Put Babar Ahmad on trial in the UK

Babar Ahmad is a British Citizen who has been detained in the UK for 7 years without trial fighting extradition to the USA under the controversial no-evidence-required Extradition Act 2003. In June 2011, the Houses of Parliament, Joint Committee on Human Rights urged the UK government to change the law so that Babar Ahmad’s perpetual threat of extradition is ended without further delay. Since all of the allegations against Babar Ahmad are said to have taken place in the UK, we call upon the British Government to put him on trial in the UK and support British Justice for British Citizens.

This is an official government e-petition (read more about them here): we need 100,000 signatures and the petition will debated in British Parliament. It’s not one those flakey e-petitions we’ve been asked to sign a million times before for countless causes… this one can make a difference, God willing, so please do not ignore it!

Further, your signature will not be publicised on search engines – so your boss will never find out (but why that should worry you is another matter entirely).

Please sign, and please share.

For the non-Brits, unfortunately, only UK citizens can sign, but your prayers are needed, and I am sure you have some British friends and relatives knocking about that you can encourage.

Lastly, I’d like to end with some powerful words posted by Imam Abu Eesa Niamatullah on his Facebook page today. As always, he tells it ‘like it is’ with his endearing Northern charm, masha’Allah – may Allah bless him!

No excuses: EVERY Muslim from the UK that has an internet connection needs to sign this petition. Babar is your brother. And he needs you. And know that Allah will fulfil the needs of the one who fulfils the needs of his brother.

This is something which is easy for us all to do. So don’t blame anyone if Allah casts you aside like we cast our brother aside in his time of need.

Ok look, I’ve been studying this petition for a good few weeks now thinking of the best way to approach this, but the time for me to act is right about now.

E-petitions have been making the headlines recently especially post the riots but personally I decided to use Premiership football Joey Barton’s campaign recently in getting a Parliamentary debate on the secret files for the Hillsborough Disaster. I wanted to see if this was really true and whether it could work.

What I’ve learnt is that it is true – if we can get 100,000 signatures from UK citizens on an e-petition before the 10th of November, then we can get Babar’s case debated. I see this as one of our final chances before something disastrous happens in his case i.e. being extradited to the gulag which is the US “Justice” system.

How Joey Barton basically did it was to go “sick” (read: mad crazy) on all the networks, especially Twitter, repeatedly posting the same request again and again, to all people, shaming those who were ignoring him and persisting right to the end. It was perhaps not very ethical but I personally was impressed with his success. And we CAN do the same.

Babar Ahmed is a wonderful brother. And he is my friend. And he has been wronged. And he deserves whatever sacrifices we can make for him, especially when it isn’t any sacrifice at all!

Don’t get me wrong – I’m no bleeding Liberal. I don’t support or believe I should help every single Muslim prisoner who is clearly guilty or that which is against Islamic law. If the Muslims can’t punish them for their crimes then let someone else save us from their harm. Allahu’l-Musta’an.

But Babar is guilty of nothing. Indeed just as he has been treated, I could be treated myself the very same. And I swear astaghfirullah if you let me down like we’ve let Babar down, I really WILL be guilty of a crime when I find you all on my release!! =)

So please use this blessed time, where the hearts are softer, and the help of Allah is more palpable, to send this petition to everyone you know. BUT DON’T SEND OUT A MASS EMAIL!

No. Send a personal email to every single UK contact you have, by name, with a personal greeting and message. And beg them to sign the petition. If 1000 of us did this with 100 friends, we’re done. It really is as easy that, I’m not asking the world here! It might take a bit longer sure, but use your Copy and Paste skills with a little bit of initiative and we’re there.

Subhanallah, you know something? As crazy as this might sound, I really honestly believe we can do this. I really do. 100,000 is a big ask from just the UK with perhaps only 4-5 times that amount being online at all, but I can feel it in my bones. Yara, if we go home and register our parents up with an email address then we’re already on the way. Go and do the same with your elderly family in the UK, the uncles in the Masjid, all those people who’d never use the internet at all because you do everything for them normally. Well, do THIS for them.

I put my trust in Allah and then I put my trust in you. I am making this plea because it’s not asking you for a lot, and there really is a possibility that it might help Babar. At least I will be able to face him one day and say: I tried my best.

Jazakumullahu khayran.

AE

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I attended the FOSIS conference yesterday for the video presentations. About 10 minutes before going on stage to hear the results, I became exceedingly nervous. It was one of those strange moments when raw gut feeling came into direct conflict with rational thought: I knew in my head that this wasn’t the Oscars, but could someone tell my heart that please? It’s about to burst out of my chest, Alien-stylee.

Continue reading…

I’ve been playing away from home.

No, no… don’t cry, blog. I still love you. You’ll always be my first. No, wait second… Actually, more like my third.

Anyway, stop blubbing foo, and listen up.

Sisters’ Film Club has officially launched! We have produced our first videos, and have a
sparkly new blog to match, masha’Allah.

The videos are part of a submission to the FOSIS video competition – an annual contest open to all UK Islamic Societies. As this is our first production, we would really appreciate your support. Please watch, vote for, and share our videos via the SFC blog. Feedback welcome!

JazakumAllah khair.

Click to enlarge

The hand-drawn illustration is a combination of Arabic & English, spelling the name “Muhammad”. The text are quotes from several authentic narrations describing the physical attributes of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him [props to the Chill Yo Islam Yo blog].

Who speaks better than someone who calls people to God, does what is right, and says, “I am of those devoted to God”? Good and evil cannot be equal. [Prophet], repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend. But only those who are steadfast in patience, only those who are blessed with great righteousness, will attain such goodness.

Qur’an, 41:33-35

My brother Didier Ambroise is missing and we have not been able to find him. My Uncle Roblain Legagneur and my cousin Namu Corvington and his wife died buried under their house.

Brother Ibrahim Abdoul Salam’s house was destroyed and his cousin died.

Also brother Abou Bakr’s house was crumbled and his sister died.

Many brothers and sisters are unaccounted for. We do not know if they are alive or dead. May Allah give ease to them in whatever state they may be. Amin.

Read the full letter.

Donate.

Pray.

I learnt this morning via the Twittervine that my blog has been nominated for a Brass Crescent award, under the “Best Design” category.

England’s self-proclaimed Desi Dreamer and Mad Muslimah, iMuslim offers extensive photos, videos, and a clean interface. “She’s a good all rounder.”

Credit where credit is due: the theme that I currently use on this site was designed by WooThemes. I tweaked it slightly to fix some bugs and improve the layout, and I obviously replaced the header with something more relevant… but that’s about it!

However, I’m still grateful for the recognition. So jazakumAllah khair to the peeps who nominated me. :)

The following are some of my own recommendations:

Best Blog: MuslimMatters.org… I’ll admit that I’m also a fan of SuhaibWebb.com. (Just don’t tell my MM team mates that I said that!)

Best Group Blog: MuslimMatters.org

Best Humo(u)r Blog: This one is tough as I seriously dig three out of the five blogs listed! McPagal, Mr Moo and Mummyjaan.

Best European Blog: Indigo Jo

Best South Asian Blog: The View from Behind My Specs

Best Retired Blog: Kelly Izdihar’s Blog (aka Izzy Mo)

Please visit the site and vote… May the best blogs win! :)

If you’re a Muslim blogger based in the UK, please leave a comment below with your blog address in the URL bar. Alternatively, paste the relevant link in the comment field… but a warning that your comment may get spammed if you add too many URLs.

This tweak won’t change lives, but I thought it might be fun. “Fun” being a relative term.

Please update your feed readers with the new RSS feed link, and your blog rolls with the new homepage link.

Let me know if you spot any problems, and what you think of the new look!