Abu Dharr March 2009

Abu Dharr (Daily Terror) March 2009
Tuesday 31 March 2009 Catholic bishops in US ban Japanese reiki Riazat Butt, Guardian Reiki, an alternative Japanese therapy with a growing band of followers in the west, is "unscientific" and "inappropriate" for use in Catholic institutions, according to America's bishops. Guidelines issued by the committee on doctrine at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops warn healthcare workers and chaplains that the therapy "lacks scientific credibility" and could expose people to "malevolent forces". Reiki master Judith White said the bishops had misunderstood the therapy. Churches dismiss BNP’s election posters Ekklesia, staff writers Three British Churches have reminded people of the 'true Christian message of love' for all people following the inclusion of Jesus in a BNP election campaign. Their statement comes after the Church of England declined to comment on the posters which feature a bible verse quoting Jesus' words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June. The adverts contain a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross and quotes a part of a verse from John's Gospel (John 15:20)... A missed opportunity Muhammad Khan, Guardian This month, the children's minister, Beverley Hughes, announced that 41 youth projects are to share Ł180m of funding from the myplace project, which aims to transform youth facilities across the country. This is the biggest investment in such facilities since the Albemarle report in the 1960s, and the government should be congratulated. A range of organisations have been awarded funding of up to Ł5m each, including local authorities, trusts, sports clubs and YMCAs. Policy Exchange forced to apologise, takes report off website (islamophobia Watch) 'Now fire service introduces hijab headscarves for Muslim workers' (islamophobia Watch) Robert Crumb set to publish 'scandalous' Bible satire (Alison Flood guardian.co.uk) Monday 30 March 2009 Where will we find the perfect Muslim for monocultural Britain? Gary Younge, Guardian CiF Somewhere out there is the Muslim that the British government seeks. Like all religious people he (the government is more likely to talk about Muslim women than to them) supports gay rights, racial equality, women's rights, tolerance and parliamentary democracy. He abhors the murder of innocent civilians without qualification - unless they are in Palestine, Afghanistan or Iraq. He wants to be treated as a regular British citizen - but not by the police, immigration or airport security. Michael Nazir-Ali steps down to focus on ~~persecuting Muslims~~ helping persecuted Christians Riazat Butt, Guardian The bishop of Rochester, one of the most outspoken figures in the Church of England, is to set up an organisation that will champion the rights of victimised Christian communities around the world. Michael Nazir-Ali, who announced his resignation on Saturday, said in an official statement that he was hoping to work with church leaders in areas where the church was "under pressure, particularly in minority situations" and that he had been asked to help... [What next for the Bishop of Rochester? - Andrew Brown] Muslim 'unsung heroes' honoured BBC News Online A graffiti artist and teenage martial arts participant have been honoured in a ceremony recognising "unsung heroes" of the Muslim community in Britain. Other award recipients included an alternative therapist, a Church of Scotland minister, and a master player of the Middle East instrument, the Oud. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, facing a row over expenses claims that included two adult films, presented an award. Trevor Phillips under pressure after equality watchdog audit Gaby Hinsliff, Observer Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the government's flagship equality watchdog, faces an uncertain future after a series of top-level resignations and the revelation last night that the National Audit Office refused to sign off the organisation's accounts because of alleged irregularities. Two commissioners and Phillips's director of strategy have quit in the past week. A third commissioner, Bert Massie, said yesterday that he was considering his position. Police scheme identifies 180 children as potential Islamic extremists Aidan Jones, Guardian One hundred and eighty schoolchildren across Britain have been identified as potential Islamic extremists by a police-run early intervention programme which aims to coax youngsters away from radical influences. The Channel project, a pilot scheme established in April 2007 and run by six police forces, provides parents, teachers and youth workers with training to recognise the warning signs of "grooming" by radicals and a mechanism to report concerns over a child ... to the police. BNP & Zionists Attack Shahid Malik MP (MPACUK) Muslims honour minister who stopped service to let them pray (Ruth Gledhill) Nazir-Ali resigns – Mad Mel inconsolable (Islamophobia Watch) Osama and Orientalism: Where Islamophobes Meet Al-Qaeda (Hussein Rashid, Religion Dispatches) Apology call in M65 terror arrest (BBC News Online) Thank You UK Muslims: Rowan Williams (IslamOnline) New Age Islam battles fundamentalists in cyberspace (Praveen Swami, The Hindu) Friday 27 March 2009 My reply to Hazel Blears Daud Abdullah, Guardian CiF In her misguided and ill-advised attempt to exercise control on the affairs of the largest independent Muslim organisation, the MCB, which has steadfastly and with honesty represented the views of Muslims over the years, Hazel Blears has used my attendance at the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference and the signing of a position document as the peg to hang her coat on. Her latest claim as stated in a letter on her behalf to our secretary-general and published in the Guardian today... Torture victim Binyam Mohamed: don't scapegoat MI5 officer Richard Norton-Taylor and Ian Cobain, Guardian A British resident who says he was tortured before being sent to Guantánamo Bay said yesterday he may give evidence on behalf of an MI5 officer to ensure that senior figures within the government are held to account for any involvement in his treatment. Binyam Mohamed spoke to the Guardian after the attorney general called in the Metropolitan police to investigate claims that MI5 had colluded in his interrogation. [Timeline: Binyam Mohamed - Guardian] Created from a single soul Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, Guardian CiF I am irked by this question, the sense it carries with it that women are some kind of second best, an after-thought for religion, that require special attention. Women aren't a remnant, or an aberration whose existence is there simply to sweep up the leftover genetic code off the floor and perpetuate the species. Women are fundamental to successful human flourishing – both physical and spiritual. It comes as no surprise to me that with the constant oppression that women face... Bulgaria: Gov't approves school headscarves ban (Islam in Europe) Queen and Gordon Brown debate ending discrimination against Catholics (Ruth Gledhill) Young Muslims Start To Fight Against The Media Hate With Rap (MPACUK) Obama - Making Your Mind Up (Craig Murray) Sufi Muslim Council a Karimov/CIA Front (Craig Murray) Thursday 26 March 2009 Muslim Council accuses government of undermining independence Vikram Dodd, Guardian Britain's largest Muslim body has accused ministers of wanting to "undermine its independence" by demanding one of its leaders be removed from office. The accusation is the strongest public attack yet by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in its row with the government after ministers broke off relations earlier this month. Hazel Blears, the communities and local government minister, wrote to the MCB demanding the resignation of Daud Abdullah, its deputy secretary general... [Our shunning of the MCB is not grandstanding - Hazel Blears, Guardian CiF] Banned from Britain Ibrahim Mousawi, Guardian CiF There is a special irony in having been banned from entering the United Kingdom on the grounds that my presence would not be "conducive to the public good". The idea, it seems, is to preserve and advance British society by outlawing expertise on a topic that has profound implications in Lebanon, and indeed in Britain as it embarks on a policy shift in the Mediterranean country. I had been invited to the UK to deliver a lecture during a conference on political Islam at the School of Oriental and... No easy Contest Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian CiF For years terrified ministers and their Whitehall advisers have been trying to grapple with "radical Islam" and "violent extremism". The government's latest attempt, the publication on yesterday of "Contest 2" suggests it has learned nothing new, perhaps because there is nothing new to learn, yet had to dress it up with a mix of rhetoric and picking out specific threats – this time, improvised explosive devices, "dirty bombs" and chemical warfare. extremely seriously. Blears severs links with MINAB (Islamophobia Watch) ‘Hello America, I’m a British Muslim’ (Tabsir) "Criminalizing" Terror Strategy: UK Muslims (IslamOnline) Open-air cremation is not backward (Poorna Shetty, Guardian CiF) Doctor suspended for 'orang-utans' jibe (Asian Image) Wednesday 25 March 2009 Hazel Blears' standoff with Muslim Council overshadows new anti-terror launch Alan Travis, Guardian A standoff between the communities secretary, Hazel Blears, and the Muslim Council of Britain was said last night to "cut to the heart" of the government's revised counter-terror strategy to challenge those who defend terrorism and violent extremism. Blears has suspended official links with the MCB over allegations that its deputy general secretary endorsed a Hamas call for attacks on foreign troops, including possibly British troops, if they try to intercept arms smuggled into Gaza. [We must engage with extremists - Hazel Blears, Guardian CiF, 25/02/09] The government may be the only loser in this untimely dispute Madeleine Bunting, Guardian On the very day that the government announced a long-awaited strategy on countering terrorism, the communities secretary, Hazel Blears, froze relations with the country's biggest Muslim organisation: immediately there were questions about whether the timing of the two events was co-ordinated or simply an unfortunate coincidence... ['The government's new anti-terror strategy plays into the hands of the extremists' - Guardian] A bad trade-off Justin Gest, Guardian CiF The government's new Contest 2 strategy for preventing violent extremism will do a little to further secure citizens from a terrorist attack, and a lot to alienate the community of British Muslims. Lacking a consensus about strategies for preventing violent extremism, the government is in the midst of a deadlocked, internal tug-of-war. One the one hand, there is the priority of securing citizens from future terrorist attacks. On the other hand, there is the priority to fulfil this objective without alienating... [Hazel Blears must back down Geoffrey Alderman, Guardian CiF] Demanding the immediate arrest of the helpful Islamic nutter (The Sun -Tabloid Lies) Video: MCB vs Blears (Channel 4) How the Government Made the MCB Heroes by labelling them as Extremists (MPACUK) MPACUK Vs Government on Radio 4 - "Muslims Are Not Your Coolies" (MPACUK) Gitmo guard converts to Islam (City of Brass) Tuesday 24 March 2009 Alienating British Muslims Brian Whitaker, Guardian Following the recent muddle over Hezbollah, the British government continues to dig itself deeper into the mire with its "anti-extremism" policy. Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, is trying to engineer the resignation of Daud Abdullah, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain. She may not like Abdullah or agree with his views but, frankly, it's none of her business. The MCB is not a government body and can appoint whoever it wants... New strategy will train shop and hotel managers to tackle terrorist threats Jenny Percival, Guardian Members of the public will be encouraged to confront people who "threaten democracy" while more shop and hotel managers will be trained to deal with terrorist threats, as part of the government's new anti-terrorism strategy to be launched today. Contest 2, billed by ministers as the most comprehensive approach to tackling terrorism by any government in the world, will also outline the continuing threat from al-Qaida-inspired groups as well as putting renewed emphasis on the extreme risks from... Ofcom clears Channel 4 Qur'an documentary Mark Sweney, Guardian A controversial Channel 4 documentary on the Qur'an, which led Shia Muslim scholars to demand an apology and a new programme about their faith, has been cleared by media regulator Ofcom of misleading viewers or inspiring violence between religious groups. Ofcom's 18-page adjudication effectively clears Channel 4 of any wrongdoing in airing documentary The Qur'an. The documentary, by film-maker Antony Thomas... Can academia help Islam’s dialogue with the West? (Catherine Bosley, FaithWorld) In a muddle on terror (Shamit Saggar, Guardian CiF) Monday 23 March 2009 Course to teach imams about cohesion Riazat Butt, Guardian A course to help classically trained imams use their skills more effectively in the UK has been launched in Cambridge, with its first students enrolling in September. The one-year diploma in contextual Islamic studies and leadership is aimed at helping imams to be more responsive to the values and needs of British-born Muslims and better placed to deal with issues of cohesion, doctrinal radicalism and exclusion. Its 19 compulsory modules...divided society..." Police accused of misusing terror laws against peaceful protests Afua Hirsch, Guardian Laws intended for counter-terrorism are being misused in an increasingly heavy-handed approach to policing protests, a new parliamentary report warns today. The 70-page report, published by the joint committee on human rights after almost a year's inquiry, said it was concerned by evidence of the use of the powers, under legislation including the Terrorism Act, against peaceful protesters. Government shuns Muslim Council over link with Hamas Paul Bignell, Independent on Sunday The Government has severed relations with the country's leading Muslim organisation, saying a senior member is a supporter of Hamas, the Palestinian military organisation. A letter leaked to The Independent on Sunday shows that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, wrote to the Muslim Council of Britain, calling for Dr Daud Abdullah to resign. She alleges he was one of 90 Muslim leaders from around the world who signed... [Hazel Blears demands Daud Abdullah's resignation -IW; UK Shuns MCB over Gaza Resistance - IO] UK haunted by religion, says archbishop (Riazat Butt, Guardian) Jade Goody: At peace - and finally out of the limelight (Lucy Mangan, Guardian) Ramadan vs. Gay Krant (CLOSER) Saturday 21 March 2009 Police officers in abuse case accused of 60 other assaults Matthew Taylor & Sandra Laville, Guardian Police officers involved in a "serious, gratuitous and prolonged" attack on a British Muslim man that led the Metropolitan police to pay Ł60,000 in damages this week have been accused of dozens of previous assaults against black or Asian men. Babar Ahmad, 34, a terrorist suspect, was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled during his arrest by officers from one of the Met's territorial support groups at his London home in December 2003. All homosexuals should be stoned to death, says Muslim preacher of hate Sam Greenhill, Daily Fail All homosexuals should face stoning to death, a Muslim preacher of hate declared yesterday. Anjem Choudary, the firebrand cleric who wants to see Britain ruled by Sharia law, said such a regime was the only way to fix the country's ills. Under it, adulterers and homosexuals would be killed by stoning. Asked if that would include anybody - even a Cabinet minister such as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - Choudary responded with an astonishing diatribe. A place for us Rabia Malik, Guardian My first memory of The City Circle, of which I have just been appointed chair, is a positive one – the level of meaningful conversation and critical debate pleasantly surprised me. It was unusual to find a space where Muslims could openly talk about Islam alongside politics and other critical social issues. This safe space became even more vital after key moments such as 9/11, the Iraq war and 7/7, which have shaped relations between British Muslims and the state. Meet the 13 most powerful Muslim women in Britain (Hilary Rose, Times) Soldier says rabbis pushed “religious war” in Gaza (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld) The peculiar practice of debaptism (Stephen Tomkins, Guardian) Friday 20 March 2009 Gandhi relative's hate video shocks India Maseeh Rahman, Guardian Varun Gandhi, the lesser-known grandson of Indira Gandhi, was pitched into the centre of a national row yesterday after an election campaign video showed him apparently delivering a venomous attack on Muslims. The video, played repeatedly on Indian news television channels and on websites, shows him denigrating Muslims while addressing an election meeting in his parliamentary constituency in northern Uttar Pradesh, the home state of the charismatic Nehru-Gandhi family. 'Islamophobe' head Erica Connor wins Surrey County Council payout Laura Dixon, Times A campaign by two Muslim governors to give Islam a greater presence in a state school played a key part in forcing a successful head from her job, the High Court found yesterday. Erica Connor, 57, the former head teacher of the New Monument primary school in Woking, Surrey, was forced to leave the school because of stress after she was accused of Islamophobia. The High Court ruled yesterday that Surrey County Council had failed in its duty to protect her and ... awarded her Ł400,000 damages. A whole new level of grimness (SDoaCL) English is a second language for 1 in 7 pupils... (5CC) What was real reason for banning Tariq Ramadan from U.S.? (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld) BNP organiser arrested over harassment claim (Islamophobia Watch) Shahid Malik calls for the 'total Islamification of Britain! (not)! (Islamophobia Watch) Wednesday 18 March 2009 Former senior Metropolitan police officer calls for Muslim helpline to tackle extremism Riazat Butt, Guardian A former senior Metropolitan police officer, Tarique Ghaffur, has called for a national Muslim helpline to encourage parents to inform on their radicalised children. The recommendation is one of several he will make tonight in a public address at Leicester University, where he will present his ideas on fighting extremism and radicalisation in Muslim communities. Ghaffur, who was the most senior Muslim police officer in Britain until his retirement last November... Pope claims condoms could make African Aids crisis worse R Butt, Guardian The Pope today reignited the controversy over the Catholic church's stance on condom use as he made his first trip to Africa. The pontiff said condoms were not the answer to the continent's fight against HIV and Aids and could make the problem worse. Benedict XVI made his comments as he flew to Cameroon for the first leg of a six-day trip that will also see him travelling to Angola. The timing of his remarks outraged health agencies trying to halt the spread of HIV and Aids in sub-Saharan Africa... No sad goodbye (Indigo Jo Blogs) ‘Combat 18 led to me becoming a radical’ (Asian Image) Stunning victory for Babar Ahmad (Victoria Brittain, Guardian CiF) Trevor Kavanagh on Binyam Mohamed, Shiraz Maher and Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch) Babar Ahmad wins Ł60,000 damages from Met (Islamophobia Watch) 'We must stop appeasing Islamist extremism' says Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch) Anti-Racism Conference Boycotted by World's Most Racist Nations (MPACUK) Monday 16 March 2009 Beyond science Mark Vernon, Guardian CiF It is astonishing that almost a century since the emergence of quantum physics, no-one – scientist or philosopher – really knows what it means. Classical physics had been descriptive. It presumed that it was saying something about the world as it really is. Quantum physics is predictive. Although its predictive accuracy is unsurpassed by any other science, and its technological spin-offs now shape our every waking moment... Mail smears Inayat Bunglawala (Islamophobia Watch) Sunday 15 March 2009 Who's afraid of Aristotle? Eric Heinze, Guardian CiF This semester I am teaching a course about Aristotle, democracy and law on a University of London campus that has large numbers of Muslim students. Over the past few weeks, two of them approached me – independently, and at different times. They both asked, a bit nervously, whether Aristotle's philosophy is compatible with Islam. They couldn't have posed a more interesting or complicated question. Britons who HATE Britain: The Muslim extremists hell-bent on segregation rather than integration (Islamophobia Watch) Charles Moore explains Islamism (Islamophobia Watch) Muslim in America: a ‘voyage of discovery’ (Tabsir) Boris capitulates to Evening Standard witch-hunt of Azad Ali (now there's a surprise) (Islamophobia Watch) Littlejohn supports killing of British civilians by the British army and is a Racist liar to boot (SDoaCL) Thursday 12 March 2009 Luton: the enemy within? Jerome Taylor and Mark Hughes, Independent The gruesome collage of photos of bloodied and dead children carried the headline "Iraq War Casualties". Abu Omar and his friend Abu Shadeed stood next to the carefully arranged stall yesterday afternoon in Bury Park, the bustling and vibrant heartland of Luton's Asian community. Dressed in identical black tunics and both sporting long full beards, they handed out religious leaflets from a neatly displayed pack of plastic folders and engaged in conversation with the few locals... [Comment on Talk Islam - Thabet] An elite clings on to power Markus Daechsel, Guardian CiF The spectre of "Talibanisation" has taken possession of much recent political commentary on Pakistan. The attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore have become part of the same story as the imposition of "sharia law" in Swat, the bombing of security forces in Peshawar and vigilante action against video shops in Islamabad. This fabric of fear creates the sense of a failing state on the eve of another Islamic revolution and ignores that these are all different kinds of events... Going back in time Tanya Gold, Guardian G2 Last week, the Guardian asked me to turn my mobile telephone and my computer off for a week. It wasn't until I hung up that I realised that I had happily agreed to decapitate myself. How would I live? How would I work? I am a freelance journalist and I need a mobile. I have accepted commissions while sitting on toilets. I always take my mobile into the toilet. I love my electronic communication. I know exactly which platforms on the underground have mobile phone reception... Forty lashes – for five loaves of bread Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF Reports that a Saudi court has ordered a 75-year-old widow to be sentenced to 40 lashes and four months in prison, to be followed by deportation for "mingling with two young men who were not her close relatives" has once again put the spotlight on the influence wielded by that country's religious police. The Saudi newspaper al-Watan said the woman, Khamisa Sawadi, a Syrian national, met with the two 24-year-old men last April after she asked them to bring her five loaves of bread... Rahman Baba's Grave Blown Up (Sufi News) How not to react to idiotic protests (Obsolete) Wednesday 11 March 2009 Muslim anti-war protesters abuse troops Terri Judd, Independent Islamic protesters brandishing placards hurled abuse at soldiers parading to mark their return home from Iraq yesterday. Around 20 men yelled "terrorists" and held homemade signs denouncing the soldiers as "butchers of Basra" and "baby killers" as they marched through Luton in Bedfordshire. Other signs described the 200 men and women from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment as "Criminals, Murderers, Terrorists". [Al-Muhajiroun's little helpers - Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF] Christian party advert draws more than 1,000 complaints Rebecca Smithers, Guardian The advertising watchdog has decided not to launch a formal investigation into a controversial advertisement from the Christian party proclaiming that "there is definitely a God", even though it has become one of the four most criticised adverts of all time. The advertisement was unveiled by the party last month in response to the British Humanist Association's bus adverts, which state: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The Christian party's advert... Balancing identity against dogmatism within religious organizations (Akram's Razor) Netherlands: Insulting Islam doesn't automatically insult all Muslims (Islam in Europe) Tuesday 10 March 2009 Balls orders Ofsted survey of faith schools' moral values Anthea Lipsett, guardian.co.uk The schools secretary, Ed Balls, has asked the education watchdog Ofsted to carry out a survey of the "moral values" of independent faith schools after concerns were raised about Muslim schools. His decision comes after reports by Ofsted showed small independent faith schools varied in how far they met government regulations, and research from the Civitas thinktank last month calling for teaching in Muslim schools to be vetted. Online extremism tactics 'crude' Dominic Casciani ,n BBC News Strategies to combat online extremism can be crude, expensive and counter-productive, says a report by experts. The study by radicalisation thinkers warns that governments miss the point if they just close down websites. The team based at Kings College London says "self-radicalisation... via the internet with little or no relation to the outside world rarely happens". It argues governments must see the internet not as a threat but as an opportunity to combat extremism. Opposed To Shrines (Sufi News) Faith Diary: Banking on Sharia (Robert Pigott, BBC Online) Is there ever a press release from Migrationwatch that doesn't make the Daily Mail? (5CC) Monday 09 March 2009 Hume on religion, part 5: Reason to be cautious Julian Baggini, Guardian CiF Last week, we saw how Hume made a strong case against himself in the Dialogues concerning Natural Religion. The self-directed charge is that those who claim that religious belief is not supported by reason and evidence are guilty of "an unequal conduct" which is "plain proof of prejudice and passion". The same sorts of reason and evidence which are deemed inadequate to support religion are used to support all the other beliefs they have in the material world. Corrupt it? We invented it - 19th century Nick Spencer, Guardian CiF By 1840, around 70% of the British working class had achieved a basic level of literacy, thanks to the efforts of Sunday schools. By 1865, the churches had set up over 600 ragged schools for destitute children. By 1889, the Church of England alone had over 47,000 district visitors in England and Wales. By one estimate, evangelicals ran about three in four voluntary societies in the latter half of the 19th century. Christianity didn't corrupt charity in Britain. It invented it. "No to Sharia" flop (Islamophobia Watch) IJ gets a mention in the Spectator (Indigo Jo) England's population by sex and race (Guardian Data Blog) Dis-Orienting Rhythms: the politics of the new Asian dance music (Trinketization) The Great Daily Mail Reading Public (Secret Diary of a Cub Leader) Muslim former PC accuses Luton police of institutional racism (Islamophobia Watch) Now it's Daud Abdullah who's being witch-hunted – with the assistance of Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch) Sunday 08 March 2009 British Muslim leader urged to quit over Gaza Jamie Doward, Observer One of the UK's most influential Islamic leaders, who has helped counter extremism in the country's mosques, is accused of advocating attacks on the Royal Navy if it tries to stop arms for Hamas being smuggled into Gaza. Dr Daud Abdullah, deputy director-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, is facing calls for his resignation, after it emerged that he is one of 90 Muslim leaders from around the world who have signed a public declaration in support of Hamas and military action. Wahhabi radicals are determined to destroy a gentler, kinder Islam William Dalrymple, Observer Rahman Baba, "the Nightingale of Peshawar," was an 18th-century poet and mystic, a sort of North West Frontier version of Julian of Norwich. He withdrew from the world and promised his followers that if they also loosened their ties with the world, they could purge their souls of worries and move towards direct experience of God. Rituals and fasting were for the pious, said the saint. What was important was to understand that divinity can best be reached through the gateway of the human heart... Labour warns voters of 'credit crunch racism' Paul Kelbie, Observer Jim Murphy, the secretary of state for Scotland, will warn today that there is a pressing danger that the deepening recession could lead to an increase in racist attacks on migrant workers fuelled by far-right parties such as the BNP. Speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee, he will warn that the groups are trying to capitalise on the fears and insecurities of working people. Douglas Murray joins the witch-hunt of Ibrahim Moussawi (Islamophobia Watch) Kevin Quinn found guilty (Islamophobia Watch) Saturday 07 March 2009 Rapping for Allah - the new channel for the Muslim MTV generation Jack Shenker, guardian.co.uk The thumping beat, baggy football tops and slick production values bear the trademarks of a regular hip-hop music video. But instead of scantily clad women dancing around a pool, there are rappers promoting prayer, healing and Allah. For this is 4Shbab ("for youth"), Egypt's new entry into the lucrative music television market and a channel dedicated to bringing Muslim values to the MTV generation. Israel annexing East Jerusalem, says EU Rory McCarthy, Guardian A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of East Jerusalem. The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority's credibility and weakening support for peace talks. Shoe reportedly thrown at Iranian president Ahmadinejad Robert Tait, guardian.co.uk When the Iraqi journalist, Muntazar al-Zaidi, hurled his shoes at the then-US president, George Bush, in December, Iranian officials declared him a hero and hailed his gesture as a mark of Islamic courage. They were presumably less impressed this week when Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was similarly targeted during a visit to the north-western city of Urumiye. Ahmadinejad found the shoe on the other foot as he waved to the crowd from an open-top car... A teaspoon of friendship for Melanie Phillips (Andrew Brown) Hundreds expected at anti-sharia demo in London (Islamophobia Watch) An unexpected sight in the mosque bathroom (Akram's Razor) Faith leaders defend selection in religious schools (Anthea Lipsett, guardian.co.uk) A Muslim Davos (Asim Siddiqui, Guardian CiF) British First Party leader denies race hate charges (Islamophobia Watch) England people not very nice (Indigo Jo Blogs) Wednesday 04 March 2009 BNP Spitfire claim laughed off as 'lie' Philippe Naughton, The Times Anti-fascist campaigners have laughed off a claim by the BNP that it deliberately chose to feature a Second World War Spitfire piloted by a Pole on its elections poster. The group Unite against Fascism (UAF) issued a press release last week pointing out that the Spitfire used in the BNP's "Battle for Britain" campaign could be clearly identified by its RF marking as belonging to 303 Squadron, an expatriate Polish unit, even though the BNP campaigns against immigration from Eastern Europe. A country staring disaster in the face William Dalrymple, Guardian Just over a year ago, in February 2008, I travelled by car across the length and breadth of Pakistan to cover the country's first serious election since General Pervez Musharraf seized power in 1999. The rightwing press had been predicting violence and bloodshed, but at the time I travelled in safety throughout the country and was struck by the country's fortitude in the face of adversity. The story I wrote at the time for the New York Review of Books was optimistic. Sudanese president Bashir charged with Darfur war crimes Xan Rice, Guardian The Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, has been charged with war crimes over the conflict in Darfur, becoming the first sitting head of state issued with an arrest warrant by the international criminal court (ICC). The court, based in The Hague, upheld the request of the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, to charge Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity. More than 200,000 people have died since 2003 in the country's western Darfur region. Sufism as Youth Culture in Morocco (Mokhtar Ghambou, newsweek.washingtonpost.com) Time to support Craig Murray. Again (Obsolete) Why Israel is an apartheid state (JSF) What's that smell again? (5CC) Racist internet group condemned (Asian Image) Tuesday 03 March 2009 Thriving in America? Zahed Amanullah, Guardian CiF Six years ago, I left the country where I was born and arrived in Britain with an intent to settle here with my new wife. I flew into Heathrow on a one way ticket – with no visa – and yet was allowed into the country with no difficulty, even though I was a Muslim immigrant arriving just over two years after 9/11. I was offered a job within two weeks, paid by a British company directly into a bank account back home while I sorted out my residency. Protesters go on National stage in play row Vikram Dodd, Guardian Protesters against a play at the National theatre have said they will step up their action and are threatening to boycott one of its main sponsors. Hussain Ismail, a playwright who runs his own theatre company, and a teacher friend, whom he named as Keith Kinsella, took to the stage during a discussion about the play, England People Very Nice, written by Richard Bean. London's Evening Standard said the play contained "the slick, cruel, abusive style that Bernard Manning perfected ages ago". Islam's evolutionary legacy Ehsan Masood, Guardian Last month, scientists from around the world partied into the small hours on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. But as we celebrate the work of one of the most influential scientists ever, let's take a moment or two to remember others who contributed ideas in the history of evolutionary thought. One of them is an East African writer based in Baghdad in the 9th century called al-Jahiz. In a book describing the characteristics of animals, he remarked... Quilliam Foundation calls for ban on HT meeting (Islamophobia Watch) Archbishop of Canterbury: 'A tempest of extremism beckons' (Ruth Gledhill) Guantánamo for kids -Anna Perera (Michelle Pauli guardian.co.uk) Police played 'spot the black officer in the dark', tribunal hears (Vikram Dodd, Guardian) 'Church schools could be forced to promote Islam and homosexuality' (Islamophobia Watch) Olive would have told me to shut up and do something (Jess McCabe, F-Word) Sunday 01 March 2009 Israel's death squads: A soldier's story Independent on Sunday The Israeli military's policy of targeted killings has been described from the inside for the first time. In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, and in his testimony to an ex-soldiers' organisation, Breaking the Silence, a former member of an assassination squad has told of his role in a botched ambush that killed two Palestinian bystanders, as well as the two militants targeted. The operation, which took place a little over eight years ago... ‘What Holocaust?’– as the beauty said to the bishop Giles Hattersley, Times Richard Williamson, the so-called “Nazi bishop”, hurtled through Heathrow so fast last Wednesday that he didn’t speak to the mysterious blonde who had come to meet him. Flanked by reporters demanding to know if he would take back his views on the Holocaust, he made a beeline for members of his religious order – the Society of St Pius X – who bundled him into a Land Rover bound for their Wimbledon base. Apparently, I'm not British Sunny Hundal, Guardian CiF In another lifetime, a few years ago, when I used to run messageboards primarily populated by British Asians, we were occasionally invaded by National Front and BNP trolls. They told us to "go back to your own country", and we retorted that we were born here and had as much right to call ourselves British as they did. Their retort almost inevitably was: "Just because a dog is born in a stable doesn't make it a horse". Israel-Hamas arms embargo urged (BBC News Online) Action Alert: Daily Express accuses ALL British Muslims of murder! (MPACUK) I won’t let the death threats silence me - interview with Ed Husain (David Cohen, Evening Standard) Anti-Muslim scaremongering and shameless self-promotion – yes it's another interview with Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch)
index

Abu Dharr (Daily Terror) March 2009

Tuesday 31 March 2009
Catholic bishops in US ban Japanese reiki
Riazat Butt, Guardian
Reiki, an alternative Japanese therapy with a growing band of followers in the west, is "unscientific" and "inappropriate" for use in Catholic institutions, according to America's bishops. Guidelines issued by the committee on doctrine at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops warn healthcare workers and chaplains that the therapy "lacks scientific credibility" and could expose people to "malevolent forces". Reiki master Judith White said the bishops had misunderstood the therapy.

Churches dismiss BNP’s election posters
Ekklesia, staff writers
Three British Churches have reminded people of the 'true Christian message of love' for all people following the inclusion of Jesus in a BNP election campaign. Their statement comes after the Church of England declined to comment on the posters which feature a bible verse quoting Jesus' words about persecution, in the run up to the European Elections in June. The adverts contain a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross and quotes a part of a verse from John's Gospel (John 15:20)...

A missed opportunity
Muhammad Khan, Guardian
This month, the children's minister, Beverley Hughes, announced that 41 youth projects are to share Ł180m of funding from the myplace project, which aims to transform youth facilities across the country. This is the biggest investment in such facilities since the Albemarle report in the 1960s, and the government should be congratulated. A range of organisations have been awarded funding of up to Ł5m each, including local authorities, trusts, sports clubs and YMCAs.

Policy Exchange forced to apologise, takes report off website (islamophobia Watch)
'Now fire service introduces hijab headscarves for Muslim workers' (islamophobia Watch)
Robert Crumb set to publish 'scandalous' Bible satire (Alison Flood guardian.co.uk)

Monday 30 March 2009
Where will we find the perfect Muslim for monocultural Britain?
Gary Younge, Guardian CiF
Somewhere out there is the Muslim that the British government seeks. Like all religious people he (the government is more likely to talk about Muslim women than to them) supports gay rights, racial equality, women's rights, tolerance and parliamentary democracy. He abhors the murder of innocent civilians without qualification - unless they are in Palestine, Afghanistan or Iraq. He wants to be treated as a regular British citizen - but not by the police, immigration or airport security.

Michael Nazir-Ali steps down to focus on ~~persecuting Muslims~~ helping persecuted Christians
Riazat Butt, Guardian
The bishop of Rochester, one of the most outspoken figures in the Church of England, is to set up an organisation that will champion the rights of victimised Christian communities around the world. Michael Nazir-Ali, who announced his resignation on Saturday, said in an official statement that he was hoping to work with church leaders in areas where the church was "under pressure, particularly in minority situations" and that he had been asked to help...
[What next for the Bishop of Rochester? - Andrew Brown]

Muslim 'unsung heroes' honoured
BBC News Online
A graffiti artist and teenage martial arts participant have been honoured in a ceremony recognising "unsung heroes" of the Muslim community in Britain. Other award recipients included an alternative therapist, a Church of Scotland minister, and a master player of the Middle East instrument, the Oud. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, facing a row over expenses claims that included two adult films, presented an award.

Trevor Phillips under pressure after equality watchdog audit
Gaby Hinsliff, Observer
Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the government's flagship equality watchdog, faces an uncertain future after a series of top-level resignations and the revelation last night that the National Audit Office refused to sign off the organisation's accounts because of alleged irregularities. Two commissioners and Phillips's director of strategy have quit in the past week. A third commissioner, Bert Massie, said yesterday that he was considering his position.

Police scheme identifies 180 children as potential Islamic extremists
Aidan Jones, Guardian
One hundred and eighty schoolchildren across Britain have been identified as potential Islamic extremists by a police-run early intervention programme which aims to coax youngsters away from radical influences. The Channel project, a pilot scheme established in April 2007 and run by six police forces, provides parents, teachers and youth workers with training to recognise the warning signs of "grooming" by radicals and a mechanism to report concerns over a child ... to the police.

BNP & Zionists Attack Shahid Malik MP (MPACUK)
Muslims honour minister who stopped service to let them pray (Ruth Gledhill)
Nazir-Ali resigns – Mad Mel inconsolable (Islamophobia Watch)
Osama and Orientalism: Where Islamophobes Meet Al-Qaeda (Hussein Rashid, Religion Dispatches)
Apology call in M65 terror arrest (BBC News Online)
Thank You UK Muslims: Rowan Williams (IslamOnline)
New Age Islam battles fundamentalists in cyberspace (Praveen Swami, The Hindu)

Friday 27 March 2009
My reply to Hazel Blears
Daud Abdullah, Guardian CiF
In her misguided and ill-advised attempt to exercise control on the affairs of the largest independent Muslim organisation, the MCB, which has steadfastly and with honesty represented the views of Muslims over the years, Hazel Blears has used my attendance at the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference and the signing of a position document as the peg to hang her coat on. Her latest claim as stated in a letter on her behalf to our secretary-general and published in the Guardian today...

Torture victim Binyam Mohamed: don't scapegoat MI5 officer
Richard Norton-Taylor and Ian Cobain, Guardian
A British resident who says he was tortured before being sent to Guantánamo Bay said yesterday he may give evidence on behalf of an MI5 officer to ensure that senior figures within the government are held to account for any involvement in his treatment. Binyam Mohamed spoke to the Guardian after the attorney general called in the Metropolitan police to investigate claims that MI5 had colluded in his interrogation.
[Timeline: Binyam Mohamed - Guardian]

Created from a single soul
Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, Guardian CiF
I am irked by this question, the sense it carries with it that women are some kind of second best, an after-thought for religion, that require special attention. Women aren't a remnant, or an aberration whose existence is there simply to sweep up the leftover genetic code off the floor and perpetuate the species. Women are fundamental to successful human flourishing – both physical and spiritual. It comes as no surprise to me that with the constant oppression that women face...

Bulgaria: Gov't approves school headscarves ban (Islam in Europe)
Queen and Gordon Brown debate ending discrimination against Catholics (Ruth Gledhill)
Young Muslims Start To Fight Against The Media Hate With Rap (MPACUK)
Obama - Making Your Mind Up (Craig Murray)
Sufi Muslim Council a Karimov/CIA Front (Craig Murray)

Thursday 26 March 2009
Muslim Council accuses government of undermining independence
Vikram Dodd, Guardian
Britain's largest Muslim body has accused ministers of wanting to "undermine its independence" by demanding one of its leaders be removed from office. The accusation is the strongest public attack yet by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in its row with the government after ministers broke off relations earlier this month. Hazel Blears, the communities and local government minister, wrote to the MCB demanding the resignation of Daud Abdullah, its deputy secretary general...
[Our shunning of the MCB is not grandstanding - Hazel Blears, Guardian CiF]

Banned from Britain
Ibrahim Mousawi, Guardian CiF
There is a special irony in having been banned from entering the United Kingdom on the grounds that my presence would not be "conducive to the public good". The idea, it seems, is to preserve and advance British society by outlawing expertise on a topic that has profound implications in Lebanon, and indeed in Britain as it embarks on a policy shift in the Mediterranean country. I had been invited to the UK to deliver a lecture during a conference on political Islam at the School of Oriental and...

No easy Contest
Richard Norton-Taylor, Guardian CiF
For years terrified ministers and their Whitehall advisers have been trying to grapple with "radical Islam" and "violent extremism". The government's latest attempt, the publication on yesterday of "Contest 2" suggests it has learned nothing new, perhaps because there is nothing new to learn, yet had to dress it up with a mix of rhetoric and picking out specific threats – this time, improvised explosive devices, "dirty bombs" and chemical warfare. extremely seriously.

Blears severs links with MINAB (Islamophobia Watch)
‘Hello America, I’m a British Muslim’ (Tabsir)
"Criminalizing" Terror Strategy: UK Muslims (IslamOnline)
Open-air cremation is not backward (Poorna Shetty, Guardian CiF)
Doctor suspended for 'orang-utans' jibe (Asian Image)

Wednesday 25 March 2009
Hazel Blears' standoff with Muslim Council overshadows new anti-terror launch
Alan Travis, Guardian
A standoff between the communities secretary, Hazel Blears, and the Muslim Council of Britain was said last night to "cut to the heart" of the government's revised counter-terror strategy to challenge those who defend terrorism and violent extremism. Blears has suspended official links with the MCB over allegations that its deputy general secretary endorsed a Hamas call for attacks on foreign troops, including possibly British troops, if they try to intercept arms smuggled into Gaza.
[We must engage with extremists - Hazel Blears, Guardian CiF, 25/02/09]

The government may be the only loser in this untimely dispute
Madeleine Bunting, Guardian
On the very day that the government announced a long-awaited strategy on countering terrorism, the communities secretary, Hazel Blears, froze relations with the country's biggest Muslim organisation: immediately there were questions about whether the timing of the two events was co-ordinated or simply an unfortunate coincidence...
['The government's new anti-terror strategy plays into the hands of the extremists' - Guardian]

A bad trade-off
Justin Gest, Guardian CiF
The government's new Contest 2 strategy for preventing violent extremism will do a little to further secure citizens from a terrorist attack, and a lot to alienate the community of British Muslims. Lacking a consensus about strategies for preventing violent extremism, the government is in the midst of a deadlocked, internal tug-of-war. One the one hand, there is the priority of securing citizens from future terrorist attacks. On the other hand, there is the priority to fulfil this objective without alienating...
[Hazel Blears must back down Geoffrey Alderman, Guardian CiF]

Demanding the immediate arrest of the helpful Islamic nutter (The Sun -Tabloid Lies)
Video: MCB vs Blears (Channel 4)
How the Government Made the MCB Heroes by labelling them as Extremists (MPACUK)
MPACUK Vs Government on Radio 4 - "Muslims Are Not Your Coolies" (MPACUK)
Gitmo guard converts to Islam (City of Brass)

Tuesday 24 March 2009
Alienating British Muslims
Brian Whitaker, Guardian
Following the recent muddle over Hezbollah, the British government continues to dig itself deeper into the mire with its "anti-extremism" policy. Hazel Blears, secretary of state for communities and local government, is trying to engineer the resignation of Daud Abdullah, deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain. She may not like Abdullah or agree with his views but, frankly, it's none of her business. The MCB is not a government body and can appoint whoever it wants...

New strategy will train shop and hotel managers to tackle terrorist threats
Jenny Percival, Guardian
Members of the public will be encouraged to confront people who "threaten democracy" while more shop and hotel managers will be trained to deal with terrorist threats, as part of the government's new anti-terrorism strategy to be launched today. Contest 2, billed by ministers as the most comprehensive approach to tackling terrorism by any government in the world, will also outline the continuing threat from al-Qaida-inspired groups as well as putting renewed emphasis on the extreme risks from...

Ofcom clears Channel 4 Qur'an documentary
Mark Sweney, Guardian
A controversial Channel 4 documentary on the Qur'an, which led Shia Muslim scholars to demand an apology and a new programme about their faith, has been cleared by media regulator Ofcom of misleading viewers or inspiring violence between religious groups. Ofcom's 18-page adjudication effectively clears Channel 4 of any wrongdoing in airing documentary The Qur'an. The documentary, by film-maker Antony Thomas...

Can academia help Islam’s dialogue with the West? (Catherine Bosley, FaithWorld)
In a muddle on terror (Shamit Saggar, Guardian CiF)

Monday 23 March 2009
Course to teach imams about cohesion
Riazat Butt, Guardian
A course to help classically trained imams use their skills more effectively in the UK has been launched in Cambridge, with its first students enrolling in September. The one-year diploma in contextual Islamic studies and leadership is aimed at helping imams to be more responsive to the values and needs of British-born Muslims and better placed to deal with issues of cohesion, doctrinal radicalism and exclusion. Its 19 compulsory modules...divided society..."

Police accused of misusing terror laws against peaceful protests
Afua Hirsch, Guardian
Laws intended for counter-terrorism are being misused in an increasingly heavy-handed approach to policing protests, a new parliamentary report warns today. The 70-page report, published by the joint committee on human rights after almost a year's inquiry, said it was concerned by evidence of the use of the powers, under legislation including the Terrorism Act, against peaceful protesters.

Government shuns Muslim Council over link with Hamas
Paul Bignell, Independent on Sunday
The Government has severed relations with the country's leading Muslim organisation, saying a senior member is a supporter of Hamas, the Palestinian military organisation. A letter leaked to The Independent on Sunday shows that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, wrote to the Muslim Council of Britain, calling for Dr Daud Abdullah to resign. She alleges he was one of 90 Muslim leaders from around the world who signed...
[Hazel Blears demands Daud Abdullah's resignation -IW; UK Shuns MCB over Gaza Resistance - IO]

UK haunted by religion, says archbishop (Riazat Butt, Guardian)
Jade Goody: At peace - and finally out of the limelight (Lucy Mangan, Guardian)
Ramadan vs. Gay Krant (CLOSER)

Saturday 21 March 2009
Police officers in abuse case accused of 60 other assaults
Matthew Taylor & Sandra Laville, Guardian
Police officers involved in a "serious, gratuitous and prolonged" attack on a British Muslim man that led the Metropolitan police to pay Ł60,000 in damages this week have been accused of dozens of previous assaults against black or Asian men. Babar Ahmad, 34, a terrorist suspect, was punched, kicked, stamped on and strangled during his arrest by officers from one of the Met's territorial support groups at his London home in December 2003.

All homosexuals should be stoned to death, says Muslim preacher of hate
Sam Greenhill, Daily Fail
All homosexuals should face stoning to death, a Muslim preacher of hate declared yesterday. Anjem Choudary, the firebrand cleric who wants to see Britain ruled by Sharia law, said such a regime was the only way to fix the country's ills. Under it, adulterers and homosexuals would be killed by stoning. Asked if that would include anybody - even a Cabinet minister such as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - Choudary responded with an astonishing diatribe.

A place for us
Rabia Malik, Guardian
My first memory of The City Circle, of which I have just been appointed chair, is a positive one – the level of meaningful conversation and critical debate pleasantly surprised me. It was unusual to find a space where Muslims could openly talk about Islam alongside politics and other critical social issues. This safe space became even more vital after key moments such as 9/11, the Iraq war and 7/7, which have shaped relations between British Muslims and the state.

Meet the 13 most powerful Muslim women in Britain (Hilary Rose, Times)
Soldier says rabbis pushed “religious war” in Gaza (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld)
The peculiar practice of debaptism (Stephen Tomkins, Guardian)

Friday 20 March 2009
Gandhi relative's hate video shocks India
Maseeh Rahman, Guardian
Varun Gandhi, the lesser-known grandson of Indira Gandhi, was pitched into the centre of a national row yesterday after an election campaign video showed him apparently delivering a venomous attack on Muslims. The video, played repeatedly on Indian news television channels and on websites, shows him denigrating Muslims while addressing an election meeting in his parliamentary constituency in northern Uttar Pradesh, the home state of the charismatic Nehru-Gandhi family.

'Islamophobe' head Erica Connor wins Surrey County Council payout
Laura Dixon, Times
A campaign by two Muslim governors to give Islam a greater presence in a state school played a key part in forcing a successful head from her job, the High Court found yesterday. Erica Connor, 57, the former head teacher of the New Monument primary school in Woking, Surrey, was forced to leave the school because of stress after she was accused of Islamophobia. The High Court ruled yesterday that Surrey County Council had failed in its duty to protect her and ... awarded her Ł400,000 damages.

A whole new level of grimness (SDoaCL)
English is a second language for 1 in 7 pupils... (5CC)
What was real reason for banning Tariq Ramadan from U.S.? (Tom Heneghan, FaithWorld)
BNP organiser arrested over harassment claim (Islamophobia Watch)
Shahid Malik calls for the 'total Islamification of Britain! (not)! (Islamophobia Watch)

Wednesday 18 March 2009
Former senior Metropolitan police officer calls for Muslim helpline to tackle extremism
Riazat Butt, Guardian
A former senior Metropolitan police officer, Tarique Ghaffur, has called for a national Muslim helpline to encourage parents to inform on their radicalised children. The recommendation is one of several he will make tonight in a public address at Leicester University, where he will present his ideas on fighting extremism and radicalisation in Muslim communities. Ghaffur, who was the most senior Muslim police officer in Britain until his retirement last November...

Pope claims condoms could make African Aids crisis worse
R Butt, Guardian
The Pope today reignited the controversy over the Catholic church's stance on condom use as he made his first trip to Africa. The pontiff said condoms were not the answer to the continent's fight against HIV and Aids and could make the problem worse. Benedict XVI made his comments as he flew to Cameroon for the first leg of a six-day trip that will also see him travelling to Angola. The timing of his remarks outraged health agencies trying to halt the spread of HIV and Aids in sub-Saharan Africa...

No sad goodbye (Indigo Jo Blogs)
‘Combat 18 led to me becoming a radical’ (Asian Image)
Stunning victory for Babar Ahmad (Victoria Brittain, Guardian CiF)
Trevor Kavanagh on Binyam Mohamed, Shiraz Maher and Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch)
Babar Ahmad wins Ł60,000 damages from Met (Islamophobia Watch)
'We must stop appeasing Islamist extremism' says Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch)
Anti-Racism Conference Boycotted by World's Most Racist Nations (MPACUK)

Monday 16 March 2009
Beyond science
Mark Vernon, Guardian CiF
It is astonishing that almost a century since the emergence of quantum physics, no-one – scientist or philosopher – really knows what it means. Classical physics had been descriptive. It presumed that it was saying something about the world as it really is. Quantum physics is predictive. Although its predictive accuracy is unsurpassed by any other science, and its technological spin-offs now shape our every waking moment...

Mail smears Inayat Bunglawala (Islamophobia Watch)

Sunday 15 March 2009
Who's afraid of Aristotle?
Eric Heinze, Guardian CiF
This semester I am teaching a course about Aristotle, democracy and law on a University of London campus that has large numbers of Muslim students. Over the past few weeks, two of them approached me – independently, and at different times. They both asked, a bit nervously, whether Aristotle's philosophy is compatible with Islam. They couldn't have posed a more interesting or complicated question.

Britons who HATE Britain: The Muslim extremists hell-bent on segregation rather than integration (Islamophobia Watch)
Charles Moore explains Islamism (Islamophobia Watch)
Muslim in America: a ‘voyage of discovery’ (Tabsir)
Boris capitulates to Evening Standard witch-hunt of Azad Ali (now there's a surprise) (Islamophobia Watch)
Littlejohn supports killing of British civilians by the British army and is a Racist liar to boot (SDoaCL)

Thursday 12 March 2009
Luton: the enemy within?
Jerome Taylor and Mark Hughes, Independent
The gruesome collage of photos of bloodied and dead children carried the headline "Iraq War Casualties". Abu Omar and his friend Abu Shadeed stood next to the carefully arranged stall yesterday afternoon in Bury Park, the bustling and vibrant heartland of Luton's Asian community. Dressed in identical black tunics and both sporting long full beards, they handed out religious leaflets from a neatly displayed pack of plastic folders and engaged in conversation with the few locals...
[Comment on Talk Islam - Thabet]

An elite clings on to power
Markus Daechsel, Guardian CiF
The spectre of "Talibanisation" has taken possession of much recent political commentary on Pakistan. The attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore have become part of the same story as the imposition of "sharia law" in Swat, the bombing of security forces in Peshawar and vigilante action against video shops in Islamabad. This fabric of fear creates the sense of a failing state on the eve of another Islamic revolution and ignores that these are all different kinds of events...

Going back in time
Tanya Gold, Guardian G2
Last week, the Guardian asked me to turn my mobile telephone and my computer off for a week. It wasn't until I hung up that I realised that I had happily agreed to decapitate myself. How would I live? How would I work? I am a freelance journalist and I need a mobile. I have accepted commissions while sitting on toilets. I always take my mobile into the toilet. I love my electronic communication. I know exactly which platforms on the underground have mobile phone reception...

Forty lashes – for five loaves of bread
Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF
Reports that a Saudi court has ordered a 75-year-old widow to be sentenced to 40 lashes and four months in prison, to be followed by deportation for "mingling with two young men who were not her close relatives" has once again put the spotlight on the influence wielded by that country's religious police. The Saudi newspaper al-Watan said the woman, Khamisa Sawadi, a Syrian national, met with the two 24-year-old men last April after she asked them to bring her five loaves of bread...

Rahman Baba's Grave Blown Up (Sufi News)
How not to react to idiotic protests (Obsolete)

Wednesday 11 March 2009
Muslim anti-war protesters abuse troops
Terri Judd, Independent
Islamic protesters brandishing placards hurled abuse at soldiers parading to mark their return home from Iraq yesterday. Around 20 men yelled "terrorists" and held homemade signs denouncing the soldiers as "butchers of Basra" and "baby killers" as they marched through Luton in Bedfordshire. Other signs described the 200 men and women from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment as "Criminals, Murderers, Terrorists".
[Al-Muhajiroun's little helpers - Inayat Bunglawala, Guardian CiF]

Christian party advert draws more than 1,000 complaints
Rebecca Smithers, Guardian
The advertising watchdog has decided not to launch a formal investigation into a controversial advertisement from the Christian party proclaiming that "there is definitely a God", even though it has become one of the four most criticised adverts of all time. The advertisement was unveiled by the party last month in response to the British Humanist Association's bus adverts, which state: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." The Christian party's advert...

Balancing identity against dogmatism within religious organizations (Akram's Razor)
Netherlands: Insulting Islam doesn't automatically insult all Muslims (Islam in Europe)

Tuesday 10 March 2009
Balls orders Ofsted survey of faith schools' moral values
Anthea Lipsett, guardian.co.uk
The schools secretary, Ed Balls, has asked the education watchdog Ofsted to carry out a survey of the "moral values" of independent faith schools after concerns were raised about Muslim schools. His decision comes after reports by Ofsted showed small independent faith schools varied in how far they met government regulations, and research from the Civitas thinktank last month calling for teaching in Muslim schools to be vetted.

Online extremism tactics 'crude'
Dominic Casciani ,n BBC News
Strategies to combat online extremism can be crude, expensive and counter-productive, says a report by experts. The study by radicalisation thinkers warns that governments miss the point if they just close down websites. The team based at Kings College London says "self-radicalisation... via the internet with little or no relation to the outside world rarely happens". It argues governments must see the internet not as a threat but as an opportunity to combat extremism.

Opposed To Shrines (Sufi News)
Faith Diary: Banking on Sharia (Robert Pigott, BBC Online)
Is there ever a press release from Migrationwatch that doesn't make the Daily Mail? (5CC)

Monday 09 March 2009
Hume on religion, part 5: Reason to be cautious
Julian Baggini, Guardian CiF
Last week, we saw how Hume made a strong case against himself in the Dialogues concerning Natural Religion. The self-directed charge is that those who claim that religious belief is not supported by reason and evidence are guilty of "an unequal conduct" which is "plain proof of prejudice and passion". The same sorts of reason and evidence which are deemed inadequate to support religion are used to support all the other beliefs they have in the material world.

Corrupt it? We invented it - 19th century
Nick Spencer, Guardian CiF
By 1840, around 70% of the British working class had achieved a basic level of literacy, thanks to the efforts of Sunday schools. By 1865, the churches had set up over 600 ragged schools for destitute children. By 1889, the Church of England alone had over 47,000 district visitors in England and Wales. By one estimate, evangelicals ran about three in four voluntary societies in the latter half of the 19th century. Christianity didn't corrupt charity in Britain. It invented it.

"No to Sharia" flop (Islamophobia Watch)
IJ gets a mention in the Spectator (Indigo Jo)
England's population by sex and race (Guardian Data Blog)
Dis-Orienting Rhythms: the politics of the new Asian dance music (Trinketization)
The Great Daily Mail Reading Public (Secret Diary of a Cub Leader)
Muslim former PC accuses Luton police of institutional racism (Islamophobia Watch)
Now it's Daud Abdullah who's being witch-hunted – with the assistance of Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch)

Sunday 08 March 2009
British Muslim leader urged to quit over Gaza
Jamie Doward, Observer
One of the UK's most influential Islamic leaders, who has helped counter extremism in the country's mosques, is accused of advocating attacks on the Royal Navy if it tries to stop arms for Hamas being smuggled into Gaza. Dr Daud Abdullah, deputy director-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, is facing calls for his resignation, after it emerged that he is one of 90 Muslim leaders from around the world who have signed a public declaration in support of Hamas and military action.

Wahhabi radicals are determined to destroy a gentler, kinder Islam
William Dalrymple, Observer
Rahman Baba, "the Nightingale of Peshawar," was an 18th-century poet and mystic, a sort of North West Frontier version of Julian of Norwich. He withdrew from the world and promised his followers that if they also loosened their ties with the world, they could purge their souls of worries and move towards direct experience of God. Rituals and fasting were for the pious, said the saint. What was important was to understand that divinity can best be reached through the gateway of the human heart...

Labour warns voters of 'credit crunch racism'
Paul Kelbie, Observer
Jim Murphy, the secretary of state for Scotland, will warn today that there is a pressing danger that the deepening recession could lead to an increase in racist attacks on migrant workers fuelled by far-right parties such as the BNP. Speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Dundee, he will warn that the groups are trying to capitalise on the fears and insecurities of working people.

Douglas Murray joins the witch-hunt of Ibrahim Moussawi (Islamophobia Watch)
Kevin Quinn found guilty (Islamophobia Watch)

Saturday 07 March 2009
Rapping for Allah - the new channel for the Muslim MTV generation
Jack Shenker, guardian.co.uk
The thumping beat, baggy football tops and slick production values bear the trademarks of a regular hip-hop music video. But instead of scantily clad women dancing around a pool, there are rappers promoting prayer, healing and Allah. For this is 4Shbab ("for youth"), Egypt's new entry into the lucrative music television market and a channel dedicated to bringing Muslim values to the MTV generation.

Israel annexing East Jerusalem, says EU
Rory McCarthy, Guardian
A confidential EU report accuses the Israeli government of using settlement expansion, house demolitions, discriminatory housing policies and the West Bank barrier as a way of "actively pursuing the illegal annexation" of East Jerusalem. The document says Israel has accelerated its plans for East Jerusalem, and is undermining the Palestinian Authority's credibility and weakening support for peace talks.

Shoe reportedly thrown at Iranian president Ahmadinejad
Robert Tait, guardian.co.uk
When the Iraqi journalist, Muntazar al-Zaidi, hurled his shoes at the then-US president, George Bush, in December, Iranian officials declared him a hero and hailed his gesture as a mark of Islamic courage. They were presumably less impressed this week when Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was similarly targeted during a visit to the north-western city of Urumiye. Ahmadinejad found the shoe on the other foot as he waved to the crowd from an open-top car...

A teaspoon of friendship for Melanie Phillips (Andrew Brown)
Hundreds expected at anti-sharia demo in London (Islamophobia Watch)
An unexpected sight in the mosque bathroom (Akram's Razor)
Faith leaders defend selection in religious schools (Anthea Lipsett, guardian.co.uk)
A Muslim Davos (Asim Siddiqui, Guardian CiF)
British First Party leader denies race hate charges (Islamophobia Watch)
England people not very nice (Indigo Jo Blogs)

Wednesday 04 March 2009
BNP Spitfire claim laughed off as 'lie'
Philippe Naughton, The Times
Anti-fascist campaigners have laughed off a claim by the BNP that it deliberately chose to feature a Second World War Spitfire piloted by a Pole on its elections poster. The group Unite against Fascism (UAF) issued a press release last week pointing out that the Spitfire used in the BNP's "Battle for Britain" campaign could be clearly identified by its RF marking as belonging to 303 Squadron, an expatriate Polish unit, even though the BNP campaigns against immigration from Eastern Europe.

A country staring disaster in the face
William Dalrymple, Guardian
Just over a year ago, in February 2008, I travelled by car across the length and breadth of Pakistan to cover the country's first serious election since General Pervez Musharraf seized power in 1999. The rightwing press had been predicting violence and bloodshed, but at the time I travelled in safety throughout the country and was struck by the country's fortitude in the face of adversity. The story I wrote at the time for the New York Review of Books was optimistic.

Sudanese president Bashir charged with Darfur war crimes
Xan Rice, Guardian
The Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, has been charged with war crimes over the conflict in Darfur, becoming the first sitting head of state issued with an arrest warrant by the international criminal court (ICC). The court, based in The Hague, upheld the request of the chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, to charge Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity. More than 200,000 people have died since 2003 in the country's western Darfur region.

Sufism as Youth Culture in Morocco (Mokhtar Ghambou, newsweek.washingtonpost.com)
Time to support Craig Murray. Again (Obsolete)
Why Israel is an apartheid state (JSF)
What's that smell again? (5CC)
Racist internet group condemned (Asian Image)

Tuesday 03 March 2009
Thriving in America?
Zahed Amanullah, Guardian CiF
Six years ago, I left the country where I was born and arrived in Britain with an intent to settle here with my new wife. I flew into Heathrow on a one way ticket – with no visa – and yet was allowed into the country with no difficulty, even though I was a Muslim immigrant arriving just over two years after 9/11. I was offered a job within two weeks, paid by a British company directly into a bank account back home while I sorted out my residency.

Protesters go on National stage in play row
Vikram Dodd, Guardian
Protesters against a play at the National theatre have said they will step up their action and are threatening to boycott one of its main sponsors. Hussain Ismail, a playwright who runs his own theatre company, and a teacher friend, whom he named as Keith Kinsella, took to the stage during a discussion about the play, England People Very Nice, written by Richard Bean. London's Evening Standard said the play contained "the slick, cruel, abusive style that Bernard Manning perfected ages ago".

Islam's evolutionary legacy
Ehsan Masood, Guardian
Last month, scientists from around the world partied into the small hours on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Darwin. But as we celebrate the work of one of the most influential scientists ever, let's take a moment or two to remember others who contributed ideas in the history of evolutionary thought. One of them is an East African writer based in Baghdad in the 9th century called al-Jahiz. In a book describing the characteristics of animals, he remarked...

Quilliam Foundation calls for ban on HT meeting (Islamophobia Watch)
Archbishop of Canterbury: 'A tempest of extremism beckons' (Ruth Gledhill)
Guantánamo for kids -Anna Perera (Michelle Pauli guardian.co.uk)
Police played 'spot the black officer in the dark', tribunal hears (Vikram Dodd, Guardian)
'Church schools could be forced to promote Islam and homosexuality' (Islamophobia Watch)
Olive would have told me to shut up and do something (Jess McCabe, F-Word)

Sunday 01 March 2009
Israel's death squads: A soldier's story
Independent on Sunday
The Israeli military's policy of targeted killings has been described from the inside for the first time. In an interview with The Independent on Sunday, and in his testimony to an ex-soldiers' organisation, Breaking the Silence, a former member of an assassination squad has told of his role in a botched ambush that killed two Palestinian bystanders, as well as the two militants targeted. The operation, which took place a little over eight years ago...

‘What Holocaust?’– as the beauty said to the bishop
Giles Hattersley, Times
Richard Williamson, the so-called “Nazi bishop”, hurtled through Heathrow so fast last Wednesday that he didn’t speak to the mysterious blonde who had come to meet him. Flanked by reporters demanding to know if he would take back his views on the Holocaust, he made a beeline for members of his religious order – the Society of St Pius X – who bundled him into a Land Rover bound for their Wimbledon base.

Apparently, I'm not British
Sunny Hundal, Guardian CiF
In another lifetime, a few years ago, when I used to run messageboards primarily populated by British Asians, we were occasionally invaded by National Front and BNP trolls. They told us to "go back to your own country", and we retorted that we were born here and had as much right to call ourselves British as they did. Their retort almost inevitably was: "Just because a dog is born in a stable doesn't make it a horse".

Israel-Hamas arms embargo urged (BBC News Online)
Action Alert: Daily Express accuses ALL British Muslims of murder! (MPACUK)
I won’t let the death threats silence me - interview with Ed Husain (David Cohen, Evening Standard)
Anti-Muslim scaremongering and shameless self-promotion – yes it's another interview with Ed Husain (Islamophobia Watch)

index

daily terror
			A.D. archive March 2009