5Pillars

Harrowing scenes from the aftermath of an Israeli air strike on Gaza City’s port this evening, which killed seven Palestinians, including a child, and wounded 14 others.

Deputy editor of 5Pillars, Dilly Hussain, urges non-Black and non-African Muslims to learn about and connect with Africa’s deep and rich Islamic history with the same passion that many have for Arab, Turkic and Persianate Islamic history. Watch this episode of Muslims Uncensored.👇🏽 https://youtu.be/7qs5_yH5Dm4

An Islamic girls’ school in Blackburn has once again significantly outperformed the national average in its A Level results, with 82% of students securing at least three A*-B grades. https://5pillarsuk.com/2026/08/18/tauheedul-islam-girls-school-celebrates-another-year-of-outstanding-a-level-results/

INDIA: An imam was stabbed to death inside a mosque in Bihar’s Gopalganj district, police said, after residents discovered his body when the morning call to prayer was not heard. The victim, Safiq Ahmed, had been serving as the mosque’s imam. Police are examining CCTV footage and questioning local residents as they investigate the motive and identify those responsible. Additional security personnel have been deployed in the area.

The official Chelsea FC Women account on Threads invited followers to suggest a new bio for the page, promising to change it to whichever comment received the most likes. "Free Palestine" won — receiving over 100,000 likes — but instead of honouring the result, the club deleted the post entirely. The "Free Palestine" reply reportedly received over 100,000 likes before the post was deleted. The original commenter (@Relthesinger) later responded with her own Threads post, saying: "@Chelseafcw made a post yesterday that said they would change their bio to the top comment. I got the top comment. Instead of doing what they promised, they DELETED THEIR ENTIRE POST. We see you. I had taken this screenshot earlier in that day. At the time the post was deleted, it was at 36k."

Do you recognise this thief? Police in Coventry are investigating a burglary after Masjid Al Madinah Al Munawwarah on Paynes Lane was burgled on August 4 at around 2.30am. The suspect forced entry into the mosque and stole the collection box. Anyone with information can call 101 or message police via Live Chat on the West Midlands Police website, quoting crime reference 20/353158/26. Or you can call Crimestoppers 100% annoysmously on 0800 555 111.

We asked our audience about their views on Afghanistan's restrictions on female education and work. The clear majority (69%) oppose the restrictions, either strongly or somewhat. While 32% are supportive, either strongly or somewhat. Results based on a 24-hour social media poll.

The University of Manchester plans to restart research collaboration with Tel Aviv University, three years after the partnership was suspended during the Gaza war. The decision comes despite strong student opposition and a union vote calling for the university to cut ties. The plans were first reported exclusively by The Mancunion, which uncovered Tel Aviv University’s inclusion in Manchester’s new Global Fund scheme to support joint research projects between Manchester academics and researchers at selected universities around the world. The planned revival follows years of protests against Manchester’s relationship with Tel Aviv University. In October 2025, 94% of votes cast at a Students’ Union Assembly supported a motion calling for the partnership to end. The vote attracted a turnout of 4,831.

Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for killing "30 to 40" Palestinians in Gaza every night — including people who pose no threat — during a podcast appearance on Saturday. "I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night," Ben-Gvir said. "Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not people." The nightly figure he described as a goal is one Israel has already surpassed throughout its two-year genocide in Gaza, where an average of around 100 Palestinians were killed every day.

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The University of Manchester plans to restart research collaboration with Tel Aviv University, three years after the partnership was suspended during the Gaza war. The decision comes despite strong student opposition and a union vote calling for the university to cut ties. https://5pillarsuk.com/2026/08/17/manchester-university-to-restart-tel-aviv-partnership-despite-student-opposition/

What are your views on Afghanistan’s restrictions on female education and work?

Israel recorded a staggering migration deficit of around 140,000 people between 2022 and 2024, as the number of Israelis leaving the country rose while the number returning fell sharply, according to a Knesset report cited by Yedioth Ahronoth on Monday. Read the full story at https://5pillarsuk.com/2026/08/17/israel-records-staggering-140000-migration-deficit-as-people-leave-in-droves/