A migrant from Somalia, 38-year-old Abdirahman Warsame has an unenviable job. He runs the controversial Finsbury Park mosque in London, from where the plot to blow up the underground trains was allegedly hatched. The mosque was associated with radical Islamism in the early 2000s, and many Al Qaeda terrorists, including ‘shoe bomber’ Richard Reid and Zacarias Moussaoui, are known to have attended the mosque.
On January 20, 2003 the mosque was raided by the London Police (they had to use a battering ram to break in), and a number of residents were arrested. And the hate-spewing Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri was removed from his position as Imam. Following the raid, the mosque was reclaimed by mainstream Muslims.
The extremists in London certainly don’t approve of Warsame’s accommodating ways, and the local white junta badly wants the mosque out of the way. You just can’t pass by the mosque without spotting police cars on stake out.
I meet the new chief in his office situated right next to the main prayer hall. Warsame has a computer, he has support from the trustees, he seems like a man to wants Islam’s image rectified. What I found most interesting, however, are his views on Indian Muslims. He finds them to be too chilled out for their own good.
Is there a great level of disconnect between the locals and the Muslims in London?
It’s not good. In fact, it’s worse now, especially after 9/11 and the tube bombings. Also, the rampant arrests of young Muslims is creating problems, people who are later found to be innocent. And there are the police raids on mosques, which is not good. Yes, the gap is widening between the Muslim and non Muslim communities. The fault also lies with a section of the national media, and politicians, who like to label Muslims as a terrorist community.
But can you really blame them? Most terrorists happen to be from the Muslim community?
I cannot deny there are a few extremists in our community, but that’s the case with other religions as well. So you cannot blame the whole community.
The truth is, both 9/11 and the London tube bombings were executed by followers of Islam.
That’s true, but we still cannot hold the entire community responsible for what some individuals do.
So what’s the solution to fill the cultural gap?
The solution has to come from both sides. The government has to correct its foreign policies. There’s the Iraq attack, then they have double standards on the Palestine issue. We saw the recent invasion of Lebanon, and Blair and Bush asking Israel to finish the job, which is not just.
But do military attacks justify terror strikes on innocent people?
No, absolutely not. Islam does not say to kill innocent people. That’s clear in the Koran. But we have to analyse the problem. These young people who carry out terror attacks have been brainwashed by extremists and so-called Muslim scholars. And what they use to brainwash these youngsters are the unjust foreign policies of our governments. And even if they don’t get brainwashed, they just have to follow the news to discover that it is only Muslims who are under attack all over the world. Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Kashmir, Chechnya… it’s the same story always.
So you are justifying terror attacks in different words…
I am not justifying terror activities. But at the same time, you cannot say there is no link between extremism and foreign policy. It would be very stupid and ridiculous to deny this link, that there is no connection between what happens in Iraq and what happens in the UK.
What activities does you trust undertake to strengthen bonds between communities?
We try to engage with the non-Muslim communities, we invite them to come to our mosque and be a part of it. We ask them to see it’s a place of worship, that it’s a nice place…
But the mosque has a very controversial past.
Definitely. Abu Hamza was here. He was promoting fanaticism and hatred, which was wrong.
You agree the raid on this particular mosque was correct.
I cannot say it was justified. But I totally agree this mosque was not good for Muslims.
So the government had no choice but to raid it.
I don’t know… they said there were terrorist training camps out here, but that was not the case.
They did find deadly arms and ammunition, though.
(Interrupts.) I don’t know about that. All I know is Hamza was not good, but that did not justify a raid. But he is in prison now, and we have a new management.
But Omar Brooks (a fanatic UK Muslim leader), who’s been making remarks supporting terror attacks, still visits this place.
(Skirts the question.) I don’t know about that. But the new management promotes a multi-cultural society. We understand we are a minority here, and we need to respect other faiths. We are actively trying to engage with other communities, including Christians, Jews and Hindus. We want to preach that Islam is a peaceful religion, it’s not violent. We are also trying to engage with anti people in our community, we are telling them there are other peaceful, democratic ways to protest. Some people think that by doing violence they create fear in the other communities’ minds, and that’s ridiculous.
Let’s get real about this. What options does the community have? If the government is not going to listen to the problems of Muslims, what can they do?
We have examples of other communities. The Jews were expelled from Europe, but now they are a very influential community. There are ways in which you can influence politics. You have to participate in politics, you can’t isolate yourself. We need to fight this mentality of victim hood.
It’s true the conspiracy to bomb the tubes was hatched in this mosque.
I can’t say for sure, I wasn’t here at the time. I had never entered this mosque before I joined.
But surely you must have information on this.
I have to go by what the police says, I trust them on this.
What according to you is the solution to the Kashmir dispute?
(Hesitates.) Lots of young Kashmiris are complaining about the policies of the Indian government, they say it’s not just. Lots of young Muslims believe the western countries are siding with India.
But America is blatantly pro Pakistan. You know that.
That’s a convenient alliance. They need Pakistan’s help to combat the Taliban and other terrorists.
What should happen in Kashmir?
They must give the Kashmiri people the choice of self-determination. If they want to join Pakistan, let them do so. If they want to join India, then let that be.
Don’t local fanatics dislike what you are doing?
Yes, they do. These people don’t have enough knowledge of Islam. I want to challenge them.
Do they threaten you to follow their ways?
They do. But we talk it out with them, we discuss things with them. That’s why we have established a youth club in the mosque.
Your comments on the whites in UK.
We live side by side, but we don’t talk to each other, we don’t even know each other! We can’t change that easily. And that’s the biggest problem.
Your message for Indian Muslims.
They must engage the government in a positive way, they must help in building their nation.
Are you proud that unlike elsewhere in the world, most Muslims in India tend to be moderates?
To be honest, what I dislike about Indian Muslims is that they go onto the other extreme! They just don’t get involved enough in matters of the State. I don’t think they try to influence decision making enough.
On January 20, 2003 the mosque was raided by the London Police (they had to use a battering ram to break in), and a number of residents were arrested. And the hate-spewing Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Masri was removed from his position as Imam. Following the raid, the mosque was reclaimed by mainstream Muslims.
The extremists in London certainly don’t approve of Warsame’s accommodating ways, and the local white junta badly wants the mosque out of the way. You just can’t pass by the mosque without spotting police cars on stake out.
I meet the new chief in his office situated right next to the main prayer hall. Warsame has a computer, he has support from the trustees, he seems like a man to wants Islam’s image rectified. What I found most interesting, however, are his views on Indian Muslims. He finds them to be too chilled out for their own good.
Is there a great level of disconnect between the locals and the Muslims in London?
It’s not good. In fact, it’s worse now, especially after 9/11 and the tube bombings. Also, the rampant arrests of young Muslims is creating problems, people who are later found to be innocent. And there are the police raids on mosques, which is not good. Yes, the gap is widening between the Muslim and non Muslim communities. The fault also lies with a section of the national media, and politicians, who like to label Muslims as a terrorist community.
But can you really blame them? Most terrorists happen to be from the Muslim community?
I cannot deny there are a few extremists in our community, but that’s the case with other religions as well. So you cannot blame the whole community.
The truth is, both 9/11 and the London tube bombings were executed by followers of Islam.
That’s true, but we still cannot hold the entire community responsible for what some individuals do.
So what’s the solution to fill the cultural gap?
The solution has to come from both sides. The government has to correct its foreign policies. There’s the Iraq attack, then they have double standards on the Palestine issue. We saw the recent invasion of Lebanon, and Blair and Bush asking Israel to finish the job, which is not just.
But do military attacks justify terror strikes on innocent people?
No, absolutely not. Islam does not say to kill innocent people. That’s clear in the Koran. But we have to analyse the problem. These young people who carry out terror attacks have been brainwashed by extremists and so-called Muslim scholars. And what they use to brainwash these youngsters are the unjust foreign policies of our governments. And even if they don’t get brainwashed, they just have to follow the news to discover that it is only Muslims who are under attack all over the world. Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Kashmir, Chechnya… it’s the same story always.
So you are justifying terror attacks in different words…
I am not justifying terror activities. But at the same time, you cannot say there is no link between extremism and foreign policy. It would be very stupid and ridiculous to deny this link, that there is no connection between what happens in Iraq and what happens in the UK.
What activities does you trust undertake to strengthen bonds between communities?
We try to engage with the non-Muslim communities, we invite them to come to our mosque and be a part of it. We ask them to see it’s a place of worship, that it’s a nice place…
But the mosque has a very controversial past.
Definitely. Abu Hamza was here. He was promoting fanaticism and hatred, which was wrong.
You agree the raid on this particular mosque was correct.
I cannot say it was justified. But I totally agree this mosque was not good for Muslims.
So the government had no choice but to raid it.
I don’t know… they said there were terrorist training camps out here, but that was not the case.
They did find deadly arms and ammunition, though.
(Interrupts.) I don’t know about that. All I know is Hamza was not good, but that did not justify a raid. But he is in prison now, and we have a new management.
But Omar Brooks (a fanatic UK Muslim leader), who’s been making remarks supporting terror attacks, still visits this place.
(Skirts the question.) I don’t know about that. But the new management promotes a multi-cultural society. We understand we are a minority here, and we need to respect other faiths. We are actively trying to engage with other communities, including Christians, Jews and Hindus. We want to preach that Islam is a peaceful religion, it’s not violent. We are also trying to engage with anti people in our community, we are telling them there are other peaceful, democratic ways to protest. Some people think that by doing violence they create fear in the other communities’ minds, and that’s ridiculous.
Let’s get real about this. What options does the community have? If the government is not going to listen to the problems of Muslims, what can they do?
We have examples of other communities. The Jews were expelled from Europe, but now they are a very influential community. There are ways in which you can influence politics. You have to participate in politics, you can’t isolate yourself. We need to fight this mentality of victim hood.
It’s true the conspiracy to bomb the tubes was hatched in this mosque.
I can’t say for sure, I wasn’t here at the time. I had never entered this mosque before I joined.
But surely you must have information on this.
I have to go by what the police says, I trust them on this.
What according to you is the solution to the Kashmir dispute?
(Hesitates.) Lots of young Kashmiris are complaining about the policies of the Indian government, they say it’s not just. Lots of young Muslims believe the western countries are siding with India.
But America is blatantly pro Pakistan. You know that.
That’s a convenient alliance. They need Pakistan’s help to combat the Taliban and other terrorists.
What should happen in Kashmir?
They must give the Kashmiri people the choice of self-determination. If they want to join Pakistan, let them do so. If they want to join India, then let that be.
Don’t local fanatics dislike what you are doing?
Yes, they do. These people don’t have enough knowledge of Islam. I want to challenge them.
Do they threaten you to follow their ways?
They do. But we talk it out with them, we discuss things with them. That’s why we have established a youth club in the mosque.
Your comments on the whites in UK.
We live side by side, but we don’t talk to each other, we don’t even know each other! We can’t change that easily. And that’s the biggest problem.
Your message for Indian Muslims.
They must engage the government in a positive way, they must help in building their nation.
Are you proud that unlike elsewhere in the world, most Muslims in India tend to be moderates?
To be honest, what I dislike about Indian Muslims is that they go onto the other extreme! They just don’t get involved enough in matters of the State. I don’t think they try to influence decision making enough.
1 comment:
great stuff! really miss yr interviews in sunday mid day.
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