Category Archives: UK

BMI: Islamists are not terrorists

Posted on by Bob Pitt

British Muslim Initiative press release, 4 July 2007

The British Muslim Initiative remains firm in its condemnation of any and all attempts to undermine the safety, security and sanctity of human lives in the UK, and continues to call the Muslim community to offer full support to the police and security agencies in order that a full and thorough investigation could be conducted in the failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow. However, BMI wishes to express its utter disgust at the attempt of some in attempting to score points at this critical time of our country and people, by peddling much repeated myths, falsehoods and lies in order to mend a beleaguered and flimsy argument at a time of great difficulty for all.

The attempt by some to promote the term ‘Islamist’ as indicative of the new evil element on the block, is nothing short of evil in itself. The groups mentioned in Denis MacShane’s article in the Telegraph yesterday (‘Islamist’ is the word for these terrorists) have been amongst the most vociferous and outspoken against the trend of extremism…. MacShane’s argument is not just false, it threatens to lump those who have all along rejected violence, with those who use violence as their means and declare violence as their objective, hence compromising all efforts to combat the rise of this threat.

BMI also expresses its alarm as to the coverage offered to the ideas and arguments of ‘former’ extremists, such as Ed Hussein and Hassan Butt, who have not stopped at merely relaying their experiences as ‘repentant extremists’, but go on to offer their input on the whole scope of Islamic theology, ideology and groupings, which given their former history, they have almost no proper insight into and have no right to assume the position of experts or authorities thereon.

See also Anas Altikriti’s piece at Comment is Free, 4 July 2007

US radio host says women in burqas are hateful Nazis who’ll kill your children

Posted on by Bob Pitt

On the July 2 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, discussing the recent terror-related arrests in Britain, radio host Michael Savage said, “When I see a woman walking around with a burqa, I see a Nazi,” adding, “That’s what I see – how do you like that? – a hateful Nazi who would like to cut your throat and kill your children.” Savage also said that when a Muslim woman wears a burqa, “She’s doing it to spit in your face. She’s saying, ‘You white moron, you, I’m going to kill you if I can.'” The Savage Nation reaches more than 8 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it the third most-listened-to talk radio show in the nation.

Media Matters, 3 July 2007 

Express writer urges support for far-right ‘mega mosque’ petition

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Patrick O'Flynn“This planned Mosque would be large enough for tens of thousands of Muslims at a time. But what’s the betting against it becoming another hotbed of so-called ‘radical’ preachers? Such large scale facilities suggest an ambition among some of East London’s Muslims to become ever more dominant over other faiths and communities in the area. Before long I can see the old East End becoming an almost exclusively Muslim district in which others fear to tread….

“The people of this country have to let Muslims know we are not happy with the way community relations are going. Unless mainstream Muslims come to realise that the disastrous course their community is currently set on – segregation, anti-free speech, anti-women’s rights, pro-sharia courts – is fiercely resented by the majority of British people then the pressure cooker of ill-feeling will keep building.”

Patrick O’Flynn urges support for the “mega mosque” petition initiated by BNP supporter Jill Barham.

Daily Express, 3 July 2007

Meanwhile over at Manchester Crown Court …

Posted on by Bob Pitt

… another terrorist conspiracy is attracting rather less in-depth attention from the media.

BBC News, 2 July 2007

It’s also worth noting that Robert Cottage’s wife has stated that his descent into BNP-inspired political extremism accelerated as he “became more religious” – the religion in question being, one assumes, a version of Christianity. But I rather doubt we’ll be treated to headlines in the Daily Express denouncing “Christian terrorism” or articles in the liberal press warning against “Christofascism”.

Nor is this blinkered attitude restricted to the right-wing press. Over at the Daily Mirror, under the headline “Time for Muslims to defend our country”, Sue Carroll writes: “I don’t believe it’s racist, bigoted or politically incorrect to say that at this moment in time the terrorists who threaten our way of life come from only one religion – Islam.”

‘Islamist’ is the word for these terrorists, says Denis MacShane

Posted on by Bob Pitt

denis_macshaneAs William Dalrymple observed back in 2004: “There are few things, you would imagine, that … Denis MacShane, Margaret Thatcher, the British National Party and the daytime television host Robert Kilroy-Silk would all agree on. Nevertheless … a deep disdain for Islam is one subject on which they can all concur whole-heartedly.”

Everything MacShane has said or done since then only reinforces the accuracy of Dalrymple’s assessment, and his article in (appropriately enough) today’s Torygraph is no exception.

As for MacShane’s blanket condemnation of “Islamism”, we’re getting a bit weary of refuting this particular stupidity, and so refer readers to an earlier reply to Johann Hari. And as we’ve also pointed out: “Along with references to ‘Eurabia’ and Bat Ye’or, it’s always a sign that Islamophobia has reached the point of total dementia when a commentator launches into a diatribe against Tariq Ramadan.”

So it hardly comes as a surprise that MacShane does just that. “Islamist” is the appropriate word for Al-Qaida-inspired terrorists he tells us, and Professor Ramadan is an advocate of Islamism. Which of course obliterates the not entirely irrelevant distinction between terrorism and one of its most vocal opponents within the Muslim communities. The irresponsibility of this nonsense beggars description.

Salmond upholds liberties

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Salmond upholds libertiesSalmond upholds liberties

By James Tweedie

Morning Star, 3 July 2007

Scottish civil liberties campaigners welcomed First Minister Alex Salmond’s insistence on Monday that the recent terror attacks must not be a pretext for increasing detention without charge to 90 days.

Speaking in the wake of the failed Glasgow airport car bomb attack, Mr Salmond said: “We have not been persuaded about the necessity for that, as, indeed, other parties haven’t. There is nothing in this incident which would affect that at the present moment, since we have in custody two people who are suspected of being involved in a terrorist incident.”

Scotland Against Criminalising Communities secretary Richard Haley said: “We are glad Alex Salmond has made these comments. The interests of justice will be served best if police stick to the tried and trusted methods contained in the ordinary criminal law and avoid using the divisive powers granted them under terrorism laws. When all is said and done, let’s remember that fewer people were hurt in the Glasgow airport incident than in the the football-related violence in Shettleston on the same day,” he pointed out.

Continue reading →

Muslims should show support for attacks on civil liberties, advises Torygraph

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“A number of Muslim leaders have made clear how shocked and offended their community has been by these incidents. But given the state of public anger and alarm over the series of failed attacks, and the sense that it was only the most extraordinary good fortune that prevented them from ending in carnage, it may no longer be enough for British Muslims to offer verbal condemnations after the fact….

“Obviously, all Muslims should not be branded as potential terrorists, but, for present purposes, all terrorists are likely to be Muslims…. it is they who will have to accept the infringements of liberty that follow from racial profiling and the targeting of likely terrorists, which are now necessary for public safety. Perhaps the many British Muslims who detest terrorist activity might consider raising their voices against it in public protests, to demonstrate their understanding of the need for the hard measures to come.”

Editorial in Daily Telegraph, 3 July 2007

Fear lingers for Muslims relieved that suspects are not British

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Charlene Sweeney reports for The Times on fears of an anti-Muslim backlash in Scotland.

Fear lingers for Muslims relieved that suspects are not British

By Charlene Sweeney

The Times, 3 July 2007

On the streets of the Pollokshields suburb of Glasgow, home to Scotland’s largest Muslim population, there was a palpable sense of relief yesterday that the suspects being held in police custody for the terror attacks at Glasgow Airport and London were foreign nationals.

But there was also a lingering fear that the community would suffer reprisals simply for having brown skins.

Robina Chaudry, 39, a retail assistant who lives in the area, said: “I saw the bombings on TV and I feel really upset by it. White people looked down on Asians after the London bombings and I worry it will happen again. My kids go on the Underground every day and I fear for their safety.”

One retired man, who did not wish to be named, said that he had not heard of any backlash so far, but cautioned that the attacks could be used as an excuse for racism. “If these terrorists had been born or brought up in Scotland it might be different, but they don’t belong to our Asian community,” he said. “I think people will be tolerant – the Scots are in general – but there are fanatics in every society.”

Zeeshan Muhammed, 17, a pupil at Shawlands Academy who last month attended the country’s first Young Scottish Muslims conference, said that relations between Asians and other communities were in general good. However he admitted that last week’s terror threats could “change things”.

He said that he has already been the subject of taunts because of his faith.

“At school sometimes when I wear a [Muslim] cap they say, ‘Oh look, here’s Osama coming.’ Some are joking but others are serious.”

Across the wider Scottish Muslim community, faith leaders who feared racial tensions were encouraged by the news that the suspects were not British.

Bashir Maan, Scottish representative for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: “The community was very tense to begin with but since the new developments, that the attackers were foreign nationals, there is some relief – and also some hope – that things will not get as bad.”

But Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, argued that the backlash that followed the 9/11 atrocity in New York and the 7/7 suicide bombings in London was also possible in Scotland.

“Muslims are victims of these atrocities too and what makes it even more galling is that we’re also at the centre of a storm where everyone is pointing the finger of suspicion at us,” he said.

Fascists defend ‘enlightened forms of social governance’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Islam is at odds with everything we in the west stand for. It is diametrically opposed to our enlightened forms of social governance, democracy, free thinking, scientific enquiry and common justice. The BNP remains the only political party which stands firm, speaks the truth and says that there is no place for Islam in Britain.”

BNP news article, 3 July 2007

“Enlightened forms of social governance, democracy, free thinking”? To quote Nick Griffin’s sidekick Mark Collett:

“National Socialism was the best solution for German people in the 1930s…. When people say ‘Do you take any inspiration from that?’, I mean, I honestly can’t understand how a man who’s seen the inner city hell of Britain today can’t look back on that era with a certain nostalgia and think, yeah, those people marching through the streets and all those happy people out in the streets, you know, saluting and everything, was a bad thing.”