Three months after Dispatches: Undercover Mosque won a police apology and libel damages, Channel 4 has announced it is returning to the subject in Undercover Mosque: The Return.
Dispatches: Undercover Mosque: The Return will air on Channel 4 on September 1 at 8pm.
MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian.
The sophisticated analysis, based on hundreds of case studies by the security service, says there is no single pathway to violent extremism.
The “restricted” MI5 report takes apart many of the common stereotypes about those involved in British terrorism. They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices.
The security service also plays down the importance of radical extremist clerics, saying their influence in radicalising British terrorists has moved into the background in recent years.
Far from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practise their faith regularly. Many lack religious literacy and could actually be regarded as religious novices. MI5 says there is evidence that a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation.
Sprinters have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.
In 2004, Bahrain’s Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab. Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird’s Nest stadium – despite being clothed head to foot.
Hicham Yezza recounts his experiences as an innocent person swept up by the “war on terror”.
Comment is Free, 18 August 2008
Hicham was released without charge after six days in custody, but was immediately rearrested on immigration charges and issued with a removal order to Algeria. See freehicham.co.uk for details on how to support his campaign against deoprtation.
“An article on March 29, ‘Everyone off my bus, I need to pray‘, stated that Arunas Raulynaitis, a London bus driver and a Muslim, asked passengers to leave his bus so he could pray and that passengers later refused to re-board the bus because they saw a ruck-sack which made them think he might be a fanatic. The article included pictures of Mr Raulynaitis praying.
“We now accept that these allegations were completely untrue. Mr Raulynaitis is not a fanatic and he did not ask passengers to leave his bus to allow him to pray. In fact, he was praying during his statutory rest break. We apologise to Mr Raulynaitis for the embarrassment and distress caused.”
The president of the centre-right Christian Democratic Party Christophe Darbellay proposed a nationwide veil ban in a recent interview with the broadsheet Tages-Anzeiger. It would also apply to holidaymakers from Arab countries in resorts like Interlaken, where the visitor segment from Middle Eastern countries has seen rapid growth, and female tourists wearing the niqab and burqa are becoming a common sight. Tourism industry representatives have reacted with scepticism to the CDP’s proposal.
Douglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion writing in the Daily Express:
“In Britain we look at scenes like those emerging from Georgia in the last week and congratulate ourselves that at least we do not have to worry about such conflict. But the truth is Britain, like any nation, should observe the feuding in the Caucuses and reflect on whether we really are that different. Some warning notes have already sounded.
“It is now seven months since the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, warned of the existence of ‘no-go areas’ within Britain. The reaction from leading politicians was dismissive. Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, described the comment as ‘inflammatory’ and ‘a gross caricature of reality’. But the fact is that the Bishop was onto something….
“Instead of fostering integration and cohesion between communities, successive UK governments and local authorities have encouraged separatism between ethnic and religious groups. Instead of being strong and standing up to the grievance-mongers and activists, they have pandered to such people….
“Telling people communities could run parallel lives in Britain ended in disaster. Immigrants were given no incentive to adapt to their new home; those already in the country resented the separation of their new neighbours and so the walls grew. But whenever people highlighted the dangers of segregation it was their comments rather than foolish government policies that were denounced….
“Last year the Commission for Racial Equality wound up. When several years ago its Chairman Trevor Phillips admitted that the multicultural experiment had failed he was hailed for his bravery in speaking out. Would that he had done so earlier!”
The Mayor of North Lincolnshire today branded the desecration of more than 20 Muslim graves as devastating. The gravestones have been vandalised in two separate areas of Brumby cemetery, and nearly 10 of the damaged graves were of children and babies.
Coun Jawaid Ishaq said the vandalised gravestones included that of a very close friend, Mohammed Abdullah, the first person he met when he moved to Scunthorpe. “This attack is devastating,” he said. “I know 70 per cent of the people buried here, including all the children’s graves. It is heart-breaking that all of a sudden some thugs have done this.”
Twenty-four Muslim headstones were knocked over or damaged in the Cemetery, on Cemetery Road, Scunthorpe.
Coun Ishaq said: “This is purely a racist attack as it has just been Muslim graves. It is a clear-cut situation. I have lived in North Lincolnshire for 45 years and I have never seen anything like this. This morning, when I found out, I felt so low as to what can happen in your own town.”
Coun Mashook Ali has also condemned the attacks. He said: “I am appalled after hearing about this incident. We all need to be respected and especially our dead, regardless of religious denomination. I hope this never happens again.”
Scunthorpe Telegraph, 14 August 2008 (Via MPACUK)
See also Scunthorpe Telegraph, 15 August 2008
“When one considers the shocking plight of British Muslims who seek to convert to Christianity, it seems to me quite offensive that Christianity should be dismissed by Dawkins and his like in the same breath as Islam.”
Julie Burchill in the Guardian, 14 August 2008
In fact, Dawkins shares Burchill’s views on the superiority of Christianity over Islam. Still, why let facts get in the way of anti-Muslim bigotry, eh Julie?
A government minister has condemned a decision by radical Muslims to stage their annual party conference in London’s East End on Saturday.
Labour’s Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said the Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which wants Britain to be an “Islamic” state, was being deliberately divisive choosing Stepney for its conference.
The Poplar & Canning Town MP’s comments were backed by Tower Hamlets Tory Opposition councillor Tim Archer, who described Hizb ut-Tahrir’s decision as “disgusting.”
Their conference, Khilafah, The Need for Political Unity, comes a week after Tower Hamlets’ new borough police commander Paul Rickett warned that extremists could be targeting “vulnerable” members of the East End’s large Bengali population.
MP Mr Fitzpatrick told the Advertiser that he had “no time” for Hizb ut-Tahrir, an outfit former Prime Minister Tony Blair considered banning. “There’s a strong feeling they should be banned,” said Mr Fitzpatrick. “It’s an organisation that preaches intolerance and division and there should be no place for it.”