UK Government must listen to Muslims

Government must listen to Muslims if it wants to succeed in tackling radicalisation
Last December, Andy Hayman, head of Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism operations, questioned the value of extensive stop-and-search powers because of the few arrests and charges they produced. “It is very unlikely that a terrorist is going to be carrying bomb-making equipment around...in the street,” Hayman said. He told the Metropolitan Police Authority that it was “a big price to pay” given some people feel unfairly targeted by the anti-terror powers.
This month, Home Office figures confirmed their worst fears that only a very small percentage of more than 1,100 arrests under anti-terrorism laws had led to conviction, while more than half were released without any charge. This is despite the extensive range of offences and the ever-extension of pre-charge detentions. Over the past few years, there have been many high-profile arrests of terrorist suspects, often with the media conveniently tipped off in advance to sensationalise alleged plots attributed to anonymous sources.
Far too many pre-dawn raids have turned out to be huge blunders. The bungled raids on two Muslim family houses in Forest Gate, East London, last June is but one example. Hayman was eventually forced to apologise for the raid, after no evidence of an alleged chemical weapons plant find and two suspects, including one shot by police, being freed without any charges. The families made 150 complaints about the police conduct, but like other cases, these were dismissed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
Most of the terrorist raids are supposed to be intelligence-led, which leaves deep concern over the credibility of the intelligence services and their sources. A particular concern is that the Government not only doubled the pre-charge detention of terrorist suspects from 14 to 28 days but has indicated that it is seeking to extend this to 90 days despite previously failings. Muslims are already paying a heavy price for not only for ill-conceived anti-terrorism laws but for its misguided approach, both of which need a drastic overhaul.
The way forward, as all agree, is for the Government to work with the community, but most importantly, without any hidden agenda. This should be a two-way process, rather than just following the dictates of ministers. It is vitally important for the Government not to use divisive methods as has already been unsuccessfully attempted. The argument by the Government is that they want to tackle radicalisation amongst young Muslims but so far there has been no success and instead they have blamed the Muslim community for not doing enough.
Yet it has been Government-led groups that have failed to deliver. As we exclusively reported in December, the Government is going abroad for help to tackle radicalism. The country chosen was Indonesia, with the largest Muslim population in the world and which has its own unique problem of radicalisation. What is interesting about this project is that the joint draft proposals for the venture published on January 30, are all to do with religion – Islam – and no mention is being made about politics, which clearly the main issue.
Head of the Indonesian delegation, Professor Azuyamardi Azra, acknowledged that the group needs to “deal with root problem – the foreign policy of the British Government.” He told The Muslim News that the joint group “deals mainly with religious and social issues.” Professor Azra recalled that he had told Prime Minister, Tony Blair, during his visit to Jakarta in March last year, that “one of the most important ways to solve this problem is to withdraw from Iraq because it has angered Muslims.” The leader of the UK delegation, Musharraf Hussain, denied that it was the Foreign Office that influenced them not to deal with the impact of the foreign policy on radicalisation. “It was our group’s decision,” he told The Muslim News. However, he agreed that politics was a major problem. “It is a shortcoming that we need to address.” Now the Foreign Office have sent those groups who have and are working with the Government to tackle radicalism in this country, to Canada to help them tackle radicalisation there. If it fails - and looking at the UK experience it most probably will - the blame will once again be laid at the door of the Canadian Muslim community. They will be paying the price as British Muslims are paying for failure of the Government-led initiatives. It is a double-edged sword for Muslims being at the brunt of excessive anti-terror laws and being made the scapegoats for the Government refusing to listen.
Before we end up with Northern Ireland-style Diplock courts, there needs to be an immediate review of Government policy, including anti-terror legislation, its implementation and its effects on safety, as well as security and inter-community relations. Just as the Muslim community has a duty to help, the Government has a responsibility to address the root causes. And there is no better place to start than to hold a public independent judicial inquiry to find out the truth.
BY - Muslim News

Middle East Press Freedom Crisis

The International Federation of Journalists’ World Congress in Moscow has launched a detailed report on the problems facing media and journalists in the Middle East with a call for an end to targeting of journalists and reform of legal regimes that are a barrier to press freedom in the region.

Threats of violence, continuing regional conflict and outdated laws have created a dangerous environment for all journalists in the Arab World and Iran, says the IFJ. “It’s time to break the cycle of violence and routine intimidation that makes peaceful and democratic reform almost impossible in the region,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, in Moscow where journalists’ leaders from more than 100 countries have gathered for this week’s Congress.

The IFJ says the Middle East has in recent years become the most dangerous and threatening region in the world for journalism:
• More journalists have been killed in Iraq than in any other conflict in recent history
• Journalists and media in Palestine face the constant threat of kidnapping and violence
• Reporters, writers and cartoonists have been jailed for their work
• In almost all countries laws still criminalise the work of journalists

The IFJ’s detailed report – Breaking the Chains – which was presented to delegates on May 30th, reveals, country by country, the scale of problems facing journalists and exposes how entrenched are the legal obstacles to free journalism in the region. In many countries, internal political battles are used as smokescreens by governments’ crackdown on media.

The IFJ is calling for general decriminalisation of press offences, is demanding that kidnappings and acts of violence against media are ended, and is calling on all governments to eliminate imprisonment as possible sanction against journalists. “Journalists in the region are saying enough is enough,” said Aidan White. “There must be an end to the culture of intimidation which has stunted the growth of democracy and press freedom. Without urgent reform and the creation of open societies millions of people from the Maghreb to the Persian Gulf will continue to be denied a peaceful and prosperous future.”

A MUST READ...Indian Media at its best!

By - Juhi
Dear Editors of HT, TOI, IndianExpress and TheHindu, I got the mail below from a friend of mine and following the unwritten code of conduct, I am forwarding it to my friends but all efforts of people who have been forwarding this mail would go waste if this mail doesn't reach YOU... Something to think about..!! Shame on Indian Media??? Really what a shame... By the time u guys read this news, the body of Major Manish Pitambare, who was shot dead at Anantnag, would have been cremated with full military honors. On Tuesday, this news swept across all the news channels 'Sanjay Dutt relieved by court'. 'Sirf Munna not a bhai' '13 saal ka vanvaas khatam' 'although found guilty for possession of armory, Sanjay can breath sigh of relief as all the TADA charges against him are withdrawn' Then many personalities like Salman Khan said 'He is a good person. We knew he will come out clean'. Mr Big B said "Dutt's family and our family have relations for years he's a good kid. He is like elder brother to Abhishek". His sister Priya Dutt said "we can sleep well tonight. It's a great relief" In other news, Parliament was mad at Indian team for performing bad; Greg Chappell said something; Shah Rukh Khan replaces Amitabh in KBC and other such stuff. But most of the emphasis was given on Sanjay Dutt's "phoenix like" comeback from the ashes of terrorist charges. Surfing through the channels, one news on BBC startled me. It read "Hisbul Mujahidin's most wanted terrorist 'Sohel Faisal' killed in Anantnag , India . Indian Major leading the operation lost his life in the process. Four others are injured. It was past midnight , I started visiting the stupid Indian channels, but Sanjay Dutt was still ruling. They were telling how Sanjay pleaded to the court saying 'I'm the sole bread earner for my family', 'I have a daughter who is studying in US' and so on.
Then they showed how Sanjay was not wearing his lucky blue shirt while he was hearing the verdict and also how he went to every temple and prayed for the last few months. A suspect in Mumbai bomb blasts, convicted under armory act...was being transformed into a hero. Sure Sanjay Dutt has a daughter; Sure he did not do any terrorist activity. Possessing an AK47 is considered too elementary in terrorist community and also one who possesses an AK47 has a right to possess a pistol so that again is not such a big crime; Sure Sanjay Dutt went to all the temples; Sure he did a lot of Gandhigiri but then........ .... Major Manish H Pitambare got the information from his sources about the terrorists' whereabouts. Wasting no time he attacked the camp, killed Hisbul Mujahidin's supremo and in the process lost his life to the bullets fired from an AK47. He is survived by a wife and daughter (just like Sanjay Dutt) who's only 18 months old. Major Manish never said 'I have a daughter' before he took the decision to attack the terrorists in the darkest of nights. He never thought about having a family and he being the bread earner. No news channel covered this since they were too busy hyping a former drug addict, a suspect who's linked to bomb blasts which killed hundreds. Their aim was to show how he defied the TADA charges and they were so successful that his conviction in possession of armory had no meaning. They also concluded that his parents in heaven must be happy and proud of him. Parents of Major Manish are still living and they have to live rest of their lives without their beloved son. His daughter won't ever see her daddy again. Finally Major Manish, to my generation is a greater hero, someone who laid his life in the name of this great nation. So folks, please make the media aware as to which news to give importance. It is indeed a shame for us since this Army Major's death news was given by a foreign TV channel!!!