Posted on 07/21/2007 8:23:13 PM PDT by blam
Preach in English, Muslim peer tells imams
By Tom Harper, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 11:57pm BST 21/07/2007
Mosques should be banned from recruiting foreign preachers unless they speak excellent English, according to a senior Muslim politician.
Inayat Bunglawala called the plan 'completely unworkable'
In an attempt to tackle Islamic extremism, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham called for imams from overseas who apply to preach in Britain to undergo strict language and "Britishness" tests in their countries of origin. Those who refused would be denied entry to the UK.
The peer also called for non-English speaking imams already in Britain to be prevented from preaching until they master the language. Lord Ahmed, a member of Tony Blair's Preventing Extremism Taskforce, said: "We should not allow imams to enter the country who do not speak English and who do not understand our modern way of life.
"They should be tested to a much higher standard on language and British culture before they leave Islamabad, Delhi and Casablanca, and if they refuse they should not be allowed in."
The proposal sparked a row among Muslim leaders. Inayat Bunglawala, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, called the plan "ludicrous and completely unworkable". He added: "The move to English needs to happen as an evolutionary process. Many elderly worshippers cannot understand English."
At present, imams enter Britain under a special visa scheme for religious ministers, and need only basic English. Most preach in Urdu, an Asian language which many young British Muslims do not understand. As a result, according to Lord Ahmed, youths are increasingly turning to "Middle Eastern political preachers" who address followers in English but twist the words of the Koran, sparking disillusionment and anger.
A survey of 300 mosques by the BBC this month revealed that only 6 per cent of imams in Britain preach in English, while only 8 per cent were born in the UK. Shortly before stepping down as prime minister, Tony Blair introduced a voluntary scheme for imams to receive training in British language and culture. However, Lord Ahmed believes that compulsory controls are needed to thwart youths such as Mukhtar Said Ibrahim, the leader of the failed 21/7 London bombings in 2005, and Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. It emerged during their trials that both had been brainwashed by imams at Feltham Young Offenders Institution.
Lord Ahmed said: "You can't be 'wishy-washy' and implement English lessons voluntarily. They must be compulsory, like in Germany where all sermons have to be delivered in German."
Lord Ahmed, 50, who became Britain's first Muslim peer in 1998, said that the training could be funded by the Muslim community. He said: "Mosque committees have plenty of money - cost is not a problem. There is a willingness to do this amongst British Muslims. It is not a radical proposition to 95 per cent of the community, but certain self-interested parties, who also exclude women and children from mosques, portray it as a burden because their membership cannot speak English."
The Home Office tried to introduce a "Britishness" test for foreign-born imams in 2005 but scrapped it after protests from parts of the Muslim community.
Lord Ahmed spoke out after a meeting with Muhammed Abdul-Bari, the head of the Muslim Council of Britain. Mr Bari gave evidence this month to Lord Ahmed and other Muslim politicians as part of the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry into Tackling Extremism. Mr Bari said he did not recognise the problem of non-English speaking imams. He defended all-male mosques, and said the Government "could not ignore" the impact that its foreign policy had on creating home-grown terrorists.
Khalid Mahmood, the Muslim Labour MP who is the chairman of the inquiry, said that he was "deeply disappointed" with Mr Bari's comments and claimed the MCB was "hindering the fight against terrorism.
"Mr Bari's stance in blaming -foreign policy and domestic -conditions simply antagonises the situation. We are trying to move -forward and get a solution to this issue, while he is reverting to the same tired, old arguments," he said.
I like this guy. We need someone like him promoting American values tests over here.
Why thats not very PC now is it?
IMO, they wouldn't have to moderate their views, dress, or anything, and the leftists would flock to them. I firmly believe that leftists are only anti-religion when it comes to Christianity.
But, even in English the koran is a book of hate and calls for the expansion of Islam and the slaughtering of infidels.
Has he written a new Koran and new book of life (Sirat Rasul Allah) “life of Mohammad” ?
Muslims will get awful tired of reading the two pages of the koran left between the covers if all the hate is torn out.
Mohammed was a Pedophile
?
Gee. What a great role model.
There is only ONE koran, it cannot be abrogated. There is only ONE Sirat Rasul Allah, all that is known about Mohammad. it also cannot be abrogatted, changed in any way. If it was, If Mohammad is wrong, Islam can't exist since it all came from his mouth.
The message matters more than the language in which it’s delivered. Until the “religion of peace” becomes something other than an excuse to kill, it’s immaterial whether they yap about jihad in English or some other language.
why would a ton of people flock to a cult that preaches:
Qur'an:8:7 "Allah wished to confirm the truth by His words: ‘Wipe the infidels out to the last.'"
Ishaq:324 "He said, ‘Fight them so that there is no more rebellion, and religion, all of it, is for Allah only. Allah must have no rivals.'"
Tabari IX:69 "Killing disbelievers is a small matter to us."
Ishaq:489 "Do the bastards think that we are not their equal in fighting? We are men who think that there is no shame in killing."
Qur'an 2:191 "And kill them wherever you find and catch them. Drive them out from where they have turned you out; for Al-Fitnah (polytheism, disbelief, oppression) is worse than slaughter."
I'd like to think lefties aren't THAT insane. But if they are, well, too bad for them. I don't hate guns like they do.
You are being a little too kind in regards to Mohammad and his 6 year old bride.
He consummated his marriage when she was six as well. The sloppy cover up in Islamic text is easy to spot.
Nine year olds didn’t breast feed in Mohammad’s era. Plus Aisha’s parents were still living in Mecca at the time of consummation. Nine year old girls don’t get short of breath being led from a swing by their wet nurse into the house, where she was picked up and placed on Mohammad’s lap. Then he insane parents left the room/mud hut. Must have been an awful tiny nine year old.
Muslims like to claim Aisha was nine, but she wasn’t nine in Mecca at the time of “consummation”, she was nine in Medina years after Mohammad was kicked out of Mecca.
Yes, Bakahri had really abrogated the Aisha stuff. The truth is found in older works by Tabari, which Muslim hate us infidels having posession of.
You can order The Sirat Rasul Allah which was origionally written by Ibn Ishaq in 750 A.D. It was edited and abridged by Ibn Hisham in 830 and translated by Alfred Guillaume under the title, The Life of Muhammad for about $29 online.
Oh yea, it's Britain. Never mind.
L
Preach the normal jihadist stuff...just do it in English.
Jesus says, give unto me a child until he is 7, and he will be mine forever.
Muhammed also wants a child until he is 10, but has about a 95% tuition rate, compared to, say, 30% of Jesus'? No wonder they are advancing.
Just my two cents. Good Qur'an and Hadith references, by the way. Thanks.
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