[TOD4wDTQ]

11) How is the interest of the general public in Islam?

It varies much according to individuals: on one extreme we have people who have completely left
Islam and/or don't care at all; on the other side, we have people with genuine interest in Islam, but
unfortunately, they are not offered reliable sources and references to which adhere and from which
benefit, and thus big misunderstandings and innovations are able to spread with almost no opposition.
The main sources offered to the general Muslim public are:

-Ikhwani-laxist da'wah (al-Qaradawy, Sayyd Sabiq, etc.): by far the most successful, especially
due to the fact that the Muslim “leaderships” in Italy are linked to that manhaj, and thus have
pushed towards the translation of their own books; instructions and lessons given in their
Islamic centers are according to this manhaj, and the most famous Islamic personalities in Italy
come from this background and can thus popularize their peculiar stances as “normal Islam”.
Further, in the last years this methodology is very often and more and more contaminated by
modernist reformism (Tariq Ramadan, etc.) and rationalism, with very, very dangerous results.

-Salafi da'wah (Saudi-Salafi brand: al-Albani, Ibn Baz, Ibn 'Uthaymeen): they are more
radicated amongst those who want practise Islam “more and better” and aren't satisfied by the
laxism and violations of Shari'ah committed by the first group; not having any other alternative,
usually those who wanna follow Islam “at the utmost”, end up being Salafis; the Salafi brothers
are quite active in Da'wah and make many efforts to translate material and especially to call
people to their own understanding of Islam, but on the long-run, we know how these things
go..

-Extremely deviated Tasawwuf (Perennialists, Sh. Nazim's Haqqanis, Tahir al-Qadri, and many
others): the more spiritual-oriented as well as the “more intellectual” converts, being generally
interested in “Tasawwuf”, attach themselves to one of those groups, again due to the
inexistence of local legitimate alternatives.

And also most of the converts end up in one of these three groups, mostly according to their
psychological disposition, and again the lack of alternatives offered them.

Then, there exists even Ithna Ash'ari Shi'ah, Isma'ili, Qadiyani communities, which generally do a lot
of da'wah and can rely on large financial resources and backing from the outside, may Allah destroy
their efforts.

[TOD4wDTQ]

12) How many Huffaadh are in Italy?

It's difficult to estimate about their number. It's not that uncommon to meet people who in their
native countries, while young, had memorized the Qur'an. Sometimes they are made to lead the
prayer in those mosque in which there isn't an appointed Imam; no more than that, though.

[TOD4wDTQ]

13) In your opinion, what is greatly needed for Italian Muslims?

They need to get in touch and get to know what the proper, solid references and authentic scholars of
Islam, as the portrait of Islam which is offered them is a watered-down, inexact one.

I'm not afraid to say that the main impression I have, in the most concise way in which I can express
it, is that Muslims in Italy, most of the times are not exposed to the real, true, orthodox Islam; they
live in a bubble of what they have been made believe Islam is, and thus can't taste its real fragrance
in all its aspects, as well as being deprived of the blessed company of the pious scholars and
Mashaykh which benefit other parts of the world.

Alhamdulillah, the `Ulama' al-Haqq exist also in our time, but it's very unfortunate that the Muslims in
Europe are generally deprived of the possibility to benefit from their works and are thus victims – even
the sincere, committed ones amongst them - of many huge misunderstandings and doctrinal and
methodological deviations.

Alhamdulillah, in the last years we've tried our best to act as a link between the Muslims in Italy and
the `Ulama' al-Haqq, translating their articles and fatawa, offering the Muslims in Italy the opportunity
to contact them for fatawa, presenting their works and offering information about the real authentic
Islamic methodology and Ahl as-Sunnah stances on many issues, and this happened maybe through
our internet forum (www.islam.forumup.it), which is alhamdulillah the biggest and more well-known
Islamic forum in Italian language.

But so far this work has only been done through the internet, thus with a very limited impact on our
community as a whole (even though, alhamdulillah, we can still see some results and more and more
brothers have started doubting the legitimacy).

Only in the last year we have started expanding our work “on the ground”, setting up an Islamic
Association/musalla in our city (Genova) which has organized meetings two times a week in order to
cover (sufficing ourselves with reading books on their own, without any real teacher):
-basic tawjid and Qur'an reading,
-basic fiqh (Ma la budda minhu; Maraqi as-Sa'adat),
-basic 'Aqidah,
-tafsir (reading from Ma'ariful Qur'an),
-introduction to Tasawwuf (Path to Perfection, etc.),
-zikr majalis,
Also, so far we've:
-inviting a scholar from the UK for a three-days seminar on the basics of Islam (and we plan to
insha'Allah invite other scholars in future),
-been giving da`wah to non-Muslim,
-distributed copies of Qur'an translation,
-been offering the correct prayer times for our city (according to the correct criteria),
-been announcing the correct beginning and end of Islamic months (and eventually hosting a
separate Salah al-'Id if the rest of the community celebrated it in the “wrong day”),
-been established Isha Salah in its correct time during Ramadan, followed by 20 Raka`at
Tarawih
-celebrated nikah according to Shari`ah.
etc..

It's very heart-warming the see the results we had with convert brothers who attend our halaqah,
many of them, even though having been Muslims even for as much as 25 years, due to being
neglected by the local community and not having any reference, often were still committing big
mistakes in their Qur'anic recitation, or still didn't have clear even some of the most basic masa'il
related to the essential daily-life fiqh.

Now, the next step would be that of publishing translated books, in Italian, in order to offer reliable
text on various Islamic subjects; the first project is the translation of “Maraqi as-Sa'adat”, which I've
already started as my thesis for graduation at University (I request your ad`iyah that Allah accept my
efforts and guide me in translating in a correct and effective way). Also, many of the translations we
have published on-line in the last years may be published as pamphlets to be distributed for da`wah
and ta`lim, insha'Allah.

Then, our main objective for the future is that to permanently host a scholar and having him as our
resident appointed Imam in a musallah run according to Shari`ah, but we don't have the funds nor
the place for this, yet, nor a community big enough which could be able to sustain this project: times
are not mature yet for this, it seems.

The time to establish a madrasah in our country, according to my estimation, are, though, still very
immature, both for the political situation (an Egyptian primary school following the secular Egyptian
scholastic programs, recognized by the Italian government, was shut down by the authorities a few
years ago, following the polemics unleashed by the media and by Islamophobic parties and
personalities), and even more for the immaturity of our community, which still fail to understand the
importance and essential role of the `Ulama'.

As I often said, we don't just have the problem of lacking the presence of `Ulama' in our country: we
even lack the understanding, the acknowledgement of their essential role in a normal Islamic
community.

Thus, we need starting from scratch..

[nursopoutaras]

I think I will copy the questions of this thread and answer them according to the situation in Denmark (in a new thread that is).

This is great brother. I'll encourage other brothers also if they can do the same for other countries. It is surprisingly easy to say those things that you know. We some times, perhaps all the time, assume that all the other people too know what we know and that is usually not the case.
in anticipation.
Wassalam

[qilmuz6v]

Wa iyyak.

The "Danish" thread is here:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...ims-of-Denmark

[ttoothh]

Some Bad news.

#############
http://www.infowars.com/right-wing-g...cans-in-italy/
##############

An Italian gunman killed two street sellers from Senegal and wounded three other people in an apparently racially-motivated shooting spree in the city of Florence before committing suicide, according to police.

Gianluca Casseri, 50, who Italian officials described as a right-wing extremist, parked his car in the crowded Dalmazia
square at lunch time on Tuesday, got out and started shooting with a large pistol, witnesses said.

Two Senegalese men were killed and one was seriously injured.

After the shooting, he drove away and opened fire again about two hours later in the central San Lorenzo market.

The market is one of the Renaissance city's most famous, and is usually packed with tourists because of its location halfway between the famous domed cathedral and the train station.

The gunfire sparked panic among shoppers and two more street sellers, also believed to be African migrants, were wounded at the market.

Afterwards, Casseri fled to a parking garage, got in his car and shot himself in the throat, police said.

Don't tell me he was crazy, because if he were crazy he would have killed both blacks and whites," one African man who took part in the march was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency Ansa.

[nursopoutaras]

Some Good News

ROME, APRIL 23 - The Islamic Cultural Conference Room inside Rome's Grand Mosque is packed with people. All are keenly awaiting the arrival of President Giorgio Napolitano.

There are high representatives of the Islamic community in Italy, as well as men and women who just want to celebrate an historic moment: the visit by Italy's head of state. President Napolitano arrives with Interior Minister Anna Maria Cancellieri and the Minister for Integration, Andrea Riccardi. And it is Riccardi's speech that puts the seal on a new pact of ''integration'' and living together. Riccardi recalls the 1970s, when the decision was taken to build this great mosque in Rome: ''The times and people's outlooks have changed so much since then''. The laying of the first stone by President Sandro Pertini in 1984 has been followed by a visit by President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro in 1997, and now this one by President Napolitano today. Riccardi remarks how ''the mosque's dome fits in well with all the other church domes in Rome,'' making the capital city ''a model for integration between religions and cultures''.

''Integration arises from differences. Many predicted after the September 11 attacks that there would be a clash between the West and Islam. Ten years later, the Arab Spring has drawn a different scenario: reasons for living together and getting on have multiplied''. President Napolitano appreciated this reference to the Arab Spring. We are ''focusing closely on the new governments that are being formed in the countries of the Arab Spring, such as that in Tunisia''. In a reference to his upcoming visit to Tunisia, the president noted the will that existed and the efforts being made ''to strengthen relations between the two shores of the Mediterranean''. All of the ensuing speeches concentrated on the theme of ''dialogue''. Mohammad al Gramdi, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador and Chair of the Islamic Cultural Centre noted ''the tolerance and friendliness of Italian society''. ''The Islamic community is among the most genuine components of Italian society''. ''We hope to receive the support of the tax advantages that are offered to other faiths and cultures''. The Imam of the mosque, Al'a al-Din Muhammad Isma'Il al Ghobashi, spoke of ''postive integration, which does not mean erasing one's roots''. Sheikh 'Abd al-Wahid Pallavicini of the Italian Islamic Religious Communities called the president's visit a ''sign of hope'' and of ''closeness to the whole of the Muslim community on Italian territory''. During the visit, a woman from Tunisia stopped President Napolitano and asked him in French for help in getting news about her son who had immigrated to Italy, with whom she had lost contact. The head of state listened carefully to her request and replied in French: ''Do not cry''. The woman is mother to twenty-year-old Mohammad Rawati, who arrived in Lampedusa on March 11 2011 with another forty immigrants, before being transferred to Trapani. In Italy for the past three months to find her son, the woman is sure she saw his face on at TV news report made as the immigrants were boarding a bus. Since then, the woman has heard nothing, but news reports speak of the boy having been identified by other immigrants in Trapani.

[Paul Bunyan]

aoa,
where is brother umar_italy?