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British Muslims Monthly Survey for August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8
Features Glasgow Govan selection battle Short Reports Crematorium chapel for Muslims? Ethnic minorities "scapegoated" Interpol seeks Tunisian fraudster Repercussions of TV Dispatches English Muslim teacher profiled Manchester meeting venue change Manchester Gorton re-selection Updates Education GCSE results in Muslim schools Mosques
Features Glasgow Govan selection battle Mohammed Sarwar, recently elected to the new unitary City of Glasgow Council and strongly tipped as a potential Labour MP for the Glasgow Govan constituency, was profiled in an multi-page, colour section of the Sunday Times Scotland (06.08.95). Sarwar began his life in Scotland as a corner-shopkeeper and has now built up a multi-million pound business in wholesale supply. He has been campaigning for political preferment in Glasgow for some years and has attracted significant opposition from those within his own party who express concern at the way in which he has used the "Asian vote" to his advantage. He is in competition with Mike Watson, currently the MP for Glasgow Central, and Jimmy Dunnachie, currently MP for Glasgow Pollok, whose seats will disappear at the next general election. Sarwar has been in politics in Pakistan and Scotland all his adult life. He stood first for the Glasgow District Council in 1988 and was finally elected in 1992. He has a firm power-base in the Govan constituency but there is considerable uncertainty as to whether he will be selected to stand for the seat, which should be won easily by Labour. Within days of the appearance of this profile, it was announced that Strathcylde Fraud Squad are investigating Mr Sarwar over allegations of "fiddling election expenses" (Scottish Daily Mail 09.08.95). The allegations "are said to centre around votes cast for him by Pakistanis living abroad, and on the use of hired mini-buses to bring supporters to the polling stations". Mr Sarwar replied to his critics, "A number of allegations have been made against me in the past, so this is not something new. I get so used to these things now that I don't get upset about them... I categorically deny these allegations which I believe to be more to do with my forthcoming parliamentary campaign... I didn't break the rules. I lodged my election expenses with the returning officer and he has accepted them". Further allegations were made (Scottish Daily Mail 10.08.95) concerning an alleged investigation into the disbursement of expenses by three current Labour MP's in Glasgow. One of these, Jimmy Dunnachie, was alleged by some to have done a deal with Mr Sarwar to declare his interest in the new Glasgow Govan seat in addition to Mr Watson, which forced a full selection procedure, and thus might assist Mr Sarwar to be selected. Mr Dunnachie rebutted these claims, saying, "There is no deal whatsoever and I intend making a serious challenge for Govan". Nominations for selection in the seat are likely to be required in November. The whole process is being monitored by Labour officials in the light of the bad publicity thus far generated (The Scotsman 10.08.95). Mr Sarwar was expected to "issue writs against the Sun and the Daily Mail alleging defamation" (The Observer 13.08.95). There is a considerable Muslim interest in the affairs of Mr Sarwar. If selected for the seat, he would almost certainly be elected and become the first Muslim MP in Britain. To be selected, he must win a majority in the constituency ballot in which each constituency party member has a vote. "The last couple of years has seen a surge in Muslim membership. In 1993, Govan registered a 33% increase in membership representing 171 new subscriptions. Of these, 111 were Muslims. Mr Sarwar is quietly confident that he has a sufficient Muslim block vote to clinch the nomination" (Q News 18.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 1/2]
A resolution was passed unanimously at the August meeting of the Muslim Parliament concerning volunteers for service in Bosnia. It called upon its Human Rights Committee to "reactivate the plans for creating a Volunteer Force for helping Bosnia in its struggle for survival-with-dignity... This House further calls upon the Human Rights Committee to re-open the Register of Volunteers, in which the capabilities and skills of every volunteer are recorded, and reference to which may enable the Bosnian government to choose the right volunteers for the right job in easing the sufferings of its people" (Q News 25.08.95). When the idea of a volunteer force was first broached last year, it was declined by the Bosnian government. Muslims in Nottingham have organised two lorry-loads of relief supplies to be shipped out to Bosnia through the offices of Muslim Hands United for the Needy. In a separate appeal in the same city, a lorry load of goods has been collected from Boots the Chemists comprising of items with faulty wrappings or unwanted gifts. These are to form the first load in an on-going effort organised by the charity Children in Crisis (Nottingham Evening Post 15.08.95). Around 60 people marched through Bradford city centre on 26th August to show their solidarity with Muslims in Bosnia (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 28.08.95). Almost 3,000 people were present in Glasgow Central Mosque on 25th August to pay their respects to Neil Golightly who was killed in a road traffic accident whilst on a mercy mission to Bosnia. Mr Golightly, who had become a Muslim some years previously, had asked that his body be brought back to Scotland for burial in the event of his death in Bosnia (The Dundee Courier & Advertiser 26.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 2]
In the absence through illness of the leader of the Muslim Parliament, Dr Kalim Siddiqui, the keynote address at the tenth session on 20th August was given by Jahangir Mohammed. He explained the efforts which the parliament had made in fighting underachievement amongst Muslim youth, in the provision of halal meat and in seeking to provide "an Islamic political system in Britain". He spoke, in particular, about the role of Muslims in Europe. "We must stop thinking in terms of being a minority and dealing only with minority issues. We must accept responsibility for dealing with moral issues which effect the whole of British society. We alone can rescue British society and indeed European society from its imminent self destruction. We invite all those non Muslims who are committed to working to a divine and moral agenda to work with us" (Daily Jang 21.08.95). "Mr Mohammed derided suggestions that a Muslim Board of Deputies should be established to offer a united Muslim voice. 'Various Muslim groups have plans for achieving government recognition as official representatives and leaders of British Muslims. But leadership is not about having cups of tea at the Home Office... We could have set up another single issue, single sect organisation but instead we set up a political system for Islam in Britain'" (Q News 25.08.95). In commenting on the role of the Muslim leadership, Jahangir Mohammed said, "Leadership is not about which religious leader you profess alliance to, or your ancestry, or your kinship networks. In assessing leadership, Muslims should get into the habit of judging on performance: what are the goals and targets, how are they being approached, how far do they meet the needs of the community... Leadership is about making the right decisions for the community, even if they are the most difficult ones. Leadership is about taking people down roads they would not naturally go" (Muslim News 25.08.95). Two other features of the Muslim Parliament's work were stressed by Mr Mohammed. "The erosion of the welfare state will hit Muslims very hard, he said, and the community is not prepared for the implications of this... He also pointed out that the community was being increasingly influenced by the moral decadence of the wider British society in such matters as sexual immorality, alcoholism, drug use and gambling." Further, "The respect for law and order which has been a feature of the Muslim community is also being eroded among young Muslims" (Muslim News 25.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 2/3]
Posters advertising the Hizb ut-Tahrir Rally for Islam in Trafalgar Square on 13th August continued to cause protests from around the country in the run-up to the event (see British Muslims Monthly Survey for July 1995). Hizb ut-Tahrir members were condemned by community leaders as holding "very extreme views" (The Gloucester Citizen 08.08.95). The director of Blackburn Racial Equality Council said, "Muslims in Lancashire don't believe in any sort of extremism and they want to practise their religion without causing any offence or harm to anybody" (Lancashire Evening Telegraph 08.08.95). Hizb ut-Tahrir was labelled as being "totally against Islam" by Bashir Maan, the chairman of Strathcylde Community Relations Council, who continued, "these militants think they are the only standard bearers of righteousness and godliness" (Glasgow Evening Times 11.08.95). In spite of the fact that organised transport was laid on (Bucks Free Press 11.08.95), the attendance at the rally was estimated to have been in the region of 2,000 to 3,000 which was considerably less that the predicted figure. The rally itself was sparsely covered in the press with more attention being given to the counter protests by Outrage! and the Jewish Socialists' Group. The former attracted several press photographers in a manner reminiscent of the Wembley Arena Conference in August 1994 when the same group stole much of the limelight. They were protesting against Hizb ut-Tahrir's stance on homosexuals (The Times 14.08.95). The Observer (13.08.95) carried a lengthy article timed to coincide with the meeting and thus mentioning the expected 15,000 participants. This gave some detailed background to the plight of young and often disadvantaged Muslims in Britain who might be tempted towards Hizb ut-Tahrir. Recent converts, who were to form an important part of the Trafalgar Square rally, were profiled and some of the more "moderate" Muslim voices were given space to take positions regarding the group. One former university student from London summed up a more general impression thus, "I was attracted to them at university because they are energetic and exciting. But they are intellectual idealists, good at sound bites. They don't have any realistic solutions. I don't see how they will last". Speakers at the rally included Omar Bakri Mohammed and Farid Kassim, the national leaders of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Non-Muslims who were present were invited to investigate the teachings of Islam, "a system built on the commandments of the Creator" rather than a secular and free society based on man-made rules which has failed to provide security, dignity, self-respect and moral guidance (Daily Jang 14.08.95). In particular, the Queen, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and intellectuals were called upon to embrace Islam. A maulana [religious leader] from Telford wrote to the same newspaper taking issue with the spirit of Islam which was portrayed by the group. He wrote, "The Hizb ut-Tahrir's understanding of Islam has rightly been recognised by some Muslim leaders as contorted, naive and dangerous - a feeling shared by scholars and elders. Moreover serious questions need to be raised about the party's integrity. Whilst it is clear that Islam has been distorted by the media and West in general, such rantings only give ammunition to those who wish to see Islam's influence decline" (Daily Jang 18.08.95). The Muslim weekly Q News had reporters amongst the crowd and noted that the atmosphere was rather more subdued than the "shaking of the foundations" which was predicted. An HuT supporter from Burton was interviewed, who explained that, "Until some brothers came to me, I didn't know that it was my duty to establish the khilafah [system of government under the caliph], in the same way that it is a duty upon me to pray and to fast. Imam Abu Hanifa [one of the great jurists of classical Islam] said that it was the mother of all fards [obligatory duties]" (Q News 18.08.95). By contrast, another Muslim in the crowd commented, "I don't know who they're going to impress. There was an incident during the time of the Blessed Prophet in which a Companion made prayer go on for too long, and for the first time the Prophet got angry and said that he would make the people hate Islam. I think Hizb ut-Tahrir are doing that and they will not be furthering our cause here". The Q News report cited the Muslim charity "al-Madad", charity number 1037987, as being run by Hizb ut-Tahrir (18.08.95). This view was disputed by Siraj Patel, a co-founder of al-Madad, who said that it was set up by the Muslim Cultural Society of Enfield and Haringey and was not linked to a political party. However, the charity does not dissociate itself from Hizb ut-Tahrir and considerable circumstantial evidence was brought forward to defend at least a common sharing of ideals between the two groups including support for each other at the rally itself (Q News 25.08.95). A local newspaper in Edmonton expressed concern that Hizb ut-Tahrir affiliates, such as the magazine Al-Khilafah, were operating from that part of London (Enfield Gazette 17.08.95). Concern was also expressed that Sunrise Radio, which has been questioned in the past for its relations with Muslims, was trying to "rehabilitate itself" by holding a Sunday morning interview and phone-in programme between the station's owner Avtar Lit and Farid Kassim of Hizb ut-Tahrir (Q News 11.08.95). "The appearance of Hizb ut-Tahrir on a station currently under suspicion of shafting the Muslim community has given rise to questions about the group's scruples in its relationship with the rest of the British Muslim community. Hizb ut-Tahrir's inclination to boycott the events of other groups, or even try to scotch them by setting up directly competing alternatives, has earned it notoriety in the Muslim community." [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 3-5]
Short Reports The Channel 4 documentary series The Black Bag screened a programme on the Bradford disturbances on 31st August (see BMMS for June and July 1995). The programme contained interviews with witnesses to the disturbances. Councillor Rangzeb, who tried to mediate in the tensions, was reported to have told the film makers that he felt he had been manipulated after having been called in by the police (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 18.08.95). Jahangir Mohammed, the deputy leader of the Muslim Parliament, was widely reported to have "paid tribute to youths who rioted in Bradford, claiming they took a moral stand against British immorality" (Derby Evening Telegraph 19.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 5] Questions over racism in legal education have again been raised after the publication of the Bar vocational exams which are pre-requisites for training as a barrister. The situation was investigated by the committee under Dame Jocelyn Barrow set up by the Council for Legal Education in 1993/4 (see BMMS for September and October 1993; April 1994). This year's exam results show that only 74.6% of students from the ethnic minorities passed, compared to 90% for white students. Recent comparable figures have been, 1992: 55%, 1993: 70% and 1994: 80%. Birkbeck College has been retained by the Dean of the Inns of Court School of Law to carry out an analysis of the figures (Daily Jang 16.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 5] Crematorium chapel for Muslims? Concerns have been raised over plans to make adaptations to the former crematorium chapel in Nuneaton to make it more suitable for holding Muslim funeral prayers (see BMMS for July 1995). The crematorium itself is now disused but the chapel is used by various faith communities for funeral prayers. The question has been raised as to whether the chapel, which was built in 1875, was ever formally deconsecrated so that it might be used for worship by communities other that the Christians. The Diocese of Coventry is to investigate this in its archives. Some local Christians have objected to the extended provision for Muslim use but it has been reiterated that the chapel will remain open for use by everyone. The amenities manager responsible for the former crematorium "said that the chapel had been used for multi-faith and even non-faith services since the crematorium was built into it in 1957. He believes that the proposed adaptation would simply extend the multi-cultural use and that local religious leaders would want to work together to allow such use in a spirit of tolerance" (Heartland Evening News 12.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 5] Processions in honour of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad have been reported from various parts of the country including Ashton under Lyne, Batley, Blackburn, Coventry, Dewsbury, High Wycombe, Southampton and Walsall. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 6] Comments by the Labour shadow foreign secretary, Robin Cook, and other Labour Party activists at a meeting of the Labour Convention of Indian Organisations in the UK held in Brent Town Hall on 31st July, to the effect that Labour's policy is to back Indian rule for Kashmir (Wembley Observer 10.08.95), have provoked comment from other Labour politicians and Pakistani Muslim leaders. It prompted a Labour HQ spokesman to comment that Kashmir is a bilateral problem which needed to be solved by peaceful negotiations between India and Pakistan. Labour MP's with substantial Pakistani representation in their constituencies have reiterated their support for Pakistan in the struggle concerning Kashmir. Ken Livingstone, Labour MP for Brent East, re-stated his understanding of his party's position, "It has been consistent for over 40 years and is in line with the policy of the United Nations that the people of Kashmir must be free to decide their own future in a secret ballot" (Paddington Times 10.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 6] A conference has been arranged by the Sahara Project in Coventry on mental health issues as they affect the communities of Asian and African heritage. It will take place at the Muslim Resource Centre on 16th September. The Black Elders Mental Health Event will cover such topics as positive examples of good mental heath practices, inequalities in health provision and a survey of services available for carers and users (Coventry Evening Telegraph 18.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 6] More than one hundred Muslim scholars, imams and representatives of leading organisations signed a declaration attacking proposals tabled for discussion at September's UN conference on women held in Beijing, China. The declaration was sent to heads of Muslim nations and criticises pro-abortion proposals, efforts to promote 'equality' between men and women, and new relationships which are held to undermine the traditional family. In sum, the proposals show "a lack of respect for femininity, womanhood and motherhood" (The Tablet 19.08.95). The declaration called for consideration of Islamic and other religious views. It said that the UN proposals would be a recipe for "marital, social, economic, medical and spiritual disaster", as dictated by "a few wealthy, spiritually-lost, feminist women". [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 6] Ethnic minorities "scapegoated" Dr Z U Khan, a commissioner at the Commission for Racial Equality, gave an address at the inauguration of an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank at Rochester Cathedral. Dr Khan spoke of Britain's ethnic minorities being increasingly "scapegoated" as scroungers, muggers and the source of the country's ills in a chilling reminder of the way in which European Jewry was treated by the Nazis. The problem was held to stem from a very narrow definition of "Britishness" which is being put forward both by the government and the media. "Am I an immigrant even though I have been here thirty odd years?" asked Dr Khan. "To what extent is the media responsible for creating the gulf between belonging and not belonging, so that anyone who is not of white descent is immediately seized upon as a scrounger, a mugger or a cheat, if not all three." "By concentrating on reinforcing negative stereotypes, a climate of anger and suspicion is built up, giving credence to racist assumptions that ethnic minorities do not have the right to be here" (Daily Jang 24.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 6/7] The American film actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is backing a new film on the crusades with a reported budget of £75m. The film has been criticised by both Christian and Muslim representatives in Britain and America due to the excessively violent way in which the battles are depicted. Scenes are reported to feature Christians using the heads of dead Muslims as cannon balls, eating their enemies and generally acting like "savages". Iqbal Sacranie, convener of the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs, said, "Christian bashing is on the rise in Hollywood. If it was the Muslims who were being shown in a bad light, everyone would be up in arms... If this is the trend in Hollywood movies, God help the future" (Q News 11.08.95). He further commented, "They should look at what effect it will have on Muslim-Christian relations" (Sunday Sport 13.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 7] Bedfordshire County Council gave financial support to a summer school run by the Muslim community in Luton. It organised a wide range of activities for children during the summer holidays including swimming sessions and a visit to an adventure park. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 7] The son of a Pentecostal Church minister, Paul Duffus, was featured in a BBC 2 documentary series, The day that changed my life, on 23rd August. In May 1991, Paul embraced Islam and took the name Faisal Abdu'Allah. The tensions which this has brought into his life with his strict Afro-Caribbean family in Harlesden were exemplified in the programme. He has regular arguments with his father on religious issues and his mother complains about his unwillingness to eat what he used to eat and she refuses to call him by his new name. Dr Kimani Nehose of East London University said, "Islam offers a very secure way of life in [sic] the disenchanted among the African people. When somebody comes to you offering you a way of life that will organise you, that will teach you self confidence, that will make you respect yourself, it has an attraction and that is what Islam does" (Sheffield Mercury 19.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 7] Interpol seeks Tunisian fraudster Police in Nottingham have called in Interpol to help them apprehend a Tunisian-born fraudster who has apparently fled to Turkey with around £300,000 in cash and goods mainly from the Muslim community throughout Britain. Typically, the man, who had at least 15 aliases, would tell his victims about some great family tragedy, like the death of his daughter from leukaemia, which necessitated that he have access to cash immediately. To testify to the veracity of his story, he would swear it on the Qur'an. Once he had the money, he would disappear without trace (Nottingham Evening Post 21.08.95). One of his Nottingham victims, who had been conned out of £5,000 of his own money and a further £5,000 which he had borrowed from friends on the basis of a story that the fraudster's daughter had just died in the local hospital and he wanted to fly her body back to Abu Dhabi for burial, reported that he took out a pocket Qur'an and swore that he would pay back the money. "I just didn't believe that a Muslim could do that, it was so wrong", said the victim. "He will have a bad accident or an incurable disease. He has done an unforgivable sin and God will punish him for that" (Nottingham Evening Post 23.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 7/8] The Bradford Council for Mosques sent out a letter to the city's 28 mosques asking them to say special prayers for rain to prevent the threatened drought in the area. The senior vice-president explained, "When there's a drought in Pakistan, a great number of Muslims come out of home before midday and each and every one stands in a field and starts praying to Allah and asking for rain" (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 23.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 8] Repercussions of TV Dispatches Chowdhury Mueen Uddin, one of the three men mentioned in the TV documentary series Dispatches which focused on people who were alleged to be worthy of investigation as war criminals in the light of their actions in Bangladesh in 1971 (see BMMS for April, May and July 1995), has begun libel proceedings against the makers of the programme (Q News 11.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 8] Residents of Hillingdon have presented a petition to the local council protesting at plans to lease the former Harlington Library to a combination of Muslim groups (see BMMS for July 1995). The petitioners want the facility to be used by several small groups rather than just a single section of the community. They are also complaining about the potential impact on parking in the area. The only group to make use of the facilities in the past 16 months has been a mothers' and toddlers' club which has been found alternative accommodation by the council. No group, other than the Muslims, applied to lease the building (Gazette Hayes & Harlington 16.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 8] Following a series of offensive letters and leaflets addressed to Muslims in Slough, Southall and other parts of the country, which disparaged the Sikh community and encouraged Muslim men to convert Sikh girls through sexual relations (see BMMS for July 1995), a spate of letters in Bradford prompted Sikh and Muslim leaders to join together to denounce them as "offensive and provocative" attempts to divide the community. The letters are anonymous but carry the slogan "khalifa". Ishtiaq Ahmed, the director of the Bradford Racial Equality Council, said, "We are trying to verify whether it is from this group Khalifa, or if it is someone trying to be mischievous... Khalifa is very extreme, but this letter is not really their style. It is very crude" (Bradford Telegraph & Argus 14.08.95). Mr Ahmed went on to suggest that the letters might be the work of an individual fanatic. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 8] The Glasgow Ethnic Minority Health Project was launched at St Mungo's Museum in Glasgow on 14th August. The project, which is partially funded by the European Social Fund, will look at positive uses of bilingual services to promote better communication, investigate the apparent low uptake of services and investigate any discrimination. Particular emphasis will be laid on outreach projects from health centres and hospitals which are seeking better community relations. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 9]
English Muslim teacher profiled Sumiya Mann, an English convert to Islam of more than twenty years standing, was profiled in an article in the Batley News (10.08.95). She became a Muslim after growing up in a Cambridge academic family and studying at London University. After her marriage broke up, "due to irreconcilable differences stemming from her new-found faith", she went to Algeria and later to Cairo where she taught and worked as a journalist. In 1990 she returned to England to help the Muslim community here to further its educational goals and took a job teaching at the Zacharia Muslim Girls' School in Batley. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 9]
Manchester meeting venue change Prof Ghulam Azam, the leader of the Jamaat-i-Islam in Bangladesh was due to address a meeting in the Longsight library in Manchester but permission to use the venue was withdrawn by Manchester City Council chief executive on the grounds that, "It would have been irresponsible for us to have allowed the meeting... when it is clear that there was likely to be extreme overcrowding" (Manchester Evening News 17.08.95). The meeting was organised by the Islamic Forum Europe and Prof Azam had addressed a similar meeting in London at which 8,000 were present (see BMMS for July 1995). It was reported that about 1,000 people were expected for the Manchester gathering although, in the event, fewer than 200 people attended the meeting which was held in a city mosque. A further dimension of the withdrawal of permission was that a petition had been raised against the meeting by the British Bangladesh Democratic Society, which, it is claimed, won some support from Councillor Nasrullah Khan Moghal, a Pakistani and director of the Manchester Council for Community Relations. "Coun Moghal strenuously denied today the ban was political, although he admitted Prof Azam was a controversial figure." [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 9]
A former church in Ashton, Greater Manchester, which was used by an electrical business for years and currently serves as a mixed wholesale/retail cash and carry has become the centre of concerted Muslim action. The Muslim owners are seeking permission to use the whole ground floor of the building for retail purposes. At present the retail side is limited to 21 m2 with the remainder being used for the wholesale business. The problem with this small retail area is that men and women are squeezed into it in such a way that, "They touch each other and this is objectionable in the eyes of religion" (Ashton & Audenshaw Reporter 17.08.95). The application was originally rejected by the planning authorities in April following concerns over road safety with an increase in the traffic and parking problems outside the shop. Now it is being backed by the Tameside Muslim Action Committee armed with a petition of 600 people who live nearby. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 9]
Anglia TV filmed a documentary on the "Seven Deadly Virtues" which included a feature on the pleasures and problems of alcohol. As part of this, they invited a leading Muslim from Luton to explain the position of Islam in this regard. He commented, "You will be surprised to learn that young Muslims, who I would call British Muslims and have been brought up in this country, hardly drink... They do indulge in other things - other mischiefs that an average child or teenager would indulge in - but hardly any of them would touch alcohol" (Dunstable Gazette 16.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 10]
A British convert to Islam of some ten years standing and now a sociologist of religion, Ahmed Andrews, was profiled in the Derby Evening Telegraph (12.08.95) to coincide with the Hizb ut-Tahrir Rally for Islam. He explained how he had met and married his wife and the impact which such a marriage has had on family life. "Ahmed, unlike many reverts, is a liberal Muslim, with little time for ritual observance. 'A lot of Muslims, when they're eating, will keep saying, 'In the name of Allah', or 'Praise be to Allah', but it's empty ritual.' If he can't pray five times a day or get halal (ritually slaughtered) meat, it doesn't worry him. 'If you look at the Koran, it says that the meat of the people of the Book, which includes Jews and Christians, is allowed. The only real objection seems to be to flesh that has been offered to idols.' He also has relaxed views on women's dress - 'only the wives of Mohammed had to cover up' - and sees nothing wrong with mixing socially with women. 'It's your intention that matters.'" [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 10]
A "Christian bookshop" in Edinburgh has removed from sale 10p biblical cartoon books after warnings that they could incite racial hatred. One was called Allah Had No Son. It was described as anti-Islamic and warned of a Muslim plot which would bring Britain to its knees. Other books attacked the Roman Catholic Church. Muslim leaders and ecumenical Christian leaders in Scotland have welcomed the withdrawal of the books (Eastern Eye 22.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 10]
There was trouble on the streets of Bolton on the nights of 6th and 7th August which resulted in riot police being deployed and four arrests being made. In two separate incidents, 300 youths took to the streets and 150 were involved in a stone-throwing attack on police cars and passing vehicles. One theory is that the trouble was between rival gangs of drug dealers drawn respectively from the Indian and Pakistani Muslim communities (Bolton Evening News 08.08.95). After a third night of disturbances, a peace pact was agreed between elders from the two communities at a meeting in a major mosque. Eventually the tensions subsided. This was not to the liking of some of the Pakistani youths who said that both the elders and the police had not taken sufficient action to protect them. They relayed a story of a ten-year long tension between the majority Indian community and the small number of Pakistanis. According to this interpretation, the problem was not drugs or a small band of criminals but a much deeper intercommunal tension which had been left unresolved. There was a fear that youths from one of the major Pakistani areas might come to the town to defend their fellow nationals in a pitched battle with the Indians. According to the Indian community leaders, the problems revolved around a small core of criminals, from either community, who should be arrested by the police (Bolton Evening News 09.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 10/11]
The committee responsible for running the Islamic Cultural Community Centre in Raven Street, Halifax decided to comply with the council's instruction and close the building until such time as major safety repairs have been carried out (see BMMS for December 1994; January, February, March, April, May, June and July 1995). To draw attention to the closure of the building, the Kashmiri community, which has been campaigning for a more representative use of the building by the whole Muslim community, staged a sit-in on 14th August. The intention was to make the closure so public that members of other communities would not be able to go on using the building during its official period of closure (Halifax Evening Courier 15.08.95). The Kashmir Art Society has formally applied to the council for them to fund the construction of a purpose-built community centre for the whole Muslim community (Halifax Evening Courier 19.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 11]
The Royal Bank of Scotland has commissioned a new set of uniforms for its male and female employees. The women's outfits include a sari and a suit of shalwar and kameez cut in traditional styles from the same cloth as the other ensembles. The traditional Pakistani dress has proved popular with some Muslim members of staff and some of the other women employees have asked for permission to wear it as it is light and practical especially during the hot weather of this summer (Salford City Reporter 03.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 11]
A new body has been formed by local people in Nuneaton in an effort to address the underlying problems which sparked the disturbances there in July (see BMMS for July 1995). The body, called the Coton and Abbey Residents' Action Team, held a meeting on 23rd August which was attended by around 200 people. They are pressing for the hostels and bedsit block, which are held to have been foci for racist tensions, to be moved from the area and are also seeking meetings with the police, probation service, councillors and social service representatives (Heartland Evening News 24.08.95). A petition has been circulated in the area to gauge the locals' response to the call for the residences to be removed. Another meeting was planned for 6th September (Heartland Evening News 25.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 11]
Salman Rushdie has called for tougher international action against Iran if the fatwa against him is not lifted. Speaking on a BBC television programme, Rushdie said, "The European Union asked Iran almost five months ago to give a clear guarantee that these threats were no longer in operation... They began a charm offensive with various Iranian leaders but when asked to give the assurance in writing they refused to do so. If we don't get these assurances pretty soon I think it is about time to start losing patience and using some rather strong measures against the Iranians" (Daily Jang 04.09.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 11]
The Islamic Foundation, Leicester has announced some of the speakers for the conference on Islamic banking and finance which it is running in co-operation with the department of economics at Loughborough University on 27th and 28th September. These include the governor of the Bank of England, Eddie George; the executive director of the International Monetary Fund, Dr Abbas Mirakhor; and Dr Fuad al-Omar, the acting president of the Islamic Development Bank. A spokesman for the Foundation said, "It will provide an opportunity to the bankers and policymakers in this country to have direct contact with some of the pioneers of Islamic banking and finance" (Leicester Mercury 04.09.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 12]
A 51 year-old Muslim woman from Hinckley died on 2nd September after suffering 100% burns to her body. She was standing in the garden of her house at 0130 on 2nd september, "drenched in a flammable liquid" when she "burst into flames" in the presence of her husband. She died later in hospital. The police do not suspect any suspicious circumstances and there are indications that it might have been suicide. Given the sensitivities of the Muslim community to the possibility of suicide, delicate investigations are being carried out, together with a post mortem examination, before the coroner's hearing (Heartlands Evening News 04.09.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 12]
Concerns were raised in the Sunday Telegraph (03.09.95) over the use of men from the Nation of Islam dressed in "dark suits, white shirts and red bow ties showing the crescent moon and star of Allah" as a security force around the BBC Radio 1 stage at the Notting Hill Carnival. It was noted that, "They received their orders from a man who had headphones and mouthpiece on. It was all very menacing. Imagine what a furore there would be if the BBC used members of Blood and Honour, the Nazi skinhead movement, to do its security". A BBC Radio 1 spokeswoman said, "An independent company working for us employed a west London security firm which had links with the Nation of Islam. This was an error of judgement by the independent company, and it will not be employing the security company again". "The reason that the BBC insists that Nation of Islam is released from future work is not because of its extremism. 'We would not want to have any links with any political group. We are impartial.'" [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 12]
Yusuf Islam has produced his own 70 minute compact disc of the sirah [biography] of the Prophet Muhammad, together with accompanying printed notes. The project is aimed at presenting an accessible version of the Prophet's life which will be attractive to both Muslims and non-Muslims in the hope that it will redress some of the negative stereotyping of Muslims in the popular imagination (Daily Jang 06.09.95). The disc was launched at Harrods and has caused renewed interest in the former pop singer in the press (Western Mail 29.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 12]
Ken Livingstone, the MP for Brent East, gave an exclusive interview to the Daily Jang (06.09.95). He was reported to have spoken about a fear of Muslims, being based on negative stereotypes in the media, as the reason behind moves within the Labour Party "which have resulted in almost 5,000 people being excluded from effective membership of the party, most of them - almost 90% - belonging to the Muslim community". He went on to elucidate some of the stereotypes of Muslims as "rich sheikhs or gun-toting terrorists" and spoke of Islam replacing the "threat" to the West which was once associated with the communist regimes. The interview was timed to coincide with the launch of the Campaign Against Labour Party Suspensions, which has as particular areas of concern the suspensions of elements of the Labour Party in Manchester Gorton, Bradford and Birmingham. Mr Livingstone indicated his concern that the Labour Party had slipped back from its earlier convictions in terms of encouraging wider representation in Parliament from the minority communities. He linked this with a concentration on winning middle class support for the "new Labour" at the expense of traditional working class and left-wing groupings. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 12/13]
Around 60 Muslims in Norwich claim that they have been locked out from the mosque which they have traditionally used for prayer in the former St Peter Mancroft School. The president of the Norwich Bangladeshi Association said, "We are going to lodge a complaint with the Charity Commission because we believe the people who run the building cannot deny us the chance to pray" (Norwich Evening News 02.09.95). Salih Brandt, a former leader of the "indigenous Moslem community" said that the protesters had not used the building for years. He continued, "We have closed it down for a refit and will re-open it as an Islamic centre at some time in the near future. We have changed the locks". In an Islamically untypical comment, he continued, "Technically non-Moslems are not allowed to enter a mosque, but once it is an Islamic centre that will change". Muslims who have been prevented from using the mosque have dissented from these opinions and contested the claims. Police attended the mosque on 1st September after a group who had been denied access formed up on an open space opposite the mosque to perform their Friday prayers. A police spokesman said, "The police officers stood by to prevent a breach of the peace and after some time all parties left peacefully". [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 13]
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations in the University of Warwick has published a new report highlighting the disproportionate effect which government employment legislation is having on minority community workers. Paragraphs from the report were re-printed in the Daily Jang (07.09.95). According to the report, "There is a growing category of ethnic minority workers who are under-unionised. These are the workers in the expanding sector of low-paid, unregulated, marginal work... Often they contain the most vulnerable groups, such as older Asian women who speak little English and newer arrivals in the UK such as refugees... The isolation of these groups has been exacerbated by employment laws preventing unions from supporting small weak groups of workers by actions such as secondary picketing. Employers had a freer hand to refuse even a union recognition agreement making trade union recruitment difficult among such groups of workers". The report details case studies of employers who exemplify these problems. In spite of the fact that Britain has "the strongest race relations legislation in Europe" this is largely irrelevant for poorly paid minority community workers who are prevented from benefiting from the strengths of unionisation. Given that a large majority of refugees are Muslims and that Muslim women form a significant part of the labour force noted above, this report will strengthen the hand of those who see Muslims as belonging to disadvantaged groupings within society. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 14]
The Islamic Society of Britain has declared 18th to 24th September as Islam Awareness Week (see BMMS for July 1995). As part of this venture, an exhibition of "Muslim culture" has been mounted in Walsall (Walsall Express & Star 05.09.95) and day conference on Muslims and the community will be held in the Lancashire College of Nursing and Health Studies in Preston (Blackpool Evening Gazette 04.09.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 14]
Manchester Gorton re-selection Three Muslim men in Manchester Gorton brought a case against the Labour Party in the County Court as part of the long-running dispute over party procedures for registering constituency members which focused on the selection of the party's candidate for the next general election (see BMMS for July, August, September and October 1994; May 1995). The court found in their favour and ordered the Labour Party to provide "computer records of their membership details and other important documents" (Daily Jang 07.09.95). The three men alleged that the Labour Party had blocked the membership of over 200 people from the Asian community who wanted to have a say in the selection process. The court ordered the Labour Party to investigate the men's complaints. The party has agreed to provide this information before the end of September. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 14]
The Union of Muslim Organisations celebrated its silver jubilee with an exhibition and conference at the Olympia Conference and Exhibition Centre, London on 21st to 23rd July. Originally, there were eight organisations affiliated to the UMO but the number has now risen to 199. The conference theme was "Islam for peace, tolerance and justice". A keynote speech was given by Prof Syed Ali Ashraf of the Islamic Academy, Cambridge, who said that in the next century, "Islam is going to play the role of the mediator, synthesiser and ultimate arbitrator between the forces of scientism and religious revivalism whose struggle will dominate all processes of life - political, social and economic - both academically and functionally... [And as] secularism is a product of scientism and rationalism in the West, and as religious revivalism is a product of Islam, the conflict between the two at a political level is the result of age-old conflict between secularism and religion" (Muslim News 25.08.95). The next projects to be undertaken by the UMO are the drawing up of a Muslim Bill of Rights and the expansion of the work of the UMO on a pan-European level. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 14]
A dispute has arisen in Balsall Heath, Birmingham over the change in style of a local community facility which used to be specifically a Yemeni Day Care and Community Centre and has now become a more general Muslim Community Centre. A spokesman for the Yemeni Community Association said, "It used to be a place where the elder population could meet and chat in our own language and with our own people. Now we have nothing" (Birmingham Evening Mail 25.08.95). The present management of the centre claims that it is open for everyone "whether they are Moslem, Christian or whatever" rather than a specifically Yemeni centre. A local council spokesman indicated that, although they provide the accommodation for the centre, the matter had to be resolved internally by the local community. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 14/15]
The Islamic Cultural Centre in London held its annual exhibition and open days to coincide with the August Bank Holiday Weekend. An extensive exhibition was mounted depicting various aspects of Islamic culture and traditions and a variety of Muslim organisations mounted displays of their work. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 15]
Updates Education The King Fahad Academy in East Acton, London was opened with 200 pupils in 1985 to educate the children of Middle East diplomats. Now it has a school roll of 1,200 drawn from 37 different countries although not all of the parents are diplomats. It charges fees to those who can afford them, 60% of pupils are exempt, but relies heavily on the generosity of the government of Saudi Arabia which meets the considerable deficit on the school budget. The bulk of the National Curriculum is taught with students devoting 25% of their time to Arabic language and culture and Islamic Studies. The school has an average academic record but places great emphasis on the development of character and training in good manners and discipline. It was the subject of a Focus article in the Weekly Journal (17.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 15]
In its regular Conversation slot, the Muslim weekly Q News (01.09.95) carried an interview with Akram Khan-Cheema, a leading Muslim educationalist in Britain who served as a teacher, schools' inspector and education authority adviser during a period of 25 years. He now acts as an independent consultant on educational matters to various Muslim groups. He expressed his desire for Muslims in Britain to support initiatives which helped young people to develop their Islamic identity. He re-stated his commitment to Muslim schools obtaining public funding and spoke of the way in which such community-based schools could become resources for state schools with large numbers of Muslim children. Curriculum ideas could be developed in Muslim schools and then made available to the wider profession. He spoke of his concern at the narrow perspective of the National Curriculum which was not making the most of the plurality of culture, history and identity within contemporary British society. If education could serve to strengthen the identity and self-confidence of Muslim children then they could learn to discuss and argue rationally about Islam and exemplify the ways in which Islamic impulses can benefit the community at large. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 15]
Seven girls were entered for A-level examinations at Feversham College, Bradford this summer. Four subjects were offered: Urdu, Religious Education, English Literature and Sociology, and the girls entered for a total of 22 examinations. Grades achieved in the exams included six As and three Bs. The overall pass rate was 95% (Q News 25.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
Councillors from Luton Council have visited the site of the proposed madrasah in an industrial area on Selbourne Road. The choice of site has been questioned due to a lack of parking provision (see BMMS for June and July 1995). In the light of their visit and discussions with representatives of the Jamia Al-Akbaria Islamic and Cultural Trust, the councillors postponed a decision to weigh the possibility of additional traffic congestion against the needs of the Muslim community for an educational facility (Luton News 09.08.95). After careful consideration of the application, the council decided to award a two-year temporary permission to enable the use to be monitored (Luton on Sunday 20.08.95). Several conditions were attached to the use of the building as a madrasah including: it must not be used as a mosque or business advice centre, no weddings or social functions on working days, and it can be used between 1730 and 2030 only (Luton News 23.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
The Madni Muslim Girls' High School in Dewsbury is currently housed in an old house and a set of portable buildings but plans exist to erect a new purpose-built school consisting of 40 classrooms, 10 laboratories, two gymnasia and two assembly/prayer halls. An appeal has been launched for the £2.5m necessary to complete the project. A site has been prepared in the vicinity of the current buildings and some development work has begun. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
GCSE results in Muslim schools The summer round of examinations have produced some significant results at GCSE for pupils in Muslim schools according to a report in Q News (01.09.95). The report was based on the results from seven Muslim schools which showed a general increase in grades with some schools showing a rise of up to 46% in the number of pupils gaining four or more GCSE grades A - C. The Islamia School in Brent recorded a 100% rate of pupils entered for English Literature gaining grades A - C; Biology and Chemistry 84.6%, general overall 71.7%. No figures of the number of candidates involved were given. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
Tayside Regional Council has published a booklet outlining the lives of three Muslim families in Dundee. The scheme was supported by local Muslim leaders as an effort to make people more aware of their culturally mixed society. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
The Pleck Community Association in Walsall has received a £750 grant from the local council to help it to hire accommodation for educational and social activities for Muslim children in the area (Walsall Express & Star 01.09.95). The association had put in a bid for up to £4,450 so that it could expand its provision (Walsall Express & Star 29.08.95) but this was unsuccessful. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 16]
Mosques Temporary planning permission to use a three-storey terraced property in Slade Road, Erdington, Birmingham as a mosque expired two years ago. The Ghausia Mosque Trust, supported by a petition of 300 names, has applied for the permission to be renewed as it pertains to the ground floor. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
Building work on the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association's mosque in Broadwood Rise, Crawley was delayed earlier in 1995 by prolonged attacks by vandals (see BMMS for January 1995). It is expected that it may take up to one more year for it to be completed. In the meanwhile, the local council has given permission for a temporary education centre in Bewbush to remain open for another year. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
The Muslim community has dropped plans to build a mosque and community centre on a site in Bourne Street, Dudley. They plan to look for an alternative site with better parking facilities. The site may now be used for housing. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
Planning permission has been granted for the erection of a mosque 13ft by 10ft beside an Indian restaurant in Telford Street, Inverness (see BMMS for September 1993; June 1995). The mosque, which will hold fifteen people, will be the first in the Highlands. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
An application was made for a car park extension at the mosque in Scarborough Street, Saville Town, Kirklees. After a site visit, this was refused but it was agreed that a new access point should be made to the car park to alleviate traffic congestion in the area. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
The Hendon Islamic Centre and the (Hindu) Brahmin Society have both submitted plans to use a disused warehouse as a mosque or temple respectively. The warehouse is called the Alexandra Building in Brent View Road, West Hendon. Local residents have voiced concern at the number of people who might attend such a place of worship and the potential for increased traffic congestion. A decision on the plans is expected towards the end of September (Finchley & Hendon Advertiser 24.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
Planning permission was given by Stockton Council for a mosque in Bowersfield Lane, Middlesborough. On the same day, the Department of the Environment upheld an appeal which granted permission for a second mosque in Northcote Street, Middlesborough which is within half a mile of Bowersfield Lane. The original application for the Northcote Street mosque had been refused by Stockton Council on the grounds of traffic congestion. A spokesman for one of the mosques pointed out that there were "political differences" between the two communities which necessitated two separate mosques (Middlesborough Evening Gazette 01.09.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
The Lord Mayor of Oxford and the MP for Oxford West attended a signing ceremony which completed the purchase of a site on Manzil Way, Oxford which is to be the location of a proposed Central Mosque which will accommodate 3,000 people and is planned to be completed within one year. [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 17]
When planning committee members made a site visit to Plant Street, Cradley Heath to examine the environs of the factory which it is proposed should be converted into a mosque (see BMMS for June and July 1995), local residents formed a human wall in front of their bus and refused to allow them to leave. This was part of a concerted effort to object to the plans on the grounds that such a development would cause traffic congestion and parking problems in the area which is close to a primary school. The protest continued until the police arrived to liberate the councillors. In spite of the protests, the planning committee approved the application (Birmingham Express & Star 18.08.95). Local residents are now to complain about the council's decision to the Local Government Ombudsman (Wolverhampton Express & Star 21.08.95). Residents have pointed out that in 1994, a plan was brought forward to make the road a one-way street because of the traffic congestion, which plan, they posit, is not in keeping with the current mosque plan which will exacerbate the traffic problems (Kidderminster Express & Star 22.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 18]
Negotiations between the Muslim leadership in Southall and the local council have progressed (see BMMS for April and July 1995) so that there appears to be a possibility that they will be able to use a fire-gutted youth centre in Park View as a replacement for the Abubakr Mosque which they were forced to vacate. There is still considerable local opposition but a proposed march by Muslims from Southall to the council offices in Ealing was cancelled (Southall Gazette 11.08.95). [BMMS August 1995 Vol. III, No. 8, p. 18]
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