The cold-blooded murder of innocent civilians in France and elsewhere, as well as all horrendous acts of terror by violent extremists espousing a rhetoric of hate, are strongly condemned. The murderous "ideals" of terrorists have no basis whatsoever in faith, and their twisted ideological delusions must be challenged strongly, intelligently, and decisively. Communities need to remain firmly united and to continue the quest for peace in a climate of shared values and pluralism, so that these inhuman attempts to spread fear and alienate communities are not allowed to succeed.

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The AMSS UK strongly condemns the latest horrific massacre of innocent people in Paris. This is a senseless, cruel and barbaric act with no moral or religious code whatsoever. We express our sympathy for the injured and offer our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, and to those who have lost friends, neighbours, and colleagues. This is a very disturbing tragedy for those in Paris and France, but also for Europe and the World at large who share in the shock and grief that acts of senseless terror bring to ordinary people expecting to go about their daily lives in safety and freedom.

We must all work hard together to help create an environment of unity, peace and safety, and find effective ways to defeat such warped and cruel acts of terror and the minds behind them. Attempts by these criminal killers to generate terror, fear, hatred and division must not be allowed to succeed.

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The AMSS UK strongly condemns the massacre of innocent people in Tunisia. This is a barbaric act with no moral code whatsoever. We express our sympathy for the injured and deep condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones. Muslim communities are working hard to create unity, peace and safety, and we urge that depraved attempts to sabotage this and generate hatred and division must not be allowed to succeed.

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The AMSS UK is deeply shocked by the violent, barbaric and horrific murder in Woolwich and condemns such unjustifable acts of criminality and terror in the strongest terms possible. We express our deepest sympathy and condolences for the family of the victim. British people of all communities, cultures and faiths must stand united to defeat this evil attempt to create division, mistrust and fear within our rich and diverse society.

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AMSS (UK) Building Bridges Award 2012 to be presented to Professor Nabil Matar, Presidential Professor, Departments of English and History, The Religious Studies Program, University of Minnesota.

Professor Nabil Matar will receive the award at the University of Cambridge during a lecture he will present on: Henry Stubbe and the Prophet Muhammad: Challenging Misrepresentation. The lecture will be held on Wednesday 28th March 2012 and is jointly organised by The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK) and HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre of Islamic Studies, University of Cambridge.

The award will be presented by the Chair of AMSS UK Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, CBE, FRSA, in recognition of Professor Nabil Matar's pioneering scholarship on the relationship between Islamic civilisation and early modern Europe as well as raising awareness of the historical roots of Western perceptions of Islam.

The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK), is a non-profit organization based in London and committed to the development of perspectives on contemporary local and global issues through research, scholarship, conferences and publications. The AMSS UK presents two annual awards which are given to either one or two recipients: the Building Bridges Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award was inaugurated in 2000 and the Building Bridges Award in 2002.

Previous distinguished recipients of the Building Bridges Award:
Charles Le Gai Eaton (2003), Karen Armstrong (2004)
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams (2005)
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero of Spain and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan of Turkey (2006)
Professor Ekmeledin Ihsnaoglu, Secretary General of the OIC (2007)
A Common Word (2008)
the British Council’s ‘Our Shared Europe’ Project
and ‘1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World’ (2009)
Professor Ahmet Davutoglu (2010)
Professor Jack Goody, KBE (2011)

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious 2011 Building Bridges Award has been presented to Professor Jack R. Goody on 3 June 2011, at the University of Westminster during a lecture given by Professor Goody on EUROPE AND THE NEAR EAST.

The Award was presented by Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, CBE, Chair, AMSS UK, who stated: “It is a great pleasure to give this Award to Sir Jack Goody who fully deserves it in recognition of his outstanding scholarship as well as pioneering work to raise awareness of the contributions of other cultures, societies and civilisations to Europe and the world. Professor Goody’s two recent works The Theft of History and Renaissances: The One or the Many? are testament to his tremendous insight and erudition. At 92 years
of age Professor Goody’s drive and energy remain strong as he continues to write, study, and present Lectures.”

The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK), is a non-profit organization based in London and committed to the development of perspectives on contemporary local and global issues through research, scholarship, conferences and publications.

Previous distinguished recipients of the Building Bridges Award:
Charles Le Gai Eaton (2003), Karen Armstrong (2004)
The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams (2005)
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero of Spain and
Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan of Turkey (2006)
Professor Ekmeledin Ihsnaoglu, Secretary General of the OIC (2007)
A Common Word (2008)
the British Council’s ‘Our Shared Europe’ Project
and ‘1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World’ (2009)
Professor Ahmet Davutoglu (2010)

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award has been awarded to: Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister, MALAYSIA in recognition of long and distinguished service in the field of politics and economic thought, the promotion of the cause of good governance and committment to the principles of freedom, tolerance and justice.

The Award will be presented at a ceremony to take place soon.

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious 2010 Building Bridges Award has been awarded to: Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, TURKEY in recognition of outstanding scholarly service, exceptional work on building bridges between communities and nations, and developing peaceful solutions to conflict.

The Award will be presented at a ceremony to take place soon.

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Click here for full press release (PDF). Click here for article in Asharq Al-Awsat online edition (external link).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to two recipients at the A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change Conference, 6-8 October 2009 at the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, USA. The Award was presented by Dr. Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey, and Shaikh Amr Khaled on behalf of Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, CBE, Chair, AMSS UK.

Professor John L. Esposito, Founding Director, Prince Alwaleed Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding, USA, in recognition of his outstanding academic contributions and pioneering work in developing the academic study and understanding of Faiths and their relations.

Professor Charles E. Butterworth, Emeritus Professor, University of Maryland, USA, in recognition of outstanding scholarly service to the study of Islamic political philosophy and medieval Arabic giving academic prominence to advanced Islamic philosophical discourse and its relevance for the current era.

Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, CBE sent the following message to the conference:

I would like to express my deep thanks to President DeGioia, Prince Ghazi, and Professor Esposito for their kind invitation to attend the conference. Although I was looking forward with keen interest to take part in such an important event it is unfortunate that my Visa, although already issued, has not yet been delivered with my passport even as late as Wednesday morning. I much regret therefore that I will not have the privilege to be with you.

The Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Centre is a superb initiative which aims to build stronger bridges of understanding between the Muslim world and the West as well as between Islam and Christianity. It is groundbreaking that it has come together with A Common Word (the largest Muslim interfaith initiative towards Christians to date), to focus on global issues and initiatives for change and develop concrete proposals to advance global peace and security between Muslim and Western societies.

My colleagues at the AMSS UK Executive Committee join me in sending our warm congratulations to Professor Esposito and Professor Butterworth on receiving the AMSS Life Achievement Award 2009. We are honoured to present this Award as a tribute to two exceptional scholars who have shown great dedication and vision throughout their career.

I wish the Conference every success.

Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, CBE

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that it has published the Proceedings (selected papers) from the Citizenship, Security, and Democracy conference held on 1–3 September, 2006, organised by the AMSS UK and the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA).

Citizenship, Security and Democracy: Muslim Engagement with the West provides greater analysis of and seeks solutions to the challenges of citizenship, security and democracy through fresh and more varied perspectives as is related to Islamic discourse and Muslim communities and their activism in the West. These concerns have never been more pressing than today. Democracy has been a global endeavour and concern, as in its ideal form, it gives promise to liberty, freedoms and rights. However, after especially 9/11 and 7/7, securitization has become a more immediate goal, making security the driving discourse today. But, both security and democracy are becoming ever less attainable in today’s climate of increased division and cleavages along ideological lines and Islamophobia – an acute problem for citizenship in humanity.

The papers explore issues around citizenship and identity of the Muslim diaspora. Given the backdrop to a growing political discourse on the Muslim ‘Other’, framed through the events of 9/11 and 7/7 and increased tension as a result of this discourse framing, the aim was to help discern causes to the major challenges facing governments and the safety, freedoms and dignity of individuals globally. This was attempted through the study of Islamic thought and on-the-ground case study research of Muslim societies and communities. This conference marks one of the major events to have been organised where such a large number of scholars, experts, and activists from a wide range of ideological positions and professional backgrounds come together in an ambitious attempt to resolve the most pressing issues at the turn of the 21st century.

Hardback: £17.99 (ISBN: 978–1–56564–444–1)

Paperback: £12.99 (ISBN: 978–1–56564–443–4)

Hbk/Pbk: 308 pages

Co-published by AMSS (UK) and SETA (Turkey): October 2009

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for 2008 will be presented to Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr on 3rd November 2008 on the occasion of the 1st Catholic-Muslim Forum Conference, 4th-6th November 2008, Vatican City. The Award will be presented by Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of AMSS (UK).

The Award is being given to Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr in recognition of long and distinguished service in the field of Islamic thought, science and spirituality. Seyyed Hossein Nasr is University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, prolific writer, foremost expert on comparative religion, and one of the world’s leading scholars on Islamic science and spirituality.

Professor Nasr has devoted his life to the intellectual study of Islam, writing extensively on various disciplines including Islamic philosophy, history, civilization, exposition of Islamic spirituality, the philosophy of science, the environmental crisis, interreligious understanding, and Islamic art. His invaluable attempts to foster greater global understanding of Islam and Muslims, through numerous works, studies, and essays, have made him one of the leading Muslim thinkers of today.

The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK) is a non-profit organization based in London and committed to the development of perspectives on contemporary local and global issues through research, scholarship, conferences and publications.

The AMSS UK presents two annual Awards, the Building Bridges Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award was inaugurated in 2000. The Award has been introduced to recognise and highlight the outstanding achievements of individuals who have made a significant contribution either to their field of expertise, or to the promotion of social harmony, to inter-cultural and interfaith dialogue or to Islamic thought.

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious Building Bridges Award for 2008 will be presented to ‘A Common Word’ project on 3rd November 2008 on the occasion of the 1st Catholic-Muslim Forum Conference, 4th-6th November, Vatican City. The Award will be presented by Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of AMSS (UK).

The announcement was made in a message by Dr. Al-Shaikh-Ali and conveyed by his eminence Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and member of the AMSS UK Advisory Board, at the Opening Lectures of ‘A Common Word and Future Muslim-Christian Engagement’. The Conference was convened by the Rt. Hon. Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, arranged in collaboration with Cambridge University Interfaith Programme and hosted by the University of Cambridge on 12–15 October 2008.

The importance of A Common Word Between Us and You, and Pope Benedict XVI’s esteemed support, signal a new era of mutual respect and harmony between the Abrahamic faiths. Living and working together in diversity is a challenge and religious beliefs and differences in cultures can sometimes give rise to deep-seated negativities. The Common Word project is a superb initiative to not only generate awareness, understanding, and respect, but also, and most importantly, establish trust through promoting interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and intellectual discourse.

The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK) is a non-profit organization based in London and committed to the development of perspectives on contemporary local and global issues through research, scholarship, conferences and publications.

The AMSS UK presents two annual Awards, the Building Bridges Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Building Bridges Award was inaugurated in 2003. The Award is given for outstanding accomplishment by individuals, groups and organizations. Previous distinguished recipients have been Charles Le Gai Eaton (2003), Karen Armstrong (2004), the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams (2005), Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain and Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan of Turkey (2006), and Professor Ekmeledin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the OIC (2007).

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS UK is pleased to announce that its prestigious Building Bridges Award for 2008 has been given to ‘ A Common Word’ project.

The announcement was made in a message by Dr. Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of AMSS UK, and conveyed by his eminence Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia and member of the AMSS UK Advisory Board, at the Opening Lectures of ‘A Common Word and Future Muslim-Christian Engagement’ conference convened by the Rt. Hon. Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, arranged in collaboration with Cambridge University Interfaith Programme and hosted by the University of Cambridge on 12-15 October 2008. The text of the message is reproduced below:

I would like to express my thanks and deep appreciation for having been invited to attend this Conference. Although entirely committed to A Common Word project, regrettably circumstances and prior commitments have prevented my attendance.

The importance of A Common Word Between Us and You, and Dr. Rowan Williams’ esteemed support and letter, A Common Word for the Common Good, signal a new era of mutual respect and harmony between our two Abrahamic faiths. In recognition of this outstanding effort to unify communities separated by race, ethnicity, culture and religion it is with great pleasure that we announce that the Executive Committee of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK) has decided to give its prestigious 2008 Building Bridges Award to A Common Word project.

Living and working together in diversity is a challenge and religious beliefs and differences in cultures can sometimes give rise to deep-seated negativities. A Common Word project is a superb initiative to not only generate awareness, understanding, and respect, but also, and most importantly, establish trust through promoting interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and intellectual discourse.

The Building Bridges Award was inaugurated in 2002 by AMSS (UK), a non-profit organization based in London and committed to the development of perspectives on contemporary local and global issues through research, scholarship, conferences and publications. The award is given for outstanding accomplishment by individuals, groups and organizations. Previous distinguished recipients have been, in date order, Charles Le Gai Eaton (2003), Karen Armstrong (2004), the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams (2005), Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero of Spain and Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan of Turkey (2006), and Professor Ekmeledin Ihsnaoglu, Secretary General of the OIC (2007).

The Award will be presented at an appropriate venue and time to be decided.

We wish the conference every success.

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The AMSS 2006 Building Bridges Award has been jointly presented to Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero and Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdogan at the First Annual Alliance of Civilisations Forum on 15th January 2008. The event took place in Madrid, Spain. The presentation was made by Dr. Anas Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chairman of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (UK).

The AMSS (UK) Building Bridges Award recognises and highlights the outstanding achievements of individuals who have made a significant contribution either to their field of expertise, or to the promotion of social harmony, or to inter-cultural and interfaith dialogue.

Living and working together in diversity is a challenge and religious beliefs and differences in cultures can sometimes give rise to deep-seated negativities. The Alliance of Civilizations Project is a superb initiative to generate understanding, respect, and awareness, through promoting interfaith dialogue, conflict resolution and intellectual discourse. Its aim to foster a culture of global peaceful co-existence, and thereby international stability, is a credit to its visionaries. This award pays tribute to Prime Minister Zapatero’s proposal and Prime Minister Erdogan’s co-sponsoring of The Alliance of Civilizations Project.

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Click here for full press release (PDF).

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, today received a copy of a key letter from Muslim scholars and religious leaders addressed to Christian religious leaders. Dr Anas S. Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, and one of the signatories to the letter, presented it to the Archbishop at Lambeth Palace.

The Archbishop welcomed the letter as a clear reaffirmation of the potential for further development of existing dialogue and common action between Christians and Muslims and other faith communities:

"The theological basis of the letter and its call to “vie with each other only in righteousness and good works; to respect each other, be fair, just and kind to another and live in sincere peace, harmony and mutual goodwill”, are indicative of the kind of relationship for which we yearn in all parts of the world, and especially where Christians and Muslims live together. It is particularly important in underlining the need for respect towards minorities in contexts where either Islam or Christianity is the majority presence."

The Archbishop said that the letter’s emphasis on the fundamental importance of belief in the unity of God and love of neighbour is welcome. He said ”the letter rightly makes it clear that these are scriptural foundations equally for Jews, Christians, and for Muslims, and are the basis for justice and peace in the world.

Dr Williams continued:

“There is much here to study and to build on. The letter’s understanding of the unity of God provides an opportunity for Christians and Muslims to explore together their distinctive understandings and the ways in which these mould and shape our lives. The call to respect, peace and goodwill should now be taken up by Christians and Muslims at all levels and in all countries and I shall endeavour in this country and internationally, to do my part in working for the righteousness which this letter proclaims as our common goal."

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AMSS UK condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent terrorist attempts to wreak sheer devastation in the cities of London and Glasgow. We express our outrage and utter disgust at these acts of terror and this barbaric assault on humanity and the principles and values we all share.

Such acts of violence have no place in Islam and are thoroughly deplored by Muslims everywhere. This is a perversion of faith and morality that humanity rejects.

We call for immediate cooperation to eradicate all forms of violent radicalism and terrorism both in the UK and abroad. British people of all communities, cultures and faiths must stand united to defeat this evil and not allow a handful of individuals to intimidate us or create division, mistrust and fear undermining the rich cultural diversity that marks British society.

AMSS commends the new government's response in handling the crisis; in particular, the courage displayed by the emergency services and other law enforcement units to avert the disaster, and ensure the UK remains a safe and secure place to live, work, and raise our children.

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The First Zaki Badawi Annual Memorial Lecture jointly organised by AMSS (UK) and Lambeth Palace, was held at Lambeth Palace, London, on 26th April 2007. The lecture was presented by his Grace Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the topic of 'Islam, Christianity and Pluralism'.

In a subtle, wide-ranging and eloquent address on religious pluralism, Dr. Williams affirmed the need for continued dialogue between Christians and Muslims from within their common Abrahamic tradition. Challenging the way in which secularised public discourse increasingly adheres to a "default setting" which marginalises, disregards and even pillories a religious perspective, he appealed to all people of faith to work together to uphold the core moral and spiritual principles which should be at the centre of the life of the nation.

Lords, policy makers, academics, and community leaders were all in attendance at an event that saw members of various faiths and backgrounds come together to pay tribute to the role Dr. Zaki Badawi had played in giving British Islam a voice.

The event began with moving readings from the Qur'an by Hasan al-Banna and the Bible by Canon Guy Wilkinson, followed by a poignant and intimate account of his late father by Faris Badawi.

Dr. Anas Al-Shaikh-Ali, Chair of AMSS UK, spoke of the key role which Dr. Zaki had played in the work, vision, and activities of the AMSS, as well as his contribution to its success. Focussing on the subject of education, he also presented an impassioned case for education as the only long term multi-dimensional solution to tackle racism, intolerance, Islamophobia, and all forms of xenophobia, affecting society.

The event was marked by presentation of the prestigious AMSS Building Bridges Award to Dr. Rowan Williams, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to better understanding between Faiths, and to a wider recognition of the place of faith in present day Western culture.

The Memorial Lecture ended with messages of goodwill from HRH the Prince of Wales, the Foreign Minister of Turkey , the Mufti of Egypt and others.

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Press release from Lambeth Palace and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists

Thursday 26th April 2007 Archbishop to give inaugural Zaki Badawi Memorial Lecture

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will tonight give the inaugaral Zaki Badawi Memorial Lecture at Lambeth Palace. The lecture is entitled 'Islam, Christianity and Pluralism', and will focus on the different attitudes between the two faiths regarding both pluralism as a religious thesis, and pluralism as a social and political reality.

Dr Williams will also receive the Building Bridges Award (2005) award tonight from the Association of Muslim Social Scientists, in recognition of his distinguished contributions to better understanding between Faiths, and to a wider recognition of the place of faith in present day Western culture.

Messages of goodwill from HRH the Prince of Wales, the Foreign Minister of Turkey, the Mufti of Egypt and others, will be read out at the lecture.

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Notes for editors: It is regretted that no text of the address will be immediately available; a transcript will be posted on the web site as soon as possible.

In honour of the life and work of Sheikh Dr. M.A. Zaki Badawi O.B.E., K.B.E., the AMSS UK has established a Zaki Badawi Annual Memorial Lecture to be inaugurated in 2006. The first lecture, speaker, venue and date are to be announced.

Dr. Badawi was an integral part of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists UK since its inception in 1996, a founding member of the Association, as well as a long time member of its Executive Committee. He was a guiding force behind the growth, development, and success of the organisation as well as a tireless campaigner for the nurture and development of Britain's Islamic community.

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It is with deepest sadness that we announce that Sheikh Dr. M.A. Zaki Badawi O.B.E., K.B.E., Principal of the Muslim College, founder of the Imams and Mosques Council (UK), chair and founding member of the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR), founding member of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK), and arguably the nation's greatest and most celebrated spokesman for the cause of British Islam has died in London on 24 January 2006 at the venerable age of 83.

Despite his advancing years, the humble scholar with the humble heart worked tirelessly to the very end, collapsing whilst giving a talk in London, characteristically engaged until the moment of his death in a gentle but unfailing campaign for the cause of Islam and the Muslim community.

A charismatic figure with an almost fatherly, watchful eye over the nurture and development of Britain's Islamic community his passing leaves a void, which, will be immensely difficult to fill. It is a tremendous loss to the Muslim community and a testament to the legacy of a self-effacing man, to whom ambition was a stranger, and flattery an embarrassment. Dr. Badawi's was a powerful, empathic, intelligent, and warm personality. Always polite, cheerful, engaging, and respectful his sharp wit and delightful sense of humour were a joy and inspiration to all who had the good fortune to meet and know him, both on a professional, personal, and social level.

A visionary who understood the needs of the Muslim community decades before it had come of age, Dr. Badawi worked relentlessly to turn this vision into reality. Unthwarted by obstacles, undaunted by seats of power, fearless of the media, he easily commanded the respect and attention of royalty, heads of state, politicians, journalists, the establishment, as well as, and perhaps most challenging of all, the general public and diverse cultures making up the British Muslim community. Indeed, it is far from exaggeration to affirm that he has played a major role in putting both British Islam and British Muslim identity on the map, giving it a respect and history, which will long be remembered. His was a voice and his were ideas constantly in demand and his passing away marks the end of an era.

Dr. Badawi's was also an illustrious and distinguished life - a graduate of Al-Azhar University feted with numerous awards, distinctions and achievements, his high-minded and honourable nature forbade him from indulging in the accolades of men. These were but mere laurels of this world to him when the Hereafter was the only reward he sought. Nevertheless awards serve a function, they recognize the legacy of men and allow us to express our esteem and appreciation for the achievements of others, and, in accordance with this precept, the AMSS UK paid tribute to Dr. Badawi's brilliant model of hard work, dedication, and service by honouring him with their 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Award was presented at a dinner to mark the occasion of his eightieth birthday at the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre on 15 January 2003 and jointly organized by the AMSS, Al-Khoei Foundation, FAIR and Q-News. Attended by over a hundred and fifty representatives of not only British Muslim organisations but people from every sector of the community and establishment, from politicians to leaders of other faith communities, the diversity amongst the crowd was itself testimony to not only the varied work that Dr. Badawi has been involved in, but how much he is respected for his immense efforts. The evening ended with telling words of gratitude from Dr. Badawi himself, who reminded the audience that this should not just be a celebration of his life, but of the progress and achievements of the British Muslim community. In his inspiring speech, Dr. Badawi spoke of how he had helped to nurture a confident British Muslim identity over the decades and how far the community had come from the days when he first conveyed this message. It came as no surprise then that his closing remarks were met with a standing ovation when he ended the evening by declaring that, "The British Muslim community has arrived!"

Fusing the best of Islamic knowledge with the best of western thought and armed with a resultant uncanny understanding of the peculiar needs and requirements of the Muslim community attempting to straddle with practicality the two realities of their lives, Dr. Badawi arguably became best known for his role as Principal of The Muslim College, a place and achievement which he cherished greatly and a base to which he fondly returned after his many speaking engagements throughout the world.

Founded in 1987 as a religious academic institution specialising in the study of Islam, its culture and history, it was an idea born on his arrival at the Islamic Cultural Centre in 1978, where after holding a conference for all Imams in Britain to acquaint himself with their work and explore ways of cooperation he set to work and found that few of them spoke English; a village imam being imported into Britain is a very disastrous thing, particularly for the youth, he opined. Ever the realist his solution was to establish the Muslim College, which began functioning in 1990. With great foresight he set about training Imams in public speaking, to give sermons which are relevant and entertaining, as well as training them in counseling and other skills. Also introduced to students were what have come today to be indispensable skills required of Muslims: journalism, mass media, teacher-training etc.

Dr. Badawi has also been an integral part of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists UK since its inception in 1996. A founding member of the Association as well as long time member of its Executive Committee he was a strong and guiding force behind its growth and development; his wisdom and input have been a deep loss to the organization.

Dr. Badawi's consistently clear message and decades of unflagging hard work have borne fruit. Leaving behind him the legacy of a confident British Muslim identity he has also greatly furthered the cause of inter-faith dialogue and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims both in the UK and abroad.

May Allah have mercy on his soul and may He bless our Ummah with more men and scholars of his calibre. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family.

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The atrocities committed against innocent people are condemned by every decent human being. No faith ever justifies such a terrible crime. We express our sympathy for the injured and condolences for the grieved. Those who lost their lives will live forever in our memory. British people of all communities, cultures and faiths must stand united in their shock and grief in order to defeat this evil attempt to create division, mistrust and fear within our rich and diverse society. We have worked hard to create a city of peace, safety and security, and will work harder to return the city of London back to normality, to function in a climate of peace and safety.

The Muslim College
The Association of Muslim Social Scientists (UK)
FED 2000 for education and development
The Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism
The Islamic Religious Council
The Imams and Mosques Council

7th July 2005

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The AMSS (UK) 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Martin Lings on 2nd May 2005 in London at The Message of the Beloved conference organized by Mahabba Unlimited to mark the occasion of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and attended by over three thousand people.

The award was presented by Ms. Fauzia Ahmad, member of the AMSS Executive Committee on behalf of the Association, its Chairman and Executive Committee. After presenting the award, Ms. Ahmad spoke briefly of the reasons why the AMSS had chosen to honor Dr. Lings with the Lifetime Achievement Award whose previous recipients have been Professor Ali Mazrui (USA), President Alija Izetbegovic (Bosnia), Professor Zaki Badawi (UK), and Professor Edward Said (USA).

Dr. Martin Lings she stated had left an outstanding legacy; a great scholar, writer, and intellectual he had worked tirelessly to bring to light the universal message of Islam and had shown the world that Islam was a timeless message of great beauty, spirituality, intelligence and mercy.

Born in Lancashire in 1909, Dr. Lings was raised a protestant, and then became an atheist. He studied English Literature at Oxford University and at the age of around twenty five began to investigate other world religions. In 1938 he became a Muslim and after studying Arabic in London joined the staff of the British Museum where he was Keeper of Oriental Manuscripts from 1970 to 1973 and where he had been in special charge of the Qur’an manuscripts, amongst other treasures, since 1955. The following year he held the same post in the newly founded British Library.

Respected the world over for his written legacy and for his tireless efforts to present with great depth, wisdom and passion the message of Islam Dr. Martin Lings is perhaps most famous for his authoritative biography of the Prophet (pbuh), Muhammad: His Life Based on Earliest Sources. The biography, first published in 1983 and subsequently reprinted, caused a sensation on its first appearance enthralling readers the world over. It is a timeless masterpiece of impeccable scholarship and one of the best biographies of the Prophet in the English language. In light of this it is perhaps appropriate that his last public appearance was made at a celebration to mark the occasion of the mawlid (the birth of the Prophet).

Having travelled a long road Dr. Martin Lings passed away at the age of ninety six in England on 13th May 2005 and is buried in the garden of his village home in the UK.

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Click here for full press release (PDF).