Click here to listen to a selection of performances and poetry written by young people, recorded at Ammerdown in March 2013

Salaam Shalom and Ammerdown’s creative dialogue residential took a group of young people out of the city, into rural Somerset for four days in March 2013. Young people were provided with the opportunity to participate in a creative programme of activities, that encouraged and provided safe spaces for open and honest dialogue amongst young people from diverse faith and cultural backgrounds.

Salaam Shalom’s approach to intercultural and interfaith dialogue, particularly its work with young people, has always been holistic and creative. The emphasis is to explore individual identity and how faith, culture and community influences and challenges their understanding of others. Young people were encouraged to have dialogue around a range of topics that informed a broader understanding of identity.

Click here to read the responses of three young people to their experiences.

 ‘The feedback was extraordinary. The four days clearly touched everyone in a profound way. They agreed they were leaving as ‘better people’, who had benefited from feeling listened to, but also from learning themselves how to listen ‘truly’ to others and respect different opinions and perspectives… such experiences are rare in our world today: how often do we have the time and opportunity of genuinely, unhurriedly, engaging with people whom we do not usually mix with? Of listening ‘deeply’ to what they wish to tell us, and of being listened ‘deeply’ in return? Of being gifted the chance of seeing the world through different eyes? Of becoming better people through the gentle touch of others?’

Bénédicte Scholefield, Director of The Ammerdown Centre

‘When we were thinking about setting up what became Salaam Shalom in 2006, we said that one significant focus of activities had to be young people, amongst other intercultural aims learning media skills in order to express themselves in new and artistically creative ways.  It’s great that much of our current work programme achieves precisely that.’

Martin Vegoda, Director & Trustee Salaam Shalom

‘Truly Inspirational’

During a residential week for young people at Ammerdown, an interfaith retreat centre in Somerset, Salaam Shalom hosted a Seder meal on the second night of Passover. The meal was a truly unique experience for a group of people from numerous faiths and those of none; eating, joking, singing and celebrating freedom together, while sharing in Jewish tradition and ritual.

Led by Ted and Becky Truitt and their son Caleb from the Bristol and West Progressive Jewish Congregation, members of the local Jewish community attended together with people from different faiths, backgrounds, cultures and ages (from 2 years old to 60!).  Euan Tait, Training and Interfaith Officer at Ammerdown, reflected, ‘It so was moving to witness everyone engaged in acts of worship together, regardless of religious background, singing, laughing and experiencing the sacredness and inner meaning of food and communal eating from an ancient and holy spiritual tradition … truly inspirational’.

The Seder was a high point of the residential week for many of the young people staying at Ammerdown. For many, a new experience and one which provided the opportunity to engage with a different culture in a meaningful and memorable way:

‘The highlight was definitely the Jewish Passover meal. This was my first Passover meal and the food was delicious and I learnt a lot more about Jewish culture’

‘The Hebrew singing at Passover… Truly beautiful’

Celebrating together, everyone was able to share in the Passover message of freedom and hope for the future.

In March Salaam Shalom provided a residential week for young people of all backgrounds in partnership with Ammerdown, an interfaith retreat in Somerset. Here three participants, Tom, Emma and Maz, reflect on their experiences at Ammerdown.

Over the course of 5 days, Maz, Emma and I took part in a residential courtesy of Salaam Shalom, an organisation keen to promote dialogue of all kinds between young people. I went to Ammerdown with an open mind, even to the Buddhist meditation which left me as I was – uptight and tentative. Still, I’ll try anything once except incest and morris dancing, though watching Russell Peters draws the line somewhere near the former. I think of ‘atheist’ as a shoddy word often inexorably linked with ‘materialist’ and ‘pessimist’, but would never protest if bundled under that label. It’s just simply not that I don’t believe in God(s), but that I don’t know or claim to know the mind of this deity, knowledge I view as man-made and positively unattainable.

I find my beliefs are largely unmoved, but through the Salaam Shalom programme I am all the more richer culturally. It was utterly fascinating to be a part of a Passover seder meal, which involves an analogical meal – including mellow Israeli wine – and the joint, jaunty singing of songs in Hebrew. A highlight was the opening of the front door for Elijah’s spirit to join the table and help himself to a modest meal laid out in Judaica porcelain, after 5 seconds of which a young boy declared ‘He’s not here!’, followed by many a ‘Perhaps there was nowhere to park’ joke.

Everybody in our group engaged well in debates, with one comment often sparking off a thought in someone else, and so on. The times I learnt the most was listening to others, and trying to absorb a simulacrum of the way they see the world: impossible, but interpersonal understanding is one of our better traits. Still, I found myself often immersed in dialectics of one kind or another throughout the residential, whether with seven other people or just in my own head. I never felt trapped at Ammerdown, only liberated; no question was too contentious, no belief dismissible. Ultimately, this journey nicely coincides with my timely discovery of the work of Graham Greene, specifically his beautiful novel The Heart of the Matter which at one point states:

‘How often, he thought, lack of faith helps one to see more clearly than faith.’

- Tom, 19 years

Ammerdown Residential Sunday 24^th to Thursday 28^th March 2013

Salaam Shalom are providing an intercultural-interfaith residential for young people in partnership with Ammerdown an Interfaith retreat near Radstock, Somerset.

Aims:

• To provide a safe space for open, intercultural and interfaith exchange in a new environment.
• To provide young people with an experience to enhance personal and spiritual growth.

This is a free opportunity aimed at young people from 14-25yrs. Food, transport, talks and worshops are all free (though donations to Salaam Shalom are welcome) to young people who fully participate in the programme. The programme has been designed with members of the Salaam Shalom youth council.

We do require you to put down a deposit of £25 to secure your place, which will be reimbursed.

Workshops include:

• Importance of Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue
• Music and Change
• Second-Night Passover (Pesach) Seder
• Relationships, Media and Young People
• Creative Writing

This opportunity is open to young people 14-25yrs living in Bristol. To apply, you need to fill in the downloadable application here: AMMERDOWNRESIDENTIALAPPLICATION and return to rebecca@salaamshalom.org.uk by the 8^th of March 2013.

Salaam Shalom’s Youth Council volunteers are working with Bristol Museum in a creative project that explores and interprets ‘No Borders’ a Contemporary Art Exhibition curated by Bristol Museum in partnership with Arnolfini.

Our first activity was to record dialogue in response to the exhibition. A mini podcast will be available soon on here and also available to listen to at the exhibition through audio-guide devices.

To find out more about No Borders, go to http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/no-borders-contemporary-art-globalised-world

Holocaust Memorial Day 2013

Bristol Communities Build a Bridge: Remembering the Holocaust and subsequent genocides and turning lessons learned into action in our city

Bristol City Council supports a series of workshops exploring past and recent acts of genocide and asks “what have we learnt?”

From 2 – 5 pm on Thursday, 24 January 2013, Bristol City Council will once again host  an event of civic commemoration for Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) at City Hall in the conference hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5TR. The event is free and open to the public, all are welcome.

The annual theme country-wide is ‘Communities Together Build a Bridge‘ and events across the South West are listed on the  Holocaust Memorial Day Trust website, http://hmd.org.uk/events/find/south-west. This event showcases how groups around the city are working together and have built bridges.

Bristol Mayor George Ferguson will be opening the event with a few words about the importance of memory and of building bridges. Following readings from students from Bristol Cathedral Choir School, a short, hard-hitting video ‘Lessons Learned?’ will be shown.  [Ed: the film lasts 1:50 minutes and is available here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p4lHXZczpQ

The highlight of the afternoon will be when members of the audience are invited to join in their choice of five mini-workshops being offered by members of the HMD Steering Group and local community groups. Workshops will help attendees explore how we in Bristol can jointly work to tackle discrimination and intolerance.

WORKSHOPS BEING OFFERED

1. 1.     ’Resistance & The Role We Play in Preventing Genocide’ offered by Salaam Shalom
2. 2.    ‘Seeking Sanctuary in Bristol – Protection & Safety’ offered by Bristol City of Sanctuary and Bristol Refugee Rights
3. 3.    ‘The Roma People: Past, Present and the Future’ offered by Society Against Racist Incidents (SARI)
4. 4.    Talking Objects: East Africa and the British Empire  offered by Somali Development Group & Bristol Museums
5. 5.    Holocaust, Genocide and Hatred: Why?  Offered by VOSCUR and Bristol Multifaith Forum

At the end of the afternoon, workshop leaders, Councillors and members of the public will be invited to light a candle during a short ceremony of remembrance and reflection.

The event is being webcast by local media company Ecomedia Collective C.I.C., which means that anyone can watch the speeches and participate remotely by going to bambuser.com/channel/BristolHMD or goo.gl/ObZRA.  On Twitter, it’s #BristolHMD.

Bristol Central Library and Bristol Museum and Art Gallery will also have stalls to display books on themes relevant to the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, and to showcase the current exhibit ‘No Borders’.   Ffi, see  http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/no-borders-contemporary-art-globalised-world

If you would like to attend and have an access need, please contact Simon Nelson  on 0117 922 2358 or by email simon.nelson@bristol.gov.uk.

Background on Holocaust Memorial Day

• ·         The first Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) commemoration in the UK took place in 2001.

• ·         Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27January each year, the date of liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
• ·         On HMD we share the memory of the millions who have been murdered in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur in order to challenge hatred and persecution in the UK today.

• ·         Holocaust Memorial Day provides an opportunity for everyone to learn lessons from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides and apply them to the present day to create a safer, better future.

• ·         The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day for 2013 is ‘Communities Together Build a Bridge.’  Readers and viewers are invited to build their own bridge online here:http://buildabridge.hmd.org.uk/
• Further information can be found at the HMD Trust website www.hmd.org.uk. The theme paper for this year’s event is available here:

http://hmd.org.uk/resources/theme-papers/hmd-2013-communities-together-build-a-bridge

Thank you to all the schools that have been participating in Proud2B since June 2011! To keep our supporters up-to-date, we’re going to post more about our projects on our website.

Special thank you to the schools, staff and most importantly the pupils who participated in our most recent Proud2B project, pairing a group of pupils from Lockleaze Primary School with a group of pupils from Cabot Primary School .

Find below a link to download a song collaboratively written and performed by pupils during week three of the project.

Lockleaze & Cabot Primary schools Salaam Shalom Song 2013

In Week 1 and 2 pupils learn interviewing skills and interview members of their local community. In week 4 pupils edit some of this material and also interview eachother in Salaam Shalom’s studio. A Podcast of these recording will be included in this post soon- so check back if you’d like to listen to pupils interviews!

Thanks to Mark, Talia and Karan for supporting Shabana and Rebecca deliver this project.

Project Outcomes:

There has been unrest in Bristol with demonstrations being held in protest of the conflict that has escalated over the past week between Israel and Gaza.

Salaam Shalom have been doing national interviews on bbc radio and are holding meetings with key members of the Muslim and Jewish communities to ensure continued dialogue and stronger relations through this critical time.

If you would like to participate in dialogue sessions, email info@salaamshalom.org.uk

Salaam Shalom to All.

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE: THE ANCIENT ORIGINS OF ANTI-SEMITISM
Tuesday 11th December 7.30
Martin Goodman • Professor • Oxford University

In 70 CE, after a war which had flared sporadically for four years, three Roman legions, under the command of the newly self-appointed emperor Vespasian and his son Titus, surrounded, laid siege to, and eventually devastated the city of Jerusalem, destroying completely the magnificent Temple which had been rebuilt by Herod less than a century before. The lecture will investigate what brought about this conflict and why, contrary to normal practice and against the reasonable expectations of the Jews, the Roman state would not allow the Jerusalem Temple to be rebuilt, with momentous consequences for the future of the Jews and Judaism.

Martin Goodman has divided his intellectual life between the Roman and Jewish worlds. He has edited both the Journal of Roman Studies and the Journal of Jewish Studies. He is currently Professor of Jewish Studies at Oxford, Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, and of the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. In 1996 he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. In 2002 he edited the Oxford Handbook of Jewish Studies, which was awarded a National Jewish Book Award for Scholarship. His most recent book, Rome and Jerusalem: the Clash of Ancient Civilizations was published in the United States by Knopf in October 2007.

Tickets £3 DAVAR members and concessions • £5 non-members
Horfield Meeting House • 300 Gloucester Road • Horfield Bristol BS7 8PD.

The Woolf Institute (Cambridge), which specialises in the study of relations between Jews, Christians and Muslims from a multidisciplinary perspective, invites applications for its annual visiting fellowship.

The Fellowship, tenable for a two to three month period that overlaps one of the Cambridge terms 2014:

Lent term: 14 January-14 March 2014

Easter term: 22 April-13 June 2014

The successful candidate will be expected to be involved in a project of academic research, public education or of the arts in an area relevant to the Institute’s work. The Fellow will be asked to present their work at a symposium on the subject of their project proposal.

There is no stipend attached to the Fellowships, but Fellows will be entitled to free accommodation in Cambridgeand round-trip travel from their country to Cambridge. They will also have access to the Woolf Institute and Cambridge University libraries.

The Fellowship is available for a postdoctoral scholar of any academic rank, a policymaker or analyst in a relevant area of work, or an artist (writer, painter, photographer, etc.). They will most likely be asked to participate in some of the Institute’s teaching or practice-based activities. Further information about the Institute can be found at: http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk.

A letter of application, CV, the names of two referees who may be approached, a project proposal (1,500 words max.), and a sample of work should be sent to: Electors of the Visiting Fellowship, Woolf Institute, Wesley House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BJ, UK or e-mailed to Tina Steiner at bs411@cam.ac.uk.

Questions may be addressed informally to the Deputy Director, Dr Shana Cohen at sc736@cam.ac.uk.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 18 January 2013.

Women & Power: The Role We Play in Bringing about Social Change

In October 2012, Salaam Shalom welcomed to Bristol two speakers from the Middle East, Malaka Samara from Palestine and Leeba Gilad from Israel. Both speakers represented OneVoice, an international grassroots movement that aims to ‘amplify the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates’ in support of a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. This event was held in partnership with Bristol Muslim Women’s Network, Bristol Multi Faith Forum and One Voice Movement

Leeba shared her experiences of the projects and campaigns she has been involved in, since joining OneVoice in October 2011. She spoke in particular about an art intervention held in August 2012 Tel Aviv, where hundreds of people congregated around an enormous ice wall, symbolizing the “freeze” in peace talks. The ice wall contained posters with information on dozens of under-funded social programs in Israel. Leeba also shared her belief that women in particular are desperate to see a peaceful end to the conflict, for the sake of their children.

Malaka then spoke from a more personal perspective, sharing her experience of choosing to campaign with OneVoice while coming from a very orthodox Muslim family. Malaka believes she has an important role as a Palestinian, to help bring a peaceful end to the conflict. Malaka then led a short meditation, which helped prepare the group for constructive discussions.

The first discussions themed around the role of women in activism; some interesting comments included, the recognition that gender roles and behaviours are not clearly defined as we are all individuals, yet there is still a great deal of expectation on both sexes to fulfil certain roles. It was acknowledged that women are still under-represented in positions of power, yet it was also recognised that women are often highly influential without being in the limelight.

Following this, were discussions about solutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, where some members of the group challenged a two-state solution and others wanted to know how OneVoice impacted on a political level. Sharon Alsoodani- Director of OneVoice spoke about their work on a strategic level in consultation with members of government and also talked about their Youth leadership programme where young Palestinians and Israelis are given training in conflict resolution to make a difference in their communities.

As the evening drew to a close, discussions went on amongst the group. Feedback was very positive, thank you to all that attended and participated for making this such a stimulating event.

If you missed this event but would like to be kept updated for future events, please email info@salaamshalom.org.uk to request being added to Salaam Shalom’s mailing list.

MUSIC WITH A JEWISH TWIST: AN EVENING OF MUSICAL FUN
Daniella Acker & Yoav Ben-Shlomo • DAVAR members
Tuesday 13th November 7.30

So if you thought Kol Nidre by Ernst Bloch was the only Jewish-inspired classical music think again. This evening will present a wide range of different musical genres (classical, Jazz, folk) chosen by DAVAR members who will briefly discuss why they love these pieces and want to share their enjoyment with other musical souls. The evening will consist of brief introductions to the works, composers and musical context and then listening to the music either in totality or an excerpt. Examples include the Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov, the jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderely and many others. The evening will be chaired by DAVAR members Daniella Acker and Yoav Ben-Shlomo.

Tickets FREE for DAVAR members and concessions • £3 non-members
Horfield Meeting House • 300 Gloucester Road • Horfield Bristol BS7 8PD.

7 November 2012, 19.30-20.30 Watershed, Bristol Price: £6.50 / £5.00. Contact Watershed, Bristol on: 0117 927 5100, book online, or visit in person.

Some 1400 years after the Prophet Muhammad first articulated God’s law – the shari’a – its earthly interpreters are still arguing over what it means. Hardliners reduce it to amputations, veiling, holy war and stonings. Others say that it is humanity’s only guarantee of a just society. In his new book Heaven on Earth, criminal barrister and prizewinning writer, Sadakat Kadri, sets out to see who is right. Travelling the Islamic world, he encounters a cacophony of legal claims. At the ancient Indian grave of his Sufi ancestor, unruly jinns are exorcised in the name of the shari’a. In Pakistan’s madrasas, stern scholars ridicule his talk of human rights and demand explanations for NATO drone attacks in Afghanistan. In Iran, he hears that God is forgiving enough to subsidise sex-change operations – but requires the execution of Muslims who change religion. All Muslims are guided by the shari’a – whatever their interpretation of it – and the stories of compulsion and violence are just part of a much bigger picture. Many of Islam’s first judges refused even to decide cases for fear that a mistake would damn them, and scholars from Delhi to Cairo maintain that governments have no business enforcing faith. Sadakat Kadri takes us on a journey through Islam’s past and present. The promise of a perfect social order can be compelling. But reality will always intrude. And when human beings attempt to apply divine justice, they risk creating not a heaven on earth – but something much closer to hell.

This is an event held by Bristol Festival of Ideas

5 November 2012, 19.30-21.00 Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Watershed, Bristol on: 0117 927 5100, book online, or visit in person.

A British Pakistani who grew up in Essex, Maajid Nawaz was recruited into political Islam as a teenager. He joined Hizb al-Tahrir (the Liberation Party) where he played a central role in the shaping and dissemination of an aggressive anti-West narrative. Arriving in Egypt the day before 9/11 his views soon led to his arrest, imprisonment and mental torture, before being thrown into solitary confinement in a Cairo jail reserved for political prisoners. There, while mixing with everyone from the assassins of Egypt’s president to Liberal reformists, he was adopted by Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience, underwent an intellectual transformation and on his release after four years, he publically renounced the Islamist ideology that had defined his life, though he remains a Muslim. Maajid will be interviewed by writer and journalist Shiv Malik. They will discuss his journey and the work he now does to undermine the beliefs he had once been prepared to die for.

This is an event held by Bristol Festival of Ideas

WhatFlag are having a gig next Thursday 4 October at the Fleece in Bristol
The tkts are £5 each

Tickets available on the door or email smulian@gmail.com

WhatFlag presents cutting edge, inspiring, boundary pushing sounds, originally born in 1998 in the Middle East under the name of WhiteFlag, a band formed by three musicians from Gaza and three musicians from Tel Aviv.

WhatFlag are: Gani Tamir, and Mark Smulian-Tel Aviv, Gianni Cossu-Sardinia, Jooles Scott-Bath Myke Vince-Bristol.

WhatFlag is a member of Jamaa (www.jamaa.in), a music led co-operative striving to unite communities and build positive social change around the world through music.  Music drives us. We believe in Music.

www.jamaa.in

www.whatflag.in

A HUGE thank you to the Tudor Trust, for granting Salaam Shalom a further two-years funding. Without the support of the Tudor Trust, Salaam Shalom would not have been able to survive and redevelop as it has. Click to download Directors report 2011-12 for an overview of the work Salaam Shalom’s been delivering over the past year.

Journey of The Heart was an event run in collaboration with Bristol Museums. Listen to this Podcast to find out more about the learning that took place throughout the event, as Muslims were given the opportunity to share their culture and beliefs with others. The event was sponsored by the British Museum.

Gaby Pears discusses the issue of Islamophobia in Britain; Gaby speaks to young people in Bristol and some of those who attended the protest that was held by Bristol Multi Faith Forum as a counter to the demonstration by the EDL. The podcast addresses the portrayal of Islam in the media and how this affects both Muslims and non-Muslims living in the UK.

Disclaimer: The views expressed within all media are that of individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Salaam Shalom, representatives or associates.

Martin Vegoda interviews David Herman & Sarah MacDougall, curators of the significant Josef Herman exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy July 2012

The interview was held during their journey back to London.

On the afternoon of 15 July from 2pm to 3pm join us in gathering on Millennium Square in Bristol with the communities of Bristol together to celebrate the continuing and growing unity of all groups in Bristol.

This will be a positive message to the people of Bristol that we value diversity and this in turn benefits the city. It shows the way to those who seek to divide, that coming together and sharing is the way forward.

There will be a short ‘peace walk’, a band and some brief presentations on what it means to be a Bristolian in this wonderfully diverse city.

An event organised by Bristol Multi-Faith Forum and Building the Bridge.

Applications are still open for the e-learning course, Bridging the Great Divide: the Jewish-Muslim Encounter. This 15-week e-learning course will explore the history, culture and theology of Muslims and Jews, reflecting both on similarities and differences as well as the major challenges. Assisted by leading scholars in the US and Europe with a wealth of experience in this field, the course will also offer strategies for building bridges between the communities.

For more details of the course, together with the application form, please visit the website http://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/courses/mj.asp.

Full and partial bursaries are still available.

Bridging the Great Divide flier

Look out for our feature in Thrive! magazine July-September issue, talking about how we’ve developed . If you don’t receive a paper copy, it will be available to view online soon.

With thanks to Voscur.

An evening with Joseph Herman’s son- the critic and writer David Herman and the Curator of the Joseph Herman exhibition Sarah MacDougall.

Join meeting with the Synagogues of Bristol and Cardiff, the Anglo Polish Society and Salaam Shalom.

£4 entry.

Tuesday 3rd July 6.30-8.30pm at the Royal West of England Academy. Queen’s Rd Bristol BS8 1PX

“Handel’s Israel in Egypt is a work brimming with vivid choruses: part one’s almost-exclusively-choral roller coaster retelling of Moses and the Israelites’ Exodus out of Egypt is packed with exciting and virtuosic choruses depicting plagues of frogs, flies, locusts, hailstones and the parting of the Red Sea to name a few!

The rejoicing of part two allows more opportunity for our six soloists to shine in a series of delightful arias and duets, but it’s still the double-choir choruses that dominate, right up until the glorious final chorus that brings this journey of biblical proportions to a rousing conclusion.

As choral works go, they don’t come much more dramatic than this! “

“Bridging Nations and Tribes through Arts”
June 19, Tuesday, 2012 7:00-9:00pm at St.Nicholas of Tolentino Church, Bristol

For more information email at info@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk or call 07834 812663

Alphonse Daudet Touna is a Cameroonian musician, composer, teacher and instrument maker. Alphonse is a gifted teacher who is driven to share his cultural skills as widely as possible. He runs regular classes in the south west teaching drumming, balaphon making and playing. “One World Choir” was set up by Alphonse Daudet Touna six years ago. “One World Choir” sing a variety of songs, which are representative of different cultures and traditions.
Dawud Wharnsby is a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, performer, educator and television personality. A multiinstrumentalist, he is best known for his work in the musical/poetic genre of English Language nasheed and spoken word.

In partnership with St. Nicholas of Tolentino Church
Live Performance by Dawud Wharnsby, Alphonse and “One World Choir”

FREE ENTRANCE ALL WELCOME

The Yiddish Twist Orchestra @ Spiegeltent, 8PM, Sun 3rd June

Back in 1950s London, the collision between the big band era and rock’n'roll produced the dirtiest, most deliriously danceable music of all – a mix of classic Yiddish songs, West Indian Calypso, mambo, surf guitar and English beat rhythms that they called ‘der shvitz’. It crossed the Atlantic years later in diluted form as ‘the twist’. Its roots were forgotten, and remained so, with the exception of a select few in the know who recognise Willy Bergman, its founder and greatest bandleader.

Website: www.yiddishtwist.com

Price: £12/10 concs
INFO & BOOKING: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

The Second Zutshi-Smith Memorial Lecture – Religious Toleration in
Comparative Perspective

Thursday, May 24, 2012 from 5:00 PM to 8:15PM
University of Bristol, Graduate School of Education, 35 Berkeley Square,
BS8 1JA

For more details and to register:
http://zutshi-smith-lecture.eventbrite.com/

Speakers…

Professor the Lord Parekh of Kingston-upon-Hull, Centennial Professor,
London School of Economics

Dr. Amira Bennison, University Senior Lecturer in Middle Eastern and
Islamic Studies and Fellow of Magdalene College, University of Cambridge

Professor John Coffey, Professor of Early Modern History, University of
Leicester

Professor Peter Harvey, Professor of Buddhist Studies, University of
Sunderland

The second Zutshi-Smith memorial lecture is on the topic of religious
toleration. Our lecturer, Professor the Lord Parekh will be speaking on ‘A
Comparative Perspective on Religious Toleration’. Lord Parekh will consider
the place of religious toleration in different religious traditions, and
what religions can offer to the creation and maintenance of traditions of
toleration. A distinguished panel of experts will respond to his lecture
before the floor is opened to question and comment. The evening will close
with a drinks reception in the conference foyer.

The late Derek Zutshi (1930-2007) studied medicine at the University of
Bristol before embarking on a glittering medical career. His long-standing
and tireless support of the university culminated in a number of endowments
in memory of his, and his wife’s, parents, including the one memorialised
in this lecture series. His will established a series of public lectures or
symposia to take place biennially, given by persons of international
reputation, on the subjects of the improvement and understanding of current
international relations, the promotion of religious tolerance and
understanding, and the reasons for and possible solutions to conflicts with
a religious character. The first memorial lecture was given in 2009 by
Professor Lord Plant of Highfield on ‘Religion in a Liberal State’ and was
followed by an interdisciplinary academic symposium on the lecture, the
proceedings of which will be published by Cambridge University Press.

Martin Vegoda and Shabana Kausar interview David Goldberg, following his talk ‘This is not the way: Jews, Judaism and the state of Israel’ held as part of the Festival of Ideas 24/04/2012 Watershed Bristol.

Disclaimer: The views expressed within all media are that of individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Salaam Shalom, representatives or associates.

• David Goldberg - This is Not the Way: Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel Watershed 24 April 2012 18.00-20.30
  
• John McCarthy - You Can’t Hide the Sun: A Journey Through Palestine St George’s Bristol 15 May 2012, 18.00-19.00
• Julia Neuberger - Is That All There Is? Watershed, 16 May 2012, 19.30-20.30
• Tariq Ramadan - The Arab Awakening: Islam and the New Middle East Arnolfini 17 May 2012, 16.30-17.30
• Elif Shafak - Identity, Immigration and Multiculturalism Watershed 17 May 2012, 19.30-20.30
• Bidisha and Selma Dabbagh - Palestine Now Watershed, 19 May 2012, 14.00-15.00
• Paul Mason - The New Global Revolutions Arnolfini 20 May 2012, 15.30-16.30

The Bristol Festival of Ideas aims to stimulate people’s minds and passions with an inspiring programme of discussion and debate throughout the year. The Bristol Festival of Ideas is an initiative of Bristol Creative Projects – BCP – (formerly Bristol Cultural Development Partnership): Arts Council England, Bristol City Council and GWE BusinessWest.

David Goldberg - This is Not the Way: Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel
Few subjects invoke such passion as the history and current situation of Jews in Western societies. David Goldberg, a progressive rabbi with many years’ experience of dealing with other faiths and other Jews, takes the most difficult issues of this fraught relationship and confronts them head on. Forthright, challenging and witty, his presentation and new book will spark debate and criticism in equal measure. Rabbi Dr David J Goldberg OBE is minister emeritus of the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, London. He is the author and editor of several books, including Aspects of Liberal Judaism (2004), The Divided Self: Israel and the Jewish Psyche Today (2006) and This is Not the Way: Jews, Judaism and the State of Israel (2012). Visit his website at www.rabbidavidjgoldberg.com.

John McCarthy - You Can’t Hide the Sun: A Journey Through Palestine
St George’s Bristol 15 May 2012, 18.00-19.00

Fascinated as a young boy by his father’s tales of Palestine, John McCarthy was always drawn to the mesmerising region of the Middle East. But exotic enchantment is all too often matched by the brutal reality of political complexity, as McCarthy discovered at great personal cost: he was kidnapped and held hostage by political militants in Lebanon for five years. Despite this terrifying ordeal, McCarthy remained determined to one day return and discover more about this world. From the shores of the Mediterranean to the Bedouin encampments of the Negev desert, McCarthy travels through Israel and East Jerusalem to discover the history that shrouds the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His encounters with the ordinary people of this beautiful, tragic land reveal an often hidden side to the region’s history: the experience of those Palestinians who remained in Israel after its formation in 1948 – and who became Israeli citizens. In You Can’t Hide the Sun, drawing on extensive eye-witness interviews and on his own experiences, McCarthy tells the other side of the story of the founding of Israel, and considers the essential question – how can humanity endure under great oppression? Price: £8.00 / £6.50. Contact St George’s Bristol on: 0845 40 24 001, book online, or visit in person. www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Julia Neuberger - Is That All There Is?
Watershed, 16 May 2012, 19.30-20.30

In her insightful new book, Is That All There Is?: Thoughts on the Meaning of Life and Leaving a Legacy, Rabbi Julia Neuberger (Crossbench peer, social commentator and writer, one of the first two female rabbis in the UK and now Chief Rabbi of West London Synagogue) considers what it is that makes life worthwhile. Drawing upon her considerable experience as a religious leader and social reformer passionately concerned with the issues that affect society’s wellbeing, she offers practical ways to give our own lives a renewed sense of significance and direction. From celebrating friends and family, to surviving hardship and loss, to assessing the relative value of possessions, and the benefits of being as tough as we are kind to ourselves, Julia Neuberger shows how to reconnect with the things that really matter to us. It is, she explains, possible to live a life with few regrets, in which we get our priorities right and create a legacy which will live on long after we are gone – yet which will make life all the more rewarding here and now. Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Watershed, Bristol on: 0117 927 5100, book online, or visit in person. www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Tariq Ramadan - The Arab Awakening: Islam and the New Middle East
Arnolfini 17 May 2012, 16.30-17.30

In The Arab Awakening Tariq Ramadan explores the opportunities and challenges across North Africa and the Middle East, as they look to create new, more open societies. Arguing that the debate cannot be reduced to a confrontation between the modern and secular and the traditional and Islamic, Ramadan demonstrates that not only are both of these routes in crisis, but that the Arab world has an historic opportunity: to stop blaming the West, to jettison its victim status and to create a truly new dynamic. Ramadan is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, visiting Professor at Erasmus University, and President of the think tank European Muslim Network. His books include Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation, The Quest for Meaning: Developing a Philosophy of Pluralism and The Arab Awakening: Islam and the Middle East.  Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Arnolfini, Bristol on: 0117 917 2300, book online, or visit in person. www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Elif Shafak - Identity, Immigration and Multiculturalism
Watershed 17 May 2012, 19.30-20.30

Elif Shafak, acclaimed bestselling author of The Bastard of Istanbul and The Forty Rules of Love, and the most widely read female novelist in Turkey, talks about the politics of immigration, fiction and identity in her recent work, including The Happiness of Blond People, a personal essay on immigration and multiculturalism, and her new book, Honour, set partly in London about a half-Kurdish, half-Turkish immigrant family. The event is chaired by Anita Sethi. Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Watershed, Bristol on: 0117 927 5100, book online, or visit in person. Full details of all festival events at www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Bidisha and Selma Dabbagh - Palestine Now
Watershed, 19 May 2012, 14.00-15.00

Selma Dabbagh is a British Palestinian writer whose novel, Out of It, is a gripping tale of dispossession and belonging, treachery and loyalty, endurance and bravery that re-defines Palestine and its people. She discusses Palestine with critic and broadcaster Bidisha, who toured the West Bank as a reporter in Spring 2011 and whose new book, Beyond the Wall: Writing a Path Through Palestine, is a sharp, unflinching portrait of life in the West Bank in the twenty-first century, seen through the eyes of its activists, ordinary citizens, children, population of international aid workers and foreign visitors. Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Watershed, Bristol on: 0117 927 5100, book online, or visit in person. www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Paul Mason - The New Global Revolutions
Arnolfini 20 May 2012, 15.30-16.30

In his compelling new book, Why It’s Kicking Off Everywhere: The New Global Revolutions, Newsnight presenter Paul Mason sets out to explore the causes and consequences of the current wave of revolt, illuminating the links between the economic and social crisis. Mingling with protestors in locations from Westminster to Wisconsin, he reports from the frontlines of protest, arguing that the events of 2011 reflect the expanding power of the individual and a call for new political alternatives. Price: £7.00 / £6.00. Contact Arnolfini, Bristol on: 0117 917 2300, book online, or visit in person. www.ideasfestival.co.uk

RWA Josef Herman Exhibition: Warsaw, Brussels, Glasgow, London, 1938-44
Work by renowned émigré artist to go on show at RWA

5 May- 8 July 2012

Salaam Shalom have a limited number of invitations, which provide free entry on the opening evening of Tuesday 8th May. Please email studio@salaamshalom.org.uk if you are keen to attend. Josef Herman: Warsaw, Brussels, Glasgow, London, 1938-44 follows Herman’s tumultuous journey as he fled across these four European cities in six dramatic years.
It brings together for the first time much of Herman’s surviving work from this formative period, when his art was at its most experimental and his use of colour strikingly imaginative.
Most of it is held in private collections and therefore rarely seen, and has never previously been gathered together on such a comparable scale.

Included are the few remaining works from Brussels, a series of powerfully expressionist figurative works in oil, gouache and tempera, striking designs for a politically-themed masque and a ballet, and many works on paper from the series known as the ‘Memory of Memories’.

These vivid, often poignant, sketches fired by memory and imagination, carried out in Glasgow between 1940 and 1943, bring the memory of Herman’s family (who perished in the Warsaw Ghetto), as well as his lost Warsaw years, back to life.
The exhibition also includes examples of work by Herman’s contemporaries in Glasgow: fellow Polish émigré Jankel Adler, Estonian-born sculptor Benno Schotz and Scottish colourist J D Fergusson, alongside whom Herman briefly made a considerable contribution to the Glasgow arts scene.
In London (1943-4), particularly at the Ohel Centre, Herman mixed with fellow artists Martin Bloch, David Bomberg, Jacob Epstein and Ludwig Meidner (whose work is also included), as well as with the poets Itzik Manger and Avrom Stencl.
The exhibition concludes in mid-1944, when Herman’s momentous discovery of the Welsh mining town of Ystradgynlais in South Wales changed the direction of his life and work forever.
The exhibition was curated by Ben Uri: The London Jewish Museum of Art and is part of Ben Uri’s continuing exploration of and commitment to the work of émigré artists.

Three events complement the exhibition:

Curator’s Tour
Tuesday 12 June, 4-5pm
Curator Sarah MacDougall will be leading a special tour of the exhibition examining
Josef Herman’s tumultuous journey as he fled across these four European cities in six dramatic but little-known years, against the backdrop of the unfolding Second World War. Sarah is the Eva Frankfurther Research and Curatorial Fellow for the study of émigré artists.
Free with exhibition entry ticket. Booking advised.

Curator’s Talk
Tuesday 12 June, 6.30pm
In this talk, curator Sarah MacDougall explores Herman’s rare surviving work from this formative period when his art was at its most experimental and often strikingly colourful. The talk describes Herman’s discovery in 1944 of the tiny mining village of Ystradgynlais in South Wales, where he made his home for the next eleven years and went on to create the monumental studies of miners which were to make his name.
£5. Booking essential.

Family Workshop
Saturday 26 May, 10am – 12pm
This interactive workshop brings the exhibition to life for children and families. We will talk about journeys you have made and where you and your families are from echoing the exhibition themes of travel and Herman’s personal journey. You will then work as a family to make and decorate your own suitcases with personalised luggage labels.
£5 per child, includes admission to exhibition. Booking essential.

Exhibitions and visitor information:
Admission prices:
Adults £5
Concessions £3
Return ticket £8 (unlimited repeat visits to this exhibition)
Friends/Under 16s/Filton College students FREE
One admission includes entry to the following exhibitions:
Josef Herman: Warsaw, Brussels, Glasgow, London, 1938-44
(5 May – 8 July)
Opening Doors: The RWA Permanent Collection
(5 May – 1 July)
Bristol and Beyond: Trevor Haddrell RWA
(5 May – 1 July)
Opening times:
Monday to Saturday – 9.30am – 5.30pm
Sunday – 11 – 5pm Last admission half an hour before closing

Journey of the Heart
M Shed – Sunday 22 April 10:30am – 4:30pm

Come and learn about Bristol*s Muslims through hands on fun,
creativity and exploration for all ages. Bristol*s Muslim community
in collaboration with M Shed are hosting a one-day event with a range of
activities for all ages including arts and crafts, opportunities to ask
questions, tasty nibbles and Islamic objects and short films. Take a
tour of what shapes the hearts of British Muslims: belief, prayer,
fasting, charity and Hajj (the sacred journey to Mecca) and record your
own messages about special journeys made in Bristol or throughout the
world. Make connections and enjoy free entry. All welcome and family
friendly.

In March 2012, Salaam Shalom were chosen and engaged in a Foreign Commonwealth Office and Young Muslim Advisory Group project, where we hosted an international exchange of future Maldivian leaders. Press Play to listen to highlights from our discussions!

Disclaimer: The views expressed within all media are that of individuals and do not necessarily represent the views of Salaam Shalom, representatives or associates.

Elizabeth Gold interviews Ryan Van Winkle,

Press play to find out more about Reel Festivals and Contemporary Arabic Poetry!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to Discover Me! Many Thanks to M-Shed for supporting this event.

Special thanks to Naif Pierre [M-Shed], Abdul Jamal, YAKEEN, Maz Shar, Vernon Harwood [BBC], Rob Hurford, Ruben Kostucki, Jony Levin, Ruth Hennel, Nawaaz Hussain, Shamil Ahmed, Frank Thomas, Kamola Zakirova & Mina Abassi,  for your contributions!

Thanks to UoB Spotlights Society for your immersive performances held throughout M-Shed on Saturday 11th [Joe Banks, Rose Bonsier, Theo Scholefield, Sophia Pervilhac, Oli Arnoldi, Delphi Lythgoe, Katies O'Leary, Natasha Percival]. And for your performance on Sunday 12th ‘Faces In a Crowd’ [Katie Sherrard, Claudia Jolly, Marrietta Kirkbride, Becky Ripley, Jenny Davies, Rosalind Russell, Henry Lambert, Ed Philips, Lexi Hearth, Imogen Comrie] It was funny, intelligent, moving and contemporary- the audience were captivated!

Add us on facebook to keep updated on future events and opportunities! Or email studio@salaamshalom.org.uk and we’ll add you to our mailing list!

Shamil Ahmed, Nawaaz Hussein + Zed Productions Came into Salaam Shalom for an interview about their Film, ‘Islam Ain’t That Scary’

Pupils from Hillfields school interviewed Dawud Wharnsby

Sing my Beloved: Festival and Life Cycle Songs of Sephardic Jews

Tuesday 13th December
8pm Horfield Quaker Meeting, 300 Gloucester Road, Horfield, Bristol BS7 8PD

Tickets:
£3 DAVAR members & concs
£5 non-members

If you are interested in other cultures, looking for some new songs to sing or you simply love music, this talk will reveal the enchanted world of the Sephardi song tradition which despite repeated forecasts of its imminent demise, is enjoying an unexpected revival as part of the World Music scene.  Hilary Pomeroy will talk about how these sung poems evolved in the Sephardic communities of Morocco and the Ottoman Empire, the rituals surrounding them, why they live on today & how their new popularity has affected their performance and the songs themselves.  She will be playing some wonderful recordings.

A big welcome back to Dr Hilary Pomeroy – last heard in Bristol, to popular acclaim, before Los Desterrados at St George’s.  She is a cultural historian who specializes in all things Sephardic especially the Judeo-Spanish ballad.  Hilary regularly collaborates with luminary singers and musicians, including Lucie Skeaping & the Burning Bush, Los Pasharos Sephardis (from Turkey) and Yasmin Levy. Her publications include a study of ballads from Morocco, The Sephardic Ballad Notebook of Halia Isaac Cohen, and contributions to The Rough Guide to Music.

DAVAR: davarbristol@yahoo.co.uk      Registered Charity No. 113665

Bristol Palestine Film Festival
Bristol Palestine Film Festival is committed to providing an opportunity for moviegoers in the Southwest to experience the lives of Palestinian people through film.  By bringing to Bristol, Palestinian film, art and culture we invite viewers to explore the multiple realities and identities of the Palestinian people.  It is this focus on humanness and the expression of the everyday lives of Palestinians that is at the core the mission of this Festival.

We aim to create connections for cultural and artistic exchange between the makers of film, visual art, and writing and viewers.  We hope to engage with our audience in critical and reflective ways.  Through this process we believe we will challenge participants and ourselves.

Bristol Palestine Film Festival is presented in partnership with cinemaPalestino and the Showroom Workstation, Sheffield (showroomworkstation.org.uk)  

cinemaPalestino
cinemaPalestino is a season of the latest films to explore issues that affect us all – falling in love, making a home, caring for family and for freedom – but all under the shadow of a military occupation that distorts all aspects of daily life for the people of Palestine.

cinemaPalestino is a celebration of Palestinian culture through drama and documentary film – looking beyond the stereotypes of dramatic headlines – to discover that, despite more than 60 years of unimaginable oppression, Palestinians have retained a vital, creative and powerful identity.

Originating in Sheffield in 2009, cinemaPalestino is a creative collaboration between members of the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Yorkshire-Palestine Cultural Exchange and Sheffield’s Showroom Cinema.

 
Our Supporters
Watershed is a cultural cinema and digital creativity centre in Bristol, UK.  We curate ideas, spaces and talent to enable artistic visions and creative collaborations to flourish.  We produce work that cuts across film, music, theatre, design, visual art, and the creative and technology sectors. http://www.watershed.co.uk

The Bristol Festival of Ideas aims to stimulate people’s minds and passions with an inspiring programme of discussion and debate throughout the year.  It brings together many of the cultural organisations in the city along with universities and others (the responsibility for the programme is BCP’s alone). It seeks to provide an annual festival of debate and discussion in May with special events through the year. http://www.ideasfestival.co.uk

Essential trading is a UK based workers co-operative that specialises in supplying organic, GMO free, Fair-Trade, vegetarian and vegan wholefoods.  We aim to exist as a financially successful, non-hierarchical, democratic organisation where workers participate in the creation and running of their working environment.  Amongst our many trading principles we are committed to opposing exploitation of animals, promoting healthy eating, protecting the environment, human rights and a dedication to co-operative principles.  http://www.essential-trading.coop

Since the first delivery of 200 bottles, Zaytoun has pioneered Fair Trade for Palestinian olive farmers, launching the world’s first Fair Trade olive oil in 2009, along with introducing many other Palestinian products to the British marketplace.  Zaytoun  believes that the products speak for themselves, and for the people who produce them,  yet it’s not just about trade – farmers tell us every year how much they value meeting British customers and the opportunity to share their lives and their stories with  us.

 Showroom Workstation, Sheffield is one of the largest independent cinema in Europe with four luxury auditoria, education spaces and a café/bar. It presents a lively programme of films from around the world, from contemporary film to classic cinema, and is the place to be for anyone with a passion for film.  Showroom regularly hosts festivals and creative events which give a chance to meet experts from different media, learn new skills and cultivate new ideas.  The Workstation is a hothouse for the creative industries sector, with over 60 tenant companies working with clients in the region, the UK and beyond. 

The programme at a glance

Bristol Palestine Film Festival 2011
Thu 1 – Sat 10 Dec

(No) Laughing Matter + Hassan Everywhere
Fri 2 Dec 18:00 WATERSHED

Convinced that humour knows no frontiers, young filmmaker Vanessa Rousselot embarks on an unusual quest: to search for humour in the West Bank.

Leila Sansour, Cathi Pawson and Honey Thaljieh TALK
Sat 3 Dec 18.00 WATERSHED

Focusing on the role of film, tourism, food and football in building bridges between Palestine and the rest of the world.

The taste of Palestine
Sat 3 Dec 19.45 Arnolfini

Join us before the evening’s screening with a tasting session facilitated by Zaytoun, a community interest company founded to develop a UK market for artisan Palestinian produce http://www.zaytoun.org/

Jaffa: The Clockwork’s Orange
Sat 3 Dec 20.30 Arnolfini

Visually captivating and politically bold, this enticing new film by acclaimed filmmaker Eyal Sivan weaves a rich tapestry of stunning archival material and striking interviews to explore the entwined visual and political history of the Jaffa Orange.

The Cinema of Absurdity WORKSHOP
Sun 4 Dec 13:00 WATERSHED

This workshop will explore Elia Suleiman surreal stories of the daily lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

Amreeka + Eid
Sun 4 Dec 15.00 WATERSHED

Cherien Dabis’s auspicious debut chronicles the adventures of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with Fadi, her teenage son, with dreams of the future in the promised land of small town Illinois.

Journeys POETRY
Mon 5 Dec 19.00 Hamilton House

Join us for a warm and insightful evening of poetry readings and cultural exchange as we bring together an international collection of award-winning poets exploring the theme of ‘journeys’ to and away from home. 

My name is Ahlam+Missing
Tue 6 Dec 18:00 WATERSHED

While fighting for her daughter’s right to receive adequate treatment for her leukaemia, Aisha – a Palestinian woman living in the West Bank, undergoes a process of empowerment.

Over the Wall + TALK Conor McCormack + TALK Circus2Iraq
Thu 8 Dec 19.30 the Cube

Join us for night of Bristol-based action featuring Easton Cowboys, award winning director Conor McCormack and the innovative Circus2Iraq.

Checkpoint Film
Fri 9 Dec 18:30 Hamilton House

A young Palestinian boy living in the Gaza strip accompanies his father on monthly visits to the ruins of a destroyed village. Though he doesn’t understand his father’s ritual, he feels he has a duty to help him.

The Bristol Palestine Arts and Photography Exhibition
Thu 1 Dec – Sat 10 Dec (closed on Sat 3 Dec) Hamilton House

 A thoughtful collection of art, photography and models on show throughout the festival, featuring local and international artists. 

For more information about the film festival, its aims and objectives or to request interviews with key speakers contact David Owen at emaildowen@gmail.com / 07977971737.  Visit our website: www.bristolpff.org.uk Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BristolPFF 

IN MEMORY OF STEPHEN LAWRENCE
“Lest we forget”

JOIN SALAAM SHALOM MEDIA IN CELEBRATING DIVERSITY, HELPING TO DEFEND OUR MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY IN BRISTOL, ENGLAND
Tuesday 25 October 2011
7pm to 9pm (doors open 6.30pm)

The Council House, (College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR)

SPEAKERS:

TARIQ MODOOD
Director of the University Of Bristol Ethnicity and Citizenship Centre and author of “It’s Still Not Easy Being British.”

LEE JASPER
Black activist and former senior political advisor to London Mayor, Ken Livingstone Admission

Free to attend this event, but contributions welcome

Corinne Avery (volunteer) interviews Steven Greer, Professor of Human Rights at the University of Bristol, following a public  lecture given at The Watershed titled ‘Have Muslims become a  ‘suspect community‘ in post-9/11 Britain?’

To learn more about Steven Greer you can read his profile: University of Bristol

Rebecca and Mustapha, with the Lord Mayor and Mayoress Geoffrey and Bernice Gollop at the annual Islamic Fayre organized by Bristol Muslim Cultural Society http://www.bmcs.org.uk/ 

The blessed month of Ramadan is going on and every Muslim has a desire to get some benefit out of it. It is a blessed month with the philosophy of making someone who fasts become more pious. In addition, create a sense and feeling for all those who are deprived of all these luxurious foods and grandiose drinks that we take for granted. There are many who have a meal today but still have fear weather they will be able to get the next one or not, and there are many who have no other choice than drinking mud water as clean water is not available. At the time when we have strong hunger pangs and feel like all the water inside our body has vanished, we  feel for those not so fortunate people and at that time we realise how blessed we are.

I always claim to be the student of life- each day, each hour, and each moment is a chapter and lesson to me. I try to learn new things from everything I experience. Every Ramadan I try to learn something new that can bring a positive change in me. This year I had the experience that I never had before. Yesterday my phone battery died, unfortunately I am among the technology dependant class of humans and this dependency led me to skip Sehar (the meal before Dawn for the purpose of fasting). I woke up at 5 when time bashed me with a defeat that it has promised to all those who don’t care for it.

I started making many plans like drinking little water and then respect the rest of Ramadan, it was an easy way that I rejected after an argument with myself. There were two reasons for that, one is that fasting is my favourite kind of worship, and second is the eagerness to experience and learn something from Roza e Nihar (I am sorry I could not find out Arabic term for it if anyone knows it please increase my knowledge). I appreciated the dinner I had and that one glass of water that I had the previous night.

I kept myself busy during the whole day by reading, doing some academic work, watching documentaries and many other things I normally do while fasting or other things that are part of a Muslim life, such as the five daily prayers. The day went well and the time came when I was about to break my first ever Roza e Nihar (fast without dawn meal) and I was feeling the happiness that Allah has promised to the one who fasts.

At that time I was thinking about what I had learnt from this day, I felt for all those who cannot enjoy blessings that I have access to. I kept myself busy in different things that made the day easy for me, but what about those who cannot make their day easy with such things. There are those who bear the thirst of water in the massive heat who have a far bigger struggle than what I was facing in my comfortable room.

One more lesson I learned, was the determination of will power, I showed determination to myself and I thank Almighty Allah for that and by the end of the day, I managed to keep the motivation high and reached my goal. I learnt that when you make a decision do something right and keep up with it, the promised divine help reaches to you.

The Gefilte Fish Line

In her first podcast for Salaam Shalom Media – Elizabeth Gold presents “Radio City”, a audio series that examines Jewish and Muslim culture, arts and life.

Gefilte fish, gefilte fish, what for art though, gefilte fish ?

In this episode of “Radio City”, Elizabeth Gold explores GEFILTE FISH and the the world of this iconic Jewish dish through interviews, song and a story she wrote especially for the show.

Sakib from the University of Bristol Islamic Society and Jony from the University of Bristol Jewish Society came into the studio to debate ‘Is There A True Islamic or Jewish State?’

Peter Brill writes… (click here to read his full post)

The old phrases “sticks and stones…” and “what’s in a name?” has never been more relevant than in the current debate about the use of the “Y-Word” at football grounds.

OK, let me declare a couple of interests right up front. I’m a West Ham season ticket holder and I’m Jewish.

The two are not mutually exclusive, nor do they seem particularly connected. However, the current media and public debate about David and Ivor Baddiel’s short film – “The Y-Word” is focusing the minds of many football fans and members of the Jewish community.

Nobody in their right mind would condone the use of racist language – publically or privately – and I make no apologies for the fact that I have campaigned at various times in my life against racism and neo-nazism in the UK and beyond. As the former Chair, and still volunteer, of Salaam Shalom – a Muslim/Jewish dialogue organisation in Bristol – I am fully aware of the virulence of anti-semitism and islamophobia still evident in many parts of the UK and the work required to combat it.

At various times in my life I’ve been subject to anti-Semitic abuse. At school, at university and, very occasionally, in work or adult social context. In most cases its simply ignorance – the “oh, I didn’t mean you mate” syndrome. On some occasions it was deliberate and vehement.

Football provides the ideal opportunity for tribalism. Anyone who has been to an Old Firm game between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow can testify to the vein bursting, eyeball-popping sectarian hatred displayed by grown men and women, where the game is often secondary to the ritual abuse.

But the Y-Word, the word Yid, a derogatory term for someone Jewish, has caused some blurring of the lines when it comes to football. West Ham’s arch rivals, Tottenham, have been dubbed “The Yids” not just by other team fans, but by their own supporters because of the historically high percentage of Jewish fans the club attracts. It’s almost become a badge of pride, a proud tribal name amongst Spurs supporters.

The FA and Premiership have, allegedly, been reluctant to take significant action until recently against the use of the word by fans as it has been deemed to be a ‘fun’ reference meant in self-jest. Sadly, this racist term has always had an underlying ‘softness’ about it which has never quite had the same ‘shock-horror’ effect of the N-word or the P-word.

Chelsea will be showing the film at Stamford Bridge before their match against Spurs later this month and arrests have been made at the ground for previous use of the term Yid during matches. However, I genuinely wonder whether how Spurs fans are going to respond to this. One comment on the You Tube page is a typical example:

“Spurs fans are proud to refer to themselves as Yids, it reminds us of the history and traditions of the club and our solidarity in the face of racist chanting from other fans. No amount of red tape will make us surrender our identity. YID ARMY.”

There were plenty more comments like this – we can say it but nobody else – not least from Jewish fans who seem to feel that their use of the word Yid is the cultural equivalent of a black person calling themselves and their mates a Nigga.

Anna Kessel’s article in the Guardian adds an unsettling dimension – if Jewish fans are so uncomfortable about the use of the word Yid, why don’t they stand up and say so. As with every experience of racism – not least the torrent of abuse David Baddiel encountered when he tried to confront an adjacent Chelsea fan – it’s never quite so cut and dried.

Still, at least Spurs won’t be chanting it in Europe any time soon…..aaw, and now I’ve gone and let my tribalism show!

Published 15th April, 2011 – click here to read his full post

Read the original post here : http://www.kickitout.org/1307.php

The film, entitled The Y-Word, has been written and produced by David and Ivor Baddiel, in conjunction with Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion campaign, Maccabi GB, Community Security Trust, The Shoresh Foundation and Fahrenheit Films.

Awareness
“The film is not intended to censor football fans,” said David. “It’s simply to raise awareness that the y-word is – and has been for many, many years – a race hate word. It’s our belief that some football fans may not even realise this, and the film is designed therefore to inform and raise debate.”

The minute-long film explores the use of the word ‘Yid’ by football supporters. Gary Lineker, England women’s star Rachel Yankey and Zesh Rehman, the Premier League’s first British Asian player, also feature in the film.

Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of Kick It Out, said: “This film will form a key part of the organisation’s education work on matters around anti-Semitism.”

The film has already received widespread support from London’s Premier League clubs ahead of its debut screening.

Debate
Tottenham Hotspur Executive Director, Donna Cullen, said: “It is unthinkable and wholly unacceptable that, in this day and age, supporters are subjected to anti-Semitic abuse such as hissing to imitate the gas chambers used during the Holocaust in the Second World War.

“We look forward to an informed and proper debate with Kick It Out, stakeholders and the key authorities to raise greater awareness and put in place the stringent measures needed to stop anti-Semitic abuse in football. We are committed to eliminating all forms of racism and we shall support efforts to kick anti-Semitism out of the game.”

Chelsea Chairman, Bruce Buck, commented: “Chelsea FC has been campaigning about issues around anti-Semitism for many years. We have, and always will, take the strongest possible action against anyone found making any kind of discriminatory chant or taunt. It is great to see the football world come together to support a project that will raise awareness of the problem.”

Backing
Arsenal Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis, said: “Arsenal FC supports any initiative designed to reduce exclusion. The club works hard under the ‘Arsenal for Everyone’ banner on a range of issues aimed at increasing equality and inclusion. Given the club’s proximity to some of the country’s largest Jewish communities, stamping out anti-Semitism is something we have, historically, paid particular attention to and applaud Kick It Out in this new method of tackling it.”

Governing bodies have also pledged their backing, with FA General Secretary, Alex Horne, saying: “The FA is delighted to support the film and we hope that it has a positive impact in educating football fans on anti-Semitic behaviour. The ‘think again’ message is clear for those who use chants such as the y-word. We are committed to football for all and our overall aim is to make football stadiums family friendly and open to everyone.”

Zero-tolerance
Deputy Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, Bobby Barnes, said: “The PFA has a zero-tolerance stance to all forms of racism, bigotry and hatred and this includes all forms of anti-Semitism. Chants and songs are a part of football culture but we will not condone any form of chanting that causes offence to players or the majority of supporters who go to the game to enjoy football, not to create trouble.”

Chairman of the Football League, Greg Clarke, gave the film his backing: “There is no place for any form of racism in football and we welcome this initiative on anti-Semitism by Kick It Out. Football League clubs are committed to creating safe, family friendly environments at their grounds and they will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.”

John Mann MP, Chair of The FA Working Group on tackling anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in football, added: “The Y-Word is a powerful and important film which demonstrates that footballers from many different backgrounds have complete contempt for racist taunts, whoever the victim. I know The FA take these matters seriously and have been pleased with their efforts to implement the recommendations of my report on tackling anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in football.”

Manager of Salaam Shalom Media, Zahir Malik interviews Vanessa Gonzales and Tom from the Easton Cowboys and Cowgirls, and also interviews Palestinian Hamed Qawasme and Israeli Irelia from The Villages Group February 2011

http://www.eastoncowboys.org.uk/
http://villagesgroup.wordpress.com/