Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Qaradawi no hate preacher: UK Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

LONDON — British Muslims reacted Thursday, February 7, with dismay to the government’s decision to deny prominent Muslim scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi a medical visa, insisting he is no hate preacher but rather a moderation icon.

“Yusuf Al Qaradawi enjoys unparalleled respect and influence throughout the Muslim world,” said Mohammad Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the umbrella Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). “I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims everywhere about the state of British society and culture.”

The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) lauded Qaradawi, chairman of the European Council for Fatwa and Research and a trustee of the Oxford University Center for Islamic Studies, as an “eminent” scholar. It regretted the government’s decision as “an unwarranted insult” to Britain’s two million Muslims. “The negative impact of this ban is no less than that of banning the Pope from entering any of the Muslim countries,” said Mohammad Sawalha, BMI president. “We would have to go as far back as the medieval age when scholars were hounded and vilified in order to find a similar retrograde decision.”

Faisal Hanjra, spokesman of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies in the UK and Ireland (FOSIS), believes the government made a wrong decision. “Dr Qaradawi is a respected mainstream scholar, well known for denouncing terrorism and related activities,” he said. “We shouldn’t let personal prejudices get in the way of allowing a respected individual seeking the best medical treatment.”

The British Muslim leaders regretted that Prime Minister Gordon has caved in to pressure from David Cameron, the leader of the opposition Conservative party. “After one year of indecision the Labour Government has finally succumbed to neo-conservative pressure,” said Sawalha, the BMI president. “It is regrettable that the government has finally given way to these unreasonable demands spearheaded by the Tory leader whose government had in fact allowed Dr Qaradawi to visit the UK five times between 1995-97,” said MCB leader Bari.

Islam Online, 10 February 2008

See also the letter from Ubaid-ur Rehman, secretary of the LGBT Muslim support group Imaan, in the Guardian, 11 February 2008

Islam attacked by both church and state

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islam attackedIslam attacked by both church and state

By James Tweedie

Morning Star, 11 February 2008

ESTABLISHMENT figures launched a spate of attacks on British Muslims this weekend, alleging honour crimes, inbreeding and seeking special treatment under the law.

But former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey accused his beleaguered successor Dr Rowan Williams of “overstating the case for accommodating Islamic legal codes.”

The former head of Britain’s official state religion added: “He may have done us a great favour by airing this whole area of controversy before demand builds among Muslim communities for special provision in British law.

“Some opinion polls have the number of British Muslims wanting to live under sharia law as high as 60 per cent,” Lord Carey claimed.

Despite his opinion that “most Muslims are heartily sick of being in the spotlight,” Lord Carey expressed hope that Britain’s sharia councils, which settle minor disputes without recourse to the civil courts, would be subjected to renewed public attention. “A public debate might bring this country’s existing sharia councils under public scrutiny to ensure that they operate under British law,” he said.

In an echo of Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘rivers of blood’ speech, he warned: “Incorporating sharia tribunals into civil law seems a little bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut – and what it would do for social cohesion doesn’t even bear thinking about.”

Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor added: “I don’t believe in a multicultural society. When people come into this country, they have to obey the laws of the land.”

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Islamophobia ‘on rise in Netherlands’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Muslim minority are facing violence and discrimination due to the new wave of Islamophobia in the Netherlands, an anti-racism group says. The findings were released in a report by a pan-European anti-racism commission, AFP reported.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) found that Islamophobia in the Netherlands had ‘increased dramatically’ since 2000. It also reported that Muslims were ‘disproportionately targeted’ by security policies and faced racist violence and discrimination.

The report went on to add that this was fuelled by events both occurring within the country and outside, such as the 9/11 attacks on the US. “The tone of Dutch political and public debate around integration and other issues relevant to ethnic minorities has experienced a dramatic deterioration”. It warned of a “worrying polarization between majority and minority communities.”

The country’s Muslim community of around one million – six percent of the population – had also faced “stereotyping, stigmatizing”, “outright racist political discourse” and “biased media portrayal”.

Press TV, 11 February 2008

See also Associated Press, 12 February 2008

Breeding antagonism

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Generations of my father’s family married their cousins. Headlines about “inbred” Muslims only serve to further demonise a minority group, argues David Shariatmadari.

Comment is Free, 11 February 2008

See also Andy Newman’s post at Socialist Unity. He writes: “Why didn’t Phil Woolas raise his concern about patterns of marriage among Jews? Or Hindus? Or the general population? Why mention the Pakistani community only? Unless this is informed by the continued mythology that Muslims are uniquely backward, and a threat to ‘our’ values?”

Archbishop: I won’t quit

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The defiant Archbishop of Canterbury insisted yesterday that he will NOT quit or apologise over the sharia law storm. His spokesman said: “He feels this whole issue has been blown out of proportion.”

Dr Rowan Williams sparked uproar when he suggested that introducing Muslim laws into the UK is “unavoidable”.

The Archbishop has since been deluged with mail – “some very unwelcome and some very nasty,” said his spokesman. “He will explain his position tomorrow at the General Synod, the Church’s “parliament”. The spokesman said: “The Archbishop will not be standing down nor apologising.”

Sharia law is a code for Muslims’ daily life. Some Islamic countries punish adultery with death and repress women.

Dr Williams’s spokesman said: “He did not call for sharia’s introduction as some kind of parallel jurisdiction to the civil law”. The Archbishop, 57, preached in Cambridge yesterday where he was greeted with boos and applause. He left without commenting.

Synod member Alison Ruoff said: “He is a disaster for the Church.” But the Bishop of Hulme, Rev Stephen Lowe, said Dr Williams was “one of the brightest Archbishops of Canterbury”.

Daily Mirror, 10 February 2008

Independent On Sunday

Posted on by Eddie Truman

Lenin’s Tomb has a brilliant deconstruction of an Independent On Sunday front page and story:

“The three basic elements of Islamophobia mentioned above are all present in the hysteria about what Muslim women wear: resentment (why should you get to hide your face?); fear and loathing (what have you got to hide?); and patronising ‘concern’ (that veil hides bruises and tears, sister, so kindly allow whitey to liberate you).”

Richard also deals comprehensively with the appalling reality of domestic abuse in the UK, 89% of which is directed at the female spouse.

Common sense from the FT on ‘sharia law’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s comments have triggered widespread confusion about the current status of the Islamic legal system.

In Britain, Muslims can already choose to have disputes settled privately under Sharia law. The government also recognises some Sharia-compliant investment and banking products, such as mortgages, and allows meat to be slaughtered according to strict Islamic practices.

The government has not, however, authorised the establishment of formal Sharia courts to deal with criminal law proceedings

Under the Archbishop’s proposals, Muslim groups would be expected to follow the precedent set by Beth Din, the Jewish court, which legally arbitrates marital and financial disputes between Orthodox Jews.

Family lawyers said this might mean establishment of local Sharia councils, which could deal with Muslim marriages and divorces, among other civil matters. It would not allow for the creation of a “parallel” legal system.

Financial Times, 9 February 2008

See also Clare Dyer in the Guardian and Deborah Orr in the Independent.

And Salma Yaqoob, as reported in the Birmingham Mail. Also Yahya Birt.

Racism still exists in Greater Manchester Police

Posted on by Bob Pitt

An atmosphere which “tolerates anti-Muslim feelings” exists within Greater Manchester Police, says a high-ranking Asian officer.

Inspector Asrar Ul-Haq made the claim during a race discrimination tribunal against GMP where he alleged he had been overlooked for promotion. After two days of evidence, the force settled and agreed to pay him compensation. But the M.E.N. can reveal there are at least three other officers currently pursuing race discrimination cases.

Charles Crichlow, the chairman of the Black and Asian Police Association (BAPA), said after the case the issue of institutional racism “remains largely unresolved”. It is almost ten years since former Chief Constable David Wilmot publicly acknowledged GMP had a problem with “institutionalised racism”.

Insp Ul-Haq, who has been a police officer for 23 years, took GMP to a tribunal claiming he was repeatedly passed over for promotion. He said he had passed all the necessary exams but had been rejected at the final interview stage three times while promotion opportunities were given to other officers who had not passed the exams.

Yousef Dar, chairman of the Greater Manchester Muslim Police Association, said: “It is disappointing that any officer or staff member has to resort to such measures in tackling inequality and discrimination.” Mr Crichlow added: “This case draws attention to the issue of institutional racism in the police service which, as the number of tribunals and complaints to BAPA suggest, remains largely unresolved.”

Manchester Evening News, 8 February 2008