Category Archives: UK

Secularists have nothing to fear from women wearing headscarves

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Secularism, a cherished principle with as many believers as non-believers, does not – should not – preclude the assertion of religious identity. It is a robust enough idea to hold the ring, as a secular state has done in the deeply religious US and India. Secularism can accommodate religious identity, as Turkey is showing by modifying Ataturk’s authoritarian secularism. What remains to be seen across western Europe is whether secularism is hijacked by a racist far right to become a rallying cry, or whether it can find its own way to adapt and modify its traditions to new identities.”

Madeleine Bunting in the Guardian, 25 February 2008

‘Islam is mandated to kill, steal and destroy America’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Biblical Family Advocates

Pastor Phil Magnan, president of Biblical Family Advocates, has been reading World Net Daily. He warns:

“We must seriously consider the fact that Islam is no ordinary religion as it is obligated to overthrow the countries they begin to reside in. We have seen this in Europe, especially in the UK where entire cities have been taken over by radical Islamists. We are fools if we do not see the handwriting on the wall. We should consider deporting all Muslims before it’s too late. Why should we allow our national destruction in the name of political correctness?”

Mangan adds: “Jesus Christ spoke of those who would try to enter into heaven another way, rather than through Christ. He even said that these are the people who steal, kill and destroy. This has been the agenda of Islam ever since they destroyed Christian churches in Northern Africa over 1300 years ago…. it is Biblically and constitutionally incumbent for our government to protect us from those who plan evil against the families of our nation.”

Christian News Wire, 25 February 2008

UN reports bias against Muslims in UK

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The United Nations says Britain’s war on terror has left Muslims feeling alienated in a nation that is no longer predominantly Christian.

The UN is questioning the treatment of Muslims living in Britain, 80 percent of whom feel discriminated against, especially with police having permission to search people without having to show reasonable suspicion. From 2004 to 2006, there has been an 84 percent increase in searches of people with ‘Asian appearance’, compared to an increase of 24 percent for white people. This has left Britons from Asian backgrounds feeling alienated in a country consisting of a large non-white population, considering themselves essentially British and entitled to equal treatment from authority figures.

Also under question is the role and privileges of the Church of England. A 23-page UN report shows two-thirds of the British people admit to no religious affiliation, unlike the UK’s 2001 National Census which claimed nearly 72 percent of the population to be Christian. Based on this report, the UN is calling for the disestablishment of the Church of England, stating it no longer reflected “the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations”.

Press TV, 24 February 2008

Bishop of Rochester reasserts ‘no-go’ claim

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nazir Ali 2The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, who received death threats for airing his views on Islamic issues, has vowed that he will continue to speak out.

His claim that Islamic extremism has turned some parts of Britain into “no-go” areas for non-Muslims led to fierce rows between political and religious leaders over the impact of multiculturalism on this country.

Yet, in his first interview since the sinister calls were made to his home, the Bishop of Rochester remains steadfastly defiant. He will not be silenced. “I believe people should not be prevented from speaking out,” he says. “The issue had to be raised. There are times when Christian leaders have to speak out.”

He wishes the Church would be more vocal on issues of multiculturalism and sharia law. He agrees with Dr Williams in supporting the right of Muslims to observe their religious freedom, but is strongly opposed to any idea of Islamic law being recognised within the British legal system.

“People of every faith should be free within the law to follow what their spiritual leaders direct them to, but that’s very different from saying their structures should replace that of the English legal system because there would be huge conflicts.” In particular, he points to polygamy, women’s rights and freedom of belief as areas in sharia law that would undermine equality.

There is a danger that the archbishop’s remarks could become a reality unless Britain quickly regains a sense of its Christian heritage. “Do the British people really want to lose that rooting in the Christian faith that has given them everything they cherish – art, literature, architecture, institutions, the monarchy, their value system, their laws?”

Sunday Telegraph, 24 February 2008

HT speaker reinstated

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The British leader of the Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir group will speak after all at a controversial debate tackling extremism in London’s East End. It follows pressure to reinstate Dr Abdul Wahid, chairman of the UK wing of Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Tower Hamlets council leader Denise Jones said on Monday that the Cordoba Foundation had agreed to cancel its invitation to Dr Wahid. But by Wednesday, the foundation had changed its mind and reinstated him as a speaker at the debate entitled “Has Political Participation Failed British Muslims?” at the London Muslim Centre in Whitechapel next Tuesday. Cllr Jones, as a result, has ordered that public funding for the event be withdrawn.

But Tory Opposition councillor Tim Archer said it was “not good enough” and has written to the council chief executive. “I acknowledge the council has now withdrawn its public funding for this particular debate,” he said. “But I’m unhappy it is still supporting a foundation that thinks it’s sensible to invite Hizb ut-Tahrir to address our youngsters. It shows a real lack of leadership from the council who seem to want to appease a small minority. Hizb ut-Tahrir is virtually a banned organisation in this country. Gordon Brown has already said he is reviewing its current status.”

He added: “Tower Hamlets would never have anything to do with an event where the BNP was asked to speak. So why is it not distancing itself further from an event where a virtually banned organisation is due to speak? It smacks of political correctness and a real lack of courage to tackle difficult issues. The Cordoba Foundation should be told it will receive no funding if this event goes ahead, not in our name.”

East London Advertiser, 22 February 2008

Muslim convert not a threat, says judge

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The high court today quashed a control order restricting the movements of a British convert to Islam on the grounds that there was “no reasonable suspicion” that he was planning to travel abroad to engage in terrorist activity.

Cerie Bullivant, 25, from Dagenham, Essex said he was pulled into “the depths of despair” after MI5 alleged that the order was necessary because of suspicions that he planned to travel to Iraq or Afghanistan.

But Mr Justice Collins, sitting at London’s high court, quashed the order, which had been imposed under anti-terrorism laws. He ruled: “There is no reasonable suspicion that establishes that.”

Lawyers for Bullivant had argued that the accusations were “baseless” and that he was the victim of an abuse of power.

Towards the end of last year, Bullivant attempted suicide while being detained in Belmarsh prison.

Guardian, 22 February 2008

Britain did host US torture flights

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We did host US torture flightsBritain did host US torture flights

By Louise Nousratpour

Morning Star, 22 February 2008

FOREIGN Secretary David Miliband made a forced apology yesterday after admitting that an air base on the British territory of Diego Garcia was used by CIA torture flights.

Mr Miliband’s belated admission stood in stark contrast to new Labour’s previous claims that the US had not used British territory or airspace for “rendition” flights.

In the face of credible evidence gathered by human rights organisations, former foreign secretary Jack Straw and former prime minister Tony Blair both flatly denied that rendition flights had touched down on British soil.

In a Commons statement, Mr Miliband told MPs that he was “very sorry” that previous information given by ministers had been “incorrect.”

Details of the two flights, which stopped to refuel at the Indian Ocean island in 2002, were only passed to the government by US authorities last week. Mr Miliband claimed that this was due to an “administration error” on the part of the US. He hailed Washington’s “voluntary” decision to disclose the information as a sign of US commitment to ensuring that it will not happen again.

Campaigners and Labour MPs reacted furiously to the disclosure, warning that the US had “deliberately lied” to the British government and would do it again.

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Qaradawi ban denounced across Muslim world

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Britain’s refusal of visa to cleric sparks anger in Muslim world

BBC Monitoring, 20 February 2008

By Mohamed Shokry

The British government has recently refused an entry visa to prominent Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi on the grounds that he justifies terrorism. The decision, announced on 7 February, has drawn angry reactions from the Muslim world.

Egyptian-born, Qatar-based Al-Qaradawi is widely seen in the Muslim world as a symbol of moderation and advocate of inter-faith dialogue. He is the head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. Al-Qaradawi visited the UK in 2004 and received a warm welcome from the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

The visa refusal decision has been widely viewed by Muslims as motivated by influential lobby groups in Britain.

Decision to widen “gap” between Muslims, British people

Al-Qaradawi, who condemned the 11 September 2001 attacks on the USA, has nevertheless always described attacks carried out by Palestinians as “martyrdom operations”. Al-Qaradawi is banned from entering the USA.

“Britain does not tolerate the presence of a person like Al-Qaradawi on its soil. This is because of his extremist ideas and support of terrorist acts. His presence will cause divisions within society,” a British Home Office spokesman told the pan-Arab London-based daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat.

Some Muslim scholars have warned the British government that the decision may have a bad impact on the relations between Muslims and British people.

“The government should go back on its decision because this harms British interests and Muslims’ feelings. It will widen the gap between us and the British people,” Dr Azzam al-Tamimi, the head of the Institute of Islamic Political Thought, told the Qatar-based pan-Arab TV Al-Jazeera’s “Behind the News” programme on 7 February.

“I am afraid this decision will send the wrong message to Muslims across the world on the British society and its culture,” Muhammad Abd-al-Bari, chief of the Muslim Council of Britain, commented following the decision.

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Campaigners to protest against racist Express coverage

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-racism campaigners will protest outside the offices of the right-wing Daily Express newspaper today over the paper’s incessant attacks on refugees and Muslims.

The protest has been called in response to inflammatory headlines such as “Over 860 migrants flood in every day,” “Migrants send our crime rate soaring” and “Soft touch Britain: You pay £21m benefits to migrant workers.”

The lunchtime protest has been organised by Media Workers Against the War, Stop the War Coalition, Stop the War Muslim Activists Network and the British Muslim Initiative.

A Media Workers Against the War spokesman said that the headlines in pornographer Richard Desmond’s papers and the stories that go with them “twist flimsy, inadequate and misleading ‘evidence’ in order to pander to prejudice. They do nothing to inform Express readers. On the contrary, they incite race hatred,” he said.

Stop the War Coalition spokesman Chris Nineham added that such “disgusting attacks” on Muslims are a threat both to the Muslim community and to all those who value civil liberties.

The protest will take place from 12.30-2pm outside the Northern & Shell Building, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R.

Morning Star, 21 February 2008