ACTION ALERT: If you want to organise a protest in your city, contact me asap (pm).
17th of January: International Day of Protest against French Hijab Ban
The Muslim Association of Britain and the Muslim Women Society have jointly called for the 17th of January 2004 to be declared an International day of protest against France’s move to ban the Islamic Hijab, along with other ‘overt religious symbols’ in schools and public workplaces.
Since MAB and MWS made this call on the 20th of December in response to the request made by French Muslim schoolgirls, human rights organisations and religious and women’s groups from more than 20 countries have confirm that they will be holding pickets, vigils, demonstrations or letter-writing campaigns on the 17th of January in response to this call. Many more countries are expected to follow suit in the next few days.
MAB and MWS also join the countless voices from scholars and academics from all over the world rejecting the French Government’s labelling of Hijab as a religious ‘symbol’. Hijab is part of a Muslim woman’s faith and constitutes a functional aspect of her religion.
There can be no doubt that such laws represent a gross breach of human rights and a contravention of the notions of secularism which uphold personal freedoms and liberties, including the right to religious expression and worship. Muslims now face the threat of such draconian laws being adopted in other European countries, including Germany. This must not be allowed to happen.
MAB and MWS wish to announce that arrangements have been made with the London Metropolitan Police and all necessary preparations to cater for a large but peaceful protest comprising of Muslims and non-Muslims and including representatives of various groups and organisations on the 17th of January.
The French Government must realise that it has made a huge mistake by forbidding Muslim students and employees from wearing as they wish and as their religious stipulates.
Muslim Association of Britain Muslim Women Society
Such measures represent a profound and dangerous contravention of basic human rights in a state which claims to uphold freedom, personal liberties and democracy, whilst actively banning Muslim women from exercising their right to dressing in accordance with their faith and religion. Indeed, this measure breaches Article 9 of the Charter for Human Rights and further isolates Muslim communities instead of
achieving the positive and constructive integration Muslims have been striving for over several decades. Abeer Pharoun, of the Muslim Women Society said earlier: "Whilst we remain concerned that such measures may spread to other European states, we are already witnessing a sense of jubilance amongst far-right groups and bigots as well as an increase in attacks on Muslims and an alarming rise in Islamaphobia."
Therefore, MAB and MWS call on all people and organisations to join an international campaign to support 'Hijab' (Muslim women Headscarf). The aspects of this campaign are as follows:
To declare the 17th of January, 2004 an International Day for the support of Hijab, on which we have called on organisations and human rights groups across the world to demonstrate peacefully, hold vigils and organise pickets outside French Embassies, Consulates and Diplomatic Missions, expressing their condemnation of these belligerent measures. This call was first issued by the Muslim girls who demonstrated in Paris against these policies on the 20th of December 2003, and we declare our support thereof.
In accordance to and compliance with the call issued by His Eminence Shaikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi to collaborate and coordinate efforts in opposing these measures, we also call all humanitarians, religious bodies and legal groups to join the 'International Assembly Against Anti-Hijab Laws', which has been jointly formed by MAB and MWS. This Assembly includes individuals, organisations, groups and bodies from around the world. Various international functions and campaigns will be organised through this Assembly, including a world-wide letter writing campaign to the French Government and an International conference which will discuss measures to oppose the Anti-Hijab laws and have them repealed.
We call for the term 'Hijab' to be acknowledged as the official term for the Islamic Headscarf, and for it to be used in international lexicon and reference sources.
Mushi yaar, better than protesting, take it to the EU courts. The muslim lawyer would make a great deal of money and get alot of fame. This is not permissible by the EU human rights charter or declaration. Dont work against the system. Make the system work for you.
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*Originally posted by CM: *
Mushi yaar, better than protesting, take it to the EU courts. The muslim lawyer would make a great deal of money and get alot of fame. This is not permissible by the EU human rights charter or declaration. Dont work against the system. Make the system work for you.
Protest get jack done.
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Aren't peaceful protests part of the system?
They are a mere annoyance to the whole system. Why work against the system when you can make it better. In the International Trade field, NGOs are learning this the hard way. They protest globalization and the IMF and WB but dont realise that globalization helps developing countries more than developed countries if done correctly. They need to make sure it is done correctly.,
Hanh CM you are absolutely right. But in Britain we have found that by organising large demonstrations you can conjure up a great deal of publicity and support from non-Muslims and also, you are allowing people to take action in a physical way.
Lobbying in European parliament is something that is currently being worked upon. I spoke to a spokesperson from the Federation of Islamic Organisations in Europe (FIOE, www.fioe.org), a very large organisation based in France that has membership of very large organisations from all European countries of Islamic organisations such as Muslim Association of Britain etc. I asked them about the political work that the organisation was planning within the European Parliament.
They are currently building on this a great deal and are aware that this is one of the most powerful ways of making change for Muslims in Europe. But as is the case for any organisation, it takes time to conjure up the right people to do the right thing at the right time.
Well what do you need? I can talk to some of the paki high ups here. Un circles and stuff. But dont expect anything. The older generation just like to sit around and talk these days or are too damn busy. Send them my e-mail and that i am interested.
Btw EU parliament is the wrong way to go. representation is not an issue now. It will be in 10 years time. Just a quick question do you have any poli sci majors working on this? The EU courts can not be over-ruled. You want the french ban lifted, take it to Luxembourg.
There will be a march in London to the French embassy on SATURDAY 17, JANUARY.
Convening at MARBLE ARCH at 11.30 (nearest tube station is Marble Arch).
There will be transport from all major UK cities.
For further details contact 0870 881 5132
The key point to note here is not the issue of hijab in itself but rather the wider picutre of the challenge of secularism. Some points to observe on this matter then,
TAKING ON THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE OF SECULARISM
1) Secularism is a system of Kufr
Secularism means to separate religion from political life. This means that in the eyes of the secularists, man's laws are superior to Allah's (swt) laws and therefore Islam has no place in society. Consequently, the French government is seeking to ban the Hijab in schools because the Hijab is an order of Allah (swt) that affects societal life. As Muslims we reject secularism because the law of Allah (swt) is the only valid law while the law of man is Kufr and invalid.
2) The integration struggle in the West
The proposed banning of the Hijab in France symbolises the struggle Muslims are facing not only in France but throughout the Western world. It is a struggle to integrate Muslims into Western society such that Muslims abandon Islam and adopt secularism as the basis of their thinking and actions. The integration struggle in the West has far reaching consequences not only for Muslims in the West but also for the Ummah internationally and for all of humankind. Consequently, we cannot afford to lose the integration struggle in the West, which means protecting the Islamic identity, because we possess a vital strategic role in world affairs. We must win the integration struggle such that we become a powerful Islamic bloc in the heart of Western civilisation
3) The global struggle
Today we are facing an international struggle; a struggle against the secular creed and capitalist system. It is a struggle that transcends national borders as a consequence of the changing dynamics in the international situation. The Ummah is facing this international struggle everywhere; in Iraq we face the military aspect of secular fundamentalism, in Pakistan we face the economic and political dimensions of this struggle, while in the Western world we face the struggle over integration. The nature of these struggles varies from country to country and region to region, but in origin all of these struggles emanate from the same seed - the clash between truth and falsehood. There is no difference between the struggle in the West and any struggle in the Muslim world because it is a clash between Islam and the Western ideology.
4) The Ummah's work in the Western world
The Ummah in the Western world must take on the global challenge against the secular creed and capitalist system. We are well placed to be at the forefront of the struggle against global capitalism because we live in the birthplace of secular civilisation and we have available to us every means to be at the forefront of this international struggle. We must become the international voice of not only the oppressed Muslim world but also that of oppressed people from every corner of the earth who suffer from the injustices of the secular way of life. We must open a new chapter in the history of the world by taking on this global challenge that befits our status amongst nations, for we are the only Ummah that can save humanity from its own destruction.
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*Originally posted by hskhan: *
It's not a ban on hijab alone, it denies many religions rights. Pls dont make it an Islam issue!
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And why not ? when our sisters are being discriminated against, when the beliefs and values they keep so dear to their hearts and minds are being snatched away from them, then why the hell shouldnt we make this an islam issue ?
You can say jews and nuns are all being discriminated against too, but the fact is, as long as there's muslims in there we have every right to make it an islam issue. Because thats what it is.
