This is the unsolicited email I sent to Home Secretary Theresa May shortly after I left the United Kingdom in November 2010

For the purpose of context please note these observations were from the third and fourth quarters of the 2010 calendar year.  And the observations are almost one half decade old. 

Source: http://dancesoftheworldcontinue.blogspot.com/2013/02/this-is-unsolicited-email-i-sent-to.html

 

 

20 February 2013

This is the unsolicited email I sent to Home Secretary Theresa May shortly after I left the United Kingdom in November 2010

My apologies, and I did find some typos. They are staying as this email was sent. I did remove some info safety and sensitivity, and replace it with "-----------. Those are the only changes to the document

Debra V. Wilson

--------------

-------------

USA

-----------

Rt Hon Theresa May MP

Home Secretary

2 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DF

England

United Kingdom

Dear Home Secretary May,

I am fifty-three years old, Black-American, Muslim and feminist. Over the last twenty-four years I have traveled regularly to the United Kingdom (primarily London) and have occasionally resided in your country for short periods of time. I have traveled to the United Kingdom for a myriad of reasons. I am an uncompromising Anglophile. Next I am passionate about the British Museum and try to visit at least three times a year. And last, but certainly not least I am involved in London's charitable sector with my focus being on women's issues. All this is to say Home Secretary May, I love the United Kingdom, and the welfare of the country is just as important to me as the welfare of the USA.

Which brings me to the reason for this email, for approximately three months I was in Birmingham (September – November 2010). During that time I was repeatedly approached by people in Birmingham with their concerns and fears not only Birmingham but the UK.

I have decided to use both the conversations and my observations in/of Birmingham as a springboard for some additional research leading to a postgraduate degree. This email was written in a format conducive to my research and I trust you will be able to follow it with ease.

Let me again stress that these are my observations based on conversations with numerous Birmingham residents and people in and around Birmingham and should be viewed as such. And the information still requires further research and investigation before coming to any definitive conclusions. Never-the-less Home Secretary May I would be less than honest if I did not say that I was overwhelmed and shocked by the level of fear, sadness, frustration and pain in so many in and around Birmingham.

Lastly, Home Secretary May I do not cover and the vast majority of people who spoke to me were unaware that I am Muslim.

I spoke with 72 people with the demographics as follows – please note all categories contain various ethnic within a specified "racial" group:

White (non-Muslim): 48.61%

Asian Muslim: 27.72%

Black (non-Muslim): 15.28%

Asian (non-Muslim):5.56%

Black-Muslim: 2.78%

Points of observation were: numerous buses, City Centre and Alum Rock, Small Heath, Perry Common, Hockley Circus, Hodge Hill, the #7 bus route, Sheldon, New Bingley Hall, St. Martin's in the Bullring, Birmingham Cathedral, and Central Library

MY OBSERVATIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

General attitude of Birmingham residence:

1. I was repeatedly asked by locals why I was in Birmingham, and then I was encouraged to go back to the States. Locals went out of their way to tell me that they did not feel Birmingham was either a safe or good place for me to live. Many locals believed that Birmingham was 'headed for trouble'. And most locals where desirous of leaving the UK in the hopes of finding a 'better country'.
2. When I asked locals to explain the trouble without exception one person after the other expressed in detail their belief that "they" were headed towards a riot with Birmingham's Muslim community.
3. White, Black, Asian locals (non-Muslim) who talked to me went out of their way to say they felt there were too many immigrants and asylum seekers in Birmingham.
4. White Birmingham residents (not Muslim) overwhelmingly felt betrayed by their government. They felt unheard and unprotected. In addition this group believed their patriotism and love of all things British had been criminalized and used against them. And I was told repeatedly, "If I wave my flag I'm a member of the BNP."
5. I also often heard from White Birmingham residents (non-Muslim), "I am not a racist, but the BNP have got some things right."
6. Black and Asian locals (non-Muslim) felt that the UK has been ruined by Muslims. In addition these groups felt that the collective Muslim community had not only duped the (mostly) white UK government. These groups went onto express in graphic detail their collective fear that when the (mostly) white UK government 'finally woke up' all ethnic minorities would be on the receiving end of the government's wrath.

Without exception Black and Asian locals (non-Muslims) who talked to me felt Birmingham's Muslim community was problematic and threatening to their well being in the UK.

7. White, Black and Asian locals (non-Muslims) who talked to me all expressed their fear of Muslims. And I was repeatedly told, "They are violent." And within this negative collective assessment of Birmingham's Ummah Pakistani Muslims were viewed as the 'worst of the worst'. And I heard (routinely) the following words used to describe Birmingham's, Pakistani- Muslim: Violent, crazy, terrorists, trouble makers, aggressive, benefit- cheats, lazy, nutters and Paki's.
8. For approximately 6 weeks I resided in Perry Common, Birmingham. My neighbor was a young single mother in her 20's of Pakistani* descent with 4 daughters. My landlady told me that when the young mother first moved in a White British woman organized other neighbors to 'get the Paki out'. The neighbors that participated in attempting to move the Pakistani woman out of the community were White British, West African and Asian.
9. I was repeatedly told by non-Muslims in Birmingham that 'they' were taking over. When I asked them to define 'they' without exception I was told – Muslims.
10. Non-Muslims repeatedly overestimated the percentage of Muslims in Birmingham, and non-Muslims often thought Birmingham's Muslim population was at 50% or more.
11. Non-Muslims in Birmingham repeatedly expressed a fear that the Muslims in Birmingham would not stop until Sharia law was in place in the UK, and that the United Kingdom was a Muslim country.
12. Non-Muslims in Birmingham were quite saddened by and fearful of Birmingham Muslim and more than once I had to consol someone on the brink of tears as the non-Muslim reminisced about Birmingham before' they' – the Muslims arrived in Birmingham en masse.
13. As proof of the injurious impact Muslims have had on Birmingham I was often told about Alum Rock and Small Heath two communities that are poor and ill managed and predominately Muslim. In fact I was driven through each of these communities by two local women (respectively). And on each drive as we circled the community I was told again and again, "Look what they have done."

Religions, customs and rituals:

1. There is overt friction between the indigenous population and recent immigrant population on matters of dress. And indigenous Birmingham women (particularly the young) tend to wear form fitting clothing that may in addition reveal their bodies. Immigrant women particularly from Muslim countries tend to hyper-cover in clothing that may reveal only their faces or eyes.
2. On public transportation indigenous men (even elderly) are apprehensive about sitting next to obviously Muslim women. And on several occasions I have seen elderly indigenous men who are frail stand because they appear apprehensive about sitting next to an obviously Muslim woman, and there are no seats left on the bottom level of the bus. Interestingly enough when this has occurred the other indigenous (non-Muslim) people on the bus did not offer the elderly indigenous (non-Muslim) man a seat; instead there was obvious hostile chatter about the obviously Muslim woman.
3. On a regular basis I have noticed when an obviously Muslim woman is also veiled enters a space (bus, building, store etc) amongst mostly non-Muslims there is reaction. There may be chatter from the non-Muslims. There may be hostile stares or some non-Muslims have even nodded their heads from side to side in disapproval. I have also noticed the same reaction when a man appears in such a space in what appears to be Muslim attire.
4. The veiling of women's faces amongst some sectors of Birmingham's Muslim community seems to occur at a higher rate than say London. This veiling appears to be angst producing for many sectors of Birmingham's non-Muslim community. And one indigenous Birmingham resident said the full face veil was frightening for her and others she knows as after the trouble (Irish Republican terrorism) in the UK seeing someone with face covering was unsettling.
5. Once on the #7 bus the driver (White) refused to look at the bus card with picture id of a young Muslim woman whose face was veiled. The driver allowed the woman to ride the bus, but he refused to look at her bus card.
6. Several Christian residents told me they were dreading Christmas this year as they felt they would again be forced by the UK government to tone down their celebration of Christmas so as not to offend 'the Muslims'.
7. On two separate occasions at CE services Muslim and/or Islam were mentioned. In one case the clergyman went out of his way to mention that the Church of England encouraged just as much enthusiastic adoration of God as Islam (St. Martin's). The other occasion on Remembrance Sunday at the Birmingham Cathedral the clergyman went out of his way to tell the congregants of the contributions made by Muslim soldiers in UK wars.

Observations about Birmingham's Muslim community:

1. The community is very visible with a high percentage of Muslims wearing Islamic garb and a high percentage of the men are bearded.
2. The community appears conservative – in dress. Again a high percentage of women fully veil.
3. There appears to be active reaching out to non-Muslims and new Muslims with information on Islam – as there are stands in the city centre advertising classes on Islam.
4. Some young, Muslim, Asian males appear to use the fear of all things Muslim to their advantage. And on several occasions this group seem to not only be aware that some non-Muslims were afraid of them – they used the fear to their advantage, i.e. pushing through lines, spitting near people with impunity, a group of young men not moving out of the way when a lone person walks by thereby forcing the lone person to walk in the street.
5. There are prevalent rumors of marriages involving girls under the age of sixteen years.
6. According to my landlord and landlady in Perry Common the young single mother in her 20's of Pakistani* descent with 4 daughters was brought to the UK at the age of 13 years to marry her much older (and adult cousin). At the time the young girl spoke only Urdu and was not allowed to attend school, by her then in-laws. Instead the young girl's life was centered around cleaning the family home and cooking the meals.

By the time the young girl's marriage to her older cousin ended she had 4 children, but still spoke little English. To this day she can read very little English and relies on my former landlady and her own young children to assist her with completing basic forms and reading her mail.

7. Some in the Ummah in Birmingham feel marginalized and are aware they are viewed as the other by all other groups.
8. The community appears collectively (relatively speaking) not economically well off. The community collectively appears not very educated.
9. There are rumors of active recruiting by some extremist groups. And shortly after my arrival in Birmingham a young Muslim man told me of extremist group efforts to recruit teen-aged Muslim boys in both Birmingham and London.
10. There are some in the Birmingham's Ummah who are frightened and suspicious of non-Muslims.
11. There are some in Birmingham's Ummah who are disdainful of some non-Muslims 'permissive' lifestyles.
12. There are some in Birmingham's Ummah who are angry and saddened that they are not viewed as truly British.

Physical Health of Birmingham citizens:

1. A significant portion of the population appeared overweight or obese. This also included children.
2. Significant portions of the adult and teen-aged population are cigarette smokers.
3. There is a wide consumption of snack foods and fast foods.
4. --------------------------
5. The percentage of mothers under the age of eighteen years appeared higher than say London.
6. Parents often resorted to physical and verbal abuse (in public spaces) to discipline their children.

Birmingham International Airport – on Sunday, 28.11.2010

In ------by approximately 7:30am when going through the ------------------------------------ there was a screener who was out in the open. And her PC was clearly visible. She appeared to be looking at luggage on her computer monitor. And then she called over a supervisor for assistance. The supervisor then went on to explain what suspicious shapes to look for. And whilst doing this she was pointing things out on the PC monitor.

We – the general traveling public obviously have been told what not to pack or carry in our carry-on luggage. However I felt that seeing and hearing what appeared to be a supervisor instructing what appeared to be a screener on what to look for and what was suspicious within clear eye shot and ear shot was giving us – the traveling public too much information.

Salaam and regards,

Debra V. Wilson

Chicago Tribune: In Her Travels Racist Assumptions Are A Constant

Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-05-02/features/9305020133_1_passport-airline-employee-flying

In Her Travels Racist Assumptions Are A Constant

May 02, 1993|By Debra V. Wilson, a writer in Chicago.

As an African-American woman I have grown wearily used to the stereotypical expectations that society has of me.

At 35 I am often assumed to have a child of, say 20-when in fact I do not have children.

My religious background is assumed to be Baptist or Sanctified. I am Catholic.

And my family is supposed to consist of numerous siblings who were fathered by a variety of men. I am the product of a two-parent, middle class African-American family. I only have two siblings, and we all have the same two married parents in common, thank you very much.

It would seem that I should be used to the very narrow box that society has placed me in. Yet I am continually amazed at the reactions I get from those, white and black, when they become aware of my passion for international travel.

For instance, two years ago my mother and I were standing in a very long check-in line at O'Hare when a white airline employee announced that all passengers flying to European destinations could wait in the much shorter line to the left.

Since my mother and I were flying to Paris we enthusiastically left the long line that had not moved in 10 minutes and made our way to the shorter one.

But as soon as we stepped in the short line the airline employee said, "This line is only for passengers flying to European destinations."

I said, "Yes I know."

The airline employee stood staring at my mother and me and said, "Miss, you can't stand in this line unless you are flying into Europe."

To which I replied, "That's good because my mother and I are going to Paris."

The airline employee looked embarrassed and walked away.

My mother and I were the only two black people in the European check-in line and also apparently the only two people this airline employee believed to be in the wrong line.

There was also the time when, going through New York's immigration control, an immigrations officer looking at my passport with its numerous entries and exits from over 10 countries looked at me with a smirk and "jokingly" said, "What are doing going to all these places? Are you some kind of drug smuggler or something?"

I did not laugh.

But the most humorous reaction to my travel mania was only a couple of months ago when, while applying for a new position, I had to provide proof of citizenship.

I was informed by the personnel director that her secretary would take the necessary information from me.

The interviewer's secretary was an African-American woman about 25 years old. I asked her whether a passport would suffice as proof of citizenship. To which she replied with a very surprised voice, "Passport!" I handed the secretary the passport to photocopy.

When she came back she asked me, "How long were you in the Army?"

I looked at her very puzzled and said, "Army? I have never been in the Army."

She then said, "When I looked through your passport and saw all the places you had been I just assumed you must have been in the Army. I mean the only time I have ever hear of `us' going overseas is to go to war."

I took my passport from the secretary, who was still waiting for an explanation of my globetrotting, and I laughed.

Maya Angelou - 04 April 1928 - 28 May 2014

During bad circumstances, which is the human inheritance, you must decide not to be reduced. You have your humanity, and you must not allow anything to reduce that. We are obliged to know we are global citizens. Disasters remind us we are world citizens, whether we like it or not. – Maya Angelou

 

Aswat - Palestinian Gay Women

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احفظن/وا التاريخ سنقوم بارسال تفاصيل اوفى قريبا     Copyright © Aswat Palestinian Gay Women , All rights reserved. www.aswatgroup.org Our mailing address is: ipcoordinator@aswatgroup.org

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Fwd: LET MY TORAH GO זאת התורה- עכשיו תורי

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זאת התורה- עכשיו תורי!  Let My Torah Go Facebook Twitter Website אתר Email מייל YouTube פייסבוק Donate Now תרמו עכשיו English below- JOIN THE CAMPAIGN: Let My Torah Go לרגל יום ירושלים, החל היום, ובבוא עלינו חודש סיוון, בו נחגוג את קבלת התורה במעמד הר סיני: הצטרפו לקמפיין החדש של נשות הכותל: זאת התורה- עכשיו תורי! ראש חודש סיון - הצטרפו אלינו לתפילת ראש החודש סיוון ביום שישי הקרוב, בשעה 07:00 בבוקר בעזרת הנשים בכותל המערבי , ה-30 מאי, 2014 ראש חודש תמוז - אנו מזמינות אותך להצטרף אלינו לתפילת ראש חודש תמוז, ה- 29 ביוני, 2014. בתמוז יגיע לישראל ספר תורה שעבר בין למעלה מ- 40 קהילות יהודיות בעולם, ויגיע לראשונה לתפילתנו בכותל המערבי. אנחנו מתרגשות ופועלות כדי לקבל את אישור רב הכותל להכניס את ספר התורה לתפילתינו על מנת לקרוא בו ולחגוג בת מצווה לארבע בנות ישראליות, כולל עלייה לתורה! חיתמו על עצומה לראש הממשלה: פנו לראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו והביעו תמיכה במאבקן של נשות הכותל, המבקשות להתפלל עם ספר תורה בעזרת הנשים, בכותל המערבי בירושלים, בירת ישראל. מדינת ישראל היא היחידה בעולם המונעת מנשים יהודיות זכויות תפילה הניתנות לגברים יהודים. חתמו על העצומה In honor of Jerusalem Day, today, and the month of Sivan, when we celebrate the receipt of the Torah at Mount Sinai...   Join Women of the Wall's campaign:  Let My Torah Go!      Join us for Rosh Hodesh Sivan this Friday, May 30, 2014 Join us for Rosh Hodesh Tammuz, June 29, 2014 with a special double bat mitzvah, and welcoming the ARZA Torahteinu Torah scroll at the gates of the Kotel Watch the video: Let My Torah Go TAKE ACTION NOW: Write a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu At the Kotel, men have access to 100 Torah scrolls. Don't get us wrong, we are happy men have can read Torah but we want women to have equal rights. The Western Wall is a public, holy site which belongs to all Jews.   Women are refused the right to bring a Torah into the women's section of the Western Wall by Kotel Administrator, Rabbi Rabinowitz. Send a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling him that you support women's rights to read Torah at the Kotel NOW!    Women are half the kingdom. Women are half the Jewish world. It is time women have access to Torah at the Kotel. LET MY TORAH GO   Copyright © 2014 Women of the Wall, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you filled out our registration form at Rosh Chodesh or a solidarity event. Our mailing address is: Women of the Wall Women of the Wall POB 31936 Jerusalem 91319 Israel

[Europol press releases] EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report: TE-SAT 2014

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Europol Press Release. Read online

EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report: TE-SAT 2014 Acts of terrorism in 2013 caused the death of seven people in the European Union. This, along with the sustained number of Europeans taken hostage by groups or individuals linked to religiously inspired terrorism, demonstrates the continuing terrorist threat posed to the security of citizens and interests of the European Union. "The threat from terrorism in Europe remains strong, manifesting itself in various forms and driven by diverse motives. There is a growing threat from EU citizens who, having travelled to conflict zones to engage in terrorist activities, return to the European Union with a willingness to commit acts of terrorism. This was especially evident in the case of Syria in 2013. This phenomenon adds a new dimension to the existing threat situation in the European Union, since it provides new groups within Member States with both terrorist intentions and capabilities, which may result in terrorist attacks with unexpected targets and timings," says Rob Wainwright, Director of Europol.  "Be it right or left-wing extremism, separatism or religiously motivated acts, we need to step up our work to respond to the threat of radicalisation. Radicalisation leading to violent terrorism is a gradual process and does not happen overnight. In times when populist movements and xenophobic winds are sweeping across Europe, it is more important than ever to keep this in mind." says Commissioner Cecilia Malmström. The main figures in the EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT) 2014 are:  7 people died as a result of terrorist attacks in the EU 152 terrorist attacks were carried out in EU Member States 535 individuals were arrested in the EU for terrorism-related offences Court proceedings for terrorism charges were concluded in relation to 313 individuals.  The terrorist threat in the EU remains acute and diverse. The largest proportion of terrorist attacks in the EU was related to separatist groups, although the number significantly decreased in 2013 compared to previous years. Most separatist incidents, however, were small-scale. The majority of EU Member States continue to consider religiously inspired terrorism as a major threat, as evidenced by the significant increase in the number of arrests. Two attacks and several disrupted plots in 2013 illustrate this threat.  Al-Qaeda and like-minded terrorist groups abroad continued to encourage self-organised attacks within the EU, aiming for indiscriminate casualties. With regard to left-wing and anarchist terrorism, the number of attacks and arrests increased compared to previous years. Right-wing extremists may exhibit violent and intimidating behaviour, but do not generally employ terrorist modi operandi. An exception to this rule in 2013 was a series of four attacks in the UK carried out by one individual. Tactics employed by terrorists of all affiliations differ in their levels of sophistication. New tactics continue to be observed in attempted, completed or foiled attacks. The TE-SAT 2014 is the result of excellent collaboration between Europol and EU Member States. This public document, published annually, presents facts and figures on terrorism in the European Union for the benefit of law enforcement officials, policy makers and the general public, and also seeks to identify developing trends in terrorism.  The full version of the TE-SAT 2014 can be downloaded from the Europol website. Watch the Te-SAT 2014 video.

Europol Corporate Communications P.O. Box 908 50 2509 LW The Hague The Netherlands

This message is sent in confidence and is only intended for the named recipient. If you receive this message by mistake, you may not use, copy, distribute or forward this message, or any part of its contents or rely upon the information contained in it. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete the relevant e-mails from any computer. This message does not constitute a commitment by Europol unless otherwise indicated.

Reminder: Foreign Policy Centre event-Human Rights in Iran: taking stock on the 5th anniversary of the 'Green Movement', June 3rd, CPA Room, Houses of Parliament, 6pm-7.30pm

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UCL Department of Security and Crime Science:: 8TH INTERNATIONAL CRIME SCIENCE CONFERENCE - Register now!

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UCL Department of Security and Crime Science 8th International Crime Science Conference Dear colleague, we would like to invite you to this year's conference on:  16 July 2014, British Library, LONDON This year the 8th International Crime Science Conference will focus on "What Works in Crime and Security – Practical Interventions from the Innovation Horizon". The conference will showcase leading research that is helping to tackle threats to our society. The conference in particular will focus on the dynamic between innovation in responses to crime and security issues and the need for such measures to be quickly and effectively brought into the practical domain. Topics covered will include Cyber Security; Forensics; Ballistics & Gun Crime; Knife Crime; Transport Crime & Drug Trafficking.   The conference, which has enjoyed consistently high approval ratings from delegates over the past seven years, brings together senior security practitioners, policy-makers, technologists, and academics, all developing the latest techniques and technologies for preventing crime and increasing security. The conference is supported by the UK Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) and the new What Works Centre for Crime Reduction at the College of Policing. For full details and to register for the conference please click here Other News APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR MASTERS & PHD COURSES: UCL's Dept of Security and Crime Science is home to some of the UK's premier courses in crime and security. Distance Learning Certificate in Security and Crime ScienceThis course provides students with a thorough understanding of how science and scientifically based techniques can deliver immediate and sustainable reductions in crime.  MSc in Crime and Forensic Science This course trains graduates to think strategically and critically about crime and forensic science and is the only UK MSc to provide practical crime scene investigation training by the Metropolitan Police Service Crime Academy. MSc/Diploma in Countering Organised Crime and Terrorism - Full/Part time This course is aimed at security professionals whose role involves developing and implementing strategies to address the threat of extremism, against public, corporate and critical targets. The course is also suitable for those wishing to make a career in these areas.  MSc/Diploma/Certificate in Crime Science- Full/Part time This course is the UK's first (and most successful) programme designed to equip law enforcement and security practitioners, and graduate students, with the means to deliver immediate and sustainable reductions in crime through the use of scientific method.  PhD programme in security and crime UCL SECReT is the £17m international centre for PhD training in security and crime science at University College London, the first centre of its kind in Europe. We offer the most comprehensive integrated PhD programme for students wishing to pursue multidisciplinary security or crime-related research degrees. We recruit our doctoral students from a range of scientific backgrounds to pursue research in crime or security domains across the engineering and social sciences.  Use these links to post to your social media: Join our Security and Crime Science FACEBOOK page by clicking on the below: UCL Department of Security and Crime Science University College London 35 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9EZ UCL Department of Security and Crime Science This newsletter uses web beacons, which allow UCL to improve the service provided to our readers. Find out more