The Festival of Muslim Cultures, a national celebration of Muslim cultures, begins in January 2006 and continues into July 2007.

from official site; The festival was created out of the need to encourage a better understanding between Muslims and non Muslims (as a two-way process), to promote respect for Muslim cultures and to demonstrate how culture creates the pathways that connect us all together.

Organizers say that festival events are chosen because they represent the best of the Muslim arts world and they “portray diversity and plurality”.

The Festival’s organisation

Prince Charles is a patron & the festival director is Isabel Carlisle.[1] Shiban Akbar of the MCB is on the Advisory Board.[2] Prince Charles may refer to: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, current heir-apparent to the British throne Any of the previous British royals named Charles, Prince of Wales The former Belgian regent, Prince Charles of Belgium This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ...

Trustees

• Raficq Abdulla MBE (Lawyer, interpreter of Rumi and Attar, broadcaster and writer)
• Mahmood Ahmed (Corporate lawyer and former President of the Ismaili Council for the UK)
• Majid Dawood (CEO of Yasaar, Shariah compliance services company)
• Sayyed Nadeem Kazmi (Head of International Development, Al-Khoei Foundation, London)
• Shahwar Sadeque (Former BBC Governor and former Commissioner of the Commission for Racial Equality)

As a founder trustee, the late Dr Zaki Badawi played a key role from the beginning in shaping the Festival.[3] MBE can stand for: Member of the Order of the British Empire Mail Boxes Etc. ... A lawyer is a person licensed by the state to advise clients in legal matters and represent them in courts of law and in other forms of dispute resolution. ... Note: broadcasting is also the old term for hand sowing. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Definition Corporate lawyer. ... The Ismaili (Arabic الإسماعيليون, Persian: اسماعیلیان Esmâiliyân) branch of Islam is the second largest Shia community, after the Twelvers who are dominant in Iran. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... The goal of international development is to alleviate poverty among citizens of developing countries. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London (see Wiktionary:London for the name in other languages) is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... The Commission for Racial Equality is a non-governmental organisation in the United Kingdom which tackles racial discrimination and promotes racial equality. ... Mohamed Aboulkhair Zaki Badawi KBE (January 14, 1922 – January 24, 2006) was a prominent Islamic scholar, community activist, and promoter of interfaith-dialogue. ...

Funding

The festival, a registered charity (1106292), receives government funding from; Arts Council England, City of London, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Home Office and British Council. Other sponsors are listed here. It has a provisional budget of £6,000,000 which is around $10,500,000 USD.[4] A charitable trust is a trust organized to serve private or public charitable purposes. ... Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. ... f. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... The British Council is a partly UK Government-funded cultural relations organisation and a registered charity in the United Kingdom. ...

Controversy

In August 2005, The Observer reported that the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) used its influence in Whitehall to gain a place on the festival’s board of trustees. Festival organisers were instructed to comply with Islamic sharia law to gain the MCB’s full support. The organisers are now concerned that the festival will lose political backing if they invite performers who are seen to be 'un-Islamic'. Festival organisers already hope to invite the Uzbek singer, Sevara Nezarkhan, who does not wear the headscarf or 'hijab' and has worked with Jewish 'klezmer' musicians. It also intends to exhibit the 14th-century world history of Rashid al-Din, which represents the human form and the prophet Mohammed himself, thought by some strict Muslims to be forbidden. Other performers could include the Senegalese musician Youssou N'dour and the Bangladeshi-British dancer Akram Khan. The Observer understands that the Foreign Office insisted that the festival organisers involved the MCB before they would give them their full backing. As a result, an MCB nominee has been taken on to the festival's board of trustees. One source close to the festival organisers said, “We constantly found our efforts were being blocked and it kept coming back to the MCB and its sympathisers within Whitehall.”[5] The MCB responded with, “The MCB believes that the Festival will need to be broad-based, inclusive and mindful of the teachings of Islam if it is to have the support of British Muslims.” [6] 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... Whitehall, London, looking south towards the Houses of Parliament. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... Politics is the process and method of decision-making for groups of human beings. ... Hijab (Arabic: حجاب) is the Arabic term for barrier or dressing modestly. ... The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Klezmer (from Yiddish כלזמיר, etymologically from Hebrew kli zemer כלי זמר, vessel of song) is a musical tradition which parallels Hasidic and Ashkenazic Judaism. ... Rashid al-Din Tabib also Rashid ad-Din Fadhlullah Hamadani (1247 - 1318), was a Persian Doctor and writer and historian. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Youssou NDour Youssou NDour (born October 11, 1959 in Dakar, Senegal) is a singer. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ...

Just days after the controversy surrounding MCB Secretary General Iqbal Sacranie’s comments on homosexuality, the conservative British Muslim establishment became embroiled in another homophobia scandal.[7] On 23 January 2006 Sandra Laville reported in The Guardian, ‘Promotional publicity states that the festival will feature the ‘diversity and plurality’ of Muslim cultures, but gay Muslims say they have been refused permission to present an event.’ Aaron Saeed, Muslim affairs spokesman for the gay rights group Outrage!, wrote to festival director Isabel Carlisle, offering to stage an event celebrating the lives and experiences of gay Muslims in Britain and abroad but his offer was refused.[8] The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Iqbal Sacranie (born 1952) is best known for his work as the chairman of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). ... The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is an organisation founded in 1997 to defend the rights of Muslims, improve relations between traditional Muslims and wider society and to promote cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the United Kingdom. ... The term homophobia means a fear of or contempt for homosexuality or homosexuals or the fear of becoming homosexual. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... OutRage! is a direct action group in the United Kingdom which fights for the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. ...

In Isabel Carlisle’s reply, she justifies the exclusion of gay Muslims on the grounds 'we are not prepared to present works that will give offence to significant numbers.’[9] However, when interviewed for The Guardian she claimed that gay Muslim participation was rejected because the festival does not want to feature 'political' themes.[10] The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ...

“This is not what her rejection letter states,” said Aaron Saeed. “It says we have been turned down because gay Muslims would give offence. Our proposal was not political. It was for a series of cultural events about the lives and experiences of lesbian and gay Muslims. We planned to organise these events in conjunction with gay Muslim individuals and organisations beyond OutRage!. These were never envisaged as OutRage! events. We made that clear. This ban is straightforward homophobia. It is deeply offensive to suggest that gay Muslim people are not a valid part of the Muslim community.”[11] Saeed concludes, "It is appalling that a registered charity is allowed to discriminate against gay people ... It is time the conservative leadership of the Muslim community got used to the fact that gay Muslims are here to stay and here to fight." Muhammad Yusuf, a member of the Interfaith Alliance, said it was a "matter of regret" that a festival aiming to reflect the diversity of Muslim culture was not prepared to take on board a facet that was different by reason of sexual orientation.[12] OutRage! is a direct action group in the United Kingdom which fights for the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. ... OutRage! is a direct action group in the United Kingdom which fights for the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. ... Inter-religious Organisations have become important during the last century. ...

Events of the Festival

Initial events include;

• The historical exhibition “Palace and Mosque: Islamic Treasure of the Middle East from the V&A” at Sheffield Millennium Galleries, drawn from one of the most renowned Islamic art collections in the world.
• “Egyptian Landscapes: 50 years of Tapestry Weaving at the Ramses Wissa Wassef Art Centre, Cairo”, an exhibition of woven tapestries created over the last 50 years in a village near the pyramids of Giza, at the Brunei Gallery, London.
• “Contemporary Pakistani Printmakers” at Oriel Ceri Richards, Swansea.

Future events being created by the Festival’s programme partners range from drama from the Middle East; a colourful contribution to the Edinburgh Festivals; a conference on “Faith and Identity in Contemporary Culture” in Manchester; a gathering of poets in Bradford and Leeds; contemporary British Muslim artists in Birmingham; a Pakistani film festival in Glasgow as well as a Sufi Festival; Muslim writers at the Hay Literary Festival; Quranic recitation in Leicester; an arts programme in Cardiff; and early music in York. Yeni Camii (the New Mosque), one of the landmarks of Ä°stanbul A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A) is on Cromwell Road in Kensington, West London. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... Islamic art is the art of Islamic people, cultures, and countries. ... This article is about tapestry the textile. ... Cairo (Arabic: القاهرة; transliterated: al-Qāhirah) is the capital city of Egypt (and previously the United Arab Republic) and has a metropolitan area population of approximately 15. ... Tweed loom, Harris, 2004 Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn made of fiber called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. ... This is about the polyhedron. ... The Great Sphinx of Giza with Khafres pyramid in the background. ... The Houses of Parliament and the clock tower containing Big Ben Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London (see Wiktionary:London for the name in other languages) is the capital of the United Kingdom and England. ... Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, mouth of the Tawe) is a city and county in South Wales, situated on the coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula. ... There are many articles named Drama: Drama, the art form. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... The Edinburgh Festival is a collection of various festivals in August of each year in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... Bradford is the major settlement in the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, in the county of West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... Leeds is a city in the metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds in West Yorkshire in the north of England. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... A film festival is a mostly annual festival in one or more movie theaters with a special program showcasing many films. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Second-hand bookshop at Hay-on-Wye Hay-on-Wye (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll or Y Gelli), often described as the town of books, is a market town in Brecknockshire, Wales, very close to the border with England, within the Brecon Beacons National Park. ... The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al KarÄ«m or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the clock tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city in the English East Midlands. ... The Norman Keep, Cardiff Castle. ... York is a city in northern England, at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss. ...

See also

• Islam in the United Kingdom
• Homophobia
• Homosexuality and Islam
• MCB's alleged boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day

London Central Mosque in London off Regents Park Jamia Masjid, example of a typical small mosque in East Ham // History Islam is generally thought of as a recent arrival in Britain, but there has been contact for many centuries. ... The term homophobia means a fear of or contempt for homosexuality or homosexuals or the fear of becoming homosexual. ... For age structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic lands There is no concept analogous to homosexuality in Islam, in the sense of an innate identity. ... The neutrality of this section is disputed. ...

External links

• Festival of Muslim Cultures
• Muslim Council of Britain
• The Times - transcript of Radio 4 interview - Gays are 'harmful'
• BBC News - Investigated by police for saying that homosexuality was 'harmful'
• OutRage! press release - Muslim Festival bans gay Muslims
• The Observer - Radical links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group
• The Guardian - Festival of Muslim cultures refuses to allow gay event