Training for Terrorism??

Training for terrorism?

So it would seem, from what the media is throwing up. The latest conclusive evidence against these brothers is these photographs of them praying together in the Lake District, years old chemistry notes from college and someone writing Bismillah on top of their notes. I think I ought to say thank you to my dear Mum for getting me into a routine of writing '786' on top of my homework - how long before they crack that code? Mind you, wouldnt be such a bad thing, may see an end to one certain boy-band.

Interesting article on new blog www.openmindsblogspot.com by Fahad Ansari comparing the furore over the Big Brother racism with the deathly silence over that last respectable racism, Islamophobiam, on display in the mass media every day, notably the Dispatches programme and the reporting of the trial of the alleged 21-7 bombers.

http://www.openmindsblogspot.com/HOME/tabid/36/EntryID/10/Default.aspx

[Excerpts]

"Unfortunately, this current debate has also indirectly exposed how deep-rooted Islamophobia is within British society that when it is clearly on display in the mass media, nobody even bats an eyelid."

"Moreover, by singling out Muslims for demonisation for holding beliefs shared by many other religious communities, the programme’s inherent Islamophobia was all too clear to see. Certain Muslim beliefs which were negatively portrayed as the doctrine of extremists are actually shared by Judaism and Christianity. For example, homosexual behaviour is prohibited in Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Unlike Muslims, Jewish people in Britain can govern their civil disputes according to their own religious law and anyone visiting Stamford Hill in North London would indeed find himself in what essentially is a “state within a state”. All three religions discuss at length the concept of jihad or ‘just war’ or Milhemet Mitzvah (obligatory war); and just like Islam, Christianity and Judaism also divides mankind into Believers and Disbelievers, labelling the latter respectively as kaffir, gentile or infidel."

"Old chemistry notes belonging to another suspect from his days at college were treated like a copy of the Anarchist Cookbook. That he wrote the words “In the Name of Allah” on the top of the page (something repeated by numerous Muslim students around the world as a way of bringing God’s blessing to one’s work) was treated like a confession."


Also, the Islamic Human Rights Commission is to launch their latest report on this very topic next week. Very timely.

http://www.ihrc.org.uk/show.php?id=2411

The Islamic Human Rights Commission’s latest report, ‘The British Media and Muslim Representation: The Ideology of Demonisation’ , is published on 26th January 2007. The report focuses on the British media and Muslim responses. It contains survey results from over 1200 Muslims and analyses TV, News, Film and Literature.

The report examines how persistent categorization of Muslims into narrow terms of (negative) discussion inheres in the British media. The report advocates a freer and fairer media that includes marginal and minority voices.

Anyone wishing to attend the launch at the Foreign Press Association should contact the IHRC office on info@ihrc.org or (+44) 20 8904 4222. Please contact the office on the same numbers for PDF review copies, a summary and further information.