----- Original Message ----- From: "Farid Akhter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: EU Imams Urge Effective Integration, Acceptance --islamonline.net
> EU Imams Urge Effective Integration, Acceptance > > > "Muslims in Europe are making history," said Khouja. > > > VIENNA, April 9, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News > Agencies) - European imams exhorted Muslim minorities > across the continent on Sunday, April 9, to better > integration and effectively participate in all aspects > of society, urging European countries to give their > Muslims the opportunity to become part of society. > > "Integration is no one-way street, but should be seen > as a mutual process," said the final declaration of > the second Conference of European Imams, reported > Agence France-Presse (AFP). > > Integration, education, politics and women's rights > featured on the agenda of the meeting, which brought > together 300 Muslim leaders, imams and female > preachers from about 40 European countries. > > The three-day conference was a follow up on a meeting > held in the Austrian city of Graz in 2003. > > Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and European > Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso led prominent > European figures who attended the opening session. > > The conference was co-sponsored by Austria, which hold > the current rotating presidency of the EU. > > Positive Role > > The imams called on European Muslims of all ages to > learn the language, the "instrument of communication," > of their host country. > > "Investing in early language acquisition... as well as > mutual inter-cultural skills" should be encouraged, > the declaration said. > > The participants also urged effective participation by > Muslims in political, economical, cultural, social and > academic life. > > "It is the principle of Islam that the Muslim in > Europe be active and participate in all aspects of > life," said Ahmed Al-Rawi, president of the > British-based Federation of Islamic Organizations in > Europe. > > Imam Abduljalil Sajid, president of Britain's Muslim > Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, agreed. > > He said imams should play a stronger role in helping > their communities integrate into society. > > "Imams, as teachers and preachers, have a duty to > emphasize to their congregations to play a positive > role ... in addressing the plagues of Europe -- hate, > bigotry, racism, extremism and terrorism." > > Talk to Muslims > > The European imams, meanwhile, urged authorities > across the continent to give their Muslims the chance > to become part of society. > > European authorities should be "talking with and not > about Muslims," the imams concluded. > > A representative from France had said Muslims in her > country had adopted the language and citizenship but > were still discriminated against when applying for a > job. > > A Sorbonne research released last year by the French > Observatory Against Racism found that Arab names and > dark complexion represent an obstacle to jobseekers. > > The "Discrimination at Workplace" research said that > the organization sent 325 CVs of competitive > applicants, who only differ in names and origin, to > find later that the opportunity for North African > applicants to get a job is five times less than > natives. > > Writing History > > > The attack on the Islamic cemetery in Vienna reminded > participants of the hostility Muslims meet throughout > Europe. (Reuters) > > > > Many of the participants believe the conference will > be a turning point in the relation between Europe and > its Muslim minorities, reported Reuters. > > "Muslims in Europe are making history," said Mouddar > Khouja, the representative of the organizer Islamic > Religious Authority (IRA). > > Burhaneddin Dag, of the Islamic Centre in Hamburg, > agreed. > > "I'm proud that what happened here can be a model for > all European countries... we wrote a piece of > history." > > An attack on an Islamic cemetery being built in a > suburb of Vienna reminded the conference participants > of the hostility Muslims meet throughout Europe. > > "The graffiti shows this was an anti-Islamic attack," > said Omar al-Rawi, head of integration affairs at the > IRA. > > The building shell of the prayer room was set on fire > at the weekend. Its outside walls were smeared with > graffiti saying: "Will be blown up." > > A similar attack on a mosque happened after another > Islam conference last November. > > Beate Winkler, head of the European Monitoring Center > on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), told the conference > on Saturday, April 8, that anti-Muslim bias is > dangerously high in Europe. > > "Some people stereotype all Muslims as devotedly > religious and sharing a fundamentalist view of Islam," > she said, warning of a vicious circle of > discrimination and hostility towards Muslims from > parts of the European majority. > > > > > Back To News Page > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." 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