Quilliam is the world’s first counter-extremism think tank. Located in London, our founders are former leading ideologues of UK-based extremist Islamist organizations – organizations that are still active today.

Extremism, a prelude to terrorism, cannot be contained by Muslims alone. Not least because religious rigidity and extremism are products of the failures of wider society to foster a shared sense of belonging and to advance liberal democratic values among all sections of society. That said, we believe a more self-critical approach must be adopted by Muslim leaders to free communities from Westophobic ideological influences, escape social insularity and facilitate the organic growth of Western Islam.

Quilliam seeks to challenge what we think, and the way we think. It aims to generate creative thought paradigms through informed and inclusive discussion to counter the Islamist ideology behind terrorism, whilst simultaneously providing evidence-based recommendations to governments for related policy measures.

Quilliam held a roundtable with Reza Aslanon 3rd June 2009, entitled 'How to Win a Cosmic War'.

Please click here to download a copy.

Hijab-weariing rock fan Remona Aly.

God gave rock'n'roll to you! So US rock band Kiss chanted in the early 90s, a cover of the original song by British group Argent. My relationship with this "divine" gift started early. At 12, I riffled through my brother's vinyl collection and emerged a fan of U2, Faith No More and Led Zeppelin.

Recently, aged 31, I set out in my coolest headscarf to see the best live band in the world: Muse, on their Resistance Tour. I looked around, but spotted not one of my species – an "undercover Muse-lim", as one friend dubs me. But there are others.

Shabana, a solicitor and mother of three, has listened to rock music for as long as she has worn a headscarf. She has dragged her husband to a Jon Bon Jovi gig; her son has taken up electric guitar. "People are always surprised to find out about my rock collection," she says. "They take one look at my headscarf and assume I'll be into choir music!" I know the feeling.

So does Arub, an architecture student and Kerrang! subscriber, who says that she and nearly all her hijab-wearing friends would rather listen to Linkin Park than shallow pop. "Rock appeals because it rebels against the norm, it sells on the angst of not belonging – something women in hijab relate to," she says. "It's the natural choice for a hijabi."

Arub's words strike a chord. When, at 18, I decided to wear a headscarf, some friends said I would belong even less to a country where I was born, bred and buttered. But being in a minority can give confidence: I was surer of my identity and even of my Britishness. I feel the relevance of rock instinctively as lyrics from my album collection pulsate in my head: "I will never know myself until I do this on my own . . . I will break away, I'll find myself today"; "Don't be afraid of what your mind conceives /Stand up for what you believe."

The call of rebellion, the claim for independence: there is an affinity between rock music and those like me, Shabana and Arub – women secure in both their faith and music taste.

One year after the Global Meeting, Musawah is moving forward with its Knowledge Building, Movement Building, and International Advocacy core areas of work. This includes the following events and activities:

·       The Musawah Planning Committee met in June 2009 and outlined the three core areas of Musawah’s future work.

·       Musawah collaborated with Sisters in Islam on a two-week Short Course on Understanding Islam from a Rights Perspective in August 2009.

·       Musawah presented on the economic consequences of marriage and divorce at the 44th CEDAW Session in August 2009.

·       The Musawah Communications Advisory Group met for the first time in October 2009 to develop the communications strategy.

·       Musawah Vision, our quarterly newsletter, was launched in November 2009.

·       A working group meeting was held in Cairo in January 2010 to plan for a major research project on qiwamah and wilayah.

·       Also in January 2010, Musawah cooperated with the Networking for Women's Rights Organizations in Egypt (NWRO) network to hold a seminar and a three-day training on ‘Muslim Family Law: A Women’s Rights Perspective’.

·       At the 45th CEDAW Session that just concluded, the Musawah Director met with CEDAW Committee members and OHCHR staff, plus worked with Egyptian NGOs to incorporate the Musawah Framework for Action into their Shadow Report and oral interventions.

·       The new International Advisory Group will meet in late February 2010.

·       The French and Arabic versions of Wanted: Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family, the Musawah book of theoretical papers, will be ready in the coming months.

 Cambridge University Press Release for the 'Contextualising Islam in Britain'  project which, whilst independently run, was funded under CLG's 'Faith Capacity' area. A link to the report is also contained within the Press Release.

To find out more information, please click here

An-Nisa Society welcomes the Equality Bill 2009/10, which is currently going through the House of Lords. We believe that it is ground breaking and courageous and has the potential to make this country a fairer place for all.

We particularly welcome the extension of a public equality duty to religion and belief as a 'protected characteristic' on a par with seven other categories, which includes race, gender and disability.

This means that it will be a statutory duty for public bodies to proactively address issues around religion and belief. For Muslims this is phenomenal news as it means that public bodies will have to deal with Islamophobia and institutionalised anti-Muslim discrimination, which have made Muslims the underclass of Britain. Khalida Khan, Director, An-Nisa Society, said "we believe this Bill has the potential to uplift Muslims from social exclusion." 

However, as the Bill makes its progress through the House of Lords there is a possibility that the public equality duty on religion and belief may be diluted or taken out, due to fears that it will promote religion.

"The promotion of faith is not the role of government but meeting the needs of faith communities and addressing any inequality and disadvantage they suffer certainly is."Briefing Paper: The Equality Bill 2009/10 & Implications for Muslims Jan 2010

There is a proposed amendment to delete clause 148, expected to be discussed on 25th or 27th January 2009, to remove the duty to 'advance equality of opportunity' for religion and belief, which is an essential element of the legislation. Muslims need to lobby to ensure that this does not happen.

"Deleting clause 148 will be disastrous for Muslims because Muslims suffer disadvantage, have differing needs based on faith and are marginalised and there has been a historic lack of engagement and participation."Briefing Paper: The Equality Bill 2009/10 & Implications for Muslims Jan 2010

Until 2006 equality legislation did not protect Muslims as a faith community from anti-Muslim discrimination. The Equality Act 2006 for the first time included religion and belief in its remit. However, there was no public sector equality duty for public bodies to address Islamophobia and to deal with Muslim advantage and deprivation.

As a result, in the four years since there has been little improvement in the way public bodies address Islamophobia and provide Muslim-sensitive services.

"It is often erroneously believed that the duty on race is sufficient to cover the needs and issues of Muslims. However, whilst there has been some progress on race, a faith-blind approach to equality and anti-racism over many decades has not delivered social justice for Muslims."Briefing Paper: The Equality Bill 2009/10 & Implications for Muslims Jan 2010

The Second Reading is currently underway where amendments will be made and debated. At the third reading the amended version of the Bill will be debated. No further amendments can be made at this stage before the Bill is put forward for Royal Assent.

In view of the general elections coming up in the spring, the Equality Bill has a limited time in the House of Lords, as Parliament has to be dissolved by 6 May 2010. If the Bill is not passed it will be down to the discretion of the next government, from whichever party, to reintroduce the Bill if they see fit.

The Bill is therefore in a very precarious position and in the rush to get it through before the general elections it may mean that the religion and belief equality provision may be taken out or weakened because Muslims have not had an opportunity to make their voices heard. If this happens, it will be disastrous for Muslims. The opportunity for this type of legislation only comes around once in a lifetime.

An-Nisa Society has responded to the consultation of this Bill in a Briefing Paper entitled 'The Equality Bill 2009/10 and the implications for Muslims,' released on 21 January 2010. In the paper we make the following recommendations: 

Recommendations

1.    The Religion and Belief public duty must be equal to and as robust as the other 'protected characteristic= '

2.    The equality duty must be retained for religion and belief.

3.    Clause 148 must remain for religion and belief.

4.    We support the amendment by the EHRC to strengthen Clause 148 on the Single Equality Duty by inserting 'take steps' to meet the   three equality duty objectives.

5.    Specific Duties - All reporting must include religion and belief including employment data.

6.    Harassment on the basis of religion and belief must be extended to all areas due to the serious levels of anti-Muslim feelings in the country.

7.    Diversity Monitoring should be made compulsory, to include religion and belief.

8.    The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) should make extra efforts to ensure that statutory guidance on religion and belief is clear and robust.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's top Islamic body on Saturday ruled against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of other religions that could corrupt Muslims.

The National Fatwa Council's non-binding edict said yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.

"It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim," Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters.

He noted that clerics in Egypt issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration."

Though the council's decisions are not legally binding on Malaysia's Muslim population, many abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.

The Malaysia fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multi-ethnic population. About 25 percent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.

Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.

The Fatwa Council took up the yoga issue after an Islamic scholar last month expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic.

But yoga teacher Suleiha Merican, who has been practicing yoga for 40 years, called yoga "a great health science" and said there is no religion involved.

"We don't do chanting and meditation. There is no conflict because yoga is not religion based," Merican, 56, told The Associated Press.

There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.

Putri Rahim, a housewife, said she was no less a Muslim after practicing yoga for 10 years.

"I am mad! Maybe they have it in mind that Islam is under threat. To come out with a fatwa is an insult to intelligent Muslims. It's an insult to my belief," Putri said.

In a recent blog posting, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it "a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance."

To find out more please visit the link below:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/22/malaysia.yoga.banned.ap/index.html