Vitriolic attack on gay-rights campaigner

Source: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news-archive/2381.html

24 January 2006

The Green Party are shocked and appalled by the recent attack on gay-rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, in the Asian weekly entertainment newspaper,Desi Xpress. The attack came in the form of an abusive and prejudiced article by Adam Yosef, a leading member of George Galloway's Respect Party, in the January 6th-12th edition of the paper.

Yosef accuses Tatchell of being anti-Muslim and a 'hate-mongerer'. Yosef states that he 'needs a good slap in the face' and also suggests thatTatchell and 'his queer campaign army should pack their bent bags and headback to Australia'.

Keith Taylor, Principal Speaker of the Green Party, states "I am outraged by this totally unjustifiable attack. Peter Tatchell is labelled as a 'hate-filled bigot' and accused of being thehead of a racist organisation. In view of Tatchell's commitment tocampaigning against all forms of prejudice and discrimination, this issimply unfounded slander. In addition to his work for lesbian and gaycommunities, Tatchell has campaigned against racism for 35 years and wasactive in the anti-apartheid movement for 20 years.

"While criticising Tatchell as an ineffectual campaigner againsthomophobia, Yosef's vitriolic attack mainly focuses on Tatchell's sexuality as a causefor contempt. Yosef seems remarkably confused about his arguments and Iwould suggest that this article is highly damaging to its author.

"Hopefully, no one with any sense will take his comments seriously and recognise Peter Tatchell's valuable contributions to the lobby for equal rights."

Source: Green Party UK news

Columnist issues apology to gay campaigner

Source: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-338.html

By Marc Shoffman • January 18, 2006 - 0:00

Adam Yosef claims he did not mean to stir up homophobia with his comments

A high profile Respect Party member has apologised for causing any distress towards gay rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, for comments made in a newspaper column last week.

However, he stood by his comments labelling Mr Tatchell as one of Britain's "most hate filled bigots" insisting it was a personal comment and by no means aimed at the gay community.

Gay rights group, Outrage, demanded an apology for Adam Yosef's article in Asian weekly newspaper, Desi Express, which they feel incited violence and homophobia towards their leader.

Mr Yosef today insisted his words suggesting "Mr Tatchell needs a good slap," were a figure of speech. He apologised for causing any distress but stood by claims that the activist was a bigot, he said: "I would like to stress that in no way are the comments an incitement of violence being instigated against Mr Tatchell. I do not support or promote any such violence."

"The complete feature also included Nick Griffin of the BNP and Omar Bakri Mohammed of Al-Muhajiroun and all comments relating to them displayed a similar tone."

"The section relating to Mr Tatchell was exclusively about Mr Tatchell as a public figure and not in any way an attack on the gay community."

Desi Express also released an apology stating, "We would like to apologise to Peter Tatchell and the gay community for the offence and distress caused by comments written by Adam Yosef."

"As a publication we do not have any prejudicial views against the gay community and the comments which appeared were personal opinions of Adam Yosef and do not represent the views of the publication."

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Categories: Politics, UK
Source: Pink News

A moral victory for Salma Yaqoob in Birmingham

Source: http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=6452

Salma took second place with a total of 10,498 votes, some 27.5 percent. Godsiff came first with 13,787.

Salma described her vote as a “moral victory”, adding, “People no longer have to vote for the ‘least worst’ party. Today we have made history and it is now time for change — time for Respect.

“This is a fantastic and unexpected breakthrough. Labour has been complacent about its vote for so long in this area.

“For Respect to come from nowhere and get this result is amazing. With this result we’ve built a good foundation for Respect.

“There were three other Muslim candidates in this constituency. My result shows that there is no such thing as a Muslim block vote — every vote cast for me was a positive vote for Respect.

“We hope to carry on campaigning over the issues we fought for before the election — in particular getting people to the G8 protests in Edinburgh in July.”

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‘Anti-war, pro-public services’

Adam Yosef , a leading Birmingham Respect activist, describes the atmosphere around Salma’s campaign.

When the vote was announced several Lib Dems said they couldn’t believe how well we’d done. We managed to do something in a few months that ought to have taken decades.

Everyone is talking about Salma and her campaign and Roger Godsiff is panicking now — when you take 10,000 votes off someone, that’s a big thing.

The war was a feature of our whole campaign, but it wasn’t the only thing. What really summed is up was the final postcard we put out.

It showed a picture of Salma and Godsiff having a boxing match. In Salma’s corner it said “anti-war, pro-public services”. In Godsiff’s it said “pro-war, pro-privatisation”.

The closure of the Longbridge MG Rover plant hasn’t been as big an issue in this constituency as it has been in other areas of Birmingham.

Nevertheless, Salma went down to meet Longbridge workers who were holding a rally on election day. She was the only candidate to show her face there.

We sent a couple of people to every polling station in the constituency. People wanted to go back out after they finished their shift because the response was so good.

We had a cavalcade with a message to voters broadcast in five different languages. We had the biggest presence in the constituency.

We are now trying to identify which wards are strongest for us in preparation for the council elections next year.

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© Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original.

Letters: Adam Yosef

Title:Letter: Lay off doc.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (August 18, 2005): p.10. (181 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

WILL somebody please tell Maureen Messent to shut up?
I read her column regarding Dr Naseem (Mail, August 12) and have to say that even I, someone who is not on the best of terms with the mosque chairman, am inclined to agree more with him after reading her bitter rant.
Dr Naseem has achieved a great deal as far as UK mosques are concerned.
He has really put his neck out, even risking his own safety at times.
Every time there has been trouble at the mosque, he has not been afraid to remove or ban the culprits and has progressed beyond cultural norms by allowing a woman on the city's Shariah Council and another as a mosque spokesperson.
Where else will you find this in Britain or even the world?
The former GP has done a great deal for Muslims in Britain and might just be the person who will help change attitudes amongst the more radical elements in the community so if the man has some personal views, let him express them

Adam Yosef, Saltley

Source Citation:"Letter: Lay off doc." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (August 18, 2005):

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Title:Your Letters : Brum poverty message.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (June 24, 2005): p.10. (153 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

THE whole country seems to be participating in the international campaign to end world poverty with Live8, Make Poverty History and all of the G8 protests, action and dialogue.
However, I'm a little bit disappointed that Birmingham hasn't shown its support on the national stage.
Okay, so we may not be planning a concert, but we have one of the best Drop the Debt campaigns in Britain.
Have people already forgotten the Jubilee 2000 human chain formed around the city during the 1998 G8 summit held in Brum?
I think Birmingham should be celebrating the return of the G8 to Britain and supporting the campaign to end Third World debt in a more recognisable manner.
Personally, I think the now bare Rotunda would be ideal in displaying a huge Make Poverty History white band around the cap of the tower.
Let's get something done!

Adam Yosef, Saltley Gate Peace Group

Source Citation:"Your Letters : Brum poverty message." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (June 24, 2005):

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Title:Letter: Don't make Muslims suffer like the Irish.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 24, 2005): p.10. (184 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

WITH the current terror laws and the fear being spread about ordinary British Muslims having the potential to be members of Al-Qaeda, you can hardly be surprised if many Brummies show some hostility towards the Muslim community.
Back in the 70s, the Irish community bore the brunt of a similar hate after the pub bombings and resorted to stepping back into the shadows to keep themselves safe. I wouldn't want the city's Muslims to have to opt for the same solution.
On Saturday, 200,000 Brits of all backgrounds marched together to defend theerosion of human rights in this country and abroad.
This week, the Irish and Muslim community will come together for the first time to discuss the criminalising of so-called `suspect communities'. What may have once been a taboo subject for the Irish in the city is now talked about openly and will be shared with the experiences of Muslims to ensure, among other things, that there is never another 20 year ban on a community's right to celebrate their identity.

In peace,

Adam Yosef, Birmingham Stop the War Coalition

Source Citation:"Letter: Don't make Muslims suffer like the Irish." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 24, 2005):

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Title:Letter: He's not a pawn in a political campaign.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Jan 22, 2005): p.10. (169 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

THE release of Moazzam Begg from Guantanamo Bay is a very positive outcome for all those who tirelessly campaigned for his release.
It's going to be very emotional and difficult for him to re-adjust when he finally returns home and in reunited with his family.
However, I think that groups and individuals who are trying to cash-in on his image have seriously undermined the nature of what he has been through these past three years. Surely, for Peace & Progress to start eyeing him up as a possible candidate for their party is in very bad taste. This manner of proposing him up as a celebrity and recruiting him to raise the status of a minority fringe party mirrors UKIP's 'big celebrities, no policies' formula.
But to try to win his father over while Moazzam is not even here yet is just naive.
The rest of us who supported his release do not see him as a pawn serving our own agendas.

Adam Yosef, by email

Source Citation:"Letter: He's not a pawn in a political campaign." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Jan 22, 2005):

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Title:Letter: New hope can spring from tsunami tragedy.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Jan 7, 2005): p.10. (180 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2005 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

A LOT of people may think that the whole trauma and tragedy of the Tsunami disaster is a grim way to start 2005.
The awesome tidal wave that has brought chaos, destruction and ravaged 12 countries and the citizens of many more may be something that brings dread, hopelessness and fear into people's hearts, but I believe that it should bring hope.
In the days since the disaster, people from across the world have come together to assist the victims.
Money for supplies, food and medicine has been donated at a rapid rate with the British public raising more than the Government. We see people who were previously in conflict or at war helping each other in what may seem a miracle of our times.
People have always believed that 9/11 was a point in recent history that spawned a global climate of fear, war, hate and terror.
I hope that 12/26 will be a date that will be remembered for uniting the world and setting the course for global peace.

Adam Yosef, Saltley Gate Peace Group

Source Citation:"Letter: New hope can spring from tsunami tragedy." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Jan 7, 2005):

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Title:Your letter: Eid winner.(Comment).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Nov 23, 2004): p.10. (120 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

I TAKE this opportunity to thank all of those people who helped make Eid day at the Birmingham Central Mosque such a success.
Eid is a time for joy and a time of goodwill all round.
My thanks go to the stewards, staff, worshippers and to the West Midlands Police, especially Sgt Simon Jones, for coordinating the huge and sometimes difficult job oftraffic and parking control when there are 20,000 people attending services in one morning.
My gratitude also goes towards those who donated towards the charity funds on the day and to Asda supermarket who provided all of our worshippers with bags for their belongings on the busy and hectic day.

Adam Yosef Birmingham Central Mosque

Source Citation:"Your letter: Eid winner." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Nov 23, 2004):

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Title:Letter: Hate-filled stickers must be removed.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Sept 11, 2004): p.8. (156 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

I APPRECIATE your contribution towards exposing AlMuhajiroun's support of terrorism with their hate-filled stickers vandalising inner city communities (Mail, September 8).
A spokesperson for the council claimed that they had already removed all of the previous stickers from last year and had only left those on private property. This is not so.
I personally wrote to the council complaining of this problem of neighbourhood neglect.
I questioned why stickers promoting terrorism were allowed to be displayed for an entire 12 months with no legal or environmental action taken. We have had no reply from the council.
As for the stickers themselves, there are some displayed from as far back as 2001.
The truth is that private companies like BT and Centro have been removing stickers from their property. It is the lamp posts that are the biggest eyesore and they are the responsibility of Birmingham City Council.

Adam Yosef, Saltley Gate Peace Group

Source Citation:"Letter: Hate-filled stickers must be removed." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (Sept 11, 2004):

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Title:YOUR LETTERS: Islamic dress right option for school.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (June 23, 2004): p.8. (164 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

MAUREEN Messent seems to get everything wrong and upsets everyone with her nonsensical rhetoric.
I read with disgust her piece about why she felt 15-year-old Shabina Begum should NOT be allowed to wear her jilbab in school (June 18).
Maureen confuses Islamic faith with Asian culture and probably can't tell the difference between the Koran and a curry.
The school Shabina attends accepts the traditional shalwar kameez attire. Does no-one question why a school has adopted an Asian uniform as a policy for all Muslims? Isn't the shalwar kameez a clothing worn by people of largely Pakistani origin? Shabina comes from a culture where the sari is the most popular traditional garment so if she wants to wear something that conceals her stomach and hips, does she not have that right?
The hijb and jilbab are globally recognised as Islamic dress so why did the school not adopt them for Muslims instead of adopting Pakistani attire? Adam Yosef, Birmingham Central Mosque

Source Citation:"YOUR LETTERS: Islamic dress right option for school." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (June 23, 2004):

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Title:YOUR LETTERS: Police video action proves the point.(Letters).

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (May 25, 2004): p.26. (194 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd
Byline: Adam Yosef

I AM writing to express my disgust at the actions of the West Midlands Police.
With all of the problems in the city and the crime on our streets, where on Earth do they get the nerve to post two officers outside a community centre to ban a video showing?
I have seen the film documentary Persons of Interest as it was shown at the Birmingham Central Mosque. The documentary explores the reality for those innocent people in the US who were arrested, detained and in some cases deported even though they were found innocent of any crime.
Would it have hurt the West Midlands Police to approach the organisers and discuss their concerns beforehand?
If the local community can't meet in their community centre, then this is the curtailing of basic civil liberties which is very much what the US documentary is all about.
If there was really a safety issue because 12 people were to sit in a room which normally houses many more, then surely the fire safety department would deal with that and not two police officers stationed outside a community centre.

Adam Yosef, B'ham Central Mosque

Source Citation:"YOUR LETTERS: Police video action proves the point." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (May 25, 2004):

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MASSACRE IN MADRID: Memory book at mosque

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 13, 2004): p.2. (109 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd

A BOOK of condolence has been opened at a city mosque in memory of the 199 people killed in
the bomb outrage in Madrid. Tributes are being paid to the victims of Thursday's atrocity by visitors to the Birmingham Central Mosque in Highgate.

The book was opened at lunchtime yesterday before an address by the chairman of the mosque, Dr Mohammed Naseem.

A spokesman for Birmingham Central Mosque said: 'The Muslim community has been deeply affected by the bomb attacks.

'We want to convey to the community that we do not condone terrorist acts and also show solidarity with the victims.'

CAPTION(S):
RESPECTS: Adam Yosef of Saltley at mosque

Source Citation:"MASSACRE IN MADRID: Memory book at mosque." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 13, 2004): 2.

Tributes book opened at city mosque

Source:Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 13, 2004): p.2. (115 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd

A BOOK of condolence has been opened at a city mosque in memory of the 199 people killed in the bomb outrage in Madrid. Tributes are being paid to the victims of Thursday's atrocity by visitors to the Birmingham Central Mosque in Highgate.

The book was opened at lunchtime yesterday before an address by the chairman of the mosque, Dr Mohammed Naseem.

A spokesman for Birmingham Central Mosque said: 'The Muslim community has been deeply affected by the bomb attacks.

'We want to convey to the community that we do not condone terrorist acts and also show solidarity with the victims.'

CAPTION(S):
RESPECTS: Adam Yosef of Saltley signs the book of condolence at the mosque

Source Citation:"Tributes book opened at city mosque." Birmingham Evening Mail (England) (March 13, 2004): 2.

CONDOLENCES BOOK IS STOLEN FROM MOSQUE

Source:Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England) (March 14, 2004): p.2. (428 words)

Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2004 Birmingham Post & Mail Ltd

Byline: CAROLINE WHEELER

SICK thieves have stolen a book of condolence which was opened at a Midland mosque in memory of the 200 people killed in the Madrid bombings.
Birmingham Central Mosque launched the tribute to those who died on Thursday as a clear sign that its Muslim members condemned acts of terrorism.
But less than 24 hours after the first written tributes were paid, the book was stolen by callous crooks.

Last night mosque officials appealed to the raiders to return the book, which they had hoped to send to the families of the Spanish victims.

Adam Yosef, who works at the mosque in Highgate, Birmingham, said crooks struck during yesterday's afternoon prayers.

'The last time I saw the book was when we went in for prayers at 1.15pm,' he said. 'By the time we came out 15 minutes later the book was gone.

'We can't believe anyone could do anything so cruel. We are appealing for anyonewho has the book, or who knows anything about its disappearance, to come forward.'

Mr Yosef said that it was the first time the mosque had ever opened a book of condolence.
'As soon as there was mention that al Qaida could be involved we started to get a lot of hate mail.

'That's whenwe decided to open a book of condolence as a mark of solidarity with the victims and to show the wider community that we are against terrorism.

'I don't know why anyone would want to steal the book. But there is a chance that someone knows it is the first time we have done such a thing, and they want to hold on to it as a piece of history.'

The book was opened on Friday by the chairman of the mosque Dr Mohammed Naseem, whoe told the congregation: 'The Muslim community has been deeply affected by the bomb attacks.

'We want to convey to the community that we do not condone terrorist acts and also show solidarity with the victims.'
It is thought that more than 2,000 visitors had signed the two books, which were located in the foyer.

Inspector Mick Pearson, of West Midlands Police, said: 'It is a particularly nasty and horrible thing to have happened.

'Because of the sensitive nature of the crime we have despatched a team to talk with the chairman of the mosque and conduct a thorough investigation.'

Anyone with any information about the missing book should contact the mosque on 0121 4405355 or West Midlands Police on 0845 113 5000.

CAPTION(S):
TRIBUTE: Adam Yosef signs the book of condolences

Source Citation:"CONDOLENCES BOOK IS STOLEN FROM MOSQUE." Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England) (March 14, 2004): 2.