Difference between revisions of "Shiraz Maher"
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| − | [[Image:Shiraz_Maher.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Shiraz Maher]]'''Shiraz Maher''' | + | [[Image:Shiraz_Maher.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Shiraz Maher]]'''Shiraz Maher''' was a Senior Fellow at the neoconservative [[Policy Exchange]] and ran Standpoint magazine's [[Focus on Islamism]] blog with [[Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens]]. Like several other Muslims feted by neoconservatives, he also claims to be a reformed Islamist (which he equates with extremism)<ref>Shiraz Maher, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2241736.ece How I escaped Islamism], ''Times Online'', 12 August 2007</ref>. Like his fellow extremists-turned-neocons, Maher is not shy to flaunt his extremist past. He did a show for BBC's Panorama entitled 'How I became a Muslim extremist'<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/7016299.stm How I became a Muslim extremist], ''BBC Panorama'', 28 September 2007</ref> and he also highlights his extremist past as a qualification in his Standpoint magazine bio:'From 2002-2005 he was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, becoming regional officer for north-east England before resigning as a matter of conscience.'<ref>[http://standpointmag.co.uk/hitchens-maher Focus on Islam (bio)] (accessed 1 August 2009)</ref>. In March 2009 Maher led a neocon campaign in support of Hazel Blears's efforts to get Daud Abdullah fired as the deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain<ref>Shiraz Maher, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/mar/27/religion-islam Daud Abdullah must resign], ''The Guardian'', 27 March 2009</ref> for signing the Istanbul Declaration in support of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation. <ref>Brian Whitaker, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/24/islam-politics Alienating British Muslims], ''The Guardian'', 24 March 2009</ref> |
At the peak of Israel's bombing of Gaza earlier in 2009, Maher contributed an article to the Daily Telegraph titled 'Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel'. Besides using familiar neocon memes such as 'moral relativism' in the article, Maher goes on to present British Muslims with a choice: 'between Hamas, a terrorist group committed to destroying a sovereign state and its people – and Israel, the region's only democracy which is responding to that threat'. <ref>Shiraz Maher, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4207857/Britains-Muslims-should-condemn-Hamas-not-Israel.html Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 9 January 2009</ref> | At the peak of Israel's bombing of Gaza earlier in 2009, Maher contributed an article to the Daily Telegraph titled 'Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel'. Besides using familiar neocon memes such as 'moral relativism' in the article, Maher goes on to present British Muslims with a choice: 'between Hamas, a terrorist group committed to destroying a sovereign state and its people – and Israel, the region's only democracy which is responding to that threat'. <ref>Shiraz Maher, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/4207857/Britains-Muslims-should-condemn-Hamas-not-Israel.html Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel], ''The Daily Telegraph'', 9 January 2009</ref> | ||
Revision as of 23:37, 7 January 2013
Shiraz Maher was a Senior Fellow at the neoconservative Policy Exchange and ran Standpoint magazine's Focus on Islamism blog with Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens. Like several other Muslims feted by neoconservatives, he also claims to be a reformed Islamist (which he equates with extremism)[1]. Like his fellow extremists-turned-neocons, Maher is not shy to flaunt his extremist past. He did a show for BBC's Panorama entitled 'How I became a Muslim extremist'[2] and he also highlights his extremist past as a qualification in his Standpoint magazine bio:'From 2002-2005 he was a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, becoming regional officer for north-east England before resigning as a matter of conscience.'[3]. In March 2009 Maher led a neocon campaign in support of Hazel Blears's efforts to get Daud Abdullah fired as the deputy secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain[4] for signing the Istanbul Declaration in support of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation. [5]
At the peak of Israel's bombing of Gaza earlier in 2009, Maher contributed an article to the Daily Telegraph titled 'Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel'. Besides using familiar neocon memes such as 'moral relativism' in the article, Maher goes on to present British Muslims with a choice: 'between Hamas, a terrorist group committed to destroying a sovereign state and its people – and Israel, the region's only democracy which is responding to that threat'. [6]
Publications
- Shiraz Maher and Martyn Frampton, Choosing Our Friends Wisely: Criteria for engagement with Muslim groups, Policy Exchange, 8 March 2009.
Affiliations
- Standpoint magazine (he is credited with running its Focus on Islamism blog
- Policy Exchange - Senior Fellow
- International Center for the Study of Radicalization - Associate Fellow
- Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya - panelist at an 11 September 2008 meeting of the World Summit on Counter-Terrorism in Israel ICSR Hosts Panel of Experts on Deradicalisation (accessed 29 November 2009)
- The Spittoon - Blogs cross-posted frequently
Notes
- ↑ Shiraz Maher, How I escaped Islamism, Times Online, 12 August 2007
- ↑ How I became a Muslim extremist, BBC Panorama, 28 September 2007
- ↑ Focus on Islam (bio) (accessed 1 August 2009)
- ↑ Shiraz Maher, Daud Abdullah must resign, The Guardian, 27 March 2009
- ↑ Brian Whitaker, Alienating British Muslims, The Guardian, 24 March 2009
- ↑ Shiraz Maher, Britain's Muslims should condemn Hamas, not Israel, The Daily Telegraph, 9 January 2009
