Muslim World League’s Ramadan iftars sanctuary for communities in London

Muslim World League’s Ramadan iftars sanctuary for communities in London
Muslim World League on London's Goodge Street has been providing sanctuary for UK communities for over four decades. (Arab News/Mustafa Abu Sneineh)
Short Url
Updated 05 March 2025
Follow

Muslim World League’s Ramadan iftars sanctuary for communities in London

Muslim World League’s Ramadan iftars sanctuary for communities in London
  • Muslim World League hosts iftars during Ramadan and provides hot meals for nearly 230 people daily
  • It hosted an iftar for asylum-seekers in the Borough of Camden
  • Its mission is to ‘show the best of Muslims in the UK’

LONDON: Tucked in the corner of Goodge Street and Charlotte Street in London, the Muslim World League has been providing sanctuary for communities and bridging gaps between faiths for over four decades.

The league operates out of a five-story building with a mosque, offices, and community space. It hosts iftars during Ramadan and provides hot meals for nearly 230 people daily.

Historically the shopping quarter of London, both before and after its destruction by the Nazi blitz in World War II, Goodge Street remains bustling with cafes, boutiques, and restaurants.

This week, workers from the area gathered at the MWL’s mosque to pray the Maghreb, marking the fasting day’s end. You could tell who was working where from the company brand on their clothes or those who worked in the kitchens, as the smell of dishwashing soap is hard to miss.

The league hosted an “Iftar with Your Neighbour” event on Tuesday evening focusing on asylum-seekers in the Borough of Camden, which has been designated as the “Borough of Sanctuary” due to its work with Ukrainian and Afghan refugees since 2021. Other themed iftars hosted by the MWL in Ramadan include events for interfaith dialogue and welcoming new worshippers.

We want to show the best of Muslims in the UK and how we contribute to the global peace

Muath Alamri, director of MWL's London office

Mohammad Zarzour, an imam who leads Friday’s sermons at the league’s mosque, told Arab News that asylum-seekers feel a deep estrangement the moment they leave their countries. Zarzour is from Syria, a country whose population has endured a brutal civil war that displaced millions across Europe and Arab countries and has just emerged from decades of Assad dictatorship.

For him, such iftars are not just about providing food and drink to asylum-seekers. Their importance lies in showing empathy, affection, and a sense of community and family. Refugees face numerous difficulties, he said, some of which may sound trivial, such as describing their pain to the doctor or dealing with officials’ letters and applications.

“Learning a new language is not easy for someone with a family and children who find themselves in a foreign country they are not accustomed to. Balancing work, learning, and caring for their children can be quite challenging,” Zarzour said.




Mohammad Zarzour, an imam, said that asylum-seekers feel a deep estrangement the moment they leave their countries. (Arab News/Mustafa Abu Sneineh)

Camden has seen a significant increase in the number of asylum-seekers from Ukraine and Afghanistan following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021.

The borough has a history of welcoming refugees, seeing waves of migration throughout the 20th century, as it is home to St Pancras International, a port of entry to London, and one of the UK’s busiest railway stations, which connects it to various European cities.

Camden allocates nearly £50 ($64.31) per asylum seeker weekly for housing and financial assistance from the Home Office budget of £2 billion for asylum support in 2024-25, reduced from £4.3 billion in 2023-24.

The spending required to accommodate the increasing number of refugees arriving by boat through the English Channel has become a contentious topic of debate in the UK. Last summer, the country experienced its worst riots in 13 years when far-right protesters attacked hotels housing asylum-seekers in various towns.

Some refugees, including Ukrainians and Afghans, fled from war-torn countries. In the case of the Afghans, many were airlifted from Kabul by the UK Ministry of Defence following the Taliban’s takeover of the city.

Food sharing is a great connector across different communities, backgrounds, faiths, and skin color

Guy Arnold, Camden Council 

Guy Arnold, the strategic lead for refugee communities at Camden Council, said that in just one week in May 2022, over 400 Ukrainian refugees arrived at St Pancras International.

“Many refugees arriving were traumatized; they had young children, they hadn’t eaten properly, and they needed water. Above all else, they needed a place of safety and security to sit down and gather their thoughts about the next great steps they need to take,” he said.

Arnold added that Camden has successfully resettled 100 Afghan families in the borough, part of 1,800 refugees across London. Unlike their Ukrainian counterparts, who are granted temporary residency status, the Afghan families receive indefinite leave to remain, which equates to permanent residency in the country.

He commended such an iftar event for aiding the council with community work. “Food sharing is a great connector across different communities, backgrounds, faiths, and skin color,” he said.




Muslim World League hosts iftars during Ramadan and provides hot meals for nearly 230 people daily. (Arab News)

Samiullah, an Afghan who attended the iftar with his family, said he enjoyed meeting and connecting with other Muslim families. His English, however, was rusty, and his young son Hilal translated the questions. Hilal attended the Qur’anic lessons with Zubeda Welcome, a charity supporting refugee children in the UK to retain their Muslim identity.

It is the second year Yunis, from Kabul, has come to an iftar organized at MWL. He said he wanted his children to meet other kids and learn about Ramadan, as they do not have family members in Camden.

Muath Alamri, the director of the MWL's office in London, told Arab News that since its inception as a charity in 1982, the organization has supported vulnerable people in the UK while combating hate speech and engaging in social work.

In recent years, the league has collected donations to assist people in Gaza, Burma, and Pakistan, and it has partnered with Islamic Relief, Al-Khair Foundation, and various interfaith organizations.

“We want to show the best of Muslims in the UK and how we contribute to the global peace,” Alamri said of the league’s mission.


China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says

Updated 15 sec ago
Follow

China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says

China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says
China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe
The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021

BRUSSELS: China has decided to lift sanctions on four members of the European Parliament as well as on its subcommittee on human rights, a parliament official told Reuters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is expected to announce the change on Wednesday. The official initially said sanctions would be lifted for four current members and one former member but later said the decision applied only to four current members.
China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe to limit the damage from tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.
The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021 in response to Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detentions of Muslim Uyghurs.
In response to the Chinese sanctions on its members, the European Parliament halted the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which had aimed to put EU companies on an equal footing in China.
Asked about reports that Beijing would lift sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that “the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe is complementary and mutually beneficial.”
“The legislative bodies of China and the EU are an important part of China-EU relations, and we hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway and strengthen exchanges,” he said, adding that “members of the European Parliament are welcome to visit China more often.”

Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’

Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’
Updated 7 min 17 sec ago
Follow

Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’

Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’
  • On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a ‘major plot’ planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast
  • Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle

ABIDJAN: Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso’s ruling junta Wednesday, days after the military authorities said they had uncovered a “plot” to overthrow the government.
Demonstrators carried giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags.
With placards bearing slogans such as: “Down with imperialism and its local lackeys” and “Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso,” they gathered in a central square in the capital Ouagadougou.
It was one of the biggest pro-junta demonstrations since Traore seized power in a September 2022 coup in the west African country, which has been battling jihadist attacks for a decade that have killed tens of thousands of people.
On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a “major plot” planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast, with the arrests of several top army officials.
Traore has regularly accused Ivory Coast of harboring his opponents, allegations its neighbor rejects.
Over more than a year, the junta has detained several dozen military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, accusing them of plotting or of attempting to destabilize republican institutions.
Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo addressed the rally which was also attended by several ministers and MPs and called by the National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups.
“We must stand up more than ever because when the people stand up, the imperialists tremble,” the prime minister told the crowd.
Rallies condemning the “hypocrisy” of former colonial powers also took place in Burkina’s second biggest city Bobo Dioulasso and in Boromo.
“We, peoples who love justice and sovereignty, affirm our unwavering solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Burkinabe people for their emancipation,” a CNAVC spokesman said.
“This mobilization is proof that the people are committed to their leaders,” Ghislain Some, CNAVC secretary general, said.
“The people are standing up, mobilized and united behind captain Ibrahim Traore. We will never be able to harm our president or destabilize our country. We are a shield,” Some said.
Adama Kima, one of the organizers, said on national television that the rally was also to denounce remarks attributed to US Africa Command chief General Michael Langley accusing Traore of using the country’s gold reserves for personal protection at the expense of the well-being of the people.
Like its neighbors Niger and Mali, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from its former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.
All three of those Sahel states have been battling violence by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group for a decade.
The three junta-led countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the beginning of the year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France, and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defense pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.


William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary

William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary
Updated 31 min 29 sec ago
Follow

William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary

William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary
  • The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color
  • The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials

LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine marked their 14th anniversary by releasing a romantic photograph of themselves on the Scottish island of Mull, as the princess continues her cancer recovery.
The heir to the throne and Catherine, also known as Kate, were pictured looking out to sea on a shoreline with their arms around each other.
The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color.
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials.

“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome W & C,” it said.
The couple opted for a low-key anniversary celebration including a stay at a self-catering cottage on the secluded west coast island.
They married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.
During the two-day visit to the islands of Mull and Iona, William and Catherine spent time with members of the local communities “reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment” — two subjects close to both their hearts, according to their Kensington Palace office.
They previously visited Mull when they were students at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where they met.
The island, Scotland’s fourth-largest, has a population of around 3,000 people, and is known for its fishing and farming communities.
Engagements included a visit to an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory and a local croft where they learned about sustainable farming and hospitality.
On Wednesday they joined children and parents at a woodland play group offering den building, nature trails and animal tracking.
The issue of childrens’ early years development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine’s life’s work by aides.
She has also stressed the healing role of nature in her own recovery following a cancer diagnosis last year.
Catherine, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was “in remission,” having announced in March last year that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She has since returned to frontline public duties but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.
Her diagnosis came as William’s father King Charles III also battled cancer for which he is still undergoing treatment.
The royal couple were due to wrap up their trip later Wednesday with a visit by public ferry to the neighboring island of Iona.
Although Iona has a population of only around 170 people it receives around 130,000 visitors a year.


US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court

US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court
Updated 30 April 2025
Follow

US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court

US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court
  • The US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories
  • The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired

AMSTERDAM: Israel cannot be forced to allow the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA to operate in Gaza, the United States said on Wednesday at a World Court hearing in The Hague.
Israel last year passed a law that banned UNRWA from operating in the country, as it said the organization had employed members of Hamas who took part in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Israel.
The United Nations General Assembly in December asked the UN’s top court to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.
At the third day of hearings on the matter, the US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories.
“An occupational power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit,” US State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons said.
“Even if an organization offering relief is an impartial humanitarian organization, and even if it is a major actor, occupation law does not compel an occupational power to allow and facilitate that specific actor’s relief operations.”
Simmons also stressed the “serious concerns” Israel has about UNRWA’s impartiality.
UN and Palestinian representatives at the opening of hearings on Monday had accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza.
Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a “circus.”


Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police

Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police
Updated 30 April 2025
Follow

Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police

Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police
  • Police said they had arrested a suspect attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel

LONDON: UK police charged a man with “a terrorism offense” Wednesday as Israel’s embassy in London said a knifeman had tried to carry out an attack at the site earlier this week.
Police said they had arrested a suspect “attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel” late on Monday.
Officers said they prevented him from entering the grounds of the embassy in southwest London.
Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, has been charged with the “preparation of terrorist acts” and two counts of possessing a blade.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli embassy in London said there was “an attempted terror attack from an armed man with a knife who tried to penetrate the embassy.”
“No injuries occurred and all embassy staff and visitors are safe,” it said.
Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.”
Albadri was to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London later on Wednesday.