National Khutbah Day: Close Guantanamo Bay
As we enter the 20th year since the opening of Guantanamo Bay, CAGE have created a khutbah template for Imams and Khatībs to use when preparing and delivering their Khutbah this week inshāAllāh.
Khutbah: 20 Years of the War on Terror
As we enter the 20th anniversary of the "war on Terror" targeting Islam and Muslims, CAGE have created a khutbah template for Imams and Khatībs to use when preparing and delivering their Khutbah this week inshāAllāh.
CAGE Match: O’Neil & Pals take on Asim Qureshi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-qJMMMW3p4 CAGE Match: O'Neil & Pals take on Asim Qureshi What you're about to see is a pack of obedient defenders of the security and political establishment on the BBC, enraged by advocacy group CAGE's revelations that the out-of-control security services in Britain acting without impunity have led to making Britain less safe from the threat of terrorism. They are clearly infuriated that this peasant dares challenge the masters' narratives surrounding terrorism - that it is caused solely by individuals' religious beliefs/"extreme" ideologies (whatever that means), instead of a combination of factors including the disenfranchisement and alienation of young people…
The CTS bill is now law, but ‘the battle is not over.’
It must be a sign of the times that as we mark 800 years of Magna Carta we expect a law that will tear it to shreds to pass through parliament largely unscathed. A community campaign was launched to #StopTheBill, a piece of legislation that will have a wide reaching impact, particularly against the Muslim community in Britain, giving the government Stasi-like powers to arrest, detain and render stateless, people whom the security agencies feel are at risk of ‘extremism’. Despite the large support this campaign received, this Bill has now been enacted into law. Though this may feel like…
Condemnation of PM’s fear-mongering rhetoric
CAGE condemns Prime Minister’s fear-mongering rhetoric (London, UK) On 29 August 2014, UK Prime Minister David Cameron publicly declared that the threat level to the UK had been raised due to fear of British nationals returning from the Middle East. CAGE has been documenting abuses of due process in the War on Terror for over a decade and expresses grave concerns about the planned measures. CAGE’s Research Director, Asim Qureshi, commented: 1. “This is a wild overreaction by UK government that will lead to further curtailment of civil liberties and abuse of the rule of law. Passport removal powers have always existed and…
The PREVENT Policy: a politically motivated programme
Award winning South African journalist Karen Jayes speaks to CAGE's Research Director Asim Qureshi regarding the discriminatory impact the UK government's PREVENT policy has had on British Muslims; drawing parallels between PREVENT and the criminalisation of thought in apartheid South Africa. The report referred to in this piece can be viewed here. The UK government’s “anti-terrorism” strategy, known as PREVENT, is cutting into every sector of Muslim life in Britain, resulting in divisions and fear – as well as the arrest of over 700 young Muslims between the ages of 15 and 24 in the past year alone. Independent advocacy organisation…
#SaveTheFamilyHome – Interview with the daughter of Munir Farooqi
CAGE speaks to Zulaikha Farooqi, daughter of Munir Farooqi who is appealing his recent and controversial conviction based on terrorism offences. His family are now being subjected to further proceedings. In an unprecedented step those prosecuting are trying to seize the family homes, which would make them homeless. CAGE: Could you please introduce yourself to our readers? Zulaikha Farooqi (ZF): My name is Zulaikha Farooqi, I am the daughter of Munir Farooqi who was active with da'wah in Manchester for over 10 years. He held a stall where he distributed Quran in English and other Islamic literature free to non-Muslims.…
My NHS counter-terrorism training session
This statement is the first ever published account of an NHS counter-terrorism training session. Some 44,000 healthcare professionals have gone through this training which they were told was designed to help them detect potential terrorists. However, this statement shows that backward assumptions and stereotypes about Muslims remain an integral feature of British counter-terrorism efforts, with actual substance hard to come by. I work as a nurse for the National Health Service in England. I recently attended a mandatory counter-terrorism training session at the Trust where I work. The training session, called WRAP (Workshop to Raise Awareness about PREVENT), is a Home…
Support Karl Watkins’ Private Prosecution of Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan
On 6 September 2012, the BBC reported that a British businessman Karl Watkins had instructed solicitors to commence a private prosecution against Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan. Mr Watkins has stated that he has taken this action because of the public interest in trying British citizens, accused of crimes committed in the UK, in British courts. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has until now refused to prosecute either man. Anyone can bring a private prosecution if they can prove that it is in the public interest to do so. The DPP has…
Seven Years in Captivity: Babar Ahmad Petition
Babar Ahmad is a 37 year old British Muslim and the longest detained-without-charge British detainee held as part of the global ‘war on terror’. In December 2003 Babar was arrested at his London home under anti-terror legislation. By the time he reached the police station Babar had sustained at least 73 forensically recorded injuries, including bleeding in his ears and urine. Six days later he was released without charge. In August 2004 Babar was re-arrested in London and taken to prison pursuant to an extradition request from the US under the controversial, no-evidence-required, Extradition Act 2003. The US has alleged…
