Islamophobic attacks have been on the rise, with an increase in assaults, vandalised mosques and desecrated graves
Britain's largest mainstream Muslim organisation will today call for "robust action" to combat Islamophobic attacks amid fears of growing violence and under-reporting of hate crimes. The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) will challenge the "ethnic profiling" of members of its community, claiming that minorities are 42 times more likely to be targeted under the Terrorism Act.
MCB secretary-general Farooq Murad will tell the council's AGM in Birmingham that there must be more monitoring of anti-Muslim crimes in response to incidents including violent assaults, death threats and the desecration of graves. He will also complain that not enough is being done to encourage communities to report crimes to the police.
The calls, supported by leading academics, a counter-terrorist think-tank and Muslim groups, come as the Metropolitan Police confirmed a total of 762 Islamophobic offences in London since April 2009, including 333 in 2010/11 and 57 since this April. A spokesman said the Met was aware of "significant" under-reporting of hate crime, and acknowledged "missed opportunities" to keep victims safe.
Despite rising concerns about the impact of hate crime on all communities, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said that data on such offences are not collated centrally as this would be an "overly bureaucratic process for local forces". Assistant Chief Constable Drew Harris, who leads the police on hate crime, was unavailable for comment.
In his speech, Mr Murad is expected to warn that attacks are increasing. "Islamophobic attacks, on persons and properties, are committed by a tiny minority, but the number of incidents is increasing. Robust action is necessary and this means we must have a systematic manner of recording, monitoring and analysing such attacks. Only a small number of police forces record anti-Muslim hate crimes."
He will claim that figures collated from only two police forces indicate 1,200 Anti-Muslim crimes in 2010, as opposed to 546 anti-Semitic crimes from all the police forces in the UK.
Muslims from across the country have reported attacks on imams and mosque staff, including petrol bombings and bricks thrown through windows, pigs' heads being fixed prominently to entrances and minarets, vandalism and abusive messages.
Mr Murad will tell the gathering at the Bordesley Centre: "It is not a piece of cloth on someone's head or face, the shape of someone's dress, a harmless concrete pillar on a religious building or even not speaking a common language that creates alienation."
Dr Robert Lambert, co-director of the European Muslim Research Centre and research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Exeter University, said a decade of research will report before the 10th anniversary of 11 September. His report will provide comprehensive figures on attacks on mosques, Islamic organisations and Muslim institutions, while avoiding confusion over race-related or random attacks.
Dr Lambert, a former counter-terrorism police officer, said problems over data collection stemmed from a lack of political will, rather than from the police efforts – and that the onus was on Muslim communities to emulate the "outstanding" data collection around anti-Semitic crimes conducted by the Community Security Trust.
He added: "When I was working in the police, some of the notable spikes in incidents came after terrorist events such as 9/11 and 7/7. We have more than 50 incidences of fire-bomb attacks and we have yet to reach the 10-year anniversary. But no leading politician has seen fit to stand shoulder to shoulder with mosque leaders. That is quite something."
Ghaffar Hussain of the counter-extremism think-tank Quilliam said: "Anti-Muslim bigotry is very real. It does exist. There are sections of our society who are deeply suspicious of Muslims, even of Muslims building mosques, and are threatened by the idea of Islamification across Europe."
Some 40 to 60 per cent of the mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim organisations in the UK have suffered at least one attack since 9/11.
Taji Mustafa, spokesman for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Britain, said: "Xenophobic attacks on Muslims have increased under successive governments. In a manipulative alliance with some sections of the media, they have demonised Islam as part of their foreign policy propaganda."
Case study: Community leader and diversity trainer
Mohammed Khaliel, 48, lives in High Wycombe and was among horrified families who discovered Muslim graves at a local cemetery had been desecrated on 20 April
"I am the community representative, but, equally, I'm a victim of it as well. My mother had been buried there four weeks earlier. This is not the first time that there has been desecration. This time it was much more severe, with more than 25 graves attacked. I've got photographic evidence of someone hammering them. It was a proper effort to deliberately do it.
It was pure hatred. You have a graveyard that is 200 years old that has a small section for Muslims, and only that section was attacked. It was clearly Islamophobia.
I'm on a number of advisory boards, including Scotland Yard, so I get notified as a courtesy on any Islamic issues relating to the community. On this one, they asked me to sit down before they told me.
A lot of the relatives belong to our mosque. We called an emergency meeting, and we had to calm people down. There was a stage at which, if we had not handled things properly, it could have turned into an expression of anger. But that didn't discount the hurt they felt for [their] loved ones to be attacked like that."
Independent
Showing posts with label Muslim Council of Britain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslim Council of Britain. Show all posts
June 12, 2011
June 01, 2009
UK Muslims, the BNP, and EU Elections
On June 4, European Muslims in 27 countries can take an action on obstacles challenging their integration process and play a role in countering the extreme right wing's danger in Europe through making well-versed choices on the European Parliamentary elections.
Seventy two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be representing the British electoral region in the European Parliament for the upcoming five years (2009-2014).
Leading Muslim Scholars, coming from diverse backgrounds and schools of thoughts, have urged British Muslims to "vote in the European elections, as xenophobic, extremist right wing parties have a very real chance of gaining national prominence by winning a seat in the European Parliament," in a statement that was issued on May 28.
After having a look at both sides' opinions, what do you think about the BNP and its policies towards Muslims in Europe? Will you vote for or against the BNP?
Although the scholars' statement did not refer literally to the British National Party (BNP) as one of the leading "Islamophobic, racist, and fascist parties in the UK," another statement that was issued by "Unite against Fascism and MCB" has made it clear.
It is worth mentioning that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, have urged British citizens not to vote for far-right BNP as a reaction to the rising anger over MPs' expenses in a joint statement that they declared on May 24, on behalf of the Church of England House of Bishops. They also mentioned that "the BNP fostered fear and division within communities, especially between people of different faiths or ethnic background."
In the context of IslamOnline.net (IOL) European Muslims Page's coverage to IOL, we have invited the BNP's press office and the MCB to a Live Debate on IOL seeking a healthy bilateral debate. Albeit the BNP couldn't make it to the Live Debate, they sent IOL an official rebuttal of the MCB/ British Muslims' accusations claimed above. On the other hand, Inayat Bunglawala, MCB's spokesman and an advisor on policy and research at ENGAGE, was the guest of an online session, entitled Will UK Muslims kick the BNP outside the European Parliament?, He replied to many IOL audience's questions on the far-right parties in Europe and the impact of their presence in the European Parliament on the integration process of Muslims in Europe.
We are presenting the BNP's statement here below and you can read Bunglawala's full Live Session by clicking here.
The BNP's Statement
Nationalists agree with the Muslim peoples of the world. For example, we have consistently condemned the west's attacks on Muslim counties such as Iraq and Afghanistan. We do not believe that our country should be trying to force Muslim countries to adopt western systems of democracy by force of arms. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslims have been killed by the British and American governments. We believe that in this country, Islam should take issue with the main party's bloody policies in the Middle East, which the British National Party had nothing to do with. We see these wars as merely attempts to secure the Middle East oil and protect Israeli Interests.
We believe in keeping Britain an overwhelmingly Christian country, and do not believe Islam should become a dominating religion within our Land. Would any Muslim country in the world accept Christianity taking over as a dominating religion?. In many Muslim countries Christians are persecuted and murdered by Muslims for practicing their faith.
We believe the Muslim Council of Britain should put its own extremists in order before having the audacity to accuse the British National party of extremism for merely wishing to put the host Christian population first.
However we do recognize that British born Muslim extremists have been further radicalized due to British foreign policy in the Middle East and uncontrolled immigration from counties sending radicalized Muslim clerics to preach hate on our land.
Regards,
John Walker
BNP Press Office
Islam Online
Seventy two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be representing the British electoral region in the European Parliament for the upcoming five years (2009-2014).
Leading Muslim Scholars, coming from diverse backgrounds and schools of thoughts, have urged British Muslims to "vote in the European elections, as xenophobic, extremist right wing parties have a very real chance of gaining national prominence by winning a seat in the European Parliament," in a statement that was issued on May 28.
After having a look at both sides' opinions, what do you think about the BNP and its policies towards Muslims in Europe? Will you vote for or against the BNP?
Although the scholars' statement did not refer literally to the British National Party (BNP) as one of the leading "Islamophobic, racist, and fascist parties in the UK," another statement that was issued by "Unite against Fascism and MCB" has made it clear.
It is worth mentioning that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, have urged British citizens not to vote for far-right BNP as a reaction to the rising anger over MPs' expenses in a joint statement that they declared on May 24, on behalf of the Church of England House of Bishops. They also mentioned that "the BNP fostered fear and division within communities, especially between people of different faiths or ethnic background."
In the context of IslamOnline.net (IOL) European Muslims Page's coverage to IOL, we have invited the BNP's press office and the MCB to a Live Debate on IOL seeking a healthy bilateral debate. Albeit the BNP couldn't make it to the Live Debate, they sent IOL an official rebuttal of the MCB/ British Muslims' accusations claimed above. On the other hand, Inayat Bunglawala, MCB's spokesman and an advisor on policy and research at ENGAGE, was the guest of an online session, entitled Will UK Muslims kick the BNP outside the European Parliament?, He replied to many IOL audience's questions on the far-right parties in Europe and the impact of their presence in the European Parliament on the integration process of Muslims in Europe.
We are presenting the BNP's statement here below and you can read Bunglawala's full Live Session by clicking here.
The BNP's Statement
Nationalists agree with the Muslim peoples of the world. For example, we have consistently condemned the west's attacks on Muslim counties such as Iraq and Afghanistan. We do not believe that our country should be trying to force Muslim countries to adopt western systems of democracy by force of arms. Hundreds of thousands of innocent Muslims have been killed by the British and American governments. We believe that in this country, Islam should take issue with the main party's bloody policies in the Middle East, which the British National Party had nothing to do with. We see these wars as merely attempts to secure the Middle East oil and protect Israeli Interests.
We believe in keeping Britain an overwhelmingly Christian country, and do not believe Islam should become a dominating religion within our Land. Would any Muslim country in the world accept Christianity taking over as a dominating religion?. In many Muslim countries Christians are persecuted and murdered by Muslims for practicing their faith.
We believe the Muslim Council of Britain should put its own extremists in order before having the audacity to accuse the British National party of extremism for merely wishing to put the host Christian population first.
However we do recognize that British born Muslim extremists have been further radicalized due to British foreign policy in the Middle East and uncontrolled immigration from counties sending radicalized Muslim clerics to preach hate on our land.
Regards,
John Walker
BNP Press Office
Islam Online
Labels:
BNP,
fascism,
John Walker,
Muslim Council of Britain
January 28, 2009
UK party leaders sign Book of Commitment to mark Holocaust
The leaders of the three main British political parties commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day on Tuesday by signing the Book of Commitment in Parliament.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg signed the book, which contains a pledge to remember the Holocaust and join together to fight all forms of discrimination. The book was placed in the House of Commons by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) on January 14. To date, over 150 MPs have signed it.
Established in 1999, Holocaust Memorial Day is an annual national event in the UK.
Gordon Brown also welcomed Holocaust survivors Ben Helfgott and his sister Mala Tribich, together with HET chairman Lord Janner, at his Downing Street residence to mark the commemoration.
"The whole world should remember and never forget - remember courageous men and women, and also remember the evil that was done," Brown said. "As [Nobel laureate] Elie Wiesel said, 'Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.'"
"It was a great honor and privilege to meet the prime minister, and particularly that he found the time for us when he is so deeply busy," Helfgott said. "It is a great tribute to him that, in spite of the current challenges, he found the time to sign the Book of Commitment to ensure that the Holocaust will never be forgotten."
A parliamentary motion in support of the day was also tabled by Labor MP Phil Wilson and co-sponsored by Conservative MP Greg Hands and Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael.
In Parliament on Monday, Brown praised the work of the HET and particularly the government-supported program that enables high school students from across the country to visit Auschwitz and educate fellow students about the Holocaust.
"We are delighted that so many MPs are supporting Holocaust Memorial Day. This and Holocaust education are more important now than ever, and this year's theme, 'Stand Up to Hatred,' highlights the importance of joining forces against hatred, prejudice and intolerance," HET chief executive Karen Pollock said. "At the HET, we endeavor to impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, across all communities, so they can see where hate and racism can ultimately lead."
To mark the memorial day, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has joined the HET in publishing a new school resource.
Martin and Erica's Journey, a book that tells the story of Holocaust survivor Martin Stern and his sister Erica, was launched at a reception at the NUT headquarters in central London on Tuesday evening.
"The NUT has a proud history of supporting race equality and diversity, its importance and the lessons that can be learned from history," said Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT. "This is an invaluable personal record of the horrors of one of the 20th century's worst atrocities."
She added, "We hope that this powerful story will help young people understand the consequences of prejudice and racism and in turn challenge all forms of discrimination."
Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain boycotted official Holocaust memorial events in protest of Israel's offensive in Gaza.
The MCB, which represents 500 Muslim organizations in Britain, did not send any representatives to any of the official memorial events. The decision was made at an MCB committee meeting last week.
"There was no one in that [committee] meeting who was prepared to attend [Holocaust Memorial Day] this year without making a visible protest about the genocide in Gaza," the council said in a statement Tuesday. "It was agreed that the MCB does not wish to minimize the tragedy of the Holocaust or demean or disturb its annual memorial by attending and protesting about the genocide in Gaza, and it was therefore decided to abstain from the Holocaust Memorial Day this year."
The statement concluded, "The MCB believes that the memorial for the victims of the Nazi Holocaust is to ensure that we make the cry 'Never again' real for all people."
In 2007, the MCB called off a boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day that had been in existence since 2003, when then-MCB secretary-general Iqbal Sacranie claimed that the memorial ignored the plight of the Palestinians.
"Regrettably the memorial ceremony in its present form excludes and ignores other ongoing genocide and human rights abuses around the world, notably in the Occupied Palestinian Territories," he said.
Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg signed the book, which contains a pledge to remember the Holocaust and join together to fight all forms of discrimination. The book was placed in the House of Commons by the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) on January 14. To date, over 150 MPs have signed it.
Established in 1999, Holocaust Memorial Day is an annual national event in the UK.
Gordon Brown also welcomed Holocaust survivors Ben Helfgott and his sister Mala Tribich, together with HET chairman Lord Janner, at his Downing Street residence to mark the commemoration.
"The whole world should remember and never forget - remember courageous men and women, and also remember the evil that was done," Brown said. "As [Nobel laureate] Elie Wiesel said, 'Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair.'"
"It was a great honor and privilege to meet the prime minister, and particularly that he found the time for us when he is so deeply busy," Helfgott said. "It is a great tribute to him that, in spite of the current challenges, he found the time to sign the Book of Commitment to ensure that the Holocaust will never be forgotten."
A parliamentary motion in support of the day was also tabled by Labor MP Phil Wilson and co-sponsored by Conservative MP Greg Hands and Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael.
In Parliament on Monday, Brown praised the work of the HET and particularly the government-supported program that enables high school students from across the country to visit Auschwitz and educate fellow students about the Holocaust.
"We are delighted that so many MPs are supporting Holocaust Memorial Day. This and Holocaust education are more important now than ever, and this year's theme, 'Stand Up to Hatred,' highlights the importance of joining forces against hatred, prejudice and intolerance," HET chief executive Karen Pollock said. "At the HET, we endeavor to impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, across all communities, so they can see where hate and racism can ultimately lead."
To mark the memorial day, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has joined the HET in publishing a new school resource.
Martin and Erica's Journey, a book that tells the story of Holocaust survivor Martin Stern and his sister Erica, was launched at a reception at the NUT headquarters in central London on Tuesday evening.
"The NUT has a proud history of supporting race equality and diversity, its importance and the lessons that can be learned from history," said Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the NUT. "This is an invaluable personal record of the horrors of one of the 20th century's worst atrocities."
She added, "We hope that this powerful story will help young people understand the consequences of prejudice and racism and in turn challenge all forms of discrimination."
Meanwhile, the Muslim Council of Britain boycotted official Holocaust memorial events in protest of Israel's offensive in Gaza.
The MCB, which represents 500 Muslim organizations in Britain, did not send any representatives to any of the official memorial events. The decision was made at an MCB committee meeting last week.
"There was no one in that [committee] meeting who was prepared to attend [Holocaust Memorial Day] this year without making a visible protest about the genocide in Gaza," the council said in a statement Tuesday. "It was agreed that the MCB does not wish to minimize the tragedy of the Holocaust or demean or disturb its annual memorial by attending and protesting about the genocide in Gaza, and it was therefore decided to abstain from the Holocaust Memorial Day this year."
The statement concluded, "The MCB believes that the memorial for the victims of the Nazi Holocaust is to ensure that we make the cry 'Never again' real for all people."
In 2007, the MCB called off a boycott of Holocaust Memorial Day that had been in existence since 2003, when then-MCB secretary-general Iqbal Sacranie claimed that the memorial ignored the plight of the Palestinians.
"Regrettably the memorial ceremony in its present form excludes and ignores other ongoing genocide and human rights abuses around the world, notably in the Occupied Palestinian Territories," he said.
Jerusalem Post
July 09, 2008
Huge rise in number of racist attacks
Record numbers of racist incidents – from verbal abuse to stabbings – are being reported to police, fuelling fears that levels of Islamophobia are rising.
More than 61,000 complaints of racially motivated crime were made in 2006-07, a rise of 28 per cent in just five years, with increases reported by most police forces in England and Wales. Officers classified 42,551 of the complaints as racially or religiously aggravated offences. Nearly two thirds were offences of harassment, 13 per cent wounding, 12 per cent criminal damage and 10 per cent assault.
In a report on race and the criminal justice system, the Ministry of Justice also disclosed that police used their powers to stop and search one million people. Black people were seven times more likely to be searched than white people and Asians twice as likely.
The biggest surge in racist incidents was recorded last year in South Yorkshire, where the number leapt by 77 per cent, and Thames Valley, where it rose by 46 per cent. The Metropolitan Police recorded a fall against the national trend of 19 per cent.
Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "We're getting more British Muslims reporting to us that they feel anti-Muslim prejudice is increasing in society. There are incidents of attacks against mosques and Islamic schools." Last week, Shahid Malik, Britain's first Muslim minister, criticised what he described as growing hostility to Muslims in the UK.
Independent
More than 61,000 complaints of racially motivated crime were made in 2006-07, a rise of 28 per cent in just five years, with increases reported by most police forces in England and Wales. Officers classified 42,551 of the complaints as racially or religiously aggravated offences. Nearly two thirds were offences of harassment, 13 per cent wounding, 12 per cent criminal damage and 10 per cent assault.
In a report on race and the criminal justice system, the Ministry of Justice also disclosed that police used their powers to stop and search one million people. Black people were seven times more likely to be searched than white people and Asians twice as likely.
The biggest surge in racist incidents was recorded last year in South Yorkshire, where the number leapt by 77 per cent, and Thames Valley, where it rose by 46 per cent. The Metropolitan Police recorded a fall against the national trend of 19 per cent.
Inayat Bunglawala, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "We're getting more British Muslims reporting to us that they feel anti-Muslim prejudice is increasing in society. There are incidents of attacks against mosques and Islamic schools." Last week, Shahid Malik, Britain's first Muslim minister, criticised what he described as growing hostility to Muslims in the UK.
Independent
March 26, 2008
Boxer wins praise as Muslim 'role model'
Boxer Amir Khan has been hailed as a "wonderful role model" for UK Muslims in a rebuke to a radical preacher who criticised him for wearing the Union flag.Exiled preacher Omar Bakri Mohammad told a newspaper that the boxer was committing a sin and set a bad example to Muslims for showing allegiance to the UK flag. The comments were branded "bizarre" by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). Inayat Bunglawala, assistant secretary general of MCB said: "Amir Khan is a wonderful role model.
"He's a hugely successful boxer, proud of being Muslim and British. I can see why that could upset Omar Bakri, but to hundreds of thousands of British Muslims, Amir Khan is a wonderful role model."
The Commonwealth lightweight title-holder is draped with the flag in photos on his official website and often wears shorts featuring the emblem.
Bakri said: "Amir Khan is not a good example for Muslims. He wears shorts with the Union Jack. That is a sin. He should not be wearing the flag because sovereignty is for God. His only allegiance should be to the Prophet Mohammed. The ideal situation would be to have a Muslim team not registered to any state so he can represent the Islamic community."
Mr Bunglawala said: "Bizarre. These comments are typical of Omar Bakri. He doesn't live in this country and frankly his views are of no concern to British Muslims."
Omar Bakri Mohammad lives in Lebanon after leaving London in 2005.
Khan, 21, is due to fight Martin Kristjansen for the WBO lightweight world championship in his home town of Bolton, in Lancashire, on April 5.
Yorkshire Post
December 03, 2007
Muslim Council ends Holocaust Memorial Day boycott
Britain's largest Muslim body has voted to end its boycott of Holocaust memorial day, the Guardian has learned.
The Muslim Council of Britain voted this weekend to end its six-year protest, which had angered the government and Jewish groups.
The decision may lead to some groups leaving the MCB, an umbrella organisation with over 500 members. Its working committee voted 18 to 8 to end the boycott, which began in 2001. Those who voted to attend said the stance had allowed the MCB to be accused of antisemitism and seeming to disrespect the suffering of Jews.
Representatives of the MCB will attend the next memorial day, on January 27, in Liverpool. The decision is an emotional one for members. Those supporting the boycott believe the memorial day is too narrowly focused on Jewish suffering and ignores recent genocides such as that in Rwanda and of Muslims in Srebrenica.
Daud Abdullah, the council's deputy secretary general, voted against attending and said: "I'm against it [attending]. Nothing has changed, we saw no reason why it [the boycott] should change."
The former secretary general Sir Iqbal Sacranie voted to end the protest and said: "There are voices who have been attacking us from day one and trying to misconstrue our non-participation as antisemitism."
Sacranie's last years as secretary general, which ended in 2005, saw him publicly justifying the boycott despite personally opposing it. He called on groups upset by the decision to respect the democratic vote and stay within the MCB: "There will be some who will be very unhappy about it."
Sources say the MCB would have ended its boycott last year, but was attacked by the then communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, over the boycott, and did not want to be seen to be caving in to government pressure.
Last year the MCB's central working committee voted by 23 votes to 14 to continue the boycott. Sacranie said Kelly's intervention had backfired.
In a statement the MCB assistant general secretary, Inayat Bunglawala, said: "We have always sought a more inclusive title such as Genocide Memorial Day so that it would also give recognition to more recent massacres such as in Rwanda and that of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. We wanted to uphold the principle of the equality of all human beings.
"However, there was a growing recognition among our affiliates that non-attendance of HMD was inadvertently causing hurt to some in the Jewish community. The MCB has always placed a lot of emphasis on inter-faith work and building ties ... so this was becoming a problem."
Guardian
The Muslim Council of Britain voted this weekend to end its six-year protest, which had angered the government and Jewish groups.
The decision may lead to some groups leaving the MCB, an umbrella organisation with over 500 members. Its working committee voted 18 to 8 to end the boycott, which began in 2001. Those who voted to attend said the stance had allowed the MCB to be accused of antisemitism and seeming to disrespect the suffering of Jews.
Representatives of the MCB will attend the next memorial day, on January 27, in Liverpool. The decision is an emotional one for members. Those supporting the boycott believe the memorial day is too narrowly focused on Jewish suffering and ignores recent genocides such as that in Rwanda and of Muslims in Srebrenica.
Daud Abdullah, the council's deputy secretary general, voted against attending and said: "I'm against it [attending]. Nothing has changed, we saw no reason why it [the boycott] should change."
The former secretary general Sir Iqbal Sacranie voted to end the protest and said: "There are voices who have been attacking us from day one and trying to misconstrue our non-participation as antisemitism."
Sacranie's last years as secretary general, which ended in 2005, saw him publicly justifying the boycott despite personally opposing it. He called on groups upset by the decision to respect the democratic vote and stay within the MCB: "There will be some who will be very unhappy about it."
Sources say the MCB would have ended its boycott last year, but was attacked by the then communities secretary, Ruth Kelly, over the boycott, and did not want to be seen to be caving in to government pressure.
Last year the MCB's central working committee voted by 23 votes to 14 to continue the boycott. Sacranie said Kelly's intervention had backfired.
In a statement the MCB assistant general secretary, Inayat Bunglawala, said: "We have always sought a more inclusive title such as Genocide Memorial Day so that it would also give recognition to more recent massacres such as in Rwanda and that of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. We wanted to uphold the principle of the equality of all human beings.
"However, there was a growing recognition among our affiliates that non-attendance of HMD was inadvertently causing hurt to some in the Jewish community. The MCB has always placed a lot of emphasis on inter-faith work and building ties ... so this was becoming a problem."
Guardian
July 05, 2007
Muslim, but not guilty
I am not a criminal, nor am I likely to commit a criminal act in my lifetime. I am not a terrorist, nor do I support people who commit or incite others to carry out acts of mass murder. I am as likely to die in a terrorist attack as you are. There is no reason for me not be vigilant.
But these facts do not convince people who believe that, unless I speak out against terrorists, that I am also one of the bad guys. Condemnations from the Muslim Council of Britain, the British Muslim Initiative, the Ramadan Foundation and the Muslim Public Affairs Committee make me realise that the only way to distance myself from terrorists is by vocalising my contempt for those who want to kill us. Being a law-abiding, tax-paying and gainfully employed citizen does me no favours.
As a Muslim, I have to prove I am human and that I object to people blowing themselves up, murdering others and creating a climate of fear. Why would my reaction be different to anyone else's? Here's why: Islam connects me to the terror suspects. A religion is all we share but this link is enough to make my friends, my family and me guilty, as if we are somehow to blame for what is happening in Britain, that we should have seen it coming, that we could be doing more to help the police and the intelligence services.
Why should I bear responsibility for the actions and intentions of people I have never met? Two years on from 7/7 and Muslims are still held accountable for the actions of terrorists and the only way to remove this suspicion is to state the bleeding obvious. Condemnation does not change al-Qaida's plans, nor does it protect us from attacks, but it reassures people that all Muslims are not evil. There is an inevitable race that follows counter-terrorist operations: which Muslim organisation will be first to deplore the atrocities. Such kowtowing only confirms that we have something to hide and that we should apologise for being Muslim.
Comment is free
But these facts do not convince people who believe that, unless I speak out against terrorists, that I am also one of the bad guys. Condemnations from the Muslim Council of Britain, the British Muslim Initiative, the Ramadan Foundation and the Muslim Public Affairs Committee make me realise that the only way to distance myself from terrorists is by vocalising my contempt for those who want to kill us. Being a law-abiding, tax-paying and gainfully employed citizen does me no favours.
As a Muslim, I have to prove I am human and that I object to people blowing themselves up, murdering others and creating a climate of fear. Why would my reaction be different to anyone else's? Here's why: Islam connects me to the terror suspects. A religion is all we share but this link is enough to make my friends, my family and me guilty, as if we are somehow to blame for what is happening in Britain, that we should have seen it coming, that we could be doing more to help the police and the intelligence services.
Why should I bear responsibility for the actions and intentions of people I have never met? Two years on from 7/7 and Muslims are still held accountable for the actions of terrorists and the only way to remove this suspicion is to state the bleeding obvious. Condemnation does not change al-Qaida's plans, nor does it protect us from attacks, but it reassures people that all Muslims are not evil. There is an inevitable race that follows counter-terrorist operations: which Muslim organisation will be first to deplore the atrocities. Such kowtowing only confirms that we have something to hide and that we should apologise for being Muslim.
Comment is free
Labels:
al-Qaida,
Islam,
Muslim,
Muslim Council of Britain,
terrorists
April 10, 2007
Drive to combat Islamophobia
LONDON, April 10
Muslims and trade unionists in the UK are to hold a seminar on improving the job prospects of Muslim workers and combating Islamophobia, it was announced here Tuesday.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella organization of British trade unions, will hold the event this Thursday.
The two groups will discuss not only job prospects for Muslims but how to combat the effects of Islamophobia and far right-wing activity in parts of the UK, they said.
The event comes after the TUC and the MCB issued a joint statement last year pledging to work together to encourage more Muslims to join trade unions.
The statement also backed efforts to improve community relations both at work and in society.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said in a statement "We do not under-estimate the scale of the challenge facing us today".
"Islamophobia is a real and present threat, fuelled by prejudice and misunderstandings, and the rise of the far right and electoral success of the British National Party (BNP) are alarming features of recent years".
"Local elections are approaching once again, and by working together, the TUC and the MCB can expose the far right for what they really are and work towards a better deal for everyone in the workplace", he added.
For his part, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, MCB Secretary General, said "We believe in social justice and equal rights for all".
"The Muslim community is facing real problems of discrimination and poverty, a third of Muslims are living in the 10 percent most deprived neighborhoods of the country, but we have a tremendous amount to offer the UK workplace in terms of skills, optimism and energy", Dr Bari added.
(KUNA - Kuwait News Agency)
Link to TUC-MCB seminar details.
Muslims and trade unionists in the UK are to hold a seminar on improving the job prospects of Muslim workers and combating Islamophobia, it was announced here Tuesday.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella organization of British trade unions, will hold the event this Thursday.
The two groups will discuss not only job prospects for Muslims but how to combat the effects of Islamophobia and far right-wing activity in parts of the UK, they said.
The event comes after the TUC and the MCB issued a joint statement last year pledging to work together to encourage more Muslims to join trade unions.
The statement also backed efforts to improve community relations both at work and in society.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said in a statement "We do not under-estimate the scale of the challenge facing us today".
"Islamophobia is a real and present threat, fuelled by prejudice and misunderstandings, and the rise of the far right and electoral success of the British National Party (BNP) are alarming features of recent years".
"Local elections are approaching once again, and by working together, the TUC and the MCB can expose the far right for what they really are and work towards a better deal for everyone in the workplace", he added.
For his part, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, MCB Secretary General, said "We believe in social justice and equal rights for all".
"The Muslim community is facing real problems of discrimination and poverty, a third of Muslims are living in the 10 percent most deprived neighborhoods of the country, but we have a tremendous amount to offer the UK workplace in terms of skills, optimism and energy", Dr Bari added.
(KUNA - Kuwait News Agency)
Link to TUC-MCB seminar details.
March 18, 2007
British Muslims extend a friendly hand to Jews
Opposition to growing racism helps bridge a religious divide
Britain's leading Muslim organisation will tomorrow signal a radical shift in its position when one of its senior members addresses a Jewish audience for the first time.
The decision by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) to attend a high-profile debate entitled 'Does more unite Muslims and Jews than divides them?' is being described as 'highly significant' by members of both communities. The move has led to speculation the MCB will drop its controversial opposition to Holocaust Memorial Day.
Inayat Bunglawala, the assistant general secretary of the MCB, who will take part in the debate, said both communities have become concerned at the growing rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 'It is crucial that we do not allow the Israel-Palestine conflict to hamper good and productive relations between Muslims and Jews in the UK,' Bunglawala said.
His comments have been warmly welcomed by members of the Jewish community. 'This debate is a very significant event,' said Nick Viner, chief executive of the Jewish Community Centre, which has sponsored the debate. 'The MCB and the Jewish community haven't seen eye to eye on many issues. I doubt we'll finish up with both sides saying everything is warm and cuddly, but by bringing people together we hope to have an intelligent debate.'
The debate, at the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead, north London, has already caused deep controversy within parts of the Jewish community. The Observer understands that there was initial pressure on the JCC to withdraw Bunglawala's invitation to speak.
But Jeremy Newmark, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said tomorrow's meeting could turn out to be 'a very important moment'. 'All too often some national Muslim organisations have endangered such co-operation by allowing rhetoric around the Middle East to slide into demonisation and anti-Semitism,' Newmark said. 'We are pleased the assistant secretary general of the MCB has now publicly acknowledged this and look forward to hearing him expand on how his organisation intends to tackle this problem.'
The MCB has been stung by criticism that it has not done enough to reach out to other faiths. Ruth Kelly, the communities secretary, highlighted the MCB's refusal to take part in Holocaust Memorial Day as a cause for concern. 'I can't help wondering why those in leadership positions who say they want to achieve religious tolerance and a cohesive society would choose to boycott an event that marks, above all, our common humanity and respect for each other,' Kelly said.
Rabbi Julia Neuberger, who will be attending the event, said that it was time for Jews and Muslims to acknowledge their similarities. 'I have always felt Jews and Muslims are much more like each other than Christians in the way they approach their faith,' Neuberger said. 'To Jews and Muslims, their faith is much more a way of life.'
Observer
Britain's leading Muslim organisation will tomorrow signal a radical shift in its position when one of its senior members addresses a Jewish audience for the first time.
The decision by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) to attend a high-profile debate entitled 'Does more unite Muslims and Jews than divides them?' is being described as 'highly significant' by members of both communities. The move has led to speculation the MCB will drop its controversial opposition to Holocaust Memorial Day.
Inayat Bunglawala, the assistant general secretary of the MCB, who will take part in the debate, said both communities have become concerned at the growing rise of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 'It is crucial that we do not allow the Israel-Palestine conflict to hamper good and productive relations between Muslims and Jews in the UK,' Bunglawala said.
His comments have been warmly welcomed by members of the Jewish community. 'This debate is a very significant event,' said Nick Viner, chief executive of the Jewish Community Centre, which has sponsored the debate. 'The MCB and the Jewish community haven't seen eye to eye on many issues. I doubt we'll finish up with both sides saying everything is warm and cuddly, but by bringing people together we hope to have an intelligent debate.'
The debate, at the Everyman Cinema in Hampstead, north London, has already caused deep controversy within parts of the Jewish community. The Observer understands that there was initial pressure on the JCC to withdraw Bunglawala's invitation to speak.
But Jeremy Newmark, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said tomorrow's meeting could turn out to be 'a very important moment'. 'All too often some national Muslim organisations have endangered such co-operation by allowing rhetoric around the Middle East to slide into demonisation and anti-Semitism,' Newmark said. 'We are pleased the assistant secretary general of the MCB has now publicly acknowledged this and look forward to hearing him expand on how his organisation intends to tackle this problem.'
The MCB has been stung by criticism that it has not done enough to reach out to other faiths. Ruth Kelly, the communities secretary, highlighted the MCB's refusal to take part in Holocaust Memorial Day as a cause for concern. 'I can't help wondering why those in leadership positions who say they want to achieve religious tolerance and a cohesive society would choose to boycott an event that marks, above all, our common humanity and respect for each other,' Kelly said.
Rabbi Julia Neuberger, who will be attending the event, said that it was time for Jews and Muslims to acknowledge their similarities. 'I have always felt Jews and Muslims are much more like each other than Christians in the way they approach their faith,' Neuberger said. 'To Jews and Muslims, their faith is much more a way of life.'
Observer
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