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“I
am pleased to have a Muslim woman advising me and carrying this
work forward,” Livingstone said.
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Hany
Mohammad, IOL Correspondent
LONDON,
December 16 (IslamOnline.net) – Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London,
has appointed a Muslim woman as his new human rights advisor, a
decision welcomed by the sizable Muslim community in Britain.
Yasmin
Qureshi, a barrister whose experience includes heading the Criminal
Legal Section of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Department
of Judicial Administration in Kosovo, will replace Graham Tope, who
held the unpaid post during the mayor’s first term, said a press
release posted on the official website for the Mayor of London.
“I
am impressed with Yasmin’s serious approach to human rights, both in
terms of the issues she has taken up and also her professional
experience. She will bring an extra dimension to the work of my office
in this field,” Livingstone said.
He
asked Qureshi to include the issue of religious rights and freedoms as
part of her work and to reflect the views of
London
communities who have concerns about the new French law banning
religious symbols in state schools.
“I
am pleased to have a Muslim woman advising me and carrying this work
forward at a time when many Muslims feel that their rights around the
world are not being addressed, and I am sure that she will take up
these issues, such as a woman’s right to choose to wear the hijab,
with vigor.”
British
Sikhs recently raised the expulsion of Sikh children from French
schools with Livingstone.
France
triggered the heated controversy over hijab across
Europe
by adopting
a bill banning hijab and religious symbols in state schools, a
law dismissed by the US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) as "discriminatory".
Livingstone
had sent a letter
to French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, urging him
“to reconsider restricting fundamental religious freedoms in
France
through the proposed legislation.”
He
also hosted on Monday, July 12, a pro-hijab
conference that brought together 300 delegates, representing
102 British and international organizations as well as leading Muslim
figures to defend the right of Muslim women to wear hijab.
Media
Prejudice
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“I
also welcome the mayor’s acknowledgement that the problem of
Islamophobia requires attention,” Qureshi said.
|
Qureshi,
a past President of the Pakistan Club (UK) and former Chair of the
Human Rights and Civil Liberties Working Group of the Association of
Muslim Lawyers, said she was very happy to assume the responsibility.
“
London
’s status as a great world city places a responsibility on us to
champion human rights. I am delighted to accept this post and to work
with the mayor on this important issue.”
She
also commended Livingstone’s call to address the issue of
Islamophobia, especially in the media.
“I
also welcome the mayor’s acknowledgement that the problem of
Islamophobia requires attention. The demonisation of Islam and Muslims
in the media is something that I am keen to take up as part of my
role.”
A
recent Daily Telegraph’s article on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
and Islam gave Muslims in
Britain
quite
a shock, calling it a telling example of ignorance and
arrogance borne by “only the most zealous of racists.”
In
January, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) lodged a complaint with
the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) and the BBC, urging robust
disciplinary action against columnist and presenter Robert
Kilroy-Silk.
Thanks
to an immediate Muslim action, the BBC suspended the presenter's
morning show pending an investigation, while Kilroy-Silk offered
an apology over describing Arabs as “suicide bombers, limb
amputators, and women repressors.”
Welcomed
The
Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), one of the leading Muslim
organizations in
Britain
, welcomed the appointment.
“This
is a most welcome appointment, and it further confirms that our trust
and belief in Mayor Ken Livingstone and his staff to achieve the best
for all those who live in This great city of ours, is well-placed,”
MBA President Ahmed Al-Sheikh said in a press release.
“We
look forward to meeting and coordinating with Yasmin Qureshi on a
number of issues of concern to
London
's Muslim community.”
As
part of an intensive public
relations campaign to improve its relations with the Muslim community,
the British government recently unveiled plans to put forward a
legislation criminalizing
incitement of religious hatred.
The
Sunday Times revealed on May 30 that the government drew up a
major plan to "win
the hearts and minds" of young British Muslims.
The
Foreign Office also released last December a CD, reminding the Muslim
community that their contribution “is not just a matter of history,
but a reality
in every walk of life".
