'مسلم لايف 8' يجمع الأموال لضحايا دارفور

Quote: 'Muslim Live 8' raises cash for Darfur 1 day ago LONDON (AFP) — Thousands of British Muslims gathered Sunday evening for a charity peace concert dubbed "Muslim Live 8" to raise money for victims of Sudan's long-running Darfur conflict. The concert, starring top Islamic singer Sami Yusuf, was backed by the British government which is spearheading efforts to press the Sudanese government to stop violence in the western province. The event at London's Wembley Arena, called A Concert for Peace in Darfur, also aimed to promote efforts to unite the community amid widespread suspicion of Islam in Britain. "An injustice anywhere is an attack on justice everywhere and so we will continue working together with all of you to bring this suffering to an end," said Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a pre-recorded video message. "I want to thank all of you ... from the artists and musicians who are performing here today, to religious leaders from all communities who have been leading prayers and campaigns for the people of Darfur." Brown added: "The fact that so many of you are here tonight shows how deeply people from communities all over Britain care about the people of Darfur and their plight." Topping the bill at the concert -- which some have compared to the 2005 global anti-poverty Live 8 event is Yusuf, a 27-year-old British star popular among young Muslims worldwide, even if he is less well known in his homeland. "This is really something monumental, it has never been done before," he said on the eve of the concert. More needs to be done on Darfur because "this is an issue between Muslims, Muslims killing Muslims, some people think it's shameful that people haven't really stood up," he told AFP. "This is a great opportunity for British Muslims to really do something." Later, addressing the crowd, he said: "Today you can be Muslim and you can be British." Jehangir Malik, from British charity Islamic Relief, said when launching the event in August that he wanted to see "our own equivalent of Live 8" -- the series of worldwide concerts organised ahead of the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005 calling for increased aid to poor countries. All profits from the event will go to Islamic Relief to help fund its work in Darfur. Like Yusuf, the other artists taking part combine music with faith. Outlandish, a Danish hip-hop outfit featuring Muslims and Christians, appeared, as did Kareem Salama, a Muslim American country singer, who poses in a Stetson hat on the cover of his latest album. Canadian stars The Sound Of Reason and Hamza Robertson, a young English convert to Islam, were also on the bill. The event had official support -- the Foreign Office helped to organise a trip for Sami Yusuf and other celebrities to visit refugee camps in Darfur earlier this year. The United Nations says that some 200,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced as a result of the conflict in Darfur, which has been going on for over four years. There are around 1.5 million Muslims in Britain but according to an opinion poll in 2006, 53 percent of Britons believe that Islam threatens Western democracy.

Quote: Muslim Live8 brings home Darfur crisis · More than 10,000 at Wembley charity concert · Islamic pop stars raise money for stricken region Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent Monday October 22, 2007 Guardian Chaotic scenes at Wembley Arena are nothing new for concertgoers. There is the frantic rush to get to the front of stage area, and queues build up for food and drinks. Last night was different. The queues were for the makeshift mosque in the arena's 200-seat restaurant and the rush was for prayer spaces before the show began as more than 10,000 Muslims attended a charity concert for Darfur. Billed as the Muslim Live8, the sell-out event was the first of its kind at the venue and drew artists and fans from around the world. To respect Islamic dietary requirements, Wembley became dry and halal for the night. Once the concert began, the audience quickly abandoned the decorum and restraint normally associated with Muslim events. Acts such as Outlandish and Sound Of Reason drew claps and cheers from the crowd. Glowsticks were waved. The biggest applause was reserved for the star attraction, Sami Yusuf, who has sold more than 3m albums, but is virtually unknown outside Muslim communities. As he took to the stage, the crowd erupted in screams and wolf-whistles and chanting. Sami, who was born in Iran, but grew up in Britain and is one of the Muslim pop scene's biggest stars, has spoken about how uncomfortable he feels with hero worship and adulation, describing it as un-Islamic. But this was no deterrent to his fans; only a few in the audience refused to clap or cheer. The crowd were less enthusiastic about a video message from Gordon Brown who praised the audience's compassion and commitment to the people of Darfur. He said: "The fact that so many of you are here shows how deeply people from communities from all over Britain care. An injustice anywhere is an attack on injustice everywhere and we will continue working together with all of you to bring this suffering to an end." He was booed and jeered throughout. There was more warmth for David Cameron who recorded a video while visiting the region. At least £40,000 was raised in five minutes, with three £10,000 donations. Kareem Salama, America's only Muslim country singer, said: "When I was a kid I came to London and I asked my mother if I could go see a show at Wembley, she said 'maybe you'll get to play there one day'. "Sami Yusuf is a real inspiration. He's like George Clooney, saying that if the cameras are going to follow him he's going to go somewhere it makes a difference. That's why Sami went to Darfur, so people could know the terrible things that are happening there. It's a great initiative." Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007