Islamophobia Watch

"Amid all the multiculturalism-bashing and Muslim-baiting that has become part of our daily media diet, yesterday's report on Britain's security risks stood out – a glaring example of just how wrongheaded Britain's political thinking has become.

"The Royal United Services Institute report, drawn up by a panel dominated by military historians and former top civil servants and forces chiefs, said Britain has become a 'soft touch' in combating the threat of terrorism, owing to 'our loss of cultural self-confidence'. It went on: 'In misplaced deference to "multiculturalism", [the majority has] failed to lay down the line to immigrant communities.'

"At best such language and attitudes are a throwback to the intolerant days of the 70s and 80s. At worst, they have the colonial air of white masters barking orders at the 'uncivilised'. The phrase 'immigrant communities' itself has come to be the modern-day euphemism for black or brown people – never used for the Australians of Earls Court, for instance. Worse, it traps all racial minorities as permanent outsiders, the not quite British, regardless of how many generations have been born here."

Joseph Harker in the Guardian, 16 February 2008

The Independent on Sunday (IoS) of 10th February 2008 had an article under the headline "A question of honour: Police say 17,000 women are victims every year". It chose this headline with a picture of a Muslim woman implying that 17,000 'honour' crimes are taking place within the Muslim community.

The paper quoted Commander Steve Allen as stating "We work on a figure which suggests it is about 500 cases shared between us and the Forced Marriage Unit per year," he said: "If the generally accepted statistic is that a victim will suffer 35 experiences of domestic violence before they report, then I suspect if you multiplied our reporting by 35 times you may be somewhere near where people's experience is at."

The MSF has been in discussions with Commander Allen and has established that during the conversation with the journalist from the IoS he had made it clear that these figures were only indicative. Yet the IoS still chose to use this in an inflammatory manner.

"The Independent on Sunday article simply multiplied the 500 cases that are reported to police by a factor of 35 and used the answer to write a headline. It was never intended that my comments should be interpreted in this literal way." Said Commander Allen.

He further states, "ACPO is also very clear, and repeats in all its guidance on the subject, that Forced Marriage and Honour Based Violence are not connected to any particular religion or set of religious beliefs. They are cultural phenomena that cut across a wide range of communities from around the world."

The MSF is saddened to have seen IoS run an article on an important issue such as this in this irresponsible way. With all the vitriolic Islamophobic reports in certain sections of the Media, we never expected the IoS to have joined in to the foray.

We hope that the Independent will look at clarifying this matter and not damage its good reputation with this kind of Islamophobic reporting in the future.

Muslim Safety Forum, 14 February 2008

The banning of a "preacher of hate" raises far more problems than it solves, writes Abdul-Rehman Malik.

Index on Censorship, 14 February 2008

The head of one of Britain's rabbinic courts this week rallied to the side of the embattled Archbishop of Canterbury over his controversial call to give greater recognition to Islamic law within Britain's legal system. Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, head of the Federation Beth Din, writing in today’s JC, said that Rowan Williams had been "widely pilloried for proposing sensible ideas", which would benefit the Jewish community if adopted.

Jewish Chronicle, 15 February 2008

Read Yisroel Lichtenstein's article here

Melanie Phillips begs to differ. In the same issue of the JC, she writes: "Jews are being used misleadingly to help promote a development which would ultimately hurt them very badly. The demand for sharia law is part of the pincer movement to Islamise Britain through both terrorism and cultural takeover."

On the other hand Geoffrey Alderman, whose views Islamophobia Watch has not always endorsed, adopts a much more reasoned position.

Yes to Equal Citizenship, No to Double Standards

Vigil outside 10 Downing Street

Saturday 16 February, 2-4pm

There come moments when it is important for fair-minded people to stand their ground. Now is a time for solidarity; to affirm respect, equality and parity for all Britons, irrespective of race and creed. Can it be good for Britain if a section of society – however small and socio-economically deprived – feels scape-goated and ostracised?

Following the Archbishop of Canterbury's thoughtful address calling for a dialogue on shariah issues there have been appalling displays of prejudice and contempt towards Islam and Muslims. It is not a matter of being unduly sensitive to criticism, but rather a warning of the slippery slope from verbal mockery to physical intimidation. Do we really want Mosely's Black Shirts back on the streets of Britain?

We are deeply troubled with the suggestion that it is somehow OK for a Muslim MP to be bugged because of the 'war on terror'. We are worried by headlines like 'Minister warns of inbreeding Muslims'. We are disturbed when an eminent Islamic scholar is denied entry to the UK. We are troubled that our concerns on issues of sacrilege are dismissed as an infringement on freedom of speech. It is no wonder that even in our schools, Muslim children highlight their fear of bullying more frequently than those from other faith groups. Is this the society of the future we want – one of first-class, confident citizens and second-class, anxiety-ridden citizens?

It is with these questions in mind that a number of civil society organisations have come together to stage a vigil outside No. 10 Downing Street on Saturday 16th February 2008 at 2pm, under the slogan 'Yes to Equal Citizenship, No to Double Standards'.

For further information please contact BMI media office on 07786 257120 or email mediambi@gmailcom.

Download leaflet (pdf) here 

Organised by:  British Muslim Initiative, Islamic Forum of Europe, Muslim Association of Britain, Islamic Human Right Commission, Da'watul Islam, Young Muslim Organisation UK, Muslimaat UK, The Cordoba Foundation, Centre for the Study of Terrorism, Friends of Al Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain. IslamExpo, FOSIS, ICMG UK, Sri Lanka Islamic Forum UK, Algerian League in Britain, Council of Nigerian Muslim Organisations, Indian Muslim Federation, Jama'at Ahle Sunnat UK, Muslim Doctors and Dentists Association, Muslim Solidarity Committee, Muslim Welfare House Trust (London), Muslim Women Society (MWS), Muslim Women's Association, The Council of European Jamaats, UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs, UK Islamic Mission, UK Turkish Islamic Association, World Federation of KSIMC, World Islamic Mission

Supported by:  Muslim Council of Britain & British Muslim Forum

Andy Newman explains.

Socialist Unity, 15 February 2008

Britain has become a "soft touch" for home grown terrorists because ministers have failed to tackle immigrant communities that refuse to integrate, warns a report released today. The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a body of the country's leading military and diplomatic figures, says the loss of British values and national identity caused by "flabby and bogus" Government thinking has made the country vulnerable to attack from Islamic extremists.

"The UK presents itself as a target, as a fragmenting, post-Christian society," the report says, and is "increasingly divided" on its history, national aims, values and political identity. "That fragmentation is worsened by the firm self-image of those elements within it who refuse to integrate."

The report places most of the blame for this on a "lack of leadership from the majority, which, in misplaced deference to 'multiculturalism', failed to lay down the line to immigrant communities, thus undercutting those within them trying to fight extremism. The country's lack of self-confidence is in stark contrast to the implacability of its Islamist terrorist enemy, within and without. We look like a soft touch. We are indeed a soft touch, from within and without."

Daily Telegraph, 15 February 2008

See also Daily Mail, 15 February 2008

A pilot wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers is entitled to claim damages, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Judges said evidence suggested "serious defaults" in the decision to detain Lotfi Raissi in prison for nearly five months after a US extradition request. The ruling means the government has to reconsider the 33-year-old's claim for compensation, which it had refused.

Speaking after the judgement, Mr Raissi, of west London, said he had suffered a miscarriage of justice, and had now been "completely exonerated. I am very glad. I always had faith in British justice. Surely I can expect to hear from the home secretary with the long-awaited apology very soon." He said his wrongful arrest had left him blacklisted as a pilot and unable to work. "They destroyed my life, they destroyed my career. For this I will never, ever forgive them," he said.

BBC News, 14 February 2008

VIENNA — The southernmost Austrian state of Carinthia has passed a law effectively banning the construction of mosques, drawing fire from the opposition and Muslims for religious freedom violations.

"I can only recommend to all to have the courage to stand up effectively against this Islamisation that is creeping through Europe and represents a totally different culture," Governor Joerg Haider was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We are really the pioneers on this," added Haider, also the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Future of Austria party.

The law requires plans for any building of "extraordinary architecture or size" to be approved by a commission to judge its compatibility with the standard look of towns. This means that mosques would stand little chance of permits.

Islam Online, 13 February 2008

"Last week, as the archbishop's sharia storm raged, Gordon Brown banned the leading Islamic cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi from the country. The pretext given was his support for Palestinian suicide attacks during the intifada. But the 81-year-old scholar has been to Britain several times since then – in fact he was encouraged to come by the government after the Iraq invasion because of his opposition to al-Qaida. The real reason for the ban, apart from the competition to appear tough on terror, is his links with the Muslim Brotherhood, the most influential Islamist organisation in the Arab world – but also a particular target for liberal hawks and neoconservatives. They have played a key role in convincing the government to end its engagement with mainstream Islamist groups and sponsor more pliant Muslim bodies.

"One man who thinks that's not just bad for community relations but actually a threat to Britain's security, is Detective Inspector Bob Lambert, who retired six weeks ago as head of the Metropolitan police special branch's Muslim Contact Unit. With more than a quarter century at the sharp end of counter-terrorism operations, Lambert is scarcely a bleeding-heart liberal. But he has been unable to speak out publicly until now and is deeply frustrated by the Qaradawi ban. 'Qaradawi is clearly useful in countering al-Qaida propaganda', Lambert told me this week. 'He is held in high esteem: how can we think meaningfully about enlisting credible Muslim community support against al-Qaida if we're not prepared to engage constructively with the likes of Qaradawi?'

"Lambert also highlights the importance of Islamic activists' cooperation with the anti-war movement and radical MPs such as Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway in offering Muslim youth a way to channel their political grievances into peaceful political action. This isn't about 'political correctness or deference to Islamist thinking', he insists, 'it's a genuine issue of London's safety'. Groups now promoted by the government, such as the Sufi Muslim Council, may have their role, but from the perspective of countering terrorism they have 'neither religious nor political credibility. Let's be clear who it is that can keep London safe in the runup to the Olympic games'."

Seumas Milne in the Guardian, 14 February 2008

For the FCO's 2005 briefing on Qaradawi, which echoes Bob Lambert's view, see (pdf) here