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WALTHAM FOREST: Family breakdown "creating Muslim criminals" (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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WALTHAM FOREST: Family breakdown "creating Muslim criminals"
3:10pm Friday 20th November 2009
A RISE in the number of divorces among Muslim couples is leading to an increase in criminal activity by followers of Islam, according to a mosque-based think-tank.
Vision 2020, launched at the Noor Ul Islam Trust in Leyton during Islam Awareness Week, says it aims to improve the borough over the next 10 years using principles from the faith.
Speaking at the event Faisal Raja said research shows divorce rates are rising and blamed family breakdown for an increase in the number of Muslim criminals.
He said: “We've come to a problem statement that comes from the weakening of community and the increase of individualism.”
A Vision 2020 report was handed council leader Chris Robbins, community safety cabinet member Cllr Afzal Akram and council officers from the authority's community cohesion department at the launch.
It includes recommendations such as publicising how Muslims believe Islam changes people's behaviour for the better and providing drug counselling at mosques.
The report also suggests increasing single-sex schools in the borough, claiming children who attend them perform better.
Survey results included in the report showed both Muslims and non-Muslims feel there is a 'lack of mutual respect and tolerance' for different groups in the borough.
The report, which is tailored mainly for a Muslim audience, suggests tackling this by promoting 'God consciousness' and the establishment of a gang reconciliation unit where 'truces and dialogue can take place'.
The Muslim community makes up about 20 per cent of the population in Waltham Forest and carries considerable influence, Cllr Robbins acknowledged.
He said: “The Muslim community within business has a powerful presence and in many ways, it will be the salvation of Waltham Forest.
“It will be a major driver in the future.”
Cllr Robbins pledged to take the report back to the council with a view to implementing some of its recommendations.
Although the report is specifically aimed at a Muslim audience it was suggested it could be tailored to appeal more to the wider community and could be seen as a 'consultation document'.
Cabinet member for community safety Cllr Afzal Akram, who attended as a cabinet member and a Muslim, added: “I will make sure this is put into the hands of the lead officer for community cohesion.”
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Your Say Your Guardian
Techno2, Walthamstow says...
7:20pm Fri 20 Nov 09
wfmywordmybond, Waltham Forest says...
10:40pm Fri 20 Nov 09
Techno2 wrote:"Cllr Robbins pledged to take the report back to the council with a view to implementing some of its recommendations."
I have no problem at all with muslims, as muslims, wanting to improve the borough. However, the honest way to go about this is for their candidates to stand for the council on a 'muslim' ticket. If they get enough votes, to get any councillors elected, then they have a mandate to start trying the pursuade other councillors to work with them.
The method currently being proposed by this group is inherently undemocratic. On what basis can the council leader Mr Robbins agree to implement these proposals without discussion with the public ? At most, he was elected by Labour voters to pursue Labour Party policy, and has to do this in co-operation with his Libdem partners. His job is to serve the public as a whole. He is not there to implement the policies of an unelected minority business interest, be they a self-appointed group of muslims or the local freemason's lodge.
It will be interesting to see how he deals with the recommendation of single sex schools given he closed a number of them against the wishes of the children and parents!!!
"Survey results included in the report showed both Muslims and non-Muslims feel there is a 'lack of mutual respect and tolerance' for different groups in the borough."
Does this mean Labour's sound bite of '225,000 people One community' is wrong? If so lets hear from the responsible councillors - Cllrs Loakes, Robbins, Akram & Pye.
mags181, waltham forest says...
1:17pm Sat 21 Nov 09
Instead of seeking sensational headlines surely anything that seeks to improve the damaged society we live in should be celebrated.
Well done to Noor Ul Islam in forging a path to a better more inclusive society that encourages communities to take responsibility for their actions and provide guidance to families.
lighting up leyton, Leyton says...
6:36pm Sat 21 Nov 09
It is therefore unfair to use an attention grabbing headline concentrating on linking divorce rates and crime when these were only two of many issues discussed in the report. The report aimed to show that most of the issues raised are linked - not just divorce and crime in Muslim families.
I found it refreshing that instead of the normal tabloid pieces about Muslims demand things for themselves, the report shows that Muslims actually want to contribute to the improvement of the place that they live.
objective enquirer, Walthamstow says...
12:05pm Sun 22 Nov 09
1. To begin with, we cannot pin family break ups to the increased rate of crime. Crime rarely actually has anything to do with race and religion, but the economic standing of a given demographic which is perpetuated by external perception of them according to their race and religion and it just so happens that people who are repeat offenders irrelevent of religion happen to be from unstable backgrounds. I have personal experience of a certain Islamic sharia council based on Francis road E10, which imposed its "man made law" on many families leading to break up's (and they do all this under the garb of sharia and wanting to improve our society) with obviously a ADMIN COST THEY CHARGE.! It's radiclised organisations like these which are tearing at the fibre of our society- under a false pretence- Just so you the general reader is aware, Noor ul Islam, follows a extreme version of Islam from the school of "deobandi" who are a off-shoot of wahabism so for me as a young Brit Muslim i take what they say with a pinch of salt because they just want to dig deep into the governmental treasurey and have been doing so.
Having studied the prison populice and working with the youth, many of them turn/convert to Islam within prisons, and come out to be reformed people. Now that maybe one reason why a published report showed Muslims making up a large volume within our prisons. Now why is it that institutions like Noor ul Islam and others do not educate or invest in educational programmes and create opportunties for the disillusioned youth, before they go into prisons? why is it that they get educated at Her majestys prisons? Ah alas prevention is better than cure? Ah maybe not- if it does not benefit the pot bellied mullah who so eagerly wants to dip deep...
Eradicate organisations such as Islamic sharia council, hate preachers based in our borough such as Suhaib Hasan who impose sharia law on local muslims then we have rid of the high divorce rates.
jrp, Leytonstone says...
12:45pm Sun 22 Nov 09
mdj, e10 says...
1:18pm Sun 22 Nov 09
Perfect timing! Just as the Council has successfully bullied the governors at Norlington into merging with a larger school that will end single-sex state boys schooling as an option in this Borough. In future this option will only be served by developing faith-based schools:hardly the way to enhance 'social cohesion.'
Dave Hall, Walthamstow says...
11:15pm Sun 22 Nov 09
all.org.uk/about), but it is now legally enforceable among muslims in civil cases when both parties have agreed to it. Needless to say, it is the most vulnerable women who are pressured into agreeing to this, often because they know nothing of UK law and may not even speak English.
A small advert in Waltham Forest Guardian announced a rally held in Hyde Park on Saturday 21st November, Universal Children's Day and International day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The rally was organised by One Law For All, a group of muslims and others who emphatically do NOT want even so-called "voluntary" imposition of sharia or other faith-based laws in our secular society. Some very brave people held solidarity meetings in Iraq and Pakistan, and a number of speakers gave evidence of the bad effects on women and children of sharia law.
Equality of everyone before one law in this country must be an indisputable principle.
This is not something you will hear from LBWF.
Walthamster, Walthamstow says...
1:02pm Mon 23 Nov 09
Noor ul Islam has been outed here -- by a Muslim reader above -- as an extremist sect that's trying to foist unwanted sharia law on Muslims in this borough.
And why call it a 'think tank' when the document seems to be based purely on religious belief and opinion? There doesn't seem to be any genuine research involved.
Kareem, Walthamstow says...
7:34pm Mon 23 Nov 09
Increasingly its becoming "NO law" for many in this country. The fact that Muslims actually want to follow a law should be commended.
Would you rather Muslims became binge drinkers, drug addicts and violent criminals or followed sharia which forbids these things?
Has anyone actually read the report that can be downloaded from Noor ul-Islam's website? I think you will find much genuine academic research including a local survey conducted in Waltham Forest.
G. Tingey, Walthamstow says...
1:20pm Tue 24 Nov 09
It also states that unbelievers are inferior to muslims (christianity does it the opposite way round, OF COURSE).
It states that jews should be killed.
NO RELIGION.
AT ALL.
Please?
Zoreli, Leytonstone says...
11:09pm Tue 1 Dec 09
Kareem wrote:Kareem dear, I think you'll find there is a middle way between being a binge drinker/criminal, and following an oppressive, sexist code that is unwanted by so many of your fellow Muslims (and definitely not wanted by me). It's not an either/or choice you know!
"ONE law for all the people." What law is that in "Broken Britain"?
Increasingly its becoming "NO law" for many in this country. The fact that Muslims actually want to follow a law should be commended.
Would you rather Muslims became binge drinkers, drug addicts and violent criminals or followed sharia which forbids these things?
Has anyone actually read the report that can be downloaded from Noor ul-Islam's website? I think you will find much genuine academic research including a local survey conducted in Waltham Forest.
I have downloaded the report as you suggest; unfortunately the validity of the survey as "academic research" is impossible to gauge as they have not published the full results and methodology saying only that this is available "on request" (and how many people are going to bother with that?). The authors evidently have an agenda to increase the power and influence of mosques, and to have more Islamic schools, but I'm not sure where that leaves the 'secular' Muslims, and as a non-religious person I am alarmed at self-appointed community leaders taking it upon themselves to solve problems through religious means.
The alarmist talk of 'Broken Britain' is claptrap by the way - used by the Tories and by the loonies of Hizb ut-Tahrir in an attempt to sell their ideological snake oil. (I refer you to the Centre for Social Cohesion's recent report on HBT.) Despite our problems the UK is one of the richest and most secure countries in the world with superb healthcare and longevity and a proud tradition of democracy and civil rights. We must not sell that out in response to moral panic fomented by rightwing or religious zealots.
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Techno2, Walthamstow says...
4:06pm Fri 20 Nov 09
The method currently being proposed by this group is inherently undemocratic. On what basis can the council leader Mr Robbins agree to implement these proposals without discussion with the public ? At most, he was elected by Labour voters to pursue Labour Party policy, and has to do this in co-operation with his Libdem partners. His job is to serve the public as a whole. He is not there to implement the policies of an unelected minority business interest, be they a self-appointed group of muslims or the local freemason's lodge.