Inayat Bunglawala
Encyclopedia
Inayat Bunglawala is media secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain
.
He has written articles for The Times
, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian
, Daily Express
, The Observer
and The Sun
focusing on Islam
and current affairs. He is an activist for Islamist concerns and joined The Young Muslims UK
in 1987. He is also a co-presenter of the weekly 'Politics and Media Show' on the Islam Channel (SKY 813).
are often quoted in the press. He often discusses matters of religion as well as politics.
, he was selected as one of seven "conveners" for a Home Office task force with responsibilities for tackling extremism among young Muslim
s. He rejects these accusations as "traditional Zionist tactic" aimed to "silence critics of Israel", as he's a outspoken defender of what he feels is Israeli oppression of the Palestinians. Their proposals included:
Inayat Bunglawala said: "“Extremism in all of its manifestations is a dangerous affliction that has to be tackled in a forthright manner. We believe that this proposal of a National Forum against Extremism and Islamophobia will provide a platform for Muslim communities around the country to openly discuss their concerns about the activities of extremists and Islamophobes and to also work in partnership with the authorities in helping build a safer society for all of us. One of our additional key objectives is to make it easier for young Muslims to obtain access to mainstream Islamic teachings in the English language which robustly oppose extremist ideology and their malignant misinterpretation of Islam”.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said in response: "I am grateful to the working groups for drawing up such constructive ideas. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with Muslim communities and supporting the work that they are undertaking.”
under the new UK anti-terror laws. Bunglawala sees Ahmed Yassin
as a renowned Islamic scholar and refuses to oust the Muslim Association of Britain
from the Muslim Council.
In January 1993, Bunglawala wrote a letter to Private Eye
, a satirical magazine, in which he called the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman
"courageous". After Rahman's arrest on charges of masterminding the bombing of the World Trade Center
in New York in July that year, Mr Bunglawala guessed that it was only because of his "calling on Muslims to fulfil their duty to Allah and to fight against oppression and oppressors everywhere". Five months before the September 11, 2001 attacks
, Bunglawala also circulated writings of Osama bin Laden, whom he called a "freedom fighter", to hundreds of Muslims in Britain
. He strongly objects to the use of the phrase "Islamic terrorism," and demands that Osama bin Laden be described not as an "Islamic" or "Islamist" terrorist but as an "international" one.
On December 13, 2008, Bunglawala was taken into custody following a violent confrontation at his home with an intruder, who was stabbed during the early-morning scuffle. On March 17, 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service
said they would not take any action against Bunglawala.
Muslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
.
He has written articles for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
focusing on Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and current affairs. He is an activist for Islamist concerns and joined The Young Muslims UK
The Young Muslims UK
The Young Muslims UK was established in 1984 and is due to celebrate its 25th Anniversary in 2009. It became the youth wing of the Islamic Society of Britain in 1990, aiming to "provide a vehicle for committed young British Muslims to combine their knowledge, skills and efforts for the benefit of...
in 1987. He is also a co-presenter of the weekly 'Politics and Media Show' on the Islam Channel (SKY 813).
Work
Inayat's views as media secretary for the Muslim Council of BritainMuslim Council of Britain
The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...
are often quoted in the press. He often discusses matters of religion as well as politics.
Tackling Extremism Together
Despite accusations of anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
, he was selected as one of seven "conveners" for a Home Office task force with responsibilities for tackling extremism among young Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. He rejects these accusations as "traditional Zionist tactic" aimed to "silence critics of Israel", as he's a outspoken defender of what he feels is Israeli oppression of the Palestinians. Their proposals included:
- A national Advisory Council of Imams and Mosques: This would: advise mosques on how to prevent them being used by extremists; on how to reduce their reliance on using ministers of religion from abroad; set standards; and increase the cohesion and leadership skills of imams.
- A national forum against extremism and Islamophobia: This independent initiative would: provide a regular forum for a diverse range of members of the British Muslim community to discuss issues relating to tackling Islamophobia and extremism that impacts on the Muslim community; involve both respected scholars and community activists in addition to others; and have access to Government in order to share outcomes and understandings.
- A country-wide ‘roadshow’ of influential, populist religious scholars: This would: expound the concept of Islam in the West and condemning extremism.
Inayat Bunglawala said: "“Extremism in all of its manifestations is a dangerous affliction that has to be tackled in a forthright manner. We believe that this proposal of a National Forum against Extremism and Islamophobia will provide a platform for Muslim communities around the country to openly discuss their concerns about the activities of extremists and Islamophobes and to also work in partnership with the authorities in helping build a safer society for all of us. One of our additional key objectives is to make it easier for young Muslims to obtain access to mainstream Islamic teachings in the English language which robustly oppose extremist ideology and their malignant misinterpretation of Islam”.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke said in response: "I am grateful to the working groups for drawing up such constructive ideas. We look forward to continuing the dialogue with Muslim communities and supporting the work that they are undertaking.”
Political Views
- Inayat has commented that many Muslims believed the UK's involvement in wars against Afghanistan and Iraq were a "key contributory factor in the radicalisation" of some young Muslims, but added: "extremists often paint a very unfair picture of the West. We all benefit from freedoms and opportunities here that are not exactly plentiful in many Muslim countries."
- He has been a strong critic of U.S. foreign policy, saying: "“The US government needs to demonstrate that it is prepared to be more even-handed in its relations with Muslims and Muslim countries.” Regarding the torture of Iraqis at Abu GhraibAbu GhraibThe city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
by U.S. soldiers, he said: "“I think this type of activity by U.S. forces will only further anger the Muslim population of Iraq."
Controversies
He opposes the banning of Hizb ut-TahrirHizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni. pan-Islamic political organisation but keeps it open for all including shias,some of its beliefs are against sunni school of thought, whose goal is for all Muslim countries to unify as an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph...
under the new UK anti-terror laws. Bunglawala sees Ahmed Yassin
Ahmed Yassin
Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin was a founder of Hamas, an Islamist Palestinian paramilitary organization and political party. Yassin also served as the spiritual leader of the organization...
as a renowned Islamic scholar and refuses to oust the Muslim Association of Britain
Muslim Association of Britain
The Muslim Association of Britain is an Islamic organisation in the United Kingdom established in 1997.-Anti-war activities:Along with Stop the War Coalition and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, it has co-sponsored various demonstrations against the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq...
from the Muslim Council.
In January 1993, Bunglawala wrote a letter to Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, a satirical magazine, in which he called the blind Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman , commonly known in the United States as "The Blind Sheikh", is a blind Egyptian Muslim leader who is currently serving a life sentence at the Butner Medical Center which is part of the Butner Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina, United...
"courageous". After Rahman's arrest on charges of masterminding the bombing of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
in New York in July that year, Mr Bunglawala guessed that it was only because of his "calling on Muslims to fulfil their duty to Allah and to fight against oppression and oppressors everywhere". Five months before the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, Bunglawala also circulated writings of Osama bin Laden, whom he called a "freedom fighter", to hundreds of Muslims in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He strongly objects to the use of the phrase "Islamic terrorism," and demands that Osama bin Laden be described not as an "Islamic" or "Islamist" terrorist but as an "international" one.
On December 13, 2008, Bunglawala was taken into custody following a violent confrontation at his home with an intruder, who was stabbed during the early-morning scuffle. On March 17, 2009, the Crown Prosecution Service
Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
said they would not take any action against Bunglawala.