Ignore the Man Behind the Burqa
Sun, Jun 20, 2004 at 5:44:42 pm PDT
Last week we noted the case of a Muslim schoolgirl in Britain whose desire to wear the jilbab (a full-length Muslim gown, almost like a burqa but not covering the face) was turned down by the High Court: Symbols of Oppression.
Can you imagine my surprise to discover that this 15-year old orphan was influenced by the radical Islamic terror gang Hizb ut-Tahrir? Revealed: radicals who backed girl in dress fight.
THE teenage girl who fought a two-year legal battle to wear full Islamic dress to school was influenced by an extremist Muslim splinter group.
Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), which is legal in Britain but banned in Germany and much of the Middle East, advised Shabina Begum, a 15-year-old orphan. Her case, which was funded by legal aid, was thrown out by the High Court last week.
Mainstream Muslim leaders reacted angrily to news of extremist involvement in the case. They fear it risks stirring up the sort of controversy sparked in France when the government banned the wearing of the hijab, or headscarf, in school. Khalid Mahmood, Labour MP for Birmingham’s Perry Bar constituency, said: “Most Muslims are happy with the existing dress code. I think they (HuT) are trying to pick a fight. The Home Office needs to look at some of their activities. At the moment they are very close to the edge.”
Mahmood said HuT’s role was particularly disturbing because of Begum’s vulnerability. She was 13 when, in September 2002, she was sent home from Denbigh high school in Luton for wearing a jilbab, an ankle-length dress that leaves only the face and hands visible. Begum, who was regarded as a promising pupil, was orphaned last April with the death of her mother. Her father had died in 1992. Her 21-year-old brother, Shuweb Rahman, who helped her bring the case, is an HuT supporter. ...
Dr Imran Waheed, an HuT spokesman, confirmed that leading activists had encouraged Begum in the dispute. “Our members in Luton have consistently advised Shabina and her family to stand up for her right to an education and her right to observe the Islamic ordinances, including the wearing of the jilbab,” he said in a statement. He emphasised that the group had not contributed financially towards the legal action or to her family.
According to Dr Nazreen Nawaz, also an HuT spokesman, one of the group’s supporters, Rebekha Khan, 23, has been in contact with Begum for the past two years. This weekend, Khan played down her role: “The first time I met Shabina was at an Islamic event two years ago. It was clear to me even then that she was already very orientated to Islam.”
Mahmood, who has in the past likened HuT to the British National party, said it had a record of targeting young people in schools and universities to lure them away from the mainstream of the Muslim community in Britain. “It is important that social services look into that role,” he said.
In this country, CAIR is serving the same function as Hizb ut-Tahrir, advancing the radical agenda at every opportunity—but CAIR’s a little slicker at hiding their militancy. (Since September 11, especially.) Aggressively pushing for acceptance of repressive dress for women in every facet of Western life is very much a part of the strategy of radical Islam.
