BACKGROUND
-working for the community
The Al-Nasr was established in Slough in 1992, dedicated to improving the understanding of Islam among non‑Muslims, and to encourage Muslims to take a more active role in society. Al-Nasr has two primary objectives. First, to present Islam to the community as a friend, concerned about the welfare of the entire community. Second, address the needs of the Muslim residents by advising agencies and liaising with authorities on the tenets of Islam.
Concerning the former Islam has been seen as a threat and an adversary to the ‘British’ way of life. This has been more the case since the post‑Rushdie, post‑Gulf affair and the war on terror. The situation is not helped by the Media; more often than not, presenting a violent, anti-social and a distorted image of the Muslims and indirectly of Islam.
To combat such ignorance and be more informative Al-Nasr has setup a centre housing an Islamic Reference Library, which is open to all. Providing accurate information about the sensibilities, morals and the social makeup of the Muslims.
In part owing to above attitudes of mutual mistrust and misunderstanding the Muslim has developed a ‘ghetto’ mentality. Which means in moments of crisis they may not benefit fully from traditional sources of help. This is more the case when dealing with issues relating to women and family.
To redress this, preliminary work has been done to identify most pressing needs of the community. Over a short period of time, Al-Nasr has inaugurated several voluntary groups under the umbrella of Al‑Nasr Trust. These groups will be manned by specialists who are competent in their field of work. As a strictly non-political organisation, it works on behalf of the Islamic faith, encouraging the brotherhood of man. Al-Nasr aims to dispel the common ignorance about Islam and to this end, produces a series of publications, including leaflets for the public, and professional guidance notes.
Al-Nasr serves all sections of the community who seek its’ assistance, although, the initial beneficiaries are expected to be Muslims. It is hopeful the work would lead to a better understanding of Islam and that Muslims will be seen as ‘part’ of and not ‘apart’ from the community.
“ As for those who believe and do good,
they will have the Gardens of [Eternal] Residence—
—as an accommodation for what they used to do.”
[Quran – As Sajdah, Sura 32, Ayat 19]