British buses to carry 'Allah is Great' adverts during Ramadan

"Praise Allah" will adorn hundreds of buses across the UK as part of a campaign by an Islamic charity to help victims of Syria's civil war.

Islamic Relief, Britain's biggest Muslim charity, will run the campaign during Ramadan next month, when Muslims fast during daylight hours and give money to charity. The posters will appear on buses in London, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham and Bradford.

The charity said it hoped the posters would help show Islam and Islamic aid in a positive light.

Imran Madden, the UK director of Islamic Relief, said: "In a sense this could be called a climate change campaign because we want to change the negative climate around international aid and around the Muslim community in this country.

"International aid has helped halve the number of people living in extreme poverty in the past 15 years, and British Muslims are an incredibly generous community who give over £100 million to international aid charities in Ramadan."

Half of Britain's Muslims live in London where Sadiq Khan has become to capital's first Muslim mayor. Transport for London, for which Khan now has responsibility, bans adverts linked to a "political party or political cause" but does not ban religious advertising.

However former Mayor of London Boris Johnson intervened in 2014 and banned an advert from a Christian charity which suggested people could "get over" homosexuality. The ban was upheld in the High Court after an appeal and Core Issues Trust were fined £100,000 in legal costs.

In 2009 a group of Christian charities responded to an advertising campaign by the British Humanist Association that read: "There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

The Trinitarian Bible Society, the Christian Party and the Russian Orthodox Church followed with a bus advert on 175 London buses that read: "There definitely is a God. So join the Christian Party and enjoy your life."

Simon Calvert, deputy director of public policy at The Christian Institute, said he hoped Islamic Relief's advert "signals the beginning of a new era of greater expressions of the Christian faith, which seems to have become persona non grata".

He said: "People were surprised by the cinema advertising agenda to ban the Lord's Prayer – something we all grew up with.

"Audiences are capable of hearing expressions of Christian faith without running away screaming in horror."

related articles
In pictures: What is Eid?
In pictures: What is Eid?

Harry Farley looks at the origin and traditions of the Muslim festival of Eid.

Church and mosque build \'beautiful relationship\' after sharing building
Church and mosque build 'beautiful relationship' after sharing building

A church and a mosque in America have developed a 'beautiful relationship', after the imam offered local Christians a home while their church waited for a new building.

Faith groups and NGOs urge international action on Syria: \'We cannot stand by in the face of this catastrophe\'
Faith groups and NGOs urge international action on Syria: 'We cannot stand by in the face of this catastrophe'

More than 80 international NGOs and faith groups have issued an urgent plea to world leaders to stop the escalating crisis in Syria.

London\'s Muslim Mayor: Sadiq Khan and the left\'s religious awakening
London's Muslim Mayor: Sadiq Khan and the left's religious awakening

Why Sadiq Khan's election as London's first Muslim mayor is good news for Christians.

Muslim Sadiq Khan elected as London Mayor, despite 'extremist' label from Zac Goldsmith

Harry Farley brings a summary of election results across the UK.

News
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain
Faith in difficult times: lessons from 1930s Britain

Architectural historian Steven Brindle talks to Christian Today about the faith that shaped 1930s Britain, the churches that supported struggling communities and what lessons the decade might have for us today.

Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach
Campaign aims to mobilise 500,000 Christians for Christmas outreach

Shine Your Light is aiming to mobilise half a million Christians to share the gospel with five million people across the UK this Christmas, with more than 2,000 churches already signed up, organisers say.

The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'
The Church of England should repent for previous calls to ban 'conversion therapy'

The Church of England's uneasiness about the government's ‘conversion practices’ bill is a perfect lesson in the old adage, 'be careful what you wish for,' writes Dr Martin Davie.

Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns
Leaked Home Office report links 'Christian extremism' to traditionalist beliefs and immigration concerns

An internal Home Office report lists concerns about immigration, multiculturalism and changing social values among the characteristics associated with what it calls "Christian extremism", it has been reported.