Should government influence affairs of Muslim institutions? Print E-mail
Saturday, 07 April 2007

274555_beyazit_mosque_istanbul.jpgThe government also plans to offer financial benefits to mosques that registered as charities and showed that they are willing to take a stand against extremism, she added

 When asked how the government would set criteria for Muslim imams who work in government institutions, Kelly said her department would start giving them "leadership and communication skills.”

In order for Muslim preachers to be employed in government hospitals, colleges and prisons, they would have to meet this "framework of standards," she said.

“Isolate”

Kelly, who is leading the government’s efforts to win over “disaffected Muslims”, also said that said she was determined to “isolate and push out a tiny minority who spread hatred and intolerance.”

The government would do this by emphasizing the need for Muslim immigrants to be British as well as Muslim, and by regulating Muslim religious affairs – something that raises concerns in Britain over the authorities’ interference in religion.

Some mosques and imams signed an open letter organized by the government in support of Kelly's program.

But the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the UK’s largest Islamic group, declined to sign the open letter.

The MCB argues that the government needs to also recognize the impact of some of its own policies, domestic and foreign, in contributing to the spread of extremist ideas.

"To say to us you're not playing your role can be very demoralizing," said Ibrahim Mogra, chairman of the council's interfaith relations committee.

Many of Britain's 1.7 million Muslims have complained of being unfairly targeted by the police after the 2005 bomb attacks on London’s transport systems.

After 7/7, government-appointed committees with Muslim members were charged with creating programs to combat extremism, but not all their recommendations were accepted.

British Muslim leaders warn that the government’s approach to tackling extremists includes controversial measures such as racial and religious profiling of Muslims that could backfire and hamper efforts to integrate them into the British society, something the government has long claimed it’s trying to avoid.

-- AJP and Agencies

source: http://islamonline.com



Digg!Reddit!Del.icio.us!Live!Facebook!Technorati!Spurl!Furl!Blogmarks!Yahoo!

Readers have left 10 comments.
Guard the Guards: Quote

The answer is yes

invariably, an authoritative state will interfere in the affairs of its citizens simply because it believes it has lost the moral high ground.

eventually this may well prove that the state has been operating on a weak foundation and now has to resort to Kafkaesque measures.

until and unless the citizen regains control of the way the state is heading, their role will be eventually be eliminated altogether.

Who Guards the Guards
(1) 2007-04-08 17:01:23
............................: Quote

The government intends to be intolerant about those who it accuses of being intolerant - perhaps they need to join the labour party and pledge their undying allegiance.
(2) 2007-04-08 17:01:31
Kathy: Quote

Blair, Kelly and co. would do better to keep their noses out of the Mosques and instead turn their attention to the crime that is invading our streets. They are using Muslims as a scape-goat in order to keep attention from the fact that they have failed to control crime in this country, that their foreign policy has failed totally and that many non Muslims are just as fed up with the continuing wars than there are Muslims.

I would reckon that I am more likely to be killed by a knife wielding yob than I am to die at the hands of a suicide bomber but the truth is that they have lost control on the streets so they will hide that by picking on the easier target, being the Muslim community.

This is not a democracy, it is a poor excuse of a dictatorship with Blair at the helm, surrounded by his lap dogs. He has destroyed any Brutishness that existed in our country.
(3) 2007-04-08 17:36:43
Guard the Guards: Quote

All Citizens have equal rights, thus must be dealt with on an equal footing.

Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or Muslim is irrelevant, the right of the Citizen is paramount.

The state has a responsibility to serve all those living within its borders with fairness and equality, this is a fundamental right that cannot and must not be compromised.

The war on terrorism, the home grown terror campaign is no excuse to suspend the rights of the Citizen, once we go down this slippery slope, there is no going back, trust me, all races, colours, religions will pay for this, if not doing so already.

The state has been negligent in labelling Citizens, the fact you are white, brown, black, yellow or whatever does and should not have a relevance when the state is involved.

But, the above seems like we are begging for our rights, that also has consequences. Keep neglecting your citizens rights and eventually the citizen will rise and challenge the states ability to protect the same.

It is crucial that we hold the state and its institutions accountable to the citizen and not the other way round. The citizen is fully aware of his/her responsibilities, the states responsibility is to ensure that all are given equal opportunities.

Failure or marginalizing a given community based on colour, race, theology and economic abilities is a recipe for failure. The state must protect all, rich, poor, uneducated, etc., without prejudice.

The citizen has a right to and demands equal access to jobs, housing, commerce, finance and media. Deny the citizen these fundamental rights at your own peril.

Stop interfering with foreign countries, national interest is a selfish and short-sighted policy, in the long run states that were neglected or bullied will turn around and apply the same rules to the West, we must ensure that the future is safe for all nations.

The narrow policy of maintaining the economies and security of the West at the expense of the rest of the world will not serve the Wests' interests in the long term.

In conclusion, ensure that all citizens are served equally, irrespective.

Who Guards the Guards.
(4) 2007-04-09 15:02:10
Jack Maclean: Quote

To use an expression that is as offensively condesending as it is sentimentally fatous,how can the 'Hearts and Minds'of Muslims be won over to non Islamic perspectives when they must be expected to be in constitutional umbrage at having to live in notional subjection to a Christian monarch?
(5) 2007-04-09 17:53:16
Islamic Torch: Quote

If the Muslims all became one voice and stood hand in hand and put away their differences, then and only then can they make an impact on Foreign / national policies. The watering down of Imams and thats what I will call it , will never happen - only those who are weak in their iman will go along with Kelly's ideas.
Those who are firm in Islam, whether it be the youth that gets stopped by the Police or the elder who attends the Masjid or the sister who wears a veil, or the Imam who preaches good or the Police officer who practises Islam and doesn't fear the bullying and pressures from his seniors - all will steadily make progress (Inshallah).
For these are the Spartans of Islam, the warriors, only answer to Allah and no one else. But throughout time others will join them and that day even the deepest oceans will not be able to hide what the Zionists and the neo cons have done to the innocent ones.
(6) 2007-04-09 18:15:05
Mullah Din: Quote

Islam Torch, verily you have spoken the truth. Al Hamdu Lillah, with your du'aas, this Imam, servant of Islam, and many, many others like me will never water down!
(7) 2007-04-10 00:29:52
madmullah: Quote

Mullah Din, why is your english so obscure, "Verily you have spoken the truth!"why are speaking in Quranic and Biblical English, indeed thy be a idiot. And Islamic Torch, you must live on cloud cocko land if you think the imans won't sell out. You can't go into a Mosque these days and talk politics without the imam or committee kicking you out for fear the goverment will be upset. 'verily they soldeth out-teth long before yore, when men were childeth, and Islam was as youngeth as a new moon. Verily!"
(8) 2007-04-10 14:19:20
Islamic Torch: Quote

Readers of MPACUK here are two authors, Mullah Din and Mad mullah.

Mullah Din, speaks like a true scholar, whose words are elegant and show no offence to the readers or to the respondents - and states that the majority of Imams will not bow to this goverment.

And then you have what is known as an individual who can only talk ill of Imams. And who has no respect for other Muslims, referring to them as "Idiots" the irony is his own MPACUK pseudo name describes him what he is. The first part - MAD.

And there is an old saying "If a dog becomes mad, there is no cure for it" I don't refer to my brother as a dog but if he is truely mad then may Allah cure his madness, for the words he chooses to use to insult others, like Mullah Din, will face him on Judgement and no MPACUK and no one else will come to his aid - to safeguard him against the punishment.

So repent brother - I donot know whether I will see tomorrow - and the way you speak - do you not fear Allah?
(9) 2007-04-10 16:06:22
madmullah: Quote

thanks for your comments Islamic torch, just because i can see through your fraud, you hate me. And let me show you how much of a fraud you are. You complain that I call a fellow Muslim an idiot (as if Muslims can not be idiots), yet then liken me to a Mad dog! I don't mind as Muslims like you are two deimentional without the ability to reflect on yourself, yet always looking at faults of others.

In regards to anyone who uses 'verily' in any sentance they deserve the derision they get.

in regards of seeing me tomorrow, what are you on about. having contempt for you is because I fear Allah and as I Fear Allah, I have no fear of speaking against the deluded like yourself.

ask yourself, if you think our Ulema havent sold out, why is it that Palestine has burnt for over 60 years, Kashmire has been raped, Iraq brutalised, and Iran about to have child killing sanctions imposed.

Our Ulema have sold out, unfrotunately they sold out to the committee years ago. wake up, Fear Allah and see the truth.
(10) 2007-04-10 20:34:10
The author or administrator has closed this item for comments.