Issue 1, Vol 1,
2003
Welcome to NABA’s First Newsletter There is no doubt that it comes at a time of great worry
and distress for Britain’s Arab community given the unstable situation in
the Arab world and the repercussions we are facing here whether on the
religious or ethnic front. Despite this NABA has continued to strive throughout the
past year to work towards its objectives and I believe that we have had
some success in this (you can judge for yourselves by reading our
‘Achievements’ section on page 3).
What is more encouraging is that from these successes more doors
have opened up to us and we now have discussions and meetings scheduled
with governmental and non-governmental agencies, the police and other
bodies at which we can press our case for British Arabs. It is in our nature to want instant results to our
problems, but long-term achievements can only be won by sustained hard work. We will be successful in the long-term
but we need your continued support. NABA represents Arabs and Arabic speaking people in
Britain whatever their ethnic, religious or political background. NABA stands firmly on humanitarian issues relating to
Arabs worldwide. NABA is national, representing Arabs throughout Britain. NABA encourages a European stand on Arab issues and the
formation of Euro Arabs. I would therefore ask you all to go back to your
friends, your communities, your fellow Arabs and show them what we are
doing, what we are achieving. Join us today for a better tomorrow. Dr Ismail Jalili NABA’s
Chairman
THE BRITISH ARAB The Voice of Britain’s Arab community The UK today is home to a
multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-faith community and the added
feature of inter-ethnic marriage makes racial classification progressively
more complex. Included in this rich mosaic are British Arabs citizens –
perhaps 500,000 of them – originating from a wide spectrum of Arab
countries; Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Sudan, Somali, Jordan,
Lebanon, Syria, etc. In fact, and
this is frequently overlooked – or possibly deliberately ignored – Arabs
are arguably the longest-resident, non-European ethnic group in the
British Isles (that is apart from
those brought during the period of the slave-trade). Their presence is
largely a consequence of Britain’s colonial past. 19th century Yemeni seamen called Lascars sailed
with British ships and many stayed to work in the docks and related
industries, or the burgeoning rail network. London’s East End, Tyneside,
Liverpool and Cardiff became centres of small Arab communities. By 1948
there were nearly a thousand Arabs in Tyneside, some marrying local women,
thus giving birth to the hybrid British-Arab identity that many
native-born British-Arabs, especially those of mixed ancestry, are now
establishing. In the 1950s, many of these migrated to Birmingham and
Sheffield. A number of Somalis from British Somaliland also settled in the
same areas as a result of serving on British ships. Frequently overlooked,
but vitally important, the traditional trading skills of Syrians and
Lebanese brought them to ‘Cottonopolis’ – Manchester. The famous Arab historian
Albert Hourani was born there. 1
Large-scale Arab immigration began after
1945, with the Palestinians; followed
by Egyptians and Sudanese coming for professional advancement, and the
1960s saw Moroccans seeking a better life or more political liberty than
was found at home. Political repression in the home countries has continued
to be a major reason for Arab immigration, bringing in the decades spanning
the 1960s to the 1990s, Iraqis, Egyptians, Sudanese, Algerians, Somalis and
some Gulf Arabs. Greater London is
the main centre for British Arabs, with about 300,00 in the Capital. There
are also traditional areas of Arab settlement, such as Sheffield, where
many Yemenis moved to work in the steel industry. Many Arab immigrants,
whether coming for economic, professional, or political reasons, always had
the hope of returning home one day. However, it has become increasingly
clear that the ‘hope’ of return was actually the ‘myth’ of return. ‘Home’
is now Britain. British Arabs are a racially and
religiously diverse community and the situation is more complex with the
burgeoning second generation who are sometimes of mixed heritage. Among the Muslims, there are both Sunnis
and Shia, the latter mainly Iraqis and Lebanese. The principal of the
Muslim College in London is Dr Zaki Badawi, of Egyptian origin, and the
publisher of Britain’s leading Muslim magazine Q-News is Fuad Nahdi,
of Yemeni heritage. The chairman of September’s huge anti-war/pro-Palestine
rally was Anas al-Takriti, a leading figure in the Muslim Association of
Britain. About 30% are Christians, mainly
Egyptians and Lebanese, and include Eastern Orthodox, Copt Catholic and
Evangelical Protestants. The only Arab pastor in the Church of Scotland is
Rev. Samuel Hosain, author of an excellent pamphlet entitled Israel
Reassessed. According to Father
Bishoy Makar of St. Mark’s Coptic Church in London, there are 17 Coptic churches in the
British Isles, with about 15,000 families. British
Arabs are equally diverse in terms of work. There are labourers and
shopkeepers, but also an abnormally large number of professionals,
especially doctors. Sir Magdi Yaqub, the renowned surgeon, Zeinab Badawi,
the famous TV journalist, and Eugene Cottran, Britain’s only Palestinian
judge, and the Sawalha family of actors demonstrate the wide range of
skills in the ranks of this very able community. The wife of George
Galloway MP is an Arab. The
challenge for British Arabs is to make their mark in Britain as a community, rather
than just individual attainment, especially in politics where there are no
Arab Parliamentarians and few local councillors. They must fight the
all-pervasive anti-Arab racism that goes unchecked, especially in the
media, and strengthen the community by uniting above its regional/ethnic
and religious differences. Finally, their task is to establish a unique
hybrid British-Arab identity for the British-born generation, preserving
the best of Arab heritage, whilst combining this with British culture to
give birth to an exciting and dynamic British-Arab identity. British-Arabs
can play a unique role in creating understanding between the UK and the
Arab world: there is enough ability in their ranks to act as such a bridge
– and now there is sufficient will to match it. Dr Anthony McRoy
British Arabs – continued from
page 1
Modern Arab Presence
THE FUTURE FOR BRITISH ARABS
BRITISH-ARAB
CULTURE Preserving
Arab culture in Britain is no easy task, given that there are few Arab
community centres, and such are very far apart. The lack, until recently,
of community representation also hindered this. The ethic diversity of the
community has also been an obstacle. Can this be overcome? The
formation of NABA and the ‘Arab Communities Forum’ provides an answer to
this. It is vital to organise united British-Arab cultural events of all
kinds to preserve the Arab identity in the UK, and to ensure it does not
fragment. Furthermore, the native-born generation must play its part,
applying Western cultural forms in music and literature, poetry, etc. to
traditional Arab music and expression. This behoves
community leaders to reach out to their youth and encourage them in this
endeavour and to stage events that show not just that British-Arab youth
have retained their Arab identity, but are also sitting comfortably with
British culture. This is vital, if those who have grown up in Britain are
not to forget their Arab heritage as an irrelevant migrant hangover.
People outside the community will also be interested to witness the
emergence of a hybrid British-Arab culture. This in itself will encourage
the integration of the communities. For news of
cultural/academic/community events, visit our website. This is routinely updated with news of
a variety of events and lectures. If you want to include your
club, society, or association, we will be happy to do this for you. Just write to us on www.naba.org.uk You can support the association in many
ways, however little time you can spare. (Please ask for details) naba@britisharabs.com 2
NABA ACHIEVEMENTS In
the West, power often works through lobbying, and for this organisation is
vital. The organisation and mobilisation of British Arabs is essential, and
mobilisation involves lobbying to empower the community. Since the
establishment of NABA and the Arab Communities Forum, a few significant steps
have been achieved: ·
Commission for Racial Equality Meeting already held to discuss official action against
Anti-Arabism and a report has been sent to them from NABA (this can be
viewed on our website). ·
The Minority Rights Group, which earlier this year
produced a report on British Muslims, was approached by NABA/ACF, and they
have expressed interest in considering the production of a report about
British Arabs. ·
Contacts have been made with the Office of Population Census
about determining the true number of Arabs in the UK. As you know from the irritating Ethnic
Monitoring forms which we all have to complete from time to time, where we
are reduced to ticking ‘other’, there is a real need for Arab to be
recognised as a separate grouping and we are also discussing the
possibilities of introducing this on the next census. ·
Bradford Chamber of Commerce & Industry
sent a delegate to Tel Aviv recently to promote trade with Israeli. After
protests and vigorous lobbying by NABA and other groups, where we
emphasised how distressing we found
this attempt to drum up trade with Israel, and indeed the illegality of
trade in products grown on expropriated land, they apologised and issued
this statement: ‘I confirm that Bradford Chamber of Commerce &
Industry has no plans or intentions, either now or in the future, to
organise a trade mission to Israel, nor to directly promote any business
with Israel or Israeli companies. The contribution of NABA was crucial in this case,
and was recognised by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, who played a major role in
the lobbying process. ·
Football: The
Israeli national soccer team had sought a venue to play a European fixture
in the UK, and approached Watford FC to hire their stadium. We spent a considerable amount of time
in talks with Watford FC, the Police and the Football Association
explaining that this would not only be totally inappropriate but would also
cause great concern if the club were to agree. After much discussion they
agreed that they will not host this event despite being in severe
financial circumstances and the revenues they would have received. Watford FC issued this statement: ‘After
being approached to host Israel’s home European Championship matches at
Vicarage Road, Watford have officially written to the Israeli FA to turn
down the request.’ ·
Meetings with the Football Association to promote
‘Arabs in football’ and ‘kicking out anti-Arab racism’ from soccer are
under consideration. Meeting
already held with Queens Park Rangers. ·
Meetings with Metropolitan and Watford Police to
discuss issues on issues of anti-Arab hate crimes and other matters of
concern. Meeting already held with
Metropolitan Police. ·
Home Office We
have been invited by the Home Office to hold a meeting about the domestic
concerns of British Arabs, especially discrimination. ·
Greater London Authority Meeting held to discuss the
concerns of London Arabs. ·
Political Parties Meetings
with the main parties are under discussion and one party has already arranged
a meeting with us. ·
Welsh Office NABA
contacted Welsh Assembly Minister for Open Government Carwyn Jones to
protest his visit to the Israeli government. As a result, NABA invited to approach the Minister to discuss
the concerns of Arabs in Wales. ·
Television The
lack of British Arabs on TV series, current affairs programmes, as
presenters and actors, and the absence of British Arab programmes such as
those addressing other minority groups has been raised with terrestrial TV
companies who have invited responses from us, meetings are proposed to
remedy this situation. None of these achievements would have
been possible apart from the existence of NABA/ACF. Organisation and
lobbying are empowering the British Arab community, winning protection from
harassment, and aiding Arabs in the Middle East. 3
I reiterate that we regret any offence caused and hope that this brings
the matter to a satisfactory conclusion. Thanks for your co-operation. Best wishes, Mike Cartwright
Communications Department
Bradford Chamber of Commerce & Industry
BOOK REVIEWS
(All books supplied by One
World Publishers)
The Wisdom of the Arabs, Compiled by Suheil
Bushrui This delightful little book
explores a feature of Arab culture too often ignored in the West – the
cultural contributions of the Arabs in terms of wisdom. Under heading of
religion, virtue, self-restraint, daily life, leadership and art and
learning, the book draws on Arab folk tradition and literature, such as
‘Arabian Nights’, The Qur’an and Hadith to the more modern poetry of Kahlil
Gibran. Of particular note is the section ‘The Arabs’: from the Hadith we learn ‘Arab identity
is in the tongue; whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab’; Umar ibn Al-Khattab tells us ‘The Arabic
language creates a balanced mind and enriches human values’; Al-Tawhidi
declares: ‘The Arabs have bravery, hospitable reception, fidelity, gallantry,
generosity, responsibility to obligation, oratory and a gift for
explanation.’ An ideal gift for a special
occasion. September 11: Religious Perspectives on
the Causes and Consequences, edited by Ian Markham and Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi’. Jointly
authored by a Christian theologian and a Muslim Palestinian, this book is a
compendium of articles by scholars in the field of religion and social
sciences into the background of 9/11. Its main theme is to provide
complementary religious perceptions, but that should not deter the
secular reader from exploring this interesting and informative book. Among
the issues examined are those of how a free society should respond to
terrorism, as in the article by Heidi Hadsell ‘Internal Security and Civil
Liberties: Moral Dilemmas and Debates’. The article by Heidi Gehman, ‘The
Terrorist Attack on America’ is especially good, emphasising that ‘Many
Muslims feel that their own governments are controlled…by U.S. foreign
policy…’, p. 15, and then comments on the role of the US-Israeli alliance.
Another instructive article is that by Ibrahim Abu-Rabi’, ‘A Critical
assessment of Modern Islamic History’, which observes that Palestine is
‘the most central question facing the contemporary Arab world.’ p. 40. If
only President Bush would take this to heart. The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and
Politics in Iran, Roy
Mottahedeh Based on first-hand accounts of
eyewitnesses, this book examines the background to the Iranian revolution.
Although Iran is not Arab, the fact that Islam and later its Shi’ite
version were both introduced to Iran by Arabs, the impact of the Revolution
is reviving Islamism in Arab countries, and the common causes of
anti-Western radicalism in Iran and the Arab world. We learn that the Arab immigrants
to Iran after the conquest extended ‘irrigation, grow cash crops, and
thereby establish the town of Qom…’, the major Iranian holy city, p. 21.
Another Arab contribution to the events of 1979 occurred about twenty years
previously, with the events of the Algerian war of independence: ‘They had
all followed the Algerian war with close and concerned attention’, p. 113,
especially an incident when French troops deliberately burned alive
hundreds of Algerian men, women and children sheltering in a cave. One
especially interesting section is on the CIA coup against Premier Mossadegh
in 1953, p.129ff, an event little-known in the West, which occurred after
he nationalised the Anglo-Iran Oil Company (now BP). The themes of the rest
of the book are well-known, especially how the Americans fawned on the
tyrant Shah they had imposed on Iran and refused to listen to objections –
something that will resonate with Arabs everywhere. The title leaves us with little
to say except that with the explosion of interest in Islam since 9/11,
Westerners are increasingly exposed to Arabic religious terminology and
Islamic concepts in their daily media, some of which can be obscure. It
refers to both ideas and personalities, such as ‘dar al-ahad’ (realm of
treaty) and the ‘Ikhwan’, making them accessible and simple to the Western
reader. Whilst scholars would use more extensive volumes, this is ideal
reference for the average layman. 4
A Concise Encyclopaedia of Islam, Gordon Newby