Is it Cos I am a North Londoner?

Recriminations in Libya are Starting

2011-08-27T03:11:00.007+01:00

So here we go! The recriminations post a Qadaffi era are starting with news flashes showing the decomposing bodies of Qadaffi supporters who have been summarily executed. Everyone it seems, has a pistol or an AK47 in Tripoli and everyone has a grievance, many legitimately, since the brutal dictator affected the lives of all Libyans.

The 'rats' that Qadaffi railed against are now hunting the biggest rat of all, the new medallion man post Idi Amin, except that this dictator does not think of himself as the 'Last King of Scotland.' Qaddafi thinks of himself as the last 'King of a pan-African' kingdom. I think that all of us would laugh if this was not so serious. In fact the only 'king' he is, is the kingpin of all that went wrong with Libya.

The man who asked his chum Berlusconi to round up the beautiful women of Rome so that he could lecture them in morality, has ended up butchering all of his country people. I think that he should have stuck to the lecture circuit in Rome and at least exchanged plastic surgery notes with his pal, Silvio 'I'm not guilty' Berlusconi. That at least would have saved lives and stopped the destruction of a state which has been brought to its knees because of the arrogance of one man.

So another Arab country deposes its dictator and many of us hope that Qadaffi and his sons get the justice they deserve from Libyans. If anything, let that be a lesson to those in our country that work with and deal with dictators by justifying their actions since they cannot see the killings and murders that are counducted in far away lands. Just because we cannot see the actions of modern day Qadaffis, does not mean that we absolve ourselves of a moral responsibility just for the sake of a fistful of blood money. That is the standard that we should all live by, but I am afraid that many are very far from that position when there is easy money to be made. Some corporates simply see Libya as a business opportunity and watch the bun-fight start in earnest. The dead are hardly in their graves, lest the businesspeople fight over the spoils of Libya. Shame on them!

The Arab Spring into the Arab Summer

2011-08-25T01:39:00.001+01:00

Qadafi and his disgraceful regime are finally at an end after four decades of control on the lives of every Libyan. The man who re-invented himself after Lockerbie and who survived the 1986 attempt to kill him using a joint British and US air raid, is finally dislodged. I remember the news stories on the 1986 raids that were conducted by F14, Harrier and Tomcat aircraft from carriers in the Mediterranean that left his daughter dead and which hit many military targets and with civilians killed.

After shaking Blair's hands in the tent in the desert and being re-introduced into the international community, he used his various investments (which were stolen monies of the people of Libya), to cajole and buy his way into respectability with his son leading the way as the 'liberal' face of the regime. The London School of Economics also accepted his 'donations' and were fortunately found out. Respectability, it seems clearly came at a price.

The leather faced leader is now on the run with his own people chasing him. How he must be railing against his failed attack on Benghazi which mobilized France and then our country into action. Hubris and the usual dictator's closeted mindset meant that he misjudged his actions and the global impacts that it would have. He also forgot that a government in a country with oil which makes military moves should know that there will be many other countries looking at opportunities to either ally themselves or look at whether they can oust the incumbent regime and possibly get access to mineral riches. Whilst this was not the over-riding reason for French and UK involvement, it certainly is one of the reasons why both countries now are willing to support Libya with technical, military, political and financial help and assistance. Money talks, though the military action was necessary to oust one of the more brutal dictators in Africa and to save the lives of so many in Benghazi. If the world had not stepped in, many people, their families and their wives and sisters would have suffered humiliating and painful deaths under the torturers of Qadafi.

So farewell to another dictator as the heat of the Arab Spring reaches another part of the Middle East and North Africa region. The spring may have turned to summer but the heat has certainly not cooled down.

Launch of MAMA (Measuring ant-Muslim Attacks) Software

2011-08-08T18:44:00.005+01:00

The time has finally come! Since 9/11 and 7/7 successive European and US Governments have rightly focussed on countering Al Qaeda and terrorist attacks in Europe and the US. However, the continued focus has missed out on the rising tide of anti-Muslim hate crime that has been taking place and which has not been properly recorded by civil society organisations. Some politicians have used Islam and Muslims as a political football knowing that it plays to the fear of some people in communities, whilst not making clear the fact that Muslim communities just want to get on with their lives, live within the law and value their local communities in this country. There is a very small group of Muslims who frankly spout pathetic and retrograde views based on their desire to be exclusive and they do not represent the overwhelming majority of Muslims in the UK.

So where are we? England is more than just a tolerant country. It is a land of opportunity and where people matter. Many people treat others like they want to be treated and place a value on the dignity of others. Yet, we have groups like Al-Muhajiroun and the English Defence League who are two peas in the same pod. Exclusivist and playing to common basic denominators, they spread messages of hate and division, even though the EDL couches their statements in being against Muslim extremism. Let us be clear; if they had their way they would expel all Muslims in line with the demented rants of that serial killer in Norway, a certain Mr Breivik!

As stated before, the lives and dignities of all people and communities matter in our country and we have to maintain and protect that space. In line with this, there are certain communities who have raised issues of attacks against them and there has been no definitive data collection on this. The Community Security Trust for example, does a sterling job in collecting anti-Semitic attacks and they work with the Association of Chief Police officers on this. They are trailblazers of this work.

In late September 2011, Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org) will be launching software that can track anti-Muslim hate crime in real time and will be able to, for the first time, collect data and stats, as well as map incidents across the country. This is a huge step forward and one which we hope can look at this issue systematically and scientifically. Nobody should be attacked because of their race, faith, culture or background in this country. If they are, then we must all act together in challenging the perpetrators and collecting all of the data and information to ensure that they cannot enjoy the freedoms that with them, entail certain responsibilities.

Going to War Has Cost Everyone Dearly

2010-07-21T18:41:00.001+01:00

Yesterday at the Chilcot enquiry (which has been set up to find out the lessons learnt from the Iraq conflict), the walls resounded to a withering and devastating testimony from the former head of MI5 – the internally (UK) focussed security service.

Eliza Manningham-Buller told the Chilcot inquiry that civil servants were frightened to speak out about their belief that the war on Iraq would raise the terrorist threat to the UK and that it had radicalised a number of ‘home grown’ young Muslims who saw the attack on Iraq as an attack on Islam. She went onto say that “(the invasion) was a highly significant factor in how ‘home-grown’ extremists justified their actions.” She disregarded the link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida and also commented that by invading Iraq, “(the US and UK) gave Osama Bin Laden the Iraqi Jihad.”

The disaster of the war in Iraq and the deceit that surrounded the case for war made by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has led to a whole generation of displaced and stateless individuals. The smoke and mirrors employed by those who were pro-war to create the illusion of a dangerous Saddam, have led to over 1.8 million Iraqis seeking shelter overseas primarily in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Turkey and the Syrian Government estimates that there are 1 million refugees in the country, the vast and overwhelming majority coming from Iraq. Those Iraqis in the country are in a state of legal limbo. With savings used up and with precious jewellery and items sold on the informal markets, they have no assets and cannot integrate into local communities. Syria and Jordan though, provide access to assistance, basic education and primary health care and the Syrian Government is laying the groundwork for a national asylum law which will formalize the principles of international refugee protection. In 2007, the Syrian Government estimated that the cost of hosting Iraqi refugees amounted to about $1 billion and social services have deteriorated quickly due to immigration pressures.

In Jordan, estimates for Iraqi refugees amount to between 600,000 – 700,000 people and the influx has also led to a steep rise in prices within Amman and throughout urban areas. Many Jordanians have felt the price rises and there is increasing resentment towards refugees and the price hikes that their migration has caused. Furthermore, in Turkey there were 5,478 Iraqis living in the country as of the 31st of May 2010.

These victims of the illegal and catastrophic Iraq war have no savings, many cannot work legally and many end up being abused since they work in the informal economy. The rest have no viable prospects for income and rely on handouts, aid and charity. Furthermore, of the refugee population of 1.8 million people, 40% are children and 60% are younger than 25. The war has therefore created an underclass within Syria and Jordan who will not go away for decades to come. Bizarrely, one of the major policy drives of Tony Blair and his Labour Government in the UK was the reduction of child poverty. His actions and those who made this war possible have created hundreds of thousands of children who will live in poverty for the rest of their lives, though I am sure that the irony of this will pass him by.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, Iraq had high levels of literacy and infant mortality levels were low and comparable with European and western nations. There was a burgeoning middle class and the infrastructure of the country was well developed. Many Syrians and Jordanians moved to Iraq since times were good and Iraq was also a place where families and their children could receive a good education. Now, the refugee youth of Iraq have no access to meaningful jobs, training or education and the consequence of Bush and Blair’s war has been a ‘lost generation’ of young people. They have been denied their basic right to a peaceful existence and the enjoyment of their childhoods and many will grow up with traumatic experiences which may mean that they will show violent tendencies and erratic behaviour patterns. Some will even be pathological in their outlook to other people and time will only tell whether Iraq will fall prey to such an individual who will have echoes of Saddam and his reign of terror.

So, let us hope that the inquiry has the courage to say what is glaringly obvious to all. That this war was a fabrication based on a decision made in 2002 and which was led in the UK by the then Prime Minister who had already made his mind up. We marched in 2003 against the war like fools, but it is increasingly the warmongers who fit this description.

Touching on the Illogical?

2010-07-19T12:25:00.000+01:00

We have all heard the same phrases in one way or another. 'I have black friends down the road and we have nothing against them. But the family down the road do not fit with our area. They are.........different.' It is funny how this statement seems to have the same meaning generation after generation yet, is used by people who should know better and they should realise that the identity of our country is not under threat.

Some may regard people who make such statements as being inherently racist though I would suggest that their irrational fears have overtaken proper logical thought. That the difference they see in their area is viewed as a threat, rather than an opportunity and that fear generated so easily says something about the lack of identity within some of those local communities.

So, here we go! The Muslim community is under the spotlight again, this time for less than 0.5% of Muslim women in the UK covering their face. Yes, less than 0.5% and this figure is also being generous in the assessment. Judging by the raging debate, you would think that all Muslim women are covering up and that this is a matter of national significance. Yet, the assessment made by armchair pundits and those who will not accept Muslims or Islam in Britain is that this is not acceptable to British values. Well I find many things offensive like watching an overweight 50 plus male or female walking without a shirt or top and thinking that they are God's gift to beauty. Or the bright make up that is plastered onto the face of so many people today and which looks like Ziggy Stardust is back in fashion. So cutting to the chase, what you wear is a matter of personal freedom and choice and whilst I may not like the rotund pink belly undulating with the owner waddling to the pool, it is my choice not to look at them.

There is however, another argument that personal freedom should not be at the expense of safety to the state. There has been one incident when the Niqab has been used by one of the 21/7 bombers when he fled the UK for Italy. This is one case to date and there have been no other cases which link the Niqab to terrorists or terrorism related incidents. Bearing this in mind, does this piece of small clothing pose a national security risk and the answer is clearly no. Does it also pose a risk to society? Well, I suggest that it only poses a risk if local communities are not at ease with themselves and further work on developing local identities and cohesion are needed. However, harking back to monoculturism is not the answer in a Britain whose strength globally is its diversity of communities.

Finally, the recent comment by Damian Green stating that the Niqab ban will not take place in Britain is the right call. For a coalition Government to rightly suggest that our freedoms were eroded by Labour and then to propose a ban on a piece of clothing would be a significant u-turn on the protection of personal liberties. It would also undermine the libertarianism which is core to the Liberal Democrats and which has some roots within Conservative philosophy. Thank God we have some common sense in our politics today and those who bring some logical sense into the politics of communities.

Responding to those who conveniently hide their hatred of anything Muslim

2010-07-18T01:00:00.002+01:00

Recently, we (www.faith-matters.org) launched a booklet on the Righteous Muslims which looked at the history of those people deemed to be Righteous by Yad Vashem and who had saved Jews and others from death by their actions. They did this without the promise of money, personal gain or through external pressure applied to them. They did this because it was right and they did this driven by ideals that were based on values shaped by their faith in Islam.

The launch of the book produced postings on this site suggesting that the book did not describe those who had collaborated with the Nazis. As if the booklet in 32 pages was to take a critical approach to the complex arena of the role of all Muslims in the Holocaust and with postings even suggesting that the individuals could not be driven by Islam and their faith and that they did so because they just wanted to protect people. Increasingly, the dehumanisation of Muslims and the demonization of Islam is pervading its way into the minds of people who should know better!

There were even suggestions that Muslims should feel a collective guilt on the Holocaust, which was just plain wrong. The collective guilt was and should be felt within Europe where some governments did nothing during the Holocaust even though they knew that the extermination camps had been developed and a systematic plan to exterminate people had been triggered within the Nazi administration. Furthermore, the much used example in postings on the Mufti of Jerusalem did not represent all Muslims and some of the postings continued to support a blanket assumption that all Muslims cannot be trusted due to the actions of the Mufti of Jerusalem. I would seriously questions the motives and the basis of these assumptions and statements and the actions of the Righteous Muslims are a clear counter to that.

The aim of the booklet was to look at a brief snapshot of some of the stories of the Righteous Muslims. It was also to give the wider public and those within Jewish communities an understanding of these deeply shared histories between Muslims and Jews and to shine a light on a few of the roots of social justice that existed during this catastrophic time in Europe’s history. In fact, the e-mail responses from individuals within Jewish communities on the booklet has borne this out and many have suggested that they simply did not know about these facts and were heartened by them, rather than the negative light always shone on Muslim and Jewish relations.

A further aim of this booklet was to develop a sense of understanding within Muslim communities, so that they gained an awareness into their own histories. Histories that included people like Ali Sheqar Pashkaj who saved Yeoshua Baruchowic or Destan Balla and Lime Balla who saved the Lazar brothers; or Selahattin Ulkumen who saved the lives of 50 Jews on the island of Rhodes. It is also hoped that some within Muslim communities will be inspired to take an interest into their history and research the role of Muslims since this has been a neglected area and which has thankfully been supported mainly by Jewish investigators and researchers like Robert Satloff and Norman Gerschon. The actions of these investigators and researchers has protected these stories and for that they should be truly commended.

The actions of communities within the Holocaust has always been an area which has had to have been dealt with sensitively for fear of alienating communities or pigeon holing them 65 years later. As I suggested before, the actions of some Muslims (a small minority) in the Second World War were wrong and no doubt some made choices through agreement with Nazi ideology, through ‘just going with the flow’ or through pressure that was applied to them by the Nazis to join up. Furthermore, some joined because of local and regional disputes that were long standing and which the Nazis cynically manipulated. It seems that the politics of local and regional issues and other pressures had over-ridden the social justice element that is strongly a part of Islam.

Yet, this is not the whole view and the shrill voices that attempt to caricature Muslims by regarding all as being in agreement with the Nazi war machine, purposefully fail to look at the whole picture. That the vast and overwhelming majority of Muslims fought on the side of the Allies and many millions fought in the green fields of France, through to the swamps of Burma. Many lost their lives in Italy, France, Tunisia, Egypt and Albania and the list goes on. Those that choose to be selective in their analysis of Muslims fail to look at the dearth of evidence which showed that many Muslims were driven by the desire to do what was right and which was driven by their faith in Islam and a strong sense of social justice that was shaped by it.

We hope that this booklet provides the inspiration for its readers to research the area of the Righteous Muslims further. We also hope that it provides hope and inspiration to Jews and Muslims around our shared histories, even in the darkness of the Second World War and the Holocaust. We also hope that the memory of those Muslims, who inspired by their faith, local codes of honour and a strong sense of social justice, lives on. Their histories should be an inspiration for us all.

The Righteous Muslims booklet can be downloaded on http://www.faith-matters.org/resources/publicationsreports/171-righteous-muslim

Righteous Muslims (http://www.faith-matters.org/resources/publicationsreports/171--the-role-of-righteous-muslims)

2010-07-18T00:54:00.001+01:00

Five years ago, I had a crazy idea and that was to leave my job and to undertake a programme which commemorated 60 years after the Holocaust and 10 years after the massacres of Muslims in Srebrenica. The physical journey was to start in Fieldgate Street where the Fieldgate Street Synagogue and the East London mosque are located side by side with each other. The journey was to take young Muslims and Jews on a coach journey through 9 EU countries and 13 cities to look at the history of Muslim and Jewish interaction in those cities and through Auschwitz to Srebrenica. Needless to say after 18 months of trying and receiving lots of supportive statements, I did not manage to get the programme off the ground and it helped to break up my first marriage. However, it started a personal journey that over the last 5 years has led me to look at ways of highlighting remarkable stories of heroism undertaken by Muslims and Jews who were just ordinary people doing extraordinary things. This has become even more acute given the consistent corrosive narratives around Israel and Palestine between Muslim and Jewish communities.

This booklet was initially inspired by the story of Selahattin Ulkumen, the Turkish Consul to Rhodes which was then part of the Ottoman Empire during the Second World War. I came across the story by chance when I was in Istanbul in a library in the City looking through old diaries for research that I was undertaking on the Mughal Empire in India. My fascination with my ancestors, the Mughals of India, had led me to Istanbul and in that journey, I found another path to a remarkable story that is listed in the booklet. That story, was of the heroism of Selahattin Ulkumen and it led me to search for more stories on Muslims who saved Jews and there I found many, many more extraordinary acts of human heroism and kindness. The remarkable work of Robert Satloff also helped and this booklet is also based on his work.

When thinking of stories of heroism in the Holocaust, the Muslim Righteous and their histories have never really caught the public’s imagination. Yet they should, especially when so many are frail and may not be around much longer to give first hand testimonies. Their passing away will be a huge loss which can never be filled, though at the very least their voices can be kept alive for the future.

Furthermore, to those who try and drive a wedge between Muslim and Jewish communities, these stories stand testament to the fact that our histories and our futures will continue to be shared ones. To those who believe that Muslims had no role to play in the Holocaust, these stories are a factual testimony against such thinking and to those who believe that the Holocaust never happened, these stories and many others show up the pathetic nature of such thinking. Finally, my real hope is that we can continue to learn that man’s inhumanity to man has no place in a modern civilised world and that we treat each other like we would hope to be treated. The Righteous Muslims certainly met that objective and many, many more.

Labour's Moral Compass Has Gone!

2010-05-06T02:17:00.003+01:00

Tomorrow, millions of us go to the polls to deliver a verdict either for change or for more of the same. Yet many will try to reflect on the benefits that they have had over the last 13 years through this Labour Government; some will know that there will be tough times ahead; some will know that Labour is on the verge of being in the political wilderness and some will know that a seismic change in politics may have already taken place.

Labour cannot be blamed for all of the problems of the last 13 years. There have been some successes and Sure Start, the national minimum wage and the stabilisation of the economy during the banking disaster were all positive moves, even though it cost each one of us and endebted us for decades to come. It has to be acknowledged that the financial support to banks had to be made to provide stability.

However, Labour lost it credibility and its moral compass sometime around 2002 when Tony Blair shamelessly went along with a certain Messr Bush's plan for regime change and both effectively sold us a dud. For those of us who campaigned against Iraq and who knew that a decade of sanctions (by the US and UK) had destroyed so many civilians lives, it was the final straw and a realisation that the hollow phrase of 'social justice' so paraded by Labour Ministers and members, had a distinctly hollow ring to it. So much for social justice when the premise of the war was based on a lie and when the case for war was based on smoke and mirrors. Whilst Blair went onto become the Quartet's 'peace envoy' in Jerusalem and to top up his tan in the American Colony in Jerusalem, our young men and women were put in harms way whilst Iraqi's lost their lives in the tens of thousands.

Labour's moral compass will not be regained until there is a realisation that there needs to be some form of 'truth and reconciliation' around what it's actions led to. Supine Labour MP's lined up to support the war with their respective Tory cheerleaders in Parliament. So bent is that compass now that Labour deserves to be out of office, yet the alternative leaves a lot to be desired. The only real hope for truth and justice is to support a politician who at the very least is open and honest even when the answers may not sit well with the public. His name is Nick Clegg and his vision is not corroded unlike the Labour Party which played with and squandered the lives of people in far flung places like Iraq. Shame on them and shame on those who supported the absolute destruction of Iraq whilst purpoting to save it.

HARINGEY LABOUR IN DISARRAY OVER THE DEFECTION OF CLLR BRIAN HALEY

2010-01-22T01:39:00.003Z

The defection, two days ago, of senior Cabinet member Cllr Brian Haley to the Liberal Democrats spells disaster for the future of Labour in Haringey. And Rightly so! Labour has been in power for nearly 40 years but has failed to address problems with deprivation, poverty and failing services. Residents in Haringey now have to put up with officially the worst Council in London (after the recent Audit Commission report).The defection of such a senior Labour councillor like Cllr Haley (with others in the Labour Group also looking to move) means that the end is finally near for Labour in Haringey. Yet, true to form, Labour's spin machine spews out untruths and attempts deflection tactics by suggesting that about 18 months ago, I applied to join Labour. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE.

I thought that I would list some of the reasons why I never have and never will apply to be a Labour candidate.

(1) The war in Iraq. (This illegal and immoral war) which has led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people, was started by a Labour Government that deceived the public and applied pressure on civil servants to amend information to suit the case for war. Senior Labour politicians simply followed the line by Blair to make the case for war whilst the agenda was always access to Iraq's resources, regime change and a subservience to Bush, with a bit of legacy protection thrown in for Blair's ego.

(2) The erosion of civil liberties through the proposal of ID cards, increased surveillance powers and section 44 stops, which disproportionately impact on Black and Minority people and which does very little to actually catch terrorists. This cannot be and is not healthy for those who are marginalised and on the fringes of our society.

(3) The growing stark differences between the rich and poor in our society today with a growing underclass who have less social, economic and health opportunities. Yet, Labour and its local supporters continue to promote the disgraceful line that the Party stands for social justice.

(4) The sheer bureaucracy in administration and extra taxes that have been introduced under this Government. The stealth taxes are crippling in many instances and allied with the financial crisis which was caused, (in part), by the lack of scrutiny of lenders like banks has meant that families right across the country are suffering. This was under Labour's watch.The list goes on. Yet, in the dying throes of groups like Haringey Labour, they attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of local residents. Residents who, I am sure, will vote out this failed dinosaur, called Haringey Labour.

The time for change in Haringey has come. The time for a Liberal Democrat future is here.

RELIGIOUS SITES MUST BE PROTECTED AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

2009-10-05T00:32:00.005+01:00

Having worked on supporting better Jewish and Muslim relations for the last 7 years, I can honestly say that I have felt despair over the last week. Once again the Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock mosque compounds in Jerusalem have been drawn into the politics of those who want to make it a Muslim and Jewish conflict, something that is so readily accepted within Europe and the US and which is so far from the truth of what I hear on the ground in the region. The conflict should not be seen through the prism of a Muslim and Jewish conflict and those on either side who push this, push a very dangerous line by using religion in what is a conflict of resources.

Just before any reader attempts to blame any one faith, I must say that no particular religious community in the City is clean of this charge. There is instigation and counter-reaction and so the cycle continues, but the last 10 years have seen the increased use of faith and it’s symbolism within Jerusalem which is a very worrying trend. All religious sites deserve the respect and the protection of their sanctity within the City. Has it not been said that whoever has charge of this Holy City has the weight of the world on their shoulders and the added responsibility of global peace? Has it also not been said that each decision on faith related sites in the City needs a lifetime of thoughts before any action is taken? Yet, what we see today can ignite a regional crisis and before we blame another faith community, should we not ask ourselves the question, “Is my faith about peace and the protection of life and belief?” I think this is the core question that people of faith ask themselves at some point in their life and this question is very relevant in the context of what is happening in Jerusalem.

Yet, whatever the future holds, Muslim and Jewish communities in Jerusalem will have to learn to live with one another. Today, respect and understanding towards each other are sadly missing and power dynamics play heavily on activities and the way that each community views each other. What I hope is that religious sites are not drawn into the conflict and that politicians do not use them. The last person that did that, a certain Ariel Sharon, started the Second Intifada and both communities I know are tired of the violence. Furthermore, Jerusalem needs no more violence, oppression and blood and the life of a Palestinian Muslim or Christian Jerusalemite should be viewed with the same value as the life of a Jewish Jerusalemite. Their differences in faith do not mean that one person’s life is more superior to another for every faith believes in the sanctity of all life.

I for one will always defend the right of any faith to practice and to practice in safety and security. No faith group should practice their faith at the detriment of another. For example in Arab countries in my opinion, the loss of Jewish communities through fear to Israel was a loss that affected them financially and socially and that is why the loss of Muslims and the Islamic identity in Jerusalem will be a loss for the City in the future. Jerusalem is a city for all of the three Abrahamic faiths and I for one will defend the rights of all three faiths to practice to the hilt. Whoever uses religion to cause divisions and to drive wedges in the history of the City should ask themselves; is this what God really wants? I for one, think not.

Mughal India and the Link Between Muslims and Jews: A Forgotten Story

2009-08-23T14:55:00.004+01:00

In 1858, the last great Mughal ruler of India was violently sent into exile into Burma where he eventually died in exile in 1862. A liberal, cultured and deeply cohesive community in Delhi which was nurtured by Bahadur Shah Zafar, (the last Mughal of the line of the Timur (Tamerlaine) line which had been in India for over 320 years), was fractured. The fabric of Indo-Islamic civilisation which had been stitched together by the Mughals so that Hindu and Muslim rights were protected, was violently torn apart by the England based East India Trading Company.

Yet what was the cause of this violent ejection that saw over 40 children of the King butchered and murdered with no mercy being shown by soldiers of the East India Trading Company? These mercenaries ripped the heart out of India and they supported the first rapacious multi-national corporation that went onto govern and hold whole countries to ransom.

The eventual annihilation of Mughal India was based on a number of steps, some of which included the aggressive and heavily xenophobic attitude of Victorian Evangelists whose work in India tilted relationships between Europeans and Indians so that neither culture or race interacted anymore on an equal basis. It also led to the end of the era of the ‘White Mughals’ who preceded them and who were far more understanding and empathetic in their relations. (These were English men and women who became part of the Mughal tradition and who learnt Urdu and married local women). Furthermore, to add to these strained relations, the introduction of greased cartridges to lubricate the round shot fired from new Enfield rifles introduced around 1856 meant that Hindu and Muslim sepoys would have to bite open these cartridges that were made of cow and pig fat. For Hindus and Muslims, this meant a direct threat to their identity and faith and rebellion after rebellion in Northern India broke out with these sepoys rallying to Bahadur Shah Zafar as to the true ruler of India. Their arrival in Delhi, the seat of Mughal India, would mean that on their defeat, the British enacted a brutal vengeance that led to the destruction of Delhi and to the end of Mughal rule in India. It also meant the killings of hundreds of thousands of Indians by direct or indirect punishment.

Yet, Mughal rule in India was not only about maintaining the fragility of the stitched fabric which symbolised Hindu and Muslim co-existence in India. It also covered Jewish communities since Jews from Persia and Afghanistan became courtiers of the Mughal emperors within Agra and Delhi. These courtiers became deeply influential as was, for example, the influence of a naked Sufi poet who was an Armenian Jew. Sa’id Sarmad became an adviser and spiritual guide to the son of the Great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and Dara Shikoh become more and more enthralled with Sa’id Sarmad, (also known as Muhammad Sa’id). It is said that numerous elements may have played a part in the eventual demise and death of Sa’id. These could have included his anti-authoritarian reactions, his nudity, his close links with Dara Shikoh and thereby his ability to possibly influence Mughal India, or his love for a Hindu man named Abhai Chand with whom he spent many years. Finally, his own spiritual journey which led him to believe that there was no God, may have led to his ultimate demise and his death in the mid 1600’s. Yet, this is only one example of the interaction and interfaces between Mughal India and Jews and such stories are seldom told. The story of Muhammad Sa’id or Sa’id Sarmad may have ended in tragedy, yet at its foundations lay the open engagement between Muslims and Jews and how many more stories such as these have been lost? I for one know one thing. Judging by the beautiful works and poetry of Bahadur Shah Zafar, my ancestor, the acrimonious relations we see today between Jews and Muslims would never have been part of the social narrative.

“NATURAL ALLIANCES: MUSLIM AND JEWS SHOULD BE MAKING EVERY CONCEIVABLE EFFORT TO BRING BOTH FAITH COMMUNITIES TOGETHER”

2009-05-05T00:39:00.010+01:00

So many blogs, articles and ‘specialist’ pieces make the case that Jews and Muslims are increasingly becoming suspicious and fearful of each other. Polar stories make out that both communities just see each other through the prism and lens of the Middle East and when Gaza’s and Jenin’s take place, both communities increasingly caricature each other. To some members of British Jewry, Muslims are seen as an ‘insular community,’ with extremist voices and messages. ‘The other,’ the narrative goes, promote Anti-Semitism and have taken on the mantle of Christian Anti-Semitism, swallowing it whole and giving life to Muslim Anti-Semitism. Counter to this are the narratives within some Muslim communities, that there is a growing influence politically and socially by members of British Jewry who use extremism to keep Muslim communities under pressure. The narrative goes on suggesting that some anti-Muslim activities come from members of British Jewry and that Israel and the protection of Israel at all costs, is the over-riding agenda for these individuals. Further narratives also suggest that web-sites are being set up that twist core Islamic text and media from Muslim countries so as to promote half truths and to further caricature Muslims.

These narratives are not only dangerous, they perpetuate conflict, are emotional and have little basis apart from basal irrational fears that run counter to the history of Jewish / Muslim relations. Since the issue of Israel / Palestine has come into the discussion space between Muslims and Jews, both communities have attempted to bestialise each other and to create new mental ‘security barriers’ when there should not be any. I for one will not accept these twisted and destructive narratives and I will not have my narrative and my future written by others. My fellow brothers and sisters are not only Muslim ones, but Jewish ones whose rights to life, security and freedom to worship I will defend to the hilt.

Muslims and Jews are far closer in many arenas than they are with other faith communities. The unity of God and the oneness of God is a fundamental principle of both faiths. This is a central point and should not be overlooked. It is powerful and the indivisibility of God is at the core of both faiths. That is why one reason why Muslims can eat Kosher food if Halal is not available since the sacrifice is to a single and all powerful eternal power. Also, our faiths are based on Prophets. Samson, Noah, Isaac, Moses, Abraham and many, many others all play a central role in our faiths. They were the link between God and man, a link which stayed eternal because of their sacrifices. Both faiths also believe that the wisdom and light of God came through the Prophets and each carried messages and the desire to spread these messages from the Almighty. Where Islam differs, is that it places onto Jesus the mantle of a Prophet of God and to Muhammad (peace be upon Him), the mantle of being the last Prophet of God.

When I have visited synagogues, I have found their structures very similar to those of mosques. The lack of stylized images, the rejection of any form of idolatry, the leading of the prayers by the Rabbi or Imam and the pointers towards Jerusalem and Mecca all show a similarity in the structure of worship. There are obviously differences in the number of men that can conduct a service within Judaism, yet even with the prostration elements within the faiths, there are similarities. Prostration had a role within Judaism and continues to do so within Islam to this day. It must also be said that Jerusalem holds a very special place within the hearts of Muslims. Whilst Muslims pray towards Mecca, the fact is that one of the two Qiblas and prayer points is Jerusalem and it will always have a special place within the hearts of Muslims. It is fact that both faith communities and their prayers and thoughts move towards Jerusalem at points in their prayers. Therefore, the beauty of Jerusalem is that it will and should always remain a place where all of the three Abrahamic faiths can find solace, religious rejuvenation and a link with God.

You see, it is not just the faith elements that bind us; it is also our shared histories. Islam in its purest sense means a relationship and submission to God. In essence, this means that Judaism and Christianity fit within the faith. Yet, if I look at the history of when Islam came into being within the Arabian Peninsula around the 6th Century, the fact is that there were Jewish tribes that were present in those regions. Islam and Muslims grew and they came across and shared their futures with these Jewish tribes. Some of these Jewish tribes sided with the Quraysh who were polytheists, yet there were those who worked with and interacted with Muslims. Some tribes made pacts with Muslims and the Prophet himself entered into strategic alliances with some Jewish tribes. Yet, the closeness of our two faiths came into being when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married a Jewess called Saffiyah who was with him when he died. She converted to Islam and theirs was a marriage based on tenderness and the Prophet (pbuh) confronting some of the xenophobia that was directed against her. On numerous occasions, Prophet Muhammad stood up against the xenophobia of those who attacked Saffiyah because of her heritage and the Prophet time and time again made it clear that those who were closest to God were those whose hearts were clean and without the scourge of hate.

So why have both communities become so fearful of one another? Even in terms of our histories as minority communities in Europe, there seem to be some strong similarities. In fact, one of the events that socially activated me was the genocide in Bosnia against 250,000 Muslims. In the early 1990’s the continuing pictures of attacks on innocent Muslims in Sarajevo, Gorazde, Tuzla and many other villages and cities made it clear that minority communities were not even safe on the borders of Europe. It brought home the fact that two hours away from London, Muslims were being killed because of who they were and because of the faith that they believed in. That for me made me think about what took place over 60 years ago in Europe. For me, this is why it was exceptionally important for me to understand the pain and sense of deep cultural, religious and human loss that Jews felt. This single event activated me to ensure that I came out of my comfort zone and came out to listen to the narratives, feelings and thoughts of others. The pain of other communities should the pain of all of us and if anything, this helps us each to put ourselves in the shoes of those who may be suffering and helping them when they need that support. The mass killings and butchery of Muslims in camps like Manjaca and Omarksa should not be forgotten; so we should also not forget the camps of Auschwitz, Bergen Belsen and the many many others that traversed across Poland and the Balkan States, put there by the Nazi war machine.

It is also exceptionally important for both communities to see the diversity of opinions and communities within both faiths in the UK. The singular ‘Muslim’ community concept does not exist and I would also argue the same around the concept of a singular Jewish community. Within Islam, its history is one of diversity. The first convert to Islam was a woman called Khadija who was the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In fact, it was her who informed him that the visitation from the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) was a sign of his Prophethood and she was therefore the key driver to the Prophet understanding that he had a mission. Additionally, the first man to make the call to prayer (the ‘Adhan’) was a Black man in Islam, called Bilal. There are numerous instances in Islam where women led in many areas and today the range of diversity and languages that make up Muslim communities are higher than other faiths. The history of Judaism is also one which has crossed Europe, Asia, Africa and even as far afield as India. Today, one of the few remaining examples of that diversity are the Ethiopian Jews. So our histories and faiths are not monolithic. They are changing, fluid, dynamic and consistently adapting and shifting in order to survive within the different geographical locations of the world.

Moving onto the issue of the threats on the horizon affecting both faith communities, the threat of the Far Right is obvious. No longer can this be regarded as a threat that is non-existent. Who would have thought that today, we would have a London Assembly being represented by the British National Party? Who would have thought that in areas of our country there is a growing tide of disaffection with the mainstream political parties which means that more and more people are regarding the Far Right as an option? Yet, today, there are areas in the North of England where the Far Right is becoming entrenched and playing off one community against the other whilst promoting themselves as ‘mainstream’ politicians. Mainstream they are not, threats to our cohesion and the future stability in our country, they are. We must therefore come together and work towards reclaiming the political landscape. Without that, we are on a slow but slippery slope that will come to haunt us in the future.

Furthermore, our communities should not be brushing against each other and especially so when the Israel and Palestine is thrown in the mire. Both Muslims and Jews are driven within their faiths by a sense of social justice. That social justice is based on the respect of human and civil rights and the protection of life. It is in the core of both faiths. There are many within both faiths in the UK who strive for this within the context of the Israel and Palestine question. There are also those within Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) and Israel. (I have mentioned those within Gaza since there are families that want this peace, if at least to be left alone after the immense social and economic pressures that have been placed on them. Lumping all within Gaza as ‘potential threats’ is counter-productive and simply plays into the hands of those who want to perpetuate a continuing war and heightened tensions.) Yet, the Israel / Palestine question is the only narrative that seems to over-ride our relationships, as if it is all encompassing and all enveloping and it should not be! What happens 2,000 miles away does have impacts, though it should not be the over-riding element that blurs logic and reason. Nor should it be the only lens through which we see each other. If we do that, we build a future of conflict and a future that plays into the hands of the Far Right and others who seek to drive a wedge between us.

Saying that, it is essential that British Muslims engage in a transparent and open manner with the State of Israel and its civil society structures. These relationships need to be built before we attempt to take on the differences on the Israel and Palestine question and we must not shy away from discussing this though for anything to change, the State structures and some within Israel should not lump British Muslims as a threat or a potential fifth column. This will be risky for Israeli politicians but we have to be courageous. For British Muslims interested in playing a role in constructive discussions and for those who want to help, (even if that help is for the Palestinians), personal courage to engage and to listen to narratives within Israel will be required. This will lead to ideas that can generate positive activities or it may lead to disengagement. Whatever the outcome, this engagement must take place since the policy of disengagement with Israel has failed. It is also a fact that disengagement means no chance to play a role in the future of an area that is holy to both Muslims and Jews. Disengagement also helps no-one, least so the Palestinians and it does nothing to better relations between Muslims and Jews.

Now, I know that none of the proposals around engagement are easy, but there has to be another way. We have reached stalemate on the Israel / Palestine question. Pro-Israel social activism merely encourages pro-Palestinian social activism. Demonstrations merely produce counter-demonstrations. Caricatures and racist statements around Palestinians merely produce more grotesque caricatures and racist statements Jews. The ‘middle’ voices simply get drowned out. If we do not see the logic of alliance building, then our tomorrows will not be safer than our today’s. Is that a future that you and I will want for our children? I am also fed up of the voices of division and yearn for those voices that re-enforce the strong links between our communities. Let us together, isolate and alienate those voices of separationism whose only role is to drive that wedge between us. Shine a light on their shadowy resting places we must; for in doing so we sew the seeds of bridge building and therein lies our safety and security.

IRAN ATTACK IS ON THE HORIZON

2009-04-28T00:45:00.005+01:00

IRAN ATTACK IS ON THE HORIZON

The issue of Iran’s nuclear programme has been raging as a political debate for the last 3 years. There have been moments when it looked like Israel might launch a strike though the United States has been the alternative vehicle through which diplomacy has been used as a carrot for engagement with Iran.

Yet, even with President Obama’s recent address to the Iranian people and to the Government of Iran it looks like there is no thawing in US and Iran relations. The case of Roxana Saberi, a citizen of both the US and Iran and who has reported for the BBC and other media outlets has just been sentenced to imprisonment within Iran for charges that include spying for the US. This case will no doubt cause some further friction between US and Iran relations though I strongly belief that she will be released in due course and then expelled from the country. That will be the resolution to this affair since Iran knows that it needs US engagement and tacit support in the future. Keeping Roxana in prison for a prolonged period of time is not an option. Alternatively, the US knows that Iran is fast becoming a key regional power and player and one of the consequences of the invasion of Iraq has been to strengthen relations and intelligence ties between Iran and Iraq, something that the US never considered would happen even though the signs were all there. In fact, prior to the invasion of Iraq, Arab governments had made the case that an invasion would probably mean that a future Iraqi Government would probably be closer to Iran than to some of the Arab Governments in the region.

The fact is that the longer the US and Iranian relations do not thaw, the greater the chance of an attack by Israel. That attack has in my opinion already been planned for and simply awaits a time for execution. That decision to execute the plan becomes more and more relevant as American troops leave from Iraq and the more the US feels that diplomacy is not working. Furthermore, overflights for the attack will be through Iraq and this is where US and Israeli co-operation will take place since the US is in complete dominance of Iraqi airspace and jamming and other technology can easily be employed throughout the bombing route whether in Iraq or whether in Iranian airspace itself.

There are other indicators that an attack on Iran has been planned for and simply awaits execution. The Israeli Government has been promoting bomb proof shelters and the need for every new building in the country to have this. Fines are being attached to the proprietors of any building who do not have a bomb proof shelter and these amount to tens of thousands of sheckels. There are also adverts which indicate that new gas masks will be supplied and local newspapers have been advertising the time taken for residents in large cities to reach shelters from the moment the public alarms go off.

All of this indicates pre-planning for a military attack that will possibly mean retaliatory attacks against Israel. An attack on Iran would certainly mean that the possibility of missile or bomb attacks would significantly rise , at least in the short term. The future does not look as though it is one of peace, but of further military attacks that will no doubt have worldwide impacts. I hoped that I am proved wrong.

Turkey: A Force for Positive Change

2009-03-09T19:28:00.008Z

I recently visited Turkey on a fact finding visit with my colleague, Cllr John Oakes. The visit took in civil society organisations, key AK Party members, Members of Parliament within Turkey, newspapers like Zamaan and religious leaders who are creating and shaping the landscape of Turkey. What I have found is a country of such vibrancy and new thinking that I am shocked at the level of mis-understanding that is promoted against this country.

For example, the charitable work that is being undertaken by organisations has seen support being sent to countries around the globe, with Turkish charities being allowed to work in countries where other charities have not been able to enter into. And this work has been conducted with no 'song and dance,' just with the quiet belief that the right to life of every individuals is sacred.

I have also seen something that I have not seen elsewhere. Turkey is a Muslim country completely at ease with where it is. The AK Party and the leadership of the country promotes democratic values and engagement and with the desire to be part of the EU. Yet this is done with respect for core Islamic values and with an inclusiveness towards the secular groups within the country. Islam always has and can sit side by side with democracy and the empowerment and protection of the rights of individuals.

This visit has therefore shown me that Turkey has to be engaged with and is an essential partner for peace within the Middle East. The longer the EU keeps Turkey out of the 'club,' the more it ceases to capture real opportunities and partnerships that can and must be developed.

Bringing You to the Party

2008-12-17T01:55:00.003Z

Last week, I had the pleasure of bringing new members to the Liberal Democrats, all three of whom who would add value to their local Liberal Democrat associations and to the Party as a whole. Mike Penrose (an international development consultant), Rabbi Deborah Kahn Harris and Dilek Aygun (a Haringey Turkish community activist - pictured), were headhunted by me with a view to ensure that high value members and potential candidates like these three, found a home in the Liberal Democrats. This was also allied to the fact that all three of them exuded liberal values and two of whom were fed up with the two other political parties and who were looking for a Party to 'speak for them.'

It is essential that we headhunt and bring activists and campaigners to the Liberal Democrats, many of whom are looking for an alternative to the Punch and Judy show of the two other political parties. More than ever, our ideas, our vision and our values as Liberal Democrats are needed within a fast changing world and where the politics of rationality, common sense and inclusion can and will make a difference.

The Horn of Africa and Radicalisation

2008-11-09T17:18:00.002Z

Running up to the next election, Labour are going to lay a number of charges against us, some of which will attempt to paint our Party as being ‘soft’ on issues of safety and security. They have consistently tried to push this and at the forefront of their strategy will be the charge that our Party has no coherent strategy to tackle radicalisation and extremism.

Having had the opportunity to work on PREVENT programmes with various Government departments, I know the vast amounts of work that are being undertaken on this agenda and with new and innovative thinking playing a role in ensuring safety and security. Yet for me, there is always a fear that communities may be labelled and marginalised, although the Government’s language has become much more sensitive and more importantly, it is not that certain faith communities will be labelled, it is about the potential impacts on the civil liberties of Muslim and other Black and Minority Ethnic communities.

Things have moved on significantly since the initial Pathfinder PREVENT programmes were implemented in certain local authorities in 07/08. Local authorities are starting to clearly disseminate between PREVENT work and community cohesion, even though there are common strands. The language of PREVENT is more sensitive, yet preventing violent extremism is clearly stated as being part of the programme of work, even though projects may be labelled in softer ways. Also, many more Muslim civil society groups are applying for funding,, compared to the few that applied in the initial Pathfinder programmes. So, things are moving on and the PREVENT work is bedding down in communities.

One of the concerns that I have is that we do not get caught out by Labour’s charges and a detailed analysis of what is taking place on the ground needs to be disseminated to key stakeholders so that we can understand the complexity of the issues around violent extremism. The Government and security agencies have for example, developed threat assessment frameworks that are related to certain towns and cities in the UK, suffice as to say that even if suspected individuals who can and will carry our violent actions leave the city, it may still be regarded as being an area at risk. More importantly, as I mentioned at a conference recently, the horn of Africa and in particular, the continuing civil war in Somalia, may lead to real problems here in the UK.

A few weeks whilst doing a door to door surgery in my ward in Haringey, I came across a young Somali who was angry at the actions of Ethiopia within Somalia. He felt that the actions of Ethiopia within Somalia were disastrous (something that I agree with); he felt very angry at what was taking place and the inaction of our Government (he is entitled to feel that way and more importantly, to voice them), but then he moved onto something else. He stated that violent action was the only way to free Somalia and this is where I intervened and talked about other ways of voicing concerns and changing opinion. After listening to me for 10 seconds, he closed the door. I do not believe that young man would conduct any violent actions, yet, he clearly had thought about various options in his own mind and the only way forward for the ‘liberation’ of Somalia, was through violence.

Global conflicts are clearly impacting on us in the UK and there are political and social complexities that lead to people believing that violent action for social change is the only way forward. Yet, more than ever, we need to be aware of what is taking place and to develop our own pro-active thinking in this area. We need to be seen as the thoughtful David, taking on ‘Goliath’ political parties, rather than Achilles with a serious flaw that can be prone to attack.

Gay and Lesbian Muslims? Yes and Proud of Being Both

2008-10-20T00:43:00.002+01:00

Today, I had the pleasure of speaking at the IMAAN (www.imaan.org.uk) annual conference in Euston. Imaan is a group that focuses on informing and campaigning on issues affecting gay and lesbian practising Muslims and I was invited on the basis of my interfaith work and as an elected politician who happens to be Muslim.

I am proud to have spoken since for me, there is no contradiction in being gay or lesbian and wanting to practise Islam. Many Muslims make reference to the Sura (chapter) on Lout (Lot) in the Quran, yet there are numerous examples and references to respecting individualism and in protecting the integrity and honour of people. Islam also makes clear that people are different and that difference is a gift from Allah (God) or the Almighty. I therefore see no conflict and whilst this may be unsettling to many, the very fact that someone classifies and wants to be identified as a Muslim means that they should be respected as so.

Today, I saw many young Muslims who practised their faith and who also felt at ease with their sexuality. In fact, I heard about how Islam teaches them to be truthful and for many, they will not marry simply to live a double life so that they are not seen as 'bringing shame on their families.' They would rather not ruin the life of a woman and live a lie as their faith gave them a strong moral compass. This resounded with me greatly.

As a heterosexual man who happens to be Muslim, it is very clear that a space is needed for these young men and women. Not only do they suffer from homophobia, they also suffer from Islamophobia outside and within gay and lesbian communities. This double whammy is not lost on them and in fact, it makes that space for their voices even more important. I for one will support their work and within Haringey, I am sure that there is a large gay and lesbian Muslim community, bearing in mind that Muslims make up over 40,000 residents in the Borough.

You see, the strength of Islam is its diversity. And within that diversity, there are also those voices which I listened to today. I hope that they continue to stand up for who they are and help to change midsets and prejudices that are ranged against them on a daily basis.

Appointment as Advisor to the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Interfaith and Tackling Radicalism and Extremism

2008-09-12T15:27:00.005+01:00

Can I firstly congratulate and thank the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP, on his bold vision to appoint Cllr Meral Ece and I as advisors. My new role as of this week is to advise the Leader on issues related to the fields of interfaith and preventing extremism and radicalism.

Over the last 6 years, I have worked around building good community relations through interfaith projects which have attempted to promote commonalities between faiths, whilst then looking at and understanding key differences. These have been done through the prism of building resilient communities and more recently, my work and insight into the Preventing Violent Extremism agenda strengthens my belief that the scourge of radicalism, extremism and terrorism needs to be defeated wherever and whichever community it is found within. This in my opinion, does not mean labelling faith groups like Muslim communities, though it means working with them to promote mutual tolerance and understanding whilst weeding out the purveyors of hate. These purveyors of hate do nothing for the faith that they purport to be from and make issues more difficult for others within their communities. We must also not forget that Islam and Muslims have been in Europe for over a millennium and they are part of Europe's history.

This is not to say that radicalism and extremism are only relevant to a few communities. Through my work I have found the scourge in many faith groups, yet we must not forget that faith plays a strong role in social action in our country and has shaped social justice within our local areas.

My appointment also means that we, the Liberal Democrats, understand the importance of interfaith work and that it should be mainstreamed within political discourses and debates. This is a very important first step and there are no such advisors within Labour and the Conservatives around this area.

Nick said that he was going to be bold and put forward a vision of a diverse Britain. I realise that his vision is based on social justice, fairness, tolerance and openness. I believe in that and these ideals are fundamental to ensuring that we all have equal access to resources and opportunities within our lives.

Notes to Editors

A short biography of Fiyaz Mughal is below:

FIYAZ MUGHAL

Fiyaz Mughal was part of the Working Groups that made up the Extremism Task Force which was convened by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, after the 7/7 bombings.

He is an accredited national Peer Mentor with IDeA on preventing violent extremism.

An Oxford City Councillor in 2002-2004, Fiyaz is now a Councillor in the London Borough of Haringey and was also the Chair of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats from 2002-2006. He was also appointed as one of a number of Deputy Presidents for the Liberal Democrats in 2006 and was one of the party's Prospective London Mayoral candidates in 2007.

Fiyaz founded Faith Matters (http://www.faith-matters.org.uk/) in 2004 and works on interfaith, conflict resolution and Preventing Violent Extremism programmes within faith communities in the UK and internationally.

Pakistan Is imploding!

2008-08-27T01:37:00.003+01:00

So what is happening to the country of my father's birth? (Well actually, he was born in pre-partition India and his father and him saw the effects of the colonial partition of India. The mass killings and the trails of human misery who were uprooted and who moved from one country to another were the results of the lines drawn by India's colonial masters.)

When Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the father and founder of Pakistan, put forward his vision of a modern Pakistan, he never imagined that nearly 60 years on, the country is on the verge of imploding politically and socially. Having just seen off the dictatorial ex-General Musharraf, Nawaz Shariff's Pakistan Muslim League and Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party, both have track records that are far from ideal. Mr Shariff was exiled in Saudi Arabia on corruption charges. On the other hand, Mr Zardari, the husband of murdered previous Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was previously known as Mr 10% on account of his cut in financial and political deals. Some in Pakistan now refer to him as Mr 20%! Who says crime does not pay?

Yet, this political instability is supporting the military and law and order vacuum in some parts of the country, particularly in northern tribal regions like Waziristan. The Taliban is resurgent and allied to this, bombs have been killing civilians on the scale of attacks in Iraq.

All of this is leading Pakistan into an abyss from which I believe that it will not recover from for decades to come. With covert CIA operations taking place on the ground within Pakistan and with the Taliban openly resurgent in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistan is fast looking like a failed state. The real problem though is that stability in Pakistan is essential since an unstable country means that the region could be pulled into a catastrophic war. This is made worse due to the fact that Pakistan holds between 50-70 nuclear missiles, whilst India's nuclear arsenal is in the region of 200-300 missiles. Each country can destroy the other many times over.

For a British Muslim who is proud of my country and who believes that hard work pays within the United Kingdom, I feel a sense of sadness that if my father had been alive, he would have been depressed at the state of his country of birth. Pakistan is far from the vision that Jinnah wanted. The cancer within needs to be cut out and this includes corruption, the lack of leadership, extremism and more importantly, the manipulation of political structures for the sake of personal gain. Both of the current political leaders can easily be accused of this. I just hope they do the right thing and move on! Pakistan needs a new start; in fact it deserves that.

Getting Rid of the Politics of Fear

2008-07-01T01:17:00.005+01:00

The politics of fear has been something that has been constantly present within the Middle East and rarely does the politics of bridge building get a chance whether it is through the press that hungrily looks for the ‘negative angle’ or whether it is through politicians who want to keep the status quo in place.

It is this politics of fear that has played a role within the Middle East for centuries and whilst there is a legitimate basis for many of the historical crises, the ingrained response of fear now shapes the language, discourse, outlook and character of governments in the area. Some of the Arab Governments blame the militarism of Israel whilst Israel blames Arab states for the military positions that it takes. The politics of fear within this complex relationship merely feeds off each party, like a bad marriage where each partner cannot really do without each other, yet where there is some twisted comfort.

Like any bad marriage, (for it is a marriage of neighbours based on history, geographical location and resources), there are a few routes to take. These routes may involve complete separation. It may involve mediation towards separation or it could include the continuation of a relationship based on some guidelines and frameworks; a kind of learning process where each partner learns to take a step back and think of the implications before acting, thereby creating a cessation in the cycle of abuse.

For those on all sides who have lost loved ones, rationalism and bridge building are far from the mindsets of relatives. Anger, pain and depression beset many and there are many in Gaza and the West Bank who undergo these emotions. Then there are those within Sderot, Jerusalem and other towns who grieve, who feel the same elements of grief and pain. These people who grieve cannot be asked to look at the future. They alone know their grief and they alone know the loneliness of placing their loved ones into the earth. The graveyards of Gaza are full with the early bounty of the dead and those within the West Bank, Sderot, Jerusalem and other towns and cities slowly take up the dead, cut short in their lives. Yet there are those groups like Combatants for Peace who through grief have learnt that there is another way than the gun and an alternative to the politics of fear.

The history and the dialogues of each community in the Middle East, of Arabs and Jews, or Muslims, Christians and Jews will always be seen through lenses that look upon the same events at different angles. Mix that differentiation with the politics of fear and the future looks bleak. There is therefore only one way forward. A route emancipated from fear is the only way to respect the futures of all communities in the region. The politics of fear is not the domain of one community and politicians and spin doctors have seen the vast potential of it within the region. The public relations battles continue, waged with ferocity and where ultimately the truth suffers.

My wish is simple. That we do not get caught up in accepting fear since it is something that feels familiar in discussions around the Middle East. The best decisions are free of fear, free of pressure and internalised reactions. In the end, you and I have a duty to each other, a bond of common protection and a respect for basic human rights. That being the case, we owe it to ourselves to liberate our thoughts so that a genuine peace based on mutual respect and acceptance can take place. Without that, we are part of the cycle of hopelessness and despair which hang around discussions on peace within the Middle East and between Israel and Palestine.

Living Islam Out Loud - American Muslim Women and Linking with British Muslim Women

2008-04-10T02:01:00.004+01:00

I have just spent 5 days on the road on a project that is being run by Faith Matters, an interfaith and conflict resolution organisation that I founded in 2005. Faith Matters also runs Faith and Finance social regeneration projects.

The project entitled 'Living Islam Out Loud,' brought 4 American Muslim women to the UK to have dialogues and discussions with British Muslim women and to develop further trans-Atlantic links.

Well, what can I say? I have had the privilege of spending these days meeting empowered, focussed and courageous Muslim women who are working in social regeneration schemes, within promoting dialogue and cohesion and using innovative projects to reach out to other communities.

I have learnt alot from Saleema Abdul Ghafur, the editor of the book - Living Islam Out Loud, which was published in 2005. I was also enthralled, motivated and enthused by Samina Ali, Aroosha Zoq Rana and Shami e Ali Al Jamil. All four are great ambassadors for American Muslims and I learnt that:

- Civil society work within the American Muslim community is far advanced than work in the UK, even though UK Muslim communities are starting to get activated for civil society work,

- Because of the nature of migration to the US, identity is not seen through negative lenses and the migration does not cause fear and revulsion. Immigration to the UK is a hot topic and one that generates a vast divergence of views.

- There are many divergent views on the development of Muslim communities within women's groups in the UK. Muslims are clearly not one homogenous group and the diversity of voices and races within UK Muslim communities will lead to pluralism in a number of areas. It is a natural evolutionary process and I have seen some of the future leaders of Muslim communities across the UK. I have had the pleasure to meet some of these future leaders in the last 5 days.

- There seems to be a buoyancy and a greater sense of hope that came across from Saleemah et al. Within some of the group discussions it was clear that there is a feeling of despondency within some Muslim groups. It is up to us all to ensure that people feel included within political, social and civil processes. Without that, we are failing in our duties to fellow citizens.

- That US Muslims are far more diverse than those within the UK. There are Muslims from 80 different countries in the US than the UK and 1/3rd are from Black communities, 1/3rd from the Maghrebi and Arab communities and the rest are from South Asian countries. Within the UK, the vast majority of Muslims come from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, with some migration having taken place from East and Central African countries.

Finally, Faith Matters and I would personally like to thank the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP. A Government minister who has a strong grasp on her portfolio, I welcome her vision and her desire to develop communities where we all can play a positive role within.

Post Office Closures will Have a Devastating Effect on Local Communities

2008-02-28T14:47:00.001Z

The recent announcements that seven local post offices will be closing in the restructuring of Post Offices throughout the Capital will have a devastating impact on local communities. Those that affect Haringey include Highgate High Street, 100 Alexandra Park Road (N10), Ferme Park Road (N4), Salisbury Road (N22), 89 Weston Park (N8), Page Green (N15) and 434 West Green Road (N15).

Post offices have long been at the centre of communities and their closure will be acutely felt by our vulnerable residents. Many of these vulnerable clients rely on welfare rights, including older people and the disabled. They see their local Post Office as a lifeline and a place where they can collect their entitlements.

They also use Post Offices to catch up with friends, so that they provide a platform where some form of human contact can still take place in an increasingly mechanized and information technology-heavy society.

Additionally, those who are financially and socially excluded within local communities have always been able to interface through Post Offices with Central Government departments like the Department for Work and Pensions.

But whilst the Government says it wants social inclusion, the actions it has taken in recent years have slowly deprived the Post Office of business. And by doing that, it has pushed the very individuals that it purports to assist to the margins of society.

Yet Labour councillors talk about saving Post Offices when the very Government they represent has been eroding the roots of the Post Office Network. I do therefore sincerely hope that they can lobby against these cuts and I welcome the letter from Cllr Meehan to the Consultation Team of Post Office Ltd stating that, “this Council voted unanimously at a meeting of Full Council on Monday 18th February to oppose the Post Office Ltd’s plans to close six branches in the Borough.” I hope that he continues to voice our opposition when he meets the relevant Government Ministers.

The current situation with Royal Mail has come about because it has been starved of investment by successive Governments : it needs at least £2 billion to invest in automation to remain competitive. Under the last Conservative Government, 3,500 local post offices were closed and under Labour another 4,000 have closed, hitting rural –and now urban - communities across the country.

Post Office Ltd are now implementing the new set of cuts through a ‘Network Change Programme’ that will see up to 2,500 branches close out of a network of 14,300. This means that nearly 20% of all branches in London will close.

As the ward councillor for Noel Park in Wood Green, I can tell you that the closure of the Salisbury Road post office will mean that residents in the area will have to travel to the main Post Office on the High Road, adding another half a mile on the journey to post something or to use other services on offer.

People with mobility problems will be affected and the already-long waiting times at the High Road Post Office will grow . The work-load there will increase and, more than ever, we will lose that personal touch in service delivery as we become seen through the counter grille as units to be served and moved on as fast as possible.

This Government talks about building and sustaining local communities. But between Post Office Ltd and the undermining actions of this Government it seems they are actually ripping the heart out of local communities.

Responses to the Archbishop Do Not Look At the Facts On The Ground

2008-02-11T10:59:00.000Z

Within 48 hours of the Archbishop making comments around religious inclusion and Shariah, there were press calls, comments and rabid responses for his resignation. This strain of fear is disproportionate and based on conjecture, myths and in some instances, xenophobia. But before I lay out these facts, there is something that I must clear up. The vast amount of Shariah Law covers financial elements, marriage and divorce and other codes for living life. It is not primarily around punishment. However, I for one as a Muslim and as a liberal to my very core, see Islam through the prism of emancipation and knowledge sharing. This means having the chance to question, to debate, to discuss and therefore Shariah is a theoretical and practical framework which must be looked through within a modern context. This therefore means ardently protecting women's rights, respect for diversity in all of its forms (the first convert to Islam was a black man), providing the space for dissent, education for all and emancipation from debt by taking out interest in financial transactions. These are just some examples of what I regard Islam to be about. It should be a driver against poverty, against fear and xenophobia and it should be a driver against ignorance. I have to also add, that I cannot accept two legal systems as a citizen of the UK and the resulting confusion and isolation for Muslims if this were to happen would in the long term, provide a foundation to those who want to portray Muslims as the 'other' and therefore somehow different. We should not give them that chance.

I make these comments on the basis of very real facts on the ground that we must all wake up to. The Archbishop does not want, nor did he state that two parallel legal systems should be set up. He picked up on something that is already taking place within our major cities. In places like Birmingham, Manchester and London for example, Shariah based mediation towards divorce is taking place. There are hundreds of these cases. Additionally, the UK has become the world's Ethical Finance / Shariah Finance base and has even outstripped the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia in the diversity of non-interest based financial products that are provided to Muslims and non-Muslims within and beyond the UK. Thousands of jobs for UK nationals are created and the billions of pounds of profit help our economy, yet this is gratefully accepted and there has been no outcry. Indeed, in some parts of the country the non-interest based programmes have been tailored for lending to Muslims and non-Muslims and have helped to assist local communities. Allied to this, lending has been focussed on getting people into business and thereby making them economically active.

You see, Shariah has many strands and the elements which talk about punishment need to be seen within a modern context and have no place today in modern societies. Islam is and must be about inclusion and it must be interpreted as so, so that women are not discriminated against, nor injustice served.

Fundamentally, what the Archbishop was getting at, was looking to find ways of using elements of what is within Shariah to help in for example, mediation in divorce. If two consenting individuals want to undergo mediation with someone who understands concepts of Islamic jurisprudence, then they should have the right to do so, though ultimately, any agreement must be presented within the common law courts of our country so that a judge can make a decision with responses from the two individuals. In the end, such Shariah based mediation is not legally binding and can only work on the basis of the two parties agreeing without coercion. The only binding element would be the courts decision and in the end, there should only be one legal system that is binding on us all.

There are therefore no parallel systems of law, just the facilitation of decision making with those who want to use community based services; participants can also leave the process at any point. To ensure non-coercion in the process, pre-mediation interviews with participants can be conducted with professionals who can help to tease out whether one of the parties has been forced into the process.

Even within financial packages based on Islamic finance, the contracts that are entered into must be in line with regulations laid out by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and within strict financial laws. There are no opt-outs and there is strict monitoring of processes.

So, I have provided some examples of facts on the ground already operating within the legal processes and boundaries of our common law. Finally, can I suggest that the real impact of the hysteria will be to give substance to those criminals who prey on the disaffected within Muslim communities and who want to carry out violence against us all. They will be smiling today and suggesting that Muslims do not have a home in the UK. They will no doubt point to the hysteria that has been whipped up. Collectively, we should ask forgiveness for what we have done by strengthening the hands of those extremists who promote violence. That is all what this storm in a teacup will achieve.

London is a Liberal City, That is Why We Need a Liberal Democrat Mayor

2007-12-13T16:56:00.000Z

Who can forget the fiasco in which Ken Livingstone clambered to be taken back into the fold of New Labour when his principles and policy making resonated with the socialist guard which he accused Blair of sidelining to the touchlines of Labour's political field? Who can forget the rhetoric from Ken on how employment opportunities are better than they ever were, when the reality is that unemployment has grown in the last 6 years in the capital. Worryingly, Ken seems to have forgotten that London is not just about inner city boroughs and their problems, it is about those boroughs like Enfield who have similar concerns and issues and where inflows of migrant communities mean that the demographics of 'outer' boroughs are changing rapidly.

Who can also forget the Conservative candidate, Steve Norris - friend of big business and who, remarkably, seemed to be falling in line with the policy making of Ken at the last mayoral election. I for one found it disturbing that both candidates were agreeing to such a large degree with each other even though they came from polar political ideologies. Additionally, more recently the 'caring and sharing Tories' voted against the Tenancy Deposit Scheme which we as a Party supported in Parliament. This scheme is supposed to protect rental deposits on assured shorthold tenancies being used by landlords on the basis that there have been breakages in the property. Many landlords have also hung onto the deposit for more than 3 months after the tenants have vacated the property. Few reasons have been given to tenants as to why they have hung onto the deposit which on average is about £1,500.

As the Chief Executive of a Citizens Advice Bureau with 3 bureaux covering Enfield, this issue has had a real impact on young people. It has also meant that many have had to receive advice on how to take their previous landlords to county court to recoup the deposit. Yet, the Tories voted against something as basic as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and they believe that they are in tune with the needs, desires and aspirations of Londoners? Clearly Cameron's spin machine has not caught up with the spirit and soul of the Tories which is pro-big business, anti-immigration and vehemently against the financially and socially excluded. As I like to say, the Tories remind me of a wolf in sheep's clothing and even then, the clothing just does not quite fit!
The time has therefore come for the capital to have a Lib Dem Mayor. That time is fast approaching and I hope that you like me, will work tirelessly for our Mayor to be at the helm of the most exciting, vibrant and dynamic city in the World. More than ever Liberal Democrat principles and policies are needed in a fast changing and complex environment and which are in tune with the needs of Londoners.

For God's Sake Musharraf, Free Imran Khan and Other Political Dissenters That You Have Detained

2007-11-22T10:58:00.000Z

The fiasco in Pakistan continues. The strongman 'El Presidente' Musharraf continues to lock up anyone who dissents and the very basis of democracy is now gravely injured and lying on the side of the road somewhere between Lahore and Islamabad. The Analogy of Rome burning whilst we are all asleep is a very apt one. Who can forget history when today's 'friend' becomes tomorrow's rogue state and rogue administration. Yet, our own Foreign Office has not been robust in making it clear that dissidents like Imran Khan and the thousands of others detained need to be released and the General must never enforce martial law under the complete lie of an Islamist threat. It is clear that the Islamist threat was a smoke and mirrors routine where all opposition could be suppressed to keep Musharraf in power. What a manipulation of the powers of the State that was.

And for those who say that he is needed in the fight against terrorism, I say, what kind of an impression are we giving the world? One day we oust Saddam and then when democracy is trampled on in another country, we say that the leader is an ally and a 'trusted friend' in the fight against terrorism. The scourge of terrorism can be reduced (lets be real and stop lying to the public - terrorism can never be fully removed from the political landscape), though we should not do this at the price of our democratic principles. Yet, we are doing it again!

I therefore urge the Foreign Office to make representations to the Pakistani Government on those detained (for no other basis but on their political dissent). Today Mohammed Ali Jinnah (the Founder of Pakistan) must be turning in his grave at the militarism of the country and the way that State institutions have been turned against the people. Pakistan and it's people deserve better. Free Imran Khan should be our chant today, tomorrow and for however long it takes.

Remembering The Past For The Future

2007-11-15T18:49:00.000Z

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, services right across the country took place to commemorate the fallen in the Great Wars and within others. It was a sombre occasion for many that brought home the horrors of war and the chance to reflect upon those not here since they truly had 'given their today's for our tomorrows.'

In a world where conflict is caused by the lack of access to limited resources, there will I am afraid, be more wars that spark up across the globe. As populations rise, resources dwindle and arms are more readily available, the chances of war and armed conflict rise and we should all be aware that many more young people will carry arms and die in the heat of battle. I for one want to see diplomacy used more often than not and post Iraq, the information to go to war must have Parliamentary scrutiny and a vote within the House. Oversight and scrutiny committees need to do their jobs and not rubber stamp calls for war and I am afraid that the juggernaut for war under Blair mean that key questions by were not asked by scrutiny committees overseeing the intelligence evidence presented to them.

For those countries who choose the bullet rather than the soft pressures of diplomacy, we should make it clear that they will be harming their future and the future of their country. War and the terrible ravages of it need to be consigned to the past, yet the awful truth is that arms sales and the atrocities of war will continue. Yesterday was a chance to remember the courageous and the bold who should not be forgotten. Let us remember today those who were lost so many years ago. They may have gone, but they are not forgotten.

Pakistan is Convulsing Through Dictatorial Measures

2007-11-05T14:34:00.000Z

The decision by General Musharraf to impose martial law has set back Pakistan in the eyes of other nations, especially when so many nations realise that military rule is not only socially counter-productive, it is also leads to economic disaster. Today, Pakistan is virtually overwhelmed by the economic powerhouse that India has become and frankly I cannot conceive that India would ever tear up their governance framework and turn to the imposition of martial law. In fact, India has moved on and does not spend the enormous sums of resources on being a counterweight to Pakistan and this position came about 5 / 6 years ago when India realised that constantly worrying about military conflict with Pakistan was actually damaging the nation. Since then, it has moved on, though Pakistan is still convulsing from one military dictatorship to another.

What is even more revolting about the imposition of martial law is that the Prime Minister has stated that it will be imposed indefinitely and where a ‘code of conduct’ for the State must be imposed. The Prime Minister also went onto say that Pakistan cannot have the media moving into ‘unchartered territories,’ a clear threat to the press suggesting that the State will censor and challenge press freedoms. Today, the very tiny shoots of democracy that were trying to grow within Pakistan have been trampled upon by the jackboot of militarism and dictatorship. In fact, General Musharraf in his public statement to the nation made it clear that Pakistan should not be judged by the yardsticks of democracy used by other nations. Such a nauseating statement should get only the contempt that it deserves and this medal clad dictator should be publicly berated for the illegitimate stance that he has taken.

Opposition leaders like Imran Khan and a whole swath of others have been put under house arrest and have been moved to detention camps whilst the Prime Minister and his henchmen spin the sorry tale that so many dictators have spun. “The nation is in danger from terrorism, it deserves the introduction of harsh measures for national security etc etc.” This rhetorical nonsense is a mere cover for the lack of governance and leadership that General Musharraf has shown and where he has resided on growing inequalities in Pakistan. Poverty levels and factionalism has grown exponentially under his administration as have sordid deals with the very extremists that he says he is fighting against. Today, Pakistan’s pride and standing globally has been severely injured and I am afraid that it will take at least a decade or two before it can be taken seriously by other nations.

General Musharraf certainly deserves an accolade as a leader who belongs in the 1970’s and 1980’s South American hall of fame for autocrats and dictators. Even South American leaders have moved on and are instigating social change for their people and trying to develop sustainable regeneration and national projects that drive economic development. Yet, Pakistan slips further into being a failed State and one which is far from the open and democratic society that its founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah wanted. This great man had a vision that must not die and which can and should be implemented. That vision can come to fruition if we now stand up and make our voices clear that we will not buy the spin of repression and political manipulation. I hope that we can all shout out loud at this time of change in Pakistan so that the nation does not have any more military leaders and clumsy wannabe politicians who make the lives of citizens unequal in a whole range of areas.

The Mayor's Strategy For Supporting English as a Second Language (ESOL Courses) in London is Bankrupt

2007-10-27T12:32:00.001+01:00

The Mayor recently announced a £15 million injection for 9 further education colleges in London that were facing sharp cuts in funding for English as a Second Language courses. The announcement in May 2007 shores up provision and does not provide extra ESOL spaces in these colleges even though need has dramatically increased due to the migration of communities like the Somali, Turkish Speaking and Eastern European groups.

I have investigated and talked to ESOL providers in the last 4 weeks. I found severe shortages in some areas and further Government pressures by the introduction of heavy fees to cover administration costs, other expenses and overheads. Also, support and assistance from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) used to be regarded as being a qualifying benefit for free ESOL courses. More worryingly, this is not the case now and more and more people are ending up on waiting lists, some of whom cannot afford the courses and others who simply cannot get a place.

The Mayor has prided himself on work around integration and gave himself a pat on the back for finding money to shore up ESOL classes in 9 further education colleges in London. The reality is that asylum seekers who need English as a basic tool for integration cannot afford the courses and NASS support is now no longer a qualifying benefit for free ESOL classes. The Mayor has also given the impression that he is throwing further resources to support ESOL provision. The fact is that waiting lists are getting longer and places are limited, especially at low level ESOL classes. How this helps integration baffles me and this shows that the Mayor is out of touch on integration issues.

It is time that he left his office, move out of Zone 1 and listen to further education colleges in outer London Boroughs where outward migration from Central London is having major effects.

The Chinese Community Marches in Soho!

2007-10-19T01:20:00.000+01:00

China Town

was awash today with the young and the old, the angry and the sad, the shopkeepers and the restaurant owners. They were marching side by side and for the first time, Chinatown was awash with placards. ‘Don’t target the Chinese community’, ‘don’t penalise migrant workers’, said the voices of this normally silent community.

And what had brought them out! It was a raid by the Home Office with the police and the BBC who were filming. Yes, the BBC came in on the act and were filming the arrest of migrant workers who were thought to be illegal. Restaurants were raided in Edgware in North London and employers also suddenly found themselves looking at the potential of being in prison for over a decade! Five restaurants were raided last week in the middle of the lunch hour by over 130 officers in body armour and helmets and 52 people were arrested and taken away on suspicion of being illegal immigrants. 3 were later released though the rest have pretty much been deported to Vietnam and China.

Immigration rules mean that the shop owners who had employed the migrant workers may be liable to 14 years imprisonment. Yes, you heard me right, 14 years of imprisonment, a longer sentence than some sexual offenders get! Those who were arrested were refused access to lawyers and the Police’s Chinatown unit was not informed of the raids which undermined years of support and community liaison that had been built up. In addition to this, the Chinese community felt that it has been humiliated through the filming of the raids. So you can see why they were all out in force and why I was there, marching with them.

So why did I decide to march when the voice and supportive actions of our current Mayor were missing. Well I will tell you why? Since when have we decided to overlook the basic rights of people to get access to legal support when in detention? And when have we overlooked the community police liaison groups so the first that key leaders in the community learn about the raids is when they have taken place and where individuals have been placed into custody? This goes against the norm of community policing which informs key community leaders if there are to be a series of raids in a certain area. And why was the basic dignity of people undermined by a BBC camera crew being there? These are the reasons that made me turn out in solidarity with the Chinese Community today.

After the rally, it was clear that the Deputy Director of the Borders and Immigration Section was genuinely sorry for the BBC crew being there and made clear that in future, there would be no documentary crews and he confirmed that allegations around the lack of access to legal advice would be fully investigated. He also suggested working more closely with the Chinese community and a system to check documents with employers will also be set up. So, today was a landmark for a normally quiet and hard working community. Today, they realised that the power of peaceful demonstration can make a difference and they exerted that right. I am proud of everyone who took part in the demonstration that was around the protection of the dignity of human beings and around the protection of employers who in many instances do not know how to tell the difference between forged immigration papers and the real ones.

I would like to thank Neville Farmer and Merlene Toh Emerson for standing up with the community. Chinatown will never be the same again and the community has had its first taste of political success.

Ramesh Kallidai - The Hindu Forum of Britain

2007-10-15T23:45:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I received a phone call from Ramesh Kallidai who is the driving force behind the Hindu Forum of Britain. A charismatic and driven individual, he has single handedly helped to form and create the Forum and has recently been appointed onto the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights.

Ramesh had called to inform me that there was a young man of Muslim origin who had been robbed of his life savings and who was now desitute. The young man was sleeping on the streets and was living off charity. Yet, Ramesh had taken it upon himself to help this young man and had consistently called around trying to get someone to help.

In the end, it was Ramesh's perseverence and insistence to help a fellow human being in trouble that shone through. I assisted in trying to get the young man out of his dilemma and this incident showed me how people from different faith traditions can work together.

You know, when I campaign and work on social programmes in London, I also hear about divisions between the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities. Yet, I have to shout out loud that the more people like Ramesh there are, the better! Our common humanity, respect for each other's narratives and a desire for social change can act as a glue to bringing us to common ground.

Levels of Poverty Need to be Addressed

2007-10-14T01:00:00.000+01:00

Spent last night at Edgware Road where many were celebrating Eid Al Fitr, the end of the fasting period for Muslims. There were many people who had come to celebrate and there were many young people hanging around the streets laughing, smiling and greeting one another - far from the ASBO generation promoted by some sections of the press.

The sheer diversity of Muslims and Islam is positive and something that is wonderful to see and what was also exhilarating to see was the sheer vibrancy that comes out from such religious events. The vibrancy is something that I also feel when I attend Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Buddhist and Christian celebrations since I am one of those who believes that spirituality can be felt within all faiths and especially where many people congregate to praise.

However, last night I was also struck by something else. The levels of poverty within communities like the Somali community! It is clear that this community is one that has been hit particularly hard and integration has been difficult. High levels of poverty, family breakdowns and a gang culture has hit the community head-on and more needs to be done to assist in giving young Somalis a vision of hope and inclusion.

The Somali community nationally and internationally is a hard working one; it always has been and it has survived through some of the toughest periods of its nations history. No doubt, it will be able to play a strong pro-active role in London's development, though it needs local authorities to look at solutions of what works well with other such communities and implement it with young people. That is why I am suggesting that new innovative approaches be taken in policing in London for example.

One of these bold innovative approaches is to place seconded detached youth workers with Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT's). What a difference this would make to the work of these teams. It would help penetrate youth groups and reduce the juncture between the Police, Community Support Officers (CSO's) and young people. It will also help to tackle the causes of crime as well as criminal incidents. Together we must think about integrated approaches and one that will build for the future through simple common sense solutions. Detached workers with SNT's is one of those common sense solutions.

Nick Clegg is Certainly a Formidable Force

2007-10-09T23:04:00.000+01:00

Having spent this evening with members of the Liberal Democrat Youth & Students, I was privileged to hear Nick Clegg talk about the openess, transparency and vibrancy within the Party. Nick talked about this being a strength and it is this strength which means that we will always be the Party to talk straight and to make policy decisions that are relevant to people and communities.

It is clear that Nick is more than a 'rising star,' he is a formidable force and leadership oozes out from every word that he utters. And what a formidable group of Parliamentarians we have; Sir Menzies Campbell, Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne, Lynne Featherstone and there are many more. I am clear about one thing. The future holds many successes for the Liberal Democrats. God knows, if we ever needed Liberalism in politics, it is now and there is no stronger team than Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians.

Ken and His Posturing?

2007-10-06T01:09:00.000+01:00

The Mayor of London is going to be making a trip to India very soon and no doubt his visit will be used as a posturing opportunity in a vain attempt to garner support from Asian communities in the UK as the London mayoral elections draw in. Interestingly when there is an election, Ken starts to travel to far flung places in a vain attempt to gather support though this is not a knock box against Ken since he has stood up on minority issues and has been vocal on them. What I object to is the use and abuse of the same communities that he states he supposedly stands up for. Come on Ken, don't do it and should you not be campaigning in London instead of enjoying the delights of India.

Avtar Lit to stand as Mayor for London?

2007-10-02T10:46:00.000+01:00

Rumours are abound that the King of Sunrise Radio (Avtar Lit) is to stand as an independent candidate for the Mayor of London elections. Avtar who has singularly built up the station and who now owns numerous stations across the country, has stood for elections before at a national level. He stood as an independent candidate for Ealing Southall a few years ago and has a core voter base within the Asian community.

I personally like his style and manner and he is warm and very receptive. He is also incredibly politically able and I salute anyone who has the guts, strength and ability to try to be a candidate. I can tell you that it pulls on all of your skills and abilities.

I also believe that the more people should put themselves up for selection processes. If you live in London, want to make a change and believe that you have the inner strength and skills, go for it. And more than ever, we need more women candidates and those from Black and Minority Ethnic communities to put themselves forward

An Open Letter to Baroness Sayeeda Warsi

2007-10-01T14:41:00.000+01:00

Dear Sayeeda,

Firstly let me congratulate you on your elevation and I am sure that you will meet many challenges ahead in the rapidly changing portfolio around communities. You have clearly worked hard in the Conservatives and are seen as a mentor to some. Well done!

On a separate note, it seems that your statements that supporters of the British National Party have ‘very legitimate views’ is I am sure a slip up since people who support the British National Party may have fears around immigration, employment and possibly community safety. Yet, many of the concerns arise from resources and a perceived lack of resources for indigenous groups. It is also a fact that there are pockets where young white men are socially stuck in an environment where there are housing issues, no real employment and low aspirations and certainly they must be assisted to bring them from the margins into the mainstream. They should have the opportunities to make a life for themselves, feel empowered both socially and financially and more than ever, an increase in income and life chances will reduce the anger and exclusion that they may feel.

Some of these fears need to be addressed and quick. And many of them are not based on facts and to legitimise perceptions is not helpful, nor constructive. I personally think that it is important to respect the views of people whether I agree with them or not, though it is a duty on us all to engage and inform those who are disaffected. Our country needs sanity in politics, less of the emotional and more of the factual, less of the knee jerk and more of the well researched (political positions). So may I ask that as we move towards an election, that race does not become a major topic as it seems to have done in the last 2 elections.
Rational politics – yes! Irrational debates – no!

Believe It or Not! We are Natural Allies

2007-09-28T02:00:00.000+01:00

So where has it all gone so terribly wrong? Why have two minorities that should be natural allies so fundamentally moved in different directions? What am I talking about? Muslims and the Lesbian/Bi/Gay and Trans communities.

I remember marching in anti-Nazi Party rallies and in calling for racial equality in the capital in the 1980's and 1990's with fellow marchers who were gay and bisexual and I used to leave with a feeling that London was the most varied and the most exciting city on earth. One where you could find anyone, from the farthest countries of the globe and from any background, and get along with them. We still had a lot to do in those bad old days, but there was no mistaking the warmth between us. Not only was there a common bond in being seen as different, I also felt secure and safe that those from the Lesbian/Bi/Gay and Trans communities would understand some of the prejudice that is thrown against minority groups - which is still taking place now against migrant groups. You see, there was a natural alliance, a common bond, between my fellow campaigners and I. They were also fighting for my rights as a British Muslim of East African and Pakistani heritage.

This common bond has rapidly deteriorated with those crude separationists and religious zealots who have done much to damage relations between all communities. Christian, Jewish and Muslim fundamentalists alike have attacked the personal choice of individuals which frankly has nothing to do with them. I say that and shout out loud about it since my beliefs as a Muslim do not mean that I should denigrate or attack another group of people. That is not what Islam is about and it certainly isn't what London is about.

Moderate British Muslims get shouldered with a lot of responsibility - do more, stand up to the fanatics. No rest for them from me, for this is one more issue we need to take a stand on! Enough is enough. No more perverse and farcical attacks on the Lesbian/Bi/Gay and Trans communities. To each their own and live and let live. And I would go further than that and say, I reach out to those from both communities and ask whether we can march again. We never dreamed ten and twenty years ago that our communities would be split but that is what has happened and we need to arrest it and reassert our natural alliance. That is what Islam has taught me, respect for the individual and the respect for human life, not anger, intolerance and the rocky road that leads to stigmatisation.

A United London Against Fear

2007-09-25T15:38:00.000+01:00

The recent terrorist bombings in London and the terrorist events in the Capital in the last 2 years (since the 7th of July 2005), have made us all feel on edge in London. We have been and will be resilient against the terrorist and extremism threat. Whilst extremism is prevalent in all religions and in various guises, (obviously the most dangerous is violent extremism), the purveyors of hate and the 'anger message mongers' need to be targeted and ousted from communities.

In 2005 after the 7/7 bombings, I was invited to be part of the Communities Working Group, a group that had been set up as part of the Extremism Task Force. That invitation was based on my experience of running community cohesion programmes and alternatively, by virtue of being a Muslim, I have also found myself interested in, yet sensitive to the safety and security needs of others. Allied to this, I have also been sensitive to the needs of those large numbers of law abiding and peaceful Muslims who just want to get on with their life and practice in peace. Yet I have also found myself angry at those who have committed terrorist crimes against my fellow citizens, whether they be Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists or members of any faith or none. I have found myself angry at those who commit terrorist atrocities against my fellow citizens who happen to be gay or bisexual and against those innocent bystanders that get caught up in such atrocities. You see, for me, those who carry out terrorist acts of violence not only attempt to kill innocents just getting along with their life, they also do a great dis-service to Muslims and to Islam. In fact, they are a real threat to Islam and to us as British Muslims and this is also the case with those extremists in other faiths. They do an injustice to their respective faiths which are based on tolerance, respect and the protection of human life.

This country has had a deep history of interaction with Muslims and whilst the history has not always been positive and productive, it nonetheless has been a fact of life. Yet, those voices of segregationism and isolationism that come from polar positions have no place within a modern Britain. And what are these polar positions; these include those xenophobes who want 'Islam and Muslims' banished from the UK and those who attempt to speak for Muslim communities and who talk the language of hate, isolation and destruction. Funnily, they both politically come from similar places though with opposing ideologies.

So, I say to those who take the line of extremism, ENOUGH! You are the problem and not the solution. To those who talk of a unicultural Britain, I say, the strength of Britain today is its diversity. Through the mixing of different communities, can we learn tolerance and mutual understanding. Through segregation, we only learn to caricature one another.

The Real Undercurrent in London

2007-09-23T10:48:00.000+01:00

I spent Friday afternoon walking the streets of Central London wondering how politicians can all be so blind to what is taking place in this great City. Do they choose to purposefully delete out what is taking place right under our noses? You might think that I have lost the plot and that too much Lib Demmery has meant that I am on the slippery slope to joining the ranks of the sentimentalists and idealists.

Well, what triggered this introspection? About 2 miles down the road from where I was (Holborn), 'suits' were continuing to make their fortunes, buying commodities, selling them and playing the roulette wheel of 'buy. sell, buy, sell.' Yet in the room in which I had just sat in for 2 hours, all I saw were broken people, broken families, broken relationships and no hope. Just a blank black hole which would lead to early death and an epitaph in history that would read, "so much hope, yet so little achieved."

I sat for 2 hours listening to social security appeals of people who were overpaid, people who did not manage to turn up to interview appointments at the Job Centre Plus and those who had not disclosed information. And what was the undercurrent through each case? Depression, drug-induced psychosis, alcoholism, domestic violence and divorce and separation. These were broken people whose survival depended on the State, who had been caught up in bureaucratic measures meant to 'strengthen and develop people' for the world of work. Yet, whilst I agree with the principle and practice of getting people to work, these were the people that would not be able to hold down steady jobs. Not only had worklessness become part of them, their self esteem had also reached a point that the only thing that kept them going was alcohol and the poison of drugs.

You see, we talk about London and wealth creation. We all want to be wealthy or happy in other ways, yet I can tell you that I joined politics to help make changes for the poor, the dispossessed and the sick and downtrodden. Time and experience has taught me that we also need the wealthy, the successful and the entrepreneurs who keep the beating heart of the City pumping. They are one valve of many that pump the oxygen round our City. Yet, we do not see the broken people who need our help. They need a voice, they deserve social justice and they deserve a chance!

I want London to be theirs as much as it is for a wealthy man or woman living in St Katharine's Dock. I want London to be for the young Black man and for the Eastern European migrant who works in a food catering store. And I want London to be for the white young man who has lived on an estate for most of his life and who now feels excluded. For in his exclusion, we can all play a role in pulling him out, in giving him a chance, in giving him a vision. Will you stand by me and walk with me towards this vision? I hope you will, I hope you care, I hope you will act with me.

Sir Menzies - Blazing a trail!!!

2007-09-20T23:41:00.000+01:00

Sir Menzies - having sat behind you in Brighton today - I see why you stated that experience and age over rides youth. The press have suggested that the 'Young Turks' are waiting in the aisles, but with your gravitas, your delivery and the strong messages that you belted out, there are very few in the Party who can command an audience like you did today.

I was proud of the Bill of the Rights, I was proud of you mentioning the financial and social disparity between London Boroughs only a few miles apart (Hackney and Hampstead) and I was proud of the manner in which you promoted tolerance and social inclusion through liberal values. You mentioned our strong multilateralist interventionist approach through the UN as opposed to the unilateralist disaster which is Iraq. You also gave the Party a steer on the role we play; that of social justice and protecting the rights of all individuals against an overbearing state.

Sir Menzies, lead us to the general election and beyond and all we have to say is: Gordon, bring it on; we as a Party are ready for the battle of ideas. In the end, Liberalism will win the war.

Post to Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur

2007-09-17T02:33:00.000+01:00

I have the highest of respect for this hard working Assistant Commissioner who is a dedicated officer with a great deal of integrity. I have met with the Assistant Commissioner at various functions and have always known that he would be heading for the top! His recent portfolio includes looking after the security for the Olympics in 2012.

However, recent comments made by Tarique raise some questions as to whether foreign police forces will be armed and on the streets of London during the run up to the Olympics and whilst it actually takes place. He seemed to confirm that this may be the case and he stated that he wanted to bring about a public debate on this issue.

My response to this is that within an increasingly integrated network of police and military intelligence, work programmes undertaken with international police forces are fine as long as these forces are not armed on the streets of London. The only armed individuals I am willing to have on the streets of this great City are those of the Metropolitan Police Service and our own intelligence services and even then, I would like the armed presence to be hidden and out of sight.

Having armed police from international forces means that we will have officers trained to different standards within London and they will have the potential to exert lethal force.

I have therefore started a petition on my site, www.fiyazmughal.org.uk where I call upon Sir Ian Blair and the Mayor of London to ensure that our law enforcement officers are the only ones capable of taking armed action if needed during the Olympics.

Brighton Calling!! It's that time of year - Conference time!!!!

2007-09-16T00:17:00.000+01:00

"Off to Brighton tomorrow night! I truly wish I could have got down today but it's a measure of how busy I've been this past week that on Saturday night about half past six it suddenly dawned on me that... oh yes, today is my birthday isn't it!

Very excited by some of the discussions we will be having in Brighton around constitutional change (surely requires a whole conference in itself if Iknow my fellow party members), the Middle East (my special subject) and particularly by Tuesday's 9.00 debate on the devolution of
planning powers to local authorities. This is really in line with what I've been putting together in thinking about the mayoral candidacy. There's nothing quite like living in London. We have such a dense population, and such incredible social and economic variations within tiny areas that it is imperative our planning strategies (a) look to the long-term future and (b) take the greatest possible account of the micro-circumstances on the ground. And what we're seeing at the moment is actually decreasing powers in local authorities to make those critical planning decisions and an increase in the Mayor's powers. Partly this is a result of the autocracy which has become a feature of this mayoralty, but it is also coming through operationally from the Housing Strategy.

The central aim of the Strategy is to build large numbers of cheap homes, which I applaud. Shortly before the whole mayoral race started I had justbeen appointed onto the board of Homes for Haringey, our local scheme for assisting first time buyers and Londoners on lower incomes with their housing, and I am committed to the principle. But urban planning in such a unique place as London just has to go beyond a panic response to the housing crisis. The consequences of the housing policies we are pursuing in this city now might be with us for hundreds of years. There isn't a dialogue on how London should look in thirty years time and there should be one. Tuesday's debate is bound to spark off ideas and tap into expertise that I look forward to co-opting into my policy-building. So off to the seaside.
Looking forward to seeing all there!!

Starting with what you have

2007-09-14T14:21:00.000+01:00

I've always been interested in promoting transparent and managerially efficient governance in whatever forum I've been operating in - whether as a councillor or in my professional role in charity work - and my vision for London was always going to be informed by that. But it's only as I run around putting together notes and preparing for conference that a related point occurs to me with full force - I realise just how much you can get done with even a skeletal team helping you. Ken Livingstone has built an industry around recruiting his army of advisers. Many of them are brought into office from his Labour days, and these are people who wield power in both shaping policy and implementing it. At what point do his recruitment processes become led by who he wants to bring in, rather than what he needs to help him do his job?

I do not believe the current number of advisers is necessary. I would reduce the numbers, and radically overhaul the process by which advisers are appointed. I would introduce open recruitment panels with Londoners invited to sit on them alongside GLA staff to assess the people who will help to run their city.

Why will it work for London in particular? London is small. It's one of the few places in the UK where we can practice genuine inclusive government by the people, getting the community together in the same room, and I want to see that advantage used. People have a natural instinct for efficiency - certainly when they're paying for it! - which will keep the Mayoral office functional as well as accountable. You can get a surprising amount done with the right materials, though admittedly I am finding this cold comfort as I deal with the complete malfunction of my printer!!

A Brotherhood - a People Linked Together

2007-09-14T00:26:00.000+01:00

The last 3 years has seen me work towards trying to bridge divides between Muslim and Jewish communities both here in the UK and within Palestine and Israel. This task has moved me, made my heart grow heavy with the pain that I have seen, allowed me to see the beauty that is possible (as the sun shone on the Dome of the Rock and the light rays reflected off Jerusalem - Al Quds!) All three faiths of Islam, Christianity and Judaism together physically , yet cracks against this cohesion are always under the surface.

My heart has grown heavy since Muslims and Jews have so much in common, so much history intertwined; so much to gain from a natural alliance and so much to mobilise together on in the common interest of the protection of civil and human rights that are fundamental to faith (and also to those who choose to have no faith). When I see some of the poverty and hopelessness within areas like the West Bank, I can but only be thankful of the basic things that we take for granted in the UK. Clean water, freedom and security are regular buzzwords that we use but when you are trying to eek a living out of the harsh enviroment, day to day existence is the only aim.

I hope to continue to travel to Palestine and Israel in the future and to work on conflict resolution programmes especially ones that try to provide common points of dialogue and discourse. That is the basic action that I can take, to get out of my comfort zone and to do something that tries to give people the basic opportunity to talk to each other and to turn away from the gun. God knows, if ever we need to talk, it is now!

Working for You, Working for London

2007-09-12T18:51:00.000+01:00

The World of the Blogosphere! And what a challenge ahead – being selected as one of the last three in the Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidacy process! It has been a tough selection process and one which has been testing, though I relish the challenge ahead. I guess 7 years of work around campaigning both locally and centrally have meant that my skills to deal with intense pressure have been honed and developed and more importantly, the ability for me to pick up on things quickly has also been fine tuned.

So what does the road ahead look like? As the Lib Dem one liners say – it is a two horse race between Brian and me. Thoughts resound in my head to put ‘boxing type’ names against both of our names though this is not a contest where the best man or woman wins, it is contest which has with it luck, how to work the media and teams of people who are dedicated to see their candidate through.

As I said earlier, I relish the next 6 weeks. However, I do feel a bit like someone in the ring having trained to get to this point. The Vaseline is on the face, my jaw guard is in and the gloves are on! The only problem is that the real focus should not be at each other, but on the other two candidates. If anything, London needs a Mayor that is not divisive but someone who can UNITE. I believe that I can do that and the starting point is within the Party as we move forward to greater success!

What a Day!!!

2007-09-12T00:36:00.000+01:00

The phones started ringing early this morning! Calls from media agencies asking for comments. The thing is, I had got to bed at 3:30 am after getting through an array of work related e-mails and political contacts that had seen me on the TV and on various web-sites. Well, here was the rollercoaster, the rock and roll of politics and a chance to show the metal of political gladiators! And to top it off, there was no cereal in the morning!

Leaving the house at 9 am, by the time I reached the office, I had taken 4 calls from media sources all asking for an array of comments. (Where was the agent now to field off the calls - you just can't get the staff nowadays!!!). And what a start to the day it was. A union meeting for 90 minutes followed by staff meetings and a mad dash to Enfield CAB for a one to one with my Enfield CAB Bureau Manager. Another hour later and another operational meeting. I was ready to get the horlicks followed by a line of caffeine infused into my bloodstream. And yet the day was not finished; it was finally rounded up at 8 pm after 3 hours of catch-ups with my e-mails and reports. Then more calls.

So this is what it is all about; Ken, after this - I think your job is well within reach.