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British Muslims Monthly Survey for April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4
Features Preparing for council elections "Looking for Allah in England" Muslims' meeting with Home Secretary Short Reports International Year of the Family Call for international groundrules Future of religious broadcasting Spreading the message in Southend Middlesborough internal divisions Unrest in the Turkish community Benefit for polygamous marriages "Racism, its effects on society" Stoke on Trent support project Law-abiding Muslims, Blackpool Updates Education Application for Blackburn madrassah Top-up loans for student teachers Keighley College attracts students Leicester centre awaiting permission Mosques
Features A group of Muslim protesters staged a sit-in at the Luton Central Mosque on 29th March. The focus of the dispute, which has divided the community, is on the control of the mosque. This has led to a High Court action in the past and a "riot" in January (see British Muslims Monthly Survey for January 1994). During the recent sit-in sticks and stones were thrown and the former imam's house was attacked. Riot police were assembled at the scene and the sit-in came to an end when a group authorised by the mosque ruling committee broke down a side door and forced an entrance accompanied by police who made a total of forty arrests on public disorder charges. A cache of "weapons" consisting of baseball bats and sticks with nails in them was found inside the mosque. Under the ruling of the High Court, fresh elections are to be held in the mosque in May. The men, who were arrested for public order offences, appeared before local magistrates where 32 of them were each ordered to pay £100 and bound over to keep the peace for one year. Local people were concerned about the cost of the police operation which is feared to amount to around £15,000 to £20,000 according to press reports (Luton News 06.04.94). Law officers called on the Muslim community to negotiate a solution to their dispute rather than resort to these disruptive moves. There have been many letters in the press expressing shame that the dispute has occasioned violent exchanges and calling for Muslims to seek harmony and unite. The former Imam at the mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz Chisti, has put forward a reconciliation scheme which centres on an arbitration tribunal made up of eight Islamic scholars who would be nominated half and half by the parties involved in the dispute. This tribunal would be asked to rule on how the mosque should be run and who should have control of the nine-bedroomed house which is currently occupied by Maulana Chisti as well as a madrassah which is run in a room behind the house. The former Imam has agreed to accept the decision of such a tribunal should it be set up. Apart from some allegations about inadequate keeping of accounts, the focus of the dispute is over elections to the mosque's ruling committee. The pro-Chisti group say that the mosque's trust deeds do not call for elections but that trustees are appointed for life. The opposing party has gained a High Court ruling to the effect that a new constitution should be drawn up and elections should take place every two years. The Attorney General's department is currently working on the details of such a new constitution but this is still in the process of being drafted. It will not be completed before the elections ordered by the High Court for May. Ultimately, the courts have the right to impose a new constitution but the solicitors working on the Attorney's draft are still hoping that both parties in Luton will negotiate an agreement which can be enshrined in the new constitution. It seems that the imminent elections will not settle the issue and there will be further disquiet until the new constitution is in place and upheld by all parties and the law. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 1]
Preparing for council elections A fresh controversy with a racial overtone has broken out amongst Liberal Democrats in the Tower Hamlets district of east London. The local Lib Dem party has announced its intention to de-select Bangladeshi candidates for the forthcoming elections and replace them with white candidates in the hope of winning back some of the local white vote which went to the BNP in last year's election. Local Muslim leaders have accused the party of "pandering to racism", in the phrase used by the earlier committee of inquiry. Dr Syed Aziz Pasha, of the Union of Muslim Organisations, has indicated that he will call for a national boycott of the Liberal Democratic Party unless the national leadership brings the Tower Hamlets party into line (Q News 08.04.94). A British National Party candidate is to stand in the local elections in Stoke on Trent. He has already been active in a failed campaign to prevent the Muslim spiritual leader Pir Pandariman from setting up his HQ in the ward for which he intends to stand. The plan to mobilise the estimated 30,000 Muslim voters in the London borough of Brent to take part in the local elections (see BMMS for March 1994) culminated in a "Think Muslim" campaign which was organised by the Brent Islamic Forum, whose chairman, Dr Iftikar Saraf, a local GP, was profiled in Q News (29.04.94). Dr Saraf stated the aims of the campaign: "We hope to inform Muslims about the issues that affect the Muslim community and help them make a choice for the best candidate or party on the basis of what they can deliver to the Muslim community" (Daily Awaz 22.04.94). The campaign organised public meetings with candidates during which they were questioned on issues which particularly touch the Muslim community, viz. housing, law and order, traffic, racism, services, education and Muslim schools, anti-Muslim discrimination and unemployment. The BIF also sent questionnaires to the candidates and published their responses in their multi-lingual BIF News. Local politicians have reacted favourably to the campaign and have been made more aware of the presence and needs of Muslims in the local electorate. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 2]
The plight of young offenders from Asian families was investigated in a BBC 2 programme in the East series "The Unlikely Lads" (20.04.94). The governor of the Feltham Young Offenders Institution, London, commented that there is a problem amongst young men from the Asian community just as there is within the black community but "The difference is the black community is trying to do something about it while the Asians are trying to deny it" (Daily Jang 15.04.94). It was felt that many Asian families try to conceal the shame of having someone in prison by telling people that they have gone overseas or have gone away to continue their studies. The men's reaction to their criminality ranged from a sense of deep shame for the consternation caused to families to a dismissive attitude which saw prison as an unfortunate but likely punctuation in a life devoted to the gains which crime can bring. To coincide with the programme, Q News (15.04.94) carried an assessment of young Muslims and criminality. The reports acknowledged the extent of the problem, given that precise figures are impossible to ascertain, and saw two causes of the failure to deal with it. On the one hand, there is a conspiracy of silence on the part of the Muslim community, especially its leaders, to accept that there is a problem, and on the other, there is a refusal on the part of the authorities to accept that Muslims are a discrete group which needs to be addressed in specific ways. Rather than go for additional security measures or focus on punishment, the report argued for attention to be given to the social causes of crime and the racist and anti-religious elements to which Muslims are particularly suspect. In the opinion of the editor of Q News, Fuad Nahdi, "The biggest factor contributing towards the criminalisation of Muslim youth is, however, the lack of support available from both concerned agencies and the community. British Muslim youth grow up in an environment that is hostile to their very being, a society filled with highly qualified professionals whose only job is to abuse their faith, denigrate their culture and vilify their community. The aim of this concerted programme is clear: to ensure that Muslim youth grow up without pride, dignity or self-esteem." "To stop their route to jails and destruction Muslim community leaders and Imams need to wake up to the problem. A necessary first step is the realisation that we are part of this society. And that we are not immune to the terrifying forces that are tearing apart the social environment around us." [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 2/3]
The Halal Food Authority (see BMMS for March 1994) has launched its charter to regulate the halal meat trade. An invitation has gone out to traders to apply for membership. Members will sign a contract to abide by the rules of the Authority and to open their operations to unannounced inspections. The facilities and manner of slaughtering will be inspected and then carcasses will be stamped with an edible ink mark and tagged to indicate that they are genuinely halal. The tags and marks will be subject to inspection at every stage through transport, wholesalers and retailers. Traders will have to pay a levy to the Authority which will pay its running costs and for marketing promotions. The Authority believes that sales will boom for registered traders as people seek out genuinely halal meat. Setting up the Halal Food Authority has been a major drain on the resources of the Muslim Parliament. They have committed £20,000 to the project so far and see it as a significant means to regulate the circulation of Muslim funds within the community (Q News 15.04.94). There is widespread concern on the question of what constitutes halal meat and how the trade in Britain can be regulated. This prompted the Halal Food Board to run a half-day conference in Birmingham on 24th April. The Halal Food Board was set up in February 1993 by a group of Muslim leaders (see BMMS for February 1993) and is independent of the Muslim Parliament and its HFA. It too wishes to bring a degree of regulation to the food chain. Speakers at the conference included the Selly Oak Muslim scholars Dr M Ibrahim Surty and Dr Bustami Khir together with Dr Abdul Majid Katme. Birmingham City Council has stepped into the row over non-halal meat being passed off as halal. The city's environmental services officers are to inspect over 200 local outlets where meat which is purported to be halal is sold. Based on the evidence gained from these inspections, they intend to advise the local Muslim community on developing a system whereby the bona fides of halal meat can be checked and monitored from abattoir, through wholesalers, to retailers. The final system will be set up in conjunction with environmental services officers who will inspect it and enforce the regulations in the future. The Halal Food Consumers Association has advertised for Muslims to become members upon payment of a discretionary fee. The president of this body has appealed to Muslims to join it in large numbers and then to regulate their consumption of meat to force all traders to comply with its regulation. There has been concern also about the practice of passing off old and diseased meat as halal. This has followed a further TV programme in the BBC "Country Life" series. A family firm in Twyford, Berkshire, which specialises in supplying halal chickens, has recently been awarded a seal of approval after an inspection by the UK Muslim Halal Food Committee (Daily Awaz 22.04.94). The company processes 60,000 chickens per week and has a 98% Muslim workforce. It has grown from a small family farm which used to supply hens to Muslims who wanted to slaughter their own meat. It now supplies retail, catering and hotel outlets across the south of England. A Doncaster-based firm of butchers has been fined £15,000 by Rotherham magistrates after pleading guilty to four charges of supplying meat which was bad or falsely selling meat as halal which was in fact haram [prohibited]. The case came to light after environmental health officers checked the composition of meat supplied to a local school which was found to contain minced pork and an excessively high amount of fat. The charges were brought by the Rotherham Environmental Health Department under the Food Safety Act 1990. A spokesman for the Halal Meat Company in Birmingham, which was at the centre of a scare relating to Polish sheep recently, has spoken about the practice of English farmers inflating the price of sheep by 20-30% during the period of Ramadan and at Eid ul-Adha. The farmers have claimed that there is only a tiny market for mutton in Britain, much of it amongst Muslims, and there is always a shortage from February to May, which is the time that both Muslim festivals have fallen during recent years. It was to counter this escalation in prices that the Halal Meat Company imported sheep from Poland. The corrupt state of the halal slaughtering industry was cited by Dr Kalim Siddiqui, the leader of the Muslim Parliament, in a statement issued on 27th April advising people that it is inadvisable for Muslims to trust butchers and slaughterhouses in Britain to prepare their qurbani [the animal sacrificed at Eid ul-Adha and shared with the poor] this year. He advised people instead to send the money to a Muslim country where there is hunger and have the sacrifice made there instead. There are several Muslim charities in Britain which offer facilities for qurbani to be made in Muslim countries. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 3/4]
"Looking for Allah in England" The BBC 1 programme in the Everyman series "Looking for Allah in England" which was shown on 1st May, attracted wide coverage in the press. The programme focused on two British people who were attracted to Islam and followed them through their time of decision-making and preparation to embrace Islam. It was noted that neither of the two were able to make explicit the intellectual conviction which led them to Islam, rather the programme proceeded by means of "fly on the wall" and "conversational" techniques. The review in the Daily Mail (02.05.94) concluded by saying, "There is room for debate on the place of Islam in British life, but this Everyman muffed the chance". The programme was reviewed for Q News (29.04.94) by David Rosser-Owen, himself a convert to Islam of thirty years standing. He explored the phenomenon of British converts to Islam and took issue with the commonly held opinion that the majority of them are women. He offered an estimate of the total number of converts in the region of 80,000 [sic]. He explained that people were drawn to Islam by many routes but all eventually came to the same conclusion as was expressed in the programme that "Islam... is about Love, Togetherness". He drew attention to an area not touched on by the programme but which was the most difficult and delicate for many converts, namely the individual's relations with their parents once they had decided to make the step of embracing Islam. Rosser-Owen lamented the programme-makers' inevitable visit to the London Central Mosque as if it were typical of Islam in Britain. He noted that many British converts do not have anything to do with it. Likewise he lamented the poor advice which was given to both converts by ordinary Muslims and leaders. He quoted the example of Muhammad who sent people who had already converted to Islam back to the people whence they came as the best equipped to preach the message there (the example of Najran). Although the reviewer found echoes from his own experience of the conversion process and enjoyed the programme, he did end up wondering why it had been made. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 4/5]
According to a report in the Evening Standard (20.04.94), Israeli and British-Jewish leaders are concerned that Britain has become a recruiting ground for Palestinian Islamic Hamas groups who are said to be concentrating on students in London colleges. The Israeli security service, Mossad, is claimed to be co-operating with British intelligence agencies to stem the tide of funds and planning from Britain intended to promote militant activities amongst Palestinians on the West Bank and in Gaza. So far, Hamas has not been outlawed in Britain as a terrorist organisation, as it has been in the USA. There is reported to be a campaign by Israeli and Jewish leaders to persuade the British authorities to use the Prevention of Terrorism Act against Hamas. One security source was quoted as saying, "It is not an exaggeration to say that London has become a murder planning and support centre for the Islamic extremists throughout the world". The rise of Hizb ut Tahrir activity in Britain has been linked to this situation. The article in the Evening Standard was written by Joseph Finklestone who, according to Q News (22.04.94) is a London-based journalist who frequently writes for the Jewish Chronicle. The Q News report claimed that the Israeli/British-Jewish allegations were part of a Mossad-inspired plot to cut off charitable relief from Palestinian refugees. They had been met "with disbelief and hysterical laughter by both experts and charity workers for Palestine". "There are no terrorists in London. All the people behind Israel's violence and terrorism are from Brooklyn. If they want to find terrorists in the West then they need to go to the US and not here to Britain", said Masood Shadjareh. It was noted that, whilst the US had declared Hamas to be a terrorist organisation, they had not so branded the Kahane Movement from which Dr Baruch Goldstein, who killed 50 people at the Hebron Mosque, came. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 5/6]
The former deputy leader of the Labour Party, Roy Hattersley, has represented the Sparkbrook constituency of Birmingham for thirty years but has announced that he will leave parliament at the next election. The seat is the subject of proposed boundary changes but it will retain a substantial representation of Muslim voters. Mr Hattersley has made it know that he thinks the next MP should come from the local Muslim community. Two local Muslim councillors have been mentioned in connection with the seat, viz. Councillor Najma Hafeez and Councillor Muhammad Afzal, both of whom are well-established in local affairs. The situation in Sparkbrook is coloured by local Labour Party politics. When the neighbouring seat of Small Heath became vacant some years ago, Councillor Afzal was a strong favourite with local people but the Trades Union block vote toppled him in favour of a union candidate. It is now speculated that the Small Heath seat could be dissolved in boundary changes which would give the present MP a strong case for seeking the Sparkbrook nomination. The Labour Party has also stated that it will draw up all-female selection lists for some seats and such a policy would obviously favour Councillor Hafeez. There is also the continual problem about internal wrangling between Muslims from different ethnic groups as Kashmiris and Punjabis are heavily represented locally. There may also be members of other minority groups who might wish to seek nomination. A certain amount of political manoeuvring has begun in Bradford to influence the selection of the next candidate for the safe Labour seat of Bradford West following the decision not to stand again at the next election by the sitting MP, Max Madden. In the news release announcing his retirement, Mr Madden said, "I would be pleased to be succeeded by a woman who shares my belief in democratic socialism - and delighted if she came from an ethnic minority..." (Yorkshire Post 22.04.94). Given the desire of the Labour Party positively to advantage women in the selection process by nominating all-female selection lists in certain safe seats, this has caused some concern to local Muslims who want to see a Muslim candidate elected. The two leading contenders from the Muslim community in Bradford are Mohammed Ajeeb, a former lord mayor, and Rangzeb, also a councillor. There are thought to be other local men but no women potential candidates from Asian families. There are local women contenders from the white community. It is feared that an all-woman selection list would either open the door for a white woman or for a woman of Asian heritage from another part of the country. Councillor Ajeeb is quoted as saying, "If they go ahead with a women-only shortlist, I will not be able to stop the backlash" (Yorkshire Post 15.04.94). The two Muslim men are regarded as being the leading contenders for selection at this stage but they have cast various aspersions on each other. Ajeeb has suggested that Rangzeb is a supporter of the ultra-conservative Muslim Conference in Pakistan and thus questions how he can stand as a Labour Party candidate in Britain. He has also said that Rangzeb is recruiting members of the Jatt clan (from the higher social order of farmers and landowners) to which he belongs into the local Labour Party where they will, of course, have a vote in the candidate selection. Rangzeb declares himself to be a socialist and denies any political affiliation in Pakistan. Further he denies any part in the recent recruitment of 400 new members of the local party. Rangzeb's supporters are also alleged to have indicated that Ajeeb, who comes from a lower social order carpenters' clan, is unsuitable for the position of an M.P. Islam totally rejects all notions of caste divisions between peoples and stresses the equality of being part of the one Muslim ummah [world-wide community] but that is not to say that all Muslims from the sub-continent have totally freed themselves from the legacy of the Indian caste system which Islam rejects. Rangzeb denies that either he or his supporters have used such tactics, which he labels as racist, but was quoted as saying, "The thing is, Ajeeb is what you would call from the carpenter trade. I think he is suffering from an inferiority complex". [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 6/7]
The Muslim weekly Q News celebrated its second anniversary with a reception at the Regent's Park Mosque on 26th March. Many prominent members of the British Muslim community attended and heard speeches, recitations and entertainments as well as sharing in traditional Bosnian food. The anniversary celebrations were linked to an appeal for money for the Bosnian Cultural Centre which aims to assist Bosnian refugees in re-establishing their cultural life in Britain. The evening was depicted in photographs and a report in the Q News edition of 01.04.94. As part of their stock-taking after two years of publication, the Q News team had conducted a survey of Muslim attitudes amongst their readers. The full results were published in a special supplement to the edition of 08.04.94. A particular aspect of the survey was to lament the lack of effective leadership amongst British Muslims and the ineffectual role of the mosque in Muslim life. It was felt that mosques were too often rent by internal power struggles and a lack of a real understanding of the issues which faced young Muslims in Britain today. Muslim women were reported to be making considerable headway in their professional careers even though they experienced some opposition when they tried to combine fidelity to Islamic ideals with integration into their chosen professions. Q News, as an English-language newspaper, directs itself mainly at the younger element within Muslim society but this is huge with an estimated 60% of the 1.5 million Muslims in Britain being under 25 years-old. These are the people at whom the paper is aimed and it sets out to deal with their concerns of living a moral Islamic life in the heart of British society. There is a real feeling in the survey that young Muslims have a positive contribution to make to work for an integrated society which will prevent another Bosnian-style rift developing here. An evaluation of the readership indicated that about 67% were male and 33% female. The age profiles indicated that 27% were aged 22-25, 29% 26-35 and 15% 36-45. 53% of readers tended to be in full-time employment and 32% were students. A similar 53% were of Asian heritage and 29% were white. Around 88% of the readership is Muslim with about 6% being Christian. The fact that many copies of the newspaper are read by several people each means that they are reaching a wider audience but with a reduced financial income from subscribers. The total number of responses to the survey amounted to about 1,000. The shifting perspective on Islam amongst young Muslims is indicated in 65% of men and 57% of women saying that their perception of Islam differed from their parents. Much of the gulf in effective leadership was put down to the general incompetence of leaders. On the question of seeking a marriage partner, 41% of men said that they were intending to make their own decisions (33% of women) whilst only 22% of women and 16% of men said that they would allow their parents to make the choice of marriage partner. The need for channels to find suitable partners who would share their perspective on Islam was indicated by many respondents. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 7/8]
Muslims' meeting with Home Secretary The meeting between leading Muslims and the Home Secretary on 16th March (see BMMS for March 1994) and the way in which it was reported by the Muslim press led to a number of letters in the Muslim News (29.04.94). The thrust of the Home Secretary's remarks was that it is difficult to accommodate the requests of Muslims in Britain as they are not united behind a single organisation which can speak authoritatively on their behalf. One of these letters was from Peter Lloyd, the Minister of State at the Home Office. He stressed that the meeting was arranged so that relations could be improved between the government and Muslims in Britain and in particular that there should be an exchange of opinion and reaction to questions which Muslim leaders wished to raise. He felt that the way in which the meeting had been reported, which suggested that both current Muslim leaders and their opinions had been rejected, had been less than helpful. A response from the Muslim leaders who attended the meeting and editorially from the Muslim News will be published in the May edition of that paper. Other correspondents pointed out the potential difficulties in establishing a structure which could speak on behalf of all Muslims, especially as, if this were to be recognised as the official interlocutor by the government, it would tend to be "non-militant". Again, it was pointed out that no religious body speaks for all followers of that faith in Britain. The fact that some ethnic minority groups have learnt how to put forward "concrete and constructive ideas" and thus find a receptive audience in local and national government was noted. The point was made that much "leadership" is in the hands of elderly men who will not allow younger people with a better grasp of contemporary issues to come to the fore. A two-day conference is planned by a group of Muslims headed by Sher Azam, the President of the Bradford Council for Mosques, to find a formula for establishing a national consultative body for Muslims in Britain. The conference is planned for the summer and all existing Muslim organisations and those working for the Muslim community will be invited to attend. The UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs is likewise considering whether to widen its brief to work for a consensus amongst various groups. Dr Syed Aziz Pasha pointed out that the Union of Muslim Organisations has long been recognised by the government as the only national elected representative body which can speak for the Muslim community in Britain. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 8]
The orange stickers announcing the return of the Caliphate which are associated with Hizb ut Tahrir (see BMMS for January, February and March 1994) have appeared in several towns around Britain causing renewed concern. They are reported from Luton, Bradford and Stourbridge. The Luton stickers prompted a local Muslim leader to contribute an article for the press (Luton on Sunday 10.04.94) setting out the basics of Islamic beliefs and mainstream opinion on the Caliphate. The thousands of stickers posted in Bradford caused an outcry and the council's "Graffiti Unit" had to be diverted to deal with them. They prompted a leading member of the Ahmadiyya movement to write to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus (20.04.94) saying that they already had a Caliph and inviting Muslims to acknowledge him. Hounslow Borough Council has set up a 24-hour hotline as part of its "Rub out Racism" campaign. Anyone spotting racist graffiti is asked to ring the hotline and council operatives will deal with the offensive matter immediately. At the National Union of Students' conference in Blackpool, racism was a particular concern and Hizb ut Tahrir was singled out for mention for its alleged anti-Semitic and racist pronouncements (Education 22.04.94). This issue was noted by Muslim News (29.04.94) who drew attention to the conference's lack of time to discuss whether anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are the same thing. The result of this is that Muslim students who protest about Zionism and the activities of the State of Israel will be branded as anti-Semitic and thus condemned by the policies of the NUS. The whole question of religious groups' activities on university campuses was raised by a Christian university chaplain in an article in the Times Higher Education Supplement (22.04.94). He raised the question as to whether universities ought to institute a code of conduct for religious groups which, whilst maintaining their right to be established, ought to set bounds to the way in which they aim to recruit new members. This might free vulnerable students from the over-zealous efforts of missionary groups of all persuasions. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 8/9]
Short Reports The Leicester Progressive Jewish Congregation has written to Leicester Muslims to express their sympathies over the recent killings in Hebron (see BMMS for February and March 1994) and to dissociate themselves totally from any acts of violence in connection with Jewish-Muslim relations. They have pledged themselves to continue their close working relationship with local Muslims and people from all faith communities. The massacre at the Hebron Mosque prompted a vicar in Nuneaton to write to the local Muslim Association offering the support on the Christian community in the town. He offered to work in partnership with local Muslims in seeking justice and ways of living and working together. A copy of his letter was sent to the MP for Nuneaton. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 9] The report of the special committee set up under Dame Jocelyn Barrow by the Council for Legal Education into racial discrimination in the legal profession (see BMMS for September and October 1993) has been published. The report cleared both the Council for Legal Education and the Inns of Court School of Law of any charges of racism but it did find that they did not fully meet the needs of ethnic minority students. Recommendations included clearer criteria in examinations, external markers, second marking of papers and the appointment of an equal opportunities officer for the Council for Legal Education. It was noted that the general academic standard of students from ethnic minorities was lower than for their white counterparts. The difficulties which graduates from ethnic minorities have in finding places in barristers' chambers where they continue their training was held to be a possible partial cause of the overall poor record of such students in the bar vocational course. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10] The antecedents of the half-page advertisement in The Guardian (14.03.94) which conveyed the greetings and approval of British-Indian Muslims on the occasion of the Indian Prime Minister's visit (see BMMS for March 1994) and which led to tension between them and British-Kashmiri Muslims have been revealed by Q News (01.04.94). This report claimed to have evidence that the advertisement was co-ordinated and paid for by the Indian government acting through the High Commission. Some scepticism was shown about the eminence, and indeed existence, of some of the "Indian Muslim Organisations" who were said to be signatories to the advertisement. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10] Four British-based charities which have been heavily involved in relief work in Bosnia were reviewed by the Muslim News (29.04.94). Islamic Relief was reported to have sent US$7m in aid and Muslim Aid £2.4m. Convoy of Mercy specialises in running four lorries backwards and forwards to Bosnia twice each week carrying thousands of tons of supplies. The Human Rights Committee of the Muslim Parliament is essentially an awareness-raising body but it also channels money through its Bosnian Children Fund (for orphans of martyrs) and Bosnia Jihad Fund ("for their most desperate needs"). There are also many projects run by individuals and local associations. The Bosnian Muslim Association organised a picket of the UN office in London on 20th April to demonstrate their anger at the UN's failure to protect Muslims in the "safe havens" in Bosnia. A petition was handed in calling for the resignation of the UN Secretary General. The Bradford Ahmadiyya Youth Association, which has been active in sending relief to Bosnia over the last two years, has applied for permission to take a 12-lorry convoy to Sarajevo and Mostar in May. This would be one of the first aid convoys to reach these formerly-besieged cities. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10] International Year of the Family As part of the International Year of the Family celebrations in Bradford, an attempt will be made to cook a world-record kebab. The record stands at 2066'11" at present. Local Muslims are heavily involved in the project with the cooking being supervised by the catering school of the Association of Asian Restaurant Owners. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10] A Muslim entrepreneur in Wales has launched a new wedding card service for the Asian community. The cards will be printed in community languages and will follow traditional designs. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10] Two local councillors in the Tower Hamlets area, both of whom were implicated in the recent investigation into racism in the Liberal Democrat Party, are at the centre of another row after they sent out thousands of letters "boasting" about turning down a planning application to turn a disused public house into a mosque for local Muslims. The letter was on council headed notepaper and contained only three sentences: "You recently signed a petition objecting to the planning application to turn "The Flamingo" into a Masjid. We are delighted to let you know that we have rejected this application. It was turned down by the Bethnal Green Planning sub-committee last week." (Daily Mirror 01.04.94). The reason given for rejecting the application was that there would be a large number of people using the building and thus increased parking problems. The building continues to be ear-marked for use as a public house. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 10/11] A Wedding Reform Bill has been published prior to its presentation to Parliament by Harry Cohen MP. The bill aims to remove all restrictions which limit the time, place and language in which weddings can be conducted. If the bill becomes law, religious leaders will be able to conduct marriages in community languages in which the civil and religious aspects of the marriage are combined. It will give couples the freedom to marry on any day or time and in any place that they choose instead of the current situation which requires the marriage to be celebrated on licensed premises during set hours on fixed days. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 11] After the death of schoolgirl Nikki Conroy, who was stabbed in a classroom in Middlesborough, more than 500 Muslims assembled in the mosque to offer prayers and remember her. Prayers were offered for the teachers and pupils at Hall Garth School which is attended by many local Muslim children. Muslim leaders were also be present at the church service to mark her funeral. After the prayers a collection was taken which raised £200 towards a memorial in her honour. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 11] This year's Keighley Festival was to have climaxed in an Asian-style mela but this has been postponed for two weeks because it would have fallen near the beginning of Muharram [first month of the Muslim calendar] and thus have clashed with the celebration of the martyrdom of Husain, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The postponed mela will include a variety of cultural events. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 11] A six-month project has been undertaken in the Lothian area of Scotland into the welfare needs of elderly people from Asian families. The study has indicated that their needs are not being met by community services and two possible causes have been identified as a lack of knowledge about what is available and a breakdown in communication when the clients approach the services. Community leaders have called for welfare services to be set up specifically aimed at Asian elderly people. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 11] Call for international groundrules The former religious affairs correspondent of The Times, Clifford Longley, writing in the Daily Telegraph (01.04.94), called for some international groundrules to be established to protect civilisations from the horrors of discrimination and abuse such as have been seen in Bosnia. He stressed that such groundrules must take account of religion in addition to the current criteria of race and ethnicity. He underlined the common humanity which must be seen as the foundation for all civilisation and went on, "The point of rules and conventions to cope with human diversity is not to prohibit pride about what makes us different, but to make it safe for us to feel that pride without hurting others." [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 11/12] The president of the Pakistan Welfare Association in Slough, who had been active in community affairs and had hoped to be selected as a Labour Party candidate for the local council, has been banned from holding any office within the Labour Party for two years following an investigation into racist and intimidatory behaviour. It has also been revealed through the local press (Slough and Langley Observer 31.03.94) that he has convictions for taking part in racist gang violence. It is thought that these revelations will not go in Chaudhry Iftakhar Ahmed's favour when he comes up for re-election as the president of the PWA. Elections have been postponed until August to coincide with elections for the Slough Islamic Trust. Another candidate, Raja Mohammed Sheeraz, is due to appear before magistrates charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 12] Future of religious broadcasting In the light of the Independent Television Commission's report Seeing is Believing (see BMMS for January 1994), the Muslim journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown called for a reconsideration of religious broadcasting in an article in The Independent (30.03.94). She called for more interactive programmes which would examine the relationships between various religious groups. "One could look at moral issues, or such subjects as lone parenthood, through the eyes of the different communities. One could study the relationship between religion and aesthetics around the world, or the way religion gives depths to people's lives". Religious groups need to be given the resources to make programmes and a more humble and imaginative approach was called for from programme makers and commissioners. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 12] A Cambridge research team has announced that it has successfully bred transgenic pigs from which it is hoped that organs could be transplanted into humans without the risk of rejection as at present. The issue has been discussed by Dr Syed Darsh, the chairman of the UK Islamic Shariah Council, who has said, "In Islam the basic principles of our religion are sensible. If there was no other way to save life then there would be no objection" (Daily Awaz 30.03.94). Now that human proteins have been successfully bred into the pigs, it is hoped that the first experimental transplant into a human recipient could take place within about two to three years. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 12] The results of a study conducted by the International Women's Tribune Centre in London in 1991 have indicated that violence against women is widespread in many countries and communities including some Muslim societies. It transpired that such violence was common amongst the affluent professional classes as well as the under-privileged. It is also a common misunderstanding to think that such violence is related only to alcohol abuse. The question was explored in an article in the Daily Jang (15.04.94) which called for more openness to the problem in Asian societies and a willingness to condemn violence against women amongst Muslims too. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 12/13] Three years ago, the Islamic Association of North London lost a battle in the High Court with Barnet council over establishing a community centre. Now the Association has launched another bid to gain planning permission to convert a derelict building in Finchley High Street into a community centre. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] Research into alcohol abuse in the London Borough of Hounslow in 1991 indicated that 20.8% of local people drank more than a sensible amount of alcohol. This led to the setting-up of an ethnic alcohol counselling service which is set to expand now to meet an increased demand for its services. About 50% of the services' clients are women and 28% of the total are white. 1,336 counselling sessions were recorded in 1992/3. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] Three Muslim girls from Bradford are to represent Britain at a gathering in Sweden to examine the role of youth clubs within Europe. The girls will be accompanied to the all-female seminar by one of their teachers. The intention was to broaden the girls' understanding of European life and to share the richness of female dignity within Islam with a wider audience. The girls, the school and the local community have raised the necessary funds to make the trip possible. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] The Muslim Cultural and Welfare Association in Sutton, Surrey, has been enlisting the help of local politicians in a bid to secure funding for an advice centre. The Association had gathered £47,000 to purchase a suitable building but the money was lost when the BCCI crashed. The current hope is that the council will be able to lease them an unused building. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] The Barking and Havering Family Health Services Authority has been meeting with members of the Essex Islamic Educational Trust to explore the current provision for respecting the cultural and religious needs of Muslims who are catered for by the local NHS. It transpired that one member of the Authority is a Muslim and multi-lingual clinics were in place. The service is being monitored by the Hackney Women's Advocacy Service. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] A Blackburn Muslim woman has been in Bombay learning the art of traditional henna design in beautifying Asian women. She has now established a business in her hometown where she has clients from many communities who seek henna decorations both for weddings and celebrations as well as for "temporary tattoos". [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] Spreading the message in Southend Young Muslims in the Southend area are engaged in da'wah by spreading the message of Islam amongst the wider community. They have succeeded in attracting some of their peers to convert to Islam and to join in mutual support against racism. They are stressing the classlessness of Islam and the need to live a moral life as the future generation of Britain. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 13] The "Asian Women in Action" group in Blackburn is a product of the Ethnic Minorities Development Association. They are making a special effort with environmental projects in their neighbourhoods and are seeking to bring a "green" dimension to their environment by improving the area and carrying out planting campaigns. Their desire is to use this as a means of breaking down some of the cultural divides within the general society. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14] The Friends Information Centre, an Asian community organisation in Liverpool, has launched a new initiative to combat heart disease amongst local people from Asian heritage. The project will involve six postgraduate health workers from Liverpool's School of Tropical Medicine who have experience in working in developing countries. One question which the research will seek to address is why the incidence of heart disease amongst people from Asian families living in Britain is higher than the incidence in Asian countries. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14]
A project was launched in London on Pakistan Day by the UK-Pakistan Cultural Foundation to create a TV series of four programmes which would trace the political history of Pakistan from the end of the Moghul Empire through to 1947. It will have a special focus of clarifying the contribution made by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam [the Great Leader], and so has been called "The Quaid Project". The series has received enthusiastic support from the highest levels of Pakistani political circles and is to be directed by Prof. Akbar Ahmed. It has been funded by a private financial package of £1.5m. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14]
The Euro MP for London North East, Alf Lomas, has spoken out against any pandering to racism in Britain or Europe at a meeting organised by a Bangladeshi group in Tower Hamlets. He said that racism and discrimination would be halted by improved housing, education, health services and employment. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14]
Middlesborough internal divisions Hopes of a settlement in the dispute over control of the Jamia Mosque in Waterloo Road, Middlesborough have reached an apparent deadlock (see BMMS for May, July, August and November 1993). The current issue in dispute is the arrears of subscriptions owing to the mosque. These amount to some £4,170. A cheque for this amount has been handed to the mediator by the United Muslim Council with instructions that it should be paid over to the new committee, whatever its composition, after the elections scheduled to be held in May. The ruling Islamic Society has said that this is unacceptable and are refusing to sanction the election until the money has been deposited with the mosque committee. They have agreed that it will not be spent until after the election. The dispute has continued with a sit-in staged by 400 members of the United Muslim Council on 2nd May. Police had to be called in to restore order. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14]
The International Interests Committee of the Church of Scotland has spoken out against the impact of government legislation on the sinister and significant rise of racism in Britain. In their report, they said, "In traditional liberal democracies the tendency to assume that the majority rule of law is equated with justice is very strong... The myth of tolerance and liberalism in our society makes it hard to accept that racism has been part of public policy" (Daily Jang 01.04.94). "The report pointed out that racist attitudes were not recent developments and that Cabinet papers from 1955 to 1961 clearly showed that the basis for immigration control was racist from the beginning and designed to keep blacks out". [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 14/15]
Unrest in the Turkish community Neighbours of the Turkish Islamic Centre, Stoke Newington, which has twice been the subject of arson attacks (see BMMS for January and March 1994) are reported to be concerned that they could be caught up in another incident after the Centre erected a large banner and several posters condemning the massacres of Muslims in Bosnia (Hackney Gazette & North London Advertiser 15.04.94). The various groups and tensions within the Turkish and Kurdish communities in London were explored in an extensive article in The Guardian (29.04.94). It traced some of the origins and causes upheld by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), Dev Sol (Revolutionary Left) and the Grey Wolves ("military wing of the far right National Action Party"). The confusing and disputed claims of responsibility for terror attacks, extortion, illegal dealing and political incidents were explored and some wished to attribute part of the blame to agents provocateurs sponsored by the Turkish government or simply to gangsters who used political causes as a front for crime. The complexity and uncertainty surrounding the whole issue was clearly depicted in the article. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 15]
The Banking Insurance and Finance Union has asked the CRE to investigate the possible racial implications of the way in which staff of Barclays Bank in London and the South East have been selected for redundancy. Members of the black and Asian communities make up 11% of employees but they account for 17% of those nominated for redundancy. Barclays have expressed themselves as "surprised" at the union's complaint and are confident that no racial bias was used in selecting staff for redundancy (Daily Jang 08.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 15]
The baby girl at the centre of a court action brought by her Muslim father to prevent her being baptised by her Christian mother (see BMMS for July 1993) was finally baptised on 10th April. The girl's parents had not been married and her father had separated from her mother months before her birth. When the mother arranged for her to be baptised, the father gained an injunction from the courts to prevent the ceremony taking place until the County Court gave a ruling. Acting upon legal opinion, the father finally dropped the case in February thus clearing the way for the ceremony to take place. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 15]
The Ghausia Mosque in Corbridge, Stoke on Trent, has been given planning permission to build a mortuary behind the mosque for the washing and storing of bodies prior to their burial either in Britain or overseas. The mortuary facilities will be made available to Muslims from other mosques in the city. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 15]
Two respected Urdu poets, Pakeezah Balg and At'har Raaz, were guests of the Bazm-e-Urdu at the Muslim Resource Centre, Coventry, on 17th April. The death of the Urdu and Arabic poet Ahmed Ansari was noted in Q News (29.04.94). He had been born in India, of Arabic descent, and was educated in Urdu, Arabic and English. He became an expert on Arabic literature and moved to England in 1977 with his English wife where he contributed a number of books of poetry based on Indian, Persian and Arabic sources. He also set up an Arabic-Urdu Academy in Maidenhead which specialised in teaching Arabic through Urdu for which he produced text books. He was a well-known poet and contributor to Urdu newspapers. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
Two Muslim brothers in Sunderland have developed a range of halal pizzas which they hope to produce in their factory there and distribute through their existing pizza company and hopefully to supermarkets and halal food suppliers nationally. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
Two former mill sites in Oldham are to be developed for housing in a joint venture by the Oldham Muslim Housing Association and the South East Lancashire Housing Association. They intend to develop fifty homes for rent on the sites. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
The "Muslim Deaf Group" held a special celebration for Eid in Leicester in which a speech was given in sign language by Owais Murad. More than 100 deaf people attended the celebration. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
The 150-strong Muslim African Peoples' Defence Committee based in Birmingham has called for the legalisation of polygamy amongst Muslims in Britain to counter the imbalance between the number of men and the number of single women in their community. Sister Akira from the group told The Voice (19.04.94) that, "The West has socially engineered a situation wherein there is a shortage of Black men and a surplus of Black women with which to form meaningful relationships". The group believes that polygamy helps to prevent or reduce prostitution and unfaithfulness, especially on the part of the husband. The group are reported to be looking for the best ways to overcome the social and legal problems surrounding the issue of polygamy in Britain. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
An emergency translation hot-line has been established by West Midlands Police to provide instant access to almost all the languages represented in the community. It is hoped that the Language Line will enable people without a command of English to report crime and to facilitate better communication between the police and members of the public. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16]
A former committee member and an ex-member of staff of the Pakistan Muslim Centre in Sheffield have written to the Department of the Environment asking for an investigation into alleged incompetence, inappropriate appointments and a waste of public money by the Centre. The Centre was set up in 1988 as a training and community centre to serve the 15,000 people from ethnic minorities in the area. The Centre has won a £100,000 contract from the Sheffield Training and Enterprise Council to provide training courses in information technology, catering and English language. The current dispute is part of a long-running internal wrangle over the administration of the Centre (Yorkshire Post 19.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 16/17]
Stemming from Saudi National Day celebrations last September, a nationwide competition had been organised for pupils aged 7 to 11. The pupils had to prepare a project on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Prizes were awarded by the Saudi Arabian Ambassador, Dr Ghazi Algosaibi, to winners who came from schools in Swansea, Wembley, Basildon, Stockport and Cumbria. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
The bi-lingual Urdu/English newspaper the Daily Awaz has announced that it will cease publication as from 8th May. The newspaper was launched in December 1992 and hoped to build a daily circulation of 20,000 but in fact it has seen its circulation dwindle from a high of 12,000 to a current figure of 3,000. Its revenue from advertisers has likewise diminished. The paper established a reputation for an efficient high-tec production and a serious attempt to cover news of importance for both the older Urdu-speaking generation and the younger English-speaking readership. Its demise is lamented in many quarters. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
The Wolverhampton health authority has received a grant of £25,000 for a year's research project into the incidence of mental health problems amongst women from Asian families in its area. It is thought that such women have a particularly high rate of suicide but the research will seek to uncover accurate information and actual figures for various conditions. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
After initial joint meetings last July, a group of Young Friends (Quakers) from London organised a shared weekend with Muslims from a Bengali youth club in the East End of London. The weekend consisted of joint activities, sharing cultural heritage and experiencing being present at each other's worship (The Friend 22.04.94). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Birmingham organised a multi-faith meeting in the Saltley Leisure Centre. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
An old-peoples' drop-in centre has opened in Keighley at the Muslim Community Centre assisted by a grant of £10,000 from Bradford Council social services. The centre will offer facilities for social gatherings, newspapers and advice on health and benefit issues. It is hoped to arrange classes in English and Urdu literacy for clients. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
Benefit for polygamous marriages The London borough of Hounslow has confirmed that none of their residents has taken up the provision of additional support for people living in polygamous marriages. The Department of Social Security has confirmed that it is a central government policy to provide an additional benefit of £26 per week for "each additional partner living in the same household" (Brentford, Chiswick & Isleworth Times 15.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 17]
Around 30 women from north London took part in a seminar on passive smoking organised by the An-Nisa Society in conjunction with the Central and North West London Health Promotion Unit. The seminar was part of the national campaign called "Quitting is Winning". The particular Islamic thrust was given to the event based on the precept that it is haram for the Muslim to eat or drink anything which causes death either quickly or gradually. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
"Racism, its effects on society" A day-conference on "Racism, its effects on society" was organised by the Union of Muslim Organisations' Youth Council and the Islamic Society of London University. Speakers included Ibrahim Hewitt, who pointed out that racism was not just a matter of colour but stemmed from peoples' feeling of superiority based on a variety of factors which included culture, colour, religion and politics, and Moeen Yaseen, who criticised Muslim leaders for being blind to racism and predicted that young Muslims would take over the struggle against racism. There was a general feeling amongst several speakers that racial violence was fuelled by social deprivation and some held that Muslims were doubly discriminated against by virtue of religion in addition to the other factors. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
An Islamic Adventure Camp is being organised by Youth Adventure and Training for young Muslims aged 15 to 22. There will be opportunities for a range of pursuits in a safe Islamic environment where men and women will have separate facilities. The camp is to be held at the end of August. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
A new welfare advisory body has been set up in Keighley to provide people from the local minority communities with advice and information on a wide range of issues from housing and employment to improving race relations. The Ittehaad Community Association hopes that it will co-ordinate provision in the town and disseminate information on minority cultures to the wider community. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
A Dudley woman who worked as an administrative assistant to Sandwell Muslims until she resigned her post in May 1993 brought a case before the Birmingham Industrial Tribunal alleging unfair dismissal and racial discrimination. She alleged that the project co-ordinator had complained about her eating pork sandwiches and "He made it plain that I was not wanted there because I was the only white person there" (Lichfield and Tamworth Express & Star 22.04.94). The project co-ordinator denied the allegations. In finding against the woman, the chairman of the tribunal said that she lacked credibility. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
Stoke on Trent support project The Shelton Project in Stoke on Trent is celebrating its first anniversary as an ethnic minorities support project. It is funded partly by the Home Office and partly by the local authority, employing 13 workers. It is estimated that 15% of the local population is from Asian families amongst whom particular success has been registered in improving the self-image of school children and in teaching English to women. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 18]
The inclusion of tougher laws on video censorship in the Criminal Justice Bill announced by the government in April has been met with a warm welcome by Muslims involved in the film-making business. It was noted that the primary responsibility lies with parents but government action was welcomed as a guideline. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
Muslims in Oldham have welcomed the appointment of Mrs Sabina Shazad as director of the Racial Equality Council. She is a former chair of the National Association of Racial Equality Councils and has indicated that she wants to form a close working relationship with all parties involved in working for equal opportunities in the town. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
Muslims in Walsall have asked the Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust to implement structures to gauge the views of local people from minority communities. It was suggested that there might be someone from these communities on the Trust's board. There was particular concern about the high incidence of heart disease within the community of Asian heritage. The Trust's chief executive has replied that money has been ear-marked for a cardiac rehabilitation nurse to work in the area alongside a campaign aimed specifically at heart disease in that community. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
One of the finalists in the Veuve Clicquot Award competition this year was Perween Warsi from Derby. The award is given to business women who have shown outstanding achievements. Mrs Warsi established her own food company producing ready-made meals from Indian, Middle Eastern and Chinese cuisine. She began by preparing the meals at home but has had to expand rapidly into bigger and bigger factories supplying many of the largest supermarket chains. Her meals have won many awards for their innovative recipes and production methods and she has won awards for her skill as an entrepreneur. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
Law-abiding Muslims, Blackpool Muslims in Blackpool were praised for the law-abiding way in which Eid ul-Fitr was celebrated in the town this year at a meeting of the Blackpool Police and Community Forum. In previous years, celebrations have been marred by rowdy behaviour but closer links between police and Lancashire Muslims led to a peaceful celebration this year. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
Saturday 30th April was designated as a day of silent witness against the 1967 Abortion Act and many Muslims joined in the demonstration with placards proclaiming "Islam against abortion" and "Muslims defending unborn children". The Muslim participation was organised by the Muslim co-ordinator for SPUC. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19]
Dr Z U Khan, a Commissioner of the CRE, addressed a meeting in Surbiton on the rise of fascism and racism in Britain. He noted a connection between the rise of racism and the economic decline of the late 80s and 90s. He drew attention to the links between right-wing groups in Britain and similar groups in continental Europe. It is not just people of colour who are the targets of racism and he drew attention to racist taunts against Jews and the Irish. By drawing on a battery of statistics (Daily Jang 22.04.94) he showed that institutional racism existed in education, housing and employment in Britain. He noted the close links between the government and the CRE but called for more political initiatives to eradicate racism and increase legislation against racial harassment and violence. "Policies on Urban Areas must be very carefully developed to ensure that real strategies are laid down to improve the social conditions that exist both at an economic and social level within many urban parts of Britain. It is also critical that all mainstream political parties demonstrate solid political leadership... to ensure that racist attitudes are publicly challenged and the activities of far right wing groups are sufficiently marginalised within society to render them ineffective". This racial awareness must permeate the European dimension "to ensure that the European Union is built upon equality and not racial prejudice and violence". [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 19/20]
Muslim girls in the Tower Hamlets area of East London are coming under pressure from their peers to wear the hijab, according to an article in The Independent (28.04.94). Boys are reported to be standing outside the schools when girls leave telling them that they will only be true Muslims when they cover their heads. The article went on to explore the way in which young British Muslims are finding a firmer attachment to the core of Islam stripped of the cultural accretions to which their parents hold fast. Many of these young people are finding that they already know more about Islam that their parents and become their teachers. It is often as a result of this process of rediscovery that girls turn enthusiastically to wearing the hijab. Not infrequently, these young people actually meet opposition from their parents who regard their interpretation of the Islamic code as too extreme. This same movement away from sub-continent culture can be seen in the way in which young people are insisting on choosing their own marriage partners, often with the help of friends, rather than through the arrangements of their parents (see also Evening Standard 05.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 20]
According to a report in the Glasgow-based Sunday Mail (24.04.94), James Ogilvie-Grant, the heir to the £40m fortune of the Earl of Seafield is returning to full health after three years of treatment by "mind control experts" following his "falling under the spell of an Islamic sect" led by "Guru Mohammed Ali". It appears that he was "rescued from the cult's London base by former SAS men hired by his father" and then kept on a remote Scottish island where he received treatment. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 20]
Updates Education The University of London Examination and Assessment Council has issued a new syllabus for Islam at GCSE which will be offered for examination for the first time in 1996. The syllabus has been developed in close partnership with the Muslim Education Trust. For the first time it will offer students a choice of doing either a single religion mainstream GCSE in Islam or a combination of any two from Judaism, Christianity and Islam. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 20]
Application for Blackburn madrassah Mohammed Ishaq Naeemi, who was at the centre of a County Court judgement against another Imam who had accused him of being unqualified in February 1993, has applied for permission to turn his house in Accrington into a school for up to 20 children to use in the evenings. Planning officers are recommending approval but there have been objections based on the fact that it will encourage men to the area and local girls will be unable to go outside their houses. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
Top-up loans for student teachers The Merton Islamic Trust in South London is offering three scholarships of £300 each and three loans of £1,000 each per year for local students who are training to be teachers in state schools. The Trust is hoping to attract more able students to take up teaching as a career but it has to limit applications to students coming from the borough of Merton. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
The madrassah proposed by the Pakistan Muslim Welfare Society in Batley (see BMMS for March 1994) has been endorsed by planning officers and planning permission, on a two-year basis, is expected to be granted by the planning authority. Classes will be limited to two hours each weekday evening with a total of 25 children permitted to attend. There were petitions submitted both for and against the proposal, the latter being on the grounds of additional parking and noise. When the planning committee met to discuss the issue they decided that they would have to make a site visit before a final decision could be reached. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
Staff from the Centre for Islamic Studies at St David's College, Lampeter, presented "An Introduction to Islam" at the Charles Street Community Education Centre, Newport. A one-day youth seminar on Islam was held at the Pakistan Community Centre, Bradford. It was open for anyone who was interested. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
Rugby MP, Jim Pawsey, told a Muslim gathering to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr that he supported the call for Muslim schools to have parity of funding with Jewish and Christian schools provided that they had the backing of the local community and delivered the full National Curriculum. The gathering was held at the Pakistani Community Centre, Rugby, and the MP's comments were welcomed by the secretary of the Warwickshire Ethnic Minority Forum (Rugby Advertiser 07.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
The Woodford Islamic and Cultural Association has applied for planning permission to convert a house currently used for an upholstery business into a madrassah for about 20 children. Local residents have expressed concerns over increased traffic and parking problems but Muslim leaders have indicated that they will be using a minibus to ferry the children to the school so there ought not to be a problem. The Redbridge council is expected to consider the application directly. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21]
The RE adviser to Bradford LEA has commented that what schools need is more qualified RE teachers to improve the way that the subject is taught in schools rather than arguments over what proportions of each religion should be included in the syllabus. These comments come as Bradford is gearing up for a revision of its RE agreed syllabus which is due to begin in September in line with the government's regulations following new legislation on RE in maintained schools. The 1983 agreed syllabus for Bradford allowed a great deal of flexibility so that schools with a large proportion of Muslim children could devote an appropriate amount of time to teaching Islam whilst still teaching about Christianity and at the same time, schools with a majority of Christian children or children from no faith background could develop a syllabus which catered more appropriately to their needs. The need for Christianity to predominate the syllabus in every school is thought to be less than appropriate for the Bradford situation. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 21/22]
A 13 year-old Muslim boy at Slough and Eton School has been away from school for two months after refusing to join an aerobic dance class in which boys and girls danced in the same room. He based his refusal on Islamic principles. The boy's parents asked for him to be excused from the dancing class but the school, which draws over 70% of its pupils from Asian families, refused. The school's headteacher, who is a Sikh, said that allowing pupils to opt out of lessons could lead to administrative chaos. Dance is not a compulsory part of the National Curriculum as was confirmed by the Department for Education (Slough and Langley Observer 22.04.94). A Muslim governor at the school said, "If he wants to go by the book then co-education is against the religion. If he can compromise on that issue perhaps he should compromise on dancing" (Daily Mail 23.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
Keighley College attracts students Keighley College already attracts 10% of its students in the 16-19 age groups from families of Asian heritage but it is keen to widen this catchment to include men and women from a broader age spectrum. To facilitate this they staged an exhibition in a Muslim community centre to coincide with the Eid season and entertained more than 100 interested people. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
Muslim educationalists and leaders have continued to voice their concern over the disproportionate amount of time which is to be given to teaching Christianity at the expense of all other faiths under the latest government guidelines (see BMMS for January 1994). A meeting was held in London on 20th March at which Muslims throughout the country were encouraged to write to the School Curriculum Assessment Authority to complain. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
The Information Technology Society of the Association of Muslim Researchers met at the Markfield Centre in Leicester for their annual conference. They heard a total of 27 papers on subjects ranging from software engineering to the application of information systems and machine vision. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
The Bath Islamic Society applied to Avon County Council's education committee for a grant of £8,450 to pay for an Arabic teacher to teach local Muslim children. The application was turned down on the grounds of lack of funds uncommitted to existing projects. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
The Bolton Muslim Welfare Association has been given planning permission to build a new school hall and additional classrooms next to its existing girls' school in High Street, Daubhill. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22]
A teacher from the Belle Vue Girls' School in Bradford visited Pakistan as part of a teacher visitation project, now her counterpart from the Islamabad College for Girls is in Bradford on the return visit. A plan has been put forward now for a group of girls to go to Pakistan and exchange places with girls from the Islamabad College. This would enable the girls to see how life has changed for girls and women in Pakistan and introduce them to life in a modern city there as many have only anecdotal knowledge of their parents' country of origin and even then most of their parents came from rural areas of Mirpur. The girls would be accommodated in the girls' hostel at the Islamabad College. A meeting is planned to discuss the subject with the girls' parents. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 22/23]
The Scottish Examination Board has announced plans to introduce a Standard Grade examination in Urdu as from the summer of 1998. This is the first time that an Asian language has been available for examination at Standard level. There are no plans as yet to offer a similar course at Higher Grade. Urdu is taught at a number of Scottish schools already as well as being offered in several mosques. The Muslim Education Council in Scotland has welcomed the move. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 23]
The Education Society of the Association of Muslim Researchers met in London on 7th May. The meeting was informal and consisted of sessions on the nature and future of the Society, areas of activities in which it might engage and possibilities for Personal, Social and Moral Education in state schools from an Islamic perspective. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 23]
The Office for Standards in Education has issued a report on RE and collective worship in county schools based on HMI's findings during school visits in 1992-1993. It found that collective worship was generally present in primary schools, where it contributed to the school's ethos, but it was inadequate in many secondary schools which are breaking both the letter and the spirit of the law. There is a great shortage of properly trained and resourced specialist teachers; the incidence of good teaching nearly always coincided with the presence of specialists. In primary schools, RE was often confined to selected bible stories and some festivals. The other world faiths were poorly taught or non-existent. The time allowed was inadequate and there was a lack of continuity and progression in the subject. In secondary schools, there was a shortage of time allocation, resources and specialist teachers. Most RE was confined to the basics of Christianity with other world religions confined to sacred places and festivals taken out of context. In general, the standard of public examination work is good. The general picture is that RE is still a "Cinderella" subject which is not given the time or resources to be done properly. There are still major educational and logistical concerns over collective worship. The report is available from HMSO for £3.95. A Muslim response was offered by Ibrahim Hewitt in the Muslim News (29.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 23]
The government had initially set a target of 1,500 schools opting out of Local Education Authority control by 1st April but this target has not been met. The actual figure is between 900 and 920 (Education 01.04.94). Each school must successfully ballot parents before an application can be accepted but the number of successful ballots has fallen significantly. This may well prompt the government to re-double its efforts to attract independent schools to opt-into the system which might have a good effect on Muslim applications. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 23]
Oxford University Press has produced a series of storytapes for children which include stories from Muslim family life. They are reported accurately to reflect Muslim family life and balance human interest with respect and understanding for the community's religious values (Times Educational Supplement 25.03.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 23/24]
Leicester centre awaiting permission A decision about a proposed application to build an education and community centre in the Highfields district of Leicester has been postponed by the planning authority after persistent concerns about it dominating existing buildings and the lack of adequate provision for parking. The Muslim Welfare Trust has been asked to submit further details on these two questions. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
The sex guides produced by the Health Education Authority have been criticised by the Muslim Educational Trust which has referred to them as disgusting and pornographic. A spokesman said, "We don't object to any material on sex education so long as it is placed firmly in the context of family life and morality. None of the material contained in the HEA guides is remotely connected with family life or morals. It is no different to computer porn" (Q News 08.04.94). [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
Due to the delay in hearing Mrs Hussain's appeal against her dismissal as headteacher at Springfield Junior School, Birmingham (see BMMS for September, October, November and December 1993, January, February and March 1994) the governors were unable to give her the statutory three months' notice in time for her to leave her post on 31st April and so they have been forced to continue paying her until 31st August, the next date when her contract can be terminated. Official notice for that date has now been given. This will mean that the school will have to pay her for a full twelve months even though her position was disputed from September 1993 and she was suspended from her duties in November 1993. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
Mosques The Blackpool Islamic community are reported to have bought a dilapidated hotel with a view to demolishing it to build a new mosque on the site. The community is currently using a building for a mosque under a three-year temporary planning permission which expires later this year. Plans have yet to be submitted to the planning authority but initial discussions have taken place. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
The purpose-built mosque, which was opened in 1982, is now too small to accommodate the regular congregation of 2,000 worshippers and planning permission is being sought to extend it into an adjoining house. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
The Secretary of State for the Environment has given permission for Oxford City Council to sell a parcel of land to the local Muslim community to build a new mosque in Manzil Way at around 70% of its market value. The agreement to transfer the land is almost complete and then the Mosque Society will submit detailed plans. It is estimated that the total cost of the project will be around £1.5m. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
The proposed mosque on the site of a former tyre depot (see BMMS for March 1994) has been approved by the planning authority. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24]
Notwithstanding the pending appeal to the Department of the Environment over the local council's failure to consider a previous application for permission to extend the Darbar Unique Centre headquarters of the followers of Pir Pandariman (see BMMS for October and November 1993), leaders from the mosque are currently submitting another application to extend the centre and to erect a mobile building. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 24/25]
Major problems have arisen over the site which was sanctioned to be sold to the Swindon Islamic Association for a mosque in Ferndale Road in the face of concerted resistance from local people (see BMMS for August and September 1993). A British Telecom fibre optic cable has been discovered running right across the proposed site making it impossible to build there. BT has offered to move the cable, at a cost of around £90,000, but has informed the council that they will have to make a substantial contribution, estimated at about £30,000, to the costs involved. The council has known about the problem for some months but has yet to make a decision over the cost of moving it. It has been suggested that the delay was occasioned by the proximity of local council elections in the area and the sensitive nature of the project. The latest development is that the County Council has been asked to release a site in the North Star area of the town for a mosque as an alternative to the Ferndale Road site. [BMMS April 1994 Vol. II, No. 4, p. 25]
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