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Name
Rabia
- Pakistan
Profession
Question
Hello Mr Sadiq Khan,
As a ruling party MP representing Britain, how would you explain to the Muslims of the world, the patent anti-Muslim prejudice in the recent Anti-Terror Bill of Britain?
Answer
Hello Rabia,
I think it is unfair to characterize the counter-terror measures taken by the UK government as anti-Muslim. Terrorism should be fought the same way as any other criminality which is by cooperation between the authorities and the community. One of the most encouraging things after the 7th July was the number of Muslims who contacted the authorities with useful information. The terrorists who committed the atrocities on the 7th July were indiscriminate as to who the victims would be. Muslims and non-Muslims died and we must both work together to defeat terrorism.
Name
Arvind Kakate
- Sri Lanka
Profession
Question
Hello Ambassador Collins,
Your Prime Minister said the other day, that the war he is waging is in the name of God. So it is clear now why Mr. Blair supports Mr. Bush (who claims to be God's chosen) blindly in his illegal war on Iraq, and why he does not need a UN approval for his Christian war. We would like to know your comment.
Answer
Thank you Arvind. The British Prime Minister did not in fact make this statement. What he did say in response to a question was that ultimately, only God could know whether the decision which he took was the correct one.
Name
Roshan
- India
Profession
Question
Hello Respected Ambassador,
I understand that those who act outside the periphery of national or international laws, are called "out-laws". Do you think that by your support of the modern Gulag of Guantanamo, you lose your credibility as a fighter against terrorists who act outside the law?
Answer
Thank you Roshan. Prime Minister Tony Blair has referred to Guantanamo as an "anomaly". The British government is clear that terrorism must be defeated by legal means at all times.
Name
Ahmed
- Algeria
Profession
Question
I would like to ask Mr. Simon Collis and Mr. Sadiq Khan about the future of Muslims in Britain and if Muslims are able to be integrated in the British society?
Answer
Sadiq Khan: Thank you Ahmed. It is worth putting the position in context. There are currently around two million Muslims out of a population of 60 million in the UK. This is a relatively new community who in most aspects have integrated pretty well bearing in mind the origin of the migrant community and the short space of time. In the UK we have, arguably, the most progressive anti-discrimination laws in the Western world. British Muslims are making huge progress in policy making, sports, media, politics, the arts, the legal profession, business and other mainstream strands of our society. There is currently an interesting debate taking place in the UK about what it means to be British, bearing in mind the evolving community in the UK and the diversity of religions and races in the country.
Ambassador Simon Collis: Sadiq has given a full answer. I agree with him. As a British diplomat, working in the Middle East, I discover everyday that the links between Britain and the region can only be strengthened as a result of the diversity which we increasingly enjoy as a country. This must be a source of pride for British people everywhere.
Name
Murad
- Lebanon
Profession
Question
My Question is directed to H.E British Ambassador:
Where is Islam and Muslims are exactly placed in British Middle East priorities?
Answer
The British government's priorities in the Middle East are to work for a safe and secure world free from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, to support good governance and respect for human rights, and to promote prosperity and trade. We understand that progress on each of these issues can only be achieved on the basis of respect for and cooperation with the governments and peoples of the region.
Name
Suzan
-
Profession
Question
Do you think it is an easy to define accusations like "glorifying terrorism" and "inciting hatred" ?
Answer
The reality is there is clear link between the use of language and the impact this has on people's behavior. Laws can provide a very useful way of proscribing certain acts which in the long term lead to changes in people's attitudes.
In the current context, we have examples in the UK of the far right inciting hatred against Muslims which then leads to acts of criminality against visible Muslims ranging from verbal abuse, criminal damage to physical violence. It is important for victims of these acts to be protected from the hatred that generates these crimes.
In the context of the debate around glorifying terrorism, in the UK we are seeking to outlaw situations where it is possible to glorify terrorism with the intention that people should emulate that particular act. This cannot be acceptable.
Name
Aly
-
Profession
Question
How can the British security measures be targeted correctly without marginalizing another generation of Muslims by using aggressive state machinery that will simply push them into secretive extremism?
Answer
This is a very legitimate concern. One of the things that we learnt in the UK from our experience with dealing with "Irish" terrorism is that very often the counter-terror measures led to a new generation of recruits to the "Irish" cause.
A disproportionate number of Muslims have been targeted by some of the security measures and this is a real cause for concern. This is especially so bearing in mind that the cooperation of all communities is vital in defeating terrorism. This cooperation is likely to be less forthcoming if there is a perception of unfairness in the security measures.
It is crucial that there is both transparency and accountability of the security services and the police to make sure that the measures aren't unfairly targeting Muslims.
Name
Simon
-
Profession
Question
Do you expect the British controversial proposals as compulsory storage of billions of records of personal email, mobile phone calls and texts, to find legal agreement among the European countries?
Answer
One of the advantages of the EU is the fact that nation states are encouraged to work together on issues that cross borders. Finding effective ways of fighting terrorism is one such example. It is important that a consensus is reached amongst member states in this important area.
Name
Aminah
-
Profession
Question
What is the purpose of your visit to Qatar? And who is the delegation?
Answer
The delegation are a group of dynamic and diverse group of British Muslims:
- Fadi Itani (Islamic Relief)
- Abdal-Rahman Helbawy (Islamic Institute of Development and Research, Dome Tours)
- Samia Rahman (freelance journalist and Deputy-Editor of Emel magazine)
- Lutfur Ali (consultant, Tribal group)
- Sadiq Khan (Member of Parliament, Tooting, London)
- Fareena Alam (freelance journalist and Editor of Q-News magazine)
This is a delegation of British Muslims who are touring Qatar, Bahrain and The Sudan to participate in debate and discussion on a range of issues of concern and interest to Muslims.
