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Author: Mohmed

Connecting during Covid

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Hello community members,  

I hope this email finds you all in good health.  

Recently we have been speaking to Queen Mary University of London who are working on a project that tries to understand how diverse communities are getting on with life, and how people are connecting during Covid-19. They are focusing on people in the Brazilian, Somali and Indian community examining people’s changing experiences of life in the UK.  They are looking at if/how any remittance and care activities link people with their contacts ‘back home’; and whether this has changed during the pandemic.  

This research aims to identify key challenges facing Indian communities during the Covid-19 pandemic, to raise awareness and advise policy makers and institutions on responses that meet the needs of our communities.  

It is a great way for us to be involved and help raise awareness on the key issues facing our community members. So, I would like to share with you their online questionnaire: [SURVEY IS CLOSED]. I would urge you to complete it with honest answers and share it with your networks. Please note everything is confidential, and your response will be helpful for understanding Indian communities and building our voice. 

This is an online questionnaire in English – if you would like to complete it in another language (e.g. Hindi, Gujarati or Gurmukhi)  [NOTE SURVEY IS CLOSED]

Your help is most appreciated. 

 —  

Kind regards,  

Saliha Majeed-Hajaj

Research Assistant

School of Geography

Queen Mary University of London | Mile End Road | London | E1 4NS | UK

Gujarat riots February 2002

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Justice for the British citizens killed on British soil and Indian soil

That this House notes the forthcoming visit by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, following the lifting of his ban to enter the UK; further notes that Prime Minister Modi was Governor of the state of Gujarat in 2002 when sectarian violence led to the murder of three British tourists, Sakil Dawood, Saeed Dawood and Mohammed Aswat, and the attempted murder of Imran Dawood; is deeply concerned that those responsible for those murders have not been brought to justice and that attempts to investigate the murders and bring the killers to justice have been hindered and frustrated; calls on the Government to take the opportunity presented by Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK to secure answers and assistance on behalf of the families of the British men who were murdered; and further calls on Ministers and Officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all they can to ensure that justice is done, the killers are brought to account and the remains of Saeed Dawood are finally repatriated and returned to his family in the UK so they can attempt to achieve some peace and closure on this tragic episode.

Early day motion in parliament by the late Jo Cox MP, dated November 2015

It’s not about Muslims

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First they came for the Kashmiri’s

They said Kashmir is a hub of separatists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Kashmiri

Then they came for the Muslims

– they said they are termites and infiltrators
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Muslim

Then they came for the Malayalis

– they said Kerala was infested with ISIS and ISI
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Malayali

Then the came for the Sikhs

– they said Punjab was filled with Khalistani terrorists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Sikh

And then they came for me
But there was no one left
To speak out for me …

2nd October 2019. Author unknown. Variation of poem on the walls of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

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On the 19th anniversary of the destruction and demolition of Babri Masjid on 6th December 2011, members of the Indian Muslim Federation (UK) urged the government of India and particularly, the Supreme Court of India to take action and acknowledge the miscarriage of justice in the case of the Babri Masjid demolition and work towards a full and final resolution of the issue.

High Court Verdict

Mr Shamsuddin Agha, President of IMF (UK) said that “Justice delayed is justice denied. After 19 years since this crime against the nation was committed, it is unacceptable and reflects poorly on of India’s pluralist and secular character.

The Supreme Court’s stay on the October 2010 verdict of the Allahabad High Court is welcome, it is clear that the machinations of those involved in the demolition could result in further delay for the victims of one of the most egregious violations of religious freedom in our nation’s history

added Mr. Agha

IMF (UK) believes that it was Indian government’s inaction, coupled with fanatical mobs driven by the hate-filled discourse of the Sangh parivar that led to the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

In order to repair the secular foundations of India and to heal the wounds to our national pride caused by the demolition and its murderous aftermath, IMF (UK) has demanded the following:

  • Criminal prosecution of those responsible and held culpable by the Liberhan Commission for the Babri Masjid demolition;
  • A resolution of the title to the disputed land, based on facts and not on favouring the religious beliefs of one community over those of another;
  • A reaffirmation of the “The Place of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991”, that prohibits the conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on 15th August, 1947. Although this Act does not apply to the Babri Masjid, it would ensure that sectarian politics is not allowed leverage over other places of worship in order to advance a divisive agenda.

IMF(UK) has called upon people of all faiths to exercise restraint during the upcoming anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, and called upon the law enforcement agencies to provide adequate security to all citizens.