What it means to be British

By Babar Ahmad
2nd Dec 2005

What does it mean for a Muslim to be British? For some it means presenting your pink passport when you travel for Hajj or Umrah. For some it means wearing a Union Jackpatterned hijab. For some it means attending the annual Eid party at the House of Commons and drinking tea with ministers. And for others it means shaking Mr Policeman’s hand whenhe visits the local mosque as part of community relations.

What does it mean to me to be British? I was born and lived all my life in Britain. I completed all my education here. I obeyed the law. I worked, contributed to society and paid my taxes. I helped fundraise for disabled childrens charities and participated in diversity. I never studied under radical clerics or joined extremist groups. I never supported a terrorist attack on Britain, publicly or privately, even though Britain terrorises Muslims around the world. I thought I had a fair idea of what it means to be a British Muslim. But I was wrong.

On 02 December 2003, two years ago today, I found out what it really means to be British. To me, being British means being beaten up at 6 a.m. by a gang of racist British police officers, in front of my wife, in my own bedroom. To me, being British means being dragged around by handcuffs on my wrists like a dog on a leash. To me, being British means being placed in prostration and having my religion mocked by the same police officers who drink tea with mosque committees. To me, being British means having my Quran thrown onto the floor, my newly decorated house smashed up and my wedding gifts deliberately broken by British police officers.

To my wife (also British), being British means watching your husband being attacked by seven or eight fully armed and padded police officers until you think they are going to kill him. To my wife, being British means being handcuffed by police officers twice the size of you, for their safety. To my wife, being British means women police officers smirking and laughing at you whilst you are trembling in a distraught state.

To my sister-in-law (also British), being British means having your unborn baby murdered by police officers by miscarrying due to the terror of an anti-terror police raid. To my four year old nephew (also British), being British means having toys ripped open in order to protect National Security. (I wonder how British he will feel when he grows up ?)

What else does it mean to me to be British, to feel British and to feel part of Britain? It means bring strangled by police officers en-route to the police station until you think you are going to die. It means being punched, kicked and sworn at by the same police officers who remove their shoes out of respect when entering mosques to recruit spies amongst the Muslim community. It means suffering over 50 injuries including blood in your ears and urine, leaving permanent scars all over your body, including your face.

To me, being British is to have the police officers who tortured and terrorised me escape criminal prosecution, only to be formally "commended" for their "professionalism and bravery" by the same senior police officers who ask for "co-operation" from the Muslim community. To me, being British is to be locked up like a caged animal for over 16 months without charge or trial, facing extradition without evidence to a foreign country to
spend possibly the rest of my life behind bars. Moreover, this foreign countryhappens to be a nation that holds thousands of Muslims in torture camps around the world and is not ashamed to admit it.

Had being British really meant anything, the British Government would have protected British citizens from being plucked off the streets at the request of foreign countries, just like the German, Dutch, U.S. and French Governments protect their citizens.

The natural question thus arises: if I was born in Britain and lived all my life here but still cannot say that I belong here, then where do I belong? The answer is nowhere. I am a refugee. The writer and Islamic scholar Syed Qutb interestingly wrote in Milestones that the homeland of a Muslim is not necessarily the place where he was born or lives, but the land in which Allah Shariah is established and every Muslim feels secure. Since at present there is no land on earth in which Allah’s Shariah is established and every Muslim feels secure, every Muslim is without a homeland. Every Muslim is a stateless refugee. Every Muslim is a Palestinian.

Since the one with his hand in water is unlike the one with his hand in fire, you may not agree with my perception of Britishness as long as your hand remains in water, unlike my hand. I think today I have reached the conclusion on what it means to be British. The concepts of British Muslimand and British Islam are clever ploys to make the dog feel part of the family, when it is nothing more than a dog. It has taken me two years to come to this conclusion but I have reached it. Being British means nothing. Being a British Muslim means even less.


Babar Ahmad
MX5383
HMP Woodhill


Please make dua as Babar Ahmed is appealing against his extradition to the US (Guantanamo Bay?)

Long But Ok

Salam
My Alleigance is to Islam and Allah alone, Britain does not even begin to come into the equation. Im Muslim. Im not a 'British' Muslim. Yes, i hold a british passport and citizenship and yes i have held these since birth, but my loyalty and alleigance is to ISLAM and no other
Wassalam

Originally Posted by mizan_aliashraf

Salam
My Alleigance is to Islam and Allah alone, Britain does not even begin to come into the equation. Im Muslim. Im not a 'British' Muslim. Yes, i hold a british passport and citizenship and yes i have held these since birth, but my loyalty and alleigance is to ISLAM and no other
Wassalam

Salaam

Well said bro

Bara is a terror suspect accused of conspiring to commit terrorist attacks through a website, The extradition party has met the burden of proof necessary (even though its not very much as Britain does does not ask for prima facie).

This is done regardless of a person's ethnicity or religion, people of different ethnicities are extradited all the time.

What it means to be British



By Babar Ahmad 2nd Dec 2005



What does it mean for a Muslim to be British? For some it means presenting your pink passport when you travel for Hajj or Umrah. For some it means wearing a Union Jackpatterned hijab. For some it means attending the annual Eid party at the House of Commons and drinking tea with ministers. And for others it means shaking Mr Policeman’s hand whenhe visits the local mosque as part of community relations.



What does it mean to me to be British? I was born and lived all my life in Britain. I completed all my education here. I obeyed the law. I worked, contributed to society and paid my taxes. I helped fundraise for disabled childrens charities and participated in diversity. I never studied under radical clerics or joined extremist groups. I never supported a terrorist attack on Britain, publicly or privately, even though Britain terrorises Muslims around the world. I thought I had a fair idea of what it means to be a British Muslim. But I was wrong.



On 02 December 2003, two years ago today, I found out what it really means to be British. To me, being British means being beaten up at 6 a.m. by a gang of racist British police officers, in front of my wife, in my own bedroom. To me, being British means being dragged around by handcuffs on my wrists like a dog on a leash. To me, being British means being placed in

prostration and having my religion mocked by the same police officers who drink tea with mosque committees. To me, being British means having my Quran thrown onto the floor, my newly decorated house smashed up and my wedding gifts deliberately broken by British police officers.



To my wife (also British), being British means watching your husband being attacked by seven or eight fully armed and padded police officers until you think they are going to kill him. To my wife, being British means being handcuffed by police officers twice the size of you, for their safety. To my wife, being British means women police officers smirking and laughing at you whilst you are trembling in a distraught state.



To my sister-in-law (also British), being British means having your unborn baby murdered by police officers by miscarrying due to the terror of an anti-terror police raid. To my four year old nephew (also British), being British means having toys ripped open in order to protect National Security. (I wonder how British he will feel when he grows up ?)



What else does it mean to me to be British, to feel British and to feel part of Britain? It means bring strangled by police officers en-route to the police station until you think you are going to die. It means being punched, kicked and sworn at by the same police officers who remove their shoes out of respect when entering mosques to recruit spies amongst the Muslim community. It means suffering over 50 injuries including blood in your ears and urine,

leaving permanent scars all over your body, including your face.



To me, being British is to have the police officers who tortured and terrorised me escape criminal prosecution, only to be formally "commended" for their "professionalism and bravery" by the same senior police officers who ask for "co-operation" from the Muslim community. To me, being British is to be locked up like a caged animal for over 16 months without charge or trial, facing extradition without evidence to a foreign country to
spend possibly the rest of my life behind bars. Moreover, this foreign countryhappens to be a nation that holds thousands of Muslims in torture camps around the world and is not ashamed to admit it.



Had being British really meant anything, the British Government would have protected British citizens from being plucked off the streets at the request of foreign countries, just like the German, Dutch, U.S. and French Governments protect their citizens.



The natural question thus arises: if I was born in Britain and lived all my life here but still cannot say that I belong here, then where do I belong? The answer is nowhere. I am a refugee. The writer and Islamic scholar Syed Qutb interestingly wrote in Milestones that the homeland of a Muslim is not necessarily the place where he was born or lives, but the land in which Allah Shariah is established and every Muslim feels secure. Since at present there is no land on earth in which Allah’s Shariah is established and every Muslim feels secure, every Muslim is without a homeland. Every Muslim is a stateless refugee. Every Muslim is a Palestinian.



Since the one with his hand in water is unlike the one with his hand in fire, you may not agree with my perception of Britishness as long as your hand remains in water, unlike my hand. I think today I have reached the conclusion on what it means to be British. The

concepts of British Muslimand and British Islam are clever ploys to make the dog feel part of the family, when it is nothing more than a dog. It has taken me two years to come to this conclusion but I have reached it. Being British means nothing. Being a British Muslim means even less.



Babar Ahmad

MX5383

HMP Woodhill



Please make dua as Babar Ahmed is appealing against his extradition to the US (Guantanamo Bay?)

awwwwwww.. sis.. made me cry

salaam,

subhanAllah! may Allah reward him and his family! Ameen thumma ameen!

wassalam

ah this is so touchin

SubanAllah Allah ease his suffering...Oh those who beleive PLEASE engage in supplication for this brother...Allah save him from the torment of this world and the hereafter and give him a high rank in Jannah! Makes my blood boil when i see things like that, gets me sooo vex...being british? means nothing SubhanAllah! WalaykumAsalaam x

Threads MERGED.

Plz make a search b4 posting a new thread.

salam
mashallah such a touching article
jazakallah for sharing
ameen
wasalam

This account is written in a very emotional way, and I cannot help but think that it is intended to whip up emotions amongst the Muslim community.

The fact is, that such raids could happen to anybody - anybody who is suspected to be involved in terrorist or criminal activites, drug dealing and the like.
These raids are done to protect the population from criminals. Whether the people targeted are British or not, is not the point.

I do not wish this kind of thing on anybody, and my heart goes out to the family. I cannot think of anything more scary than being subjected to a dawn raid in such a manner. But if people are suspected criminals or terrorists, the police has to act. Surely that's what the police are there for.
If your next door neighbour was a suspected drug dealer, you would want the police to take action ... wouldn't you?

Try and consider this, before you jump on the emotional bandwagon and shout down the British authorities.

Peace.

Originally Posted by glo

This account is written in a very emotional way, and I cannot help but think that it is intended to whip up emotions amongst the Muslim community.

The fact is, that such raids could happen to anybody - anybody who is suspected to be involved in terrorist or criminal activites, drug dealing and the like.
These raids are done to protect the population from criminals. Whether the people targeted are British or not, is not the point.

I do not wish this kind of thing on anybody, and my heart goes out to the family. I cannot think of anything more scary than being subjected to a dawn raid in such a manner. But if people are suspected criminals or terrorists, the police has to act. Surely that's what the police are there for.
If your next door neighbour was a suspected drug dealer, you would want the police to take action ... wouldn't you?

Try and consider this, before you jump on the emotional bandwagon and shout down the British authorities.

Peace.

Salaam

They have done this to my brother he's innocent our dua's should be with babar ahmed.

May my dear brother get his reward for his struggle for his trouble for his strife. Ameen!