Alienating Vulnerable Communities Peter Oborne and James Jones

Alienating Vulnerable Communities Peter Oborne and James Jones

DEMOCRATIC AUDIT, HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX In association with CHANNEL 4 DISPATCHES July 2008 Peter Oborne and James Jones have written this pamphlet to accompany the Channel Four Dispatches documentary, ‘It Shouldn’t Happen to a Muslim’, broadcast on 7 July 2008 About the authors

●● Peter Oborne is a political journalist, author and television reporter. He writes a weekly column for the Daily Mail and is a presenter for Week in Westminster (BBC Radio 4). He has presented a number of Channel 4 Dispatches, including ‘Spinning Terror’, ‘Gordon Brown: Fit for Purpose?’ and most recently ‘Iraq: The Betrayal’. He is the author of Alastair Campbell, New Labour and the Rise of the Media Class (Aurum Press, 1999 and, with Simon Walters, 2004), A Moral Duty to Act There (CPS, 2003), Basil D’Oliveira: cricket and conspiracy (Little, Brown, 2004), The Rise of Political Lying (Free Press 2005) and The Triumph of the Political Class (Simon & Schuster Ltd 2007)

●● James Jones is a television journalist. He graduated from University College, Oxford, in 2005 with a first in Russian. He has since worked in current affairs television for the BBC and Channel 4. He has worked on films about Russian oligarchs – ‘Russian Godfathers’, BBC 2 2006, extraordinary rendition – ‘Mystery Flights’, BBC 2 2007, and most recently Iraq – ‘Dispatches: Iraq: The Betrayal’, Channel 4 2008.

4 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Contents

Foreword 7

Introduction 9

Chapter One Hounded out 11

Chapter Two Islamophobia: the bigotry of the politically correct 14

Chapter Three How Muslims spread disease, ban Christmas and other fabricated stories 19

Chapter Four How the Far Right turned to target Islam 24

Chapter Five Physical attacks on Muslims 27

Chapter Six Conclusions 29

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 5 Designed by Tony Garrett Printed by Creative Print Group, Wembley The views expressed in this pamphlet are the sole responsibility of the authors. Contributions are chosen for their value in informing public debate and should not be taken as representing a corporate view of Channel 4 or of its Board. Channel 4 is a public service broadcaster that values its independence and does not carry on activities with the intention of affecting public support for any registered political party or for candidates at election.

6 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Foreword

here is no such thing as a phenomenon that impartial the single monolithic observers have identified since “British Muslim the early 1900s, but it has community” that our grown worse since the terrorist politicians and media attacks of September 2001 in discuss. Britain’s one the United States and the Tube Tand a half million or so Muslims and bus bombings of July 2005 belong to a remarkably diverse in London. Insofar as it is a set of communities; in all, it is rational phenomenon, it seems estimated, there are over 50 that there is at its roots a view of ethnicities speaking almost 100 Islam and Muslim culture which languages between them. is as distorted as that of Osama However it is possible to speak Bin Laden and fellow extremists in generalities about their lives around the world. and experience in this country: The voices of ordinary British Muslims are rarely, if ever, heard ●● They are mainly young; amid the torrent of their rage ●● They tend to live in the most – and, let it be clearly said, in deprived cities, and a third of the representation of Islam and them live in the most deprived their lives by the media in their neighbourhoods in those cities; own country. Yet when we at Democratic Audit actually talked ●● They are disadvantaged and to young Muslims across Britain discriminated against in housing, we found an earnest and articulate education and employment by group of youngsters for whom comparison with other faith Islam was a religion of peace and groups; concern for others. We also found ●● Religion for Muslims is the profound feelings of fear and most important factor in their lives rejection. after their family; There are those who deny that Islamophobia actually exists. ●● They suffer disproportionately For them the abuse and hatred of more from discrimination, racial Muslims is being exaggerated to abuse and racial attacks than suit politicians’ needs and silence any other faith group, and the critics of Islam. They argue that more openly devout they are, the the concept confuses hatred and more likely they are to experience discrimination against Muslims harassment and abuse. with entirely legitimate criticism In short, Islamophobia is of Islam. Of course, all religions heaped onto all the other disad- must accept that their beliefs and vantages from which they suffer. practices are open to criticism, Islamophobia is nothing though few do so with good grace. new for Britain’s Muslims. It is But the discourse of Islamophobia

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 7 bites far deeper than honest debate into the lives of Britain’s Muslims, raising anger and fear, as it does, and exposing them to contempt. The deniers also state that discrimination against Muslims is not as great as it seems. Well, Peter Oborne and James Jones put paid to that argument in their Dispatches report for Channel 4 and in this passionate and deeply humane pamphlet which they have written to accompany that programme. The incidents that they describe are symptomatic: similar incidents have happened time and time again in the past, and will continue to happen in the future unless our society takes action. The exploitative media reporting that they analyse in detail is equally a recurring phenomenon. Perhaps we expect such shoddy and soulless conduct on the part of a tabloid press which is poisoning our society in a variety of ways. But they also uncover a disturbing willingness among writers in the broadsheet press and elsewhere to indulge themselves in blatantly anti-Islamic rhetoric and argument that would, as they argue, not be tolerated if it were directed against Jews, say, or gay people. I hope this report will give us all pause, and prompt all who care about the quality of life in this country to consider what can be done to halt this damaging and inhumane contempt for Britain’s Muslims. Professor Stuart Weir, Director of Democratic Audit

8 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Introduction

he seed for this similar inquiry. A series of reports pamphlet was planted has since shown how Islamo- in October 2006 when phobia, manifested in racial abuse Jack Straw1 and other and attacks, has increased after cabinet ministers raised both the 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist the issue of Muslim outrages that have clearly created Twomen wearing the veil.2 It soon a deeper resentment and fear became clear that this was more of British Muslims than existed than a random rumination from a before. It is therefore all the more member of the government. Rather important that those in positions Labour appeared to have made of influence – politicians at all the extraordinary decision to try levels, journalists, commenta- to identify with a general mood of tors, academics – get our facts resentment and anxiety about the and language right in order to presence of Muslim communities allow our Muslim communities in this country and to intervene in to live in peace and free from fear the politics of religious identity. and to prevent segregation and In doing so, they were playing alienation. with fire. John Denham, the However Straw’s initiative former Home Office minister, had liberated the British media to take already warned of the “cancer of his initiative to extremes that he Islamopobia” infecting the nation could not have anticipated. Soon and Straw himself had launched practically every week seemed the first report of the Runnymede to bring forth news of some fresh Trust’s Commission on British outrage perpetrated by a Muslim.4 Muslims and Islamophobia in Cumulatively this litany of November 1997. 3 condemnation has turned into an Islamophobia was already, anti-Islamic crusade. The authors then, a matter of great concern in of this pamphlet are members of the 1990s. Runnymede established the Church of England and if we the Commission after a previous had come under the same wave report on anti-Semitism in contem- of condemnation for our practices porary Britain had recommended and traditions we would by now be that it should urgently set up a affronted beyond belief. So this pamphlet investigates

1 Lancashire Telegraph 5 October 2006 http://www. prejudice against Muslims. It guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/oct/06/politics.uk accompanies the Channel 4 2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6040016. stm Harriet Harman 11.10.06 Dispatches film, “It Shouldn’t http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-410622/ Muslim-veil-symbol-womens-oppression-says-Jowell. 4 2006 ‘Muslim cabbie bans ‘unclean’ guide dog’, html Tessa Jowell 16.10.06 Daily Express, October 7; ‘Make my pray’, News of the World, 22 October 22, 2006; ‘Fury as cops told ‘let off’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6036377.stm Muslim crooks in holy month’, Daily Mail , ‘Soldier abuse Gordon Brown 11.10.06 hospital tightens security’, Daily Mail, 7 October 7, 2006: 3 The report, Islamophobia: A Challenge for Us All, ‘SECURITY is to be tightened at an NHS hospital where made 60 recommendations, many of which were acted an injured British soldier was confronted by a Muslim on by the government. man while undergoing treatment.’

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 9 Happen to a Muslim”, aired on Shoaib Ihsan, Nabila Khan, Dr 7 July 2008, and is principally Paul Symonds, Sarfraz Sarwar, based on our experience and Ian Morton, the Kachiwala family, research while making the film. Masjid Umar in Leicester, Hanif This pamphlet does, however, go Qadir, Mohammed Mustafa, Chief beyond the thesis and contents of Superintendent Simon Coxall, our Dispatches film. Chris Allen, Laura MacDonald, The first chapter explores one Asif Mehmood, Mr Azam, Imam particular episode: how, at the Mustafa Naz and Fazilat Naz. same time that Jack Straw was It has been inspirational, making his remarks, the Sun and always great fun, working newspaper was able to confect alongside the team from the a page one splash story about a production company Quicksilver Muslim outrage aimed at British Television. We would like to thank soldiers. The second chapter executive producer, Eamonn explores how some of Britain’s Matthews, producer, Ed Watts, leading and most respected director, Chris Boulding and commentators distort and twist cameraman, Colin Rogal. Assistant Islam. In chapter three we Producer Farzana Tejani scoured document in detail fabrication the country and found a number of stories which hurt or damage of harrowing stories and inspira- Muslims. tional people. Sara Kalim, Melissa We then move on to show how D’Amico, Hannah Hatliff and this twisted and vindictive public Candida Pearce were supportive culture has its impact on British far beyond the call of duty. Tom streets. Chapter four shows how Greeves came in at a late moment the far right is starting to focus with his outstanding research menacingly on Muslims, while skills. Stuart Weir and Andrew chapter five chronicles physical Blick of Democratic Audit edited attacks and abuse. We are emphat- this pamphlet with their usual ically not calling for special calm and skill. As always we have treatment for our Muslim fellow derived enormous support and citizens: we are simply asking for insight from Channel Four, and fairness. The final chapter calls our thanks go to Mehdi Hasan end our culture of vilification and Dorothy Byrne, Head of News towards Muslims. and Current Affairs, who commis- The patience, generosity sioned a film which we hope and and insight of our many inter- believe will lead to a better, more viewees have shaped the film open and more decent public and this pamphlet, and often the debate about Muslims in Britain. robust defence of their viewpoint has forced us to sharpen our argument. Many thanks go out to Polly Toynbee, Michael Gove MP, Patrick O’Flynn, Phil Woolas MP, Superintendent Dal Babu, Shahid Malik MP, Trevor Kavanagh, Gulam Hussein, Andy Hayman, DCI Steve Reschwamm, Mohamed Iqbal, Matthew Tait, Carol Reed, Sheila Goulden, Karen Hayes, Sobhat Hussein, Mike Coleman, Steve Batkin, Mr Mustafa, Rana Tufail, Ather Mirza,

10 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Chapter One HOUNDED OUT

n the morning of 7 want in their own.” October 2006 the Sun Millions of Sun readers newspaper splashed a reading this account were entitled dramatic story across to feel nothing but anger and its front page.1 The contempt for the violent and story – which was billed treacherous Muslims who had Oas exclusive – concerned a callous carried out such a disloyal act and cynical crime committed by against brave British soldiers. But Muslims. A team of Sun reporters there was one very big problem described in graphic detail how with the Sun story. As this what the paper labelled a “Muslim pamphlet will demonstrate, there hate mob” had vandalised a house was no Muslim involvement of near Windsor. The Sun revealed any kind. that “vile yobs hurled bricks It is true that a house had been through windows and daubed vandalised in Montagu Road, part obscenities. A message on the of the comfortable and prosperous drive spelled out in 4ft letters: Windsor suburb of Datchet – as ‘Fuck off’.” the Windsor Express had reported One Tory MP, Philip Davies, the previous day. It also looks was quoted venting outrage at very likely that the attack was this act of vandalism. “If there’s connected with the potential anybody who should fuck off,” arrival of four household cavalry Davies was quoted as saying, “it’s officers. But when we travelled to the Muslims who are doing this Windsor last month it gradually kind of thing. Police should pull became apparent that the Sun out the stops to track down these story about Muslim involvement vile thugs”. The Conservative in the outrage was false. immigration spokesman, Damian We found that Montagu Road Green MP, labelled it a “shocking is a secluded cul-de-sac in a fairly development”. prosperous residential area of The Sun left its readers under Windsor. The average house price no doubt as to why the outrage in the road is around £600,000, had been committed. Local the gardens are beautifully tended Muslims were waging a vendetta and – with the notable exception against four British soldiers who of the incessant air traffic coming hoped to rent the house on their into Heathrow – there is an air of return from serving their country almost rural tranquillity. As far as in Afghanistan. The paper quoted we could discover, no Muslims an army source saying that: “these lived in the area at all, while the guys have done nothing but nearest significant community of bravely serve their country – yet Muslims is to be found in Slough, they can’t even live where they some ten miles away. To all intents 1 HOUNDED OUT, The Sun, 7 October 2006 and purposes Montagu Road was

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 11 a white, gated community. Montagu Road crime had never under pressure from the Press This meant the Sun story been solved. However, he agreed Complaints commission, a was highly speculative at best, with us that the most likely motive four-line correction was published, especially given that, according to was local alarm that the presence tucked away on page 4. It read: the police, there were no witnesses of soldiers might damage house “Following our report ‘Hounded to the attack. The Sun claim that prices, while confirming that there out’ about a soldiers’ home in a “Muslim hate mob” could have was no evidence of any kind of Datchet, Berks, being vandalised arrived unnoticed in tranquil Muslim involvement.4 by Muslims, we have been asked Montagu Road and committed As part of our researches, we to point out no threatening calls vandalism without being observed spoke to Jamie Pyatt, one of the were logged at Combermere was nothing short of prepos- Sun team of journalists who wrote Barracks from Muslims and police terous. Furthermore, the police the exclusive front page splash. have been unable to establish if denied any Muslim connection. Pyatt, who himself comes from the any faith or religious group was Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Slough area, stood by his story. He responsible for the incident. We Reschwamm, who investigated told us that the police were being are happy to make this clear.”6 the incident, declared in a press politically correct by not admitting This short announcement fell very release after the Sun article that Muslims had carried out the far short of an apology. Indeed appeared that: “Inquiries carried crime. He told us how he heard the Sun never has said sorry out to date conclude that although about the story from the local to Muslims for the outrageous one of our initial lines of inquiry paper and had then spoken to public calumny that had appeared was to consider possible racially his contacts in local Combermere on the front page splash of aggravated circumstances, we barracks, who told him they had 7 October 2006. It has never never labelled any particular faith/ received a phone call with racist retracted the sensational assertion religion as being responsible.” The overtones. that a “Muslim hate mob” had police concluded that there was This particular call, insisted vandalised the house. “no evidence to suggest that this Pyatt, was not logged so there was So the Sun did no more than incident was racially motivated”.2 no official record, which is why issue one minor, almost technical, In fact the real explanation the MoD and the police could find retraction. That must be why, to for the vandalism seems much no evidence. According to Jamie this day, the original “Hounded simpler, and rather closer to home. Pyatt, his contacts were under no Out” story can still to be found In his article for the Windsor doubt as to who vandalised the on the Sun website.7 So the lie is Express the previous day, local house. He claimed that there are still out there, and the false and journalist Paul Pickett had written lots of Asians on the road who divisive story continues on its a far more scrupulous piece.3 could easily have seen British merry way. He reported that the local army soldiers looking around in their What the Sun had done was barracks had received three combat gear.5 This was certainly to take a local story about a piece anonymous phone calls the not our impression. In fact, during of vandalism, probably caused by previous week. They were not the time we spent in Montagu local snobbery about the presence from Muslims, however, as the Road, Datchet, we did not see a of soldiers – and convert it into Sun reported. They were from single man, woman or child who another kind of story altogether local residents. Pickett reported looked even remotely Muslim, about evil Muslims. This case is that the anonymous calls objected although we spotted lots of white far from unique. As we discovered to the presence of soldiers because residents going confidently about while researching this pamphlet, they would lower property prices their business. The truth is that in is in fact typical of reporting of in the road. He also reported that tranquil, leafy, suburban Montagu the Muslim communities across around 40 local residents had Road Jamie Pyatt’s “Muslim hate large parts of the mainstream signed a petition, objecting to the mob” would have stuck out a mile. British media. Nor is it merely soldiers moving in. Eventually even the Sun was that newspapers are at liberty When we spoke to Detective forced to admit that there were to exaggerate and distort stories Chief Inspector Reschwamm about problems with its story. Some about Muslims. As we will show in the episode he conceded that the four months after it appeared, this pamphlet, they are also free to

2 “No racial motive following incident in Datchet,” Police Statement, 11 October 2006 4 Interview 9 June 6 Sun, 15 January 2007 3 “Soldiers given the cold shoulder”, Windsor Express, 5 Telephone interview with Jamie Pyatt, 11 June 7 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/ 5 October 2006 2008 article66292.ece

12 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE make broad and deeply insulting a veiled terror suspect?” 8 generalisations about Muslims We agree with Jonathan of a kind that would simply be Freedland’s analysis. The purpose impossible to make about any of this pamphlet is to sketch out other minority group. this new state of affairs, and to Imagine if the Sun – without explore its consequences. We serious evidence – announced will show that prejudice against on its front page that the “hate Muslims is not just confined to mob” which had desecrated the words. We will show that violent Montagu Road house was gay, attacks on innocent people are Jewish, or made up of angry, also common: we learnt of a hate-filled Liverpudlians. Imagine number during the handful of if the police then said that there weeks that we were researching was no foundation to the story, and this pamphlet. We will show that that it could later be shown to be the far right in British politics a complete distortion of the truth. has turned away from Jews and It is hard to imagine Rebekah blacks, its traditional targets, and Wade surviving as editor – and shifted its focus onto Muslims the journalists who actually wrote instead. the story would surely have been The history of postwar Britain sacked. is in very large part the story And yet because only Muslims of enlightenment : the steady were libelled there were no reper- eradication of irrational fears and cussions. Nobody seems to have resentments. Prejudice against minded – nobody, that is, except foreigners, gays and blacks has Muslims. British society seems to steadily been softened or in some have decided they do not matter happy cases eliminated. But one resentment remains, and today very much. So their complaints it is stronger than ever. Prejudice count for very little, and can be against Islam – Islamophobia – is safely ignored. This makes them Britain’s last remaining socially vulnerable. respectable form of bigotry, as we It’s no wonder that the will show in the next chapter. journalist Jonathan Freedland wrote this in his Guardian column in October 2006, at the height of the controversy unleashed by Jack Straw’s attack on Muslim women who wear the veil:

“I’ve been trying to imagine what it must be like to be a Muslim in Britain. I guess there’s a sense of dread about switching on the radio or television, even about walking into a newsagents. What will they be saying about us today? Will we be under assault for the way we dress? Or the schools we go to, or the mosques we build? Who will be on the front page: a terror suspect, a woman in a 8 Guardian , 18 October 2006 http://www.guardian. veil or, the best of both worlds, co.uk/commentisfree/2006/oct/18/comment.politics

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 13 Chapter Two ISLAMOPHOBIA: THE BIGOTRY OF THE POLITICALLY CORRECT

slamophobia was defined cally asks in the title of a speech, in 1997 by the landmark “Count me in.”4 report from the Runnymede Imagine Liddle declaring: Trust as “an outlook or “Anti-Semitism? Count me in”, world-view involving an or Toynbee announcing that she unfounded dread and was “an anti-semite and proud Idislike of Muslims, which results of it.” This just wouldn’t happen in practices of exclusion and and for very good reasons. Anti- discrimination”.1 In 2004 the semitism is recognised as an evil, then United Nations Secretary noxious creed and its adherents General Kofi Annan noted at a barred from mainstream society United Nations conference that and respectable organs of opinion. “when the world is compelled to Not so Islamophobia. Its practi- coin a new term to take account tioners assert that Islamophobia of increasingly widespread cannot be regarded as the same as bigotry that is a sad and troubling anti-semitism because the former development. Such is the case is hatred of an ideology or a with Islamophobia.”2 religion, not Muslims themselves. Notwithstanding these This means there is no social, pronouncements, Islamophobia political or cultural protection of seems to be the last respectable this kind for Muslims: as far as the prejudice available in modern British political, media and literary Britain. As this pamphlet will establishment is concerned the illustrate, it can be encountered normal rules of engagement are in the best circles: among our suspended. This chapter will show most famous novelists, among how easy it is to create misleading columnists from the Independent and exaggerated stories about and Guardian newspapers, and in Islam and Muslims and get them the Church of England. Its appeal published. It will demonstrate is wide-ranging. Adherents can how it is permissible to invidiously be found among ardent church- single out Muslims in newspaper goers and militant atheists. “I am headlines in a way that would be an Islamophobe, and proud of it,” unthinkable in any other minority, writes Guardian columnist Polly except perhaps paedophiles. Toynbee in the Independent.3 Here is Martin Amis, one of “Islamophobia?” the Sunday Times Britain best-known novelists, on columnist Rod Liddle rhetori- Muslims. What he has to say is extraordinarily shocking. His 1 Commision on Muslims and Islamophobia, words, if used about any other Islamophobia: a Challenge for us all, Runnymede Trust, 1997, p. 5 minority, might have been seen 2 United Nations press release, 7 December, 2004. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sgsm9637. 4 “Is Islam Good for London”, Event organised by doc.htm Evening Standard 13 November 2007 http://www. 3 In defence of Islamophobia, Independent, 23 esadvertising.co.uk/media/images/Influentialsde- October 1997 bate_islam_1025.pdf

14 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE as inciting hatred, if not violence. McEwan is careful to attack more straightforward. It read: “There is a definite urge – don’t only what he calls “Islamism” – an “We are destroying the very you have it?”, Amis told Ginny ambiguous and poorly defined values which could save us in our Dougary of The Times: “The term often used by critics of battle against Islam”. 8 Anderson Muslim community will have to Islam to attack those aspects of was gloomy about the outcome, suffer until it gets his house in the religion they do not like. The warning that the fight against order. Conservative Party leader David Islam was tougher than the fight “Not letting them travel. Cameron has noted that those who against Soviet Russia in the Cold Deportation – further down the use this term are guilty of a “lazy War. “Then, the enemy had a road. Curtailing of freedoms. use of language”.7 McEwan’s name, a capability, an order of Strip-searching people who look readiness to come to the defence battle. We had insights into his like they’re from the Middle East of his fellow novelist after such intentions, diplomatic means of or from Pakistan. Discrimina- a venomous and inflammatory mitigation, geopolitical concepts. tory stuff, until it hurts the whole remark is very striking here. Now, we do not even have a community and they start getting It is hard to imagine McEwan map of our ignorance. We are tough with their children.” 5 defending Amis against all-comers blundering in the dark, wrestling Amis has since defended had he made similar remarks, with unknown unknowns.” Yet his remarks by asserting that say, about the generality of Anderson did not altogether he was engaged in a “thought Irish people at the height of the despair, noting that “Europe has experiment”. Troubles in the 1980s. immense strengths. The resources Here Martin Amis is doing The Amis/McEwan episode of civilisation are not exhausted.” much more than insulting shows the power of Islamophobia The implicit analysis contained Muslims. He is using the foul and to unite public culture at every in this article could not be clearer. barbarous language of fascism. level. It is not just confined to Civilised Europe was engaged And yet his books continue to so-called tabloid newspapers. It is in a life and death battle with sell, and his work continues to be to be found in the broadsheets as barbarous Islam. At the vanguard celebrated. Fellow authors leap well. While we were researching of this assault were “Muslim to his defence. Late last month this pamphlet an extraordi- immigrants”. This kind of writing Ian McEwan – who along with nary example of Islamophobia amounts to a gross distortion. Amis has a claim to be regarded appeared in the Independent. There is, of course, no question as the most acclaimed novelist The conservative columnist and at all that Britain and many other of his generation came to Amis’s thinker Bruce Anderson wrote, countries find ourselves in a battle defence. “A dear friend had been “There are widespread fears that with certain groups of Muslim called a racist,” he said. “As soon Muslim immigrants, reinforced by terrorists. But that is not the same as a writer expresses an opinion political pressure and, ultimately, as being in a battle with Islam, against Islamism, immediately by terrorism, will succeed where and it is morally wrong and intel- someone on the left leaps to his Islamic armies failed and change lectually feeble to make that claim. feet and claims that because irrevocably the character of A sort of collective moral the majority of Muslims are European civilisation.” blindness overcomes the British dark-skinned, he who criticises Some might well argue that political, media and cultural estab- it is racist.” This was logically such an achievement might be no lishment when columns like this absurd and morally unaccept- bad thing – it is worth recalling get written. Bruce Anderson is a able. “Martin is not a racist. And I that Mahatma Ghandi, when famous bête noir of the politically myself despise Islamism, because asked what he thought of Western correct – and yet this rabid and it wants to create a society that I civilisation, replied that he profoundly inflammatory denun- detest, based on religious belief, thought it would be a very good ciation of Britain’s 1.6 million on a text, on lack of freedom idea. Anderson, however, was in Muslims, with its claim that they for women, intolerance towards no doubt that European civilisa- were waging war against western homosexuality and so on – we tion was fighting a remorseless civilisation, did not raise an know it well.” 6 war against Islam. The headline eyebrow. We searched hard – and of his article could not have been 5 “The Voice of Experience,” The Times, 9 September 8 “We are destroying the very values that could 2006 http://www.ginnydougary.co.uk/2006/09/17/ save us in our battle against Islam,” Independent, 2 the-voice-of-experience/ June 2008; http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/ 6 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ 7 “What I learnt from my stay with a Muslim family,” commentators/bruce-anderson/bruce-anderson-we- europe/i-despise-islamism-ian-mcewan-faces- Observer, 13 May 2007 http://www.guardian.co.uk/ are-destroying-the-very-values-which-could-save-us- backlash-over-press-interview-852030.html commentisfree/story/0,,2078471,00.html in-our-battle-against-islam-838209.html

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 15 found no criticism at all anywhere immigrants are mainly poor, Muslim women in particular. She in the mainstream British press or isolated and alienated from added that she has adopted a media of Bruce Anderson’s piece, mainstream society. Many of Somali family, not the action of except for a few angry responses them are of a different skin someone with a personal phobia in the Independent letters page. colour. As a community British about Muslims. If anything, there was Muslims are relatively powerless. Venomous though Toynbee can approval. The neoconserva- There are very few Muslim MPs, sometimes be about Islam, she is tive writer Douglas Murray, there has never been a Muslim every bit as hostile to Christianity. director of the Centre for Social cabinet minister, no mainstream She is the President of the British Cohesion, founded by Civitas, newspaper is owned by a Muslim Humanist Association and she the right-wing think tank, posted and – as far as we are aware – only addresses all religions from an a link on its website blog to one newspaper employs a regular impartial hostile perspective. Anderson’s article. He stated, Muslim columnist on its comment Some might argue that it is one without criticism or further pages, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown of thing to publish violent diatribes comment, that the piece “nicely the Independent. Various statistical against Christianity, Britain’s summed up” many of “the surveys show that Muslims have official religion, in its various cogitations of the last three days” the highest rate of unemployment, manifestations, official and of the “Post-Christian Europe poorest health, the most disability unofficial, to which many citizens and Resurgent Islam” conference and fewest educational qualifica- at any rate nominally subscribe – in Vienna, the event which had tions of any faith group in the and quite another to be quite so 11 apparently provoked the Anderson country. This means they are disrespectful towards the religion 9 polemic. A link to the article was very vulnerable indeed, rendering of a small and comparatively also posted on the BNP’s internet them open to ignorant and hostile vulnerable British minority. This discussion board, introduced commentary from mainstream criticism carries extra weight with the ironically perplexed figures – in particular to ignorant because Islam plays a much more line, “Here’s a rather strange and malicious analysis which powerful role in shaping the article from the normally leftist conflates the violence of a tiny identity of most Muslims than 10 Independent” minority of Muslim terrorists with Christianity does in forming the There is a reason for this the British Muslim communities outlook of the majority of British blindness in the media establish- as a whole, or indeed the entire citizens. ment. The systematic demonisa- religion of Islam. However, the far bigger tion of Muslims has become a The Guardian columnist Polly problem with Toynbee’s reporting Toynbee has produced some very important part of the central is that she distorts the Islamic narrative of the British political egregrious analysis of Islam, faith. Like the Tory commentator and media class at the start of and she makes an interesting Bruce Anderson and many other the 21st century. Indeed, it has study. Ms Toynbee is a normally Islamophobes, she portrays it strong historic roots. But it is regarded as a model of political as bloodthirsty, hate-filled and now so entrenched, so much correctness, and a champion of opposed to civilised values. This part of normal discussion, that the oppressed. When it comes distortion can be quite systematic almost nobody notices. Protests to Islam, however, she suddenly and disturbing, as Polly Toynbee’s go unheard and unnoticed. sounds remarkably like Bruce defence of Islamophobia, All politicians and journalists Anderson. Like Anderson she published in the Guardian shortly engaged in mainstream public portrays Islam as a bloody and after 11 September 2001, shows. discourse are taught to be oppressive religion at war with In the article Toynbee challenged abnormally sensitive about western civilisation. We are the proposition that Islam was giving offence to minorities of emphatically not accusing her of peaceful and tolerant religion, as any description. The one glaring being a racist. Indeed when we the following section shows: exception to this rule is Britain’s interviewed her she took care Muslims. to inform us of her extensive “But the blood-curdling words of It is not too hard to speculate connections with Muslims, and the Prophet are there for all

on the reason. Britains Muslim 11 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget. to read: ‘Kill those who join asp?id=979; see also House of Commons Home Affairs 9 http://www.socialcohesion.co.uk/blog/2008/06/ Committee, Terrorism and Community Relations, HC other gods’ (Koran, 6: 5-6). the_pessimism_of_vienna.html 165-I, 2004-05, pp.22-24, and Blick, A., et al, The Rules Muslims must ‘slay or crucify 10 http://www.bnp.org.uk/2008/06/christian- of the Game: Terrorism, Community and Human Rights, preachers-face-arrest-in-birmingham/ Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, 2006, ch. 2. or cut the hands and feet of the

16 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE unbeliever’ (5:34). ‘From them is a description of Hell and of Chapter 2:190: “Fight in the cause [the unbelievers] garments punishment for sinners in the After of Allah those who fight you, but of fire shall be cut and there Life, and by no means dissimilar do not transgress limits; for Allah shall be poured over their to other religions’ standard loveth not transgressors”. head a boiling water whereby descriptions of Hell. It has nothing When we asked Toynbee how whatever is in their bowels to do with how Muslims treat she had come by these quotes and skin shall be dissolved non-Muslims in this world, in this she said that she did not know, a and they will be punished with life. reasonable reply since the article hooked iron rods’ (22:19-22). She refers to a Prophetic was penned more than six years The Prophet commands for any (actually Koranic) instruction: ago. Wherever she happened to unbeliever, ‘Seize ye him and “Seize ye him and bind obtain her quotes from the Koran, bind ye him, And burn ye him him” which again refers to the similar truncated quotes can be in the Blazing Fire. Further punishment for the unbelievers found on a crude, anti-Muslim make him march in a chain and sinners in the fire of Hell, in website (see http://www.flex. whereof the length is seventy the After Life, and has no worldly com/~jai/satyamevajayate/hell. cubits... Nor hath he any food or earthly relevance to Muslim/ html). There is also circumstantial except the corruption from the non-Muslim relations. evidence that this website has washing of wounds’. There is As for her quotation, “Kill those also been filleted by the British much more, with smiting above who join other gods”, this verse National Party; and similar quotes necks and smiting all fingertips does not appear in Chapter 6, from the Koran have also been off. It is notable that his early verses 5 and 6, as Toynbee claims, used in BNP campaigning. It words of tolerance spring from but in Chapter 9. Crucially, it is is intriguing how, from different when he was weak, while truncated: the verse emphatically ends of the spectrum, both critics the murderous talk comes doesn’t mean Muslims should of Islam such as Bruce Anderson from his later all-conquering go out willy-nilly and kill non- and Polly Toynbee, and Muslim days. As for women’s rights, believers in the middle of the High supporters of terrorism like slave-maids are the spoils of Street. It is in fact part of a histori- Osama Bin Laden, interpret the war, just as scores of celestial cally specific group of verses that Koran so violently. Mainstream virgins are the reward for refers to a period when certain Muslims choose not to. It is martyrs. Husbands have the pagan tribes in Arabia reneged an interesting and instructive right to scourge disobedient on their peace treaty with the paradox that commentators such wives, women’s evidence is early Muslims and the Koran then as Anderson and Toynbee share inadmissible in court – all gave permission to the Muslims the same warped interpretation this jars with the hundreds of to fight them. It is in the midst of a great religion as the violent emails I had explaining how of this group of verses that “Kill extremists they denounce. well Islam respects women.12 those who join other Gods” and so When we put these distorted on appears (i.e. “those who join quotes to Toynbee, she said very There are all kinds of problems other Gods” being that specific much to her credit that she would with this analysis. Toynbee’s use group of non-Muslims who had not write the same article again. of verses taken from the Koran betrayed the Muslims and their She remarked, very reasonably, is disingenuous and partial. She treaty). The group of verses ends that we have all learnt a great refers to Chapter 5, verse 34, with an injunction to “leave them deal since 9/11. Furthermore we saying Muslims must “crucify free” if they repent and, “If they have not been able to find similar or cut the hands and feet of the ask for asylum… grant them”. distortions of Islam in more unbeliever” but omits to mention Toynbee misses all this out and recent articles by the Guardian that this is in the context of a therefore gives a totally inverted commentator. However as this defensive war launched against and erroneous impression. pamphlet went to press Toynbee’s Muslims by non-Muslims. She It is also worth stressing original piece, with its disturb- refers to Chapter 22, verses that nowhere in her article does ingly unfair interpretation of the 19-22 – the section dealing with Toynbee make any mention of Koran, remained unamended on “garments of fire” – without the countless verses in the Koran the Guardian website.13 informing the reader that this calling for peace and tolerance: Islamophobia is a tremendous 12 “Last Chance to Speak Out,” Guardian, 5 October e.g. Chapter 2: 256: “Let there be force for unification in British 2001 http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2001/oct/05/ afghanistan.terrorism no compulsion in religion” and 13 ibid.

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 17 public culture. It does not merely influence. The Church of England bring liberal progressives like Newspaper felt free casually to Polly Toynbee together with smear Muslims with charges that curmudgeonly Tory commenta- are simply not true. The same tors like Bruce Anderson. It also caution applies to the recent enlists militant atheists with fear-mongering about Muslims by Christian believers. While we the Bishop of Rochester, Michael were researching this pamphlet a Nazir-Ali. In a comment article blistering attack on alleged British in the Telegraph he failed to government complicity in the rise cite a single specific example to of British Islam appeared in the support his allegation that Muslim Church of England Newspaper. “no-go” areas existed in Britain, The article stated that: while making sweeping assertions about Islamic extremism.15 “A Muslim Home Office adviser, This shows once again that it is for example, was responsible possible to assert write anything for Baroness Scotland’s one wishes about Islam, and about aborting of the legislation British Muslims. against honour killings, arguing that informal methods would be better. In the police we hear of girls under police protection having the addresses of their safe houses disclosed to their parents by Muslim officers who think they are doing their religious duty. While men-only gentlemen’s clubs are now being dubbed unlawful, we hear of municipal swimming baths encouraging ‘Muslim women only’ sessions and in Dewsbury hospitals staff waste time by turning beds to face Mecca five times a day – a Monty Pythonesque scenario of lunacy, but astonishingly true. Prisons are replete with imams who are keen to inculcate conservative Islam in any inmates who are deemed to be culturally ‘Muslim’: the Prison Service in effect treats such prisoners as a cultural block to be preached to by imams at will.14 (In fact, the hospital story is astonishingly untrue; see Chapter 3.)

What is fascinating about this article is the absence of any evidence of any kind for its allegations about Muslim

15 Daily Telegraph, 11 January 2008; http://www. 14 Church of England Newspaper, 23 May 2008; http:// telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1574695/Extremism- www.churchnewspaper,com flourished-as-UK-lost-Christianity.html

18 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Chapter Three HOW MUSLIMS SPREAD DISEASE, BAN CHRISTMAS AND OTHER FABRICATED STORIES

e wanted to with threats, problems or in find out for opposition to dominant British sure whether values. By contrast, we found that the kind of only 2 per cent of stories contained anti-Muslim the proposition that Muslims commentary supported dominant moral Wdescribed in the chapter above values.” There were very few was typical. So Channel 4 cheerful stories about Muslims. By Dispatches commissioned the contrast one quarter of all stories Cardiff School of Journalism, about Islam view it as “dangerous, Media and Cultural Studies, backward or irrational” with a famous for the rigour and further quarter seeing Islam as astringency of its media analysis, part of a clash with the west. to examine reporting of Muslim Almost half of descriptive nouns issues. A team of three academics used for Muslims by the media and eight students worked on a boil down either to “terrorist” or unique study of coverage of Islam “extremist”. over eight years from 2000. The There are obviously some team analysed some 974 stories understandable reasons for in all. The full report, along with some of these negative stories. details of the methodologies and Each specific piece of coverage procedures, can be found on the may even have been justified Channel Four website. – though we doubt it. However The Cardiff team found it is worthwhile pausing to that approximately two thirds consider the cumulative effects of all “news hooks” for stories this barrage of negativity must about Muslims involved either have on Muslims in Britain. terrorism (some 36 per cent of Muslims – as with anybody who stories); religious issues such as finds themselves described in such Sharia Law, highlighting cultural a relentlessly dismal light – can differences between British only feel unwanted and cast out. Muslims and others (22 per cent); Those who are not Muslims, by or Muslim extremism, concerning contrast, are bound to feel alarm figures like Abu Hamsa, for and hostility. This almost entirely example. These stories all unrelieved kind of media coverage portrayed Muslims as a source of can only increase hatred and trouble. By contrast only 5 per cent resentment. of stories were based on problems This is the disturbing facing British Muslims. background to the culture of According to the Cardiff mendacity we discovered as we team “four of the most common made our own scrutiny of media discourses about Muslims in reports about Muslims. When we Britain associate Islam/Muslims investigated them, they would

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 19 often – though not always – turn page five, made no mention at all Madeleine have been made by out not to be true. One example of Muslims. When we interviewed Muslim fanatics in internet rants.” – this one has entered British Truscott, he told us that his story What is so striking about this folklore – is the story that Muslims had been traded on to the Express Daily Star story is the way that a want to ban our Christmas by a local stringer who specialised Heath Robinson contrivance was celebrations. This story appears in selling on local stories. He found which added Muslims to from time to time in the British added that he was shocked about the Madeleine McCann tragedy, press, and when we investigated it the way his story had been twisted thereby confecting a misleading turned out to be a fabrication. and taken out of context. and inflammatory front-page On 2 November 2005 the Daily In short, the same ugly process splash. Express splashed its front page on was at work that created the false HOGWASH: Now the PC brigade the story, “Christmas is banned: “Hounded Out” front page in the bans piggy banks in case they it offends Muslims”.1 The story Sun. A carefully written story deep ❝offend Muslims reported that Lambeth council in a local paper was catapulted – Daily Express, 24 October 2005 had re-labelled its “Christmas onto the front page of a tabloid The story claimed that NatWest lights” as “celebrity lights” or as through the easy expedient of and Halifax had removed “winter lights”. This seemed the adding the word Muslim to the images of piggy banks from ultimate proof that Muslims were headline. Lambeth council said their promotional material in an undermining the British way of that the entire story, not merely effort to avoid offending Muslim life and attacking our most sacred the Muslim involvement but also customers, since pork is forbidden traditions, as the first paragraph the claim that Christmas had been in Islam. The paper quoted of the Express story made clear. banned, was deeply misleading: observers calling such action It read: “Britain’s proud heritage “Christmas was going on as usual, “barmy” and “bonkers”, thereby suffered a devastating blow the Christmas tree was up in the stirring up a huge response from yesterday after council chiefs town hall, the usual Christmas the public. One letter to the banned Christmas.” The article carols were being sung, the lights paper was entitled “Piggy bank went onto carry a chorus of were up. The different names climb-down is victory for the denunciation, including from a really were born out of inconsist- terrorists”. NatWest was originally Church of England spokesman, ency, they were never the official called by journalists from the Steve Jenkins, who was quoted as council policy, yet it escalated into Lancashire Evening Telegraph who saying: “I thought we were over this huge story.”2 were told in no uncertain terms all this stuff. I thought people had Here are some more false that the end of one promotion had stopped this”. Jenkins added: stories concerning Muslims nothing to do with fear of causing “We would not call Diwali lights in Britain. Some were pure offence. The Express then ran the celebrity lights would we?” inventions, others contained a story without making reasonable But one thing seemed grain of truth but were distorted. checks with the banks.3 The article suspicious about the Express front MUSLIM SICKOS’ MADDIE manages to cite no evidence that page. Besides the stark, attention- KIDNAP SHOCK piggy banks had been removed for seeking headline, there was ❝– Daily Star, 28 April 2008 the reason cited in the inflamma- no evidence at all the Muslims The story did not, as readers might tory headline, confining itself to had had anything to do with the have inferred from the front-page expressing outrage from MPs and decision by Lambeth council to headline, reveal that Madeleine church leaders. change the name of its Christmas McCann had been kidnapped by The banks themselves soon lights. When we investigated the a Muslim “sicko”. In fact, it refers cleared up the matter. The Halifax story we found there was a very to a website on which claims were drily noted that it “has not good reason for this: they didn’t. made that Madeleine’s parents withdrawn any piggy banks from We discovered that the front page were involved in her disappear- branches” and noted that in fact splash was based on a report by ance. The website apparently it had not used piggy banks in its journalist Greg Truscott of the claimed that “SICKENING claims branches for a number of years.4 South London Press that Lambeth which blame the McCanns for the The NatWest press statement council had dropped references to disappearance of their daughter noted that: “There is absolutely Christmas. This carefully written

and researched story, printed on 2 Statement given to Search for Common Ground by 3 ibid. Lambeth Council, 2007 p.39 http://www.london.gov. 4 26 October 2005 http://www.abc.net.au/ 1 Daily Express, 2 November 2005 uk/mayor/equalities/docs/commonground_report.pdf mediawatch/img/2005/ep35/halifax.pdf

20 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE no fact in the story. We simply The so-called witness, a 21 we are supposed to be providing.” had a UK wide savings marketing year old plumber, who recorded 7 Other news papers had run the campaign, which included the bus driver praying, had not story correctly, reporting that it pictures of piggy banks, running in fact been on the bus, and had would only happen to “very ill” until the end of September. Piggy arrived after the incident to find a patients and even then not five banks have been and will continue small crowd waiting outside a bus. times a day.8 to be used as a promotional item Jumping to a false conclusion, Fascinatingly, even by NatWest.” 5 That is indeed the he sold his story to the Sun. The newspapers which had got the case, as NatWest’s piggy banks bus driver is currently taking story right, like the Daily Mirror, feature prominently in their legal action against the Sun for then inserted the five times a day promotions to this day. defamation and gross invasion claim,9 giving it a much more of privacy. The article has been prominent billing. The Daily Get off my bus I need to removed from the Sun’s website. Telegraph even went to the lengths pray of borrowing the anonymous ❝– The Sun, 28 March 2008 Nurses Told to Turn Muslims’ quote in the following day’s paper This was the story of a Muslim bus Beds to Mecca (6 December 2007). 10 The story driver ordering his passengers off ❝– Daily Express , 4 December 2007 then gained momentum as angry his bus so that he could pray. The This story claimed that “NURSES letters poured in and MPs voiced Sun story, along with footage of have been told to stop treating their outrage, prompting the the bus driver praying, was widely patients while they move Muslims’ Daily Star to glory in its investiga- circulated around right-wing beds FIVE TIMES a day to face tive journalism, boasting “OUR blogs. Dhimmi Watch, the Mecca.” We discovered that in revelation that nurses are having right-wing blog on the site Jihad reality nurses would only move to turn Muslim patients’ beds Watch that catalogues perceived terminally-ill Muslim patients’ to face Mecca has prompted a outrages committed by Muslims, beds at their family’s request. The furious response from Brits. In the even included the Sun story in concession did not apply to all biggest response the Daily Star their “ever-expanding You Can’t Muslim patients, and certainly not has ever had to a story, thousands Make This Stuff Up file”. five times a day. of angry readers swamped our Well, actually you can. For the Julia Squire, chief executive of offices with texts, phone calls and Sun it was apparently a perfect The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS e-mails”.11 example of a Muslim putting his Trust, which runs Dewsbury and The incident has now since faith before the interests of the District Hospital, said. “The press entered folklore, becoming a public and demanding special reporting on this matter is simply central piece of evidence for those treatment. The newspaper ran the incorrect. Let me be absolutely who make the case that Muslims story after giving London United clear: no employee of The Mid are invading the British way of Bus Company very little time to Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust life. When the Daily Star finally investigate, obliging them to issue has been or will be ordered to turn quoted the NHS denials, they a holding statement saying they hospital beds to face Mecca five were presented as a U-turn rather would look into the matter. Once times a day.”6 than a mistake on the part of the they had done so it was clear that The story originated from an newspapers.12 the story was rather different. The anonymous quote from a nurse at bus had been delayed, so in order the Dewsbury hospital used in the Muslim’s hospital bug snub to maintain frequency the bus Daily Express (and also in a similar – The Sun, 4 February 2008 company had ordered the driver to account which appeared and in ❝From the rumours of Jews stop his bus and allow passengers the same day’s Daily Star, which poisoning the wells during the to board the bus behind. Tickets is under the same ownership). and CCTV evidence show that all According to the anonymous 7 “Nurses Told to Turn Muslims’ Beds to Mecca”, Daily the passengers were on that bus source, “If we are having to turn Express, 4 December 2007, 8 “Patients Beds Turn to Mecca”, Daily Mirror, 5 within a minute. The driver was dozens of beds to face Mecca five December 2007; “Patients to Face Mecca, Sun, 5 December 2007 under strict instructions not to times a day, plus provide running 9 “Not paid to be Angels,” Daily Mirror, 6 December allow any passengers onto his bus. water for them to wash before and 2007 10 “Nurses must turn beds five times a day to face He was on a ten-minute break so after prayers, it is bound to impact Mecca,” Daily Telegraph, 6 December 2007, could do what he wanted. on the essential medical service 11 Plans Got us Write Angry Daily Star, 5 December 2007, 5 28 October 2005 http://www.abc.net.au/ 6 “Papers criticised over Mecca beds,” Spenborough 12 “U-TURN OVER NHS MUSLIM PRAYER BEDS,” Daily mediawatch/img/2005/ep35/natwest.pdf Today, 7 December 2007 Star, 6 December 2007.

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 21 Black Death in the fourteenth patients’ lives at risk. Not a single Some female Muslim students century to scare stories of doctor or member of staff we spoke had indeed expressed reserva- homosexual men spreading HIV to had come across any problems tions about the newly introduced in the 1980s the pattern of aliens with hand-washing. Dr Paul Department of Health guidance, spreading disease is part of a long Symonds, Reader and Consultant which stipulated that all doctors tradition. Now the same kind of Clinical Oncologist at Leicester must be “bare below the elbow’” accusations are being flung at University, told us: “I personally – a phenomenon thrown up by Muslims. haven’t seen it. I know of no-one a Freedom of Information Act Last October The Times who says they’ve seen it, and I’ve request by the Sunday Telegraph claimed that Muslim medical discussed it with our junior staff, journalist Julie Henry.18 But the students “are refusing to attend nurses, colleagues, and everyone highly inflammatory and insulting lectures or answer exam questions just looks blankly at me with blank claim that Muslim students were on alcohol-related or sexually incomprehension, what are you putting thousands of patients’ transmitted diseases because they talking about? … the issue has not lives at risk because they put their claim it offends their religious arisen.”15 religious beliefs before patients’ beliefs.”13. This story stemmed We followed Muslim medical safety was simply not backed up from a British Medical Association students on their ward rounds. by the evidence. statement warning the General They were shocked by the stories The crescent and the canteen Medical Council not to relax the in the press. Nabila Khan, a – The Economist, 19 October 2006 rules about opting out of parts of fourth year medical student, ❝This was not the first time that the course. When we approached said, “It’s completely outrageous. Leicester had been the subject the BMA, they told us the It’s not based on any facts. I of distorted stories. In October statement was based on anecdotal don’t know where they got this 2006 The Economist reported, evidence from one source, which information from. As a medical “Last November students at they refused to reveal. student myself I always roll up my Leicester University persuaded A much more serious case sleeves, and everyone that I know their union cafeteria to ban came in February this year when does. We’ve had no complaints, pork and go exclusively halal.” the Sun dramatically warned that no-one’s ever said anything to This article then generated “thousands of hospital patients me in the past about it, so I find rumours online that Leicester are in danger of catching deadly it ridiculous that all this stuff has University had banned pork superbugs because Muslim been written in newspapers and from campus. On a BBC forum, medical students refuse to things, and people have printed Leicester was even dubbed follow new hygiene rules.”14 The these stories without checking “Sharia University” (http:// message from this Sun report them out first.”16 Ather Mirza, www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbreligion/ was very serious indeed – that Leicester University’s press F2213236?thread=3606712). The thousands of patients who were officer, told us that they were not Yorkshire Post later ran a story, attended by Muslim students even aware of the story until it “Extremists allowed to fan flames risked catching a fatal disease as was splashed across the world’s of hatred”, which attributed the a result. The first piece of hard media. He told us that after an ban to domineering Muslim evidence in the story came in investigation it emerged that “one extremists (17 September 2007).19 the fifth paragraph, which stated student had asked a question There was no truth in the that female students at Leicester about what the regulations were, rumour that Leicester had banned University “had difficulty” she’d not objected to them, she pork on campus. In actual fact, complying with a Department of just asked about them, this had the university Student Union had Health directive that medical staff got recorded and had spiralled in made just one out of the numerous across the country should be “bare to a story about Muslim students cafes on campus halal, in a below the elbow” to stop infection. being unhappy about the whole decision which had as much to do We visited Leicester to procedure. Well, that wasn’t the with economic factors as cultural determine whether Muslim case at all.”17 sensitivity as Leicester has a large students were in fact refusing As with many stories of this number of Muslim students. The to wash their hands and putting kind, there was a grain of truth.

18 “Muslim medics break superbug hygiene rules,” 13 “Muslim Medical Students Get Picky,” The Times, 7 15 Interview 20 May 2008 Sunday Telegraph, 3 February 2008 October 2007 16 Interview 20 May 2008 19 Bernard Dineen , Yorkshire Post, 17 September 14 “Muslim’s hospital bug snub”, Sun, 4 February 2008 17 Interview 19 May 2008 2007

22 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE other 26 cafes on the campus, There were basic mistakes in not merely disreputable: it forms including the main canteen, were the addresses printed on three part of a much wider pattern of still serving pork as usual. receipts, while all of the receipts media disinformation. It is now under suspicion had been printed time to turn to an investiga- Allegation of Forged Evidence on home-style ink jet printers. tion of the consequences of this As we have seen the culture of When Newsnight ran the report damaging public discourse. deceit, distortion and fabrication about the forged documents on on Muslim issues stretches way 12 December, it provoked fury beyond the tabloid press. An from Policy Exchange. Charles allegation of falsified or deficient Moore, chairman of Policy research has also been made Exchange, mocked Newsnight against a Policy Exchange report, for their “obsession about a few The Hijacking of British Islam, pieces of paper.” accusing Peter published in October 2007. Barron, Newsnight’s editor, of a This report – from one of serious error of judgment.20 In a Britain’s most respected think letter to the BBC, Policy Exchange tanks with extremely close links threatened to take legal action to the Conservative Party – made “relentlessly, to trial or capitula- the claim that extremist literature tion”. On 19 December Policy containing anti-semitic and Exchange issued a statement homophobic passages, and calling saying that they took the for the beheading of Muslims who allegations seriously, and insisted abandon Islam, was available at a that their “investigations must quarter of the 100 mosques visited be allowed time to proceed.” Six by researchers working for Policy months on Newsnight contacted Exchange around Britain. This Policy Exchange to enquire as to splashed all across the newspapers the progress of the investigation (see for example, The Times, and received a response saying “Lessons in hate found at leading that it had been “adjourned” mosques”; the Sun, “Extremist because of fears for the safety of mosque warning”; Daily Mail, the researchers who had gone into “Agenda of hate in UK mosques”; hiding.21 Daily Telegraph, “Many mosques The Policy Exchange cannot ‘continuing to spread messages of be criticised for carrying out its hate’”, all 30 October 2007). investigation. The publication Last December, BBC’s of literature, by Muslims or Newsnight, who had been by anybody else, fanning given exclusive access to the homophobia, anti-Semitism or report, stated that some of the violence is always repugnant and evidence presented to them by cries out to be exposed. However, Policy Exchange was forged. if the Newsnight claims are The Newsnight team had found true, then the readiness to make suspicious inconsistencies in assertions based on fabricated receipts allegedly obtained from or misleading evidence fits into North London Central Mosque, a pattern of deception and what Euston Mosque, Leyton Mosque can generously be described as in London and the Muslim lazy reporting of Muslims from Education Centre in High mainstream news organizations in Wycombe. Forensic evidence Britain. The use of forged evidence suggested that at least one to discredit Muslim institutions is receipt had been forged and that 20 “Newsnight told a small story over a big one,” Daily Telegraph, 15 December 2007, http://www.telegraph. two other receipts – supposedly co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/12/15/ from different mosques – were do1501.xml 21 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/2008/05/ in fact written by the same hand. policy_exchange_dispute_update.html

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 23 Chapter Four HOW THE FAR RIGHT TURNED TO TARGET ISLAM

he incessant media Instead, they are more likely to campaign of vilification focus on terrorism, 24 the evils against Muslims has of Islam, and scare stories of an uncannily accurate Britain becoming an Islamic echo on the streets state. 25 Griffin’s strategy has of Britain’s towns been inspired by the press, as he Tand cities. As we researched the himself has admitted. He is on Channel Four Dispatches film we record as saying: discovered the language of Islam- “We bang on about Islam. Why? ophobic columnists duplicated by Because to the ordinary public the British National Party and its out there it’s the thing they growing band of supporters. can understand. It’s the thing We made a very startling the newspaper editors sell discovery: in Britain the far right newspapers with. If we were has changed direction. The British to attack some other ethnic National Party has in recent years group — some people say we come to realise that anti-semitism should attack the Jews ... But and anti-black campaigning just ... we’ve got to get to power. won’t work if they are serious And if that was an issue we about electoral success. If they are chose to bang on about when to make the move to mainstream the press don’t talk about it ... respectability, they need an the public would just think we issue that allows them to exploit were barking mad.” 26. people’s fears about immigrants and Britain’s ethnic minority We saw this deeply cynical communities without being strategy in action last month when branded racist extremists. we visited Stoke on Trent. They have found that issue. The BNP’s Campaign in Stoke Since 9/11 and particularly 7/7, Stoke is one of the heartlands the BNP has gone all out to tap of BNP support. With nine BNP into a rich vein of anti-Muslim councillors, the council is second sentiment. only to Barking and Dagenham in The party’s leader, Nick far-right representation. Labour’s Griffin, has described Islam as a support in the area is quickly “wicked, vicious faith”22 and has being eroded. At the time of the sought to distance himself and the 1997 general election all 60 local party from its anti-semitic past. councillors were Labour. This Party members are now rebuked for discussing the Holocaust.23 24 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4674675. stm 22 In court, 25 January 2006; http://www.telegraph. 25 The BNP called for the May 2006 elections to be co.uk/news/uknews/1508787/Islam-is-a-wicked,- a “Referendum on Islam”; http://www.independent. vicious-faith,-BNP-leader-tells-court.html co.uk/news/uk/politics/bnp-to-use-prophet-cartoon- 23 In April 2003, the BNP officially reprimanded a in-campaign-467359.html candidate in Stoke, Steven Batkin, after he questioned 26 http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=12696 the Holocaust, Stoke Sentinel, 24 September 2003 30805284168668

24 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE figure now stands at 16. In the rights, targeting halal food as as Khan wanted to expand his May elections Labour polled inhumane in a campaign that property. This soon flared up 14,000 votes in 20 seats; the BNP BNP Councillor Michael Coleman into violent rows. Keith Brown polled almost 8,000 standing in admitted to us was not their had a history of violence and in just 10 seats. There is serious talk natural territory. 2001 was convicted of punching of the next mayor of Stoke coming The BNP told us on our recent a man in the face. The Khans, in from the BNP and senior figures visit that they are about to launch statements made to the police, within the party tell us they a new nationwide anti-Muslim claimed they were called “Pakis” expect to have an MEP after the campaign from Stoke. The launch by the Browns and that their European elections next year. pad for this new era of hostility windows were smashed every The party has made this will be the sentencing of Habib other day. They also allege that progress in large part by Khan, who was charged with they were subjected to death fighting a vicious anti-Muslim murdering his neighbour, Keith threats. Khan told the court, “The campaign. Stoke has one of the Brown, a BNP activist. Brown is past four years I’ve been living in lowest employment rates in the to be promoted as the first “BNP hell.” country since the pottery industry martyr.” The issue is perfect for the collapsed. The BNP have sought We researched this sad story. BNP’s agenda. In their eyes it to link this decline to Muslim The bare facts are these. On 6 July highlights Muslim aggression and immigration. Their leaflets have last year Habib Khan, an elder at a system biased against whites. shown a montage of pottery kilns, the local mosque, stabbed Keith After the verdict was given BNP smiling white housewives and a Brown in a scuffle outside his Councillor Michael Coleman church tower, with the caption, house in Normacot, Stoke. Brown stood outside the court and said, “HANLEY 70 YEARS AGO”. had Khan’s son in a headlock, “Anyone who gets angry – get A second montage alongside and, according to the defence, involved with the BNP.” showed silhouettes of mosques Brown threatened to kill him. and a photograph of women in Khan’s defence was that he had A Racist Incident in Windsor veils (taken in Birmingham) – one run out of the kitchen holding We are not arguing for special giving a V-sign – with the caption, a knife, which he held against treatment for Muslims. If a “Is this what you want for our city Brown’s back; and that Brown Muslim commits a crime he or she centre?” then fell onto it, and later died. should be accountable to the same Other campaigns have focused The Khan and Brown families laws as everyone else. If there on planning issues over mosques both tell of a campaign of hatred is even a perception of leniency – a flash point elsewhere too. The and abuse from the other side. or favouritism, it adds to the BNP accuse the Labour council of Indeed both have CCTV records antagonism towards Muslims. We cutting special deals with Muslim of attacks. The BNP are now learnt this at first hand when we groups in exchange for support. presenting this case not only as travelled to Windsor to investigate The BNP protested that the Labour an example of Muslim aggression, the so-called “race riots” in majority council was renting a plot but of an unjust system, biased Windsor in October 2006. of land to Muslim developers for in favour of Muslims. Khan was The problem originated in the just £1 a year, amid suggestions found not guilty on the charge of purchase by Sardar Hussain of that it could be sold to them for murder, but he was convicted of a dairy in Dedworth, a predomi- £72,000. The BNP even made an manslaughter. The BNP argue that nantly white working class offer of £100,000 on the land. The if Brown had killed Khan it would suburb of Windsor. The previous mayor of Stoke, Mark Meredith, have been treated as a racial owner had been Express Dairies. told us that these peppercorn rent murder. They also claim the police Hussain changed the name to deals are done with all community did not take seriously Brown’s Medina Dairies and, according groups, and that in this case a plot appeals for help in the past. to locals, rapidly expanded it of land that has been lying idle for We discovered that the into a 24-hour a day operation. decades will be put to good use two men were once friends This caused residents great and regenerate the area.27 and colleagues. In fact, Khan disturbance. Hussain employed The determination to approached Brown in 2001 saying a large Muslim work force and scapegoat Muslims has meant he wanted to move in next door used one building as an unofficial they even champion animal and Brown passed on the details “prayer room”. 27 Interview 2 June 2008 to the owner. The dispute started In the months leading up to

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 25 the riots, tension had reached felt the dairy workers had aggres- This approach, according to new levels as the dairy had sively taken over their patch. Karen Hayes, made the situation an application for an Islamic Indeed many locals felt the dairy worse. By downplaying the “education centre” turned personnel intimidated passers-by, attack on her family, the police down by Windsor council. This blocked the road and behaved gave the impression that the was perceived as a mosque by aggressively. attacks on the dairy were totally another name, and local people The police quickly flooded the unjustified. Neighbouring Slough, feared it would bring Muslims area, and over the next few days unlike Windsor, has a large Asian into a predominantly white made six arrests for possession of population and many young area. Hussain had appealed the offensive weapons and assault as Muslims hearing this came to decision much to locals’ irritation. small gangs of white and Asian defend the dairy. The feeling They feared that government youths gathered each evening. On locally was that the police had not intervention would grant Hussain the Wednesday evening a local properly investigated the incident permission (as a planning teenager, nicknamed “Scouser”, for fear of damaging relations with inspector did the following drove past the dairy and threw the Muslim population. The fact month). a makeshift petrol bomb, which that petrol bomber was prosecuted At around nine on the evening failed to explode, but scarred the and convicted, and yet no one was of 2 October 2006, Sean Hayes, side of the building. Two more ever convicted of the attack on aged 16, and a friend were petrol bombs were discovered the Hayes family re-doubled local involved in a disturbance outside in nearby back gardens. The anger. the “prayer room” by the Medina press delighted in the story as it Mrs Hayes complained to Dairy. This was the latest in a occurred just after Jack Straw’s the police about the lacklustre series of episodes involving white comments on the veil and fitted investigation and received a letter, youths, apparently intent on the image of a society on the brink which we have seen, confirming provoking Muslim men at prayer. of collapse. that what happened to her was a According to Sean’s mother Karen Karen Hayes, who was “racist incident”. Hayes, who arrived at the scene attacked by men from the prayer The BNP arrived on the scene to help her son, 20 men from the centre, makes a very serious in the days following the incidents prayer room, carrying make-shift accusation against East Berkshire at the dairy and were able to weapons and dressed in white Police. Hayes claims the police exploit the supposed “special robes, attacked her. As they ran made little attempt to gather treatment” and sense of injustice. back to the car, she says that she evidence against her attackers. They offered Karen Hayes a was hit with a piece of lead piping When she and her daughter £1,000 to repair her daughter’s leaving her legs badly bruised, returned to the car they found a car in a blatant attempt to hijack while her daughter was pinned grease gun in the back seat. This the issue. Mrs Hayes refused as against the car with a garden fork clearly belonged to the dairy and she did not want to be associated to her throat. The car windows had been used to smash the car with the party. The BNP then put were smashed as men jumped on window, but had not been taken up their first candidate in local top, but Karen and her daughter for finger-printing. She also saw elections in Windsor in 2007. managed to escape. a police officer leaning on the Matthew Tait, a rising star in the News of the incident quickly garden fork, which had been used party, ran in Clewer North, failing spread among the youngsters to pin her daughter to the car. The to be elected, but beating all three in Dedworth. The next evening only line-up of suspects happened Labour candidates. He has vowed around 40 white youths attacked outside the mosque on the night to come back and fight the general the dairy. Lorry windows were of the attack, in a situation that election next time round. smashed, milk bottles were thrown could hardly have been more We met Matthew Tait, a and fights were breaking out. intimidating. Mrs Hayes alleges young, articulate, well-dressed After 40 minutes the police arrived that the police were deliberately young man, a far cry from the on the scene, but were able to half-hearted in their investiga- stereotypical BNP member of an do little to control the fighting. tion of the assault on her family, earlier era, on our visit to Windsor. Local youths told us of frequent fearful of inflaming the situation. He denies the BNP were oppor- scuffles and verbal exchanges with An independent witness, a local tunistically exploiting a sensitive workers at the dairy in the months journalist, confirmed details of her issue, claiming it was legitimate preceding the disturbances. They account. to tap into locals’ unhappiness.

26 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE He told us: “Our election leaflets weren’t inflammatory, they were Chapter Five just saying that something unfair PHYSICAL ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS has occurred, local people’s views are not being represented by the elected councillors or by the council, or by any – even the local press, so we went along there and we tried to put across what people were telling us.”28 This single-issue campaign won the BNP an audience for their or many, physical replaced the wooden back door more traditional view of Islam. Tait attacks are the mani- with a steel one, and has made his told us, “Islam is not part of our festation of a growing fences higher. He has ‘built a little culture, it’s something that’s alien anti-Muslim sentiment, fortress’ for his family. to us… If you want to be Muslim, in part created by the Local Muslims used the then I think you should live in a media’s assault on Triangle Community Centre as Muslim country.” 29 FBritain’s Muslims. An increasing a mosque for two years. During Wherever we have explored number of Muslims now live in this time they were constantly tension between Muslims and fear. Our team went to visit one harassed and their cars were the local community we tended man whose life has been turned scratched. There were also at to discover the BNP was present, into a nightmare, Sarfraz Sarwar least two arson attempts on the fanning discontent. This should from Basildon. building. In October 2006 the come as no surprise. All over Sarwar told us that he had community centre was finally Europe parties of the far-right lived in the area for 40 years. burnt down after firebombs were have been dropping their Originally from Kenya, he is thrown on the roof. The building traditional hostility to minorities one of three leaders of Basildon was completely gutted. It has been such as Jews and homosexuals Islamic Centre. His wife, a Muslim rebuilt, but the Muslim community and resorting instead to the convert, works as a matron at an are too scared to return. Sarwar politics of Islamophobia. The same old people’s home. They have five told us that now the local Muslims trend is at work with Austria’s daughters and a son. He told us pray during the week at different Freedom Party and the French how the problems started after 11 people’s houses in order to evade National Front. As Filip Dewinter, September. Since then, members detection and attack. leader of the virulently right wing of the local community regularly It is hard to say how typical Belgian party Flemish Interest suffer verbal abuse, their cars are this kind of harassment has proclaimed, “Islam is now the scratched, beer cans are thrown at become. But during the time we No 1 enemy not only of Europe, them and last year a woman had were researching and planning the 30 but of the entire free world.” her hijab torn off. film a number of violent incidents The first attack on Sarwar’s occurred. On Wednesday 7 May family was in October 2001, when 2008 in Bolton a group of young pigs’ trotters were left outside people allegedly chased a group the front door, the walls of their of Muslim men shouting racial house were covered with graffiti and religious abuse. A chainsaw and the two front windows were was allegedly held to the throat broken. After that incident, the of one man. A 17-year-old girl family has experienced many more and a 22-year-old man have attacks, including one unsuc- been charged with affray and cessful fire-bomb. More recently, possession of an offensive weapon, in February 2008, the tyres of and are awaiting trial. Sarwar’s new car were slashed. A Methodist chapel being Then in mid-March his windows converted into an Asian were again broken. community centre in Quenchwell, 28 Interview 27 May 2008 29 ibid. He has installed CCTV near Carnon Downs, Cornwall, 30 http://www.filipdewinter.be/page.php?linkID=385 cameras around the house, has suffered an Islamophobic attack

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 27 in early June. In the wake of a Muslims, blowing up mosques local row about the plans to create and fighting back only to see these an Asian centre at this location acts of resistance fail. The time urine was found inside a builder’s has come to stop the talking and helmet. The words “Fuck off you start to act.” The Gilleard case Asian bastards” were written went all but unreported. Were the on a table. On the morning of other way round and a Muslim Monday 2 June a pig’s head was had been found with an arsenal of found nailed to the door in a clear weapons plotting a one-man war, attempt to offend Muslims. The one suspects it would have been a words “God says fuck off” and a rather bigger story. cross were daubed on the door. Our research indicates that On 17 April three men there is little appetite for stories were jailed for three years for a in which Muslims appear as the campaign of racial harassment victims. This means that attacks lasting nine months against on Muslims go almost entirely a Muslim colleague, Amjid unreported and the communities Mehmood, who was tied to feel they count for nothing. In railings and force-fed bacon, not reporting these cases the which he cannot eat because media is yet again betraying its of his religious beliefs. His double standards when it comes to attackers filmed the whole Britain’s Muslims. incident on a mobile phone. In total, nine separate incidents of racial harassment occurred over the period. A rucksack with protruding wires was put on his locker and his trousers were set on fire. During the Birmingham riots he was driven to an Afro- Caribbean area and told locals were “coming to get him.” On 10 August 2007, Brian Donegan launched a vicious attack on Sheikh Salamouni, an imam at London’s Regent’s Park mosque, leaving him with horrific injuries and blind for life. Donegan was found not guilty by reason of insanity in early June. On 25 June, Martyn Gilleard, of Goole, East Yorkshire, a Nazi sympathiser with ties to far-right groups was jailed for 16 years. Police discovered four home-made nail bombs, as well as bullets, swords, axes and knives in his flat. Gilleard had been preparing himself for a war against Muslims. In a note found at his flat he wrote, “Be under no illusions, we are at war. It’s a war we are badly losing. I am sick and tired of hearing nationalists talking of killing

28 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Chapter Six CONCLUSIONS

ver the centuries investigate vigorously what many categories seemed to be a racist attack by of immigrants and Asian youths on local women foreigners have been played a very powerful role in singled out for hatred fanning resentment among local and opprobrium by residents. And when young Omainstream society because they Muslim youths arrived in the in some way threatened British area, the seeming police failure identity, whether from within to investigate a racist crime made or without. At various times that local resentment and anger these despised categories have look unjustified when that was by included Catholics, Jews, French no means the case. and Germans. Gays were held to But by exactly the same token subvert decency and normality we believe that Muslims should be until the 1980s, blacks until given the same protection as other the 1970s, and Jews for many minority groups from insults or centuries. Now – as we have ignorant abuse. We have shown in shown in this pamphlet – this this pamphlet that this protection unenviable outcast role has fallen is not available. We have shown to Muslims. that Muslims are fair game in the We are not arguing, however, British media. That can only lead for some special treatment for to estrangement and alienation. Muslims. We do not believe There is a paradox at work. that Muslims should be exempt Many people we spoke to accused from the law of the land or the Muslims of arrogance and of normal scrutiny that must attach refusing to engage in the British in a democracy to all sections way of life. No doubt there was of society. We applaud research some truth in these criticisms. – such as the Channel Four Yet at the same time media Dispatches film, Undercover reporting shows a distinct bias that Mosque – which has uncovered must inevitably influence such virulent anti-Semitism or perceptions. A poll by the Pew homophobia being preached in Foundation that found that 81 per British mosques. cent of Muslims in Britain felt that Indeed, we discovered as they were Muslim first, and just we travelled round Britain, 7 per cent British first, received a researching our Dispatches great deal of publicity. But Tufyal documentary and this report, that Choudhury, a legal academic who it is precisely the perception that studies social cohesion, points out Muslims receive special treatment that other polls contradicting this that fuels the most resentment. At image of Muslims did not receive Windsor we found the perception the same attention. He cites for that local police had failed to example a Sky News poll that

Alienating Vulnerable Communities 29 found that 46 per cent of Muslims said British first and Muslim second, 12 per cent Muslim first and British second, and 42 per cent said that they did not differ- entiate. Choudhury adds that the last option was not on offer in the Pew poll. Questions in polls that ask Muslims about their feelings of loyalty to the United Kingdom are also often badly framed and misinterpreted. In a YouGov poll in July 2005 and an ICM poll in 2006, nearly half of Muslims said that they felt “very loyal” to Britain and between a third and 42 per cent “fairly loyal”, while those who said they did not feel “loyal at all” numbered 10 per cent in the YouGov poll and 2 per cent in the ICM poll. The BNP plays upon ordinary people’s feelings of not being heard by politicians, of being a silent majority. Ordinary Muslim families are virtually a silenced minority. It is about time that we collectively decide to extend to Muslims the rights and respect other citizens enjoy. We think we should all feel a little bit ashamed about the way we treat Muslims in the media, in our politics, and on our streets. They are our fellow citizens, yet often we barely acknowledge them. We misrepresent them and in certain cases we persecute them. We do not treat Muslims with the tolerance, decency and fairness that we so often like to boast is the British way. We urgently need to change our public culture.

30 MUSLIMS UNDER SIEGE Alienating Vulnerable Communities 31 Alienating Vulnerable Communities