Bismi Allah Al Rahman Al Rahim

I pray this finds you in the best of health and Iman.

I have the pleasure of writing to you as Head of the Campaigns Committee for FOSIS. I had the honour of replacing Brother Akram Awad as Head of Campaigns, a dedicated and competent brother, whose shoes I will struggle to fill. The greatest aspect of joining FOSIS has been the pleasurable experience of getting to know all the wonderful brothers and sisters who strive so hard to make FOSIS what it is.

It has been far from easy. I have been amazed by how these brothers sand sisters are able to manage their time and dedicate so many hours to their work at FOSIS, which they carry out on a purely voluntary basis.

My decision to go travelling in the last couple of months did not aid my initiation. I pray InshAllah that the next semester will be an eventful one with regards to FOSIS campaigns.

As part of a vision to actively engage in raising awareness amongst the British public about the history of Palestine and current issues surrounding it and its people, and to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe), the Federation of Student Islamic Societies in the UK and Eire (FOSIS) is proud to have held the first of a series of annual academic conferences.

The first conference, 'Nakba: 60 Years of Hurt and Hope', was held on Saturday 1st November 2008 at the University of Nottingham in the English Midlands. A selection of the most well defined international and domestic intellectuals and experts on the Palestinian issue came together to deliver a quality convention in which the Nakba of 1948 and its effects on the Palestinian population then, and its consequences 60 years on, were explored and analysed. Attempts at possible solutions to the aftermath of the Nakba were explored through workshops and discussion panels. A massive thank you to Sister Sumaia Almari our Palestine Officer for all of her hard work.

The Campaigns team is looking to recruit interested individuals from all of the FOSIS regions. If you want to get involved please do feel free to contact me via my email and feel free to ask me any questions. InshAllah we will be running campaigns on Palestine, Chechnya and Uyghur Muslims amongst others. Whether you are interested in heading a campaign, or just want to be kept in the loop, please do feel free to contact me.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Oussama Mezoui

Head of Campaigns