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July 26, 2006
UK: Muslim Council Roadshow
The Muslim Council for Britain appears to be feeling a need to regain its connections with Muslims around Britain, as the BBC reported that it will be going on a tour of the country, in the hope of meeting a "diverse range" of Muslims.
The move comes after the foundation of a new group which aims to represent Muslims in Britain was officially inaugurated on 19 July. The new group, the Sufi Muslim Council was opened in Westminster, with politicians from all parties in attendance, including Anglican and Jewish faith representatives. Communities Minister Ruth Kelly was also present at the group's opening.
The founders of the SMC said it was created as a response to ordinary Muslims' frustrations with finding that their "moderate views" were not being represented.
Haras Rafiq, co-founder of the SMC had a week previously taken part in a documentary which accused some leaders and the government of pandering to extremists. In the case of the MCB, whose new fuehrerMuhammad Abdul Bari recently played host to the Islamist bigot Delwar Hossain Sayeedi at the East London Mosque (where he is chairman) this is certainly true.
Inayat Bunglawala and Iqbal Sacranie, leading lights at the MCB, have previously praised Osama bin Laden, and Sacranie even tried to get bin Laden to visit Britain. Sacranie also supported the victimisation of Salman Rushdie and though maintaining opposition to the Holocoaust Memorial Day, he attended the memorial to Sheikh Yassin, the founder of terrorist group Hamas. Sacranie called Yassin a "freedom-fighter".
Haras Rafiq said: "The prime minister and others have on many occasions rightly called for moderate Muslims to stand up and be counted. In response to this call, and following extensive consultations within the Muslim community, we have decided to establish the Sufi Muslim Council."
"Sufis count among the vast silent majority of Britain's two million strong Muslim community. Up to now they have lacked an externally visible voice and the intent of forming this council is to provide just such a strong voice."
"There is an urgent need for the British Muslim community to engage in an internal debate to isolate the ideologies who falsely claim to represent Islam, to develop a strong field of moderate, intellectually astute, forward-thinking leaders and scholars who can promote the moderate values of civic society, engagement and diversity which characterize classical Islam."
To add salt to the MCB's wounds, the SMC had formed an alliance with the British Muslim Forum (BMF) a grouping of 300 mosques in the midlands and the north.
The day of the official inauguration, the MCB's press officer, Inayat Bunglawala, was spitting his venom in the media, denouncing the SMC. Bunglawala called Haras Rafiq an "unknown".
"Who is he? Who does he represent? Lets wait and see just how many groups affiliate to his group but at the moment its obscure and unknown."
The MCB is viciously critical of Jewish groups in Britain, and say that their boycotting of Holocaust Memorial Day "reflects the anger of British Muslims at the actions of Israel and their desire for justice for the Palestinians."
Mr Rafiq for his part says that he would be prepared to work with representatives of all faith communities, including the Jewish Board of Deputies, to combat the "evil ideology that is gathering momentum within the community."
So the announcement of the MCB roadshow is an attempt by the Muslim Council to restore some sense of credibility to its loudly touted claim to represent UK Muslims.
Over the next five weeks, Dr Bari and other members of the MCB will be traveling to 16 towns in Britain which have large Muslim communities. These include Bradford, Birmingham, Manchester, Luton, Glasgow and Cardiff.
The current Feuhrer of the MCB, Dr Bari, recently admitted that his organisation had failed to reach all the elements within the Muslim communities, and could not claim to speak for all Muslims.
Bangladeshi-born Bari said: "This tour represents an ideal opportunity to introduce the work of the MCB to others and listen to suggestions about how we can facilitate greater co-operation among Muslims and non-Muslims to promote the common good."
Promoting the common good does not include giving support to the Bangladeshi bigot Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, who has mounted vicious campaigns against the Ahmadiyya (Ahmadi) sect. The Ahmadiyyah community is the longest-established Muslim community in Britain. Its mosque at Aldershot is the oldest in Britain, and has stood for more than 120 years.
I hope that the SMC will soon eclipse the MCB. The MCB has abused its position of privilege. While it was indulged unquestioningly by Tony Blair and others in government, it did little to establish a framework for peaceful and co-operative citizenship, and spent too much time trying to engage itself in political issues which had nothing to do with Islamic citizens in Britain.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 26, 2006 10:37 AM
Comments
Salaam
The first Islamic Festival was celebrated in 1976 in London at the time when Paki-bashing was ripe. One million sterling was spent by Saudi Arabia on the Festival. The aim of the Festival was to make the British public aware of the Muslim community as well as of Islamic faith and practices. For the last 30 years the Muslim community was suffering in all walks of life. Now Muslims are suffering in the name of Terrorism. Young Muslims have been searched and arrested without any charge. The physical and verbal abuses has increased ten folds.
In the past British society created problems for the Muslim community and now in the name of Terrorism, British establishment is responsible for all the difficulities of the Muslim community.
Pakistani community who is in majority suffer more than other Muslims. Majority of children leave schools with low grades. Majority of them are un-employed and in prison.All of them suffer from Identity Crises because state schools never teach them Urdu and Arabic, making them mis-fit for their own community. They are cut off from their parents and elders. They are cut off from their cultural roots and are unable to enjoy the beauty of Urdu literature and poetry. They have just become ecnomic slaves of the British society instead of economic migrants. They are also mis-fit for the British society because it is a tolerant society but never accepts foreigners.
Posted by: Iftikhar ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 15, 2006 12:16 PM
What garbage.
You think state schools should teach them Urdu and Arabic? Why for goodness sake? Is that not for the parents?
This is Britain you are talking about, where the official language is English. If their "cultural roots" are in Urdu-speaking, then do their parents not have the ability to teach them?
And why do you think Saudi Arabia promoted Islam festivals - because it wishes to promote its own form of Islam - Wahhabism, which is extreme, despite cultural gloss masquerading as "festivities".
So many Pakistani children in Britian have one parent imported by arranged marriage who is not from Britain. That parent could teach them Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi or whatever.
You seem to be afflicted with the same condition that other Muslims in Britain possess. They want the benefits of living here, but expect the society to change itself to adapt to their every whim.
You want Arabic? Go to Saudi Arabia. You want Urdu? Go to Pakistan.
And do you think in Saudi Arabia, which throws its oil money around to promote its own ideology, you would get Urdu classes paid for by the state?
Get real.
Posted by: Giraldus Cambrensis at August 15, 2006 12:31 PM
Geraaldus instead of putting forth an intellectual and balanced response to the comment you instead reflect a dogmatic ''we wont conform'' attitude which reflect an ignorant and 'racist ' ideology. Eventhough i also disagree with the clear with the victimization of Pakistani'by Iftikar, as surely Pakistani are not the only minority social group experiencing inequality and although they are a major group and should be considered a target for change in the education system and other sectors it remains that there are many reasons for there failure which in itself is diverse and not unified therefore one cannot place the fault only at the government and teaching Urdu and Arabic will surely not solve the problem.
Posted by: Charm at August 7, 2007 12:14 PM
Since when has expecting English to be maintained as the official language of Britain been evidence of racism?
It is the PC brigade, who rush in with the accusations of "racism" and "Islamophobia" at the drop of a hat who are stifling real debate and freedom of speech.
I vehemently disagree with Iftikar's assumption that Britain is to blame for the low educational standards among young Muslims of Pakistani origin.
Indians of non-Muslim origin have been in Britain for as long as Pakistani Muslims, and suffered racial abuse of the "Paki-bashing" that was common in the 1960s and 1970s. Yet for some strange reason, Indian non-Muslims are not poor performers in schools.
And what is wrong with having an attitude of non-conformity with PC dogma, which has nothing at all to do with education, and more to do with leftist politics?
Posted by: Giraldus Cambrensis at August 7, 2007 9:09 PM
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