Editorial

After several months of exclusive and enticing contributions, ideas, hopes and visions, The Platform Blog project, in setting a vision for the coming decade in Britain, will now be drawing to a close. The fact that we have been able to extend the blog from its intended 6-week period to over 15 weeks is testimony to the success it has become.

As the Quran states, “Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (within their own souls).”[Ar-Ra’d 13:11]. It is in this spirit that we set out to help shape a vision for Britain in the coming decade; a vision for progress where individuals from the grassroots level can be part of the united voice and action for progress.

Our aims in this phase have been to set a vision and to provide a platform for expression, vision and understanding. We also wished to provide the Muslim youth an opportunity to be the leaders, not simply the objects, of debate. We have kept our formats varied, from poetry to prose, articles to videos and photos. As intended, our blog drew a diverse voice and created a healthy debate, and worked in some way to reduce stereotypes and build bridges.

As we approach the halfway point of 2010, it is clear that the next 10 years will hold new challenges for the British community. One may ask, which universal values will remain of importance? What international issues will provoke us into action and change? How will culture develop, with the increased overlapping of old and new identities? What policies will come into place and to what effect? How do we begin to participate in the political and social arena? What will be the role of British Muslims, and how will the perception of Muslims change in contemporary British society?

As we welcome in the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, the first such government in decades, and Mr David Cameron and Mr Nick Clegg, Britain’s new Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, we also consider the scope for progress in the coming decade, beginning with their five year term. We hope that the coalition will prove itself to be a marriage of opportunity; an opportunity for two parties to partner in governing with the combined best wisdom and experience of both sides in order to secure progression and benefit for Britain and its citizens as a whole. We would also like to welcome the newly elected Muslim MPs, in particular the first Muslim women to be elected as Ministers of the British Parliament. We hope their positive contribution to Britain will be immense as the coming years unfold.

Nonetheless, in these early days, the political future of Britain at present remains relatively in a realm of the unknown. But the positive, sincere, hard work of grassroots organisations and individuals speaks loud and clear. We would like to take this opportunity to thank every single contributor and commentator on this blog – it is your input, both on this site and in the wider sphere of work that you do, that will help shape the future of the British community. We would also like to thank the extended team of this blog who have helped with the organisational, administrative and editing tasks. Without you this project would not have come to such successful fruition.

This is not the end for the MCB Youth Committee, nor the end of our work towards progression. The Platform blog will remain live to allow for your access and perusal of the many engaging, informative and visionary posts that have featured here, and to also allow for continued debate and discussion.

We hope The Platform has been able to draw a real picture of some of the community challenges being faced and to have illuminated broad brushstroke solutions needing considerable development. Thus, we hope this inspires you to work for the community, with or without the MCB, for the common good. If you would like to work with us on these and many more issues for the common good then do get in touch.

Furthermore, we at the Youth Committee are currently working on several campaigns, all of which have been discussed on this blog. Over this year, we will be covering Disability, Mosques and Young People, and the Environment. We welcome your thoughts, suggestions and, particularly, participation in these projects as we work towards realising our ultimate aim: the common good. If you would like to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact us on admin@mcbyouth.org.uk.

Until we hear from you – and, hopefully, until you hear from us again – it’s goodbye for now.

Wa Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu.

In Peace and Prayer,

The Platform Editorial Team

My Perspective on the General Elections

The General Elections on Thursday the 6th of May 2010 had one of the highest voter turnouts in many years. With more than 44 million people turning out to vote, albeit many left disappointed as they were unable to vote, it is clear in their continued political engagement that many British people still have some faith left in politics. Maybe it was the global recession, the MP expenses scandals, the wars abroad or even the popularity of Obama in America that generated great interest in British politics again. Whatever it was, people were getting excited about voting again and even the televised political debates achieved huge viewer ratings.

The party debates gave a good indication of each leader’s personality. Gordon Brown has always had a ‘what you see is what you get’ type attitude proclaiming Labour policies as they are and not minding much about appearing ‘popular’. He has even admitted being more substance than style. Nick Clegg appeared to take an underdog approach, almost like another Obama character, showing they were the only party the British people could trust. David Cameron presented himself as a new modernist compassionate conservative in touch with 21st century Britain.

The results of the elections were surprising in some ways but unsurprising in others. The Conservatives winning most seats was generally predicted but the Liberal Democrats did not achieve as much as they had hoped. Although Labour and Gordon Brown were quite unpopular in their last term in office they were not too far behind the Conservatives showing they still have support in traditional Labour heartlands.

Personally I voted using the postal vote. As the postal vote gets sent early and must be sent off immediately, I voted for Liberal Democrats as I started to believe in Nick Clegg and his policies. However after I voted and then watched the TV political debates I found Gordon Brown quite endearing and liked his substance over style approach. I discovered that for me Brown was being realistic and Labour’s policies made more sense to me. I then regretted voting Liberal Democrats and wished I had shown support for Gordon Brown and Labour.

It seems that people’s engagement with politics is changing in Britain. This can be traced back to New Labour coming to power in 1997. The New Labour government had us believe there was a new optimism and to be hopeful about Britain again. Indeed Tony Blair and the Labour government did deliver on some of their promises. The strong economic climate, low unemployment rates, the building of new hospitals and the like helped the British people feel generally secure and comfortable with the government, in spite of an unpopular foreign policy.

As well as these policies, Tony Blair’s character and personality also grabbed people’s attention. Tony Blair had a talent to charm and convince and most people tended to believe him. He became a sort of celebrity too appearing on chat shows and showing a softer side to his personality and life. In that sense, he had the X-Factor and this personality politics helped to make Tony Blair a successful prime minister by winning three elections consecutively.

British political parties have taken note and have realised that in order to win over the British electorate personality and image is as important as party policies. Although these ideas have existed in politics before, it seems that New Labour may have made them ever more important. The attire, the personality, appearing on popular TV programmes and YouTube videos are viewed as methods to increase a party’s popularity. As a result Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Nick Clegg have learnt to play the same Blairite card or the X-Factor and become not only politicians but also characters in their own right. Whilst personality politics has been criticised in some quarters, it has arguably succeeded as a whole. Making political parties more mainstream and in line with the masses has resulted in more people engaging and responding to politics.

This new phase of politics may have attracted more people to it but in some ways it is also worrying. The government are elected to represent the electorate and therefore have a big responsibility to lead and do what is best for the country. The recession and the expenses scandal are examples and hard lessons that show that politics is quite a serious matter too. The actions that governments take have a big impact on the country and its citizens. Whilst politicians are entitled to reveal their personalities to the nation, we should not lose sight of their purpose.

Upon Friday’s results, it is clear that we are to have a new hung parliament, the first since 1974, with the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats currently debating a potential partnership. Whoever finally takes on the new government role their policies will determine and shape that of the coming ten years; governing their own five year term while also determining the political direction of the following five years.  Let us hope that we can soon see the forming of a stable government that can truly work for the benefit of the British people and the nation as a whole – a government that has the X-factor in both personality and, more importantly, policies.

Zahra Latif read Law at Queen Mary, University of London, and is currently pursuing an MSc in Environmental Science Legislation and Management at Brunel University. She has a keen interest in politics and current affairs.

David Baddiel discusses his latest entertaining and innovative work, THE INFIDEL, a comedy that explores the interactions of faith and culture in Britain.

David Baddiel is a comedian, novelist, columnist and screenwriter. He first found fame in the UK in the early 90s, for the BBC radio and TV series, THE MARY WHITEHOUSE EXPERIENCE.  Most recently, he created and hosted a Radio 4 comedy discussion programme, HERESY, and in November 2007, BBC1 screened his documentary, BADDIEL AND THE MISSING NAZI BILLIONS.

Luqman Ali explores the richness and relevance of theatre in Britain today and its resonances in the British Muslim community.

Luqman Ali is the Artistic Director and CEO of Khayaal Theatre Company, an award-winning theatre company which explores Muslim world culture through contemporary art forms. Luqman has a background in the Islamic sciences and the languages (Arabic, Persian and Urdu) of the Muslim world. He is African American of Fulani heritage, but has spent most of his life in the UK.

Dr Rabia Malik is the chair of City Circle, a grassroots network of young Muslim professionals. She holds a doctorate in Social Psychology and is a practicing Systemic Psychotherapist in London.

My biggest fear growing up was assimilation. I was desperate not to assimilate, to be different, to stand out from the crowd; as a teen my hair was the shortest in the class, I’d be listening to Prince when everyone else was into Nirvana, and later on in life I prided myself in making sure every major life changing decision was predicated on following the road less travelled. So it didn’t come as much of a surprise to my parents – both doctors – when I told them I was going to make movies for a living!

I’ve just produced my first feature film, THE INFIDEL which is a culture clash comedy written by David Baddiel and starring Omid Djalili about a Muslim man who finds out that he was adopted and born Jewish! For a small, independently made movie, the press and public reaction has been fantastic. We’ve doubled our screens since opening weekend and cinemas are selling out up and down the country. But getting to this point hasn’t been easy; producing an independent film is hard at the best of times but such a ‘controversial’ subject matter? It proved too worrying for many film financiers…

But I think they had a rather superficial understanding; at its heart THE INFIDEL is feel good, funny and fatwa free. Any perceived controversy is there for all the wrong reasons. What’s really controversial and unique about this film is that it doesn’t care to assimilate. Most other movies with ethnic minority characters, from EAST IS EAST to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, are about a minority trying to orient and assimilate into the majority, mainstream and ultimately non ethnic culture. It’s amazing to think that Mahmud Nasir and his family are the only onscreen Muslims that I can think of who aren’t battling against who they are. They aren’t extremists, they aren’t oppressed, confused or embarrassed about their identity – they are just regular Muslims. Who come up against a really irregular problem! But by showing what life is like for most Muslims in this country what THE INFIDEL is also saying is “we are here, we speak the same language as you, support the same football teams… and we also hate terrorists!” And that is pretty fresh.

So I admit my fear of assimilation was rather naive, I didn’t realise that it had already happened and what I needed to concentrate on was finding my own voice and way of communicating that voice. For me, that means who I am as a Muslim, a woman, a filmmaker and a Brit. My hope for the next decade is that the new generation of Muslims are confident enough to listen to their own voice and stop hiding behind labels that others create. Whether it’s your parents trying to define you or the wider society, the Islamic way forward is to take responsibility for yourself, seek out knowledge and work on who you are and what you have to say.

That’s the only way you can really contribute to the culture around you…

Uzma Hasan is Development Producer at Slingshot Studios. She sits on the selection committees for MAISHA Labs and the British Independent Film Awards. She is London Chapter Head of Harvardwood, the official network of Harvard alumni in the entertainment and media industries. She graduated from University of Wales, Cardiff in English Literature and went on to study Film and Literature at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Why should we consider international development as an issue when voting in the 2010 General Election?

In a world of evolving social media, 24-7 news and unlimited communications, politicians are realising the importance of Generation Next.  This varied group of young people may not know it, but they make up a considerable size of the population and will play a decisive role in electing our next government.  The mainstream parties are aware of their importance and are actively seeking their electoral support, as this influential demographic contains British politics’ future movers and shakers.  For many young people, 2010 will be the first time that they will vote in a General Election.  They will consider an array of issues that will influence their ultimate choice at the polls.  The economy, education and health may be the first or only things that young people will consider when voting.  But there is one issue often than not that is neglected – international development.  Such is its neglect, even by the mainstream media, that the BBC doesn’t even list it under a separate tab for the parties and issues page of its online election coverage.  Must it be considered as a stand-alone topic? Or should it be relegated as a non-primary matter?  This article will briefly examine the aims of international development and the three main parties’ stances on it.

What is international development?

International development is a broad area and cannot be defined in detail by one sentence.  But in a generic sense it includes financial and non-financial support provided by developed nations to third world countries.  Foreign aid is not only provided during humanitarian disasters.  It is also provided on an on-going and bespoke basis to allow certain developing countries to attain external assistance to cover their basic necessities.  These efforts are undertaken to reduce the global economic inequality gap.  This is primarily done through investment in projects, focusing on education, health, peace building as well as responding to climate change and natural disasters.

Such is the importance of international development that the UK has a governmental department (DFID) dedicated to this agenda.  They work on various programmes, ranging from debt relief to regeneration.  For the period 2008/2009, they spent £5.5bn in foreign aid, which “will increase to £7.8bn by 2010/2011”.  The money is not given out on an unconditional basis and is regulated through various checks and procedures.  While DFID is committed to providing aid to the poorest of nations, as well as those in urgent need of it, they will only do so subject to “getting concrete results for the support”.  This guarantees that the investment for each country is not wasted and is going to good causes.  In recent years, they have committed themselves to achieving the UN-endorsed Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

It must be noted that non-repayable foreign aid plays an important role in acting as a mechanism for debt relief.  This is provided on a voluntary basis.  The fact of the matter is that loans provided by developed nations to third world countries are not serviceable in the short or long-term.  Their GDPs are not high enough to pay off the full debt as per their arrangements, which have created a quagmire, of debt constantly building up.  Effectively in many cases, they are barely able to make repayments on interest.  The debt crisis is so severe that “the developing world now spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants”.  The money that they do pay back could have been put to better use to helping people in their own countries.  As a result, foreign aid provided as a financial grant is a necessity for third world nations, as it allows them to offset some of their overall debt.

What are the three main parties saying on international development?
Labour, Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have all pledged to increase foreign aid to 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2013.  In terms of how this money will be spent, they have their own approaches and methodological differences.

Labour:
“We believe that everybody, no matter where they are born,
should have the same chances in life”

For an outline of Labour’s International Development agenda, you can consult the White Paper entitled Building Our Common Future.

Conservatives:
“With billions of people around the world living in poverty, we have an urgent moral and practical imperative to make our international development policy more effective”

For an outline of the Conservatives’ International Development agenda, you can consult the Green Paper entitled One World Conservatism.

Liberal Democrats:
”Liberal Democrats have always been an outward-looking party, not willing to ignore the injustices and poverty around the world when times get tough”

For an outline of the Liberal Democrats’ International Development agenda, you can consult the paper entitled Development in Downturn.

Why your vote counts

We live in a globalised society and as a consequence of this we have to act upon our collective consciences for a fairer world for all.  Neglecting this point will undermine the true interdependent nature of modern day sovereign nations.  Essentially there is a fine line between helping yourself and helping others in less fortunate circumstances.  As a result, your vote will decide Britain’s future on international development, which already affects millions of lives around the world.

Under the UK’s first-past-the-post system, your vote will make a direct difference to the MP that is elected in your constituency, rather than uniformly affecting the national result.  But it could be the difference between having an MP that actively supports international development and an MP that shuns it all together as an insignificant concern.  And if you’re not happy with the elected MP’s views on international development (or any other policy matter), you will have to wait up to five years until the next time to have a say in voting them out.

Public money is being spent on international development.  As a stakeholder in this society, you have a legitimate say in how your money is spent at home and abroad.  For many people, the best way of expressing political opinion is at the ballot box.  As a young person, it’s your duty, responsibility and right to vote – so make the most of it and acknowledge the importance of international development. In the search to better Britain, and the wider world, in the coming decade, taking a stand and using your vote is a powerful first step to change.

H M Zaheer read History and Politics at SOAS, University of London and then went on to complete a Masters degree in History at the same institution.  His postgraduate research primarily focused upon the Middle East, with specific reference to the end of the Ottoman Empire and the formation of modern day Turkey.  He is currently working in an international support role for a Legal Publisher.

My experience of British Muslim activism in the university and community scene has caused me to observe that the diversity of Muslim demographics is not usually reflected in our various campaigns. In a world where conflict and oppression and the fight to end them are constant features in our lives, campaigns related to the Middle East are always much more prominent and prioritised.

Palestine, for example, has an especially undying place in all our hearts. It is the home of the third holiest site, where our Muslim brothers and sisters suffer relentlessly under Israeli aggression. It is therefore a campaign that I have been and continue to be wholeheartedly a part of. I have determinedly picketed, demonstrated, occupied lecture theatres, signed and promoted petitions and delivered speeches in protest of the suffering in the region.

However, the question arises – do we not feel that we are neglecting some countries while almost exclusively focussing on others? According to sacred teachings, the Muslims are one body and the suffering of one part should be felt by all; nevertheless, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Somalia… all came and went quite briefly.  More ‘obscure’ communities such as the Chinese Uyghur continue to suffer with little recognition or response.

There is of course the position that British Muslims should be most concerned about those causes where Britain or Europe is an actor or influencing factor. However, we tend to ignore the many less reported but nevertheless critical ways in which we are actually engaged or able to influence a host of world situations.  Enquiry is also needed into the curious hierarchy of ummah priorities that is beginning to emerge in the politics of British Muslim identity and identification; there are those identification-causes which prove our Britishness, others enable modish identification with much admired struggles. While some are termed ‘Islamic’ there are those that are only humanitarian – deserving our pity, charity and inevitable condescension.

It has further been observed that somehow Arab causes are seen as ‘Islamic concerns’ whereas others are seen as more regional matters, and those wanting to address them through collective Muslim platforms here, are often viewed as far too parochial! We must in all conscience avoid the unjustifiable turning of our backs to little profiled, but in many ways equally critical issues, particularly when we are sometimes the only port of call in the West for their support.

Clearly, the scale and diversity of issues around the world that confront us may induce crisis fatigue or a feeling of being simply overwhelmed. To avoid this, our thinkers and organisations need to provide better direction as to serious, constructive long term activity and assignment of community resources. A part of this must be a much more balanced and considered response with regard to how and which issues are given priority and organised attention by the Muslim communities in the UK.

For example, the last 18 months has witnessed the very worrying exacerbation of conflict and instability in Pakistan and Bangladesh, documented by Amnesty International amongst others. Yet the almost nonexistent response – from both the British South Asian and the British Muslim community – is quite remarkable. These two countries alone account for almost a quarter (24%) of the total ummah; and the majority of British Muslims in fact originate ethnically from there. I believe it certainly is time that we carry out very possible and perhaps preventative work for human, faith and political rights in such countries as well. It is important that leaders from all communities join hands to signal that these are a worthy ummah concern; just as we all do stand together for every Middle Eastern crisis.

As far as protecting people from suffering and oppression goes, the Muslim duty is to humanity. Over the past years the older generation of activists, through their natural engagement with their homelands throughout the world, usually ensured that many different world issues were given the necessary prominence in the UK context. In the coming years, we must now wait and see whether the younger generation of activists and leaders can begin to delineate possible and actual spheres of influence and engagement in relation to the whole body of the ummah and beyond. It is my hope that this new decade will see a new broadening of horizons.

L Amatullah completed her undergraduate degree at the University of London where she is currently engaged in postgraduate study. She has led and been actively involved in charitable work and human rights campaigns, both on and off campus, for several years.

In the future, what would I want? A world without the need for telephone helplines services providing listening ears and safe spaces for many members of our societies with no place/s to turn. As Head of Support Services of the Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH), Britain’s first and only telephone helpline service dedicated to Muslims, which may sound like a very peculiar wish, not to mention a “resignation letter”, for myself. So why make such a statement?

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” is an age old  philosophical riddle which at first hand raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality. However, dig a little deeper and it can be applied to a subject that is more synonymous with our daily lives, whatever strand of society we may arise from. To rephrase, if there no one there to listen, has something actually been said, or EVEN existed in the first place?

The many great orators and stories of modern and previous times would simply have not existed or been shared in the first place. Would a teacher have been able to teach if there had been no student to listen and absorb? When put within an Islamic context, how would the prophet Muhammed (pbuh) have propagated his message, if there had been no one able to listen and propagate his message to?

Although such examples may reside within the philosophical realm and also due to history may be difficult to relate to, what relevance would the art of listening have in our modern and more interconnected world? How would it feel, in both an individual and communal context, to live in a world where listening were to become a lost art? How would we share our lives, both the high and lows, with those around us, in such a society, and what effect would this have on us as individuals and as a community?

Would community thus cease to exist? Some may even argue that we live in such a world already, whilst for some members of the community, such a world is not just confined to this piece, but is lived by them every day. Our experience at MYH shows that young Muslims are increasingly reluctant to access mainstream support services for fear of being discriminated and misunderstood, and conversely mainstream support services are struggling to serve hard to reach minority Muslim youth.

What do we see as the as the key to overcoming such daunting challenges with deep seated roots? Many complex and varies “solutions” have been proposed, from various bodies, institutions, think tanks etc, but what of the art of listening? My vision for 2020; a world in which every person has someone who will listen to them, communities who will listen to each other, institutions and bodies who will listen…each empowering themselves and being empowered by each other. That is my vision for 2020 and one I will happily work towards, even if I work myself out of a job.

Milad Ahmed has been working in the field of youth and community work, primarily focusing on individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. He is the Head of Support Services of the Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH). MYH is a free and confidential peer support service that provides pioneering non-judgemental and non-directional support. The service is operated by trained volunteer staff and can be accessed by phone, email, Internet chat or letters.

The past decade has seen a marked change in legislation for all those agencies concerned with the welfare of young people.  The tragic death of Victoria Climbié on the 25^th of February 2000, described as an entirely preventable tragedy at least twelve times by Lord Laming, was a particular turning point. Some of the highlighted factors contributing towards the ‘opportunities missed’ were: low standards of professional practice; accountability at various levels; lack of inter and intra-agency information sharing; and poor managerial support for front line workers. As a policy response, the Labour government published a Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’ (ECM) in September 2003 for consultation, which subsequently prompted an unprecedented debate about the services for children, young people and families. The Government then published ECM; Next Steps and passed the Children Act 2004 providing the ‘backbone’ for reform focusing on needs and ECM; Change for Children was published in November 2004.

More than just a focus on child protection, ECM’s reformist approach is to bring about changes at all levels for children’s services, ensuring that children and young people achieve five outcomes: Being Healthy, Staying Safe, Enjoying and Achieving, Making a Positive Contribution and Achieving Economic Well-being.

Whilst the focus of ECM is from birth to age 19, Youth Matters; Next Steps (2006), is the policy document that applies the ECM principles, particularly aimed at improving outcomes for ‘youth’ (13-19 year olds), proposing to give them “somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to”.

Ruth Kelly, in her forward of the policy document (Youth Matters 2006), states on the aims of ‘Youth Matters’:  ‘We are set on delivering a radical reshaping of universal services for teenagers – with targeted support for those who need it most’ and ‘…we want young people to be actively involved in their communities, influencing decision-making and democratic processes, and leading action to change communities for the better.’ ‘…I want every teenager to flourish and succeed – and receive services and support tailored to their needs. Youth Matters builds on the progress we have made in recent years but we have to step up a gear. I believe that the plan in this document will do that but they require imagination and leadership, and a shared vision, from everyone working with young people.’

Is there enough targeted support for young Muslims to reverse the sense of alienation and discrimination felt or should they continue to be seen through the lens of the ‘Prevent’ agenda? With the discourse of young Muslims being apparently drawn into violent extremism gaining momentum, we are in danger of polarising one of the largest young ethnic minority communities within mainland UK further by seeing them as inherently deviant first and then young.

In the coming decade several key questions need to be addressed. How can we ensure that young Muslims are actively involved in decision-making processes that would shape future provision? What kind of leadership should we be looking for in attempting to address the mundane issues that Muslim youth face?

What are some of the key processes needed and what important discussions do we need to be having with government and within our communities to ensure that every Muslim child does matter?

Should young Muslims not have the right to equal access and have somewhere to go, something to do and someone to talk to?

Does every Muslim child matter?

Tafazal Mohammad has over a decade of experience in the youth and community work field. He is Managing Director of Muslim Youth Skills [MYS]. MYS is an organisation that provides training and consultancy to equip individuals and organisations who work with young people and community groups to be competent and confident about their work.