20Nov06 - LONDON - Rally to defend religious freedom

[moeen yaseen]

http://www.gv2000.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=236&pid=939#pid939

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National Rally to defend freedom of religion, conscience and thought

National Rally to defend freedom of religion, conscience and thought

NATIONAL RALLY: 20th November to defend freedom of religion, conscience and thought
http://www.bminitiative.net/BMI/EN/Detai...;table=sub

London Rally to fight back against prejudices
Given the recent political and media campaign attacking the Muslim community and the increasing stigmatisation of religious minorities, the British Muslim Initiative and Liberty are coming together to host a Rally on 20th of Novmber at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster to defend the freedom of religion, conscience and thought and to unite against attacks on Muslims.

This rally, which seeks to confront and address this worrying trend, will feature a vast range of speakers drawn from across the political spectrum and from various faiths and none, including the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, human rights campaigner and Director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti, the General Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain Dr. Abdul Bari, the Leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond MP, the Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Community and Local Government and former Baptist preacher Andrew Stunell MP, Labour MP Jon Cruddas, former editor of the Catholic Herald and ex-deputy editor of the New Statesman Cristina Odone, the spokesman of the British Muslim Initiative Anas Altikriti, Catholic peace campaigner and Vice-President of Pax Christi Bruce Kent, University and College Union joint General-Secretary Paul Mackney, Muslim academic Tariq Ramadan, Sikh activist Dabinderjit Singh OBE, Conservative Party Vice Chair Sayeeda Warsi, anti-racism campaigner Karen Chouhan, the founder and Director of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality Edie Friedman, Tony Benn and the national convenor of Stop the War Lindsey German.

This eclectic list reflects the rich diversity of beliefs and outlooks that we cherish and seek to protect, and indicates that freedom of thought, conscience and belief and its safeguarding against politically opportunistic and calculated attack are not the concern of one sole community, but the responsibility of every individual.

To arrange interviews and further information please contact:
Ihtisham Hibatullah on 07786 257120

The event is co-organised by: British Muslim Initiative & Liberty

Venue: Methodist Central Hall Westminster, London. SW1H 9NH
Date: 20th November 2006
Time: 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm


Supported by: Mayor of London, Muslim Council of Britain, Pax Christi, Stop the War, coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, CND, UNISON, University and College Union, National Assembly Against Racism, the 1990Trust,Sikhs in England, National Coalition of Black Led Organisations, Islamic Forum Europe, The Cordoba Foundation, JUSTPEACE, Islamic Human Right Commission, Islam Channel, Islamic Times, Dawatul Islam, Assembly for the Protection of Hijab, Friends of Al Aqsa, IWitness, Muslim Safety Forum, Operation Black Vote, Black Londoners Forum, The Society of Black Lawyers,IslamExpo, Muslim Voices, National Black Student Alliance and IslamExpo.


Mayor of London to speak at cross party rally to defend religious freedom

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone will join cross party and multi-faith speakers to defend freedom of religious and cultural expression on Monday 20 November.

The meeting at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster represents the broadest yet response to the issues raised by the recent barrage of attacks on the Muslim community.

Its organisers, the British Muslim Initiative and Liberty, have brought together speakers representing all of the main political parties, different faiths, the trade unions and the peace movements.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said: 'Over recent weeks we have seen a demonisation of Muslims only comparable to the demonisation of Jews from the end of the nineteenth century. As at that time, the attack on Muslims in reality threatens freedoms for all of us, which took hundreds of years to win - freedom of conscience and freedom of cultural expression. Every person who values their right to follow the religion of their choice or none should stand with the Muslim communities today.

'The living standard of every Londoner depends upon the ability of this city to welcome companies and people from every part of the world. That would be impossible if we succumbed to the threat to religious and cultural tolerance, which the new demonisation of Muslims represents. As Mayor of London I want to make clear this city has no intention of taking that path, which would destroy the international openness, and excellent community relations upon which our prosperity depends.

'I cannot believe it is a coincidence that this entire artificial pseudo debate has been stirred up at a time when the credibility of the entire war and occupation of Iraq is collapsing before our eyes. 'Muslims and all of us have a right to call for a different policy within the democratic process.'

Jon Cruddas MP, who will also be speaking at the rally, said: 'It is incumbent on all politicians to construct the debate in a way that brings communities together and not does not increase division.'

Shadow Spokesman on Community Cohesion Dominic Grieve MP said: 'The Conservative Party believes that Muslims have a role to play in British life and have an important contribution to make. We are wholly opposed to Islamophobia and welcome the opportunity this meeting brings to address the concerns of the Muslim communities.

Andrew Stunell MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Community and Local Government and former Baptist preacher, commented: 'Religious freedom and freedom of expression are central to our democracy and whether it is attacks on the Muslim faith or any other, they need to be dealt with robustly. I am delighted that there is all party and all faith support for this initiative.'

Anas Altikriti, the spokesman of the British Muslim Initiative commented today: 'The 20th of November will mark the first step towards establishing a national coalition against Islamaphobia -widely recognised as the new face of racism - that will encompass all corners of British society including Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, representatives of a number of political parties as well as representatives of a large number of Muslim and non-Muslim NGOs.'

Liberty Director Shami Chakrabarti said: 'Freedom of conscience and religion, like freedom of speech, is essential to any democratic society. We must keep our heads and unite around democratic values, applying them to others, as we want them applied to ourselves. We must all be able to think, wear and say what we like, subject only to personal ethics and restrictions truly necessary for the protection of others. This may not always make us comfortable but it will keep us free.' ENDS

Notes for editors
1. The national rally is organised jointly by the British Muslim Initiative and Liberty. November 20, at Methodist Central Hall Westminster, a national rally will be held to defend freedom of thought, conscience and religion. It has the support of a wide range of organisations, including faith groups, anti-racist campaigns and labour movement bodies. The rally will be the first step in initiating a national campaign to defend freedom of religion and culture and to combat the rise of Islamophobia. For more information go to: www.bminitiative.net .

2. The rally is supported by the Mayor of London, Muslim Council of Britain, Pax Christi, Stop the War, coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, CND, UNISON, University and College Union, National Assembly Against Racism, the 1990Trust, Sikhs in England, National Coalition of Black Led Organisations, Islamic Forum Europe, The Cordoba Foundation, JUSTPEACE, Islamic Human Right Commission, Islam Channel, Islamic Times, Dawatul Islam, Assembly for the Protection of Hijab, Friends of Al Aqsa, IWitness, Muslim Safety Forum, Operation Black Vote, Black Londoners Forum, The Society of Black Lawyers, IslamExpo, Muslim Voices, National Black Student Alliance and IslamExpo.

3. For more information about the rally and the British Muslim Initiative, contact Ihtisham Hibatullah on 07786 257120

4. The Mayor of London published a new report, 'Muslims in London' in October 2006, aimed at dismantling barriers of discrimination faced by Muslim communities. It showed that Muslims suffer the worst education failure rates, huge barriers to employment, bad housing and chronic political under-representation. For more information and to download the report go to: www.london.gov.uk/gla/publications/equalities.jsp.


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Ken Livingstone
Morning Star, 4 November 2006

On November 20, at Methodist Central Hall Westminster, a national rally will be held to defend freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Organised jointly by the British Muslim Initiative and Liberty, it has the support of a wide range of organisations, including faith groups, anti-racist campaigns and labour movement bodies. The rally will be the first step in initiating a national campaign to defend freedom of religion and culture and to combat the rise of Islamophobia.

The aim is to support the principle that communities from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, of all religions and none, should live together in a spirit of tolerance and respect for each other’s customs and values. London itself is in many respects a model for the sort of multicultural society we want to build. The diversity brought about by successive waves of migration has been a key factor in the success and dynamism of the capital.

The Jewish community, for example, which has contributed so much to London economically and culturally, was greatly enlarged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by the influx of refugees fleeing anti-semitism in Tsarist Russia. If they had been told it was a precondition for British citizenship that they had to abandon their religious practices and forms of dress, and adopt the culture of the majority community, we would have been immeasurably diminished as a society.

Most Londoners recognise that multiculturalism is good for the capital,according to a recent MORI poll commissioned by the Greater London Authority. It showed that 70% of residents felt London was a better place to live because of its “mix of cultures, languages and ethnicities.” Thirty-seven per cent said the diversity of the capital was “a very good thing” and 33% “quite a good thing.” Only 7% said it was “quite a bad thing” and 6% a “very bad thing.”

Londoners support a basic principle: we all have the right to be ourselves and retain our own beliefs and cultural practices as long as we don’t interfere with the rights of others. This tolerance and respect for personal choice is what unites us. Yet that principle is under attack from sections of the media and some politicians. It is claimed that community relations in Britain are deteriorating and that there is an increasing polarisation in society which threatens our security.

It is suggested that multiculturalism is responsible for this state of affairs, with particular blame directed at the Muslim community. By asking loaded questions, opinion pollsters have produced “evidence” that there is widespread sympathy among British Muslims for terrorism. The result has been to depict Muslim communities as a sort of fifth column within British society.

These misrepresentations have been exposed by the 1990 Trust’s recently published survey of Muslim views, which reveals that only a tiny fraction of British Muslims – less than 2% – have any sympathies at all with the 7/7 bombings. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are opposed to the terrorist group lets responsible for such attacks and are committed to working with the authorities to prevent a repetition of these atrocities.

The media frenzy unleashed by Jack Straw’s comments about the Islamic veil has continued and intensified the demonisation of British Muslims. The Daily Express featured a succession of front-page “Ban the Veil!” headlines, claiming 98% support from its readers for that policy. I have made clear my disagreements with Jack Straw’s position. During the 14 years I was MP for Brent East there were a few occasions when a fully veiled Muslim woman visited my advice surgery. I would never have considered asking her to remove it. Bear in mind that this person has come to you to resolve a problem for them, and feels dependent on your good will. The power imbalance in that relationship means it is completely unacceptable behaviour on the part of an MP to make such a request and I was amazed by Jack Straw’s insensitivity.

I believe that the already tiny number of Muslim women wearing the full veil will further reduce in time. But that will be something that comes from within the Muslim community itself, and people who are outside the community lecturing Muslims on how they should dress is entirely counterproductive. Whatever a person’s view on the most suitable forms of clothing, they have no right to impose this on others – it is a fundamental human right that every person should be allowed to dress in accordance with their religious views, as dictated only by their individual conscience.

This right had to be defended in the past for Sikhs and other communities and it must be defended today for Muslims or indeed any community that faces such a challenge. It applies equally to those who wish to wear crucifixes. Jack Straw’s description of the niqab as a “visible statement of separation and difference” has been taken up by the right-wing media to suggest that segregation and exclusion are the fault of Muslim communities themselves. It is a classic case of blaming the victim.

The real problem is not Muslims wanting to be separate, but rather the unprecedented levels of discrimination preventing them from getting on in society. Last month I launched a new report, “Muslims in London,” aimed at dismantling barriers of discrimination faced by Muslim communities. It showed that Muslims suffer the worst education failure rates, huge barriers to employment, bad housing and chronic political under-representation. These are the issues that have to be addressed if we are to build an integrated society.

The report makes a number of recommendations for tackling social and economic disadvantage among Muslims, including new skills training and regeneration strategies. It also calls for greater efforts to improve representation of Muslims in the public and political life of the capital. The tabloid hysteria against Muslims unleashed by Jack Straw’s comments has led to physical attacks, firebombings and assaults on women.

As Guardian journalist Jonathan Freedland observed, if the media had launched a similar onslaught against the Jewish community he would have been looking for his passport. Indeed, the parallels between the Islamophobic hysteria of today and the anti-semitism of the 1930s are striking. We should say bluntly that the same methods are now being used against Muslims as have always been used against Jews.

Just as Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists targeted the Jewish community, today the British National Party concentrates its vile racist propaganda against Muslim communities. In the 1930s anti-semitism was fed by the drip, drip, drip of attacks on the Jewish community by newspapers like the Nazi-supporting Daily Mail. Today’s fascists feed on the daily drip of Islamophobia in the media, and their anti-Muslim hatred is given legitimacy by mainstream politicians pandering to prejudice.

To defeat the fascists in the 1930s it was essential to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community. Today the labour movement and all progressive forces must take a stand alongside the Muslim community in resisting these attacks. I would urge all Morning Star readers who can to attend the Central Hall rally on November 20 where these issues will be discussed.


MOVING TOWARDS THE UNIVERSAL PARADIGM SHIFT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

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[TonyGosling]

Livingstone decries vilification of Islam
http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1952627,00.html

Hugh Muir
Monday November 20, 2006
Guardian Unlimited


Muslims are being singled out for demonisation on a par with the victimisation of Jews during the last century, the mayor of London claimed today.

Unveiling new research indicating that 75% of those polled in the capital support the right of Muslims, and those of other faiths, to dress "in accordance with their religious beliefs", Ken Livingstone criticised the "barrage" of attacks as an assault on freedom of religious and cultural expression.

His comments coincide with the launch tonight of a high-powered coalition, involving MPs, Muslim groups, trade unions and the campaign group Liberty, to confront Islamophobia. The new coalition is supported by figures from the three major parties, Sikhs, black-led organisations and human rights groups.

Many leading figures are concerned about issues such as Jack Straw's observations on Muslim women who wear the veil and criticisms from ministers who say Islamic communities should do more to root out extremists.

Mr Livingstone said: "Over recent weeks we have seen a demonisation of Muslims only comparable to the demonisation of Jews from the end of the 19th century. As at that time, the attack on Muslims in reality threatens freedoms for all of us, which took hundreds of years to win - freedom of conscience and freedom of cultural expression. Every person who values their right to follow the religion of their choice or none should stand with the Muslim communities today."

He linked the criticism of Muslims with the adverse scrutiny accorded to government policy overseas. "I cannot believe it is a coincidence that this entire artificial pseudo-debate has been stirred up at a time when the credibility of the entire war and occupation of Iraq is collapsing before our eyes. Muslims and all of us have a right to call for a different policy within the democratic process."

Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, will also speak at tonight's event, being held in Westminster.

She said: "Freedom of conscience and religion, like freedom of speech, is essential to any democratic society. We must keep our heads and unite around democratic values, applying them to others as we want them applied to ourselves. We must all be able to think, wear and say what we like, subject only to personal ethics and restrictions truly necessary for the protection of others."

Polling conducted to coincide with the launch shows that 75% of Londoners support "the right of all persons to dress in accordance with their religious beliefs", with 18% against.

Plus, 82% said "everybody in London should be free to live their lives how they like as long as they don't stop other people doing the same"; 76% balked at the idea of the government dictating how people should live their lives; and 94% expressed similar sentiments about media.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said it was important that "there are regular events and festivals to celebrate London's different ethnic and religious communities".

The poll was undertaken by Ipsos Mori on behalf of the Greater London Authority.

[paul wright]

Oh great, we got some trojan loading nonsense on all posts. This is not entertaining