Ever heard of the Muslim Professionals Forum? Me neither. It has a slightly dated website here and it is run out of an office alongside the Limehouse Cut by a Mohammed Khaled Noor. He is an immigration lawyer and styles himself as a “barrister”; he may well be but he is not listed on the Bar Council’s directory.
It says its aims and objectives are:
- To build a common platform for Muslim professionals and to promote ethical values and understanding.
- To enjoy, achieve and learn an Islamic way of life and cultural heritage through open and intellectual engagement.
- To train and prepare Muslim professionals to face modern intellectual challenges.
- To promote dialogue and ethos of peaceful coexistence among cultures, ideas and people.
- To organise seminars, symposiums and cultural events and to publish articles and periodicals
USEFUL LINKS
Mosque and Islamic Centre London Muslim Centre London Central Mosque Oranisations and Institutes Muslim Council of Britain Mulsim Association of Britain United Kingdom Islamic Mission Mosques & Imams National Advisory Board British Muslim Initiative Europen Muslim Research Centre Middle East Monitor Cordoba Foundation Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Chatam House Civil Society and Human Rights Liberty Amnesty International Charity Islamic Relief Muslim Aid Interpal Regulatory Authorities Charity Commission Solicitors Regulation Authorities The Bar Council Ofcom
Note the name Interpal. On November 19th, this forum will be staging a debate entitled, The August Riots: Is Britain Broken? It will be held at the Davenant Centre in Whitechapel. Here's the poster for the event:
The keynote speaker is Bennite Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn from Islington, but it’s the list below his name which has caused many eyebrows to be raised.
Firstly, there's George Galloway's old pal, Anas Altikriti. He is the former head of the Muslim Association of Britain, often regarded as the UK arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. He's now president of the Cordoba Foundation which has friendly relations with Hizb ut-Tahrir, even to the point of distributing Tower Hamlets council money to them in 2008.
Then there’s Dal Babu, a policeman whose rise up the ranks of the Metropolitan Police over the last few years has been astounding. When I was at the East London Advertiser, he was a Tower Hamlets Chief Inspector in charge of press relations. I’m sure he must have been very good at his other roles but in his liaison role, he certainly was not. He regarded the council paper East End Life as the major outlet and he pretty much lost our trust, promising us one thing only to do another, although he did maintain very good relations with Galloway’s Respect team. He then moved to Scotland Yard, became chair of the Association of Muslim Police and two years ago he got the Harrow job.
Also speaking is Neil Jameson, the director of London Citizens, and two stalwarts from the Islamic Forum of Europe: its president, Dilowar Khan, and the ever-present Azad Ali, whose profile has been relatively low since he got into trouble with his bosses at the civil service and who once said of the now dead Al Qaeda mastermind Anwar Al Awlaki, “I really do love him for the sake of Allah, he has an uncanny way of explaining things to people which is endearing.”
Which does explain why many are concerned at the final name of the list of speakers: Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali. Some are worried that by attending she will be giving what they consider to be an event organised by front organisations for Jamaat e Islami a moderate and mainstream veneer. Some think she is being used, that she’s being set up. Others say she is being hypocritical: that she should not be engaging with what is largely an IFE event when they opposed her becoming an MP.
I’ve spoken to Rushanara about this and her position is quite clear: she is the constituency MP, a fellow MP is attending, she has nothing to gain by going, but that it is important to engage in debate and challenge “any intolerable views”.
Jim Fitzpatrick, the MP for neighbouring Poplar and Limehouse, takes a different view: he would never attend events with many of these people.
I can understand Rushanara’s view and I think I’d like to go along to the debate and listen to the views.
The thing is, I’d also like to take my friend. She’s female. I’d like to sit next to her so we can discuss together. But we won’t be able to because the event will be segregated. Maybe that’s how Broken Britain will stop the riots.
Are left-wing views on the riots ‘intolerable’ now?
And it’s funny how quickly you can churn out all this stuff, but one week on you still ‘haven’t got enough information’ on EMA, when there’s a pretty elaborate press release online…haven’t you been able to find any flaws with it yet?
If you think the press release is elaborate then you have all the answers, Steve. There are a few councillors asking for more information. It’s not a question of finding flaws, nor of being Left-wing or not. This blog is done in my own time and without any financial reward.
So I choose to spend my time writing about topics that take my interest. You’re free to do likewise. As I said, I will write about “EMA” when I get some information back. That there are no other forums in Tower Hamlets allowing you to analyse and comment on the issue is not exactly my fault is it?
In fact, if you verify who you are, I’m quite happy for you to write a guest post on the subject. Let me know.
I had no idea what the EMA was about but then idly decided to have a read through Lutfur’s own blog (from the link on your site) where I came across the press release.
I have no idea of the details of what he’s proposing but I would like to know where his press office came up with the concept that
“The percentage of local young people achieving at least 5 A* – C GCSEs has increased from 44% in 2002 to 79.8% in 2010, ranking the borough at 38th nationally. Compared to 2010’s GCSE figures, Tower Hamlets is the third most improved local authority in the country. This year Tower Hamlets had the fifth highest percentage of 5 A*-C GCSEs, including English and Maths, in inner London , behind only Westminster , Kensington and Chelsea , Hammersmith and Fulham, and Wandsworth.”
It doesn’t seem to bear any resemblance to any figures I can find (including on the Department for Education website). And if these aren’t right then what reliance can be put on anything else in the press release being correct?
Would Rushnara Ali appear on a platform with Nick Griffin or the English Defence League? So why is she happy to appear alongside their Islamist equivalents?
Seriously, how much more racist can you get Ted? Why don’t you just call us a Paki and tell us to leave your country?
Agreed
one thing i’ve noticed on this blog:
Anyone who is brown and seems to have done alright for himself, you have decided is somehow incompetent, corrupt or some other form of mud you think is appropriate. Dal Babu, Lutfur Rahman, the list is endless.
The white characters however in the fantasy Tower Hamlets soap opera playing in your head are whiter than white or ‘clean as a whistle’. Stephen Halsey, Josh Peck, Peter Golds….
coincidence?
Then my guess is that you haven’t read much of this blog and I suggest that for your own mental well-being you stop reading it.
It must be depressing being one of the chief ideologues for the EDL. Shaykh Ted al Tower Hamletsi as you are known in those circles
The thing is, I’d also like to take my friend. She’s female. I’d like to sit next to her so we can discuss together. But we won’t be able to because the event will be segregated. Maybe that’s how Broken Britain will stop the riots.
Who owns the Davenant Centre? Are they allowed to insist that it be segregated?
Who said the event would be segregated?
Sorry, have been away for 24 hours….it was the organiser who told me. I called the first number on the poster and on Monday evening and asked him specifically. He said, ‘Yes, it is segregated. Would you like to reserve a ticket?’
Dear Fozi,
The days where you can call anyone opposing the Jamaat e Islami a racist are nearing the end. Didn’t you notice that Robert Lambert has recently lost a lot of credibility after being exposed as a former police spy? His job was to call people racist whenever they criticised fronts for reactionary Islamic groups like Jamaat e Islami and the Muslim Brotherhood. Now you just look silly doing it.
“Azad Ali… who once said of the now dead Al Qaeda mastermind Anwar Al Awlaki, “I really do love him for the sake of Allah, he has an uncanny way of explaining things to people which is endearing.”
Is that the Same Anwar Awlaki that the Pentagon had lunch with?
I wonder why you failed to report that Mr Ali had distanced himself from Awlaki, following his indulgence in to extremism? Also, I couldn’t see where on the poster it said the event is segregated?
It seems you have an agenda in reporting this event with half truths, after all that is the only way you can put pressure on some to not engage, shame on you Ted.
In one paragraph alone: “… many are concerned at … Some are worried that … what they consider to be a … Some think she is … Others say …” Does this still pass for serious journalism?
And why do you complain the event is segregated? The poster you’ve provided doesn’t say so, the link to their website you provided doesn’t say so. I’ve contacted the organisers, they say it’s not segregated. Did you throw that in for the benefit of the rabid commentators at the anti-Muslim hate blog, Harry’s Place?
I think it’s wicked to say that the Cordoba Foundation has friendly relations with Hizbut Tahrir, when you know that the event you refer to is when they challenged them to open debate to denounce their views.
Shame on you, Ted.
Given Ted’s surprising claim, I thought I’d copy the full reply to the query I sent by email:
> Dear Frank
> Not it is not segregated.
> Please let me know if you wish to book a place.
> kind regards
> Ashraf Hussain
> Muslim Professionals Forum
Couldn’t be clearer.
So, Ted can go there with his female friend, sit next to her and ‘discuss’ whether Britain is broken. I shan’t be going; I can’t say I like the idea of a forum for people who consider themselves professionals, of any faith or none.
They couldn’t have been clearer with me either, which was of course before this event had any publicity.
I wouldn’t get too hot under the collar about Interpal, I donate to them, they’re Islamic but not necessarily Islamist & do effective work in Gaza & the West Bank. They’re proscribed by the Americans but investigations by the Charities Commission show them to be ok & (I think) they’ve won libel actions against claims of being Hamas supporters.
The US dislike of the US probably indicates their effectiveness – or, as their founder, a sensible down to earth Yorkshireman called Ibrahim Hewitt said of the ban ‘FBI? – Famous But Incompetant’.
So will you be going Ted? How convenient for you that A) the poster did not state the event was segregated and neither did the organiser’s state that to at least 2 people here – but somehow they did to you!
Also – I noted the name Interpal – does it bother you that they help Palestinians who are occupied by Israel?
Don’t be silly now. Why don’t you call the first number on the poster yourself and ask them if that question was asked of them on Monday evening.
I did Ted, they said no it is NOT segregated.
Pray tell…why you are highlighting Interpal?
So they denied telling me it was segregated?
Who’d care even if it was segregated? You don’t have to go if you don’t like it. I’m sure all the professionals would be delighted not to have to sit through you and your female friend jabbering away through all these eminent speakers..,
@ Tom
After watching a very depressing film on a Friday evening you with that last comment warmed me up inside with happiness.
It deserves a very big bloody LMFAO!!!
I’m sure you can read Ted…so you going to tell us why you’ve taken the trouble to highlight Interpal?