“Britain Is the Enemy of Islam”
One Month of Islam in Britain: January 2015
“Britain is the enemy of Islam.” — Mizanur Rahman, Muslim cleric at Palmers Green, north London.
“Brothers and sisters, we would not be here had it not been for the fact that the kafir [non-Muslims] had gone to our lands and killed our people and raped and pillaged our resources… Stop putting freedom on this pedestal.” — Aysh Chaudhry, Muslim trainee lawyer at London-based law firm, Clifford Chance.
“The firm is committed to establishing an inclusive culture where people with diverse backgrounds and views work effectively together and feel confident to develop their potential.” — Spokesperson for Clifford Chance law firm.
Oxford University Press warned its authors not to mention pigs or sausages in their books, to avoid causing offense to Muslims.
Tarek Kafala, the head of BBC Arabic, said that the term “terrorist” was too “loaded” to describe the actions of the men who killed 12 people in the attack on the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo.
“We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam; but we need to show what is.” — Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, in a letter to 1,000 imams across Britain, asking for their help in fighting extremism.
Following is a brief summary of some of the main stories involving Islam and Islam-related issues in Britain during January 2015, categorized into three broad themes: 1) Islamic extremism; 2) British multiculturalism; and 3) Muslim integration into British society.
1. Islamic Extremism
On January 7, the British-born Islamist Anjem Choudary defended the jihadist attacks on the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. In an opinion article published by USA Today, Choudary wrote:
“Contrary to popular misconception, Islam does not mean peace but rather means submission to the commands of Allah alone. Therefore, Muslims do not believe in the concept of freedom of expression, as their speech and actions are determined by divine revelation and not based on people’s desires.
“In an increasingly unstable and insecure world, the potential consequences of insulting the Messenger Muhammad are known to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. So why in this case did the French government allow the magazine Charlie Hebdoto continue to provoke Muslims, thereby placing the sanctity of its citizens at risk?”
