Prominent UK Imam hails Queen Elizabeth as 'beacon of hope and stability' ahead of jubilee

One of the UK's most senior imams has praised the UK's Queen Elizabeth II as a "beacon of hope” ahead of her platinum jubilee this weekend.

Imam Qari Asim, chair of the Mosque and Imams National Advisory Board, was one of many religious leaders who congratulated the monarch as she reaches her 70-year reign milestone on Sunday.

He said: “Throughout her 70-year-long reign, the queen has shown deep commitment, affection and admiration for her country, the Commonwealth and the people across the world, as well as the ability to adapt and evolve with the changing world around her.

“Her Majesty the Queen has been a wonderful beacon of hope, integrity, stability and unity for our country and beyond. May the Lord allow this momentous occasion of the platinum jubilee to provide unity, peace and hope across our wonderful nation.”

A series of events will be held from Sunday to mark the occasion which will culminate this summer.

More than 1,500 platinum jubilee beacons will be lit across the UK and Commonwealth on the first evening of the extended four-day jubilee bank holiday weekend in June.

Senior clerics from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Zoroastrian and Bahai faiths voiced strong support for the beacons and urged their communities to take part.

The UK's faith leaders have voiced their support for beacons which will be lit in tribute to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. PA.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, said the fires — which will light up the night sky across the UK and Commonwealth on June 2 — will see people joining together in celebration and remind everyone of “our common bond under the Crown”.

Mr Welby encouraged people to sing the newly written Song for the Commonwealth as the beacons are lit.

He said: “This will be a moment of remarkable celebration, as we join together across different generations, denominations, faiths and communities all over the world in proper tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.

Chief Rabbi Mirvis, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, said: “The kindling of the Queen’s jubilee beacons throughout the United Kingdom and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will be a most powerful symbol as we celebrate her majesty’s 70 remarkable years on the throne.

“In Jewish tradition, the lighting of a flame accompanies many of our most important religious observances, representing the point at which the material and sacred meet.

“The fragile flame conveys the profound lesson that spirituality cannot manifest in the world if we do not cultivate and protect it.”

Queen Elizabeth's 70 year reign - in pictures

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Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?

The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.

The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.

He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.

He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.

He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.

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Choose cars with GCC specifications
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Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

Men's football draw

Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica

Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea

Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA

Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda

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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

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Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

UK-EU trade at a glance

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