This is a cross-post by Amjad Khan
The East London Advertiser reports that a ‘trusted’ Quran teacher has just been jailed for three years and three months for sexual assault. The jury in the case found him guilty of 13 charges of sexual assault between 2005 and 2009 on young girls who he was entrusted to teach. The individual concerned is one Ashraf Miah, who is 38 and from Joseph Street in Mile End. Ashraf, up until very recently, was also a member/activist for the fanatical Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir (HT).
This is a very tragic tale on many counts. Once again a religious instructor abuses his position of power, once again a religious instructor abuses the trust shown in him by families and communities and once again young lives are ruined due the evil actions of a sexual predator. Also interesting in this case is his association with HT. HT can’t be blamed for the abuse and I’m sure most HT members, obnoxious though they are, would be horrified and embarrassed by Ashraf’s actions. But interestingly, we haven’t heard a word from HT as of yet. One would expect them to publicly condemn Ashraf, but it seems they have gone for the safe route of keeping silent in the hope that the story doesn’t create any bad PR for them. Rumour has it that senior HT activists have even tried to cover up the whole story, whilst others testified in Ashraf’s defence. You’d have expected them to be calling for the death sentence. Maybe they aren’t that different from Catholics after all.
HT claims to be an ‘Islamic Political Party’ and in the past they have been accused of shunning the spiritual aspects of Islam in favour of blunt and abrasive political sloganeering. This has resulted in a generation of HT activists who know very little about Islam and very little about Islamic ideas of ‘adhab’ (manners) and ‘Ikhlas’ (purity). With all their emphasis on geo-politics and hatred of non-Muslims, it is no surprise that many of their members lack basic Islamic values. I am not suggesting that HT’s teachings encourage people to behave like Ashraf, but surely HT’s political campaigning leaves one devoid of the essence of Islam, i.e. seeking a spiritual connection to ones Lord through good actions. Maybe it’s’ time they began to listen and take their critics seriously. An Islamic political revolution cannot be achieved by individuals who don’t emphasise adherence to the core principles of Islam.
In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with those young innocent girls who were abused by this evil monster.