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| The '''Quilliam Foundation''' describes itself as "the world’s first counter-extremism think tank." It is based in London and set up by ex-activists of the ] ] movement. | The '''Quilliam Foundation''' describes itself as "the world’s first counter-extremism think tank." It is based in London and set up by ex-activists of the ] ] movement. | ||
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| ==Core beliefs== | ==Core beliefs== | ||
| The foundation |
The foundation sees "extremism,a prelude to terrorism"<ref name="FAQ"/> and seeks to generate ideas "to counter the Islamist ideology behind terrorism ... through informed and inclusive discussion."<ref name="home"></ref> It defines as 'extremists' all ] who claim "that political sovereignty belongs to God, that the ] equates to state law, and it is a religious duty on all Muslims to create a political entity that reflects the above."<ref name="FAQ"/> | ||
| While recognising that not all Islamists are violent they believe "non-violent Islamists provide the mood music to which suicide bombers dance."<ref name="FAQ"></ref> The foundation favours separation of religion and state for the Muslim world arguing ''"Unlike Christianity, Muslim history did not battle for church and state separation since the clerics were almost always a separate entity from the rulers".."Muslim scholars have always existed outside of the political sphere and developed diverse traditions, religious and ethical codes outside of political authority.”''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldhaveyoursay.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/how-can-we-fight-islamist-extremism/ |title= Have your Say|accessdate=2008-07-20 |work=] |publisher= |date= }}</ref>{{inline-disputed}}. They believe & hope the time comes when the Muslim world will ''"separate church and state"'' <ref> http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/component/content/article/51-video/263 "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?" by Maajid Nawaz</ref> The Quilliam Foundation has been accused by many Muslims of ] ]y for belief in ], the use and abuse of biased and loaded terminology, rejecting the ideal form of Islamic governance<ref> John O. Voll: Professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University </ref> known as the ], for attacking the ], the ], being against British Muslims having Muslim schools, among many other things. | While recognising that not all Islamists are violent they believe "non-violent Islamists provide the mood music to which suicide bombers dance."<ref name="FAQ"></ref> The foundation favours separation of religion and state for the Muslim world arguing ''"Unlike Christianity, Muslim history did not battle for church and state separation since the clerics were almost always a separate entity from the rulers".."Muslim scholars have always existed outside of the political sphere and developed diverse traditions, religious and ethical codes outside of political authority.”''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldhaveyoursay.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/how-can-we-fight-islamist-extremism/ |title= Have your Say|accessdate=2008-07-20 |work=] |publisher= |date= }}</ref>{{inline-disputed}}. They believe & hope the time comes when the Muslim world will ''"separate church and state"'' <ref> http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/component/content/article/51-video/263 "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?" by Maajid Nawaz</ref> The Quilliam Foundation has been accused by many Muslims of ] ]y for belief in ], the use and abuse of biased and loaded terminology, rejecting the ideal form of Islamic governance<ref> John O. Voll: Professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University </ref> known as the ], for attacking the ], the ], being against British Muslims having Muslim schools, among many other things. | ||
| ===Call to end hudood stoning, flogging and amputating === | |||
| ⚫ | ==Founders== | ||
| ⚫ | The Quilliam Foundation was founded by ] and ], ex-activists of the UK branch of the Islamic political party ]. | ||
| ⚫ | In an interview on ] ] Ed Hussain asked "why do we need to go down that barbaric, inhumane, outdated mode of stoning, and flogging people?... Let's bring an end to this madness of stoning, flogging and amputating... places such as Pakistan, Iran and Saudi-Arabia; Unless we are prepared to go whole-hog, and challenge and call for the overthrow of those types of governments that bring about that (hudood) madness" <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_muhammad_20071129.ram Radio 4 Today program interview </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Mohammed Mahbub Hussain, |
||
| ===Criticism of sharia=== | |||
| ⚫ | Maajid Nawaz is British of Pakistani descent. He |
||
| ⚫ | The Quilliam Foundation argue that "Sharia as State Law is a Modern and Irreligious Innovation (])", that "The Concept of State has no Importance for God" and had a Q&A session with a subtitle "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?" <ref> http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/224 Maajid Nawaz - Washington Tour 2008 </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | ==Support== | ||
| ⚫ | Ed Husain said that belief in "... an Islamic state under Sharia Law – engendered anti-Semitism, homophobia, intolerance of Muslim women who did not adopt the hijab, and hatred of 'hedonistic Western lifestyles' – everything from clubbing to feminism."<ref> http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2872.html Time Out Interview </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The foundation has received support significantly at the beginning from Tory MP ] and from the labour government, Ed Husain being a member of ], the home office and ], the ] and ] strategies, neo-conservative think tanks in the US, ], and celebrity support from ] among others. {{Expand|date=January 2009}} | ||
| The Foundation came under fire after it was disclosed in the Times Newspaper that 1 Million pounds of British taxpayer funds were used to launch and support the foundation (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5549138.ece) | |||
| ===Drinking of alcohol=== | |||
| ==Political criticism== | |||
| The Quilliam Foundation's critics have naturally included Hizb ut-Tahrir, ] (]), ] (MCB), ], ] and other mainstream Muslims. They have also been criticised by the ] & ]s for demonizing Muslims feeding into the so called ] nature of some newspaper articles<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/may/12/religion.news</ref>, and criticsed by the ] for oppurtunistically claiming the names of Islamic scholars for their own credibility without checking if those scholars oppose violence against Israel. Among the many criticism, included is the support for the invasion of Iraq <ref>http://www.mcb.org.uk/library/article_24-05-07.php</ref>, claiming the the 7/7 attacks in London has nothing to do with Iraq <ref>http://www.mcb.org.uk/library/article_24-05-07.php</ref>, attacking the then ] ] for engaging with Islamic groups of all sects, and campaigning for a ban on the Islamic Scholar ] from coming to London by invite from the General Lonodon Authority. | |||
| ⚫ | Maajid Nawaz speaking at ] in a talk entitled 'In and out of Islamism' argues that in an Islamic opinion it is permitted (]) to drink all forms of ] "except wine pressed from grapes" | ||
| ⚫ | ====Conflating Islamists and Jihadist==== | ||
| ⚫ | <ref>http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wvweOWXWbN8</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | There have been numerous criticisms of this claim.<ref>http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1203759282446&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout</ref> <ref>http://www.dhikrullah.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=542</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | ==Founders== | ||
| ⚫ | ] of ]-Watch describes the Quilliam Foundation as "an organisation that has spent its entire existence... claiming that ] ideology not ] is the root cause of "radicalisation", ... a term which of course obliterates the distinction between the general politicisation of Muslim youth in response to imperialism and the influence of terrorist groupuscules"<ref>http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/islamophobia-watch/2008/12/31/ed-husain-is-driving-muslims-to-mass-murder-mad-mel-falls-ou.html</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The Quilliam Foundation was founded by ] and ], ex-activists of the UK branch of the Islamic political party ]. | ||
| ⚫ | Mohammed Mahbub Hussain, or Ed Husain, is British of ]i & ]n descent and author of "The Islamist", published in 2007 .<ref name=autogenerated12>Husain, E, "The Islamist"</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | ] in his article 'When exactly did 'radicalisation' become a dirty word?' argues regarding the perceived demonization of Islamists that "the climate of suspicion and spooky mood-music around even non-violent Islamist politics surely reinforces the sense many Muslims have that everyone is out to get them, encouraging further self-absorption."<ref> http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2006-01/dcht.htm </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Maajid Nawaz is British of Pakistani descent. He states he helped spread HT in Denmark and Pakistan. Maajid was jailed in Egypt in 2002 with two others for belonging to HT. Whilst in prison, he says he began to review and reconsider some of his political ideas<ref>http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/184 Maajid Nawaz<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> . He returned to the UK in February 2006, and then got actively involved in HT again appearing on ] defending the legitimacy & non-violent nature of ]. It was during this period he won a seat on the British branch's executive commitee for a few months. A year and a half later after resiging his post, in September 2007 he appeared on Newsnight to explain why he turned his back on HT<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6990000/newsid_6990400/6990455.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=6990455&bbcws=1</ref>. | ||
| ====Causes of terrorism: multiculturalism==== | |||
| ⚫ | ==Support== | ||
| In ]'s review of Ed Husain's book she says regarding the causes of terrorism that "Controversially, Husain backs Tony Blair's analysis, downplaying foreign policy" as a factor, rather blaiming Islamist ideology... he now seems to have swallowed undigested the prevailing critique of British Muslims. He has no truck with the idea of Islamophobia, which he dismisses as the squeal of an Islamist leadership pleading special favours; he criticises Asian racism and castigates Muslims "who go back home to get married" and produce "another generation confused about home". On issues such as segregation, he is confident it is the fault of multiculturalism.... glance at the blog response to a Husain piece in the Telegraph reveals how rightwing racism and anti-Islamic sentiment are feasting on his testimony" <ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/may/12/religion.news</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | The foundation has received support significantly at the beginning from Tory MP ] and from the labour government, Ed Husain being a member of ], the home office and ], the ] and ] strategies, neo-conservative think tanks in the US{{Fact|date=January 2009}}, ] {{Fact|date=January 2009}}, and celebrity support from ]{{Fact|date=January 2009}} among others. {{Expand|date=January 2009}} | ||
| In a '']'' interview Ed Husain said "In the name of multiculturalism we have created ghettos", then goes on to link "extremism", "Islamists", "terrorism" etc to multiculturalism <ref> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1685725.ece </ref> | |||
| ==Controversy== | |||
| In a '']'' interview Ed Husain says "Hijab in Tower Hamlets was unheard of when I was growing up"..."Now you see women covering up everywhere in the name of multiculturalism." <ref> http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2872.html Time Out Interview </ref> | |||
| The Quilliam Foundation's critics have included Islamist organizations and personalities such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, ] (]), ] (MCB), ], ] and other mainstream Muslims. | |||
| "On blogs and among many Muslims", co-founder Ed Husain "has been condemned as a government stooge, an MI5 agent" and even an apostate from Islam.<ref></ref>, | |||
| ===Funding=== | |||
| ====Call to overthrow Muslim governments that apply the Shariah hudood punishments==== | |||
| The Foundation has come under fire for its spending and funding. It allegedly spends "about £110,000 a year to rent offices at one of Central London’s most prestigious addresses", which, are "expensively furnished with state-of-the-art computers and plasma screen televisions". When it was disclosed the government had given it 1 Million pounds, "members of the Government and the Opposition" questioned the wisdom of "relying too heavily on a relatively unknown organisation ... to counter extremism." <ref></ref> | |||
| ⚫ | ====Conflating Islamists and Jihadist==== | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ] of ]-Watch describes the Quilliam Foundation as "an organisation that has spent its entire existence... claiming that ] ideology not ] is the root cause of "radicalisation", ... a term which of course obliterates the distinction between the general politicisation of Muslim youth in response to imperialism and the influence of terrorist groupuscules"<ref>http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/islamophobia-watch/2008/12/31/ed-husain-is-driving-muslims-to-mass-murder-mad-mel-falls-ou.html</ref> | ||
| ====Secularism==== | |||
| ⚫ | ] in his article 'When exactly did 'radicalisation' become a dirty word?' argues regarding the perceived demonization of Islamists that "the climate of suspicion and spooky mood-music around even non-violent Islamist politics surely reinforces the sense many Muslims have that everyone is out to get them, encouraging further self-absorption."<ref> http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2006-01/dcht.htm </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The Quilliam Foundation argue that "Sharia as State Law is a Modern and Irreligious Innovation (])", that "The Concept of State has no Importance for God" and had a Q&A session with a subtitle "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?" <ref> http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/224 Maajid Nawaz - Washington Tour 2008 </ref> | ||
| ⚫ | Ed Husain said that belief in "... an Islamic state under Sharia Law – engendered anti-Semitism, homophobia, intolerance of Muslim women who did not adopt the hijab, and hatred of 'hedonistic Western lifestyles' – everything from clubbing to feminism."<ref> http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2872.html Time Out Interview </ref> | ||
| ====Support for bans on hijab==== | ====Support for bans on hijab==== | ||
| The founders of the Quilliam Foundation have called for banning of the Islamic head dress ] in schools <ref> http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=302&Itemid=71 </ref>. Regarding the French ban on hijab, Maajid Nawaz said Muslims can only oppose it based on his condition; "If Muslims object to the French ban on the hijab, we must also object to the "Islamist" plan to impose the hijab and ban women uncovering their hair" without specifying which Islamist group had such plans. <ref> http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1063960.ece </ref> | The founders of the Quilliam Foundation have called for banning of the Islamic head dress ] in schools <ref> http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=302&Itemid=71 </ref>. Regarding the French ban on hijab, Maajid Nawaz said Muslims can only oppose it based on his condition; "If Muslims object to the French ban on the hijab, we must also object to the "Islamist" plan to impose the hijab and ban women uncovering their hair" without specifying which Islamist group had such plans. <ref> http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1063960.ece </ref> | ||
| ====Racist typecasting of Arabs==== | |||
| ] said in his book review of Husain's book; | |||
| "Husain's revulsion at the treatment of many non-Saudi citizens will undoubtedly strike a chord with those familiar with behaviour and attitudes in the Gulf countries. But what is the conclusion that Husain draws from this episode: that prejudice based on skin-colour is sadly to be found everywhere and should be combated? That Muslims - whom Islam famously teaches to be colour-blind when it comes to human relations - must try harder to live up to their Islamic principles? No. Here is what Husain has to say: | |||
| "The racist reality of the Arab psyche would never accept black and white people as equal." (p241) | |||
| So, bizarrely, Husain appears to respond to the racist treatment of others in Saudi Arabia with a rather generalised and frankly racist sentiment of his own. <ref>http://www.mcb.org.uk/library/article_24-05-07.php</ref>" | |||
| ====Politics of terminology==== | ====Politics of terminology==== | ||
| Line 71: | Line 63: | ||
| ] is the study of fundamental and normative questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown—if ever. | ] is the study of fundamental and normative questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown—if ever. | ||
| However, it is not only the “terrorists” who oppose these innovations and social freedoms that the Foundation approves of – most Muslims oppose nightclubs, drink, sexual indecency etc and the authoritarian regimes that permit these are western educated elites imposed on their peoples.<ref>Another strategy that appears to have been adopted is the use of staged events with loaded agendas. The Doha debates in Qatar is a case in question - where Quilliam Foundation have been asked to speak at events where set questions include, “Are Muslims doing enough to address terrorism?” Inviting only those who do not question the underlying assumptions ensures there is little substantive discussion.</ref> | |||
| The Quilliam Foundation believes that if reform is needed it must come from the existing systems which should be modified, allowing more representation, accountability and population centred policies, rather than demolishing the system and replacing it with something new. | |||
| ==Islamic theological criticism== | ==Islamic theological criticism== | ||
| Line 78: | Line 70: | ||
| Ed Husain has said that ] ] punishments are barbaric and not applicable in the modern age <ref> http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=38 BBC Radio Interview</ref>. In response to another Muslim who was trying to argue that punishing women exclusively for ] rather than both the man and woman based on strict conditions (see ]) was not mandated by Islam, Ed responded to contradict the Muslim reconfirming the notion that exclusively women only are punished saying "In the time of Muhammad stoning did take place... we have other modes of reaching the noble aims of the shariah... why do we need to go down that barbaric, ihumane, outdated mode of stoning, and flogging people.... Let's bring an end to this madness of stoning, flogging and amputating...." <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_muhammad_20071129.ram Radio 4 Today program interview </ref> | Ed Husain has said that ] ] punishments are barbaric and not applicable in the modern age <ref> http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=38 BBC Radio Interview</ref>. In response to another Muslim who was trying to argue that punishing women exclusively for ] rather than both the man and woman based on strict conditions (see ]) was not mandated by Islam, Ed responded to contradict the Muslim reconfirming the notion that exclusively women only are punished saying "In the time of Muhammad stoning did take place... we have other modes of reaching the noble aims of the shariah... why do we need to go down that barbaric, ihumane, outdated mode of stoning, and flogging people.... Let's bring an end to this madness of stoning, flogging and amputating...." <ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_muhammad_20071129.ram Radio 4 Today program interview </ref> | ||
| ===Islam preached by Muhammad not relevant today=== | |||
| Ed Husain in an interview said, "The Islam that was preached 2,000 years ago isn't going to work here in modern London. Muslims need to alter their lifestyles to a Western lifestyle. To criticise is not ]. It's about opposing certain ideas." <ref> http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2872.html Time Out Interview </ref> | |||
| ===Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men=== | |||
| In a ] interview Ed Husain said, "In traditional circles, Muslim women are not allowed to marry non-Muslim men," Mr. Husain said. "But in a pluralistic world in 2007, where non-Muslim men and Muslim women are marrying, you can't say, 'You can't do that.'" <ref> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/world/europe/02husain.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ei=5087&em&en=ef59bd95605c9bd4&ex=1180929600]</ref> | |||
| ===Legalising all alcohol except wine=== | |||
| ⚫ | Maajid Nawaz speaking at ] in a talk entitled 'In and out of Islamism' argues that in an Islamic opinion it is permitted (]) to drink all forms of ] "except wine pressed from grapes" | ||
| ⚫ | <ref>http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wvweOWXWbN8</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | There have been numerous criticisms of this claim.<ref>http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1203759282446&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout</ref> <ref>http://www.dhikrullah.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=542</ref> | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 100: | Line 82: | ||
| {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} | {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} | ||
| ⚫ | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | <div style="-moz-column-count:3;"> | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Line 116: | Line 92: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ⚫ | ==See also== | ||
| ⚫ | <div style="-moz-column-count:3;"> | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ⚫ | *] | ||
| ---- | |||
Revision as of 01:54, 3 February 2009
 | This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (January 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Quilliam Foundation describes itself as "the world’s first counter-extremism think tank." It is based in London and set up by ex-activists of the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist movement.
The foundation takes its name from William Abdullah Quilliam, an English convert to Islam during the 1880s.
Core beliefs
The foundation sees "extremism,a prelude to terrorism" and seeks to generate ideas "to counter the Islamist ideology behind terrorism ... through informed and inclusive discussion." It defines as 'extremists' all Islamists who claim "that political sovereignty belongs to God, that the Shari'ah equates to state law, and it is a religious duty on all Muslims to create a political entity that reflects the above."
While recognising that not all Islamists are violent they believe "non-violent Islamists provide the mood music to which suicide bombers dance." The foundation favours separation of religion and state for the Muslim world arguing "Unlike Christianity, Muslim history did not battle for church and state separation since the clerics were almost always a separate entity from the rulers".."Muslim scholars have always existed outside of the political sphere and developed diverse traditions, religious and ethical codes outside of political authority.”Template:Inline-disputed. They believe & hope the time comes when the Muslim world will "separate church and state" The Quilliam Foundation has been accused by many Muslims of theological heterodoxy for belief in secularism, the use and abuse of biased and loaded terminology, rejecting the ideal form of Islamic governance known as the caliphate, for attacking the hijab, the hudood, being against British Muslims having Muslim schools, among many other things.
Call to end hudood stoning, flogging and amputating
In an interview on BBC Radio 4 Ed Hussain asked "why do we need to go down that barbaric, inhumane, outdated mode of stoning, and flogging people?... Let's bring an end to this madness of stoning, flogging and amputating... places such as Pakistan, Iran and Saudi-Arabia; Unless we are prepared to go whole-hog, and challenge and call for the overthrow of those types of governments that bring about that (hudood) madness"
Criticism of sharia
The Quilliam Foundation argue that "Sharia as State Law is a Modern and Irreligious Innovation (Bidah)", that "The Concept of State has no Importance for God" and had a Q&A session with a subtitle "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?"
Ed Husain said that belief in "... an Islamic state under Sharia Law – engendered anti-Semitism, homophobia, intolerance of Muslim women who did not adopt the hijab, and hatred of 'hedonistic Western lifestyles' – everything from clubbing to feminism."
Drinking of alcohol
Maajid Nawaz speaking at the city circle in a talk entitled 'In and out of Islamism' argues that in an Islamic opinion it is permitted (Halal) to drink all forms of alcohol "except wine pressed from grapes" There have been numerous criticisms of this claim.
Founders
The Quilliam Foundation was founded by Maajid Nawaz and Ed Husain, ex-activists of the UK branch of the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Mohammed Mahbub Hussain, or Ed Husain, is British of Bangladeshi & Indian descent and author of "The Islamist", published in 2007 .
Maajid Nawaz is British of Pakistani descent. He states he helped spread HT in Denmark and Pakistan. Maajid was jailed in Egypt in 2002 with two others for belonging to HT. Whilst in prison, he says he began to review and reconsider some of his political ideas . He returned to the UK in February 2006, and then got actively involved in HT again appearing on Newsnight defending the legitimacy & non-violent nature of Hizb ut-Tahrir. It was during this period he won a seat on the British branch's executive commitee for a few months. A year and a half later after resiging his post, in September 2007 he appeared on Newsnight to explain why he turned his back on HT.
Support
The foundation has received support significantly at the beginning from Tory MP Michael Gove and from the labour government, Ed Husain being a member of Labour, the home office and DCLG, the PVE and PREVENT strategies, neo-conservative think tanks in the US, Melanie phillips , and celebrity support from Jemima Goldsmith among others.
Controversy
The Quilliam Foundation's critics have included Islamist organizations and personalities such as Hizb ut-Tahrir, Azam Tamimi (Ikhwan al-Muslimeen), Inayat Bunglawala (MCB), Yvonne Ridley, Ihtisham Hibatullah and other mainstream Muslims. "On blogs and among many Muslims", co-founder Ed Husain "has been condemned as a government stooge, an MI5 agent" and even an apostate from Islam.,
Funding
The Foundation has come under fire for its spending and funding. It allegedly spends "about £110,000 a year to rent offices at one of Central London’s most prestigious addresses", which, are "expensively furnished with state-of-the-art computers and plasma screen televisions". When it was disclosed the government had given it 1 Million pounds, "members of the Government and the Opposition" questioned the wisdom of "relying too heavily on a relatively unknown organisation ... to counter extremism."
Conflating Islamists and Jihadist
Martin Sullivan of Islamophobia-Watch describes the Quilliam Foundation as "an organisation that has spent its entire existence... claiming that Islamist ideology not foreign policy is the root cause of "radicalisation", ... a term which of course obliterates the distinction between the general politicisation of Muslim youth in response to imperialism and the influence of terrorist groupuscules"
Dolan Cummings in his article 'When exactly did 'radicalisation' become a dirty word?' argues regarding the perceived demonization of Islamists that "the climate of suspicion and spooky mood-music around even non-violent Islamist politics surely reinforces the sense many Muslims have that everyone is out to get them, encouraging further self-absorption."
Support for bans on hijab
The founders of the Quilliam Foundation have called for banning of the Islamic head dress hijab in schools . Regarding the French ban on hijab, Maajid Nawaz said Muslims can only oppose it based on his condition; "If Muslims object to the French ban on the hijab, we must also object to the "Islamist" plan to impose the hijab and ban women uncovering their hair" without specifying which Islamist group had such plans.
Politics of terminology
Extremism is a term used to describe the actions or ideologies outside the perceived political center of a society – it is almost always exonymic and almost invariably used pejoratively. Many researchers object to the term as "at best this characterization tells us nothing substantive about the people it labels; at worst it paints a false picture." The Quilliam Foundation argues that “ are extreme because of their rigidity in understanding politics” –
The Foundation argues most violence emanates from those who aspire to an “Islamist” agenda, and that most conservative Muslims oppose Islamism. The Quilliam Foundation argues Hizb ut-Tahrir's “Islamism” is a post-colonial ideology, at odds with fourteen centuries of Muslim scholarship.
Political thought
Political philosophy is the study of fundamental and normative questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown—if ever.
However, it is not only the “terrorists” who oppose these innovations and social freedoms that the Foundation approves of – most Muslims oppose nightclubs, drink, sexual indecency etc and the authoritarian regimes that permit these are western educated elites imposed on their peoples.
Islamic theological criticism
Shariah penal punishments (Huddod) as barbaric
Ed Husain has said that Shariah huddod punishments are barbaric and not applicable in the modern age . In response to another Muslim who was trying to argue that punishing women exclusively for adultery rather than both the man and woman based on strict conditions (see Zina) was not mandated by Islam, Ed responded to contradict the Muslim reconfirming the notion that exclusively women only are punished saying "In the time of Muhammad stoning did take place... we have other modes of reaching the noble aims of the shariah... why do we need to go down that barbaric, ihumane, outdated mode of stoning, and flogging people.... Let's bring an end to this madness of stoning, flogging and amputating...."
External links
- The Quilliam Foundation's official website
- Ex-extremists call for 'Western Islam' - The Launch of the Quilliam Foundation
- Government gives £1m to anti-extremist think-tank Quilliam Foundation
References
- ^ Frequently Asked Questions – A Candid Response
- Quilliam Foundation home page
- "Have your Say". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/component/content/article/51-video/263 "How realistic is the expectation that Muslim-majority countries can really separate church and state?" by Maajid Nawaz
- John O. Voll: Professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University Revivalism, Shi‘a Style
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_muhammad_20071129.ram Radio 4 Today program interview
- http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/224 Maajid Nawaz - Washington Tour 2008
- http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2872.html Time Out Interview
- http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wvweOWXWbN8
- http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1203759282446&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout
- http://www.dhikrullah.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=542
- Husain, E, "The Islamist"
- http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/index.php/component/content/article/184 Maajid Nawaz]
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6990000/newsid_6990400/6990455.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=6990455&bbcws=1
- We were the brothers. Madeleine Bunting. The Guardian, Saturday 12 May 2007
- Government gives £1m to anti-extremist think-tank Quilliam Foundation
- http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/islamophobia-watch/2008/12/31/ed-husain-is-driving-muslims-to-mass-murder-mad-mel-falls-ou.html
- http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2006-01/dcht.htm
- http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=302&Itemid=71
- http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1063960.ece
- “Pulling together to defeat terror”, http://quilliamfoundation.org/images/stories/pdfs/pulling-together-to-defeat-terror.pdf, p. 3
- Frequently Asked Questions – A Candid Response
- Another strategy that appears to have been adopted is the use of staged events with loaded agendas. The Doha debates in Qatar is a case in question - where Quilliam Foundation have been asked to speak at events where set questions include, “Are Muslims doing enough to address terrorism?” Inviting only those who do not question the underlying assumptions ensures there is little substantive discussion.
- http://ummahpulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=272&Itemid=38 BBC Radio Interview
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ram/today4_muhammad_20071129.ram Radio 4 Today program interview
See also
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