Dear Mr. Ragab, I would like to congratulate you for winning the Cup of Africa Nations, well earned and deserved! Egypt team played well from the beginning and made us all so happy and proud! Mabrook & hope to see you soon Regards, Tityana Naghwai Marketing Manager - Middle East Western Union FSI

إعتذار

Mr Ragab

Publication of cartoon of prophet Mohamed.

I know you will all have been saddened by the events over the weekend, both in London and elsewhere, in response to the publication in number of European countries of cartoons, which are clearly offensive to our Muslim communities. While I cannot condone some of the actions taken by some extremists in response to these publications, I think we can all understand the distress that has been caused to the vast majority of Westminster's muslim residents. I am sure you also share my concern about the damage such events can have on all our efforts to increase inter-faith understanding and co-operation.

As you know, the next meeting of the Faith Exchange will be held on the 2 March. This will provide an opportunity to discuss the issues that have been raised as a result of this incident and identify actions that could be taken to limit the damage and ensure that people of all faiths throughout westminster do not feel more vulnerable as a result. If there is anything that you would like to see the Council or other key service deliverers in Westminsterdoing doing.

Yours sincerely
Cllr Carolyn Keen
Chair of Westminster's Faith Exchange

*********************
وقد أرسلت أسرة الأتحاد الرد التالي

Cllr Carolyn Keen
Chair of Westminster Faith Forum
Westminster City Council
64 Victoria St, London SW1E 6ZY

17th February 2006

Dear Cllr Carolyn,

Thank you for your letter regarding the publication of the cartoons, this has been considered a great support to our community.

The world is full of irresponsible lunatics, who come up with things to insult and offend other people therefore if action is taken by higher level officials to condemn these acts and show their support to the community, in whatever way they see appropriate we wouldn’t have arrived to what is happening.

Sadly in the case of the cartoons in September 2005 no action was taken and the matter was left to be highjacked by different groups in unauthorised demonstrations that has turned the Muslim community from victims to offenders.

The line should be drawn some where to stop people insulting and offending others under the cover of freedom of speech. However I don’t think the matter has come to an end yet.

I look forward to meeting you at the next Faith forum meeting to discuss this matter further.

Yours sincerely.


Mostafa Ragab
Chair of BME Westminster
Chair of WCN
Member of LSP
==================================================
رسالة لندن
مـــبروك مـــبروك مـــبروك لمـــصر

عاشت الجالية المصرية بأنجلترا فترة تاريخية مليئة بالأفراح طوال فترةإقامة الدورة الأفريقية إنتقلت فيها من نصر إلي نصر ومن فرحة إلي فرحة أكبر منها وازدادت ثقتهم بالفريق القومي بعد كل مباراة

وكم كانت التجمعات بالمقاهي المصرية لمشاهدة المباريات جميلة وممتعة مليئة بالقفشات المصرية ورفعت الأعلام المصرية علي المقاهي ودخلت الطبول والطرابيش وفرح الجميع ورقصوا بعد كل مباراة

وجاء الحلم يوم الجمعة بوصول مصر للدور النهائي وأمتلأت المقاهي عن آخرها وخرجت الترابيزات التي أصبح لامكان لها ليحل مكانها كراسي لاستيعاب الأعداد التي تركت أعمالها(لان إنجلترا تعمل يوم الجمعة حتي الخامسة والنصف مساء والمباراة تبداء الرابعة بتوقيت إنجلترا) لمشاهدة الحلم ووقف الذي ليس له مكان في الشارع في البرد القارص لمشاهدة المباراة ، لاأحد يريد أن يشاهدها بالمنزل الكل يريد أن يشارك فرحة النصر

وجاء الميعاد وأنتقلت الكاميرات ألي إستاد القاهرة الممتلئ عن آخره بجماهير لن نري مثيلها من قبل، شباب وبنات وعائلات بشكل حضاري مشرف وهذا مانريد أن نريه للعالم وكم تمني جميع الحاضرين لو كانوا في إستاد القاهرة
وبدأت المباراة وكانت بداية مشجعة بأداء قوي لمنتخبنا وتوالي ضياع الفرص والتي كان يتبع كل منها تعليق الحاضرين وكيف كان من المفروض أن يشوط الكرة وفي أي زاوية وعلي أي أرتفاع فدائما جمهور المشاهدين سواء في الملعب أو علي شاشات التلفزيون خبراء في فنون الكرة كلهم أكثر مهارة من أفراد المنتخب وإذا شكل حسن شحاته المنتخب القادم لكأس العالم من قهوة المصريين في أولد مارليبون رود بلندن لضمنا حصولنا علي كأس العالم ولأول مرة في التاريخ وبدون منازع

وطالت المباراة وتقطعت الأنفاس وثقلت الأرجل وأخذ ينتاب الجميع الشعور بالقلق وتمني الجميع سرعة إنتهاء الشوط الثاني من الوقت الأضافي قبل أن تسرق ساحل العاج النصر وجائت ركلات الجزاء التي يزداد فيها أرتفاع ضغط الدم وتعالت الصيحات مع كل تسجيل وكل إخفاق كل بنغمته المختلفة حتي جائت الركلة الأخيرة لأبوتريكة وكنت أسمع نبضات قلب محمد عظيمة زميلنا الأهلاوي المتعصب جدا وأدعوا الله أن يسجل ابوتريكة من أجل أبناء عظيمه
جوووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووووون

جنان في القهوة، أحضان، طبل ورقص
النصر حلو، الهزيمه مره شايفنها في عيون حارس مرمي كورت ديفوار الأحتياطي
مبروك للفريق القومي وجهازه، مبروك لمصر، مبروك لجمهور الكرة المصري، مبروك لشعب مصر
شرفتونا
يارب كده علي طول
عارفين إزاي تم ده؟ اقول لكم السر وتوعدوا تعملوا كده في جميع المجالات مش في الكورة بس
بالعمل والتخطيط والتدريب والاخلاص والامانه والضمير والكفاح والاصرار والعرق وتشجيع شعب مصر ولما ربنا يشوف كل ده يتمم لك النجاح والنصر
تفاصيل البطولة إضغط هن

--------------------------------------------------
ألأستاذ/ عبد الباري عطوان
رئيس تحرير جريدة القدس بلندن

تحية طيبة وبعد

طالعتنا صحيفة القدس بمقالة للأستاذ محمد عبد الحكم دياب في عدد السبت 27/08/05 بعنوان مصر البرنامج الأنتخابي الذي تحول ألي برنامج فكاهي، والذي أدعي فيه بأنه لديه معلومات أكيدة بأن أتحاد المصريين ببريطانيا يتعاون مع أجهزه الأمن المصرية للضغط علي المصريين ببريطانيا لأنتخاب ممثل الحزب الوطني بمصر.

نود أن نحيط سيادتكم علما بأن هذه المعلومات خاطئة و مغرضة وليس لها أي أساس من الصحة وتؤدي إلي المساس بسمعة الأتحاد الطيبة والتي تشهد عليها جميع المؤسسات الرسمية ببريطانيا.

ونحن ندعوا الكاتب أن يتوخي الدقة والأمانة الصحفية في كتابته وألا يعتمد علي خياله والأحاديث القهويه التي قد تسبب مشاكل قضائية للجريدة ونتحداه أن يكون لديه أي دليل علي مقاله. المصريين في بريطانيا لم يكن لهم حق ألأنتخاب بالمرة فكيف يضعط عليهم الأتحاد لأنتخاب رئيس الحزب الوطني.

لذا فنحن نرجوا من سيادتكم أن تسمح لنا بحق الرد بنشر هذا التكذيب في مكان واضح حتي يعلم جمهور القراء وجهة النظر الأخري.

وتفضلوا بقبول فائق الأحترام

==================================================
Dear everyone

Please see below details of a campaign launched following the disaster in London, which may be of interest.
East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national "In case of Emergency ( ICE ) " campaign. The idea is to store the word " I C E " in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted "In Case of Emergency". In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.

With thanks and good wishes.

==================================================
Dear Mr Ragab,

I am French from Arabic origin, have lived in Africa for 15 years, Spain for 3 years and have been residing in the UK for 10 years. I am currently working as a business consultant helping individuals and companies to set-up or grow their business.

I have recently discovered Egypt and been going there on a regular basis for the past 3 years, as well as learning Egyptian dance and Arabic. I have fallen in love with Egypt and had the chance to make some friends over there. I particularly hope to be able to live there in the near future.

I was in Sharm El Sheikh for 10 days in July and came back just 2 days before the bombs hit Sharm. I was in shock to see what happened and, luckily, my friends are safe. However I am still trying to find out what happened to a couple of people I know there.

I am particularly conscious that these events are going to hit hard the tourism on Sharm El Sheikh and can see that the efforts of the employees and people in business are going to be wasted if the flow of tourists is not maintained.

I have been thinking a lot about a way to help them in the long-term and, whilst fund-raising is an obvious answer, it is only going to have a limited and short-term impact. I have come up with the idea of having a documentary made about Sharm El Sheikh (and different aspects of what life is like there) with the aim of the documentary being shown at least on national television so people are encouraged to go back to Sharm.

It is an ambitious project, especially in view of the fact that I have neither experience in documentary nor funds for this. However I am determined to make it happen and I am looking at linking with different organisations such as yours to make this project a reality.

In particular at this stage, I am looking at support in terms of contacts to receive advice from people with knowledge of documentaries, with contacts in Egypt or with Egyptian firms (to link with potential sponsors). I will also need help to find a team that would be able to produce the documentary.

Best regards
Chrystelle Benkhelil

**********

Dear Egyptian Association UK


I was very upset to see the news from Sharm al Sheikh this weekend and.
send my thoughts to the families of all those caught up in the tragedy.



I'm e-mailing you with a query about a news item that appears on your
website.

Is there any further information available on the restoration work
taking place on Cleopatra's Needle?

The news items mentions a press release - is this available anywhere?

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Best regards

Michael Whitewood
Producer


******************

Hello Mostafa,

I just wanted to say that my staff and I are thinking of your fellow citizens at this terrible time, and especially those who have been caught directly in this awful bombing. These events and those in London must simply strengthen eachother’s resolve to continue promoting the best of the Middle East and the wider Arab World, and we at ESI will continue to look forward to working closely with you. All the best.

JULIAN Jacson

********************

The Egyptian community in the UK condem the terrorist act in Sharm alshekh, if you have any family or friends that you are concerned about their safty the forign office have issued this number for information on casualties 020 7008 00 00

This page will bring you news of current affairs from Egypt and the united Kingdom. It is your chance to share your views and express your ideas. Please e-mail your ideas and / or articles to egyptianuk@aol.com

Make Poverty History

The first child trust fund

Aftermath of London Bombing...........

كلمة الأستاذ مصطفي رجب في
مؤتمر حوار الأديان في وستمنيستر
وقد طلب منه التحدث في الموضوع التالي

Recent Community tensions

In fact we have been living in this tense situation for a few years . Every time we are about to say thank GOD the tension is coming down, something else happen.

The problem is when anything happen we don’t deal with it in an effective way, and you can’t deal with it with just press release to condemn the act, and the matter is left to be high jacked by certain groups who always turn the ordinary Muslim community from victims to offenders.

Our reaction should be effective work, not just angry demonstrations and offensive placards.

But why this happen? For many reasons:

We don’t have a real leadership, and in the absents of the leader ship everyone is a leader.

Our Islamic culture centre is so busy dealing with their internal administration problems.

People come from abroad unfamiliar with British law and culture to handle and manage our religious affairs.

How dos the Muslim community at large feels?

Disappointed and letdown. They ask questions.

Why there is no freedom of speech for Cheery Blair, Ken Livingston, David Irving
but on the other hand there is unlimited freedom to the cartoonist and Salman Roushdey before to the extent of insulting others.

The line should be drawn some where to put a limit to insulting others and waist public money to protect the offenders

What do we need to do?

When I was at university, I went on a trip to Germany. Before we go, the travel agency called the group for a meeting and briefed us about what the Germans likes and dislikes, what we shouldn’t say as a jock that might turn into a disaster. And that is what we need to do.

In Denmark they don’t understand what the fuss is about.

We need to let the world know that the Muslim Community gets very offended if an insult was directed to any Prophet not just Prophet Mohamed.

We need to let them know that the majority of Muslims take religious very seriously.

An innocent teacher in a school where my daughter goes asked the children’s to draw a picture for prophet Mosses, they all did except my daughter who told the teacher we don’t draw pictures for prophets. The following day I went to the school and told the teacher why we don’t do that. She was happy and explained that to the children’s.

Religious awareness is what is needed

We will never be able to achieve that unless we have the right people in the right places all over the world.

Are we going to wait for that to happen?

We might wait forever.

But we can make a start and set an example through working with this forum and try to find a solution to our problem.

We need the help of the media.

I am a great believer that religions could be the answer to most of our societies Problems, teen-age pregnancy, and drug abuse, anti social behaviour.

In the commercial world that we live in today it is very difficult to maintain our religious values. That is why this forum is very important.

==================================================

كلمة الأستاذ مصطفي رجب في
مؤتمر حوار الأديان في وستمنيستر
وقد طلب منه التحدث في الموضوع التالي

Recent Community tensions

In fact we have been living in this tense situation for a few years . Every time we are about to say thank GOD the tension is coming down, something else happen.

The problem is when anything happen we don’t deal with it in an effective way, and you can’t deal with it with just press release to condemn the act, and the matter is left to be high jacked by certain groups who always turn the ordinary Muslim community from victims to offenders.

Our reaction should be effective work, not just angry demonstrations and offensive placards.

But why this happen? For many reasons:

We don’t have a real leadership, and in the absents of the leader ship everyone is a leader.

Our Islamic culture centre is so busy dealing with their internal administration problems.

People come from abroad unfamiliar with British law and culture to handle and manage our religious affairs.

How dos the Muslim community at large feels?

Disappointed and letdown. They ask questions.

Why there is no freedom of speech for Cheery Blair, Ken Livingston, David Irving
but on the other hand there is unlimited freedom to the cartoonist and Salman Roushdey before to the extent of insulting others.

The line should be drawn some where to put a limit to insulting others and waist public money to protect the offenders

What do we need to do?

When I was at university, I went on a trip to Germany. Before we go, the travel agency called the group for a meeting and briefed us about what the Germans likes and dislikes, what we shouldn’t say as a jock that might turn into a disaster. And that is what we need to do.

In Denmark they don’t understand what the fuss is about.

We need to let the world know that the Muslim Community gets very offended if an insult was directed to any Prophet not just Prophet Mohamed.

We need to let them know that the majority of Muslims take religious very seriously.

An innocent teacher in a school where my daughter goes asked the children’s to draw a picture for prophet Mosses, they all did except my daughter who told the teacher we don’t draw pictures for prophets. The following day I went to the school and told the teacher why we don’t do that. She was happy and explained that to the children’s.

Religious awareness is what is needed

We will never be able to achieve that unless we have the right people in the right places all over the world.

Are we going to wait for that to happen?

We might wait forever.

But we can make a start and set an example through working with this forum and try to find a solution to our problem.

We need the help of the media.

I am a great believer that religions could be the answer to most of our societies Problems, teen-age pregnancy, and drug abuse, anti social behaviour.

In the commercial world that we live in today it is very difficult to maintain our religious values. That is why this forum is very important.

==================================================

This Week

This page will bring you news of current affairs from Egypt and the united Kingdom. It is your chance to share your views and express your ideas. Please e-mail your ideas and / or articles to egyptianuk@aol.com

Make Poverty History

The first child trust fund

Aftermath of London Bombing...........

مبروك ولكن

بعد فوز الرئيس محمد حسني مبارك في أنتخابات الرئاسة فإننا نقدم تهانينا له بالفوز وندعوا الله أن يوفقه إلي مافيه خير مصر وأهل مصر بجميع فئاتهم وأن تكون أهم أعمال هذه الدورة هي التغيرات التي تتطلبها طبيعة الحياة الديمقراطية في العمل السياسي. فنحن نثق كل الثقة في تحمله لكل الأعباء والمسؤليات ولكننا نعلم أننا لانستطيع أن نستمر في سياسة الثقة في الفرد خاصة ونحن نعلم الآن انه بأمكان أي شخص آخر أن يصل إلي الحكم في الدورة القادمة

لذا فنحن نري أنه من المهم في هذه الفترة أن يتم توزيع مسؤلية السلطات 'لي القائمين عليها كل في مؤسسته وأن يتم ذالك علي مراحل تضمن عدم حدوث أضطرابات في مجريات الأعمال حتي نصل ألي مؤسسات علي رؤسها مسؤلين

وأن يذهب مايسمي الأن بالحرس القديم الذي يكثر الحديث عنه الآن في الشارع المصري ليحل محله دم شاب جديد قادر علي التغيير

أن يراعي توازي مستوي دخل الفرد مع مستوي الأسعار وهي الوسيلة الوحيدة للقضاء علي ظاهرة الرشاوي والفساد، هل يعقل أن يظهر رجل الأمن والمرور بهذا المظهر وهذا المرتب ويطلب منه أن يكتسب أحترام الآخرين وأن يكون أمين

للحديث بقية

MOSTAFA RAGAB, SPEACH ON THE 25th JULY CONFERAENCE


Running a business for over 30 years round the Edgware Rd area have given me so much experience and knowledge of the area and the needs of the community

Edgware Rd to the Arabic community is like the china town to the chinnies people.

The way the community responded to the atrocity was so wonderful, helpful, understanding and very positive.

But nothing can match the response of our emergency services.

I was and still am very proud of the response of the Muslim’s community round the Edgware Rd who in the past had a habit of keeping quite, but this time they came out in numbers and spoke to the media condemning and denouncing the atrocity, giving blood, working with the rest of the community hand in hand.

And I must point out that that was a result of years of hard work by community, voluntary and statuary organisations. And now at Westminster we are well a head than any one else with a rich diversity of cultures

This atrocity has proved a point that I keep repeating whereever I go, there is a lot of work need to be done around vulnerable young people. We must invest in them

Terrorists and back lashers are just the same; they are the kind of people who just need an excuse for their wrongdoing. Mr George bush provide the fuel for the terrorists and the terrorists provide the fuel for the back lashers and the circle of violence continue.

I have a question for Mr Bush, how successful is your war on terrorism? you must be doing something wrong because we can only see an increase.

And my question to the terrorists, what have you achieved?
How can you do that to a nation who demonstrated to the world against the war or to any other human being?
How can you do it in the name of Islam while you killing Muslims?
If you read the Quran correctly you would know that the heaven you going to is hill
And my massage to you is two wrongs don’t make a Wright
There will never be an excuse for what happened in London or Egypt or any where else, and no one in the Wright frame of mind will do such act, so how they arrive to that? Easy, get them to watch what is happening in Palestine or Iraq on the satellites or the Internet flowed by a talk from the mastermind and of you go
If we want to deal effectively with the this issue, we must deal with the symptoms

Isn’t a shame that we just meet on these occasions. We must build bridges and avoid divisions and try and prevent tragedies before it happen

Salam,

Firstly our hearts & prayers are with all those who suffered from yesterday's unforgettable atrocities & senseless acts of violence on our community as a whole.

Unfortunately what we've been fearing has come about..... if a so called Arabic/Muslim group claim responsibility & are held accountable!

I urge people that we take in what has happened & to try to act accordingly in the aftermath of yesterdays horrific events!

9/11 set the scene for us in an extreme form of the repercussions that could happen to our community over here & some people have been unfortunate to experience these firsthand!

Indeed we must continue with our lives as normal as possible, not in a way that distances us from what has happened but to get involved in the
recovery process, acknowledge what has happened & show our disgust at these acts of murder against our fellow human beings.

Journey home for me was surreal with a very strange nostalgia ........... people walking though the streets in a kind of silence & looking lost, buses half empty & shops closed. This scene was repeated from Piccadilly
Circus through Regents Street, Oxford St until Marble Arch.

Reach Marble Arch & cross the border into the Edgware Rd and you've entered a different time zone where people appear to be living on a completely different plant! All the shops were open, cafes full with people sitting outside
smoking Shisha & going on with their business as if bad news doesn't travel to this region!
Less than half a mile up the road you've got Edgware Rd station which was one of the targeted stations where at least 7 people died & area was
cordoned off!

This is an example of what NOT to do under these circumstances we're going through now & I could see why certain groups would want to target
Arabs/Muslims in particular around this area!

We need to take precautions & be more vigilant while going on with our business for the next few days if not weeks until the situation sinks in & calms down.
Ask our family/friends particularly our mothers & sisters who could be easily identified as Arab/Muslims to be extra careful when going out & travelling alone, avoiding quite roads & late night travel.
We've already had a case of a family friend who's veiled who was sworn at yesterday following the attacks & told to go back to where she came from!

See link for safety tips for Muslim Women:

http://www.soundvision.com/info/terrorism/sistertips2.asp

We could all help in various ways:

- See if any of our colleagues in the company (whatever office or
branch)
or neighbours (house/flat/street) got caught up in the blast, if so
visit
& comfort their families even if we don't know them.

- If a call is made for Blood donations we should be the first to act.

- If anyone hears or knows of someone injured or survivors perhaps we could do a group visit.

- Do group hospital visits to show we're all standing together through this!

- Engaging with the media, see example below.

- more ideas are welcomed.................................

The same was we celebrated London getting the Olympics will be the same way we'll defend it throughout this time of crisis!

This message isn't intended to cause more worry or stress rather the case that the inevitable has occurred........ lets at least be prepared to deal with it specially in case if the perpetrators are discovered to be home grown!

Rabina yostor we yatawalana bera7meto isa.

M7amad S

تعديل الدستور

في هذه المرحلة الحاسمة من تاريخ امتنا جاء قرار تعديل المادة 76 من الدستور المصري والخاصة بتعيين رئيس الجمهورية الي انتخاب رئيس الجمهورية قرارا تاريخيا ليتم ولاول مرة في تاريخ مصر انتخاب حر ديمقراطي لرئيس الجمهورية

وتنبع اهمية هذا القرار انه جاء تلبية لنداء شعب مصر وانه جاء في انسب توقيت له
والسؤال الان هو هل شعب مصر واحزاب مصر ومؤسسات مصر جاهزة لهذا القرار
هل ستشرع وتسن القوانين الصحيحة التي تكفل للقرار احترامه وشرعيته
وردا علي السؤال الاول فاني اعتقد ان القرار قد باغت الجميع وان كانوا ينادون به لفترة طويلة ولكنهم كانوا يستبعدون تحقيقه فقد اخذهم القرار علي غفلة ولابد من عملية ترتيب اوراق علي مختلف المستويات
والمؤكد ان هذا التغيير سوف يمر بمراحل كثيرة مختلفة حتي يتحقق الاستقرار

وردا علي السؤال الثاني فاني اتمني من الله ان تكون جميع المؤسسات علي مستوي روح القرار وان تعمل بنية خالصه لوجه الله علي ان تضمن ان يكون تطبيق القرار سوف تتوفر فيه العدالة والمساواة والحرية (الديمقراطية) وان لاتزيد فترة الرئاسة عن فترتين مهما كانت الاسباب

ندعوا الله ان يحفظ مصر وان تمر مرحلة التغيير بسلام

ومبروك لمصر وشباب مصر ورجال مصر

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The Queens Christmas Message 2004
HM. Queen Elizabeth II

Christmas is for most of us a time for a break from work, for family and friends, for presents, turkey and crackers. But we should not lose sight of the fact that these are traditional celebrations around a great religious festival, one of the most important in the Christian year.

Religion and culture are much in the news these days, usually as sources of difference and conflict, rather than for bringing people together. But the irony is that every religion has something to say about tolerance and respecting others.

For me, as a Christian, one of the most important of these teachings is contained in the parable of the Good Samaritan, when Jesus answers the question, Who is my neighbour?

It is a timeless story of a victim of a mugging who was ignored by his own countrymen but helped by a foreigner, and a despised foreigner at that.
The implication drawn by Jesus is clear. Everyone is our neighbour, no matter what race, creed or colour. The need to look after a fellow human being is far more important than any cultural or religious differences.

Most of us have learned to acknowledge and respect the ways of other cultures and religions, but what matters even more is the way in which those from different backgrounds behave towards each other in everyday life.

It is vitally important that we all should participate and cooperate for the sake of the wellbeing of the whole community. We have only to look around to recognise the benefits of this positive approach in business or local government, in sport, music and the arts.

There is certainly much more to be done and many challenges to be overcome. Discrimination still exists. Some people feel that their own beliefs are being threatened. Some are unhappy about unfamiliar cultures.
They all need to be reassured that there is so much to be gained by reaching out to others; that diversity is indeed a strength and not a threat.

We need also to realise that peaceful and steady progress in our society of differing cultures and heritage can be threatened at any moment by the actions of extremists at home or by events abroad. We can certainly never be complacent.
But there is every reason to be hopeful about the future. I certainly recognise that much has been achieved in my lifetime.
I believe tolerance and fair play remain strong British values and we have so much to build on for the future.

It was for this reason that I particularly enjoyed a story I heard the other day about an overseas visitor to Britain who said the best part of his visit had been travelling from Heathrow into central London on the tube.

His British friends were, as you can imagine, somewhat surprised, particularly as the visitor had been to some of the great attractions of the country. What do you mean they asked? Because, he replied, I boarded the train just as the schools were coming out.

At each stop children were getting on and off - they were of every ethnic and religious background, some with scarves or turbans, some talking quietly, others playing and occasionally misbehaving together, completely at ease and trusting one another. How lucky you are, said the visitor, to live in a country where your children can grow up this way.

I hope they will be allowed to enjoy this happy companionship for the rest of their lives.

A Happy Christmas to you all.

Mr Mostafa Ragab speech in the SWG Meeting 23/11/04

On behalf of the Egyptian community I would like to welcome everyone here tonight, and thank Deputy commissioner Tarique Ghaffur CBE for making the time to come and see us in place of Sir John Stevens.

Our meeting tonight is considered as a major step forward towards police and community relationship networking which is the best and only way to communicate and improve the most important issue that concern all of us which is community safety.

We know that there is no life without trouble but since 9/11 our trouble became a 100 times bigger with the threat of terrorism and our police force have been over loaded with extra duty and the Home office secretary making it more difficult with his introduction of more paper work everyday.

For whatever reasons the wrong strategy has been adopted by the superpower to deal with the terrorism issue. The result is more threat and fear locally and internationally.

We in the community see that researches not forces should have been deployed in the Middle East; we need to know the cause and the symptoms in order to come up with the treatment.

Hands off the Middle East and justice in Palestine could be the answer to a lot off our local and international trouble.

In the community eyes there is only one answer to our local problems and that is more police force on the streets. They can’t understand why do we have more than enough traffic wardens and very few policemen on the streets, neither can I.

In general we have full confidence and trust in our police force, but in the real world we know that perfection is not a human being element, so mistakes can happen and what concerns us is how they have been handled.

We in the community are sure that the softly approach to crime, and the misuse of human rights have contributed to promoting crime. We are sending the wrong message to criminals most of the time throw the soft sentences giving.

I will take advantage of the media being here today to deliver a massage to them, the Muslims community are sick and tired of being portraied as terrorists, groups such as Mohagroon, Hezeb el-tahrir and khelafa with all their wrong doing have always been giving a big space as representative to the Muslim community. I don’t know if you realise that with the help of the Middle East leaders silence you make those groups look to some of our young people that they are the hope and the answer to the unjust in the Middle East.

Omar Bakrey is not a Sheik, Abu hamza and Yasser el_serry are not Imam’s. Giving them those tittles is an insult to the Muslims community. You need to know the rule and duty to those tittles and you will find that those people are the opposite.

These kinds of reports don’t help the community to integrate.
We believe that religious, race and nationality should never be associated with crime.

I also have a message to deliver to Mr Blunket, free our police off the extra police services that you keep introducing, free them to police the streets of our cities. We would rather see them doing that than seeing them observing fox hunting or filling forms.

With the police community relationship getting stronger everyday we can now move on and start lobbying to change some of the laws that limits our police from keeping our streets safe. And I am sure that our steering group can do that if funds were available.

Finally I would like to thank the good lady sitting next to me Mrs Lynda king for her extraordinary work to improve community police working partnership.

News from The Embassy

قنصلية مصر العربية
لندن
التاريخ : 17/3/2008

السيد الأستاذ/ منصطفى رجب

رئيس اتحاد المصريين في بريطانيا

تحية طيبة وبعد ،،

أتشرف بأن أبعث رفق هذا بنص برقية السيد الرئيس / محمد حسني مبارك رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية إلى مسلمي مصر المغتربيين بالمملكة المتحدة ، بمناسبة حلول ذكرى المولد النبوي الشريف.

النص

" يسعدني أن أبعث إليكم بخالص التهاني بممناسبة حلول ذكرى المولد النبوي الشريف ، داعياً المولى عز وجل أن ينعم عليكم بمزيد من النجاح ، وعلى مصرنا الحبيبة الغالية بدوام التقدم والازدهار.

مع أطيب تمنياتي ...

وكل عام وأنتم بخير .

محمد حسني مبارك

هذا ويطيب لي ولزملائي بالقنصلية أن نتقدم بخالص التهنئة لسيادتكم ، وكل عام وأنتم بخير.

وتفضلوا سيادتكم بقبول وافر الاحترام ،،

القنصل

ياسر عثمان

New Web link

You can now link to any Egyptian Consulate

through the Egyptian Foreign Office Website

www.mfa.gov.eg/missions/uk/london/consulate/ar-EG

Also the Website for the Interior Ministry is

www.moiegypt.gov.eg

Many thanks to his excellency Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
==================================================

نحيطكم علما بأنه يحق للشباب المصريين الذين فى سن
التجنيد والحاصلين على الجنسية البريطانية أو أى جنسية أخرى _ ومازالوا محتفظين بجنسيتهم المصرية _ الحصول على أعفاء نهائى من الخدمة لعسكرية دون سداد أى غرامات وذالك عن تقديم المستندات التالية للقنصلية.؛



صورة جواز السفر المصرى وجواز السفر الأجنبى _ صورة شهادة الجنسية الاجنبية - صورة شهادة الميلاد - صورة شهادة ميلاد الوالد أو احد االاعمام أو العمات _ صورة البطاقة الشخصية أو العائلية _ ثلاث صور ضوئية _ استيفاء الأستمارات المعدة بالقنصلية لهاذا الغرض'؛



وستقوم القنصليه بارسال هذه المستندات الى الجهة المختصة بالقاهرة لاستصدار قرار الأعفاء اللازم والذى تتلقاه القنصلية وتقوم بتسليمه للمواطن فى لندن دون الحاجة الى سفره القاهرة.؛
Any Egyptian with Britsh nationality is not required to do the milletry service any more.
To obtain your certificate you need to produce your Egyptian and British passport, your father and your birth certificate, your Egyptian ID and three photo's, fill the application and the Egyptian Counslte will do the nessesery work with Egypt to get your certificate to you in London.

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تم أفتتاح موقع اليكترونى لوزارة القوى العاملة والهجرة فى مصر ليكون جسرا للتواصل بين أبناء مصر فى الخارج ووطنهم وللتعرف على الخدمات التى توجه لخدمة المصريين فى الخارج. عنوان الموقع والبريد الألكترونى هو

The folowing website have been designed for Egyptian's abroad to find out about new regulations and serveices avaliable for them in Egypt.

http://WWW.emigration.gov.eg

egyptiansabroad@mome.gov.eg



مع أطيب تمنيات القنصل العام محمود فوزى أبودنيا
Best regards from Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
The General counslte for Egypt in the UK

---

New Web link

You can now link to any Egyptian Consulate

through the Egyptian Foreign Office Website

www.mfa.gov.eg/missions/uk/london/consulate/ar-EG

Also the Website for the Interior Ministry is

www.moiegypt.gov.eg

Many thanks to his excellency Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
==================================================

نحيطكم علما بأنه يحق للشباب المصريين الذين فى سن
التجنيد والحاصلين على الجنسية البريطانية أو أى جنسية أخرى _ ومازالوا محتفظين بجنسيتهم المصرية _ الحصول على أعفاء نهائى من الخدمة لعسكرية دون سداد أى غرامات وذالك عن تقديم المستندات التالية للقنصلية.؛



صورة جواز السفر المصرى وجواز السفر الأجنبى _ صورة شهادة الجنسية الاجنبية - صورة شهادة الميلاد - صورة شهادة ميلاد الوالد أو احد االاعمام أو العمات _ صورة البطاقة الشخصية أو العائلية _ ثلاث صور ضوئية _ استيفاء الأستمارات المعدة بالقنصلية لهاذا الغرض'؛



وستقوم القنصليه بارسال هذه المستندات الى الجهة المختصة بالقاهرة لاستصدار قرار الأعفاء اللازم والذى تتلقاه القنصلية وتقوم بتسليمه للمواطن فى لندن دون الحاجة الى سفره القاهرة.؛
Any Egyptian with Britsh nationality is not required to do the milletry service any more.
To obtain your certificate you need to produce your Egyptian and British passport, your father and your birth certificate, your Egyptian ID and three photo's, fill the application and the Egyptian Counslte will do the nessesery work with Egypt to get your certificate to you in London.

---

تم أفتتاح موقع اليكترونى لوزارة القوى العاملة والهجرة فى مصر ليكون جسرا للتواصل بين أبناء مصر فى الخارج ووطنهم وللتعرف على الخدمات التى توجه لخدمة المصريين فى الخارج. عنوان الموقع والبريد الألكترونى هو

The folowing website have been designed for Egyptian's abroad to find out about new regulations and serveices avaliable for them in Egypt.

http://WWW.emigration.gov.eg

egyptiansabroad@mome.gov.eg



مع أطيب تمنيات القنصل العام محمود فوزى أبودنيا
Best regards from Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
The General counslte for Egypt in the UK

---

New Web link

You can now link to any Egyptian Consulate

through the Egyptian Foreign Office Website

www.mfa.gov.eg/missions/uk/london/consulate/ar-EG

Also the Website for the Interior Ministry is

www.moiegypt.gov.eg

Many thanks to his excellency Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
==================================================

نحيطكم علما بأنه يحق للشباب المصريين الذين فى سن
التجنيد والحاصلين على الجنسية البريطانية أو أى جنسية أخرى _ ومازالوا محتفظين بجنسيتهم المصرية _ الحصول على أعفاء نهائى من الخدمة لعسكرية دون سداد أى غرامات وذالك عن تقديم المستندات التالية للقنصلية.؛



صورة جواز السفر المصرى وجواز السفر الأجنبى _ صورة شهادة الجنسية الاجنبية - صورة شهادة الميلاد - صورة شهادة ميلاد الوالد أو احد االاعمام أو العمات _ صورة البطاقة الشخصية أو العائلية _ ثلاث صور ضوئية _ استيفاء الأستمارات المعدة بالقنصلية لهاذا الغرض'؛



وستقوم القنصليه بارسال هذه المستندات الى الجهة المختصة بالقاهرة لاستصدار قرار الأعفاء اللازم والذى تتلقاه القنصلية وتقوم بتسليمه للمواطن فى لندن دون الحاجة الى سفره القاهرة.؛
Any Egyptian with Britsh nationality is not required to do the milletry service any more.
To obtain your certificate you need to produce your Egyptian and British passport, your father and your birth certificate, your Egyptian ID and three photo's, fill the application and the Egyptian Counslte will do the nessesery work with Egypt to get your certificate to you in London.

---

تم أفتتاح موقع اليكترونى لوزارة القوى العاملة والهجرة فى مصر ليكون جسرا للتواصل بين أبناء مصر فى الخارج ووطنهم وللتعرف على الخدمات التى توجه لخدمة المصريين فى الخارج. عنوان الموقع والبريد الألكترونى هو

The folowing website have been designed for Egyptian's abroad to find out about new regulations and serveices avaliable for them in Egypt.

http://WWW.emigration.gov.eg

egyptiansabroad@mome.gov.eg



مع أطيب تمنيات القنصل العام محمود فوزى أبودنيا
Best regards from Mr Mahmoud Abu Donia
The General counslte for Egypt in the UK

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Information from the Council

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New Single Out of Hours Number for GPs and District Nursing


From 4 September this year, people who are living in Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster will be able to make just one phone call if they are ill and need to see or speak to a GP or District Nurse outside normal surgery hours.
Kensington and Chelsea (K&C) and Westminster PCTs are launching this joint project in an effort to improve out-of-hours services to patients by making access to care as simple and straightforward as possible and thereby speeding up diagnosis and treatment.
Commenting on the initiative, Frankie Lynch, Director of Primary Care Commissioning at K&C PCT, said: “We have worked hard with service providers to ensure that by dialling 020 8969 7777 - patients will not face the problems highlighted by recent criticisms of other out-of-hours services; If they are ill, they will not have to make separate calls to the GP, to the District Nurse; they will not have to repeatedly give their personal details and describe to different services what is wrong before they get treatment and care; one call will lead quickly and safely to effective and timely advice and – where necessary, a face to face consultation and treatment at a time and place agreed with the patient.
“We expect this will not only improve patient care, but also make better use of our professional workforce and relieve the strain on the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and the A&E departments at St Mary’s and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals.”
The new service will operate alongside and be complimentary to existing services like NHS Direct, Pharmacies, Walk in Centres, Minor Injury Units as well as 999 Ambulance service and A&E. Patients shou8ld still call 999 in an emergency and should still contact NHS Direct for health information and advice.

SUMMER FUN

FROM SPORTS TO CREATIVE ARTS MAKE THE MOST OF THIS SUMMER CALL THE CHILDREN'S INFORMATION SERVICE 020 7641 7929 OR VISIT www.westminster.gov.uk/youngfun

=================================================
Free travel for under-16s in London

Children under 16 can now travel for free on buses and trams, as part of the
Mayor’s commitment to making London a more child-friendly city. The scheme
will start from 1 September 2005, but early applications are being accepted
now and those processed in time will allow for free travel for the summer
holidays. London Play welcomes the scheme as an efficient and effective way
of increasing children and young people’s access to play and leisure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What can you bring from abroad
جمارك ==== جمارك === حاسب من الجمارك

ارسلت ادارة الجمارك البريطانية رسالة الي ادارة الاتحاد ضمن حملتها لتوعية المواطنيين عما يسمح لهم بآحضاره من مآكولات عند عودتهم الي بريطانيا وحذرت ان عقوبة محاولة تهريب المأكولات قد تؤدي الي غرامة تصل الي جنيه5000 مع السجن

رجاء الاتصال بآدارة الجمارك للتآكد من مدي قانونية ماتريد احضاره
من بريطانيا 08459335577
من خارج بريطانيا 00442073286951

او www.defra.gov.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YOUTH PASSPORT

ANYONE AGED 11-25 YEARS OLD, RESIDENT OR LOOKED AFTER BY THE CITY OF WESTMINSTER. VISIT www.youthpassport.info OR RING 020 7641 1200, GO TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY OR CONTACT US FOR AN APPLICATION FORM.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS PASSPORT?

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS ON SPORTS ACTIVITIES, DVDs, CDs AND VIDEOS, WITH MORE TO BE ROLLED OUT OVER THE COMING YEAR.
FREE SWIMMING BETWEEN 4-6PM ON SCHOOLDAYS.

Top 10 tips for No Smoking Day

Seven out of ten smokers say they want to give up and it was a new years resolution for thousands. If you're determined to stop in 2005 here's what you can do to give yourself the best possible start:

* Name a quit date - try No Smoking Day on Wednesday 9 March
* Get some Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as patches or gum. It can double your chance of stopping - and is available cheaply through the Stop Smoking Service.
* Write down all the reasons you want to stop and tape it to the fridge to help you stay motivated
* Enlist the support of friends, family and workmates - think about quitting together and helping keep each other on track
* Avoid smoky bars and restaurants for a few days - they can undermine your will power
* Practise saying, "No thanks, I don't smoke."
* Call Westminster's Stop Smoking Service for free advice and support, freephone 0800 328 8537

From the moment you stop smoking your body gets healthier.
Change your life - stop smoking

Quitting will
Reduce stress
Make any physical activity easier
Improve your sense of taste and smell
Improve your skin
You wont tire as quickly


* Set a date and time to stop, and stick to it.
* Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether any of the proven drug treatments might suit you.
* Find out if there is a stop-smoking clinic near you.
* Enlist the help of your friends and family.
* Avoid the situations in which you used to reach for a cigarette.
* If you need to, ease the withdrawal symptoms with nicotine patches or gum.

* From the moment you stop smoking your life gets better
* Smoking is becoming less socially acceptable

The health gains of giving up smoking are considerable and the Trust is working hard to make sure that people are aware of the help available should they decide to stop smoking.

For more information or advice call the Stop Smoking Service on FREEPHONE 0800 328 8537 or speak to your GP or Pharmacist.

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The Leader of Westminster Council Meets the Egyptian Community

A big crawed of the British Egyptian community turned up to meet the leader of westminster city council and hear his response to their neeeds. The meeting started at 19:00pm and went on for more than two hours. Mr Ragab out lined the folowing points:

The community need to be consulted on education speacially religious and sex education.

Requested to have one day on Eid El-fitr and one day at Eid El-adha off the school days, some of Westminster schools most of the students are Moslems.

To publish some of the good work for the Muslems community in the Council publiations.

To help the community during the holly month of Ramadan and decorate Edgware Rd, the cenre of the Arabic community.

To ease the planing on sattalite dishes on coucil budings.

To look into unfair parking fines and traffic wardens behaviour.

Mr milton have responed very positivlly to each request:

A meeting will take palace with the dierctor of education to take the educations points futher.

Planing with the council for the month of Ramadan will start in April.

The communitty will suply articals to Mr Milton to publish in the coucil publications.

Planing permisions on sattalite dishes will be eased.

Regular meetings betwen the council and the communitty will be held in order to achive a better communitty involvment.

Free counselling and other services


THE ASIAN RESOURCE CENTRE, Croydon.... Free services if you live in the borough of croydon...Alcohol and Drug awareness...counselling to be developed and other resources.
PARENTS SUPPORT GROUP

-Do you feel that there is a culture clash between you and your children?

-Are you interested in understanding your children and yourself?

-Would you be interested in understanding your child's development?

-Would you like to meet other parents to discuss and share your experiences?

-Would you be interested in meeting professionals who could inform you of useful information?

-If the answer is YES to all of the above questions and you live in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham then you are welcome to join our Parents Support Group.
Please Contact Safiyyah Sultana on:
0208 749 8747 or 0776 190 2626

FREE LEGAL ADVICE

441 HARROW RD W10
CALL : 0870 126 4040 FOR ADVICE AND APPOINTMENT

INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET www.adviceguide.org.uk

HOUSING ADVICE : 0207 641 1156

IMMIGRATION ADVICE : 0208 964 0231 0207 802 5670

DO YOU WANT TO STOP SMOKING

ARE YOU READY

WE CAN REFER YOU TO SPECIALISED SERVICE FREE

YOU CAN CALL THE STOP SMOKING CLINC 0800 328 8537

دعوة
هل تريد أن تصبح عضوا فى برلمان الشباب

أذا كان عمرك أقل من 25 سنة وتريد الأشتراك رجاء
الأتصال بنا أو الأتصال مباشرة على الرقم التالى 02089699552
If you under 25 and wants to join the youth Parlement, please phone the above number.

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هل ترغب أن تشارك فى أدارة منطقتك السكنيه

أذا كنت تعيش فى وستمنيستر وترغب فى المشاركة فى مجلس ادارة الحى الذى تعيش فيه رجاء الكتابة الى

Residents choice team, city west homes
21 grosvenor place, London SW1 XZEA
TEL: 0800 731 3246

If you live in Westminster, you are invited to join the Area Forum in your area in order to share your views about the serveis provided by the council and how to improve it. please contact the number above

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Interested in working in partnership with our diverse police/community consultative group across Paddington? For more information on our unique 'best practice' activities, communicating initiatives for community concerns and improving performance in police & justice service delivery, please visit our new website at www.padpolice.com

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>FREE LEGAL ADVICE

441 HARROW RD W10
CALL : 0870 126 4040 FOR ADVICE AND APPOINTMENT

INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET www.adviceguide.org.uk

HOUSING ADVICE : 0207 641 1156

IMMIGRATION ADVICE : 0208 964 0231 0207 802 5670

Cleopatra's Needle

بت جريدة الشرق الأوسط يوم الخميس 15/09/05
الانتهاء من ترميم مسلة كليوباترا على نهر التيمس بات
وشيكا


لندن :«الشرق الاوسط»
قال مصطفى رجب، نائب رئيس ات