EDL IN LEICESTER TO PAY THEIR OWN TRIBUTE TO DRUMMER LEE RIGBY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

EDL in Leicester to pay their own tribute to Drummer Lee Rigby

Members of the English Defence League say they are to gather in the city centre on Saturday as part of an event to pay their respects to murdered soldier Lee Rigby.

The EDL Leicester Division said it had asked supporters to meet in High Street, before heading to the Clock Tower, along Gallowtree Gate, Granby Street, London Road and into Victoria Park.

They plan to lay wreaths and flowers at the park's war memorial and hold a minute's silence for Drummer Rigby, who was killed last week in the street near Woolwich Barracks, in south-east London.

Although the police say they expect the gathering to be small and "peaceful and respectful", previous EDL events in Leicester city centre have sparked confrontations between its members and supporters of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) and local youths.

The Leicester UAF, on its website, has urged its followers to gather at the same time and place as the planned EDL event in what it describes as "a peaceful show of unity".

Leicestershire Police has appealed for people to respond reasonably to the event, which is likely to be one of many the EDL are planning this weekend in the wake of Drummer Rigby's death.

A police spokeswoman said: "We are aware the EDL intends to hold a small event to pay their respects to Drummer Lee Rigby in Leicester on Saturday, June 1.

"We ask for people to be reasonable in their response to this event which we expect to be peaceful and respectful."

The EDL's Leicester Division's Facebook page has asked participants not to drink, chant, sing or wear political or group colours during Saturday's gathering.

The UAF claim the EDL is using the soldier's death to stir up trouble and Islamophopia.

The police have not yet said if they will increase the number of officers in the city centre.

LEICESTER STUDENT'S T-SHIRTS CHALLENGING VIEWS ABOUT MUSLIMS ARE A GLOBAL HIT

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Leicester student's t-shirts challenging views about Muslims are a global hit

When medical student Umair Khan started making slogan T-shirts to challenge negative views about Muslims, he did not expect more than a few orders in the UK.

But his idea proved so popular it is now a global business, with orders coming in from Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, America, Australia, Canada and across Europe.

The T-shirts have slogans which aim to convey positive messages about Islam, such as "Terrorism Hijacked My Religion", "I'm a Tourist, Not a Terrorist", and "Islam – 0% APR", in reference to the interest-free ideology of Islamic banking.

The demand for the T-shirts has been so great Umair's Design Molvi business, which started as a four-person team in the UK, has opened a second office in Pakistan.

Umair, who is in his final year of a medical degree at the University of Leicester, said he was amazed and pleased at how successful the business had become.

The 23-year-old, who lives in Scraptoft, Leicester, said: "It's such a contemporary topic.

"We are trying to challenge those stereotypes."

Umair, who was born in Pakistan and moved to the UK 11 years ago, said: "When we started, we were just thinking we would sell them in the UK.

"But people started to ask if we could ship to this country, then another and suddenly we were getting orders from all over the world.

"It was a pleasant surprise and very encouraging."

Umair's project was helped with a bursary from Enterprise Inc, which gives students or recent graduates looking to start a business in the East Midlands up to £2,500 in funding and business start-up support.

He is keeping the project in the family, with his brother and co-founder, Ammar, setting up operations in Pakistan and their cousin, Ibrahim, marketing the product.

Volunteers have been brought on board to help with social media and design.

Following the success of the T-shirts, the company has launched a line of hats, bibs and other baby clothes.

Umair said he wanted to add mobile phone covers and accessories within the next year.

Although Umair plans to pursue a career in medicine once he finishes his degree, he said he was keen to keep going with Design Molvi in his own time.

He said: "I am passionate about both. It's just about time management and delegation."

Irene Zempi, a tutor at the University of Leicester's department of criminology, has published research on hate crime towards veiled Muslim women.

She said the T-shirts were an effective way of challenging people's misconceptions.

"Design Molvi is a very innovative way to tackle Islamophobia," she said.

"It is refreshing and encouraging to see students addressing anti-Muslim prejudice in such an intelligent manner.

"This idea is inspiring and, hopefully, it will contribute into dispelling myths surrounding Islam and Muslims."

www.designmolvi.com

Europe needs a grassroots movement to tackle the threat of Islamophobia

This is the Face to Faith column from today's Guardian (published online on the Comment is Free: Belief website). It is written by Donald Reeves, founder of the Soul of Europe and author of The Memoirs of a Very Dangerous Man.

Europe needs a grassroots movement to tackle the threat of Islamophobia

We must expose the racist ideology drawn from nazism, in which Muslims have become the new Jews of Europe

Following the events of 22 July in Norway - when Anders Behring Brevik, driven by hatred of Islam, killed 77 people - there have been ample expressions of outrage, analysis and commentary, but little  indication as to what must be done to prevent Islamophobia spreading.

Before 22 July, the Soul of Europe, together with the Soest Forum of Religions and Cultures (a German Muslim archive institute), had begun planning how to interrupt, undermine and dismantle Islamophobia. Beginning in France, Germany, UK and Scandinavia, we are establishing a coalition across Europe of institutions and organisations which are already engaged with Muslim communities. Our aim is to deepen, broaden and strengthen the foundations of those bridges between Muslim and non-Muslims, particularly among the younger generations – above all in practical ways.

One way is to develop patterns of solidarity. For instance: when a religious building is vandalised, whether a mosque or a church or a synagogue, communities will come together to condemn these actions. For condemnation to be effective, more than words are needed. Much depends on the slow, patient building of relationships.

Another way is for local communities to speak up on behalf of others, not least when Muslim communities complain of intimidation and harassment by police. These interventions emerge from relationships that have been established over time. Local politicians and religious leaders – vicars, imams and rabbis – will have to watch their backs. These actions will be seen as divisive among their own constituencies and congregations.

As Marwan Muhammad, director of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, told the Soul of Europe: "We are scapegoats and are blamed for all of Europe's problems." Muslim communities need to be invited in from the cold. There should be no "them" and "us". We are all "us". Umar Mirza set up the Dutch website We're Here to Stay as "an attempt to create an alternative space … a way of providing a stage upon which the voices of young Muslims can be heard". Dutch Muslims are not going anywhere. The Netherlands is their country, their home.

From among the many different European Muslim communities there are those who are saying: "Enough. We have had enough of discrimination, of being crudely stereotyped, of being scapegoats – of being victims." These men and women are not "extremists". In a debate on Britishness set up by the London-based Young Muslim Voices, a definition was agreed: a cosmopolitan country where people are respectful of different faiths and backgrounds.

Expressions of outrage are no longer enough. There needs to be a grassroots movement across Europe to stand up to those who peddle bogus religious justifications, resurrecting memories of the Crusades; to expose the racist ideology drawn from nazism, in which Muslims have now become the new Jews of Europe; and to tackle the myth of "Islamification" and those who claim to be defending western civilisation, Christian and secular, from conquest by Muslim immigration and the spread of sharia law.

Interreligious dialogue is just one of the links between different religions and religious communities. At a conference I recently attended, a speaker described interreligious dialogue as taking place on the top floor of a high-rise building while on the ground floor a fire was raging out of control. So it is time for those of us who cherish dialogue of every sort to join those who are trying to put the fire out.

OUR MESSAGE IS ABOUT TRUE ISLAMIC VALUES

This is Dr Habib Akram's First Person column, published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Our message is about true Islamic values

Dr Habib Akram wants us all to get on board his community's bus peace campaign

Not a day goes by without some bad news relating to my faith. Atrocities and extremist actions "in the name of Islam" fill the national news pages. No good, it seems – if the media were to be believed – ever comes from Muslims. No wonder Islamaphobia is at such a high.

A recent survey has found that a total of 98 per cent of respondents gained information about Islam from the press and broadcast media. Islam was therefore associated with terrorism, extremism and repression of women. Decades ago, it was not Islam that was the menace (it was then an ally) when communism was the great threat and the West feared the "reds under beds". Prior to that, fascism too had wreaked havoc across Europe.

Ideologies – be they faith-based or political – taken to extreme threaten us all and the extremists' interpretation and expression of Islam that panders to the media is in fact anathema to Islam. This is why, in common with many Muslims across all walks of life, my community is driving home a message of peace through a nationwide peace campaign.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, founded over a century ago on the basis of the peaceful practice of Islam, has placed banners proclaiming Loyalty, Freedom, Peace on 240 buses in British cities, including Leicester. From the end of this month and in May, a number of Leicester buses will display the values that Islam inculcates. This is part of an Affirmative Action campaign by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to send out a clear message to religious extremists as well as Islamaphobes about true Islamic values.

At the very heart of the campaign is the belief that it is not sufficient to simply declare that Islam is a religion of peace – one must live this belief by setting an example. The belief in peace stems from the very inception of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community who have peace missions in towns and cities across the UK, including Leicester. My community is actively engaged in local and national fund-raising, volunteering, peace conferences, charity and interfaith work. The peace campaign comes as a national youth charity drive in the Midlands by Ahmadiyya Muslims aims to raise £225,000 for British charities.

The vast majority of Muslims live ordinary, decent lives and wish to contribute to the wellbeing of the country in which they live – it is where we and our children and their children will live. It is in all our interests – as well as an act of faith – to be good and loyal citizens and we must not allow extremist thinking and behaviour to destroy what we hold dear.

My community has launched a dedicated website for those who want to find out more about the peaceful message of Islam: www.loveforallhatredfornone.org

Dr Habib Akram is President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Leicester

CAMPAIGN AIMS TO DRIVE HOME TRUE MESSAGE OF ISLAM

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury. After Leicester Secular Society ran their campaign encouraging people to tick the "No religion" box in the recent Census using bus posters, here's another example of that medium employed in a religious context.

Campaign aims to drive home true message of Islam

An advertising campaign to tackle Islamophobia will be coming to Leicester.

Last week, 160 buses in London and Glasgow began carrying the message "Muslims for loyalty, peace and freedom'', paid for by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association.

The UK group hopes it will educate people about Islam and stop people connecting Islam with terrorism.

During the next six months the campaign is due to be rolled out across Leicester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bradford.

Volunteers will also distribute leaflets door-to-door throughout the UK explaining the peaceful and positive principles of the faith.

Rafiq Hayat, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association's national president, said: "Through this campaign we are trying to clarify the true teachings of Islam, to speak out against injustices, suicide bombings and terrorism."

Last year, a YouGov poll of 2,152 people found that 58 per cent of those questioned linked Islam with extremism, while 69 per cent believed it encouraged the repression of women.

In a recent speech in Leicester, Baroness Warsi, the co-chairman of the Conservative party, said anti-Muslim prejudice had passed the "dinner table test" to become uncontroversial and socially acceptable by Britons.

Eagle-eyed readers will see, from the above photo of a London bus, that the poster also features that phrase that has come to be so strongly associated with the Ahmaddiya Muslim Association: "Love for all. Hatred for none".

I don't know; are we missing a trick here? Should Leicester Council of Faiths do something like this for our 25th anniversary? "We have faith in Leicester!" could make a real impact if used like this.

Oh and can you see what they did there? "Drive home" - on a bus? Good one, Mercury.

ANTI-SEMITISM INCIDENTS IN UK REMAIN HIGH

Nicky Campbell's phone-in on BBC radio 5 Live this morning is on the topic of Anti-Semitism in Britain today. A Jewish charity which monitors acts of Anti-Semitism in the UK says it recorded 639 incidents of violence, threats and abuse last year. The figure, from the Community Security Trust, is the second highest since it began its work in 1984.

One caller is from Leicester; he identifies himself as "Abdul". He speaks up for Leicester as a place where a lot of work is being done to combat Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia by the faith communities getting together and working together. In fact (in the part of the show I hear) Leicester sounds like the only place with anything positive going on to tackle religious prejudice. Nicky Campbell gives a name check to Sheikh Ibrahim Moghra as a prominent figure in inter faith work, not only in Leicester but also further afield.

Read an article about the Anti-Semitism figures on the BBC News website.

ANTI-MUSLIM PREJUDICE IS WIDESPREAD

This Op-Ed piece appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Anti-Muslim prejudice is widespread

If you are in any doubt over whether Baroness Warsi is right in saying that prejudice against Muslims has become socially acceptable, have a look at many of the comments on internet sites which greeted her remarks yesterday.

All the tired old cliches were there – the inferred suggestion that many Muslims are sympathetic to extremism; the notion that the culture of good old England is being changed by these outsiders; the complaints that merely seeing somebody in a burkha is somehow troubling; the usual rubbish along the lines of when in Rome etc; the assertion that Islamic countries would not tolerate diversity in the way we generous Brits do, and so on.

People are entitled to their views, of course, and we are not necessarily suggesting that they are closet racists simply for discussing the sort of things listed above, even though we disagree with every point.

It is the fact that these sort of views are frequently put forward as sweeping generalisations, lacking in factual analysis, unsupported by logical argument and frequently characterised by incredibly hostile language.

Does that amount to prejudice? Is it the sort of discussion which takes place over dinner tables? You bet.

We do not think that Baroness Warsi is opposing freedom of speech (another allegation which surfaced with tedious predictability yesterday). We think that she is merely asking for people to show tolerance and respect to others.

Freedom of speech should be something we prize sufficiently to realise that it comes with the responsibility to conduct ourselves in a restrained and reasonable manner. It should not be used as cover for the vilification of an entire cultural group. That this is happening is not only deeply unfair but dangerous too.

"PREJUDICE AGAINST MUSLIMS IN BRITAIN IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

"Prejudice against Muslims in Britain is at an all-time high"

The chairman of the Conservative Party has said prejudice against Muslims in Britain is at an all-time high and has become socially acceptable.

Speaking to the Mercury, Baroness Warsi defended her controversial comments on Islamophobia, the fear of Islam, which were released yesterday.

The contents of a speech, made at Leicester University last night, had been trailed to the media ahead of the event, sparking a debate on Islam in Britain.

In the first major comments on religion by a member of David Cameron's Government, she said Islamophobia was seen by many as normal, and said describing Muslims as either "moderate" or "extremist" fosters growing prejudice.

In our interview, she revealed how she had been the target of racist e-mails since entering the House of Lords in 2007, including receiving one just minutes earlier which read: "Instead of bleating like some Halal lamb being led to slaughter, how about ending the knee-bending to Islam at every opportunity."

She said: "Anti-Islamic sentiment is the last socially acceptable form of bigotry in Britain, and that e-mail is a typical example of the kind of behaviour I face.

"There's a rising level of anti-Islamic hatred in this country. When I get that kind of e-mail, that's being directed at me as a person whose family has a tradition of half a century in Britain."

Lady Warsi, who is the first Muslim woman to attend Cabinet, said she stood by every word of her speech.

"When you're open and honest about problems people know exist then people will make headlines out of it.

"I don't regret any of it."

She said discrimination against Muslims was more acceptable in Britain than ever before, and urged people to be more careful about what they said about the religion.

"People need to take stock of what they're saying and ask, 'if my next door neighbour could hear what I was saying, would they find it acceptable? Would it be okay for me to say these things about Muslims if they were Jewish or black?'"

She said Muslim communities had to organise themselves in the way Jewish communities had in the past, to tackle anti-semitism.

She said: "You can't draw exact examples between Muslim society in Britain today and the Jewish communities of decades gone by, but people used to say that anti-semitism was not really an issue.

"It was only when the British Jewish community started working with the police, evidence was logged, gathering information. Until that point people didn't acknowledge there was a problem. British Muslims need to do the same.

"We need to get beyond asking whether it is happening or whether it is an issue, because it is.

"This isn't a fight to the bottom for who is the biggest victim.

"The reason you have to be careful about your language is because of the potential consequences. We're on a journey as a country. Words can become unacceptable over time.

"Saying someone is moderate or extreme Muslim, you decide whether someone is good or bad based on their religion.

"If someone goes out and starts shouting 'death to Britain' and comes out with loads of crazy statements and wants to do us harm then they are criminals.

"They've become detached from their religion to such an extent that they should be defined by their criminality rather than their beliefs."

Asked whether she still faces regular discrimination, she said: "On the basis of my race? Less so. On the basis of my religion? More so."

Abdulkarim Gheewala, president of the Islamic Education Trust in Leicester, said: "Baroness Warsi's comments are timely and most welcome. No one should be allowed to justify the demonisation of Muslims as a whole, in the name of freedom of expression. We congratulate her for her honest comments."

Read the full speech given by Baroness Warsi at the University of Leicester.

Federation of Muslim Organisations press release

The Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) has today issued a press release, outlining its position in relation to the proposed demonstration by the English Defence League scheduled to take place in Leicester on Saturday 9 October. While I had nothing to do with its creation and lay myself being open to the accusation of having gathered a garland of other men's flowers, I want to reproduce it in full here. The Federation of Muslim Organisations is an infrasturcture body, representing the interests and speaking on behalf of a large number of mosques, community associations, centres and groups from within the Muslim community of Leicester and Leicestershire. It is itself a member body represented on Leicester Council of Faiths.

PRESS RELEASE

POSITION IN RELATION TO ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE PROTEST

24^th September 2010

The Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) held an open meeting with significant numbers of its affiliates, Imams, Councillors and community members at the Highfields Community Centre on Thursday 23rd September 2010. Following this consultation, the FMO issues this initial guidance with regards to the forthcoming anti-Islamic protest by the English Defence League (EDL) scheduled to take place in Leicester on Saturday October 9th 2010.

1.    We respectfully and humbly inform all of our 186 affiliates, comprising of Mosques, Charities and other Muslim Organisations that the EDL intends to hold a demonstration on Saturday 9^th October. Our strong advice is that people stay away from the EDL protest and any counter demonstration and rallies that may take place in the city. At this stage we have not been informed about the location of the EDL protest but it is likely to be in the city centre. Having listened to a variety of opinions within the community, the decision is based on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our community. People must stay away from any potential violence and do their utmost to keep family and friends away from the city centre on the day. Please note that Muslims and indeed others may become innocent victims of violence and so we have a duty as Muslims to ensure the safety of all communities. We believe that any counter protest will only serve to undermine the image of Muslims as a law-abiding and peaceful people particularly in the media.

2.    We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from Muslim communities in other parts of the country. We in Leicester appreciate this greatly but would urge our fellow brothers and sisters from around the UK not to travel to Leicester and participate in any counter demonstrations. The FMO thanks everyone who is involved in opposing the vitriolic campaign that the EDL have waged on the British Muslim population. Whilst Muslims up and down the country work hard to build stronger relationships with all communities, the EDL represents the ugly face of society. Our fear is that this could lead to serious community tensions in the city. Islamophobia (hatred against Muslims) is as unacceptable as any other form of discrimination. It divides and weakens our society by making scapegoats of one single community.

3.    The FMO extends its gratitude to other faith communities and key community groups that have shown their solidarity with the Muslim community by contacting us and assuring us of their support. Though the FMO’s agreed position is not to counter demonstrate, we understand that many organisations and individuals will counter demonstrate. We plead to them that they do so in a peaceful manner and be mindful that if there are any negative incidents, then the respected Muslim community and elected bodies such as the FMO will be left to pick up the pieces and are likely to be blamed.

4.    We call upon the media and politicians to make responsible and informed statements about Islam, its teachings and values, which would help to decrease the anti-Islamic climate, which groups such as the EDL thrive upon.

5.    We call upon Muslims to challenge any anti-Islamic reporting, collectively and individually, in an intelligent manner by discussing with and writing to elected officials, editors of newspapers and senior police officers that such anti-Islamic propaganda should be taken seriously as they damage good community relations and impact on community cohesion.

6.    We are all reminded to take examples from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that at times of trials and tribulations; we must exercise wisdom and patience whilst continuing in our supplications to our creator Allah (SWT) in the pursuance of peace in our country.

We are drawing up further guidelines in liaison with the local authority and the Police which will be distributed shortly to our affiliates which we anticipate will be subsequently circulated throughout the Muslim community.

Find out more about the Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO):
http://www.fmo.org.uk/