We’ve spent the last number of weeks working on a suitable response to the SDL’s planned protest outside Glasgow Central Mosque.
Many opinions exist on the best course of action, much of it drawn from the experiences of protests already held in English cities. Direct face-to-face confrontation has led to clashes and arrests, with resultant headlines, images and public perception of Muslim youth and others involved in violence with far-right hooligans. On the other hand, the pleading of mosques and Muslim organisations to do nothing and stay at home has plainly not worked.
We’ve got a chance to make a different story in Glasgow. We’re delighted that the call for Scottish civil society to mobilise and lead has been heard. ‘Scotland United’ is the result with bodies like the Scottish TUC, Scottish Interfaith Council, Show Racism the Red Card and individuals like Aamer Anwar and Elaine C Smith backing it. The list of supporters continues to grow, and already it’s an impressive cross section of society.
Together we’ll be organsing a larger, more vibrant and upbeat rally elsewhere in the city the day that the SDL arrive. The presence of all these people reemphasising the message of what Scotland believes about our excellent multicultural relations is vital. In England, the emphasis seems to have been on defending the free speech of fascists, while forgetting that taking on what they’re saying and defending communites under attack is not curtailing free speech – it is exercising your obligation to do the right thing.
The numbers at this rally will dwarf and humiliate the far-right action, who will most likely be a handful of people sieg heiling into an empty street. Effective policing is the way to deal with this and we are in dialogue with Strathclyde Police about this.
There is a wider and more long term issue about the rise of Islamophobia that Muslims and civil society will have to address in the aftermath of this action though.
We’ve been asked if we would do the same thing if it was extremist Muslims marching in Glasgow. I can’t envisage the scenario here, but have no hesitation in saying we would be just as robust if it did happen. In fact this current Scotland United action is the mirror image of the Scotland United Against Terror rally just one week after the 2007 Glasgow Airport attack where civil society similarly came together shoulder to shoulder.
Posted by Osama Saeed
I cannot believe this. There is an immediate and direct threat to the mosque, and people are suggesting a party on the other side of town as an alternative?
What happened to the time when the labour movement understood that you do not let fascists march?
youre so obsessed with the edl,sdl,
look into the believes of your book..we dont need weopons and bombs,only the small creatures of gods earth pink and cute,.they are called pigs…we shall let them into your mosque.will you ever use it again???.
Brilliant stuff!
ps
Sorry as this is a bit beside the point,
but I thought TSIF blog and its many fans would be interested in the following item about the financial irregularities of the publicly funded The Quilliam Foundation -
Public Money Goes AWOL
Craig Murray blog
05 Nov 2009
I left my own comment, which I hope TSIF doesn’t mind if I repeat, regarding double standards of scrutiny when it comes to British Islam and British islamophobia -
‘Only the other day the BBC was reporting a non-story about a Scottish charity returning public money it hadn’t used – which was actually awfy honest of them, given most organisations, private or public, will find excuses to use up any budget still in credit before the end of the current financial year.
What made this a ‘news story’ was because it was the SNP-minority Scottish Government which was awarding the monies, and its recipient, a Scottish-Islamic charity -
Money returned by Islamic group
BBC Scotland
30 Oct 2009
Unlike The Quilliam Foundation, which attacks British Muslims and gets its dosh from the British New Labour Government hence the lack of scrutiny or the slightest interest in its financial integrity.’
Posted by: joe90 kane at November 6, 2009 9:08 PM
I’m sorry as much as i applaud your obvious stance against the BNP i cannot see why you would feel the need to have a counter demonstration against those who are opposed to sharia law in this country?
People keep saying that there is no problem with the islam4uk group as they are a very small minority and no one takes them seriously. Well if i’m not mistaken people said that about the BNP many years ago and they have flourished in the last decade to now have two seats in the european parliament and according to the UAF the cause of more right wing attacks on muslim communities and people.
I feel that this country is being lead down the path of concentrating too much on the BNP while ignoring the sinister threat that does lurk from within the muslim communities in the UK, lets not forget the brainwashed idiots who carried out the 7/11 bombings an attrocity that far outweighs anything the far right have ever achieved in this country……so please let’s not complacent about this problem and let’s hear your group and others across the UK speak out more against islamic fundamentalists!
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Reply to message dated 5 Nov
Muslims will always use mosques, even when ugly little pigs like you enter them.