The Flawed Narrative of CONTEST 2

Editor's Note: The United Kingdom's Home Office has recently launched a new strategy for countering international terrorism, Contest 2, that aims at "reducing the risk to the UK and its interests overseas of international terrorism." As a platform for British Muslims' voices, IslamOnline.net (IOL)'s European Muslims Page publishes an opinion piece on Contest 2 by Dr. Nazreen Nawaz, women’s media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain.

The UK government’s latest anti-terror strategy —Contest 2, was launched this March It detailed various initiatives to be undertaken across the UK that reflect an emphasis of not simply preventing "Violent Extremism" and "Terrorism" but challenging the so called "Extremism" within the Muslim community. The strategy, entitled "Taking a New Approach to Counter Terrorism", reads, "As part of this strategy we will take action against those who defend terrorism and violent extremism. We will also continue to challenge views which fall short of supporting violence and are within the law but reject and undermine our shared values and jeopardize community cohesion. Some of these views can create a climate in which people may be pulled into violent activity."

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary defined these "shared values" as tolerance and belief in democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech. A draft of the strategy leaked to the Guardian newspaper and BBC Panorama program in February highlighted the government’s view of "extremist beliefs" that undermine these "shared values", apparently jeopardize community cohesion and that may act as stepping stones to violence.

According to the draft, Muslims would be considered extreme if they advocate a Caliphate, the Islamic system of governance; if they promote Shari`ah law; if they believe in Jihad or armed resistance anywhere in the world ─ including armed resistance by Palestinians against the Israeli military; if they argue that Islam bans homosexuality and that it is a sin against Allah; and if they fail to condemn the killing of British soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan. The vast majority of Muslims in the UK and across the globe recognize such views as "core Islamic beliefs.”

Unfortunately Not!

One would think that this extensive 176-page document, boasted by Jacqui Smith to be the most comprehensive anti-terror strategy in the world and that deals with a subject as serious as the security of people’s lives, would not be riddled with assumptions, superficial judgments, and irrational conclusions. Unfortunately not so!

The strategy suggests that the rejection of democracy and the embracing of specific Islamic political and social views that are at odds with western secular liberalism are threats to community's cohesion and can be a precursor to violence. This claim is as absurd as suggesting that a staunch belief in atheism and zealously rejecting religion can act as a precursor to individuals blowing up their nearest mosque, church or synagogue.

Respect and Dialogue

Furthermore, the idea that good community relations can only be achieved if all citizens hold the same political and social views, reads like the manual of communist and fascist governance ─a reflection of how secular liberal states cannot claim immunity from totalitarian trends. Good relations between communities does not depend upon holding the same political and social ideas but rather on understanding how to treat one another with respect, a mentality of care and concern for those around us, and engagement and dialogue between one another rather than isolation ─all of which are woven into the fabric of Islamic culture.

Contest 2 alludes to the fact that Muslims who do not have allegiance to Britain and its forces or who have loyalty to another entity (such as a global Ummah), pose a threat to the state. Are we then to believe that British expatriates in the Muslim world who continue to have allegiance to Queen and country despite being residents or citizens of those countries are a threat to their neighboring Muslims? In truth, the "loyalty card" is a convenient one to play to silence opposition to unjust government foreign policy. Therefore, should loyalty to the British government and its army take precedence over truth and justice?

Risking Community Cohesion

The strategy claims that rejecting British secular liberal values and promoting specific Islamic beliefs such as the need for a Caliphate or the Shari`ah can "create a climate in which people may be pushed into violent activity." Is it then true that current discussions regarding the failings of capitalism and the advocation of an alternative form of economics and governance are responsible for the violence committed by some people in the name of anti-globalization? Should not non-violent ideas be separated from violent means adopted by a few to achieve their goals?

It is overtly clear that stigmatizing the values of a community and forcing them through state pressures to accept views that contradict with their deeply held religious convictions only serve to create resentment and alienation within the society. It is this that "jeopardizes community cohesion".

Religion: Not a Barrier

It is not differences of religious values and beliefs that create barriers between people but ignorance, prejudice and assumptions regarding different cultures alongside the hysteria and fear-mongering regarding "difference" being peddled by certain politicians and the right-wing media. It is quite ironic that under the Caliphate and according to the Shari`ah laws – "extreme" ideas according to the government - non-Muslims are not expected to embrace the Islamic values to be considered good citizens but simply to abide by the laws of the state.

Moreover, only a defeated mind believes in changing ideas through coercion and labeling rather than the power of argument. Therefore, Contest 2 is an obvious evidence that the government has failed to convince the Muslim community intellectually of the superiority of secular liberal values. What exactly are the "shared values" that the UK government wishes the Muslim community to embrace and tolerate? Is it the liberty, ‘follow your cultural desires’ that has led to massive rates of adultery, single mothers, broken families and teenage pregnancies - the same freedom that led 13 year old Alfie Patten to father the child of his 15 year old girl friend?

Perhaps it is the same liberty, ‘do as you please culture’ that has led to soaring levels of anti-social behavior, drug addiction, binge-drinking, and knife and gun crimes among the youth – the same freedom that has led to the horrific “teen” murders of Jimmy Mizen, Rhys Jones and Damiola Taylor. Or maybe it is the same freedom, ‘lack of responsibility culture’ that allows people to neglect elderly parents and relatives, leaving the old to die alone in their homes while individuals pursue their own self –interests.

Scare-Tactics

Does the "tolerance" or acceptance of these liberal secular values really make for a Muslim to be a good British citizen as opposed to the sublime values of Islam defined by the Shari`ah - values such as respect for people’s lives, property, honor and beliefs; values such as justice in the treatment of those of other faiths; values such as strong marriages and family units, of care and concern for our parents, relatives, neighbors, elders and for the community in which we live; values that take individuals away from a self-gratifying culture of drugs and binge-drinking to a sense of accountability and responsibility for one’s actions and care for the society in which we live. Is it really the case that adoption of these Islamic values and the rejection of the self-gratifying behavior driven by secular liberalism make Muslims a threat to British society?

The flawed narrative of Contest 2 indicates a government more concerned about stemming the rejection of Western secular liberal values by Muslims globally, including those in the West and quelling the tide of support for Islamic governance and implementation of the Shari`ah in the Muslim world, rather than earnestly tackling issues such as terrorism and community cohesion.

As Muslims in Britain, we must resist pressures that bully us into leaving our Islamic values and turning our backs on the sufferings and injustices faced by Muslims globally. We must not through labels of “countering extremism" and government scare-tactics be silenced in supporting Islamic governance for the Muslim world.

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Dr. Nazreen Nawaz is the women’s media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain. She has engaged in various Islamic discussions on a number of radio and television news channels, including BBC News 24, BBC World, Al-Jazeera, Sky News, and a South African Islamic Radio station. Nawaz entered Kings College School of Medicine and Dentistry in London in 1991 and qualified in 1997 having also acquired a BSc with First Class Honors in Biomedical Sciences

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From Hinduism to Islam

Once upon a time, in a land far away, I was a Hindu.

Among the bonuses of being a revert to Islam (inshaAllah going to Heaven is a bit handy) is the conversation starter. Even the least practicing Muslims seem to smile when someone takes their shahada.

I had always considered myself to be a fairly religious Hindu. Many of my ancestors were Hindu priests, I was a strict vegetarian, never drank alcohol, was known to pray and sit up with my mum until the early hours of the morning discussing my favourite chapter of the Gita. I was not looking for another religion.

For a few months, and by some accounts for many years, a story had been developing in France. The wearing of "religious symbols" was being banned in French schools, with the primary focus being the Muslim hijab. It wasn't until February 2004 that I first took notice of it while walking through University. Some students had organised an event discussing the ramifications of the ban, and I decided to attend.

The audience were a mixture of Muslims, non-Muslims, and some students from France, all unified on wanting to learn more about the political situation. We all listened to the young speaker eloquently describe the Islamic position. I had already assumed that Muslims would want the ban stopped, but I had never heard anyone describe it in quite this way: so far, on TV and newspapers, Muslims had always been describing it as their choice to wear the hijab. It was their right to choose, and they freely chose. However, we were now being told by this speaker that it was in fact not their choice. Indeed, he said, Islam makes it an obligation for Muslim women to wear the hijab. He then stated that ideas like freedom of choice were un-Islamic.

I was shocked!

I had heard people argue from various points of view - Conservative, Labour, Democrat, Republican, Socialist - but never had I heard anyone claim that they didn't believe in freedom.

Time was up... the lecture room had to be cleared for the next session. I could not believe what I had heard. Surely he was mistaken. What sane person doesn't believe in liberty? As I left I spoke to the speaker and he arranged for me to meet with his colleague the next week. Little did I know that I was going to meet someone who would literally change my life.

I arrived in the canteen the next week, a little lost, not really remembering what the person I was going to meet looked like. I took a chance and walked over to a group of guys, a few of whom had beards. They were very friendly and it wasn't long before I had spoken to just about everyone, but still hadn't heard an answer to my question about freedom. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that I happened to bump into one of the people I had met in the canteen.

India vs. Pakistan

I have never been a huge cricket fan, but with all the commotion, I went along with some of the people from my class to the Student Union to watch the match. The room was clearly divided into two groups, with flags flying and people cheering or jeering as the match progressed. I was just about to walk in and try to find a seat when I saw the brother from the canteen. He asked if I was going in, and I admitted that I really wasn't so interested in the game. So he and I grabbed some food and took a walk, ending up at the nearby park. We sat there on the grass, eating and chatting about the reason that he wasn't watching the match. He said it was because the people watching were bonded by nationalism. Now, ordinarily, I would have argued with him, perhaps even just for the purpose of an argument, but he went on to explain the Islamic point of view, and it was hard to disagree.

We continued to meet after that day and then the day came when I came home and said to my mum:

"Guess what! Someone at Uni just proved to me that God exists." "Proof! Really?", she replied, clearly surprised. "To be honest, I can't remember specifically what he said, but I'm gonna ask him again."

Within a few months, I was ready to declare my faith in Islam. He had proved to me that the Creator exists, the same way that you know that you exist, and that the screen in front of you exists. Definite proof. He went on to prove that the Qur'an is the literal word of this creator, and it was a proof like nothing I had ever experienced. It wasn't emotional, it wasn't based on "blind faith", it wasn't even because the Qur'an contained proven predictions or amazing scientific facts. It was definite, proven fact.

What's more, alhamdulillah, I could prove it too!
With a small gathering of brothers, I slowly said the words:

"ash hadu allaa ilaha illallahu wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh"

followed by a chorus of takbir, hugs and handshakes. As one brother aptly pointed out, these people, who I'd only known for a matter of months, were willing to give their lives up to save mine. I had become a part of the Ummah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.

That declaration was only the first step in what I have since realised is a journey towards seeking the pleasure of my Creator, inshaAllah. It has affected the way that I make every decision, and has immeasurably changed my life and my akhirah for the better inshaAllah.

From Mexico to Islam

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
"Say O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Az-Zumar, 39:53]

I was born in Zitácuaro, a small town 130 kilometres from Mexico City. Mexico has a long history which is dominated by the period when it was a Spanish colony. The country's heritage is from the Aztec, Maya and other Pre-Hispanic civilizations and today continues to prevail over the nation's customs. This legacy remains not only in the folklore, the food, the character and the looks of modern Mexicans but also in the way they have combined the pagan native religions with the Catholicism taught by the Spaniards. This is why like most Mexicans I also grew up as a Catholic in a very superstitious environment where it was difficult to escape from the Church. Catholicism dominated the nation to such an extent that after Brazil Mexico has the world's largest population of Catholics in the world.

My parents baptized me with the name of Nadia and took me to a catholic school where I studied until the age of 12. I remember being very devout in my faith and also frustrated with my parents and friends with their lack of adherence to the religion. The teachings of Jesus عليه السلام were not reflected in the actions of those who were around me, and for me it was not clear what Jesus عليه السلام being the son of god meant, nor why we were supposed to accept this.

What really troubled me from a young age were the contradictions I saw in Mexican society. My father always reminded me that Jesus was a man like any other and could never have been god. Nuns at the same time told us not to worship saints but they would carry and kiss images of them. Being in the middle of all these contradictions and hypocrisy made me weak and confused, but yet I tried to practise Catholicism until my father stopped me from going to the Church, as he felt I was turning into a fanatic. He always saw religious people as brainwashed. All of this made me very unclear about the purpose of life and whether their even was a creator.

I had never come across Islam and all I knew was that Arabs had a god called Allah since I came across this in fairy tales such as Ali Baba and the forty thieves. All the books I came across at a young age never mentioned that Muslims from Spain and West Africa arrived in the Americas at least five centuries before Columbus. Nor that in the mid-tenth century during the rule of the Khaleefah Abdul-Rahman III (929-961), Muslims of African origin sailed westward from the Spanish port of Delba (Palos) into the "Ocean of darkness and fog." They returned after a long absence with much booty from a "strange and curious land." Official history books do not mention that people of Muslim origin are known to have accompanied Columbus and subsequent Spanish explorers to the New World.

Even now, Islam and Muslims are so alien to Mexicans that there are no reliable population figures (census) on the Muslim community. Some sources claim 300 whilst others 1500 in a population of more than 100 million. We know that between the years 1850 and 1860 a new massive immigration of Arab Muslims who came from Syria and Lebanon, settled in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia, but in Mexico there is hardly evidence to say that some Turkish immigrants could have brought Islam with them. It is very likely that the small Muslim community in Mexico is not older than three generations. In all Latin America, some estimates suggest there is less than a million out of a population of over 500 million. For all these reasons it is very difficult to actually come across Muslims not just in Mexico but Latin America.

I first came across Islam at college when I was studying literature, it was here I learnt of the Qur'an, but its history and contents were still unknown to me. When I moved to university which was in a much bigger city I studied communication science, this degree built in me the intellectual skills and an attitude that would later help me to grasp the wisdom of Islam. My degree built a strong idea of enquiry and critical thinking. Through this I came to enjoy science and became very interested in geopolitics. I remember being amazed after every lesson on linguistics, sociology and media studies on how the world worked. All of this made me think even more about the role of moral values in life.

Academically I was achieving good results, however, I was still not content as many questions were still unanswered. I was still not content with the answers Christianity provided me with regards God and Jesus.

It was when studying Business that I developed an almost obsession with productivity and efficiency. In a marketing lecture I reflected on the concept of God and trinity, is it like a promotional bundle, 3 in 1. Through my studies I came across a website on Islamic finance. After reading through the different Islamic products and how they were built upon Islamic evidences, I was taken aback by the idea that Islamic economics is Interest free. For me this was the first time I had come across a religion that actually discussed something very practical, I began thinking of Islam as a "living" religion. It was however after buying my first copy of the Qur'an that I became interested in Islam.

My first "Quran" was a Spanish translation edited by a non-Muslim publishing house. I wasn't looking for it but it found me in a small town book fair. Pure destiny I believe. This happened sometime after I finished my degree and I had started to work. I think I was attracted to the book because I saw it as something exotic and out of this world, something that enclosed mystery and some ideas from far distant places and time. Still, my first reaction wasn't a pleasant one, especially when I was reading Surah al-Baqara because it made me think of death and accountability.

لِّلَّهِ ما فِي السَّمَاواتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُواْ مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاء وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
"To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth, and whether you disclose what is in your own selves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills and punishes whom He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things." [Al-Baqara, 2:284]

This ayah made me feel uncomfortable about myself, it was like if God himself was admonishing me and making me remember my obligations to him.

The oneness of God was in line with what my heart always believed, but what I had read in the Qur'an was a little bit harsh for me at the time, especially the ayah's that said Allah سبحانه وتعالى doesn't guide the disbelievers.

Islam began to make practical sense when I came across other Muslims online through an instant messaging service called ICQ, which I used in order to contact my university tutors when I was studying an MBA. The Egyptian sister contacted me due to my name Nadia, thinking I was an Arab. The sister was actually doing online dawah, subhanAllah. Many Muslims contacted me thinking I was an Arab so in a short span of time I had a number of online Muslim friends.

We discussed a variety of issues online, I remember thinking I should be a much better person than I was when we discussed about the rights of women in Islam, I realised I had actually lost a lot of self respect and I thought about the time I had wasted in finding the truth. I wanted to change, but I was already engaged to an atheist and my liberal life style was holding me back. I was according to Mexican society a liberated woman because I was independent and successful; however deep down I was unhappy, I couldn't even talk about my ideas to my fiancé or family.

As time passed I became even more interested in Islam and began to discuss with even more Muslims online. After some discussion with a brother online it was not too difficult to return the diamond ring to my atheist fiancé. I then travelled to Egypt in 2004 to meet this brother and hopefully marry him and take my Shahadah. However things did not turn out the way I had planned, the brother was not what I expected and meeting face to face was a disappointment.

I learnt a lot about Islam by travelling to Egypt, being amongst Muslims I got to see for the first time Islam in practical life. This motivated me to change me lifestyle and habits. I thought I would rely on destiny and see how things went with regards to taking the shahadah.

I was in the process of changing my lifestyle when Allah سبحانه وتعالى severely tested me by putting me in a life and death situation. I remember being helpless on the side of the road at night in my car, crying in despair asking for Allah سبحانه وتعالى mercy and forgiveness. I repented and promised Allah سبحانه وتعالى to become a Muslim and to make the best out of my life for the sake of Him alone.

Still, after that, I found things very difficult as I thought there is no halaal food here in Mexico, there are no Muslim men to marry and who was going marry me in Mexico - will I stay single forever? I was working for an IT global consulting firm and hated my job, I was not happy and felt like I was not worthy of being a Muslim. So, out of depression I became duped by horoscopes, not knowing it was shirk but when the predictions went all ill-fated and started to actually happen then I knew it was a sign from Allah, so after that I thought to myself from this point onwards I would never neglect a promise to my Lord under any circumstances. I left my job and started to search for other Muslims in Mexico and found a group of Turkish Muslims who were giving talks in Mexico City. Finally with their support and Allah سبحانه وتعالى grace I took shahada in January 2005.

Since taking shahadah my life completely changed. For a few years the only halaal food I found was available to me was sea food and I was the only Muslim in my town. Allah سبحانه وتعالى then answered my duah's and through the internet I found a brother from the UK who I was to marry. Today I am surrounded by lots of Muslims in the UK whom I have learnt so much from.

I am often surprised with my memories because they don't feel like memories of mine anymore. Recalling the past makes me rejoice in gratitude and it brings tears to my eyes as well because I realise the mercy of Allah for giving my hidayah. I have had the opportunity to repent, rectify and move on in my deen. I finally found peace and true liberation in letting go of a Jahil lifestyle and giving up my own desires and seeking none's but Allah's pleasure. All questions in my life have now been answered. I know that my purpose in life is to worship Him alone, and to honour with all my actions and thoughts the privileged status he gave us within his creations.

I no longer need anything in this dunya to reassure me as a valuable worthy person because He سبحانه وتعالى has shown me love beyond human dimension. Alhamdulillah he made me a believer to see all this. I don't listen to music anymore, nor do I waste my time in frivolous activities but rather in learning more about my deen and spreading the message of Islam. Some people say I am too strict and extreme but I always let them know that there are just different degrees of devotion and to those who are seeking, I always advice them to pray with sincerity and certainty that Allah is listening. I encourage them to ask from Allah guidance and strength to follow the right path. Things are not easy but we should not let our sins or the people we love hold us back from the love of Allah, nor the fear or comfort to divert us from the fulfilment of His commands. One should love Allah so much that this love would stand firm even if all the Muslims in the world ceased to believe. I pray reverts don't let no one to stand in their path to Allah.

Verily He helps those who strive for His cause. Allahu Akbar.

Nadia