ramadan, the month when muslims refrain from food, drink and marital relations during daylight hours, is a special time for britain's 3 million muslims. physical and spiritual rewards are worth it. ramadan has been a fantastic time uh, in sense, in the sense that it's about spiritually connecting with the law of the heavens and the earth and detoxing your bodies. ramadan is the month of prayer in the quran when muslims do their best to cultivate willpower, discipline and self-restraint. they also increase their charity. activities and empathize with the

poor, needy and destitutes. we feed people, we we sit together and we share food, we share food with everyone, and this is part of of it, buse they don't have it, we bring the food to them, they can't come to us, so we bring it to them, and that's the whole thing about ramadan, which is you know you share and you care, but ramadan isn't just about self-sacrifice, it's about sharing food with your family and friends, it's about increasing solidarity. with your muslim brothers and sisters at home and abroad, and it's about showcasing the beauty of islam to the non-muslim majority living in the uk. certain headlines are putting the lives of many innocent people at risk, so what can we do? with islam and muslims regularly demonized in the british media, ramadan is a golden opportunity for muslims to showcase the true islam, and i've been traveling around the country. during the holy month in

search of exactly that, like many muslims in majority non-muslim countries, british muslims can sometimes be the subject of unwelcome scrutiny, sometimes being a muslim in britain can feel a bit like being under siege, so the month of ramadan... when muslims fast from dawn to dust can come as a welcome relief for many, a time for physical and spiritual renewal as well as an opportunity to improve relations between muslims and non-muslims alike. the hussein family who live in north london are getting ready to break their fast. like british muslims all over the country, the husseins have spent the last month fasting, so the evening meal will come as a relief. mrs. is

also preparing some food to take round to her non-muslim neighbors. could you encapsulate what ramadan means for you? um, for me it's reconnecting with my lord, it's like understanding what is the purpose of your life, which is to worship your lord and to be the best person that you can be. sam, can i ask the same question? yeah, it's about reprogramming, deprogramming all the bad habits i've got and kind of reprogramming um what's required of me from my lord. um and self discipline. fasting is compulsory on every muslim who is sane and mature, male or female. it has many physical, moral and social benefits, but most importantly, god has made fasting compulsory so that muslims become piace, fearing and god-conscious. family to juicy gates, slaton and shiny black. during the month of ramadan yum yum we

know that the shaitans are locked up during this month and for me that's definitely something that notice it becomes lot more easier um to pick up the quran spend a little bit more time on the quran and you notice like small habits changing so when you're on the tube like on my phone i'll get the quran out much i'm much more likely to get the quran out start to read as i'm set uh of commuting and it's like you sort of um cuz you're sort of waiting for the time when you're when you open your first. you realize that i can use this time to do things that are better than just wasting time watching tv or facebook or whatever. made uh ramadan gift bags for my um for my neighbors, my non-muslim neighbors and i distributed them uh with just with a little note saying what ramadan means to us uh in terms of my muslim community yeah we've had lot of ramadan iftar invites so we've been going to them. it's time to break the fast during meal which is known as iftar. i joined my hosts in a lovely and refreshing asian dinner, often muslims

will overeat at this time to compensate for what they've been missing out on, but the correct islamic etiquet is to fill two/thirds of your stomach with food and and leave the last third empty, tonight at least i think we've stuck to that, the quran is a unifying factor for muslims of all different traditions, sects and cultures, all muslims believe it's the literal unchanging word of god and they strive. to live their lives according to scriptures. now the recitation of the quran is considered something of an art form all across the muslim world. ramadan was the month during which the quran was revealed to the prophet muhammad, and many muslims will attempt to recite the whole book before the month ends. the very act of fasting is prescribed in the

quran so that the holy book says, believers can learn piety. the rules of fasting are also set out in its pages, with those unable to fast due to illness, traveling and old age exempt. this is because god intends ease for us. message of the the holy quran is to to guide the human being, that is the the book of guidance, that is the book of uh guidance to all universe, not just muslims, because this book is not written by a person, it's written, it's the words of allah subhanahu wa taala, that is the from secure source. so it is the book of past, the book of the book of present and the book of future. muslims believe the quran was revealed to the prophet muhammad over a period of 23 years. the holy book emphasizes the duty of mankind to

worship, fear, love and obey the one god who created the heavens and the earth, the god of muhammad, jesus and moses. if the quran's central message is: 'monotheism, it also teaches muslims how to live a good life, which will ultimately grant them entrance into paradise, and how to avoid the sins which will consign them into hell. during the month of ramadan, prayer is also a priority for muslims. believers are required to pray five times a day, even outside of ramadan, but during the holy month, muslims will often perform additional prayers, especially in the mosque. again the prayer is a combination of movements and gestures which symbolize submission to god as well as quranic recitation which reminds believers of his holy words. this is the month of revelation of quran, so he wants us to attach yourself with quran, because he because the rewards

are multiplied in the month of ramadan. he has given the attraction to the people. okay, if you read, normally you are rewarded 10 times, in this month you will be rewarded 70. time people think that being thirsty, if you do not eat and do not drink anything, that is fast, no, there is fast of your stomach, they the fast of your eyes, they the fast of your ears, these fast of your tongue, these fast of your hands and the fast of your food as well, like the whole body should be fasting, not just your stomach, if you're hungry and still you're abusing people, allah says i have nothing to do with your thust, this is the time that we spend more time on our selves, because rest of the year maybe we are very busy with you, day-to-day work, but in the months of ramadan our physical activities, maybe are you know some of our uh contacts reduce, so that we have more time for our contemplation and you know prayer,

recitation and being with the community. ramadan is a time for communities to come together. every night at dusk, the fast is broken, most often with family and friends or in the mosk. it's a great opportunity for people who don't see each other much the rest the year to get together, and it's also a time when muslims belonging to different sex unify. i'm trying to think back, have i been to any shia mosk? 'i don't think i have actually ever before, i mean i know there are some slight variations in prayer and i know that's the kind of the set the timings for ift are a bit different, but that's it, that's the extent of my knowledge actually uh about sheas, but again and sheias are vast, there are many different schools, i actually don't know much about she is, um, so yeah,

let's see what happens. razanadim is a sunni muslim, which means he belongs to the majority sect of islam, but tonight he'll be breaking his fast a shia mosque'. islam's minority sects. sunnis and sha's share a belief in the major tenants of islam, such as god, the quran and the prophet muhammad, but they may differ on other details of islamic. jurisprudence and history. in general, the two sects have coexisted in relative peace throughout islamic history, with some exceptions of course, but with political events in the middle east currently at boiling point, sectarian tensions can sometimes spill over. without having unity we would be not able to face our challenges and indeed we would be just challenging ourselves internally and... exhausting ourselves without reaching to any conclusion. what terrorist groups want to do, they want to

create division between the muslims, they want to create you know us and them situation between the muslims and also then between the muslims and the wide community, and if we are really fighting amongst ourselves then then that that really makes them a winner, and we want to make sure that we believe in the same god, we we believe in the same holy quran and those who believe in the same scripture, they are part. the creed of islam, and the concept of takfied is absolutely cancer in islam, it's eating us away. shah muslims break their fast few minutes later than sunni muslims do, and they tend to combine the sunset prayer and the night prayer called maghrib and isha in arabic. like sunnies, but these minor differences between the sects don't seem to

bother raza too much. is different, mean it's it's a lot of similarities that you see in the way people pray uh, some similarities, but yeah um, didn't realize that they combined the issue as well uh during ramadan, i thought i thought that they had a tharawi prayer, but i'm guessing that doesn't happen, but yeah, and the food was good, it's yeah, better than my local moss, that's for sure. right now you see muslims being attacked left, right and center. last thing you want is to be fighting amongst each other, and think a lot of is misunderstanding, so i mean earlier they were doing the trans, the recitation of the quran, there was no difference, it's all the same, people sitting there remembering god, you know, glorifying the prophet, and it's it's so many similarities, and for me, i mean, i, i knew that there were many similarities, but to see them in action, that is, it's, it just kind of breaks a mental barrier, and i think especially for lot of muslims that are quite hardlineine sectarian on both sides of the camp, i think they should go to different most just because you really. realized we're not that different and yeah, we all like our food if that time. islam is probably the most

demonized religion in britain and muslims are regularly the subject of negative media headlines, usually associated with extremism and terrorism. faced by this onslaught, it can be difficult for muslims to get their side of the story across, but that doesn't mean they're not trying. ramadan is perhaps the best time of year. for muslims to showcase their religion, and that's exactly what several initiatives across the uk have done, such as the ramadan tent here in central london, which welcomes up to 300 muslims and non-muslims every night to break the fast, and the idea behind these initiatives is very simple, that intimate human contact can break down barriers like nothing else. the ramadan tent project is run by student volunteers and adopts gentle, non-confrontational, even subliminal. when showing non-muslims what islam is. it seeks to demonstrate the values of islam by setting

an example instead of preaching, to build bridges between cultures and encourage interfaith dialogue through the simple act of sharing meal. we've been able to foster a platform for interfaith dialogue to explain the the actual beautiful values of our religion. and and yeah, and feel the community spirit most of all. i think when you look in see you know just people of all different colors and races sitting on the floor eating together, i think you know it's uh, i think that's what it's about. i grew up religious, so when i came across what was going on, i was really intrigued with the idea of fasting and praying, and um, so wanted to learn more, and just the experience of meeting the best people i've ever, some of the best people i've ever met who have such sincere intentions, um, it made me want to get involved and learn more about their... what they were doing here and the what ramadan means. every night during the month

of ramadan, a different speaker gives a short talk here everyone gathered. then after the maghrib or sunset prayer, the fast is broken with rice, meat, fruit, deserts and tea. sometimes islam won't crop up in conversation at all, but friendships are built, curiosity is aroused, and perhaps stereotypes would have been broken. i think that i really identified with the muslim community by their standards, not drinking alcohol and fasting and things like that, so i didn't have any negative perceptions, but i think that being involved in a community helps me... to understand the muslim community even more and to be able to share that with my community back in the states. stephen mills and steve smith are getting sneak preview of the feast

that awaits them in a few hours time. that's why i'm just going to get. these two non-muslim teachers from aldom in the north of england have been fasting all day as part of an initiative called share ramadan, the brain child of manu mia, another teacher. it's around 5:30 p.m. you working in such a high muslim school. i thought it'd be a brilliant experience for me to to see what, not only the colleagues that i have. but the the kids that i teach go through uh i just thought it give me a bit of insight into what they go through uh and understanding how's it been for you so far so you you've you didn't get up for breakfast first mistake right oh yeah uh i at about half past 11 last night um no i didn't wake up i'm not feeling too bad actually i i thought hunger would be the big

thing cuz i i've got a healthy appetite what i say um but it's been the thirst that's really really challenged me. 'did you know much about ramadan uh, why muslims fast? um, this is my second year doing it, and i have to say the first reason i did it was because coming from my background, i had very little idea about muslim religion, about ramadan, the importance of it, why do it, so the first thing was i wanted to get to know more about it, that was my first reason for even doing it, and how are you finding it? not too bad, uh, hunger has been okay, uh, lunchime walking around seeing some people ate, that was a bit difficult, kind of had to turn'. away from that uh, thirst is the main one, um, after about 10 or 11 it started to kind of kick in a glass of water, and you kind of sometimes go to reach for it, oh no, challenge, invite, share, share ramadan, share ramadan has become something of social media phenomenon, challenge a non-muslim

neighbor or colleague to fast for a day, break the fast with them, and share the moment and experience on so... to take part in the challenge, it's a great way to get to know people of course, ramadan started when the the muslim community were getting a lot of bs press, one thing i realize you the medias and on our side and saying so much things and certain headlines are putting the... of many innocent people at risk, so what can we do? you have children, and the would you want to leave them behind wealth or money? you know, why not, you, society that is just, that is fair and that is safe, and that will only come about is is when there is an understanding and and the the the barriers

of fear and suspicion when they have disappeared from our society. it is that for me it's been that sacrificing things that you take for granted every day like you know people struggle for water and i can just go and get one anytime a glass of water or a drink of water anytime i want um people struggle for food but you know at the end of this i know i'm going to sit down with 10 or 12 friends and have a lovely meal before i started working on the job and i all i knew about the muslim face was what i read typically on media newspapers whatever it be ' and then i've actually become friends with them and i'd like to think with nanus and vladimir's house to do ramadan, not only have i found out about the muslim culture, but i've become closer with him uh, with other friends, so we can talk about anything doesn't have to be about muslim, but it just means that there's not that kind of them and us type culture, few hours later and at last

it's nearly time to break the fast. nanu lays a delicious bangladeshi meal in his front room, enough satis. any appetite, while around dozen muslim and non-muslim colleagues and friends laugh and joke. allah help us to understand one another, allah remove suspicions and finally it's time to tuck into the food. stepen and steve are obviously. very relieved man, oh cianism it's the last friday of ramadan and thousands of muslims are preparing to march through the streets of central london condemning zionism

and supporting the palestinian resistance struggle as they do every year during the annual al-kuds march. now ramadan is obviously mostly associated with spirituality and quiet reflection, but it's also a time when muslims increase their efforts to promote justice in the public arena. this is jerusalem. took place year after israel's war on gaza, which killed over 2,0 palestinians and devastated the infrastructure of the besieg territory. the palestinian struggle against israeli occupation and aggression has always been at the center of islamic politics and has unified muslims from different nations and traditions since israel was created. the march climaxed outside the us embassy in london where again the centrality

the palestinian cause for muslims around the world was emphasized and today the people of muslim countries around the world stand shoulder to shoulder with moral seeking people in the support of the palestinian nation and gather in the streets to remind the world of the barbaric crimes and atrocities of the occupying. regime, zionist is a criminal conspiracy, a colonizing project which will only be complete with the disappearance of the palestinian people. this year's ramadan also saw the high profile launch of attempt by sufi muslim group to counter the takfiri isal narrative which has attracted a tiny minority of british muslims. pakistani scholar qadri unveiled a draft school curriculum in london which condemned isal and extremist ideology. kadri who has previously declared is non-muslim said it was essential to teach people that terror was

violation of islam. whatever philosophy and ideology is being propagated and practiced and enforced by isis or other terrorist organization. in part, it was al-qaeda and taliban and all those people. they are, this is just an enemity and violation of islam and quran and the prophet's conduct. the initiative wasn't without its critics within the muslim community itself. who said that it place the emphasis on the muslim community to clean up its act, while downplaying major factors behind radicalization, such as british foreign policy, islamophobia, and racism. nevertheless, there is general consensus amongst british muslim leaders, that the isole mentality and the takpheri narrative needs to be driven. the community. ramadan been a very difficult and challenging time for muslims. we've had killings in kuwait, we had no murder taking place in tunisia and other parts of the globe, so that

kind of really affects the muslims living in this country, in leads, because our name has been tarnished, our faith's been abused, those who commit murder in the name of god, they are absolutely affront to human dignity and insult to god. as the holy month of ramadan draws to a close, british muslims will really look forward to the festival of eed. now, eed lasts about one or two days and is characterized by lots of socializing, delicious food and fun activities for the children. it's a joyful occasion which marks the end of a month of really hard self-sacrifice. and british muslims will hope that they can carry forward the lessons they've learned during the month of ramadan and implement. them during the course of the rest of the year.

bismillahirrahman.

how designs come from across the world to palestine to occupy a land belonging to another nation? how do they form their secret army hagana? how do they grab lands belonging to palestinians? how did they build and expand their illegal settlements? israel's former prime minister goldomir answers these and more questions in this documentary.

يعني ايران بالنسبه لنا كشيعه وعايشين برا بالخارج يعني تحس اكو فرد اتصال روحي بينك وبين هالبلد هذا يعني لانه شيعه وبيها الامام الرضا سلام الله عليه.

near the 80 policies are killed a 173rd day of israeli holocaust on the gaza strip. the special repertoire urges the world to stop the israel regime's genocide and war crimes against the palestinians in the gazo strip and more country stop weapon sales to the israeli regime for its genocidal war on gaza. this time ukmps urged the government not to let iof's kill more palestinians using british made arms.