Most Muslims believe UK laws are biased - Report

[sonz]

The majority of UK Muslims feel that British laws are biased and that the country’s legal system is unfair, according to a recent report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC).

The report, based on the findings of a nationwide survey and a qualitative questionnaire, showed that less than a quarter of Muslims felt that their needs were recognized under British law, according to IRNA news agency.

Three quarters of those surveyed stated that the British legal system was unfair and criticized the country’s “anti-terrorism” legislation.

About 85% also think that British laws are biased, and about 65% believe that there was no specific protection for Muslims under the law.

However, the report also showed contrasting results with an overwhelming 91% of respondents stating that they respect British laws.

The nationwide survey of 1,125 Muslims and answers from about 47 qualitative questionnaires was carried out as part of a report on 'Law and British Muslims: Domination of the Majority or Process of the Balance.'

The report highlights the need for better understanding between Muslims and the government, and stresses the promotion of better laws and practices.

One of the authors of the report, Arzu Merali said the findings showed "not only do Muslims have a sophisticated understanding of the law and parliamentary structure, they believe in bettering not rejecting a system they can demonstrate discriminates against them."

"To deny them that voice only confirms the perception that Muslims are second-class citizens. If this government is serious about radical reform and change in the name of a better society it needs to listen to the views expressed and engage with them," Merali said.

"To simply ignore people's expectations is simply to remove government from the will of the people even further," she warned.

The IHRC report came after a government-backed study showed that the majority of the UK's 1.8 million Muslims face some of the most acute conditions of multiple deprivation.

AlJazeera

 

[KAding]

About 85% also think that British laws are biased, and about 65% believe that there was no specific protection for Muslims under the law.

Why would there need to be 'specific protection' for Muslims in the law? :s

 

[Trumble]

Why would there need to be 'specific protection' for Muslims in the law? :s

Indeed. Muslims have the same rights under British law as anybody else, Christian, atheist, Sikh, Hindu or whatever.

 

[Nicola]

About 85% also think that British laws are biased, and about 65% believe that there was no specific protection for Muslims under the law.

I don't have any either.......lol

 

[searchingsoul]

I'm curious what the British Muslims use to formulate the opinion that their laws are biased.

 

[Daffodil]

Why would there need to be 'specific protection' for Muslims in the law? :s

u kidding me?

 

[Dawud_uk]

Indeed. Muslims have the same rights under British law as anybody else, Christian, atheist, Sikh, Hindu or whatever.

jews and christians can open up schools and easily get public funding, muslims find this almost impossible. jews and christians get special recognition, muslims dont.

as we saw from the shabina begum case muslims are not allowed to obey the rules of their religion even at school and i know many schools where they are finding it very difficult to find anywhere to pray.

i have seen personally through past involvement in politics before becoming a muslim that muslims get a bad deal from local councils and they use every power they can such as planning regulations to make their life a misery and hassle them.

it has come to the point where imams in the mosques are hassled and arrested even for making d'ua (supplication) for the victory of the muslims around the world in those conflicts.

the 9/11 and 7/7 anti terror laws have been specifically set up to target muslims.

the police stop and search rules target muslims, especially practicing ones where as everyone knows the people who did these things shaved off their beards and looked like westernised immigrants.

so if they know this and still target practicing muslims why is this?
can only be for public perception, to make it look to the rest of the public like they are giving the muslims a hard time.

 

[Trumble]

u kidding me?

Why should muslims in the UK get special "protection" unavailable to anybody else? The are laws that deal with racism, religious prejudice, inciting hatred etc already.

P.S. The best of luck with the baby, I hope everything goes well with you.

the 9/11 and 7/7 anti terror laws have been specifically set up to target muslims.

No, they were set up to target terrorists. They would apply equally to, say, the IRA, if they returned to violence. At present, though, the primary terrorist threat to the UK is from muslim radicals, like it or not.

the police stop and search rules target muslims, especially practicing ones where as everyone knows the people who did these things shaved off their beards and looked like westernised immigrants.

Not so long ago the accusation was that blacks were targeted by stop-and-search, not muslims. Under law, however they should not target any religious or racial groups, so if such abuse occurs it can be prevented by ensuring the existing laws are correctly applied, not by bringing in new ones. What are you suggesting, a stop-and-search law that prohibits its application to muslims?

 

[Dawud_uk]

Why should muslims in the UK get special "protection" unavailable to anybody else? The are laws that deal with racism, religious prejudice, inciting hatred etc already.

when the police are the very ones hassling the muslims for looking like they are practicing their faith,

when the courts more often than not side with the non-muslim against the muslim in civil law,

and when the government and council do everything they can to make things difficult for muslims then perhaps you will see why.

 

[Silver Pearl]

jews and christians can open up schools and easily get public funding, muslims find this almost impossible. jews and christians get special recognition, muslims dont.

as we saw from the shabina begum case muslims are not allowed to obey the rules of their religion even at school and i know many schools where they are finding it very difficult to find anywhere to pray.

i have seen personally through past involvement in politics before becoming a muslim that muslims get a bad deal from local councils and they use every power they can such as planning regulations to make their life a misery and hassle them.

it has come to the point where imams in the mosques are hassled and arrested even for making d'ua (supplication) for the victory of the muslims around the world in those conflicts.

the 9/11 and 7/7 anti terror laws have been specifically set up to target muslims.

the police stop and search rules target muslims, especially practicing ones where as everyone knows the people who did these things shaved off their beards and looked like westernised immigrants.

so if they know this and still target practicing muslims why is this?
can only be for public perception, to make it look to the rest of the public like they are giving the muslims a hard time.

:wasalamex

That does not mean we suddenly need law of protection, we don't need humans such as ourselves protecting us. Firstly regardless of law, they can still do as they please. We should be seeking protection from only Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Although i do understand where you're coming from and have been subjected to inappropriate abuse by ignorant non-muslims myself it has not changed my stance.

We muslims know we're the victims and really it is our fault in the first place. We should take responsibility, learn our deen, and get through hardship as means of test.

Muslims come across as moaning good-for-nothing and its time we got over that.

As for Shabina's case, the sister chose to cause havoc when she could have easily transferred to another school which permits jilbab. Muslims don't exactly make it easy for themselves.

Education and Islam is the only protection we need and should ever ask for.

So for me, i don't see why muslims should be treated specially. We are but humans and Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) shall give us all our earned 3mal.

My 2 cent

 

[HeiGou]

as we saw from the shabina begum case muslims are not allowed to obey the rules of their religion even at school and i know many schools where they are finding it very difficult to find anywhere to pray.

That is not what I saw from the Shabina Begun case. What I saw was the wife of the Prime Minister, at vast expense to the British taxpayer, fight hard for Ms Begum's right to overturn her schools policies. She ultimately failed, but at no point did anyone deny her her right to obey the rules of her religion at school. That particular school drew up a uniform for Muslimas based on consultation with the local Muslim community. They thought it was religiously acceptable, but Ms Begum's brother did not. Two other near-by schools did allow the jilbab, but Ms Begum wanted to fight her own school. And all along the British tax payer paid vast sums of money to support her right to fight for her legal rights in Court.

I call that a triumph of British moderation and support for Muslim rights. Why do you think otherwise?

it has come to the point where imams in the mosques are hassled and arrested even for making d'ua (supplication) for the victory of the muslims around the world in those conflicts.

Which Imam has been arrested for praying for victory for Muslims in conflicts around the world? And do you think it is acceptable for Muslims to pray for the defeat of Britain's friends? Or to put it another way, if a non-Muslim in Muhammed's time at Medina prayed for the defeat of the Muslims, would the Muslims have been justified in putting him to death?

 

[KAding]

u kidding me?

I most certainly am not. The idea of specific laws to protect specific sections of society is completely contrary to the principles of the justice system and the rule of law.

Laws must apply to everyone equally, regardless of religion, race, political beliefs, etc... Everyone must be equal before the law.

Personally I also believe that freedom of religion must be abolished, since freedom of thought and freedom of association already covers religions without excluding atheists and agnostics.

 

[KAding]

when the police are the very ones hassling the muslims for looking like they are practicing their faith,

when the courts more often than not side with the non-muslim against the muslim in civil law,

and when the government and council do everything they can to make things difficult for muslims then perhaps you will see why.

If this is true then the implementation of the law is flawed, not the law itself.

 

[Trumble]

If this is true then the implementation of the law is flawed, not the law itself.

Exactly. Any police, beaurocrats or elected officials found to have flouted the law and discriminated against muslims should be disciplined, fired, or barred from office as appropriate. No new law is needed to do that.

 

[Dawud_uk]

Exactly. Any police, beaurocrats or elected officials found to have flouted the law and discriminated against muslims should be disciplined, fired, or barred from office as appropriate. No new law is needed to do that.

lol, yeah right.

i do not necessarily agree that special laws are the answer, i am just pointing out how silly it is to suggest we all have equal protection under the law when the guardians of such are completely biased.

would be like a jew going to complain of his shop windows being smashed in nazi germany, ok we havent got to that level yet but the principle is the same.

he would be laughed at, here they will make a song and dance of equality before the law but it doesnt work that way.

 

[Woodrow]

The majority of UK Muslims feel that British laws are biased and that the country’s legal system is unfair, according to a recent report by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC).

The report, based on the findings of a nationwide survey and a qualitative questionnaire, showed that less than a quarter of Muslims felt that their needs were recognized under British law, according to IRNA news agency.

Three quarters of those surveyed stated that the British legal system was unfair and criticized the country’s “anti-terrorism” legislation.

About 85% also think that British laws are biased, and about 65% believe that there was no specific protection for Muslims under the law.

However, the report also showed contrasting results with an overwhelming 91% of respondents stating that they respect British laws.

The nationwide survey of 1,125 Muslims and answers from about 47 qualitative questionnaires was carried out as part of a report on 'Law and British Muslims: Domination of the Majority or Process of the Balance.'

The report highlights the need for better understanding between Muslims and the government, and stresses the promotion of better laws and practices.

One of the authors of the report, Arzu Merali said the findings showed "not only do Muslims have a sophisticated understanding of the law and parliamentary structure, they believe in bettering not rejecting a system they can demonstrate discriminates against them."

"To deny them that voice only confirms the perception that Muslims are second-class citizens. If this government is serious about radical reform and change in the name of a better society it needs to listen to the views expressed and engage with them," Merali said.

"To simply ignore people's expectations is simply to remove government from the will of the people even further," she warned.

The IHRC report came after a government-backed study showed that the majority of the UK's 1.8 million Muslims face some of the most acute conditions of multiple deprivation.

AlJazeera

Important sentence from above:

However, the report also showed contrasting results with an overwhelming 91% of respondents stating that they respect British laws.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------The above report merely deals with the way Muslims feel about the laws. It does not show that they feel exempt from them. The majority will abide by them, although they do not like them. These were questions asking for opinions and they got honest answers.

We all have opinions about everything, that does not mean we will enforce our wishes upon others.