Self-styled Muslim leaders challenged

LONDON: In the wake of the growing Islamaphobia in Britain after the 7/7 terror attacks last year, eminent Muslim journalists, writers, filmmakers and activists have formed an organisation to give a more realistic image of the community and present an alternative voice to the self-styled leaders.

The lobbying group called ‘Muslims for Secular Democracy’ is co-founded and chaired by journalist and writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Alibhai-Brown, an Indian-origin immigrant, came to Britain from Uganda in the early 1970s. She has made a career for herself as a liberal, left-of-centre columnist in leading British newspapers, presenting herself as the voice of the Asian community.

The MSD, which is supported by people like Ghayasuddin Siddique of the Muslim Parliament, playwright Nasreen Rehman and Reem Maghrebi, editor of Sharq magazine, aims to challenge negative perceptions of British Muslims and build on issues which are more relevant to them instead.

The organisation says it supports a clear separation between religion and the state and wants to make “democratic engagement” its primary concern. “MSD founders wish to create a platform for alternative, diverse Muslim views, essential for a progressive, democratic identity that is not in conflict with itself or fellow citizens,” says the manifesto.

There are around 1.8 million Muslims living in Britain, and a large proportion of them are originally from the Indian sub-continent. After the London attacks, which were allegedly carried out by youths of Pakistani origin, the media spotlight has been turned on Asian Muslims in particular and Asians in general.

There have been growing incidence of Islamaphobic incidents on British streets, and even Hindus and Sikhs have been mistakenly affected by the racism.

Abdul Koyair, who was shot during a recent botched up terror raid at his home in East London, said he was attacked by the police simply because of his appearance. “They saw a man with a beard and brown face and thought I was a terrorist,” said Koyair, who was later released without any charges.

The group stresses that British Muslims have been “rendered invisible because of the overriding force of stereotypical perceptions” as a “problematic underclass”.

The MSD argues that there is a certain amount of alienation among some Muslim families, but the majority are not dysfunctional people with burning resentment. Such negative images are perpetuated by ‘unelected’ self-styled Muslim spokesmen who hold on to their power by overstating the threat of Muslim disaffection. MSD hopes to break this monopoly.