Opinions

We Should Defend Women’s Right to Wear The Hijab & Also to Take it Off
February 6, 2018 By Faith Matters

We Should Defend Women’s Right to Wear The Hijab & Also to Take it Off

As powers in Iran realise the futility in enforcing morality on women through the Hijab, a report just released shows how views have changed within the country with many Iranians believing that wearing the Hijab should be a personal choice and not state sanctioned or enforced.  Indeed, such has been the courage of some women […]

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Commission for Countering Extremism Needs to Tackle Extremist Rhetoric at Its Core
January 25, 2018 By Faith Matters

Commission for Countering Extremism Needs to Tackle Extremist Rhetoric at Its Core

The announcement of Sara Khan as the Head of the Commission for Countering Extremism, has already created a public debate on how extremism should be countered. Sadly, it has also led to the usual ‘trial’ by Twitter, with little regard to the fact that the Commissioner’s role was contested between applicants and a rigorous process […]

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Extremism is Consolidated Without Due Diligence by UK Groups and Individuals
January 18, 2018 By Faith Matters

Extremism is Consolidated Without Due Diligence by UK Groups and Individuals

We are increasingly concerned about the lack of due diligence by some faith leaders in the UK in meeting with preachers coming from Pakistan. In particular, there is a growing Islamist movement in Pakistan which supports violent extremism against ‘blasphemers’, Ahmadi Muslims, Shias, Christians and other minorities. These groups are not just the ones involved […]

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Tehrik-e-Labaik Islamist Party in Pakistan Lionises the Murderer of Glasgow Shopkeeper, Asad Shah
October 30, 2017 By Faith Matters

Tehrik-e-Labaik Islamist Party in Pakistan Lionises the Murderer of Glasgow Shopkeeper, Asad Shah

The murder of Asad Shah, the Glasgow based shopkeeper was a brutal affair. We know this, partly because the spiritual leader of the Islamist group Tehrik-e-Labaik, Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, described in detail the actions that the convicted murderer, Tanveer Ahmed, undertook on the defenceless Shah. The description of the murder of Asad Shah was […]

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Anti-Muslim Hatred, Terrorism, Media Sources, Far Right Networks & Spike Points
October 13, 2017 By Faith Matters

Anti-Muslim Hatred, Terrorism, Media Sources, Far Right Networks & Spike Points

The recent Independent article highlighted the sharp rise in mosque attacks that have been seen across the country and which Tell MAMA has been systematically documenting for over 4 years now. Attacks on mosques, we have said time and time again, have a wider destructive impact on Muslim communities who use it – with some […]

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‘The State’ – Islamic State Drama Showed How Faith Is Twisted to Develop a Cult
August 25, 2017 By Faith Matters

‘The State’ – Islamic State Drama Showed How Faith Is Twisted to Develop a Cult

‘The State’ was shown over 4 nights. The work of Peter Kosminsky, it is a harrowing insight into how faith is used and manipulated to create a framework of deadly destruction and intimidation and it also highlights the naivety of people caught up in a belief that the ‘Caliphate’ is finally here. ‘The State’ highlights […]

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The Story of Jesus is Compelling to this Muslim
May 5, 2017 By Faith Matters

The Story of Jesus is Compelling to this Muslim

I cannot deny what is patently obvious. That the story of Jesus (Iesu) is one that is compelling, energising and deeply inspirational and one that is a story of rebellion through self-introspection, love and through God’s grace. As a Muslim, this compelling story has a narrative that I hold dear and it is one of a […]

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Saudi Arabia’s Death Sentence on Ahmad Al-Shabri is State Sponsored Murder
April 27, 2017 By Faith Matters

Saudi Arabia’s Death Sentence on Ahmad Al-Shabri is State Sponsored Murder

Have you ever heard of the country that the United Kingdom is friendly with and where we overlook their human rights record? Or have you heard about the country that sentences a man to death for blasphemy? No, we have not been watching the ‘Life of Brian’ recently and this is very real. Saudi Arabia […]

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Social Media Algorithms Promote Far Right & Islamist Groups in the UK
April 14, 2017 By Faith Matters

Social Media Algorithms Promote Far Right & Islamist Groups in the UK

The Times has just completed a detailed investigation into the way that advertising and pay per view clicks fund extremist and other content on the Internet and in the last few days they have also highlighted how child pornography and other activity, including the promotion of extremist material, has taken place inadvertently through the algorithm systems […]

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Casey Review Highlights a Number of Alarming Areas Around the Lack of Integration
December 5, 2016 By Faith Matters

Casey Review Highlights a Number of Alarming Areas Around the Lack of Integration

Dame Louise Casey’s long awaited report has highlighted a number of alarming areas and with one predominant feature. That at the heart of Government, a more robust and focussed approach needs to be taken on integration policies which have been previously ticked off by successive Governments by sponsoring interfaith work, as though the ‘tea and […]

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