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IFE President responds to segregated marriage row

Thursday, 20 August 2009 13:00

The Independent prints letters received in response to Joan Smith’s (pictured) column yesterday, ‘This shameful gender segregation’, in which she described the segregation of men and women at weddings in East London and Kuwait as ‘a blatant form of discrimination’.

The printed letters include a reply from the Islamic Forum Europe’s President, Habibur Rahman, who writes:

'In these past few days, the MP for Poplar and Canning Town has sought to defend his ill-judged and ungracious actions by seeking to smear the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE).

'Jim Fitzpatrick has repeatedly asserted that the private decision of a family to hold a segregated religious wedding ceremony was due to the alleged intolerance and separatism and militancy of the Islamic Forum of Europe. He provides no evidence. The family has no links to the Forum, and Mr Fitzpatrick's actions have been proved to be a reactionary outburst especially since the custom is common and not exclusive to Muslims.

'The Islamic Forum of Europe is a social association that draws its ethos from the Islamic faith. We work within the community and with people of all faiths and none. Although we hold no political affiliation, our members are encouraged to be civic-minded and are free to join any mainstream party of their choice.

'If mainstream Muslim groups such as IFE cannot or should not influence the social and political life of the local Muslim community, would Mr Fitzpatrick rather Muslim extremists be left to promote the clash of civilisations?'

Well said.

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Mohammed.

|2009-08-20 20:03:22

It was the respected Families mistake! (Maybe they thought they will get more respect from the community, if they had a so-called "vip"! a bit more status, "izzat"! but what did that get in return?)
For inviting this bumbling, ranting old buffoon! Who didn't have the courtesy to respect the families decision. He clearly had an axe to grind against IFE!.....

Let this be a lesson to ALL, don't just invite some so called "VIP" / "celebrity" etc...just for the sake of a little show....know their views, opinions, stance, politics, issues before hand..this clown had major known issues with islamic principles...so a little knowledge would have sufficed in oder not to have made a mistake in inviting him in the first place!... A bit like inviting a wolf, then crying out "Wolf" ...what do/did you expect?

Haroon

|2009-08-21 06:50:08

IFE Zindabad! We are with you brothers as you stand on the principled middle-path

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