Honour Killing

Did you not also make the decision to move here some years back?

Says who? Do you have to move lock stock and barrel to a country if you are sent to a school there? All the nine of us were sent to schools, in the UK, obviously, at different times. And each one of us ran back home the day we had completed our courses.

I think I remember you saying you went to university in the UK.

No, I didn't chose a uni in England. I prefered Lebanon of that period. It helped me immensly to learn not just Arabic, but also a far richer culture.

Was your time in the UK that bad?

I don't consider UK as bad even today. I also live, even now, in Lancashire (in fact, I am going there tomorrow). I find the way you seek approval of Britain not just a bit sad but absolutely out of character with true Brits.

It seems you fail to understand is the deeper aspect of the United Kingdom. It was an exceptionally beautiful country before turning into a mini US - high rise apartment blocks, plasticky architecture, gun crime, McDonalds and the ensuing obesity + the ever rising spin, war mongering, people telling you all the time that you can't breathe without the help of some special relationship!

Brits defrauding Brits!

Whisper, you are muslim also.

Catch me ever quoting Islam or claiming to be a Muslim, I will mail you a free return flight voucher for Almeria. I wish you didn't assume so much and then we could be great pals.

But you have an allegiance with Pakistan.

Really? You are assuming again, for the simple reason that anyone who has allegiances, takes anyone to have them. If I write about Pakistan or, for that matter, about anything else, it has nada to do with any localised normal allegiances.

There is a strange madness that happens to run in the family. My father had offered his life (though, thank goodness, it wasn't taken) for the cause of the Spanish Republicans, for a whole two years in 1937 and 38, in the Spanish Civil War.

His grandfather had refused to issue a fatwa in favour of the then Amir of KABUL and his followers smuggled him out to India when a prize was secretly offeed for his head.

His great grandfather, Memrez Salik, was the first ever man in Afghan history to denounce our own Indian occupations and that too as their Military Governor!

I am inflicted by the same very madness - my ONLY allegiance is with JUSTICE, the basic rights of MAN (that term also includes wimin in the typical English expression)

My madness binds me to stand against any form of injustice, occupations and war mongering with whatever colour of spin. And, I have no sympathy whatever for any war criminals. And, as long as you do not try your war criminals, you are very much a part of those.

If you want people to feel good about Britain, get your boys out of every single country they occupy and prosecute your war criminals.

I'm wondering why Bro Iftikar chose to settle in the UK,if life here is so bad. Maybe he should have done his research before taking the step to move here. I have no problem at all with anyone making a life here.

People from ex-colonies have been bled so hard that they were not left the luxury of "deciding" before moving with any such proper research!!

Brother Whisper, Actually I was asking a question, not making a judgement in any way. But you have explained. Thats fine. I'm only interested why some choose to come, and what attracts them here. They surely feel there is some benefit, with the chance of a better life. Perhaps you can help me understand the reasons. Did you not also make the decision to move here some years back? I think I remember you saying you went to university in the UK. Was your time in the UK  that bad?

If you have become a Muslim, kindly, stop being terribly defensive about "my Graet Britain". Islam DOES NOT allow any national considerations. It is a concept, a faith of pure simple Human Rights and relations.

Sometime you sound outright racist.

Whisper, you are muslim also. But you have an allegiance with Pakistan. I have one with the UK.Our characters have been formed purely by the fact of where we were born and I hope that neither of us are racist, being muslim. Our beliefs in Islam often do not go hand in hand with our cultures. And traditions die hard in both our countries. And as of yet the UK is not an Islamic country. Having said that, you would have noticed in recent days that the Archbishop of Canterbury made a statement that Sharia law in the UK should be permissable in some instances for the muslims here ie Islamic courts for divorce, as the Jewish people already have. Does this not show consideration for muslim's human rights? Of course he came under a huge amount of criticism for this from others. As to what will happen over this is yet to be seen. But it is a step in the right direction regarding Islam. I'm sure other prominent figures will also voice agreement in the future. But coming back to the topic that Iftikhar started, I fail to see him acknowedging  the decent side of life in the UK that does exist. And his human rights here far outreach the ones he had in his Pakistan. And all help is available to him in the UK. But to constantly critisise 'the hand that feeds him' is not helpful in his quest to make those changes he feels are essential, and will perhaps do more harm than good, in a country that still does not have the foresight regarding Islam. Times are changing. And he should be patient. It does not happen overnight.

Whisper wrote: Islam DOES NOT allow any national considerations. It is a concept, a faith of pure simple Human Rights and relations.

Assalam alikom

Who said that brother?

Yes,it's true that everyone who is Muslimh is FIRST loyalty must be to Islam..But I think that those "national considerations" are not forbidden.

I may say that sis.Martha is a muslim lady but she is also british.She(and also everyone else) should adapt to make both of identities live in harmony

Even if the deeds of her government doesn't embody islamic concepts,but if a conflict rose between the two identities the individual will feel lost and will not be productive.

It's my simple point of view actually.

And concering the main subject,I agree with sis.martha PARTIALLY.

The family system is number one in everything.Even if islamic schools were provided and the family was sleepy,the child may deprive from the right path by any other means.Islam always focuses on the role of muslim family first..

But I also see like bro.Iftikhar that providingsingle-sex schools for muslims and will have a good effect as well.

Just to think positively,Be sure that the family is good and they bring up their children islamically,parallel to working to provide these schools.