Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State for Communities in the UK government, may be a diminutive figure but she is punching above her weight in a confrontation with Dr Daud Abdullah, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)
Abdullah recently attended the “global anti-aggression conference” in Istanbul. Like many such conferences, its main purpose was to bash the Coalition, Israel and Jews generally.
The conference issued a declaration which Abdullah signed up to. Blears objected to this because she claimed that the declaration “calls for violence against troops and Jewish communities” See Guardian coverage of this here. Abdullah replied that this was “an extraordinary and malicious interpretation”. He then went on to rebut the allegations in the Guardian here.
Blears broke off relations between the UK government and the MCB as a result. Now they are threatening to sue her for libel.
Leaders of the MCB have often been ambiguous about Islamist violence at home and abroad and have steadfastly refused to attend the nation’s Holocaust Remembrance Day because they believe focusing on the Jewish Holocaust ignores the “Holocaust in Palestine.”
So what did the Istanbul text actually say? See a transcript here.
It is clearly a document which supports Hamas who are described with the blanket term “mujahidin” thus characterising them purely as jihadis acting against the “Zionist entity’s” occupation.
It calls the Saudi peace plan a betrayal. It calls for ALL Palestine to be liberated and thus is calling for the destruction of Israel. It is not very pleased with Fatah or Egypt who it sees as traitors.
Now let’s look at point 7.
7. The obligation of the Islamic Nation to regard everyone standing with the Zionist entity, whether countries, institutions or individuals, as providing a substantial contribution to the crimes and brutality of this entity; the position towards him is the same as towards this usurping entity.
As it has already called for armed resistance to the Zionist entity it states that its position towards anyone or any government or institution should be the same. Now although the language (in translation) is not exactly explicit it does not take much to work out that this means that violence and armed resistance to countries such as the USA and the UK and towards Jewish institutions (who support the Zionist entity) anywhere in the world is justified. Otherwise what DOES it mean and why make the statement.
Point 8:
8. The obligation of the Islamic Nation to regard the sending of foreign warships into Muslim waters, claiming to control the borders and prevent the smuggling of arms to Gaza, as a declaration of war, a new occupation, sinful aggression, and a clear violation of the sovereignty of the Nation. This must be rejected and fought by all means and ways.
This is more explicit: anyone assisting the blockade is at war with the Ummah and they must be fought “by all means and ways”. All means and ways includes armed resistance and terrorism.
Either Dr Abdullah has not read it or has not understood it or he has signed something he actually disagrees with or, more likely, he is a hypocrite saying one thing to the UK government whilst he subscribes to something else. Whatever his denial and whatever interpretation he wishes to place on the text, it is clear what the text actually means.
It’s about time the MCB stopped associating itself with extremist views. It cannot condemn 7/7 on one hand and be a signatory to the Istanbul declaration on the other. If it is to fight extremists and extremist views from Muslims in the UK it has no business being involved with extremist views abroad. If Dr Abdullah signs such a document he is risks being seen as a coward, a hypocrite or both.
I fervently hope that the libel case is pursued so that the brave stance Hazel Blears has made will be supported by evidence which is patent.