Community Cohesion
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Community Cohesion
According to Ruth Kelly, migrants must learn English language to integrate. Learning English language is about as useful as learning Arabic, Urdu and other community languages. The British Establishment and society has systematically failed to understand the causes of migration, global terrorism and social and emotional, economic segregation. Muslims suffer different forms of discrimination which reduce their employment opportunities and affect their educational achievements. This can give rise to hopelessness and could undermine Muslims? sense of belongingness. Islamophobia is a growing reality of racism around the world. The only way to stop it is by respecting the religious diversity. Communities are more divided than ever. The Government presses ahead with flawed policies and anti-terrorist legislation that created further resentment, alienation and criminalization. A dramatic surge of racist and religiously?motivated violence followed the 7/7, London and Glasgow bombing.Muslim communities are angry at plans to ?spy? on Muslim students at universities. The proposal is an act of racism. Universities are not the problem. Just because some of the 7/7 bombers were graduates, does not mean they formed their ideas in a university. It is the western society which is creating extreme Muslims all around the world. Young Muslims are becoming more separated from society than their parents who were not well versed in English while young Muslim generation is notoriously monolinguals. Schools do not encourage and teach Arabic, Urdu and other community languages. They are even discouraged to speak mother tongues at home. They only learn British History not their own history. The British society was and still reluctant to open up its sense of citizenship to all those that have come to live here. Integration is a two-way process. Many Muslims acknowledge that they need to do more to engage with wider society. At the same time British and European politicians must make stronger efforts to promote meaningful intercultural dialogue and tackle racism, discrimination and marginalization more effectively.
The British establishment is wrong in thinking that Imams are to blame for extremism. Imams are not solution to the problem for extremism. Extremism is nothing to do with Imams. Extremism is not created from abroad, it is coming from within. Britain fails to help Muslim communities feel part of British society. Race trouble is being predicted by the Daily Express, because of an ethnic boom in UK major cities. Muslim communities need imams for the solutions of their needs and demands in their own native languages. Muslim parents would like to see their children well versed in Standard English and to go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. The fact is that majority of Muslim children leave schools with low grades because monolingual teachers are not capable to teach Standard English to bilingual Muslim children. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk -
Schools do not encourage and teach Arabic, Urdu and other community languages.
why should they encourage it?
Since we live in Europe it would make more sense to learn a European language.
They are even discouraged to speak mother tongues at home.
yeah, so what?
I stopped speaking Urdu years ago, I've forgotten most of the language, Tiz no biggy
They only learn British History not their own history.
what do you mean "their own"
Islamic civilisations is taught at schools
and we are NOT 'only' taught British history, we are also taught German history (Hitler), Russian history (Stalin), American history (the alcohol prohibition, the economic Depression, the Vietnam war) and the cold war.
The British empire has only recently been taught at school, when I was there (2 years ago) we won't taught it.
Imams are not solution to the problem for extremism.
Imam's do and should play a major role in the solution.
The whole world does not revolve around Muslim's so stop acting like it does, and please quit the spam and start joining in discussions in the forum.
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Iftikhar,
I agree with most of what Angel said in the earlier post, however, I would also like to add that "Imam's" have a great say in what the traditional muslims believe. However, none of the Imam's have open heartedly denounced Muslim Terrorism, Yet which is a great shame. Or yet started a campaign against the terrorists. These Imam's could do lot more then what they are doing now to stop terrorism.
Secondly we live in foreign land we should adopt their language and good habits and believe me there are many good habits which we can adopt from English people, and one most important habit is "tolerance"..
Regards
Ijaz
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Salaam
Racism and discrimination remain a serious problem across the British society. Majority of the Muslim children are from Pakistan. Their alienation had to be addressed as a priority. British society and Establishment must learn to respect, understand and appreciate their faith, their needs, their anger, their aspiration and stop demonising them.
The word Jehad has three definations, all refer to struggle, such as the struggle against one's own evil desires, speaking truth in the face of tyranny and any arduous fight, violent or non-violent, in a righteous cause.
Bilingual Muslim children need to be well versed in Standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. At the same time they need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
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Majority of the Muslim children are from Pakistan.
not true there are many Muslims from other contries.
British society and Establishment must learn to respect, understand and appreciate their faith, their needs, their anger, their aspiration and stop demonising them.
it does!
I am a British Pakistani and never have I been made to feel inferior and the majority of Brits are not racist.
At the same time they need to be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
I have no desire to keep in touch with my cultural roots, and Urdu is the most irritating language on earth, whenever I hear someone speaking it I just want to smack them, it irritates me that much, you'll never meet a white person like that.
BTW my grandparents have been here for a very long time, 3 of them cannot speak English, please write a letter to them telling them to learn it.
peace.
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I am a British Pakistani and never have I been made to feel inferior and the majority of Brits are not racist.
It depends which neighborhood you live in.
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not true there are many Muslims from other contries.
it does!
Urdu is the most irritating language on earth, whenever I hear someone speaking it I just want to smack them, it irritates me
peace.I hope you are well versed with Arabic which is the language of the Holy Quran .
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Yusha I went to a school where almost all of the kids where white atheists and there were some Christians, I was never was made to feel inferior. Anyways the racist BNP are doing well in Bradford, it has that many Asians it is often called 'bradanistan'
Leo I have no desire to learn Arabic, i was watching a programme on the Islam channel and they said it takes 8 years to learn the language, I do know the alphabets and the meaning of some Arabic words but I don't intend the learn the whole language, btw urdu writing may look similar to Arabic but the way it is spoken is totally different, urdu is soooo damn irritating.