The following article was published in the Asian Leader Newspaper, evaluating the response by international powers on the outcome of the Iranian Elections.
Thursday 31 December 2009
ASIAN LEADER NEWSPAPER Article- Irans ‘unacceptable’ Democracy
PASSION ISLAM MAGAZINE Article- Sarkozy calls for burka ban- A Superiority Complex?
The following article was published in the Nationwide Passion Islam Monthly Magazine which addressed French President Sarkozys proposals to ban the Burka (veil) in France.
ASIAN NEWS ARTICLE- Manchester Muslim Women gather to discuss challenges in Britain today
The seminar titled “Muslim Women in Today’s Britain- The Challenges and the Solutions” aimed to tackle the pressing questions that have been a huge discussion point in government circles, the press, media, on the lips politicians and a cause of concern in the Muslim community throughout the country.
Dr. Nazreen Nawaz, the Women’s Media Representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain presented a picture of the current climate where a Muslim woman living in Britain is constantly under pressure to re-evaluate who she is, whether their Islamic identity is relevant for modern life, to question whether their Islamic beliefs are appropriate for British society, being asked to question the relevance of Shariah in her life, being continuously examined if her Islamic views are tolerant and compatible with ensuring a cohesive society and to adopt values that are at odds with their religious convictions.
“The hijab, the role of women, Islam’s punishments, liberation of occupied land, prohibition of homosexuality, the Global Islamic bond between Muslims and championing the call for a caliphate for the Muslim World are all been labelled oppressive, backward, intolerant, barbaric, and unacceptable and a threat to British society.” Said Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
It was last year when British prime minister, Gordon Brown set up a Muslim women’s advisory group to tackle ‘extremism’ followed up by former communities minister Hazel Blears initiatives with her “Muslim Women’s assertiveness courses” to push Muslim women to play a ‘key’ role in tackling ‘radicalisation’ amongst young Muslim men.
Dr. Nazreen Nawaz highlighted that formation of leaderships in the community under the guise of tackling so called “Extremism” and promoting fancy labels like “Women’s Empowerment” are being pushed to women in compliance with government policy to advocate a “British secular version of Islam” to the Muslim community.
“In truth, it is simply bribery, to buy Muslim women into fighting specific Islamic ideas in their community. Labels of “extremism” or scare-tactics will be fruitless in silencing the support of Muslim women for Islamic governance in the Muslim world Muslim women must resist pressures that bully them into compromising Islam and turning their backs on the injustices faced by Muslims globally. Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
Dr. Samia Hussain, a Member of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain highlighted in the second presentation the manner in which Muslim women must challenge the government narrative to enable today’s Muslim woman to engage in a productive discussion on debates surrounding the woman’s position in Islam”
“Muslim women must challenge the Western secular liberal values, expose their flaws, and present Islam as a solution to the plethora of problems caused by these ideas both in the West and the Muslim world”.
Muslim women have constantly been under scrutiny in the last years with recent revelations this week from the French President describing the burka, a veil, worn by many Muslim women as part of their Islamic attire as a “debasement” of women – and not welcome in France . He added: “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. The burka is not a religious sign. It’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement”.
Dr. Samia Hussain explained the responsibility to counter such similar propaganda which has levelled against the Shariah in recent year and presented key arguments on how Muslim Women should present and explain the sublime values of Islam to non-Muslims as well as to continue to speak out against the oppression of Muslims globally and to continue to support the establishment of the Khilafah (caliphate) in the Muslim world.
The talks were followed by a lively question and answer session with active audience participation.
Wednesday 15 July 2009
Rochdale Muslims to participate in Consultation against Compulsory Sex Education for 5 year olds
In the last months, there has been an active campaign to mobilise the Rochdale community against new Government plans to introduce compulsory sex education for 5 year old children.
The group “Rochdale Muslims against Sex and Relationship Education for 5 year olds” has played an active public role in highlighting these proposals and demonstrating exactly how the Muslim Community specifically and the wider community in general will be affected by this.
The group “Rochdale Muslims against Sex and Relationship Education for 5 year olds” now will be participating in the national consultation process on this issue.
We have gathered over 1000 petition signatures, and have led a Facebook campaign with at the time of writing, galvanised 388 Facebook group members on board, organised Weekly public stalls in busy areas in Rochdale, promoted the issue through a locally created YouTube advert, presented information packs to all Rochdale Mosques, visited churches and opened dialogue with local councillors.
There was also an event organised at Kashmir youth project where over 50 members of the local community, consisting of teachers, Deputy heads, Parents, Primary School Governors, Councillors, Mosque representatives, Youth parliament delegate, local activists and parents gathered to discuss these issues.
These will act as a reflection of how the Muslim community feels on this issue in Rochdale alone in this consultation process and will be led by Majed Iqbal, a Rochdale based Muslim community activist.
Friday 26 June 2009
Do Gods Die?- Michael Jackson’s Death
By Zaythoun Suleman- What do Man in the Mirror, Heal the world, Thriller, Bad and Billie Jean have in common? Yep, MICHAEL JACKSON. Many of us awoke this morning with the news that the “King of Pop” had a full cardiac arrest and died last night.
Many of us received and sent texts late last night about his death. As the news travelled around the globe, fans and the general population were and still are in shock. Michael Jackson is dead!
At the age of 50, the life of the man who many of us grew up with ended. He was a son, father and brother and loved by many others around the world.
He was due to tour London in a couple of weeks with tickets sold out within an hour of the opening. People were still hoping to get in to see him even if it meant paying £1000 a ticket.
Many people will have many different memories of the child star that began his career at 5 years old, whilst most children were playing. His songs and dancing influenced much imagination. The moonwalk became the in thing as was wearing one sequinced glove and pants revealing glittery socks underneath.
As the news of his death spread, many of his followers gathered outside UCLA hospital and his home. Many in total shock and disbelief that such a thing had happened.
Why has it been such a shock? Why is it hard to believe?
When I received a text at 11pm last night, I thought it had to be wrong until I saw it on the news. I questioned why I was shocked as death comes to each and everyone of us, so why should it surprise me so much… Did I believe he could not die? As this thought occurred to me, I realised Allah swt speech “Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Raji’oon – To Allah we belong and to him we shall return”
In the morning, I told my sons what had happened. To which one of them replied, “People thought of him as a God, but he died like everyone else”
Before I began practicing, his words from his song “Man in the mirror” influenced me! Many will remember the lyrics “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways and no message could have been any clearer, if u wanna, make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change. You gotta get it right whilst you got the time…”
And “Heal the world; make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race…” He sang many influential songs.
Many say that Michael Jackson died as a Muslim. The Daily Mail dated 21st November 2008 reported Michael Jackson had reverted to Islam and had changed his name to Mikaeel but Allah knows best.
If this is the case. May Allah swt grant his soul ease after such a hard life and grant him the best in the Akhirah… ameen. When a person dies, he is remembered for what he has done in this life. Every one of us will leave an imprint on people’s lives, let us make a positive one in which we will be rewarded in the Akhirah also Insha Allah.
Michael Jackson’s death to his followers reminded me of the death of Prophet Muhammed sallallahu alaihi salam many years ago.
When the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa salam died, Abu Bakr radiallahu Anhu came out to the waiting crowd of Muslims and said “O people, If anyone among you worshipped Muhammed, let him know that Muhammed is dead, but those who worshipped Allah, let them know that he lives and will never die…
Thursday 25 June 2009
ASIAN LEADER NEWSPAPER Article- Beyond Obama’s speech in Egypt
The following article was pulished in the Asian Leader newspaper crticially evaluating President Obama’s tour of Muslim Countries. Was it a genuine gesture of building peace and opening up dialogue with the Muslim world?
Click here to read the full text of the article. Read the Newspaper Article online on Lookasia
Tuesday 23 June 2009
French President Sarkozy calls for burka ban- A Superiority Complex?
By Majed Iqbal-Not enough with banning the headscarf from government institutions and buildings including schools, colleges and universities, the French President Nicolas Sarkozy sparked off deeper controversies by calling for the burka to be banned.
The comments were aired in the first presidential address in 136 years to a joint session of France’s two houses of parliament where the French premier described the burka, a veil, worn by many Muslim women as part of their Islamic attire as a “debasement” of women – and not welcome in France.
He added: “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity. The burka is not a religious sign. It’s a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement”.
“I want to say it solemnly; it will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic. We find it intolerable to see images of these imprisoned women when they come from Iran, Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia.”
MEP Chris Davies from the North West added more fuel to the fire when he stated that the burka does not belong in 21st century Britain.
“In my experience, the burka acts as a mask, reducing identity and discouraging women from developing their own skills and personality.”
Europe has witnessed rising rates of intolerance against minorities which have most often been ascribed to right wing parties. However, many statements like the French Presidents have signaled a very fine line line between right wing parties and ‘mainstream’ ones in Europe especially related to tackling Islamic and Muslim related issues.
According to a survey of global opinion released in September 2008, it found that more than half of Spaniards and half of Germans said that they did not like Muslims and the figures for Poland and France were 46% and 38% for those holding unfavorable opinions of Muslims.
The survey mentioned “Opinions of Muslims in almost all of these (European) countries were more negative than are views of Jews,” analysts said. While Americans and Britons displayed the lowest levels of anti-Semitism, one in four in both countries were hostile to Muslims.
Despite the French premier glossing French Secular values as the ideal for any society, a quick track record at Frances record towards women is one worth considering before embarking on the debate of treatment of Muslim women.
According to 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices report, there was a 21 percent increase from 2006 to 2007 in the number of women killed by their spouses in domestic violence disputes (from 137 to 166) whilst current figures have shot to 400 a year. Approximately 38,000 women are raped each year in the country.
Sarkozy was keen to highlight how secular values must be the benchmark for France and seemed to gleam at the achievements made in France in ensuring equality for all.
However, despite laws which require that women receive equal pay for equal work the 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices report highlighted that there was a gender pay discrepancy of around 25 percent. According to a 2007 survey by the government’s statistical agency, fewer than 20 percent of private sector executives were women, despite comprising 58.5 percent of the public workforce.
French women comprised approximately 50 percent of cabinet ministers in the government and were generally underrepresented in the legislature and in other levels of government leadership.
The War on Terror has now re-defined its focus to addressing what are acceptable Islamic ideas and practices and what are not such that Muslim women are now being questioned on even their dress code and role in Society.
The unprovoked debate of the burka to be brought into the limelight only once again serves to show the efforts in the last years in many European countries actively pursued by governments to force feed secular values to Muslim communities which themselves are questionable and open to scrutiny and debate. Hence Sarkozy confirmed this when he said
“I tell you, we must not be ashamed of our values, we must not be afraid of defending them.”
It seems that the French Premier was towing a similar tone like the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did in 2001 when he cited that “Western civilisation is superior to Islamic civilisation”.
The French Premier talked about “Debasement” of Women who wore a burka but has yet to answer for the divide in gender opportunities, sexual harassment at the workplaces and the rising rates of domestic violence that are carried out by men against women in France to this day.
Beyond Obama’s speech in Egypt
Barack Obama’s speech in Egypt was watched internationally from East to West, in light of all the pressing issues that had hit our screens in the past years like the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, America’s silence on Gaza and the recent open drone attacks in Pakistan under the guise of fighting Americas “war on terror”.
Surprisingly, in his speech it was not US- Arab relations discussions that were being alluded to. Instead the primary focus was referenced as developing ‘Muslim’ relations with the ‘Islamic World’.
“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect”
Some were taken back by his speech and hailed it as a new direction in policy towards the Muslim world which seemed to be ripe with positive gesture and promises of a new era of relations. Was America admitting its failures? Was America admitting that the Iraq war was wrong? Was America admitting that its War on Terror was ill-devised which has caused devastation in key parts of the Muslim world?
“We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims”
In Early April a similar tone of voice was used in Obama’s Turkey trip. In an address to the Turkish parliament various meetings and conferences, whilst in Turkey he stated
“America is not at war with either Islam or Muslims and that Turkey is important for America and the world, as a bridge between the Islamic World and the West”
He also stressed that America’s relations with Muslims is not merely confined to fighting terrorism but includes many other issues as well and will work towards a dialogue with Turkey.
The trips to the Muslim World have therefore been a massive PR exercise to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of the Muslim world after the utter devastation and destruction which has been wrought to the region. However, beyond the statements of the American President, many observers and the masses in general have opened up the “this is your life” book for Obama in his current short spell which began in January this year speculatively.
In his first few months in office, Obama’s administration succeeded in creating three million refugees in Pakistan by pushing the Zardari regime to launch a war in Swat. Even before he took office he declared Pakistan the most dangerous place on earth, and said he would even bomb Islamabad if he had to. His whole policy in the region is driven by trying to secure America’s foothold in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and fighting a popular insurgency – except he decided to sacrifice Pakistan’s soldiers instead of American ones.
On Palestine his response to Israel’s massacre in Gaza was “America is committed to Israel’s security. And we will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against legitimate threats.”
And continued to praise the ‘special’ relationship with Israel when he said
“We must preserve our total commitment to our unique defence relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance and continuing work on the Arrow and related missile defence programs”.
Obama promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp simply meant that many of the prisoners will remain imprisoned elsewhere.
Obama support for the brutal Dictators remained un-changed like his predecessors. In his recent BBC interview he described Mubarak, the Egyptian President
“he’s been a stalwart ally to the US… he’s been a force for stability and good in the region”.
He also praised Mubarak’s “sustained peace with Israel” which included blockading the people of Gaza from getting help and humanitarian relief.
It remains questionable to the international audience as to what exactly America was trying to sell in its visits to the Muslim World where little change had been seen on America’s part to re-evaluate their stances on the key above issues- all of which have remained exactly the same as the Bush Administration.
The Obama administration has placed a concentrated effort to justify its war on terror by embarking on these visits to the Muslim World. Today, Iraqi’s and Afghanis still do not believe that America is fighting for ‘Justice’ and ‘world peace’ but rather for colonial designs.
Pakistanis are finding it hard to swallow that their countries sons in the Army are dying due to an American War which has pitted citizens against each other, displaced over 3 million people in the largest refugee crisis in this century and a war which reaps no benefits for the Pakistani nation.
Obama said “In Ankara, I made clear that America is not – and never will be – at war with Islam. We will, however, relentlessly confront violent extremists who pose a grave threat to our security. Because we reject the same thing that people of all faiths reject: the killing of innocent men, women, and children. And it is my first duty as President to protect the American people
Hence, the propaganda war resumes with the new American president trying his utmost best to convince the Muslim World that their problems exist due to extremists and not because of America’s foreign policy and its colonial world view.
In the mean while, many are awakening to questioning these agendas which is what has began to concern America the most.
Monday 22 June 2009
COMMENT- Pakistans 20-20 Victory- Is it time to Celebrate??
By Majed Iqbal- Yesterdays Twenty twenty cup Final saw un-precendented coverage worldwide as Pakistan beat Sri-lanka in an 8 wicket match victory.
Pictures and video footage beaming in from Lahore, Peshawar, and Karachi on the Pakistani news networks showed crowds rejoicing after a historic win which saw Pakistan defeat the odds and answer back to the world that they are still a cricketing force to be reckoned with.
Even before the Final, a day before, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday urged the country’s cricketers to give of their best in the final of the World T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday and win the title for the nation. The President even called up captain Younis Khan in London and reminded him that the country was passing through a very difficult phase and victory for Pakistan could provide some cheer, media reports said.
As crowds rejoice madly in the streets of Bradford, Luton, Manchester and London in unison with Pakistanis back home, it is worthwhile reminding them that a match victory can never quell the chaos and devastation that Pakistan is currently going through.
How can President Zardari have the nerve to use sports to his political advantage by asking the captain to bring smiles on the faces of Pakistanis when he is the one who has made the people of Pakistan cry tears of blood and removed their happiness from their lives through ordering the bombing and displacement of millions under the guise of fighting Americas ‘War on Terror’.
Muslims in Pakistan must wake up from just rejoicing about a sporting victory whose feelings will last just a few weeks and instead divert their energies from saving their country from division and destruction through their own government’s workings, who have sold their destiny to their American masters.
The time to rejoice will be when governance will not be outsourced to Washington, when people don’t have to commit suicide because they are unable to feed their families, when plans are made for job creation, , when ruling is in line with the peoples beliefs and aspirations and when corruption is uprooted from Government by resigning Democracy to the dustbins of History.
Wednesday 17 June 2009
COMMENT- Irans “Unacceptable” Democracy?
In almost a dejavu fashion, the Iranian Elections seemed a repeat episode of the Hamas election victory into power in the Palestinian territories when the West questioned whether it was a ‘Fair and free’ Election. Iran stands in a similar position today, questioned on its election validity despite pursuing the Democratic route.
Britain, America, Israel and European leaders were doubted over President Ahmadinejad’s re-election. Joe Biden, the US Vice President, said: “There is an awful lot of questions about how this election was run“.
David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary, echoed Mr Biden, calling for Tehran to rejoin international talks. “Our concern is above all for Iranian engagement with the international community,” he said.
“We continue to await an Iranian answer to the very generous proposals that were made by the international community with respect to the Iranian nuclear programme. It’s very important that that proposal is answered by Iranian willingness to sit down and negotiate. “
It is these very same Western government s that have supported dictators in Pakistan, Egypt, Libya, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, Syria and any other countries to maintain their interests. Yet today these same countries question Iran’s election results when they realise that Western interests have not been achieved as anticipated with the re-election of Ahmadinejad.
Democracy surely has its friends and foes…..depending on the situation and whether it agrees or disagrees with international agendas.
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