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Bishop backs mosque's call to prayer
7:30am Friday 11th January 2008
Comments (95)THE BISHOP of Oxford has rejected another senior clergyman's fears that piping out the call to prayer in East Oxford could create a "no-go area" for non-Muslims.
The Rt Rev John Pritchard backed plans for the call to prayer in Oxford - rejecting controversial comments made by the Anglican church's only Asian bishop, the Rt Rev Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, of Rochester.
Bishop Michael had said that attempts were being made to impose an "Islamic character" on communities, creating "no-go areas" where people of different faiths would find it hard to live and work.
But Bishop John said: "I want to distance myself from what the Bishop of Rochester has said.
"I have been with the House of Bishops for the past three days and we agreed there are no no-go areas in this country that we are aware of, and that in all parts of the country there are good inter-faith relationships developing."
In November, it emerged that leaders at Oxford's Central Mosque, in Manzil Way, were considering asking for planning permission to issue the call to prayer from the mosque - and Bishop John said he was "very happy" with the move.
He said: "I believe we have good relationships with the Muslim community here in Oxford and I am personally very happy for the mosque to call the faithful to prayer in East Oxford.
"Faith is a very important factor in the lives of 80 per cent of the world's population and a public expression of that faith is both natural and reasonable."
Bishop John said practical issues over the number of times the call went out, the volume and whether a trial period would be required would need to be ironed out, but said in principle it was "entirely reasonable".
He said: "It is good that we should be reminded of the faithfulness of many members of the community.
"It is natural that Muslim communities will gather in a particular area and what matters is that we demonstrate the kind of respect that is the basis of any civilised society."
Bishop John added: "I would say to anyone who has concerns about the call to prayer to relax and enjoy our community diversity and be as respectful to others as you would hope they would be respectful to you."
Bishop John said his role meant he acted as a community leader for all faiths, and believed he was respected as such by the Muslim community as by his own.
He added that it was his duty to open the door for all faiths to be part of the public arena. He continued: "I sympathise with those who find any kind of expression of public faith intrusive, but I think part of being part of a tolerant society is saying, 'I don't agree with this but I accept it as part of my responsibility as being part of a diverse community'."
Bishop Michael wrote in the Sunday Telegraph this weekend that non-Muslims faced a hostile relationship in places dominated by the ideology of Islamic radicals.
He argued: "Attempts have been made to impose an 'Islamic' character on certain areas, for example, by insisting on artificial amplification for Adhan.
"Such amplification was, of course, unknown throughout most of history and its use raises all sorts of questions about noise levels and whether non-Muslims wish to be told the creed of a particular faith five times a day on the loudspeaker."
He added: "There has been a worldwide resurgence of the ideology of Islamic extremism.
"One of the results of this has been to further alienate the young from the nation in which they were growing up and also to turn already separate communities into no-go areas where adherence to this ideology has become a mark of acceptability."
Sardar Rana, a spokesman for Oxford Central Mosque, has also attacked Bishop Michael's claims, and said the bishop should be more "broad-minded".
He said: "It will not create a no-go area. We welcome every religion and we respect other people.
"I am 100 per cent sure people will like it when they hear the holy verses on the loudspeaker. We are not saying anything bad."
Your Say YourThe Oxford Times
J, east oxford says...
4:02pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Saying that, the UK is originally a christian country, and at least church bells are somewhat cheerful and tuneful!
The call to prayer noise, however, is hideous!! As a resident of east oxford, I will tolerate the church bells in the name of tradition, but do NOT want to listen to a ghastly screaching sound!
Dave, Kidlington says...
4:39pm Thu 10 Jan 08
J wrote:Originally it was a pagan country. So-called Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter were old pagan seasonal festivals that were hijacked by the Christian church.
Faith is outdated, and if people wish to practice a faith, they should do so in private, and not flaunt it in other people's faces. Saying that, the UK is originally a christian country, and at least church bells are somewhat cheerful and tuneful! The call to prayer noise, however, is hideous!! As a resident of east oxford, I will tolerate the church bells in the name of tradition, but do NOT want to listen to a ghastly screaching sound!
Religion is just a conspiracy to stop poor people killing rich people anyway.
DanOxford, Oxford says...
5:08pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Just in case anyone was left in any way unsure as to the 'Christian' church's views on the intolerance of others, remember the support given to the fatwa on Salman Rushdie, the condemnation of the Dutch 'Mohammad' cartoonists and the fact that the only Nazi ever excommunicated was Goebbels- and that was for marrying a Protestant- not for engineering the destruction of the Jews, homosexuals, the disabled...
ALL of these crackpots should be consigned to the dustbin of history- not given some sort of hushed 'respect' and reverence.
Never trust a man in a dress! As my gran would tell me!
Apeasement, Oxford says...
5:15pm Thu 10 Jan 08
1 Calls upped to three five times a day and volume increased.
2 Alcohol prohibited in shops and bars nearby on Friday's.
3 Butchers's shop opposite mosque told to stop selling pork products.
Shall I continue?
Trevtt, BFD says...
6:24pm Thu 10 Jan 08
boris etc supporters comes to mind here) could fail to notice something sinister going down in this land. Have they put something in the water to make people still support this lot? I think for some, they are so blind, deaf and dumb - and yes, thick, they will carry on voting for what their mum or dad voted for until the day comes that women are told to cover up when going out, men have to sport a full set of whiskers, girls are told to stay at home while the boys go to school - renamed madrasas.
Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster says...
6:35pm Thu 10 Jan 08
This is a further demonstration of the weakness of our ruling classes in the face of forced change by an alien culture.
The people of these Islands have spent thousands of years evolving into the most robust democracy on Earth. NuLabour, and the parasitic infestation that it brought along with it in the form of political correctness, has spent the last decade intent on destroying our rights and heritage.
Having worked in several Islamic states I can vouch for the fact that the call to prayer is an irritating dirge that will detract from the character of one of Englands oldest and most famous cities and send out a dangerous message to the more extreme elements within the Muslim community.
Those that claim that we should tolerate such moves because we are a multicultural society are very wrong. Multi-culturalism is nothing more than a left-liberal utopian myth. It does not, has not and never will exist in reality in a country with demographics such as ours. It is a social engineering propaganda tool that has seriously disenfranchised the overwhelming majority of people in this country.
The leaders of many minority groups in the UK have had the good sense to see it for what it is, which is why Chinese, Hindu, Sikh and many other communities seldom make it into the news for the same reasons that Muslims do, and certainly not for trying to maim and kill their fellow Britons in the name of their Gods.
These groups have recognised that the it is in their own best interest to integrate with society at large and practice their own cultural traditions without demanding that the rest of us join them, or stop practicing our own.
Islam, on the other hand, is not a tolerant religion. The most fundamental of its adherents are hell bent on creating a new global caliphate with the rest of them happy to tag along, aided and abetted by our spineless PC politicians.
This is the same reason that has allowed the proliferation of black gun crime, which has created its own no-go areas. "Racism paranoia" has prevented left-liberal government and their politicised police from getting to grips with this rising problem.
J, east oxford says...
6:38pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Originally it was a pagan country. So-called Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter were old pagan seasonal festivals that were hijacked by the Christian church.
yup, 100% true! Otherwise, as an atheist, I wouldn't bother celebrating these pagan festivals!
Religion is just a conspiracy to stop poor people killing rich people anyway.
Agree 100%! What better way to control the masses than to put the fear of an unknown force and fate into people!
Tq, says...
6:42pm Thu 10 Jan 08
One of the most amusing things about this all is that essentially, Muslims worship the same god Christians do. It wouldn't surprise me if half of the ignorant Christian population thought they worshiped Muhammad as their god, that would be wrong. He was just a prophet, the final and most influential one.
As a Christian myself i would applaud any call to prayer as a good effort to integrate mankind into greater acceptance of each other.
Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster says...
6:57pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Fundamentalist Muslims understand this only as weakness. Their concept of integration is somewhat different than ours. In their view the only acceptable transition is assimilation; that is to say, our assimilation into their culture and religion.
The naive and apathetic of Britain and other Western democracies really do need to get their collective heads around this concept.
DanOxford, Oxford says...
7:12pm Thu 10 Jan 08
how many churches in Saudi Arabia? None.
Why is this? because the open worship of any other religion is punishable by... a slap on the wrists? A small fine? A telling off? What does the 'religion of peace and understanding' decree? Oh- that would be death then.
Extremist literature found at Oxford Mosque, Azad University accused of bullying and discrimination when a female administrator refused to help in obtaining illegal visas...
Never mind waiting for the call to prayer- where do I sign up?!!
L Kelly, London says...
7:18pm Thu 10 Jan 08
john, says...
7:27pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Tq wrote:Is that right? In that case they must know the God they worship had a son called Jesus Christ.
I think Christians in this country needs to take a step back and start reading their bible again. They\'ll find a lot in there about tolerance and its importance.
One of the most amusing things about this all is that essentially, Muslims worship the same god Christians do. It wouldn\'t surprise me if half of the ignorant Christian population thought they worshiped Muhammad as their god, that would be wrong. He was just a prophet, the final and most influential one.
As a Christian myself i would applaud any call to prayer as a good effort to integrate mankind into greater acceptance of each other.
Stephanie Anderson, Raleigh, NC USA says...
7:34pm Thu 10 Jan 08
"whether non-Muslims wish to be told the creed of a particular faith five times a day on the loudspeaker."
This is exactly right. Who wants to hear "there is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his prophet" 5 times a day on a loudspeaker, and furthermore, why do Muslims feels the need to do so? They know when their prayer times are. The rest of us don't need to know. Stay out of my living room, my life, my yard, my childrens' schools, and my workplace Islam! Your beliefs are just that YOUR beliefs, not mine and I do not wish to have them forced upon me or my children!
STOP POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, and make decisions based on merit says...
8:57pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Stephanie Anderson wrote:SPOT ON
From the article: "whether non-Muslims wish to be told the creed of a particular faith five times a day on the loudspeaker." This is exactly right. Who wants to hear "there is no God but Allah and Muhammed is his prophet" 5 times a day on a loudspeaker, and furthermore, why do Muslims feels the need to do so? They know when their prayer times are. The rest of us don't need to know. Stay out of my living room, my life, my yard, my childrens' schools, and my workplace Islam! Your beliefs are just that YOUR beliefs, not mine and I do not wish to have them forced upon me or my children!
ITS OK FOR MUSLIMS TO ENFORCE THEIR VIEWS
BUT FOR A NON MUSLIM TO ENFORCE HIS VIEWS IS RACIST
sort it out oxford city council - its evident the people of oxord do not want to have one groups views enforced on to them 5 times a day
J, Oxford says...
9:56pm Thu 10 Jan 08
DanOxford wrote:That's because the Christian religion is a lot more tolerant that than the Islamic faith.
I've said it before, I'll say it again...
how many churches in Saudi Arabia? None.
Why is this? because the open worship of any other religion is punishable by... a slap on the wrists? A small fine? A telling off? What does the 'religion of peace and understanding' decree? Oh- that would be death then.
Extremist literature found at Oxford Mosque, Azad University accused of bullying and discrimination when a female administrator refused to help in obtaining illegal visas...
Never mind waiting for the call to prayer- where do I sign up?!!
By all means have your churches and mosques, but PLEASE keep your religion to yourself, and don't flaunt it infront of of those of us that are content with a life without religion! I know how to be a good person without following some mythical rules and regulations!
Calls to prayer is a step too far (bells I accept, given that it's a physical task that alot of people enjoy, religious or not), so it shouldn't be allowed.
The covering of the face should also be banned. It is a sign of cowardice and is insulting to honest people. Even motorcyclists have the decency to remove their helmets whilst in shops! I am a tolerant person, but I will NOT talk to a person who has their face covered. It is RUDE and insulting.
gabe, dublin says...
12:56am Fri 11 Jan 08
LW, Oxford says...
2:35am Fri 11 Jan 08
The fact is that the call to prayer isn't necessary-- proved by the fact that the mosque functions perfectly well without it now.
sheik yer'mami, Mecca says...
4:13am Fri 11 Jan 08
Kurt Bronson, USA says...
5:02am Fri 11 Jan 08
Until Christians can erect a Cathedral in the city center of Mecca and worship there freely, free-thinkers can safely discuss Mohammed as a mere man and contemplate non-divine origins of his teachings--in public settings in Medina, and Hindus can hold their festivals publicly in Pakistan, than Islam must properly be considered and ideology of conquest, and denied an equal public place in civilized nations until it accords like equality in it's own realms.
To do otherwise is to provide them the cord with which they will bind us in bondage as this ideology has so many over the centuries. They conquered half of Christiandom a thousand years ago--lets not give them the rest.
Aiddy, says...
5:23am Fri 11 Jan 08
Tq, says...
8:44am Fri 11 Jan 08
Keith Lonsdale wrote:Well i believe you do need a dear sight large amount of tolerance to survive in the UK to begin with, by doing a call to prayer i really do doubt that any of Oxfords Christian population is going to suddenly become Muslim. When the Church bells stop ringing you can start complaining that the integration has gone to far.
Tq, whilsit I understand that tolerance and acceptance is a fundamental tenet of your creed, I\'m afraid that you are being rather naive.
Fundamentalist Muslims understand this only as weakness. Their concept of integration is somewhat different than ours. In their view the only acceptable transition is assimilation; that is to say, our assimilation into their culture and religion.
The naive and apathetic of Britain and other Western democracies really do need to get their collective heads around this concept.
"Is that right? In that case they must know the God they worship had a son called Jesus Christ."-john on 7:27pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Surprisingly enough they don't think that Jesus was Gods son, however they do believe in Jesus's existance as a prophet... So essentially Islam is closer to Christianity than Judaism is.
dave, says...
9:06am Fri 11 Jan 08
"Faith is a very important factor in the lives of 80 per cent of the world's population and a public expression of that faith is both natural and reasonable."
what of the percentage of U.K. residents. I find it hard to believe this is as high as 80%.
British Bulldog, says...
9:26am Fri 11 Jan 08
Dan Oxf, Oxf says...
9:58am Fri 11 Jan 08
Dan OX, Oxf says...
10:01am Fri 11 Jan 08
aryan, oxford says...
10:39am Fri 11 Jan 08
dan Ox, Ox says...
10:48am Fri 11 Jan 08
Sally, says...
11:07am Fri 11 Jan 08
dan Ox wrote:But these ethnic minorities as you keep spouting are mostly Bristish born and have as much to be here as you.
No mate i'm just pi**ed off with ethnic minorities coming in to my country which i have put a lot of money in to coming here and shouting the odds. and if we don't cower down and meet their demands we are labelled as rascist. we should have at least have a simple policy " these are our rules this is our country. if you don't like f*ck off" then there is no confusion
I hope if you have children you don't pass your views on to them
J, oxford says...
11:11am Fri 11 Jan 08
dan Ox wrote:Agree.
No mate i'm just pi**ed off with ethnic minorities coming in to my country which i have put a lot of money in to coming here and shouting the odds. and if we don't cower down and meet their demands we are labelled as rascist. we should have at least have a simple policy " these are our rules this is our country. if you don't like f*ck off" then there is no confusion
Muslims should be grateful that they were allowed to build their mosques in a christian country. Under no circumstances should they be allowed the call to prayer.
If they do get permission, then perhaps we can pay the tree demonstratin guy (if he's finished) to go throw pork sausages at the mosque 5 times a day in protest?
(that's a joke btw, for anyone oversensitive who might not get it!)
J, oxford says...
11:18am Fri 11 Jan 08
Sally wrote:SO what next, sharia law in the UK?
dan Ox wrote: No mate i'm just pi**ed off with ethnic minorities coming in to my country which i have put a lot of money in to coming here and shouting the odds. and if we don't cower down and meet their demands we are labelled as rascist. we should have at least have a simple policy " these are our rules this is our country. if you don't like f*ck off" then there is no confusionBut these ethnic minorities as you keep spouting are mostly Bristish born and have as much to be here as you. I hope if you have children you don't pass your views on to them
I'm sure you wouldn't be too keen if your daughters were forced to cover themselves head to toe and treated as lower class citizens.
British born or not, religion is a private affair that people should keep to themselves. They should live by the rules and laws of the government, and religion should not affect their daily life other than on a personal level.
Lloyd, Oxford says...
11:26am Fri 11 Jan 08
Prof. A F Fort, Oxford says...
11:51am Fri 11 Jan 08
DanOxford, Oxford says...
12:12pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Simply post anonymously, or better still, impersonate a previous poster, and attempt to simplify everything down to callling anyone you disagree with a racist, bigot or BNP member.
It's so much simpler and allows people who would not otherwise be able to participate on the grounds of limited intelligence/ education/ maturity.
Ed, Oxford says...
12:25pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Maybe Oxford will be the first place to fight back and reclaim our country. Can you imagine the call to prayer EVERY morning, waking EVERYONE up? I for one will take a few pot shots at the loudspeaker (with stones, as is the Muslim way!) to shut it up.
Why doesn't someone with a big speaker system try and emulate the call to prayer now? Do it at the right time of day, and see how many people complain. Then you know where you stand. When OCC get 1000s of noise complaints, they know they can't allow it!
John, says...
12:37pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Tq wrote:Point being that they do not worship the same God which is what the original poster stated..
Keith Lonsdale wrote:Well i believe you do need a dear sight large amount of tolerance to survive in the UK to begin with, by doing a call to prayer i really do doubt that any of Oxfords Christian population is going to suddenly become Muslim. When the Church bells stop ringing you can start complaining that the integration has gone to far.
Tq, whilsit I understand that tolerance and acceptance is a fundamental tenet of your creed, I\'m afraid that you are being rather naive.
Fundamentalist Muslims understand this only as weakness. Their concept of integration is somewhat different than ours. In their view the only acceptable transition is assimilation; that is to say, our assimilation into their culture and religion.
The naive and apathetic of Britain and other Western democracies really do need to get their collective heads around this concept.
"Is that right? In that case they must know the God they worship had a son called Jesus Christ."-john on 7:27pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Surprisingly enough they don't think that Jesus was Gods son, however they do believe in Jesus's existance as a prophet... So essentially Islam is closer to Christianity than Judaism is.
Bex, OXON says...
12:48pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Richard, Oxford says...
12:50pm Fri 11 Jan 08
I am gay :I would find it incredibly offensive to hear a regular call to worship a God, for a religion which actively condemns my sexuality. At least churches only ring bells, and I can step into a church anywhere in the country without persecution. I have no wish to walk down the Cowley Road hearing calls to Allah. It would just be an audible reminder of oppression intruding upon my thoughts.
CB, Abingdon says...
1:06pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Kurt Bronson, USA says...
1:13pm Fri 11 Jan 08
DanOxford, Oxford says...
1:36pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Richard wrote:Richard- although I am not myself gay, I am 'intolerant' 'racist' and a 'bigot' for objecting to this call to prayer PRECISELY because I feel that it is symbolic of a belief system that is INHERENTLY sexist, intolerant, homophobic and discriminatory.
Sirs. I am gay :I would find it incredibly offensive to hear a regular call to worship a God, for a religion which actively condemns my sexuality. At least churches only ring bells, and I can step into a church anywhere in the country without persecution. I have no wish to walk down the Cowley Road hearing calls to Allah. It would just be an audible reminder of oppression intruding upon my thoughts.
This exemplifies the moral bankruptcy of the predominantly white, leftist 'liberals' who attack any white, English working person who dares to oppose the real enemies of freedom, democracy, liberty, true 'diversity' and balanced fairness.
Such is the effectiveness of NuLabour's failed experiments in politically correct multiculturalism that have led to this Country breaking down socially.
The true irony is that the criminals, mullahs and other anti-social elements just sit back as the turkeys vote for Christmas and squawk at any voice of caution.
Trev, BFD says...
2:47pm Fri 11 Jan 08
J wrote:Sharia law is already being practiced in many parts of West Yorkshire. Take Dewsbury for instance, Muslims in this area are practicing it and the government won't do anything to stop it.
Sally wrote:SO what next, sharia law in the UK?
dan Ox wrote: No mate i\'m just pi**ed off with ethnic minorities coming in to my country which i have put a lot of money in to coming here and shouting the odds. and if we don\'t cower down and meet their demands we are labelled as rascist. we should have at least have a simple policy \" these are our rules this is our country. if you don\'t like f*ck off\" then there is no confusionBut these ethnic minorities as you keep spouting are mostly Bristish born and have as much to be here as you. I hope if you have children you don\'t pass your views on to them
I\'m sure you wouldn\'t be too keen if your daughters were forced to cover themselves head to toe and treated as lower class citizens.
British born or not, religion is a private affair that people should keep to themselves. They should live by the rules and laws of the government, and religion should not affect their daily life other than on a personal level.
Look at this story, another area which is seeing Sharia Law in action.
http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/england/merse
yside/7182887.stm
boris, oxford says...
2:53pm Fri 11 Jan 08
DanOxford, Oxford says...
3:28pm Fri 11 Jan 08
And before anyone says there are Christain/ atheist/ vegetarian etc murderers, the point is that both murders were due to the belief system rooted in Islam held by the killers- much as suicide bombing cannot be separated from the concept of Jihad.
http://www.telegraph
.co.uk/news/main.jht
ml?xml=/news/2005/11
/04/uhonour.xml&sShe
et=/portal/2005/11/0
4/ixportaltop.html
George, Washington DC says...
4:09pm Fri 11 Jan 08
We, as law-abiding citizens cannot allow this, just as we cannot allow our culture and way of life to be changed beyond recognition by the beliefs of the few.
There will be NO call to prayer from Cowley Road mosque. We are not a Muslim country, never have been, and if I have to fight, it never will be.
It's time we got a backbone and starting being British again. This country didn't have an empire because we sat back and did nothing. We didn't win two world wars because we sat back and did nothing. We didn't stop the Argentinians invading our land because we sat back and did nothing.
So come out on the streets, make your voice heard. Yes you might get arrested, but the fight is bigger than a bit of paper. It's about OUR lives and OUR country.
Write to your MP, and remind them that unless they stop this nonsense, they can count on losing your vote next time around. If enough people do it, they WILL take notice.
FIGHT BACK
Paul O, Oxford says...
4:49pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Johhny, Oxford says...
5:08pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Pork Chop, says...
5:12pm Fri 11 Jan 08
quote"I have been with the House of Bishops for the past three days and we agreed there are no no-go areas in this country that we are aware of, and that in all parts of the country there are good inter-faith relationships developing."
Obviously not a well travelled man - take of you Dog Collar Mr Pilchard and walk around predominant asian areas in The North of England and see how long you last , what a ****
quote
Iftikhar, Forest Gate London says...
6:02pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Muslims are economic migrant ,they are not economic slaves. They must
preserve their faith, culture and languages for the future survival of their young generations as Muslims.
Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. State schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers are not capable of teaching Standard Englsih to bilingual children. They need to be well versed in Standard English to follow the National urriclulm and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions.
Farouk Patel, Chepstow says...
6:15pm Fri 11 Jan 08
As I have already mentioned I was born into the Islamic faith and from a very early age (around 8) I knew that Islam wasnt for me and that instead of going to the mosque (which I found bloody boring) I would rather play down the park with my fellow school friends before teatime. In doing so I used to get beaten. (I dont mean a smack, I mean beaten black and blue) Not only did my father beat me, but the Mullah felt free to do so as well. The parents of the children who also went to the mosque did so and the their children took to name calling as I wasnt as able as them in which to recite the Koran.(As if I wanted to in the first place)
My father used to write snick chits in which to excuse my sister and I from PE at school, however one day after my sister was found with bruises I was called to the Headmasters office and examined. We were both assigned social workers and my father was informed that child abuse was a no-no in England and that he would be taken to court if it happened again. Instead of physical abuse my father took to mental abuse and after a few months both my sister and I were taken into care. We were given over to British families who accepted that we were different and ensured that we were brought up to the dietary requirements of our so called faith. (Try eating only fish fingers, spaghetti for over 8 years)
Anyway the council took notice of the abuse that was transpiring to my sister and I and took action. The call to Prayer is but one small step in allowing certain sections of the community in which to givern themselves. What would happen today if a child found itself in the situation we found ourselves. I mean it didnt help Shafilea Ahmed as people are becoming scared of speaking out against the mores of Islam in case they are castigated as a racist.
But the irony in my story is I am totally blanked by the Islamic community as I am an apostate, yet I am not fully accepted by the white community as I have a Muslim name. Talk about pig in the middle.
All I have to say on the subject is stop the preferential treatment afforded to Muslims in the UK and treat them as you would a white person. Only then when they realise that they are the same as us all and that faith bestows no favours in a court of law. Be it for speeding, murder or for building permission. In doing so it will remove this victim status that ethnic minorities use in which to bully their way through any obstruction in their way and hopefully stop the gravitation towards the far right which the population of the UK is finding itself moving towards as they see the views of a very small minority taking precedent over everything else.
John, says...
6:47pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Iftikhar wrote:Honour killings, forced marriage, babaric punishments such as stoning, hanging, amputations.
Salaam
Muslims are economic migrant ,they are not economic slaves. They must
preserve their faith, culture and languages for the future survival of their young generations as Muslims.
Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. State schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers are not capable of teaching Standard Englsih to bilingual children. They need to be well versed in Standard English to follow the National urriclulm and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions.
Stephen Maier, OXFORD says...
6:49pm Fri 11 Jan 08
suicidebombers, Oxford says...
7:10pm Fri 11 Jan 08
" They need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions."
Well as they say - theres the door bloody well use it and bugger off back to dumbfuckistan and take you medieval barbarian ways with you . You and your whining bleating ways are not welcome , you cant and wont intergrate like civilised human beings form other races and cultures , you are just here for the easy ride
GOD, A Green & Plesant Land says...
7:19pm Fri 11 Jan 08
http://jihadwatch.or
g/
MO, The Free World says...
7:35pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Yep, it's all about Iraq and...
India and the Sudan and Algeria and Afghanistan and New York and Pakistan and Israel and Russia and Chechnya and the Philippines and Indonesia and Nigeria and England and Thailand and Spain and Egypt and Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia and Ingushetia and Dagestan and Turkey and Kabardino-Balkaria and Morocco and Yemen and Lebanon and France and Uzbekistan and Gaza and Tunisia and Kosovo and Bosnia and Mauritania and Kenya and Eritrea and Syria and Somalia and California and Argentina and Kuwait and Virginia and Ethiopia and Iran and Jordan and United Arab Emirates and Louisiana and Texas and Tanzania and Germany and Australia and Pennsylvania and Belgium and Denmark and East Timor and Qatar and Maryland and Tajikistan and the Netherlands and Scotland and Chad and Canada and China and Nepal
and the Maldives and...
...and pretty much wherever Muslims believe their religion tells them to:
"Fight those who do not believe in Allah, ... nor follow
the religion of truth... until they pay the tax in acknowledg-ment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection."
Qur'an, Sura 9:29
Winston Churchill, Everywhere says...
7:37pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Islamic terrorists murder more people every day than the Ku Klux Klan has in the last 50 years. (source)
More civilians were killed by Muslim extremists in two hours on September 11th than in the 36 years of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. (source)
19 Muslim hijackers killed more innocents in two hours on September 11th than the number of American criminals executed in the last 65 years. (source)
some bloke, says...
7:40pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Islam is NOT a Religion of Peace
#1 10,000 deadly terror attacks committed explicitly in the name of Islam in just the last six years. (Other religions combined for perhaps a dozen or so).
#2 Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, had people killed for insulting him or criticizing his religion. This included women. Muslims are told to emulate the example of Muhammad.
#3 Muhammad said in many places that he has been "ordered by Allah to fight men until they testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger." In the last nine years of his life, he ordered no less than 65 military campaigns to do exactly that.
Muhammad inspired his men to war with the basest of motives, using captured loot, sex and a gluttonous paradise as incentives. He beheaded captives, enslaved children and raped women captured in battle. Again, Muslims are told to emulate the example of Muhammad.
#4 After Muhammad died, the people who lived with him, and knew his religion best, immediately fell into war with each other.
Muhammad's favorite daughter, Fatima, and her husband, Ali (the second convert to Islam, who was raised like a son to Muhammad) fought a war against an army raised by Aisha, Muhammad's favorite wife - and one whom he had said was the "perfect woman."
Not only was her husband, Ali, eventually murdered, but Fatima (who survived the early years at Mecca safe and sound) died of stress from the persecution of fellow Muslims only three months after her father died.
Three of the first four Muslim rulers (caliphs) were murdered. All of them were among Muhammad's closest companions. The third caliph was killed by the son of the first. The fourth caliph was killed by the fifth, who subsequently poisoned one of Muhammad's two favorite grandsons. Muhammad's other grandson was later beheaded by the sixth caliph.
Within 50 years, the Kaaba, which had stood for centuries under pagan religion, lay in ruins from internal Muslim war.
#5 Muhammad directed Muslims to wage war on other religions and bring them under submission to Islam. Within the first few decades following his death, his Arabian companions invaded and conquered Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Zoroastrian lands.
#6 Muslims continued their Jihad against other religions for 1400 years, checked only by the ability of non-Muslims to defend themselves. To this day, not a week goes by that Islamic fundamentalists do not attempt to kill Christians, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists explicitly in the name of Allah.
None of these other religions are at war with each other.
#7 Islam is the only religion that has to retain its membership by threatening to kill anyone who leaves. This is according to the example set by Muhammad.
#8 Islam teaches that non-Muslims are less than fully human. Muhammad said that Muslims can be put to death for murder, but that a Muslim could never be put to death for killing a non-Muslim.
#9
The Qur'an never once speaks of Allah's love for non-Muslims, but it speaks of Allah's cruelty toward and hatred of non-Muslims more than 500 times.
#10
"Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!"
(The last words from the cockpit of Flight 93)
Matt, Oxford, UK says...
7:41pm Fri 11 Jan 08
We've watched as the Saudi King builds more mosques and minarets in East Oxford, as extremist literature is distributed at the Cowley mosque, and will now have to listen to muezzins blaring out Arabic 5 times a day. Who the hell is standing up for the people of East Oxford now?
Brosco Pertwee, Boston, MA says...
7:44pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Mo, The Bishops Hat says...
7:45pm Fri 11 Jan 08
onofpeace.com
What they dont want you to know
Brendan, D.C. says...
7:46pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Mustafa, Oxford says...
7:57pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Posted by: Iftikhar, Forest Gate London on 6:02pm today
Salaam
Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions.
Iftikhar Ahmed who wrote this post is a well known racist from the London School of Islamics. He spams websites continually with his message of creating an apartheid state. You can read some of his disturbing ideas here: www.londonschoolofis
lamics.org.uk/Forums
.asp
I am certain British parents do not want their children infected by the barbarity of Islam: www.thereligi
onofpeace.com/
Middle East Resident, Middle East says...
8:07pm Fri 11 Jan 08
First, the call to prayer is not 5 times a day. It is 5 times per 24 hours. The 3am call and the 5am call are just as loud as the daytime calls.
The point is, you don't go to the mosque - it comes to you. You can then pray in the comfort of your own bedroom.
My nearest mosque is some 10 minutes walk away. Even so, it sounds as if the Mullah is standing at the foot of my bed and shouting at the top of his voice. Every night. Deep joy.
Before you let this particular genie out of the bottle I suggest you tolerant liberals first take a week's holiday somewhere (anywhere) in the Middle East. Don't go to Saudi (where there isn't a single public Christian place of worship in the entire country). Instead go someplace where different religions co-exist side by side. After several sleepless nights you may not be quite so liberal when you return. And don't think you can escape to a quiet part of town. There aren't any.
Bishop John may care to reflect upon these points next time he suggests that "I would say to anyone who has concerns about the call to prayer to relax and enjoy our community diversity and be as respectful to others as you would hope they would be respectful to you."
Respect? Oh dear. You Brits really do have a great sense of humour. Please don't lose it.
John, East Oxford says...
8:27pm Fri 11 Jan 08
1. to plant some trees to soften its visual impact
2. Not to floodlight it up at night
3. Not to have a call to prayer
They have done neither of the first two and are now showing bad faith in attempting to break the third, the people involved in this mosque are not very neighbourly or trustworthy at all.
Singh, Oxford, Near Cowley Rd says...
8:49pm Fri 11 Jan 08
To those naive people who think an amplified Islamic call to prayer is comparable to the harmony of church bells I say this
The more accurate comparison is blasting out the Islamic call to Prayer "Allah al Akhbar Allah Al Akhbar etc. etc." for minutes at a time is more like the Orange Marches in Northern Ireland where so called religious ceremony was used to mark out territory.
We do not get any of this sort of Arrogance and imposition from Hindus, Sikhs, Jews , Buddhists ,Humanists, etc.
nic, says...
9:01pm Fri 11 Jan 08
aryan, oxford says...
10:02pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Johnny, i suggest you start the boycott now, start ringing All Britsh Cabs (ABC), YOU would like thier policy of having white drivers, thing is you would be the first to start bleating at how much it costs for a ride, and then start to get the bus - but oh hang on, its driven by an asian person - you sad and ignorant person
John, says...
10:11pm Fri 11 Jan 08
aryan's only motive is to make you feel shamed.
Roger, Oxford says...
11:14pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Trev, BFD says...
11:18pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Iftikhar wrote:If that's how you feel i suggest you F*CK OFF OUT OF MY COUNTRY AND GO TO A COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAN PREACH YOUR WICKED FAITH.
Salaam
Muslims are economic migrant ,they are not economic slaves. They must
preserve their faith, culture and languages for the future survival of their young generations as Muslims.
Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. State schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers are not capable of teaching Standard Englsih to bilingual children. They need to be well versed in Standard English to follow the National urriclulm and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions.
johhny, Oxford says...
11:46pm Fri 11 Jan 08
Trev wrote:Horray - At last the voice of the people , Im with you , Gordon Brown and the Rev John Pickhead can get on the plane with them , just be carefull it dosnt fly into any buildings on the way out
Iftikhar wrote: Salaam Muslims are economic migrant ,they are not economic slaves. They must preserve their faith, culture and languages for the future survival of their young generations as Muslims. Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. State schools with monolingual non-Muslim teachers are not capable of teaching Standard Englsih to bilingual children. They need to be well versed in Standard English to follow the National urriclulm and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. They need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. Muslim parents do not want their children to be integrated into the barbarity of British culture of institutional racism, binge drinking, drug addiction, anti-social behaviour, teenage pregnancies and abortions.If that's how you feel i suggest you F*CK OFF OUT OF MY COUNTRY AND GO TO A COUNTRY WHERE YOU CAN PREACH YOUR WICKED FAITH.
johhny, oxford says...
11:58pm Fri 11 Jan 08
winny, west ham says...
12:04am Sat 12 Jan 08
GOD, oxford says...
12:16am Sat 12 Jan 08
The Rt Revd John Pritchard
Diocesan Church House
North Hinksey Lane, Oxford
Oxon, OX2 0NB
Tel: 01865 208222
Fax: 01865 790470
Ken Livingstone, Londonistan says...
12:27am Sat 12 Jan 08
The interests of London's Muslim communities would be best served by re-electing Livingstone as mayor
Open Letter
Articles
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About Webfeeds January 3, 2008 7:00 AM | Printable version
Since June 2000, Ken Livingstone has been an outstanding mayor of London. He has stood out in support of a multicultural society and has supported the Muslim communities of the city against racism and Islamophobia as well as all other minorities against all types of prejudice.
His stands and policies have constantly championed justice in the Middle East and around the world, freedom for the Palestinians and withdrawal of occupying troops from Iraq; a rare trait of modern-day public figures.
He has enhanced London's standing in the world and helped improve the lives of all of the city's communities.
For those and many more traits continuously and consistently demonstrated by the Ken Livingstone, we the undersigned believe that it is in the best interest of the Muslim communities of London, and indeed all Londoners, to back Mr Livingstone in this year's mayoral elections.
We pledge to continue our support for the mayor on all levels possible in order to secure his staying in office for a third term.
SIGNED ...
Abdi Ismail, East African Society
Ali Alhadithi, Federation of Student Islamic Societies
Ahmed Amir, European Academy for Islamic Studies
Abdurahman Abu Daya, Al Hiwar TV
Abdallah Faliq, Islamic Forum Europe
Abdulmonem Haresha, Muslim Welfare House
Abdul Shaheed, North London Central Mosque
Ahmed Malik, Editor, Muslim Weekly
Ali Khan, Muslim Green Pages
Anas Altikriti, The Cordoba Foundation
Atif Choudry, Zaytoun Trading
Azad Ali, Muslim Community Radio
Belgacem Kahlalech, Algerian League in Britain President
Dilwar Hussain, London Muslim Centre
Dr Abdul Fattah Sa'ad, Al Muntada Al Islami
Dr Abdul Kareem Khaleel, Muslim heritage Centre
Dr Azzam Tamimi, Institute of Islamic Political Thought
Dr Daud Abdullah, An Noor Masjid Acton
Dr Kamal Helbawi, Centre for the Study of Terrorism
Dr Hafiz Al Karmi, Mayfair Mosque
Dr Hashim Charif, Amal Trust
Dr Ismail Jalisi, Muslim Association of Britain London
Dr Jameel Sharif, Salaam.co.uk
Dr Noureddine Miladi, Centre for Arab & Muslim Media Research
Fareed Sabri, Iraqi Communities in London
Fida Alaeddin, IslamExpo
Hashir Farooqi, IMPACT International
Hassan Muinudeen, Dawatul Islam
Imran Hamid, Muslim Health Network
Inayat Bunglawala, Islamic Society of Britain
Ismail Patel, Friends of Al Aqsa
Luqman Ali, Khayaal Theatre Company
M Iqbal Asaria, Afkar Consulting
Majid Azeer, Palestine Return Centre
Mohammad Ali, Islam Channel
Mohamed Basha, Arabic Cultural Community
Mohammad Habib ur Rahman, President Islamic Forum Europe
Mohamad Mounir Rai, Hounslow Jamia & Islamic Centre
Mohammad Kozbar, Lebanese League London
Mohammad Sawlaha, British Muslim Initiative
Mohamed Mumtaz, Crescent Relief
Munier Hagus, The Eritrean Muslim Community Association
Mustafa al Mansur, MOSAIC Foundation
Mohammad Zabadne
Mufti Barkatulla, Islamic Computing Centre in North London
Naja Mohammad, Sri Lank Islamic Forum- UK
Professor Tariq Ramadan, Oxford University / Lokahi Foundation
Ruhul Trafader, 1990 Trust
Riaz Wali, UK Islamic Mission
Riaz Ramzan, the Muslim Directory
Ruqqaya Collector, NUS Black Student
Salma Yaqoob, Vice Chair Respect
Salim Bhorat, Just Peace
Sheikh Haitham Al Haddad, Al Muntada Al Islami
Sheikh Islamil Gangat, Leyton Mosque
Sheikh Sulaiman Ghani, Tooting Mosque
Sir Iqbal Sacranie
Soumaya Ghannoushi, Academic and freelance writer
Tanzeem Wasiti, Muslim Solidarity Committee
Tariq Dhaal, Pakistani Community Centre Brent
Unaiza Malik
Yasmin Qureshi, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate
Zahir Birawi, Palestinian Forum in Britain
Numair, Aylesbury says...
12:36am Sat 12 Jan 08
Whether you agree or disagree with the Muslim call for prayer being amplified, the insults on this forum are extremely infantile, rascist and just **** rude. (Johnny, your mother has done a fine job of bringing you up and instilling values and respect, you rascist, pathetic imbecile!)
I was born in this country, I am a proud Yorkshireman, a Muslim one. I love this country and I would not choose to live anywhere else. It saddens me when people resort to '...if you don't like it you know where the door is' mentality. Islam is a religion, not a nationalistic movement, you can be a Muslim, white, asian, or black and still be British. To me there is no conflict of interest.
Going back to the discussion at hand, surely a debate can take place without baseless accusations and insults; without, 'I'm not giving my money to terrorists' type of bullshit.
Ethylene, OX says...
2:34am Sat 12 Jan 08
Something along the lines of "there is no God, and Muhammad was an epileptic child-marrier".
Religious freedom, innit.
Hunt, oxford says...
2:37am Sat 12 Jan 08
BUT never does whan some MUSLIM bashing is taking lace
can oxford mail explain please
.... o by the way, most muslims dont want call of pray made.......guess what, they have time tables , when to be at the mosque
Jane, Cowley says...
11:50am Sat 12 Jan 08
Sorry John, the demand for issue the political call to prayer over a district is nothing whatsoever to do with you, you speak for no one at all. Bp Nazir Ali knows far more about Islam than you, he was born and bred in Pakistan. Thrice daily calls to prayer are not wanted by the British people at all, we live in a secular democracy where Mullahs and priests do not rule, happily. If the call to prayer is 'entirely reasonable' here, then it should cover the whole country.
It is entirely UNREASONABLE and will cause resentment and another no go area before long as whites move out.
the religion of peace, Oxford says...
12:15pm Sat 12 Jan 08
Grayson Perry serves as the ideal poster boy or perhaps poster girl for this discomfiting trend. A Turner Prize recipient and Englands most famous cross-dressing potter, Perry has been heralded for his controversial explorations of religious imagery, which include a vase entitled Transvestite Brides of Christ and a portrayal of the Virgin Mary that is best left to the imagination. Yet apparently there are some boundaries that even groundbreaking artists dare not cross.
Ive censored myself, Perry told the Times, admitting that he treads lightly around radical Islam. With other targets youve got a better idea of who they are but Islamism is very amorphous. You dont know what the threshold is. Even what seems an innocuous image might trigger off a really violent reaction so I just play safe all the time. Self-censorship thus boils down to self-preservation. The reason I havent gone all out attacking Islamism in my art is because I feel real fear that someone will slit my throat.
His fears are not without logic. On the morning of November 2, 2004, hours before Americans would vote in an election shaped by the conflict between radical Islam and the West, that conflict violently manifested itself on the streets of Amsterdam. There, filmmaker Theo van Gogh succumbed to a rain of bullets from the gun of Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch Muslim of Moroccan extract. Bouyeri proceeded to slash his victims neck to near decapitation before leaving a pair of knives impaled in his chest. One pinned a letter outlining his grievances and threatening ex-Muslim activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
The controversialists life and death form a microcosm of Europes new realities. An equal-opportunity offender, van Gogh loathed all religions and never missed a chance to insult the faithful Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike. However, his demise was directly linked to Submission, a short film written by Hirsi Ali that depicts the abuse of women in Muslim cultures. The contrast is striking. Christians and Jews responded to van Goghs provocations with the occasional letter or picket sign, but a young Muslim chose an HS 2000 firearm as his instrument of protest.
Van Goghs murder was neither the first nor the most recent case of Islamists employing violence to intimidate the Western creative class. Just ask Salman Rushdie, the British author of The Satanic Verses, who is now completing his second decade of sequestration following the death sentence pronounced by Iranian clerics. Renewed pledges of retaliation rose up on the heels of his knighting in 2007. The danger is undeniable. Several translators of Verses were assaulted at the behest of the 1989 fatwa; one, Hitoshi Igarashi, was killed.
Violence also erupted in the wake of the infamous Mohammed cartoons, first printed by the Danish broadsheet Jyllands-Posten in fall 2005. Dozens perished across the globe, consulates were set ablaze, threats of murder and kidnapping were issued, and several of the artists went into hiding. Islamists also marched on Denmarks London embassy, raising placards that read Europe you will pay, your 9/11 will come, Behead those who insult Islam, Freedom go to hell, and Be prepared for the real holocaust.
Ironically, the cartoons were put forth as a protest against the type of self-censorship described by Grayson Perry. Jyllands-Posten editor Flemming Rose commissioned them after learning that a Danish writer had been unable to find an artist willing to illustrate his book about the life of Mohammed. A report noted that one with reference to the murder in Amsterdam of the film director Theo van Gogh, while another the lecturer at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute in Copenhagen. The latter victim was assaulted for reading passages from the Koran to an infidel audience.
The cartoon controversy has only accelerated self-censorship. A museum in The Hague recently declined to display a photograph by Sooreh Hera that shows two gay men wearing masks of Mohammed and Ali, based on fears that certain people in our society might perceive it as offensive. Though critics of this action were assured that all Dutch museums are free to choose what they exhibit, Hera disagreed. Apparently a Muslim minority decides what will be on display in the museum. The artist has now retreated to an unspecified location following emails promising to burn you naked or put a bullet in your mouth.
Similarly, in October 2006 Londons Whitechapel Art Gallery removed erotic works by the surrealist Hans Bellmer. According to the curator, the motive was simply to not shock the population of the Whitechapel neighborhood, which is partly Muslim. The pictures were pulled merely one week after a Berlin opera house had cancelled then sheepishly reinstated performances of Mozarts Idomeneo, in which the title character grandstands with the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed. Needless to say, the severed heads of Poseidon, Buddha, and Jesus were never an issue.
Amir Taheri has compiled other disturbing cases from across the continent: German carnivals prohibiting costumes that might look Islamic, Spanish towns canceling traditional festivals marking the victory over the Moors, the blacklisting of books deemed critical of Islam, and the removal from public view of illuminated manuscripts that feature images of Mohammed.
Even art aimed at children has not been immune, as evidenced by a British school that excised the pigs from The Three Little Pigs to forestall Muslim objections. If changing a few words avoids offense then we will do so, a teacher explained. The school later reversed the decision. Likewise, British author Kes Gray just postponed a reprinting of his inclusive childrens book so that Mohammed the Mole could be renamed Morgan. I had no idea at all of the sensitivities of the name Mohammed until seeing this case in Sudan, he said, referencing the teacher imprisoned over a class teddy bear. As soon as I saw the news I thought, Oh gosh, Ive got a mole called Mohammed this is not good.
Particularly not good is the preemptive nature of these capitulations. At this point, it seems, terrorists dont even need to issue a specific threat in order to intimidate us, observed Der Spiegel. Indeed, many of the above productions or exhibits faced no threats at all. Some Muslims are even helping to expose the hypersensitivity for what it is. Regarding the Pigs fiasco, the Daily Mail reported that Islamic leaders condemned the politically correct move as misguided and said decisions like this were turning Muslims into misfits in society.
There can be no true freedom in a climate of fear. Given the history of Islamist violence directed at European artists, a significant portion of that fear is justified. However, the continents groveling cultural elites have needlessly exacerbated this atmosphere. Their inability or unwillingness to distinguish between Islam and Islamism magnifies the perceived strength of the radicals, while their eagerness to assume the role of dhimmis subjugated infidels living under Islamic rule can only demoralize the population and embolden the extremists.
Will Europe ultimately choose to preserve the foundational values of classical liberalism forged during its Renaissance and Enlightenment? Or will it suffer a long, slow decline into the dark ages of dhimmitude? For now, only one conclusion appears certain: somewhere in a Dutch prison cell, Mohammed Bouyeri is smiling.
John Charles, london says...
1:42pm Sat 12 Jan 08
PeaceandQuiet, East Oxford says...
4:17pm Sat 12 Jan 08
Central Oxford Mosque Manzil Way, Cowley
Oxford, OX4 1DJ
01865 245547
Andy, Oxford says...
5:04pm Sat 12 Jan 08
L Kelly wrote:And another fine example of cultural enrichment and diversity
This IS my country, and I didn't say anyone could give it away, so why are there some people giving it away? Is it THEIRS?!!! This country belongs to the indiginous Whites, and we have NOT said that we wnt to give it away! In fact, we are ALL OBVIOUSLY trying to KEEP it!!!!
Shkelezen Elezi, of Coleridge Close, Cowley, denies attacking the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on Christmas Eve, 2006.
Or would that be rascist against rapists
Trev, BFD says...
10:31pm Sat 12 Jan 08
I know this area well. About 10-12 years ago the Cowley Road area was a really pleasant area to go out on a Friday and Saturday night. The area had a wealth of trendy bars and live music venues.
There was always a diverse (in the old sense of the word) mix of students, locals and people from the surrounding towns. The area always had a slight edge to it, but there was rarely any sign of trouble.
How things have changed in 10 years. All the bars are still there, but since the forced multi-cultural experiment was applied to East Oxford (bringing a very large increase in the number of Africans and Asians) , the area now feels quite menacing.
A recent local article on the news mentioned the large number of students being mugged whilst walking through the streets of Cowley at night.
A walk through the streets at night will reveal a large quantity of ethnics milling around on street corners. The increase in drugs dealing and crime are very evident.
Once the Mosque is broadcasting its call to prayer every morning, I can only see the whole area going down the toilet and rapidly becoming a muslim ghetto.
The only thing that will bring a slight chuckle to my face is the fact that this area has traditionally attracted the Liberal minded young urbanites. This lot will the first to join the white flight, when they see how their liberal values are not recipricated by the new muslim kids on their block.
Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster says...
2:55pm Sun 13 Jan 08
You say that you do not wish to integrate into British society whilst stating your claim to the rights of a British citizen. This breathtaking arrogance is precisely the reason why you and your ilk are so despised.
Your children can be brought up in the manner you desire in an Islamic state, something that Britain is not, and never will be; a concept that you would do well to grasp.
I suggest that you exercise one of the freedoms afforded to citizens of western democracies and vote with your feet.
Before you go (although I'm not seriously expecting you to say good-bye to the NHS and welfare state), I suggest that you read the very measured post of Farouk Patel, in the hope that you may be able to get your arrogant, bigoted head around what he has said.
Emu, Swindon says...
7:38pm Sun 13 Jan 08
I say let them call prayer!
Altogether now, town full of *ackies, you're a town full of *ackies.
nice one Mr Emu!
A Local Resident, East Oxford says...
9:13pm Sun 13 Jan 08
Next time, Bishop, come and talk to the local residents BEFORE you open your big mouth to the media.
mungo, East Oxford says...
1:26am Wed 16 Jan 08
Aiddy, Insane UK says...
2:16pm Sat 19 Jan 08
Y for the mosques call to prayer or N for the call to prayer. Simple no need to write anything & if you do stick a Y or N at the end of your post to show what you favor, will be interesting to see the results. Mind you I think my post will be deleted but if enough people follow this trend on this & all post the better as more people will be more interested in the debates even if they do not wish to contribute fully they may enjoy joining a Y/N vote & posts what they favor.
N
Ahmad, Kent, UK says...
7:50am Sun 20 Jan 08
I would like just to clarify some points raised by people having some misconceptions about Islam: Islam does not allow to force members of other religions to follow the Shariah law. So the Muslims will never stop you from eating pork, drinking alcohol, being gay or walking in mini-skirts. And the Shariah law will never apply in the UK. Muslims that I know don't see the multiculturalism and tolerance of the British society as a sign of weakness but as a sign of greatness. The Muslim community feels part of the British society and rejects the terrorists.
Because there are some Muslims in the world who misbehave does not mean that you should have a go at the religion without studying it. I could take many examples of Western countries or people and brand them against others faiths: the Nazis were Christians, the IRA were Christians, the American settlers who exterminated the red indians and traded black slaves were Christians, the Soviet Union were atheist and they persecuted all other religions in the name of atheism. And I can go on.
cal parkinson, Lancashire says...
9:03am Fri 1 Feb 08
Oxford - wake up and smell the reality. Mosques WILL lead to the phenomenon of white flight away from the areas in which they appear - come to Lancashire and see for yourselves. Its already too late for us in the so-called mills-and-mosques towns of Lancashire; our local politicians and M.Ps are kept in power by the moslem vote and will do nothing to change the situation. You still have a chance to stop your communities fragmenting in the way that ours have, and youd do well to act now to try and stop this before its too late.
And to those of you wholl inevitably accuse me of racism, I say this; rubbish! Ive never voted for extremists, although in Lancashire I have ample opportunity to do so. I was not brought up that way; I have no problem with any nationality whatsoever... until they start thrusting their religious views at me.
Victoria, Oxford says...
4:27pm Sat 8 Mar 08
Even as an atheist I do not find religious iconography and symbols offensive (in thje abstract, the stories and images are fascinating). England is not a Christian country, but I am certain that Christian church bells, for example, will not be phased out. So I would prefer that other religions, such as Islam, were given equal prominence. Besides, I find the call to prayers a beautiful and passionate sound - and would simply contribute to the wonderful cacophany of the area.
I am incensed that many British people continue ad nauseum to blame immigrant communities for the problems we've created ourselved, and ignore the real threats, such as big business and homogenisation. Cal from Lancashire - whatever takes place in Oxford is, frankly, none of your business. Whatever has hapened in Lancashire is surely due to the self-made lack of hope endemic in white underclass communities, who appear to have no clue about real English culture, and worship at the temples of MacDonalds and Yates wine bar. Truthfully, people who have real pride and self-respect stop hating and blaming others.
Ed Traviles, London says...
1:20pm Tue 15 Apr 08
Alan C., says...
6:39pm Tue 15 Apr 08
Hamas MP: Islam Will Conquer Europe and the Two Americas
Alan C., says...
6:42pm Tue 15 Apr 08
http://littlegreenfo
otballs.com/article/
29616_Hamas_MP-_Isla
m_Will_Conquer_Europ
e_and_the_Two_Americ
as_(Video)#rss
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Tracy, Oxford says...
3:53pm Thu 10 Jan 08