VP Student Affairs- September 2009

How time flies! Between this blog and my last, we completed Ramadan, celebrated Eid and entered Shawwal. May Allah (swt) accept all of the acts of worship by the Muslims across the world, and I pray that Ramadan is truly a springboard for our success in months ahead.

The strategic, evolved, energised FOSIS Student Affairs Committee has begun strongly and you'll be hearing about all our exciting work as we progress. The Grassroots Operation is up and running. The Grassroots Operation is central to FOSIS and insha'Allah we will be visiting campuses around the UK starting with workshops designed to politically empower you - so get involved.

Taught by experienced tutors, this is all about empowering Muslim students towards a culture of political participation. You'll be able to learn how to get involved with your Union, build transformational policy and become inspired leaders of tomorrow! It's about protecting fundamentals, as much as about the power to make a change. Our Grassroots Team will be delivering these, look out for them or if you don't see one happening contact studentaffairs@fosis.org.uk to move things along!

In the past month I also addressed the student Stop the War Conference, and debated at Leeds University Union against the proposed motion "Should we invite the BNP to campus?".

I urge you to get involved in your Student Unions and student societies as you switch up gear's in this years campus journey, take the lead in debates, take opportunities to make change happen. Forever we welcome your ideas and your contributions; and do contact us also for any prayer room or Welfare issues, anything to do with Civil Liberties, representation, and so forth. We keep listening at studentaffairs@fosis.org.uk or give us a call.

Finally, amongst all of this, I just wanted to end on priorities, which we need to collectively improve. Prioritise the establishment of our salah brothers and sisters. The Prophet peace be upon him said, 'If someone performs his Prayer at the proper time, makes his ablution correctly, does the bowing and prostration properly and observes due humility, that Prayer will rise up, all bright and shining, and will say "May God take care of you as you have taken care of me!" But if someone performs his prayer at the wrong time, without correct ablution, not bowing and protrating properly and not observing due humility, his Prayer will rise up all dark and gloomy, saying "May God neglect you as you have neglected me." Then when it has reached wherever God wishes, it will be folded up like an old rag and he will be slapped with it in the face'.

Ws
Nabil