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British Muslims Monthly Survey for November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11
Features
Short Reports Nuneaton flats planning application Police recruitment and ethnic minorities Manchester Students’ Union vote Legislation to curb dissidents Internet security for Jewish groups Kashmiris and the Conservatives University of Central Lancashire meeting Oxfam to withdraw from Afghanistan? Glasgow produce own halal meals Coventry halal planning application
Updates Education Delays on decision on al-Furqan, Birmingham SCAA Moral and Spiritual Values
Mosques Birmingham, Victoria Road, Aston Wolverhampton, Sweetman Street
Burials
Features The report on the Bradford disturbances in the Manningham district of the city of the summer of 1995 has now been published (see British Muslims Monthly Survey for June, July, August, September, October 1995; February, April and May 1996). The commission which led the 18-month long enquiry and wrote the report was comprised of sociology professor Sheila Allen, John Barratt, a solicitor with experience in investigations into local authorities, and Mohammed Taj, a local trade unionist. Mr Taj played a full part in helping to write the report, but finally refused to sign it, as he felt that it made no positive recommendations. On police racism as an exacerbating factor, Mr Taj is widely reported as saying: "I want them to openly acknowledge that there are racists in their ranks and kick them out in short order" (Q-News, 15.11.96, Daily Telegraph, 26.11.96, Guardian, 27.11.96). In general he attacks the report because of its vagueness. He felt that: "For the Asian communities, and here I mean the largely Muslim communities, I have challenged them to start addressing their own failings..."(Daily Telegraph, 26.11.96) Significant amongst these were an attitude that integration would mean a loss of religion and culture and the sub-ordinate role allocated to Muslim women (Daily Jang, 27.11.96). "There are real failings and I have not been afraid to speak out about them. Koranic education can be a powerful force for the good. However, this will not occur if Arabic rote teaching is not accompanied by guidance in an accessible language" (Q-News, 15.11.96). His other suggestions were for increased nursery provision in new buildings, which would be a boost to the local economy, a councillor-led Manningham Development Executive, and a clamp-down on drugs trafficking, particularly in the Manningham area (Guardian, 27.11.96, Daily Telegraph, 26.11.96). Mr Taj has produced his own 25-page report, A can do city. Max Madden, Labour MP for Bradford West, also attacked the report for not stressing the need for funds from central government for economic regeneration in Bradford and in Manningham particularly (Daily Jang, 29.11.96). The Bradford Telegraph & Argus (20.11.96), using a team of five journalists and two photographers, has produced a ten-page supplement on the report, headed Report condemns city’s institutions for inability to cope with ethnic mix. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 1]
Death of Idries Shah (1924-1996) The Independent (26.11.96) and Daily Telegraph (30.11.96) have obituaries to Idries Shah, the prolific writer on Sufism, who has died, at the age of 72 yrs. Idries Shah was born in India on 16 June 1924. In 1955 he moved to England, but continued to travel widely in the East and the United States. The Sufis, published in 1964 with an introduction by Robert Graves, the poet, was not his first book in English, but it was the first to attract the attention of the critics. The author of the obituary, Robert Cecil (who died in February 1994) says of Shah’s works in the 1960s and 70s that they were "making Sufi classical masters accessible to Western readers and bringing to their attention the teaching story as an instrument of self-development. This initiative offended some traditional Orientalists, who persisted in regarding Sufis as belonging to an Islamic sect rooted in the past and having little contemporary relevance." Shah founded the Octagon Press, which published much of his later work, and in 1965, he founded an educational trust, the Institute for Cultural Research, of which he became Director of Studies. In its obituary the Daily Telegraph said: "He was also Governor of the Royal Humane Society and of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables; he was a founder member of the Club of Rome. And not least, he was a family man." He had published 20 books which have sold 15 million copies worldwide. With the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, he set up Afghan Relief to provide medical and other aid to refugees. His novel Kara Kush, published in 1986, was based on what he had heard and witnessed in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. Idries Shah leaves a wife, Kashfi Kabriji, a son, and two daughters. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 1/2]
Short Reports The VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad , an Indian political party) accused the British government of failing to protect the Hindu community from attacks by Muslims (see BMMS for October 1996). The VHP’s press release on 4 November claimed that: "For the last several months, the Hindus in Bradford are being subjected to a barrage of verbal and physical abuses by Pakistani and Indian Muslims...the British police is only paying lip service to the problems...Last week, several community halls in Horton and Woodhead, areas of Bradford city, where Diwali festivals were being arranged, [had their decorations] ripped down and destroyed" (Asian Age, 06.11.96). In a press release, Hasmukh Shah of the Yorkshire branch of the World Council of Hindus, claimed that Diwali lights were vandalised for the third year running and a Hindu-owned travel agency had been fire-bombed, but Faqit Mohammed of the Bradford Council of Mosques said: "I have spoken to the police and they have no knowledge of the alleged incidents. But we should expect this kind of thing from the World Council of Hindus. This is a front for the Indian Vishwa Hindu Parishad party which took part in the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodha" (Q-News, 25.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 2] Several papers (Q-News, 15.11.96, Daily Jang, 16.11.96, Muslim News, 29.11.96) have late reports of the decision by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) to reverse its earlier decision and allow a test question on religion to go ahead in readiness for the 2001 Census (see BMMS for August 1996). The Daily Telegraph (13.11.96) claims that this about-turn is due to requests from the Departments of Health, Social Security and Education, whereas Q-News (08.11.96) attributes the change to lobbying by the faith communities themselves, including Churches Together. According to the Telegraph: "The draft question is: ‘Do you have a religious faith?’ and respondents will have a choice of ticking boxes saying: No, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Islam/ Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist. There will be a box for ‘other’ with space to fill in the name of the religion." Iqbal Sacranie of the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs commented: "The religious question will be grouped with other identity questions like ethnicity. I think it is still too early for them to dispense with ethnicity as a social category. Nevertheless, it could yield some interesting facts about what proportion of these ethnic groups are actually Muslim and want to be seen as such" (Q-News, 15.11.96). The same paper quoted The Rev Leslie Francis, convenor of the multifaith pressure group which has been arguing in favour of such a question: "It is a positive development but a lot of work still remains to be done to ensure the right kind of question goes into the census...Our argument has always been that service providers are not in a position to allocate resources fairly and adequately without this information." Muslim News (29.11.96), quoted a spokesperson from the Muslim Women’s Helpline, who said: "Funding from statutory and other sources flows into agencies which do little for Muslim women, and organisations such as the Helpline - which plug the huge gap of un-met needs of Muslims - have to struggle on finite resources. This fact has been hidden by the categorisation of the community according to race and has resulted in inappropriate resource allocations. We hope that the test question is a stepping-stone to redressing this problem." The Jang (16.11.96) explains that, after the testing in 1997 of the question, there will be a review and then in 1999 there will be a "dress rehearsal" of the Census, following which Parliament will make the final decision on the content of the 2001 Census. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 2]
The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) has recommended that two police officers should face disciplinary charges for neglect of a prisoner, in the case of Amer Rafiq, the waiter who lost an eye as a result of injuries sustained whilst in police custody last Eid (see BMMS for February, March, April, May, June and August 1996). After a lengthy inquiry the PCA decided that "the evidence does not support an intentional assault on Mr Rafiq at any time" (Daily Jang, 14.11.96). Greater Manchester Police had retained the officers under investigation on desk duty throughout the inquiry and have taken informal disciplinary action against a custody sergeant who did not inform Mr Rafiq’s family he was in hospital, and against one of the arresting constables who kicked Mr Rafiq’s car. A spokesperson for the National Assembly Against Racism, Lee Jasper, said: "Cases like that of Amer Rafiq should not happen. But the anger that is felt is compounded by the fact that no-one is prosecuted and the police once again appear to be above the law" (Daily Jang, 14.11.96). Mr Rafiq’s sister, Rizwana said: "It’s been nine months now and we are still suffering, we’ll never get over this. When Amer goes through it he does talk and then he breaks down and gets really upset. It’s a nightmare, we just want justice, that’s all"(Q-News, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3] The Ilford Muslim Community Centre has been granted permission to open one hour earlier in the morning and close half an hour later in the evenings (Ilford Recorder, 24.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3] Q-News (25.10.96) carries an article about WH Smith’s mid-year 1996 and 1997 diaries, which they claim gives the impression that the Islamic and the Muslim faith are two separate entities, with different holidays, which have distinct spellings. WH Smith’s spokesperson, Cathy Hickson, said the diaries were bought from a national manufacturer and: "The reason they are separately listed, we are told, is because three or four years ago the firm received complaints because they were not separately listed. We have acted on information we are told is accurate but if anybody is willing to correct us we are open for comment." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3]
Awaaz (01.11.96) carries a feature article about a retired man from Leeds, Bernard McMahon, who has been working as a volunteer with Bosnian Muslim refugees in Slovenia. He saw an advertisement in the Green Party’s newspaper and applied for the post, which was originally to be only for six months, but he has now been working for over two years at a refugee camp at Hrastnik. He explained: "I originally went out for six months. After that I wasn’t able to leave because there’s still a need for me. There’s still work to be done. And who knows what the future holds? To be honest it looks bleak. Bosnia is officially a peaceful country. But that is not the reality. Muslims have lost around half of their Bosnian territory, and Karadzic won’t let them back." The Bosnian Support Group concentrates its efforts in providing better living conditions in the camps and helping with re-housing for those who are able to return to their home regions. Most of the money raised to help the refugees in Hrastnik has come from the Jewish communities in North London and from Catholic groups in Leeds. Donations can be made by cheque to the Bosnian Support Group, care of Awaaz, at 10 Norfolk Street, Batley, WF17 7RX. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3] A carpark is being transformed into a garden at the Muslim Family Centre at Denton, Gravesend by volunteers. The design for the garden was drawn up by Groundwork, an environmental trust. Zahira Ilyas, chair of the Muslim Women’s Group, said: "We are extremely grateful to Groundwork for its help. The project will enhance the appearance of our cultural centre and create a garden for wildlife" (Gravesend & District Extra, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3] Nuneaton flats planning application The Nuneaton Muslim Society has applied for planning permission to build five self-contained flats in Edward Street (Nuneaton Evening Telegraph, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3] A seminar and charity dinner was held at the Gladstone Park Community Centre to raise awareness about and money for the victims of the Indian Security Forces in Kashmir (Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 3/4] A feature article in Eastern Eye (08.11.96) by Zaheer Ahmad, marketing manager for Mansfield Construction, argues that mosques can be a focus for better understanding between Muslims and other local communities. He explains how, increasingly, mosques are multi-purpose buildings. he writes that: "In cities throughout the UK, makeshift and converted places of worship are being traded in for purpose-built mosques - frequently as part of much bigger Islamic community centres...Market research commissioned by Muslim contractors Mansfield construction revealed that in excess of 240 mosques and Islamic centres are currently at various stages of design and construction throughout the UK...As Muslims throughout the country begin to realise that they must create the infrastructure to preserve their cultural heritage, the trend towards bigger and more elaborate Islamic centres is set to continue." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 4] It is likely that plans to turn a vacant shop into offices and an advice centre will be approved. There have been no objections from traders or residents about the Sandwell Muslims Organisation’s plans, and Sandwell Council are in favour (Sandwell Express & Star, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 4] Police recruitment and ethnic minorities The Birmingham Post (11.11.96) carries an article about the on-going debate within the police on the subject of the reasons for the under-representation of ethnic minorities within the police force. Chief Inspector Kevin Morahan, head of recruitment for West Midlands Police, had argued in an article in the Police Review that potential ethnic minority recruits were dissuaded by pressures from within their own communities. Detective Inspector Mo Shafiq, of Greater Manchester Police, described Kevin Morahan’s views as "replete with innuendo" and as "stereotypical prejudices". He added: "With regard to social bonding and peer support, what does Chief inspector Morahan advocate that Asian officers should do - go on the razzle? I am not surprised at the uncomfortable body language of the Asian elders if he describes them in this manner if they happen to be Muslims" (Birmingham Post, 11.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 4] A Manchester taxi driver, Mohammed Akram, was abducted from his taxi and shot through the head at point-blank range. He was reported missing on Sunday, 10 November and his body was found by a passing cyclist in Isherwood Road, Carrington at about 8am the following day. His car was discovered a mile and a half away in Flixton, with the keys still in the ignition and the radio switched on. Police have no idea as to the motive. The murder investigation is being led by Det Supt Bob Huntbach, who said: "His wife Sarwari is just too upset to talk at the moment. We can’t understand why this has happened. He has been working as a taxi driver for about eight or ten years and has never had any problems. He has always said that if somebody was to give him trouble he would let them take what he had. He did not believe in putting up a fight. The only thing we can think of is that he may have been approached by just one person and thought he may have had a chance in a one-to-one situation." Mr Akram was a regular attender at the William Street Mosque. A fellow mosque member, Mohammed Sharif, said: "I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill him. He always seemed to be one of those people who had lots of friends and no enemies. He just lived and worked for his family" (Manchester Evening News, 12.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 4] The Times (13.11.96) carries an article about the research of Dr Jan Abbas, research fellow at Bangor University’s school of mathematics. He believes that the roots of mathematics lie in symmetrical patterns: "Symmetry is one of the grand unifying concepts of art, nature and science. For this reason, I am convinced that Islamic art can build an important bridge between art and science. Islamic patterns offer a unique opportunity to combine maths and physics with art." Since the mid-1980s Dr Abbas has mathematically analysed more than 300 Islamic designs and found that they all fit into one or more of the 17 different types of symmetrical patterns recognised by mathematicians. Detailed computer programming information on how to reproduce 250 medieval Islamic patterns can be obtained from Dr Abbas’ book, Symmetries of Islamic Geometrical Patterns (World Scientific Publishers, price £30) or from the web site http://www.bangor.ac.uk/mas009/islampat.htm. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 4/5] Wentworth Hall in Carshalton, premises used by the local Muslim association as well as other voluntary organisations, has once again been vandalised with racist graffiti (see BMMS for February, March, July and October 1996). Lal Hussein, secretary of the Muslim Cultural and Welfare Association, said: "I was really disgusted by what they’ve done to our building. We have worked so hard on it." Carshalton Central Ward Councillor Tom Brake said: "Their outrageous actions have created a united front of concerned residents, voluntary groups, the police, the Muslim Cultural and Welfare Association and Sutton Council, dedicated to stopping such intimidation" (Sutton Guardian, 14.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5] The Bosnian government is organising its first conference of Muslim entrepreneurs in Sarajevo on December 10-14 (Q-News, 15.11.96, Muslim News, 29.11.96). When the British Muslim delegations visited Bosnia last Ramadan, the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs suggested to the Bosnian government that they should host such a conference (see BMMS for October 1996). Dr Tanzeem Wasti, one of the organisers of British Muslim participation in the conference, said: "For the Bosnian Muslims it is important to retain their presence in Europe, not only as players but as a gateway to the East, it is important that Muslim countries and individuals should take an active part" (Q-News, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5] Several reviews have appeared in the press (Sight and Sound, No.37, The Guide, 12.10.96, Time Out, Observer) of the recently released film, Brothers in Trouble (dir. Udayan Prasad, 1996, UK). This film is based on the novel by the Urdu writer, Abdullah Hussein, and deals with a household of illegal Pakistani immigrants in a northern British town in the 1960s. The lives of the men are radically changed when the leader of the house, Hussein Shah (Om Puri) brings a young white woman, Mary (Angeline Ball) to live with him. At first, all goes well, until Shah decides that Mary should contract a "paper marriage" with his nephew, Irshad (Ahsen Bhatti). As a result of a fight over Mary, Irshad fatally stabs his uncle, leaving the youngest member of the household, Sakib (Badi Uzzaman) to be arrested and sent to a mental institution. Sight and Sound says that the film "sets out to examine and redefine the immigrant experience...giving a white British viewer a chance to see Britain as alien territory". Time Out, having outlined the plot, comments: "Obviously, we’re to expect a confrontation with the loosening morals of the men’s adopted land and a test for their Muslim rectitude...committed performances and suitably grimy surroundings have laid down a set of images that certainly deserve a place in British cinema’s varied pantheon." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5] A new lunch club for older Muslim men in the Harehills area of Leeds has been such a success that Social Services, the Pakistani Centre which hosts the club, and other Muslim organisations involved in the venture have decided to start one for Muslim women. Councillor Francis Jones, chair of Leeds Social Services Committee, said: "We hope that ventures like this will encourage people from different communities to make more use of all the Department’s services...It is an excellent example of how partnerships between local communities and the City Council can make sure people get the sort of services they want and need" (Leeds Weekly News, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5] Leeds University Islamic society organised an Islamic Awareness Exhibition and lectures at the beginning of November. The speakers were: Abduraheem Green, who is about to publish a book on the Qur’an; Abdulhaq Baker, head of the Brixton Mosque and formerly a member of a rap band; and Alyas Kamani, a former lecturer at Leeds who is now doing research at Bradford University (Leeds Weekly News, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5] The Luton News (13.11.96) has an article about a celebration of the marriage of Khuram Liaquat and Yasmin Stannard at Beech Hill Methodist Church. In July, the couple had married at Southend register office and then had the Nikah at Southend mosque. The couple had met whilst they were studying law at Middlesex University. Khurram is a trainee solicitor and Yasmin is an assistant fundraising officer in London with the charity Muslim Aid. [Luton News mistakenly maintains that Yasmin was required to convert from Christianity to Islam in order to marry a Muslim man. It also describes such a marriage as "rare" and talks of "the unusual step of converting from Christianity to Islam"]. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 5/6] On 25 November the European Court of Human Rights upheld the legality of the British Board of Film Classification’s refusal to give a certificate to Visions of Ecstasy. Patricia Wynn Davies, reporting for the Independent (26.11.96) from Strasbourg, explained that: "Mr Wingrove’s (the director) case was that the law not only interfered with the film director’s right to freedom of speech but was discriminatory, because it did not cover the many religions practised in the United Kingdom other than Christianity". Sara Maitland, writing in the Independent a day later (27.11.96) had seen the film. She had appeared as an expert witness when the director was appealing against the denial of a video certificate for the film, her qualifications being that she is a Christian and had edited a book about the Rushdie affair. She is arguing for the appeal of the blasphemy laws: "Christians are not a community at particular risk in this country, so there is no possible justification for privileging them at law in this way. Unlike Muslims we have our own special schools, a monarch to defend our faith, automatic seats in Parliament, and an omnipotent almighty deity. Do we really want these out-dated laws to protect our excessively delicate sensibilities? Because it is our sensibilities that we are worrying about here; it is simply not theologically imaginable that God is going to be hurt by a 15-minute video." In contrast, the UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs welcomed the European court ruling an wanted to see the blasphemy laws extended: "This film is not just repugnant to Christians. Muslims, who hold Jesus in high esteem, are equally offended and insulted. While the ruling is welcomed, it also highlights the lacuna in law which allows blasphemy as defined by other faiths to flourish with impunity" (Q-News, 15.11.96). The Muslim Parliament’s point of view was similar: "...our argument has never been that the law doesn’t recognise limitations on freedom of expression but that it is deliberately denying equality to Muslims" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Muslim News (29.11.96) reports that recently the BBC decided to drop a comedy series which made jokes about Mary, the mother of Jesus, which were felt to be likely to cause offence, and that an ITV company was criticised for using an anti-Jewish phrase. The Independent Television Commission ruled that the phrase, "one for me, one for the boss" had a "clear implication that corrupt practice is a particular characteristic of Jews". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 6] Q-News (15.11.96) reports on a child of two, Raeed Khandaker, who is so good at reading and memorizing, that his family hope he will soon be able to recite the whole of the Qur’an by heart. His father, Pasha, a restaurant owner, said: "I’m not saying my child is special but Allah has definitely given him a gift. This is a sign of Allah’s grace and I pray that he will turn into an asset to the community." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 6] Q-News (15.11.96) has protested to the BBC about its naming a new quiz show, aimed at a British Asian audience, Q-Asia. BBC Pebble Mill Press Relations Officer, Melissa Carter, denied that there was any mischievous intent in the choice of name: "Q is a common letter within the alphabet. It stands for question and quiz, I’m sure you can realize why we coupled Q with Asia to title a quiz show which is all about Asian culture." Fuad Nahdi, editor of Q-News, responded: "It would have been less troublesome for them to use one of the other 25 letters of the alphabet. In the British media, Q is associated amongst Muslims with a particular type of newspaper and now that risks being sullied by the third rate mush that passes for Asian culture." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 6] Six thousand people attended the Islamic Relief Games, held at the NEC, Birmingham, and £35,000 was raised for the projects which Islamic Relief supports (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 15.11.96, Q-News, 15.11.96). A spokesperson for Islamic Relief said: "We’re delighted with the day, The event is a big improvement on last year which is what we were looking for. I think the big success this year was the stage performance of nasheeds and raps, something we haven’t done properly in the past" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Staffordshire police took a coach load of fifty teenagers of different ethnic origins to the event (Lichfield & Tamworth Express & Star, 20.11.96), and transport from the north of England was also organised by Islamic Relief in Bennington Street, Blackburn (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 6/7] A festival of Islamic art and culture in Glasgow, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Indian and Pakistani independence, has been the cause of conflict between the various communities who have their origin in the sub-continent. The idea to stage a Festival of Islam in 1997 was that of the senior curator of art at Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries, Stefan van Raay, who wanted the city’s collection of Islamic art and artifacts, much of which has never been on public display, to feature in a big public arts festival. The museum’s department liaised with the council’s performing arts to develop a series of cultural events and held a public meeting to launch the project. However, objections have been raised by the Indian community, especially the Association of Indian Organisations, who complained about the bias towards Pakistan and Islam. Bangladeshi community organisations are also reported as resenting the apparent Pakistani domination of the municipal celebrations and like the AIO, partly blame the city council for its lack of sensitivity. In 1997, Bangladesh celebrates 25 years of independence from Pakistan. All three communities are developing their own celebrations and artistic events. The city council agreed to appoint a special co-ordinator for all the festival events, but the post has not yet been filled, and the name of the festival has been changed to Salaam [peace] (Scotland on Sunday, 17.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7]
A Muslim student at Thames Valley University (TVU) who has severe physical disabilities has recently been given the Mahatma Gandhi Award. Rehan Siddiqui, 21, is deaf in one ear, has no hands, and has both legs amputated below the knee, is studying for a qualification in accountancy. Mars Confectionery is sponsoring the award, along with the TVU and Slough Borough Council, and will be giving Mr Siddiqui a period of work experience. He said: "The Mahatma Gandhi Award will help me in getting a foothold in the workplace...I hope that this award will assist me in achieving my ambition of becoming totally independent and financially secure." The Mahatma Gandhi Award was launched earlier this year by the former mayor of Slough, Mewa Mann, to aid human improvement through non-violent means (Daily Jang, 18.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7] The Western Mail (19.11.96) and the Times (19.11.96), both report on the religiousness of the world’s No.73 in snooker, Yasin Merchant from India, who played in Preston on 20 November. Merchant explained how he had missed the qualifying round for the world cup because he was performing Hajj: "The dates were changed and it clashed with a visit I had planned to Mecca. Hajj, the holy pilgrimage there, is something every member of my faith wants to make and I wasn’t prepared to cancel the trip". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7] A study by Hilary Metcalf and Tariq Modood of the Policy Studies Institute has found that Asian businesses are closely linked with religion and culture, and that Pakistanis in particular entered self-employment to escape from racism and poor employment prospects. Explaining the religious factor, Modood said: "Their strong religious faith may have given them the confidence to set up on their own, despite lack of qualifications and poor access to finance. As Muslims, Pakistanis were reluctant to seek credit which charged interest and were dependent on family or friends or were saving for the capital to start business ventures...Historical studies have shown that the rise of market capitalism was driven by religious and ideological values as well as by awareness of economic opportunities. This is no less true for the growth of the contemporary Asian sector..." (Daily Jang, 20.11.96) [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7] Two local Muslim organisations, the Al-Islah Trust and the Kanz-ul-Iman Muslim Welfare Association have joined together in raising funds for the charity appeal of the Mayor of Sandwell, Bob Badham. The mayor’s chosen charities are the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Sandwell Women’s Refuge and the Asian Family Support Service (Black Country Evening Mail, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7] An eighteen year-old Muslim in Glasgow took his father’s car without permission, drove it into a wall, swore at the elderly owner of the wall, and drove off narrowly missing a pedestrian. Omair Siddiqui’s defence lawyer, Matthew Nicholson, told Sheriff Neil Murray QC that his client was a strict Muslim and gave him a letter from the mosque. However, Sheriff Murray said that Siddiqui had shown "quite an appalling disregard for individuals...If you plead strict Mohammedanism [sic] as a character reference, you want to go back to your Imam and tell him what happened and see what he has to say about it." Sheriff Murray also recommended the defendant to read the Qur’an and see what it has to say about facing up to responsibilities. Sentencing will take place in December (Glasgow Herald, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 7/8] Comedian Alexei Sayle claims that his life has been threatened by Muslim extremists and has asked for police protection. Special Branch detectives believe that Sayle may have caused offence in a recent BBC travel show. Whilst travelling through Syria and Jordan, he said: "To us, Arabs are either terrorists, kidnappers or people trying to sell you stuffed camel...Me and the Arab world have been together for three weeks and we don’t like each other." The BBC confirmed that after the show they had received complaints about derogatory remarks about Arabs (Daily Mirror, 22.11.96, Daily Record, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 8] Adeeba Malik, general manager of QED (Quest for Education and Development), a Bradford based charity, spoke to an audience of school students and teachers about careers in the retail sector. She was launching a video and exhibition which have been produced by QED. Ms Malik said that a study had been carried out amongst young Asians about their perceptions of employment opportunities in this sector: "The results showed that young people perceived the industry to be unfulfilling, not very stimulating or challenging...they were also unaware of the whole range of occupation available within this sector and the potential long term career prospects" (Daily Jang, 25.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 8]
A lecture, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, was recently organised by the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Research Institute, which is dedicated to the study and preservation of Islamic manuscripts, to commemorate the birth of the poet philosopher, Iqbal. Dr Annemarie Schimmel, in her lecture Iqbal and the secret of creative love, said that Iqbal’s thought was a product of his faith in Islam and his desire to shake Muslims from their slumber of ignorance (Daily Jang, 27.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 8] The UK based charity, Islamic Relief, has sent a worker to Rwanda to assess the potential for their helping there. Munir Mohammed, speaking on behalf of Islamic Relief, said the charity hoped to help with refugee reintegration (Daily Jang, 29.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 8] Manchester Students’ Union vote News continues to come in about the cancellation of the vote at Manchester University Students Union on a motion proposed by the Islamic Society which sought to ban pro-Zionist student societies (see BMMS for October 1996). Q-News (25.10.96, 08.11.96) contrasts the efficient organisation of Jewish students, particularly that of the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) with that of FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies), in that Jewish students vastly outnumbered Muslim students at the meeting and the UJS had led a national campaign of persuasion. Jonny Jacobs, UJS campaigns organiser, in an interview in the Jewish Chronicle (08.11.96), confirmed that the large Jewish turnout was at least partly due to nationwide organising: "In the week leading up to the debate, all eight of us in the UJS office were on the phone round the clock to students who were offering to send delegations in support". In contrast, a persistent journalist from Q-News (25.10.96) described attempts to contact FOSIS’ president, Khaled Ali, who said: "I’d advise you to speak to people in the region first. I wouldn’t want to be quoted until I’m sure exactly what is happening on the issue..." Ruth Hickman, a guest writer for the Guardian (05.11.96) on this particular subject, had no success in contacting FOSIS, which she spelt "PHOSIS". Nor was she able to contact Noweed Ahmed, leader of Manchester University’s Islamic Society and proposer of the motion. She did report, however, as did Q-News (25.10.96) that Noweed Ahmed had received phone calls threatening his life if the Islamic society did not drop the motion. On 1 November the Jewish Chronicle and the Manchester edition of the Jewish Telegraph reported that the Islamic Society had withdrawn the motion. The reasons for the withdrawal of the motion have not been made explicit. Noweed Ahmed commented: "My conviction in supporting the oppressed and in upholding freedom of speech has made my decision to withdraw the anti-racist motion even harder to swallow" (Q-News, 08.11.96). However, university vice-chancellor Professor Martin Harris had written to a Jewish group complaining about the motion that it was not unconstitutional: "I very much share your regrets that old wounds have been exacerbated. The university officers were in constant dialogue with lawyers to make sure that the motion was not illegal. We are obliged to make sure that the law is obeyed" (Jewish Telegraph, 08.11.96). At a meeting of the Friends of Israel at the beginning of November, Board of Deputies chief executive Neville Nagler told the audience that Hizb ut-Tahrir were the instigators of the Manchester motion. The Jewish Telegraph (08.11.96) writes that, talking of anti-Semitic groups, Mr Nagler was reported as stating that: "A more recent phenomenon was the anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism of Muslim fundamentalist organisations who were gaining the support of many young Muslims in the absence of a clear moderate voice." An article in Q-News (15.11.96) by Suhail Malik, himself a former Manchester student, draws parallels with a motion proposed by Muslim students in 1993 which also failed to reach the stage of being voted on. Faisal Bodi, the proposer of the earlier motion, criticised Muslim students for their lack of involvement in student politics: "The most pressing thing now should be to halt the tide of anti-Muslim measures threatening to wash our students onto little islands called prayer rooms which can later be held hostage to any demands Unions and universities like." In another article in the same edition of Q-News, Suhail Malik claims that: "The Board of Deputies is also believed to have put pressure on Manchester University to take action against the motion." Muslim News (29.11.96) expresses some disquiet at the formation of a ‘Group on Extremism and Intolerance on Campus’, formed by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals of Universities of the UK (CVCP). The chair of the new group is Professor Graham Zellick, vice-chancellor elect of the University of London and Principal of Queen Mary and Westfield College. He claims that the Group is "anti-extremism, not anti-Muslim and will welcome input, contributions and assistance from anyone". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 8/9] Legislation to curb dissidents At the beginning of November a private member’s bill was introduced to the Commons by Nigel Waterson (Conservative), aiming to restrict the activities of foreign dissidents based in Britain (see BMMS for July 1996). Massoud Shadjareh of the Muslim Parliament’s Human Rights Commission commented: "This bill legitimises the double standards employed against Muslims and is a licence to put the most successful opponents of friendly countries behind bars"(Q-News, 15.11.96). The Financial Times (07.11.96) has a brief article on the possibility of such legislation. The article claims that the bill would widen the offence of incitement to racial hatred by including foreign countries within its scope. A more detailed article on the same topic appears in the Diplomat (01.11.96). This is written by the diplomatic editor of the Times, Michael Binyon. Although in sympathy with the reasons behind the call for legislation, Mr Binyon believes there would be problems of defining terrorist activity and other difficulties in implementing the legislation: "One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. And the passage of tougher domestic legislation looks bumpy after the uproar following Mr Howard’s vain attempt to deport Dr al-Masa’ari to Dominica and his crackdown denying asylum-seekers social security benefits." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 9]
A meeting was held at the Islamic Pakistani Community Centre in Northampton on 11 November to discuss a fair system for the election of management committee positions (see BMMS for October 1996). At a meeting at the end of October, over 100 users of the centre arrived to vote, only to find that they were ineligible. Police were called to the resultant demonstration and the elections were postponed. A statement released by the steering committee reads: "The community members at present are very annoyed. The Islamic Pakistani Community Centre is for the whole Pakistani community and not for one group of people. We demand fair elections within four weeks" (Northampton Chronicle,11.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 9]
On 1 November the Danish government reversed its decision not to allow the author Salman Rushdie to enter the country to receive an EU prize for literature for his latest novel, The Moor’s Last Sigh (see BMMS for March, April, May, July and October 1996). On hearing that an official invitation from the Danish Minister for Culture was on its way to him, Mr Rushdie said: "I’m delighted. I gather there has been a lot of fuss in Denmark and a lot of people annoyed by their (previous) decision" (Daily Jang, 02.11.96). The reaction from Iran was that Denmark’s presentation of the prize and the reversal of its earlier decision to ban Mr Rushdie, officially on the grounds that his security could not be guaranteed, was "tantamount to seconding Rushdie’s insult to the world’s Muslims", according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mohammad Mohammadi (Daily Jang, 08.11.96). Mr Mohammadi added that Denmark’s apology to Mr Rushdie had "increased the disgust of Muslims whose religious beliefs had been insulted" (Daily Jang,08.11.96).The date was set for 13 November, but the Danish authorities said that the location of the prize-giving ceremony would be kept secret and that Mr Rushdie would be unavailable for interviews (Daily Jang,09.11.96). At a news conference before the prize-giving in Copenhagen, Mr Rushdie said that although he accepted the Danish government’s apology, he did not believe that there was any specific threat to his life: "I am not convinced, and my information from the other side of the water does not lead me to believe in the existence of any specific threat in Copenhagen, today or tomorrow...I am satisfied that the British did not inform the Danes of any specific threat" (Daily Jang, 15.11.96). The ceremony took place amid high security with no adverse incidents. On the subject of Salman Rushdie receiving a share of the Aristeion prize in Denmark for his novel, The Moor’s Last Sigh, the Daily Jang (15.11.96) carries a follow-up article. This article quotes Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyruo Rasmussen at greater length on the subject of the fatwa against Salman Rushdie: "My government and this country never, ever will fall on our knees before the fatwa...The Iranian government should, furthermore, actively discourage all individuals, groups or nations from carrying out the fatwa." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 10]
Home Office Minister Timothy Kirkhope has rejected a call by Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody for a clamp-down by the police on Hizb ut-Tahrir on campus (see BMMS for October and December 1995; January, February, March, May, August and September 1996). The MP was given a general assurance, however, that the police already had powers to deal with any racially motivated crime (Jewish Chronicle, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 10]
Tributes are paid to the late Dr Kalim Siddiqui, leader and founder member of the Muslim Parliament (see BMMS for April, May and June 1996), in two recent editions of Q-News (25.10.96, 8.11.96). A conference entitled In Pursuit of Power: the Kalim Siddiqui International Memorial Conference, organised by the Muslim Parliament and the Muslim Institute for Research and Policy, was held at the Institute of Education in London (Asian Times,31.10.96, Q-News, 08.11.96, Daily Jang, 04.11.96). The conference was addressed by scholars from many countries, including America, Canada, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Lebanon, Switzerland and Britain (Q-News, 08.11.96). The Jang reported Dr Ghayasuddin, Dr Siddiqui’s successor, as saying that Kalim Siddiqui had always stressed Muslims’ self-empowerment and that Muslims had to wage a global war against injustice and repression. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 10]
The Daily Jang (05.11.96) carries an article headed "British Muslims fear backlash over Taleban" which describes how many Muslims fear that the association of the excesses of the Taleban group in Afghanistan with Islam and Muslims in Britain, can only lead to further demonisation. Azru Merali, of the Muslim Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, said of Taleban: "It is very hard to find any Islamic ideology in what they are doing. They are abusing the texts. An example is adultery. This is punishable by death - but only if four people have witnessed penetration. This would never happen. The edicts on dress have no basis in religion. It is up to women how they dress as long as certain parts of their body are covered. This is meant to enhance their role in society." Dr Zaki Badawi of the Muslim College in London, agreed: "The Muslim community is dismayed at events particularly the treatment of women. There is a general abhorrence of events." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 10/11]
An article by Kalpana Chauhan and Salman Asif in the Daily Jang (06.11.96) elicits the views of British Pakistanis who are active in politics on the subject of the deposition of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto. The Mayoress of Newham Borough Council, Shama Khan, said: "As a whole I am not happy with the political framework in the country and cannot understand why they cannot have a proper system like they have in this country. What we need to do is to go back to the principles and messages of Allah and the Quaid-e-Azam [Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan]. We need a country where we can practise Islam, establish Islamic government and rules according to the Qu’ran. Dr Iftikhar Malik, a Pakistani historian who teaches at Bath College of HE, said: "As an expatriate Pakistani, one is inevitably disheartened to see elected governments so unceremoniously evicted, but the writing was on the wall. Benazir disappointed everyone by failing to introduce reforms in a country that cried out for immediate and drastic reforms...Perhaps we should follow the Bangladeshi government in this regard [the replacement of the prime minister] where they have resolved the problem by constitutional amendments. The head of the judiciary becomes the overseer of the government." However, the authors of the article imply that overseas Kashmiris, who are probably form the majority of Pakistanis in Britain, may see Ms Bhutto’s dismissal in a different light. Chauhan and Asif conclude their article by saying: "Chaudhry Abdur Rasheed Pothi, adviser to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir for overseas Kashmiris, regretted the fact that just as the Kashmir conflict was nearing resolution, the president of Pakistan brought hopes of its solution to a sudden end. Members of the PPP [Pakistan Peoples’ Party, headed by Benazir Bhutto] in the UK described the sacking as a ‘conspiracy against democracy’". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 11]
Internet security for Jewish groups The Jewish organisation, the Community Security Trust (CST) (see BMMS for October 1996), has warned Jewish organisations to be careful about putting sensitive information on the Internet, saying: "Do not assume that the readership of your Internet pages will be the same as that of an advertisement in the Jewish press. Anyone could come across your Internet page with very little effort" (Jewish Chronicle, 08.11.96). According to the Jewish Chronicle, the main threat is posed by "right-wing extremists and radical Muslim organisations". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 11]
Kashmiris and the Conservatives The Daily Jang (09.11.96) carries an interview with Margaret Moran, Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for Luton South, on the subject of Labour’s support for a united and independent Kashmir. Earlier this year, Ms Moran, some members of Luton’s Kashmiri community, and Kevin Hopkins, prospective parliamentary Labour candidate for Luton North, visited refugee camps in Kashmir, which inspired her to work for a solution to the Kashmir problem. She said: "I take some pride in the fact that current Labour policy on Kashmir is based on a resolution put forward by the Luton South constituency at our party conference in 1995. That policy promises to use all of Britain’s influence to bring an end to human rights violations in Kashmir and to bring all parties in the dispute to the negotiating table...They (Kashmiris) should look at what has happened over the last 17 years and see that the Tories have let them down...only a Labour government will make sure that Kashmir stays on the international agenda. Only Labour will do everything possible to broker a permanent solution." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 11]
Mohamed Fayed, the owner of Harrods and a Muslim, has given nearly £200,000 to a Christian political group founded by the Liberal Democrat MP David Alton. The organisation is the non-denominational, all-party Movement for Christian Democracy, and Mr Fayed has offered to support the movement’s newspaper, the Christian Democrat. A spokesman for Mr Fayed stressed his belief that religion should underpin the law: "He doesn’t go to the mosque, he takes a more pluralistic approach, but he does believe firmly in God" (Observer, 10.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 11]
According to Muslim News (29.11.96), some representatives of the conservative Party promised to look sympathetically at Muslim demands when they attended the UMO (Union of Muslim Organisations) fringe meeting at their recent party conference in Bournemouth. The UMO demands are: legislation against racial discrimination and incitement to racial hatred; holidays for the two major Muslim festivals; funding of Muslim schools; legislation to guarantee Muslim employees time off for Friday prayers; and the recognition of Muslim Personal Law. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 11/12]
Q-News (25.10.96) has an article commenting on the case of Yasmeen ul-Haq, who was dismissed from her employment at an estate agents in Heaton (see BMMS for October 1996). Ms Haq declined to be interviewed by the paper, but they talked to Barry Howarth of Tyne and Wear Racial Equality Council about her case. He said: "In law the discussion has been about whether people share racial characteristics. But Islam is such a diverse faith with so many different cultural manifestations that it cannot be defined as a race like Judaism or Sikhism....As far as I am concerned the Race Relations Act needs to be amended to include that kind of discrimination." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney and Stoke Newington, has an article in the Hackney Gazette & North London Advertiser (31.10.96) on Tasleem Begum, the woman murdered by her brother-in-law apparently because she was having a relationship with a man she was not married to (see BMMS for October 1996). Ms Abbott concludes her piece: "Too often, Muslims are demonised and denigrated, yet there is much to learn from Islam, particularly about discipline and the importance of family life...I also believe that people are entitled to preserve their culture and tradition while being accepted as British. Neil Kinnock’s love of Welsh culture and tradition did not make him any less a British politician. But preserving your culture and tradition should never go as far as murder." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
Q-News (08.11.96) reports on the case of a woman engineer who was sacked after coming to work in hijab. Farida Khanum, age 21, claims that when she returned to her job as an electrical engineer at the IBC (Vauxhall) car plant in Luton after doing Umrah wearing hijab, she was subjected to abuse and harassment. She was also prevented from working on the shop floor, as the foreman claimed that her headscarf was a danger to her health and safety. IBC, however, allows its Sikh employees to wear turbans while working at machinery. IBC has dismissed one appeal by Ms Khanum, but are convening another, as they claim that new allegations of racial and sexual harassment have come to light. Ms Khanum says that the company had all the information from the beginning. She intends to fight her case by taking it to an industrial tribunal if necessary: "I could walk away from it all and into a new job but there is a principle at stake here. Hijab is a right that all Muslim women should be free to exercise without fear of penalty." An anonymous spokesperson for the Society of Muslim Lawyers said: "This is a clear case of religious discrimination. A brilliant but vulnerable lady is being hounded out of her job because she chose to practise her faith. With this kind of occurrence happening on a weekly basis what other conclusion is there to be drawn than that Muslims have no place in British society?" [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
A state-owned toy firm in Iran, the Children Cultural Promotion Centre, may export a doll dressed in hijab to Britain. Ali Sajadian, Communications Officer at the Iranian Embassy in London, said: "We are waiting to see how it goes in Iran. If people want them over here we will import them" (Q-News, 25.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
University of Central Lancashire meeting A talk on the liberation of women through Islam was the subject of a meeting due to be held at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. The guest speaker was Michael Abdel Malik, a writer and broadcaster from Glasgow (Lancashire Evening Post, 04.11.96, Leyland Citizen, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
At least 300 people visited an exhibition on Islam in Gravesend called "Welcome to the Mosque". It was organised by the Gravesend and Dartford Muslim Women’s Association, whose president is Zahira Ilyas. More information on this women’s group can be obtained from Mrs Ilyas on 01474 363124 (Dartford Times, 14.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 12]
Female Muslim scholars from around the world gathered in Kensington Town Hall in London on 16 November to commemorate the birthday of Fatima Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with a conference entitled "Celebrating the empowerment of women through Islam". The day was organised by the Islamic Culture and Information Bureau and participants came from Algeria, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, the UK, Germany and Lebanon (Q-News, 15.11.96, Daily Jang, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13]
Oxfam to withdraw from Afghanistan? Q-News (15.11.96) reports that Oxfam may withdraw from Afghanistan if the Taleban movement does not relax its restrictions on women’s lives. A spokesperson from Oxfam’s office in Islamabad said: "Oxfam recognises that men, women, boys and girls have certain basic rights and notes that under Taleban decrees, women and girls have been singled out by the authorities as not having the right to work or attend schools. The denial of these rights is likely to make both women and girls more vulnerable to poverty, distress and suffering. Equally, it will restrict women’s ability to take control of their lives". An additional difficulty was the effect that the situation in Afghanistan had on Oxfam’s own internal equality of opportunity: "Our female staff can no longer work and because Oxfam does not discriminate between the sexes, we had to ask the male staff to also stay at home. When people’s basic human rights, and the UN Declaration of Human Rights, are not respected we are justified in reconsidering our position." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13]
The Muslim Women’s Swim began in 1994 with an hour a week of women-only swimming at Lewisham Baths and since then many women have learned to swim or improved their standard by attendance at the group. Any Muslim woman who would like to join the group can telephone 0181 291 2005 for more details (Muslim News, 29.11.96) [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13]
Representatives of five faith communities in the borough of Oadby and Wigston came together for a multi-faith celebration. The communities represented were: Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Christian. the Mayor of Oadby and Wigston, Jeffrey Kaufman, said: "We are a multi-cultural community, and it’s nice to be informed about what our neighbours’ beliefs and ideals are. We can all learn from each other, and I hope the event has brought a deeper understanding of each other so that we may recognise and respect the differences of people within the borough, and work together more effectively, for the good of all" (Oadby & Wigston Mail, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13]
The Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, a Christian foundation in London, organised a day of study on Islam in Britain on 30 November (Third Way, 01.11.96). The director of the Institute, Patrick Sookhdeo, has an article in the Church of England Newspaper (22.11.96). In his article, he discusses three recent instances of co-operation between Muslims and Christians: the financial support given by Mohammed Al-Fayed, the owner of Harrods, to the Movement for Christian Democracy; the collaboration of several faith communities in producing the leaflet Challenging Religious Discrimination; and joint opposition by Christians and Muslims to a proposed sex shop in Sparkhill, Birmingham. In this article, Dr Sookhdeo demonstrates some confusion on his part on the issue of indirect racial discrimination, which has been used under the existing laws against racial discrimination to gain redress for some Muslims, but which cannot be used by all, for instance, white Muslims, nor in all cases of religious discrimination. Of the three instances given, it is only to the case of joint Christian-Muslim opposition to the sex shop that Dr Sookhdeo gives his unqualified support. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13]
The Provost of Birmingham, the Very Rev Peter Berry, has embarked on a lecture tour of the US. His first lectures will be given at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, whence he goes to the University of the South in Tennessee. He said: "They have asked me to talk about the dialogue between Christians and Muslims because how the two faiths work together will be one of the most important things in the next century. It is a very important issue for the world and for Birmingham because we have 100,000 Moslems in this city, which is about ten percent of the population." Peter Berry is co-chair of the Birmingham Mirpur Friendship Association and vice-chair of the Iqbal Academy, which promotes the study of Islamic culture (Black Country Evening Mail, 14.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 13/14]
The leader of the Muslim Parliament, Dr Ghayasuddin, has condemned a gay and lesbian service which took place recently in Southwark Cathedral. He said: "That a gay and lesbian service can take place in the House of God and in the name of Jesus, with the backing of the Church of England shows the Church has become a morally bankrupt institution and has forsaken Jesus or his teachings. Muslims are left with no option but to step in and defend Jesus" (Daily Jang, 20.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14]
The Daily Jang (28.11.96) has an interview with the The Reverend Geoffrey Peters, whom it describes as "Britain’s first Pakistani vicar". He was ordained in the diocese of Chelmsford and moved to his present parish in the Manningham district of Bradford five years later. He says: "I don’t see my role to proselytise anyone to my faith. My agenda is not to convert people but to make existing Christians well equipped with the word of God. We have what you call committed Christians and liberal Christians, my main task is to make the latter’s faith stronger...I have received a tremendous amount of support from Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs. As part of my efforts to create better understanding between all communities and faiths, I openly go to mosques, temples and gurdwaras" . [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14]
A Muslim student at Imperial College, London, Ghanem Nuseibeh, has set up an interfaith group as a way of bringing together Jewish, Christian and Muslim students. Jonny Jacobs, campaigns officer of the UJS (Union of Jewish Students) said his Union looked positively on any such move "aimed at bettering relations between the faiths on campus" (Jewish Chronicle, 29.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14]
A seminar organised by the Indian Muslim Welfare Society of Batley discussed the risk to Asians of diabetes and heart disease and the importance of diet and exercise in preventing these conditions. Dr Tom Kemp, a consultant physician at Dewsbury District Hospital who specialises in diabetes and heart disease, explained how Asians in Britain were particularly at risk: "Within this group there is a 50 per cent chance of diabetes and only half that number will know anything about it. The figure among white people is two per cent" (Batley News, 24.10.96). Aziz Daji, chairing the seminar, said that the role of the Indian Muslim Welfare Society and similar groups was that: "We are trying to raise the awareness of the community and we hope that we can prevent such diseases...and then there are plans to set up support groups based at the Pakistan and Kashmir Welfare Centre and other places so that people can join these groups and get support and professional help." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14]
A leaflet on the dangers of HIV and AIDS, especially aimed at the Muslim Asian community, has been produced in the Blackburn area. It was written by Mohammed Raza, a teacher of imams from the Muslim College in London. Tahir Hussein, community education worker, said: "The Lancashire Council of Mosques has supported us in this project and imams who have read the draft have given their approval of our endeavour to educate local people" (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 31.10.96). The leaflet is being produced in English, Gujerati and Urdu. Peter Cash of the Communicare NHS trust said: "This is a very significant and learned contribution to a potentially sensitive topic" (Blackburn Citizen, 31.10.96). As a result of the publication, a course for imams and other Muslim leaders in AIDS awareness has been developed in Burnley (Burnley Citizen, 31.11.96). An article in the Asian Times (21.11.96), which reviewed the booklet, explains that no-one is immune simply because of their faith. The author of the booklet said: "It is important to understand that nothing can be more self deceiving than the belief that Muslims are immune from the havoc of AIDS. It is a scandal that for political reasons some Muslim countries have chosen to blindfold themselves to the extent of the disaster, and the media in these countries are colluding with this self deception" (Asian Times, 21.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14]
The Muslim anti-abortion campaigner, Dr Abdul Majid Katme, had a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican at the beginning of November (see BMMS for July, September and October 1996). Dr Katme made the following appeal at the meeting: "My work with my Catholic colleagues, and your delegates from the Holy See at UN conferences gives me all the more confidence that if Muslims, Catholics and all the other members of the Abrahamic faiths were to join together in their endeavours, they could change the world" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Dr Katme has a long letter to the editor published in the Daily Jang (21.11.96) concerning the question of abortion in Pakistan, about which the Jang had a feature article in October (22.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 14/15]
A national telephone helpline is now available for Asians who need help with their own alcohol abuse or because of that of a family member or friend. It is called Asianline and is available to speakers of Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and Gujerati. It is a joint initiative of Drinkline and EACH (Ethnic Alcohol Counselling in Hounslow). Zaibby Reading-Shaikh, Director of EACH, said: "Callers will be given support and advice and numbers and addresses of organisations where they can get further help. But the key element is that the counsellors will have an awareness of their culture and the particular issues they have to face... The number of Asian women callers are rising every year, as are the number of Muslim and Hindu callers" (Daily Jang, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15]
A conference held in Birmingham aims to encourage more members of Britain’s ethnic minorities to become blood and organ donors. The chair of this first LIFE conference, Anthony Hooker, transplant co-ordinator from the University of Birmingham Hospital Trust, has successfully appealed to Muslim leaders to issue a fatwa to the effect that Muslims are permitted to give and receive organs. LIFE’s initiatives should lessen the difficulties that Muslim ethnic minority patients could face due to religious, cultural or communication difficulties. With transplants, tissue types often have to be from donors of the same ethnic groups to achieve the best results, while blood types of the minority communities tend to be the rarer groups and in low supply (Birmingham Post, 18.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15]
The Banque Nationale de Paris has launched an Islamic equities investment fund. The fund is called the Caravan fund, and all its investments will be checked by a Sharia board. It will not invest in companies involved in defence, financial services, alcohol, or non halal food products. Nor will it invest in companies which derive more than 15 per cent of their income from investments or whose borrowings stand at more that 30 per cent of the value of the company. The minimum investment is $10,000. This fund follows the launch of similar ones by Flemings (see BMMS for January and May 1996) and stockbrokers Albert E Sharp (Asian Times, 31.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15]
The Islamic Foundation at Markfield, Leicestershire, recently held its fourth orientation course on Islamic Economics, Finance and Banking. The course is held in conjunction with the Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah, and Loughborough University. As a result of the Islamic Foundation’s participation in the European Universities Summer School at Barcelona and the Seminar on Islamic Banking in Madrid in July, two academics from Spain attended. They were Professor Alejandro Corrons, from Madrid university and an advisor to the EU, and Professor Jose Collado Medina of the Open University in Spain. The course aims to be a forum for discussion for Muslim economists and bankers from all over the world, and to be of benefit to local businesspeople, bankers, students and researchers. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15]
An Asian day centre has been accused of racial discrimination by former workers. Two Gujerati Hindus and a Punjabi Sikh claim that they were discriminated against by Pakistani Muslims at SubCo, a charity for elderly Asians (Time Out, 06.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15]
Q-News (08.11.96) has published a review of the ICRC (Inner Cities Religious Council) booklet Challenging Religious Discrimination. The ICRC booklet coincides with a booklet on the same theme published by the CRE (Commission for Racial Equality), (see BMMS for September 1996). Q-News claims that the CRE’s booklet only points to remedies available under existing race relations legislation and that it "followed years of lobbying from Muslim groups and embarrassing exposures of an anti-Islamic bias in the organisation". The UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs welcomed the ICRC booklet: "It is not exhaustive but it is a positive sign and a recognition that religious discrimination exists and needs to be tackled. It will assist many members of the community. We hope in due course when cases of religious discrimination are brought to the attention of Citizens Advice Bureaux and the local Racial Equality Council that we can continue to use pressure to bring about legislation against religious discrimination." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 15/16]
Robert Fisk, writing in the Independent (09.11.96) calls for more tolerance of Islam and an end to its demonisation in the Western media. His article was a taster for his talk on BBC Radio 3 at 5.45pm on 10 November, Between Two Worlds, reflections on relations between Muslims and non-Muslims inspired by his travels in the Middle East and conversations with Muslim intellectuals now based in Europe. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 16]
Walsall’s Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) has now entered the debate concerning Walsall Council’s ethnic monitoring. The council decided to ignore the guidelines of the CRE (Commission for Racial Equality) on the ethnic categorisation of staff which recommend dividing the "Asian" category into Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani. According to a UMO study, half the ethnic minority population of Walsall comprises Muslims of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian origin, but out of the total workforce of the council (11,617 employees), of whom 669 came under Walsall’s category of "black and Asian", only 30 are Muslims (Daily Jang, 14.11.96). Council personnel spokesperson, Councillor Mohammed Nazir, defending the policy, said: "I know the policy is not perfect, but we cannot give jobs simply on the basis of race. There is a lack of applications from members of these communities, which makes it difficult. The CRE recommendations were based on nationalities and we felt this was not a workable system" (Walsall Express & Star, 14.11.96). Walsall UMO spokesperson Mohammed Aslam claimed that the council policy had the effect of discriminating against Pakistanis and Bangladeshis (Walsall Express & Star, 15.11.96). Councillor Thomas Ansell, Conservative leader of the council’s personnel and resources sub-committee, said: "The sad fact is that we are simply not employing people at the moment. We are getting rid of them and have been doing so for the last four years because of financial cutbacks. I am appalled by the suggestion that we should employ people on religious grounds" (Birmingham Evening Mail, 15.11.96). Mr Aslam replied that: "The council continues to use the word Asian to mask the plight of Muslims. To the community it appears to be deliberately engaged in a policy of discrimination against a significant sector of its population. The whole purpose of an equal opportunities policy is to eliminate discrimination by detecting imbalances in its workforce" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Khalida Khan, of London’s An-Nisa Society commented on the question of Muslim identity, arguing in support of a Muslim category: "We have moved from being an immigrant community to being an indigenous one. That is evident from the outlook of second and third generation youngsters who form the largest component of our community, from their declining attachment to their parents’ culture and from the ever-increasing conversions of people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Walsall Council does, however, appear to be reacting to the criticism it has received, in that Ray Firrell, the Leader of the Council, told Muslim News (29.11.96) that they did have an established system, the EOMS (Equal Opportunity Monitoring System) and that the question would be discussed again at the beginning of December. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 16]
Q-News (15.11.96) reports on the case of a Protestant in Northern Ireland whose complaint of religious discrimination under the Province’s Fair Employment Act has been successful. The complainant, whose name was withheld from the press, was a senior executive with the dairy manufacturers, Leepatrick, who maintained that when the company was taken over by Golden Vale, a firm from the Republic, Protestant managers were discriminated against. The complainant was awarded compensation of £77,446. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 16]
A new group has been set up in Bradford, the Bradford Alliance for Racial and Community Harmony. The chairperson, The Rev Peters, explained that it is not aligned with any specific political, ethnic, or religious grouping: "We seek to bring together like-minded people and organisations, irrespective of their creed, colour, or ethnicity" (Daily Jang, 18.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 16/17]
The lack of pan-European laws against racial discrimination was highlighted by one of the CRE commissioners, Dr Z U Khan a speech in Tower Hamlets at the end of November. He explained that, through lobbying since 1991, the CRE have made some progress: "At present, the CRE have decided on a three point plan with the agreement of several organisations in other European countries calling for an Amendment to the Treaty of Rome to outlaw racial discrimination, and improved rights for people living in EC countries as third country nationals". He concluded by saying: "It would be only right and proper if in the European Year Against Racism, next year, we finally get legislation outlawing racial discrimination throughout the European Community" (Daily Jang, 29.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
An industrial tribunal in Manchester ruled that Aviation & Airport Services Ltd had unlawfully discriminated against Ibrahim Sindhi, a Muslim of Indian origin, because they failed to take action when he was subjected to racial abuse by other employees, and then dismissed him when he attempted to make a formal complaint. Mr Sindhi was called a "Paki" and derogatory remarks were made about his Muslim religion (Muslim News, 29.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
The rap group Mecca to Medina performed an anti-drug number at an evening at Stratford Town Hall on 31 October. The evening was organised by Newham Drugs Advice Project to launch a new service of theirs (Q-News, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
Glasgow produce own halal meals Glasgow City Council is to end its practise of buying in halal meals for its schools and other institutions from Bradford and instead will start producing its own halal and vegetarian meals. New council kitchens have been built in John Street and a vegetarian and halal chef have been appointed. The council’s catering services hope not only to break even, but soon to make a profit by selling halal and vegetarian meals to airlines and for VIP functions (TES Scotland, 01.11.96, Glasgow Evening Times, 11.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
A halal butcher’s shop in Wandsworth, London, has qualified for entry into the borough council’s Food Safety Award. The judging of the butchers considered to have achieved the highest standard of hygiene will take place in January (Daily Jang, 27.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
Coventry halal planning application A planning application has been received by Coventry City Council for permission to open a Muslim butcher’s shop which will have a halal poultry slaughterhouse next to it. Some neighbours from streets bordering on the proposed development have sent written objections to the planning department. The co-ordinator of the protest is Jim Canning, vicar of St. Paul’s, Foleshill, who said: "Residents are worried that everything has already been settled" (Rugby Evening Telegraph, 19.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
As a result of a charity walk in Bradford, Young Muslims UK raised £200 for leukaemia suffers. The money was raised as part of the celebrations of Islam Awareness Week in the city. The organiser of the charity walk, Leeds University student Shazia Nazia, said: "The awareness week was doubly successful - not only did it help to develop cultural bridges in the community, but it will also help to buy medical equipment for patients in hospital." Dr Liakut Parapia, Head of Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Haematology Unit, said: "We have strong links with Bradford’s community groups and it is a kind gesture by Young Muslims UK to focus their fund-raising efforts by helping patients in hospital" (Daily Jang, 28.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 17]
Updates Education The 350 pupil Al-Sadiq and al-Zahra primary school in Brent has confirmed that it is preparing to apply for grant maintained status. The school is at present funded by feepaying parents and by subsidies from the al-Khoei Foundation, and hopes to expand its numbers if it receives state funding. The director of al-Khoei, Laith Kubba, said: "The (local Muslim) schools have created a momentum of their own which will survive whether they get state aid or not. But we are hopeful. The government has been under pressure to perform on many fronts and I’m sure it knows it must deliver something to the Muslim community" (Q-News, 25.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18]
Nottingham Council’s development committee voted to keep the restriction of 250 pupils at the Jamia Al-Huddaa boarding school (see BMMS for May, June, July and September 1996), in spite of the Madni Trust, who run the school, having applied for planning permission for increased numbers (Nottingham Evening Post, 02.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18]
A Muslim school operating from a garage in Bletchley may be closed down by Milton Keynes Borough Council.. The council first became aware that the building was being used for the religious education of local Muslim children in 1994, and granted permission for it to be used on Saturdays and Sundays only (Milton Keynes Citizen, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18]
Moves to create more places for girls’ only schooling in Birmingham (see BMMS for September and October 1996) have been given a cautious welcome by Dr Muhammed Yasin, vice-chair of Saltley Parents’ Association. However, he pointed out that the proposals would mean only 30 additional girls’ only places and that moreover, Muslim parents were not happy with the delays in implementing the changes. Dr Yasin said: "We are happy that the Labour group has finally acknowledged the need for a girls-only school in the area, but we are not happy with the proposed time-scale or intake numbers." Professor Tim Brighouse, Birmingham’s chief of education, said: "We are trying to marry a long-term commitment to co-education with an expressed wish in a particular area and by a particular group for single-sex education" (Birmingham Post, 07.11.96). Councillor Sandra Jenkinson denied that the local authority was making unnecessary delays and stressed the need for further consultation processes: "We have an exciting option on which to consult" (Birmingham Post, 11.11.96). Meanwhile, parents in Saltley have submitted a petition to the education authority requesting that the co-educational Park View School be changed to an all-girls’ school. Another petition, signed by councillors and MPs, called for a city-wide increase in single-sex places. Commenting on a compromise solution being considered by the authority, Ibrahim Hewitt of the Association of Muslim Schools said: "It is obvious that if parents want single-sex places then provision can only be made at the expense of co-educational schools. The council is sitting on a very fine fence" (Q-News, 15.11.96). Dr Yasin commented: "This is not a Muslim issue. It just happens that the majority of the community in the Saltley area is from a Muslim background. Once you start saying it is a Muslim issue, then the establishment will not give you anything" (Q-News, 15.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18]
Yusuf Islam, director of the Islamia Schools in Brent, had an opportunity to discuss the education of Muslim children when he met with Bromley’s director of education, Ken Davis (Bromley & Hayes News Shopper, 06.11.96). Bromley’s SACRE (Standing Conference on Religious Education) organised an evening about Islam, which had exhibitions about the faith, demonstrations of computer software, and examples of pupils’ work. Yusuf Islam addressed the guests, who numbered about 130 (Bromley News, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18]
The Islamia Schools recently had a visit from Peter Kilfoyle and Estelle Morris, Labour’s front bench spokespeople on education and employment (Wembley Observer, 07.11.96, Paddington Times, 14.11.96, Muslim News, 29.11.96). The Islamia Schools are applying to the Funding Agency for Grant Maintained Status in December (see BMMS for December 1995; June and July 1996), but Muslim News (29.11.96) reports that they do not have the support of their Local Education Authority, Brent. When asked by Muslim News if a Labour government would support state funding for Muslim schools, Peter Kilfoyle was non-committal: "We will look at the applications on a case by case basis", he said. The same edition of Muslim News carries an editorial, headed Church and state, hand in hand, which discusses the applications of al-Furqan School in Birmingham and the Islamia Schools for state funding and sees these as being frustrated by the Church of England. The editorial concludes: "The bottom line seems to be that Lambeth Palace does not want government funds to be used for schools that would increase the influence of Islam. This was clearly demonstrated at a meeting in Birmingham between the local diocese and al-Furqan School. What happens behind closed doors, is anyone’s guess." In a letter to the editor of the Guardian (22.11.96), one of several discussing the issue of schools league tables, Ibrahim Hewitt, on behalf of the Association of Muslim Schools, comments: "The league tables illustrate how some community-run Muslim schools across the country are gaining good results on a fraction of the resources given to state schools...Meanwhile, the Government continues to limit the scope of ‘parental choice’ within the state sector to schools following Judeo-Christian and secularised traditions". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 18/19]
Delays on decision on al-Furqan, Birmingham Muslim News (29.11.96) maintains that delays by the Birmingham Diocese’s Working Party on the al-Furqan School, concerning the latter’s application for GM (grant maintained) status are the main cause of the Funding Agency not having considered the application as yet. Al-Furquan had to consult other schools in the area. Accordingly, it sent a letter to all schools in July. The Birmingham Diocese met to discuss the issue at the end of September and the first meeting of the Working Party did not take place until 30 October. The Working Party, al-Furqan School and the Association of Muslim Schools met together in the latter part of November. The Diocesan Working Party is scheduled to consider their own findings on 4 December. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
Liaquat Ali of the Bury Islamic Centre and former chair of Bury Racial Equality Council organised a tour of Bury College of Further Education for local Asian leaders, including representatives of several mosques. The group were able to appreciate the results of the £3 million which is being spent on refurbishment of the College and to discuss liaison with the local Asian community regarding adult education. Mr Ali is a governor of Bury College (Bury Times, 15.11.96, Bury Journal, 21.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
Children at St Augustine’s School, Draycott-in-the-Clay, had a day of learning about Muslim culture and the Hajj. St Augustine’s is a primary school where there are no Muslim children. Headteacher Ethney Ellwood said the children had greatly enjoyed the day: "We have been concentrating on using all the senses and the children have been looking at all aspects of the different religions" (Burton Mail, 16.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
An inner city Birmingham school, where over ninety percent of the children are from Muslim families and most come from homes where English is not the first language, has been praised by government education inspectors. The inspectors said of Montgomery Primary in Sparkbrook that in spite of difficulties, it was a "school of many strengths" (Birmingham Evening Mail, 21.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
The owner of an Islamic study centre has been fined £500 and ordered to pay £50 court costs for permitting an Islamic study centre to be used outside of the hours stipulated by the local council. In mitigation, it stated that the during the time of the offence it was the month of Ramadan and the breach of condition of use took place during a night of prayer (South Wales Argus, 21.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
Temporary permission has been granted for a house in Pear Tree, Derby, to be used as a school for teaching the Qur’an to children. The hours of operation of the school will be 4pm to 6.30pm on weekdays and 9am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. Babington ward councillor Fareed Hussein, supporting the proposal, said: "There is a desperate need for children to benefit from religious education close to their homes" (Derby Evening Telegraph, 23.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
Schools in the Manningham area of Bradford, where the majority of children are Muslims, have passed their Ofsted inspections, in spite of the social disadvantages of the area. Primary schools were found to be doing particularly well, although this improvement declined slightly at the middle school stage (Daily Jang, 25.11.96).[BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 19]
Education chiefs in Manchester have asked for a further report before going to the consultative stage in plans to reduce the number of single-sex places in the city’s schools (see BMMS for March 1996). Muslim parents have been campaigning for Whalley Range girls school to remain single-sex (Manchester Evening News, 25.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
A Bosnian supplementary school in north London is appealing for funds and other help in order to be able to offer a better service to Bosnian refugee families. The school, organised by Halima Mehdic, has fifty children between the ages of 4 and 18. The children study the Qur’an, Islam, the Bosnian language and culture. Sarah Sheriff, writing in Muslim News (29.11.96) describes how the classes take place in three small, cramped basement rooms. There is a lack of resources and materials, no play space and not even enough money to provide a decent lunch for thee children. Some parents have stopped sending their children because, on a minimum income, they have no money for transport. Other parents who can afford to bring their children have nowhere to go whilst the classes are on. A local state primary school is willing to hire some classrooms to the school, but this arrangement would cost approximately £3000 a year. The school needs donations of money and materials and help with making funding applications. The contact address is: The Bosnian Primary School, Halima Mehdic, c/o Muslim News, PO Box 380, Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 6LL. [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
SCAA Moral and Spiritual Values Muslim News (29.11.96) carries on article by Nasim Butt on the National Forum for Values in Education and the Community, set up by School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) in January 1996 (see BMMS for October 1996). The SCAA has recently produced a report entitled Promoting Moral and Spiritual Values. Nasim Butt comments on the virtues which the report considers should be promoted in schools, saying: "All these are highly agreeable virtues which Islam has a lot to say about and which Muslim schools (along with other denominational schools) are consistently promoting...Muslim schools as ‘lifeboats in a sea of secularism’ can make a very positive contribution to this rediscovered sense of morality in British society by developing guidance materials on promoting moral and spiritual values in British education." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
Mosques The council has rejected an application from the United Muslim Association to erect a marquee as a temporary measure on land allocated for a mosque in Beckton (see BMMS for April, June, July, August and September 1996). There are two Muslim groups competing to buy the land from the council. Whoever is successful will have to enter into a legal agreement with the local authority concerning the cost of parking restrictions in Kingsford Way (Docklands News, 01.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
Birmingham, Victoria Road, Aston The management committee of the Masjid-e-Noor mosque are hoping that Birmingham’s planning committee will meet before Christmas and approve plans to complete the mosque (see BMMS for October 1996). Building work ceased nine years ago because of internal disputes. These have now been resolved. The outstanding work for which permission is required is as follows: finishing boundary walls; building an extension for Islamic teaching, ablutions, a kitchen and a dining area (Birmingham Evening Mail, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
A mosque in Great Harwood has finally won permission to build an extension. Planning permission was originally denied on the grounds of unneighbourly development, lack of car parking and possible increase in traffic and disturbance. The Inspector responsible for reversing the refusal, decided that, as the mosque committee claimed, no extra space would be given over to worship or teaching, and that since the extension would be used for secular functions such as weddings and other community gatherings, then no additional nuisance would result. The Inspector also decided that the extension would not detract from residents’ privacy, nor overshadow neighbouring buildings to an unacceptable degree (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 22.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
An extra £100,000 is needed to complete the new mosque in Broadfield, Crawley. Rafik Kadri, trustee and chair of the mosque construction committee said: "We don’t have enough funds at the moment to complete the mosque. We are barely raising the running costs of £3,000 per month." The mosque committee are planning a tour of other mosques to ask for donations" (Crawley Observer, 30.10.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20]
Planning permission has been granted to convert a former naval reserve headquarters in Coventry into a mosque, in spite of some organised local opposition. Rois Ali, of the Bangladesh Islamic Society, the mosque’s proposers, answered critics by pointing out that the premises had previously been used as a bar: "That is not the case now. There will be no facilities for people to drink so there will be fewer problems, not more" (Coventry Evening Telegraph, Rugby Evening Telegraph, 18.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 20/21]
The Irish President, Mary Robinson, opened a new mosque and cultural centre in Dublin on 14 November. Other political and religious leaders were present at the opening ceremony (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 15.11.96). The site, covering four acres in Closkeagyh, south Dublin, was purchased in 1992 with financial help from the Maktoum ruling family of Dubai, who donated a total of £5 million to build the centre. The centre comprises a mosque with space for 1,000 worshippers, a mortuary, primary school, residential accommodation, restaurant, sports hall and library. Mrs Robinson was joined on the platform by the Minister of Finance for Dubai, the Mosque’s Imam, and the Vice ruler of Dubai, Hamdan Maktoum. In her speech, Mrs Robinson said: "This centre shows Muslim participation in and contribution to Ireland, socially, in education and," referring to Hamdan Maktoum, "indeed to horse-racing" (Muslim News, 29.11.96). The school teaches Irish and Arabic and children from the school sang a traditional Irish song at the ceremony. Mrs Robinson greeted the gathering by saying "Good morning" in Arabic. There are an estimated 7,000 Muslims in Ireland, of whom about 4,000 live in Dublin. They include indigenous converts, Arab, Pakistani and Malaysian communities, plus Muslims originally from South Africa, many of whom were active in the early days of the Islamic Foundation of Ireland, the organisation which founded this mosque (Muslim News, 29.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 21]
Dundee's Muslim community are applying for planning permission to build a mosque on a vacant plot of land in the city. The project co-ordinator, Bashir Doud, explained: "The population is getting bigger - I would estimate that there are around 3000 in Dundee - and their needs are more now. The plan includes an ornate mosque, designed with minarets to make it look like a proper mosque, a small community hall where people can get together and a classroom for children to take part in Islamic studies. I would say there has not been proper facilities for Islamic education in Dundee for something like 20 years now. Work will begin as soon as we get permission to go ahead, which we are hoping will be early next year. It should be completed within a year to 18 months" (Dundee Courier & Advertiser, 12.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 21]
The soundproofing of a mosque in Stanley Street, Grimsby, was discussed as a possible solution to early morning prayers disturbing residents’ sleep, but council officers insisted that the matter be referred to the environmental health department. In the meantime, restrictions as to the hours of use are to be strictly enforced. A resident of the area had complained of being woken at 3am "by someone wailing next door" (Grimsby Evening Telegraph, 21.11.96). Councillor Andrew De Freitas (Lib. Dem.) advised caution in restricting the hours: "Moslems do pray at the rising of the sun and the sun does rise before 9am" but Labour councillors quoted appeared to be less sympathetic (Grimsby Evening Telegraph, 21.11.96). The mosque’s assistant treasurer, Shahid Rafiuddin, felt that the decision amounted to religious discrimination: "It’s unfortunate that this is the only council in the country taking our freedom to pray away. We never open through the night but it may be that in summer our first prayer starts at 1.30am or 2am. This only takes five minutes and we don’t give out a call on the loudspeaker. It’s ridiculous to say we make a noise" (Yorkshire Post, 26.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 21]
The committee of the Madni Mosque in Gibbet Street, Halifax, who have recently opened an education centre next to the mosque, now plan to build a centre for social, cultural and sporting activities on the same site. The architect, John Thornton, commented: "There is a great demand for such a place, which will be very well used and of great benefit to the community. They obviously have the experience in building the education centre there which was quite recently completed. It’s quite impressive that they’ve got as far as they have entirely on their own resources" (Halifax Evening Courier, 13.11.96). Councillor Mohammed Najib (Labour, St John’s) added: "The council has totally failed to provide a centre. This way people will be able to use it whenever they wish. We believe that self-help is the solution for the local community and people will sit down and start working on the funding hopefully in the near future" (Halifax Evening Courier, 13.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 21/22]
An editorial in the City of London Recorder (15.11.96) comments approvingly on the rise in the number of mosques and Islamic centres in the Newham area. The editorial has drawn information from market research carried out by Mansfield Construction, a firm in the East End of London which specialises in mosque building. The column quotes the managing director of Mansfield, Gulzar Ahmad, who stresses the economic benefits to an area of this type of development: "Run-down and derelict sites can be replaced by vibrant buildings which can enhance the area’s appearance. Local people and craftsmen benefit". [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
Dr Raveend Khwaja, chair of the Save the Ihsan Mosque Committee, which represents the Muslims locked out of the Norwich mosque (see BMMS for August, September, October and November 1995; February, March, April, May and October 1996) has told the Eastern Daily Press (01.11.96), that his group intends to take the group controlling the mosque to court. He said: "We are continuing on the side of Islam but what can we do? The mosque is not opening. We cannot carry on indefinitely. We have spent a year in the park, in rain and snow. We will be seeking an injunction to get access for prayer." [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
Southampton City Council has given permission for a mosque to be built on the site of a former pub in Northumberland Road. Construction should start shortly now that planning permission has been granted (Eastern Eye, 01.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
The trustees of a mosque in Southend have reluctantly decided to put grilles on the windows, after vandals caused over £600 worth of damage. The mosque and its worshippers have suffered sporadic vandalism and abuse in recent years, but this reached a peak after the recent football match between Southend United and Manchester City. Tariq Hussein, secretary of the Southend Islamic Trust, said: "For a long time we have had vandalism, with small windows smashed or shoes stolen when the congregation takes them off for prayer. But this is a big loss so we have to do something. it was not a case of someone just throwing something at the window because the wired glass is so strong it would only shatter. They have gone right into the grounds and hit it with such force it has smashed." Officer Gregory Barrington-Smith of Westcliff police added: "I do not think it was racially motivated as the mosque is an old church that has been converted and except for the sign outside it looks as if it is not used. We had police officers out in their dozens on the night of the match, but they cannot be everywhere. Now this is something we are aware of we will put more officers there next time" (Southend Standard Recorder, 07.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
The Secretary for the Environment, John Gummer, is to allow the sale of the former Queeenstown School site to the Thamesdown Islamic Society for £250,000 (Swindon Evening Advertiser, 05.11.96). The previous offer of £133,000 was rejected as being only half the market price (see BMMS for July and August 1996). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
Wolverhampton, Sweetman Street A plan to turn a former laundry into a mosque in Wolverhampton has met with opposition from some local residents. A group of residents in Whitmore Reans has raised a petition of 150 signatures against the proposed mosque, claiming that parking problems and traffic congestion would result (Wolverhampton Express & Star, 20.11.96). Local Muslim community leader Ali Assan denied that there would be such problems: "About 80 car parking spaces would be provided on the site...the number of spaces would be more than adequate because most people using the mosque would come from the immediate locality and would walk. Residents can be assured that the scheme would not cause any extra parking problems in the surrounding streets. Our existing mosque is too small for our needs and has only about a dozen parking spaces" (Wolverhampton Express & Star, 21.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
Burials Marcus Khaliel, whose child’s gravestone in the High Wycombe Cemetery was one of those desecrated by vandals recently (see BMMS for September and October 1996) expressed his anger at a meeting called to discuss the issue. The Wycombe District Council’s Community Relations Forum heard of the damage that this vandalism had caused not only to the bereaved Muslims, but also to community relations in the town (Bucks Free Press, 08.11.96). [BMMS November 1996 Vol. IV, No. 11, p. 22]
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