Category Archives: UK

‘End the silence over Islam’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Am I alone in my disquiet about our government’s courtship of the Scottish Islamic Foundation? In the 1970s, young women like me embraced multiculturalism; we were engaging with our oppressed sisters everywhere around the world. Or so it seemed at the time. Where are we now? And why are we so effectively silenced?

“Why do we have nothing to say about a sharia credit card? Have we really forgotten what sharia law means for women? While English clerics debate the pros and cons of introducing an element of sharia law into their legal system, where are our voices in this debate? Do we seriously think it won’t happen in Scotland? Look at their website. It’s happening already.

“What do we think about the headline ‘Muslim sprinter wins Olympic sprint dressed head to toe in hijab’ (from the Scottish Islamic Foundation website)? Or of Al Jazeera talking to Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister, about a ‘Scottish division’ of their TV station. Why on earth would they want a Scottish division? I need to know.

“I am not opposed, in principle, to any of these, but I am opposed to the suffocating, politically correct silence that now surrounds any criticism of organisations such as the Scottish Islamic Foundation. We need to bring this debate into the open. I don’t fear the debate; I fear the silence.”

Letter in the Scotsman, 29 August 2008

Turning the tables

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“My sister has worn a face veil for six years. She lives in Birmingham, where it is common to see women shrouded in black, however the sight is more unusual in Southampton, where my parents live and where, at the weekend, my sister was called ‘a ninja woman’.

“This insult is neither the most hurtful – ‘fucking terrorist freak’ – nor the most spurious – ‘Osama-lover’ – to have been levelled at her over the years. But it wasn’t the name-calling that really rankled her and me.

“We challenged the man who made the remark, he denied saying it, even though he said it as I was passing him. My sister called him ‘a lying bigot’, which is all she could muster on a Sunday afternoon in Primark, en route to Clark’s to have her children fitted for new shoes, but she delivered it rather splendidly, to the bemusement of shoppers who, if they hadn’t noticed her before, suddenly found her rather interesting. Her children asked why mummy was shouting at a man.”

Riazat Butt in the Guardian, 27 August 2008

Abbey Mills Mosque: ‘No pledges have been broken’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Abbey Mills Mosque logoMosque developers this week denied breaking promises to keep neighbours abreast of the controversial project. Newham councillor Alan Craig, outspoken opponent of the proposals, had criticised mosque backers Tablighi Jamaat, who want to build a 12,000-capacity complex in West Ham.

“Tablighi Jamaat pledged an open day event during the summer at which we would view the work, see an exhibition and meet their architects and consultants,” said Mr Craig, leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance group. “It is now almost the end of summer with the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan just two weeks away, yet there is still no sign of the event.”

He added that worried locals have had five months “with the threat of this huge mosque hanging over their heads” yet still are given no information. “This silence is not golden. It represents yet another false claim and broken promise by Tablighi Jamaat.”

A statement from the developer’s PR company said: “The trustees have not changed their plans to stage two major consultation events. These will take place prior to making a formal planning application for this project.”

The statement expressed disappointment that progress has been slower than expected. “It is not the case that the trustees have broken a promise of any kind to the community. The trustees will ensure that all residents and those who have expressed interest through our website will be informed in plenty of time when the Work in Progress exhibition will be held.”

Newham Recorder, 26 August 2008

Terrorist – or just a curious teenager?

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Let’s look at what had Hammaad Munshi is actually said to have done. According to all accounts of the case, Munshi surfed the internet and is said to have downloaded material about the making of napalm and other explosives. He also had ‘al-Qa’ida propaganda videos’ on his PC.

“So what? That’s freedom folks. Just think how many British teenagers have got hold of the Anarchist’s Cookbook over the years and how much easier the internet has made it to seek out and read such material. How many of them went on to become terrorists? And if people want to download videos of US army tanks being blasted apart by Iraqi resistance fighters then that is surely their own business, right? Where have all the ‘free speech’ warriors gone now?”

Inayat Bunglawala examines the conviction of “Britain’s youngest terrorist”.

Comment is Free, 25 August 2008

MI5 colluded with torture of Guantánamo prisoner

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Binyam MohamedMI5 participated in the unlawful interrogation of a British resident now held in Guantánamo Bay, the high court found yesterday in a judgment raising serious questions about the conduct of Britain’s security and intelligence agencies.

One MI5 officer was so concerned about incriminating himself that he initially declined to answer questions from the judges even in private, the judgment reveals. Though the judges say “no adverse conclusions” should be drawn by the MI5 officer’s plea against self-incrimination, they disclose that the officer, Witness B, was questioned about alleged war crimes under the international criminal court act, including torture. The full evidence surrounding Witness B’s evidence, and the judges’ findings, remain secret.

The MI5 officer interrogated the British resident, Binyam Mohamed, while he was being held in Pakistan in 2002. Mohamed, 30, an Ethiopian national, was later secretly rendered to Morocco, where he says was tortured by having his penis cut with a razor blade. The US subsequently flew him to Afghanistan and he was transferred to Guantánamo Bay in September 2004 where he remains.

In a passage which appears to contradict previous assurances by MI5, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones concluded: “The conduct of the security service facilitated interviews by or on behalf of the United States when [Mohamed] was being detained by the United States incommunicado and without access to a lawyer.” They added: “Under the law of Pakistan, that detention was unlawful.”

Asked last month about unrelated allegations involving detainees held in Pakistan, the Home Office said on behalf of MI5: “All security service staff have an awareness of the Human Rights Act 1998, and are fully committed to complying with the requirements of the law when working in the UK and overseas.”

It added that the security and intelligence agencies “do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or inhumane or degrading treatment”.

Guardian, 22 August 2008

MI5 report on terrorism challenges stereotypes

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MI5MI5 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.

Guardian, 21 August 2008

Posted in UK

‘Britain’s terror laws have left me and my family shattered’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

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.

Sun apologises to Arunas Raulynaitis

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Arunas Raulynaitis“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.”

Sun, 15 August 2008