Saturday, August 18, 2007

Normal Service to be resumed Saturday

Normal service will be resumed during Saturday evening.

Just thought I would let you know.

--
Kind regards

Benedict White

Posted by at

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you get back to normal service, care to react to this?
http://democracyfrontline.org/blog/?p=2216#comment-179912

8:48 am, August 18, 2007
Anonymous said...

This is a copy of the conclusions of Siddiqui's report, on page 62.
Read carefully.
Disingenuous at best, lying through his teeth at worst.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. There is awareness that the universities, through their different departments
which teach the study of Islam and Muslim societies, are not addressing the
subject-matter properly or meeting the growing number of Muslims students.
The Islamic Studies syllabus needs to look beyong language and classical texts
and/or area studies, particularly those anrrowly focused on Middle East. Both
the underlying unity and the evident diversity of Islamic culture and civilisation
in different epochs and different regions of the world deserve proper attention.
The growing population of young Muslims in this country need access to the
unfiying and diverse legacy of Islam, including its legacy in Europe, and to
come to some understanding of their faith as practised in different contexts,
perhaps especially contexts of minority existence, and not just to somehow
rehearse – in an uneasy alliance with Britishness – the local customs of their
parents’ or grandparents’ communities of origin. Unfortunately, there are very
few qualified scholars who have the expertise to teach and supervise the core
Islamic subjects and relate them to their various social contexts.
i.
Therefore, with some urgency, the relevant departments of Government,
the funding councils such as the Higher Education Funding Council for
England (HEFCE), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC),
the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and the Muslim
community, should invest in a long term project for the establishment of
intensive language courses, research studentships, postgraduate awards,
collaboration with universities abroad, and the appointment of suitably
qualified staff.
ii. Where practicable, partnership between two or three universities should
be encouraged to share funding and, if need be, to establish a Centre
especially for the purpose.
2. There is a need to link the provision of Islamic studies with job opportunities.
Openings in the jobs market – such as banking with ethical ethos, teaching,
chaplaincy and counselling courses etc., – need be created and then widely
Page 63
63
advertised. Such courses in the past have attracted a significant number of
people, including imams and also women. Courses should be prepared
keeping in mind the religious and cultural specific needs of the community.
Universities and Further Education colleges, the social service sector and
Muslim charities should meet to asses the needs and methods of delivery.
The Department of Education and Skills could and should facilitate such
meetings.
3
Islamic Studies courses currently being offered at Universities in England
should adopt a greater focus on theological and civilisational aspects of Islam
which are relevant to practising Muslims. As a result courses will also provide
non- Muslim students with the opportunity to gain a greater insight into the
issues within Islamic doctrine that are particularly pertinent to Muslims .
There is also a need for Islam to be offered as an elective option, and wherever
it is possible departments should be fully resourced to provide such add-on
modules.
4. Students at universities should be given the opportunity to study under
competent scholars of Islam who have been trained via traditional Islamic
routes and in subject areas which are of particular relevance to Muslims.
5. All universities should consult as a matter of urgency to explore the possibility
of employing Muslim chaplains/advisors on a full or part-time basis. The
number of Muslim students will increase manifold in the future, and their
cultural and religious specific needs should be catered for.
6. All Muslim chaplains/advisors employed in the future must have a generic
qualification, which must equip the trainee with pastoral care skills and an
overall understanding of the workings of higher education. Every effort should
be made to raise the standard of Muslim chaplain/advisors’ training, especially,
in the long term, the ‘five qualities’ highlighted in the report should be the
requirement in future appointment of a chaplain/advisor. This would also help
to direct and improve the training process. In the selection process of a Muslim
chaplain/advisor, the Muslim student body should be represented. This will
prevent unnecessary misunderstanding, and may help in the smooth running
of university and student affairs.
7. The Muslim community should use their resources to help strengthen the
chaplaincy/advisor provisions, especially in the production of necessary guides
and reading material relevant to pastoral care. The pastoral care should also
be included in the training of future religious leaders, especially in madrasas,
in the community.
Page 64
64
8
At least once a year Muslim chaplains/advisors should meet to share experience
and discuss the issues and concerns on the campuses. There should be provision
for participation of other faith communities, student services and other relevant
agencies.
9. Student Islamic Societies on campus should be acknowledged as key providers
for peer-led support within universities in England and should be encouraged
and supported by universities (through human resources and active engagement
initiated by student services), the Muslim communities and relevant authorities.
10. Generic guidance should be produced in order to provide a reference point for
all university staff for dealing with issues such as prayer and understanding
the significance of Friday prayer, provisions for halal food and Ramadan.
Such guidance removes the burden of responsibility for students and will outline
best practice for implementation within all universities. This generic guidance
should be accessible to all university staff and students across England.

The report is crap to load, but then it's hm gov.
here

9:41 am, August 18, 2007
Anonymous said...

Written answers has this.
Read the denials carefully, particularly the final sentence.
here

But then read this carefully.
here

So Benny, fresh from hols, what you gonna do, place a bet on further radicalisation of young minds, further terrorist acts against the west, further exits to paki training camps, or is the next thing we will hear is a campaign for jihad training camps on UK mainland? - probably on a UK uni campus.
No, what a minute, didn't I hear about.................
Now, you could also read
this
‘all of that area which was controlled by the Taleban had become the cradle of justice and peace’. The Jamaat-e-Islami party of which Professor Ahmad is vice-president is well known to be extreme, albeit not one which espouses violent jihad against the West. However, like the Muslim Brotherhood, it has an unabashed mission to Islamicize the world.
And also
this
You got any mates on Cons HQ with the attention span to absorb this, and the willingness/balls to do something about it.
Saudi foreign policy is one of the cancers in this society.

10:12 am, August 18, 2007
Anonymous said...

What about reading this?
here

For fucks sake, when is somebody gonna wake up?

10:23 am, August 18, 2007
Anonymous said...

Never!

12:18 am, August 19, 2007

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