| Submit your comments on this article |
| Britain |
| UK Muslims unite against controversial terror bill |
| 2015-01-30 |
| [Al Ahram] The Moslem community in Britannia has escalated its campaign to drop the controversial anti-terrorism bill amid growing fears it will put the Moslems "under siege" and increase their alienation. The British government introduced the bill to Parliament on 26 November. It is being scrutinised in the House of Lords after it has been through three readings in the House of Commons. The bill gives the police the right to issue 'Temporary Exclusion Orders', denying terror suspects the right to return from abroad for a period of time. It also proposes granting powers to police and border officials to strip British citizens of their passports for up to two weeks without due judicial process on suspicion of extremism. "Grievances against the state" After it was made public in mid-November, human right groups and activists described the bill as draconian legislation, endangering deep‐rooted civil liberties. Moslems are particularly concerned the bill makes it a statutory duty for bodies, such as mosques, universities, colleges, schools, nurseries, supplementary religious schools (madrassahs), probation services, prisons and local councils, to implement the Extremism Prevention Programme andreport anyone suspected of involvement in extremism to the police and security services. The impact of the implementation of the EPP, as stated by the Bill, will be "vastly counter-productive breeding the kind of alienation and grievances against the state that feeds the narrative used by radicalisers to prey on vulnerable victims," the Stop the CTS Bill campaign warned. The latest census estimated there are 2.8 millions Moslems in the UK, or 4.4 percent of the population, making Islam the second-biggest religion in the country after Christianity. It is widely believed that the UK is home to one of the most diverse Moslem communities in the world. Campaigners have called on Moslem community members to sign a petition calling on Members of Parliament and Local Councillors to stand against the Bill. "Civil liberties at stake" The campaigners are Moslems activists from different ethnic and professional backgrounds, making the campaign an indication for unprecedented union among UK Moslems in recent years. "For those of who claim that da'wah, or educating our youth (Tarbiyyah) physical health, or mental health of our communities is the most pressing need at this time. Please believe that nothing is more important right now than stopping the passage of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill, if you wish to continue unhindered in these activities," they said. "There has never been a piece of legislation more serious than this for the future of Moslems," they added. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 OMG Treasoners might be excluded from returning to their colonised areas. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2015-01-30 18:33 |
| #4 Given how things are going in Blighty, what are the chances--see Rotherham--that any Muslim will be inconvienced even slightly by these laws? |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrrey 2015-01-30 12:27 |
| #3 Huh. The peaceful Muslims sure seem beefed at being asked to report those who misunderstand Islam. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2015-01-30 08:13 |
| #2 The future must not belong to these who reject submission to the will of Allan! |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-01-30 03:26 |
| #1 I wish it were true that this law is serious for the future of Moslems, and it passes! |
| Posted by: Grins Snese4215 2015-01-30 00:52 |