Opinion:

Mosque attacks in the UK

by Shenali D. Waduge

The statements issued from UK and US Governments leave out events that take place in their own lands. The standards and norms have differed in applicability. When non-Western nations claim existential fears because of Muslim conquests of non-Muslim territory, these countries are asked to apply “multicultural” lingo, but when Muslims call for Sharia enclaves in the UK it is defined as “extremism”.

Whatever symbolic gestures are made by various inter-faith groups they cannot disguise some important facts. If people are reacting violently it is because the Government has failed to protect their rights against incursions taking place.

The silence of their Governments to stop these incursions has resulted in groups like English Defence League emerging to become the voice of the Brits in their quest to protect their “Britishness”.

What are the actions that have resulted in the reactions and who is at fault - is it those who planned the actions, the reactors or the Government that simply watched the actions and took action only after the reaction reached simmering point and more important is this the objective - to create further divisions amongst communities as British is infamous for its divide and rule policies?

The Facts:

* research reveals half of all Britain's mosques have been attacked since 9/11 (about 700 mosques have been targeted)

* there are about 1,700 mosques in the UK

* There were 1.6 million Muslims in England and Wales in 2001 (3 percent of population). By 2011 the Muslim population had grown to 2.7 million people or 4.8 percent of the population.

The Pew Forum thinks that there will be just over 5.5 million British Muslims, representing 8.2 percent of the UK population, by 2030.

* About 40 percent of Britain's 2.7 million Muslims live in the capital

* After Drummer Lee Rigby's death arson, computer threats, physical attacks increased by tenfold. Nearly nine attacks per day took place. Examples of the type of attacks include mosque walls sprayed, pigs head left at Muslim families homes,

* The attacks on Muslims is attributed to the “far right” - US State Dept, NGOs or Human Rights groups do not call them “racists” “extremists” or ‘fanatics”.

There was no statement issued by the US State Department to the UK Government stressing US concern over mosque attacks and intimidation of Muslims in the UK.

* The UK Government gives £214,000 annually to Tell Mama project run by Fiyaz Mughal to monitor “anti-Muslim” attacks in the UK. To date, 212 “anti-Muslim incidents” since the Woolwich murder - which has formed the basis of nearly all this reporting - Yet US state department, infamous human rights organisations and the NGO bandwagon have not issued statements condemning the UK Government or even demanding reports or investigations.

* In 2009 there were 368 anti-Muslim crimes in London; in 2012, there were 337. In the first 11 weeks of 2013, there were 64 crimes.

* The number of Muslim prison inmates in England and Wales jumped to 11,248 in 2012 (a 200 percent increase since late 1990s). According to a research report recently commissioned by the British Ministry of Justice, many non-Muslim inmates in British prisons are being bullied into conversion or are embracing Islam in exchange for promises of protection from physical assault. Researchers from the Cambridge Institute of Criminology who wrote the report found that more than one third (39 percent) of the prisoners at Whitemoor are Muslims.

* According to the Association of Chief Police Officers, every year 17,000 Muslim women in Britain become victims of forced marriages, are raped by their husbands or subjected to female genital mutilation - all condoned by more extreme Islamists.

* The number of Muslims attending prayers will reach at least 683,000 by 2020, while the number attending weekly Mass will drop to 679,000.(2.7m Muslims against 41m Christians) (think tank Christian Research)

* Europe's churches are turning into mosques at the rate of two per week.

* There are 85 Islamic Sharia law courts operating in Britain. BBC's Panorama's documentary “Secrets of Britains’ Sharia Courts” have revealed that despite the Sharia law being non-binding UK Muslims are compelled to obey rulings by Islamic judges (qadi), that women are at the risk of violent and abusive husbands (documentary cited Leyton Sharia Council - the oldest Islamic council in UK), proceedings at Sharia Council of Dewsbury (West Yorkshire) was shown where Islamists have promised to turn Dewsbury into an independent Islamic state ruled by Sharia law and apart from British jurisprudence. On its website, the Leyton Sharia Council writes: “Though the Council is not yet legally recognised by the authorities in the UK, the fact that it is already established, and is gradually gaining ground among the Muslim community, and the satisfaction attained by those who seek its ruling, are all preparatory steps towards the final goal of gaining the confidence of the host community in the soundness of the Islamic legal system and the help and insight they could gain from it. The experience gained by the scholars taking part in its procedures make them more prepared for the eventuality of recognition for Islamic law.”

* Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as test beds for blanket Sharia rule.

* In October 2012 the British Parliament held its 1st full parliamentary debate on Sharia courts after Baroness Cox presented a bill to the House of Lords.

* Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill would make it a criminal offence punishable by five years in prison for anyone falsely claiming or implying Sharia courts or councils have legal jurisdiction over British family or criminal law.

* Britain's first Sharia law zone is in Waltham Forest.

* Abu Izzadeen “Director for Waltham Forest Muslims” says he wants to impose Islam's Sharia law in Britain. He claims the Sharia Zone will “ban alcohol, gambling, drugs, music, smoking and homosexuality as well as men and women mixing in public”. He says this is the first step towards turning Britain into an Islamic state.

* The campaign to introduce Sharia controlled zones is run by Muslims Against Crusades (MAC). Its website says Sharia law zones have ‘momentous’ support from Muslim businessmen, lawyers and community leaders, who are ‘sickened by the alcohol, pornography and downright secular culture of Britain'.

* 25 areas around Britain have large Muslims populations - Bradford, Dewsbury, Leicester, Luton are some.

* At least 5,200 people convert to Islam in the UK each year, 60 percent of them women.

* The entire infrastructure of Britain is changing. Mosques, Islamic schools, Sharia courts, Muslim-owned businesses and banks have now become an integral part of the British landscape.’

* There are already 100 mosques in Waltham Forest, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

* Across London, 24 Islamic primary and secondary schools teach thousands of pupils the national curriculum, but can devote time to Islamic studies in religious lessons.

* There are hundreds of after-school classes (where boys and girls wearing robes, skull caps or hijabs and learn to recite the Koran by heart) flourish in the mosques of British cities.

* There is also a separate Islamic financial system which conforms to Sharia banking industry restrictions, including a ban on interest payments on loans. According to Global Islamic Finance Report, Britain is now the main centre for Islamic finance outside the Muslim world.

A 224 page report by European Muslim Research Center (University of Exeter) over a 10 year study throughout Europe revealed:

* bulk of physical violence, intimidation and discrimination faced by 2m Muslims goes unreported because they have lost faith in the authorities

* disadvantage to Muslims has been the war on terror and everything viewed as a security risk

* “anti-Muslim violence in the UK is predicated on the rhetoric and practice of the “war on terror...by individuals who have become convinced and angry by negative portrayals of Muslims in the media”...one incident a woman wearing a burqa was punched and called a terrorist”

“If brave political leadership is forthcoming, then the task will be so much easier.” - This appears to be the same message delivered by the public.

An estimated 10 percent of children in Britain's schools are Muslim. The Muslim Council of Britain are demanding that UK curriculum includes Muslim contribution to shaping Britain and European history in the school text books.

National Association of Muslim Police are now demanding more Muslim representation in the British police.

From the newspapers - The Daily Star:

"Britain could have its first Sharia-controlled zone if plans for a mega-mosque more than four times the size of St Paul's Cathedral get the go-ahead.

"The East London mosque, known as the Riverine Centre, will hold 9,312 worshippers, compared to 2,400 at St Paul's.

"The 16-acre site in West Ham will include 40ft minarets, an Islamic library, a dining hall, multi-use games areas, tennis courts, sports facilities and eight flats for visiting Muslim clerics.

Daily mail:

Have more babies and Muslims can take over the UK' hate fanatic says, as warning comes that 'next 9/11 will be in UK'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1054909/Have-babies-Muslims-UK-hate-fanatic-says-warning-comes-9-11-UK.html

Reactions by the British:

"No more mosques in the UK. We are constantly building new mosques, which are paid for by the money that comes from oil states. We have only in this country as far as we know, 3.5 to four million Muslims. There are enough mosques for Muslims in this country, they don't need any more. We don't need to have Sharia law which would come with more mosques imposed upon our nation, if we don't watch out, that would happen.

"If we want to become an Islamic state, this is the way to go. You build a mosque and then what happens? You have Muslim people moving into that area, all the shops will then become Islamic, all the housing will then become Islamic and as the Bishop of Rochester has so wisely pointed out, that will be a no-go area for anyone else. They will bring in Islamic law. We cannot allow that to happen." (Alison Ruoff)

The issue is that there are organisations that are calling for nations to be turned into Islamic states with Islamic law and this is upsetting natives whether they like in UK, Europe, US or elsewhere. Politicians do not help by turning a blind eye because their silence is rewarded with votes or other rewards at the cost of entire nations. No one wants to live in disharmony or create tensions but it is up to authorities to take care of those setting the stage for tensions instead of taking actions against the reactions to the actions.

Obviously the situation in UK warrants far more attention than elsewhere as facts would show.

The aggressiveness with which the trend is shifting in the UK should make the British wonder how natives of former colonies felt when Christian colonialists conquered nations and forcefully converted natives and massacred those who refused.

For UK it may be sweet revenge but Buddhists and Hindus did not conquer nations or take over nations and forcefully convert natives. Yet, we do not expect the same scenarios to take place in the 21st century.

What we cannot overlook is that the calls are not isolated be it in the UK, EU, US or the current situation in Asia and the followers who believe and accept the calls are also increasing. Leaders are reluctant to take action against those planning to conquer nations through boosting births alongside encouraging and celebrating conversions.

What are the defences for people be they in Britain, US, EU or Buddhist Asia when the authorities and politicians turn a blind eye out of self-interest?