The British Left’s Hypocritical Embrace of Islamism

2015/08/10 Leave a comment

Majid Nawaz, head of Quillam on some British leftists and Islamism (almost a rant, but worth reading):

There is a natural fear among Europe’s left, that challenging Islamist extremism can only aid Europe’s far-right. But the alternative to this fear must not be to instead empower theocratic fascism. There is a way to both challenge those who want to impose islam, and those who wish to ban Islam. It has not escaped me, nor other liberal Muslims, that while challenging Islamist extremism we must remain attentive to protecting our civil liberties. We are born of this struggle, after all. Over the years I have opposed past UK government ministers on ethnic and religious profiling, opposed Obama’s targeted killings and drone strikes and opposed Senator King in the UK Parliament over his obfuscation and justification for torture. I have been cited by the UK PM for my view that though Islamist extremism must be openly challenged, non-terrorist Islamists should not be banned unless they directly incite violence. I have spoken out against extraordinary rendition and detention without charge of terror suspects. I have supported my political party, the Liberal Democrats, in backing a call to end Schedule 7. It is due to this very same concern for civil liberties that I vehemently oppose Islamist extremism and call for liberal reform within our Muslim communities, for our Muslim communities. We believe civil liberties cut both ways, for and upon minority communities, and it is due to this same passion for human rights that my organization Quilliam put out this anti-ISIS video only a day after the Guardian’s unfortunate sting. We chose to let our work speak for itself.

The British Left’s Hypocritical Embrace of Islamism – The Daily Beast.

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Refugees Describe Life Under ISIL | Al Jazeera America

2015/08/04 Leave a comment

Haven’t seen much detailed reporting like this:

In the Syrian capital of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s self-declared caliphate, Raqqa, the group’s extreme interpretation of Sharia law is enforced through extraordinary punishments, including death. The list of potential violations is long and reminders of the consequences of crossing the groups are on constant display, with executed and beheaded men displayed in public squares and roundabouts, their crimes often detailed in notices pinned to their corpses.

And even so, some say the chaos and destruction that characterizes most of Syria after four years of war is such that the comparative calm in Raqqa resulting from ISIL’s strict governance actually offers a respite.

Those who recently fled from Raqqa to Turkey describe a new form of governance taking root as ISIL, also known as ISIS or Daesh, continues its effort to entrench itself into the social fabric of the capital. Despite daily bombardment from U.S.-led coalition airstrikes on the city, ISIL has managed to expand its reach both geographically and socially, taking control of even the minute details of everyday life.

The group has restored electricity supply, painted road signs, imposed taxes, implemented a new education system and operates a highly functional — albeit punitive and brutal — judicial system. The organization now controls about one-third of the country, and rules over millions of people across Syria and Iraq. The group has commandeered oil refineries and gas fields in the desert terrain, helping to finance its operations.

ISIL police battalions made up of mostly foreign fighters patrol the streets in 4×4’s and on foot, also setting up checkpoints across the city to inspect identification documents and report any violations to the strict code. Residents must provide tax receipts, proving they have paid the mandatory portion of their agricultural or retail dividends to the state, in order to cross.

Refugees Describe Life Under ISIL | Al Jazeera America.

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Canadian converts to Islam focus of study by Australian sociologist

2015/07/27 1 Comment

Some Government rhetoric notwithstanding, the Kanishka Project continues to fund some interesting and potentially useful studies on the sociology of extremism and radicalization:

Public Safety Canada is funding a project by an Australian academic to study why Canadians convert to Islam.

This is the first study on the subject ever conducted in Canada and one of a number of studies to receive money from Public Safety through its Kanishka Project, which funds research into terrorism and counterterrorism.

“Canada was a country that had not even one published journal article on converts between its borders. So, I thought, ‘Wow, what a great opportunity,'” said Prof. Scott Flower of the University of Melbourne.

Flower’s earlier research looked into Muslim converts in Papua New Guinea and Australia and he was looking for comparative cases in other Western nations.

Scott Flower, a researcher from The University of Melbourne in Australia, says he understands why some Muslims may be leery of his research. (University of Melbourne)

He hopes to spend the next few months in Canada conducting interviews with converts to Islam with a view to finding out what spurred their conversion.

Flower doesn’t know what the government will eventually do with his research but he did stress in an interview with CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning that he understands how the subjects of his study might be leery of it.

“You’d have to be very ignorant to not sense the level of concern amongst the Muslim community in general, let alone the convert community. There’s been a number of recent legislative bills passed in this country — I won’t use the word oppressive — but I would say that it’s really made Muslims go to ground,” said Flower.

He added that this atmosphere is complicating his research.

“That’s really posing a challenge to recruiting participants to what is really a study that is not interested in security whatsoever,” he said.

Canadian academics who have received money from the Kanishka Project for other studies say there is nothing nefarious about its intentions.

“All the work is being done by independent scholars that are arm’s length,” explained Jeremy Littlewood, a Carleton University professor and terrorism expert.

Amarnath Amarasingam, a post-doctoral fellow at Dalhousie University in Halifax, agrees with Littlewood, but sympathized with Flower’s challenges.

Amarasingam is conducting his own research into violent radicalization, also funded by the Kanishka Project.

“We’ve tried very hard to explain that [our] research was independent. None of the data is being handed over and the government is seeing the final product and there is no secret report,” he said.

“As the researchers retain copyright, such reports provide policy research advice and do not necessarily represent the policy position of Public Safety Canada,” wrote Jean Paul Duval, a spokesperson for the department, in an email to CBC News.

Canadian converts to Islam focus of study by Australian sociologist – Politics – CBC News.

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Government seeks to revoke Canadian citizenship of convicted terrorist Misbahuddin Ahmed

2015/07/27 Leave a comment

And then there were two. The focus (so far) is on those who have been convicted in Canadian courts (which avoids all sorts of due process issues with respect to those convicted overseas):

Pakistan-Canadian Ahmed, 32, is serving 12 years at Warkworth, a medium-security prison in Ontario.

A third accused was acquitted of the one conspiracy charge against him and charges against the fourth man were dropped.

“Misbah knows about this and instructed me to do whatever is possible to prevent the revocation of his citizenship,’ said lawyer Ertel. “We intend to challenge the legislation and oppose this in every way.

“Like many Canadians I’m no fan of the draconian legislation or the apparent lack of restraint in its application,’ he added.

Ahmed now has 60 days to respond to the government’s application.

When he sentenced Ahmed, Ontario Superior Court Justice Colin McKinnon said he was convinced that Ahmed had renounced his terrorist inclinations.

He refused to impose a maximum sentence, meaning Ahmed could apply to the parole board for early release after serving one-third of his sentence.

“But for the fact that Mr. Ahmed has been convicted for terrorism offences rather than some other serious offence,” said the judge, “he would likely be considered an appropriate candidate for a conditional (non-custodial) sentence.”

He rejected the prosecutions request for a 20-year sentence saying it would be an “injustice.”

Ahmed, a former Ottawa Hospital diagnostic-imaging technician and the father of three young daughters was convicted of conspiracy to facilitate terrorism and facilitating terrorism. He was acquitted of a more serious third charge of possessing an explosive device.”

Crown prosecutors say Ahmed’s sentence is too lenient and are appealing.

Ahmed, for his part, is appealing the sentence on the grounds it is too harsh.

Government seeks to revoke Canadian citizenship of convicted terrorist Misbahuddin Ahmed | Ottawa Citizen.

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David Cameron launches 5 year-plan to tackle Islamic extremism in Britain

2015/07/22 3 Comments

Always interesting to observe and take note of how UK approaches against violent extremism evolve and build upon previous experience and lessons learned (and no, there is no magic bullet).

But encouraging to see a strong emphasis as well on the “soft” side, not just security:

Young Muslims are drawn to fundamentalist Islam in the same way young Germans were attracted to fascism in the 20th century, David Cameron will suggest today, as he sets out a five-year strategy to combat Isis-inspired radicalisation.

In a speech in Birmingham, Mr Cameron will say Islamic extremist ideology is based on the same intolerant ideas of “discrimination, sectarianism and segregation” that led to the rise of Hitler and that still exist in the far right.

He will also reject suggestions that Western foreign policy has contributed to the rise of Isis and its popularity among Muslim populations in the West, arguing that such extremism existed long before the Iraq war.

The Prime Minister will also announce details of a new drive to promote integration led by the Government’s “tsar” for troubled families, Louise Casey. This will include addressing issues around integration, language and employment and learning from “past mistakes” where government funding was “simply handed” over to “self-appointed ‘community leaders’” who “sometimes used it in a divisive way”.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron was determined to make tackling Islamic extremism in Britain a central priority over the next five years with a comprehensive strategy that involved not just the police and the criminal justice system but also “softer interventions” to tackle the root causes of radicalisation.

However he is likely to face criticism for the tough language in the speech from some in the Muslim community who have warned it could play into the hands of extremists.

And on the question of “tough language,” hard to argue with the following:

“It is an extreme doctrine and like any extreme doctrine, it is subversive. [It] subscribes to intolerant ideas which create a climate in which extremists can flourish.

“Ideas which are hostile to basic liberal values such as democracy, freedom and sexual equality. Ideas which actively promote discrimination, sectarianism and segregation. Ideas – like those of the despicable far right – which privilege one identity to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of others.”

David Cameron launches 5 year-plan to tackle Islamic extremism in Britain – UK Politics – UK – The Independent.

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Certifying imams as a security measure: An imam’s response

2015/07/17 Leave a comment

Sensible and effective counterpoint to Senator Lang’s op-ed (Daniel Lang: The Senate did not call for imams to be ‘licensed.’ Nor were we fretting about nothing):

Imams, who are usually hired by mosque boards, are often overworked and underpaid. They are expected to preach, lead daily prayers, teach children, conduct outreach, do interfaith work, handle media requests, engage youth and offer religious guidance. In short, it’s a tough job.

Although no standard certification process exists, most mosques require imams to be trained in matters of faith, have memorized the Koran, be fluent in English and be familiar with Canadian culture. In the past, most imams were trained overseas, but that is changing. A desire is growing for imams to present faith in a way that is relevant to the Canadian context. The overwhelming majority of Muslim communities have no appetite for imams or preachers who spew hate and harbour animosity, let alone encourage violence.

The ethnic and cultural diversity of Muslims worldwide is reflected in Canada’s Muslim communities. As in any other group, there is a wide spectrum of religious views and adherence, often shaped by cultural background. Consequently, some are more open to integration than others. The best way to help those who lag is engagement, which fosters understanding and respect. Alienation leads to the opposite. For the few who harbour animosity, we are ready to co-operate with authorities to ensure that they are not breaking any laws.

Regardless of background, all Canadian imams agree that attacking Canada and its citizens is Islamically forbidden, as is joining terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, whose depraved actions are so unequivocally un-Islamic that supporting them is widely seen as a sign of religious ignorance. If a self-proclaimed imam preaches the opposite, he is an outlier who holds no influence in the mainstream Muslim community. Parliamentarians who have trouble believing this should speak to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP, who appear to have a good grasp of who’s who in Canadian Muslim communities.

The Senate report comes across as patronizing to minority groups. This is not helpful. The best way forward is for parliamentarians to engage with Canadian Muslims through meetings and get their input on how to address violent radicalization. The Canadian Council of Imams, local imam groups and mosques look forward to hosting anyone who is interested in a good chat over coffee or dinner. Let’s work together to make our country safer, fairer and more prosperous for all.

Certifying imams as a security measure: An imam’s response – The Globe and Mail.

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Why I didn’t endorse the Senate report on terrorism: Senator Mitchell

2015/07/17 Leave a comment

Liberal senator Grant Mitchell’s reasons for not supporting the Senate report, Countering the Terrorist Threat in Canada, countering Senator Lang’s op-ed (Daniel Lang: The Senate did not call for imams to be ‘licensed.’ Nor were we fretting about nothing):

If what the report contains is problematic, what is left out is every bit as worrying.

We heard from police, intelligence and security officials that their budgets were strained, even as they transferred scarce resources from other major criminal investigations to the fight against terrorism. We also heard about the need for community policing and outreach programs in the “pre-criminal” space; the need for additional research to understand the various pathways to radicalization; and the requirement for rigorous review and oversight mechanisms for the 17 intelligence and enforcement agencies that deal with national security.

These are essential measures if we’re going to deal effectively with this issue, but not one of them is discussed in any serious way in the report.

Clearly, it is important that Canadians understand that we face risks from terrorist threats and that those risks are evolving and changing. However, poorly considered ideas can create division that has adverse effects in our society. This can also make it harder for law enforcement agencies to do their job because the communities they work with may feel alienated and targeted. What we need now, more than anything, are balanced ideas, a smart approach to the threats facing Canada, and for all Canadians to work together.

Why I didn’t endorse the Senate report on terrorism | Toronto Star.

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Register your imam, senators say – Globe Editorial

2015/07/13 Leave a comment

Globe has it right:

Now that the federal gun registry is no more, Canada is suffering from a large, gaping registry deficit. But be of good cheer, because salvation is at hand! The Senate committee on national security and defence, deftly leaping into the vacuum, has a plan to make Canada a safer place. It is calling for the creation of a Muslim imam registry.

The committee’s majority, all of them Conservatives, think it’s time to get the state in the business of deciding who is allowed to preach and teach which religion, and implicitly what they get to say while preaching and teaching. But just for Muslims.

In true Canadian fashion, the senators want The Department of Imam Approval and Oversight, or whatever a future body doing this important work might be called, to be a joint federal-provincial partnership. The idea is to “investigate the options that are available for the training and certification of imams in Canada.” The timing of the senators’ report, during the holy month of Ramadan, is particularly ideal.

More sweepingly, the committee recommends a protocol with CSIS “to require mandatory screening of citizens involved in public outreach.” On the other hand, Canadians “who are participating in the public discourse” should be “protected from vexatious litigation” – presumably, libel and slander actions by Muslims.

The certification of acceptable, or at least tolerable, Muslim religious teachers would presumably be accompanied by permits. Would clerics have to wear a cresent symbol on their lapel? Would police be empowered to demand a permit from anyone who appeared to be wearing certain types of headgear – defined of course by regulation?

Earlier this year, in Shawinigan, Que., in the same patriotic spirit as the Senate committee’s report, local authorities denied a minor zoning variance, to prevent Muslims from building a mosque in an industrial park. François Legault, Leader of the opposition Coalition Avenir Québec, called for the regulation of mosques in the province, with municipalities empowered to deny operating permits to mosques whose imams have engaged in “consistent denigration of Quebec values,” whatever that means. And now a group of federal Senators in Ottawa are picking up on the idea. Shame.

Register your imam, senators say – The Globe and Mail.

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Wesley Wark: Information gap about Zehaf-Bibeau threatens security

2015/06/06 Leave a comment

Wesley Wark’s trenchant criticism of the narrowness of Canadian inquiries into the Zehaf-Bibeau and Couture-Rouleau attacks, which focus only on the security dimensions rather than also including the process of radicalization issues:

There is nothing in the forensic analysis of the Zehaf-Bibeau attack that can bear the burden of such a sweeping statement, but it smacks of politics and of an ill-considered willingness to add to public anxiety about Canada’s counter-terrorism capabilities.

The RCMP’s own, separate, after-action review was deliberately limited, by whose decision is not clear, to “the protective actions taken by the RCMP in response to the incident;” it explicitly precluded any examination of the national security context, existing threat levels at the time of the attacks, or any “pre-incident” information about the shooter.

This leaves Canadians with a worrying chasm of information about Zehaf-Bibeau’s development as a jihad-inspired terrorist, and any reflection of what, if anything, could have been done to prevent the attack plot. It may well be that confusion lingers about whether Zehaf-Bibeau even deserves the tag of “terrorist.” This became a highly politicized issue immediately following the attacks, with the prime minister’s immediate labeling of Zehaf-Bibeau as a terrorist.

An even greater chasm exists with regard to the other, and largely forgotten, terrorist attack of October 2014, in which Martin Couture-Rouleau ran down and killed Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent. Where is the inquiry into that attack and the subsequent death of Couture-Rouleau in a confrontation with the Quebec Sûreté? Unlike Zehaf-Bibeau, Couture-Rouleau had been under investigation by the RCMP, had his passport seized and had been prevented from travelling abroad. The RCMP had intervened directly with him and, as they confessed shortly after his attack, had come to a conclusion that he had changed his ways and did not pose an imminent threat. Later media leaks changed the channel on the story to one of an inability of the RCMP to acquire a peace bond against him, a leak that came suspiciously close to the government’s tabling of Bill C-51, the new anti-terrorism act, which included lowered thresholds for the issuance of peace bonds.

As a recent meeting of the Senate Liberal “Open Caucus” heard from several witnesses, including me, Canada suffers from an endemic problem of overweening secrecy that chokes off public debate. That problem has raised its head once more in the failure to constitute a proper public study of the attacks of October 2014. We need only look at how the Australians responded to their Sydney terror siege in December 2014, with an Australian government review issued in February 2015 and an on-going coroner’s inquiry that is expected to extend into 2016, to know that the balance between secrecy and public knowledge is out of kilter here.

Wesley Wark: Information gap about Zehaf-Bibeau threatens security | Ottawa Citizen.

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ICYMI: ‘There’s no way back now’: For female ISIL members, Syria is one-way journey

2015/06/05 Leave a comment

More on the recruitment of women by ISIS and how it is a one-way ticket:

In interviews, court documents and public records, the Associated Press has compiled a detailed picture of European girls and young women who join extremists such as ISIL — a decision that is far more final than most may realize.

The girls are married off almost immediately, either in Turkey or just after crossing into Syria. With an estimated 20,000 foreign fighters — among them 5,000 Europeans — in Syria, there is no shortage of men looking for wives. That number is expected to double by the end of the year. Once among the jihadis, the women are not permitted to travel without a male chaperone or a group of other women and must remain fully covered outside, according to material published by ISIL and researchers who follow the group. Otherwise, they risk a lashing or worse.

European women who blog about their lives under ISIL tend to be chipper about the experience, but reading between the lines of an e-book of travel advice shows a life that will be radically circumscribed, with limited electricity, lack of even the most basic medicine, and practically no autonomy. Women do not fight, researchers say, despite the Hunger Games-like promises of recruiters.

“The lives of those teenage girls are very much controlled,” said Sara Khan, a British Muslim whose group Inspire campaigns against the dangers of extremist recruiters. “I don’t think that discussion ever comes up. It’s so romanticized, the idea of this utopia. I don’t even think those young girls have necessarily considered that there’s no way back now.”

‘There’s no way back now’: For female ISIL members, Syria is one-way journey

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