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British Muslims Monthly Survey for April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4
Features
Reports
Community Prince’s visit to Batley centre Mosque leader fights deportation Controversy of boxing sponsorship Arson attack at Barnsley centre Portsmouth community leader dies Thousands attend Blackburn funeral Police increase controls around festivals Islamic centre raises money for hospice Religious music too loud for neighbour Lottery row over Blackburn centre New broadcasting guidelines to avoid offence
Education Bid for Muslim school rejected Plans for education centre rejected School mosque visit sparks row Nation of Islam school faces closure Demands for single-sex education Concerns for minorities in education
Politics
Racism Bradford community leaders unite Discrimination in legal profession
Women Fund-raiser for women’s association Muslim undergraduates more religious
Youth Understanding Islam training day
Interfaith
Halal
Health Replacement kidney needed for boy
Mosques & Burials Bishop’s Stortford, The Causeway
Features In the run up to the elections for the Scottish Parliament, Muslims in Scotland were expressing their disappointment to some of the recent policies if the Scottish National Party (SNP). Many newspapers picked up on the comments of Alex Salmond’s, leader of the SNP, about the war in Kosovo describing the action taken by NATO as "unpardonable folly", and claimed that this could damage SNP votes, especially in key areas such as Glasgow Govan where the Labour hold is marginal. Dr Muhammad Kausar, general secretary of the Glasgow Central Mosque’s Islamic Centre, said Mr Salmond’s words in a television broadcast undermined the significant headway the SNP had made in persuading Asians to vote for the party, and that his insensitive comments had injured the feelings of Scottish Muslims (The Scotsman, 19.04.99). However, Mr Salmond defended his stance and claimed that many Muslims, after hearing the explanation for his criticisms, supported his views. He said: "The Asian community is no different from any other community in Scotland. There will be those for and those against. It would be quite wrong to say that there is only one Asian view in favour of the bombing of Serbia by the Government" (The Scotsman, 20.04.99). However, Mr Salmond seemed to damage his standing amongst Muslims again when, at a Catholic Head Teachers Association of Scotland meeting, he said he would not extend public funding for Islamic or Jewish schools in Scotland, although Catholic schools would continue to get state funding. These remarks surprised and angered the Scottish Jewish and Muslim communities. Bashir Maan, a Labour councillor in Glasgow, said: "If Mr Salmond is preserving and maintaining Catholic schools, he has no valid reason to say he’s not going to support anybody else. If he said he was not going to support any religious state school, that would make sense, but this is nonsense." Mr Salmond said: "People can set up schools if they wish, but not within the state system because it is a different arrangement that was entered into from the 1918 Act to the present situation." However, Lindsay Paterson, Edinburgh University professor of education, argued that if there are separate schools for Catholics, then there could also be separate schools for Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, Jews and atheists if wanted, which was welcomed by Jewish and Muslim leaders who have been campaigning for state funded schools for decades (The Scotsman, 30.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 1]
Following the nail bomb attacks in Brick Lane, east London, and Brixton, south London, Muslims in nearby areas increased vigilance for fear of the attacks escalating to other Muslim or ethnic minority areas. In Northampton, Raja Usman, president of the Pakistani Community Centre, called for extra police patrols and for people to be more alert. Mr Usman said: "It is important that ethnic groups in Northampton don’t panic, but everyone must be extra vigilant around our community centres because they are the most obvious targets in town…The community centres have been targeted by racists over the past two years, but so far it has only taken the form of three or four stone-throwing attacks which have broken windows. The chances of a bomb going off in Northampton are very remote, but we must remain on the lookout for any suspicious activity around our community centres" (Northampton Chronicle, 27.04.99). In Leicester, many people stayed away from the town centre over the weekend following the bombs. Traders say people feared a repeat of the attacks, and it was estimated that trade was down 50 per cent that weekend (Leicester Mercury, 03.05.99). Muslim News (30.04.99) highlights the media’s reporting of the event, saying that before the identity of the bomber was known, Islamophobia was being revived in the British media. They point to newspapers such as The Times (19.04.99) and The Daily Telegraph (19.04.99) which make reference to the possibility of a link between the bombs and "Middle Eastern terrorists," (The Times) or "Islamic fundamentalists," (The Daily Telegraph). Muslim News point out that the Muslim community have recently been meeting with the media and politicians to discuss the way Muslims are reported and the terminology that is used in reference to Muslims. The Guardian and The Times, in meetings with the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), agreed that the MCB should send in "human" stories and information about festivals for them to consider. The Guardian also produced a list of the usage in its previous 100 issues, of various terms in relation to Islam and compared them with its description of Christians and Christianity. The words most frequently used with Islam/Islamic were militants (16 times); extremism/ist (15); group(s) (13); republic (13); fundamentalism/ist (8); state(s) (8); Jihad (7); Law (6); terrorism/ist (6); Salvation Front (5); movement(s) (3); and world (3). Those used with Christianity/Christians were Democrats (13); Aid (8); church/es (7); name (5); Right (5); conservatives (3); millennium (3); tradition (3); approach (2); belief/s (2); and charity (2) (Muslim News, 30.04.99, also printed in The Common Good, newsletter of the MCB, 01.03.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 1/2]
In a new initiative to recruit members of the ethnic minorities, the Armed Forces have introduced halal ration packs. At a celebratory event held aboard HMS President, Captain Cameron, Assistant Director of the Royal Navy’s Ethnic Minority Recruitment Team, said: "The food is a metaphor for the way in which the Armed Forces are trying to diversify the way in which they run their organisations in order to be more attractive to a wider variety of people." He added: "We have doubled the number of ethnic minority recruits over the past two years." The Minister of Armed Forces, Doug Henderson, was invited to taste the halal food, prepared by an award-winning chef, and claimed it was of good quality. He said: "Good food is a reward for hard work and physical exer cise. Whatever your ethnic background you need a good meal at the end of the day." The ration packs are already being used and it is said that they are designed to ensure that Muslims in the Armed Forces have access to halal food "whether they be in the arctic or in the jungles." Keith Manchanda, Ethnic Minorities Liaison Officer for the Royal Navy, which is more successful in attracting Muslims than the Army and Air Force, said: "You do not have to be white or Christian to join the Royal Navy. We are now living in a multi racial, multi cultural society and we need to reflect the society we serve... We will not take no for an answer." Some of the provisions the Royal Navy have made include allowing women to cover their arms and legs, and providing prayer facilities (Q News, No304, 01.04.99). A major initiative to recruit more soldiers for the Army has met with resistance because minority groups believe the armed forces are ‘institutionally racist’. Bimla Krishna, secretary of the National Council of Hindu Temples, said: "Until the Army addresses racism, ethnic minorities just won’t join. There is a lot of racism in the Army and there would be more Asian and black recruits in these fields if there was less." However, Captain John Wakelin, of the Royal Gloucester, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, who recently tried to recruit more ethnic minorities at an event in Slough, said the Army’s image of racism is outdated: "Racism isn’t the issue it perhaps was 15 years ago. The Army has changed like society has changed. We provide Halal meat for Muslims recruits, for example," he said, adding: "We have had a bad press in the past, but racism is not a problem any more." However, this is not the way the Army is sometimes perceived by minorities. Altaf Chowdury, a student from Maidenhead, said: "I am completely against joining the Army because they are blatantly racist." He added that it would be particularly resisted by Muslims: "If I, a Muslim, joined the Army, I would be forced to fight against my fellow Muslims, which is unacceptable because Muslims believe in unity. For some reason, whenever there’s a war, it’s always against Muslims and I couldn’t take part in that." It seems more likely that the Army will recruit Sikhs as they do not carry the same political baggage, which was probably why the recruitment event was held at Baylis Park in Slough on the day the Sikh community celebrated the tricentenary of the Sikh Nation. Currently the national average of ethnic minorities in the Army is one per cent, which the regiment hopes to increase to five per cent by the year 2002 (Maidenhead Advertiser, 01.04.99). Meanwhile, a former soldier who said he was the victim of institutionalised racism during his thirteen years of military service has won the right to take the army to the High Court over the rejection of his complaints. Iftikhar Mirza, a British citizen born of Pakistani parents, says he suffered verbal and physical abuse and despite his exemplary record, he was refused promotion. On one occasion he was assaulted by soldiers dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes and beaten so badly he was taken into custody for his own protection (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). Mr Mirza, 33, took the Ministry of Defence to an industrial tribunal in 1995, but was told that the tribunal had no power to hear complaints by members of the armed services. Last July, the Army Board had concluded that there was no real evidence that the incidents were racially motivated (The Guardian, 17.04.99, Stafford Express & Star, 17.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 2]
Reports Community The trial of the eight British men being held in Yemen on terrorism charges was postponed for a third time because the defence lawyers refused to attend the hearings (See British Muslims Monthly Survey for January, February and March 1999). They had previously boycotted the hearings in protest at what they said were the court’s illegal actions. Badr Basunaid, a member of the defence team, said: "We have not been able to mount an effective defence because of the unfair court procedures, which violate the rights of the accused. We will not return until the problem is solved." He added that the lawyers would be meeting with the judge and other officials for lunch at the home of Aden governor Taha Ghanem, and would discuss their grievances with them. Senior defence lawyer Sheikh Tareq Abdullah said: "We expect the hearings will become fair and we will return to court after our meeting" (Yorkshire Post, 08.04.99, Birmingham Post, 08.04.99). Muslim News (30.04.99) has reported that the Yemeni judge in charge of the trial of the eight men held on terrorism charges has finally agreed to allow an independent Western doctor to examine the men. The decision came after Tony Blair had expressed his concerns and asked the Yemeni government to allow an independent doctor to examine the detainees in the presence of a human rights lawyer. Meanwhile, it has been suggested to the defence lawyers that their clients may be convicted "within the month," but then deported to Britain to serve their sentences. It is said the Yemenis want to repair their image before an international conference on "emerging democracies" to be held in Sana’a, where Hillary Clinton will be the main speaker. Yemeni officials are also still calling for Abu Hamza al-Masri to face trial in Britain (The Times, 06.05.99, Financial Times, 06.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 3]
Hundreds of people from Lancashire’s Muslim community turned out to attend the funeral of murdered husband and wife Mohammed and Bilquis Karim (See BMMS for March 1999). The bodies of the couple were found in the back room of their jewellers shop in Preston, at the end of March, by their sons, who had begun to worry after their father failed to pick up his grandchildren from school. Ajaib Hussain, secretary of Little Harwood mosque, said: "They were a very nice couple who were both well liked by everyone in the community. I have known Mr Karim personally for 30 years and he always helped the mosque and the community in any way he could. It is a tragedy what has happened to both of them." Yusif Janvirmani, Blackburn town councillor, said: "Prayers were said for the dead to rest their souls in peace and God. Mr and Mrs Karim were very generous people who will be greatly missed by a lot of people." Detectives investigating the murders said the couple suffered horrific injuries, and the bodies were only released by pathologists one month later. Two teenagers from Preston have been charged with their murder (Lancashire Evening Post, 15.04.99, Q News, No304, 01.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 3] Prince’s visit to Batley centre Prince Charles arrived in Batley in April to officially open the Al-Hikmah Centre, which is funded by local council grants and by the Prince’s Trust. The centre is run by the Indian Muslim Welfare Society (IMWS), and provides space for sports events, weddings, conferences and exhibitions, as well as providing support groups and grants for setting up businesses. The Prince was welcomed to the centre by the IMWS chairman, Mr Abdul Aziz Daji, on behalf of the 450 invited guests. The Prince said he was "immensely pleased" to visit Batley, to see the centre and some of the people who had contributed so well to it’s running. He went on to say: "I am very impressed by the work of the Indian Muslim Welfare Society and how, over the last 40 years, it has cared for the social, economic and religious needs of the Muslim community in Batley, one of the largest in the UK." He also expressed his delight at the fact that the Prince’s Trust is a partner in the new regional youth work unit for Yorkshire and Humberside, which is based at the centre (Batley News, 22.04.99). The Prince listened to recitations of the Qur’an by three school children, and praised 12-year old hafiz Mohammed Navsarkka, saying: "It was very special to hear it recited so well and with such assurance by someone aged just 12." Prince Charles acknowledged the day of the event, the first of Muharram, and ended by wishing the "Muslim community a happy and prosperous new year," before unveiling a gold plaque marking his visit to the centre (Muslim News, 30.04.99, Yorkshire Evening Post, 17.04.99, Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 17.04.99, Hello Magazine, 04.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 3] Q News (No304, 01.04.99) features an article written by Aaqil Ahmed, a producer who has been involved in making programmes for the BBC. He writes that there is a need for programmes to be made for Muslims and not just about Muslims. He also asks why stories about Islam and Muslims tend to slip into the Asian category. He gives the example of a film he made for the BBC series "East" about haraam (prohibited) meat being sold as halal, as this is a subject that concerns the diverse community of Muslims in Britain and not just the Asian one. He says that the situation has to change because the Asian programming department is likely to become outdated. Mr Ahmed is currently producing "Aki’s Journey", a programme for the BBC on Islam in Britain. This debate has also been picked up by Lord Ahmed, who recently spoke of the dissatisfaction and disappointment of the Muslim community in the House of Lords. He said that there was a need for programmes for the Muslim community as they should be getting something in return for the licence fee that they pay, as the currently popular consumerist and materialist programmes are not what most Muslims want to see. He said: "It seems that two million British Muslims have no category or department to go to. The BBC has abdicated its responsibility to British Muslims by including a broader category of "Asians" who seem to concentrate on cheap and superficial programmes related to fashion, Balti and Bollywood. What has happened to serious journalism?" Lord Ahmed has written to the director-general and the secretary of the BBC on behalf of the Muslim community, and is still waiting for information. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 3/4] Q News (No304, 01.04.99) has commented on reports that the Swedish furniture store IKEA in Bristol banned entry to bearded men, in an attempt to control the number of people flooding into the newly opened store. Q News has suggested that this move was discriminatory against Muslims. But the operations manager, Jack Jackson, at the Bristol branch denied they were targeting Muslims. He said: "It was just a strategy devised by our marketing team." When asked why they had discriminated specifically against beards and not moustaches or hair or anything else, the explanation was somewhat baffling: "The store was going to be busy so we encouraged people to use better transport," said Mr Jackson. However, he added that although they used a strange marketing ploy, no customer had yet been denied entry for having a beard. Q News claims that the store will be issuing ‘beard permits’ to those bearded customers determined to shop at IKEA. They also point out that researchers have established that there is a general distrust of bearded men. They add that IKEA’s reverse psychology of attracting customers by offending them may have worked with Britons who objected to its ‘Stop being so British’ commercials, but it is less likely to work with Muslim men for whom this ‘beardophobia’ will add to the reality of how it feels to look like a Muslim in Britain. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 4] Visitors attending the Woking Mela to be held in July will be able to tour the Shah Jehan mosque as part of the festival. Funded by the Woking Council it is said that the mela is the first of its kind in the country to take place in a mosque. The event aims to involve the whole of Maybury and Sheerwater and link up with local churches. Proceeds of the mela will be donated to local charities (Q News, No304, 01.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 4] Various groups across the country have been raising money to help Kosovan refugees. The Dundee Islamic Society set a fund-raising target of £10,000 to help the Kosovan refugees. Treasurer Abdul Fazlani, said: "We have also collected a truck-full of clothes from the Muslim community. We are also hoping to raise £10,000 which will be sent down to the charity Muslim Aid in London. We’ve got £7,945 so far." Anyone wishing to make a donation to the society’s charity account can do so at the Bank of Scotland, account number 00796237 (Dundee Courier & Advertiser, 14.04.99, Dundee Evening Telegraph, 13.04.99). Groups in East Lancashire have also been raising money. Islamic Relief for the time being, is concentrating on providing emergency assistance for the thousands of people who have crossed the border. Athman Khan, of the Blackburn branch, said: "We have already spent $365,000 on Kosovo, but we urgently need more funds, clothes and food. Money has already been coming in which will help us to provide food and clothing to the refugees as they cross the border and then try to find them food and shelter." Donations to Islamic Relief can be made by contacting 01254 676318 (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 02.04.99), or for Birmingham, 0121 773 4111 (Birmingham Evening Mail, 01.04.99). The Muslim community in Walsall, through their 13 mosques, raised £10,000, and hoped to reach a target of £25,000 by the end of April. The community, in conjunction with the Walsall Aid Convoy, is planning to send aid to the refugees in Albania. Black cab and private hire taxis in Walsall have donated £1,500 to the Kosovo relief fund (Walsall Observer, 16.04.99). In Ipswich, worshippers at the Bond Street mosque raised £880 towards Kosovo funds. The money was forwarded to a charity for the refugees based at Regent’s Park Mosque in London (East Anglian Daily Times, 20.04.99). Two city mosques in Peterborough raised £4,700 in a day after Friday prayers. All the money was passed on to the international charity, Muslim Hands, who have already sent aid and relief workers to refugee camps in Albania. Ansar Ali, one of the fund-raising organisers, said: "There was an announcement in both mosques during Friday prayers that there would be a collection for the refugees – and people were very generous in their response. In the Koran, our Holy Book, we are told we must help anywhere there is human suffering in any way we can." The Peterborough UNICEF office also received more than £2,000 for its appeal to provide medical supplies for Kosovan children (Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 22.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 4] Mosque leader fights deportation The imam at a mosque in Oldham faces deportation after being accused by government ministers of funding terrorists. Shafiq ur Rehman, imam at Ross Street mosque in Oldham, has appealed against the ruling that will send him back to Pakistan. The Home Office alleges that he raised money for an Islamic political party that has a military wing. But Mr Rehman says the money that he raised was used to fund hospitals and schools which are run by the MDI Party. His solicitor, Amjad Malik, said that Mr Rehman has no links with terrorism or the terrorists. Mr Rehman came to Britain in 1993 to join his parents, who have British citizenship, after he completed his MA in Islamic Studies in Pakistan. He took up work at the mosque a few years later. Mr Malik said: "If my client was to be deported, it would mean him leaving behind his parents, two children and his wife, who are all in Britain. He has no immediate family in Pakistan." Mr Rehman admits meeting the MDI leader Mohammed Saeed, in 1995, when he came to Britain to give a series of speeches and to raise money to send to the MDI head office. But Mr Malik said: "MDI is a vast project. It covers health, welfare, schools, universities and hospitals, but it also has this military wing. The Home Office alleges that he was recruiting people here for them. We have appealed and have independent counsel working in London, but there is no legal aid available to us." He added that he has asked for 14 witnesses, including the Home Secretary, Jack Straw, the prime minister of Pakistan, and several newspaper editors to give evidence to the appeal hearing in June (Oldham Evening Chronicle, 07.04.99, Manchester Evening News, 06.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 4/5] The City Hospital in Nottingham opened a new prayer room to be used by Muslim staff, patients and their relatives. Before the official opening of the room, Dr Moosa Suleman said the room would bring a much needed service to the hospital: "There are about ten Muslim doctors at the City Hospital and many more relatives and patients. We have been using a room at the back of the chapel, and although it was very welcome, it has not been ideal. We have been asking the hospital for the last year to get a Muslim prayer room which is needed not only for the doctors, but for the relatives of sick patients. The Queen’s Medical Centre has a multi-faith centre and this new prayer room will now give relatives and staff at the City Hospital somewhere to pray if they need to." The money for converting a disused room into a prayer room with adequate facilities came from the hospital’s capital funds. Dr Suleman added: "We are grateful to the capital services manager, Lucy Dadge and her team, especially Mr Ford, who have been instrumental in helping this become a reality." Christine Goldstraw, director of operational services at the hospital, said: "We are very grateful to Dr Suleman, who has advised us of the needs of the Muslim community. We now plan to talk to the international office at the University of Nottingham so we can plan how to cater for all faiths. In today’s multicultural society it’s important staff, patients and their relatives have access to private facilities, whatever their faith" (Nottingham Evening Post, 07.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 5] Controversy of boxing sponsorship Prince Naseem Hamed came under attack when he was accused of betraying his faith because his recent WBO world title fight was sponsored by the beer company Budweiser. The Daily Star, who describe Hamed as a devout Muslim, say he has spent his career fighting off sponsors with links to alcohol and has always insisted his Islamic beliefs come before any commercial interests. Since splitting from his manager and trainer Bernard Ingle four months ago after 18 years, Hamed formed Prince Promotions with his brothers Riath and Nabeel. But Ingle criticised the new management saying: "He’s betraying his faith and is chasing the bad money. His religion abhors drink. When Frank Warren was promoting, Naseem wouldn’t let him have anything to do with alcohol." And apparently this move provoked anger amongst some Muslim groups. Ayub Laher, general secretary of the Bradford Council of Mosques, said Hamed should give the money received from Budweiser to charity. He said: "If people like him start taking sponsorship from sources against basic Islamic beliefs, then it’s a sorry state of affairs." Iqbal Sacranie, general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, is quoted as saying: "To consume or transact in business where alcohol is the product is prohibited under Islamic law." A spokesperson for Hamed only said: "The Hamed brothers were deliberately not involved in negotiations concerning the Budweiser sponsorship of this fight" (Daily Star, 09.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 5] Three men stabbed at the West London Islamic Centre are said to be making a full recovery. The attack happened on Eid as some Muslims had congregated outside the mosque after prayers. Syed Muhammad Ali, the secretary of the mosque, said: "It was an unprovoked attack on Muslims. First the youths started shouting abuse from the council estate across the road and then they came down hiding the knives behind their backs. They slashed three of us right in front of the young children who had come to the mosque to celebrate Eid" (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). Leaders at the centre appealed for their young followers not to take action against the four youths as they do not want to stir further violence. Syed Ali, an elder at the centre, said: "I’ve appealed for calm and told the younger Muslims that the police are doing their jobs properly. I know the ringleader very well as there were about 35 witnesses to the stabbing. I’ve seen him on the streets but so far he has avoided arrest" (Ealing & Acton Gazette, 09.04.99). Members of the gang were both white and black, but the incident was reported in the local press as "racist." The attackers were arrested and have been released on bail. Witnesses will be called to an identity parade on May 13 (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 5] Arson attack at Barnsley centre A Muslim community centre in Barnsley was severely damaged after burglars started a fire to cover a break-in. The Al Quba centre on Perseverance Street was the social centre for Muslim groups in the town. Fire groups battled for six hours to bring the blaze under control. They managed to stop the blaze from spreading into houses next door, but the homes suffered roof damage from the flames. Barnsley station officer Dave Lewin said his crews had found signs of forced entry. He said: "One of the people at the centre was there at 9:30 last night and everything was fine. It looks like it was started soon after he left as it had clearly been burning for some time. There were clear signs of a forced entry at the back of the building. The fire had been started at the foot of the stairs and been drawn up to the first floor in a tunnel effect." Three collection boxes were stolen from the centre and a gas fire had been ripped from the wall. Barnsley CID officers are investigating the blaze (Barnsley Star, 10.04.99, Sheffield Star, 10.04.99, Barnsley Star, 14.04.99). Muslims and local councillors in Barnsley are working together after the attack. Police are investigating whether the attack was racially motivated. The council and community leaders will invite police, health and voluntary agencies to join their group to help the Muslim community with financial assistance if alternative premises are needed. Councillor Alan Gardiner, spokesman for community safety, said: "The council will offer the local Muslim community support and assistance and we will work together to develop a safe environment for the community." Naeem Jarral, Al-Quba centre secretary, said: "We welcome the setting up of the working party and the interest the council has shown. We were very pleased when the council reassured us it will do everything it can to help. First we must look at the reasons behind the attack so we can learn what is happening to us. Then we must re-establish the community centre as quickly as possible and consider how we can safeguard it." It took three years to raise the £50,000 needed to open the centre, which is used for teaching and social events. Days before the arson windows at the centre were smashed and racist graffiti were daubed on the walls. The police are urging anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (Barnsley Star, 27.04.99). The Anti-Nazi League (ANL) in Barnsley has also launched a campaign to help the Muslims. A spokesman for the ANL said: "We have already launched a petition condemning the attack and the response has been excellent. The overwhelming majority of people already approached are both horrified and angry at what has happened. This shows just how isolated the racist thugs are who perpetrated this atrocity… If thousands of Barnsley folk donated money to help rebuild the centre this would be the most striking demonstration of solidarity with Barnsley Muslims. It would demonstrate that local people welcome their presence in the town" (Doncaster Star, 01.05.99, Barnsley Star, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 5/6] An Islamic Awareness Week was organised in Rotherham, in which Eid al-Adha was the central event. There was also to be an exhibition of Islamic art at Rotherham Library and two major lectures – The Future of Muslims in Britain and Why I Chose Islam (Barnsley Star, 12.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 6] Portsmouth community leader dies Members of all faiths gathered to pay tribute to Mullah Bashir Rahim who died, aged 68, after failing to recover from surgery for stomach cancer. Mullah Rahim was responsible for setting up prayer rooms in Queen Alexandra and St Mary’s Hospitals and ensuring that Muslims treated at the hospitals could receive halal meals. But he will be best remembered for his inter-faith work. He liased with schools and places of worship of all religions to ensure better understanding and tolerance. Jaffer Dhamramsi, the president of the Council of the European Muslim Communities, said: "It is a very great loss. When he came here it was not long before people began to refer to him as Mullah because of his knowledge of the faith and Islamic law. He was a great man and was instrumental in building up the community and encouraging others to get involved with inter-faith groups and the equal voice group. We will try to carry on the work he has carried out so well." Born in Zanzibar in east Africa, Mullah Rahim studied law at university in London and served as the Tanzanian ambassador to Europe in Brussels, retiring in 1988 which is when he moved to Portsmouth. He was buried in Fareham cemetery where he had recently helped to acquire a plot for Muslim burials (Portsmouth News, 13.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 6] Thousands attend Blackburn funeral Thousands of people filled the streets of Blackburn to attend the funeral of community leader Mohammed Aslam, who died, aged 65, of a liver infection. Around 3,500 people from all over the country joined a procession from Pringle Street in Blackburn, to Amina Hall in Newton Street, where the funeral service took place. Blackburn and Darwin councillor, Akhtar Hussain, said: "This is the biggest funeral I have seen in Blackburn. It was a moving occasion which left people crying in the street. Mohammed Aslam will be remembered for the work he did for Islam and the spiritual teaching he offered to youngsters." Mr Aslam, known by the title Khawaja Sufi, moved to England in 1963, and worked in factories as well as spending time teaching Muslims. He also visited prisons in different towns across the country, offering spiritual teaching to youngsters. He is survived by three sons, aged 43, 25 and 24 (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 15.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 6] Q News (No 035, 01.05.99) carries an interview with Waheed Qaiser, Customer Services Manager of the Islamic Investment Banking Unit (IIBU), which has recently launched a new Shari’a-based mortgage (See BMMS for December 1998 and February 1999). In the questions they ask why the new plan is different from those previously set up by the IIBU; how the new Ijara plan works; how competitive it is compared with interest based mortgages; how the interest based mortgages can be replaced; who is eligible to apply for an Ijara plan; the down payment required and the maximum term for the plan. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 6] An event held in Brent to promote religious tolerance, was attended by up to 7,000 people, say organisers. The event was held at the Al-Khoei Foundation School in Chevening Road, Brondesbury, and was advertised on local radio to promote the event and attract greater numbers of people. The festival included entertainment from musicians, clowns, face painters, and a fun fare. Councillor Ahmad Shahzad of Brent Community Muslim Forum said: "The weather was very good which helped. It was a beautiful day." A BBC film crew was also there to record the event (Wembley & Brent Times, 15.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 6/7]
Police increase controls around festivals The decision by Southall Police to cordon off areas of the town centre during Muslim and Sikh festivals, to prevent outsiders from entering, has come in for criticism. Police officers decided to seal off the town centre for Eid al-Adha and Vaisakhi to prevent cars racing up and down the Broadway, and to prevent the centre being overrun by youths from other cities, after the trouble they experienced during Eid al-Fitr, when around 500 youths caused trouble in the centre, throwing bottles and abusing passers-by in an attempt to spark off confrontation. But Godfrey Cremer, director of the Ealing Racial Equality Council, said: "I am concerned about the way Southall is managed on these festival days and the direction in which it is taking us." Speaking at a meeting of the Southall Community Network, a forum for local voluntary organisations, he said the police’s initiative to turn people away had made Southall a "no go area" which annoyed many young people. He added: "Some young people I spoke to seemed to be very annoyed. They said they had come to join a celebration and were being turned away. We have to ask how this ties in with Southall being made into a an attraction and getting people to come here." He also said that Slough Racial Equality Council had received many complaints from young people. However, Chief Superintendent Mike Smythe of the local police said the initiative had the "overwhelming support" of the community. He said that "shows of strength" by Muslims the day after Eid were "not about tourism or celebrating a festival...that sort of thing could destroy Southall and that is what we are working to prevent," adding that of the 684 people the police had stopped, only 37 were from Southall. Ealing Southall MP Piara Khabra, who is a Sikh, said: "The Muslim community is equally concerned about the behaviour of these people, who are deliberately trying to disrupt the peaceful life of this town. I have not heard of a single example of the police acting unreasonably. Mr Cremer is out of touch." Abdul Shahid, secretary of the Abu Bakr Mosque Trust, said: "Mr Smythe has the full backing of our community. We do not mind the police stopping people coming here because it is not part of our culture. They are abusing our community" (Southall Gazette, 16.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Members of the Khuddam-ul-Ahmadiyya Association invited residents from Merton and Wandsworth to join them in a charity marathon walk. The association has held the event for 13 years, and raises money for various charities. The complete route was 26 miles, but a half marathon route was also available. Part of the money raised by the walkers went to the Merton OASIS Project which was set up to cater for the needs of black and ethnic minority people with mental health problems (Putney News, 16.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Worshippers at the Masjid Noor mosque in Thornton Lodge Rd, and pupils at the Islamic Girls’ High School in Huddersfield, raised £900 from donations, for the Heart of Huddersfield Appeal (Huddersfield Examiner, 17.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Three centres in Tipton are taking part in a pilot scheme to take on grant aided status. St Paul’s community centre, Jubilee Park and Tipton Muslim Centre will set up management committees to run the buildings and their services. Education and community services director Stuart Gallacher said in a report to councillors that the scheme aims to develop local community management of the centres and the services they provide. The initiative hopes to ensure the services meet the needs of the local community. Mr Gallacher said: "Under this scheme, community centres should be managed by an organisation that is open to, and representative of the community it serves." The council will give £8,000 to St Paul’s, £4,000 to Jubilee Park, and £4,600 to the Muslim centre to cover running costs in the first year of operation (Kidderminster Express & Star, 20.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Islamic centre raises money for hospice Worshippers at the Islamic Centre in Shelton donated £365 to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice. The money was collected in half an hour at the juma’ prayer on Good Friday. Islamic Centre trustee, Rana Tufail, said: "We would like to establish links with local organisations and felt the Douglas Macmillan Hospice was a worthy cause. Following its success we have decided to make the Good Friday collection an annual event" (The Sentinel, 22.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Leicester policeman PC Matt Rowlatt has been nominated for the Best Bobby of the Year award by the vice chair of the Muslim Burial Council of Leicestershire, Suleman Nagdi. PC Rowlatt was called to the home of a Muslim family following a sudden death, as police are sometimes called in to act as agents to the coroner to carry out on-the-scene checks and organise the removal of the body. PC Rowlatt said: "This particular case was delicate because the deceased’s family were Muslims and there were certain burial rites I had to abide by. There were a lot of people – friends and family – at the house and I helped them and answered their questions as best I could." Soon after the event, Mr Nagdi wrote a letter to Inspector Neil Canham at Asfordby Street police station, where PC Rowlatt is based, praising his "excellent manners and sympathy." Writing on behalf of the Muslim community, he said PC Rowlatt was "most helpful and his conduct was of the highest calibre," which demonstrated his "outstanding ability in handling a very delicate situation in a most professional manner," and nominated him for the Best Bobby award. PC Rowlatt said: "I’m flattered. It’s good to know people appreciate what you do" (Leicester Mercury, 22.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 7]
Religious music too loud for neighbour A Muslim who played his religious music too loud drove a neighbour out of his flat in Walsall and caused him psychological problems. Walsall Magistrates Court heard that the music from Zahir Ali’s flat also caused objects on a shelf in the flat above to vibrate. But Mr Ali, 25, ignored official warnings from the council and continued to annoy his neighbour. Mr Ali was fined £350 and ordered to pay £850 costs despite a request from his barrister for no financial penalty. Gillian Ross, prosecuting on behalf of Walsall Council, said that Mr Ali was in the habit of playing loud music at all time of the day and night, and John Griffiths, who lived in the flat upstairs, found it unbearable. She said: "Mr Griffiths started to suffer mental problems, his sleep became irregular and he even had to move out for periods of time to get some piece and quiet." Mr Ali accepted the volume of his music was too loud, but said neither Mr Griffiths nor the council made any attempt at mediation (Walsall Express & Star, 23.04.99, Stafford Express & Star, 24.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 8]
Lottery row over Blackburn centre A row has erupted over the future of a Muslim community centre in Blackburn because part of the money raised to build the centre was donated by a lottery winner. £300,000 was donated for the £700,000 centre by an £18 million lottery winner, but the Muslim community then refused to donate the remainder of the money on religious grounds. Initially the plan was to build an Islamic study centre, but after finding out that money from the lottery was being used, the use of the building was changed to a community centre. A committee member at the Masjid Al-Momineen mosque, said: "Usually when a new community centre is being built, people from the Muslim community all over the country are asked to donate money and do so willingly. But in this case people knew about the lottery winner’s donation and that gambling is forbidden in the teachings of the Koran. The elders at the mosque are well versed in these teachings and should have known better. Trying to oppose the creator will get them no where" (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 24.04.99). But the general secretary of the mosque, Mohammed Ulde, has hit back at the community who do not wish to donate and has vowed to find the money to complete the centre. He said: "Yes there have been some fundamentalists who are against the centre, but 85 per cent of the local community desperately want it to be finished. The centre is being built for the whole community, whatever colour, race or religion. This area desperately needs a community centre and we may apply for lottery funding – after all, there is no shame in it." Mr Ulde said when the centre is finished it will provide youth groups, workshops, help groups, English classes, and the whole of the first floor will be used by women only. There will also be sport and other activities for everyone’s benefit. He said: "The women in Blackburn, parti cularly the Asian women, have no facilities. The Mosques are run by men, and men can go out, go to the pub and things like that, but very few of the Asian women do. There is a small group of people who still think that women should walk behind men, and stay at home to cook, but those days are gone. This community centre is being aimed at the local women, whatever their colour or religion, but there will be something there for the whole community as well" (Lancashire Evening Telegraph, 28.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 8]
Hundreds of Muslims turned out on the streets of Bradford and Peterborough to mark the death of Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the Prophet. In Bradford, more than 1,500 people marched from Great Horton Road to the nearby Hussainia Islamic Mission UK in All Saints Road. Traffic was diverted for more than an hour and the procession made its way through the streets to the mission for prayers (Bradford Telegraph & Argus, 28.04.99). In Peterborough, around 200 people took to the streets. Zulfikarali Manji, a member of the organising committee of Burton Street mosque, said: "We wanted to mark this day of mourning by spreading the message of Islam. There were a number of speeches in Cathedral Square explaining why people were mourning and literature was distributed. Imam Hussein was killed because he stood up and pointed the finger at his oppressor, and a lot of people who passed by drew parallels with the present-day events in Kosovo." The day of mourning, called Ashura, falls on the 10th of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar (Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 28.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 8]
New broadcasting guidelines to avoid offence A new report by the Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) has recommended that broadcasters should avoid using the terms BC and AD, and replace them with Before Christian Era and Christian Era to avoid offending non-Christians. The BSC published a study of religious language and imagery to guide broadcasters, and its author, Professor David Craig of Middlesex University, said every religion has a calendar and a way of measuring time. Therefore, he said that Christianity should not be regarded as the sole authority on timelines and terminology. He said: "The forthcoming Millennium raises significant concerns for broadcasters: what the Millennium celebrates is 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ and the inauguration of the Christian era. Using CE and BCE causes less offence than anno Domini and before Christ dating." He said that the sensitivities of the various faiths in modern Britain had to be taken into account. The BSC is a statutory body that monitors standards and fairness in broadcasting. It commissioned the new report after receiving a number of complaints from different religions about language and jokes made on television and radio. A spokesman for the BSC said that Christianity was no longer the dominant religion in Britain and that broadcasters should ensure their language did not offend the more than two million Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs in this country. Stephen Whittle, director of the BSC, said: "It is important for broadcasters to understand the sensitivities around the various faiths. The way in which offence is caused can often be very easily rectified with a little thought and understanding." Professor Craig said that the results of his study should be regarded as guidelines and recom mendations only (The Scotsman, 04.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 8/9]
Education Bid for Muslim school rejected Calderdale Council officers have rejected a proposal to turn a primary school into a voluntary aided Muslim school. Queen’s Road Junior and Infant school in Halifax is due to close next year because of low numbers, and the new proposals, backed by Conservative Party leader Councillor John Ford and many of the parents at the school, have been dismissed as being financially impractical. A report to councillors says: "When considering any proposals to establish a maintained school, the secretary of state will consider very carefully the number of surplus places within a two mile radius of the school," pointing to the fact that there are 208 spare places in the Queen’s Road area. It continues: "It is highly unlikely that the secretary of state would therefore approve this option in the West Central Halifax area, particularly since central Government would be responsible for 85 per cent of the costs of an aided school. The Department of Education would also need to be satisfied that the governing body would be in a position to meet its 15 per cent contribution for all future capital work and that there was a strong commitment from the local community for this option." Instead of changing the use and ownership of the school, council officers favour closing the school some time after January 2000 (Halifax Evening Courier, 02.04.99). There is also concern that the school would be restricted to ethnic minority children, already in effect being an Asian school because of its location, which would be a setback to racial integration. The question is asked whether in a time when race relations are an extremely important issue it is a good idea to encourage the creation of schools which would only strengthen the divisions between communities and cultures (Halifax Evening Courier, 05.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 9]
Two pupils from Danley Middle School in Sheerness were presented with a religious education shield for their work on Islam. Debbie Fenson, 11, and Tracey Eastoe, 12, were involved in the year eight religious studies project, which has covered the subject of Islamic faith and culture for the second time. Some of the students visited the mosque in Gillingham, while others used books and computers about subjects such as Islamic music and festivals, to compile their projects. The displays were then judged by three members of the Muslim community in Gillingham. Religious Studies teacher at the school, Alison Batchelor, said: "The judges were very impressed with the children’s knowledge of the subject. This is the second year they have been judges for us and we have no plans to change the project. We hope they will return next year." She added: "The idea of the project is to make the children aware of the diverse cultures that are around us" (Sheppey Gazette, 07.04.99, Sheerness Times Guardian, 08.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 9]
An independent Muslim school for girls in Walsall has made a bid to Walsall Council to buy an empty council owned building which has become a target for vandal attacks. Palfrey Girls School hopes to buy the building for £150,000. It was previously used as bed-sits but has been vacant for more than two years. The council is now keen for someone to move in as quickly as poss ible because the premises are broken into on a daily basis and there have been two fires in the building in recent months. The school had previously put in a bid for the building in June 1997, but as it was the fourth highest, the council agreed to sell it for £211,878 to developers, who, however, later withdrew from the sale. There have been many other offers put to the council, but now that the school has renewed their bid, the council seems keen for them to have it. Lawrence Woodhouse, chief valuer for Walsall Council, said: "The only people that are talking to the council about opportunities for purchase of the building at present are Palfrey Girls School. We are hoping the committee will approve the recommen dations we have made." He added that the school had not yet secured any planning consent for change of use of the building which is in a mainly residential street (Walsall Express & Star, 10.04.99, Sandwell Express & Star, 10.04.99, Wolverhampton Express & Star, 12.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 9]
Plans for education centre rejected Newham councillors rejected plans from a Muslim group to hold religious services at their education and study centre in Forest Gate. They said it would bring more traffic to the street and would adversely affect a residential area (City of London Recorder, 16.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 9]
School mosque visit sparks row The mother of a ten year old pupil at Moorside Community School in Beaconsfield Street, Newcastle has moved her daughter to another school following a proposed school visit to the University mosque. Erica Williams complained that the visit had been made compulsory and was apparently upset at the prospect of her daughter having to wear a headscarf and remove her shoes inside the mosque. She denied she was racist, claiming that Muslim parents would object to sending their children to a Christian church. A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: "This is a very isolated incident in this school. Around 40 per cent of the 389 pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds so we're quite concerned that one parent appears to feel this way." President of the University Islamic Society said that they would waive the headscarf rule but that the girl would still have to remove her shoes (Newcastle Evening Chronicle, 24.04.99 & 29.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 9]
Nation of Islam school faces closure The Star Academy has been given until 9th June to reveal the details of its owners, governors, teachers and pupil numbers (See BMMS for August, September and November 1998 and January 1999). If it fails to provide this information, the Education Secretary will remove the school from the Government's register of independent schools. Up to 30 pupils (60 pupils, according to The Guardian) aged from five to 16 are believed to attend the school (The Mail on Sunday, 25.04.99). The school was set up in 1997 and was provisionally registered in October 1998 (The Guardian, 26.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 10]
Demands for single-sex education The Chairman of the Muslim Education Co-ordinating Council (MECC), Nazar Mustafa, has reiterated that over the past 25 years, the Muslim community had been appealing to Local Education Authorities and the Department of Education, to support single sex education. He said, during a MECC one-day conference on the theme ‘Parental Choice in Education’: "We have not been successful in our endeavours…[but] serious consideration is being given by the Government in view of the GCSE and A Level results reflecting the higher pass rates of single sex schools." HM Chief Inspector for Schools, Chris Woodhead, is reported to have agreed that there should parental choice in education but that there were limits to choice. During the conference, the head teacher of Plashnet Comprehensive School for Girls in East Ham, London, Bushra Nasser, outlined her school’s attempts to meet the needs of pupils, which included ensuring awareness of the religious and cultural background of the pupils and trying to integrate sub jects like Islamic education into the National Curriculum (Muslim News, 30.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 10]
Concerns for minorities in education Chairman of Tayside Racial Equality Council has said that ethnic minorities in Dundee could demand separate schools if there is no improvement in the way the are treated in the local education system. Dudley Kay said Dundee education committee could start improving relations by appointing a Hindu, Muslim or Sikh as one of its members in the same way as it has representatives from the Roman Catho lic Church and the Church of Scotland. He did doubt whether there would be a strong enough demand from any of these communities, but he thought that the idea of a Muslim school, for example, would have some supporters. He said: "My goal as chairman of TREC is to promote a multicultural society and ethnic diversity, and we want to see integration and not segregation. For that to happen, the curriculum and management of Dundee’s schools have to respect the many cultures and religious diversity so all of the children feel comfortable in the schools. There are problems with integration and they can be very frustrating. We would like to see more done for children from homes where English is not the first language. We would like to see dining hall menus reflect the different cultures of the children. We think there is not enough respect for the belief of the Muslim community, whose girls cannot bare their legs, in activities like physical education. There are many other areas where more needs to be done" (Dundee Courier & Advertiser, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 10]
Politics Since being cleared of charges of fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice, Mohammed Sarwar has returned to Westminster to take up his seat in the House of Commons (See BMMS for February, May, September, October 1998, January, February and March 1999). Speaking to reporters at the Commons, he said: "I am fortunate that people in Govan continue their support for me and have kept their trust in me and I am glad to say that my position has been vindicated. As far as my constituents have been concerned I was a full-time MP. As far as the Labour Party is concerned there was very little I could do. The Labour Party contested the 1997 election maintaining that we will observe the highest standards in public life and it was unfortunate that one tabloid paper made serious allegations against me and I think the Labour Party over-reacted on these allegations" (Aberdeen Press & Journal, 30.03.99). Q News features a conversation with Sarwar, where he speaks about the Islamophobia which he feels was the main reason he was persecuted. He said: "I believe that racial and religious prejudice played a major role in my prosecution. Unfortunately there is discrimination and prejudice in our institutions. Islamophobia is also a key factor in my ordeal. There were unknown forces at work that were willing to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to dig dirt on me." He said that he does not feel that the case damaged his reputation in his constituency, and has received many letters of support and congratulations from members of the community. He feels that the media’s less forgiving attitude is because they do not feel a Muslim is fit enough to become a Member of Parliament. They main thing he says he gained from his ordeal was that his faith in God has strengthened, saying: "An Arabic verse, which comes to mind, best sums up my feelings: "It is God who gives somebody respect. And it is God who can disgrace somebody." It is for this reason that despite all the efforts and resources of many people, the attempt to disgrace me failed so abysmally." He now wants to concentrate on working for his constituency, and will "fight to root out racism from our institutions so that nobody suffers because of their colour, creed or culture" (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). Sarwar’s wife Parveen, also spoke for the first time about their two year ordeal. She said: "We have lived through two years of hell. We have been the target of a campaign to terrorise our family, but we are very strong. It was the longest two years I have lived through. The feeling of menace – not knowing what would come next, was terrifying." She added: "It is the first time in two years I can be totally happy" (Asian Times, 27.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 10]
Racism Bradford community leaders unite Members of different religious communities in Bradford have joined together and set up a fighting fund to combat institutional racism. Members of the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities gathered to discuss experiences such as those of Ishtiaq Ahmed, Director of the local Racial Equality Council. Mr Ahmed was arrested on the charge on indecent assault but the charge was later dropped when it emerged that the allegation arose from a role-playing exercise during a training programme. Sher Azam, the chair of the meeting and former president of the Bradford Council of Mosques, said the fund would provide support and legal advice to victims of institutional racism. Councillor Shaukat Ahmed said he had watched his community being "kicked and kicked and kicked again" (Q News, No304, 01.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11]
Discrimination in legal profession A solicitor who felt intimidated and humiliated at a job interview, filed a claim of racial discrimination against the law firm. Asif Bodi arrived at north Manchester law firm, Latimer Lee, for his interview and was told he would have to wait one hour to be seen. When he was finally invited in, he was greeted with the comment, "I’d asked not to have any appointments made this week." Mr Bodi said this set the tone for some hostile and intrusive questions, in particular relating to his, and his wife’s, ethnic and religious background. He said: "The interviewer appeared to be more concerned with establishing my religion than my skills and qualities for the job. I felt very intimidated by his harsh tone and by what I regarded as an irrelevant line of questioning. I came out of the interview in a state of shock. For some time afterwards I felt humiliated and hurt and I was put off applying for any more vacancies." Mr Bodi filed the claim after seeking advice from the Law Society. Several days before the tribunal he agreed an out of court settlement with the firm of £4,000. Colin Lee, a senior partner at Latimer Lee, had not disputed the questions, but said they were "an essential part of management practice to be able to accommodate the various religious requirements of staff." Previous studies have suggested that discrimination against Muslim or ethnic minority lawyers was a persistent obstacle in entering the profession, but no studies have been carried out into the discrimi nation faced by lawyers already in the profession (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11]
Women The Muslim Women’s Welfare Association, on Albert Road in Ilford, has been given a £1,000 donation by Lloyds TSB Foundation. The money will be used to employ a tutor to teach computer work to help its members find jobs (Barking & Dagenham Recorder, 01.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11]
Fund-raiser for women’s association Asian singer Soaful Uddin, who recently won first place in the Euro-Asian Song Contest, was to hold a concert in Ilford to raise money for the Muslim Women Welfare Association (Barking & Dagenham Recorder, 15.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11]
Muslim undergraduates more religious According to a study carried out at Liverpool John Moores University, Muslim women undergraduates are more likely to turn to their religion for support at university. The ‘Educational Attitudes and Aspirations of Asian Girls’ study suggests that: "Muslim women may feel threatened about their religion in the Western world with incidents like the Salman Rushdie’s book and the Gulf War. Hence, they turn to their religion for support." Dr Harkirtan Singh-Raud carried out research on about 200 respondents in north-west England, within the three main ‘ethnic minority’ groups. Over half the women interviewed were Muslim. It also found that more Muslim women are likely to stay at home to study, they are more likely to wear Asian dress, are less likely to stay out late at night, and are least likely to have male friends at university. A spokes woman from the Muslim Women’s Helpline said: "This is an interesting study that could be representative of the population of women undergraduates over the country. It shows that Muslim women are more likely to be religiously committed though the third trait demonstrated in the table is a worry ingly high figure [Asking whether they behaved more daringly at university than home, 43 per cent of Muslim women said yes] and can be borne out by the number of girls who get into trouble and want abortions and pregnancy advice" (Muslim News, 30.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11]
An exhibition on hijab is on show at the University of Bradford until the 2nd June. According to the article in the Yorkshire Post (30.04.99) "Sabera Bham’s photographic exhibition of women who choose to wear the traditional dress, Concealed Visions, Veiled Sisters breaks through the myth of the downtrodden woman. Instead of casting their eyes downwards in accordance with the Quraan [sic], the women in the photographs look directly at the lens, showing that they are the same as anyone else. Their fabric of their clothing varies as much as Western clothing." Ms Bham’s intention is to show the subjects of her photographs as individuals, not oppressed women. Coinciding with this is an article that appeared in the Bradford Telegraph & Argus (01.05.99) written by a student at the University of Bradford, about the benefits of wearing hijab. She says that a Muslim woman is expected to dress modestly, and the hijab is a garment "that covers and conceals completely." She goes on: "For a believing woman the hijab is more than ‘just an item of clothing’. It is a garment of honour which has been recommended for her by the Master of the Universe. She wears it with pride, for it is an outward manifestation of the true imaan (faith) which lies within. By dressing modestly out of faith and conviction, a Muslim woman is seeking the approval of Allah alone and no other mortal." She mentions the difficulties faced by women wanting to wear hijab, especially because of the negative stereotypes that surround the image of a Muslim woman in hijab. However, she says she feels privileged in wearing this ‘uniform’ as it protects her from the evils of society, and gives her dignity and respect. She believes a Muslim woman’s "dress symbolises her surren der to the will of God for which she will be rewarded immensely." [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 11/12]
Youth The UK Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association in Ealing has been collecting food, toiletries, clothing and medicine to send to the wartorn African nation of Sierra Leone. The group has already sent out a 20-ton consignment in 1998 and hopes to ship out two more later this year. Anyone who wants to help can contact the association on 01753 547611 (Ealing & Acton Gazette, 26.03.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 12]
The Guardian (26.04.99) and The Observer (02.05.99) carry articles about Mohammed Husayn Tabatabai, the seven-year old who recently held a talk at the Islamic centre in Maida Vale, London. Hundreds of people turned up to hear him recite the Qur’an, and take questions from the audience, including journalists from the press and television. Tabatabai learned the Qur’an in under a year, and has also committed many hadith to memory. Speaking to Burhan Wazir of The Observer, Tabatabai said: "I can’t explain how I managed to learn the entire text… There’s no set rule to commit the Qur’an to memory…I can’t understand all the fuss – I just did what my father asked me to do. I don’t think I’m especially intelligent: perhaps just a bit more studious than most people my age." He says that his tutor, Jawad Balaghi, who heads the Al-Majlis al-Hussaini organisation for Shiites in the UK, hopes to bring him to London permanently, whispering: "We might open a Muslim school together here. That would be nice. It would be good to teach some other children what I have learned." Tabatabai appears on his own television show in Iran twice a week, and has toured ten countries throughout the Middle East already this year. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 12]
Understanding Islam training day The Runnymede Centre was to run a training day exploring issues of anti-racism and understanding Islam for youth leaders and those working with young people. The event was co-ordinated by Spelthorne and Woking Woodcraft Folk, working in partnership with Surrey Youth Service, Surrey Police, Woking Community Relations Forum and the Shah Jehan Moqsue in Woking. The Woodcraft Folk is a national voluntary organisation for children and young people, and is in favour of promoting respect, understanding and goodwill among people from different nations and cultures. Janet Kay, youth development worker for the Woodcraft Folk, said: "In Surrey, the danger is complacency; people tend to think we don’t have a problem. We think the way forward must be through better understanding leading to acceptance. Our young people are the key" (Woking Review, 17.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 12]
Interfaith An article has appeared in The Tablet supplement (27.03.99) about Islamic views on addiction, as part of their section that gives all people space to express their views. Talha Wadee, Director of the Lancashire Council of Mosques, draws on the experiences of today’s youths growing up in a non-Muslim society, and the various challenges that they will face. Speaking of addiction, he says: "The Islamic viewpoint of addiction is this; that whilst it is to be condemned, it is prohibited, you should not use drugs, any form of drugs, but as a Muslim I still believe that compassion and forgiveness are very important. So while the line is very harsh, and it has to be harsh, you do condemn the people in some ways and you do condemn the usage of drugs, you still have to have some forgiveness and compassion. You have to have a safety net that you accept that there will still be people who will take drugs; for them you will need support, for them you will need help." They have also printed the views of Rafiq Tschannen, who communicat ed via the Internet from Bangkok, Thailand. He begins by quoting Sura 2 verse 220 from the Qur’an, which speaks of the dangers of alcohol and gambling. Mr Tschannen goes on to explain the verse, saying that those things which are addictive, and dangerous, are to be avoided, because the disadvantage is greater than the advantage. Those who are already addicted to something, can still follow the guidance of Allah, ask forgiveness and ask for His guidance, and those who are unable to turn to Allah should be given help from their friends. He adds that the guidance in these verses will benefit the society as a whole, and ends by saying that "addiction is a good example where Muslims and non-Muslims could work together for the benefit of society as a whole." [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 12]
Halal Increases in inspection charges at abattoirs could force many small businesses that provide halal meat to close. According to the new government guidelines all abattoirs will have to employ an extra meat inspector from April 1999. From 2002 they will have to employ a full-time vet to comply with European Law. Brian White, the finance director of Bates Wholesale butchers, says his abattoir in Birmingham will close if it has to meet the full impact of the charges. Instead of paying £36,000 a year Mr White will instead be faced with a bill of £140,000 a year. Mr White said: "It is the small abattoirs like our own which will be forced to close costing jobs. These are exactly the type of abattoirs which serve the Muslim community. They have to have their meat freshly killed and they won’t accept it if it’s been killed miles away and then refrigerated." Eighty five per cent of his business involves providing halal meat for the local Muslim community and the abattoir serves more than 500 families a week. Representatives from the meat industry have been lobbying the government for help with the new charges. Mr White said: "This is bureaucracy gone mad. No one is suggesting inspection controls aren’t needed. But they are trying to impose the Continental system of inspection on top of the traditional British one." A spokesperson for food minister Jeff Rooker said: "The Government will be looking at small abattoirs again to see if something can be done regarding this although we cannot guarantee one thing or another" (Birmingham Evening Mail, 02.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 12/13]
Representatives from Islamic Concern joined in a march in Hyde Park, demonstrating against the use of genetically modified foods. Marchers from all sections of society joined MPs from the main three parties. Four key demands were made, as Dr Majid Katme of Islamic Concern explained: "First, we are asking for a five-year freeze on genetic engineering and patenting in food and farming. Secondly, no grow ing of genetically engineered crops for commercial purposes. No imports of genetically-engineered food and farm crops, and no patenting of genetic resources" (Eastern Eye, 30.04.99). Q News (No305, 01.05.99) is currently running a three part series on the Islamic viewpoint on genetically modi fied foods. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 13]
Local parents in Kensington have complained that their children are not being fed a balanced diet because schools are not providing halal meat at lunchtime. Moroccan Community Welfare Group secretary, Ahmed Ghazoini, who has a child at one of the local schools where 80 per cent of the pupils are Muslim, said: "Bevington School has been very good in other areas but when it comes to halal food it and the council are very ignorant. We can’t just eat any meat – it has to be halal." The Royal Borough’s school meals service says it set up a wide consultation pro cess in 1997, and as a result pork was left off the menu. According to the officials no-one has asked them to provide halal meat (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 13]
Q News (No305, 01.05.99) has reported that Muslim inmates arriving at HMP Standford Hill "suffer from a dramatic weight loss" within weeks of arrival, according to solicitor Tasneem Usmani. She is investigating reports that prison ers are receiving an unsatisfactory diet, and that the authorities are failing to provide adequate halal food. It is said that although halal meals are brought into the open prison they are made using poor quality ingredients, and have been described as being like dog food by the inmates by the time the food reaches them. In a letter to the prison governor, and copied to the Prison Service, Ms Usmani said: "Some of the inmates, apparently, go without food because it is so bad." Her recommenda tions are that inmates should be allowed to order their own ingredients and cook their own food. [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 13]
The world’s largest fast food chain, McDonalds, has been criticised again over its "discriminatory" policy of refusing to put halal meat on the menu (See BMMS for October 1998 and March 1999). The latest grievance has come from Ibrahim Kala from Bolton, who believes that the absence of a Halal Big Mac reflects their discrimination and believes it will only be a matter of time before the company is taken to court for breach of the 1976 Race Relations Act. His grievance began at the start of this, its 25th anniversary year, when he found that he was unable to take advantage of the special promotion which gave away a free burger for each one bought. Mr Kala wrote to McDonalds, saying: "As a Muslim I have enjoyed eating Macdonalds’ [sic] food in places like Egypt and Turkey. In Bolton and other places there are many Muslims and I would like to ask why you do not provide halal food. Does it not make business sense. Or is it because we ‘ethnic minorities’ do not matter to you as customers? Secondly, I would like to ask why these buy one get one free offers are never available for fillet of fish or vegeburgers. This policy is discriminating against those people who cannot consume meat on your premises like Muslims and Jews and also against vegetarians." McDonalds wrote back to Mr Kala, saying: "For your information, we do receive many enquiries and solicitations from food suppliers seeking our business. One of those received recently was from a halal beef supplier. Whilst we have no objec tion to the use of such products in our menu, we have explained our animal welfare policies and specifications to this supplier. Based on this, it was suggested that we feel it unlikely that halal products would satisfy these requirements." They added that they could not offer any "good news in this area for the future." McDonalds’ central office also told Q News that after consulting with Muslim food agencies they concluded that it would be too problematic to serve halal foods as they would, in effect, end up running two parallel systems, and would have to re-fit their restaurants to accommodate this. A spokesman for the company said: "We would need separate utensils, separate storage and separate cooking facilities. It would have been impractical and uneconomical to have two parallel systems." He also said that using exclusively halal meat would also have its own problems: "It could be that there may be some opposition and resistance. While we would be making one section of the community happy we would be alienating another." Meanwhile, Mr Kala will have to make do with the ‘halal’ options McDonalds currently serve, although Q News point out that most Muslims, whether they have tasted halal McDonalds burgers or not, will feel that the absence of halal Big Macs is not a great loss to the community (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 13]
Health Replacement kidney needed for boy A 13-year old boy whose transplanted kidney failed, ten years after the original transplant, is waiting anxiously for a new replacement to be found. Faizan Awan is being kept alive by being attached to a dialysis machine every night for several hours. Doctors in Blackburn trying to find him a match say it is extremely difficult due to the low numbers of south Asians on the donor register. Muslims in particular are reluctant to come forward as they believe that organ donation violates the necessity to keep the body intact after death, a view some religious authorities disagree with. Doctors are worried, because although the dialysis is keeping him alive, the longer he receives the treatment the more his health will deteriorate (Q News, No305, 01.05.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 14]
Mosques & Burials Bishop’s Stortford, The Causeway Muslims in Bishop’s Stortford expected to officially open their new mosque and Islamic cultural centre at the Causeway in May, one year after winning the bid to move into the redundant library building. The mosque has already held one event, for Eid al-Adha, where around 50 people attended the prayers. Dilwar Ahmed, president of the Islamic centre, said: "We need to establish our religion and culture among ourselves. We have the possibility now to observe our national Islamic celebrations and culture." For the past 15 years, attending a mosque meant driving into London. He added: "My wife has never been to any Muslim celebrations, now all our wives can come together socially." Earlier in the year the mosque became the centre of an anti-Muslim leaflet campaign organised by the British National Party. Mr Ahmed dismissed claims that the new mosque would bring more Muslims to the city: "In London there are more than 100 mosques, so why would Moslems [sic] move to Bishop’s Stortford? Only Moslems [sic] with jobs here will come to the mosque. If I lost my restaurant, I could not survive here – it’s about where your bread and butter is." The building has been offered to the group on a lease of three to five years, and will also house a specialist library on subjects of Islamic interest (Herts & Essex Observer, 15.04.99). In the Herts & Essex Observer (25.03.99) Jane Skinner, of the Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow branch of Amnesty International, wrote a welcome message to the Muslim community, saying "how pleased we are to have a mosque here so members of the Muslim faith can enjoy the same rights as we do to pray, worship and study." [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 14]
The Bournemouth Daily Echo (26.03.99, 30.03.99 and 02.04.99) has reported that proposals to bulldoze a former Methodist church and replace it with flats has been turned down, which gives hope to Muslims who it says want to open a mosque there (See BMMS for March 1999). The Muslim community has been searching for a new site for a mosque for ten years, but have received little help from the council in finding suitable accommodation. Planning applications for their first home in Charminster Road were refused, as was an application last February to build an extension to their current premises on St Stephens’ Road. The proposal has been backed by the local Anglican clergymen who say they would rather see the building put to good use, than being allowed to degenerate. No official planning application has been received by the council, but Councillor David Clutterbuck, a Conservative representa tive on the planning committee, said he would back the proposal. There has also been interest from Councillor Phil Stanley to turn the building into a "much-needed" community centre for the town. However, Tariq Palmer from the Bournemouth Islamic Centre, wrote to the paper saying they had discounted the church as being inadequate for their needs. He said it was sad that the council departments had been so unhelpful and unco-operative in their search for new premises. "Members of the Bournemouth Council are, it seems,ignorant of the fact that some 50,000 foreign students (bringing in some £61 million) come to Bournemouth, and Dorset, each year; many are Muslims who have a need for a place to pray and socialise. Regrettably, the present Centre, which is so conveniently placed for the Muslim community as a whole, has become inadequate for our increas ing numbers; hence our application for planning permission to extend our premises. Our search for land or an alter native site goes on, but we are not yet seeking donations!" (Bournemouth Daily Echo, 09.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 14]
The Muslim community in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, who have been using a former pub to hold congregational prayers, now want to convert the building to be used as a permanent mosque. They had to resort using the White Stone pub after being unable to find an alternative location for a mosque. However, a report to the coun cil’s planning committee says that local residents have complained that the mosque will bring noise and parking problems to the area, although there have been no complaints raised in the past fifteen months that the pub has been used. There is also the question of how much more trouble the worshi pers could be than the pub’s previous visitors (Q News, No304, 01.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 14]
Proposals for a new mosque in Harrow have finally won the backing of planners (See BMMS for July, August, September and December 1998). Harrow Central Mosque, on Station Road, has been bidding to build a larger mosque next door, and it is expected to be backed as long as the existing mosque is brought back into use for housing. Trustee Ilyas Khan said: "This is great news. The site we’ve been using wasn’t really big enough, and this mosque will also have a community hall, the first of its kind in an area which is home to 25,000 Muslims. We’ve managed to operate for a number of years under the greatest difficulties, but without any harm or nuisance to local residents. We haven’t had a single complaint about the noise generated by the mosque, or the car park associated with it, in our 14 years of operation." The mosque will be built with a gym, as well as a 130ft tower. Council planners said: "Notwithstanding the scale and bulk of the building it wouldn’t detract from the amenities of surrounding properties or the character of the locality. The site is well located for public transport, and a measure of parking restraint is reasonable in line with national and regional policy. It’s also relevant that, while there is no controlled parking zone in the area, one is programmed for the future when funds allow, and the mosque is likely to take some 18 months to build." A nearby neighbour, Rod Allison, said: "I’ve nothing against there being a mosque in Station Road in principle, but I think such a high tower would be an eyesore. I’m sure there will be numerous complaints if people start being called to prayer at 5am." Mr Khan replied: "This will not happen. There are a number of other mosques in the area, and we will operate in the same way as them" (Harrow Observer, 01.04.99 and 25.03.99, Pinner Times, 25.03.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 14/15]
Traffic ground to a halt in Morden near the site of the new mosque to be built on London Road, when around 4,500 people turned up to the Eid and fundraising event (See BMMS for July and September 1998). Parking was said to be a "nightmare" and some streets were blocked by badly parked cars. But members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association group said that this gather ing was unusually busy and would not be typical of the crowd the mosque will see at normal times of worship. Spokesman Nasser Khan said they hoped to see between 400 to 500 people coming for Friday services, which the venues own 300 car parking space could cope with. He said: "This was a much bigger event – one of five each year we are allowed under the planning conditions – and we controlled it as best we could for such a large event. I agree the traffic was heavy but we had arranged for nearly 1,000 parking spaces in the area and did not even fill them all." He also said that the staff had received threatening phone calls for two days before the event and had suffered verbal abuse from passers-by on the day. He added: "They know we are not going to react. We realise it is only the extreme minority which is carrying out a continuous campaign to destruct our development" (Solihull Times, 01.04.99, Wimbledon News, 02.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 15]
There were protests at a council planning meeting when the planning committee approved the plan to build a mosque on Oakthorpe Sports Ground (See BMMS for May and September 1998). Residents have been fighting the plans since they were first revealed two years ago, arguing that the sports ground should be preserved as an open space, and that a mosque would create too many parking problems. The Muslim Community and Education Centre will now build a mosque and community centre with a nursery, library, kitchen and 48-space car park on the site. The Muslim group said it desperately needed bigger premises, but agreed to scale down their original proposals, reducing the size of the development to 1,998 square metres. Nearby residents fear that the mosque, with its 35ft dome and 45ft minaret, will not fit in with the area. David Tuckey, the chairman of Oakthorpe Action to keep the Sports Ground, said: "our objections to the mosque were the bulk and size of the building. It just won’t blend in with the Edwardian housing round here. I think the council should have given approval for a modified, smaller building. That would have been a compromise I would have been happy about." Residents say they may have to ask for a controlled parking zone, but the MCEC believes the mosque will only attract large numbers of people during religious festivals, when up to 350 people are expected to attend. The community hall will be available to hire, and the library will be open to the public (Enfield Gazette, 08.04.99 and 01.04.99, Enfield Advertiser, 31.03.99). Residents opposing the plan feel they were ignored, and the mosque was given permission despite their concerns. Many people wrote to the local newspapers expressing their disappointment. Most were surprised and outraged at the attitude of the Labour councillors who were in favour of this scheme. One letter read: "[I] was shocked at the apparent biased attitude of Labour members. The chairwoman, Verna Horridge, brooked no opposition and Councillor Rodin sat watchfully at the end of the table. No-one attending the meeting would have been surprised to see planning permission granted." Dave Tuckey, chairman of Oakthorpe Action to Keep the Sports Ground, said: "The residents feel they’ve been badly let down by the council. I think they were justifiably upset" (The Enfield Advertiser, 14.04.99). These arguments are likely to re-surface when a plan for a Hindu temple on the same site, goes before the committee. Enfield Council leader, Jeff Rodin, said he sympathised with the residents’ concerns but he believes once the mosque is finished it will provide important facilities for the community and will be accepted as part of the area: "I can understand why people used to living near an open field don’t want to see development. But the council has to make judgements about what and what shouldn’t be built to assist a growing community in the borough" (Enfield Independent, 14.04.99). [BMMS April 1999 Vol. VII, No. 4, p. 15]
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