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Muslims hold London vigil to demand equal citizenship |
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Saturday, 16 February 2008 |
Over 30 Muslim organizations in Britain joined together Saturday in a vigil
outside Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office to demand equal citizenship in the
face of a new barrage of prejudice and contempt against Islam.
"Now is a time for solidarity; to affirm respect, equality and parity for all
Britons, irrespective of race and creed," the organizations said.
"Can it be good for Britain if a section of society - however small and
socio-economically deprived - feels scape-goated and ostracized?" they said in a
statement, released by the British Muslim Initiative (BMI).
The latest wave of Islamophobia expressed widely in the media and among many
political figures and academics follows last week's call by the Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams for the accommodation in Britain of some aspects of
Sharia law.
The vigil comes after a coalition of Muslim organisation, led by the Muslim
Council of Britain and British Muslim Forum, urged the country's two million
community on Friday to "stand up and be counted as equal citizens" in the face
of the mass hysteria.
In its statement, the BMI said the Archbishop's thoughtful address calling for a
dialogue on sharia issues had led to "appalling displays of prejudice and
contempt towards Islam and Muslims." "It is not a matter of being unduly
sensitive to criticism, but rather a warning of the slippery slope from verbal
mockery to physical intimidation," it warned.
The vigil was supported by such leading groups as the Islamic Forum of Europe,
Muslim Association of Britain, Islamic Human Right Commission, Da'watul Islam,
Young Muslim Organisation UK, Friends of Al Aqsa and the Feberation of Islamic
Students, FOSIS.
Others includes the Muslim Doctors and Dentists Association, Muslim Solidarity
Committee, Muslim Welfare House Trust, Muslim Women Society,Muslim Women's
Association, UK Action Committee on Islamic Affairs, UK Islamic Mission and the
World Islamic Mission.
Their joint statement also expressed alarm at the recent reports of the police
bugging of Muslim MP Sadiq Khan, who is a junior member of Prime Minister Gordon
Brown's government and the ban against Islamic scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi from
travelling to the UK.
"We are troubled that our concerns on issues of sacrilege are dismissed as an
infringement on freedom of speech. It is no wonder that in our schools, Muslim
children highlight their fear of bullying more frequently than those from other
faith groups," it said.
"Is this the society of the future we want - one of first-class, confident
citizens and second-class, anxiety-ridden citizens?" the Muslim organizations
asked, saying that the vigil slogan was.
"Yes to Equal Citizenship, No to Double Standards," they said.
Source: IRNA
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