FOSIS London Annual Report 2010-11

FOSIS London Annual Report 2010/11 March 2011

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Annual Report 2010/11

FOSIS London Federation of Student Islamic Societies

“Representing, Uniting and Serving Islamic Societies in London”


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Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3 What's FOSIS London? ........................................................................................................ 3 Our Strategic Aims ............................................................................................................. 3

Committee ................................................................................................................ 4 London Committee Structure ............................................................................................. 4 Who’s who? ....................................................................................................................... 4

Islamic Societies in London ........................................................................................ 5

Committee Reports ................................................................................................... 6 London Chair ...................................................................................................................... 6 London Vice Chair (Sisters) ................................................................................................. 7 London Vice Chair (Brothers)* .............................................................................................. London General Secretary .................................................................................................. 8 NSQC Regional Co-‐ordinator .............................................................................................. 9 Student Affairs Representative* ........................................................................................... Ex-‐Officio ........................................................................................................................... 9

Regional Activities and Events ................................................................................. 10 ISoc Visits, Individual Support and Outreach .................................................................... 10 ISOC 101: The Revolution ................................................................................................. 12 London ISoc Executives' Meeting ..................................................................................... 13 Speaker Tours and iERA Da’wah training .......................................................................... 13 Student Affairs Workshop ................................................................................................ 14 Media Workshop ............................................................................................................. 14 Sisters’ Events .................................................................................................................. 15 NSQC -‐ Regional Final ....................................................................................................... 15

FOSIS National Events .............................................................................................. 16 The Palestine Papers Under the Spotlight ......................................................................... 16 City Legal Careers Workshop ............................................................................................ 16 An Evening with John Adair .............................................................................................. 16 “Radical thinking” Conference .......................................................................................... 16

Projects ................................................................................................................... 17 iERA da'wah packs ........................................................................................................... 17 ISoc gift packs .................................................................................................................. 17 Islamic Societies Research and Analysis Survey (ISRA) ...................................................... 17

Concluding remarks ................................................................................................. 18

Acknowledgements ................................................................................................. 18

Appendices .............................................................................................................. 19 Appendix 1: About FOSIS .................................................................................................. 19 Appendix 2: The Structure of FOSIS, and where FOSIS London fits in. ............................... 19

Contact Us ............................................................................................................... 20 * Reports not submitted


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Introduction What's FOSIS London? Established in 1963, FOSIS stands for the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, a body representing 100,000 Muslim students in 130 University Islamic Societies (ISocs) across the UK and Ireland. Divided into seven regions, FOSIS London is here to represent, unite and serve Islamic Societies in London while acting in accordance with the Qur’anic verse:

"Hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and be not disunited" (Quran 3:103)

University is a challenging, yet fulfilling experience and as a student in London, you’ll never fall short of exciting opportunities to thrive and excel. Drawn from ISocs across this vibrant and dynamic city, the London committee seeks to provide the best events and resources, as well as promote and protect the interests of Muslim students, develop their character skills, and spread the true message of Islam to people of all other faiths and backgrounds. The opportunities to serve you – the city’s Islamic societies and work with you, are endless, and we hope you will join us on this exciting journey. See Appendix 1 for a background on FOSIS Our Strategic Aims

1. To create a strong and positive relationship with the majority of Islamic Societies in London by accurately understanding them and to represent them on this basis.

2. To act as a platform to facilitate Inter-‐ISoc collaboration, and to showcase Islamic Societies’ best practice, excellence and experience, uniting Islamic Societies in London.

3. To be an effective grassroots support service and reference-‐point for Islamic Societies in London.

4. To develop Islamic Society Committee members in knowledge, experience and professionalism through resources, events and training.

5. To emphasize the importance of Da’wah, Islamic knowledge and Spiritual Development. 6. To increase the FOSIS and FOSIS London brand awareness amongst Muslim students in London. 7. To encourage and maintain London Islamic Societies’ involvement with Student Unions and the

NUS. 8. To seek and acquire sustainable financial security throughout the year for all FOSIS London

projects.


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Committee Headed by the regional Chair who also sits on the FOSIS National Executive Committee (NEC) to represent and the interests of Islamic Societies in London on a national level, the London Committee is the engine that keeps the region moving. London Committee Structure

See Appendix 2 to see where FOSIS London fits into the main FOSIS organisational structure. Who’s who?

§ Chair: Asif Hussain (LSE, ex-‐UCL) § Vice Chair (Sisters): Lotifa Begum (UCL) § Vice Chair (Brothers): Muhyadin Mohamed (ex-‐Brunel) § General Secretary: Shaheena Baig (ex-‐LSE)

§ Committee member: Ibrahim Al Tamimy (UCL) § NSQC Co-‐ordinator: Fatimah Javaid (SGUL, UCL) § NSQC Team: Razan Al-‐Akraa (ULSOP), Nabeel Vohra (UCL), Hammad Ahmed (SGUL, KCL) § Student Affairs representatives: Adam Bouzelmate (ex-‐UCL), Nabil Hawa (RHUL), Yasser

Mahmoud (Imperial) § Ex-‐Officios: Rashid Ansari (ex-‐SOAS, Leicester, London Met), Amal Saffour (ex-‐KCL), Salman

Waqar (Imperial)


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Islamic Societies in London 30+ Islamic Societies represent the dynamic ISoc scene in London: Barts and The London SMD Brunel University www.brunelisoc.com City University www.cityisoc.com Goldsmiths, University of London www.goldsmithsisoc.co.uk Heythrop College Imperial College www.theisoc.com Kings College London (Strand, Waterloo) www.tiny.cc/kclisoc Kings College London (Guys) www.gktisoc.wordpress.com Kingston University www.kingstonisoc.com London Metropolitan University www.lmuisoc.com London School of Economics www.tiny.cc/lseisoc London School of Pharmacy www.tiny.cc/sopisoc London South Bank University www.lsbuisoc.com Middlesex University www.mdxisoc.com Queen Mary, University of London www.queenmaryisoc.co.uk Roehampton University www.tiny.cc/ruisoc Royal Holloway, University of London www.rhulisoc.com Royal Free & University College Medical School www.rumsisoc.com School of Oriental and African Studies www.soasisoc.wordpress.com St. George's Medical School, University of London www.sgulisoc.com St. Mary's University College Thames Valley University University of Greenwich www.greenwichisoc.co.uk University College London www.uclisoc.com University of the Arts www.ualisoc.blogspot.com University of East London www.uelisoc.com University of Essex www.essexisoc.com University of Hertfordshire www.uhislam.co.uk University of Westminster www.uwisoc.com


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Committee Reports London Chair Asif Hussain (LSE, ex-‐UCL) As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa brakatuh, We begin always by praising Allah so that we are reminded that all good is from Him and all success is through Him. We also ask Him to send prayers, blessings and peace upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad who is our guide and role model in all affairs, and upon his family, and upon his companions, and all those who follow his footsteps in righteousness, excellence and sincerity until the day of judgement. This report is intended to let all the ISocs in London know what I have been up to as London Chair, and also those things that could have gone better. I will keep it short and easy to digest inshaAllah. But first, openness and honesty is key for this kind of accountability to work, and if you are reading this report you will realise another London Chair account under “ISoc Visits, Individual Support and Outreach”. I took the duty of London Chair at the turn of the current calendar year, after Br Tarek Anchassi stepped down. It was difficult to get up to speed with a demanding role in a short space of time, but Br Tarek had laid good foundations from which to work, and I think this would be an opportune moment to thank the whole Committee for their inspiring indefatigability, and constant help and support. What we did:

§ Along with FOSIS national, organised and oversaw London wide speaker tours of: Sh Idris Tawfique, br Abu Hafsa amongst others. Many ISocs benefited from this during their IAWs.

§ Organised iERA da’wah training seminars for ISocs in preparation for IAWs. § Visited newly formed ISocs and provided help and advice. § Always responded to queries for help and advice from all ISocs that contacted us with a variety

and multitude of problems. § Organised a book launch with Prof John Adair, who wrote a book detailing the fantastic

leadership qualities of our Prophet (saw), held at Imperial College in conjunction with the ISoc there, who really did a great job and deserve a special mention, with over 200 people in attendance.

§ Organised alongside FOSIS national members, and UCL ISoc, a national conference held at UCL on freedom of expression and radical thinking. This event brought together a vast array of high profile and credible voices on the topic, to discuss and debate with government officials what policy should be on “radical” thinking on campuses. This was in front of an audience of approx 120 people from around the country and received national media attention.

§ Organising the regional finals of the National Student Qira’at Competition. What we did not do:

§ Visit personally every ISoc in London, to find out where FOSIS could help and be of service-‐ or reach out to all ISocs, some are still on the fringes of the wider ISoc and FOSIS community.

§ Provide many opportunities for different ISocs to come together and share best practices and to feel united in London.

§ Provide a strong leadership and stance on the affairs that happened throughout the world, and are happening, to ISocs. We did try, but it could have been better if we had coordinated more. This could have been as a result of not having time to get up to speed with the job.

As you can see, there are areas needed for improvement, but as you can also see, we are identifying them and inshaAllah the next committee can work towards achieving greater excellence in all that we do. And we should never be satisfied with anything below that which reaches our potential, and wallahi the potential of the Muslim Youth is great. Asif Hussain


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London Vice Chair (Sisters) Lotifa Begum (UCL) In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent Indeed all Praise and Thanks belong to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) for granting me this beautiful opportunity to join FOSIS and serve (in hope of His acceptance) the sisters and ISocs in London. Without a doubt, London lies at the heart of great activity, diversity and ever-‐growing challenges, and FOSIS members were always fascinating people, as I came to learn more about FOSIS in my year as Headsister at UCL. So it was a natural move to join FOSIS when the hard-‐hit media spotlight at UCL in 2009-‐2010 meant FOSIS played a significant role in the support and guidance given to ISocs. As London Vice-‐sister, my journey and travels through London have taken me to places I had not before acknowledged and taught me lessons I would not have been so fortunate to gain without the responsibility which fell on our shoulders. I have had the chance to engage with sisters from various ISocs, advise on matters which have arose and helped some in their personal challenges, worked on developing training and also acted as a representative for media/research purposes where needed. The first term into FOSIS was a steep learning curve. Given the foundations and development of the committee required establishing, much of the first term focused on starting up our relationship with ISocs in London and for myself, making visits and responding to the needs of sisters in London. During this time, I also took on the mammoth task that was to organise national training in all regions, yes -‐ it is none other than ISOC 101: The Revolution! Perhaps it is as Br Amandla so aptly put once, 'the jewel in the crown' when it came to projects that required implementing. Yet, the cross-‐regional collaboration, challenges and continuity of this project made it a priceless learning opportunity for me. With substantive positive feedback from attendees, I pray that the value of training and development for Islamic Societies in UK and Ireland only just began. It is through the lens of development and demanding professionalism from ISocs that I have come to recognise training has to be a key focus for more of our ISocs in order to progress with all the amazing work that is done. Throughout the year, I have visited more than two thirds of the sisters and it has been a chance to learn so much about the ISocs. I have come across the admirable and enduring efforts of many ISoc-‐ers during these visits and had the opportunity during the ISoc Executives Meeting, which was relatively well attended, as well as during the more recent outstanding Media seminar organised on “Muslims, Media and the 21st Century”. My shortcomings are no doubt many, and I have a humble request that anyone whom I have wronged to please be so kind as to inform me so I may correct it. It has been with great pleasure that I worked with FOSIS London and the other regional committees during this past year. The immense efforts of shining individuals in this organisation are a testimony that ISocs are the breeding ground for an extremely great set of leaders who make a positive contribution to society so it is a great opportunity to join FOSIS. I want to take this opportunity to say JazakumAllahu khairun to Br Amandla for your support over the year, especially with ISOC 101; our advisors to whom we're really grateful for all the advice -‐ Brs Rashid, Ameen, Salman, Qasim, Sr Amal, and others; the SAC team who do vital work for FOSIS -‐ Alaa', Br Yasser and Adam, and Br Tarek for your efforts in the short duration with the committee. I thank Br Asif for coming on board so swiftly as Chair, with great leadership ability and for patiently working alongside me (for a couple of years now!), Shaheena for your outstanding organisation skills (for being the backbone of our work as a team), Brs Muhyudin, Ibrahim, Nabeel, Sr Fatimah and others if not mentioned truly been a blessing to work with. I ask Allah to accept our efforts and deeds purely for His Sake, to forgive our shortcomings and make it a means of entering the final abode we desire – Jannaht-‐ul-‐Firdaus. May He (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) assist the incoming committee and us all in this task to serve Him and we ask that London only goes from strength to strength in the face of challenges, for perseverance is really a trademark of the believer. Ameen


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London General Secretary Shaheena Baig (ex-‐LSE) All praise is due to Allah, the One who has given us the privilege of not only working in one of the oldest, most established Muslim organizations in the UK and Ireland, but also serving on a committee representing an exciting, dynamic and diverse region. This was my first year in FOSIS after much exposure to the Federation through its support, advice and collaboration with our ISoc over the years, alhamdulillah. Our foundations may be rooted in ISoc work, but the challenges, the complexities, as well as the experience and knowledge we gain through our roles on a regional committee are incomparable. Below is a short summary of this year’s core gensec roles followed by future recommendations: Internal

§ Admin: Liaising with committee to organise regional meetings, both online and face-‐to-‐face (setting times, agendas, minutes). Following-‐up and replying to email discussions and updating the FOSIS London calendar with regional activities and events.

§ Project Management System: Establishing a yearly plan, drafting project proposals and documenting evaluations for each project, enabling us to keep track of committee’s performance.

§ London Islamic Societies Database: Creating and regularly updating this in liaison with the Chair and Vice Sister.

§ London Annual General Meeting 2011: Organising this with the Chair and the Vice-‐President of Islamic Societies, as well as compiling the annual report.

§ London ISRA (Islamic Societies and Research) report: Overseeing and compiling the regional report (more info. under “Projects” on page 17)

External

§ Website & Marketing: Despite the continuous developments in Facebook communication over the past few years, the FOSIS website continues to be an important face of regional committees. The regional website was revamped this year alhamdulillah, however, keeping it up to date was not always consistent and something to develop on.

§ Newsletters: Clear and professional communication of regular updates from the region, as well as national events was key and complementary to our aims and objectives. A regional newsletter was compiled every two months, with frequent update emails, which were received well alhamdulillah. From February 2011, we also sent monthly national newsletters to ISocs across the region.

Recommendations

§ Delegation: Newsletters (content), website & marketing and ISRA can all be delegated. A challenge nonetheless with the sheer amount of overlap, but if managed well, can be beneficial to both the gensec and other committee members’ learning and development.

§ External communication: ISoc executives have many of their own internal emails to sift through each day mashaAllah. We need a mechanism to ensure that FOSIS emails are also being read, followed up and forwarded, where applicable.

§ Cross-‐regional collaboration: Sharing good practice and advice amongst regional gensecs across FOSIS, especially from the more developed regions.

To end, I have many people to thank for their continuous support, advice and inspiration (you know who you are :) and my committee for their patience and dedication, jazakumAllahu khairan. Any good that we have been blessed with as committee and as a region is ultimately by the grace of Allah, and all mistakes are inevitably my own shortcomings for which I ask His and your forgiveness. I wish the new committee all the best in continuing to build upon any successes from the past year, but more importantly, address the key challenges and our shortcomings, inshaAllah. Warmest salaams, Shaheena


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NSQC Regional Co-‐ordinator Fatimah Javaid (SGUL, UCL) Asalaamu Alaykum wr wb, The National Student Qira'at Competition (NSQC) is a fantastic project set up by FOSIS, which London has chosen to participate in and regionally coordinate this year. I joined the London team in December, after attending an amazing Winter Conference as the initial NSQC rep; so as a new member, as well as coordinating the regional competition, finding my feet initially proved difficult but alhamdulillah with the help of the gensec and sisters I managed to get the hang of the way things worked. Organisation was initially sluggish, as it took a while to choose a date and venue for the competition. Moreover, with the FOSIS “Radical Thinking” Conference and the London AGM due to take place a week after the competition (which was initially scheduled for Wednesday 16th March), manpower was spread thinly over the numerous projects going on. Many ISocs had also expressed that holding the regional finals post-‐exams and just before the national finals at the FOSIS Annual Conference would enable more time for preparation, and a greater number of participants. Thus, we had decided to postpone the regional finals until Friday 10 June. The national NSQC team have been extremely helpful and were always efficient and prompt in their replies with any queries or issues that London may have had; be it poster design or queries on sponsorship for the competition. Finally, this is truly an amazing opportunity for Muslim students immersed in University work and busy schedules to spend time focusing on learning and developing their tajweed of the Holy Qur’an. I hope you will join us in June inshaAllah. Ma’salaam, Fatimah Ex-‐Officio Rashid Ansari (ex-‐SOAS, Leicester, London Met) Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatuallahi Wabarakatuhu First and foremost I start by praising Allah (swt) and then sending peace and blessings upon His messenger Muhammad (saw), the Companions and all the righteous believers until the Day of Judgement, and those that follow their guidance. As the outgoing Vice President of Islamic Societies 2009-‐10 and London Chair from 2008-‐09 I took on the role of London Ex officio. The general role of an Ex officio is really to provide advice to the Chair and the London committee. I have literally called the Chair once a week to offer any advice. This year the London committee was a great improvement upon the previous year’s committee; there have been key individuals that have worked tirelessly over the year, and may Allah (swt) accept it from them, Aameen. Whilst this year has been a great improvement I’d make the following recommendations for next year’s committee:

§ The London committee needs to have around 12-‐14 dedicated and committed brothers and sisters, in terms of personnel for it to be successful.

§ Better training provided to regional committee at the start of the year and basic training to be given to committee members when they join, the training can be given once there is a group of newbie’s that have joined, as ongoing individual training sessions may not be feasible.


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§ Better communication within the committee and the Chair needs to take the lead on this, especially with the Vice Chairs & the Gen Sec.

§ Adopting a genuine evidence based grass roots approach to issues, rather than having discussions and assuming to know what Isocs would think or want, actually consulting Isocs and getting their opinion on issues.

I end with this: that all Praise and Glory belongs to Allah (SWT) and Allah (SWT) alone, and ask the London Committee and our ISocs for forgiveness for all my shortcomings and failures. JazakAllah Khayr Wassalamu Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakathu Rashid Ansari

Regional Activities and Events Being one of the most important cities in the UK, and arguably in the world, London boasts some of the biggest, diverse and dynamic ISocs in the country. By the grace of Allah (swt), we have delivered events (both regional and in collaboration with FOSIS national teams), training workshops and da’wah packs to ISocs across the region. What follows is a brief overview of FOSIS London activities over the past year: September 2010 Initiated contact with ISocs

Affiliation + freshers’ week updates

October 2010 ISoc 101 Training Workshop (SOAS) Speaker Tour: University: A freshers' Perspective with Sh. Abu Muntasir. (SOAS) Speaker Tour: The Leadership Attitude with Sh. Muhammad Al Shareef (SOAS)

November 2010 Speaker Tour: “Debt vs. Freedom” with Tarek el Diwany (LSE)

December 2010 Student Affairs Workshop (LSE) London ISoc Executives Meeting (QMUL)

January 2011 Media Workshop (LSE)

February 2011 Speaker Tour: From the Vatican to Al-‐Azhar with Sh. Idris Tawfiq (Imperial, RHUL) Speaker Tour: Blind Eyes, Not Heart with Abu Hafsa (LSE)

March 2011 iERA Da’wah training (Kingston University) An Evening with John Adair (Imperial College) “Radical Thinking” Conference (UCL) Regional AGM (Imperial College)

Upcoming -‐ June 2011 London Student Qira’at competition (TBC)

ISoc Visits, Individual Support and Outreach Tarek Anchassi (QMUL) – London Chair, July-‐December 2010 London hosts some 30+ Islamic Societies, with varying degrees of interconnection and awareness of FOSIS. By the Permission of Allah, this year’s committee was masha’Allah diverse in terms of ISoc backgrounds (with around 10 represented), which alhamdulilaah aided greatly with keeping in touch with Islamic Societies. Service provision, particularly speaker tours helped cement the working relationship (especially with SOAS).


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Most interaction involved facilitating services and troubleshooting -‐ Prayer room issues and difficulties with Students’ Unions and College administration were the most common. More high profile, difficulties between the Colleges and external speakers were also a feature. FOSIS was asked to vouch for an ISoc, had to make several media appearances and the London team worked in conjunction with Student Affairs and Media heavily on the publication of the Quilliam Foundation’s report on a particular London ISoc. Visit(s) and/or meaningful interaction (including via committee members) was established with a number of ISocs, which included: St Mary’s University College, Roehampton University, Kingston University, Barts and the London SMD, City University, University of East London, Hertfordshire University, London School of Economics, London School of Pharmacy, UCL, Greenwich University, London South Bank University, SOAS, Queen Mary University, and Goldsmiths University. More effort should have been made on my part in staying in touch with King’s College London (and associated campuses) and Imperial College. We did not have meaningful contact with a smaller number (due to my own shortcomings): Westminster University, Thames Valley University, St George’s University, Essex University, Bedfordshire University and University of Arts. Alhamdulillah, ISocs did contact us on their own if they needed advice or help with speakers. Though a better job could have been done, visits and communication helped support and build up a better picture of London’s Islamic Societies. Lotifa Begum – London Vice Chair (Sisters) During my ISoc visits over the past year, I have witnessed the positive work taking place on campuses -‐ Islamic Societies executing events ranging from the political to the spiritual sphere, as well as bringing a united cause like Charity Week to the fore. Amongst the ISocs I have visited, I have come to acknowledge that there are great challenges faced by sisters within both established and smaller Islamic Societies. I wanted to share below some of the key challenges I have encountered when speaking to sisters and ISocs:

§ Trust: In some instances, there have been ISocs with committees that have not developed a working atmosphere that allows members to trust their working peers. This is a great sadness and one, which can be solved through enhancing communication and significantly working on the character traits, which should embody our leaders of Islamic Societies.

§ Lack of Transparency: ISocs have often been scrutinised for lack of transparency in their

management and work, which is an issue raised amongst committees. In order to resolve this issue, it is important ISocs work with an approach that invites everyone’s input including University officials and non-‐ISOC members.

§ Communication: One of the key issues I have had to advise sisters on is communication and

collaboration. In some occasions, sisters have not had the opportunity to input and found it difficult to communicate with brothers in executive positions due to perhaps, an oversight on the importance of collaborative work. This is also an issue where ISoc structures rely on the Head brother and Head sister only to communicate activities taking place. However, advice is always given to ISocs to ensure they work to be inclusive of sisters in all their decision-‐making.

§ Recruitment/Resources: Finding members who are skilful and committed throughout the

academic year is not unique to a few ISocs in London, but rather a challenge that many face.

§ Professionalism: A few ISocs are working on developing professionalism and see it as a means of progression in their work as a organisation rather than simply a student led body of activities. However, many are yet to see integrate it within their work and something that can be developed. This was also a topic we aimed to tackle in the ISOC 101 training, which was very well received by those who attended.


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§ SU relations: Since the alleged Christmas Day bombings took place, we have had considerable

monitoring of speakers on campus, which has put considerable pressure, at times on ISocs to withdraw or reconsider speakers. In order to strengthen SU relations, some ISocs have established good relationship and open communication with the key sabbatical officers. Student Affairs workshops are vital to contributing to this in London.

§ Unity and Inclusiveness: In some instances, ISocs have not fostered the inclusive atmosphere of

their great societal work and in many instances (not intentionally) appear exclusive. However, this has led to some sisters on campus not feeling able or welcome towards approaching their ISocs. In light of this feedback, ISocs should strive to cater for the needs of those who do not necessarily subscribe to the Islamic Society through social events where relationships can be built.

§ Continuity: Lastly, an issue I found across ISocs is continuity and a lack of preparation for future

committee work. ISocs need to ensure they have a mixture of experienced brothers and sisters who are a part of the Islamic Society day-‐to-‐day activities, but also establish systems that will help make the handover process smoother. This requires delegation on part of the leaders and is often a challenge for Head sisters.

I ask that Allah to help us in our efforts to better ourselves in the work we do on campus, and to enable FOSIS London to play an effective and useful advisory role in overcoming these challenges in future. ISOC 101: The Revolution Date: Saturday 16 October 2010 Venue: SOAS A FOSIS ISCC (Islamic Societies Coordinating Committee) project, ISOC 101 is a fundamental training programme that is delivered once a year in each region for ISoc committee members. It aims to develop and equip Muslim students to serve in their ISocs to their highest potential, with excellence.

Trainers were selected from the FOSIS national executive, with a wealth of experience and knowledge of grassroots issues facing Islamic Societies in the region. A number of Islamic Societies attended the training, which was positive and attendees were very engaging throughout the day. Below are reflections of the training sessions that took place:

§ Why Serve Your Mini Ummah: An introductory session, which served as a great reminder with reflective questions.

§ Elements of a Successful Event: This session reinforced the importance of contingency planning and creativity where London events are concerned.


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§ The Team and Project Management: This was very well covered given the time constraint (interactive elements could have been included had there been more time/two days of training).

§ 'Professionalism in the ISOC World' by ProductiveMuslim: This provided a number of ISocs practical tips to become more professional and finally…

§ The Student Affairs workshop: An engaging session highlighting the importance of being well engaged with mainstream political affairs that affect students and them being at the heart of driving change.

ISoc who hadn’t yet established a committee required more of an introduction to the ISoc world and this is something that FOSIS will incorporate in future training bithn'illah. In addition, an ongoing training support system for ISocs is a vital step forward to ensure continuity of support throughout the year. Overall, all the sessions were deemed as engaging and dynamic, and very well thought as well as interactive and the day perceived as immensely useful for ISocs. *Please refer to the national report for a full set of recommendations regarding project implementation and feedback on a national level. London ISoc Executives' Meeting Date: Thursday 16 December 2010 Venue: QMUL The ISoc scene in this vibrant city is perhaps one of the most diverse across the country, with unique challenges, as well as numerous opportunities to thrive. In line with the aims of this dinner, alhamdulillah we saw ISocs from across London descend on Queen Mary’s Mile End Campus to meet, eat and have a structured discussion on problems, solutions and general inter-‐ISoc awareness. There was a valuable reminder given by Shaykh Haitham Al-‐Haddad on the need to take advantage of our situation -‐ our youth and our unique opportunity to give da’wah. The dinner was useful in helping ISocs to get to know one another and raise the profile of FOSIS London alhamdulillah. Room for improvement:

§ The turnout could have been better: Though there were some last-‐minute cancellations, more advance notice would have been helpful (arranging a suitable venue and date proved to difficult).

§ There was a delayed start: It was the day of Ashoora, which meant some ISocs arrived late post iftar elsewhere.

§ Shaykh Haitham’s message was delivered live by phone: It would have been better to make an audiovisual recording if unable to present live.

Speaker Tours and iERA Da’wah training Speaker tours are an integral, "demand-‐led" area of the work FOSIS does and the services it provides to ISocs. FOSIS Services invited world-‐renowned scholars and speakers, delivering quality talks and conferences across the country, with the following speaker tours in London:

§ University: A freshers' Perspective with Sh. Abu Muntasir. (SOAS) § The Leadership Attitude with Sh. Muhammad Al Shareef (SOAS) § “Debt vs. Freedom” with Tarek el Diwany (LSE) § From the Vatican to Al-‐Azhar with Sh. Idris Tawfiq (Imperial, RHUL) § Blind Eyes, Not Heart with Br Abu Hafsa (LSE)


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Although much fewer in quantity in comparison to previous years and indeed to other regions, many tours received a positive feedback alhamdulillah. In particular, Sh. Muhammad Al Shareef’s workshop, which was organized and publicized within just two days of the event, attracted a large number of students across London. Kingston with Roehampton University also hosted an iERA da’wah training workshop, just in time for their Islam Awareness week in March. This was also open to other ISocs and external students.

The Speaker tours gave ISocs that hosted the opportunity to be exposed to speakers around the world and improve the services they provided to their members, particularly during their Discover Islam Weeks. However, given the importance of this service provision to ISocs, there is a lot more we could have delivered -‐ both national and international services. There is a lot of background work that needs to be done to make these events run smoothly, e.g. contacting ISocs, liaising with the FOSIS Services committee, booking accommodation, arranging transport for the speaker and more. This can be very intense work if it is not assigned to particular reps on the committee, which unfortunately, we lacked this year. A strong committee, headed by a dynamic services rep for London is the bedrock to ensure ISocs are satisfied with the speakers we arrange and we hope this is something that the new committee will take on board inshaAllah. Student Affairs Workshop Date: Thursday 2 December 2010 Venue: LSE

Student affairs’ workshops are another integral part of FOSIS training and more so in a region where a number of Islamic Societies often undermine the extent to which our University officials, Students’ Unions and wider student bodies such as the National Union of Students (NUS) affect us all. That's where these workshops come in. Alhamdulillah, The FOSIS London Student Affairs team conducted a workshop at the LSE on SU engagement and empowering Muslims to participate in wider student

activism. The scale of this was small, in hope to continue delivering focused training at other ISocs. Unfortunately, with the timing of events and numerous other issues, this was postponed. However, during ISoc campus visits, and when requested, we provided our guidance and support. Media Workshop Date: Saturday 22 January 2011 Venue: LSE ISocs across the country and more so in London are under consistent attack by the media over the speakers/scholars they invite, activities they hold and the events they organise. FOSIS as an organisation aims to empower ISocs, give them the tools to effectively engage with the media and critically expose


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fallacies that certain elements of the Media and think tanks consistently narrate. This workshop’s aim was to act as a platform to facilitate this empowerment amongst ISocs and young Muslims, as well as highlight the role of the Media in Islam. Attended by approximately 30 students, from universities across London, as well as from other regions, the broader aims of the workshop were met alhamdulillah. There was positive feedback from attendees, particularly in relation to the interactive sessions, which gave them a much more hands-‐on approach. It was well organised with respect to content and the advice shared by our guest speakers proved valuable. But as always, there is room for improvement. Attendees had enjoyed the interactive sessions and many in their feedback highlighted that there needed to be more of these. Live interview and the panel discussion practice were received well. That said however, the theoretical sessions at the beginning were also important in highlighting key messages – creating the right the balance is key. Perhaps in future, we can also think about focusing on a particular area on the media, e.g. Media and Careers, Media and Islam, Media and its influence to enable a more in depth discussion. Sisters’ Events In the first term, our focus was on ensuring a successive turnout to the ISOC 101 training and also the London Executives Meeting, which had a relatively good number of sisters attend and had opened a fruitful discussion on the concept of leadership. Over the course of the second term, we arranged two events for sisters:

§ Sisters’ Meet n Greet Drop in Session: This was a chance for those Headsisters’ (from 8-‐9 ISocs) and others we had not yet met to introduce FOSIS London and a platform for them to seek advice

§ Sisters’ Coffee Corner: This had a relatively low turnout due to the demands of Discover Islam Weeks and other events during the second term, but all in all – it was another channel to gather ISoc sisters, share good practice and address mutual challenges.

§ Sisters’ Guide to Leadership Seminars: Regrettably, these were unable to be delivered due to personal circumstances and timing. But it’s not over just yet. To ensure a timely delivery, we have postponed these to the next academic year when we hope more sisters will benefit and implement in their ISocs for the year ahead inshaAllah.

NSQC -‐ Regional Final

Another FOSIS ISCC national project, the National Student Qira'at Competition (NSQC) aims to get students closer to the Qur'an; its meaning and its stories. It hopes to promote the creation and development of Hifz and Tajweed classes at Islamic Societies across the UK & Ireland. For more information, view the Official NSQC Proposal 2011, including further details on the structure the competition here: http://tinyurl.com/NSQC-‐Proposal-‐2011 Alhamdulillah, the London NSQC team headed by sr Fatimah coordinated the regional student Qira'at Competition, which will take place on Friday 10 June.

The winners from these heats will go on to compete at the final in June at the FOSIS Annual Conference (17-‐19th June) inshaAllah. We pray for and wish them the best of success.


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FOSIS National Events FOSIS London has taken part in many National events such as ISOC 101, speaker tours, iERA da’wah training and the NSQC, but mostly, co-‐ordinated regionally. The following national events also took place in which Muslim students from across the city, as well as other regions attended: The Palestine Papers Under the Spotlight Date: Tuesday 22 February 2011 Venue: ULU Building, Senate House In conjunction with FOSIS Campaigns, MEMO organised a seminar on the leaked Palestine Papers, jointly released by the Guardian and Al Jazeera English. A distinguished panel of experts came together to discuss the papers and their after effects. City Legal Careers Workshop Date: Thursday 24 February 2011 Venue: Simmons & Simmons Office, London The FOSIS Alumni Network in association with Simmons & Simmons International Islamic Community presented an informal evening for Muslim students to gain an insight into Corporate Law as a career path. It was a well-‐organised event alhamdulillah, with over 70 attendees relaying positive feedback. An Evening with John Adair Date: Wednesday 2 March 2011 Venue: Imperial College

In an effort to offer a variety of different types of events and services to the Muslim student community, FOSIS teamed up with Murabbi Consulting and Imperial College Islamic Society to host an enlightening evening with John Adair -‐ one of the world's leading authorities on leadership and leadership development. He presented his latest book: 'The Leadership of Muhammad', highlighting the exemplary leadership traits of our Prophet (pbuh). Alhamdulillah, with an aim to widen our reach to a broader

audience, over 200 students, academics and professionals attended with positive feedback. Islamic Societies are the breeding grounds of future community leaders. We are put in positions of responsibility, leading our mini-‐ummahs on campus with a constant need for learning, development and seeking inspiration from our beloved Prophet (pbuh). This event was one means to achieve this. “Radical thinking” Conference Date: Friday 11 March 2011 Venue: UCL Organised by FOSIS in conjunction with UCLU Islamic Society, the aim of this conference was to explore discourses surrounding extremism on campus, narrate grassroots experiences and generate an informed debate with security experts, the sector and students. By the grace of Allah, many found it to be thought provoking and insightful, and was attended by approximately 150-‐200 students, graduates and academics. It demonstrated that FOSIS is willing to engage and discuss openly and can bring together key stakeholders in the field.


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Projects iERA da'wah packs By the grace of Allah and the assistance of iERA and other brothers and sisters (may Allah reward them), approximately 1000 da’wah packs were made available to distribute to ISocs. These were attractive and filled with a decent variety of content (a brief illustrated guide, sweets, da’wah pamphlets), which were

received well alhamdulillah. The division of packs was made based on requests and then roughly corresponding to university size. ISocs were requested to pick up the packs centrally from the FOSIS office in North London. Regrettably, there were issues with ISocs unable to pick them up due to lack of transport, and in future making arrangements for delivery would allow ISocs to take better advantage of such resources. Also, suggestions were made in terms of providing Islamic Societies with a supply of packs in advance of their Islam Awareness Weeks.

ISoc gift packs ISoc gift packs was a project implemented by ISCC to create goodwill and motivate and empower the executive committee of an Islamic society to implement projects throughout the year whose mainstream benefits will directly be attributed to Muslim students across the UK and Ireland. The project was tied in with affiliations and the ISRA survey to motivate ISocs to affiliate with FOSIS and fill out the all-‐important initial ISRA survey. The gift packs were handed out at the ISoc Executive Meeting to those affiliated and were received well with positive feedback. However, the planning of ISoc gift packs needs to begin earlier (before term begins) so that we can reach out to more ISocs and encourage affiliation to benefit from all FOSIS services. Islamic Societies Research and Analysis Survey (ISRA) This year saw the launch of our Islamic Societies Research and Analysis survey, which was rolled out in the region at the ISOC101 training in October 2010 and later followed up online. 16 London ISocs completed the survey, which formed the basis of our regional report. This internal report was one of many that aim to provide comprehendible detail on Islamic Societies in London. It covered the topics: Islamic Societies and their membership, activities and events, facilities, campus interaction, student affairs and perceptions and FOSIS evaluation. As this is a new FOSIS project, there is a lot of scope for development and ways to utilise the data to better inform us on the structure, activities, opinions, relationships and issues faced by ISocs. The ISRA team will continue to work on this, and with many more ISocs to ensure that we capture a broader picture of the ISoc scene in London inshaAllah, facilitating our grassroots aims and objectives.


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Concluding remarks By the grace of Allah (swt), this year, we provided help and support to Islamic societies where necessary, professionalized external communication to ISocs, as well being able to host and deliver successful FOSIS National events, training and resources. However, FOSIS London and our Islamic societies have much more potential. We have identified the following areas that need to be worked on:

§ Establishing greater contact and stronger relationships with more ISocs; the bedrock of our regional/grassroots work.

§ Providing increased support, resources and services such as well renowned international and national speakers to the regions smaller and new Islamic Societies.

§ Establishing an organized means of generating cash flow and maintaining substantial finances throughout the year.

§ Recruiting highly motivated, independent and skilled committee members. § Having face-‐to-‐face committee meetings every 4-‐6 weeks at different ISocs across the city –

enabling an open forum to highlight the positive work in the region.

FOSIS London is you. It is what you make of it. As a representative body of a large number of diverse and dynamic Islamic Societies in London with a range of financial, political, academic and scholarly resources, there is a huge potential to thrive. Over the years, FOSIS London has constantly evolved with peaks and troughs in its activism and presence on campuses. There have been many challenges, but equally rewarding opportunities to serve this mini-‐Ummah in London.

Join us on this journey, support us and play an integral part to help us efficiently represent and serve you – the Islamic Societies shaping the Muslim Student experience in Britain’s capital: "Hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and be not disunited" (Quran 3:103)

Acknowledgements The FOSIS London committee would like to thank:

§ The School of Oriental and African Studies for hosting the London ISOC 101 training and the Muhammad Al-‐Shareef workshop.

§ The London School of Economics for hosting the Media workshop. § University College London for hosting the FOSIS National Extremism Conference and London

Sisters’ events. § Queen Mary University for hosting the London ISoc Executives Meeting. § Imperial College London for hosting the John Adair Book Launch and the London AGM. § All Universities that have hosted speaker tours, regional committee meetings and student

affairs workshops throughout the year. § All London Islamic societies, who have collaborated patiently, as without them there would be

no FOSIS London.

Other thanks go to: § Muslim Community Fund § Murabbi Consulting § iERA § And lastly, our speakers and shuyookhs who presented at our events.


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Appendices Appendix 1: About FOSIS What is FOSIS? Established in 1963, FOSIS stands for the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, a body that caters for the needs of Muslim students in further and higher education across the UK and Ireland. What is the FOSIS vision? The federation seeks to uphold the Qura’nic verse where Allah (swt) tells us to: "Hold fast to the rope of Allah, all of you together, and be not disunited" (Quran 3:103). At the heart of our vision, we have two central aims and all the work that we do is geared around these aims:

§ To represent Muslim students § To serve Muslim students

Geographically, FOSIS has been divided into seven regions: Scotland, Ireland, North, Wales, Midlands, London and South. Each region has its own team and section of the website. An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held in each region and thereafter, a new regional executive is elected to do work within that region. To find out details about each region, please visit their regional page. What aims and objectives is FOSIS guided by? The activities of FOSIS are guided by the objectives and aims of the Federation:

1. To be a purposeful and empowering avenue for da’wah and personal development. 2. To be an effective grassroots support service and reference-‐point for all Islamic Societies. 3. To unite Islamic Societies. 4. To be informed and representative of Islamic Societies and nurture an accurate understanding of Muslim students. 5. To be the national voice of Muslim students. 6. To cater for the holistic welfare of Muslim students. 7. To empower and inspire Muslim students to serve society. 8. To be a sustainable organisation and foster meaningful partnerships. 9. To extend the outreach of FOSIS in Further Education. 10. To create a platform for critical discourse and intellectual development

The programmes and policies of the Federation to pursue these objectives are devised by the Council on an annual basis, and implemented on its behalf by the Executive Committee. Appendix 2: The Structure of FOSIS, and where FOSIS London fits in.


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Contact Us For more information on FOSIS, FOSIS London, our projects or if have any queries or suggestions, please contact: [email protected] Or visit: www.london.fosis.org.uk

This report is produced by FOSIS London for the year 2010/11 and will be discussed further at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 23 March 2011. Federation of Student Islamic Societies London 38 Mapesbury Road, London, NW2 4JD [email protected] www.london.fosis.org.uk

Documents

FOSIS London Annual Report 2010-11