The planning application for an Ahmadiyya mosque in Scunthorpe has been highlighted by the Scunthorpe Telegraph.  We understand that some members of the local Muslim community also objected to the planning application for this mosque and various reasons were given from mosques already being present and functioning in the area, through to the design and adaptation of the Ahmaddiya mosque to its local surroundings.

We have said before that we are not going to get into a theological discussion and this is not the role of Tell MAMA. Our role is to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, prejudice and intolerance. Yet, when we hear such terms used against the Ahmaddiya community, who are simply looking to develop a mosque, we have to state what is patently obvious; that differences can be resolved without resorting to terms that have implications which are bigoted and prejudiced such as ‘banana republic’.

This video sadly shows a handful of individuals stating that the Ahmaddiya mosque is not a ‘mosque’ but a ‘temple.’ It also shows one individual suggesting that individuals from the Ahmaddiya community may have come from ‘a banana republic.’

Our call is that differences can be resolved through dialogue and discussion. We hear from Muslims that Islam promotes dialogue, education and learning. We ask that local members of Muslim communities in Scunthorpe meet with one another to find a resolution to this issue. As long as there divisions, they will be manipulated and used by extremist far right groups to drive a wedge between communities. This is the last thing that residents of Scunthorpe need and things can only be resolved through dialogue.

We would like to stress that there will always be differences in life. The key thing is to ensure the safety of all local communities in Scunthorpe and to resolve issues through discourse and with language that does not inflame tensions between communities.

Lastly, the text on this video below shows how some may frame this issue. They will use it to malign Muslims and to seek division. May we ask for calm and cool heads at this time and we are here to mediate and assist if required.

We all deserve to live our lives in dignity and free from fear. Let us keep this in mind when working with each other and when interacting with each other in this tiny island of ours.

The post Divisions in Scunthorpe Need Cool & Level Heads on Ahmaddiya Mosque Application appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The planning application for an Ahmadiyya mosque in Scunthorpe has been highlighted by the Scunthorpe Telegraph.  We understand that some members of the local Muslim community also objected to the planning application for this mosque and various reasons were given from mosques already being present and functioning in the area, through to the design and adaptation of the Ahmaddiya mosque to its local surroundings.

We have said before that we are not going to get into a theological discussion and this is not the role of Tell MAMA. Our role is to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, prejudice and intolerance. Yet, when we hear such terms used against the Ahmaddiya community, who are simply looking to develop a mosque, we have to state what is patently obvious; that differences can be resolved without resorting to terms that have implications which are bigoted and prejudiced such as ‘banana republic’.

This video sadly shows a handful of individuals stating that the Ahmaddiya mosque is not a ‘mosque’ but a ‘temple.’ It also shows one individual suggesting that individuals from the Ahmaddiya community may have come from ‘a banana republic.’

Our call is that differences can be resolved through dialogue and discussion. We hear from Muslims that Islam promotes dialogue, education and learning. We ask that local members of Muslim communities in Scunthorpe meet with one another to find a resolution to this issue. As long as there divisions, they will be manipulated and used by extremist far right groups to drive a wedge between communities. This is the last thing that residents of Scunthorpe need and things can only be resolved through dialogue.

We would like to stress that there will always be differences in life. The key thing is to ensure the safety of all local communities in Scunthorpe and to resolve issues through discourse and with language that does not inflame tensions between communities.

Lastly, the text on this video below shows how some may frame this issue. They will use it to malign Muslims and to seek division. May we ask for calm and cool heads at this time and we are here to mediate and assist if required.

We all deserve to live our lives in dignity and free from fear. Let us keep this in mind when working with each other and when interacting with each other in this tiny island of ours.

The post Divisions in Scunthorpe Need Cool & Level Heads on Ahmaddiya Mosque Application appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The planning application for an Ahmadiyya mosque in Scunthorpe has been highlighted by the Scunthorpe Telegraph.  We understand that some members of the local Muslim community also objected to the planning application for this mosque and various reasons were given from mosques already being present and functioning in the area, through to the design and adaptation of the Ahmaddiya mosque to its local surroundings.

We have said before that we are not going to get into a theological discussion and this is not the role of Tell MAMA. Our role is to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, prejudice and intolerance. Yet, when we hear such terms used against the Ahmaddiya community, who are simply looking to develop a mosque, we have to state what is patently obvious; that differences can be resolved without resorting to terms that have implications which are bigoted and prejudiced such as ‘banana republic’.

This video sadly shows a handful of individuals stating that the Ahmaddiya mosque is not a ‘mosque’ but a ‘temple.’ It also shows one individual suggesting that individuals from the Ahmaddiya community may have come from ‘a banana republic.’

Our call is that differences can be resolved through dialogue and discussion. We hear from Muslims that Islam promotes dialogue, education and learning. We ask that local members of Muslim communities in Scunthorpe meet with one another to find a resolution to this issue. As long as there divisions, they will be manipulated and used by extremist far right groups to drive a wedge between communities. This is the last thing that residents of Scunthorpe need and things can only be resolved through dialogue.

We would like to stress that there will always be differences in life. The key thing is to ensure the safety of all local communities in Scunthorpe and to resolve issues through discourse and with language that does not inflame tensions between communities.

Lastly, the text on this video below shows how some may frame this issue. They will use it to malign Muslims and to seek division. May we ask for calm and cool heads at this time and we are here to mediate and assist if required.

We all deserve to live our lives in dignity and free from fear. Let us keep this in mind when working with each other and when interacting with each other in this tiny island of ours.

The post Divisions in Scunthorpe Need Cool & Level Heads on Ahmaddiya Mosque Application appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The planning application for an Ahmadiyya mosque in Scunthorpe has been highlighted by the Scunthorpe Telegraph.  We understand that some members of the local Muslim community also objected to the planning application for this mosque and various reasons were given from mosques already being present and functioning in the area, through to the design and adaptation of the Ahmaddiya mosque to its local surroundings.

We have said before that we are not going to get into a theological discussion and this is not the role of Tell MAMA. Our role is to tackle anti-Muslim hatred, bigotry, prejudice and intolerance. Yet, when we hear such terms used against the Ahmaddiya community, who are simply looking to develop a mosque, we have to state what is patently obvious; that differences can be resolved without resorting to terms that have implications which are bigoted and prejudiced such as ‘banana republic’.

This video sadly shows a handful of individuals stating that the Ahmaddiya mosque is not a ‘mosque’ but a ‘temple.’ It also shows one individual suggesting that individuals from the Ahmaddiya community may have come from ‘a banana republic.’

Our call is that differences can be resolved through dialogue and discussion. We hear from Muslims that Islam promotes dialogue, education and learning. We ask that local members of Muslim communities in Scunthorpe meet with one another to find a resolution to this issue. As long as there divisions, they will be manipulated and used by extremist far right groups to drive a wedge between communities. This is the last thing that residents of Scunthorpe need and things can only be resolved through dialogue.

We would like to stress that there will always be differences in life. The key thing is to ensure the safety of all local communities in Scunthorpe and to resolve issues through discourse and with language that does not inflame tensions between communities.

Lastly, the text on this video below shows how some may frame this issue. They will use it to malign Muslims and to seek division. May we ask for calm and cool heads at this time and we are here to mediate and assist if required.

We all deserve to live our lives in dignity and free from fear. Let us keep this in mind when working with each other and when interacting with each other in this tiny island of ours.

The post Divisions in Scunthorpe Need Cool & Level Heads on Ahmaddiya Mosque Application appeared first on TELL MAMA.

David Jones (@DavidJo52951945), has over 23,000 Twitter followers and regards himself as a UKIP supporter. A regular tweeter, he has built up a following on the back of his anti-migration and anti-EU tweets. The description on his avatar on Twitter says:

“UK government have abandoned Brits. We need to exit EU, ECHR, stop all immigration + look after British people. Like UKIP. All my views. I follow back – Southampton/ Isle of Wight.”

Not to be outdone on statements after the fire that overtook the Morden mosque over the weekend, Jones went onto state the following:

What Jones showed was his ignorance about the mosque that had suffered the fire. It was an Ahmaddiya mosque and the community has been vocal in raising funds for charities and also recently ran a ‘Poppy campaign‘ in order to raise money for charity by openly selling poppies. This was also highlighted to him as shown above and his response was even more bizarre and telling of his views.

Not to be outdone on the richter scale of ignorance his further tweet shows a level of disdain for Muslims in the United Kingdom. His response was, “I am talking about Rotherham where 2000 underage girls were abused by muslim (sic), UK is better off without Islam and muslims.”

Finally, we are aware that this individual has previously had Twitter conversations with senior members of UKIP before. We hope that they reconsider conversations with this individual given the comments and postings that we have highlighted.

The post David Jones – UKIP Supporter & Avid Tweeter appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have commented on the mosque fire at the Baitul Futuh mosque today. Yet, a simple search of Facebook pages where the fire was highlighted, such as the Evening Standard Facebook page, shows the following vile hateful comments below. These are just a few snapshots of comments which are made at the start of the Evening Standard Facebook page, yet it shows two issues. The first being – no moderation. This is simply not acceptable and major newspapers should have the ability to moderate their pages. The second is that some Muslims seeing the vast amount of hate and intolerance towards them and their mosques could well be influenced by counter or cumulative extremist views which can play into the hands of groups like Islamic State. This is the last place that anyone should consider going to, but given the sheer amount of anti-Muslim hatred out there and which has partly reared its ugly head today, there are real potential problems ahead.

Newspapers must moderate their comments and especially given the fact that far right groups mobilise and direct sympathisers to make anti-Muslim posts on mainstream platforms, so as to legitimise their views. Sadly, this is the environment we are in today and we cannot allow everyday platforms to be hijacked by any extreme group.

Furthermore Facebook’s response to this is to tell us to report in each comment. This is simply ludicrous when the vast majority of Muslims will not report in and for Facebook to suggest that we spend our limited resources to sit every day and report in tens of thousands of anti-Muslim comments is simply ludicrous. We have said before and we will say it again, these platforms, which are profit-making, give little if nothing back to civil society groups and their platforms are being used to promote open hatred and threats. Much of the former is not removed meaning that the volume sits and builds up for eternity. Also, given the loads on the Crown Prosecution Service, Police forces, civil society groups and police forces, it is time pressure was put on these social media platforms to get them to set up a significant civil society fund for counter-speech.

The post Thousands of Anti-Muslim Posts Today Could Fuel Reverse Extremism appeared first on TELL MAMA.

“Love for All, Hatred for None“, is the motto of the Ahmaddiya community globally. It is a community that is openly persecuted in Pakistan where the State structures are built to discriminate against them after the dictator Zia Ul Haque introduced stringent laws into the country as a way of building up support with militant groups who regarded themselves as moral guardians of Islam.

Just last night, we were included into a range of discussions that pointed to a page on the Muslim Council of Britain’s web-site. The feelings of some individuals were inflamed by a post on the Muslim Council of Britain’s web-site which we have listed below. Coincidently the post on the MCB web-site listed the Morden mosque, (then being built), as not being a mosque on the basis of theological differences.

However, today, through what looks like an accident, the Morden mosque caught fire and what ensued on social media was intra-Muslim hatred and bigotry which is socially unacceptable. If you are targeted with what you believe are anti-Muslim comments in nature, you can and should report them into us. Hateful and spiteful language because of your faith identity should not be taking place and we urge communities to report it in.

Lastly, whilst we know that there are many good people working in the Muslim Council of Britain trying to make a difference, we would ask them to reflect on the following page which has attracted so much attention. Whilst the page is opinion based on theological decisions, we request that the Muslim Council be more vocal in its stance when Ahmaddiya communities are targeted with hateful messages that seek to demonise them and which threaten and promote hate. We also acknowledge that the Muslim Council of Britain has a role to play, which it does, in interfaith and cohesion activities. Now is the time for us to come together to tackle hate, intolerance and bigotry.

Islamophobia rampant in UK but @MuslimCouncil is long focused on pushing anti-Ahmadi bigotry https://t.co/Ek50MAjlJm @mehdirhasan @TellMamaUK

— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) September 25, 2015

@MuslimIQ What bigotry by @MuslimCouncil Shameful! @TellMamaUK @AdamWalkerGB @AJUpFront @HuffPostLive @CatrinNye @BashaNazir

— Kashif N Chaudhry (@KashifMD) September 25, 2015

The post As Baitul Futuh Burns, the Bigotry of Some Muslims Towards Ahmaddiyas Comes Out appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Over the last two months, the refugee crisis taking place with waves of refugees from Syria, has also shaped the anti-Muslim rhetoric that is being reported in. Just as Charlie Hebdo, the Rotherham grooming scandal and IS have changed the lexicon of anti-Muslim hate, so has the refugee crisis, as some people see women in Hijabs crossing Europe on mainstream channels and decide to target British Muslims with their venom.

Today, we had a report of mosque worshippers in Reading being targeted for anti-Muslim hatred. The report, from one of the mosque worshippers, highlighted how two white males, (one described as having a thick ‘Eastern European accent’ of sorts), screamed at worshippers who were filing out of the Reading based mosque after prayers. The two white males shouted a tirade of anti-Muslim hate at worshippers who simply looked at the males, who were acting in a highly aggressive manner.

One of the males then went on to accuse the mosque of ‘hiding refugees’ and of bringing refugees into the mosque. The sentiments expressed, made a connection with the refugee crisis and mosques and Muslim communities, which shows how people are using the refugee crisis to vent their anti-Muslim bigotry.

Details of the incident have been passed to the police in the hope that CCTV can identify the vehicle and the faces of the perpetrators. All of the material passed onto us will be sent to Thames Valley Police.

The post Refugee Crisis Used in Anti-Muslim Rhetoric as Mosque Worshippers Abused appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Just when you thought that this could be a very late April fools, sadly, it turns out that it was much worse than that. The group that brought you slogans like ‘Taking Britain Back‘, have managed to wage a campaign that has left many people startled and others stating that change must start at the bottom. It has left some supporters of this far right group aghast since some feel that their desire to join an extremist has been hijacked – by Britain First mounting an anti-Haribo sweets campaign!

Yes, these ‘Templar Knights’, these defenders of Jerusalem, (which we will come to later), have managed to find a problem with Haribo sweets and have picked a fight. In a desire to challenge the ‘Halal’ element of Haribo sweets, Britain First have mounted a campaign to put the ‘G’ back into Haribo Funny Mix sweets, since the removal of gelatine means that practising Muslims can be sure that there is no pork gelatine in the sweets.

So these battalions of righteousness have taken the fight ‘against the evils of Halal’ to the Haribo Funny Mix sweet packets and we will no doubt be trailing their campaign with some interest. You never know, after the Haribo Funny Mix, they might just start on the Refreshers!

However, not to be outdone, the Templar Knights of Peckham have been advertising a Britain First march in Burton that is to take place in October against what they have termed a ‘mega mosque.’ To advertise the mega mosque, the Templar Knights have thought that Burton is in fact, Jerusalem, and have managed to place a picture of the Dome of the Rock mosque on the Al-Haram Al Sharif, as though it were in Burton. Yes, they simply have lost their way again.

Our simple advice to anyone looking to follow or support the work of Britain First would be this. If their idea of social change is attempting to wave a packet of Haribo sweets around or place mosques in Jerusalem in the location of Burton, some 3,000 miles away, do you actually feel confident in their abilities to do anything to ‘Take Britain Back?’ Ladies and gentlemen, we rest our case.

The post Britain First – Fighting Over a Packet of Sweets appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have received a report from a member of the public that a brick was thrown through the front door of a proposed mosque in Woodford Green in the London Borough of Redbridge.

A new mosque and community centre was recently approved by the local authority and local newspaper reports have suggested that a proposal to turn two shops into a mosque and cultural centre has ‘divided opinion‘. 

The Woodford Muslim Cultural Centre (WMCC) is looking to convert the former hairdressers and sweet shop into a mosque and having been denied permission before, the local authority finally agreed to the decision.

The response it seems has been violent and criminal. Last week ‘bacon‘ was written on the door of the proposed mosque and a brick was thrown through the front of the building last night.

We regularly come across such incidents where opposition to mosques involves not just some local residents, but individuals who are in no way connected to the area. Local authority officers who have received such objections before have told us that there have been ’round-robin’ campaigns of pro-forma letters that have been circulated with individuals reacting without any knowledge as to the proposed application and these campaigns have added to a sense of fracture in relations in local communities. Sadly, it seems that those looking to affect local community relations have used mosque planning applications as a tool to try and garner support for their targeted campaigns against mosques.

The post Mosque Attacked in Woodford Green, Redbridge appeared first on TELL MAMA.