It’s not often that I find myself agreeing with anything MPACUK have to say, but an article currently on their website hits the nail (almost) on the head, proving that even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
We would hereby like to express our strong opposition to a statement issued by the ‘Home Office Islamic Network’ (HIMN) which is designed to create more hatred in the hearts of non-Muslims and plays on the fears of those that claim that Muslims are intent on the Islamification of Europe by sneakily asking for more and more privileges until total domination.
We don’t care how much non-Muslims eat in front of us. It’s never been an issue and never will be and we have never asked for any special treatment or sensitivity from non-Muslims whilst fasting. Non-Muslims can eat as much as they like in front of us. Islam has never imposed any such restriction on anyone who isn’t Muslim.
The HIMN should be utterly ashamed of this ill thought out if not sinister statement and should apologise for the blunder which causes more division and animosity between Muslims and non-Muslims.
The Home Office is a secular institution so why does its “Islamic Network” think it appropriate to issue patronising guidance to non-Muslims about what they should and should not do during Ramadan for fear of annoying The Muslims™? This kind of advice (don’t eat biscuits in front of Muslims during Ramadan) contributes nothing to making Muslim colleagues feel more accepted in the workplace, indeed the only people served by this advice are anti-Muslim bigots who want to complain about Muslim exceptionalism and rant about Eurabia.
No, The Muslims are not coming for your biscuits and they’re certainly not coming for you.
Last night, the Home Office Islamic Network (HIMN) hosted an iftar for Muslims and non-Muslims with speeches from the Home Secretary and Asim Hafeez, who works (pdf) for the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism. I have no particular objection to the Home Office holding events at iftar; no doubt they also hold Christmas parties and events to mark Hannukah. But this event, or so my correspondents tell me, was a bit different.
Firstly, Whitehall chatter has it that the MCB’s Secretary General Muhammad Abdul Bari was invited, although he did not turn up. This is the man who refused (pdf) to sack Daud Abdullah, his deputy, for signing a pro-Hamas declaration which has been understood to condone attacks on the Royal Navy if it tries to stop arms being smuggled to Hamas. It would certainly be a very interesting development if, despite this, Abdul Bari had been invited to the HIMN event.
Secondly, Asim Hafeez took the opportunity to deliver a half hour lecture on the spiritual benefits of fasting, leading to several members of the assembled masses making their excuses and leaving – they were not expecting to be preached at. Why did HIMN think this was an appropriate topic to invite Asim to speak about to a room in a secular institution full of Muslims and non-Muslims?
Anyway, have a look at this video.
In this speech from February of this year, Asim is addressing questions about “Misconceptions About Islam”. Perhaps this is a misconception, but at 60:30 he does appear to be talking about how a “Muslim state” should be run. It would be great if Asim could clarify what he means by this. Does he believe that a Muslim state should be run differently to, say, Britain? What does this mean for his commitment to the secular state he serves in a very delicate role?
The Home Office Islamic Network seems not to understand that our government is secular. They should not be lecturing civil servants about how they should act in Ramadan, nor is it their role to spread the message of Islam. It is concerning that a group at the heart of government has failed to understand that government should be a secular space. Whilst the decisions and opinions of individuals will be influenced by their personal religious convictions, the Home Office is no place for proselytisation. Nor is it a place you would expect to be prepared to host Muhammad Abdul Bari.
And aren’t civil servants supposed to keep their views to themselves and maintain strict standards of impartiality? Whilst most of his other colleagues maintain the utmost discretion, Asim Hafeez is giving Friday khutbahs in the Home Office and speaking at Islamic societies at various (Welsh) university campuses. It is rather reminiscent of Azad Ali, a civil servant at the Treasury and president of the Civil Service Islamic Society, who wrote some rather interesting articles for Islamic Forum Europe.
Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but civil servants should not use their position in government as a pulpit.
26 Comments
What’s the funny mark on his forehead, did he run into a wall?
Why does the Gov employ Muslim preachers?
Did they not learn their lesson with Azad Ali?
it’s a zebiba, brother
Is it like a tatoo?
lol, you know what it is man…
he was a top break dancer in the mid-80s?
More like a ego maniac if you ask me. The civil service is not what it used to be hey.
“We don’t care how much non-Muslims eat in front of us. It’s never been an issue and never will be and we have never asked for any special treatment or sensitivity from non-Muslims whilst fasting. Non-Muslims can eat as much as they like in front of us. Islam has never imposed any such restriction on anyone who isn’t Muslim.”
Really? How very naive of MPACuk.
Travel anywhere in the Arab world during this holy month and find (increasingly, sadly) Muslims caring very much about non-Muslims eating in front of them and Islam (at least officially in its state form here in Sudan) imposing restriction upon restriction upon non-Muslims.
Want to look like a devout and pious Muslim brother, so to all the easier get that job in a government office dominated by religious fanatics? Want to be able to harass trouser-wearing women in the street, or wave a stick and shout curses at foreigners? It’s easy! No praying necessary! Learn the secrets of how to achieve az-zabiba the Sudanese way.
Simply spend your evenings rubbing your forehead with your index and middle finger until you wear away the epidermis. Now rub in some sand or other abrasive and keep rubbing. Yes, it’s meant to sting! But think of the riches available on achieving that Raisin of Piety on your noddle!
Godliness never came with such a lack of godliness before!
You might not like to hear this, but Bari can’t sack Daud Abdullah. Both were elected, and the decision rests with its elected body, who include Islamists and non-Islamists
Surah 8329-36 Al-Mutaffifin (Defrauding, The Cheats, Cheating)
Those in sin used to laugh at those who believed, And whenever they passed by them, used to wink at each other (in mockery); And when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting; And whenever they saw them, they would say, “Behold! These are the people truly astray!” But they had not been sent as keepers over them! But on this Day the Believers will laugh at the Unbelievers: On Thrones (of Dignity) they will command (a sight) (of all things). Will not the Unbelievers have been paid back for what they did?
This mark of prostration will shine on the Day of Ressurrection, contemptable, spineless Shayateen, continue in your whispering as we know you are to gutless to attend an open debate in public.
Tell me, will “this mark of prostration shine on the Day of Ressurrection [sic]” when it is often the product of furiously rubbing one’s forehead in order to simulate piety?
However, you continue in your self-delusion if it makes you feel better.
He’s still an Islamist tossed whether he can sack him or not.
‘However, you continue in your self-delusion if it makes you feel better.’
Yeah, and you continue in your kufr you disbelieving imbecile.
Are you saying all disbelievers are imbeciles?
“Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but civil servants should not use their position in government as a pulpit.”
Can’t argue with that! Unless of course believers of *all* the various confessions in the Home Office are equally encouraged to hold ‘religious evenings’ where they get to proselytise their faiths.
But is that the case?
Faisal,
I don’t think *anybody* should be proselytising in the Home Office, even if all faiths got to do so (which, I suspect, they do not). Have Christmas parties, iftar events etc all you like but surely they should be designed to fit in with the fact that government should be a secular space.
“Yeah, and you continue in your kufr you disbelieving imbecile.”
The fact is that an awful lot of people in Egypt and elsewhere feel deeply pressurised to simulate relgious piety in order to get on in life…. oh, and there are quite a few other people (in sooth, munifiqun) who simulate religious piety because it serves their interests to do so. Are you contesting this?
Surely, whether I am a believer or not is not at issue here – what is at issue is your naive views concerning the state of many, many members of the ‘ummah – and that is surely of some concern to believers, imberciles or not.
When the Home Office throws a Christmas party, will they have a Church of England vicar there telling everyone about the meaning of Christmas – and advising people on the best ways to celebrate Christmas?
I think not.
Who are the Home Office decided that an Iftar should be done in this way? How on earth do they arrive at these decisions?
When it comes to Christmas parties, the Home Office will undoubtedly take the stance that people (of all faiths) are simply there for the party, the food, the conversation etc – and the unspoken understanding will be that if civil servants want to be preached at about the meaning of Christmas, they should go a church.
Why are there such obvious double-standards at work here?
(Apologies for thinking aloud on this one…)
Yes more thinking aloud and less speculative sniping of individual piety please.
In far too many places modern Islam appears to be, in large part, defined by what it seeks to impose on non muslims.
And this, frankly, scares alot of people and this group now consists of more then just the usual Daily Hate/Sun type readers but includes alot of people who would define themselves as liberal or moderate in political terms.
In short – Islamism is the worst thing to happen to British Muslims ever.
“less speculative sniping of individual piety please”.
Hardly speculative when it is based on first-hand experience of the sheer religious duplicity of many of those who wear their religion as a badge – or in this case a self-inflicted bruise on the forehead.
So break dancers go to heaven, cool, see you there MC Hammer
The HOIN’s purpose is fairly obvious. With the “no votes for brown women without their menfolk checking they have voted correctly” policy that the government have implemented through unrestricted postal voting, pandering to communitarian conservatives is worth votes. So the HOIN exists to say “look, Brothers, vote for us and you’ll get what you want” to “community leaders”, so that sacks of postal votes will flood in for Labour MPs in Birmingham, Bradford and so on.
Of course, the amusing thing is going to be the incoming Tory government next spring. A lot of young Muslims who have grown up under a Labour government that treated them like poor little victims deserving of help are going to get the shock of their lives.
Naming your blog after a recepticle for spit? Nice one. Let me add a few fluid ounces of gob into your cuspidor.
No Muslim should make me feel awkward about eating when they have chosen to fast not me – I’m not going to offer them anthing if I know the’re fasting but I will eat if I’m hungry regardless of what time of year it is for other people. The few Muslims I do know have never told me not to eat so this seems like more pc bollox that has the opposite effect of its misguided intention.
I can’t be arsed to watch the whole video but it seems like the guy was at an Islamic week (whatever that is) at a university talking to (I assume) a bunch of Muslim students -although why they’d have misconceptions about Islam God only knows. Mosque teaching can’t be what it used to be – not that I’d know, thankfully. But if you want clarfication about what he means about Islamic states turn up to the bloody lecture or email him – don’t civil servants have emails? Rather than leaving the question hanging ominously for us to read like it’s the Grim Reaper’s feckin sickle.
I don’t see any problem with Muslims, Christians or anyone else holding prayer meetings in work as long as it’s confined to the faith room. They can hold hands and sing kumbaya as long as they like (within their lunch break) as long as all employees have that right including those who believe in the flying spagetti monster. Aren’t they just preaching to the converted? So it isn’t proselytising.
Reading the comments I assume the blackspot is something to do with the bowing Muslims do, so maybe this guy does more than the 10 times a day praying they have to do, may be he’s got a heavy head with a big brain in it. I think we’re on dodgy ground when we speculate on who’s a true believer in his or her chosen superstition.
And I wouldn’t worry about any religion spreading – it needs a receptive audience for that – are you suggesting we’ve all lost our ability to think critically here in the UK? You sound 1 part paranoid and 1 part patronising.
I’m bored shitless from having to read about feckin Muslims all the time in the dead tree press, and the feckin bloggers can’t find anything else to write about either – how about bringing the paper media into the 21st century by being trailblazers in the online media and get them to change the record and talk about something that doesn’t involve Islam. What you trying to do Islamify the blogsphere?