Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Intolerance in Europe

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Washington Post examines “the blatant bigotry of many mainstream political leaders, journalists and other elites against Islam and its followers” in Europe.

The article continues: “Sometimes the bigots portray their crude attacks on Muslim beliefs and culture as a defense of freedom of speech – as when a Danish newspaper last year chose to publish gratuitously offensive cartoons about the prophet Muhammad. Sometimes they claim to be promoting better communication, as when British parliamentarian Jack Straw recently asked Muslim women to remove their veils when visiting his office. Luckily for the enemies of cynicism and disingenuousness, there is also the Dutch government – which no longer bothers to disguise its ugly prejudice.”

Editorial in Washington Post, 25 November 2006

British Muslim Initiative no different from BNP, says Charles Moore

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Charles Moore 2Charles Moore’s column in this week’s Spectator features an attack on the rally against Islamophobia at Central Hall, Westminster, on Monday evening. The main object of Moore’s ire is shadow attorney-general Dominic Grieve, who was one of the platform speakers at the meeting.

Moore completely omits to mention that Liberty was a joint organiser of the rally, as that would rather undermine his case that the event was promoted by “Islamist” extremists. The other co-organiser of the rally, the British Muslim Initiative, is laughably described by Moore as “an offshoot of Respect, the party represented in Parliament by George Galloway”. And his characterisations of other Muslim bodies who provided speakers are equally ignorant.

Moore castigates the Tory party for believing that “it has to turn up to anything which calls itself Muslim”. Pursuing the theme common to rabid right-wingers like Melanie Phillips, pseudo-leftists like David T of Harry’s Place and “liberal” supporters of torture like Nick Cohen, that mainstream Muslim organisations represent a variety of fascism, Moore demands: “Would Mr Grieve attend BNP rallies on the grounds that one must hear the voice of white people?”

Aishah Azmi sacked

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Muslim teaching assistant who was suspended for refusing to remove her veil in the classroom has been sacked.

Aishah Azmi, 24, of Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, west Yorkshire, was suspended on full pay earlier this year by Kirklees council and has now been sacked, sources said.

Last month, an employment tribunal dismissed three of Mrs Azmi’s claims of discrimination and harassment but found that she was victimised by Headfield Church of England junior school in Dewsbury and awarded her £1,000 for “injury to feelings”.

Mrs Azmi said she was willing to remove her veil in front of children – but not when male colleagues were present. Her case sparked a national debate on multiculturalism in Britain.

The prime minister, Tony Blair, said the veil row was part of a necessary debate about the way the Muslim community integrates into British society and said the veil was a “mark of separation” which makes people of other ethnic backgrounds feel uncomfortable.

The intervention by a series of politicians, which culminated in Mr Blair’s remarks, were criticised both by the tribunal and Muslim community leaders. The tribunal report said it was “most unfortunate” that politicians had made comments on the case which were sub judice.

The debate was sparked by the leader of the House of Commons, Jack Straw, when he said that the wearing of full veils – or niqab – made community relations more difficult.

The government’s race minister, Phil Woolas, demanded Mrs Azmi be sacked, accusing her of “denying the right of children to a full education” because her stand meant she could not “do her job” and insisted that barring men from working with her would amount to “sexual discrimination”.

The shadow home secretary, David Davis, launched a stinging attack on Muslim leaders for risking “voluntary apartheid” in Britain, and allegedly expecting special protection from criticism.

Press Association, 24 November 2006

MB hits back at Washington Times

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The Muslim Brotherhood finds itself between the hammer of Mrs Alyssa Lappen – who represents the Zionist lobby and its declared war on the MB – and the anvil of Mr Osama Ben Laden who opposes every moderate Islamic movement, including the Muslim Brotherhood.”

The Muslim Brotherhood replies to an article in the Washington Times by Rachel Ehrenfeld and Alyssa A. Lappen.

IkhwanWeb.com, 24 November 2006

Soumaya socks it to Sunny

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“What do I think of the New Generation Network manifesto published on Cif? It is intellectually flawed and politically unproductive. The document has generated a string of articles by its signatories. But it failed to move beyond the parameters of dominant discourse on religion and ethnicity and thus brought nothing new. For the ideas that formed its core, all one would have had to do is refer to Ruth Kelly’s recent statements on the subject saving us much noise and a great deal of ink.”

Soumaya Ghannoushi replies to Sunny Hundal and his chums.

Comment is Free, 24 November 2006

Mad Mel gets it wrong … again

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Mr Livingstone also claimed it was wrong to brand a British Muslim boy a ‘terrorist’ if he got involved in Palestinian violence against Israel, whereas ‘if a young Jewish boy in this country goes and joins the Israeli army and ends up killing many Palestinians and comes back, that is wholly legitimate’. These comments are simply utterly unacceptable. British Jews do not serve in the Israeli army.”

Melanie Phillips in the Daily Mail, 22 July 2005

“He grew up in suburban north London and still misses home comforts like milky British tea, the friends he left behind and the local pub. But yesterday Joe Wainer joined an elite Israeli army unit, and now he faces the prospect of active service in the occupied West Bank. The 19-year-old, one of nine young Britons who have signed up for a programme that recruits foreign Jews for the Israel Defence Forces, realised his life had changed when he fired an M16 rifle for the first time in training.”

Jeevan Vasagar in the Guardian, 23 November 2006

Postscript:  Dan Judelson of Jews for Justice for Palestinians has a letter in the Guardian responding to the latter article: “We hear over and over again that there are two sides to this conflict. Yet the real problem of the west’s attitude is one of double standards. A programme to recruit young British Palestinians to join Palestinian security forces would be swiftly shut down and claims of ‘mentoring’ dismissed as wicked Islamist indoctrination.”

Guardian, 25 November 2006

How should Muslims respond to Islamophobia?

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EMN_flyerThe emerging pan-European Islamophobic hysteria: how should Muslims respond?

An EMN Conference with:

Victoria Brittain, Journalist and co-author with Moazzam Begg of his book Enemy Combatant
Gwen Griffith Dickson, Director of Lokahi Foundation
Fouad Imrraine, Collectif des Musulmans de France (France)
Lee Jasper (Chair), Senior Advisor to the Mayor of London on Race and Policing
Redmond O’Neil, Director of Transport and Public Affairs, Greater London Authority Mayor’s Office
Arzu Merali, Head of Research Section, Islamic Human Rights Commission
Tariq Ramadan, President of the European Muslim Network, senior research fellow St Antony’s College (Oxford) and at the Lokahi Foundation (London)

Date/Time:  Friday 8th December from 7 to 10 pm.

Venue:  City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA

Present efforts to challenge the gross misrepresentations of Muslims and Islam in the media and across the political spectrum are not working. As media scare stories increase in both number and ferocity, fuelled by the calculated pronouncements of politicians and intelligence services, the gap between Muslim and non-Muslim citizens in Europe escalating to dangerous levels. It is now essential that European Muslims become politically engaged in the societies they live in.

This Conference will explore the European-wide phenomenon and discuss strategies, tactics and practical actions that need to be adopted to counter attacks on Muslims and bring communities together in the fight for social justice for all.

This event is organised by the European Muslim Network and supported by the Greater London Authority and the 1990 Trust.

Booking:  To reserve a place to attend this FREE event, please email your name to ruhul@blink.org.uk

One silver lining to the assault on our freedoms

Posted on by Bob Pitt

One silver lining to the assault on our freedoms

By Jeremy Corbyn

Morning Star, 22 November 2006

LAST weekend, the Stop the War coalition organised an enormous assembly linking the war and the defence of minorities and freedom of expression. Two days later, the British Muslim Initiative and Liberty came together to host a rally in Westminster’s Central Hall on the theme of Islamophobia.

Intolerance is not new in Britain. The Jews were thrown out in the 13th century and they were not allowed back until Oliver Cromwell allowed them in the 17th century. However, they suffered persecution for centuries more to come, with hysterical campaigns in the 19th and 20th centuries run by the popular media which enabled the far-right to gain ground.

Black migrants suffered racist abuse and stereotyping in the 1950s and, later, Asian and other groups suffered in the same way.

The Irish were singled out for special vilification and, after the 1974 Prevention of Terrorism Act, they had the unwelcome attention of the state itself forced upon them. The PTA was finally replaced by the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent acts, all of which have been designed to give excessive and unaccountable power to the security services.

The US may operate a blot on human existence in Guantanamo Bay, but Britain has Belmarsh and is holding dozens of foreign nationals indefinitely without trial, appeal or action date.

Ever since 2001, the vocal campaign against Islam has gained momentum. It has been given occasional puffs of credibility by public statements.

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