I had prepared an article on yesterday's fiasco at Central Mosque in London in which, it seems, former members of al-Muhajiroun disrupted a presentation by the Muslim Council of Britain and assaulted Iqbal Sacranie. I actually deleted that article, but after being requested by sister Aicha, I've decided to write another, insha Allah. Today, the papers are reporting a similar performance in east London, in which George Galloway was attacked and Oona King's car vandalised. The culprits are said to be the same or similar people.
These people appear to have been members of the so-called Saviour Sect, which itself appears to be the regrouping of members of al-Muhajiroun which was disbanded by its founder, Omar Bakri Muhammad, earlier this year. The group has a higher profile than its membership would merit, due to its high-profile stunts, posters stuck over public property (a writer in Q-News a few years ago called them morons, and suggested that they put their posters inside the bins rather than on them), and the continual invites Omar Bakri got to air his views in the media.
That group staged an earlier stunt at Central Mosque in which flour and eggs were thrown over the Lib Dem mayoral candidate Susan Kramer a few years ago. But ruining somebody's clothes is a whole different story from actually assaulting somebody. Of course, Sacranie is entitled to retaliate - if not in this world then in the Next. I should add that a lot of Muslims have a low opinion of Sacranie and his council. Several of them are known to be of one particular ethnicity - the Memons of Gujarat. But nobody else has seen fit to attack them physically.
The so-called Saviour Sect's website has all the stamps of al-Muhajiroun, right down to the slogans. Ironically, it appears to be al-Muhajiroun without what may come to be seen as Omar Bakri's moderating influence. The old slogans, which they used to stick on lamp-posts and other public furniture on such places as London Road in Croydon, are still there: "Vote today, Hellfire tomorrow". They have a whole list of so-called munaafiqeen (hypocrites or dissemblers): the MCB (they say the M stands for Mushrik, meaning pagan, instead of Muslim), the Muslim Association, MPAC UK, Islamic Society of Britain, al-Muntada, the "fake Salafis", Respect ("Kaafir hypocrites"), CAIR and numerous other associations. Stop Political Terror, a Muslim group which campaigns against excesses in anti-terror enforcement, are described as "very close to becoming Munaafiqeen". Some of these people are in the forefront of campaigning for the rights of Muslims and against anti-Muslim violence; some, indeed, are regularly accused of being extremists.
Might I also add that the very name reflects their poor command of English - "Saviour Sect" should read "Saved Sect" (in Arabic, al-Firqat an-Najiya) and refers to the group of Muslims whose beliefs are correct. This is only one of a number of tiny groups which claim this title and consign the entire rest of the Muslim community to Hellfire - the others include groups identified as "fake Salafis" in the list I just mentioned.
I'd also voice my doubts that these are members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. Hizb-ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) are a political party, and while banned by several dictatorships in the Arab world, they are legal in the UK. If they really were involved in terrorism, they could easily have been banned when their activities became known in the mid-1990s during the campus controversies. The activist youths left along with Omar Bakri to join al-Muhajiroun; the pseudo-intellectuals are the people left in HT. I've met a few of them and they are often obnoxious, but they don't go in for these types of stunts or attacks.
Opposition to voting has long been a key plank of all of these groups' ideologies, although it's reported that HT has softened its stance lately. The stance is based solely on interpretations they themselves support, such as the notion that voting carries an implicit bay'ah (allegiance) towards the British state or monarch (as a lifelong British citizen, I've never been asked about my allegiance). Among the slogans we've seen since the recent wars began are "don't stop the war - except by Islamic politics", rightfully dismissed by the community since "Islamic politics" are not available to us right now. We have to use what is there. A lot of Muslims have in the past not voted, either here or in other countries, because they saw candidates and parties who were as bad as each other; Shaikh Hamza Yusuf remarked in his speech to ISNA that, until last November's presidential election, he had never seen any such election as important, and an article posted at the marriage-oriented site Zawaj.com called the 2000 Bush-Gore election a contest between "president Bad" and "president Wicked". And even in this election, some Muslims will be influenced by issues like taxes and education rather than the war in Iraq - after all, the last Tory government went to war in Iraq as well.
This year, the voting campaigns are targeted at constituencies, rather than encouraging Muslims to vote for individuals in their constituencies rather than for parties, since after all, our system works seat-by-seat rather than on a whole-country basis. I think a Labour victory would be preferable (let's face it, a Lib Dem victory is not on the cards, although I could be wrong), but a few bloody noses and a reduced majority, getting rid of the marginal "Blair's babes", would be no bad thing.
The aggressive behaviour is very frightening, and also, I would think, quite embarrassing for the Muslim community as a whole.
I'm interested in learning more about the Muslim Council of Britain. On paper it seems like an incredible organisation, with support from a variety of different groups. What are Muslims' main objections to the Council?
What I read in Q-News when it opened a few years ago was that the same people were involved in this that were involved in a number of other organisations; people who the writer said had a habit of monopolising the pages of the Daily Jang (an Urdu newspaper). He alleged Jama'at-e-Islami connections.
There are also those who said it was a Home Office plot to control the Muslim community.
Thanks for replying, Yusuf. Do you think those claims are substantiated?
As-Salaamu 'alaikum,
I'm not sure. The claim about the people who set up the MCB having their fingers in a lot of different pies certainly is. They were widely criticised after sending out letters to mosques telling everyone to "help fight terrorism" - let's face it, anyone who would not have done this before wouldn't do so just because the MCB told them to.
Khan, perhaps Safiyya thought I knew more because I'm British?
Asslamu Alakum, why can't you do your own search Safiyyah?
Yusuf
I don't suppose that you know why O.B.M left Hizb to set up Muhajiroun?
I'd assumed that the Saviour Sect was the reformed Muhajiroun, rebranded as a Salafist outfit, minus the overt political statements and with the rejection of political participation as the main focus of its campaigning. But I'd assumed that it was O.B.M.'s brainchild. I don't see any mention of him on the site: but then they don't really mention any particular individual.
I used to be good mates with Anjum Choudry before he left to run Muhajiroun, and I thought I spotted him in the pictures (with a considerably fuller beard than when I last saw a photograph of him). That was my first clue.
I really have no idea why people end up in these organisations. He was a stoner at university, not particularly political, but on the outer fringes of the SWP-revolutionary leftists socially.
There's a guy here [or here - Yusuf] who thinks that O.B.M is still behind the Saviour Sect...
"To give the muslims a warning of these nutters, these people are the mutation of the lunatics of al-Muhajiroon, the blind followers of the self-made shaykh Omar Bakri Mohammed. They now go around calling everyone kaafir, for things they themselves held as beliefs before they adopted the extreme Salafi / wahaabee creed, which is NOT the Aqeeda of the Ahl-us-sunnah, AKA sunni muslims. They claim they are Ahl-us-sunnah or Sunni, but in reality they are extreme khawarij-like wahaabi's. They have affiliated with Al-Qaida. It funny how thier extreme form of wahabi belief forbids taqleed in Aqeeda, but when Omar Bakri changed from Sunni to Wahabi & disbanded al-Muhajiroon, his followers blindly followed him in his change of Aqeeda to become extreme wahabis too! "
Thanks for this post,brother Yusuf
He alleged JamaâÂÂat-e-Islami connections.
Interesting. The Times reported last year that the rector of Markfield college was a VP for Jamaat-e-Islami: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1194816,00.html
The MCB "deplores in the strongest terms" the expsoure of Islamic extremists. http://www.mcb.org.uk/presstext.php?ann_id=104
Did anyone spot the denial of involvement in the events at Regents Park on the Saviour Sect website? http://www.thesavioursect.org.uk/articles/declaration.htm
That is very interesting indeed!
Who are they then? My money now is on "al-Ghuraaba" - so we're talking about 30 ex Muhajis on the rampage, with access to a computer and a printer...
http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2005/04/22/splits_and_feuds.php
This saviour sect thing sounds to ridiculous to be muslims.
It's just unbelievable. Even the dumbest muslims won't go that low. I think some non-muslim dudes put that saviour sect website up to take a meeky.
haha. I think you're right. They're a bit pumped up on their own machismo, aren't they?
It's not a party; it's a gang!
all rational comments, and comments without knowledge and isnaad and daleel..
Salaam aleikum
there are 3 comments to be made on this article:
1. One should NOT underestimate the impact of the loonies who were involved in this as well as the people attracted to this group "Saviour Sect". AFter all, it was 2 al-muhajiroun individuals who were sent to Tel Aviv and used as suicide bombers.
2. One should also not rule out the possibility of UK govt. involvement, after all for all of Omar Bakri's barked pronouncements, he is still living on the British taxpayers' expense on the dole. Furthermore, many of the individuals involved in these type of acts of violence are well known to the police and authorities and yet they do nothing.
3. This comment in the article should have been put in a better context:
"as a lifelong British citizen, IâÂÂve never been asked about my allegiance"
a. Which "allegiance" are Muslims giving when Muslim groups are proud of sponsoring or endorsing "Muslim" soldeirs and "Muslim chaplains" for the British or American army while they are murdering Muslims in Iraq?
b. To which "group" or "tribe" was "sir" Hamza Yusuf giving his allegiance when he was sitting, clapping, applauding, and "spiritually advising" George W. Bush after he had announced his "crusade" against the Muslim world on National Television prior to his invasion and bombardment of Afghanistan?
c. Muslims in America overwhelmingly followed their "American" Muslim organizations recommendations and voted en masse for Bush in 2000, what did this achieve?
May I advise a better understanding of the shari'ah concepts of wal'aa and bar'aa (loyalty and allegiance) before trivially dismissing them for our own selfish reasons?
salaam aleikum,
ah
As-Salaamu 'alaikum akhi,
One should NOT underestimate the impact of the loonies who were involved in this as well as the people attracted to this group âÂÂSaviour SectâÂÂ. AFter all, it was 2 al-muhajiroun individuals who were sent to Tel Aviv and used as suicide bombers.
I met Asif Hanif a number of times and was familiar with his local mosque (Wellington Road, Hounslow) and one of the dhikr meetings he went to. I can assure you that he was not a member of al-Muhajiroun before he left the UK. He was Breilawi and attended the Light Study meetings and similar dhikr sessions. I can only assume he was recruited when in Damascus. (When I first heard of his involvement in the bombing, I believed he had been set up.)
As-Salaamu âÂÂalaikum,
I think most of us would disagree with the violent methods that al-muhajiroun have taken recently, though they do base their opinions on some evidence from the Islamic texts. Therefore their opinions maybe seen contreversial, but i wonder why the respect party's George Galloway isnt seen exactly for what he is. He has used the muslims in the Tower Hamlets area using the anti-war in Iraq issues and yet he gives support to gay and lezbian marriages and gay rights in other areas where he's seeking the vote. As for liberal Deocrats they support 'tolerance zones' for prostitution, Labour supports the Terrorism Act 2002 which means anyone can be arrested and detained with no particular reason. You might be arrested for something you may be thinking of doing. Thats clever! Lets just arrest everyone in a council estates, the odds are they must have done something wrong (if you havent guessed, im kidding!). I think its time the muslims in Britain realised that all the political parties in the UK serve their own western (anti-islamic) ineterests and no the interests of the muslims. As for the person in the original thread, i disagree that it isn't possible to get involved in Islamic Politics. I thing we as muslims in Britain should pull together as a community to ensure our interest's are served whilst not bending the truth and the rules of Islam like MCB (who call the soldiers who butchered the muslims in Iraq 'our boys') or the Respect party who are a based on the socialist doctrine and yet seeking the support of muslims. How can these few muslims be so naive as to think the a group that rejects God could possibly understand the muslims.
Muslims, like anyone else, who are prepared to engage in the democratic process should be welcomed and embraced into democratic society.
Those who aren't prepared to engage, like anyone else, should leave democratic countries and live elsewhere.
I agree with Harry Palmer, so why so why much interest in our oil rich undemoctaric muslim countries? And why do Britain and America have such a cordial relantionship with Dictators in the muslim countries? Where its a choice between Democracy or Dictatorship, I think muslims would choose the electoral system within the framework of the Islamic ruling system, not leaders who are funded and donated to by corporate fat cats. Those muslims who dont to agree with you are allowed to differ in their opinions and may not vote at all if they choose not to providing they are law abiding taxpaying citizens. Finally, as nearly half the country don't vote I dont think you'll have many people left.
As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu to all thos who are Muslim.
One day you will all see the ways in which you followed your hawa, and Allah will hold you accountable. How many of you have read and understood the Qur'an from cover to cover AND the Sunnah. You attach itjihad to matters of black and white, like voting and shirk!
You may label us 'Al Muhajiroun', followers of Omar Bakri etc. but Wallah we grow in number day by day and the reason is because we follow the strict teachings of the qur'an and the Sunnah. We dont bend and twist the rules so we can do the things we like whilst still thinking we are allowed entrance into Jannah.
You all follow hawa and your own opinions, you sacrficie nothing for your Creator. But...that is fine, keep 'discussing' because Allah has and will always will keep us strong and you should stop 'discussing' with the kaafir, the one who hates Allah and insults YOUR creator. He is friends with you to your face but in his heart the hate for you is so strong and Allah has warned us of that. But you continue to take them as your friends. They are your enemies.
Im sure you will now continue with your labelling and you will never understand, because Allah has put a veil on your hearts, but the Day of Judgment is ever closer and time is running out.
As salaam alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu to all those who are Muslim.
Go To hell al-Muhajiroun and all its followers. Any group that think its ok to wish upon death upon a nation or anyone in fact only deserves a life of misery. How can you be justified to stand in London ( a city who welcomes you in) and burn the american flag and call upon death. No wonder there is Islamophobia.... It is acts like this that make people hate the religion.
How on earth can you guys allow these filthy Kaffirs to insult Omar Bakri and the other bro's in the Saviour Sect. I do not hold the same ideas as Omar Bakri and I disagree with him on many issues yet to allow these filthy Kaffirs to insult my brothers is something I will never tolerate. You dogs (Kaffirs) have worked relentlessely to disunite the Ummah yet once we establish the Khilafah on the methd of Prophethood we will finally crush you a fatal blow.
And by the way as I mentioned earlier, I am not affiliated with Ghurabaa or the Saviour Sect
people here who preach al-muhajiroun style philosophy, a militant attitude, and expect the uk to convert to islam next week must understand they are a very dangerous situation. Their community are a small minority and any backlash could be extremely unpleasant for them and their families. The uk citizenry constitute a very tolerant society, until one element of that society is perceived as hostile. Your choice.
found the following from a muslim website mpacuk.org in the comments section in reference to the saviour sect.
"ATTENTION MUSLIMS!!
Omar Bakri has employed a stratgey since he first set foot on British soil to cause fitna and chaos for muslims.
I have had many dealings with this man for many years and i believe i understand how he works.
He infiltrated the small group at that time hizb ut tahrir and encouraged all its members to fight argue and cause chaos everywhere when he was leader of that group.
He was then kicked out of the hizb by the shabaab because they saw the sense he was causing fitna and realised he was whacko and not really behaving like a scholar. (hizb behave like normal people now)
He then formed the group al muhajiroun who were more crazy then the hizb were under his rule he has made really strange statements over the years that defy common sense and seem to corelate to some one trying to cause chaos to harm muslims.
For example he said to muslims:
it was haram to go to the anti-iraq war march and there may be a danger to anyone who goes to the march??? eh?
The whole of the muslims have rejected him and exposed his lunacy.
Now this man is in the third phase of ftina
the saviour sect and the tahweed cult claim to be the only muslims and openly do kufr to all other muslims.
PLEASE MAKE NO MISTAKE THEY MAY TRY TO DENY THE FACT BUT OMAR BAKRI IS BEHIND THIS GROUP AND HE HAS ADOPTED A HIDDEN STRATGEY.
He is Hell bent on causing fitna, chaos and humilition for muslims
In his own words when he came on to the PTV channle he said
"Some people accuse me of being an agent of the kufar sent to cause trouble amongst muslims'
Well mr Bakri if your actions are anything to go by.... if the hat fits wear it.
When it came into the news that al muhajiroun had disbanded i knew that they hadnt gone any where but had just changed their strategy.
Muslims and Muslism groups be warned!!!
OMAR BAKRI HAS NOT GONE AWAY HE IS WORKING RELENTLESSLY TO ATTACK THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND CAUSE THE MOST POSSIBLE DAMAGE ON THE INSIDE.
He is calling all Muslims who vote kafirs and all muslim groups and their members kafirs,
Omar bakri is not the leader of a group, but now is leader of a cult this is far more dangerous!!!
PLEASE NOTE!!!!!!
The man on the website GIVING 'FATWA'
Abu muhammed ash Shamsi
Is none other than Omar Bakri.
Omar bakri is the most fitna causing man for the muslims in the UK, he is more dangerous than zionists.
If you would like to know who i am the answer is i have been with Omar bakri for a number of years and although he doesnt know who i am, I am next to him and in his group."
To muslims living in Great Britain...
This is Britain..a free, multi-racial society, that supports freedom of speech and freedom of thought. The British people, stoical and persistent, will never permit idealogical nor theological dogma to rule or run their lives...we fought off nazi ideology in the last war, and we will always fight for the individualism and eccentricities that make Britain such a magical place.
If Muslims don't want to accept that our freedon is worth enjoying, then take heart...it is your right not to. The British people will never impose their will on you, only the rule of our law. So...please remember that Muslims in Morocco and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia who do not have the rights of freedom of expression and freedom of will, look to Britain as a source of democratic inspiration. Muslims living here need to remember that, and learn to embrace the society and country they live in, and equally gain from the pleasures of intellectual freedom that we British hold so dear.
Peace to you all.
Alex
hllo, assalamo alikkom