Pride Cymru 2023: Live Updates as Crowds Gather to Celebrate in Colourful Parade before Heading to Cardiff Castle

WALES ONLINE: It's set to be a joyful day in Cardiff city centre full of music and performance

Pride Cymru 2022 was a visual feast to behold (Image: Mark Lewis)
It's that time of year again. Cardiff city centre is set to be filled with colour, joy and celebration for the LGBT+ community throughout the weekend as Pride Cymru 2023 brings people from all walks of life together. The event has been moved forward from its usual August date to June with the main events taking place at Cardiff Castle this year instead of outside the Civic Centre.

This year the parade will start at 11am outside the castle on Saturday and travel down St Mary Street back up the Hayes, along Queen Street, around Park Place and back towards the castle along Greyfriars Road. The feast of colour and music is expected to last up to two hours, with the festival then to follow from 12pm at Cardiff Castle, with last entry at 9.30pm. The festival continues at the same times on Sunday. » | Laura Clements, Senior Reporter & Branwen Jones, Reporter | Saturday, June 17, 2023

Protesters March in Cardiff for Welsh Independence

THE GUARDIAN: Thousands march in Cardiff calling for Welsh independence » | Mattha Busby | Saturday, May 11, 2019

Cardiff Mosque Where Isis Recruits Worshipped Says Don't Blame Us

THE GUARDIAN: Al-Manar centre denies that visiting preachers may have prompted two men to leave for Syria and join the terror group

The mosque in Cardiff that two young men attended before they left for Syria and appeared in an extremist recruitment video has denied having anything to do with their radicalisation – and instead claimed they could have been inspired by images in the mainstream media.

Reacting in detail for the first time, the Al-Manar centre in the Welsh capital denied that visiting preachers may have prompted the men to leave for Syria and join the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) terror group.

In a statement released to the Guardian and ITN, the Al-Manar centre said it did not control those who attended for prayers and officials would have sought to dissuade the men from leaving for Syria if they had known they were going.

The centre's denial came as more than 100 Islamic prayer leaders from various denominations of Islam signed a letter calling on British Muslims not to travel to Iraq or Syria to fight. » | Steven Morris | Friday, July 04, 2014

Ultra-conservative Branch of Islam Growing in Popularity in Wales

Screengrab taken from YouTube of a video showing
Islamist fighters appearing in a recruitment video

WALES ONLINE: Up to six Welsh mosques are now part of the Islamic movement known as Salafism, including Cardiff’s Al-Manar centre

The ultra-conservative strand of Islam followed by two young Cardiff men seen on a jihad-recruiting video from Syria has been growing in popularity in Wales.

Up to six Welsh mosques are now part of the Islamic movement known as Salafism, including Cardiff’s Al-Manar centre, where Nasser Muthana, 20, younger brother Aseel Muthana, 17, and Reyaad Khan, 20, are said to have worshipped.

Nasser and Reyaad appeared in the video by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which now controls huge swathes of territory in the two countries.

Aseel is understood to have travelled to the region after his elder brother.

There is disagreement within Islamic communities in the UK as to the extent to which the growth of Salafism is a concern.

The teachings of Salafism are conservative and impose severe restrictions on everything from women’s rights to music. » | Darren Devine | Thursday, June 26, 2014

Iraq Crisis: British Student Identified as Recruiting Isis Jihadists

Abu Dujana al Hindi (left), Nasser Muthana from Cardiff (centre)
and Abu Bara al Hindi (right)

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Cardiff medical student Nasser Muthana, 20, is identified as a Briton at the centre of a campaign to recruit would-be jihadists to Iraq and Syria
An aspiring Cardiff medical student was last night identified as the Briton at the centre of a campaign by an Islamic terror group to recruit would-be jihadists to Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Muthana, 20, appeared in a propaganda video by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham [Isis] urging others to join him.

His father, Ahmed Muthana, told The Daily Telegraph last night that Nasser’s 17-year-old brother, Aseel, was fighting alongside him. He claimed his sons were “brainwashed” in Britain.

Mr Muthana said watching footage of his son had made him cry. "I wish I could hold him, hold his hand, ask him to come back," he said.

"As a father I give a message, not only to Nasser, to all the people that go from Britain to Syria to fight please stop. Come back home." » | Tom Whitehead, Claire Duffin, Philip Sherwell and Richard Spencer | Friday, June 20, 2014

Sara Ege Given Life Sentence for Murdering Son over Koran Studies
BBC: A mother who beat her seven-year-old son when he failed to memorise passages from the Koran has been given a life sentence for his murder.

Sara Ege, 33, killed Yaseen Ege at their home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, in July 2010 and set fire to his body.

She was convicted in December after a five-week trial. The judge has set a minimum tariff of 17 years.

Her husband Yousuf Ege, a taxi driver, was cleared of allowing the death of a child by failing to protect him.

Sara Ege was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice. » | Monday, January 07, 2013

Islamic Teacher Under Fire for Calling on Welsh Muslims to Support Fight for Sharia Law Abroad
WALES ONLINE: An Islamic teacher whose group was at the centre of an anti-terror raid on a Cardiff community hall has come under fire for calling on Welsh muslims to “physically” support the fight for sharia law abroad.

Abu Hajar, of Grangetown, Cardiff, is one of the leaders of the Islamic group Supporters of Tawheed, which on its website says its core belief is the “domination of the world by Islam”.

The group – which according to its website also rejects democracy and freedom, describing them as “false deities” – hit the headlines in January when one man arrested during a raid on a meeting in the city’s Canton Community Hall told an officer “I will chop your head off” before shouting “I’m going to shoot you with a machine gun”. Mohammed Abdin, 21, was subsequently jailed for eight months for the threats.

It is understood the raids were prompted by members of the Muslim community, who feared the meeting was providing a place for radical Islamists to network.

Mr Hajar has previously said the group is simply interested in spreading the message of Islam and does not preach violence or extremism.

In a video posted last month on YouTube called “Support the Muslims of Syria”, Mr Hajar said muslims should: snub western help abroad; demand an “Islamic solution” to problems in the Middle East; and impose sharia law there. » | James McCarthy, WalesOnline | Sunday, April 22, 2012

Muslim Businessman Angers Wealthy Villagers with Plans for 50ft-high Islamic Mausoleum Close to His Luxury Farmhouse

MAIL ONLINE: A wealthy businessman has outraged neighbours in an upmarket village by planning to build a 50ft-high Islamic tomb.

Sajid Ghaffar, 31, has applied for planning permission for the memorial in honour of his father Abdul, who is buried on his land in the village of Lisvane, near Cardiff.

But neighbours say the domed shrine - the height of three double-decker buses - will be a huge blot on the landscape in the affluent village.

The village’s well-known residents include former Chelsea footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, while Baywatch star David Hasselhoff was rumoured to be househunting in the leafy village. Property tycoon Peter Thomas, who is worth £225m according to the last Sunday Times Rich List lives just half a mile away.

However, 66 residents have signed a petition objecting to the architect-designed memorial mausoleum, known as a ‘mizaar’. Read on and comment » | Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Muslims Protest in Cardiff Against 'Anti-Islam Laws'
”This isn't just about Muslim women being asked to cover their faces, this is an ideological attack on Islam and Muslims” – Muhammad Abu Yaffir, organiser
BBC: Muslims have demonstrated in Cardiff to protest against laws across Europe which they say are anti-Islam.

Saturday's protest was to highlight what they believe is an "ideological attack" on Islam.

Organiser Muhammad Abu Yaffir said: "Muslims feel very strongly about these laws being introduced across Europe".

Last year Switzerland voted to ban the building of new minarets, while France is debating a ban on the Islamic veil.

Mr Yaffir said: "Wherever Muslims feel pain anywhere in the world it is our responsibility to respond to their needs.

"The laws being proposed are a form of oppression and we will respond to this oppression."

Muslims from communities across south Wales were expected at the "standing still" demonstration outside City Hall.

Last year, some 57.5% of Swiss voters voted in favour of a ban on building any new minarets in the country.

The French parliament is debating plans to ban the wearing of full Islamic veils in public. >>> | Saturday, July 10, 2010

Dhimmi Alert! Pupils and Parents to Gather for Assembly to Celebrate Muslim Festival
WALES ONLINE: PARENTS and pupils will gather together for a special school assembly to celebrate the religious festival of Eid.

Mount Stuart Primary School in Butetown, Cardiff organises the assembly every year.

Eid is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Yvonne Scott, acting headteacher of the school, said: “It is always a lovely event. We are a multi-faith school. We celebrated harvest recently and now we are all coming together to celebrate Eid. Many of our pupils had days off to celebrate the religious festival so this is our first opportunity. Many parents come to the school for the special assembly and it is very social event.” [Source: Wales Online] By Moira Sharkey | October 8, 2008

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