LONDON, 2 September 2005 — A Task force of prominent Muslim individuals and organizations set up by the British Home Office aimed at combating Islamic extremism has hardly had time to convene properly and already the knives are out to undermine its work.
The Task force, whose convener is the Labour peer Lord Nazir Ahmed, has a wide remit including the education of Imam, the organization of mosques, and how to better engage with young British Muslims.
The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), headed by Iranian Massoud Shadjereh, who is on the Task force, came under attack for having exiled Saudi dissident Dr. Muhammed Al-Massari, allegedly a supporter of Osama Bin Laden, as an adviser.
Al-Massari, who a few days ago removed offensive footage from his website of three Black Watch British soldiers being blown up by a suicide bomber in Iraq and encouraging insurgents in Iraq to attack foreign troops.
Al-Massari is also a prime target for deportation under new rules published last week by Home Secretary Charles Clarke. IHRC Chairman Shadjereh stressed that Al-Massari is “one of many advisers we have. Having an adviser in one particular area does not mean we endorse all activities that an individual believes in or does.”
“There is no doubt that he is an expert on Gulf States. If anything is proven against him, then there will definitely be a review of his position as an adviser.”
IHRC has previously regularly met with the Metropolitan Police to discuss safety in the Muslim community.
But it suspended all forma links with the police in protest against the mistaken shooting of 27-year-old Brazilian electrician Jean Chalres de Menezes a day after the failed 21/7 bomb attacks on the London transport system. De Menezes was mistaken for Osman Hussein, one of the 21/7 suspects who is awaiting extradition appeals in Rome pending his deportation to Britain to stand trial for his role in the failed 21/7 attacks.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair was in discussions with senior advisers and Home Office officials to see whether there could be more legal protection for armed police officers who face the prospect of serious criminal charges in the case of shootings involving deaths despite having carried out their duties with the best of intentions.
Sir Ian is particularly concerned that officers in such circumstances should not be charged with murder.
While the IHRC and Al-Massari links have been construed as an embarrassment for the Home Office, a new controversy is brewing following the reported appointment of controversial Muslim academic Professor Tariq Ramadan to sit on the Task force designed to combat Islamic extremism.
A source near to the Task force warned that it was “open season” on attacking the Muslims in Britain and that their plight is dire.
Professor Tariq Ramadan, is banned from the US and France, who have both accused the Egyptian-born academic of supporting the use of violence — an allegation he strongly refutes. Last year the Department of Homeland Security revoked Prof Ramadan’s visa nine days before he was due to take up a professorship in the US, claiming he had “endorsed terrorist activity”.
Right wing newspapers and politicians in the UK have attacked the Home Office for allowing Professor Ramadan to enter the country days after the July 7 suicide bombings, in which 56 people died and over 700 were injured. They described the decision to allow Prof. Ramadan into the UK as “utter madness”.
Professor Ramadan, an outspoken critic of the US occupation of Iraq, stressed in London in July that “what happens sometimes in the name of Islam has nothing to do with our religion and we have to say it and we have to condemn it.
We condemn terrorists, but I really think we have to do something more to promote the right education and to say where this is wrong.”
The Task force, which met for the first time last week, could not confirm to Arab News Professor Ramadan’s appointment.
The Group will report to Home Secretary Charles Clarke and Prime Minister Tony Blair by the end of September on ways of engaging British Muslim youth and how to stop them turning towards violence and extremism.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We haven’t yet agreed the final make-up of the working group and are not able to confirm its membership.”
Meanwhile Home Secretary Charles Clarke indicated that Britain could opt out of a new EU directive banning member countries from sending people back to countries where they may face torturer the death penalty.
Last week Clarke published the grounds on which foreigners considered to be promoting terrorism can be deported or excluded.
The Home Office confirmed that it was waiting to see the new EU commission rules and stressed they would “only affect the UK if we opt in”.
The government is on the verge of signing memorandums of understanding with several countries including Egypt and Algeria seeking assurances that no one it deports will be ill-treated. It recently signed the first such agreement with Jordan.
While the EU commission’s proposal is understood to cite the European Convention of Human Rights as the yardstick, Prime Minister Tony Blair has stressed that in his wart against extremism the rules of the game have changed.
This meant that the government was prepared to amend the Human Rights Act 2000 to by pass the provisions of the Convention.
