Muslim leaders split over planned IS protest march
Community are divided on whether they should attend anti-terror demonstration in the capital
Published 05/07/2015 | 02:30
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Differences have emerged in the Muslim
community over plans for a protest march against Islamic State terrorism
later this month.
While the Irish Muslim Imam behind
the planned "not in our name" march has claimed that the Muslim
leadership is not vocal enough in denouncing extremism, a representative
of the biggest Mosque in Ireland has questioned whether a mass public
demonstration is appropriate.
The
demonstration, the first of its kind in Ireland, will take place on July
26 in Dublin's O'Connell Street under the umbrella of the Muslim Peace
and Integration Council, as communities in Meath and Athlone mourn the
murders of Lorna Carty and Lawrence and Martina Hayes by an Islamic
State gunman in the Tunisian beach massacre.
The
march was the brainchild of Dr Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri, who is Imam at the
Al-Mustafa mosque in Blanchardstown. He was so concerned about the rise
of extremism that he set up a Peace and Integration Council with other
Imams two months ago, promoting tolerance and plurality.
While
Dr Al-Qadri intends the march to be a show of unity by Muslims against
the Islamic extremists, not everyone is singing off the same hymn sheet.
In
an interview with the Sunday Independent, Dr Al-Qadri talked about the
dangers of the "radicalisation" of young Muslims, particularly through
social media, and about the importance of speaking out against
terrorism.
He is at odds with the
Irish Council of Imams, an umbrella organisation for all Islamic
organisations in Ireland, claiming that while many issues pertinent to
Muslims are discussed by the council, Islamic extremism has not been one
of them.
Over at Ireland's
biggest mosque, the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh, Dr Ali Salem
believes there is no "extremism" in Ireland, and questioned whether mass
public protests are the correct forum for condemning the so-called
Islamic State.
Neither Dr Umar
Al-Qadri nor Dr Salem actually knew of any Irish Muslim who has joined
Islamic State. But in another point of difference, Dr Al-Qadri regards
the risks as real.
"I do not know
anyone who has joined Islamic State but I have spoken to a few
individuals that have expressed their wish to join Isil," he said. In
the end, they didn't travel.
But his message about extremism is one of vigilance.
"There is no such thing as radicalisation taking place in Ireland in mosques," he states.
But
he adds: "If the Imam of a mosque does not at all speak against Islamic
State, against Al Qaeda, doesn't speak against terrorism, there is a
problem. The second thing is that not only speaking [out], at the Friday
ceremonies, it is very important people are educated about that, that
this is absolutely not Islamic and we condemn it. Certain mosques do not
do that, it is as simple as that.
"I
am a founding member but absolutely unhappy and displeased. What is the
council doing? There are so many things going on in our community.
Also, the thing the council should be discussing - extremism,
radicalisation, Islamophobia - it's not happening," he said.
"This
is why I had to take the initiative and with 25 other community leaders
from Dublin, from Cork, from Longford, from Athlone, from Belfast -
together we had to join and I had to found the Muslim Peace and
Integration Council with them. So we now have 25 people."
The
Peace and Integration Council includes the prevention of extremism and
dispelling "misconceptions" about Islam among its principles.
But
the protest has yet to get the backing of the Muslim leaders in
Ireland's biggest mosque in Clonskeagh. Dr Ali Salem, theologian at the
Islamic Cultural Centre in Ireland, said that the centre was not aware
of the march, and would "need to get more information" before deciding
to join it.
"For us here, the
Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI), it had never been consulted
with us, we have never been asked. If the biggest Islamic organisation
is not aware of it, what does it mean?" he asked.
According
to Dr Ali Salem, it is not a serious issue in Ireland anyhow.
"Radicalisation" of Muslims just won't take off in Ireland because,
thanks to its neutrality and history, it doesn't have "the right
environment" to allow extremism to flourish. "It can't happen," he said.
The
ICCI has condemned Islamic State atrocities in print, on websites,
before their congregations, on the radio and television, he said: "What
more do you want?"
Sunday Independent
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