Bristol muslims: 'We can't let radicals silence us'
Muslim extremists are getting too much attention at the expense of the moderate majority, claims a Bristol community leader.
"The radicals are getting the limelight and the mainstream Muslim view is not being reported," Farooq Siddique, of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, told the Bristol Post.
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He hit out following a conference on Sunday which he organised for 120 Muslim representatives from across the South West at Brunel's Passenger Shed next to Temple Meads Station.
They came from Yeovil, Exeter, Bournemouth and Gloucester for talks held partly to thrash out how to fight extremism. "Our community must now grab the bull by the horns," Mr Siddique said.
He was referring not only to the radicalisation of young Muslims but also to a dramatic fall in academic achievement among the community following the 9/11 attacks on the United States and their aftermath.
"Some young Muslims have become disaffected from schools and have lost confidence," he said.
Representatives of the West's police forces and local councils also attended the conference – hoped by organisers to be the first of many.
A group of Muslim women aged between 16 and 25 met separately to discuss problems they encounter before joining the main group for further discussions.
Mr Siddique said many of those who spoke at the conference had accused the UK media of focusing too much on "the bad apples" in the Muslim community.
"But they also recognised that Muslims need to engage more with the media. There needs to be better education, too – better awareness among young Muslims of the peaceful nature of Islam as opposed to the violence that is used by people with their own agendas," said Mr Siddique.
He also called for more dialogue with other communities. "We need to talk more with our neighbours," he said.
"In Bristol we are bucking the trend. But in other parts of the South West there are issues. We need to share best practice about community cohesion and social integration. We need to look at how mosques can make themselves more open to non-Muslims."
Mr Siddique said there was a lot of criticism of the Government's "Prevent" agenda on terrorism. "It's a given that the Muslim community is against terrorism," he said.
"So ministers should be talking about engagement rather than using the word Prevent. Nevertheless, people here today have been 100 per cent behind the government's agenda and the need to tackle radicalisation and terrorism. It's just the method they disagree with."
19 Comments
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by Martin, Clifton.
Monday, March 30 2009, 8:05PM
“Amanda, if you want to see real intolerance, you should visit some islamic countries, where you would not be allowed to express your views like you have just done.”
by fed up resident, bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 7:41PM
“For a religon that is only 2- 5 % of the uk population it gets a lot of coverage and favortisim what about other religons don't they matter you would never be treated special in a muslim country christians are being forced out of egypt , iraq , turkey plus others plus look at all the problems in this country .”
by Steven, North Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 4:17PM
“Jonathon, please see the excellent reply from Sparticus.
As he/she states, a (misguided) belief in an invisible, omnipresent, omnipotent (a contradiction in terms, but that's besides the point) all-powerful being is a belief in the supernatural.
Illogical, unreasonable beliefs in religions are given far too much time by the media as a whole.”
by Spartacus, Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 4:01PM
“@ Jonathan, I think the point that Steve was trying to make, and one I agree with, is that a religious belief is a belief in the supernatural, not to mention the non-existent.
Why do people with invisible friends get so much space in the press. Why not give a column to Elwood P. Dowd?”
by Jonathan, Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 3:39PM
“AL, thank you for putting my point more succinctly than i managed to. I was trying to get that into my post, but couldn't find the words at the time.
Steven, as you insist that it is a supernatural phenomenon, are you stating that you believe that something exists out there? Most atheist people would state that there is nothing, rather than it being supernatural?”
by Steven, North Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 3:34PM
“Amanda, the intolerance comes mostly from the supernaturalists and not from free-thinking rationalists.”
by Paul, Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 2:13PM
“Kiwi is not so far off course.
There is only one interpretation of the Koran. Keeping an eye on "Euronews" one can see a harder Islamic line in secular Turkey as Islamists seek to link state & religion. And the announcement this week of a harder line in tolerant Morroco against homosexuals as Islamists gain ground there. Also the closing down of bars in Cairo as Egyptians return from working in Iraq with a truer & less liberal interpretation of their religion.
As the number of Muslims grows in the U.K, we will see many more facets of a true Islamic society laid before us.”
by AL, St Phillips
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:55PM
“Jonathan, unfortunately it's not about your religious believes, it's the condition of humanity that makes good and bad.”
by Amanda, Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:49PM
“@ Steve
"the Post goves far too much space to belivers in supernatural mumbo-jumbo."
And we wonder why there is so much intolerance in the world with people like this making comments like that.”
by Martin, Knowle,Bristol
Monday, March 30 2009, 1:47PM
“Jonathan. Well done for working out that the holy books of Christianity,Islam, Judaism, etc,etc can be interpreted in different ways.They are largely mythical anyway, rooted in the ignorant beliefs and wild guesses of long gone generations. Just because some Muslims/Christians/Jews are 'nice' that alone does not justify their belief in myths.
They are 'nice' despite their beliefs in myths. If they believed every single thing they read in their holy books then the best place place for them would be in a mental hospital. As it is they cherry pick the bits that suit their moral inclination. Fortunately a lot of them pick the 'nice' bits. In my book teaching that any of these bits are relevant is bordering on insanity.”