Politics
UK
We are now approaching the beginning of the Q&A
so I would like to take this moment to introduce Dr Faisal Hanjra to the
community of PoliticsUK.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Hello and welcome :)
Faisal
Hanjra
Hello! Thank you for having me.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Not a problem and thanks for being here. If you are
ready we will shortly begin by asking you a selection of questions our
contributors have sent in over the last couple of weeks.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
First Question:
There are 1.6 million Muslims in the UK. What are
the main aims and objectives for the Muslim Council of Britain?
Faisal
Hanjra
Our primary aims consist of the following:
i To promote cooperation, consensus and unity on
Muslim affairs in the UK.
ii To encourage and strengthen all existing efforts
being made for the benefit of the Muslim community.
iii To work for a more enlightened appreciation of
Islam and Muslims in the wider society.
iv To establish a position for the Muslim community
within British society that is fair and based on due rights.
v To work for the eradication of disadvantages and
forms of discrimination faced by Muslims.
vi To foster better community relations and work for
the good of society as a whole
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you. Our second question:
Do you believe that the Muslim community position
within British society is a fair position?
Faisal
Hanjra
 |
| Dr Faisal Hanjra, Assistant Secretary of Muslim Council of Britain |
Quite what a fair position is, is difficult to
define. As with any community there are numerous challenges we face, which
subsequently has impacted on our 'position in society.' Since the tragic events
of 7/7 and prior to that 9/11 as a diverse community I think our challenges
have been far more complex and much more intricate. Rather than dealing with
relatively straight forward issues we’ve had to tackle the more complicated issue
of terrorism. That has, I believe, to some extent raised challenges. Britain
remains a fantastic place to live in as a Muslim but there are increasing
number of Islamophobia incidences which we all, as a society, must be worried
about.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Probably a related question then: What disadvantages
and forms of discrimination are being faced by Muslims and how can the MCB
eradicate them?
Faisal
Hanjra
The most pressing issue we face as mentioned above
is probably the issue of Islamophobia. The number of physical attacks on
Muslims and institutions they attend have increased over the last few years.
These attacks range from simple graffiti being sprayed on mosque premises to
actual attempts to blow some of these places up, quite shocking when you think
that this is Britain in 2012. The causes for this increase are numerous and
range from poor media reporting to blatant racism. But it’s something which
needs to be looked at urgently. The MCB continues to work with a variety of
organisations, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to urgently redress this issue.
While this remains perhaps the most pressing issue,
we do need to look at other problems, such as why certain elements of the
Muslim community come from some of the most socially and economically deprived
parts of the county.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Does the UK’s current immigration policy help
promote good community relations?
Faisal
Hanjra
In the context of resource limitation, strain on
resources etc, it is important that the debate around immigration is sensible
and balanced. And far more importantly it's centred around facts rather than
emotion. To that extent anything which puts pressure on local communities can
lead to tension and immigration is one of the issues that can have that sort of
impact. So it's important that any policy is balanced and rationale.
Richard Frazer – PoliticsUK
OK a difficult one. How can the MCB combat
Islamophobia in the UK?
Faisal
Hanjra
It's important that politicians lead the way on the
issue and not a shy away from addressing legitimate concerns. But we shouldn't
allow the far right, sensationalist media reporting and irrational fears skew
the outcome of any debate.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Which Party does the MCB support and why?
Faisal
Hanjra
Sorry the post above was regarding immigration. In
regards to Richard's next question about Islamophobia. In the first instance we
need to ensure we’re working hard to highlight the issue and bring it to the
attention of wider society. The UK has a strong history of opposing racism and
discrimination. Then I think we need to look to some of the underlying causes
of racism. At the Leveson Inquiry recently the Editor of a tabloid newspaper
was grilled around how her newspaper poorly covered issues relating to the
Muslim Community. Just yesterday another tabloid newspaper ran a headline
exclaiming ‘Strict Muslim raped 4 women at knife point’ as if his religion had
anything to do with this vicious and despicable crime. The judge pointed out
explicitly that the actions of this individual was in direct contradiction to
the ‘strict’ Muslim lifestyle his family had adopted. The significant attention
sections of the media gives to small and controversial organisations, Muslims
Against Crusaders for example, also continues to perpetuate this myth that
somehow the Muslim community is alien and anti-British. So I think this should
be looked at in terms of addressing the wider issue of Islamophobia.
Internally as a community we need to do more to
ensure that we’re getting the message of Islam and what it means to be a Muslim
out to wider society. We need to ensure we’re not allowing small fringe Muslim
organisations to hijack our ‘cause.’ We need to be working harder to challenge
the myths that racist organisations like the BNP and EDL pump out, and ensuring
that racism wherever it is, is highlighted and tackled appropriately.
Faisal
Hanjra
In regards to
which political party the MCB supports, that's an easy one - none in
particular! We work with everyone and anyone on issues of common interest.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Next question: What are the MCB roles both inside
and outside of politics? And how would you respond to the argument that there
is no place in politics for religion?
Faisal
Hanjra
The MCB works with all three main political parties
to represent issues that are of particular concerns to the Muslim community.
And that can be anything from the state of the economy to the need to address
Islamophobia, or from issues around climate change to issues of young people
doing well at school. It's very broad. Within the Muslim community we work with
other organisations to ensure greater democratic participation and awareness of
rights and responsibilities.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
The MCB have set up a programme called The
Footsteps, involving establishing role models for the Muslim youth. How is this
programme progressing?
Faisal
Hanjra
Religion has been a force for good in this country,
the Queen remains the head of the Church of England, so it's been central to
much of the workings of our various systems. Just yesterday the Church played
an important role in defeating elements of the govt's welfare bill based on
their views around social justics. So religion plays an important and positive
role in our democratic workings.
Faisal
Hanjra
Footsteps was a programmed launched in 2007 around
mentoring young people, it's unfortunately come to an end but was a positive
initiative which we'll look to review in the future in regards to its potential
to be pushed out again.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you Faisal:
What is your response to groups like EDL and BNP and
should they be allowed to participate in the political process?
Faisal
Hanjra
The EDL remain a problematic organisation because of
the racism they espouse. Their marches, in various towns across the country,
bring fear to communities and to that extent it's important that the police and
government recognise them for what they are - a racist organisation. I'm not
aware of a definitive position that the MCB has on the issue, banning any
organisation from the political process is problematic and contrary to our way
of life in this country and the values we stand for, and that's whether it's a
Muslim or a non-Muslim organisation. Often the best way to counter and defeat
the sort of bigotry these organisations espouse is to show them publicly for
what they are rather than ban them and drive them underground. But certainly no
community should have to fear going out of their own homes and the police and
CPS should prosecute aggressively any individual or organisation that falls
foul of relevant legislation, and where legislation is poorly defined or
non-existent, the government should look to tighten that up.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Next question: What future role will moderates have
in helping to deal with dangers of extremists and do you feel that there is
enough support from the state in helping moderates combat extremism?
Faisal
Hanjra
The language and terminology used around dealing
with the issue of terrorism has been problematic - in so far as different
people meaning different things when using the same language! The various
Muslim communities’ remains a key partner in tackling the tiny number of
individuals who think it's acceptable to commit criminal actions in the form of
terrorism. And the MCB plays a crucial role in that.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you: In which way(s) can the MCB promote
cooperation, consensus and unity on Muslim affairs in the UK?
Faisal
Hanjra
We remain an important platform via which different
Muslim organisations, that represent different aspects of our large and diverse
community, can come together and tackle common issues. We work hard to act as a
catalyst to bring a common voice to some of the most difficult and divisive
issues, not always with success I might add! But we try! :)
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
A sensitive one now:
What is the MCB view of Al Qu’eda?
Faisal
Hanjra
I think it's
common sense really. As any right minded individual or organisation, we condemn
terrorism in any form and those organisations that seek it commit it.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
So what are your thoughts on the Arab Spring
uprising?
 |
| The Arab Spring has been so inspiring |
Faisal
Hanjra
The Arab Spring has been so inspiring. If someone
told me a year and a half ago that at the beginning of 2012 Gaddafi would be
gone, Mubarek of Egypt on trial, and Ben Ali of Tunisia would be gone, I
wouldn't have believe them. I think there is a lot we can learn here in the UK
from what has taken place across the world, in particular the sheer power of
the people to achieve something when they set their minds to it, democracy in
its purest sense!
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Do the MCB think that “hate laws” are divisive?
Faisal
Hanjra
Not particularly. Often this sort of legislation has
arisen out of a real need to address an underlying problem.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you. What is the MCB stance on publications
which promote bigotry?
Faisal
Hanjra
I think we
need to always strike a balance between the freedoms we enjoy in this country,
freedom of speech etc, and the need to ensure we don't create division, incite
hatred and cause fear amongst vulnerable communities, and that's a difficult
balancing act. We would always come out strongly against anything that causes
the later, while working hard to protect the former!
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
An interesting fact that I have learnt is that
although Muslims make up just five per cent of the population they consume an
estimated 20 per cent of all lamb and mutton produced in Britain. On that note,
can you explain the importance of Halal meat?
Faisal
Hanjra
I'm not aware of actual statistics around the issue,
that is an interesting fact! The importance of halaal meat, like kosher in the
Jewish tradition, is to ensure that animals are treated humanely and with
dignity while alive, and on being killed for food, are killed in a way that
spares them suffering.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Is there ghettoisation taken place within the UK and
what are you views on “Muslim-only” areas?
Faisal
Hanjra
Ghettoisation - carries a lot of bagage! There are
obviously areas where a lot of Muslims live, just like there are a lot of areas
where Korean or Chinese or Indian people live, people tend to gravitate to
where they are most comfortable and that is often where there are other people
like them! We see migratory patterns often, so in the East End of London
initially there was a large Jewish community, they then settled, and moved out,
now we see the Muslim community predominantly, as they become more affluent
more and more of them are moving out to other areas, I'm sure in thirty years
time the East End of London will look very different.
Faisal
Hanjra
And I have yet to visit a Muslim only area!
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Is Poverty prominent in the Muslim Community?
Faisal
Hanjra
That's a difficult question and I don't have a lot
of information to hand regarding the facts and figures. There are areas of
significant poverty within the community but that's countered by areas of quite
some wealth. But I guess a straight answer to your question is probably no, I
don't think poverty is prominent in the Muslim community.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Last of the presubmitted questions:
What do the Muslims of Britain have to teach the
rest of the UK about family values?
Faisal
Hanjra
We're well placed to remind, perhaps more than
teach, society just exactly how important family values are. Family values have
always been an important part of British society, but we're losing that fast
within society as a whole. Within the Muslim community the centrality of the
family structure and values has remained an integral part of life.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you for sticking through them. Some were tough
questions I'm sure
Faisal
Hanjra
Happy to move to contributors questions
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Brilliant - First question: Is there much support
for (Scottish) independence amongst Scottish Muslims?
Faisal
Hanjra
Scottish Muslims, that I've met, are very defined by
their Scottish nationality and are patriotically Scottish! So, anecdotally, I
think their views wouldn't be much different to what's trending in wider
Scottish society.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Why did MCB state on their website that Muslim women
who don't wear headscarves are not proper Muslims?
Faisal
Hanjra
I have honestly never seen that posted or that link
in particular. If you were just to attend one of our meetings, or looked
perhaps through the pictures of some of our events, you would see a fairly
diverse expression of clothing worn by everybody and anybody there! To directly
answer the question, the idea that Muslim women who don't cover are not
'proper' Muslims is certainly not our position or a view that we would condone!
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
I live in Newham in East London and we have a
reasonably prominate Muslim member on our e-democracy forum who claims that as
the borough is mainly inhabited by Muslims all the schools should be treated as
Islamic faith schools that allow none muslin students - Howe do you and your
fellow council members go about moderating such extremist views within the
community to enhance social cohesion and is their anything that we in the non-Islamic
community should be doing to assist in this?
Faisal
Hanjra
It's difficult to comment on the specifics of the
question, but commenting more generally it is important that just because there
happen to be a lot of Muslims in a particular area that somehow the needs of
the non-Muslim community are not put on the backburner. If there is anything we
can do at the MCB to help with this situation specifically do drop us an email.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
What is your opinion about the Church of England's official
role in British politics? Would you like to see this reformed in any way? And
if so would you like to see religions not being so directly involved, or would you
prefer to see other religions also involved, such that representation matches
the demographic makeup of the UK?
Faisal
Hanjra
I have a lot of respect for the Church of England
and I think it's an important organisation in the workings of our national
politics. I think religion generally, and this is a Christian country so it's
right that this is manifested through the Church of England, has a huge amount
to offer to society. And that should be recognised.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Does your association protect just Muslims or do you
mean to represent the people generally of this country? Because according to
your religion, people who do not follow Allah should be 'hated' by Muslims. Not
a personal hate of course - but how do you think this division is going to help
you to integrate with a non Muslim community?"
Faisal
Hanjra
Our
organisation is a membership body and to that extent represents fundamentally
our affiliates. While we work primarily to represent these organisations we
know that the problems faced by the Muslim community are problems which are
faced by many non-Muslims in this country. And so when we work on particular
issues we work to benefit, hopefully (!), wider society. So our work on crime,
or mentoring young people, or work around addressing social inequality, should
be something that benefits everybody.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Islamophobia" can stem from the perception that
Muslims create their own communities within a community, thus cutting themselves
off. Are Muslims doing enough to integrate into the wider community?
Faisal
Hanjra
I think there is certainly some truth in that, and
as I mentioned earlier we need to work harder to tackle some of the issues
within our own community. I think the issue of not going out and doing more to
engage, is something which isn't just unique to the Muslim community, but is
common across various minority communities. I think the issue has been
highlighted within our community primarily because of issues around
counter-terrorism etc. So there are amazing examples of Muslims integrated, you
see that in the City of London, at Banks, large accountancy firms, hospitals,
etc but there are some examples where more needs to be done. And we're
committed, with our limited resources, to working on that!
Faisal
Hanjra
With partners and friends of course!
Sofi
Couvot What do you think of the movement 'occupy the
mosque' that fights for more empowerment of Muslim women as per Tehmina Kazi's
description in the Guardian (dated 13-01-2012) and generally speaking about
feminism and gender equality?
Faisal
Hanjra
In regards to the status quo of mosques and, gender
equality and women participation, there has been significant progress over the
last few years, and we can see that for example in the building of a
multi-million pound section at the East London Mosque, dedicated specifically
for women (on top of the current prayer space), more though needs to be done.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Thank you for all your responses.
Richard
Frazer – PoliticsUK
Well I would like to say a massive thank you to
Faisal and his team at MCB for allowing this event to happen and we wish you
all the best in the future
Faisal
Hanjra
And I'm hopeful we'll see further change over the
next few years.
Politics
UK THIS SESSION IS NOW CLOSED.
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Enjoyable interview to read. :)
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