Here are some pics of the Othman Pasha Madrasa in Tripoli, Libya (including its resident cats!). Located in the Old Madina, just around the corner from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, this historic madrasa has been associated with some of the most notable scholars and saints of Tripoli through its 350 years of history since the Ottoman period. The madrasa is now fully restored and once again teaching Qur’an, Arabic, Law and Theology. If you ever visit Tripoli make sure you don’t miss a visit to this haven of peace and baraka.
The full gallery of images can be found here. Below are two portraits: One of Sheikh Abdul Majeed Sghair, Sheikh of the Othman Pasha Madrasa, and the other of Sheikh Khalid Bin Saydan, who is an instructor at the Othman Pasha Madrasa and also the Friday khatib at the famous Dragut Pasha Mosque in the Old Madina. The Old Madina has at least 50 mosques and madrasas from the Ottoman period and I hope, in successive visits, to be able to document it all.
For more on Tripoli and some outside regions, including photos of the Dragut Pasha Mosque, click here.
This is a superb comment by Keith Olbermann, who had the courage to speak the truth on this matter. Right wing conservatives and their media outreach has gone on a protracted scaremongering campaign to vilify Cordoba House, and comments such as Olbermann’s and President Obama’s support for Cordoba House will go a long way in balancing such one sided media onslaught against a Muslim centre that promises to do much good for community relations in New York.
An Indian lady wearing a colourful sari in Old Madina in Tripoli having just left a service at the Old Catholic Church!
I had the chance to spend a good hour at the Sayyidi Munaydar Islamic cemetery in Tripoli. This historic cemetery has been the burial ground of illustrious Tripolitanians, including a Companion of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace and blessings of God be upon him, and also leading scholars and mystics of the city, including those of Ottoman families. Many of the graves at Islamic cemeteries here in Tripoli have a small water bowl for the birds as a way of earning some precious hasanat, or blessings, in the hereafter …
