emotions, frustrations and channelling

The muslims response to the crisis in gaza, has brought to the surface the postives in the ummah, their concern and love for their brothers and sisters in gaza, who have faced zionist brutality for 11 days, while the international community searches for a failed political solution.

we need to work with the muslim community to channel the emotions and frustrations which have been evident into a constructive vision for the muslim world, which will bring prosperity and security to the muslim world. Rather than sit back and allow the emotions and frustrations of the muslims be channelled into ineffective areas, which will end up not doing any good whatsoever for the ummah.

Just a thought

Its heartrenching to watch the news, the bombardment of defencless men, women and children in palestine, while muslim governments hide their faces in shame and call for failed solutions to an persistent problem.

charity organisations have been on islam channel such as interpal raising funds to aid the wounded, but it might be out of operation if Loyds TSB gets its way and a similar story for Ummah welfare trust, which has been given a 30 day notice by Barclays. One may wonder where is this heading, well giving sadaqh to suffering muslims is a way of maintaing and keeping alive the link with the ummah and  if muslim charity organisations are systematically closed down under the pretext of ‘supporting terrorist organisations’ any avenue or link to the ummah will be closed rendering the muslims in the UK, a body of people detached from a wider muslim polity.

This all fits into the agenda to severe the muslims in the UK from the wider ummah through imposing a new identity on the muslims, re-orientating their sense of loyalty and belonging- not only has this been pushed through reports post riots 2001 , such as the Ouseley and Cantle reports (ie introduction of secondary citizenship classes and concept of community cohesion which empahsies loyalty and belonging) but also the PVE empahsises this strongly.

The muslim community needs to be aware of what is happening under their noses in bradford and awaken to challenge those involved, otherwise our ummah will lose an important voice from the shores of the UK.

Palestine and PVE- wheres the link?

The brutal zionist state launched another attack on the Palestinians, with over 200 killed in air raids, hamas are blamed overlooking the root cause which is the occupation of palestine since 1948 preceeding the 1967 borders which is the basis of the meagre ‘peace process’. Muslims all over the world have felt the deep pain of what they have seen on the TV screens, emphasising the concept of belonging to a global ummah, with happiness and saddness being shared by all regardless of race, ethnicity, language or geogrpahy with the religious identity superceeding all other artificial identities which have gradually superceded our religious self due to the intellecutual decline of the ummah.

There are attempts now to dilute the concept of ummah by diluting and diffusing it in the minds of the muslims, there have been roashows calling on muslims in the UK to be proud of their britishness and the PVE empahsises the creation of a distinct british identity, which in essence means severing the muslims in the UK from the wider ummah. The implications of this are severe, such as the muslims in the UK not being concerned by what is happening in palestine or other parts of the muslim world. This will create passive muslims only concerned about what affects britain, shrinking the thinking and vision of muslims.

the dangers of the PVE throug this issue of palestine are evident and requires a voice in the muslim community to oppose it or else in the future it will be in respons to a massacre who cares it doesnt affect me or my country!

Muslim women- contributions welcomed

If there are  any muslim women that want to write on PVE and its targeting of muslim women, please email your contribution to- pvecg@hotmail.co.uk

2 target PVE groups are muslim women and muslim youth.

Mapping of the Muslim community and complicity of Muslim institutions

It is shocking to know that mosques in bradford are playing part in the mapping exercise by local authorities and the police. A mosque in bradford has organised weekly meetings with the police inside the mosque after friday prayers. The stated reason is to make it convenient for the muslims to speak to the police, to inform them of criminal activity. We all know in the present political climate ‘criminal activity’ is translated to mean ‘extremist activity’, reminiscent of the arab intelligence services visiting mosques in the arab world to gather information on ‘extremist activity’ from the caretaker.

Also for the police, holding meetings in a mosque complements its mapping exercise to gather information and intelligence on the community. This then will allow it to slice the community into different tiers and enact its various strategies and policies (pls see the pyramidal model in previous posts).

The failure to understand the PVE and its various phases is leading mosques to become complicit actors in this unjust PVE agenda, leading to the victimisation of a whole muslim community.

Cantle,funding and PVE

The Cantle report commissioned by the government post riots 2001, raised concerns surrounding funding and regeneration grants, which led to grievances between different communities, as one community believed it was not recieving enough economic resources compared to another leading to tensions between communities.

Its strange how this advice is not taken on board in the context of PVE- with £45 million pounds directed towards the muslim community over the next 3 years, clearly this is going to raise eyebrows in the non-muslim communities in bradford and provide fodder to the BNP, like it did in stoke!. this is a major objection to the PVE which has been raised by muslims and non muslims at PVE meetings and conferences up and down the country.

food for thought

The 9/11 international context awokened western governments to the changing political direction in the muslim world, with a growing opion for islamic political ideals, such as unity and Islamic law. This clearly goes against western interests in the muslim world, as the ideal situation is one of secular states institutionalised in a nation-state prism and framework.

This islamic revival has had an impact on muslims living in the west, which has translated into a highly islamically politicised body of muslims carrying islamic political ideas and campaigning for those ideals to be implemented in reality in the muslim world. This is a clear embarressment for western government, for example david milliband on a number of occassions on his visits to pakistan has spoken of british muslims supporting a democratic government in pakistan and its a major embarressement for the government when muslims in the UK are demonstrating for islamic change in pakistan. Therefore to put an end to this growing levels of islamic politics among muslims in the UK, the british government has presented the PVE to de-politicse and pacify the muslims by diluting and diffusing islamic political ideals with the aim of charging them according to secular political ideas, supporting democratic projects in the muslim world whether the fragile government in iraq or the coalition government in pakistan.

This de-politicisation and pacification of the muslims in the UK is highly dangerous as would remove the connection of muslims with the wider muslim world and remove its political mindest which has allowed it to hold an islamic vision towards change in the muslim world. Therefore an urgent need for the muslim community to come together in opposing the PVE to safeguard not only its identity but also its voice, which is crucial to the future of muslims in the UK.

Contributions Welcomed

Anyone interested in contributing an article to pvecg please send it to

pvecg@hotmail.co.uk

contributions most welcomed to keep the blog interesting and interactive.

What Bradford Muslims can learn from Reading Muslim (PVE) Crisis Group

The below is an an article sent to pvecg by a concerned muslim in Bradford

What Bradford Muslims can learn from Reading Muslim (PVE) Crisis Group

Bradford has been the target of clear government agendas with dedicated recruits from the local community under the banner of Preventing Violent Extremism. Communities minister, Hazel Blears after taking over her failed predecessor, Ruth Kelly, in this field has embarked on creating various ‘larger than life’ projects which singles out the Muslim community as being problematic in the pursuit of tackling ‘extremism’.

We have therefore witnessed various ‘publicity stunts’ by Hazel Blears’ local recruits in Bradford, who themselves lack any standing in our community and are no where to be seen for debate and discussion on their views which they advocate, in an effort to publicise the government strategy in this area.

Spin, deception, manipulation of facts- whatever we would like to call it- we have seen it all lately in Bradford- especially after Hazel Blears singled out this city as some form of Radical hotspot.

Despite being challenged on this fringe minority view held by individuals not known for their discourse abilities, no discussion has been really led in the public domain.

The Bradford Muslim community can learn from how Muslims in Reading are tackling this debate on a community level and work to mobilise the whole community against such projects which treats the Muslim community and her sons and daughters with suspicion and hampers relations built with various other communities in the borough.

A crisis group was set up in Reading with the support of more than 1,000 Muslims who objected to the local steps being taken under the Government’s Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) strategy launched this year.

As part of the scheme, £10,000 was awarded to the Reading Forum Against Extremism and another £80,000 to establish the Berkshire Forum Against Extremism. But Reading Muslim Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Crisis Group said since it started, Muslim groups in the town have become disillusioned with the project which started off as a collaborative effort between organisations and community groups in Reading.

The Reading Muslim PVE Crisis Group particularly objected to the council’s adoption of the National Indicator NI35 – a controversial framework which singles out the Muslim community as the main group to look out for in building communities resilient to violent extremism.It is also took concern about a new PVE toolkit which will be provided to school teachers to look out for signs of “radicalisation” in pupils – a move which the group labelled “absurd and disturbing”.

A statement from the group to Michael Coughlin, chief executive of Reading Borough Council, and Superintendent Steve Kirk said:

“The PVE work relies on a number of volatile terms such as ‘extremism’, ‘violent extremism’ and ‘radicalisation. These terms are undefined but have been used by members of the Government to demonise the Muslim community by equating Islamic values such as the desire for Muslim unity and adherence to Sharia law with ‘extremism’ or ‘violent extremism’.

“Communities don’t commit crimes, individuals do……However, the Government narrative on the causes of the cycle of violence we see occurring in the context of PVE blames an ‘ideology’ as the overriding cause for people’s radicalisation.

“This is in stark contrast to the way that the political troubles in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka was identified……This narrative firmly puts the blame for the cycle of violence at the door of Islam and the Muslim community.”

Community leaders in Bradford must step up to their responsibility in challenging the government narrative which is built on achieving governmental goals as opposed to addressing the real issues and factors behind the loose terms of Radicalisation and extremism.

The case study is there for us to see- Are we willing to take the next step forward?

Pacalis Associates????

The mysterious Pacalis Associates based in apperly bridge and run by former policemen organised a conference on the PVE in Ocotber 2008 at the Cedar Court hotel in Bradford. The below link gives details of the programme and speakers.

http://www.pacalis.co.uk/Pacalis_Conference_leaflet.pdf

if anyone knows how zaf shah is an expert or qualified to comment on ‘radicalisation’ please let us know, as it has been baffling us for a long time, and he aint in the best position to talk about identity as he is confused as it wasnt long ago when he applied to run for pakistan in the commonwealth games, what a british man!