The Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley has been beset with violence as Indian security forces confront huge rallies by Kashmiris calling for independence from India. The BBC's Soutik Biswas speaks to families and friends of some of the victims.

In a picture taken on a mobile phone 10 days before his death, 25-year-old Imran Ahmed Wani fixes a shy gaze at the camera with a disarming smile.

As his friends tell it, Imran was an average young Kashmiri man, working hard, playing cricket, and watching Bollywood films.

He also exemplified those in the region's new generation, trying to make the best of opportunities thrown up by a modest economic boom during the years of relative calm since Indian and Pakistan signed a ceasefire in Kashmir.

Salaams All, this is my latest poem written last year and slightly edited, please forward widely inshAllah.

Ramadhan is coming

It’s only a few dayss away

I can’t wait

In anticipation

The coming of the new moon

And the best month of the year

I hope I’m alive

Although I’m young

There’s no guarantee

That I’ll be here next month

Been waiting

Anticipating

Hoping

And silently praying

For a chance

To experience

Another Ramadhan

Last year I tried

To improve and change

Leave the bad habits

The drinking, womanising

Drugs and clubbing

Managed it for 30 days

But on Eid I went to a rave

I gave in, wasn’t brave

Went with the flow

And got totally smashed

Its true after Ramadhan Satan is unleashed

Since then it’s been downhill

Month after month

Interesting blog post by my South African friend. Please note, this is not abut if meat is 'halal' for us, it quite clearly is, but whether it is ethical to eat meat NOW, when the world has changed a lot since 1400 years ago. PLEASE read fully before commenting.

Why I’m a vegetarian

by Bilal Randeree

I don’t believe that animals should not be killed for human consumption. In fact, I think that God has most definitely provided certain animals for man — some to assist us in our daily tasks and others to provide us with the nutrients and proteins (isn’t that what meat supplies?!) that eating meat provides.

This is a rap/poem whatever you want to call it that I've written. Please don't imagine me in some bling-bling! I don't do that stuff. Have a read and tell me what you think. It's called True Freedom, it may scare some people, but tough luck. Tell me what you think.

The drugs, the clubs and all the booze

Gave me the buzz, the notion of being full

How much money you had, or whether you could pull

The media, the magazines set the expectations

Making you think it was the aspiration

But that was before I got the news

Of the Truth, the Right and the only One

I've moved on since the old days

Left the idea of artificial fun

Learnt to correct those ways

Despite all the times that I've gone wrong

I've been blessed with the will to stay strong

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Summer in your Hijab

You think you dress modest

But do you really?

Far from Islam

If you’re honest

The sun is out

And clothes are discarded

Satan on holiday

Most people astray

Even the person with shorts

And woman with a bikini

Is regarded as modest nowadays

So you compare to them

Kaffirs without shame

Dignity or honour

And say you dress Islamic

But the reality is tragic

I suppose you try your best

To avoid the seduction of kufr

And so you compromise

And go halfway

Not fully Islamic

Or jahil

But somewhere in between

You’re not a hypocrite

But you’re easily misled

Fashion is like a god

Seducing and influencing

Those with weak thoughts

Making them a victim

People stare

But most don’t care

They love the attention

Hijab with tight clothing

Beijing Olympics Swimming Pool Special:

[IMG]http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2803/chineseswimmmingpoolvy9.jpg[/IMG]

Asslamuallikum ,dear brothers & sisters .im doing tv islamic programe live ,in karachi, pakistan ,(i m host).i used to talk with islamic scholar and ask questions & also take live cals from all over pakistan. i need your help for topics & rlated Q about the topic.(Q should be which can give benifits to others knowledge.)i m expeting fast reply. Allah Haafiz

There, I said it.

There is plenty of other shit going on around the world too.

yes, I get that when a captured, blindfolded Palestinian is shot by a rubber bullet at point blank range, it is a travesty. But where is the love for the Kurds? how about the Muslims of southern Sudan? Somalia has been is civil war for over 15 years.

And why does have to be only about Muslims? Zimbabawe has an inflation rate of over 2.2 million - the recently released 100 billion dollar note will not even buy a loaf of bread. People are dying there and everywhere else.

Yet, the muslim community as a whole seems to focus on "the evil that is Israel". Why is that?

Its our pleasure to annouce the winners of the prize draws.

Ticket 164 winner of the Sunray painting by artist Aziza Essa

Ticket 218 winner of the Allah-u-Akbar on Red by artist Jazmin Kennedy

Ticket 179 winner of the Ummrah Package for 2 courtesy of Ashton Travel UK

All winners will be contacted in the next few days and arrangements made to deliver the winning items. If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything please contact The Revival

on 0870 264 0612 or email mohammad@therevival.co.uk