Do we see Islam?
Islam is the second largest religion in the world, about 1.5 billion and the second largest religion in the UK, over 2 million. We are persuaded that Islam is a challenge to our existence. We have heard of Al Qaeda and The Taliban; we think of 9/11 and 7/7 as ‘Muslim inspired terrorist attacks’; 50% of us link Islam with terrorism. We think we see plenty.
As a sixth former, my train to school went through Woking. I peered through the window at the Woking Mosque. I now know that in 1889 it was the first mosque built in Britain and called the Shah Jahan Mosque. It briefly fell into disuse in 1910 but attempts to demolish it were refused on the grounds that it had the rights and status of a church. What a difference a century makes! Members of the Woking mosque helped to plan the Central London Mosque and Islamic Cultural Centre. In 1940, King George VI gave a site for the Islamic Cultural Centre, in exchange for a site in Cairo for an Anglican Cathedral, and he officially opened the ICC in 1944. What a difference a generation makes!
And what a difference ten years, 3000 miles and 3000 deaths make. A recent poll of New York residents revealed that 72% thought that people have the right to build a place of worship near Ground Zero, the site of the Twin Towers. Only 38% said No/Unsure. When they were asked: What if that place of worship were a mosque, 62% said No, rising to 67% when 41-51 Park Place was specified, just two blocks from Ground Zero. Only 33% now said Yes/ Unsure. The debate is currently roaring for and against the proposed Park51 Centre, mosque and community centre, between politicians, among the locals and, significantly, between the relatives of the 3000 who died in the attacks. The US First Amendment prohibits any legal restriction to any religion but that professed Religious Freedom is not translated into Religious Tolerance. Mosques have been vandalised, even building equipment for mosques has been damaged. A Muslim New York cab driver has been stabbed.
After 7/7 in London, clearly carried out by militant Islamist terrorists, toleration and acceptance of Islam declined severely. Threats to Muslims and vandalism of mosques have increased says the University of Exeter’s Muslim Research Centre. That generalisation is not surprising but try these: A 2006 Home Office study found Asian Muslim youths the ‘most tolerant of all’ while white British youths have ‘far more intolerant attitudes.’ A 2009 Gallup poll found 89% of Muslims felt terrorism was unjustifiable and 82% of Muslims in Britain identify with the UK and are patriotic citizens as contrasted with 50% of the general public. In January 2010 British Social Attitudes Survey found only 25% feeling positive about Islam, the lowest of any religious group. Only 15% would have qualms about a church being built in their area but a majority would feel concerned if a mosque were planned. In June 2010 YouGov conducted a poll on Islam with 2152 selected adults. 58% linked Islam with extremism; 50% linked Islam with terrorism. The only surprise is that the figures weren’t higher.
However: 57% received their information from television and 41% from newspapers. That seemed to explain a lot. Not one was a Muslim. None of the 2152 knew any Muslims. None had done any other reading about Islam. The occasional – though terrible – terrorist attack receives all the newspaper and TV attention. Unfortunately the media and politicians have been blamed for inflaming our attitudes by failing to distinguish between the terrorist fringe and the general majority. We believe them until 50–58% of us link Islam with extremism and terrorism and nothing else.
I wonder if YouGov asked the 2152 if they knew what ‘Islam’ means. Literally it means Submission [to God] and is derived from the word for Peace. 50–58% of the 2152 would scoff. Very few will have heard of Muhammad Tahir al-Qadri. He is a respected Muslim scholar who has denounced Muslim terrorists and terrorism. He is not, of course, alone. At the SOF Conference we were privileged to hear Maryam Namazie and her passionate distinction between the Muslim majority citizenry and Islamist power blocs.
We can’t distinguish Islam from terrorism but we distinguish Christianity from crusades, inquisitions, burning-at-the-stake, patriarchy, misogyny, slavery, homophobia, child-abuse, bombing, abortionist killing, Qur’an burning….