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Observer Article

	Observer Article

	shez Monday 03 October 2005
The following article was written on the 14th by the Observer regarding leading Muslim organisations such as the MCB (Muslim Council of Britain) and attacking the Islamic Foundation and Professor Khurshid. (Chairman) The article is one of the examples of the Islamaphobic attitudes of individuals who are taking advantage of the recent events to air their hatred for Islam. A copy of the article and the response from MCB is below: Article: Muslim leaders in feud with the BBC · Muslim Council official claims Panorama is 'pro-Israel' · Observer investigation reveals group's extremist links Martin Bright, home affairs editor Sunday August 14, 2005 The Observer <http://www.observer.co.uk> Britain's most powerful Islamic organisation was accused last night of failing mainstream Muslim Britain after it complained of a 'pro-Israel agenda' at the BBC in a Panorama programme on the faith to be aired next week. In an extraordinary letter obtained by The Observer, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has told director general Mark Thompson that the Panorama investigation of organisations representing Muslims in Britain, will 'inflame mistrust'. The letter will be used by critics of the MCB as evidence that it is out of touch amid growing concern that it does not represent moderate Muslims. A separate Observer investigation into the group has revealed its roots in the extremist politics of Pakistan. Its secretary general, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, and media spokesman Inayat Bunglawala have both expressed admiration for the late Maulana Maududi, founder of the radical Jamaat-i-Islami party, which campaigns non-violently for an Islamic state in Pakistan. Maududi, a prominent figure in the 20th century Islamic revivalist movement, was a virulent anti-feminist who believed Muslims should struggle to rid their countries of Western influences. The Islamic Foundation, an affiliate of the MCB with close and influential links to the government, was founded by Khurshid Ahmad, a prominent member of the Jamaat-i-Islami. A second affiliate, the strictly orthodox Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith, based in Birmingham, practises a form of Islam which demands strict separatism from mainstream society. Its website describes the ways of 'disbelievers' as 'based on sick and deviant views concerning their societies, the universe and their very existence'. The MCB is a loose structure of more than 400 affiliates, and there is no suggestion they are all extremist. The BBC programme is thought to be highly critical of some MCB affiliates for their links to extremist Islamic ideology. Panorama, reporter John Ware is thought to challenge Sacranie over his boycott of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day, his attendance at a memorial service for Hamas leader Sheikh Yassin and his equivocal stance on Palestinian suicide bombers. The letter from Bung-lawala, sent last Thursday, repeatedly refers to the 'pro-Israel lobby' at the BBC, which is said to be behind the programme, although it does not specify who it means. Bunglawala says: 'It appears the Panorama team is more interested in furthering a pro-Israeli agenda than assessing the work of Muslim organisations in the UK. He regrets that 'the Panorama team seem intent on creating mistrust by serving the interests of the pro-Israeli lobby and undermining community relations'. The letter goes on: 'The BBC should not allow itself to be used by the highly placed supporters of Israel in the British media to make capital out of the 7 July atrocities in London.' A senior BBC source said: 'It's plain wrong - insulting - to suggest we have an agenda and frankly preposterous.' Sacranie said: 'We are concerned that the test of whether we are doing good work in the UK is whether we pass the Israel test. We have a clear position: we oppose the Israeli occupation. But our prime concern is with the Muslim community in this country.' Since 7 July he believed the MCB had been subjected to 'a campaign orchestrated by the pro-Israel lobby'. A BBC spokeswoman said last night: 'The BBC rejects completely any allegation of institutional or programme bias and is confident the Panorama programme will be fair and impartial.' The BBC has not been known for its pro-Israeli stance. In July 2003, Danny Seaman, the Israeli government's head of press, accused it of 'demonising and vilifying' the state of Israel. Some leading Muslims are also critical. Abdul-Rehman Malik, of the Muslim magazine Q-News, said MCB leaders should clarify its position on suicide bombers. 'You cannot be equivocal about innocent people. An innocent person in Tel Aviv is the same as an innocent person in Baghdad or London.' Last week, novelist Salman Rushdie, given a death sentence by Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran after the publication of The Satanic Verses, criticised Tony Blair for promoting Sacranie as a moderate voice. Response from MCB: In an extraordinary attack today, The Observer (Sunday 14th August 2005) has published a front page article, a two page 'Investigation' on pages eight and nine, together with an editorial, all seeking to vilify the Muslim Council of Britain. Over three years ago, the Home Affairs editor at The Observer, Martin Bright, achieved some notoriety amongst British Muslims when he penned a cover story for the New Statesman (10th December 2001) entitled 'The Great Koran Con Trick.' In that piece, Bright tried his hardest - and quite miserably failed - to disprove the Divine origin of the Holy Qur'an. So it was surprising to say the least to see that the front page story ('Muslim Leaders in Feud With BBC' and 'Radical Links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim Group') in The Observer today was authored by the very same Martin Bright. Given Bright's background we were not exactly anticipating reading a work of meticulous research and even-handedness. And we were proven correct in our assumption straight away. In the very first paragraph Bright states that the MCB stands 'accused of failing mainstream Muslim Britain' due to its stance in upholding Palestinian rights in a Panorama programme that is due to be aired on Sunday 21st August 2005. And who is doing the accusing? Well, one has to read another sixteen paragraphs to find out. It turns out to be someone called Abdul-Rehman Malik from the tiny circulation and very sporadically published magazine, Q-News. In his second paragraph Bright describes 'an extraordinary letter obtained by The Observer' which was sent by the Muslim Council of Britain to the BBC. Now this should not really have been too arduous a task for Martin Bright - especially as the letter was openly placed on the MCB's website on Friday morning. Interestingly, while Bright mentions that the MCB has complained of a pro-Israel agenda behind the new Panorama documentary about British Muslim organisations, he does not think it appropriate to inform his readers the basis on which the MCB has come to this conclusion even though it was clearly stated in our letter to the BBC. The fact is that nearly all the questions the Panorama team asked of Sir Iqbal Sacranie were directly or indirectly about our views concerning Israel. And this was for a programme supposedly about British Muslims. In his fourth paragraph, Bright claims to have uncovered the MCB's 'roots in the extremist politics of Pakistan.' What roots though? Bright mentions that senior MCB figures have said that Mawlana Mawdudi - the founder of the Jamaat-i-Islami party was an 'important Islamic thinker' (and indeed he was) and that they share some of his views while disagreeing with others. The Jamaat-i-Islami party happens to be a perfectly legitimate and democratic party which through an alliance with other parties is actually in power in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan (one of four provinces in Pakistan). In his other two-page spread on pages eight and nine ('Radical Links of UK's 'moderate' Muslim group') Bright makes additional unsubstantiated assertions. He describes the MCB as a 'self-appointed organisation' and says that it has been criticised for 'having no women prominently involved in the organisation.' If Martin Bright had undertaken even the most elementary research expected of a serious journalist he would have quickly found out that the MCB's over 400 affiliates hold elections every two years to elect the central MCB leadership and one of the Assistant Secretary-General's of the MCB is actually a woman, Unaiza Malik. The MCB's affiliates include Sunni and Shi'a groups. In fact, in terms of its diversity and elected nature, the MCB is a unique body not just in the UK, but throughout Western Europe and the USA, bringing together Muslims from 56 ethnic and national backgrounds. Bright derides the Markazi Jamiat Ahl-I-Hadith - a national affiliate of the MCB - as an 'extremist sect' and yet completely fails to adduce any evidence to show that this is the case. On the contrary, the Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith are respected amongst British Muslims for their Da'wah (Islamic outreach) programmes and devotion to spreading the message of the Qur'an and the teachings of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Perhaps the most telling section of Martin Bright's two articles in today's paper is his final two paragraphs on page nine. Bright says that the 'biggest test for the MCB will be its reaction to the more challenging aspects of the Festival of Muslim Cultures'. When Sir Iqbal sensibly responds that 'If any activities are seen to contradict the teachings of Islam then we will oppose them', Bright disapproves. Martin Bright holds that the depiction in pictorial form of the Prophet Muhammad is only opposed by 'some strict Muslims.' This is a complete misrepresentation of the actual position which is that the vast majority of Muslims throughout the world regard any pictorial depiction of the Prophet as forbidden. Bright's response reveals all too clearly his own Islamophobic agenda. The MCB believes that the Festival will need to be broad-based, inclusive and mindful of the teachings of Islam if it is to have the support of British Muslims. Meanwhile, The Observer's editorial, condemns the MCB's refusal to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day while notably neglecting to mention the reason why the MCB has taken this stance since the Holocaust Memorial Day was instituted in 2001. The MCB has called for a more inclusive 'Genocide Memorial Day' to be commemorated and believes that this would make the 'Never Again' subtext of the Day more effective and pertinent to today's world. By singling out the Holocaust Memorial Day as a central reason to demonise the MCB, The Observer has, unwittingly, thereby served to confirm the MCB's argument that there is indeed an 'Israel test' to which British Muslims are being subjected to. Fortunately, the MCB derives its mandate from British Muslim organisations and not from pro-Israeli sections of the media. The BBC has a fairly good record in portraying a balanced view of the faith of Islam and its followers. That makes the mischievous efforts of the Panorama team behind next week's programme - especially in the current climate - all the more disappointing and divisive. The Panorama programme can only undermine the solidarity that has been achieved in our country between various communities since the July 7th atrocities. Paradoxically, the attacks on the MCB have only served to strengthen its position among British Muslims who have recognised that it raises their concerns without fear and does not easily succumb to outside pressures. Finally, we would urge British Muslims to be vigilant in the face of recent concerted attempts by known hostile elements and their acolytes who wish to see the Muslim community in the UK divided.

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