Category Archives: UK

‘It’s time to end the cultural appeasement’ says Paul Richards

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Paul RichardsAt Progress Online the dreadful Paul Richards, former advisor to the no less appalling Hazel Blears, offers his take on the Jim Fitzpatrick affair.

No surprises here – Richards hails the “courage” of the MP for Poplar & Canning Town who walked out of his constituents’ wedding. Those of us who condemned Fitzpatrick’s boorish behaviour are, as you might expect, guilty of “cultural relativism”.

Equally predictably, Richards takes an ignorant swipe at Iqbal Sacranie: “He has served on this board and that, advised our Labour government, was secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), and has been knighted by the Queen. But looking at the CV, you are hard-pressed to find any evidence of having been elected by anyone to anything.”

And how does Richards suppose that Iqbal Sacranie got to be secretary-general of the MCB – through a military coup?

Richards claims to see a parallel between Fitzpatrick and, of all people, George Lansbury. He notes that in 1912 Lansbury resigned his East London seat to fight a by-election in support of women’s rights: “He lost the seat, but placed himself on the right side of decency, progress and equality for women, just like the Fitzpatricks when they walked away from the London Muslim Centre last weekend.”

The only parallel I can see here is that Fitzpatrick looks likely to lose his seat too.

Still, Richards sees hope for the future: “It is entirely reasonable, based on the evidence, that those sections of Britain’s Muslim communities … whose culture is tainted by medieval prejudice and abuse of power, will change.”

Update:  Read ENGAGE’s response to Richards here.

Update 2:  See “Sir Iqbal Sacranie: Correction and Apology”, Progress Online, 21 October 2009

Fears of further violence by EDL prompt march ban

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Luton riotThe Home Office has issued a ban on any unofficial marches taking place in Luton for the next three months. The ban was granted to Beds Police and Luton Borough Council, who feared a planned “anti-extremism” march on September 19 would mean a repeat of violent scenes from earlier in the year.

Several “marches” have taken place in Luton in response to disruption caused by Islamic extremists at the homecoming parade for the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment, nicknamed the Poachers, on March 10. The most recent, in May, saw protestors clash with police and cause damage to cars and a takeaway shop. A man was also assaulted.

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Tariq Ramadan still welcome in Oxford

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tariq Ramadan, the Islamic scholar sacked by Rotterdam city council and Erasmus University, will take up the job of professor of contemporary Islam studies at Oxford University in Britain from September 1, the Telegraaf reports.

Ramadan was fired because of his refusal to stop working for an Iranian-backed tv channel. The city and university said this could not be combined with his other roles as academic and advisor on integration.

Ramadan has been attached to Oxford as a researcher and lecturer for the past four years. “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right which will be respected,” a spokesman for the British university told the paper.

Dutch News, 21 August 2009

EDL plans provocation in Harrow on September 11

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Harrow_Central_MosqueA Harrow mosque leader says he is “sad” about plans for a 9/11 far-right protest outside its building.

The English Defence League (EDL) has organised a demonstration in front of the building, in Station Road, on September 11, and plans to make it a memorial event for the 2001 terrorist attacks. The event will take place on a Friday, the Islamic holy day.

Ghulam Rabbani, general secretary of the mosque, said: “We also believe that September 11 wasn’t right. We have a policy of anti-extremism. If people have something against us, they probably don’t know us. If you are Christian or Muslim we can still be friends. We hope the local community and our friends and the local government and police will be there to try seriously to defend everybody.”

Members of EDL clashed with anti-fascist campaigners in Birmingham on August 10 with police in riot gear struggling to control the situation. Officers made 35 arrests.

The original protest outside Harrow Central Mosque was organised for August 29 on the back of claims there were plans to hold Sharia court meetings in its new building. Mr Rabbani says there are no such plans but a statement on the website of the far-right coalition the British Defence Leagues says they do not believe him and do not “want any more mosques in this country”.

The statement reads: “It has now been rescheduled to September 11th, which is a Friday, but will incorporate a 9/11 anniversary commemoration. This is now being organised by the EDL.”

Mr Rabbani said: “We have worked very hard with the local government and the local police to keep community cohesion and partnership. All of the community can live together peacefully. Most of the community is happy with us. This group is coming from outside.”

Harrow Times, 20 August 2009

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EDL switches Luton march date to up support

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL supporterA march against extremism has been rescheduled for next month – so more than 1,000 protesters can take part.

The right-wing English Defence League (EDL), which had originally organised the march for August, said it put it back as a direct result of our front page story last week revealing the Royal Anglian Regiment would deliberately avoid Luton on its 150-mile charity walk. The regiment said it was doing so because of the abuse it received from extremists on its homecoming parade in the town centre in March.

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Glen Jenvey admits to faking evidence for Sun article

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Terror Target SugarRichard Bartholomew has the latest on Glen Jenvey, who now admits to his role in faking the evidence behind the notorious “Terror Target Sugar” story in the Sun, which reported that Muslims were plotting to attack British Jews.

Glenvey now claims to have converted to Islam under the guidance of Anjem Choudary’s “School of Shariah”. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be some sort of sting operation on Glenvey’s part. But then again, it could be that I’m doing him an injustice and he is in fact just a total fruitcake.

Research shows multiculturalism is working in the UK

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Children of International Migrants in EuropeMuslim teenagers in the UK are much more assimilated with the nation than their counterparts growing up in other European countries, new research claims.

For the study, young second generation Pakistanis and Indians who were also Muslims living in Blackburn and Rochdale were compared with Moroccan and Algerian youngsters in France and Turks and former Yugoslavs in Germany.

The British “multicultural” approach of accommodating immigrants actually works better than the French or German approaches, it is claimed.

In France, where head coverings have been banned in schools, there is no allowance for ethnic and religious differences by the state. And the widespread ethnic tensions seen between North Africans and the police in France in 2007 were repeated this summer.

In Germany, unless you have a German ancestor you cannot legally become a German citizen no matter how long your family have settled in the country. Citizenship relies on a German blood line.

The research is to be published in a new book out tomorrow, titled Children of International Migrants in Europe. Professor Roger Penn, from Lancaster University, who co-authored the book said:

“Perceptions of discrimination were lowest in Britain and highest in Germany, reflecting the failure of the German model of exclusive ‘ethnic nationalism’. Britain’s model of multiculturalism is proving far more effective for the incorporation of ethnic minority groups than the French ‘assimilation’ or German ‘ethnic nationalist’ ones. There is simply a moral panic going on about young Muslims because of 7/7.”

Daily Mail, 20 August 2009

Harrow Central Mosque rejects ‘Sharia court’ claims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Harrow MosqueHarrow Central Mosque has hit back at suggestions that the new building will host a Sharia Law Court after protesters against extremism released plans to rally outside the centre. Last week the Observer revealed the English Defence League’s plans to protest outside the Station Road based Mosque on August 29, after suggestions it would host a court on the site. But Ghulam Rabbani, general secretary of Harrow Central Mosque, said:

“It is important to make clear that there are no plans to hold Sharia court meetings at the new Mosque. We have never considered any such plans and it is a matter of public record from our planning applications. We are confused as to why the protesters ever thought this was the case. The new Mosque is a building which will be open to all and has been welcomed by other faith communities and we reject attempts to divide us. We are proud to be British, Muslim and Harrow residents, and we embrace all three of these identities.”

It is thought that the protests will go ahead irrespective of this and as a result an emergency meeting between senior council officials and community leaders has been scheduled for Friday, August 21.

Harrow Observer, 18 August 2009

‘Why do we tolerate this shameful gender separation?’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Two countries, two weddings, two outcomes. In the first instance, a minister in the British government has been accused of bad manners for leaving a Muslim wedding in east London when he was asked to sit in a separate room from his wife. In the second, 41 women and children died when fire broke out in the women’s marquee at a wedding party in Kuwait….

“Muslim organisations have attacked Fitzpatrick, saying he should have respected the wishes of the bridal couple, and they defend gender-segregation at weddings and social events as a matter of ‘personal choice’. It isn’t. As the ghastly fire in the Gulf state demonstrates, insisting that men and women occupy different spaces is common in states where Islamic law is in operation. At last weekend’s wedding, male and female guests were directed to different tents and children sent to sit among the women, which is why no men died in the conflagration.”

Joan Smith – who else? – in the Independent, 19 August 2009

Update:  See letters in the Independent, 20 August 2009

Quilliam accuses anti-BNP protestors of ‘thuggery and hooliganism’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-BNP Codnor protest2

“Last weekend the BNP’s annual shindig ‘Red, White and Blue’ took place in a small town in Derbyshire. Reports said that the number of attendees was only marginally more than the number of anti-fascist protesters who congregated outside the gate.

“Unfortunately, these anti-BNP protesters soon became violent – leading to a total of 19 protesters being arrested. Although it is good to see ordinary people protesting against the BNP, such protests become ineffective when they descend into thuggery and hooliganism.”

So Lucy James, research fellow at the Quilliam Foundation, writes at Progress Online.

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