“Historic” meeting between Ahmadiyya Community and Tooting Islamic Centre ends in silence

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“Historic” meeting between Ahmadiyya Community and Tooting Islamic Centre ends in silence

4:00pm Thursday 23rd December 2010

By Omar Oakes »

Sadiq Khan MP: Joint statement of TIC and Ahmadis will reflect “goodwill and postivity” at meeting

Ten days after what was billed as a “historic” meeting to rebuild community relations damaged by a hate campaign against a minority Islamic sect the main participants seem unable to agree what, if anything, it has achieved.

In October, the Wimbledon Guardian and the Wandsworth Guardian revealed evidence of a hate campaign against the Morden-based Ahmadis, an Islamic minority sect considered non-Muslim by many mainstream Muslims.

Our investigation focused on Tooting and the Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC) in Upper Tooting Road, where an anti-Ahmadi conference was held in March in which worshippers were told to boycott Ahmadi-run shops.

After that conference, Ahmadi-run shops complained of a sharp loss of trade and anti-Ahmadi leaflets have been found on display in a Tooting cosmetics shops and on the main noticeboard of the Tooting Islamic Centre.

Following our investigation, a meeting, organised by Tooting MP Sadiq Khan, was held at Wandsworth Town Hall on Monday, December 13 to discuss the Ahmadis’ concerns.

It was attended by Mr Khan, Wandsworth police borough commander David Musker, Wandsworth Council Leader Edward Lister, four representatives from the TIC and nine representatives from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (AMA).

A joint statement was due to be issued last week on behalf of the TIC and the AMA, but so far no statement has been agreed and no further meetings have been planned.

This newspaper was denied access to the meeting and the participants are remaining tight lipped on the outcome - billed by Tooting MP Sadiq Khan as a “historic” chance for the TIC and AMA to clear the air.

In an interview last month Mr Khan said he did not know about the anti-Ahmadi campaign until told by this newspaper in October.

At the time he said he was pleased to “organise this historic first meeting”.

But yesterday his only comment was to issue a two line statement saying: “It was agreed the management of TIC and the Ahmadiyya community leaders would try and agree a joint statement, and I am hopeful this will reflect the goodwill and positivity that was evident from all sides during the meeting.”

Kingston police were investigating allegations of hate crimes after a leaflet was allegedly distributed in Kingston town centre.

A teenage Ahmadi girl, who did not want to be named, gave police a statement claiming the leaflet, which she said was written in Urdu, said: “Kill a Qadiyani [Ahmadiyya] and doors to heaven will be open to you”.

Kingston police later said it had never been handed the leaflet and has not received any other allegations.

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.
URL: www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news...c_Centre_ends_in_silence/

CPS criticised for not prosecuting alleged Ahmadiyya Muslim hate crimes in Tooting

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CPS criticised for not prosecuting alleged Ahmadiyya Muslim hate crimes in Tooting

2:30pm Monday 6th December 2010

By Omar Oakes »

“Not effective”: Lord Eric Avebury on religious hatred laws

A leading human rights expert has called for a change in hate laws after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to bring charges over alleged hate crimes against a Morden-based religious group.

Lord Eric Avebury, vice-chairman of the Government’s Parliamentary Human Rights Group, also called for an investigation into why the CPS had only brought one case against incitement to religious hatred since the law came into being four years ago.

In October, the Wimbledon Guardian exclusively revealed evidence of hate speeches, leaflets, and boycotts against members of the Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic minority sect.

Evidence included video footage from a conference at the Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC), in which scholars called for a boycott of Ahmadi-run businesses and urged attendees not to associate with Ahmadis.

Last month, the Crown prosecutor for Wandsworth, Hilary Ryan, said the allegations fell short of being criminally actionable.

Lord Avebury, an 82-year-old Liberal Democrat peer, said the threshold for prosecution was too high.

He said: “I believe the law on incitement to religious hatred has not been effective, partly because the prosecution has to prove not only that the accused did incite, but that he intended to do so.

“At any rate, there has been only one case brought since the law was enacted, over a four-year period when incitement was becoming more prevalent.

“The reasons for this inactivity by the CPS need to be investigated.”

A CPS spokesman said: “A CPS London prosecutor gave initial advice that the material submitted could not constitute an offence.

“If the police ask for a full review of the material, the file will be passed to the central casework divisions.

“A full review is always carried out by prosecutors who specialise in racial and religious hatred offences and after careful consideration of a number of cases since this legislation was introduced, there has only been one case that reached the threshold for prosecution.”

A spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association (AMA), which is based at the Bait-ul-Futuh mosque in London Road, said it was seeking independent legal advice before thinking about pursing a judicial review of the claims.

Tooting’s MP Sadiq Khan has arranged for a meeting between senior memebrs of the AMA and TIC on Monday, December 13..

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/87...hate_crimes/

Lord: Hate laws are not effective enough

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Lord: Hate laws are not effective enough

11:40am Saturday 4th December 2010

Lord Avesbury has called for an investigation into why the CPS had only brought one case against incitement to religious hatred since the law came into being four years ago

A human rights lawyer has called for a change in the law after no charges were brought over alleged hate crimes stemming from a leaflet handed out in Kingston.

Kingston police launched an investigation into suspected hate crime against an Islamic minority sect after leaflets were allegedly distributed in the town centre on July 6.

A teenage Ahmadi girl, who did not want to be named, gave them a statement claiming the leaflet, which was written in Urdu, said: “Kill a Qadiyani [Ahmadiyya] and doors to heaven will be open to you”.

But Kingston police later said it had never been handed the leaflet and had not received any other allegations.

The incident led to complaints of hate speeches, leaflets, and boycotts against members of the Ahmadiyya community, an Islamic minority sect, across south west London.

Evidence included video footage from a conference at the Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC), in which scholars called for a boycott of Ahmadi-run businesses and urged attendees not to associate with Ahmadis.

Last month, the Crown prosecutor for Wandsworth, Hilary Ryan, said the allegations fell short of being criminally actionable.

Lord Eric Avebury, an 82-year-old Liberal Democrat peer, said the threshold for prosecution was too high.

Lord Avebury, vice-chairman of the Government’s Parliamentary Human Rights Group, also called for an investigation into why the CPS had only brought one case against incitement to religious hatred since the law came into being four years ago.

He said: “I believe the law on incitement to religious hatred has not been effective, partly because the prosecution has to prove not only that the accused did incite, but that he intended to do so.

“At any rate, there has been only one case brought since the law was enacted, over a four-year period when incitement was becoming more prevalent.

“The reasons for this inactivity by the CPS need to be investigated.”

A CPS spokesman said: “A CPS London prosecutor gave initial advice that the material submitted could not constitute an offence.

“If the police ask for a full review of the material, the file will be passed to the central casework divisions.”

A spokesman for the Ahmadiyya community, which is based at the Bait-ul-Fatah mosque in London Road, said it was seeking independent legal advice before thinking about pursuing a judicial review of the claims.

Copyright 2001-2010 Kingston Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: http://www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/87188...not_effective_enough/

Mosque linked to hate campaign causes rift in Muslim community

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Mosque linked to hate campaign causes rift in Muslim community

7:20am Wednesday 3rd November 2010

By Matt Watts »

A mosque has been linked to a hate campaign causing a dangerous rift in south London’s Muslim community.

Evidence shows Ahmadiyya Muslims are being demonised and ostracised by UK Islamic fundamentalist group Khatme Nabuwat, whose hardline clerics have been preaching in south London mosques.

The alleged campaign has seen Ahmadi residents, businessmen and politicians targeted, including inflammatory leaflets being distributed in south London encouraging violence against “Qadiyanis” – a derogatory term for Ahmadis.

The rift has stemmed from some Muslims not accepting members of the Ahmadi community as fellow Muslims.

Ahmadis differ from mainstream Islam in that they state the second coming of the messiah has already happened and is embodied by their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

South London Ahmadis – who built what is believed to be the biggest mosque in western Europe, based in Morden – say their beliefs have made them victims of a hate campaign.

Now Streatham’s mosque has been dragged into the debate after a poster seen on the noticeboard of the South London Islamic Centre in Mitcham Lane stated the meat sold by an Ahmadi-run butcher in Tooting, Lahore Halal, was not halal.

Mumtaz Malik, the mosque’s Iman, said the poster was put up by a member of the Somali community to inform Muslims of the change of ownership of the supermarket to an Ahmadi.

He said as part of Islamic teachings, Muslims are advised to buy their meat from fellow Muslims.

He said the ownership of the shop by a “non-Muslim” raised questions about whether the meat sold was still halal, despite there being no evidence it was not.

But the Ahmadi shopkeeper who owns Lahore Halal, has told the Streatham Guardian “through religious discrimination and harassment” his business had suffered both reputationally and financially, with takings being cut by up to 50 per cent.

An Ahmadi supermarket worker across the street won an employment tribunal against his former boss last month for wrongful dismissal after he had pressure put on him to convert to the Sunni Muslim faith.

Lambeth police promised to talk to Streatham mosque about the poster, while Wandsworth police are investigating wider allegations in the Tooting community of inciting religious hatred against Ahmadis.

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: www.streathamguardian.co.uk/ne...Muslim_community/

Worshippers told at Tooting Islamic Centre to boycott Ahmadiyya shops

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Worshippers told at Tooting Islamic Centre to boycott Ahmadiyya shops

1:20pm Thursday 14th October 2010

Exclusive By Omar Oakes »

Boycott plea: Leaflet written in Somali found in
Streatham mosque

Ahmadi shopkeepers face financial ruin after clerics demanded a boycott of their shops.

Imam Suliman Gani, of the TIC, admitted he personally pleaded with the owner of the Lahore Halal Meat in Tooting not to sell his business to an Ahmadi man.

He said: “Since the Qadianis are routinely deceptive about their religion, there was a potential risk of Muslims being offered meat that wasn’t necessarily halal.

“Can you imagine the uproar in the Jewish community if it was found that a shop selling purportedly kosher food was not doing so?

“If there is any deception involved in the provision of halal meat, naturally, we will prefer to err on the side of caution.”

Imam Suliman Gani: Pleaded with Tooting businessman

Mr Gani offered no evidence to support claims the meat might be non-halal and later admitted if the meat came from the same supplier as before [which it did] “there would be no issue”.

One leaflet, the origin of which is not known but was posted on the wall of the Streatham Mosque, called for a boycott on Lahore Halal.

Another Ahmadi butcher, who came to London in 2001 after fleeing Pakistan, won an employment tribunal last month after being sacked in March.

Employment Judge Baron accepted Azizur Rahman, owner of Haji Halal Meat in Upper Tooting Road, pressured his employee to convert to the Sunni Muslim faith.

The tribunal heard: “Mr Rahman said he had been told that if he continued to employ the claimant then his customers would cease to patronise him.

“Mr Rahman referred specifically to pressure being placed on him by the head of the Sunni sect who had helped Mr Rahman to gain admission for his daughters to single sex school for girls.”

Mr Rahman claimed he had been influenced by a conference held by KN at the TIC on March 28, where worshippers were ordered to boycott Ahmadi-run shops.

During that conference Mr Gani shared a stage with KN Abdul Rehman Bawa. Mr Bawa said: “I don’t know why our sisters or mothers are talking with these Qadiani and making friendships … I know in this road, Tooting high street, all of the shops who are selling to Qadiani.

“Don’t make friends with them… they are trying to deceive you, they are trying to convert you from Islam to Qadianism.”

The owner of one Tooting halal butchers said his trade had fallen by nearly 50 per cent in three months. He said: “We have lost so much business because some people refuse to come here just because I am Ahmadi. They use words against me like ‘Kafir’, which means I am not Muslim.

“I’ve lived here for 13 years and lots of people know me in Tooting, but this situation has become so much worse now.”

A Wandsworth police spokesman said an investigation into the alleged hate crimes was ongoing.

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/ahmadiyya/8...a_shops/

Tooting election race infected by anti-Ahmadiyya hate campaign

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Tooting election race infected by anti-Ahmadiyya hate campaign

1:10pm Thursday 14th October 2010

Exclusive By Omar Oakes »

Hatred and threats towards the Ahmadiyya community even infected the general election race in Tooting.

Since being re-elected in May with a slim majority of 2,524 after fierce opposition from Conservative candidate Mark Clarke, Sadiq Khan has gone on to become Shadow Justice Secretary.

But Nasser Butt, who stood against him for the Liberal Democrats and is an Ahmadi, spoke out about a campaign to prevent him being elected because of his religion.

An election hustings at the Tooting Islamic Centre (TIC) on April 14 turned into a dangerous farce after hardliners shut down proceedings.

After arriving at the TIC, mixed-race Tory candidate Mark Clarke had to be locked into a room for his own safety after he was mistaken for Mr Butt by fundametalists.

Mr Clarke’s election agent, Andre Walker, said: “We had to be locked in a room for our own security. The mosque committee were embarrassed by it and it was tense for a while…it was clear Nasser’s arrival would have been dangerous and a real problem. There was anger an Ahmadi was running.”

During the incident, Mr Butt said he received a phone call from a committee member who told him it would be best if he did not come to speak as had been arranged.

It has also emerged worshippers were given precise orders at the TIC to urge Muslims not to vote for Ahmadi candidates.

A secret recording of a meeting at the TIC, two days before polling day on May 3, revealed Imam Suliman addressed the meeting alongside Harris Bokhani, speaker from an unknown organisation.

Mr Bokhani is heard to tell the audience: “The majority of Muslims in this area are voting Lib Dem, because they think Nasser Butt is a Muslim.

“If you don’t go in and speak to them, they’re not going to do it. They’re fed up of hearing it from the imams. They want to hear it from you. They need to you go into the community and say ‘Why are you supporting the Qadiani community?’”

Mr Khan told this paper last week he was not aware of the incident until days later and did not know about the pair being locked in a room.

He rejected claims the Muslim vote played an important role in his re-election, claiming he had support from faith leaders across the religious spectrum.

He said: “It’s really important everyone in the community gets along. One of the hallmarks of Tooting is that people with different rules and religions have got along so well for so long.

“If there’s any section of our community that feels vulnerable or discriminated against, there’s a responsibility on the rest of us to reach out and ensure this doesn’t happen.

“There are theological differences but we shouldn’t just tolerate each other, we should respect each other.

“My job as MP is to represent everyone in the community, irrespective of the size of the community and religious beliefs.”

TIC Imam Suliman Gani told us this week: “We never recommend any political candidate on religious grounds.

“Like all organisations, we only recommend political candidates based on how their stated policies affect our community.

“The Ahmadiyya community has been actively distributing leaflets claiming they are the only Muslims who love peace and harmony and thereby maligning the vast Muslim community.

“So, as an example, unless an Ahmadi candidate renounced such maligning of Muslims by the community he belongs to, we would not recommend him as he/she would be antithetical to the perception of our peace-loving community in such delicate times.”

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/ahmadiyya/845...te_campaign/

Relgious hate leaflets found in Tooting, Streatham and Kingston

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Relgious hate leaflets found in Tooting, Streatham and Kingston

1:20pm Thursday 14th October 2010

Exclusive By Omar Oakes »

Hate Leafllet: Khatme Nabuwwat warns
muslims to beware

Inflammatory leaflets have been distributed across south London as part of a targeted ideological campaign against the Ahmadiyya community.

Some of the literature is produced by anti-Ahmadi group KN, whose spokesmen delivered speeches at the TIC in Tooting, Streatham mosque and the Kingston mosque.

One KN leaflet, Deception of the Qadiyani, was recently displayed in the window of the Sabina Hair and Cosmetic shop in Mitcham Road, Tooting.

When we confronted staff to ask why they had put up these leaflets, a worker said: “These people are not Muslims. I did it myself.

Boycott plea: Leaflet written in Somali
found in Streatham mosque

“They don’t believe that prophet Mohammed is the last prophet.”

In August, Kingston police launched an investigation into suspected Ahmadi hate crime after leaflets were allegedly distributed in Kingston on July 6.

Kingston police confirmed a teenage Ahmadi girl, who did not want to be named, gave them a statement claiming the leaflet, which was written in Urdu, said: “Kill a Qadiyani and doors to heaven will be open to you”.

Police said they were appealing for information, but were not in possession of the leaflet, which was allegedly handed to the girl outside the Bentall Centre in Kingston town centre.

Copyright 2001-2010 Wimbledon Guardian, UK. All rights reserved.

URL: www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/ahmadiyya/8451668...gston/