The session has started. Join us with your questions.
Answer
-
Name
Ahmed
- Saudi Arabia
Profession
Question
Salam.
Will you please the details of the new immigration policy of UK government?
Answer
The UK, like all other European countries, has recently been seeking to tighten the rules governing immigration, especially with regards to asylum seekers. There are certain categories and professions that continue to be welcome in Britain because of dire need for such professionals and/or investors. For more details it would be best to consult the Web site of the Home Office.
Name
Ashrak
- United Kingdom
Profession
student
Question
Salam alaikum.
I wanted to ask a simple question: why is there tighter immigration laws in UK? What are the hidden agendas for these policies? Thanks.
Answer
Immigration has always been, and will always be for many years to come, an issue that politicians exploit in order to boost their ratings and evade talking about the real issues, issues that matter. By blaming the problem on immigrants, politicians seek to absolve themselves of responsibility for failure. Undoubtedly there is a selfish, xenophobic and I would say Islamophobic element to this as well.
Name
Ruth
- United Kingdom
Profession
nurse
Question
The reason for this dialogue isn't very clear, so bear with me if my question seems foolish. What is so wrong with tightening UK immigration laws? We are the most tolerant country, but so many "dependent" people are abusing our system. So, once again, why is the tightening of our immigration laws a cause for concern?
Answer
As a matter of principle there is nothing wrong with introducing rules and regulations to prevent or at least reduce abuse of the system. However, what may become a problem is targeting certain communities with these regulations whether on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, or religion.
In the early years of the 20th century, immigration controls were introduced in order to curtail the immigration of the Jews from Russia and Eastern Europe. They were described as anti-Semitic at the time. Today, politicians introduce the same sort of ideas but this time with Muslims in mind although the majority of immigrants are not Muslim. Today’s measures seem to be intended to act as filters allowing certain races or religious groups in but not others.
Name
Anne
- United Kingdom
Profession
Teacher
Question
I think it is about time the laws were changed. This is an attempt to filter out those who truly need protection in the UK or those who can contribute to a better society, from those who just arrive here and expect a free ride at the taxpayers expense, surely this will benefit the whole society--won't it?
Answer
I agree with you provided politicians tell the truth to the public as to the extent of abuse. To what extent is immigration a burden on society compared to mismanagement of the economy, invading and occupying Iraq, and lavishly spending on useless projects. Things need to be put in perspective for our assessment to be accurate and fair. If it truly turns out that immigration is the primary cause of our economic problem, then let’s deal with it. There are people who suspect that immigration is no more than a scapegoat.
Name
Abdullah
- Kuwait
Profession
Question
I had thought that immigration controls and the like are predominantly the domain of the BNP and other far-right European parties. I'm no fan of the Tories, but I never thought they would go this far. Which raises the question to my mind: Are we witnessing the "mainstreaming" of racism in British politics? Isn't this lowering the threshold for what is acceptable and unacceptable?
Answer
Some politicians who fear the loss of constituencies to the far-right have opted to compete with the far-right for their slogans and political agendas. As New Labour moved more toward the right, the Conservatives had to make a bigger move in the same direction in order to prove their loyalty to their tory thinking. But this is not simply a conservative thing. There are politicians in the other parties who have been using the race and immigration card as well. What was unacceptable a couple of decades ago is becoming more acceptable nowadays because of the so-called war on terrorism. Civil liberties have suffered as a result and human rights have been easily compromised in the name of preventing terrorism.
Name
Aziz
- Egypt
Profession
Question
Do you see the Tory pledge to work for restrictions on immigration as an isolated event, or is it part of a wider pattern in Europe in general? I notice many far-right groups have been making gains the past few years.
Answer
I believe we are seeing a general trend across Europe. Economic crises and failure in addressing the issues that matter have prompted politicians to blame everything on “foreigners.” There are other factors that aid such trend; some of these factors derive from the erroneous attitude of some Muslims who have come to Europe in pursuit of a safer and more secure life than wherever they happen to have come from. Another important factor is the work of lobby groups that have their own agendas. Especially with regard to the Muslims, there are minority, though very powerful lobby groups that are worried because of Islam’s presence in Europe. Islam and Muslims are portrayed as the threat and their way of life is trumpeted as incompatible with the values of European societies, an assumption that undermines the belief in multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious Europe.
Name
Muslim
- Sudan
Profession
Question
Is the outcry over immigration quotas being exaggerated? I mean, it's not yet an actual policy, it's a campaign pledge by one of several parties... why are so many commentators worried?
Answer
The concerns are rather exaggerated although as I have just pointed out in the previous answer there factors that contribute to the perception of immigration as a threat. The best solution to immigration is to contribute seriously and honestly to resolving world crises, most of which, by the way, happen to be ramifications of colonial and post-colonial periods. Let's consider for instance Algeria. Why would Algerians want to leave their home country and live in various European countries had it not been for the crisis created by the cancellation of democracy, an act instigated and blessed by major Western countries, especially France and the USA.
Name
Salman
- Qatar
Profession
Question
With increasing profiling and harassment of Muslims on the rise, do you see this proposal as part of efforts to restrict the influx of Muslims into Britain, or is it a general clampdown targetting all third-worlders and poor migrants?
Answer
Frankly, I see it as an attempt by certain politicians to win over unhappy voters who have been disillusioned with mainstream political parties and have been attracted by the BNP and its likes. Every single respectable study on the situation of immigrants in the European countries will show that the overwhelming majority of these immigrants are law-abiding, decent, and hard-working people. As in every community, including those who came to Europe many years earlier from lands hit by crises, there will always be fringe elements that give bad names to the rest of the community. The media and right-wing politicians contribute to the exaggeration of the implications of what these fringe elements may do or say.
Name
Uwaimer
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
What can British Muslims do to oppose Howard's proposed "immigration quotas"? In light of numerous labour failings, are we likely to see the Tories sweep to victory in the next general elections?
Answer
I do not believe that the Tories have a chance for many years to come. Despite the failings of Labour, it is still in command. What Muslims need to do is take the forthcoming election seriously and use their votes cleverly and tactically. My organization, the Muslim Association of Britain, is convening a conference on this matter in early March to discuss, with leading Muslim organizations and Muslim public opinion makers, the issues that matter and the strategy we need to pursue.
I can say that four major issues are of concern to the Muslims:
1) the war on Iraq. Any candidate that supports the continuation of the occupation of Iraq and fails to demand the withdrawal of British troops does not deserve the Muslim vote irrespective of which party he or she belongs to.
2) The question of Palestine. Those candidates that support the Zionist oppression of the Palestinians should not be given the Muslim vote; Palestine is a major issue for Muslims world-wide and the message needs to be stressed during the next election.
3) Issues pertaining to civil liberties and human rights, especially with regard to the Terrorism Act and its impact on the Muslim community. Muslims have been the primary targets and victims of this law just because of being Muslim. Only a candidate that makes an open stand on this issue in favor of respecting the civil liberties and rights of all citizens, including Muslims, deserves to be given a Muslim vote.
4) Issues pertaining to the more domestic needs of Muslims, such as the right to state-funded faith-schools, equal treatment in jobs, and education etc. For some Muslims, at least the issue of Kashmir is a very important issue, and Muslims in certain areas may wish to assess candidates on the basis of their attitude toward this chronic problem.
Name
Graham
- United Kingdom
Profession
sales director
Question
We are overrun with people who are unable, or unwilling, to contribute to our society, but expect all the perks of a born and bred Englishman-Do you think that this is fair? Don't we have the right to put some limitation on who comes here and why? Often the problem is not just the immigrant himself, he comes and then we suddenly have his extended family to look after as well. Aren't there safety mechanisms that make distinctions between those who immigrate for an easier life and those who desperately need asylum?
Answer
Had your diagnosis of the problem been right I would have agreed with you. As I said earlier, only a small fraction of immigrants—and only for a limited period of time—live on the system. Most of the people who once arrived in this country as immigrants earn their living and pay their taxes. I would agree with you that should there be an abuse, that abuse must be addressed and brought to an end. The problem is that certain circles within the media and politics resort to blowing this problem out of proportion. It would then seem to the non-specialized that all these “foreigners”—as some may call them—are simply parasites living on the rest of us. This is rather unfair and untrue at the same time.
Name
Rececca
- United Kingdom
Profession
student
Question
Sir, you obviously have spent most of your life in Britain, don't you honestly see a need for better control of immigration? There are areas in the UK where English is taught as a foreign language! Or are you going to try to make it seem as though this is all part and parcel of a post 9-11 islamophobic reaction--even though these restrictions are not aimed at Muslims.
Answer
So long as societies are open, and so long as there is an opportunity for people to move and settle, problems arise and need to be addressed. What is at issue here is not whether there is a problem or not, but the size and the impact of the problem. I think the political rhetoric after 9/11 has been using (or abusing) immigration for the sake of justifying the introduction of tougher laws to deal with problems immigration did not create in the first place. The human tendency to consider the “other” different and unwelcome will always be with us. However, this tendency becomes more assertive during times of crises when we become more inward looking, exclusive, and even selfish.
Name
Mohammed
- United States
Profession
Question
First of all, I would like to thank you for this service. It certainly helps millions of people all over the world. However, I like to know what are the minimum rights of a muslim over other muslim.
Answer
The rights of a Muslim who resides in a European country or the United States (or any other part of the world) are determined by the law of the land. Religious choice is a personal matter and should not mean discrimination or distinction in public life.
Name
Clifford
- United Kingdom
Profession
Engineer
Question
Our government has said that it will pull Britain out of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, which obliges countries to take in asylum seekers based on need, regardless of numbers. In your opinion, will this be a bad thing? We seem to be innundated with illegal (and legal) immigrants these days.
Answer
Pulling out of any international agreement is bad. Inundated is a term I do not agree with. I would reassert that immigrants are used as scapegoats. Of course every country has the right to a set of rules to regulate the administration of new comers into its territories, but this has to be in line with universally accepted and agreed upon values. Can you imagine what will happen to the world if each country starts picking and choosing what and when to abide with of international norms and conventions?
Name
Ahmed
- Mauritania
Profession
Student
Question
The UK is just like the US -- trying to still the light of the moon and grab the smiles from children's eyes, by toughtning everything, but what can the British Muslims do to stop such trend in their adoubted countries?
Answer
Policies adopted by democratic governments are always subject to review. Muslims living in Western democracies have no option but to abide by the laws—and in the event that they do not like some of them, they lobby public opinion and policy makers through the democratic process. This applies to all matters and to all communities irrespective of religion or ethnicity. Fox-hunters do not like the recently adopted restriction on their sport but they have to abide and if they wish they can still work for a change of the law.
Additionally, Muslims have a duty to live up to the values they believe in by respecting the law and working with others in their societies in order to avert any harm that may befall them. A good deal of misconception about Islam is unfortunately caused by Muslims behaving badly.
Name
SAMAR
-
Profession
HOUSEWIFE
Question
Are the Muslims in the UK now more open to other cultures and willing to intigrate in the society while at the same time preserving their religion.
Warm salam.
Answer
Yes, I think so. I arrived in this country for the first time in 1974 as a young student and I can tell you that so much has changed since then in the way Muslims interact with the rest of society. Second- and third-generation Muslims, who are born and raised in the country, play a particularly important role in this.
Name
The Poet
- Mauritania
Profession
Question
When ask the history, how Muslims rooted-up from spain, the answer will be: "by disstricting thier librties". Are we facing the same story in todays UK
Answer
No, far from it. I think the anti-Muslim camp is a very limited one. Although many people may be misled by the propaganda disseminated by this camp, I do not see a real threat to the presence of Muslims in the UK. Many British people believe that Islam enriches this country culturally and provides it with a unique position in the world political arena in terms of relating to other nations around the world.
