There is no shortage of extremists ready to capitalise on the events in Syria to serve their own divisive agendas
In an article entitled, ‘Sectarian Hatred at the Heart of British Muslim community,’ The Times recently highlighted issues of sectarianism that have been bubbling in the UK for some time. These issues have been crystallised after the Syrian conflict which brought matters to a head.
The Times article highlighted a graffiti incident against a Bradford-based Shia institution that had the words ‘Shia Kaffirs’ sprayed across its entrance. TELL MAMA, the national anti-Muslim hate incident reporting project that I manage and founded, picked up this case within hours when a leading member of the British Muslim Shia community reported it into us.
The incident highlighted what many of us knew, that the Syrian conflict, combined with preachers in Muslim communities promoting anti-Shia rhetoric and a mixture of hatred towards Assad and his Shia backers (Hizbollah and Iran), were threatening to upset the fragile cohesion between both faith communities in the UK.
Whatever the driver for the Bradford incident, it was becoming patently obvious to us at TELL MAMA that there were some individuals in Yorkshire and the Midlands who were actively promoting anti-Shia rhetoric. In some instances these individuals have been quietly re-enforcing anti-Shia discussions fuelled by hatred towards Assad and the largely Shia-based military support network that is keeping his administration alive.
The first time I came across the Shia and Sunni fault-lines was in May 2013 whilst I was sitting in Edgware Road in central London. Prior to 2013, I had not seen much of a fissure between the communities, and there seemed to be an acceptance that they found common ground on issues such as Halal food preparation, countering anti-Muslim hatred, protecting places of worship etc.
However 2013 seemed to be a turning point for Sunni-Shia relations in the UK, as the Syrian war dragged on and Assad’s brutal repression of the mainly Sunni population started to appear on YouTube videos. Such readily available content no doubt fuelled public discussions in areas like Edgware Road.
I remember endless conversations taking place in the busy restaurants on this famous road which pitted family against family and business against business in endless arguments about the future of Syria, and about the future of Shia communities in Syria, Iraq and the Gulf.
Most conversations ended in a bout of shisha smoking, raised eyebrows and pats on the back, though it was clear that, however tentatively, positions were being taken and support bases tested. The conflict was beginning to have an impact here in the UK.
Sadly, there were people waiting to take advantage of these emerging religious and political divides. Keen to use any situation as an opportunity to promote extremism, Anjem Choudary and his motley crew descended on Edgware Road in July 2013.
Loudspeaker in hand, surrounded by young hotheads chanting anti-Assad and anti-Shia slogans, a few individuals decided that a group of men walking down Edgware Road were Shia. The resulting brutal assault on one of these men lead to over 10 separate cuts and bruises as he was mauled to the ground and hit with placards which Choudary’s group has previously used to demonstrate against the Egyptian Embassy in Mayfair.
A few days later, I met with the victim and he started to tell me his story. He was a Shia and he was married to a Sunni woman. His children would be influenced by both Islamic traditions and he lived his life on the basis that sectarianism was a cancer that had continued to damage Islam and Muslim communities.
He made clear to me that the attack on him was not something that he held against the Sunni community, and he saw the attack for what it was. He believed that extremist groups were using the war in Syria as a means of opening up Shia and Sunni fractures and this was one way in which Choudary and his group were trying to attract new followers.
The war in Syria has therefore acted as a catalyst for those seeking to create and build divisions within Muslim communities. These divisions have also been manipulated and used by extremist groups who believe that Shia communities are heretics who should be eradicated through force of arms.
Yet we must also acknowledge that there has always been a small section within Sunni communities who have always taken a theological position that Shia communities are non-believers. A handful of them have been active promoting this rhetoric in the UK since before the Syrian war.
Finally, some of the people that I meet in Muslim communities believe that there is no problem and that ‘outside forces’ are at work trying to divide Muslim communities in the UK. The only forces that I see are extremists from within who seek to divide and who relish violence and confrontation.
Sadly, as long as the war in Syria continues, the risk to the UK will remain. The least that we can do is to counter and confront those who seek to sow the seeds of hatred within, to create the conflicts of tomorrow.
Fiyaz Mughal is the director of Faith Matters and the founder of Tell Mama, a project which records and measures anti-Muslim incidents
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46 Responses to “Shia hatred is a real and dangerous issue in the UK”
anonymouse
There is no justification for any atrocity. However, you cannot possibly condemn Islamic atrocities without looking at the very same atrocities committed in the name of Jesus (or Judaism according to Deuteronomy). Remember what Jesus said, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” The Jesus I know is not as vindictive and hateful as the one you seem to know. The world would be a much better place if people like you really do follow his teachings for once instead of meeting injustice with more injustice. Grow up. You seem to be living in the same Dark Age as the Crusaders and the same hateful existence as extremist Muslims.
pyewacket
I’m flabbergasted. You are now using a straw man argument – an outright lie. I’ve stated numerous times that Jesus the historic figure was a pacifist and did not encourage his followers to kill. Where did I say that Christ was vindictive and hateful? I’ve said the exact opposite, but that not every Christian follows his example.
Unlike Mohammed, who killed many, Jesus killed no one. Clearly you are unable to read my posts, or you choose to misinterpret my words in order to justify a falsehood.
The Old Testament is indeed violent and would be as bad as slavish Islamism if people en mass were to take the texts literally. I’m a non-religious person looking at religion from a distance. From this distance I can see that the teachings of Christ (the New Testament) were fundamentally about forgiveness and non-violence. The Koran, in stark contrast, glorifies violence through its warlord prophet.
MahmudH
You’re quoting some messed up, rubbish translations. Lots of words there not in the original Arabic. Try the Free-Minds.org translation.
2:191 And kill them wherever you encounter them, and expel them from where they expelled you, and know that persecution is worse than being killed. And do not fight them at the Restricted Temple unless they fight you in it; if they fight you then kill them, thus is the recompense of the rejecters. 2:192 And if they cease, then God is Forgiving, Merciful. 2:193 And fight them so there is no more persecution, and so that the system is for God. If they cease, then there will be no aggression except against the wicked.
So yes, there is discussion of violence in the Quran, but it is in the context of fighting against persecution. I don’t know whether Jesus was actually a pacifist, I seriously doubt he was. But I generally view pacifism as an abdication of moral responsibility so I don’t view pacifist religions are morally mature.
pyewacket
Mahmud, all Muslims tell me this. Whatever translation I dig out, they will say its badly translated from Arabic – this includes those Muslims who can’t speak Arabic and have to refer to English translations of the Koran themselves!
I’d suggest that you try telling IS that they’ve got it all wrong. They insist on calling themselves Islamic and carry out the barbaric acts (and some) of Mohammed, as described in the Koran, Suras, Hadiths.
Whether or not Christ or Mo actually existed, the fact is the two religions of Christianity and Islam are founded on opposing principles: Christianity in essence is about peace and forgiveness. On the contrary, Islam is a warrior religion, inspired by the life and deeds of its warrior prophet.
Just because you think that Jesus wasn’t peaceful, changes absolutely nothing. What is important is that Christians believe that he was peaceful. Whereas Muslims believe that Mohammed was righteous in his violent acts. Clearly, this shapes the actions of followers.
MahmudH
Well, if all Muslims tell you that, maybe those violent quotes reflect your world view and not theirs.
I don’t have to tell ISIS anything. I’m not the one supplying them with money, weapons and training. That would be Saudi Arabia, a close ally of the USA and UK governments.
And who is fighting ISIS on the ground? Muslim Iraqis, Muslim Syrians, Muslim Kurds, Muslim Lebanese.
So who should explain their violent ideology and belief system? The countries allied to Saudi Arabia and therefore ISIS.