Author: Nabanita Sircar
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 13, 2006
Once again the word 'discrimination' sounds
like a demand for appeasement. This week Britain's most senior Muslim police
officer blamed tougher anti-terrorist laws for causing discrimination against
Muslims.
Tarique Ghaffur, a Metropolitan Police assistant
commissioner, said anti-terrorism stops and searches and "passenger profiling"
on flights and other transport, have left Muslims feeling unfairly stereotyped.
On the other hand a recent survey claimed
a quarter of British Muslims believed that the July 7 bombings were justified
because of the Government's support for the war on terror. And Mr Ghaffur
objects to tougher anti-terrorism laws?
In Damji's steps
She was jailed and then she escaped and became
known as the first on-the-run blogger of Britain . But now she is back in
prison. Yes, that's Farah Damji. Talk about feeling chuffed about one's own
misdoings. She is actually writing a book on her experience, while claiming
she should not "be in jail in the first place."
Damji, a criminal, is sure enjoying all the
media frenzy. At first, when she disappeared from prison, she wrote about
her flight to freedom on her blog. Now she says: "It's fantastic, I've
had calls from every major newspaper and many respected journos, dying for
me to tell my side of it. And guess what I won't. Because I want you to go
and buy the book so that all this hard work doesn't lead to my book ending
up on the three-for-two pile at waterstones..."
While her victims are probably thankful that
she is back at HMP Downview, where she was previously imprisoned, Damji seems
to be lapping up all the publicity she is getting.
Hve ths curry
Edinburgh's restaurateur and chef Tommy Miah
has found a new way of supplying his recipes to food lovers in his home country
of Bangladesh.
Owner of The Raj restaurant, Miah, who has
his own television show in Bangladesh, will supply his recipes for Bangladeshi,
Thai, Indian and Chinese meals via text message from any Banglalink mobile
phone.
The 47-year-old curry tycoon, who arrived
in Britain at the age of ten unable to speak a word of English, is launching
his own brand of spices in Britain. He had also started a worldwide curry
contest - International Indian Chef of the Year.
Islamophobia!
It is hard to believe that Muslims feel upset
about 'passenger profiling'. Many undergo stop and search regularly and they
are not even Muslims. Several Indians, because of the colour of their skin
go through the experience frequently, but one does not hear them scream discrimination!
It is a real world, of which terrorism has become a part, so tougher anti-terror
laws need to be supported. Claiming that counter-terrorism measures could
lead to the criminalisation of minority communities, sounds more like an effort
to put blame on the government for every evil in society. Anti-terror laws
surely did not create the 9/11 or 7/7 bombers.
It is high time for a reality check. One cannot
talk of the ills of Islamophobia when a third of Muslims dream of this country
becoming an Islamic state.
As far as media's "demonisation"
and distortion of Muslims and Islam is concerned, Mr Ghaffur, as a law enforcement
official, should also look at the fact that every time a jihadist is arrested
under anti-terror laws, the media placates the person as 'Asian'. That makes
others cringe. The term 'Asian' puts Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians and
Buddhists under one umbrella. Even in Mr Ghaffur's case, the media names him
as the most senior 'Asian' police officer, but he espouses the cause of Muslims,
not Asians.
In fact, in all this hue and cry about political
correctness the term 'British' is getting a real hammering. If Muslims feel
so discriminated against, may be they should move to a country that welcomes
their - and only their - way of life. Most fair-minded Muslims, Hindus or
Jews don't wish to see this country being fragmented on the basis of religion.
Its time to stop moaning and start integrating into the society we have chosen
as home
No zebras crossing
Commercialisation of festivals is getting
increasingly aggressive by the year. This time Harrods appears to have taken
it even further. While most people are enjoying their summer holidays, Harrods
launched its Christmas shop.
Santa Claus, accompanied by a zebra (where
did the reindeer go?), made a guest appearance to publicise the out-of-season
display of tinsel and angels, which takes up around 15,000 sq ft of the famous
store.
In Oxford Street, Selfridges has opened its
Christmas too, the earliest ever opening day for its festive section. Just
when the summer seems to be glowing we are being reminded of the cold months
ahead.
