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British Muslims fighting in Afghanistan
by Barnie Choudhury
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No one should be surprised that young Muslim men from Britain have died in Afghanistan. Let me rephrase that. No one should be surprised OF REPORTS that young Muslim men from Britain have died in battle against the West. For that is the situation at the moment.
We only have the word of Al-Muhajiroun in Pakistan that this is indeed the case. The group is regarded as a fundamentalist organisation representing the views of the minority of Muslims.
That does not mean its leader is not speaking the truth. It is only that so far there has not been any independent confirmation.
That point is very important because it has implications for the families of those who have died - possibly killed in action. If the laws still exist many will accuse the young men of treason, shaming the family.
It was with those thoughts in mind that I drove to Luton. In my book Luton is a town synonymous with Lorraine Chase and that famous drinks advert and that airport.
It certainly is not, in my books, the hot bed of Muslim fundamentalism and breeding ground for soldiers of Islam.
Those to whom I spoke told me that Luton has twenty thousand Muslims.
The news of the men's deaths reached here last Thursday. It spread quickly. The details were unclear at first. But soon they heard rumours that Aftab Manzoor and Afzal Munir had been killed while fighting for the Taliban:
"I am deeply shocked. I saw him three, four, weeks ago and he did not mention to me that he was going to Afghanistan."
I guess the stereotype would have been a strapping man dressed in robes, wearing a headscarf or turban with a long black beard.
But Shaheed looked like any other young man in Britain. He represents Al-Muhajiroun in Luton. He knew Afzal Munir. Shaheed says Afzal wasn't a member of any Muslim organisation and to his knowledge was not interested in jihad or holy war:
"Whenever he smiles you can see the sun smiling. He's a very calm brother and he knows that if he were to discuss it with me or anyone else then he knows that the answer would be that we believe in intellectual struggle in Britain."
Notice how he still talked in the present tense. Afzal has become a martyr, says Shaheed. Islam looks upon anyone who has given up his life for his fellow Muslims in that way.
And here is the rub. They condemn the atrocities in America but feel the bombing of Afghanistan is an attack on Islam.
So, it is no surprise that elsewhere in Luton jihad is on the minds of young Muslims. A group of twenty, aged between eighteen and twenty-three had just returned from their final prayers. I do not know how representative they are of Muslims. These are simply their opinions...and they would frighten most of us. To a man they're envious of way the two died:
One said: "Whenever Muslims are under attack I will always fight for them and I will always give my life and want to give my life. I envy all the Muslims who have died for my Muslim brothers around the world. I envy them that I could not be in the same situation."
Another who was eighteen was resolute in his belief:
"You should die for the cause of Allah and everything. And that's what they had in their intention to fight for Islam and they did and they will get their rewards in heaven and everything."
Politicians should really take note.
One thing you cannot take away from, what appear to be ordinary Muslims, is their right to believe. And this, along with their anger, is their common and driving force. Remember the old soldiering wish for volunteers rather than conscripts.
These young men assure me that they are not members of any radical groups. They do not see themselves as supporting terrorism. They see themselves as fighting for their religious freedom.
Other young men, they say, feel the same way. What is more they put religion above country and see jihad as a just cause:
"I'm a Muslim who happens to live in Britain," said one teenager, "I could be anywhere. So this idea of me being disloyal to the Queen or government, this ain't applicable. We don't recognise that. My allegiance is to Allah and the religion he brought down, Islam."
The main thoroughfare that shows off the Asian Communities in Luton is Bury Park. A place that cries out vibrancy. In one of the take aways sits Syed, a dapper suited Muslim who calls himself an academic.
Syed says he has been travelling to Muslim communities across Britain. He says stories are emerging of young men simply "disappearing". The next time their parents hear of their sons is when they're told of their death in Afghanistan:
We don't know who's doing it, who's the group behind it, we don't know anything about it.
Q: Suddenly a boy goes missing and you assume he's in Afghanistan? Yes, he's in Afghanistan.
Q: How can you assume such a thing?
A: Because this is what they're doing at the moment. All the boys are getting together. Their mothers and fathers are worried..are we going to lose our boys?
But not everyone is convinced.
"I don't think there are many people who are embarking on these journeys to fight Western forces in Afghanistan."
Akbar Dad Khan has just published a book about Imams and runs an anti-racist group, "Building Bridges". Luton, he says, is not a hot bed of Muslim fundamentalism.
But there is deep seated anger. Anger that Muslims have condemned the atrocities in America but no one listened to their pleas not to bomb innocent people in Afghanistan. The government, he warns, is losing support because it is continually changing the reasons for bombing Afghanistan: The first issue was Bin Laden, then Taliban became an issue, then Al Qaida became an issue, and now we're talking of indefinitely staying there. So it's being seen by Muslims in this country and elsewhere that this is a war against Islam."
Tomorrow Tony Blair will address Muslims in Britain. Today he urged British people to keep their nerve and emphasised the conflict will take both time and patience.
The sad thing is that Mr. Blair risks losing the hearts and minds of Muslims who really want to support him.
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Jihad graffiti |
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Luton Town Hall |
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