Weekly Desh English section issue 33

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Weekly Desh l Britain’s largest circulation Bengali newspaper l Out every Friday l Free l 50p where sold

Cllr Rabina Khan shortlisted for prestigious ‘Hero of the Year’ award… page 51

Murad Qureshi looks at decisions made by Theresa May and Boris Johnson… page 53

Bangladeshis in Wales launch Asian Food Awards

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he Historic 100 year old Mansion House of the Cardiff City Lord Mayor was the backdrop of a milestone of change to Award Ceremonies. After over two years of lobbying to the Federation of Bangladeshi Caterers (FoBC) & Asian Catering Federation (ACF). The Wales Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (WBCC) proposal of having regional award ceremonies was launch today in Cardiff by Deputy Lord Mayor Mr Ali Ahmed.

This is the first time that a national Award ceremony has travelled outside its City of origin to embrace other UK regions and recognised their hard work and contribution towards the whole UK catering industry. The winners of these heats will then compete for the national awards in London at the prestigious Asian Curry Awards and showcase their talent to industry greats in a volume of media attention.

WBCC chair Mr Dilabor Hussain in his opening remarks stated: “We are so happy that

the FoBC and ACF had taken up our suggestion of doing regional heats under the Asian Food Awards and then doing a National Award under its prestigious Asian Curry

Award in London. This vision we know will transform the way Awards ceremonies work and this Awards will truly now be a true reflection of the whole UK Catering Industry.”

‘We believe in partnership and our industry working as one can make a difference and we will be heard’

FoBC and Asian Food Award Chair Mr Yawar Khan reciprocated to WBCC Chairs comment and stated: “We believe in partnership and our industry working as one can make a difference and we will be heard. For us we believed that the time is right to make changes in Award giving and recognise all regions of the UK for all the hard work they do for our catering industry. As

part of this regional heat, we are also doing one in Scotland and then the finals will form the part of our long standing and growing Asian Curry Awards in London. We are confident that this type of approach will raise the profile of the restaurant or takeaway in their local area and benefit them the most.

Also, we believe this approach to Awards will raise the stand-

ard of industry and truly reflect a UK wide National Award.”

The celebration was attended by entrepreneurs from Swansea, Llanelli, Newport, Powys and Cardiff. They comprised a true snapshot of the Asian catering industry in today’s modern market place where you would have Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Bangladeshi and other ethnic culinary offerings side by side.

Curry-flavoured cricket on offer Officers seize £21k of illegal goods T C he first ever London Curry Cricket Festival will be held on Sunday 31st August 2014 at Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets.

The initiative to run this festival was taken by Middlesex Cricket Board with its partners London Tigers and Capital Kids Cricket.

The festival is organised to promote south Asian cricket projects and create a bridge

between the cricket and the top south Asian business in the UK, which is the catering industry.

The promoters of the event are Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Kashfi’s events management.

The following 12 business in the catering trade are taking part in the day long 6 a side competition: Le Raj, Pride of Asia, Memshehab on the Thames, MOZA (Basildon), Pimlico Spice, Atithi (Mill Hill), Shalimar

Kebab House, Achari (Simpson), Millennium Tandoori (Uxbridge), Chelsea Spice & Grill, Silver Service and Bangla Town Cash & Carry You are all invited to attend this great festive event with your friends and family by the Development Manager of Middlesex Cricket Board, Md. Shahidul Alam Ratan. There will be mobile food van at the ground with number of selections.

ounterfeit and smuggled tobacco worth £21,000 seized by Tower Hamlets trading standards, police and customs officers.

A successful joint operation using tobacco-detection dogs resulted in large seizures of smuggled and counterfeit products from retailers across Tower Hamlets.

Tower Hamlets Trading Standards led a team involv-

ing Metropolitan Police and HM Revenue and Customs officers on visits to seven shops.

Over 90,000 cigarettes, 183 packs of rolling tobacco and 3kg of Shisha tobacco were found, with a combined estimated street value of around £21,000, at five of the shops. The dogs, which helped make the operation so successful, were provided by Wagtail UK. The seizures were part of ‘Operation Henry’, a crackdown

on the supply of illicit tobacco across nine regions in England by local authorities, funded by the Department of Health.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “The large amount of tobacco products seized by Operation Henry proves the importance of joint initiatives like this one. We hope the success of this initiative will act as a deterrent to those who feel they can operate above the law.”

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News ‘Stop arms sales to Israel’ says Oxfam

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xfam called on all states to immediately suspend transfers of arms or ammunition to Israel and any Palestinian armed group while there is serious risk that they could be used to violate international humanitarian law.

The agency said the killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure over the past six weeks is the worst it has seen in 20 years of working in Gaza.

More than 2,000 civilians in Gaza and three civilians in Israel have been killed, and it is estimated that billions of dollars of damage has been caused by bombing of vital water, sanitation, health services and homes in Gaza.

The latest escalation is the sixth time in the past six weeks that a temporary ceasefire has ended without a lasting resolution, and has led to more civilian casualties in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Nishant Pandey, head of Oxfam in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, said: “Now more than ever, the international community should exert maximum diplomatic pressure, including suspending arms and ammunitions transfers, to show that the world will not tolerate the violence and civilian suffering for a moment longer.”

States and peoples have the legitimate right to use arms for the protection of their citizens against external attack, but only on the condition that their use of force complies with the principles of necessity and proportionality, as well as with international humanitarian and human rights law.

Council offers grants for Internet

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mall and medium businesses in Tower Hamlets could get up to £3,000 towards installing a highspeed broadband connection, usually of 30Mbit/s or more.

The new grant from the Greater London Authority, worth up to £100 million across the UK, is being delivered in London by local boroughs, including Tower Hamlets, and the Mayor of London.

Tower Hamlets invites young to apply to become mayor

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oung people are being offered an exciting opportunity to stand as candidates to become the next Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

Youngsters aged 14-17 who live, work or study in the borough and want to represent the voice of young people in Tower Hamlets should register now for next year’s Young Mayor elections.

As Young Mayor, the winning candidate would get the opportunity to meet with key decisions-makers to discuss both the issues concerning young people and ways of promoting their achievements.

The two year post requires a committed, lively and outgoing person who is prepared to volunteer their time to tackle a range of issues affecting young people.

The Young Mayor, with the support of two deputies, leads on a number of projects within the borough such as the Youth Council and the Youth Opportunity Fund. They will also represent Tower Hamlets both regionally and nationally through the UK Youth Parliament.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “I am committed to working with the young

Tanvir, Mahdi and Sonia… some of the young people involved in politics

Town Hall meeting… serious issues discussed at Young Mayor meetings

people in this borough in order to create opportunities which help them grow and develop.

“The Young Mayor’s scheme is a fantastic example of an initiative which provides an excellent platform for young people to express any concerns or difficulties they face - allowing us

the elections next January.”

Interested young people have until Friday, October 3, to complete the nomination process which involves submitting a short statement, setting out their manifesto and being nominated by ten young people who will form their election support team.

Mahdi Alam, the current Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “The role is challenging but at the same time extremely rewarding.

“During my term in office I have been working closely with my team to represent the views

to shape the services we offer.”

Cabinet member for Education and Children Services, Cllr Gulam Robbani, added: “I highly recommend that young people get involved with this scheme, whether it’s standing as a candidate or using their right to vote during

‘The Young Mayor’s scheme is a fantastic example of an initiative which provides an excellent platform for young people to express any concerns or difficulties they face’

of young people across the borough and deliver on our priorities. We have also been working closely with key decision-makers to ensure the views of young people remain a priority.”

The council and the existing young mayor’s team have been working hard to develop a vigorous training scheme designed to prepare and give the candidates a taste of what it’s like to be the Young Mayor or one of the two deputies for Tower Hamlets.

All candidates must attend the training in order to stand for the elections in January.

Croydon Mosque makes generous £30,000 donation to Muslim Aid

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uge donation of Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre during the Ramadan to International charity Muslim Aid. During the holy month of Ramadan Croydon Mosque and Islamic Centre donated a very generous donation of £30,000.

This massive donation was exclusively given for the welfare of poor and needy in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The said amount was immediately sent to the respective countries according to the wishes of the donors by Muslim Aid. Keeping

in view the substantial amount of contribution the community liaison officer of international charity Muslim Aid Mr Walayat Khokhar MBE presented the achievement certificate to the chairman Zubair Ahmed in an auspicious occasion.

Secretary General Tanveer Sajjid, Finance secretary Israr Patel, Imam Inam-ul-Haque, Haroon Okhai and Mehroz Khan were also present.

Finally Mr Khokhar expressed his sincere gratitude to the chairman and his team and all the kind donors for their ongoing kind cooperation with Muslim Aid over the years.

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News Cllr Rabina Khan nominated for ‘Hero of the Year’ award

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ower Hamlets Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, Councillor Rabina Khan, has been shortlisted for a prestigious ‘Hero of the Year’ award in the 2014 European Diversity Awards.

Councillor Khan was shortlisted for the high profile award for her engagement in the local community and wider society, both as a Councillor and through her career.

Her support in developing government regeneration initiatives, such as Bethnal Green City Challenge, and her management of education and empowerment projects for women and young girls from ethnic minority communities were particularly praised.

The 2014 European Diversity Awards, sponsored by Google and Barclays, celebrate the individuals, organisations and businesses that excel in promoting equality

Shortlisted Cllr Rabina Khan… could be a winner at the prestigious 2014 European Diversity Awards and diversity across Europe.

A total of 14 awards will be up for grabs on the night.

The winners of the awards

will selected at a ceremony, hosted by BBC newsreader Jane Hill, at London’s Natural History Museum on

‘Tower Hamlets has a strong, cohesive and thriving community, which has flourished despite some areas of serious deprivation’

Thursday 2, October 2014.

Members of the judging panel will include Baroness Doreen Lawrence, TV presenter Fiona Phillips and Google’s Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe.

Councillor Rabina Khan said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award.

“Tower Hamlets has a strong, cohesive and thriving community, which has flourished despite some areas of serious deprivation.

“I will continue to work with all of our diverse communities and do all I can to ensure that our residents have access to the resources they need to prosper.”

Awards organiser and founder Linda Riley said: “These awards are about rewarding and shining a light on those who are an inspiration to others. One way or another all of those on our shortlist do just that. All would be very worthy winners.”

BBC newsreader Jane Hill said: “The European Diversity Awards recognise the efforts of people and organisations who are building a society across Europe which embraces all citizens. I’m proud to be taking part and highlighting some of the excellent work that is being done to make a lasting difference.”

Bethnal Green Academy breaks A-levels records T wo classmates at Bethnal Green Academy do everything together—study, play, go out and both even want to go to medical school to become doctors. Aanisah Anjum and her best pal Rayisa Karim got 10 A*s and six As between them at their school in London’s East End which has notched up 80 per cent pass-rate in GCSE grades of five or more A* to C. “I want the best for myself in the future as a doctor,” Aanisah tells you.

Monday to Friday is spent with Rayisa studying hard, commuting between Whitechapel and Bow to each other’s homes.

Saturday and Sunday is spent with Rayisa going out to the cinema—and more studying.

Best friends and aspiring doctors… Aanisah Anjum and Rayisa Karim

He responsible… Principal Keary

Rayisa explains: “We both want to the same and be doctors.

I’ll make sure I’ll get into medical school because that’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was six years old. It’s the only thing I want to do.”

They laugh when you ask about boys and both give a resounding “no” together—they’re too busy swotting to have boyfriends.

Staff at the Academy are

ity of our students to compete with the very best in the country.

“The recipe for this success is deceptively simple—there’s a passion for learning, a drive to see every student excel and an unrelenting focus on self-improvement throughout the school.”

One-in-five students got three A or A* grades, while a third achieved the English Baccalau-

claiming “a phenomenal milestone” with 80 per cent getting top GCSE grades of five or more A* to C including English and maths.

It has been year-on-year improvements since the former Bethnal Green Technical College with its special measures became an academy school five years ago.

Principal Mark Keary said: “This is testament to the abil-

reate. Aanisah Anjum got A*s in all her eight subjects, while Mohammed Sufiyan achieved seven A*s and an A. Amin Uddin has six A*s and two As and Abdul Fahad two A*s and six As. Fahim Ahmed got four A*s, five As and a B. Mohammed Islam, who won last month’s regional Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, got four A*s, an A, B and two Cs. Rafiul Islam came from Italy with no prior knowledge of English and joined in Year 9—and now leaves with three A*s, two As, 2 Bs, a C and two Merits. He wants to be a pilot.

Sheridan Gately had a turbulent educational history when he joined late in Year 10—and has achieved six As and a B. East London Advertiser

Ali… not guilty on fourth count

Bethnal Green man guilty of reading

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ethnal Green man Afsor Ali, 27, was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday of three counts of possessing material likely to be used for committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

The Scott Street resident was sentenced on Tuesday to spend 31 months in prison.

His sentence included three jail terms of 15 months to run concurrently for the terrorist offences, plus a further 16 months for using someone else’s passport in an attempt to flee to Paris via Kings Cross St Pancras station.

Ali was found not guilty of a fourth count of possessing terrorist documents.

The electronic files, stored on Ali’s computer and MP3 player, included the online al-Qaeda magazine Inspire, produced by the group’s Yemeni branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), and the terror manual 39 Means to Serve and Participate in Jihad.

Ali is believed to have been a member of the banned group Muslims Against Crusades, run by hate-preacher Anjem Choudhury and proscribed by the government under various names.

During the trial the court heard that Ali had promoted “extremism” online using the name Asad Ullah, in one video warning people of a terrorist attack at the Royal Wedding, and in another praising the 9/11 attacks as “historic”.

In a statement, the Met said counter-terrorism police arrested Ali in November 2012 and seized a number of “media devices” after a search of two homes in east London.

He was charged with possessing written material deemed to be useful to terrorists in breach of section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

East London Advertiser

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Features Archive picture of Parfett Street, Whitechapel, east London 1930-1940 In 1939, The Second World War broke out. Again many Bengalis helped with the war effort. The first Bengali grocery shop, Taj Stores opened in 1936 in Hunton Street, (now known as Buxton Street, near Allen Gardens.)

Above: Arfa Khatun Chowdury, from Bangladesh, holds her certificate of naturalisation after becoming a British citizen. Below: many rivers to traverse

100 years of servitude I

t is widely thought that South Asian men first began to arrive in England after the Second World War, because of a large influx of Asian immigrants in the 1960s and 1970s. In fact, there was already a small South Asian population in Great Britain in the 16th and 17th centuries. The early settlers consisted of seamen, ex-Indian army personnel, university graduates, teachers, doctors and other professionals. Here is a brief history of immigration from East Bengal from the early 20th century.

Feature Shahida Rahman on the history of immigration

1900s-1910 Lascars (seamen) were the largest early South Asian settlers.

Many from Sylhet and Chittagong, Eastern India (present day Bangladesh) worked on British steamships ferrying back cargo such as tea, coffee, sugar etc. Many did not intend to settle in England and jumped ship in British ports to escape maltreatment and their inferior employment conditions. They chose the chance for a better life working in shipyards and railroads. Others were abandoned without wages.

Shahida Rahman is the author of Lascar

1910-1920 By the eve of the First World War, in 1914, there were over 50,000 Lascars in Britain. Many had no choice but to play a role in the war effort, which they had not anticipated.Their loyalty was surprising when considering that Lascars were not fighting for their own country but for a nation that didn’t embrace them.

www.shahidarahman.co.uk

1920-1930 Small settlements of Lascars grew in London and other port cities. Some ex-Lascars set up lodging houses for these men and decided to help their fellow men. A few set up cafes, restaurants and hotels. So were born the first Indian restaurants. An influential figure was Ayub Ali Master. He set up a seamen’s café in Commercial Road in the 1920s.

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1940-1950 Ayub Ali and Shah Abdul Majid Qureshi, who set up the ‘Indian Seamen’s Welfare League’ in Aldgate in 1943, helping new arrivals find work and accommodation. The Second World War ended in 1945. There were now about 300 Bengali residents in London.

East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1947.

1950-1960 Mass post war immigration starts, with around 500 restaurants set up. By 1961, the Bangladeshi population in the UK was 6,000, (census records.)

1960-1970 Wives, children and other relatives began joining the husbands and fathers who had arrived in the 1950s. As families reunified and grew, a ‘second generation’ of South Asians were born in England or arrived as small children with their mothers. The 1962 Immigration Act introduced an employment voucher scheme to limit the number of unskilled migrants arriving in Britain from the Indian subcontinent. Vouchers were available for skilled migrants, such as teachers and doctors.

1970-1980 Changes of immigration law saw a large influx of Bangladeshis arriving in the UK as people fled from the civil unrest to seek a better life in Britain. East Pakistan became the independent republic of Bangladesh in 1971. There were now over 350,000 Bengali’s living in England.

1980-1990 The 1981 Census records around 65,000 Bangladeshis in the UK, which included 16,000 ‘second generation’ Bangladeshis born and brought up in Britain.

1990-2000 In 1993, the BNP won a seat in the Isle of Dogs, London. Some Bangladeshi youths were attacked by racists. This saw the rise of the movement of resistance against racist attacks. By the mid-90s, it was estimated that 10,000 Indian restaurants employed up to 70,000 employees. Pola Uddin became a life peer at the House of Lords in 1998, the first Bengali woman to be appointed to the House.

2000-present Rushnara Ali became the first British Bangladeshi MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in 2010. By 2007, the Bangladeshi population in England only was estimated to be 353,900.

The total British Bangladeshi population today is just over 500,000 and is growing all the time. Bangladeshi’s are UK’s largest immigrant groups and are also one of the fastest growing communities, contributing a great deal to the British economy.

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Opinion Same old Tories

Guilty until proven to have escaped

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Opinion Murad Qureshi on some recent decisions made by top Tories

heresa May famously claimed her own Tory Party was the nasty party when she was Party chairperson and she has clearly shown that tendency with herself over the Talha Ahsan extradition. When she had the discretion as Secretary of State for the Home Affairs, she put Talha Ahsan in with Abu Hamza when she extradited them to the US and boasted this to the Party faithful in their 2012 Party Conference.

Furthermore, she decided not to extradite Gary McKinnon another person who the US wanted extradited but she rejected it on health grounds as he has Asperger’s syndrome. Talha Ahsan has a similar condition yet she felt not able to wave the extradition request from the US on the same grounds. You can only guess what made her do that!

So shame on Theresa May for being so nasty.

That’s why l was happy to speak against her in front of the Home Office last weekend and welcome back the swift return of Talha to London. He was cleared by a US judge more than a month ago now and should have been back to spend Eid with his family, yet incredible the authorities in the US still detain him.

Welcome back to London Talha soon.

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Boris Johson finally admits his true political ambitions ast week Boris Johnson finally confirmed politics’ worst kept secret, admitting he intends to stand at the General Election next May. Despite previously describing being Mayor of London as the “greatest job in the world” Boris has had a change of heart, admitting over the weekend he simply became Mayor to “show what he could do” and “gain some administrative experience”.

With his sights now set on Downing St, Londoners could be forgiven for feeling distinctly short-changed by the part time Mayor’s decision. It’s not only a snub to the Londoners who elected him but a question of honesty after promising to serve his full term and insisting that the job of mayor “cannot be combined with any other political capacity”.

Whilst Boris’ interests move on, it is Londoners who will pay the price. For the next two years their Mayor will be utterly distracted

Maggie May… wakes up to something that Boris Johnson has to say – first fighting an election campaign, then as an MP if he’s successful. All this at a time when Londoners – who are suffering a severe housing crisis, cuts to police and fire services, and some of the worst air quality in Europe –need and deserve strong leadership.

Boris’ admission that he saw the Mayoralty as nothing more than a stepping stone, to help build his public profile, is reflected by his record at City Hall. He has overseen 4,500 less police officers on our streets, closed 10 fire stations – jeopardising the safety of Londoners, has been responsible for a 43.7 per cent increase in bus fares and a 33.2 per cent increase in Tube fares; and presided over a severe housing crisis in the capital. Londoners deserve better than a part-time Mayor who is more concerned with his own political ambitions than leading their city.

In the event of getting elected back into the Commons in May 2015, we have two scenarios. If the Conservatives become the opposition, this will almost immediately trigger a leadership contest which undoubted Boris Johnson would throw his hat into the ring and become his dominant focus and concern when he is meant to be seeing out his final year as Mayor.

Alternatively, were the Conservatives get re-elected, Boris would no doubt seeks a seat in Cabinet again taking him away from what should be his day job.

Neither scenario serves the best interests of Londoners who will ultimately be the ones who suffer. Whilst Boris pursues his political ambitions, London will be left effectively mayorless. Sadly it now seems that is a sacrifice Boris Johnson is willing to make.

Baksal is back but in a new and different shape B Legal Eagle Barrister Nazir Ahmed on Baksal and Balop

ahmedlaw2002@yahoo.co.uk

angabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman fought for democracy and people’s rights for many decades after having started in the late 1940s. His life was at real risk and danger. He could have been killed or hanged by Pakistani military rulers. He spent the most important part of his life in the Pakistani jail. Unfortunately, a person like him or such stature introduced one party system called ‘Bangladesh Krisak Sramik Awami League’ (Baksal) in the 1970s.

Many Awami League (AL) leaders and supporters might praise the Baksal and, in fact, be in favour of it but many AL’s opponents and impartial analysts consider that the introduction of the Baksal was the greatest mistake of Sheikh Mujib’s political life. His daughter and our current honourable Prime Minister appears to have started following her father’s footstep. The current circumstances, her maneuvours and overall symptoms suggest that the Baksal or one party system is almost back again but in a different shape and format. In the history, two things or incidents never happen exactly. That means identical things or incidents can happen during the course of history but these would not be 100 per cent same and similar.

Let us give some comparative indicators and symptoms: Sheikh Mujib automatically extended the term of Parliament without an election. His daughter extended the term and life of Parliament and Government by almost candidate less/voter less election. The Jatiya

Jomajtantrik Dal (JSD) was the main victim in the early 1970s where they are said to have lost around 30,000-40,000 workers. This time the number could be higher but the victims appear to have changed.

The main victims now appear to be Jamaat-Shibir and some BNP workers. The talks of Rakki Bahini appears to be carried out by the Joint Forces. All newspapers were banned keeping only four State run/controlled newspapers. This time all opponents’ newspapers and TV Stations are either being closed down, or in the process of being closed down or at least being put under extreme pressure if one or two have not been closed down yet through the so called Broadcasting Policy. During the 1970s one party was there in the name of Baksal but this time exact name may not come. But something similar appears to have come in the implied name of Bangladesh Awami League and Other Parties (Balop).

Analysis Abdul Montaqim on fundamental rights

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oris Johnson’s view that Muslims should be held guilty until proven innocent sounds like an admission of actual policy as practised by the authorities in this country.

It is a fundamental right for human beings to live free, and it is a fundamental principle of British law that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

But Mr Johnson wants to do away with that principle for Muslims, making us lowerclass citizens and subject to deep and pernicious racism.

I don’t think Mr Johnson is racist. I don’t know. I mean he could be. But I don’t think he is. But if it’s not racist, his view on this matter is at the very least ignorant and lazy.

He seems to forget that he’s a politician. These are problems he is paid to solve.

He’s not a journalist any more, not primarily anyway. He can’t just express controversial views and just concern himself with readers. It’s our basic rights he is threatening to do away with.

For many thousands of Muslims, the fact that members of their families could go off to a foreign land and get involved in extremely dangerous situations is a very worrying problem. And it’s politicians who have to come up with at least some of the solutions.

Maybe they will welcome Mr Johnson’s idea to criminalise them, hoping that it will act as a deterrent. But I think a more fundamental change in the way Britain deals with Muslim countries is needed.

Engagement and co-operation would be a good start. Lift sanctions. Trade. Stop Western support for thugs who topple democratically elected governments. Just some basic ideas.

But how likely is all that?

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