BLAIR- “I would still have thought it right to remove him even if there were no WMD’s”

By Majed Iqbal- In the midst of the Chilcot Enquiry, set up to investigate the run up to the Iraq war invasion in 2003, Former Prime Minister, Tony Blair has landed himself into controversy after admitting he would have invaded Iraq even without evidence of weapons of mass destruction and would have found a way to justify the war to parliament and the public.

The confession was made during an interview with Fern Britton on a Sunday morning BBC program, in which he said he would still have thought it right to remove Saddam Hussein from power.

“If you had known then that there were no WMD’s, would you still have gone on?” Blair was asked. He replied: “I would still have thought it right to remove him [Saddam Hussein]“.

Blair continued to defend his position in light of the difficulties British forces have faced in Iraq loosing hundreds of soldiers in a war which supposed to have been received with joy with open arms by the Iraqi population for removing the Dictator Saddam Hussein.

In his BBC interview, Blair was un-compromising on his position to take the country to war Iraq and wasted and showed no sense of remorse in airing that he would have found other evidences to justify his position.

Beyond Obama’s speech in Egypt

 By Majed Iqbal- Earlier this month, the American President, Barack Obama visited a number of Muslim Countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in efforts to open up a new chapter of US and Muslim relations.

Barack Obama’s speech in Egypt was watched internationally from East to West, in light of all the pressing issues that had hit our screens in the past years like the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, America’s silence on Gaza and the recent open drone attacks in Pakistan under the guise of fighting Americas “war on terror”.

Surprisingly, in his speech it was not US- Arab relations discussions that were being alluded to. Instead the primary focus was referenced as developing ‘Muslim’ relations with the ‘Islamic World’.

“I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect”

Some were taken back by his speech and hailed it as a new direction in policy towards the Muslim world which seemed to be ripe with positive gesture and promises of a new era of relations. Was America admitting its failures? Was America admitting that the Iraq war was wrong? Was America admitting that its War on Terror was ill-devised which has caused devastation in key parts of the Muslim world?

BBC and Sky’s ‘impartial’ coverage of Gaza come under raps!

By Majed Iqbal- Sky News and the BBC came under heavy criticism on their refusal to broadcast an emergency appeal for Gaza by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), an umbrella group of humanitarian charities including Oxfam, Save the Children and the Red Cross, in spite of renewed pressure from the public on the grounds that it would jeopardise their neutrality.

The decision added further to fury to many in Britain who believed that the coverage of the Gaza massacre by the BBC and Sky news amidst many other Western news Corporations leaned more favourably to viewing the whole events through Israeli lenses with considerable airtime offered to people to speak with this angle.

More than 10,000 people protested in central London against the BBC’s refusal to air the DEC aid appeal for Gaza which was followed by incidents in the week where BBC buildings in London and Manchester were occupied by protesters.

John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York said “This is not an appeal by Hamas asking for arms but by the Disasters Emergency Committee asking for relief”

MAJEDS BLOG EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW- Rabbi speaks out: “Israel needs to be dismantled”

By Majed Iqbal and Waseem Aslam- Over 1000 men, women and children have been killed and over 5000 injured in Israel’s brutal state terrorism over the last few weeks in Gaza. Attacks on UN Buildings, Schools, cutting off humanitarian aid and medical supplies and bombing civilian houses and even graveyards have been the scenes we have seen on our television screens and internet sites.

Despite the blatant aggression, many countries, including Arab regimes, have been silent in criticizing Israel in any way. In the midst of this Majeds Blog Team caught up with an outspoken Rabbi last week for an interview, who believes that Israel does not have the right to exist and needs to be dismantled.

Rabbi Cohen is one of many Orthodox Jews who completely sympathise with the cause of the Palestinians in their struggle against the Zionist State and has a spearhead group, Neturei Karta (Guardians of the City), who are involved actively in this matter.

SLIDESHOW- Children call upon Muslim Armies in London March

After over three weeks of deafening silence from the Muslim and Arab rulers on the gaza massacres, it was now time for the muslim children in Britain to stand side by side their young brothers and sisters who have totalled over 350 in deaths in the last three weeks.

The march went to the Arab embassies challenging them and accounting them for their silence and voicing openly for their states to release their armies and help their muslim brothers and sisters and children in Gaza.