based Muslim group is in advanced discussions to develop a € 40 million Islamic Cultural Centre including a substantial Mosque at Clongriffin on the northern fringe of the city. A formal planning application for the six-acre campus is to be lodged with Dublin City Council by the end of this summer.

The complex is expected to give a major boost to Dublin’s newest town centre and lead to the creation of up to 500 construction jobs over a three year period.

Ireland emerging as epicenter for Islamic finance in West

Source: Irish Times

Despite the fact that Ireland still has a relatively small Muslim population – at about 50,000 according to the 2011 census – Ireland has nonetheless emerged as a major global centre for Islamic finance.

Earlier this year Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Government was “determined to ensure that the IFSC is a centre of excellence for Islamic finance”.

About 20 per cent of all Sharia funds located outside of the Middle East are now based in Ireland, while the industry here services about €2.5 billion worth of funds. In 2010, the Government published extensive tax legislation in the Finance Act to facilitate a wide variety of Islamic finance, such as debt capital markets, securitisation and investment funds. Moreover, Ireland has double tax treaties in place with 67 countries including Turkey, Malaysia, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.

More recently, it has positioned itself in the debt space, with Goldman Sachs listing a $2 billion sukuk on the Irish Stock Exchange late last year. The Sharia-compliant bond acts as a trustee and seller of “murabaha” trust certificates. Murabaha is a contract whereby the seller must disclose its profit to the buyer.

But despite the hype, Islamic finance still remains a small segment of the overall international financial services market in Ireland, given that the total funds industry is worth about €2 trillion. “It’s a reasonable number but is growing,” notes Quinn.

Irish Imam aware of radical wing

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Ibrahim Michael Noonan from Co Waterford, who is the first Irish man to become an Imam, said last night that he had become aware of a small, militant element of Islam creeping into the country and called for increased vigilance.

“I have become aware in the last year or so of a radical wing of Islam converting young Irish men who have become disenchanted with Irish society.

“I must stress that 99pc of Muslims living in Ireland have absolutely no interest in this branch of Islam but there is small element of brainwashing going on of young, disenchanted men by some extreme people who have made their way into the country,” he said.

Mr Noonan, a former theology student and staunch Catholic, contemplated becoming a priest before converting to Islam.

He is now the head of the Muslim community in Galway.

“It is unsettling to hear that there are certain people in the country who are interested in the kind of mindset of Osama bin Laden,” he said.