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British Muslims Monthly Survey for July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7
Features Short Reports Bradford: police and missing women Repercussions of TV Dispatches Kensington Muslim heritage centre Crematorium chapel for Muslims? Leicester multicultural campaign Seminar: "Islam and Terrorism" Scunthorpe equal opportunities investigation Mental health video, Edinburgh Upturn in youth crime expected Portsmouth hospitals prayer facilities "Women-only" shortlists to go? Updates Education Banning hijab could be unlawful Interview with Schools Minister Bristol single-sex appeal fails Mosques
Features Representatives of a range of Muslim organisations in Britain, including the Muslim Solidarity Committee, the Workers Aid for Bosnia, the Indian Muslim Federation UK, the Islamic Forum Europe, Muslim Aid, Muslim Welfare House, the Sudanese Islamic Movement, Hamas Palestine, Dawatul Islam and the Sudan Relief Organisation, held a meeting on 18th July to organise a series of protests about the state of events in Bosnia. These protests included a rally in London on 22nd July including a demonstration outside parliament and a public meeting in Westminster Central Hall, a vigil outside Lancaster House, organised representation at the House of Commons' debate on Bosnia and a campaign of letters to MP's, Muslim Ambassadors and members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. The demonstrations will call for an end to atrocities in Bosnia and the lifting of the arms embargo so that Bosnian Muslims can defend themselves (Daily Jang 20.07.95). The Muslim Parliament also organised a vigil outside Lancaster House in London on 22nd July where the European Foreign Ministers' Conference was discussing the situation in Bosnia. They were demanding the withdrawal of the UN and a lifting of the arms embargo. Massoud Shadjareh, the chairman of the Muslim Parliament Human Rights Committee, accused the British Government and the United Nations of complicity in the atrocities committed by the Serbs against Bosnian Muslims. He said, "The Geneva Convention clearly states that any state or organisation which creates the circumstances in which war crimes are subsequently committed shares the responsibility for them" (Daily Jang 21.07.95). The UK Citizen's Group for Bosnia organised a march in Leeds on 21st July to call for united action on Bosnia. The march was made up of Muslims, West Yorkshire MP's and councillors. Calls were made for the arms embargo to be lifted and the inability of the UN to protect safe areas was lamented (Yorkshire Evening Post 19.07.95). The first Ambassador of the Republic of Bosnia-Hercegovina to the United Kingdom, Professor Muhammed Filipovi_, was profiled in an interview in Q News (21.07.95). Dr Filipovi_ was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo and Vice-President of the Academy of Science. He is also President of the Liberal Party in Bosnia which is in coalition with President Izetbegovic. He spoke about the situation in Bosnia and announced plans to call on British Muslims to unite in helping the people of his country. Two Bosnian Muslim entertainers, who came to Britain to perform in a charity concert for Bosnia, gave an exclusive interview to the Muslim News (28.07.95). Emir Hadzihafisbegovic and Hanka Paldum spoke about the way in which Europe had sided with the Serbians against the Bosnians on the basis of religion. The opinion was expressed that Europe is scared of Islam and does not want Islam to play a part in Europe. The entertainers have now moved on to boost the morale of Bosnians in Australia and hope to do the same in other parts of the world. An evening of songs, stories and poems has been planned, under the title "Uniting for the Prophet", by Q News at Regent's College in Regent's Park, London on 11th August. All proceeds will be given to the Bosnia Aid Committee (Q News 07.07.95). The London-based charity, Muslim Aid, has despatched 60 tonnes of food to relieve the suffering of Muslim refugees fleeing from Srebenica and has sent a further £37,000 to provide basic essentials in Tuzla. The charity has appealed for urgent donations to assist them in their work in Bosnia (Daily Jang 19.07.95). Spectrum Radio, in conjunction with Islamic Relief, organised a special programme on the situation in Bosnia on 29th July. Bosnian refugees in Britain spoke about their time here and there was a live satellite link-up with Bosnians and relief workers currently in Sarajevo and Tuzla (Daily Jang 27.07.95). People were invited to telephone the radio station and make pledges to support the work of Islamic Relief. Around 400 calls were received and a total of £20,000 was pledged (Daily Jang 03.08.95). Muslims in Manchester raised £10,000 to supply food aid to refugees in Tuzla with the aid of extensive publicity given by the Manchester Evening News. The food was despatched through the good offices of Islamic Relief (Manchester Evening News 28.07.95). A relief convoy was sent to Tuzla from Nottingham by Muslim Hands United for the Needy (Nottingham Evening Post 07.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 1/2]
The question of organ transplants in the community of Asian extraction was raised again in the Yorkshire Post (15.07.95) to mark the end of National Transplant Week. The situation for Asian people in Yorkshire was highlighted with particular reference to kidney transplantation. The incidence of renal illness is twice as high amongst Asian people as in the population at large. Organs must be matched according to blood group and tissue type; between 34% and 40% of Asian people belong to blood group B compared with 8.2% in the population as a whole. This means that there is a much greater chance of an organ from an Asian donor matching with an Asian recipient. However, only one kidney from an Asian donor has become available for transplant in the last eleven years in the whole of the Yorkshire region. The rate at which relatives refuse to allow organs to be taken from a dead person is 30% nationally but rises to 98% within the Asian communities. The reluctance of many people in the Asian communities to become donors is partially attributed to religion, although both Hindu and Sikh leaders have said that the practice does not breach religious beliefs. A series of rulings was given on questions of transplantation by the Muslim Law (Shari'a) Council, a national grouping of Muslim religious scholars drawn from various law schools. The rulings permit "the transfer of a vital part from a healthy person to save the life of a fellow human being, so long as this is likely to help the recipient and not endanger the life of the donor... The fatwas also allow for the organs of dead people to be used to treat the sick, provided prior consent has been obtained... Heart transplants are also permissible, due to embracing a new concept of death. Medical experts previously considered the heart to be the centre of life in the body, its stoppage resulting in death. However, that view has given way to the finding that the brain is the 'central and crucial part which controls the whole body and its functions' and determines death, resulting in a new definition of expiry called 'brainstem death'" (Q News 28.07.95). This ruling broadly coincides with advice which has been given for the past two years on this subject by Sheikh Darsh, the head of the UK Islamic Shari'ah Council, which is a separate body. This means that Muslim opinion in Britain is broadly in agreement with the majority opinion in several Muslim countries. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 2/3]
In an editorial in Q News (21.07.95), which focused on the apparent inability of Muslims to take an active part in the defence of Muslims in Bosnia by military means rather than merely providing humanitarian relief, British Muslims were encouraged to join the army in order to develop their basic military skills. According to the editorial, "Our advice to British Muslims is to stop cursing in the dark and start looking for, literally, gun-powder. It is now a must for every young person to strive towards getting themselves battle-ready... in real killing fields situations. We must learn to handle weaponry with the proficiency with which we handle Girocheques... We are lucky to live in a country that can boast having the best military training in the world. Young Muslims must be encouraged to join the army, even if it is for a short time, so that they can become intimate with the basic essentials for self-survival. Being battle-trained and ready is not only a necessity of the times but also a great Islamic tradition". This appeal was taken up by the Evening Standard (26.07.95) which allowed David Rosser-Owen of Q News, and himself a former British army officer, to extol the merits of the Pathans and Punjabis "who formed the backbone of the British Indian army". He continued, "We are taking the line that Moslems should join the armed forces not just to learn soldiering and self-esteem but to defend this country. So many young Moslems today don't think of joining the army". The director of army recruiting commented that the army is seeking 15,000 new recruits this year and wants to increase its intake from the minority communities. In a clarificatory letter to the same newspaper (31.07.95), Mr Rosser-Owen noted, "It is no good Moslems living in the UK and taking everything that is on offer without being prepared to put something back in. The best way to do this, in our opinion, is through military service". The earlier report made mention of a necessarily cautious approach to recruiting potential soldiers who had a religious, ideological or revolutionary zeal. This prompted Mr Rosser-Owen to comment, "The British Army should be the last organisation that plays up to fashionable anti-Moslem prejudice... Nearly all of us [Moslem Britons] are loyal subjects to the Crown, and we frankly resent the constant demonisation we are subjected to". Pursuing this topic, Eastern Eye (01.08.95) carried further clarification from Mr Rosser-Owen. "Mr Rosser-Owen dismissed suggestions that British Muslims in the army would face divided loyalties. 'The question of loyalty comes up with monotonous regularity. As far as we are concerned, they take the oath of allegiance and their loyalty is to Britain.' And he believes racism would not deter Muslims from joining. 'Racism in the army is patchy. Basic training in the army is pretty bloody whatever colour one is.'" [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 3/4]
Around 100 angry Muslims protested outside a probation hostel in Nuneaton after a youth, said to be resident in the hostel, assaulted a Muslim leader with a metal bar as he was making his way home from prayers in the local mosque. The incident forms part of a pattern of attacks on and abuse of local Muslims by residents in the hostel, according to a local police inspector (Heartland Evening News 18.07.95). The protests continued for two nights and resulted in objects being thrown and windows broken. Local Muslim leaders were praised by the police for their efforts to calm the situation but they remain concerned that the police have proved ineffective in dealing with the incidents which have occurred over the last six months. When the accused man appeared in court, he was remanded on bail but ordered by magistrates to stay clear of the town centre and the vicinity of the hostel for his own protection and to prevent further occurrences of street demonstrations. Local Muslims held a meeting with the police to air their concerns that insufficient action had been taken over a series of racially inspired incidents over recent months. There was some discrepancy over the number of such incidents, with police indicating that they could only deal with things which were reported to them. Two white youths were arrested for public order offences during the meeting (Heartland Evening News 20.07.95). A Greek Orthodox man, who convened a multi-faith group in Nuneaton during the 1970s and 1980s, has invited leaders of all religions in the area to join him in refounding the group to work for better interfaith understanding. He also supported calls by local Muslims to have the probation hostel, and two other hostels for people on bail and for ex-offenders in the same area, re-sited (Heartland Evening News 21.07.95). An open public meeting to discuss the situation of the local community concerning the three hostels was scheduled to take place at the Nuneaton Arts Centre on 21st July. The management of the centre withdrew their permission for the meeting at the last minute because of fears that it was "political" in nature and that it might lead to a recurrence of street disorders. The meeting was to be attended by county and borough councillors as well as representatives of the local authority and the probation service (Heartland Evening News 24.07.95). The meeting finally took place on 26th July with around 200 people present including probation officers, representatives of the social services and council officials. The ex-offenders' hostel had been vacated and boarded up but it was the subject of an arson attack over the weekend of 29th/30th July. Muslim leaders have denied that the Muslim community were responsible for the attack. A further closed meeting between all parties concerned is scheduled to take place in the near future (Heartland Evening News 02.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 4]
The Islamic Men and Women's Association in Bradford, which was established in 1993, staged a conference in the city on 8th July with a view to promoting harmony and unity both within the Muslim community and within society as a whole. The conference was addressed by MP's Gary Waller and Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 06.07.95). The UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs organised a meeting on 26th July which was attended by Maulana Zia ul-Qasimi, the leader of Sipah-e-Sahaba; Shah Ahmed Noorani, a leading Barelwi and chairman of the National Integrity Council of Pakistan; and Maulana Amir Husain Naqvi, the president of the Shi'a Majlis-e-Ulema of Europe. Given the recent spate of sectarian violent in Pakistan, it was a noteworthy achievement to be able to bring all three leaders to the same platform. They all pledged to co-operate on the National Integrity Council which has been set up by 26 leading organisations in Pakistan in an effort to stem the internecine conflicts (Q News 04.08.95). An International Islamic Conference was held at the Central Mosque in Leicester on 30th July. The principal speakers were Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, chairman of the National Integrity Council of Pakistan and president of the World Islamic Mission, and the Ambassador of Bosnia, Prof Mohammed Filipovi_. Maulana Noorani called for Muslim unity in the 21st century and Dr Filipovi_ outlined the latest situation in Bosnia. Participants came from around 15 countries to promote the idea of the global unity of Muslims (Daily Jang 01.08.95). The UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs organised a meeting on 5th August at which the principal speaker was Prof Golam Azam, the Amir of the Jamaat e Islami Bangladesh. In a wide-ranging speech, much of it directed at the poor Islamic record of many Muslim governments, Prof Azam was reported to have spoken about the western media presenting "such a distorted view of Islam that even Muslims are becoming confused about the true nature of their faith" (Daily Jang 07.08.95). He said, "We must admit that we, the Muslims are almost absent in the field of mass media. In the realms of both print media and electronic media the enemies of Islam have the upper hand. The leaders of the Islamic movements should take note of this serious development and seek out ways and means to combat this menace". The Town Hall in Birmingham was the venue for an international Islamic seminar organised by the Forum for Social Studies hosted by a Birmingham-based da'wah [calling people to the truth of Islam] group. The theme for the seminar was "Gender equity in Islam". The main speaker was Dr Jamal Badawi from the US who said that Muslim women are being attacked on two fronts; from western society and from "customs and cultural practices which are far from the Islamic spirit, but wrongly attributed to it" (Daily Jang 09.08.95). Other speakers included Tasneem Nusrat from Saudi Arabia, Imam Abdullah Hakim from Toronto and Imam Siraj Wahaj from New York. A variety of Muslim organisations in Britain combined to stage "The International Islamic Conference '95" at the London Arena on 6th August under the theme, "Islam: The only way for humanity". The conference, which was attended by an estimated 3,000 people, was addressed by Sheikh Abdullah Bin Suhail, the Imam of the Ka'ba; Prof Khurshid Ahmad, the deputy amir of the Jamaat e Islami; Prof Golam Azam, amir of the Jamaat e Islami, Bangladesh; Imam Sirhaj Wahaj, New York; Ahmad von Denffer, Germany; Imam Hamza Yusuf Hanson from the US; and Iqbal Sacranie from the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs (Daily Jang 07.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 5/6]
Nottinghamshire County Council has turned down a request to provide the county's 1,500 Muslim children with halal meat for school meals on the grounds of increased cost. It is claimed that providing halal meat would increase the cost from the current £1.20 per meal to £3. The chairman of the education committee said that school meals services are currently subsidised by £7.4m per year and the cost of taking on and training additional staff, and providing additional kitchens and utensils could not be justified (Nottingham Evening Post 07.07.95). Councillor Mohammed Aslam called on Nottinghamshire County Council to re-think their decision to provide halal school meals for the 1,500 Muslim children in the area. He claimed that the council's estimate that it would cost an addition £1.80 per meal was inaccurate. He said, "I don't know where they have got their figures from. There is very little extra cost... The only cost involved would be for someone coming in from the Muslim or Jewish community to clean the dishes and say a prayer over them". He estimated that this would cost an additional 20p/30p per child (Nottingham Evening Post 21.07.95). Councillor Aslam raised the issue at a full meeting of the council on 6th July, against the instructions of Labour Party leaders. He claims that he took this action in response to requests from voters. He said, "I was told at the beginning of the meeting that if I asked this question I would be disciplined but I have a responsibility to people who come to me for help" (Nottingham Evening Post 29.07.95). As a result of his action, he was suspended from the party whip indefinitely. This has led to charges of racism against Labour Party leaders. Muslim leaders have complained about the Labour Party's action and said that it undermines their supposed commitment to freedom of speech and equal opportunities for all residents (Nottingham Evening Post 31.07.95). Councillor Aslam has continued his appeal for halal meat to be made available in schools with a high concentration of Muslim pupils. He has indicated that the Muslim community would be willing to prepare suitable meals and deliver them to the schools at only a minimal additional charge. In response to concerns over animal rights issues, he indicated that the food could be vegetarian. He said, "There are no reasons to refuse - other than pure racism and an anti-muslim policy [sic]" (Nottingham Evening Post 03.08.95). Councillor Aslam's suspension from the Labour Party whip is to be the subject of an appeal. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 7]
Hizb ut-Tahrir staged a "Rally for Islam" in Trafalgar Square, London on 15th July to call non-Muslims to embrace Islam. The group claimed that the rally had "shaken the very foundations of Western civilisation" (Daily Jang 19.07.95). According to the report, "Farid Kassim, spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir... said freedom and democracy were 'intellectual diseases' which were 'evil, insidious and spiritless ideas' contaminating the whole body of western society... He added, 'All those who come into contact with it will become infected with these secular diseases, unless they are injected with the antibody - Islam... The crux of human existence - the meaning of life - is reduced to a Monty Python joke'". BBC 2 broadcast a documentary about the activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir, under the title Islam's Militant Tendency, in the Public Eye series on 25th July. Attention was paid to the antecedents of the group and the way in which they have concentrated their activities on young Muslims in universities, mosques and inner city areas. Particular notice was taken, in press reports, of a comment by a Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman that, "We did not ask Allah to put us in this country. We've been born in what you call a cesspit - the trash-field of humanity, Great Britain" (Daily Mail 25.07.95). The programme was reviewed in the Muslim weekly Q News (28.07.95), which pointed out that it served to give yet more publicity to "a group which is firstly on the way out - in that it has made the points it set out to make, which mostly revolve around trying to remind us that we should find some room within ourselves to yearn and agitate for the return of the Muslim Caliphate - and the vast majority of Muslims have really opted out of cherishing a fond hope that this Khilafah would have any kind of beginnings in the UK... And of course it [the programme] does the mainstream Muslim communities in this country, vastly more forward looking... no favours to be given such a tragic depiction... But the slogans of the HT are self-indicting enough - there is really no need to reiterate, time and again, what they have to say about this or that social issue". Muslim leaders in Bradford have expressed their concern at the way in which Hizb ut-Tahrir activists have targeted the city in the wake of the recent disturbances. "The Bradford community has moved to distance itself from the extremists, saying they are breeding racial and religious tension. Some mosques have already banned the activists" (Yorkshire Post 26.07.95). Ishtiaq Ahmed, of the West Yorkshire Racial Equality Council, said, "There is already a view that Muslim groups are extreme and Hizb-ut-Tahrir reinforces that image, leaving Muslims open to attack. They base their campaigns on misleading people by misinforming them... We need to be vigilant because young Bradford Muslims do not want their own agenda of better job prospects, education and training hijacked by extremists". A Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman in Bradford commented, "There are so many Bradford leaders who are tinpot Muslim. We do not gauge the success of our activity by acceptance or non-acceptance by the so-called established Muslim leaders... Britain is suitable for the Islamic system". A Hizb ut-Tahrir meeting, under the title Israel illegitimate son of America, was banned from using the Madeley Centre in Derby by the county council because it was feared that the meeting "could have caused problems" (Derby Evening Telegraph 31.07.95). The meeting was held in the Islamic Centre in Wilmot Street instead. The group are already banned from holding meetings in Derby's largest mosque, the Jamia Mosque in Rose Hill Street, on account of fears that it could damage relations with non-Muslims. Hizb ut-Tahrir staged a major rally in Trafalgar Square on 13th August with the aim of offering Islam to non-Muslims. The rally was described by Q News as "an American-style evangelical extravaganza with the group claiming to have a list of almost one hundred people who will publicly announce their conversion to Islam" (04.08.95). A leaflet announcing the rally proclaimed, "Last year the International Muslim Khilafah Conference rocked the world; this year, the voice of Islam will shake the very foundations of Western civilization... Reject the evils of freedom and democracy, the pillars of the west! Support Islam... the Supreme Ideology". Posters advertising the rally were in evidence in many parts of London and other cities. The posters were removed by Westminster council as they had been displayed without permission and without acknowledging the name of the promoters (Jewish Chronicle 04.08.95). The Hizb ut-Tahrir rally was noted in an article in The Guardian (05.08.95) which went on to outline some of the other Muslim rallies which will take place in Britain this summer. The thesis was proposed that these alternative rallies are being organised by other, more mainstream, Muslim organisations in an effort to win the hearts of young Muslims and keep them away from the more radical agenda of Hizb ut-Tahrir. It was noted that many of the traditional groups still had their focus on subcontinent politics and used such rallies as a way of encouraging groups in the Muslim homelands. This, in itself, was held to contribute to the vacuum of irrelevance which many young Muslims feel about traditional Muslim groups who are not addressing their needs in Britain. In a second article in the same newspaper, brief biographies were offered of some of the prominent Muslim leaders who are expected in Britain this summer to address Muslim gatherings. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 7-9]
Short Reports Only around 50 people per night attended the POWER entertainment "Free the Hardway" in Hammersmith in the last week of June, in spite of the organiser's expectations of having a nightly audience of 800. The event was monitored each evening by council officials who declared that it was "free of anti-Jewish rhetoric" (The Gazette Hammersmith, Fulham & Shepherds Bush 30.06.95). The council had been alerted to the event, which was linked to the Nation of Islam, by Jewish representatives who had become concerned because of the allegedly anti-semitic nature of earlier similar performances (see BMMS for June 1995). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 9] Bradford: police and missing women In the light of the violent death of a 20 year-old woman from Bradford who had walked out of an arranged marriage and refused to return to her husband (see BMMS for June 1995), the work of the community liaison officer in Bradford, who is responsible for attempting to mediate in cases of domestic tension over arranged marriages was profiled in the Yorkshire Post (03.07.95). So far this year, the police have dealt with 50 cases of girls from the Manningham area of Bradford running away from home. Last year there were 99 in all. Some are escaping arranged marriages and others wish to continue with their education against their parents' wishes. "More girls are plucking up the courage to leave home and he [the police inspector] believes this is partly due to word spreading among the Asian community that they will get a sympathetic hearing from the police... It seems that parents are becoming stricter in their views about their children's behaviour rather than making any effort to see their point of view... Community leaders, on the other hand, see that attitudes will have to change to a certain extent." [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 9] A new team is to be created to run the Islamic Cultural Community Centre in Halifax which has been the subject of a prolonged dispute (see BMMS for December 1994; January, February, March, April, May and June 1995). This will be formed by eight community representatives joining the current organisers (Halifax Evening Courier 07.07.95). Allegations have been made that certain politicians are making capital out of the dispute (Halifax Evening Courier 15.07.95). The policy and resources committee of Calderdale Council decided at a meeting on 31st July to close the centre. The decision was based on reports from the fire safety, environmental health, and health and safety executives. These highlighted a number of defects in the building which would take a considerable amount of money to correct. The council does not have the money at present and so is forced to order the closure of the building (Halifax Evening Courier 01.08.95). The centre's management committee decided at an emergency meeting on 2nd August not to comply with the council's instruction until the middle of September (Halifax Evening Courier 03.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 10] Councillors in Fareham have overturned their burial policy and voted to allow a separate Muslim burial plot at the Wickham Road cemetery (The Portsmouth News 12.07.95). The plot will consist of 50 grave spaces to cater for the estimated 60 Muslim families in the area. The Muslim community has agreed to cover any additional costs incurred by arranging for burials to take place within 24 hours (The Southern Daily Echo 12.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 10] London Guildhall University, which was found to have acted in a discriminatory fashion in the case of a Muslim law lecturer of Asian descent who was repeatedly denied promotion (see BMMS for May 1995), "has agreed to pay him compensation of £15,000 and grant him a two-year sabbatical in the expectation that he will apply for a Readership position in due course" (Daily Jang 19.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 10] Two leaders of the Muslim community which meets at the Abubakr Mosque in Villiers Road, Southall were each fined £600, with £100 costs, for failing to comply with an enforcement notice served on them for contravening planning permission by allowing up to 100 people each Friday to use the house as a mosque (see BMMS for April 1995). The council has decided not to apply for an eviction order for the time being whilst they work with the Muslim community to find a suitable alternative venue for them to use as a mosque (Southall Gazette 30.06.95). The search has continued for a suitable site for a new mosque in the area. A plan to use a fire-gutted youth centre in Park View Road has been opposed by local residents on the grounds of increased noise and the loss of a potential amenity for the whole community (Southall Gazette 28.07.95). Muslims from Southall are planning to march to Ealing Town Hall on 12th August in protest at the way in which their efforts to secure a permanent mosque in the area have been treated (Q News 14.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 10] Repercussions of TV Dispatches The dispute concerning individuals from the Bangladeshi community in Britain who were named in the TV documentary Dispatches as worthy of investigation as alleged war criminals (see BMMS for April and May 1995) continues with the pressure group Human Rights International holding a meeting at the Davenant Centre, Whitechapel on 25th June which called on the UK government to take action against those named under the Geneva Convention and the Genocide Act 1975. "So far, soundings from Scotland Yard's War Crimes Unit suggests that there is not enough evidence to secure a conviction" (Q News 07.07.95). The same meeting called on the British government to refuse entry to this country to Professor Golam Azam, the head of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, who is scheduled to speak at an international Islamic conference to be held at the London Arena on 6th August. Prof Azam has also been the subject of war crimes allegations but has been found not guilty in two trials in Bangladesh in 1991 and 1993. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 11] Members of the Northumberland County branch of the National Farmers' Union received a report from the animal welfare working group on the ways in which animals were treated after they left the farm. This included sections on the transport of livestock and the ways in which they were slaughtered. Particular mention was made of animals who were killed according to Jewish and Muslim custom. The report noted that, "The failure to stun animals before slaughter constitutes a major animal welfare problem... Many Muslims now accept that pre-slaughter stunning does not compromise their religious beliefs. We greatly welcome this attitude and strongly urge Jewish and other Muslim authorities to re-consider their position on pre-slaughter stunning" (The Newcastle upon Tyne Journal 08.07.95). The working group recommended that all meat from religiously slaughtered animals should be labelled. The County NFU asked their national headquarters to examine the issue further. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 11] An estimated 100,000 people attended the Bradford Mela over the weekend of 1st/2nd July. The whole event was successful and went some way to repairing community relations after the recent disturbances. A wide range of stalls were present selling all manner of goods and there were entertainments and food stalls to suit every palate (Q News 07.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 11] The Islamic Society of Britain has announced that the Islam Awareness Week, which it launched last year, will take place in the week beginning 18th September this year. Exhibitions and activities will be organised nationwide to promote good community relations, tolerance and harmony within society (Middlesborough Evening Gazette 17.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 11] A 22 year-old Pakistani woman who came to Britain to visit her aging grandmother in 1991 is the subject of an appeal against deportation to the Home Office. Atia Idrees found that her widowed, 75 year-old grandmother is in need of constant care. She speaks hardly any English, so Atia decided that she would extend her stay in Britain, planned initially for just a few months, to take care of her. Atia applied to the Home Office to be allowed to stay but was told that she must return to Pakistan and was the subject of a deportation order issued on 29th May. Atia said, "The Home Office told me she could go into a home, but as she has no English and is a Muslim, she would find it very traumatic... It would also be an added burden on the taxpayer - whereas I can look after her" (Manchester Evening News 14.07.95). Friends are now campaigning on Atia's behalf, pointing out that it would cost at least £380 per week for her grandmother to go into a home and that Atia has no intention of remaining in Britain or seeking employment here. She merely wishes to look after her grandmother until she dies. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 11/12] The chargé d'affaires of the Saudi Arabian embassy announced the gift of £12,000 to fund a project to make a video film outlining educational opportunities for the Somali community in Ealing when he attended the opening of the exhibition, The Islamic Experience (see BMMS for June 1995), in Ealing on 27th June. The video aims to provide basic information on issues raised by Somali children, most of whom are refugees, when they start school. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 12] Police in Bradford are investigating a leaflet which circulated in the Bradford Moor ward in the recent council elections. The leaflet was produced in Urdu and English and urged voters not to vote for the Labour Party candidate on religious grounds. The candidate in question was a Sikh although the leaflet claimed that he was a Hindu and that the whole thing was a Jewish conspiracy. The leaflet was published by the "Islamic Movement of Britain (London)" but all efforts to trace the group or the people behind it have failed. The Sikh candidate was elected, but with a majority of only 51 rather than the previous majority of 2,500. This reduction in majority automatically triggered a Labour Party investigation into the local party which had its activities suspended. The leaflet has been condemned by all parties in the Bradford area and by the West Yorkshire Racial Equality Council (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 07.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 12] The work of the Newham Organised Racial Incident Squad of the Metropolitan Police was profiled in a report in The City of London Recorder (07.07.95). The team dealt with 383 offences of a racial nature in 1994. Most of these involved assaults, criminal damage, racial abuse, racial harassment and malicious communication. Although there is a reasonably high number of incidents, the number of prosecutions is relatively low due to the fact that many victims are reluctant to give evidence or make official complaints. The area has a large number of Muslim residents and squad members are keen to make good contacts with community leaders to build up a sense of confidence and an awareness of Muslim cultural concerns. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 12] British Telecom has made the Crimebeat campaign in Derbyshire its major recipient of charitable giving during 1995. It has already donated £12,000 to associated projects which work to fight crime and drug-related activities. It made a further gift of £300 to the Chesterfield Muslim Association to help it run outward bound courses for Muslim youth in Wales and France (Chesterfield Express 06.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 12/13] The Bagshaw Museum in Batley is staging a major exhibition from 31st July to 15th September under the title The World of Islam. It aims to trace the involvement of Muslim people with the Batley area. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 13] Councillor Abdul Chowdry from Rochdale has raised the question of Muslim children in the care of Rochdale Social Services Department. He has drawn attention to the number of Muslim children who are taken into care for their own good but who end up being fostered and later adopted by non-Muslim families. In this way they lose touch with their religious and cultural roots. The problem is acknowledged by the Social Services Department who report that they have an arrangement with the Greater Manchester authorities to find suitable Muslim foster families in Oldham or Bury if they cannot be found locally. Even so, this does not provide sufficient Muslim fosterers to cater for all the children which results in them being placed with other families who are often of Asian heritage but not Muslims. An appeal has been launched for more Muslim foster families to come forward (Rochdale Observer 05.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 13] A 57 year-old Muslim man from Crawley appeared before magistrates on 28th June charged with shooting dead one of his sons and attempting to kill the other in a double shooting incident in his home. The dead man, aged 28, left a daughter of 13 months and a wife whom he married in 1993. He was buried from the Brighton Mosque where his death was referred to as "a tragic loss" (Crawley News 05.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 13] A Racial Harassment Task Group has been formed in Derbyshire to support people who have suffered from racial abuse and thus encourage them to report such attacks. A spokesman for Chesterfield Muslim Association welcomed the initiative by saying, "Our community faces many difficulties with regard to racism... The police are often insensitive and lack understanding and many incidents go unreported... We want to work with the task group because there's a need to create an atmosphere of trust with both sides to combat racism" (Derbyshire Times 13.07.95). An example was given of a Muslim family in Bolsover whose shop was set on fire. The local community raised a 1,000-name petition as an assurance that the vast majority of local people supported them and were not prepared to tolerate racism. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 13] Women from the Asian community in Preston have embarked on a new range of courses offered by Preston College in car mechanics, electronics and household decoration. The courses have been designed especially for these women and a translator is on hand to help with communication. The women report that such courses have been a great boost to their confidence after years of working within the home. These courses build on the success of a series of television programmes prepared by the college and transmitted via satellite networks. Such programmes, which have been sponsored by Lancashire County Council and operate under the Community Partnership Scheme, have covered issues such as AIDS, translation, health and education. They have been beamed to twenty community centres across Europe (Lancashire Evening Post 04.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 14/15] The Bolton Interfaith Fellowship, which exists to promote understanding and harmony between various religious and cultural groups, has organised an open visit to the Noor-ul-Islam mosque to enlighten people who would like to understand more about Islam (Bolton Evening News 07.07.95). Young Muslims UK and the Islamic Society of Britain held an open meeting at the Memorial Hall in Sheffield to provide those who attended with a clearer picture of what Muslims believe. The title of the evening was: We believe in Jesus too. Muslims and Christians in Ashton, Greater Manchester met to explore common values and the ways in which better understanding can be promoted between the two religions. A group of children who were visiting from Belfast were amongst the participants. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 14] An Iraqi woman, who is a senior adviser to Glasgow's Ethnic Minority Advice Service, was profiled in a report in the Glasgow Evening Times (17.07.95). She originally came to the city as a postgraduate student of veterinary science with her husband who was studying for a PhD in a related discipline. Her husband has since died of cancer leaving her to raise her family as a single parent and to make a career for herself in building community relations. She spoke of her optimism for the way in which community relations are improving and advocated that Muslims do not live in minority groups but established two-way relationships with the whole community. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 14] The Muslim Burial Committee in Blackburn applied to the local council for a grant of £1,000 to help pay for two-way radio equipment to help stewards deal with the large numbers of people who attend Muslim burials at the Pleasington Cemetery. There had been problems in the past with parked cars blocking the way for subsequent funerals. The grant represents about 40% of the total price of the equipment which will be maintained by the Muslim Burial Committee but made available for any large funeral upon request (Lancashire Evening Telegraph 14.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 14]
West Yorkshire Police have had a team of 18 detectives working from Bradford central police station identifying people involved in serious offences during the recent disturbances in the city (see BMMS for June 1995). So far 38 people have been arrested and charged with a range of offences including arson, robbery, violent disorder, possessing offensive weapons, indecent assault and conspiracy to commit arson. The police have praised members of the community for their support in these investigations and local councillors have welcomed the police action in regard to these violent acts. The total bill for policing the disturbances was £360,000 (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 12.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 14]
The Muslim Parliament's, Halal Food Consumers Association held its first annual conference in London on 9th July. The conference heard reports on the provision of halal meat in Britain, the work of its sister-organisation, the Halal Food Authority, and the unacceptability of pre-stunning of meat for consumption by Muslims. The President of the Halal Food Consumers Association called for new companies to be set up to produce, distribute and sell Halal Food Authority-approved meat and poultry (Q News 14.07.95). "The conference also discussed ambitious plans to 'mobilise Muslim consumers and develop their power', believing that this is the only way to overcome the 'halal' meat trade's resistance to regulation" (Daily Jang 18.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 15]
The former Harlington Library in Hayes, which was closed in 1994, has been leased to a Muslim group for two years. The building will be used to provide community services to 750 members of the Islamic Cultural and Muslim Burial Society and the Anjuman Himayatul Islam. There has been an expression of concern from local people who would have preferred that the library be re-opened to serve the whole community (Gazette Hayes & Harlington 05.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 15]
The Commission for Racial Equality has come under some criticism for locating a pilot scheme, to experiment with reducing the number of officers involved in local Racial Equality Councils, in Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, both areas having a significant number of deprived Muslims from subcontinent families. A senior Muslim race relations employee from the area raised a series of question in anonymous comments to Q News (07.07.95). "The question Muslims need to be asking is why this experiment is taking place in the North? It could be because these areas have the largest Muslim communities. Why is this not taking place in the south, where the Afro-Caribbean communities are, or in Leicester where the Hindu community is?" "If you haven't got Muslim officers at the top [of the CRE], then you aren't going to get Muslim officers cascading down to lower levels. Most of the senior officers are either Afro-Caribbean or Sikh." [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 15]
Police in Southall wrote to the council's licensing committee asking them not to grant a licence for a live concert of bhangra music which was due to take place during the two-day Asian Mela on 8th and 9th July. The reason given was the grave danger of tensions between Sikh and Muslim youths (see BMMS for May and June 1995) leading to an open conflict at the festival. According to the senior police officer's official letter, "One group will attempt to disrupt the other's religious festivals. Weapons are always in evidence and serious injuries have resulted. These conflicts are focused in the Southall area. Our worst fear for further escalation is the death of somebody from either side" (Southall Gazette 30.06.95). Tensions have been further increased by anonymous leaflets which have been circulating in the area. The leaflets, which have been pushed through letterboxes, are headed "Khilafa" and speak of Sikhs as a "thorn in the side of Islam for 500 years" (Southall Gazette 28.07.95). "Urging Muslims to convert 'the heathen', it says: 'Sikh girls are usually slags and usually stupid enough to believe anything you say'. It suggests Muslim girls should let their boyfriends seduce Sikh girls as 'the way forward to the ultimate destruction of the Sikhs'." The leaflet has been widely condemned by both Muslim and Sikh spokesmen. The police are unable to take action as there is no indication as to the authors or distributors of the leaflet. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 15/16]
Dr Abdul Karim Admani OBE, the president of the Sheffield Council of Mosques and of the South Yorkshire Red Cross, was invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace on 11th July in recognition of his service to the community (The Sheffield Star 11.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16]
According to a report in The Independent on Sunday (09.07.95), the Asian wedding business in London and the Home Counties alone is worth £25m per year and rising. The report featured the recently launched magazine Wedding Affair which caters exclusively for this market. It is estimated that an average middle class wedding will cost around £85,000, with poorer families spending in excess of £30,000, which is often the result of a life-time's saving. According to the report, the "flamboyance" of Asian weddings affects the Muslim community too and is not just limited to the wealthier Hindu and Sikh communities. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16]
The founder and leader of the Minhaj ul-Qur'an movement, Dr Muhammed Tahir-Ul-Qadri from Pakistan, was in Ashton, Greater Manchester for three days in early July to conduct a series of lectures and spiritual exercises for several thousands of Muslims who travelled from all parts of Britain and Europe. A large marquee was erected alongside the Markazi Jamia al-Mustafa Mosque in Newton Street to accommodate the crowds (Ashton & Audenshaw Reporter 13.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16]
The comments of Sir Paul Condon, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, "that 80% of muggers in the capital were black males in their teens or early twenties", have been criticised by the Commission for Racial Equality and a host of organisations speaking out on behalf of black people. This raised the issue, in the mind of the Muslim weekly Q News (14.07.95), as to why it is that no such concerted rebuttal is offered when Muslim groups are similarly denigrated. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16]
Muslims in Nuneaton held a collection at Friday prayers in the local mosque in aid of a scanner appeal at the George Eliot Hospital. The collection raised £1,051 from a community totalling some 2,500 people. The money was contributed to the appeal which is seeking a total of £365,000. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16]
The mother-in-law of one of the Britons kidnapped in Kashmir lives in Cleveland and has recruited the local Muslim community leadership to her campaign to have the hostages released. The president of the Cleveland branch of the UK Islamic Mission, Dr Sayed Haque, commented, "Our organisation strongly condemns this sort of activity by any group... The Kashmiri cause is very important and we work for the Kashmiri people's liberation from India, but we don't condone hostage taking or harming tourists from any country... We strongly appeal for the release of these innocent people unharmed" (Middlesborough Evening Gazette 06.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 16/17]
The religious make-up of the newly re-constituted Brent Race Equality Council has been questioned by the Muslim weekly Q News (14.07.95). Muslims are estimated to make up about 13% of the Brent population, with a further 5% being refugees, "about 90% of whom are Muslims". However, only one seat on the new thirteen-person executive went to a Muslim whilst there are nine Hindu representatives. A total of 25% of Brent residents stem from Asian extraction. Allegations have been made that Hindus have cornered the term "Asian". The general feeling amongst the Muslim representatives interviewed was that they have very little confidence in the Race Equality Council's ability to counter anti-Muslim discrimination. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 17]
Muslims in the Forest Gate area of London have been gathering to view a water melon which, when sliced open, was found to contain a configuration which some have interpreted as spelling out the Arabic word Allah (Time Out 05.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 17]
Kensington Muslim heritage centre The Commission for Racial Equality has given a Local Authority Race Award to Kensington and Chelsea Council for its work with the Moroccan community in planning a Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in North Kensington which will be financed by a grant from City Challenge (Chelsea News 29.06.95). This grant has been opposed by the chair of the local residents' association, the Duchess of St Albans, who lives in the locality. The Duchess has linked her opposition to the grant to Muslim reactions to Salman Rushdie. She said, "I have never been able to understand a religion which accepts the right to murder... They should drop their threats to Salman Rushdie" (Evening Standard 04.08.95). The Duchess' stand has been backed by several Conservative MP's including Teresa Gorman, who said, "How dare they dole out the public's money on something like this? I would not give the Muslims a farthing when they treat women in such a sickening manner" (Daily Telegraph 05.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 17]
Kirklees Council has set aside almost £7,000 to fund a project to create a database of all haram [forbidden for Muslims] foods which ought not to be included in council menus for Muslims. The council is responsible for 30,000 meals every day in local schools, hospitals and prisons. The database will list food products which contain meat which has not been slaughtered according to the halal method and also identify foodstuffs which contain forbidden additives, especially "E numbers". The acceptability of foodstuffs will be determined by the Batley-based Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence. It is hoped that the database will be ready for consultation in the new year, after which it will be updated every six months or whenever manufacturers change their ingredients (Yorkshire Post 01.08.95). The move has been welcomed by local Muslim groups including the Asian Governors' Forum and the Islamic Party of Great Britain. It is possible that the database will be available for wider geographical consultation by other authorities faced with similar problems. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 17/18]
Crematorium chapel for Muslims? The chapel attached to a disused crematorium in Nuneaton has been the subject of an application by the Nuneaton Muslim Society to have it altered in such a way that it could be used for funeral prayer gatherings for Muslims. The alterations would mean a number of internal walls would have to be removed thus creating a space which could accommodate 300 mourners. Muslims currently lack a place for funeral prayers to be held. The Nuneaton and Bedworth leisure and amenities committee is considering the application and is being recommended to commission a feasibility study. A report by the community services manager points out that, "The proposals do not contemplate the giving of exclusive rights of usage to any particular group. Any progress on the proposals could only be made on the basis of wider, better usage of the facility for all sections of the community" (Heartland Evening News 07.08.95). "The Muslim Society has indicated it is willing to help finance the alterations" (Nuneaton Evening Telegraph 07.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 18]
Leicester multicultural campaign A three-year campaign is under discussion in Leicester to promote racial equality and strengthen the multicultural nature of the city. The campaign is outlined in a report by the council's chief executive, Imtiaz Farookhi. It has been prompted by the growing tide of racism in Europe and aims to set targets to carry Leicester into the 21st century (Daily Jang 03.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 18]
A group of 25 young people aged 16 to 18 met with the Archbishop of Canterbury to share their experiences of growing up in multi-faith, multicultural Britain. The young people came from all major faith communities in Britain. The event was organised through the good offices of the Inter Faith Network UK and representatives from the CRE and the National Youth Agency were also present. A special theme of the meeting was the promotion of tolerance as it coincided with the UN International Year for Tolerance (Daily Jang 21.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 18]
Following a call from the Department for Trade and Industry to ethnic minority businesses to create a centralised business network, the Ethnic Minority Business Network for Hertfordshire has been established. The idea behind the network is to provide minority businesses with a collective voice to put across their opinions to government and agencies. It also hopes to enable such businesses to broaden their customer base by linking with other training and enterprise initiatives. The spokesman for the network said, "At present ethnic minorities tend to serve to niche markets [sic]. We need to expand and diversify the catchment of clientele" (Daily Jang 25.07.95). One particular area of concern for such minority businesses is the way in which they are served by the major High Street banks. The key to the success of the BCCI and other similar banks was the way in which they were able to form partnerships with minority businessmen. This is an area where such networks might prove useful (Muslim News 28.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 18]
Five Muslims were awarded the OBE in the Queen's birthday honours and four Muslims were given the MBE. These were: Nasimulhaq Shahzad Hasnie, co-ordinator for equal opportunities and multicultural education, Huddersfield Technical College; Mohammed Hamid Husain, a GP from Rotherham; Abdul Qadeer Khan from the South Yorkshire Waste Regulation Unit; Mohammed Akram Khan, OFSTED; and Saeed Jaffrey, an actor (all OBE). Mohammed Ibrahim Khan, executive officer with the MoD; Zafar Jung Khan, race relations worker, Tyne and Wear; Mohammed Araf Shafi, personnel officer, BAe; and Chaudry Mohammed Walayati, city councillor from Sheffield (all MBE). (Muslim News 28.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 19]
A section of Woolwich Cemetery has been dedicated for Muslim burials. This will provide a further provision for local Muslims who have hitherto been using the Carlton Cemetery which is now almost full (Bexleyheath & Welling Times 27.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 19]
A seventeen year-old Muslim student was deliberately run down by a motorcyclist whilst playing cricket in Hertfordshire on 2nd July. The youth's leg was broken and required an operation. He was playing cricket when a white youth rode onto the pitch and attempted to run down several of the players. After the attack, he rode off shouting racist abuse. He has not yet been apprehended by police (Muslim News 28.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 19]
Sikhs and Muslims in Slough are reported to be outraged at a spate of anonymous letters circulating in the town advising Muslim youths to "convert" Sikh girls by having sex with them. The letter was headed '786 Khilafa' and used highly offensive language. The letter has been condemned by Sikh and Muslim leaders, the police, race relations officers and the mayor. There is no indication as to the origins of the letter but its contents are similar to a leaflet which circulated in Southall (Slough & Langley Express 27.07.95). In the light of the tensions between elements of the Asian community in Slough, 18 prominent Sikh, Muslim and Hindu leaders signed a joint petition asking for a forthcoming Asian Mela to be cancelled in the interest of community relations. They feared that trouble-makers would use it to exploit religious rivalries. The organiser of the mela opposed moves to cancel it saying that it was an idea provoked by political rivalry. The same person was organising the Southall Mela which was cancelled on police advice. The council decided that there was insufficient evidence of impending trouble and so allowed the arrangements to stand (Slough & Langley Observer 28.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 19]
Arsonists have been blamed for a fire at a mosque in Lincoln which has caused an estimated £15,000 worth of damage. The fire occurred on 24th July and was centred in a loft above the kitchen. It was started deliberately according to a senior fire officer (Lincoln Target 27.07.95). No-one was injured in the fire as the mosque was empty at the time. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 19]
Seminar: "Islam and Terrorism" The Islamic Foundation is to stage a seminar at their Markfield centre near Leicester on 23rd August. The subject will be "Islam and Terrorism" and the principal speaker will be Khurram Murad, a former director of the Foundation. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
Muslims from the Saddam Hussein Mosque in Perry Barr, Birmingham have approached the city council for permission to be granted for Muslims to be buried in a shroud but without a coffin. The council has agreed to discuss the matter in the light of health and safety regulations (Birmingham Evening Mail 24.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
The case brought by a Muslim prisoner at Frankland Prison in County Durham (see BMMS for February 1995), who claimed that he had been forced to strip naked for prison security searches and thus contravene the Islamic norms of modesty, which require that men should at all times be covered from the navel to the knees, except before their wives, has been completed. Two judges, sitting in the High Court in London, found against the prisoner's application (The Newcastle upon Tyne Journal 22.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
Racist graffiti was daubed on around 50 Muslim gravestones in a cemetery in Batley on the night of 22nd July. Police patrols have been implemented in the area and house to house enquiries have been made but, as yet, no-one has been apprehended (Batley News 27.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
Scunthorpe equal opportunities investigation Scunthorpe Borough Council has announced further investigations into unemployment rates, discrimination by employers and the incidence of over-qualification for low paid jobs on the part of members of minority communities. These concerns were raised by various minority interest groups in the area. The investigations were announced at a meeting of the Partnership Group to launch a series of projects as part of the government's Single Regeneration Budget scheme worth almost £6m to the borough. Amongst the proposed projects are a new Pakistani Welfare Association community centre, a Bangladeshi Welfare Association community centre and a classroom and meeting-place for the Bangladesh United Moslem Society (Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph 22.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
The Mayor and Mayoress of Woking were the guests of the Muslim community in the town when they paid an official visit to the Shah Jehan Mosque, the oldest in Britain. They were given a tour of the mosque and passed a sociable afternoon taking refreshments and talking to elders and community members. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20]
The arrest of 33 men aged between 17 and 53 from the Manningham area of Bradford on drugs charges and their receiving a total of 130 years in prison, highlighted the growing trend amongst young Muslims in Britain to experiment with taking drugs. Their involvement in drug dealing is also established. "In the East End of London, the pushing and taking of drugs is now such a de facto part of life for many British Bangladeshis that it is now almost too late to stop it spreading" (Q News 04.08.95). The culpability of the religious leadership of these young Muslims in refusing to acknowledge the problem and their responsibility for generating a feeling of alienation and apathy among the young, was posited by the report. A spokesman for the Bradford Council for Mosques commented, "The selling of drugs is something that goes on behind closed doors, and nobody knows who's doing it. But I don't think the community as a whole would tolerate it if drugs were being openly sold. They would do something about it". The report concluded, "The irony implicit in his last statement says it all". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 20/21]
Lisa Aziz, presenter of such TV programmes as Sky's Sunrise show and NBC Superchannel's business programmes, was profiled in the Radio Times (29.07.95). She spoke about her Bangladeshi father and the impact that becoming a mother has had on her life. She is married to a Dutch Jew and "was brought up a Muslim". She said, "I'm not really religious now but I do believe in Muslim values, such as moderation in all things. I don't smoke and I rarely drink alcohol". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 21]
Four of the ten magistrates sworn in to serve in the Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates' Court are Muslims. One of them was Ismail Daji who is the president of the Islamic Culture Centre, chairman of the Indian Muslim Welfare Society and a school governor.[BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 21]
Council officials in Leicester have been trying for four years to curb the amount of waste food which is being dumped in the Spinney Hill Park. The problem of food dumped on the ground has become a serious health risk as it attracts and sustains rats. The area has a high concentration of Muslims who are reluctant to throw away unwanted food and so put it out for the birds and animals. Muslim leaders have been called into a partnership with the council to fight the problem. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 21]
The Social Security Secretary, Peter Lilley, has been the recipient of death threats sent by a group calling themselves the "Black Irish Muslims" (News of the World 23.07.95). The group is unknown but the anti-terrorist squad and Special Branch are taking the threats seriously. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 21]
Mental health video, Edinburgh The Edinburgh Health Care Trust has launched a video film alerting members of the minority communities to the care available for those concerned with mental illness. The video, entitled "Feeling Better", aims to raise awareness of mental health problems and the services available in the area. Amongst the aims of the trust are an increase in cultural sensitivity and awareness training, more research and monitoring of minority community problems and the recruitment of more minority community staff. (Daily Jang 01.08.95) [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 21]
Upturn in youth crime expected A principal research officer at the Home Office has indicated that "economic misery and youthful rebellion would combine to drive more and more young Muslims into criminal activity" (Q News 28.07.95). The report pointed out that the demographic profile of Muslims in Britain indicated that a large number will soon be arriving at the peak age for criminal involvement. The report broke down the assumption that "Asians" form a homogenous group by pointing out that the socio-economic profile of the Indian population is not dissimilar to that of the white community, whilst Pakistanis are even more disadvantaged that the Afro-Caribbean community. Quoting from the report, "Inevitably, we are facing a likely upsurge in criminal involvement among these groups - although it will continue to be masked as long as it is subsumed within an omnibus 'Asian' category. Once this becomes apparent and it reaches the public agenda, there is an obvious danger that we will witness a new moral panic". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 22]
The Meadows Muslim Centre in Nottingham remains unfinished although the keys were handed over by Notts County Council in 1986. In particular, the kitchen and toilets need to be completed. The problem revolves around who should pay for the remaining work. The deputy leader of the county council said, "We have given them generous grants and it is now up to the community to show some willing themselves and they must do some work before we are prepared to spend again ourselves [sic]... I know they need work doing on the kitchen and toilets but we need something from them. They must fulfil their half of the bargain" (Nottingham Evening Post 19.07.95). The Muslim leadership claims that the council grant of £75,000 should have been enough to complete all the work but it was inappropriately supervised. A spokesman said, "They should have given us the money and we would have found the builders to do the job well... What we want now is for the council to tell us how much they will give us to finish the work and then we will be prepared to go around the community trying to collect the rest". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 22]
The Kokni Muslim Welfare and Youth Organisation UK held its annual festival of sport and culture at the Willesden Sports Stadium on 6th August. There were a variety of sporting competitions, exhibitions and craft workshops. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 22]
More than 12,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association attended their annual convention at Islamabad, Tilford in Surrey from 28th to 30th July. The keynote address was given by the Supreme Head of the International Community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmed (Farnham Herald 21.07.95). The amir [leader] of the Ahmadis, Hazrat Ameerul Momeneen Khalifatul Masih IV, drew particular attention to the situation in Bosnia and the plight of Ahmadis in Pakistan (Asian Times 05.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 22]
A fifteen year-old Muslim girl from East Ham in London contributed an article to Just Seventeen (19.07.95) detailing the abuse which she received when bailiffs and the police arrived at her parents' home to take away goods to the value of an unpaid poll-tax debt. The girl was arrested and allegedly assaulted by the police who are also alleged to have used racist epithets in verbally abusing her. After the intervention of a social worker, the girl was released without charge but again allegedly suffered racist taunts from policemen as they drove past in a police car. With the help of a solicitor and a local racial harassment support group, the girl has begun legal proceedings alleging assault and unlawful arrest. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 22/23]
Portsmouth hospitals prayer facilities Hospitals in Portsmouth are to benefit from an £18,000 grant from the NHS Ethnic Health Unit to pray for the furnishing of multi-faith prayer rooms which will be available for use by people from all religions. They will contain a carpet patterned and laid to draw attention to the qibla [direction for prayer], the provision of religious texts and the absence of religious images which might offend adherents of other traditions. Halal meals will be supplied, and interpreters and pictorial signs will be available for those who lack a facility in the English language (The Portsmouth News 28.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 23]
"Women-only" shortlists to go? The Labour Party policy of drawing up "women-only" shortlists for candidate selection, which has proved to be particularly unpopular in constituencies with large numbers of Muslims, is to be dropped after the next general election according to a reported interview given by Tony Blair to the Press Association News (Daily Jang 26.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 23]
Sajad Saleem, who has just completed his International Baccalaureate at the prestigious Atlantic College in South Wales, is currently cycling around Britain making radio appeals and raising sponsorship to pay for his passage to Ascuncion in Paraguay where he hopes to spend the year before he goes up to university teaching English to underprivileged adults and children in an Islamic foundation. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 23]
The London Borough of Waltham Forest has re-named a road in honour of the late Councillor Mohmmad [sic] Khan, who served on the borough council from 1978 to 1990 and was mayor in 1986/87. During his time on the council he served on the race relations committee and on the police commission. He was equally active in the Muslim community as the president of the Indian Muslim Federation UK and a founder of the Leytonstone Mosque. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 23]
Twelve girls from the Muslim Girls' High School in Preston formed a School Community Action Team last year to co-operate with local police in crime prevention measures. They have been involved in several projects already and have recently been commended for their work in translating special stickers to go on the front doors of Gujerati-speaking homes. The outer side of the sticker is in English and the inner carries advice in Gujerati. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 23]
Updates Education Dr Nick Tate, the government's chief curriculum adviser, told a meeting of headteachers that the English language should be at the centre of pupils' knowledge, that they should understand Britain's history and literary heritage, and that they should study Christianity and the classical world. He said, "There is a mistaken notion that the way to respond to cultural diversity is to try to bring everything together into some kind of watered-down multiculturalism... The best guarantee of strong minority cultures is the existence of a majority culture which is sure of itself, which signals that customs and traditions are things to be valued and which respects other cultures" (Morning Star 19.07.95). His comments have been criticised by race relations personnel. Claude Moraes, the director of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, accused Dr Tate of trying to do "what totalitarian dictators have done down the ages, which is to rewrite the history and composition of nations". He further commented that he did not believe Dr Tate to be racist but added, "I believe he is being stupid, misguided and provocative" (Daily Jang 19.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 24]
Headteachers in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets have reacted to a decision of the council that all schools should close for the two great Eids of the Muslim calendar. In the past, some schools have closed for Eid whilst others have remained open and Muslim parents have withdrawn their children for the festivals. Under the new regulations, "there are fears that the new compulsory holiday will upset non-Muslim parents" (The Independent on Sunday 16.07.95). Tower Hamlets has been the scene of the only council election to be won by a British National Party candidate. Apparently, 24 out of 25 headteachers consulted by the council requested that the decision should be left to their discretion. A spokesman of the National Association of Head Teachers said, "We should treat all schoolchildren in this country as one society" (Daily Express 17.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 24]
Luton Council's chief planning officer has advised against the use of an industrial building in Selborne Road, Luton as a cultural and education centre (see BMMS for June 1995). The building will hold over 1,000 people but there is only provision for parking 32 cars. Neighbouring industrial sites could find their access blocked through on-street parking and there could be a danger to pedestrians in a heavy commercial area. Planning committee members are to make a site visit (Luton Leader 12.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 24]
Banning hijab could be unlawful The Times Educational Supplement runs a regular question and answer column on matters of law and established precedent. A question was addressed to the column (07.07.95): "The governing body of this school wants to prohibit Moslem girls from wearing a headdress. Are they wise?" The answer was given, "On the contrary, they are at risk of acting illegally and you should not hesitate to advise them of the fact. The girls' parents will almost certainly argue that the dress is a requirement of their religious faith and it would be discriminatory under the Race Relations Act to forbid them to do so. Just to let the governors know where the line is drawn, they may be interested to learn that the courts have decided that Rastafarian dreadlocks do not enjoy the same legal protection, because they are not based on a religious faith". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 24/25]
Interview with Schools Minister Robin Squire, the Minister for Schools at the Department for Education, gave an exclusive interview to the Muslim News (28.07.95). The questions ranged over a wide variety of educational topics about which Muslims are concerned. Mr Squire reiterated the government's stance on public funds for Muslim schools by saying that it was essential that they met the criteria laid out for all publicly-funded schools so that no-one could say that Muslim schools are "second class". Regarding Muslim pupils in state schools; the questions covered girls wearing hijab, modesty in sports facilities, dance and music, the Euro-centricity of the curriculum, assembly determinations, the primacy of place given to teaching about Christianity in RE lessons and the anti-Islamic perceptions which some teachers promote. None of the replies published in the interview betokened revelatory departures from the established position of the present government. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 25]
Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Usamah Ward of the Muslim Education Trust presented a document entitled Education in Multi-Faith Britain to Gillian Shephard, the Secretary of State for Education. The full text of the document was reproduced in the Daily Jang (28.07.95). The document began by setting out the importance of education for Muslims, the centrality of revealed knowledge as well as acquired knowledge and the need to promote a moral lifestyle through education in the certainty that everyone would be judged by the creator after death. The social deprivation of the majority of Muslims was explained and the need for particular provision for such deprived areas was pointed out. A plea was made to remove the perceived injustice of a lack of state funding for Muslim schools. The sensitive areas of PE, art and music were each explored with Muslim sensibilities being explained. A request was made that the areas of the National Curriculum which offended against these sensibilities should be either dropped or made optional so that Muslim children and parents were not put in a position of having to go against their conscientiously held beliefs. The recent changes in sex education provisions were welcomed, as was the right of parents to withdraw their children from these classes, however, a plea was made for vigilance to ensure that the standards of the "permissive society" were not promoted by sex education materials. Muslim pupils need to have provision for Islamic collective worship and the rights of parents to withdraw their children from other forms of worship needs to be more thoroughly explained and implemented. In religious education, a balance between all the major world faiths is required so that all children learn about the faiths which guide the peoples of the world. The document concluded with a statement of belief in a multi-faith, multicultural Britain. "The way forward is for there to be a willingness by those in authority to understand the educational needs of British Muslims and to meet those needs with empathy, determination and impartiality. Society can only flourish when discrimination ceases to exist and equality is established for all its members." [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 25]
Leeds Training and Enterprise Council, in partnership with the European Social Fund, has introduced a scheme to link first year university students from diverse and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds with established practioners in the professions who will act as mentors. The first two students concerned are studying law at Leeds Metropolitan University, one coming originally from Iran and the other from a background in the dramatic arts. They have both been attached to a mentor from the established Leeds law firm of Haroon Storey and Co (Daily Jang 26.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 25/26]
A planning application has been lodged to convert residential accommodation in Morley Street, Rochdale into a madrasah. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 26]
The Al-Furqan School in Birmingham, which has a capacity of under 100 pupils at present but a waiting list of 500, is in an advanced stage of negotiations with the Funding Agency for Schools with a view to an imminent formal application for grant maintained status. The school is currently funded by modest fees paid by parents according to their means with supplementary assistance from educational charities. GM status would enable them to expand to meet the obvious need for the style of education which they offer. Al-Furqan is the only Muslim school at this advanced stage in negotiations although two Sikh schools and two Jewish schools are at a similar stage (Birmingham Post 04.08.95). A number of guests, including representatives from the Funding Agency for Schools, were present for an open day at which the pupils exhibited some of their work and staged presentations of their prowess in a variety of disciplines. Certificates and trophies were awarded by the Director-General of the Islamic Foundation, Dr Munazir Ahsan, who expressed his pleasure at seeing the progress of the school over a number of years (Q News 21.07.95). According to a report in the Daily Express (03.08.95), "The Government's Funding Agency for Schools is already poised to give the go-ahead to an £8m project for a new 500-pupil Jewish secondary school in Leeds... Plans for the new school in Leeds follow pressure from the local Jewish community... Supporters say priority will be given to Jewish pupils but places will also be available for non-Jews. There are only five Jewish secondary schools funded by local education authorities in the country and they have a reputation for good exam results". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 26]
The new Jamia al-Karam, which was opened in April in the buildings of Eaton Hall, Nottingham, a former teacher training college (see BMMS for December 1994; and February 1995), was profiled in a report in the Retford Times (27.07.95). More that £80,000 has already been spent of the building to provide accommodation for the projected roll of 350 boys. Currently, 76 boys are enroled in the school with another 70 expected to start in September. The 70 boys were selected by an entrance examination from a list of over 100 applicants. The full National Curriculum will be offered in addition to Arabic, Islamic Studies and the memorisation of the Qur'an. Emphasis is placed on the development of character in the pupils. Boys are accommodated in single rooms and the facilities have been widely acclaimed by official inspectors from a variety of agencies. The school hopes to introduce A-level classes by September '96 and will work towards offering a full degree programme in Islamic disciplines. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 26]
Planning permission has been granted for the building of a madrasah in the grounds of a house in Skipton Road, Keighley (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 28.07.95). A petition was submitted against the proposal which focused on the increase in traffic and the lack of other facilities in the area. Outline planning permission was granted with three provisos: that the building should fit in with the neighbourhood, that it should be used for teaching only and that it should be used between the hours of 1600 and 2000. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27]
Bristol single-sex appeal fails The parents of three pupils at Merrywood Girls' School, Bristol brought an action in the High Court asking for a Judicial Review of Avon County Council's decision to close the last single-sex schools in the city (see BMMS for May 1994). The parents claimed that the decision "infringed their fundamental rights to have their daughters educated as they chose" (Bristol Journal 28.07.95). However, the judge found that, "There is no question of any person being denied the right to education in this case... What is being 'denied' is the privilege of attending single sex schools which exist in the public sector of Bristol at this moment" (Bristol Evening Post 22.07.95). The case was of particular concern to local Muslims and one of the parents concerned was a Muslim. Mr Shabir told the hearing, "According to Islamic law, boys and girls cannot mix with members of the opposite sex outside their family after they have reached a certain age, usually about 14 years". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27]
Mosques Birmingham City Council has agreed to lease the former Tilton Road School in the Bordesley district of the city to the Ahmadiyya Moslem Association for a peppercorn rent. The 105 year-old listed building has been extensively vandalised during the ten years which have elapsed since its closure as a school. The Ahmadis intend to use it as a mosque and social centre. It will also house a career advice centre. A 40ft high minaret and a dome will be added to a flat roof over an existing extension to the building. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27]
Planning permission has been refused to convert a former car showroom in Rigby Road, Blackpool into a mosque and community centre. Concern was expressed over inadequate parking and requests for more information had been sent to the sponsoring group but no replies had been received (Blackpool Evening Gazette 02.08.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27]
A mosque is under construction in Broadwood Rise, Broadfield, Brighton but it will not be completed within the next year. Accordingly, an application has been submitted for an extension of one year to permission to use a terraced house in Fennel Crescent, Bewbush, Crawley as an education centre. The house has been so used since 1984 and no complaints have been lodged against the application. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27]
The recent growth in the number of mosques in Cardiff, from two to twelve in a few years, was featured in an article in The Western Mail (19.07.95). There is an Arabic-speaking mosque serving the community of Yemeni descent, two serving Bengalis and nine serving Urdu-speaking Pakistanis and Indians. The report was prompted by the conversion of a former Welsh Presbyterian chapel in Crwys Road into a mosque. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 27/28]
Kirklees Council has issued a new set of rules governing the call to prayer from mosques in the area. This follows a draft code of practice which was published for discussion in January 1995 (see BMMS for February 1995). The new rules require: a. Calls shall only be made between 0800 and 2000; b. There should be a maximum of four calls per day; c. Any call to prayer shall not exceed four minutes; d. Sound from amplifiers will have to be kept within set limits (The Huddersfield Daily Examiner 02.08.95). Mosque leaders have accepted the need for these new rules. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28]
The Department of the Environment enquiry into the application to turn a former mosaics factory in Blackburn Street, Old Trafford into a mosque (see BMMS for August and September 1994; and May 1995) has found in favour of the conversion in spite of planning permission having been refused by the local council (Manchester Evening News 15.07.95). The main focus of objections was increased traffic problems and additional noise but the DOE Inspector said, "The Imam, as leader of the worshippers, could exercise influence over the numbers of people attending, as well as their behaviour in such matters as car parking and conduct outside the building". [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28]
The planned mosque and Islamic centre in Stockport Road, Longsight is to be built according to a design which incorporates Moorish and Moghul architecture. It will include a 72 ft high glass minaret "which will celebrate race relations and co-existing in multi-cultural Greater Manchester" (Manchester Evening News 11.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28]
An application has been lodged to develop land in Wordsworth Avenue, Manor Park, in the London Borough of Newham to provide a multipurpose community centre with a mortuary and an underground car park. The application comes from the Anjuman-E-Islamia Mosque and has been met with some local opposition on the grounds that it will cause additional traffic congestion, noise and pollution. There was an alternative use for the site being negotiated with a firm of property developers who were going to build low cost housing (Newham Recorder 26.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28]
Throughout the 1970s, Muslims in Nuneaton used a pair of terraced houses in Edward Street, Nuneaton as a temporary mosque. The houses have lain empty since a new mosque was built some ten years ago in Frank Street. The houses are now substantially derelict and have become a potential health hazard as they are invested with rats and nesting pigeons. The Nuneaton Muslim Society has announced plans to demolish the houses and replace them with a home for the elderly or an orphanage but local historians have reacted strongly to the suggestion as the two houses have a unique facade of local terracotta which makes them of particular historical importance (Heartland Evening News 05.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28]
Oldham development committee has given permission for the Holmleigh private retirement home in Windsor Road to be converted into a mosque to serve the local community. Objections to the plan based on traffic congestion and parking problems were over-ruled. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 28/29]
A £100,000 Islamic Centre based on two converted terraced houses in Peter Street, Rawtenstall was formally opened by the Mayor of Rossendale. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 29]
A local primary school and 153 residents have objected to plans to build a mosque in Plant Street, Cradley Heath (see BMMS for June 1995). Sandwell Council has received an objection from the council engineers due to already congested parking. Residents and the school object to the plans on the grounds of increased noise and the danger to young children from additional traffic in the area. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 29]
It has been announced that the Labour-controlled council in Southampton has agreed to sell the Southampton Mosque Trust the site for their proposed new mosque in St Mary's Road (see BMMS for March, June and July 1993; September 1994; and April 1995) at a discounted price and to give the community a grant of £30,000 towards the cost of the building (The Southern Daily Echo 05.07.95). The announcement has prompted an angry response from the leader of the Conservative group. The site is valued at £200,000 and the discounted price is to be £56,000. The county council is to give a further grant of £60,000 (The Southern Daily Echo 06.07.95). Further objections to the subsidies have come from atheist (The Southern Daily Echo 13.07.95) and Christian (The Southern Daily Echo 14.07.95) letter writers. It has been emphasised that the council grant of £30,000 will be towards the provision of community facilities on the site although Conservative councillors have expressed doubts about this (The Southern Daily Echo 20.07.95). The prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate for Southampton Itchen accused the Labour-controlled council of continuing to "insult Islamic pride" by assuming that the project "needs public financial support to survive" (The Southern Daily Echo 22.07.95). A Muslim spokesman said that he was not insulted by the grant as it was for community facilities. Fears have been raised that the building will never be completed as the Muslim community can give no guarantee of their ability to raise the additional £750,000 needed to bring it to completion (The Southern Daily Echo 26.07.95). In spite of all the reservations, a full meeting of the council upheld the decision to sell the land at the agreed discounted price and to make the agreed grant (The Southern Daily Echo 29.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 29]
The Asian Muslim Cultural Association in Tower Hamlets has been given planning permission to convert three arches under the railway line at Shadwell Place into a mosque and community centre. The Association already uses one of the arches and plans to expand to provide a prayer hall, classrooms, ablution facilities and a reception area. Planning permission is subject to the building being used only between 0800 and 2000. Petitions in favour and against the proposal were submitted with the overwhelming majority of local people supporting the project (East London Advertiser 13.07.95). [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 29]
Rutter Street Mosque and Islamic Centre, Walsall has applied for planning permission to extend their current building to provide a two-storey classroom block with a sports hall and function room. The extension will be built on part of the existing car park. [BMMS July 1995 Vol. III, No. 7, p. 29]
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