“The Hijab Threat and Airport Security”

A call out from Imaan Networking, she recounts an experience she has had a few times in the UKs airports and then asks us to make the following deal:

So here is the deal I want to make with my fellow scarf wearers, when asked at the aiport to allow a headscarf check, do not refuse but insist on one of the following:

1- a private room where the check can be carried out. I do this and even offer to take it off (in front of women) if they are that worried about, but not in front of other people.

2- a FULL body check so that onlookers do not think that it is the headscarf that they are worried about.

Deal?

To which I say: DEAL!

To read the full post, and what prompted the deal, click here

A Network for Muslim Women in London

Imaan Networking was launched by a very innovative young professional a few months ago. Having just moved to London, and realising that it was difficult to meet like minded women she simply put an ad in one of the many websites for Muslims in the UK (I think it was islamic events something). Her ad requested that Muslim women professionals in London contact her should they wish to create a network. The idea took off, and several dinners in London restaurants were arranged, where the Women got to know the organiser and each other.

In Ramadan Imaan Networking organised iftars in members houses. A member would volunteer to host an Iftar, and registered guests only would receive the address. A bit risky, but since many had met each previously, the host knew at least a few of the people destined to show up at their doorstep. As a guest you were expected to bring a dish to share. The atmosphere at these events was amazing, over 15 people showed up at each, and we quickly got to chatting. The women were from various backgrounds and professions (film makers, IT managers, accountants, psychologists, teachers, lawyers, oh and a cosmologist I had some explaining to do at these events ), and the converstaion flowed.

The Network has expanded, and now have a website (www.imaannetworking.com) and a blog (www.imaannetworking.wordpress.com). They are now organsing theatre evenings, Eid parties, and trips abroad!!! The latter I am really excited about!

I think this is a neat and innovative way of making new friends

List of Scholarships Available for Palestinians

I thought I would compile this list to act as a starting point for any Palestinian wishing to further their education in the UK, hope it helps!The Durham Palestine Educational TrustThis trust funds two Palestinian students to study for a Masters degree at the University of Durham, one of the UKs most prestigous universities.

The Website: http://www.dur.ac.uk/durham.palestine/

Whos is eligible: Palestinians who have completed their degrees in one of the Universities in the West Bank or Gaza, and belong to a family that is normally resident in the West Bank or Gaza. You will also be expected to return to the West Bank or Gaza once your scholarship is completed.

Neat ways to raise money for them: You will find ways to raise money for the DPET by using the everyclick search engine, or donating used books. My favourite is by following this link when you purchase items from Amazon, the DPET receives 5% comission on every purchase made this way.

Said Foundation (Formely the Karim Rida Said Foundation)

These scholarships enable you to pursue further (postgraduate) education in the some universities in the UK and the Middle East, with the proviso that you use your knowledge to serve one of the Foundations’ target countries.

Website:http://www.saidfoundation.org/whatwedo/education.shtml

Who is Eligible: Iraqis, Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians or Palestinians (including Palestinians inside Israel) who are resident in the Middle East.

Conditions:

1. you must demonstrate that your chosen course of study will be of use to your home country or the Middle East region.
2. you must have at least two years work experience.
3. you must sign a binding undertaking to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained in one of the Foundation’s target countries.

The A.M. Qattan Foundation

I have attached the latest news that I received from the London based Qattan foundation, I could not find much information on their website (http://www.qattanfoundation.org/en/index.asp), but you can email them for further information (and maybe share what you find out?)

Five teachers received preliminary acceptance to the Qattan-Qaddumi Postgraduate Scholarship Programme in Education, which is now in its second year. An independent panel interviewed all prospective candidates, including our Gaza colleagues who communicated via video-conference. Short listed candidates are now required to fulfil a number of other conditions before the panel announces the winner.

******check this site for scholarships for Palestinian teachers: http://www.hq-sf.org/public/English.aspx?Lang=3&Page_Id=1553&Menu_ID=244&Site_ID=0 ****

British Council

The British Council offers scholarships for international students to further their studies in the UK.

Follow this link (http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-funding-your-studies.htm) to find one that suits you.

The Hope Fund

Based in the USA (http://www.thehopefund.org/)

Update: as of the 10th of September 2009, this post has received 174 hits, mostly from search engine referrals.�

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Either vote via the buttons at the top of this page, or by leaving a comment.

Thank you!

Protests spread to 8 UK universities

Students are occupying parts of their university, making demands of their deans, and in some cases getting results.

So far we have: Manchester Metropolitan, Birmingham, London School of Economics, Kings College London, Essex University, Sussex University, the University of Warwick, Nottingham University, Newcastle University and Leeds Uni.

More details here and here.

How to start a Stop the War group (UK)

Suggestions from STWC head office:

HOW TO BUILD A LOCAL STOP THE WAR GROUP

Its really simple to start a group. Here are some ideas.

Call a meeting. Book a room in a community centre, mosque,
church, pub, library.

Get a national STWC coalition speaker
(this is very important so that local groups establish a link
with the national organisation, get news of what the national
organisation is planning, feed in local actions and so on).

Add some local speakers from unions, community and religous
groups etc.

Produce leaflets, email, text Facebook and phone
to advertise the meeting. Ask sympathetic organisations to
help publicise the meetings.

Call a protest. Same process as above. Pick a good focus: a
local MP’s surgery (if they are not in favour of our camapign
aims), local media if its biased (and it usually is!). Or just
call it in a local town square or market place. Do invite
speakers so that they can shape the response of the crowd.

Use the media: The local paper, radio and TV may not be
sympathetic (though often individual journalists and National
Union of Journalists members will be) but they are hungry for
news and controversy. The STWC is a nationally recognised
organisation with a strong media profile that you can use to
get articles and letters into the papers and news items and
interviews on radio and TV. Don’t forget the free sheets~its
easy to get into them and they go out very widely.

Always collect money. Both locally and nationally we always
need money to fund the campaign. Make sure there are always
collection buckets around and that someone does a dedicated
(but short) fund raising speech.

Set up a local committee. Invite people who have been active
in the campaign and who support you locally to help organise
activity. Make sure the committee includes as wide ranging
interests as possible represented on the committee. Trade
unionists, Labour Party members, Greens, socialists, CND
supporters, Muslim, Iraqi, Afghan, Palestinian, Lebanese
groups and many more are all part of the STWC throughout the
country. They proably won’t all be active in your area but try
and get as broad a spectrum as possible involved.

Mobilise for national STWC events. It always helps to build a
local group if it participates in the bigger national marches,
meetings and conferences. It costs to get to these events but
its worth the money: it gives local activists confidence,
ideas and allows them to feed their experiece into the
national organisation.

Get in touch with us: Always let us know what you are doing.
We may have contacts in your area. We always want to help and
send speakers when we can. We can help publicise your meeting,
protest, coach on the website and in the news letter.

Phone us on: 02072786694

email: office@stopwar.org.uk

Even if you aren’t able to build a group please send us the
emails of all your local contacts so that they can be sent our
Newsletters directly.