We hope you are all well. Today is International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. It is a United Nations observance held on 4 June every year. It was established on 19 August 1982.
Initially focused on victims of the 1982 Lebanon War, its purpose expanded to “acknowledge the pain suffered by children throughout the world who are the victims of physical, mental and emotional abuse. This day affirms the UN’s commitment to protecting the rights of children.
We also have a few announcements for you.
Author Evening with Hafsa Lodi, Mariah Idrissi & Mariam Hakim
Join us for a virtual author evening with Hafsa Lodi to discuss her book Modesty: A Fashion Paradox. This event will be chaired by Mariam Hakim (founder of Waw Stories). Purchase Modesty from the IHRC Bookshop.
WHEN: Tuesday, 20 June, 6.30pm BST
TICKETS: £5-6 – purchase here
WHERE: IHRC Bookshop (202 Preston Road, Wembley, HA9 8PA) or watch live on YouTube (online tickets will be emailed to you an hour before the event is due to begin)
This book speaks to the various personalities and companies who have helped shape the modest fashion industry into such a significant retail sector, while also exploring the controversies that lie at the heart of the movement, such as one pressing question: even if it covers the skin but is flamboyant, modeled with the purpose of attracting attention, and publicly promoted on social media, can fashion truly be modest?
About the authors:
Hafsa Lodi is an American journalist who has been covering fashion in the Middle East for the past decade. Hafsa has written for The National newspaper, Luxury Magazine, Mojeh Magazine, Velvet Magazine, Savoir Flair and Vogue India, in addition to working as an online fashion editor for one of the Middle East’s largest luxury retailers, Boutique 1. She is a freelance stylist, and also has a part-time clothing line, creating whimsical maxi-cardigans and kaftans during Ramadan, and statement hand-embellished sweatshirts for the winter seasons.
Mariah Idrissi is a Model and Writer from the UK. She became recognised as the world’s first hijab wearing model in 2015 when featuring in a global campaign for H&M. Mariah became an ambassador for charity ‘Human Appeal’ in 2023. She produced a short documentary for Comic Relief around homelessness as one of their ‘Creativists’. Mariah has co-written episodes for an online series called ‘The Halalian’s accumulating millions of views online. She is currently co-writing and co-producing a feature film.
Mariam Hakim is a Communications professional and writer based in London. She is the founder and author behind Waw Stories, a small children’s publishing imprint focussing on celebrating powerful stories from Muslim cultures. Mariam’s words go beyond writing for children and she has focussed on issues to do with Muslim women’s representation, Islamophobia, interfaith understanding and inclusion within publishing.
Donate Your Qurbani and Help the Oppressed
In accordance with our commitment to helping those who are oppressed, we are collecting Qurbani donations from those Muslims intending to perform their Udhiyya or Qurbani in places where the less fortunate can avail themselves of its sustenance and blessings.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said “The one who wholeheartedly performs Qurbani of an animal for reward, the Qurbani will serve as a barrier between him and hellfire.” [Hadith]
Will we respond to this desperate plea and alleviate the sufferings of fellow Muslims in Yemen, Nigeria and the Rohingya in Bangladesh? For more information and to donate, click on the donate link below.
Throwback Webinar: Children’s Rights to Express Solidarity with Palestine
Children have been targeted in schools for expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. A number of school teachers as well as some headteachers have threatened to discipline children if they continue to express that solidarity in any way. This webinar streamed on 27 May 2021 explored some of the issues raised and to empower the children and the parents involved by looking at the issues from different angles including legal, human rights academic as well as educational perspectives. To watch the webinar, click below.
Haim Brasheeth-Zabner (Academic) is a filmmaker, photographer and a film studies scholar, retired from the University of East London, where he worked since since early 2002. He now teaches at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Mudassar Arani is a solicitor of Arani Solicitors who deal with Criminal Defence, Family and Human Rights cases.
Below are books that are currently in stock:
Quranic Infographics – Mahdi Tabatabaie Yazdi
This book is a collection of illustrations from the verses of the Holy Qur’an. Each illustration contains a message from the Qur’an but delivered through the medium of art.
The style of illustration vary on the theme of the topic. It includes isometric designs, art from Ancient Egypt, Mayan civilization, Christian Glass and many more.
Some of the topics covered in the book:
* Three factors of excellence in the Qur’an
* Hijab in the Qur’an
* Paradise & Hell in the Qur’an
* Tolerance in the Qur’an
This book is easy to understand and accessible to people of all communities who want to explore the meaning of the Qur’an though a medium of art.
Created by Mahdi Tabatabaie Yazdi of Salaam Comics.
Zlata’s Diary – Zlata Filipovic
Zlata Filipovic was given a diary shortly before her tenth birthday and began to write in it regularly. She was an ordinary, if unusuallyintelligent and articulate little girl, and her preoccupations include whether or not to join the Madonna fan club, her piano lessons, her friends andher new skis. But the distant murmur of war draws closer to her Sarajevo home. Her father starts to wear military uniform and herfriends begin to leave the city. One day, school is closed and the next day bombardments begin. The pathos and power of Zlata’s diary comes from watching the destruction of a childhood.
Her circle of friends isincreasingly replaced by international journalists who come to hear of this little girl’s courage and resilience. But the reality is that, as they flyoff with the latest story of Zlata, she remains behind, writing her deepest feelings to ‘Mimmy’, her diary, and her last remaining friend.
Children of War – Ahmet Yorulmaz
Hassanakis is a young Muslim boy of Turkish descent growing up on Crete during WWI.
Fifteen generations of his family have lived on the island and until now he has never had any reason not to think he is a Cretan. But with the Great Powers tussling over the collapsing Ottoman Empire and the island’s Christians in rebellion, an outbreak of ethnic violence forces his family to flee to the Cretan City of Chania.
He begins to lay down roots and his snappy dress earns him the nickname of Hassan ‘the mirror’. As WWI draws to a close and the Turkish War of Independence rages, he begins a heady romance with the elegant Hüsniye. There are rumors that the Cretan Muslims will be sent to Turkey but Hassanakis can’t believe he will be sent to a country whose language he barely knows and where he knows no-one.
This powerful novel drawn from the diary of a refugee family evokes the beauty, complexity and trauma of Crete’s past and weaves it into a moving tale of an ordinary man living through extraordinary times.
The Biggest Prison on Earth – Ilan Pappe
From the author of the bestselling study of the 1948 War of Independence comes an incisive look at the Occupied Territories, picking up the story where The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine left off.
Publishing on the fiftieth anniversary of the Six-Day War that culminated in the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Pappe offers a comprehensive exploration of one of the world’s most prolonged and tragic conflicts.
Using recently declassified archival material, Pappe analyses the motivations and strategies of the generals and politicians – and the decision-making process itself – that laid the foundation of the occupation. From a survey of the legal and bureaucratic infrastructures that were put in place to control the population of over one million Palestinians, to the security mechanisms that vigorously enforced that control, Pappe paints a picture of what is to all intents and purposes the world’s largest “open prison”.
Daughters of Eve: Islam and Female Emancipation – M. Jamal Haider
It is amazing, the true story of female emancipation. Unknown to most people, about 1400 years ago, the first enduring stand for female rights was taken in Madinah. A historical unveiling with poetical inspiration, this book artfully narrates a brief comparative analysis about the status of women through the three ages of the world: Women in the ancient age (pre 7th century CE) Women in the Islamic age (7th-18th century CE approximately) Women in the modern age.
This book succinctly establishes how female conditions changed from ancient past to the modern times—it narrates what were the issues women have faced in the past, and what they are still facing in modernity. It discusses topics like why the Prophet married a number of times, the contributions of Muslim female scholars, and towards the end of the book, it clarifies some of the common misconceptions about Islamic injunctions regarding women.
So Remember Me And I Shall Remembe You – Madiha Basheer & Umamah Syed
So Remember Me and I Shall Remember You” is an Islamic rhyming book written for children. It teaches children the various ways they can thank and praise God.
Children will enjoy learning about: Allah, Bismillah, In Sha Allah, Masha Allah, Subhan Allah, Astaghfirallah, Jazakallah Khair and Alhumdulillah.
Illustrated by Azra Momin.
