We have learnt that the Ahmadi community in the United Kingdom have had their right to free expression curtailed once again.

The online site, Christian Today, mentioned the following in their article about the obstructions that were put in front of the Ahmadi community in their recent campaign. Their site stated:

“An email template seen by Christian Today and sent to Ahmadi opponents claimed ‘the billboard incites hatred, it is deeply offensive and hurtful to millions of British citizens’. The email urges other Muslims to write to the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency), the Metropolitan Police and the Charity Commission asking them to take the billboards down”.

Following on from this, Farooq Aftab, a spokesperson for the Ahmadi community, contacted Faith Matters and said, “We had booked a number of digital billboards with Primesight for our ‘Messiah Has Come’ Campaign.  Initially you will recall that we started with Glasgow earlier in the year but due to complaints by Muslims they took off.  After the ASA said there was no offence committed they were restarted.”

He went onto say:

“In the past few weeks we booked a number of billboards which Primesight, (the billboard advertising agency), recommended to us. Inadvertently one was near Birmingham mosque which we were not aware of.  Due to complaints, particularly from some Muslims in the area, the billboards were taken down and also in locations such as Barnet, Lambeth, Leeds and Birmingham.

“When we contacted the company we were told that they were taken down because of ‘security’. In one instance we were told that when the Merton billboards were being put up, the person putting them up was threatened, so he stopped.  When asked why the police had not been informed of this, there was no response”.

Aftab also spoke to the Chief Executive Officer of Primesight and was told that they had taken down the billboards after complaints and he was challenged by Aftab that the basic beliefs of the Ahmadi community were not being respected and they had to right to advertise a peaceful message since they were not harming anyone. He even suggested that other Muslims could put up billboards saying that the ‘Messiah has not come’.

Aftab also showed Faith Matters Whatsapp messages that had been circulating which included the following text:

“Salam everyone. We have managed to speak to the advertising agency regarding the Ahmadiyya sign boards in Birmingham and they have promised to remove ASAP. But at the same time they have asked members of the Muslim community to visit their website and log their complain. Can I request all of you to visit this website and forward it to your contacts to act immediately.  www.primesight.co.uk”

Aftab finally stated the following:

“The True Islam Campaigns purpose is to educate people on the true and peaceful teachings of Islam as practised by the Holy Prophet, Muhammad. The Billboard Campaign, ‘The Messiah Has Come’ aims to educate the public on the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Ahmadi Muslims believe in the finality of prophethood in accordance with the Holy Quran and the sayings and practices of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and to suggest otherwise is incorrect. Every individual and group has the right to manifest and profess their faith and to curb this would not only be a breach of basic human rights but contrary to the values of freedom of speech and expression which we cherish in this country. 

“Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community are Muslims and the community in the UK is one of the oldest and well integrated in society, contributing at all levels and has not had one incident of radicalisation or extremism. It is clearly doing something right. Further, it is not for states, authorities or organisations to interfere in religious matters. There needs to be a clear separation of State and Church so to speak, otherwise we will go down a very slippery slope with groups or people trying to monopolise religion. No one can determine someone’s faith. This is a matter between God and the individual and the hallmark of a pluralistic and democratic society.” 

It is with sadness that we read about the statement made by the Network of Sikh Organisations (NSO) about the support and solidarity that was being shown with Sikhs who are attacked because of their identity as Sikhs and because of racism. It is also clear that some Sikhs are attacked on the perception that they are Muslims, which does not detract from the fact that this creates fear within Sikh communities and impacts on families.

The reference made in the statement is to a project that took place 10 years ago – the Cohesive Communities project. The subsequent report is listed here and with clear references to explore issues of division between Sikh and Muslim communities and therefore deeply conflicting social narratives. These issues are even listed in the project overview and the Cohesive Communities report did not list some of the troubling discussions that took place which were confidential. The discussions caused facilitators to feel saddened that two communities with so much in common, were at polar opposites of the social divide.

We are also saddened to see that tweets that were made in 2012 and subsequently deleted are being used to create an atmosphere of mistrust at a time when communities need to work together and when the NSO statement itself suggests that a minority of participants were unhappy. Such difficult discussions around grooming, forced conversions, historical attacks against Sikhs by Muslim Indian rulers, amongst the many topics discussed at the Corrymeela Centre, are never easy and will bring out a range of emotions.

Given the Cohesive Communities report and what we heard, Faith Matters commissioned a further report to try and untangle and unpack the difficult narratives that were causing division. Hardly the act of an organisation that did not care or chose to reflect one communities’ perspectives. The Adab research report can be found here and details the narratives, history and perspectives coming from Sikh and Muslim communities.

However, we are glad to hear that the NSO (Network of Sikh Organisations) and partners in the Hindu community have a commitment to work with True Vision, which Tell MAMA has. Tell MAMA, which was founded by Faith Matters, has shown that its values are fundamentally based on inclusion and in supporting all communities who suffer hatred, prejudice and racism. Tell MAMA has also, on many occasions – stood against hatred against LGBT, Jewish, Shia and Ahmaddiya communities from a small number within Muslim communities showing that it will fearlessly stand for the rights of all communities and does not pick and choose on issues of human rights. Therefore, it is even more depressing to see that division is being called for at a time when Muslims, Sikhs, Jews and many other communities, should be working together. This on the basis of 4 individuals and on tweets made a decade ago on a project that explored some of the most difficult topics that were causing divisions between Sikhs and Muslims.

We within Faith Matters will continue to stand for the human rights of all communities to be protected. This means that when Sikh communities are attacked, their defence is our defence. When Sikh women or Gurdwaras are attacked, their honour and their integrity is our honour and integrity; and when young white girls in Rotherham are abused, their honour and their well-being is the responsibility of all communities, including ours. These are the core values of Faith Matters and what we stand on.

Finally, we have spoken to the Tell MAMA team and the round table was set up in solidarity with Sikh communities and was set up to share good practice. Support was also offered, though what was expressly stated was that it was for Sikh communities to find solutions within their communities to reduce hate crimes against Sikhs. This was expressly stated on a number of occasions at the meeting. Sadly, if the response for a call for solidarity is a call for division and separationism, then the only people who are strengthened by these actions are those who seek to divide and play off one community against another. In the end, protecting the dignity and safety of Sikhs means protecting the dignity and safety of us all as communities and people. We therefore continue to put out the hand of friendship to all communities and we will always do so. This also includes maintaining our openness to work with any group whose values are based on the defence of pluralism within communities.

This report, entitled ‘Sectarianism, Extremism and Hate Crime, the Impacts on the Ahmadiyya Community’, contextualises the historical and modern drivers of sectarianism against Ahmadi communities, both domestically and internationally. It highlights a history of social activities by Ahmadi groups and the manner in which they initially bridged Muslim and non-Muslim communities through debate, discourse and interfaith engagement. They also took part in reaching out to disaffected communities in countries like the United States, leading to people like Malcom X first coming into contact with Islam.

Report launched by Faith Matters: Sectarianism, Extremism and Hate Crime: The Impacts on the Ahmaddiya Community

The violence against Ahmadis is a product of a wider extremist narrative which exploits the
sensitivities around the blasphemy debate in Islam. It seeks to define Islam through its own narrow interpretations. This report hopes to challenge prevailing narratives and existing stereotypes about the Ahmadi community. Where there is disagreement, we ask for dialogue, not violence or hate. Standing up for the rights of all religious minorities is consistent with the mission and principles of Faith Matters.

A project of Faith Matters, Tell MAMA (Measuring anti-Muslim Attacks), which launched in 2012, serves as a confidential support service for individuals who experience hatred, violence and discrimination due to their Islamic identity. The project publishes groundbreaking yearly reports on anti-Muslim hate crime trends. Tell MAMA also records incidents of intra-Muslim incidents. With this in mind, we highlight the following:

* Tell MAMA documented 29 anti-Ahmadi incidents in 2016 (from Jan – July 1st 2016) which demonstrates a stark rise from the 9 incidents reported in the whole of 2015.
* The murder of Asad Shah intensified media interest in Ahmadi communities. Incidents reported to Tell MAMA after Shah’s murder were both street-based and online.
* The personality cult around Tanveer Ahmed is a disturbing trend. This includes social media posts praising his actions. His supporters glorify Ahmed as an ‘authentic’ defender of the Islamic faith.
* Supporters of Tanveer Ahmed view him as continuing the work of Mumtaz Qadri – the man who was executed for the 2011 murder of Pakistani politician Salman Taseer.
* Seeking to redefine Islam through a narrow, interpretative lens allows fundamentalists to dictate the narrative and exclude others (be they Ahmadi or Shia) as ‘outside’ of Islam helps normalise banal, everyday forms of prejudice, including the decision to boycott Ahmadi-run businesses.
* Some of the earliest Ahmadi missionaries to enter the United States offered a message to black converts that opened them up to new horizons of Islamic teaching. In fact, one of Malcolm X’s first encounters with Islamic teachings was through an Ahmadi missionary.
* Ahmadi missionaries in England helped restore or create some of the earliest registered places of worship for Muslims.
* Some of the key drivers towards anti-Ahmadi legislation in Pakistan and Indonesia reflect the failures of successive governments when faced with the violent demands of the religious right.
* Anti-Ahmadi prejudice on social media continues to be a problem which Faith Matters has raised with Facebook. This creates the platform to normalise hate speech against a religious minority and must be challenged.

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We were notified last week of a Facebook page to the self-confessed killer of Asad Shah, Tanveer Qadiri. The Facebook page, which has 1,621 ‘Likes’ on it, (as of the 10th of July), glorifies and attracts sympathisers who glorify the killer of Asad Shah who was brutally attacked outside his shop in Glasgow. The attack was so frenzied that the killer carried on assaulting the body of Asad Shah, after it was clear that he was seriously wounded in the knife attack.

We are deeply concerned that this Facebook page has not been removed by the social media company and we have also reported it in today. It may well be that a report has not been made on this page before and we would urge members of the public to report it in. It is simply unacceptable.

The pro-Tanveer Qadiri Facebook page also has a number of chilling pictures and rhetoric on it which come across as threatening against the Ahmaddiya movement. For example, the following picture on the Facebook page states:

“Terrorist curse on him,” (Mirza Masroor Qadiyani)

The statement also has a red cross marking out the face of the Caliph of the global Ahmaddiya community who is pictured in the graphic and comes across as suggesting that his personal safety may be in danger.

Also highlighted on the horrendous Facebook page is abuse against the father of the murdered Asad Shah. Not only does the Facebook praise his killer, it also abuses Asad Shah’s father, whom a recent Newsnight report by Secunder Karmani highlighted as having come to Scotland to flee from persecution in Pakistan. The graphic below also seems to indicate that the material may have come from the KhatmeNubowwat (KN) group which has taken a stridently anti-Ahmaddiya approach and with speakers at their events regularly using derogatory terms against the Ahmaddiya community.

Given that the Facebook page praises someone who killed another citizen in broad daylight because of religious differences, the comments and graphics are simply chilling. We, collectively, as citizens of our country must not allow such glorification of the actions of a killer to be justified. We would therefore urge members of the public to report this page in and the link can be found here.

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In 1961, Hannah Arendt coined the term ‘the banality of evil‘ whilst covering the trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem who repeatedly stated that he was “only following orders.” It was this inability to think beyond orders and directives that led to the mass genocide of people which led her to coin the term. Yet the term can be slightly amended to read as the ‘banality of hatred‘ which underlies evil and it seems to fit the open bigotry which some show to others just because they are different.

There are many traits of human nature that leave much to be desired. Through our work over the last 4 years we have covered a range of topics from anti-Muslim bigotry, through to intra-Muslim bigotry.

Yet, we will keep highlighting how intra-Muslim bigotry and prejudice needs to be tackled as an ongoing concern, (whilst tackling anti-Muslim hatred), if we are to promote the core principle that people in our country should live free from fear and intimidation.

Take for example, this post below which was reported into us today. The post highlights a boycott of alleged Ahmaddiya businesses and was posted on Facebook. The only reason for this boycott is that the shop owners are……wait for it…..a different belief system to the perpetrator posting the call for boycotts. In this instance, the people being discriminated against are Ahmaddiya Muslims.

Now, imagine a boycott being called against Christian or Jewish owned businesses? Rightly we would all be outraged and this would be something of real concern for social justice activists. Yet, here we have the identical thing involving the targeting of a peaceful law-abiding community through boycotts of their businesses on the basis that they are so heretical that they must be punished.

Finally, the following needs to be said. Anti-Muslim hatred or Islamophobia is mainly and predominantly against Muslims, yet we cannot shy away or brush under the carpet such toxic intra-Muslim prejudice. Where we find it, we must call it out and highlight it. For far too long, it has gone unchallenged, and just as we will challenge anti-Muslim bigotry, we will also challenge the banality of hate perpetrated against minority groups within Islam. This also goes hand in hand with challenging all forms of hatred and prejudice.

If anything, the example shown below really does reflect the vacuousness of those who think that they can discriminate against others and broadcast it across the Internet and social media. Hannah’s words still seem to carry a powerful wake up call to us all and to those who care about human rights and the future of integration and cohesion in our country.

The post The Banality of Hate – Boycotts Because of a Wrong Strand of Religion appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The killing of Asad Shah in Glasgow which has been widely reported on was shocking and has left a deep impact on communities in Glasgow. Since the case is with prosecutors, we cannot go into further details, suffice as to say that intra-Muslim sectarian hate has for far too long, been brushed off as being ‘internal disagreements’ within Muslim communities and where anti-Shia and anti-Ahmaddiya rhetoric has been allowed to fester without being challenged.  Whilst people have the right to disagree on issues of theology and on core elements of it, creating the mood music by dehumanising one group or another through language should set off alarm bells for those who care about community integration and community relations.

Yet, we have seen time and time again, Ahmaddiya’s being regarded as being less than animals and some commentators within Muslim communities have made similar remarks on social media. Such dehumanization is unacceptable as are threats to minority communities.

The murder of Asad Shah may well be a turning point on intra-Muslim hatred and which we also record in Tell MAMA. If there is anything positive that comes out from this appalling murder, it is that behaviours change so that open hatred against certain groups within Muslim communities stops. As we have said before, people can disagree on theological elements and sometimes these discussions can be heated and passionate, since faith touches the core of some people. However, when it turns into the dehumanization of individuals and when terms are used which put at risk the lives of members of a certain community, then a line has been crossed.

The post Killing of Asad Shah is a Wake Up Call on Promotion of Sectarian Hatred 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.

Why Facebook must do more to challenge anti-Muslim hate posts, by Rima Amin

“Love for All, Hatred for None” is the motto carried by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. A motto that has been tested in recent days after a surge of hateful comments towards Muslims on social media following a fire at the Baitul Futuh mosque last Friday.

Seventy firefighters worked hard throughout the day to control and extinguish fire at the mosque in South-West London known to be one of the largest in Western Europe. Many parts of the mosque remained unharmed. On Sunday, two arrests were made but since then the Met Police have said they do not believe this to be a hate crime. A 16-year-old was later released without charge as a 14-year-old received bail until January.

The investigation continues.

As news began to trend across social media, hurtful and hateful comments followed. Instead of being thankful that the fire was put out without anyone being hurt, they were disappointed. Instead of praising the firefighters, they praised the perpetrators.  Others posted threats of further escalations.

Dr Basharat Nazir, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, was thankful for the support given: “We have been aware of some hostile reaction on the social media, but they are simply dwarfed by the positive support we have received via social media and directly.”

Nazir says that “The key battle is against ignorance and extremism in all faiths that we all have to fight against together.”

Some of the hate comments included:

• “Mosque in Morden on the news. 2 lads been arrested for setting it on fire. It can hold upto 10,000 worshipers. Well done boys but the was place fecking empty”
• “The two young men arrested for setting fire to a mosque should not be jailed. They should be given a medal”
• “They should have been pouring gasoline on it”
• “Let’s do the same here in the USA, burn down every single one of them”
• “Probably was a bomb making class mistake”
• “They should burn them all, and then kick them muslims out of our countrys”
• “one down, more to go”
• “A WARNING to them of things to come, I hope it was done on purpose. PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF THE MUZZIES. and their DEMANDS”
• “Make it a holiday”” It wasn’t arson, its pest control!!”

Twitter trolls also joined in.

It is difficult to consistently monitor hateful comments and keep networks free from hate but it is important that we do all we can. These comments incite harm which should never be tolerated. Since Sunday, hate comments have been reported on Wimbledon Guardian, Facebook, Twitter and other news outlets but thankfully many are quickly removed.

But Facebook needs to accept that these comments have the potential to incite hatred and violence. One comment that read “should have blown that whole b*tch up” was reported to Facebook; but when reviewed, Facebook told users that it did not breach their Community Standards.

After similar problems in the past, a petition was set up asking Facebook to work on its reporting mechanisms. One signatory Natalie Otterly wrote: “Hate speech as outlined is extremely dangerous and harmful, especially given the current volatile situation towards Muslims. It actively promotes violent and illegal action towards a religion and its followers”

The Ahmadiyya community received much public support from people of all walks of life. Support also included tweets from MPs like James Berry and UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening.

Dr Nazir says: “The huge public outpouring of support for us and the indomitable British character that people have exhibited has strengthened our resolve to rebuild the complex as soon as possible so that this house of God that is a beacon of peace can shine again in its full glory.”

It is also clear that the community are determined not to let the hate comments deter them:

“We live by an ethos of Love for All, Hatred for None.  It is a motto that is emblazoned across our mosque complex, and neither the fire nor any negativity are able to thwart our ambitions to serve God, to help mankind, and to be loyal citizens.”

The positive attitude and genuine warmth witnessed this weekend is an inspiring display of unity. Through this, we must all remember, hate comments and violence against Muslims are by no means just a Muslim problem; but a problem for us all to get through together. To truly have a peaceful supportive world both online and offline, we must all work collectively by tackling hate speech and giving to one another especially in times of need.

The post After the fire, why the Ahmadiyya community will not give into hate , by Rima Amin 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.

The Developing Diversity Directory has been developed by Faith Matters over the last year and through contact and consultation with over 480 mosques in England. Faith Matters undertook focus groups with Muslim women in England around 5 key areas they wanted to see within mosques in terms of core service delivery and each of the mosques was then benchmarked against the 5 areas. The top 100 which met 4 or 5 of the key criteria have been published in this directory and reflect service provision as of February 2010.

We hope that this directory serves Muslim women in giving them a snapshot of mosques that provide good services to them and in assisting other mosques in giving them contact points and mosque institutions that they can work with to ensure that best practice is implemented within their respective institutions.

Further information on the directory can be obtained from the Director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal OBE on fiyaz@faith-matters.co.uk

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