Beautiful warm day the other day. Stepped out in my suit heading out to meet Musa at London Bridge, and on to meet Rachel at the Quilliam Foundation event in The British Museum. I got togged up in a suit mainly to make Musa laugh but also I must confess to feel a little less out of place at what looked like it was going to be a very posh event.
"How do I look?" I asked a girl down my street on the way out.
"To be honest the facial jewellery looks more frightening in contrast to the suit than it would to your normal clothes..."
With that ringing endorsement I was on my way.
I met up with Musa as planned to find he had been warned about the Quilliam Foundation by Muslims he knew and that he had been seriously considering giving it a miss. I told him for totally different reasons I was uncomfortable at these sort of things, and was glad that he had decided to come. Musa agreed it would be good to find out for himself what Quilliam was all about as he had been invited and we sort of decided we would keep shtum and just watch.
Rachel was waiting for us outside the Museum, relaxed in bright sunshine. Inside there was a large group of people waiting on the left of the main hall and it became apparent that we had just walked in with one of the stars of the show. I was hoping some of the Muslim's I have met over the years might be there but I didn't recognise anyone. It was really hard to read the crowd. Quite a lot of media columnists, a lot of sombre looking professional Muslim journalists and a very small number of women in Muslim dress. I was glad I was wearing my suit.
Standing in the middle of the crowd were Daniel Sandford from the BBC and Angus Walker from ITN both of whom we had met in Belmarsh courts and at the BBC. Angus straight away launched into how he had been haranguing his newsroom in very sarcastic terms to do a positive story about Islam for once. He stated that on all his stories he deemed it important to talk about terrorists as criminals and not attach them to the word "Muslim".
I like Angus, he always makes me feel comfortable. Rachel told me after that they are great pals and call each other for a gossip all the time. Trouble is, when someone makes me feel comfortable it all comes out.
"Tell me seriously David. Do you really think ITN is worse than the BBC News?"
"Seriously? It looks like it is made by coke heads."
He checked that that was what I was saying.
"I mean, the BBC looks only marginally better. It looks brash and full of itself and they talk in a really puffed up excitable manner about extremism, it all just looks like it has cocaine involved in it. The whole of television looks laced with cocaine to me, I mean at the other end the children's presenters are actually caught with the stuff and die from association with it..."
I told him about how important I thought it was for America's to see A Life in Hashistan, as I thought Chris Turner, a normal American guy with a thirty year knowledge of the Pashtun people had the ability to explain Afghanistan to the US no one else had at this critical time. I rambled on about dogfighting, people going after mountain lions armed only with a strong felt coat and traveling Malungs filling up pipes with huge rocks of dope. A few people round us were laughing but afterwards I was mortified that it looked like I had come up to these people screaming "DRUGS!!!!DRUGS!!!!" in their faces.
Musa and I went on to talk about our “Atilla Ahmet football manager” campaign and about his eight seasons undefeated coaching a schoolboy team. He told us to get on to the Football Foundation who worked in prisons. (I haven't contacted them yet, I've heard back from Arsenal who aren't able to help...) We all agreed that Football was a language a lot of British street style Muslims would respond to.
It took a long time to get downstairs, Musa had a bit of trouble which was quickly sorted when a girl came up saying it was she who had sent the email inviting him. While Rachel was being interviewed by CNN and everyone else a few journalists spoke to Musa and got his contact details and we filmed this:
When we eventually got into the lecture theatre we ended up sitting right in the middle. It all looked really slick and expensive and it was very hot under the lights. After the introduction came some five minute speeches from invited guests including Rachel and Jemima Khan. Musa looked really stern holding his hands firmly on the arm rests as everyone around us politely clapped. In a bit of solidarity with Musa I had decided I wouldn't clap until I had heard anyone speak in a language the guys I met outside Finsbury park would be able to relate to. Musa eventually heard what he had expected to hear. Someone talking in worrying terms about making a "British Islam".
"There is only one Islam." he said seriously. "If I say anything these people'll think Rachel has brought along an extremist.."
I laughed imagining the reaction to this "Brother of Atilla".
The only time Musa looked with anything but discomfort was during Jemima's speech when she said she was bringing up her kids to pray five times a day.
"Mashallah!" said Mus.
We joined in clapping Rachel who delivered her speech with her fathers eloquent preaching in the blood. I'd like to see her dad in action for comparison. Ducking outside into the sunshine for a bit so I could have a smoke we had a frank discussion. We spoke about Muslim's who would critisise him for the way he dressed. In the same way these are Muslim's he has critisism's of. We agreed that the most important thing was whether their heart was in the right place about what they are doing and that people don't judge each other. If we are all here looking for ways to stop people blowing up then we should do that, which can involve critisism's made in a constructive manner. Musa seemed a bit more at ease.
Many people judge Hamza for instance, I said. But they don't know him. I saw him preach loudly against randomly bombing in this country for a year. That's what I saw. But I don't know him. In the same way we don't know these people. You have to speak to people for a long while to feel you really know them, like I had done with his brother.
"Yeah" said Musa, "The sisters criticize Jemima Khan saying she puts it about a bit, but I don't think that makes her a kaffir. (apparently if your are Muslim you are meant to hide your sinning) I mean, if someone takes drugs they are still a Muslim and we should encourage them and I will tell the brothers and sisters that."
"What do you think Atilla would make of it?" I asked.
Musa didn't know. I don't think either of us could see Atilla as part of this, yet we could both see that to seriously make some headway into tackling extremism at ground level Atilla could reach people none of this lot would stand a chance of reaching. I remember thinking I would love to set Atilla on these people with a camera rolling when he got out of Belmarsh but I would be scared that he'd go straight back in again. Maybe they could have him on day release. Hey, that's a good idea for the Quilliam foundation. They like winning debates, they should get some of the brothers out of jail. Can you imagine Hamid taking this lot on? Now that would be an interesting debate. I am still trying to track down tapes of Hamid in action at Speaker's Corner. Obviously I haven't seen the new reformed Atilla. I suppose for whatever reason I am more comfortable with the crazier Islamists than these intellectual ones.
I confessed to Musa that I really missed all the pure nuttiness of Finsbury park. I thought that while Hamza was shouting loudly about not blowing up in this country, the Police had an opportunity to watch people who came and went and the situation worked for everyone except the tabloids. It was an outlet for some serious pressure and although it was bizarre, and a lot of things were said that I disagreed with, it was also just normal legal British protest. I could have filmed there for years. It was ridiculous.
We went back in to catch the debate chaired by Angus Walker. It was really boring. I've emailed Angus apologising for not joining in. I really wanted to tell these people that why I thought I could level with "Islamic extremists" looking the way I do was because I very vocally agreed that the reasons a lot of Iraqis were lying down now who shouldn't be was totally that they had been shocked and awed by a brainwashing, extremist ideology which we had to counter. I wanted to make a commitment to these people that if they sorted the Islamic end out the rest of us would sort our end out. Who's with me?
I wanted to say "Rachel, you are a proper lefty like me; Come on Angus! You are up for a laugh- How does the panel feel about the idea of revolution?"
On a more serious note I wanted to tell these people that the Muslim's I know just think that speaking out about injustice will get them arrested. The louder they shout and the longer the beard the quicker their front doors will be knocked down in the night. Simple.
I didn't say any of this. Maybe I have got these people wrong. I've since read a bit of Ed Hussain and most of his views about foreign policy are similar to mine. It just looked to me like the sort of people who could communicate with enthusiastic bodies eager to pay for this sort of thing but not the sort who could communicate with the Muslim's I had met in Finsbury park. It was all about countering extremist Islam and nothing about seriously countering extremist capitalism like it wasn't there. Unless I am profoundly mistaken there are relatively few Muslims who would mean us harm in this country. The rest of us are hopelessly up to our necks in extremist Capitalism. We can't move without it. To be fair I missed out on the American guy who said some good things at the Doha debates and I didn't get to discuss any of this with anyone after.
Rachel collected us on her way out of the lecture theatre. Angus came up with Rachel and I asked him what he thought of the event.
“Well they are preaching to the converted here a bit really aren't they.” he said carefully. “Let's see what they do.”
Musa had grown nervous that the invite had said there were no prayer facilities. We had been pacing around outside as he had already missed one prayer and needed to make amends. He feared that if he got down and prayed in the lobby that someone would try and stop him. I tried to reassure him that no one would stop a Muslim praying at an Islamic event. When Rachel realised what was happening she quickly and without fuss got directions to the nearest mosque from someone nearby and we left her networking. I often find it amusing that the 7/7 guys have managed to bomb someone who is so natural at London style PR. I am enjoying seeing what she does with it.
When we returned the event was over and we met Rachel outside a cafe in Museum street. Musa had been nervous about what to say to her as we walked back, but when I had picked up some fruit juices I found him speaking confidently and simply about his concerns. Rachel advised him to write to the Quilliam Foundation and to see what they said. This was an ongoing process. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown came by and introduced herself to Rachel and complemented her on her speech. I don't think she noticed us.
“She slags of bloggers doesn't she?” I asked Rachel as she left.
Musa went on to tell us how he had tried to get into the Sates in 2002 to marry someone. He had gone though a European Airport where he was tapped on the shoulder by an American who refused his onward journey claiming he was on a watch list. He pleaded his case and saw the guy go over to take a telephone call. Whoever was on the other end said something which made his face turn like he was sucking a lemon. The guy came back.
“It is you. Musa Ahmet. We are putting you back on a plane to the UK. You should be banned from aeroplanes throughout Europe.”
When he got back to the UK he said there were Police lined up along the walls with two plain clothes detectives waiting at the end. They wanted to know why he was on a watch list in the States and not here in the UK. He was as clueless as they were. They kept him for a few hours and then let him go. Rachel listened to all this and said that it was a good example of why we should go about raising his media profile. The articles in the Times and the Mirror would help. There might be ways to go further.
We parted company with Rachel and wove our way through Covent Garden to the House of Commons to attend a Caged Prisoner's event. Neither of us realised that the public were even allowed in the House of Commons and expected heavy security and Police attention. The guy at the public entrance greeted us with a huge smile and complimented me on my piercings.
“I can't have that in this job, not visible ones anyway..” he confided.
Walking through the chambers of the house we gazed up in awe at the architecture and gilded pictures. We found committee room eight where the event was to take place and waited outside until Musa had enough and led everyone in. There was a lovely view across the Thames through the window. Not a lot of people were there. George Galloway came in kissing a baby. We found out afterwards that the baby was actually his. Jeremy Corbyn arrived as did Yvonne Ridley, Mozam Begg and a very interesting guy from the Green Party. Gareth Pierce joined them later.
I know we take the piss out of Galloway a bit on Socialistwanker but sitting listening to him talking seriously about the plight of Muslim's in this country stopped my sniggering, as did the resounding introductions of his fellow panellists. Mozam Begg spoke about children with parents on control orders who couldn't do their homework properly because they were denied internet access. He was totally convinced that it was this sort of action that radicalised people. The Green party guy said some interesting stuff about how during the Foot and Mouth epidemic it had become apparent to him that the mechanisms of a Police state were already there. He also said that The Government were using anti terror laws against other non Islamic groups with Political grievances at the behest of the Turkish government.
Gareth Pierce spoke about her work representing Muslim's the government were trying to deport. She said conditions in this country weren't as bad as in Guantanamo but that detaining people and trying them without allowing them to access the charges against them was driving them mad. A lot of them ended up in Broadmoor. Jeremy talked about the underhanded way extensions to the amount of time a person could be detained were pushed through by Government. Yvonne said that as she passed Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary with Mozam Begg. She had recognised who he was and had looked down in shame. I think it was Galloway who reassured everyone that people would remember Mozam Begg and what had happened to him long after Jacqui Smith had disappeared from public life.
As questions were opened it became apparent that there were a number of “9/11 truthers” in the audience. The first couple of people inevitably made speeches rather than asking questions. The last question was from a truther who asked if the panel would discuss the ramifications of the whole War on Terror being built on a lie. As usual with these sort of things the panellists studiously avoided answering until they were prompted again by the questioner who claimed to be a structural engineer. The panellists all gave what they hoped would sound like very general non committal answers.
Afterwards the guy handed round flyers for BBC5.TV and said to someone from caged prisoners that if they supported them, they should expect support in return. No one was impolite enough to say that they didn't believe 9/11 conspiracies but it was pretty evident that was the case. Outside the chamber the obviously zealous guy tried to recruit a passing Policeman who was eager to close up. He accused the people inside of being a “Bunch of intellectuals”.
We left, tired from our adventure and made our way to the tube. These Italian shoes might look nice but they are not made for walking and my feet were killing me. They still are. I told Musa that it was really nice that he and his brother had always been rock solid with me, and that it was nice to have so much fun without having a drink.
“It may have not always been apparent but my brother always liked you.” he answered.
We agreed that without each other we would have found the day really uncomfortable. We had been to a posh media launch at the British Museum and The House of Commons in one day. Writing this a couple of days later I've had the chance to read some of Ed Hussain's work, particularly this in The Independent. He knows what he is talking about doesn't he. Like Rachel, his experiences have put him on a zealous mission. Although I have been critical of the flavour of what I saw I am conscious that we were included as guests when a lot of MPs who wanted to be there were turned away. I have no idea if I will get a chance to speak to any of these people or if I could say anything to help. Obviously we will be discussing all this with some guys ex of Finsbury park to see what they say. My whole experience with all this makes me feel more like a Malung as the years go by. Not being a Muslim I have no theological argument with Ed Hussain. As I say, I don't know any of them. I will be very interested to see what Quilliam does.
I am ploughing through all these articles and will comment on them later..
Sunny Hundal in The Guardian and on Pickled Politics
Quilliam Foundation- Extremism Challenged (Harry's Place)
To lionise former extremists feeds anti-Muslim prejudice (Guardian)
It is ludicrous to dismiss us as neocon former extremists (Guardian)
Jemima receives threats in cyberspace (Hindustan Times)
Think tank to counter extremism (BBC)
All mod cons (Observer)
Jemima Khan backs reformed jihadists (Times Online)
Extremism is going unchallenged(New Statesman)
Muslim plan to tackle extremists (Guardian)
Ex-radicals challenge Muslims to shun extremism (Reuters)
"Quilliam Exposed" blog
First Post
UPDATE: Its all over the blogsphere
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