Jun 26, 2011 | News & Press
The 26th of June will mark the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Torture is one of the most profound human rights abuses that take a terrible toll on people and their families. An invasion of the privacy of an individual’s personality, intellect and body is one of the worst crimes that can be committed against human beings.
As Kofi Annan said, ‘This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak against the unspeakable’.
In the 21st century, The Cordoba Foundation deplores the fact that torture is still used in many parts of the world especially by countries that have signed up the Convention Against Torture.
The Cordoba Foundation encourages relevant agencies and countries to redouble efforts to address the issue of torture and put in place tangible measures to eradicating torture and abuse across the spectrum.
May 5, 2011 | Views
The killing of Osama bin Laden on Monday 3rd of May was indeed a historical advent which ought to signal the end of one of the most difficult phases in the relationship between the West and the Muslim world.
For nearly a decade, Bin Laden had become not only the world’s most wanted man but also the main signifier in a troubled relationship with Islam and Muslims worldwide. In the immediate aftermath of 9-11, the world lived a brief moment of unity in which all nations expressed shock and outrage as to the attack that claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people. Sadly that moment was scuppered rather than capitalised on, with the launch of the ‘War on Terror’ and the apparent intent of the US administration to seek vengeance through a military, intelligence and security campaign that claimed the lives of thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians.
The war in Afghanistan followed by the invasion and occupation of Iraq, brought not only unspeakable misery, pain and strife upon those who in normal circumstances would not support Al-Qaeda ideology and tactics, but severely damaged relations between the West in general and Muslims as a whole. With terrorist attacks following in London, Madrid, Paris, Istanbul and countless other locations resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent by-passers, it was clear that those intent on bringing death and destruction operated on both sides, with the global population caught in the middle and suffering as a consequence.
Over the past years and on frequent occasions, mainstream Muslim organisations, groups and figures have consistently condemned the ideology espoused by Al-Qaeda, the wave of terror and fear it was waging. The message from mainstream Muslim community was constant and unequivocal: Islam, as well as universal human values, forbids the shedding of innocent blood regardless of colour, creed, race or culture. It was immoral and criminal to consider commuters in New York or London as legitimate targets, as it was to consider passers-by in a Kabul or Baghdad market mere collateral.
Few disagree that for years, Bin Laden has been little more than a spiritual leader rather than an effective operational commander of Al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda has rapidly become an idea and a brand rather than an organisation with any tangible structure or base, as a result of a number of factors including some which the USA, the UK and several Western governments must contend with and answer for. His capture and death should have signalled the end of a difficult chapter in the lives of countless people around the world. However, the manner in which he was killed and subsequently disposed of, adds to the long list of mistakes that cements the state of mistrust, lack of faith and goodwill between the West and the Muslim world.
The celebrations that broke out on the streets of several US cities, while understandable on some level, displayed an unsavoury side of the US to the rest of the world. Civilised nations do not celebrate the death of an individual in that manner, nor do they consider vengeance a palatable objective. It is also likely that this will lead to more young people sympathising with rather than rejecting the line which Al-Qaeda promotes, and rhetoric of an extreme nature is already appearing on online blogs and discussions forums. Instead of moving on, it seems we are in for a long haul of staying exactly where we are.
Some expressions of sympathy that have emerged from some corners whom were renowned to have always condemned the statements, policies and actions of Al-Qaeda, should be taken in the spirit of both Islamic tradition as well as political reality, rather than support for the demised. Islam forbids its followers from speaking ill of the dead especially those killed, and calls upon them to pray for their forgiveness. Furthermore, in light of failing Western policies throughout the Muslim world and particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, amongst other reasons, Bin Laden was seen as the West’s nemesis. This afforded him popularity amongst disenchanted and disenfranchised masses despite them rejecting his ideology. Some groups and figures, chose to recall his earlier days of fighting against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan forgoing the life of lavish luxury he could have well enjoyed, before an extreme ideology and skewed interpretation of Jihad and liberation took hold of him. He espoused an ideology of hatred, isolation, fear, violence and bloodshed.
Such statements must not be mistaken for support. Indeed, the Arab Spring that brought peaceful protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world in the past four months were the perfect antithesis to Al-Qaeda and its poisoned rhetoric, and were as much a rejection of extremism and terrorism as they were of corrupt despots and dictators.
Muslim leaders in the UK and the West must capitalise on this and act and speak responsibly as young people are searching for leadership and for guidance at these tense times. We must, at all costs, avoid initiating a new era where recriminations and counter-recriminations coin West-Muslim relationships. If anything was learnt from the past decade, it is that violence begets violence and the cycle of bloodshed is virtually impossible to break.
Western Muslims must join efforts with fellow country folk to reject policies which deem human lives dispensable and war an easily ready option. Just because the death of an innocent person is initiated by virtue of a government state decree does not make it any more acceptable than if decided by a rogue individual.
The challenge is for us all to truly turn a leaf and set a new standard for West-Muslim relations. This requires a new vision, new dynamics and people of courage, clarity and faith.
May 5, 2011 | News & Press
The death of Osama bin Laden, should signal the end of one of the most difficult phases in the relationship between the West and the Muslim world. It should bring closure to a painful 10 years after 9/11. It should lessen the need for mainstream Muslim organisations to feel always under pressure to condemn the ideology espoused by Al-Qaeda and like many other historical moments, should provide us with a chance to think, ponder and reflect.
The state of mistrust, lack of faith and goodwill between the West and the Muslim world should be reflected upon along with methods of reparation and how we espouse the values of justice and how we pursue them. Retributive justice that inspires cycles of violence becomes a ball and chain for a future without reconciliation.
The Arab Spring that brought peaceful protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world in the past four months are a perfect example of moving towards a sense of restorative justice.
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) emphasises that now more than ever is the need to move towards a sense of peace and mutual respect for and between people. Spiritual scriptures all envision a pluralistic world, mutual understanding and religious tolerance, emphasising love of the Creator and love of the neighbour in contributing towards meaningful peace around the world.
There will be those who will seek to divide the community but there is a need to ensure that community relations are strengthened so that we can collectively ensure that British society as a whole emerges from this turbulent time stronger in its moral and ethical fabric and able to lead the way in peaceful coexistence with mutual respect and understanding.
Commenting on this, Anas Altikriti, CEO of TCF said ‘We must, at all costs, avoid initiating a new era where recriminations and counter-recriminations coin West-Muslim relationships. If anything was learnt from the past decade, it is that violence begets violence and the cycle of bloodshed is virtually impossible to break. Western Muslims must join efforts with fellow country folk to reject policies which deem human lives dispensable and war an easily ready option.’
We at The Cordoba Foundation stand proud in our aspiration that different cultures, civilisations and, thoughts can thrive and strive for the common goal of understanding, respecting, accepting and celebrating diversity.
Apr 11, 2011 | Views
The recent violent protests in Afghanistan – a reaction to the burning of the Quran by a small church in the United States last month – recalled an inescapable reality.
Extremists on all sides – whether in free, democratic America, or in corrupt, occupied Afghanistan – create havoc and chaos, demonstrating the danger brought about by a deadly cocktail of ignorance and idiocy. Ultimately, they cause the deaths of innocent people.
Conversations in the Arab street are much more bold, brazen and uncaring about who might be eavesdropping. It’s simply a matter of time, but change is certainly now a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.
Once free, the Arab and Muslim nations will not resort to violence, extremism and isolationist practises, as some would like the world to think.
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Feb 18, 2011 | News & Press
Anas Altikriti, Chief Executive of The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) has arrived in Cairo today to conduct exploratory consultations with civil society and political leaders following the ousting of Hosni Mubarak as President of Egypt .
Commenting on his visit, Altikriti explains that “the mandate of The Cordoba Foundation amongst other things is to facilitate a space for people with opposing ideas to come and explore ways of working together. We are hoping that we would be able to make constructive contributions in Egypt to help navigate Egyptian civil society to move forward towards a more stable future“.
TCF believes Egypt is facing a new and exciting future as a result of people’s power as recently evidenced in the streets of the country. “It is important that ordinary Egyptians are able to exercise their democratic rights, and determine their own future — free from external influences” added Altikriti.
The future of Egypt, like other countries where people are demanding an end to despotic rule and dictatorships, should foster political and religious pluralism to creating a more inclusive and cohesive society.
TCF will continue its dialogue with the main stakeholders involved in events unfolding in Egypt in order to ensure a peaceful outcome that meets people’s aspirations and ensures a smooth transition to a better and more human reality.
Feb 10, 2011 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) welcomes the publication of ‘The Edge of Violence‘ by DEMOS, which suggests a ‘radical’ approach to tackling home grown terrorism. The report which defines ‘radical’ as the ‘rejection of the status quo’ lays bare the myth that radicalisation is a linear path to violence and terrorism. As the report argues; ‘differentiating between types of radicalisation is extremely important because targeting the wrong people can breed resentment and alienation and erode the freedoms Western governments want to preserve’.
Using a combination of literature reviews and interviews across 5 countries (UK, Canada, Denmark, France and the Netherlands), the report seeks to cast light on how and why some types of radicalisation develop into violence and others do not; how the different types relate to each other and what implications this has for social and security policy. The report comes up with the following 3 recommendations stakeholders will find useful in addressing the challenges in question: encouraging positive activism, demystifying and de-glamourising Al-Qaeda as a structure and an ideology and encouraging a greater role for the involvement of non-governmental actors.
Commenting on this, Anas Altikriti, Chief Executive of TCF said: “This report is timely because it reminds us of the key complex issues that we are facing. Unfortunately, the discussions that have emerged from the weekend following David Cameron’s speech in Munich have been focused on one aspect: the failure of multiculturalism. It is all very well to abrogate responsibility to a single issue, but the real issue is that problems are not one-dimensional and do not belong to just one community. Social problems cannot be viewed through a security lens. We welcome DEMOS’ recommendation in particular that space needs to be provided for discussions and dialogue to take place in order to counter some of the established narratives”.
TCF believes that the issues facing the Muslim communities – both internally and externally- are multi layered and replicated in other immigrant ethnic and faith communities and thus cannot simply be written off as a failure of multiculturalism. Adequate attention needs to be paid first to normalising social structures whilst at the same time providing a space for establishing dialogue and facilitating partnerships that will give communities the confidence they need to address their real concerns. This needs the involvement of all stakeholders in society without exception to ensure the promotion of respect, understanding and acceptance of diversity.
This is indeed the challenge for the Big Society to overcome.
Feb 1, 2011 | News & Press
The wave of popular uprising sweeping the Middle East is indicative of a rising empowerment of people dissatisfied with decades of corruption, poverty, lack of democracy and the freedom of expression.
Commenting on this, Anas Altikriti, Chief Executive of The Cordoba Foundation (TCF), said “What we are seeing is a raw and basic example of people power that has come to symbolise turning points in world history. The people can be pushed into a corner so far until they start pushing back”
TCF endorses the appeal made on 27th January of more than 2200 Arab scholars, politicans, activists, from over 20 Arab countries, issued an ‘URGENT APPEAL’ to the US Administration for the defence and consolidation of human rights and democracy in the Arab world. TCF also appeals to other Western governments and institutions to support the popular movements against the embattled regimes. According to Altikriti, “We in the West also have to bear the brunt of responsibility for sowing the seeds of discontent that led to these riots. We have continuously supported these illegitimate regimes who have suppressed and tortured their own people leading them to extreme poverty whilst the ruling elite lived in luxury. We cannot simply pursue our interests at the account of suppressed and subjugated nations, and assume that there will not be a backlash“.
It is clear that these demonstrations have culminated in the emergence of a new ‘people-based’ power throughout the Arab region, which calls for an open dialogue to be developed ifor the futures of the region and its relatoinship with the West. As a result, Britain and the West’s responsibility comes from seizing the opportunity to create new dynamics for this relationship based firmly on the essential support for the Arab people and their political aspirations.
The Cordoba Foundation calls for:
- All stakeholders (including leading dissidents; exiled figures; women,student and youth leaders; civil society leaders; academics; business leaders; religious leaders) to be involved in a serious and open dialogue of mutual recognition which involves all strands of political, social, cultural, ideological and religious life. It is of great concern that already some commentators from Britain and elsewhere are calling for the exclusion of some groups from any future discussions thereby not only betraying a naive comprehension of the root causes of unfolding circumstances on the ground but also ensuring challenges for peaceful future Arab-Western relations.
- A sufficient space to be provided and facilitated for these discussions to take place without any external interference. TCF strongly believes that given the space and support, people will be able to find the solutions to their own problems and thus we should not attempt to ‘influence’ outcomes according to our desires and preferences.The exiled political figures and dissidents who have spent invariably lengthy periods of time abroad and particularly in the UK, to be urged to unite with the popular tide within their respective homelands in setting a national agenda for progress and are made use of and fully included in the process of rebuilding their countriesThe British Government and Western Governments in general, to support the development of these countries through supporting the people’s choice in ensuring a smooth transition towards better governance and democratic principles as well as providing aid to support the people who have suffered during these tough times.
The Cordoba Foundation, in its vision of thriving and striving for the common goal of understanding, celebrating, respecting and accepting diversity, will continue its dialogue with the main stakeholders involved in events unfolding throughout the countries of the Arab region in order to ensure a peaceful outcome that meets the peoples’ aspirations and ensures a smooth transition to a better and more human reality. TCF will also continue to advise various governments throughout Europe and beyond on methods that are best in dealing with the present fluid situation and its possible outcomes.
Jan 21, 2011 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) welcomes the speech made yesterday by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Co-Chairman on the Conservative Party, at Leicester University, raising concerns about the growing anti-Muslim prejudice in Britain.
Anas Altikriti, TCF Chief Executive, said that Baroness Warsi’s speech “resonated with ordinary Muslims in Britain who privately or publicly experience anti-Muslim hatred with often no recourse to public support. Warsi’s statement is proof that present day racism is still very real in the form of Islamophobia and it ultimately tests the fundamental values that are dear to our society. Such a statement goes a long way towards providing people with the confidence they need that they are not somehow outcast from society”
In these times of austerity, there is a need to revisit faith and spirituality in order to ensure that community relations are strengthened and those that are more vulnerable and without a voice are looked after. TCF hopes that the speech yesterday marks the start of a genuine and open debate that changes the narratives and attitudes of hate, fear and distrust between cultures and communities. In particular, “there needs to be a proactive first step taken by the government in this regard to show that it is also serious about accomodating diversity and tackling Islamophobia in all its manifestations” added Altikriti.
The Cordoba Foundation stands proud in its vision of facilitating the meeting of minds with the aspirations for cultures, civilisations, thoughts and lifestyles to thrive and strive for the common goal of understanding, celebrating, respecting and accepting diversity.
Jan 10, 2011 | News & Press
The Cordoba Foundation (TCF) has been working for the past 6 years in a consultation role with various stakeholders in Sri Lanka. More recently, it has developed a working relationship with the North East Interfaith Forum (NEIFR).
The North East Inter Faith Forum (NEIFR) is a new group that has been set up in the aftermath of the conclusion of Sri Lanka’s 30 year old conflict by religious leaders (from all of Sri Lanka’s main religions) to identify the positive role that faith leaders can play in post conflict reconciliation.
The Forum believes that spirituality and common human values founded and strengthened by the different religious teachings can be used as a force to foster inter-ethnic relationships and promote inter-ethnic understanding and social cohesion.
The Forum is calling for a space in order to discuss and develop solutions to problems affecting the community and are calling for the support of faith based diplomacy which involves the follwoing:
* developing a committee of consciences to advise the local and national government on human rights, resource access and allocation of natural resources
* reconciliation and peace committees
* community steering groups who will take their own development into their hands.
The Cordoba Foundation along with the Mahatma Ghandi Centre, worked with NEIFR and religious leaders on the 4th of January 2011 to plan itheir work programme for the year. Amjad Saleem, Head of Communications at TCF, presented models of interfaith reconciliation from other countries as he facilitated some of the discussions.
At the end of the meeting, religious leaders made a declaration to share with the rest of the country, NEIFR’s conviction of bringing spirituality as an arbitrator in all future dealings, and as a means to ensure that no one in the country is marginalized on the basis of religion, race, caste, class, wealth, territory etc.
The NEIFR also reiterated need for the establishment of a National Committee of Conscience as an advisory body for the governments and setting up of village development committees with an oversight from the religious dignitaries in the area for ensuring trust and better accountability in all public affairs.
TCF has been advising NEIFR prior to their establishment and will continue to provide the platform for faith leaders to come together to talk on issues of reconciliation
