Islam expo
Encyclopedia
Islam Expo is an Islamic exhibition held in London in July 2006 and July 2008. In 2006 it was held at the Alexandra Palace
in London, a city with a large Muslim
population and it was described as being the largest Islamic exhibition ever held in Europe.
There was stalls by Islamic businesses and charities like Muslim Hands
and Islamic Relief
. There was also stalls selling Islamic music
, clothing, food and books. There was also opportunities to get free henna
tattoos and your name written in Arabic. There was also an interactive section on the Five Pillars of Islam
, an exhibition of young British Islamic art, and a section on famous Islamic scientists and mathematicians. There was also a fun fair in the grounds and lectures by various people from within and outside the Islamic population like Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
, singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens
and Muslim BBC news reporter Asad Ahmad
. There was screenings of Islamic films, and Islamic musicians.
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in London, a city with a large Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
population and it was described as being the largest Islamic exhibition ever held in Europe.
There was stalls by Islamic businesses and charities like Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands
Muslim Hands - United for the Needy is an international NGO working in over forty countries worldwide to help those affected by natural disasters, conflict and poverty. The organisation was established in 1993 in Nottingham, UK...
and Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief
Islamic Relief Worldwide is a Muslim international relief and development organization consisting of a family of 15 aid agencies that aims to alleviate the suffering of the world’s poorest people...
. There was also stalls selling Islamic music
Islamic music
Islamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, Horn of Africa and South Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents...
, clothing, food and books. There was also opportunities to get free henna
Henna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
tattoos and your name written in Arabic. There was also an interactive section on the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...
, an exhibition of young British Islamic art, and a section on famous Islamic scientists and mathematicians. There was also a fun fair in the grounds and lectures by various people from within and outside the Islamic population like Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, singer Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
and Muslim BBC news reporter Asad Ahmad
Asad Ahmad
-Education:Ahmad was educated at the state comprehensive John Roan School on Maze Hill in Blackheath, south-east London, followed by the University of Bristol, where he studied law.-Early life:...
. There was screenings of Islamic films, and Islamic musicians.
Aims
The aims of the exposition was to:- Introduce the British public to Islam as a global culture and faith that spans continents, races and languages.
- Shed light over the Islamic empires’ great achievements in the various fields of knowledge; from science to technology and from art to literature. Many of these were by converts (reluctant or otherwise) to Islam during its period of empire.
- Create stronger foundations for Muslims to understand their heritage and develop their identity.
- Purportedly combat the myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings of Islam.
- Encourage positive interaction between Muslims and the different races and cultures of British society. Working towards a more open, tolerant and pluralistic Britain.
- Promote multi-culturalism.
Guest speakers
A number of guest speakers made lectures at the 2006 expo including:- Asad AhmadAsad Ahmad-Education:Ahmad was educated at the state comprehensive John Roan School on Maze Hill in Blackheath, south-east London, followed by the University of Bristol, where he studied law.-Early life:...
, BBC News presenter - Ken LivingstoneKen LivingstoneKenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, Mayor of London - Norman KemberNorman KemberNorman Frank Kember is an Emeritus Professor of biophysics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry and a Christian pacifist active in campaigning on issues of war and peace. As a Baptist, a long-standing member of the Baptist Peace Fellowship and the Fellowship of Reconciliation...
, former hostage in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.... - Yusuf Islam, former pop star Cat Stevens banned from US airspace for links to Islamist terrorism
- Sadiq KhanSadiq KhanSadiq Aman Khan is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Tooting since 2005, succeeding Tom Cox as the Labour MP for the seat...
, British MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - Muhammad Abdul BariMuhammad Abdul BariMuhammad Abdul Bari, MBE FRSA , is the Chairman of the East London Mosque, and was the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain from 2006 until 2010.-Life and career:...
, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of BritainThe Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the... - Rageh OmaarRageh OmaarRageh Omaar , is a Somali born British journalist and writer. His latest book Only Half of Me deals with the tensions between these two sides of his identity. He used to be a BBC world affairs correspondent, where he made his name reporting from Iraq...
, journalist of Al JazeeraAl JazeeraAl Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, author - Wadah KhanfarWadah KhanfarWadah Khanfar was the Director General of the Al Jazeera Network. He has been ranked by Fast Company as the first in the 100 Most Creative People in Business and as one of the most ‘Powerful People in the World’ by Forbes Magazine...
, Director General of Al Jazeera Network - Yasmin Alibhai Brown
- Ken LivingstoneKen LivingstoneKenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
, Mayor of London 2000-2008 - Dr Tariq Ramadan, Teacher of Islamic Theology at Oxford University
- Seumas MilneSeumas MilneSeumas Milne is a British journalist and writer known for his left-wing views. A columnist and associate editor at The Guardian newspaper, he is author of a best-selling book about the 1984-5 British miners' strike, The Enemy Within: The Secret War Against the Miners, which focuses on the role of...
, British Journalist, writer - Peter ObornePeter ObornePeter Oborne is a British journalist and political commentator. He was educated at Sherborne School and The University of Cambridge. He is a Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph columnist, author of The Rise of Political Lying and The Triumph of the Political Class, and, with Frances Weaver, the...
, British journalist, author, commentator