The New Nation - Internet Edition

Dialogue conference unites Muslims

By Ahmed J Versi and Dr Mozammel Haque in Makkah

King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who inaugurated the International Islamic Conference for Dialogue in the blessed city of Makkah on June 4, gave full support to initiate dialogue with people of other faiths, including Christians and Jews. The meeting, the first of its kind, organised by Muslim World League (MWL) under the patronage of the King, saw over 700 Islamic scholars, Muslim leaders and journalists, of various schools of thought, from around the world, sitting together cordially, debating for three days on how to create dialogue with non-Muslims. The conference, which was held in Al-Saffah Palace, overlooking the Ka'bah, also highlighted the need for intra-faith dialogue.

It was the first time ever that King Abdullah had attended a MWL conference personally, indicating the importance he gives to the subject of not only uniting Muslims but more importantly initiating dialogue with non-Muslims as one voice. On the issue of unity, the King shared the platform with the former President of Iran, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Also present on the stage were the Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah Aal al-Shaykh, the Mufti of Al-Azhar, Shaykh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi and Secretary General of MWL, Dr Abdullah ibn Abdul Mohsin Al-Turki.

The conference, which was the brainchild of the King, came in the wake of his call in March for dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jews. He had visited the Pope last November, the first reigning Saudi head to hold talks with a pope.

The King in his key note speech said the way of dialogue with others should be "through the common values: the values that the Almighty has sent for man's goodness, the values which discard unfaithfulness and that protect from crimes and fight terrorism, values that belittle lies and establish moral principles, truth, honesty and justice and enforce family ties." He added, "Our hearts are full of tolerance and love that the Creator has ordered us to maintain." The way to argue with the non-Muslims, said the King, was to be done "peacefully" and in the cases of disagreements, "we refer to what Allah has said: 'You have your own religion and I have mine.'"

However, he reminded the conference that one of the major challenges facing the Muslim world is extremism. "The challenges facing the Ummah [Muslim people] are difficult at this time, as its enemies - including those extremists among its own people - have joined forces in a flagrant aggressiveness to distort the…righteousness and tolerance of Islam," he said.

Rafsanjani, who heads Iran's Assembly of Experts, welcoming the King's proposal for dialogue, emphasised the unity of Muslims. "I am a Shi'a and I spent all my life studying Islam. Let me tell you here that we [Shi'as and Sunnis] have 95 per cent in common. Why should we then allow the difference of five per cent to let our enemies play havoc with?" He argued that Muslims should first agree amongst themselves and unite and then carry on the dialogue with non-Muslims with a united voice. Rafsanjani showed concern about the security threat posed by non-Muslims in the Middle East. He called for dialogue in the Muslim World to rescue the Muslims from calamities caused by the enemies and said that lack of security and stability posed a threat to the Islamic nations. "As a Muslim, we should think about security of fellow Muslims," he said and added that Muslims should use their wealth to protect themselves. "Muslims hold 20 percent of the world's wealth. They enjoy the best geographic status and the West has learned a lot from the Muslims. So, why is it they must remain weak in the face of world arrogance?"

Dr Al-Turki argued that he had a keen desire that through dialogue the "mutual understanding, coexistence and cooperation amongst human beings must replace the mutual hatred and conflict." He added that it was by holding dialogue with religious, cultural, academic and political leaders in the West that one can "remove suspicions about Islam and followers of Islam."

Various issues were discussed during the conference, especially the misunderstanding of Islam and Muslims in the West and the issue of the vilification of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the issue of cartoons and anti-Islamic films in Europe.

Many argued that dialogue between Muslims was needed before inter-faith dialogue was taken up as huge conflicts exist between Shi'as and Sunnis and in many instances the sectarian violence has led to deaths in Iraq and Pakistan.

The conference debated how to create dialogue with non-Muslims: the methodology, complexities, who should lead the dialogue, at whom it should be aimed and at what level and with which religious and non-religious faiths.

However, there was confusion as to what dialogue actually meant. Was it the same as da'wah (calling people to Islam) or should it go hand in hand with it? Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abdul Aziz, said, "The purpose of dialogue was to invite non-Muslims to Islam."

Chair of the National Council of Liberia, Alhaji Ibrahim Fumba Sheriff, praising the theme of the conference, told The Muslim News that the conference has to decide "which type of dialogue we want - political or religious and what are we trying to achieve."

Associate Professor, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, was happy with the diversity of views on dialogue. However, he told The Muslim News that "we must separate dialogue and da'wah" and added that in Thailand they have dialogue with non-Muslims "so that they can see what Islam is; we have dialogue with non-Muslim NGOs." Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, said Muslims and Christians are a minority and Buddhists a majority. He told The Muslim News that dialogue on religion was not a problem but politics and social justice were the "problem".

Not all agreed to have dialogue with all the Jews. Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi firstly said that Muslims should not call non-Muslims kuffar but just call them non-Muslims, as the "Qur'an seldom refers non-Muslims as kuffar." Al-Qaradawi said Muslims should engage in dialogue using "good manners". However, he argued he would "never sit with Jews on one platform and will never hold dialogue with those Jews who have committed injustice against us and support Israel" but would have dialogue with those Jews who are against Israel. "I have received Jews into my home a few weeks ago who stand against Israel." He also said that there were Christians in the West who consider Muslims imposters and the Prophet (p) a liar. "We can't have dialogue with these Christians," he said. Al-Qaradawi also got support from the audience when he said there should be no dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI until he apologises for the comments he made against Islam "without provocation." "We have frozen relations with the Vatican until the Pope apologises and recognises our position."

Kosovan Muslim scholars also raised objections to having dialogue with Serbian priests "who preach against Islam. Serbs tried ethnic cleansing in Kosova and some leaders still say Muslims should be expelled from Europe," said one of the Kosovan representatives.

The Muslim News spoke to various guests at the conference for their reaction to the conference. Iqbal Sacranie, representing the Muslim Council of Britain, believed holding of this conference by Saudi Arabia, "was a bold and commendable." He was heartened to see that there was a consensus and "determination" from the guests "to put into action the traditional Islamic parctise of dialogue and engagement with the 'other' so that we can understand each other better and work together for the common good." Another Muslim leader from the UK, Musharraf Hussain, Director of Karimia Institiute, argued that British Muslims were much more "experienced in interfaith work with a highly developed experiential dialogue and so can make a significant contribution."

Dr Ayyub Kohler, a scientist and Chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, said that it is a very "positive and proactive initiative from Muslim the side. I hope that the western world will recognise this offer as a great step for a peaceful world. In the dialogue we don't speak about the other, we speak with the other."

Another Muslim leader from Sri Lanka, Muhammad Hanif Muhammad, 86, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, said, "This conference desires to create goodwill amongst all and see that there would be better and clearer understanding with the other religions as well. Islam is a predominant religion which permits co-existence. Muslims should always realise that it is always best to learn to co-exist. Our religion is for us and your religion is for you and by being that they can coordinate in good things."

Professor Arif Ali from north Africa, said, "I think this is a very positive signal coming from all over the Muslim world." Professor Naif said, "I think what they wanted to achieve has been achieved: giving the world a very clear signal that Muslims, Sunni and Shi'a, of whichever School, are positively behind dialogue and supportive of dialogue and want to project the true reality and essence of Islam which is compassion and understanding of all of humanity and I believe that has been achieved. "

Dr Abdullah Omar Naseef, former Deputy Speaker of the Majlis-e-Shoura of Saudi Arabia, said that it was through coordination that dialogue can be more effective. "For dialogue we need to have coordination in the East and the West and the people who enter into dialogue."

Dr Muzammil Siddiqi, head of Orange County Islamic Center in Los Angeles, US, said a dialogue between Muslims and followers of other faiths is "the need of the hour" because of the critical times being witnessed across the world.

President of Dawatul Islamiya Singapore, Abu Bakr Mohyiddeen, who is 81 years old, said the Conference "would enable us to share our experience and knowledge with others all over the world. Insha Allah (God willing), this would be beneficial to the Ummah and humanity."

At the conclusion of the Conference, the participants issued the Makkah Al-Mukarramah Appeal recommending to form an international Dialogue Commission, establish King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz's International Centre for Civilization Interaction, create King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz's Award for Civilization Dialogue and conduct conferences and symposiums and meetings of research groups on dialogue among followers of Revealed Messages, Civilizations and cultures as well as considerable philosophies to which academic and media personnel as well as religious leaders representing various international cultures are invited to participate in.

(Source: Muslim News, London)

Terrorism arrests provoke outrage in London

Elham Asaad Buaras

The arrest of an academic and a student from the University of Nottingham for the possession of extremist material has provoked outrage on the campus after it was revealed the apparent offence concerned downloading information for a PhD, The Muslim News has learnt (see - Editorial The Muslim News, issue 229).

Politics student Rizwaan Sabir was arrested on May 14 along with Hicham Yezza, 30, under the Terrorism Act 2000. Both men were eventually released on May 20, although Yezza was re-arrested on unrelated immigration issues.

Students and staff alike branded the arrest an exploitation of anti-terror laws and stifling of civil liberties. Co-ordinator of Dissertation and Sabir's personal tutor, Dr Bettina Renz, said that the material in question, an edited version of an al-Qa'ida handbook, was "easily accessible" and available on Government websites. "The information he downloaded was100% related to his studies," Dr Renz told The Muslim News. "The material is available on websites that are widely used on reading lists in the School of Politics," she said. It was in preparation for his PhD on radical Islamic groups.

His personal tutor was also annoyed about behaviour of the university authorities.

"Nobody tried to speak to him or to his tutors before police were sent in," she said. Dr Renz also added that he "actually missed one of his exams because of his detention." She was also convinced that Rizwan's Muslim faith contributed to him getting arrested, saying "it undoubtedly played a part."

Sabir's other lecturer, Dr Rod Thornton, also confirm the PhD student was engaged in research into Al Qa'ida. It would be no surprise if he accessed material related to Al Qa'ida's activities and the likes of Al Qa'ida's Training Manual is not hidden away," Dr Thornton told The Muslim News. "It is freely available on US government web sites."

Sabir's solicitor, Tayab Ali told The Muslim News, "This could have been dealt with sensibly if the University had discussed the issue with Rizwaan and his tutors. This is the worrying aspect of the extension of detention [under the Terrorism Act]. They can use hugely powerful arrest powers before investigating."

The University of Nottingham was unapologetic over its decision to call the police. "There is no reason why the material they had should have been part of their studies," spokesperson for the University initially told The Muslim News. But faced with a barrage of staff testimony contradicting their claim that material downloaded was irrelevant, the spokesperson later insisted that the police were involved because Sabir had forwarded the information to "a 30-year-old member of clerical staff, who was not connected with the research." The University seemingly failed to find out that it was emailed to the staff member to print because Sabir's owns printer was not working.

A spokesman for disgruntled student and staff Musab Younis said he was not surprised that the official statements from the University of Nottingham originally denied the material was for research purpose. "They fully co-operated with the police during this disgraceful affair in which many people underwent great distress," Younis said. He told The Muslim News that it should be borne in mind the police did not press charges. "This was after a huge effort to search their and their families' residences, confiscate computers and books, and question many of their friends," he said.

Student bodies also challenged the University's assertion that the investigation was "sensitively handled". Instead they insisted that during the investigation premises connected to them including campus property, were searched. A uniformed presence was in place at the University's main Trent building. "The police regularly attempted to collate information about student activism and peaceful campaigning. They asked numerous questions about the student peace magazine 'Ceasefire', and other political student activities," said Younis. A Nottinghamshire police confirmed to The Muslim News they had applied for a warrant to extend the detention before they were eventually released. "The judge was satisfied with the evidence presented and granted the extension," a spokesman said. The Department of Innovation, Universities & Skills (DIUS) and Home Office refused to comment on Sabir's case.

On May 28 academics had public reading of the research material that led to the arrests, outside the campus. The reading was followed by a silent protest where students and academics symbolically gagged themselves to object to the attack on academic freedom.

It is not the first time anti-terror laws have been misused. In 2007 four Muslim students from Bradford University were convicted of possessing extremist literature, but earlier in 2008 their convictions were quashed.

The Nottingham case has also sent shockwaves amongst other Muslim academics who fear being arrested for research. Maroof Shaffi, who teaches at Bradford College and is President of the Bradford branch of the Islamic Society of Britain, told The Muslim News the current climate of fear meant he had to reconsider doing a PhD on terrorism.

"I did some preliminary research which meant buying books on Jihad and terrorism. Most of these were purchased from Amazon and the thought did cross my mind a number of times whether I should alert somebody in 'authority' that these books were purely for research purposes."

Shaffi said a case like Sabir's led to concerns in the wider Muslim community.

"People have been arrested and then whole lives turned upside down - and then just let go because there was nothing there.

"There's a certain amount of paranoia developing around the community as a whole."

(Source: Muslim News, London)

Westminster: 42 days without charge

Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, may have succeeded in winning a crucial Commons vote to extend detentions without charge to 42 days, but at a cost of losing much prestige. The narrow margin of nine votes would have been reduced to just one if his four Muslim Labour MPs - Mohammed Sarwar, Khalid Mahmood, Sadiq Khan and Shahid Malik - had listened to the Muslim constituency.

While Mahmood and Malik were not available to comment on their motives, both Sarwar and Khan emphasised that they supported the 42 days pre-charge detention period as the Government offered compensation to innocent victims held for more than 28 days, and that the detention will be used only in exceptional circumstances with stringent judicial safeguards. One of the very few Muslim leaders to support the draconian measures was Khurshid Ahmed, head of the British Muslim Forum. The largest Muslim umbrella organization in the UK, the Muslim Council of Britain opposed the bill saying it would be "counterproductive, damage community relations and undermine the UK's moral authority around the world". The Board of Deputies for British Jews and the Community Security Trust (for the British Jews) in a submission to the Home Office last August, said that terror suspects should be detained for up to 56 days without being charged.

But the compensation argument holds little credence as even Home Secretary Jacqui Smith pointed out in a letter to Sarwar that anyone unlawfully detained is entitled to claim compensation under human rights law.

Former Shadow Home Secretary, David Davis, who resigned in disgust and accused the Government of buying the vote, suggested that the compensation offer was not only an admission that "innocent people will be locked up but it could be an incentive to waste police time." The police have previously been accused of carrying out 'fishing expeditions' targeting Muslims. Human rights lawyer Edward Fitzgerald QC also said the compensation proposal was "legal nonsense" as it will be seen as recognising the detentions which breach human rights. The Law Society also said that the offer did not alter its opposition to the unnecessary lengthening of the detention period, which they found no evidence to support. "It would be far better that the police are required to conduct an expeditious investigation so they can either bring a charge if they have the evidence to do so, or release the person," the Society's President, Andrew Holroyd, said.

The opposition to extending the pre-charge detention period was so overwhelming that it is difficult to understand the Government's insistence other than seeing it as a test of Brown's authority at a time when he has been under intense domestic pressure about his premiership. His predecessor Tony Blair suffered his only Commons defeat three years ago when trying to extend the period to 90 days and succeeding only in doubling it from 14 to 28. Since it became law, only six people have been detained for the full period, half of whom were freed without trial and none have been held more than 14 days in the last 12 months.

In an attempt to defend the increasing encroachment of anti-terror laws and the ever-expanding surveillance of Britain as a 'Big Brother Society,' Brown argued that they protected civil liberties. "It is our duty to write a new chapter in our country's story - one in which we both protect and promote our security and our liberty, two equally proud traditions," he said in a speech to the IPPR on June 17. In response, the Conservatives accused the Prime Minister of using rhetoric that was "undermined by his failure to learn the lessons of history." Without referring directly to the backlash against internment without trial in Northern Ireland, Shadow Home Secretary, Dominic Grieve, warned detention without charge for 42 days could "well be counter productive - acting as a recruiting sergeant for terrorists and drying up key sources of intelligence in the community."

The controversial extension is expected to be fiercely opposed in the House of Lords, after which it will come back to the Commons for a vote on proposed amendments. It can only be hoped that the Government finally concedes on the dangers of what has become more than a slippery slope of endless terror related laws eroding fundamental freedoms. And if not, we hope that more Labour MPs are prepared to stand up, including the four Muslim representatives, to declare that enough is enough and a new strategy, as repeatedly called for by The Muslim News, is needed.

On role of faith groups in EU

Elham Asaad Buaras

Inclusion not exclusion, that is the verdict on the role of faith groups in the EU at a summit hosted by the UK's Minister for Europe, Jim Murphy.

The seminar on Faith and Culture in modern Europe was organised in association with the Foreign Office on May 2 with the aim of addressing the 'ghettoisation' of faiths and faith groups in the EU.

The discussion held in London was chaired by Labour MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, as part of the Delivering a Global Europe series of seminars and included contributions from a variety of think tanks, interfaith and non-faith organisations.

The topic of the role of faith in Europe arose during talks on the failed EU constitution as Christians in Europe faced huge opposition from secularists in their attempts to see a 'God clause' included in the constitution that would have made reference to the importance of the Judeo-Christian tradition in Europe.

Turkey's EU membership application was also discussed, as its 99% Muslim population would mean it would be the first Muslim-majority country to join the EU. The seminar also centred on faith groups' evolution, concerns and interaction with one another and European society in general.

Guest speakers included Director of Al-Khoei foundation, Yousif Al-Khoei and Christian theologian and broadcaster Dr Elaine Storkey. Other attendees included Canon Guy Wilkinson and Rabbi Philip Carmel from the European Conference of Rabbis.

Non-faith groups were represented by Lord Harrison of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Humanism and the British Humanist Association, who advocated the inclusion of humanism in consultative bodies.

Opening proceedings Murphy said, "Faith has shaped Europe's history and I believe that today faith can and should positively influence our continent and the wider world in a variety of ways. Faith has a power to persuade which can and should be harnessed in support of action against poverty and in favour of responsible environmental stewardship."

He told The Muslim News it was "wrong to say that secular society and faith communities cannot co-exist and I am opposed to the ghettoisation of religious belief. Europe should be both a secular space in which communities of faith can grow and to which they can contribute - and a model power promoting global responsibility in line with the highest ideals, including those inspired by faith."

On the issue of Turkey's EU membership Murphy said, "There are over 50 million Muslims in today's EU and we look forward to Turkey's accession bringing many more citizens into the heart of the European family.

"So the reality is that Europe is a multi-cultural, multi-faith group of states with a large non Christian population and we see that diversity as a major strength in the EU. And as we take a long hard look at this reality, the real question for us and the real question for the European Union: "how can Europe find a space for its religious communities? So how do we together ensure that we are in fact opening that spacetperhaps the strongest reason for opening that space is one of Europe's most important values- that of pluralism."

Representing the Muslim views Yousif Al-Khoei emphasised the need to fight the distorted and overly negative media image of Muslims and Islam which leads a few young Muslims to feel isolated from their society. He said that when the media "focuses on radical groups' presenting them as the face of Islam, young people then see the need to choose between their faiths and society."

Speaking to The Muslim News Al-Khoei said some EU countries had a better model of dealing with their respective Muslim community then others. He also criticised Belgium and France's artificial attempts to assimilate their Muslim communities as bad examples, "I'm not saying we like the status quo in the UK but integration has to be organic. It needs to be achieved within the Muslim community."

(Source: Muslim News, London)

Biting the bullet on Iraq

This month's admission by Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, that the Iraq war was wrong has not gone unnoticed.

In an address to Parliament on June 2, Rudd dismissed one-by-one the reasons used by his predecessor, John Howard, to join the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq five years ago. He also rejected his predecessor's claim that Australia had been obliged to send troops to Iraq because of its long-standing relations with the United States, saying that while he valued the alliance highly, it did not mean that Canberra should automatically accede to Washington's requests for military support.

Howard was one of only four leaders who supported the US-led invasion, but who are all now out of office: Back in 2004, Spain's Prime Minister-elect, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, vowed to withdraw troops from Iraq and criticised US President George W Bush after ousting Jose Maria Aznar who took his country into the controversial war. "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation of Iraq is a disaster," Zapatero said in his inaugural address. In Poland, Prime Minister, Donald Turk, moved in quickly after in November last year to meet his election pledge and announce the withdrawal of Polish troops from Iraq. Only in Britain is the case different.

When replacing Prime Minister, Tony Blair, last June, Gordon Brown initially indicated that he would distance the UK from a disastrous and belligerent US foreign policy. But one year on, some 4,200 troops remain as an apparent fig-leaf not to leave the US isolated. The force is holed up at Basra airport outside the country's second biggest city barely able to defend itself let alone intervene against any flare-up in violence as was recently shown when American troops were called upon for help. The war has been an unmitigated disaster from the beginning, yet it seems troops will not be withdrawn until after US President Bush is replaced and a decision is made by his successor. Yet, the 2003 invasion has been a total catastrophe not only for the people of Iraq and the hundreds of thousands killed but for Britain's armed forces and the way the country is perceived around the world. There has also been the heavy economic cost, not to mention its questioned legality.

A poll carried out for the fifth anniversary of the war by Angus Reid Global Monitor found that the vast majority of people in Britain thought that committing troops was the wrong thing to do, with only 28 per cent disagreeing.

The refusal to withdraw troops has been accompanied by the failure to hold a full inquiry into the debacle, which is likely to expose a whole can of worms about how it was justified and lead to demands for apologies before even the possibility of trials for war crimes. Hopes were raised that the transition of power from Blair would allow Brown to open a new chapter of open politics by apologising for the war, but unfortunately the opportunity was not seized. It now seems that this will not happen until Labour is ousted from office. It is a shame that no one is yet prepared to bite the bullet in what could prove to be a turnaround for the Government's fortunes. No doubt the tone will change after Bush's departure in January, leaving not only Brown but also the Conservatives to again hang on the coattails of their American counterparts.

(Source: Muslim News, London)