Reflecting on the Nakba by remembering the Prophet’s ﷺ Night Journey
The 15th May marks the anniversary of one of the most catastrophic events to have taken place in recent history, an event that would constitute the foundations for decades of endless bloodshed, carnage and tyranny. Today, millions of displaced Palestinians around the world will mourn the theft of their land and the ethnic cleansing of their people in the establishment of the Israeli state, the illegitimate entity that exploited the genuine suffering of the Jewish people in Europe to terrorise the inhabitants of the Middle East. 70+ years on, the plight of the Palestinian people remains as hopeless as ever…
The Muslim Vote: Time for an Informed Discussion
Voting and electoral participation has always been a controversial topic amongst Muslims in Britain with an increasing number of Muslims now adopting the position that voting is not harām, with some yet considering it an obligation. It is no surprise then that with general elections around the corner, there has been a recent flurry of emails, blogs, websites and even YouTube clips in circulation encouraging British Muslims to play their part and make sure they use their vote. Also read: Is Voting Really Haram? | Shaikh Haitham on the 2015 elections | More Leaving aside the issues of the permissibility…
What Have We Learnt Since Malcolm X’s Martyrdom?
In an age when Muslims in the West find themselves as a minority, it is time for us to examine the life of Malcolm X and adopt his attitudes and beliefs as a template for our own attitudes and behaviour.
Sweden does not need new Terror Laws
Fahad Ansari, Human Rights lawyer and Caseworker for CAGE writes this piece - first published in Sweden's second largest evening newspaper - on CAGE's views on Swedish counter terror policy. With a renowned record for dealing with crime, Fahad questions their intentions to move towards policies similar to those adopted in the UK, which have not only failed in their application but also fundamentally erode civil liberties. CAGE were invited by human rights organisation MMRK to speak at a seminar in Sweden on Friday addressing the issues raised here. Sweden is renowned for its innovative solutions to social problems such…
And then they came for our Parents
Fahad Ansari dissects the latest Prevent-led initiative which is being pushed through a well-known YouTuber. The video reduces legitimate grievances with Western foreign policy and foreign intervention to "hate" and condemns all forms of violence as unlawful without considering the legitimate right of resistance and self-defence when faced with violent oppression. In its latest effort at social engineering, a British government has employed a Muslim comedian of “Diary of a Badman” notoriety, to star in a short video, the stated purpose of which is to dissuade young British Muslims from becoming involved in terrorism. The plot of the Prevent-funded production with the rather…
Banning ISIS flags or Muslim declaration of faith?
Banning the "ISIS flag" will outlaw the Muslim declaration of faith In some parts of the world, there are few more divisive and contentious issues than the flying of flags. These are usually as a result of historic injustices and a lack of sense of identification with the geographical landscape or population represented by the dominant flag. The obvious examples that spring to mind are from Northern Ireland and the debate in the US surrounding the Confederate flag. Recently David Cameron may have triggered a new flag debate in the UK that could result in another wave of anti-terror arrests and a…
Is there a plot to shut down CAGE?
The attack on CAGE has also been written about in the Telegraph. CAGE has been under sustained pressure over the last few months since its business bank accounts were closed down. Our work continues to go from strength to strength, but without your help we may not be able to keep our head above the water for very long. Please read this article and circulate it so that we can continue to advocate for truth and justice in the War on Terror. “Do people think that they will be left alone because they say, ‘We believe’, and will not be…
Courage in a Time of Fear
This week, BBC Radio 4 aired a documentary about the chilling impact Britain's anti-terror laws and policies are having on the ability of charities to deliver life-saving aid to dying children in Syria, Gaza and Somalia. Despite it being recognised by the UN that millions of people in Syria are not accessible to international aid agencies, UK-registered charities that have literally been the lifeline to these people, are now too afraid to work in those areas, out of fear of being prosecuted under Britain's draconian anti-terror laws. This fact was recognised by the UN Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Baroness…
HHUGS: An Embodiment of the Spirit of Karbala
Are we like these people, full of bravado and boasting, but when it comes to getting actively involved in fighting injustice, we retreat behind our computer screens, too afraid to do more than ‘like’ a status update, if even that? Last Thursday was the 10th of Muharram, a momentous day in the history of Islam, the day on which the Lord of the Worlds gave victory to His Messenger Musa ('Alayhisalam) and saved him and his people from one of the greatest tyrants to walk the face of this earth, the mighty Firaun. So significant is this day in the…
The Power of Words: Unveiling the Politics of Dehumanisation
“It is true that the Jew is a human being but so is a flea a living being – one that is none too pleasant ... our duty towards both ourselves and our conscience is to render it harmless. It is the same with the Jews.” These were the words of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda under Hitler. Such comments were typical of the discussions that abounded in Nazi circles about ‘the Jewish Question’. In what was a deliberate strategy of dehumanisation, the Nazis also described and portrayed the Jews as rats and vermin, bringing plague, disease and…
