While it may have been written 14 centuries ago, the letter Khalifah Ali ibn Abi Talib wrote to Malik Ashtar is just as, if not even more relevant to us today.
May Allah SWT help us return to the noble wisdom of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his loyal companions, may Allah bless them.
Co-Director, The Association of British Muslims
Director, Khilafah Online
Muslims in the West: What is the Way Forward? Video of the controversial debate organised by the Anti-Extremism Alliance, in partnership with The Association of British Muslims and Muslim Debate Initiative.
Panelists:
Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, Co-Director, The Association of British Muslims (AOBM)
Mubin Shaikh, Canadian National Security Consultant
Tehmina Kazi, British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD)
Abdullah Al Andalusi, Co-Founder, Muslim Debate Initiative (MDI)
Moderator: Allegra Mowen
Organiser: Charlie Flowers
Date: 26.04.2012
Venue: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London.
VoxAfrica Hotseat: 25.05.2012
Guests, listed anticlockwise from front-left of studio:
Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, Co-Director, The Association of British Muslims (AOBM)
Carlos Cortiglia, Press Officer, British National Party (BNP)
Tommy Robinson, Leader of the English Defence League (EDL)
Abdullah Al Andalusi, Co-Founder, Muslim Debate Initiative (MDI)
The Right Hon Mrs Theresa May MP
HM Secretary of State for the Home Department
House of Commons
1 Parliament Square
London SW1A 0AA
2 August 2011 / 1 Ramadan 1432
Dear Home Secretary,
Pastor the Rev Dr John Charles Hagee
I’m sure that by now you are aware of the intended visit of the above controversial American cleric to a “Rally and Prophecy Conference” to be held at the Symphony Hall, Birmingham, between 18 and 20 August (which will just happen to coincide with 17 and 19 Ramadan this year).
Dr Hagee has come in for considerable criticism within the USA from the American Jewish communities for his expressed anti-semitism, as summarised by the website Jews on First!:
“Hagee declares that Hitler was “part Jewish.” He says that Jews attribute special healing powers to the “spittle” of their first-born sons. He repeats anti-semitic canards about Jewish control of the financial system.” (http://www.jewsonfirst.org/audio-video/Display5.aspx?id=5149)
His Christian theology has raised considerable concern among respected and mainstream British Christian religious, such as the late Rev Dr John Stott (Rector Emeritus of All Soul’s, Langham Place, London), Rev Dr Stephen Sizer (vicar of Christ Church, Virginia Water), and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, himself who has described it as “dangerous fantasies”.
I believe that it was because of such anti-semitic views as are causing concern among American Jews that you excluded the Indian cleric Dr Zakir Naik in June 2010; and recently took action against Shaykh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, on the complaint of Mr Michael Freer MP, member for East Finchley, although the Israeli authorities have not found him guilty of this.
In the context of the detention of Shaykh Raed Salah you recently stated, “I will seek to exclude an individual if I consider that his or her presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good, and the government makes no apologies for refusing people access to the UK if we believe that they might seek to undermine our society.”
Dr Hagee also has a track record of consistently maligning and excoriating Islam, Muslims in general, and the Prophet Muhammad in particular. It would appear – although that is far from clear, as yet – that the Norwegian gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, was influenced by the Evangelicalism of Dr Hagee and other such peddlers of Islamophobia.
Given that this proposed Conference in Birmingham will take place in the middle of Ramadan in a city with a large polyethnic population, not a few of whom are Muslims, we in the Association of British Muslims would respectfully request that you issue an Exclusion Order for Dr Hagee.
Yours sincerely,
DRO
Daoud Rosser-Owen
Amir of the Association of British Muslims
By Tehmina Kazi
Director, bmsd
The issue of campus extremism is never far from the spotlight, and the Government’s recent review of the “Preventing Violent Extremism” strategy has once again brought it to the fore. A myriad of organisations have lamented long and hard about sectarian attitudes emanating from certain Muslim students (as well as some of the speakers that have been invited to address student Islamic society events). It has been difficult for stakeholders to negotiate an appropriate balance between liberty and security on this issue. For example, the Home Secretary described some universities as “complacent” in their approach.
Conversely, the previous Prevent strategy was (rightly) criticised for its over-reliance on surveillance technology. For every stellar leadership project funded by Prevent, there was an equivalent project which ended up shattering trust. A pertinent example was recorded at a college in northern England, where a student who attended a Palestine meeting was reported by one lecturer as a “potential extremist” (it turned out that he was not). Greater clarity, consistency, and grassroots engagement are required to break the current impasse.
Firstly, there needs to be a consensus as to what constitutes unacceptable speech and behaviour on campus. This is particularly relevant to discussion of the protected equality characteristics i.e. gender, race, disability, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age. The Universities UK report, “Freedom of Speech on campus: rights and responsibilities in UK universities” (February 2011) draws the line at behaviour “which has the purpose or effect of violating another’s dignity or creating a hostile, intimidating, offensive, or humiliating environment.” All students – regardless of their background or beliefs – must be mindful of this when inviting particular speakers to their events. There is much talk of the invitees’ individual rights, including freedom of speech, but less emphasis on their concomitant responsibilities (as per the Qur’anic injunction that mentions “wisdom and beautiful preaching.”).
Secondly, the same standards must apply to all campus stakeholders, no matter which religion or ideology they represent (or claim to represent). Reciprocity should be the main guiding principle here; it is crucial that different groups on campus should apply the same high standard of behaviour to their own representatives as they do to others. Inflammatory, sectarian and divisive attitudes must be opposed across the board. Therefore, it is puzzling that the November 2007 Oxford Union debate between BNP leader Nick Griffin and historian David Irving (who served a prison sentence in Austria after being convicted of Holocaust denial) was allowed to go ahead. Much of the media focus has been on Muslim extremism, but the forty universities who responded to the Universities UK survey stated that the most common type of challenge they faced was “in connection with animal rights”. It is staggering that this finding has not received greater coverage in the mainstream media.
Thirdly, good practice manuals need to be distributed more widely (particularly those written by individual students themselves). Between May 2009 and March 2011, I acted as a consultant and facilitator for the Citizenship Foundation’s “Young Muslim Leadership Network” which featured three groups of Muslim students, all aged 16 to 21. One of the groups came up with a good practice guide, entitled “How can University Islamic Societies be more inclusive?”. In addition, Campus Salam, an initiative run by the Lokahi Foundation, has produced guidance for students on the etiquettes of debate and disagreement. This stresses the principle of reciprocity mentioned above: “Are you fair and even-handed, or are you judging them in a way you don’t judge your own group?”
Finally, substantial research has been conducted on the psychology of extremism, but there should be greater coverage of the findings in mainstream media platforms. Cambridge University researcher Shahzad Shafqat has conducted an international study on this issue, focusing on extreme positive behaviour as well as extreme negative behaviour.
He states, “We have to accept that extremism – positive and negative – is part of the human condition, just as stress and anger are also part of being human. You can’t eradicate these things but, by understanding them, you can learn to manage them”. Rather than exclusively relying on the superficial explanations given for extremism, we should give this kind of introspection the importance it deserves.
By Imam Abdassamad Clarke
Ihsan Mosque, Norwich
If one, even if only for a moment, refuses to see the patternings that media and its pundits tell us are there, one begins to see others, and when one sees them, one can never again not see them.
It was while watching demonstrations – three in all – outside Downing Street, that it hit me. The young fiercely bearded Islamists, calling for shari’ah law – for heaven’s sake! – calling for shari’ah law outside Downing Street. The image was clear: mostly dark complexioned, with wonderful black beards, very full. The eyes and faces passionate, lit with, with more than excitement.
Across the street, there was a counter-demonstration of young alienated English youth. Shaven heads, shaven faces, full of fury, resplendent with fury. Gesticulating, shouting. Utterly focussed on the young men from the Midlands, Yorkshire and London, whose genes are from Peshawar, Swat and Lahore, and before that from who-knows-where.
Then there was a third group, whose name now escapes me, somehow hoping to claim some middle ground of civil and human rights.
Then it hit me: they are all young people, and they have all been betrayed, so they have nothing better to do than fight each other. This society does not know how to deal with young people, never has and never will. Previously – and people will still say this to you with all seriousness – there used to be the draft, compulsory recruitment into the army, which put some backbone in them, or perhaps sent them home in a coffin, but perhaps not even then before they had sent some other mothers’ sons home in coffins in some far and distant land. And this was our way of teaching some discipline to our young people.
The Association of British Muslims calls upon the Libyan people and people of all nations to rise up in every peaceful way to end the ruthless regime of Libyan Dictator Colonel Gaddafi, who must be brought to justice for his crimes against the Libyan people.
Through his bloody clampdown on peaceful political activists, Gaddafi declared war against his own people. The Libyan people are not standing alone in their battle for freedom and their struggle for a representative government of Libya, by the people of Libya. Leaders, regardless whether they are dictators, democrats or demagogues, need to be aware that people – whether in the Middle East or elsewhere – are not slaves of anyone and its high time that those who wish to be seen as leaders, recognise that they are the servants of their people – not their masters!
The Association of British Muslims calls upon all governments to assist the Libyan people in their desire to rid themselves of Colonel Gaddafi’s ruthless regime and to help the Libyan people bring him to justice. Any government granting him asylum, will be seen as an accomplice in the aiding and abetting of an international criminal.
The Libyan people, along with the Bahrainis, Tunisians and Egyptians, have the same rights as any other human being, to peacefully express discontent and call for reform in their own country. Attacks on innocent people cannot be swept under the carpet by anyone – the Human Family is one, that is made up of different tribes, races, religions, spiritual and political philosophies and we are embracing one another and working towards our common humanity.
Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, Co-Director
Mohammed Abbasi, Co-Director
Dan Littauer, Human Rights and Press Director
The Association of British Muslims