Events
Sisters only horse riding
A ‘sisters only’ horse riding event was organised on the 28 March in London where 16 sisters attended. This was organised to give sisters a chance to experience horse riding with female instructors. Sisters were divided into two groups of eight, each having a different task to perform for 45 minutes.
One group were involved with grooming the horses and given lessons on different brushes and cleaning methods used. In the mean time, the other group were taught the skills of mounting and walking the horses around the indoor field. Special clothing such as hats and boots were required while jeans, long clothing (max. knee length) and jewellery were prohibited. The day was a great success and following the enthusiasm of all the sisters, similar events are planned for the future.
Exploring Islam & Christianity together
This interfaith event gathered young members of the Islamic and Christian faiths in a semi-formal setting at the Abrar Centre in London on Saturday 13 June 2009.
The day provided participants with a rare and exciting opportunity to meet face-to-face to explore together their thoughts and ideas on different themes. An informal meet-and-greet inaugurated the event allowing participants to introduce themselves while nibbling on some light refreshments.
Mixed discussion groups were then formed and seated to hear a Quranic recitation-translation of verses from Chapter 19 (Mariam), to the intrigue of our Christian guests. Our first discussion asked “Who is God to you?” generating an array of expressions formulated and presented by the groups.
One of the discussion groups
This discussion demonstrated the multitude of ways in which the faithful come to know God on the personal, emotional and experiential levels. Brother Ali kindly followed with a presentation of his pilgrimage to Mecca while explaining to our fascinated guests its significance and symbolism.
Discussions then resumed asking “How do you find being a person of faith in the modern world?” followed by our Christian guest Gihan’s presentation on his fascinating journey to the Holy Land.
The day’s final discussion asked “How do the sacrifices of Imam Hussain and Jesus Christ inspire your life?” which was followed by a befitting Christian prayer beseeching God for brotherhood among the faiths as a way to wrap up the day.
New IUS website – www.ius.org.uk
Friday 5 June 2009 saw the launch of a brand new website for the IUS that has been long in development. It is the third such ‘rebirth’ of the website since the first one was launched in the late 90s.
First glance
The site boasts a clean, elegant and functional design with a colour scheme of blues, greys and white that is easy on the eyes.
There is a clear banner at the top reminding us that “In unity there is strength”. The circular logo symbolises unity and oneness.
Along the left hand side is a very straightforward ‘Main Menu’ providing access to all the different sections of the website. It is presented in subsections, each labelled clearly, so as to be as user friendly as possible.
Events info
The ‘Events Calendar’ shows a monthly layout allowing you to see what’s coming up. Click on a specific event and you are taken to a page listing all the information you’d need – including an interactive Google Map.
Multimedia offerings
However, the most popular area of the website so far has been the multimedia pages. This subsection includes ‘Audio Files’, a ‘Photo Gallery’ and a ‘Video Library’. You can download or listen to previous audio recordings of recitations and lectures, nostalgically reminisce by looking through old photos or check out the various videos.
Most usefully, the latest multimedia content is listed on the right hand side of the home page making it only one click away! Online membership is also a bonus, removing the need for tedious paper forms.
Other content
The ‘Projects’ & ‘Society’ pages also have a lot of useful info about the main activities and services of the IUS such as the Blood Donation campaign and this VOU magazine.
More to come
The site is still young and more content is on its way insha’Allah. Further ‘Projects’ pages will be added about other IUS activities, a Google powered search engine as well as prayer times. Older multimedia material is also being processed and will be uploaded.
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