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British Muslims Monthly Survey for September 1996 Vol. IV, No. 9
Features Imams from the Indian sub-continent Cancellation of Rally for Revival
Short Reports Library in restaurant basement Advert condemned as anti-semitic The religious factor in business Muslim curator for Methodist Museum Religion and Britain’s Black communities Plea for release of Kashmir hostages Critique of report on Muslim organisations Demonstration on human rights in Nigeria Forced marriages: comment from Helpline Multifaith Europe lecture (Calamus) Twenty years of the Race Relations Act Community centre fire, Southall
Updates Education Ethnic minorities and education Nottingham girls’ school opens Altrincham Grammar, girl withdrawn
Mosques
Burials
Features Imams from the Indian sub-continent The Daily Jang (20.09.96) has a feature article concerning imams from the Indian sub-continent, whether their training is appropriate to the British situation, the exploitation many of them suffer at the hands of mosque committees, and what might be done regarding training in Britain. First the writer, Salman Asif, observes then interviews some young men at Friday prayers: "‘There was hardly anything in the sermon for us. We didn’t understand what the Imam sahib was saying. Usually I try to avoid the sermon, but then you don’t get the space’, says a young man who has just spent his college break for the Juma prayer. He is endorsed by six other of his peers". The writer estimates that sixty per cent of Muslims were born in Britain and are native English speakers. A press release from the Confederation of Sunni Mosques of the Midlands expresses concern about a different problem: "A large number of scholars and imams coming from the sub-continent, at the sponsorship of mosques and Islamic centres, desert their duties after the completion of their five years mandatory employment. They become involved in other careers, causing a shortage of Islamic teachers in the community". The imams interviewed by the Jang, however, put the other side of the story. One explained: "I came with the hope of serving Muslims here and also to enhance my knowledge in order to improve my work. The mosque committee, however, forbade me from taking any part-time courses. They became increasingly suspicious of my academic interests considering them unnecessary. I was told to stay within the confines of the small mosque, twenty four hours a day. There was no talk of improving my financial status or providing any facilities so that my family could join me here. It took me just days to realise that I had neither an adequate awareness of issues relevant to Muslims here, nor was I equipped with the linguistic skills to convey the knowledge I had to the younger generation". According to the author of the article, this experience was not unique. Massoud Sharjeh of the Muslim Parliament commented: "The days of imams coming from the sub-continent are numbered. Such a person goes off, he runs away and rightfully so. It is not good to abuse anybody. But the dark side of the issue is, we are losing the youth, who are our own constituency. How can they be accustomed to go to a sermon that is neither relevant to them nor in their language. We really need professionals to run our Islamic centre and mosques. You cannot run a whole community centre or volunteers only. It goes further than just one imam. we need to create a new pool of people who are equipped with the kind of knowledge necessary" [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 1]
Cancellation of Rally for Revival News that the Rally for Revival would not take place as planned broke on 6 September (see British Muslims Monthly Survey for August 1996). Prior to this, the Asian Times (29.08.96) discussed civil rights issues related to the rally: "Not for them [the British authorities] the naive posturing of student politics which bans radical Muslim groups and then watches them double in size the next year. This is not the British way. Rather, they will wait and pray that the participants will ‘hang themselves’ with language that breaches Britain’s laws as regards incitement. Then, and only then, will they move in to cripple the Al-Muhajiroun financially in the law courts. At the same time, Michael Howard is working to ensure that Britain will no longer be a ‘safe haven’ for Muslim people fleeing persecution...the future for those seeking asylum is bleak. No state benefits, no right to speak their mind." Many papers reported on the protests from the Egyptian and Algerian governments about the rally and asking for it to be banned. The Algerian Foreign Ministry was reported as saying that the rally would be "attended by the paymasters, the ideologists, the financiers and the zealots of international terrorism" (Weekly Telegraph, 04.09.96). According to the International Herald Tribune (07.09.96), the organisers of the rally decided to cancel it because adverse publicity meant increased security costs at the London Arena, placing this venue outside Al-Muhajiroun’s planned budget. Alex McCrindle, the London Arena’s manager, explained: "It became apparent a week or ten days ago that the security arrangements that are part of our normal hire charge were going to be inadequate as a result of the publicity surrounding this event...the actual numbers of internal security guards would have been roughly three times that which we would normally have employed" (Western Morning News, 07.09.96). Greville Janner MP, secretary of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee on Anti-Semitism, welcomed news of the cancellation: "This rally was likely to have harmed the excellent relations between Muslims and Jews in this country" (Birmingham Express & Star, 07.09.96). Omar Bakri Mohammed, leader of Al-Muhajiroun and main organiser of the rally also saw a positive side to the cancellation: "Even though the rally has been cancelled, the conference has been a success because of the publicity boosting the Islamic cause" (Times, 07.09.96). He explained that he now planned to have a series of secret meetings across Britain and that his strategy was achieving its aims: "Islamophobia is part of the struggle between two civilizations. Britain has proved this by demonising Muslims. I hope one day we will see a Britain governed by Islam. I think we will see the conquest next year" (Asian Age, 09.09.96). According to the Times (09.09.96), only 100 people turned up to what remained of the Rally for Revival, held at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, and this paper reported that police seized some leaflets, claiming that they constituted incitement to racial hatred [against Jews]. The question of supposedly anti-semitic leaflets, on the question of Palestine, being confiscated by the police was taken up by both the Jewish Telegraph (13.09.96) and the Jewish Chronicle (13.09.96). Q-News (20.09.96), concerned about the Jewish Chronicle article, contacted both the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police, who stated that there were no seizures of leaflets at the Al-Muhajiroun meeting in Hyde Park on 8 September. Q-News regarded the article by Bernard Josephs, political editor of the Jewish Chronicle, as a deliberate attempt to incite Jews against Muslims. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 1/2]
Short Reports Letters from readers in the local Blackburn press continue to condemn Muslims having "covered up" the images, which some saw as indecent, on an advertising billboard opposite a mosque in the town (see BMMS for August 1996). The editor of the Blackburn Citizen (29.08.96), however, writes in support of the action: "Personally I believe the Muslims acted for all the right reasons. They weren’t trying to impose their beliefs on anyone, merely trying to protect their own. Let’s leave it at that shall we, for God’s sake?" [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 2] The Peace Street and Birkdale Tenants and Residents Association has been cleared of intentional discrimination by Bolton council, but have agreed to change their meeting place from a pub to a venue more suitable for Muslims (see BMMS for August 1996). Councillor Noel Spencer, chair of the housing committee, commented: "The council takes any complaints about discrimination very seriously and our aim is always to ensure full accessibility to members of the community. We will carry on monitoring the situation, but we feel we have achieved the right outcome in this instance" (Bolton Evening News, 09.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 2] Library in restaurant basement Planning permission has been granted for an Islamic library to be set up in the basement of The Balti House restaurant in Bridge Street, Banbury (Banbury Guardian, 29.08.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 2] A meeting was recently held by the Al-Quba Muslim Community Centre group to discuss finding a suitable site for a permanent centre for Islamic cultural and social activities. Dr Khalid Mir, speaking for the group, said: "It was a very interesting meeting with people from our community, the council, community centres from nearby towns and an attache from the Pakistani Embassy present. It is our intention to find a site near to the town centre" (Barnsley Chronicle, 30.08.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 2]
In Luton, thousands of posters have been put up in unauthorised places advertising Muslim events and causes. There are four different types, some which featured the Rally for Revival and others concerned with Jihad. Luton council have appealed to the public to report those responsible (Luton Leader, 05.09.96). A letter to the editor of Metronews (29.08.96) complains about the same phenomenon in Alum Rock in Birmingham. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3] Advert condemned as anti-semitic The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint against an advertisement which appeared in the Guardian in May. The advertisement was a message from the spiritual leader of Iran, Ayatollah Sayyed al-Khamenei, to Muslims on the occasion of Hajj. The complainants were the Inter Parliamentary Committee Against Anti-Semitism. The Guardian stood by its decision to run the advertisement. Alan Rusbridger, the editor, stated: "We did not think then, and we do not think now, that the advertisement was in any way anti-semitic or an enticement to racism or violence...This advertisement was delivered after a prolonged period of Israeli attacks on the civilian population of Lebanon which left 150 dead, caused a worldwide outcry and was condemned by the United Nations. It was hardly surprising in the circumstances that the language in the advertisement was vigorous and uncompromising" (Q-News, 06.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3] The Muslim Community Centre at South Bank, near Middlesborough, has asked Redcar and Cleveland council to permit longer opening hours, but this permission is likely to be refused on the grounds of possible noise disturbance (Northern Echo, Darlington, 09.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3] The religious factor in business Q-News (13.09.96) reports on research carried out by Tariq Modood of the Policy Studies Institute on Asians and self-employment. "The question that we asked was why do so many Pakistanis who don’t have marketable skills nevertheless go into self-employment," said Modood. "Two related factors emerge, one being religion and the importance attached to God’s will and secondly the more positive attitude towards risk. It’s only an interpretation but Pakistanis have the view that God will help them even if they don’t have the requisite skills or resources...At a time when most sociologists are emphasising the importance of coping with uncertainty here is one group whose economic morale and ability to cope with very poor economic prospects seems to depend on strong religious faith" (Q-News, 13.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3]
Special prayers were said at the Tallow Hill Mosque in Worcester for taxi driver Shazad Baig who was set on fire by a customer. His extensive injuries, sustained after a man squirted him with petrol and set fire to him with a lighter, meant that he spent over a week in the burns unit of Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham. The police investigation is continuing and the Worcester Taxi Owners Association is offering a reward of £500 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible. The secretary of the Muslim Welfare Association in Worcester, Mohammed Yousaf, said: "We were just all so shocked that we wanted to do something for Shazad. He is so much involved with the mosque and the community and he spends a lot of time here. It is very rare for the Imam to say specific prayers for one person but it shows the depth of feeling" (Worcester Evening News, 13.09.96, Express & Star, Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, 14.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3]
Q-News (20.09.96) reports on how the organiser of the citizens’ patrol against prostitution in Balsall Heath, Raja Amin (see BMMS for February and August 1996) recently intervened to save the life of a prostitute he saw being attacked by a client. Mr Amin told Q-News: "There was this one girl who would always abuse us [Streetwise, the patrol group] racially whenever she saw us and that’s how I recognised her. She was being beaten up by this black guy and was bleeding and unconscious. This guy was about to knife her and I grabbed the knife from him and pushed him away and called the police and ambulance." Sergeant Steve Bruton of the police Community Service Unit praised Mr Amin’s action: "What Raja did has not come as a surprise to us. The kind of work that people involved in Streetwise do requires a great deal of courage." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 3]
In an interview by Malu Halasa in Harper’s & Queen (01.09.96) Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, describes his conversion to Islam. His elder brother David gave him a copy of the Qur’an: "The moment that I opened my mind to the message of the Qur’an, I was amazed to find that it was not that foreign religion which I had expected." He found the story of Yusuf [Joseph] a metaphor for the wandering and searching in his own life: "When I came upon this story, I started crying. I knew that this book could not be written by a human being. It was a revelation." The article concludes: "For a person who, according to the Arabic proverb, balances each hour given to this world with an hour given to the next, the past holds no promise. ‘People still want to see Cat Stevens, who wasn’t really there,’ he says. ‘I was one of those who carved this image and projected it. It was up to me to destroy it.’" [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 4] At the end of August, a 17 year-old Muslim in Slough was attacked by a gang of five masked men, which left him with a punctured lung, fractured skull, an ear sliced in half, stab wounds to his back and severe cuts to his hand (see BMMS for July, August, September and December 1995; April, June, July and August 1996). Police are treating the incident as attempted murder. Both the teenager and his mother, who has offered a £500 reward for information leading to the capture of the attackers, are convinced it was a Sikh gang whose motive was religious hatred (Slough & Langley Observer, 06.09.96). Less than two weeks later, an 18 year-old contacted the South Bucks and Burnham Express, after his car was set alight outside his house. The victim is one of three people arrested after Sikh-Muslim violence at Koolers Bar in February and charged with conspiracy to commit arson. He is a friend of the 17-year old victim of attempted murder. Slough borough councillor Nazar Lodhi commented: "There are certain elements in the community who encourage the problem for their own ends. I request all the youngsters directly - do not listen to these people who try to derail you from your future in this country. Concentrate on education and fighting racism" (South Bucks & Burnham Express, 12.09.96). Chief Inspector Evans of Slough police commented on anonymous allegations from youths claiming to be Sikhs that they were under attack from Muslims: "We are monitoring the situation very closely in case it is an escalation. In context, I think things are fairly quiet still" (Slough & Langley Observer, 13.09.96). The following weekend, however, saw an outbreak of arson - mainly cars being set alight- and vandalism. Nine people were arrested and charged with offences of disorder, damage, and possession of offensive weapons. Slough’s Detective Inspector Neale said: "I am positive there is a solution to these complex problems. I am encouraged that it has not spread to the wider community - it is confined to the younger age group" (Slough & Langley Observer, 20.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 4] Islam Awareness Week, organised by the Islamic Society of Britain, whose headquarters are in Wolverhampton, began on 23 September. Activities were planned as part of the week in: Wolverhampton (Wolverhampton Express & Star, 04.09.96,19.09.96,23.09.96); Glasgow (Glaswegian, Glasgow Evening Times, 05.09.96); Paisley (Paisley Daily Express, 10.09.96); Shropshire (Shropshire Star, 13.09.96); Sheffield (Sheffield Star, Barnsley Star, 17.09.96); Middlebrough (Middlebrough Evening Gazette, 18.09.96); Peterborough (Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 27.09.96). In Reading, however, the general secretary of the Alexander Road Mosque, Bashir Chaudri, claimed there was no need to participate in such an awareness-raising exercise, as Muslims and their non-Muslim fellow townspeople already had good relations. He said: "While it is important to stress that Islam is not a harsh religion as it is sometimes portrayed, I don’t think people in Reading see their Muslim neighbours as extremist" (Reading Evening Post, 19.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 4] Muslim curator for Methodist Museum Noorah Al-Gailini, a Muslim woman, has been appointed curator of the Museum of Methodism and Wesley’s House in London. Ms Al-Gailini was previously employed at the British museum, where she worked with archaeology collections from the Middle East. During her spare time she teaches Islam to children at the Arabic saturday school at Westminster College. She is also cultural officer for the Arab association in Brent (Methodist Recorder, 19.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 4]
In an interview with Marcus Scriven in the Evening Standard (05.09.96) Akbar Ahmed the Cambridge professor, explains how he wants to make a film about Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s first prime minister, and have Jeremy Irons take the lead role. He outlined his admiration for Jinnah thus: "Here is a man who wants to balance tradition and modernity, who is speaking as a Muslim but also as a man who says that Islam is tolerant; that Islam should have a place for the minorities. What an incredible model for us. Now you see how important this is for me, as a Muslim academic, if I can simply succeed in portraying a model who is not a military dictator like Saddam, not a mad mullah like Khomeini, not a terrorist." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5] The family of a man hanged in 1952 for a murder they claim he did not commit, have succeeded in having his body exhumed and re-buried in the Muslim section of Cardiff’s Western Cemetery. Mahamood Mattan, a Somali-born sailor, was hanged for murder 44 years ago in Cardiff Prison. Laura Mattan, his widow, has always maintained his innocence. She said: "It should be a relief to finally have him buried, but it isn’t - it’s a shame because he should never have been killed in the first place. We will continue to campaign to clear his name, and if we haven’t done before I go my sons will keep fighting...It won’t end until we have cleared his name." The family’s solicitor, Bernard de Maid, says witnesses have come forward with new evidence which proves Mahamood Mattan was not the killer and implicates another man (Voice, 24.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5] Nuneaton Muslim Society has said that it will try to salvage and reuse 2,000 Victorian decorative bricks from buildings it owns and wishes to demolish. The Muslim Society is to build flats and houses on the site. The bricks were specially made in 1987 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee. Mohmed Norat, president of Nuneaton Muslim Society, said regarding the bricks: "We understand they are part of the local heritage and we support the plan to save them and will do what we can to use them" (Nuneaton Evening Telegraph, 02.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5]
Muslim News (27.09.96) reviews a report by the organisation Counsel and Care, Acts of Faith, which demonstrates the wealth of welfare provisions based in places of worship, particularly for the elderly. However, the elderly themselves are often disempowered within this provision. The report says: "...the ability of older people generally to play a part in the running of the whole congregation and in particular activities designed for elderly people is easily forgotten." Muslim News also comments that Muslim women’s work with vulnerable members of the community often goes unrecognised and their potential is not fully utilised: "Particularly in the Muslim context says the report, this role is not recognised in terms of women’s participation in mosque committees and administration because of segregation." The article concludes: "Unfortunately, not all mosques are as pro-active in the field of welfare as the one described in the report and the publication of this report should inspire greater efforts on behalf of mosque committees to make places of worship once more the hub of the community." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5] Publicity given to the case of Zumarad Ajab who was searching for a bone marrow donor for his 11-month-old baby daughter, Zara Maivish has resulted in many more names of Asian donors being registered on the list maintained by the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Blood samples taken at a special session at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Raven Street, Halifax, were tested within 48 hours of being obtained. About 275,000 people have registered as would-be donors but less than 3,000 come from the Asian communities. The boost to numbers following the Halifax session meant an important increase in potential donors. Tina Emmott, regional controller of the Anthony Nolan Trust, said: "A lot of Asian people have contacted us by telephone, wishing to join the register. We need members of the Asian community to continue the campaign for more people for the register" (Halifax Evening Courier, 03.09.96). The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust can be contacted on 01423-879510. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5] Religion and Britain’s Black communities The Voice (03.09.96), the weekly paper run by and for Britain’s Black community, has a feature article about the increase in Black people turning to religion. The faiths it discusses are: Christianity, especially the Black-led churches; Islam; the Nation of Islam, whose leader is the African-American Louis Farrakhan; and Rastafarianism. The Muslim who rediscovered his faith who is interviewed by the Voice said: "At the mosque (the Brixton Mosque) there are White people, Black people and Chinese people...Islam has taken me from darkness to light. I used to drink, go to parties and womanise to make myself happy. I do not do these things any more but still I feel happy." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 5/6] Muslim News (27.09.96) carried a report on a weekend course organised by the New Muslims Project of the Islamic Foundation, Leicester, and held at Eaton Hall in Nottinghamshire in mid-August. The writer, Safiya O’Donnell, herself a relatively "new" Muslim, singled out two sessions, those by Imam Hamzah and Abdul Karim Powell, as of special note. She writes of the former: "Course participants were in agreement that the Imam is one of the most knowledgeable, warm and dynamic teachers ever likely to be encountered. A medical doctor who has travelled extensively studying sciences of Hadith and legal methodology throughout the Muslim world, he is currently Imam of the Santa Clara Masjid, California, USA. Imam Hamzah speaks not from notes, but straight from his heart..." Regarding the latter’s contribution, she writes: "Abdul Karim’s talk on Healthy Living the Islamic Way was far from being the same old and very predictable advice we have all heard so many times before. His was a thought provoking and inspiring session. He demonstrated how living according to the Qur’an and Hadith is the natural road to health, and that this fact has not changed over centuries" (Muslim News, 27.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 6] The owners of a Bradford Hotel, the Pennington Midland Hotel, decided not to hire their ballroom out for a conference when they saw the advertising material put out by the organisers on the day of the event and realised that the organisers belonged to Hizb ut-Tahrir. The poster to which Josie and John Pennington, co-owners of the hotel, took offence read: "In 1948, America supported the establishment of an illegitimate entity named Israel on the pillage of Muslim blood and the destruction of Muslim property. Now with the help of our treacherous leaders, America has launched a new crusade against Islam and the Muslim workers under the guise of the so called ‘Peace Process’" (Jewish Telegraph, 06.09.96). An article by Kenan Malik, author of the Meaning of Race, published by Macmillan, appears in the New Statesman (06.09.96). The article is headed No platform, or no democracy? and in it the writer condemns the NUS’ banning of Hizb ut-Tahrir from university campuses (amongst other bans and "no-platform" policies) (see BMMS for October and December 1995; January, February, March, May and August 1996). He concludes: "We can only hope for a more rational answer than that which is now found on university campuses; that equality and free speech are not seen as antagonistic claims, but as two necessary elements of a freer society." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 6] Two gay rights groups, the Lesbian Avengers and OutRage, held a counterdemonstration to the meeting held by what remained of the Rally for Revival at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on 8 September, protesting at Al-Muhajiroun’s stance on homosexuality. The protesters issued what they called a "gay fatwa", condemning Omar Bakri Muhammad to "a thousand years of sodomitical torment" (Guardian, 09.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 6] Plea for release of Kashmir hostages Friends and relatives of two Britons held hostage in Indian controlled Kashmir, Paul Wells from Blackburn and Keith Mangan from Middlesborough, were able to speak to the meeting at Speakers Corner to appeal to Muslims to use their influence to have the hostages freed. Mr Wells and Mr Mangan were backpacking in the mountains of Kashmir in July 1995 when they were kidnapped and held hostage in return for the release of jailed Kashmiri freedom fighters. Catherine Moseley, partner of Paul Wells, addressed the gathering, saying: "I believe they are still alive. I have to believe that Paul and the others will be safely returned to their families" (Liverpool Daily Post, 09.09.96, Birmingham Post, 09.09.96). Ms Moseley was actually kidnapped herself at the same time as Mr Wells, but immediately released. Paul’s father, Bob Wells, explained that the hostages’ supporters had originally hoped they would be addressing a crowd of thousands at the London Arena but: "We decided that [the much reduced gathering in Hyde Park] was still too good an opportunity to miss. We wanted to get to the Islamic fundamentalists and see if there was a chance of a contact being raised for some news" (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 09.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 6/7] Critique of report on Muslim organisations Q-News (13.09.96) carries a critical review of a recent issue of a publication which it claims largely circulates amongst foreign diplomats based in Britain, the Voice [not to be confused with the Voice weekly newspaper, ed.]. Volume 2, Issue 28 for Summer 1996, is entitled: Islamic fundamentalist and opposition groups in Britain - Directory of Groups and Publications. Q-News quotes a spokesperson for the Society of Muslim Lawyers who says of the Voice: "The underlying premise is that all Muslim organisations who support Islamist opposition groups abroad are fundamentalist. And going by the prevailing attitude towards Muslim opposition groups, I do not doubt it will have the intended effect of demonising the community even further." Q-News contacted the Voice, who declined to discuss the expertise of its Middle Eastern team. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7] The Leicester branch of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) UK recently held an event to celebrate Pakistan’s independence day (Eastern Eye, 20.09.96). A commemoration of the day was also held in High Wycombe. The main speaker there was Pakistan’s High Commissioner, Syed Wajid Shamul Hassan, who urged support for the people of Indian-held Kashmir. He stated that, since 1989, over 50,000 people have been killed by the Indian security forces, thousands of women and girls raped, and houses, crops and businesses burnt down (Bucks Free Press, 20.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7] Demonstration on human rights in Nigeria Protesters held a vigil outside the Nigerian High Commission in London to call for the release of the Muslim scholar and leader, Mu’allim Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky. Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the Muslim Human Rights Committee, said: "The arrest of Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky is a clear and deliberate attack by the military regime on the freedom of Muslims in Nigeria. Having silenced opposition in Ogono, the junta’s attention now seems to be turning on Muslims. But I do not believe the Muslim community of Nigeria will be intimidated. Mu’allim Ibrahim is also well-known and respected amongst Muslims in this country" (Q-News, 27.09.96). When Muslims in Nigeria demonstrated against Mu’allim Ibrahim’s arrest, 11 of the 12,000 demonstrators were shot dead by police (Voice, 24.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7]
The twenty-sixth annual conference of the Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) highlighted human rights abuses against Muslims in regions such as Chechnya, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kashmir, Palestine, Cyprus and the Philippines. The conference called upon the United Nations to "take effective measures to restore justice and human dignity to victimised Muslims in these countries". They also demanded that the British government take "necessary steps to ensure freedom of religion to the British Muslims in all aspects of their religious life" (Muslim News, 27.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7] Following the request from a Muslim woman to have some women-only swimming sessions in the public baths at Newhaven (see BMMS for August 1996), there will be a pilot session of one hour per week. However, one difficulty is that the council’s leisure services cannot guarantee that there will always be a woman lifeguard on duty, even though four out of the seven lifeguards are female (Sussex Express, 06.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7] Forced marriages: comment from Helpline The story of Shazia Shaheen, first featured in the Sunday Times (24.08.96), a young British woman of Pakistani origin who, when only 13 was forcibly taken by her family to Pakistan and there subsequently married against her will, is taken up by the Muslim Women’s Helpline. The Helpline’s letter to the Sunday Times (08.09.96) has a photo of Shazia with her guardian, Sarah Brearley, who persisted until Shazia was rescued and brought back to Britain. Riffat Yussuf, writing from the Helpline, says: "Shazia’s horrific experiences, her ‘rescue’ and subsequent break from the faith are all regrettable but inevitable outcomes when the oppressive side of a culture, any culture, replaces the more liberating aspects of Islam. In similar and sometimes worse circumstances, the Muslim women’s Helpline finds that its counselling service - non-judgemental and in touch with reality - secures alternative but equally happy endings to the stories that do not make the headlines." A letter from the Helpline to Q-News (20.09.96), mentioned a related problem they encounter: "Then there are married women who are more or less imprisoned within four walls and rarely ‘let out’. Women in this situation generally end up on tranquillisers, anti-depressants or Prozac, which in turn lead to major health problems." [The Muslim Women’s Helpline may be contacted at: 1st Floor, Unit 3, GEC Estate, East Lane, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 7PX, 0181-908-3025] [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 7/8] A mother claimed that she suffered a verbal and physical attack at the hands of a woman bus conductor, and that her small daughter was deliberately separated from her and left on the bus whilst she, the mother ran behind. Naima Radouane, the mother, who wears hijab, including niqab [face covering], said: "This is not the first time I’ve faced abuse because of the way I dress. It is obvious the woman was provoked by my Islamic clothing." Ms Radouane has reported the incident to the police and made a formal complaint to the bus company, London Central Buses. The bus company’s public relations manager, Andrew Ford, said: "The woman in question has been suspended and an inquiry into the incident will be held" (Q-News, 20.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 8] Show Case Arts’ resource pack, A History of Reel Muslim Women (see BMMS for June 1996), is reviewed in Muslim News (27.09.96). The pack aims to combat stereotypes and to show the diversity of British Muslim women. To order the pack, and for more details, contact Sabina Haulkhory on 0181-443-3779. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 8] On 6 September Cardinal Basil Hume opened a new night shelter for asylum seekers in Holborn. The night shelter was set up by the Refugee Council in response to the government’s legislation withdrawing benefits from most asylum seekers (see BMMS for December 1995 and March 1996). Quoting the late Rabbi Hugo Gryn, who as a child was a survivor of the holocaust and came to Britain as a refugee, the Cardinal said: "Asylum issues are an index of our spiritual and moral civilisation...I always think that the real offenders at the half-way mark of the century were the bystanders, all those people who let things happen because they did not affect them directly" (Muslim News, 27.09.96). The shelter provides beds for 50 asylum seekers, but is only a small drop in the ocean. In his speech, Cardinal Hume said that in the first three weeks after the benefit cuts were implemented on 24 July, 430 people contacted the Vauxhall Refugee council Advice Centre alone and that: "Furthermore, at the Day Centre the Council is jointly running with Social and Pastoral Action...the staff report they are now seeing between 60-80 asylum seekers a day, all of whom have no access to benefits or housing and have no food, money, clothing, friends, family or community support in London" (Muslim News, 27.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 8] Dr Majid Katme, chairperson of SPUC Muslims (Society to Protect the Unborn Child) (see BMMS for July 1996), has an article in Muslim News (27.09.96) calling for stricter controls on abortion. He also has a long letter, written in his capacity as spokesperson for Muslim Health Concern, printed in the Asian Times (26.09.96). This letter is entitled: Celibacy will ruin your health, and anger God. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 8] Multifaith Europe lecture (Calamus) On 30 September the Calamus Foundation, an organisation which aims to promote better understanding between Jews, Christians, and Muslims, held an evening in Lambeth Palace at which the guest of honour, the former Dutch diplomat, Edy Korthals Altes, was presented with the Calamus Annual Award. In his acceptance speech, Mr Altes condemned the consumerism and lack of spiritual values he perceived to be present in contemporary European society. Mr Altes’ speech was responded to by Lavinia Byrne; Boguslaw Zagorski, a Polish Muslim; and Diana Pinto, an Italian Jew. One of the organisers of the Calamus Foundation, Mr Risaluddin, commented that the diversity of the speakers served as a reminder of the "diversity of perspectives which even a handful of people can bring to the debate about what it is to be European" (Muslim News, 02.10.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 8/9] Q-News (27.09.96) carries a feature article contrasting the current strategies of FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies) and the UJS (Union of Jewish Students). The article criticises FOSIS for its lack of a worked out programme for this year, in contrast to the UJS, which intends to pursue a tactic of isolating those Islamic student groups it sees as "radical", whilst co-operating with Muslim groups on campus which it views as "moderate". Q-News claims that one issue for Jewish-Muslim co-operation will be an approach to vice-chancellors and principals requesting that students not be expected to sit exams on religious festivals. UJS Campaigns Organiser, Johny Jacobs, said: "We’ve always believed that presenting a common front on concerns we share is a better approach than going it alone. Bad relations are the exception rather than the norm and we have excellent relations with many Islamic societies such as the one at Leeds University." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 9] A new release, Indie-Yarn, from Trickbaby, an all-Muslim female group, could be topping the charts soon. Della, Samina and Yasmin are second-generation British Asians and the song, in Hindi, is about resistance to an arranged marriage. Yasmin says: "Indie-Yarn is about arranged marriages. They’re OK if you want one - but we don’t. I’ve even persuaded my sister not to go through with one - she was about to get hitched through letters. Imagine that!" (Daily Star, 03.10.96). The band thought that their parents would probably object to their video: "Our parents are happy watching Hindi movies with buxom, sari-clad women dancing around and kissing behind umbrellas, but they get uncomfortable when they see their own children dancing" (Observer, 29.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 9] The CRE (Commission for Racial Equality) and the ICRC (Inner Cities Religious Council) are about to launch leaflets highlighting the absence of legislation against discrimination on religious grounds and asking for instances of such discrimination to be reported to them. Muslim News (27.09.96) points out that the leaflet does not mention religiously motivated attacks, nor the issue of protection against insult, whether of individual Muslims or of Islam as a whole. Iqbal Sacranie, spokesperson for the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs, welcomed these developments: "Although there is no legal remedy at present, the aim of the leaflet being published is to encourage the reporting of religious discrimination incidents so that the lame excuse that there is no evidence can be seen to be false. We welcome the leaflet and hope that Racial Equality Councils (RECs) throughout the UK will begin to record incidents of religious discrimination." Makbool Javaid of the Society of Muslim Lawyers, however, felt that the CRE’s motives were rather more cynical: "It’s all a bit suspicious. It’s taken the Commission 20 years to decide that it needs to inform Muslims of their rights... The Muslim community is simply Muslim, not Asian or anything else and until the law in this country can bring itself to recognise that, Muslims will continue to be cornered into categories which for them are unnatural and less and less relevant" (Q-News, 27.09.96). Criticism in the Daily Jang (03.10.96) also focussed on the CRE’s methods: "10,000 leaflets have been printed to begin with and these will soon be translated into ten other languages. It was however clarified that no advertisement campaign is being envisaged at the moment and that may seriously stand in the way of the target public coming to know of this initiative, which many feel should have come years ago." The Guardian (03.10.96) explains that the information-gathering function of the leaflet is a preparation to the CRE’s producing a white paper in the spring on whether Britain needs new legislation to cover religious discrimination or whether the Race Relations Act should be extended. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 9] Twenty years of the Race Relations Act A conference was recently held at Warwick University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations (CRER) to examine the origins, development, and impact of the 1976 Race Relations Act. Professor Zig Layton-Henry said the conference highlighted the need for a rededication of political will to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities: "We need an enforceable right for all inhabitants of the European Union to equal treatment without racial or religious discrimination" (Daily Jang, 04.10.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 9/10] Muslim News (27.09.96) is launching its own monitoring of Islamophobia in the media, similar to that of the Runnymede Trust (see BMMS for July 1996) and information gathering on anti-Muslim and anti-Islam physical and verbal attacks, similar to that started by the CRE. Their aim is an ambitious one: "What the Muslim News intends to do is to document media reports and the links to attacks - physical, verbal - on Muslims and Muslim institutions. To this end we request our readers to send us newspaper/magazine cuttings, transcripts of radio/TV programmes, reports of attacks..." [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 10] Community centre fire, Southall Police in Southall are investigating a fire which gutted a community centre a few hours before a meeting on Islam was due to be held there. The Shackleton Hall was often used for Islamic gatherings and was regularly booked for Friday prayers. Local residents, both Muslim and non-Muslim, and the police, suspect that there may have been the involvement of a far-right racist and fascist group in the arson attack (Q-News, 27.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 10]
Updates Education The official opening of the new Muslim girls boarding school, Jamea Al Kauthar in Lancaster (see BMMS for April and August 1996), took place on 18 August. The school has now started teaching, with 50 students. There are six full-time staff, but the school is also looking for local part-time teachers. A spokesperson said: "We are anxious to employ local people so that we can contribute to the local economy" (Lancaster Guardian, 20.09.96). An editorial column in the same paper expresses scepticism about this claim and views the school as likely to be a closed institution, as was the hospital which formerly occupied the premises: "...this time it’s Muslim girls who look unlikely ever to venture outside the grounds thanks to the building’s extensive facilities. The trust which runs the school says it would like to contribute to the local economy but wouldn’t it be a greater step forward if in the future, the pupils could make a contribution to community life and locals in turn could learn more about the Muslim faith" (Lancaster Guardian, 20.09.96). The school aims to attract boarders from Britain and overseas (Awaaz, 01.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 10]
Sheffield’s Ethnic Minority School Achievement Project (EMSAP), celebrated its first year on 3 September and is now due to expand, with help from a grant of £121,000 from the National Lottery fund (see BMMS for April 1996). The main work of the project, based at the Pakistan Muslim Centre in the Lower Don Valley, is to provide after-school help with homework. The launch of the expanded project was attended by Home Office minister Ann Widdicombe, Shadow Education Secretary, David Blunkett, and Pakistan’s High Commissioner, Wajid Shamsul Hassan. The chief executive of the Pakistan Muslim Centre, Shahid Malik, said: "Children whose parents do not speak English as their first language do not receive the same homework support as their white peers. Through EMSAP, they obtain extra help and support to improve their attainment levels, while the graduates -twice as likely to be unemployed as white graduates - have an opportunity to contribute to the community and gain invaluable work experience" (Yorkshire Post, 04.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 10] Feversham College in Bradford is hoping to move into the premises of a former Catholic school, and so win the approval of the Department for Education and Employment for state funding (see BMMS for November and December 1995; March 1996). Last year’s application for voluntary-aided status for this Muslim girls school was rejected by the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Shepherd, on the grounds that the accommodation on the present site did not meet required levels. If the school is granted voluntary-aided status, the council would meet the major part of its running and building costs, and the Muslim Association of Bradford would fund 15 per cent (Bradford Telegraph & Argos, 07.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 10/11] Ethnic minorities and education Q-News (13.09.96) carries a review of a report by Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education) entitled Recent Research on the Achievements of Ethnic Minority Pupils. The paper explains that: "Although no figures are available for Muslim students, the report shows that Pakistani pupils perform better than Bangladeshi pupils at all stages of the educational process but still fare worse than their Indian and white counterparts. However, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are more likely to stay on in full-time education between the ages of 16-19 than their white counterparts...Over 50 per cent of Pakistani girls and over 60 percent of Pakistani boys stay on in full-time education compared to 40 per cent of white boys and 45 per cent of white girls". The picture gained from available statistics is rather confused and so merits further investigation as regards university education. At this level, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are again proportionately over-represented, but tend to attend local and, some would argue, less prestigious universities than their white counterparts. The Daily Jang (13.09.96) carries details of the ten-point action plan which the Department for Education and Employment formulated in response to Ofsted’s report. Introducing the action plan, the Education Minister, Cheryl Gillian, said: "We cannot afford to waste the talent of any child. The evidence published by Ofsted shows that some ethnic minority pupils do extremely well, but others achieve less than they could". A feature article by Fran Abrams in the Independent(06.09.96) also deals with issues arising from the Ofsted report. One A-level student she interviewed was 16-year-old Camran Hussain from Wembley, north London, who achieved six GCSE passes at grade A, is now studying maths, chemistry and physics, and hopes to study astronomy at university. He said: "I am a Muslim and as a Muslim I believe it is important to do well in education and the religion is giving me discipline...My aim is to get a good job with good money so I can support my family". Camran Hussain’s family originally came from Pakistan. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 11] Q-News (13.09.96) has two pages of advice to young Muslims starting university studies. In particular, they recommend that new students make contact with their institution’s Islamic Society, and to this end they give the number of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, 0181-452-4493. One of the writers, Imran Yassin, stresses the importance of being proud to be Muslim: "What does this imply practically? It means that I should not be ashamed to let people know of my Islamic heritage: whether it be through what I say, what I wear, what I eat, what I spend my time on or whatever. If you’re going to pray, say, ‘Excuse me for a moment, I need to pray to my God’, instead of some made-up excuse, like ‘Excuse me, I need to meet someone’ or the like. Be up front about it when doing your Islamic duties!" [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 11] A report will be presented to Birmingham’s education committee in October on the issue of single-sex schooling for girls. Consultations began in March after parents in the Saltley, Nechells and Small Heath areas presented a 946-name petition to the department calling for more single-sex places. Roger Godsiff MP (Labour, Small Heath) said that parents were becoming impatient and added: "We may get to the point where they say they are not sending their children to school". The chair of the education committee, Councillor Sandra Jenkinson, said of the possibility of a boycott by Muslim parents: "That is one of the things that have been said during the course of our consultations. I understand the feelings of parents, particularly Muslims, who want a single-sex school for their daughters, but we have to strike the right balance. A lot of people in the community have made a conscious choice to send their sons and daughters to a co-educational school..." (Birmingham Evening Mail, 13.09.96). At present, there are just over 1,400 places and last year more than 2,100 parents nominated girls only schools as their first choice. The single-sex places are not evenly distributed across the city and Muslim parents, therefore, find it particularly difficult to get such a place for their daughters. Mohammed Iqbal, secretary of the SPA, said of the city council:"...it is failing to provide parental choice and is denying equality of opportunity for a better educational future for many girls from Saltley and its surrounding areas" (Birmingham Post, 02.10.96). Dr Yasin, vice-chair of the SPA, told the Daily Jang (03.10.96): "We know of a number of cases where parents withdraw their girls from school and send them abroad...Other parents, if they can afford it, will send their daughter to a private Muslim school where the standards may be questioned. It is affecting the whole community, including parents from more affluent areas such as Sutton Coldfield where they are also asking for an increase in provision for girls-only schools." Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Small Heath, also warned of the possibility of a boycott: "We may get to the point where parents say they are not sending their children to school" (Asian Times, 19.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 11/12] Nottingham girls’ school opens A new school for Muslim girls, Jamia Al-Huda, officially opened in August in Nottingham (see BMMS for May, June and July 1996). The school’s patron, Moulana Sayyed Abul Hassan Ali Nadvi, author of Islam and the World and Western Civilisations, attended the opening ceremony. The school’s administrator, Mr Aurengzeb, explained that the courses for 11 to 16-year-olds incorporate the national curriculum with Islamic studies and that: "At Jamia Al-Huda, girls over 16 can study the Koran and pursue other Islamic studies such as the special ‘aalim’ course Science of Koran" (Eastern Eye, 13.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12] Altrincham Grammar, girl withdrawn Saira Ahmed has been withdrawn from school after being refused a place at the girls-only Altrincham Grammar School. Instead, since she had passed her 11-plus, she was offered a place at the co-educational Stretford Grammar. Her parents find that unacceptable. Her father, Khalil Ahmed, said: "We want Saira to attend a girls’ school on religious and cultural grounds, and Trafford is the only authority with a state single-sex girls’ grammar school...Parents are supposed to have freedom of choice, but where is it? Some disappointed parents have sent their daughters to private schools, but we can’t afford to do that. Catholic children in Trafford go to single-sex schools - including one outside the borough. But that option is not open to us" (Manchester Evening News, 24.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12] Ali Mehmood, the Muslim parent in Trafford, Manchester, who applied for his daughter’s fees to be paid to enable her to attend an independent Muslim girls grammar school has now asked the Leeds office of the CRE to take up the case (see BMMS for July 1996). At first, he was told that the terms of his claim were outside the scope of the 1976 Race Relations Act: "Your comparison with the more favourable treatment given to Catholic parents was a religious argument and therefore outside the scope of the Act." However, on 26 September the commission said that it was now exploring whether the case could constitute indirect discrimination, which would fall within the terms of the act (Guardian, 27.09.96). Muslim News is attempting to coordinate financial help for Mr Mehmood to take Manchester Council to court (27.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12]
Legal action is being taken by Derby City Council against the owners of a house in St James’ Road, Normanton, alleging that they are allowing the house to be used as a religious education centre without permission. Observations on the property appeared to confirm that about 20 school age children were attending the house on a regular basis after school. Litchurch ward councillor Abdul Raman said: "The house was not being used for educational purposes but for religious purposes. When he (the owner, who does not want to be named) found out it was not legal he stopped. As far as I know they are not using it any more. If they are, then the council has a right to take this action" (Derby Evening Telegraph, 28.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12] Oxford East MP Andrew Smith presented students from the English Teaching Centre with their certificates and said of the school: "It is an opportunity which is transforming people’s lives..." The school had been threatened with closure, because of county council cuts. Many of this year’s successful students were Muslim women (Oxford Mail, 30.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12]
Mosques A decision on planning permission for the extension to the mosque at the corner of Fountain Street and Higher Antley Street in Accrington has been deferred (see BMMS for May 1996). This deferment is to allow for further discussions with the proposers of the scheme, specifically to see if a compromise could be reached regarding the minarets (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 30.09.96). Councillor Ken Curtis, a supporter of the proposal who had requested the time for further consultations, said: "Muslims do not want this to become a them and us situation with other members of the community. But there is a need for their children to receive the proper religious education" (Accrington Observer, 30.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 12/13] Plans for the Ismaili centre in Addiscombe have been revised to address the council’s concerns about the amount of space allocated to parking (see BMMS for April, May and June 1996). A member of the Ismaili National Council, Karim Mohamed, explained how the car parking spaces had been reduced overall and reallocated. He added: "After consultation with the council it was decided that the rear of the building needed further landscaping along its borders" (Croydon Guardian, 28.08.96). Local opposition continues, however, although the scheme’s proponents appear to have satisfied critics on the question of traffic impact. Croydon Council has postponed making a decision, but no precise date has been set (Croydon Advertiser, 13.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] The Masjid and Madressa Noor-ul-Islam in Batley recently held a celebration to mark the opening of their new extension. The chair of the Snowden Street Mosque organisation, Akooji Badat, said: "We hope to see the hall used for a range of activities which are appropriate to the local community. This will include seminars, meetings and so on...We have tried to make sure that the extension is accessible to disabled members of the community [by installing a lift]" (Awaaz, 01.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Plans for the mosque at Beckton in the borough of Newham have been approved (see BMMS for April, June, July and August 1996), on condition that the mosque is considerably reduced in size (Docklands News, 01.09.96). The campaigners against the mosque still plan to lobby the Environment Secretary, John Gummer, but Newham’s planning director, Ram Aurora, told the Newham Recorder (28.08.96) that the council’s decision cannot be overturned. [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Planning permission has been granted to the Islamic Cultural Centre to develop a mosque and community centre on their site in Peace Street, Bolton (see BMMS for August 1996). Approval was originally given in February 1995 but there were subsequent objections from some local residents. The re-submitted plans have been approved, with 13 conditions attached (Bolton Metro News, 29.08.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Burnley council has decided in principle to support the Shah Jalal Mosque Committee in its dispute with the Bangladesh Welfare Association over the site in Burns Street, Stoneyhulme. The report to councillors states: "The [Shah Jalal] Mosque Committee believes its request is the legitimate one, given the fact that it runs the existing mosque. Given this fact, they do not consider it appropriate for the Bangladesh Welfare Association to be given approval to build a mosque". Councillor John Harbour said: "I think what this council would like to see is those organisations growing up and coming up with adult proposals instead of arguing...If there’s a concern about social, welfare and spiritual issues, they should get together and sort it out" [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Although work on the exterior of the mosque in Nicholson Square, Edinburgh is still not complete (see BMMS for August 1996), following the laying of a £35,000 carpet, it has now been opened for worship. It is estimated that work on the mosque will take at least another year (Edinburgh Evening News, 28.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Leicester’s Central Mosque in Conduit Street was recently opened to the general public for a day as part of National Heritage Day. The mosque’s vice-chair, Dr Nadeem Sheikh, said: "Because Muslims are part of British society, we thought we would like to be part of this. We decided to let anyone who wanted to come in and wander round, and it’s the first time we’ve done it" (Leicester Mercury, 18.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13] Following Oxford council’s approval of plans for the mosque in Manzil Way (see BMMS for June, July and August 1996), an editorial in the Oxford Times (29.08.96) commented: "...the Muslim community plays a vitally important, integral part in our continuing welfare and prosperity, which will make this beautiful mosque - the ‘artist’s impressions’ are stunning - as much a part of the skyline as those who gather for Evensong or Mass beneath a glorious Gothic arch." the chair of Oxford’s planning committee, Mrs Stef Spencer, said: "We are extremely pleased about this and are looking forward to seeing Oxford’s first mosque after all these years. There are a few conditions to be resolved but the applicant has agreed to these" (Oxford Times, 30.08.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 13/14]
Opposition to the plan to build a mosque on the Oakthorpe Road sports ground appears to have been increasing (see BMMS for July and August 1996). Enfield Council fixed a public meeting of the planning committee for 16 September. One option is that the council may buy the land back from the Muslim Community Education Centre (MCEC) and restore it as a functioning playing field (Enfield Advertiser, 11.09.96). There are an estimated 18,500 Muslims in the borough of Enfield but there is only one mosque, in Ponders End, and a temporary place for prayer at Edmonton Green, to serve this community (Enfield Gazette, 12.09.96). At the meeting of the planning committee, a decision was deferred until November, when the next environment committee meeting is scheduled (Enfield Independent, 18.09.96, Enfield Advertiser, 18.09.96, Enfield Gazette, 19.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14] The spokesperson for the planned Prestwick Mosque (see BMMS for August 1996), Mohammed Safiq, told a meeting of local Muslims, other local residents, and planners from South Ayrshire Council that, following the media coverage of the mosque, more Muslim families had come forward about using it (Ayr Advertiser, 04.09.96). As a consequence, having gained planning permission to convert a shop into a small mosque the community are now looking for larger premises which would accommodate at least 100 people for prayers (Glasgow Herald, 02.10.96, Glasgow Evening Times, 02.10.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14] The management committee of the Rotherham mosque has applied for permission to erect two fifteen feet high minarets (see BMMS for July and August 1996). Director of planning Graham Jeffrey said: "There does not seem to be any reason why they should not be allowed" (Barnsley Star, Sheffield Star, 02.10.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14] Members of Todmorden Mosque are considering blocking access to the main prayer room from the front entrance so that the only entrance is directly leading on from the ablutions area, in order to keep the whole building cleaner. This would necessitate building additional internal stairs, for which planning permission has been applied (Halifax Evening Courier, 19.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14]
Burials Vandals pulled six Muslim gravestones out of the ground and smashed them at the cemetery in Priory Road, High Wycombe. Muslim leader Gulzar Khan said: "We are appalled by what has happened." Sergeant Phil Turner of High Wycombe police said: ""We have not ruled out the possibility of a racial motive, but we also have not ruled out wanton vandalism" (Wycombe Star, 13.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14] What claims to be Britain’s first Muslim funeral service has started in Luton. The funeral director is 19 year-old Gulam Kadir, who has received help from the Princes Youth Business Trust. He said: I saw there was a big need for this type of service in the area. I was appointed a business advisor, who helped me start up. The chairman of the National Association of Funeral Directors, Don Moore, who has now retired, personally came over and helped plan everything out" (Luton News, 04.09.96). [BMMS September Vol. IV, No. 9, p. 14]
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