Muslim Archives - Aberdeen Voice

Alhikmah Foundation Event Supports Aberdeen Project

Jun 302016

With thanks to Paul Smith, Citrus:Mix.

Plans for the next stage in an ambitious Aberdeen community project have taken another major step forward after a fundraiser in the city added £75,000 to the running total. The Alhikmah Foundation is the driving force behind the creation of the Masjid Alhikmah, which will feature community and youth facilities as well as prayer halls for north-east Muslims.

Made possible entirely through donations and the fundraising activities of supporters, already £1.2million has been donated and an Iftar dinner at the Hilton Treetops Hotel in Aberdeen on Friday, June 17, brought in £75,000 during an evening attended by more than 500 people.

The generous backing to date has enabled the Nelson Street project to make significant progress, with the main part of the construction programme concluded in January (2016).

The first phase incorporated all structural and external aspects and the foundation is pushing forward for plans for the second stage, which will involve the internal fit and finish of the three-storey building.

A spokesman for the Alhikmah Foundation said:

“The completion of the external elements of the building was a significant milestone and a very proud moment for all who have been involved in the project. To see the site transformed and regenerated is very rewarding, with the feedback we have had from local residents extremely positive.

“None of this would have been possible without the support the foundation has received from donors and from fundraisers who have taken on an incredible array of challenges. To reach £1.2m is a wonderful achievement and we cannot thank those who have contributed enough.

“Without them the vision for Masjid Alhikmah could not have become a reality and the latest event is another demonstration of the strength of support there is – the £75,000 total from the Iftar dinner exceeded our expectations and we thank all who attended and made the evening such a success.”

Iftar is part of the month of Ramadan and marks the breaking of the daily fast between dawn and sunset. The foundation dinner was an opportunity for the north-east Muslim community to join together for Iftar whilst supporting a fundraising cause close to their heart.

The campaign will continue as the project progresses, with the target of raising an additional £425,000 to pay for the internal aspects of the new facility. The full annual report for 2015 has been published and is available to download online, outlining the financial performance of the foundation for the year and also detailing key aspects of the project.

The spokesman added:

“The annual report is an opportunity to look back over a very productive year but also look forward to what is ahead. We know there are a number of community fundraising events in the pipeline and it is very important that the momentum that we have built is carried forward.

“It has been a wonderful effort to get to this stage, particularly given the challenging economic climate facing the north-east at present, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed so far or who plans to in the weeks and months ahead. Every penny spent on the project will continue to come from fundraising by our supporters.”

The name chosen for the new centre stems from Arabic. Masjid translates as “a place of congregational worship” and Alhikmah as “wisdom”.

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Old Susannah – USA ‘Freedom’ Special

Opinion, Satire and Humour 1 Response »

Jun 172016

Old Susannah turns her head awa frae Aberdeen this week as her lugs pick up gunfire in the States – again. By Suzanne Kelly

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, Bastion of Gun Worship; Americans witnessed another senseless bloodbath this past week. It was an American born Muslim extremist

in Orlando, Florida, with an automatic assault rifle in a nightclub. Which politicians will try to use these deaths to score points and whip up a bit more hatred (give you three guesses as to one of them)? Where will it be next time?

America needs some new slogans. ‘Land of the Free, home of the brave’ just doesn’t cut it anymore.

It seems to me that no one’s genuinely free. Minority groups, women and the poor have one set of laws to govern them, and freedoms are more than a little limited.

There is now an expression specifically for spurious, racially-motivated arrests, ‘Running (or driving) while black’.

The more money you’ve got, the better illusion of freedom you can afford, and the better protected you will be. Policing is biased in many places, and as we’ve seen from the Brock Turner rape case, Justice peeks from behind her blindfold, and can tell when there is some gold on her scales. Law and law enforcement have long since gone their separate way from Liberty. ‘Truth, Liberty and Justice for All’ no longer reflects the reality.

Aside from if you were a Native American, it all seemed such a good idea at the time.

The American experiment if taken literally would see people today free to choose where and how to live, collecting their own rainwater without fear of prison, living off the grid if they felt like it, and dare I say it – using whatever plants (including cannabis) however they chose to.

Funny, no one wants to take the freedom, equality and rights-concerned sections of the Constitution literally – but the NRA certainly wants to ensure that we take very literally ‘the right to bear arms’ (which of course was in the context of having a militia and when muskets ruled, not semi-automatics and Saturday Night Specials).

In the USA there are those who take the bible literally too, and are at great pains to prove the world is only 6,000 years old and the righteous will float up to heaven in the Rapture (NB this is a US invention, not that most of the bible belters will admit that). The only parts of the bible they don’t want to take literally (while they build ‘creation museums’ showing dinosaurs romping with humans) is the ‘love one another’/ ‘do unto others’ bit.

What a selective species we can be. Interpretation of Truth and Liberty have been warped by special interest and greed to the point they’ve broken.

When I moved to the UK from New York people would ask me why, and I’d half-jokingly reply ‘because I don’t want to get shot’. Some would look at me funny; I’d explain handgun proliferation and gun culture to the interested. But no one I met in the UK could really understand why some Americans are dead set on ‘protecting’ themselves with guns.

From all the evidence (accidental misfire killings and wounding;, parents shooting children arriving home late, etc), I don’t understand how a gun ‘protects’ the average Yank either.

One reason I’m going to try and write on this topic (once more) was a post Nick Tesco (a founder of The Members, but you know that) made on Facebook in the wake of Orlando:

“Dear American friends, do these mass murderers see children, church goers and gay people as tools of the tyranny that they’ve been obliged to take up arms against as demanded by your Second Amendment and like your NRA say? Or is that something you might need to take a look at when you’ve finished giving women a hard time about abortion?”

21st Century – Still tribal after all these years.

In his post Tesco seems to be asking for an American re-examination of values, guns, the meaning of freedom, and where the focus of securing freedom should be.

Tesco’s since qualified his post; he well knows that not all Yanks are the problem, and if you look at the UK through a similar lens, you might not see a pretty picture either.

For instance there is some unnecessary, ugly violence going on over the beautiful game in France at present. Nationalistic fans clash with nationalistic fans in the streets and bars of France on some primitive tribal quest to prove who’s the most warlike (and I suppose to their minds this makes them superior, manly, desirable). Things aren’t different in the US. Scenes at pro-Trump rallies make thinking-people cringe, and that’s before the violence starts.

What is the American Republican/Democrat push-pull if not mindless tribalism? Everyone wants their side to win, and most people stick with whichever party their parents belonged to. No one looks at what their elected officials’ backgrounds are or what entities fund them and chooses – just whether the elephant or the donkey wins.

You might be living in a trailer park on benefits in America, but if mom and dad were Republicans, you’re likely to vote for a billionaire because he’s in the Republican livery, however exploitative he is of you and your fellow poor Americans. The ingrained desire to be a ‘winner’ overrides logic, fact, and common sense for some.

There is a lot to love about America – most of the people, the environment, and the idea of liberty.

How, when and why did a country which declared the notion of freedom being its core value turn into a racist, sexist, elitist police state governed by the rich for the benefit of the rich and their richer multinational masters? Perhaps being formed on top of, rather than along side of, Native American rights and values, and on the back of slavery meant the American dream was always going to become a nightmare, but the bloodshed and inequality has to be countered before it’s too late.

Ultimately I don’t think it’s too late to turn it around (or I’d not bother writing about it) but this must happen now before more ground is lost to the crooked cop, the bent judge, the lobbyist-controlled congressman and the multinational.

An observation which may or may not be a non-sequiter came to mind. I’ve a good number of intelligent American friends and acquaintances; most far more intelligent than I am. A few have put their brains into music, art, politics; the majority have harnessed their talents to making money. I can’t help but think if they hadn’t been conditioned to think that money equalled success that such talent could have been applied to creative, political and humanitarian ends.

I also can’t help but think for some people, they’d be a lot happier if they hadn’t been worried about being a lot richer.

You might think you are freer in the US than in other places. Gun-loving Americans clutch their guns and decry they will use them to guard their freedoms. They think this is freedom; they think it is a free country. I beg to differ. Here are a few thoughts on how freedom is doing these days.

Free Elections?

Turning back to gun violence, there are many worthy groups fighting to get guns under some form of control. Why don’t people just vote for congressmen who will deliver gun control, and that will be the end of the problem?

In order to run for office, a candidate needs millions of dollars. Perhaps candidates start out with high hopes and best intentions. I respectfully suggest that with a few notable exceptions, by the time they raise this money, they will get their hands dirty. They will owe favours. Will they owe the National Rifle Association, arguably the most powerful lobbying group in America? More than likely.

“According to OpenSecrets, a site that tracks money in politics, the NRA spent $984,152 on campaign contributions during the 2014 election cycle. It also spent more than $3 million on lobbying in both 2013 and 2014. The NRA also spent $28,212,718 on outside political contributions during this period, which includes ads paid for directly by the NRA. That makes it the tenth biggest spender when it comes to such political spending.”
http://fortune.com/2015/12/03/san-bernadino-nra-political-spending-gun-violence/

Voting is a right people fought for, but not everyone uses. About 40% of the country will either not bother to turn out for a presidential election – or do not vote for more sinister reasons.

There are those who want to vote – but get turned away in increasing numbers for spurious reasons. Names go missing from electoral rolls. Last minute demands for photo ID sends some away. In a paradox, questions were raised about some of the votes delivered from Florida by Governor Jeb Bush to clan Bush member Dubya – were all of those who voted: alive, able to vote, received postal votes themselves that they alone completed – questions remain.

Can elections be rigged? Of course. Does that only happen in the third world? Of course not.

So, we are not free to select the best candidate to run for office; we are selecting from candidates pre-selected by vested interest groups who give their candidates enough money to run. We are not free to vote if we are turned away because of unconstitutional practices, and racism does still stop people from getting to the ballot box:

“Thousands of black electors in Florida were disenfranchised in last November’s [2000] election by an electoral system tainted by “injustice, ineptitude and inefficiency” a leaked report by the US civil rights commission says. It accuses Governor Jeb Bush, the president’s brother, and his secretary of state, Katherine Harris, of “gross dereliction” of duty, saying they “chose to ignore mounting evidence” of the problems.

“The eight-strong commission, whose report will be published on Friday, found that black voters were “10 times more likely than white voters to have their ballots rejected”, and pointed to the use of a flawed list of felons and ex-felons to purge the voting rolls. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/jun/06/uselections2000.usa

Freedom fail.

Tesco also once posed on Facebook that everyone should vote; this is true up to a point. Not that I take all my political leads from musicians, but Jerry Garcia is attributed with having said (I paraphrase again) ‘If you vote and choose between two evils, you are still choosing evil.’

So – while I must vote for Clinton – as a vote against Trump – it is not because of any woman solidarity, and it’s certainly not because I approve of her Monsanto links.

She is clearly the better choice over Trump. A nation of 260 million people – and it comes down to this. I might well write in George Takei who has always spoken out against violence and intolerance, or for heroic filibustering senator Chris Murphy whose stamina has forced a congressional vote to ‘close the terror gap’.

In the end, I will vote for Clinton, to avoid the Trump presidency, and the catastrophe that would spell. (besides which, I’d like to be able to visit the US in the next 4 years without winding up in a boiler suit on my way to GitMo). As far as I know, unlike Trump, Clinton’s not racked up 3,500 lawsuits, hasn’t opened a fleecing operation posing as a ‘university’ and doesn’t want everyone armed. She’s no plans to ‘take out’ people related to terrorists, or to ban Muslims / American Muslims from travel.

Free to have guns.

Anything you need to know about the illogic and insanity of having automatic weaponry freely available can be found in Michael Moore’s Bowling for Columbine documentary. The sad thing is that this film was made in 2002. Oh, and the wealth and power of the NRA tells you why the country is like this.

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness.

At the same time we Americans are telling ourselves how ‘free’ we are, and how we want to bring freedom to other countries (frequently those with resources NB), liberty is getting a beating at home and abroad. The same ilk of senator who will keep automatic guns on sale is legislating to give American water not to Americans, but to sell or give it to companies like Nestle, which is bottling it up and signing lucrative deals to take water in states like Oregon.

Want to collect rain water on your own property? In many states that will land you in prison – like Oregon, which is giving your water to Nestle.

Nick Tesco is right in his Facebook post when he alluded to abortion, but it is actually worse and worsening for any woman who wants control over her body and life. Have a spontaneous abortion – don’t do it in certain states, or you’ll go to jail for failing to carry full term.

There are places where you will be mauled by a police dog, beaten to a pulp or beaten to death – or shot for offences like having a tail light out on your car, driving too slowly, running, or just being non-white in a white area. The police are brutal in some states. There is no other way of putting it.

And Justice for All?

Some police officers are people who want to make the world better; however, organisations like Police the Police are proving time and again that the police force today includes Ku Klux Klan members, paedophiles and sadists. They largely seem immune from prosecution – while the guy collecting rain water or trying to live ‘off the grid’ will spend years in prison. In some states, growing marijuana can lead to decades in prison.

However, if you are white, privileged – and a good swimmer – raping an unconscious woman will get you a few months in a cell at most.

I’d add a description of how Native Americans have been treated past and present – but I cannot do it justice at all. Here is a good place to look at one issue though – the veritable kidnapping of Native children who are chemically coshed and placed with white, extreme ‘Christian’ families for no good reason other than money is made from it, and families and culture is destroyed in the process. This is the tip of the iceberg for Native issues.

It’s lunacy, and as far as the eye can see, the root causes are greed and self-interest.

Does this make me a conspiracy theorist?

Does it serve the interests of those in power when these incidents happen? It doesn’t always hurt. You’ve got Trump insisting if everyone had a gun, Orlando wouldn’t have happened (so no hostage or crossfire casualties in his world I suppose). When the serial killer in question is non-white and non-Christian – then the authorities insist we have an Islamic jihad problem that can only be served by the rest of us giving up more of our freedoms and… by panicking the suggestible into buying guns to protect themselves.

We know how well that works out.

CODA

Just as I finish this piece, Jo Cox MP has been shot and stabbed; she supports the Remain campaign, and works to help Syrian refugees. Allegedly the assailant yelled ‘Britain First.’ [17 June: Jo Cox has been murdered. Britain First’s Facebook page has a BF ‘news’ item that the murderer didn’t shout ‘Britain First’ – they shouted ‘Put Britain First’. A trivial distinction which ignores the fact she is dead, and those who have worked tirelessly to ratchet hatred up several notches are at least in part culpable.]

If the reports prove true, and they are a Britain First supporter, they have shown BF in its true light. Despite its many Facebook posts using click bait such as veterans, dog fighting, elderly issues – they are only nationalistic, white supremacist violent thugs. If this is how their followers try to advance their cause, let’s ensure we stop sharing their posts at the very least, and let’s make sure they don’t get a foothold.

The US is rapidly becoming ruled by gunpower – let’s ensure that never happens here.

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[Aberdeen Voice accepts and welcomes contributions from all sides/angles pertaining to any issue. Views and opinions expressed in any article are entirely those of the writer/contributor, and inclusion in our publication does not constitute support or endorsement of these by Aberdeen Voice as an organisation or any of its team members.]

Petitioner Responds To Trump Debate

Aberdeen City, Featured, News 4 Responses »

Jan 202016

With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

Suzanne Kelly fights her way through the hordes.

Trump Ban Petitioner, Suzanne Kelly.

Suzanne Kelly launched the petition requesting that Donald Trump be banned from the UK for his hate speech, as so many others have before. An unprecedented number of signatures – 570,000 – triggered the Westminster debate.

The debate took place on Monday 18 January, which also happened to be Martin Luther King Day.

Suzanne said afterwards:

“It was a pleasure to see so many of the speakers condemn Mr. Trump and his hate speech. Some of those who spoke helpfully referred to the cases in the United States where people have committed violent acts or intended to, where Donald Trump’s speech had been the clear source of inspiration.”

“Teresa May still has it in her power to put the ban on Donald Trump; The Public Order Act 1986 has been used to ban over 80 people so far, and to me Mr. Trump’s words put him squarely in that category in my opinion, and in the opinions of some of the MPs.”

“It was surprising and disappointing to see that MP Paul Flynn, tasked with introducing the debate, decided to go to the media in advance of the debate and announce he was against the ban. I found that unethical, even though Flynn and the Petitions Committee apparently have no issue with it. I believe this sent a message to his party members and others to follow suit.

“Moreover, if the member of the Petitions Committee charged with introducing my petition and my points did not support them, how robust a job could he be expected to do? Initially Flynn told me not to contact him when I wrote to him with the details of the arguments in favour of the ban. He did not believe he should communicate with me because of his role on the committee. The Petitions Committee disagreed with him.

“What I found improper was his comments against any ban coming less than 24 hours before the debate. He hadn’t done me the basic courtesy of letting me know he was speaking out about the petition in advance. Therefore I lost an opportunity to counter him. Flynn’s amazingly idealistic concept of convincing Trump that multiculturalism works by taking Trump out to meet people is ridiculous.

“If Flynn has that little handle on Trump’s make-up, then he was not the person to lead the discussions. While he made some of my points, I hardly thought his presentation looked or sounded robust. Perhaps the Petitions Committee might reconsider how a petition is introduced in future.

“Flynn’s position was also that to ban Trump might potentially advantage him / make him seem a ‘martyr’ to some of his followers. I would have thought upholding British law would have come first to an MP. However it seems that second-guessing any potential outcomes of applying the law of the land overrides any duty to uphold the law for some.

“Thankfully some speakers were aware of the difference between hate speech and free speech. There were excellent points made by those who supported the petition. Others chose, somewhat disingenuously I thought, to decide that the requested ban on Trump was somehow an assault on Freedom of Speech. I wonder where those impassioned speakers were when it came to the 80+ people the UK has previously banned, and if they will now seek to overturn the historic bans against hate preachers.

“Some MPs seemed to fear that banning Trump was an attack on the US / that we should not meddle in US politics. How they came to the conclusion that this matter of UK law was less important than taking a stand against hate speech would be interesting to hear.

“However, virtually everyone who spoke had the harshest of words for Trump. ‘Buffoon’ seemed the word of the hour. It was good to see that there is a widespread condemnation of Trump’s policies.

“Sarah Malone-Bates, Trump’s spokesperson issued a statement which was to me feeble as well as hypocritical. She bemoaned the cost of this exercise to taxpayers, saying we were wasting valuable Parliamentary time. Perhaps it’s a case of amnesia or ignorance, but with her employer dragging the Scottish taxpayer through every court in the land in his selfish desire to scupper an important offshore wind farm project, I think Malone-Bates would find that Trump has cost far more money and time than the debate did.

I think the desire of 570,000 people to have the debate is just a bit more important than Trump costing Aberdeenshire money, time, clean energy and work in the clean energy sector. She’s claimed that ‘hundreds of millions of pounds’ are being ‘pumped’ by Trump into the Scottish economy.

“I’ve asked for sight of the proof of this wild claim; it’s not forthcoming, nor is a response to my request to have a live debate with her on the issues, which still stands.”

“I would like to thank the Petitions Committee administrators, who were very helpful throughout. Thanks too to the media for their interest and support. Thanks to Aberdeen Voice especially Fred Wilkinson, editor, and Julie Thompson who has worked on a number of stories with me. Gratitude goes to the MPs who understood the law and the purpose of the petition and who spoke eloquently; gratitude to those MPs opposed who nevertheless in some cases made useful comments.

“Finally, thanks very much to the people who took the time to sign this petition.

“Sometimes the system works. I see this petition and the debate as huge victories. Trump has lost his Global Scot status, his business is apparently no longer wanted in much of the Middle East; his honorary degree from Robert Gordon University was withdrawn, and Trump branded goods are being axed from shops. If this is a defeat for me, I’ll live with it.”

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Alex Salmond Responds To Donald Trump

Aberdeenshire, News 6 Responses »

Jan 142016

With thanks to Tom Collins, Press Officer, Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MP MSP

Alex Salmond has responded to the latest comments from Donald Trump. Referring to Mr Salmond as ‘an embarrassment to Scotland’ and a ‘stupid man’, Trump defended his purchase of Turnberry golf course and issued scathing criticism of Salmond pertaining to his support of windfarms, and the early release of convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

Mr Salmond said:

“The problem for Mr Trump lies not with his golf courses, but with him. The golf courses are excellent. ‘The Donald’ isn’t.

“Unfortunately, his claims of the level of future investment in Scotland bear no resemblance to the reality of the last eight years. His ownership of Turnburry places it effectively out of The Open Championship circuit at a cost of £100 million to the Scottish economy. His legal objections to wind demonstrators in Aberdeen have thus far deprived the North East of Scotland of a vital £200 million diversification into offshore wind technology at a time of great difficulty in oil and gas.

“However, the real difficulty is his recent statements on Mexicans and Muslims, which go beyond the pale of acceptable comment and an association with him is increasingly damaging to Scotland. That is why over half a million people have signed the parliamentary petition seeking to ban him from the country!

“As far as his remarks to me are concerned, I have fought and won nine elections. Mr Trump has yet to win one.

“On his remarks about Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, he is out of date. Megrahi’s release was in 2009. Since then, the SNP has won an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament and 56 seats out of 59 in a UK General Election. On Megrahi, Trump is like a cracked gramophone record playing in a digital age.

“Although, I have to admit it is very easy to issue statement after statement, tit for tat. I suggest instead Mr Trump calls into LBC next Wednesday at 16:00 (GMT), where he can ask me anything he likes. The number is +44 (0)345 60 60 973. If he has a beef I’ll be happy to take his call. We’ll see if debating here is as easy as debating over there!”

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Trump Ban Petitioner Sums Up And Calls Out Opponents

Aberdeen City, News 6 Responses »

Jan 142016

Suzanne Kelly, the woman behind the petition to the UK government to ban Trump, has released a summary statement supporting the requested ban. Her petition asks that Donald Trump be banned from the UK for hate speech, as has happened to some 80 people previously.

The petition will be debated on 18th January, along with a counter-petition. Kelly wants to ensure that everyone is aware of all the details.

The actual petition is limited to only a certain number of words by the Petitions Committee. Kelly understands the need for this, but is keen to get further details widely known before the debate.

Kelly is calling David Gladwin out, asking him to debate his pro-Trump petition with her prior to the Parliamentary debate. His petition reads:

“There are proposals to ban Donald Trump from the United Kingdom. At least, there’s a petition on the topic. This is totally illogical.”

Kelly says:

“I’ve no idea who David Gladwin is, but I asked the UK Petitions Committee to ask him to get in touch. If his only argument is that the petition I started, signed now by an unprecedented 570,000 people, is ‘totally illogical’, let’s get him to say why. I also understood that a large number of his petition’s signatures were discounted, and I would like to know what he says about that, too.

“Trump’s hate speech has visible, violent outcomes in America. A homeless Hispanic man was badly beaten in Boston; those who were arrested said words to the effect ‘Donald Trump is right, we have too many immigrants.’ William Celli is accused of trying to make pipe bombs and attack Muslims; he is a Trump supporter who said he would follow Trump ‘to the end of the world.’

“I am particularly worried by Trump’s statement that relatives of terrorists should be ‘taken out’. He says nothing of trial, due process – he just calls for taking people out. Is this an incitement to violence? I believe so. It is as dangerous as his call – made after my petition went live – to ban all Muslims from ENTERING the USA. The US has between 3 to 7 million Muslim citizens.

“He has lumped every follower of this religion into a group he wants to monitor and control, and in so doing tars peaceful people with the same brush as the dangerous terrorist fanatic, I of course condemn terrorism. This is hate speech. This is not free speech. Free speech carries responsibilities; Mr Trump seems completely unaware of this.

“The UK Government now has 570,000 people wanting this ban. They have evidence that Trump’s words have caused injury. They also have the unprecedented condemnation of Trump’s Islamophobic statements by no less than the US Secretary of State and top Pentagon officials. We must ban him. I see no reason to treat a billionaire differently than we have treated those we have already banned.

“I would also suggest that people should go back and look at the Panorama programme ‘The Trouble with Trump.’ The BBC’s investigations certainly seemed to link Donald Trump to an American underworld figure. Trump’s position as I recall was that he couldn’t always know who he was doing deals with. This adds to the ever-growing list of reasons I hope that America will not make him its next president.”

“David Gladwin – or any Trump spokesperson, particularly local Sarah Malone-Bates at the Trump Menie Estate course, I challenge you to a debate before this petition. Let’s hear your views on Trump’s ‘freedom’ to ban travel based on religion, to ‘take people out’ for being related to terrorists (does this apply to William Celli’s family I wonder?) and his ‘freedom’ to continuously, unrepentantly insult people based on race, religion or sex. I really cannot wait to hear your defence of the man.”

Kelly has received a threat – someone wrote to Aberdeen Voice where she is a contributing writer, suggesting she should never leave the UK again as people want to get their hands on her – and that she could be put to work in a cotton field. Of the reaction to the petition Kelly says:

“I started this petition for my neighbours who were targets because of their religion and national origins, for my friends who were insulted because of their race, and my sisters, denigrated for being women. The huge number of signatures signals to me that people are weary of speech designed to drive wedges through communities. There have been far more kind words than threats.

“Donald Trump was stripped of his honorary degree at Robert Gordon University following a petition I started; their values did not match his. On the occasion of losing this degree, Trump said words to the effect he will be a ‘smart and strong’ president. I personally feel that the man has confused ‘smart and strong’ with manipulative and brutishly bullying.”

Kelly has asked Aberdeenshire Council and the Trump International Golf Links Scotland to fix all outstanding planning breaches. This includes removing a giant bund of earth near Leyton Farm Cottage where it blocks the former views to the sea, Kelly finds it ironic that an organisation that wants to stop an offshore clean energy wind project for its visual impact would treat its neighbour in such a manner.

The bund now seems strongly implicated in the flood damage to the road and area by the cottage. Kelly also asked for immediate restoration of fishing access for farmer Michael Forbes. In the BBC Panorama programme ‘the Trouble with Trump’ Donald Trump Jr mocks Forbes for not fishing – his access to fish had long since been blocked by the Trump organisation.

Kelly expects a reply from the council on 13th January. The Trump organisation has refused to reply to date, or take requested remedial actions.

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Trump ‘Meaningless Threat’ Dismissed By Councillors

Aberdeenshire, Opinion No Responses »

Jan 072016

With thanks to Martin Ford and Paul Johnston.

Two Aberdeenshire councillors are dismissing Mr Donald Trump’s latest threat to cancel investment in his Scottish golf courses. Mr Trump was reacting to the petition calling on the Westminster government to ban him from the UK signed by over 570,000 people.

Democratic Independent and Green councillors Paul Johnston and Martin Ford are questioning the likelihood of the investment going ahead whether Mr Trump is banned from the UK or not.

Said Cllr Martin Ford,

“Mr Trump has been promising hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in Aberdeenshire for ten years. He has also been threatening not to make the investment ever since he announced it.

“Mr Trump routinely uses threats to try to get his own way, to attempt to exert leverage over Aberdeenshire Council or Scottish Government decisions.

“Back in 2007, Mr Trump’s threat not to invest if he didn’t get everything he wanted clearly had the Council and the Scottish Government dancing to his tune.

“Surely, no-one is going to fall for this meaningless threat now. After ten years of promising an investment that has yet to materialise, the sensible working assumption has to be it’s not going to happen. The rational response to Mr Trump’s pronouncements is to ignore them.”

On Wednesday (6 January), Mr Trump said he would not invest £500 million in his Menie development nor £200 million at Turnberry if he was banned from the UK by the UK government. In 2007, Mr Trump promised to invest £1 billion at Menie – a claim repeated regularly over the following years. Mr Trump’s actual spend at Menie is believed to be less than £30 million.

Last year, Mr Trump announced his intention to apply for planning permission for housing and other further development at Menie. No corresponding planning applications have been submitted.

Cllr Paul Johnston said:

“We should deal in facts, not Mr Trump’s media comments. Mr Trump has invested less than £30 million at Menie and makes an operating loss on the course. All else is speculation.”

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Parliament To Debate Trump Ban Petition

Aberdeen City, Featured, News 17 Responses »

Jan 062016

With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

Hate speech and prejudice take a beating as Parliament’s Petitions Committee schedules 18 January for a debate on a proposed Donald Trump UK ban for hate speech. An unprecedented 580,000 people have signed an online petition started by Aberdeen Voice contributor Suzanne Kelly.

At 10,000 signatures the government made a response which can be found on the petition website.

Kelly welcomed the strongly-worded response, and replied to it as follows:

“I welcome the Government’s affirmation that it rejects attempts to create division, and that coming to the UK is a privilege which can be denied to those who seek to harm our society and who do not share our basic values.

“Much has happened since the petition was lodged on 28 November. When Trump came out with the astonishing statement in early December that Muslims should be barred from entering the US, it justified the need for this petition. At the time of writing, 567,000 people are asking for the ban.

“Freedom of any kind comes with responsibility; this includes free speech. Freedom of speech is not the freedom to engage in hate. Words can wound and can be a rallying cry to violence. If anyone doubts that speech can cause harm, reflect on how many physical fights start with verbal provocation, and how much harm is caused by verbal bullying in schools and in domestic situations.

“The reality of hate speech’s ability to incite violent acts is why the UK’s laws have stopped some 80 individuals from entering the UK to date. Trump has never, as far as I know, apologised for any of his verbal attacks.

“I am not someone known for wanting to ban one thing or another. Over the years I have fought to stop books and artwork being banned. However, there is a saying- ‘your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins’. In other words, freedom is not freedom to cause harm to others, and from the facts I personally conclude Donald Trump’s words are demonstrably causing harm. I do not see how the government can do other but ban his future entry.

“An educated person may laugh off Trump’s diatribes, and wonder why any action is needed. Unfortunately not everyone who hears prejudicial, hate-inciting speech stops to question or analyse what they hear.

“Our government believes hate speech is illegal, witness the many who have been barred UK entry. Most of these banned people were hardly household names, so how much more weight might hate speech carry when it comes from someone who is a television personality, and would-be US president?

“Trump has money, celebrity and influence. We know that people listen to celebrities; our advertising industry spends millions of pounds on sponsorship because of it. Donald Trump’s fame is helping to spread his hate-filled rhetoric.

“If the UK government needs evidence that Donald Trump’s hate speech can encourage violence, sadly this can be provided.

“The New York Times and other media have documented the surge in violence in America directed at Muslims since the tragic ISIS / fundamentalist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino [1] – and since some high-profile politicians have used these incidents as fuel for hate speech which can escalate problems. Some respected academics are greatly concerned by this trend [2].

“There are cases which link Donald Trump’s influence directly to violence. Californian William Celli attempted to make a pipe bomb with the intention of attacking Muslims. Celli is a huge Trump supporter. Celli said he would ‘Follow Trump to the end of the world.[3]’ The end of the world might well be where they wish to take us. But I for one am not intending to follow them there.

“As I said, my petition predates Donald Trump’s remarks about Muslims; here is the story of a man I had in mind when lodging it: A homeless Hispanic man was attacked in Boston by men who openly say that they were inspired by the words of Donald J Trump.[4] They beat the man with metal poles. They broke his nose. “Donald Trump was right, all these illegals need to be deported,” is what one of the accused said to the police.

“There is no further proof required that hate speech carries consequences and that Donald Trump’s hate speech has directly caused violence.

“George Osborne made a statement to the effect we will not ban Donald Trump. I think the decision is not his alone, and his premature words call for comment. Osborne may feel that “The best way to defeat nonsense like this is to engage in robust and democratic debate, and to make it clear his views are not welcome.[5]” – but that is little comfort to victims of Trump’s hate speech.

“I doubt anyone willing to hit another person with a metal pole because they are homeless and Hispanic is open to persuasion by ‘robust and democratic debate’. Perhaps Mr Osborne wants to change the laws on hate speech that saw the previous bans; but at this point in time, banning Mr Trump is the government’s clear responsibility.

“It will take more than a few harsh paragraphs from the UK’s Prime Minister to send the right message. We need to ban Donald Trump from bringing his violence-inspiring vitriol here.

“Donald Trump is also widely – chillingly – promoting the idea of killing people whose relatives are involved in terrorism. His own words testify why he should be banned from the UK: “…with the terrorists, you have to take out their families.[6]” He did not say they need to be arrested and tried by a recognised court; he said ‘you’ have to ‘take out their families’. It is remarkable a would-be president has such little knowledge and/or respect for international law and conventions.

“Does his statement sound like an incitement to murder? I believe there are those for whom this message could well have violent repercussions. I note that have not heard Trump call for ‘taking out’ the family of Celli, the would-be terrorist pipe bomber who intended to target Muslims. What kind of message shall the UK send back to Trump for his rallying cry for executions?

“If Mr Trump had said he wanted to ban anyone with links to militant violent organisations including ISIS, then that would have been a fairy reasonable statement. But he placed every single Muslim into a group which he says needs to be barred from US entry and monitored. He is perhaps the highest-profile promoter of Islamophobia there is in the entire world.

“As a brief aside, anyone who preaches hate and violence, whatever their reason or religion, is an enemy of the stability which the world desperately needs now. There are serious global issues that require international cooperation, understanding and attention; we cannot allow anyone, even Mr Trump, to fan the flames of hatred. I hope his supporters will think again.

“In 2007 there were between 2 to 7 million Muslims citizens or residents of the United States. What the United Kingdom does with regard to my petition is not just about one man, Donald Trump; it will be sending a message to Trump’s targets, his opponents and his supporters.

“I do hope the UK government will consider all of the repercussions of Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim statements, as well as all of the sexist, racist, and nationalistic remarks he continues to make. The United Kingdom has in this petition an opportunity to say that anyone, even a billionaire, cannot mock people with disabilities, cannot disrespect women or label all Mexicans as drug dealers and rapists and call for them to be walled into Mexico, and still be welcome here.

“Many people will be watching this debate closely. Those who oppose banning Trump will need to explain their decision – not to me – but to 567,000 United Kingdom citizens. Banning Trump may well make us more secure; it would also send a message that there is not one law for the powerful, and another for the poor.

“In opening this petition I ran the risk of being ridiculed, but I have found that half a million people feel as I do. Groups have organised events and other petitions to show support for people being persecuted because of their faith. It is reassuring to see people from different backgrounds coming together to denounce hate speech.

“I am well aware how many problems and how much hatred exists around the world. I am also aware that within living memory an accomplished speaker’s words took the entire world to war and millions died as a result. No one thought that man would get into power. Donald Trump wants to be arguably the most powerful man in the world. If there is a chance that Trump could get into power, then the trajectory of his hate speech and its stated aims cannot be laughed off or dismissed as simple ‘free speech’.

“If the UK government is serious about its stated aims, then this is arguably the strongest, most clear-cut case for banning it has ever had before it. Please side with the half a million strong who make this request as a small step towards a more tolerant and peaceful United Kingdom – and a less hate-filled world.

“I thank the Petitions Committee; the administrators of the petition, the Home Office and the Government for considering this petition; I do not see how this request, made by so many, backed by fact and precedent, can do anything except succeed.”

Sources/links:

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/18/us/politics/crimes-against-muslim-americans-and-mosques-rise-sharply.html?_r=0
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/12/hate-speech-is-going-mainstream/
[3] http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/william-celli-arrested-explosives-muslims
[4] http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/08/a-trump-inspired-hate-crime-in-boston/401906/
[5] http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/09/petition-calling-for-donald-trump-to-be-banned-from-uk-signed-by-85000
[6] http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/trump-isis-you-have-take-out-their-families

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Trump Petition Campaigner’s Requests to Shire Planners

Aberdeen City, Opinion 1 Response »

Dec 142015

With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

With over half a million signatures, the petition to ban Donald Trump from the UK for hate speech has become the fastest ever to qualify for debate in Parliament.
Suzanne Kelly was inspired largely by the events at Aberdeenshire’s Menie Estate, and how residents were treated when Trump began construction for a golf course there.

Now Kelly wants some positive action to fix long-running issues with planning permission and access.

When Donald Trump set out to create his Menie Estate golf complex, he had a huge impact on the environment and area residents. SSSI protection, the highest level of environmental protection there is, was taken from the UK’s only moving sand dune system and its fragile ecosystem. A giant bund of earth was put between Susan Munro’s cottage and her views across the landscape to the sea; this served no functional or desirable purpose.

This bund, well over head height and topped with dead and dying trees, apparently was not part of the agreed plan. Water was cut off to the Forbes’ farm, forcing the farmer and his family – including his elderly mother – to carry water from a nearby stream.

“Imagine hearing bulldozers outside your home, and finding your new neighbour has put an 8 foot high mound of sandy earth between you and your former views to the sea. Imaging campaigning for years and being ignored by your local planning department. How Susie put up with it I don’t know.” says Suzanne Kelly.

Various aspects of the built landscape were changed, in some cases apparently without prior permission from Aberdeenshire planning officials. Michael Forbes, who previously was able to cross the estate to the sea for salmon fishing, had his access blocked – and the police (who normally would not be involved in civil matters) – told him he would be arrested if he touched the new gate or its lock.

Border disputes both with Forbes and David Milne saw existing fencing torn down, and Trump’s people re-drawing the boundaries.

Boundary disputes should have been treated as civil matters, but police were on hand to support Trump, not those living on the land. Gorse seems to have been planted to deter walkers in places, and a huge gate blocking Leyton Farm Road to the Trump parking lot is locked shut, with access impossible for anyone who is infirm.

Efforts to get planning permission rules enforced or to get access rights upheld have fallen on deaf ears at Aberdeenshire’s planning offices, Kelly and residents say. Kelly and many others have written to the local authority for years without success.

Of the Shire’s inaction Kelly says:

“In other cases we have seen people who flaunt planning laws dealt with swiftly and decisively. You could be forgiven for thinking there is a two-tier planning and countryside access system, one for the wealthy, and one for the poor.”

“I’ve written to Trump’s people; I’ve written to the Shire and the government. I am going to ask them again now to re-think making good all of the things that have gone wrong on the estate. It’s my understanding that finally Michael Forbes repaired the damage done to his water supply by Trump’s construction crews – which had happened years ago.

“The film ‘you’ve been trumped’ shows – among other things – the Forbes family, including Molly, having to carry water from a stream for their bathing, tea-making, you name it. The water supply was restored, but was unreliable according to Forbes.”

Forbes was voted ‘Top Scot of the Year’ by the public at Glenfiddich’s Spirit of Scotland Awards in 2012, to Donald Trump’s chagrin. Trump then banned the drink from all his property – with the result that the sales for the prestige whisky surged throughout Scotland.

Kelly continues:

“If I can’t get the Trump organisation, Aberdeenshire planning and the central government to get things made right by asking them nicely now, then I think they will find that some 550,000 people might now also be emailing them to ask for the changes and improvements we want. If we can’t get some swift, decisive action after years of writing about the problems, then the next step will be a protest at Menie.

“Of course, this would be a peaceful, legal event.

“Let’s hope those who can make good at the Estate will do so. For starters, that bund of earth must be taken away – cleanly and without making more mess for Susie Munro. Michael Forbes should immediately be allowed to access the beach in the same way, with the same boats/nets/vehicles as he enjoyed for years before Trump arrived. I think we should hear something positive and see results starting within 10 days.

“If not, I hope everyone’s email servers are up for a wee onslaught of correspondence, and perhaps another March of Menie demonstration, as had been held in the past. I do think the next such march might be a very large affair indeed.”

Kelly has sent a detailed email to Trump, Aberdeenshire Planning, the head of Aberdeenshire Council, and copied it to Nicola Sturgeon.

On the subject of Robert Gordon University and Dr Kennedy, Kelly said:

“Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Robert Gordon University, has been in contact, and has made it plain Dr Kennedy’s degree stands, even though he had handed it back to protest the honour bestowed on Trump. I find this and the revocation of Trump’s degree cause for celebration.”

Kelly adds:

“Today I saw on Facebook an open letter BrewDog wrote to Trump. It’s every bit as witty, scathing, and delightful as you’d come to expect. I started buying BrewDog beer from the first days it was made here in Aberdeenshire; James Watt and Martin Dickie sold their first brews from a market stall at Aberdeen’s farmers’ market. I expected great things from them, but never the degree of success they’ve had.

“It’s kind of how I feel about the strength of support for the Parliamentary Petition. BrewDog also have a slogan, ‘Without us, we are Nothing’ – very apt for this petition I’d say. I’m proud to be one of the over 10,000 shareholders of this ethical, local, successful company.

“Amusingly, the post is attracting a number of posters telling the brewers to shut up/stay out of politics – and the same people are defending Trump’s right to ‘free speech’. It’s more than a little ironic, don’t you think? I don’t remember people saying the same thing when the company gave Putin the ‘BrewDog treatment’ over his anti-gay stance.

“Hate speech is not the same as free speech. That’s why this law, banning over 80 people previously, exists. Hate speech doesn’t work on the rational person who reads many sources of news and makes up their own mind; it falls on the ears of the mob and inflames.

“Occupy Democrats reports a surge in violence against Muslims in the US. To me, there is more than a strong chance this could have been fomented by the hate pouring out of a TV personality/presidential candidate’s mouth. I wonder whether Trump feels any responsibility for that? In my book he should. For me all rights come with responsibilities.

“Are some terrorists claiming their actions are Islamic? Undoubtedly. Are all people following a particular faith to be ostracized? Not if there is the least little thing I can do to stop it.”

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Ceremony Cements Community Contribution To City Project

Aberdeen City, Community, Featured No Responses »

Jun 252015

Zachariah Raja with the brick he laid as part of the ongoing Masjid Alhikmah project in Aberdeen.

With thanks to Paul Smith, Citrus Mix.

Community support for a landmark development in the heart of Aberdeen has been set in stone during a fitting ceremony to mark the latest stage of construction.
The Masjid Alhikmah, on the city’s Nelson Street, will feature community and youth facilities as well as prayer halls for north-east Muslims.

On Friday, June 19 families gathered to play their part in the build process when they took the opportunity to lay bricks in the foundations of the three-storey building.

The event coincided with the start of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.

Each of the bricks had been sponsored during a fundraiser for the development earlier this year, with the Alhikmah Foundation continuing to work towards hitting its £1.7million target. More than half of that sum has already been donated, with the effort aided by the donation of the site.

Recent events included a sponsored expedition to Snowdonia earlier this month, with 12 intrepid participants, and next on the agenda is the latest in a series of fundraising dinners on July 1 at the Hilton Treetops in Aberdeen. Full and half tables for the Iftar dinner are available.

With costs being met entirely by community fundraising, the dedication of the project’s supporters has been welcomed by foundation committee members. The organisation’s annual report for 2014 has recently been published, outlining progress to date.

A spokesman said:

“Masjid Alhikmah is a community focused facility and we are incredibly grateful to all who have contributed. The sponsorship of the foundation bricks is an excellent example – with many families quick to support that initiative. We are delighted to welcome everyone to the site to set their bricks, a very symbolic part of the project.

“Every penny spent on the project will come from fundraising by our supporters and the response has been excellent. There is still a great deal of hard work to be done to realise our vision, but the energy and the commitment of the many people who are fundraising is an inspiration to everyone involved in the project.”

Masjid Alhikmah will feature space for worship, funeral preparations, dedicated women’s facilities and a family community centre. There is an active Muslim community living in and around the city of Aberdeen and the facility is designed to help create unity and foster a sense of harmony between Muslims and fellow north-east residents. The name chosen for the new centre stems from Arabic. Masjid translates as “a place of congregational worship” and Alhikmah as “wisdom”.

CHAP Group’s construction division is the main contractor for the structural and external aspects of the scheme. Work began in January, with the structural steel frame of the building now in place and the exterior due to be completed by August. The second phase will include all interior work.

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