News:

When someone who usually does not ask about making Hijra, starts asking whether it is time to make Hijra from the UK, you know that they are really feeling the heat. The last week, indeed, the last few months has seen what seems like an unprecedented barrage of attacks on Islam and Muslims here. Just as Muslims are reacting to one issue, a media storm explodes over another issue painting Muslims as barbaric, ‘extremists' taking over schools, oppressing women and many other vile accusations. There are currently over twenty state schools in Birmingham facing emergency inspections by the government because of accusations that Muslim parents have tried to infuse some Islamic values in schools with very large Muslim student populations. What are some of these values I hear you ask? They include things like boys and girls seating separately in class, separate facilities for boys and girls when changing clothes for physical education classes, Halal food and some Islamic naseeha (reminders/advice) at school gatherings.

A few days ago, the police launched a nationwide campaign targeting Muslim women and asking that they report sons or husbands who might be thinking of going to Syria to help - in whatever way. When questioned, the police admitted that such sons or husbands can be arrested and charged and criminalised for life. Welcome to 21^st Century Britain. Then there is the ongoing controversy about men and women seating separately at university Islamic society events and many other similar issues affecting Muslim children, parents, charities, mosques and individuals across the country.

Comment:

What is clear is that this relentless pressure we face is an attempt - using many means - to pressure Muslims to abandon basic Islamic practices and beliefs which are deemed incompatible with secular liberal values or that oppose the UK government's foreign policy in the Muslim lands.

It is in this climate that a few have started to raise the question about emigrating. For the vast majority of Muslims, this is not a realistic option. Another discussion I had recently focussed on how the Islamic activists in our community need to respond to these attacks in a way that gives confidence to the wider Muslim community.

We should not be on the back foot apologising for Islam because our Deen is from Allah (swt) the All Knowing. It is the Deen that brings the best morals, economic and social solutions and even guidance of how to deal with non-Muslims in the best way.

We should not also keep reinforcing how bad things are for Muslims without moving beyond that. Psychologically, this can make people feel powerless and more inward looking as some simply keep repeating the mantra "they are attacking us, they are attacking us". Question is how do we respond in a way that shows Muslims that those attacking us actually have nothing to offer, and are desperate as they see a community that has grown in numbers and despite its problems, is more adherent to the rules and values of Islam as a community, Alhamdulillah.

We need to understand that we are a community with the solutions to the family breakdown, spiritual vacuum, growing economic divide, moral decline and the many other problems facing western societies because we believe in the revelation that contains these solutions. As a community, our mission in the West is to be the ambassadors of Islam who convey these Islamic solutions to the wider society - whose minds some in government and the media are trying to poison against Islam and Muslims by their constant attacks.

Hence, with that mindset, their attacks become seen as opportunities to highlight Islam's solutions to the wider public who are largely ignorant of what Islam offers mankind. Insha'Allah, this will help to develop a psychology that breeds confidence and makes us proactive in the face of seemingly relentless attacks. There are many obstacles to this approach, one of which is the fact that many Muslims lack an understanding of Islam's solutions themselves. However, by the will of Allah (swt), efforts from us and other Islamic activists can help to move in this direction.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Taji Mustafa

Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain