Three wishes

Bradford United.

“It’s not extremism, it’s meeting their needs”, pleaded Councillor Faisal Khan on the Today programme as he and lovable antisemite David Ward MP (Lib Dem) were being gently probed by John Humphrys this morning. 

The two Islamophiles appeared to be in broad agreement, throwing cold water over the producer’s evident wish that they cross swords over the Trojan Horse issue. After all, David Ward had been deposed as a governor of one school, while Faisal Khan was responsible for disposing of head-teachers at others.  

“Staff at both schools said Mr Khan had led both sets of governors in “constant attacks” on their headteachers to drive them out and had succeeded at Carlton Bolling, where two successful non-Muslim headteachers have quit.”

You’d have expected feathers to fly. But nothing. Bradford mustn’t be tarred with the same brush as Birmingham, they opined in unison. We’re uncomfortable with the term ‘Muslim extremists’’. 

“Do you have any concerns about the extent to which some people want to make schools more faith based?” ventured Humph.

“These are secular schools” said David Ward.

“Schools are not secular, there’s no such thing as a secular school” argued cllr Khan. 

Ah! A disagreement. But not really. They met half way; they’re kind of neither secular nor faith-based. 

“Muslim children have ‘needs’ that’s all, and in a predominantly Muslim area, these needs must be met” the pair agreed.  They may not be faith schools as such, and by introducing Muslim values the Muslims parents are only trying to improve standards and raise attainment.

Faisal Khan believes that rigid adherence to Islamic practices and all the trappings equals attainment. These things bring about the kind of transformation to which he and the Muslim parents aspire.    

Oh dear. The bulk of the iceberg is still below the surface, and I bet the BBC hopes it stays right there.

***

Pantomime.

I said we’d be hearing more about the play called “My name is” - going forward - though I wished it weren’t so. 

Unfortunately I was right the first time. The trio cropped up on Women’s Hour the other day. Jane Garvey gave the play a good plug, emphasising the initial ‘romance‘ that led to predictable disappointment and tediousness. (The plug, the play and the real-life pantomime) 

The tale is not at all feminist-friendly, I’d have thought. Obviously, Islam trumps feminism (and homosexuality) so none of the awkward questions the whole situation cries out for, materialised.

***

"Rich Jews voted for Mrs Thatcher"

How Jews vote. 

Ken Livingstone has drawn attention to himself again. The BBC invited him onto Newsnight for some unknown reason. Well, it wasn’t entirely unknown. I don’t know if he momentarily forgot all the fuss that his crass utterances about Jews are apt to generate, but he let one slip out, which generated the appropriate fuss as well as some inappropriate fuss. 

The reason the BBC did invite him onto the programme might have been devilishness on the part of the producer, or it might have been because the producer thought he was still a contender, or something. But his very appearance jarred. It turned me into one of those people that object to someone’s very appearance, even before they’ve opened their trap.   That’s not the sort of person I like to be, so I wish they wouldn’t do it again.   

Molly is no Malala

Did you see Gavin Esler’s interview with the real life mother and daughter as well as the author  of a play based on the alleged kidnapping of ‘Molly Campbell’ aka ‘Misbah Rana’ by her Pakistani father?

Gavin Esler announced it with such glee that one immediately knew that any dubious and negative Islam-related aspersions from the past were about to be dispelled.

In 2006, the story was all about the alleged kidnapping by the father of 12-year-old Molly, with ominous mutterings about forced marriages and such. The mother gave tearful interviews from Scotland, and Molly was shown in Pakistan wearing a headscarf, denouncing her mother, disowning the name ‘Molly’ and insisting that she was now to be known as Misbah. 

Well, it seems that Pakistan was less of a paradise than expected and Misbah has since reverted to Scotland, her mother and her old name. 

The play, “My name is.....” (Not Rachel Corrie) was written by playwright Sudha Bhuchar. It was based on interviews with the people involved and it has gone down rather well with the real life characters it portrays.

Gavin Esler spent the bulk of the interview fawning over Ms Bhuchar, who was almost as as eager to promote her play as was Gav. 

To a disinterested onlooker, the whole lot comes across as an embarrassing media muddle.

Molly is no Malala. Embracing Islam was not part of her agenda, nor was feminism, Islamism, Scottish  independence, or the price of cabbages. She was ‘just a little girl’. 

In 2006 the media turned a small-scale cultural clash into a mini circus, and it’s probably being exacerbated at this very moment by being romanticised, dramatised and promoted by the likes of Gavin Esler.

I have not seen the play nor do I have any intention of doing so. Glossing over the troubling elements of this tale and railroading the protagonists into faux celebrityhood might generate publicity for Sudha Bhuchar and commercially or politically interested parties, but I doubt whether the hapless individuals at the heart of the matter will be the beneficiaries in the long run, and I hope this threesome isn’t about to do the rounds because I’ve seen enough of them already.

Anyway the whole affair was and is exploited and no doubt misinterpreted by everyone including myself. I only started thinking about it because of Gavin Esler’s exaggerated attempts to make life in Pakistan sound like a bed of roses.