ISLAMOPHOBIA: Anti Muslim Racism
Entries from September 1, 2005 - October 1, 2005
New MCB complaint over Panorama
The Muslim Council of Britain says it is to write to the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit about an edition of the current affairs programme Panorama. The announcement came after the editor of Panorama rejected an MCB objection that the programme was "deeply unfair".
Panorama had quoted one of its founders as saying the body was "in denial" about extreme views among its members. The MCB said it was at the "forefront" of criticising extremism and it was "not satisfied" with the response. In its original complaint, the MCB claimed editors "deliberately garbled" interviews with Muslims in the programme.
But Panorama does have its supporters. See Daily Telegraph, 1 October 2005
Bob Pitt
Panorama rejects MCB complaint over Panorama programme
The editor of BBC current affairs show Panorama has rejected complaints from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) who said a programme was "deeply unfair". The MCB complained after Panorama quoted one of its founders as saying the body was "in denial" about extreme views that prevail among its members. The group claimed editors "deliberately garbled" interviews with Muslims. But Panorama editor Mike Robinson has now said it was an "unwarranted and wildly inaccurate attack" on the show. "I have found there to be no truth in your claims that this programme was dishonestly presented, maliciously motivated or Islamophobic," he wrote to the MCB.
Only united communities will defeat terrorism and protect civil liberties
Public discussion meeting, 12 October 2005, Central Hall, Westminster, 6.30-9pm
Our lives, rights and freedoms are precious and we will not surrender them. We stand united in our refusal to be defeated by those who seek to indiscriminately murder people of all faiths and races in our country.
Religious hatred bill: 'censorship by stealth'
Condemning the religious hatred bill, Mike McNair claims that "the chilling effect of the new act will be considerable. Behzti and Jerry Springer, the Opera would not be staged; Monty Python's Life of Brian might be filmed in the US, since the first amendment is robust, but would not be shown by British cinemas, and a great deal of the television series would not be broadcast; Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses might well be de facto banned by English law".
Remaking multiculturalism after 7/7
Tariq Modood, author of Multicultural Politics: Racism, Ethnicity and Muslims in Britain, defends multiculturalism.
Keith Shilson reinstated
Good news – following a disciplinary hearing this morning, Middlesex University authorities have reportedly lifted the suspension of students union president Keith Shilson, imposed as a result of his invitation to Hizb ut-Tahrir to participate in a "Question Time" on campus. The authorities are, however, insisting on upholding their ban on HT.
See Polly Curtis in the Guardian, 30 September 2005
Aaronovitch smears MPACUK
"We doubted that any documentary presented by David Aaronovitch could be fair and objective toward Muslims, because of his long track record of Islamophobic attacks. And unfortunately we were proved right." The Muslim Public Affairs Committee replies to last night's BBC2 documentary "God and the Politicians".
See also 'MCB spokesman slams Aaronovitch attack on MPACUK', MPAC news report, 29 September 2005
NUS response to 'When Students Turn to Terror'
Commenting on the Glees report into extremist groups operating on university campuses, When Students Turn to Terror, NUS National President Kat Fletcher and NUS Black Students' Officer Pav Akhtar said: "The paper offers nothing to the serious debate about how to address terrorism in society."
No to 'Islamofascist' Turkey
"On Oct. 3, representatives of the European Union and the Turkish government of Islamist Recep Erdogan will meet to determine if Muslim Turkey will be allowed to seek full membership in the EU. It will be best for Turkey, to say nothing of Europe and the West more generally, if the EU answer under present circumstances is: 'Thanks, but no thanks.' The reason Europe should politely, but firmly, reject Turkey's bid should be clear: Prime Minister Erdogan is systematically turning his country from a Muslim secular democracy into an Islamofascist state governed by an ideology anathema to European values and freedoms."
Frank J. Gaffney in the Washington Times, 27 September 2005
Today programme asks: 'Are universities threatened by Islamist extremism?'
Radio 4's Today programme takes up allegations of Islamist extremism on UK campuses contained in the report by the "Public Affairs Unit". It gives undue credence to this cranky right-wing propaganda group (for previous coverage see here, here, here and here) but is otherwise fairly balanced. Includes an interview with victimised Middlesex university students union president Keith Shilson.
Listen here