Peace Inclusion

🌟"I used to hate sports, but now I really love Rugby, you made it really fun for me"🌟 After an initial meeting with Abdullah Samad and the Peace Inclusion team we set on a mission to bring rugby to the Muslim communities of #Gloucester and to make sure that Kingsholm Stadium is Holm for everyone. Therefore, we’re incredibly proud to share the inspiring story of these young girls from Al Ashraf school discovering a passion for rugby through our #ProjectRugby programme, delivered in partnership with Premiership Rugby and Gallagher. 🏉✨ This initiative is about more than just sport – it’s about inclusion, opportunity, and empowering underrepresented communities to experience the transformative power of rugby. From learning their first skills to building confidence and forming connections, these young women are redefining what it means to be Cherry and White. 🍒 🤍 At its core, rugby is about teamwork, resilience, and respect – values that resonate far beyond the pitch. Programmes like this remind us how sport can be a catalyst for positive change in so many lives. Let’s keep championing initiatives that make a difference. 💚 I’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can work together to deliver a truly inclusive sport. #ProjectRugby #Inclusion #Empowerment #GrassrootsRugby #GallagherPrem #DiversityInSport Charlotte Heywood, Laylla Stanley, Simon Massie-Taylor, Alex Brown, James Forrester, Charlotte Perkins, Don Parsons, Simon Weaver, Theresa Bickell, Women in Sport

Navigating Christmas as a Muslim I did a talk recently about how to approach Christmas as a Muslim, with real-life examples of awkward situations we're put in at work and with friends. We covered a huge range of topics (below), but summed it up with a few pertinent points - We are proud Muslims. We don't suffer from an inferiority complex. There is nothing wrong with holding fast to your beliefs. It shows you to be grounded and principled. - Non-Muslims are not obliged to follow our beliefs. They have their way, we have ours. Our concern should be ourselves, ensuring our practices and beliefs are sound. - This is a great opportunity to educate non-Muslims about Islam, Jesus and Mary (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon them) - If something makes you feel uncomfortable, raise it. Be respectful, but every person's religious red lines should be tolerated. If anyone needs help navigating through the next couple of weeks at work, please give us a shout. Alhamdulillah, we have a diverse team at Peace Inclusion who are qualified religious scholars, work in professional environments and know how to bypass the awkwardness with real-life solutions. If you have Muslim colleagues and want to understand what accommodations they might need, give us a shout. We can help. And we offer loads of free advice, so you can't go wrong. Ps. In the talk, we covered: - Participating in nativity plays for children - Teaching children about Christmas/ Christianity - Saying Merry Christmas - Giving and receiving Christmas gifts - Merry Christmas cards - Playing Secret Santa - Putting up Christmas trees - Having Christmas lunch on Christmas Day - Attending a workplace Christmas dinner - Attending workplace Christmas parties Leave a comment explaining your experiences as a Muslim with non-Muslim colleagues at Christmas time, the best and the worst. What worked, what didn't? If you have any questions about the above, please leave it in the comments. I'll come back to it later inshaAllah

Spent my Monday afternoon on behalf of Peace Inclusion, visiting my club, The Arsenal, and meeting the wonderfully vibrant and genuine Samir Singh Nathoo. Community is key to The Arsenal, and I can't help but mention the unique session the club hosted a few weeks ago about Arsenal's rich black heritage and the valuable contributions of individuals like Clive Palmer as a fan. Some of the work my club does is second to none, and it feels amazing just witnessing it, particularly in the current climate. Great job Richard Garlick and the team. After a whistle stop tour of the stadium and witnessing the the great community work the club is involved in first-hand, we had a productive and open chat about a Muslim fan's matchday experience and how we can enhance it, to make Muslims feel welcome and comfortable wherever they go. The first thing Samir did for me was give me a quiet space to pray in, a vital service for all Muslim fans. There are already strong links with the local Muslim community, mosques and organisations like Nujum Sports who do a splendid job advocating for Muslim employees and raising awareness about Islam through education and guidance. With regards to positive changes at the stadium for matchgoing fans, the club is listening to our views, and InshaAllah, slowly but surely, we can make a difference. All I can say is, watch this space.

🚨 **Is your pension truly halal?** 🚨 Many Muslims unknowingly invest in industries prohibited in Islam. Could your retirement savings be part of it? As Muslims, safeguarding our income and wealth through halal means is essential. The Quran clearly warns us: > “Believers, do not consume riba (usury), doubled and multiplied, but fear Allah that you may be successful” [Surah Al-Imran 3:130] The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) also emphasized: > “A time will come upon the people when one will not care how one gains one’s money, legally or illegally” [Bukhari] Pensions, often overlooked, can be a source of haram income through investments in industries like alcohol, gambling, or interest-based finance. **For instance**, a common pension plan might invest in banks that profit from interest (riba) or companies involved in alcohol or gambling. Without realizing it, your retirement savings could be supporting industries that go against Islamic values. **I was shocked** when I first discovered this in my role as Head Teacher. Most of our staff had no idea their pension funds were being invested in haram companies. With a simple conversation, we shifted to NEST's halal option through the HSBC fund, ensuring that we all remained true to our faith. It was a game-changer for me personally and for my colleagues. At Peace Inclusion, our mission is to help individuals and businesses make ethical choices. We believe this includes offering halal pension options to Muslim employees. With minimal effort, companies can show social responsibility and inclusivity by making halal pension schemes available. **What can we do?** 1. **📚 Educate ourselves**: Start by understanding where your money is being invested. Speak to HR and get help from a Mufti or our team of qualified Ulama at Peace Inclusion. Halal income is a critical aspect of our faith. 2. **💼 Encourage businesses**: Let’s advocate for organizations to provide halal options in their pension offerings. If you feel isolated or unable to speak out, let us do it for you. 3. **✅ Consider halal pension providers**: Explore Shariah-compliant providers, something we can help with. There are many out there, and we can link you up with any of them. By raising awareness, together we can bridge the gap between financial stability and faith. **Ready to take the first step in aligning your financial future with your faith?** Reach out to us in any capacity at Peace Inclusion today and let us guide you towards what's ethical and inclusive. #HalalPensions #IslamicFinance #PeaceInclusion #EthicalInvestments #ShariahCompliance #FinancialAwareness #MuslimCommunity #InclusiveWorkplace

A few community leaders met with our local Labour MP yesterday, during which we expressed our concerns about a number of issues, like rebuilding trust with our local police force, VAT on independent school fees, press regulation, holding the far right accountable, etc. We remained dignified throughout and he appeared sincere in his responses. A feature of the our conversation was the need to educate the ignorant, a major reason we started Peace Inclusion. It's not just about making life easier for Muslims, but we operate at a deeper level, trying to educate people about Islam, our teachings, our needs, our challenges, and answering questions people have about Islam. We genuinely believe we can help build bridges, and through it, promote peace in our communities. Like demonstrated by the wonderful Imam Adam Kelwick, our role as Muslims is not to stir hatred, but to offer a rose when we are attacked by thorns. This was the way of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) and is commanded to us by our Creator in the Qur'an, "repel with what is better". If you operate in an organisation which you feel could do with more exposure to, and education about Islam, get in touch with me or any of the team at Peace Inclusion, or check out our website. We will support you without charge. We will work with you at your pace, and our motto is simple but true - Building Bridges: Promoting Peace

Our aim at Peace Inclusion is to create a more inclusive world. And the importance of it must be driven by the Muslim community, and then understood by wider society. We must help them learn, and they must be open to doing better. With that in mind, a MASSIVE congratulations to the team at MAG (Airports Group) for introducing 2 Ihram changing areas in T2 - one opposite Boots and one at Gate A8 - the first of its kind in the UK. Their additional efforts include: posters and leaflets guiding them on where toilets, changing facilities and check-in desks are, as well as explaining what they need to do throughout their airport journey. See more here: https://lnkd.in/eU_dYnKA Well done to everyone involved, especially the 2 chaplains, Faruk and Shurma. Allah bless those who work to benefit this Ummah. If you want help understanding Muslims' needs in your organisation, get in touch with us at Peace Inclusion, peaceinclusion.co.uk #InclusivityDoneRight