U.S. Ambassador and Imam Share Views at Muslim Entrepreneurship Conference

Professor Brian Norton, President of DIT, welcomes US Ambassador, Daniel M. Rooney and Sk Hussein Halawa, Imam of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland to DIT for the first Muslim Entrepreneurship conference in Ireland

On October 6th 2010, a major conference on Muslim entrepreneurship in Ireland was held at the DIT Institute for Minority Entrepreneurship (IME). Sponsored by the US Embassy in Dublin, the event was part of the wider President Obama 'Muslim entrepreneurship initiative' to build ties with Muslim communities around the world, and featured speakers from the United States of America, England and Ireland.

In his speech to the conference, Ambassador Daniel M. Rooney spoke of the Department of State’s strong support for the Embassy’s sponsorship and, as a gesture of goodwill, offered a gift of President Obama’s autobiographies to Sk. Hussain Halawa, Imam of the Irish Islamic Cultural Centre. The Imam highlighted that the primary objective of Islam is to avoid all transactions that lead to disharmony and that morality was an important component of Islamic trading.

The focus of the conference was to identify ways in which greater entrepreneurial activity can be generated within the Muslim community in Ireland. According to Dr. Thomas Cooney, Academic Director of IME, one of the key findings from a recent survey of Muslim entrepreneurs was their lack of willingness to use mainstream business support agencies, often relying instead on self-help and informal sources of assistance, including financial assistance. Another key finding of the research was that the needs of ethnic businesses are frequently found to be quite distinctive as compared with those of other Irish firms.

"Although many of the needs of Muslim businesses are shared with their majority counterparts in Ireland, there are also specific issues they must contend with. These include language, religious practice, age, and gender aspects, and an understanding of these is necessary if business support is to be delivered and to be effective. There are also issues relating to the availability of Muslim banking products in Ireland. The Muslim community has a broad network of international contacts and we should tap into this substantial community if we wish to build Ireland’s export activity."

Attended by over 130 participants, including entrepreneurs, non-entrepreneurs, support agency personnel and policy makers, as well as high-level Embassy officials from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, among others. The event will be followed by a series of workshops across the island of Ireland in the coming months. Dr. Cooney feels the conference will help both entrepreneurs and the support agencies to better understand one another's roles.

http://dublin.usembassy.gov/news/events-outreach/muslim-entrepreneurship-conference.html

A word of thanks

A chara,

It has been my honour to have served as Úachtarán Fhianna Fáil. In my last act as leader, I wanted to send a clear message to you, our members and supporters: Thank you.

Thank you for your loyalty, for your hard work, and for your complete commitment to this movement.

I love this country and this party. In my remaining time as Taoiseach, I will continue to work on government business and to implement the plan for recovery. I pledge my support to my successor as leader of Fianna Fáil in the task that he or she will undertake in the coming weeks and into the future.

I know that you and I, along with all members of Fianna Fáil, will unite to work as hard as we can to support our leader and spread our message in the coming campaign. I know what we are capable of.

This party and its members can rise to any challenge that faces us, when we muster the collective determination to do so. We have done so in the past and we can do so again.

Once again, it has been an honour to lead Fianna Fáil. While times are difficult now, there are better days ahead, both for our party and our great nation.

Thank you once again.

Brian Cowen TD

Leadership vote of confidence

A chara,

Following last night’s vote, I am deeply grateful to my colleagues for their vote of confidence in my continued leadership of Fianna Fáil. Both the Parliamentary Party and I now have a renewed focus and determination to bring our message to the people. We want to fight for this country, and set out our plan for its future.

We are confident that there is a better future for our people if we implement a credible, honest plan. And we look forward to taking that case to the public over the coming weeks and months.

However, we face an opposition which is determined to engage in deeply cynical electioneering, and which offers no solutions to our current difficulties.

Today, I challenged the negative "politics as usual" of the Labour Party and its leader. You can watch a short video of this by clicking here.

I do not know how Labour intends to instil confidence in the country when they keep calling it "an economic corpse", "banjaxed", and "stuck in the mire". Their entire strategy seems to be based on writing off our country.

However, I believe people are starting to see through their rhetoric. Labour's credibility on real policy is beginning to be put to the test.

In the coming weeks and months, we will be looking for your help to spread the word that Ireland is not “banjaxed” and that we have a real, credible plan to secure recovery.

You can help me today by watching this video, and sharing it with your friends: www.fiannafail.ie/LabourNegativity.

Thank you.







Brian Cowen TD
Taoiseach, Úachtarán Fhianna Fáil

Clonskeagh Mosque imam 'grateful ' proposed Koran burning called off

Dublin has said he is “very grateful to Allah” that the proposed burning of the Koran by an American preacher will not now take place.

Imam Hussein Halawa said if the burning had happened, it would have been considered an act of terror by Muslims and would have led to violence.

Terry Jones, the pastor of the Dove World Outreach Centre church in Florida, withdrew plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

His threat attracted worldwide condemnation and a phone call from US defence secretary Robert Gates who said the burning would put the lives of American forces in Afghanistan and Iraq at risk.

Pastor Jones had objected to the plan to build a mosque in New York on the site of the September 11th attack.

Speaking through a translator yesterday afternoon, Imam Halawa said he was “very grateful to Allah” that the burning was called off. “Otherwise it would create violence with Muslims everywhere,” he said.

“That’s because the holy Koran is the most sacred masterpiece for Muslims. We do not accept insult to any religion and so we do not accept any insult to our own religion.”

He said such an act, if it had happened, would be considered an act of terror and would lead to a counter-reaction of terror and violence.

“I am sorry such an act was to be done by a holy man or a priest,” he added.

Hundreds of Muslims had gathered at Clonskeagh Mosque yesterday to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the end of the fasting season of Ramadan. A barbecue and games for children in the grounds of the mosque and community centre followed a morning of prayer. Families and friends greeted each other with a hug and “may Allah accept your fasting and my fasting”.

Over 40 nationalities were represented at the celebrations, each enjoying what was a mild and showery day in the capital. People expressed their relief that Ramadan, which requires them to fast from sunrise to sunset, was complete.

Safi Eddine, from Gorey, Co Wexford, said the observance was particularly tough in Ireland because we have such long days. “I am from Tunisia and the day used to be shorter even in the summer time, but in Ireland it is so long, but it is great that it is finished,” he said.

vote of confidence

A chara, Following last night’s vote, I am deeply grateful to my colleagues for their vote of confidence in my continued leadership of Fianna Fáil. Both the Parliamentary Party and I now have a renewed focus and determination to bring our message to the people. We want to fight for this country, and set out our plan for its future.
We are confident that there is a better future for our people if we implement a credible, honest plan. And we look forward to taking that case to the public over the coming weeks and months.
However, we face an opposition which is determined to engage in deeply cynical electioneering, and which offers no solutions to our current difficulties.
Today, I challenged the negative "politics as usual" of the Labour Party and its leader. You can watch a short video of this by clicking here.
I do not know how Labour intends to instil confidence in the country when they keep calling it "an economic corpse", "banjaxed", and "stuck in the mire". Their entire strategy seems to be based on writing off our country.
However, I believe people are starting to see through their rhetoric. Labour's credibility on real policy is beginning to be put to the test.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be looking for your help to spread the word that Ireland is not “banjaxed” and that we have a real, credible plan to secure recovery.
You can help me today by watching this video, and sharing it with your friends: http://www.fiannafail.ie/page/m/1363c70/33741a9e/244763b0/585bcd13/138101685/VEsE/.
Thank you.


Brian Cowen TDTaoiseach, Úachtarán Fhianna Fáil

Murder of Adil Essalhi

A man has appeared in court in Dublin charged with the murder of a man whose body was found in a ditch in a field in Tyrellstown earlier this week.
Wayne Kinsell, aged 39, of The Plaza, Tyrellstown, was charged with the murder of Adil Essalhi, who was from Drumcondra.
The body of Mr Essalhi, who had an address in Drumcondra, was discovered in a ditch in a field close to Belgree Avenue in Tyrrelstown in the west of the city on Thursday.
A 21-year-old woman was also arrested yesterday.
She has been released without charge.

RTE

Immigrant interns in local and regional newspapers

1. The purpose of this scheme is to give non-Irish nationals an opportunity to get involved in this area of the media and to increase content in the paper giving the perspective of immigrants. In this way, the wider readership would be exposed to the experience of this new group in Irish society and integration would be enhanced.

2. There will be funding for 2 internships of 6 months (subject to the review referred to at point 7 below) at separate local or regional newspapers.

3. Interns must be persons born outside Ireland (32 Counties) who are legally resident in the State and who can legally take up the position of intern.

4. Selection will be on the basis of applications submitted jointly by the newspaper and the proposed intern. It is for the paper to source the prospective intern or for that person to make contact with a paper with a view to submitting a joint application.

5. Selection will be by this Office on the basis of the ability of the proposed intern to discharge the role as described in point 6 below and the capacity of the newspaper to support the intern so that they can benefit from the arrangement. There will be a preference for persons who have been in Ireland for 5 years or less though persons who have been here for longer than this are not excluded from applying. Persons, who have (i) resided in Ireland for a considerable number of years such that they would be reasonably regarded as well integrated into Irish society or (ii) already worked in the field of journalism in a professional capacity or to a significant extent, are unlikely to be selected.

6. The internship will be a full time position. The intern will, following appropriate induction, regularly write by-lined articles or reports for publication in the newspaper. These articles or reports may deal with issues relevant to immigrants and integration of immigrants as well as general issues.

7. This Office will bear in full the salary cost of the internship at a rate of €11,440 and associated employer’s PRSI for the six month period. Half of this will be paid to the newspaper at the commencement of the internship. Prior to the conclusion of the third month, this Office will review experience with the internship on the basis of separate written reports from the editor of the newspaper and the intern and material authored by the intern and published in the newspaper. If this Office considers that the arrangement is operating satisfactorily, the remainder of the cost will be paid to the newspaper and the internship will continue for the remainder of the six month period.

8. The intern will be the employee of the newspaper proprietor and not of this Office and the proprietor will be subject to the legal obligations that arise from the employment relationship.

9. The newspaper will acknowledge appropriately adjacent to published articles and reports by the intern the fact that funding was provided by this Office

10. The joint application by the prospective intern and the newspaper should set out how the factors referred to in point 5 above are met. Applications must be received in this Office before 1600 hrs on 12 January 2011 in hard copy. To facilitate processing, they should also be sent by e-mail to jhurley@pobail.ie. Enquiries should also be sent to this e-mail address.



Office of the Minister for Integration
Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs
43/49 Mespil Road
Dublin 4