THE PROPHET (PBUH), THE VOICE OF EMPATHY Sunday 26th November, After Isha (8.00pm) As we enter the month of Rabi-Al-Awwal in which our beloved Prophet (pbuh) was born, our dear Dr Uthman Lateef will be talking to us about how our Prophet (pbuh) was the voice of empathy. In an increasingly divided world, the need for empathy is more important than ever.

On the evening of 15th November 2017, representatives of the London Borough of Brent and local faith leaders signed the 'Faith Covenant'. Brent has followed Barnet to be the second Borough of London to take up this formal acknowledgement of the close engagement and trust-building that should occur between local government and faith groups. Imam Abdul Sattar and Sohail Ahmed participated in this event along with members of the steering group of the Brent Multifaith Forum including Chairperson Aisha Khan and Rabbi Dr Frank Dabba Smith. The Faith Covenant is based on principles including: --Faith communities are free to practise their beliefs and religious observances without restriction, and to raise their voice in public debate and to be respected, within the framework of UK law. --Public services and faith-based social action should respect service users from all backgrounds, with no distinctions on the grounds of religion or lack of religious beliefs, gender, pregnancy and maternity, marital or civil partnership status, race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disabilities or long term health conditions. The needs of socio-economic and vulnerable groups should also be considered. --The voice, participation and solutions that faith communities bring are vital, and consultation should enable them to be brought to bear for the benefit of the wider community.

SUFRA WALKERS AT WEMBLEY CENTRAL MASJID The group of Sufra charity walkers were received warmly at the Wembley Central Masjid. While refreshments were served, the participants learned from the members present about the ethical ideals of Islam. About half of those who came with this group had never been inside a Mosque previously so this was a great initiation. They visited other faith venues along their journey through Brent and were welcomed joyfully at the Harlesden Methodist Church and the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple.

The group comprises of people from different faiths and no faith mostly with their families and kids will stop at WCM briefly for light refreshments, see the Masjid and have a brief chat with Imam A Sattar with questions from children participating in the walk. Please go to the following link to get registered. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brent-interfaith-walk-tickets-37332076245 (The registration fee covers their costs, including a free t-shirt and end of walk vegetarian buffet on St. Raphael’s Edible Garden.) Whilst you’re welcome to just trod along with them, they have also requested that you collect sponsorship for the charity. If you raise £99 they will refund your registration fee. Where will your sponsorship go? Just last week, they provided 7 days’ emergency food aid for 127 people (that’s 2,667 meals) and 63 people turned up to the Community Kitchen on Friday evening. But they are also helping to get people off the street; they paid for 5 nights of hostel accommodation for Mr P (name abbreviated) who was homeless for several days and on Thursday, they secured permanent accommodation for him. He was absolutely elated. And that’s not including all the courses they run – ESOL classes for Syrian refugees on Tuesday evenings and the Food Academy on Saturday for adult carers who need help preparing nutritious meals for a parent, partner or sibling with a long-term medical condition. The list is endless. Hugely rewarded here and hereafter, so please join in brothers and sisters. Jazakumullahu Khayran.

We had a warm welcome at Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year Festival) on 21/09/2017 at Masonic Lodge Kenton. Everybody left with the warmth of kindness, solidarity and hope.Following is the extract of Rabi Dr Frank Dabba Smith's sermon: "Like other liberal rabbis, I maintain ‘Judaism' to be an outward looking faith-based practice centred on the prophetic values of justice, mercy, compassion and kindness. The Torah may contain many challenges based on articulations of these values but they are not exclusive to our Hebrew texts, however. That fact that these values are utterly relevant to the human condition is made clearer by their being widely shared by other faith traditions as well as by those who do not practice a particular faith. I regard these core teachings of Judaism as universally applicable to all people --with a special concern for those who are vulnerable, marginalised or dominated-- and that the survival of Judaism is only important if these values are consistently and positively exercised by those who call themselves Jews. In short, I am not interested in the survival of merely ‘our tribe’ for the sake of its survival but, rather, I am most concerned about what we contribute to the welfare of all on our troubled planet, now and in the future. In particular, I am interested and actively engaged in what might be termed the challenge of ‘religious peace building’. In her excellent study, Maria Pilar Aquino argues that this work is concerned with transforming the root cause of conflicts through ‘protecting human dignity by meeting human needs, promoting human rights, and affirming sustainable environments’. For me, there is no question that human suffering, social injustices and preserving our planet are challenges to be addressed rigorously by Jews or, indeed, by persons of any faith or no faith. As human beings, we exist in this world for the sake of collaborating with others to enhance life and hope for all".

May Allah bless you & Your dear ones for happy & prosperous life on Eid al Azha & always. Eid Prayer Times are 7.00, 8.00, 9.00 and 10.00

Join Sheikh Mahmoud this Sunday (tomorrow) after dhuhr to learn about the many rites and rituals of Hajj. Come and have all your questions answered.

Rabbi Dr Frank Dabba Smith is well known and respected in our community due to his devotion in building bridges through his long commitment to multi-faith collaboration. We enjoyed a warm welcome on Saturday 29th July at Mosaic Liberal Synagogue where his twenty years of service was being celebrated. Frank and the members of his community never miss standing shoulder to shoulder with us whenever they sense the need to give moral support. Frank serves on the International Advisory Committee of EcoPeace-Middle East, as Vice-Chair of the Brent Multi-faith Forum, on the Independent Advisory Group of the Metropolitan Police in the London Borough of Brent and as a trustee to The Berakah Project. Frank has been married to Cathy since 1986 and they have three children: Miriam (born 1991), Lewis (1995) and Sarah (1997).