Scots see 'serious conflict' with Muslim community
Today's Sunday Herald carries a report on a recent study from
Glasgow University. It shows that more people think there is serious
conflict between Muslims and Scotland, than there is between
Catholics and Protestants.
Just under a third thought that Muslims were taking away jobs, while
four-fifths questioned the loyalty of Muslims to Scotland. Click here
to read the whole article.
The findings underline the work that still needs to be done in
portraying a good image of Islam in our society, something we all
have a duty to contribute to.
Last week, the Sunday Herald asked prominent Scots on their opinions
regarding Hutton and tuition fees. MAB were quoted alongside the
likes of Sir Menzies Campbell, Tommy Sheridan, Robin Cook, Michael
Ancram and various church leaders. See below for the piece.
We asked prominent Scots and other personalities if they thought
Blair would survive the combined onslaught of the Hutton report and
tuition fees vote - and if he deserves to. This is what they said
Sunday Herald 25/01/2004
John Byrne, playwright and artist: I think Blair probably will
survive although I do not think he deserves to at all. He took us
into that whole debacle over Iraq but he will no doubt survive. He
seems to have a certain amount of luck, although I do not think he
deserves that either.
Rev Alex J McDonald, Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland: There is
no set view in churches and many people may take different views but
I feel that the war was just. It has been built up as D-Day for Blair
but usually at this stage in a prime minister's reign his role comes
into question.
Osama Saeed, from the Muslim Association of Britain: There is one
word that links Blair's troubled 24 hours and that is "lies". He lied
in his manifesto when he said he wouldn't introduce top-up fees, and
he lied when he said he had nothing to do with the naming of Dr
Kelly.
Menzies Campbell, LibDem MP, Fife North East: It's a curious
coincidence that these two major political issues have come together.
For Blair to fall he'd have to lose the tuition fees vote and be
criticised by Hutton. The loyalty of the Labour Party may be enough
to see him through.
Archbishop Mario Conti: The Hutton Inquiry relates to one specific
and tragic death, that of Dr Kelly. One can't help thinking this has
been lost sight of in the media frenzy over the questions of
government tactics, role of the BBC and rights and wrongs of the war.
Jim Wallace, leader of the Scottish LibDems: In spite of Lord
Hutton's thoroughness, his remit is limited to the narrow issue of
the circumstances that led to Dr Kelly's death. But there is still
the unanswered question. Why did we go to war against Iraq on a
flawed prospectus?
The Most Rev Bruce Cameron, the primus of the Scottish Episcopal
Church: Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, one lesson is the great
need for sensitivity by the media and politicians and the potential
pressures and effect they can have on other people's lives.
Tommy Sheridan, Leader, Scottish Socialist Party: Blair will survive
because his party is full of spineless careerists more interested in
defending their own wages than ensuring honesty in politics and the
defence of free education. He doesn't deserve to.
Rev Alan McDonald, convener of the Church and Nation Committee of the
General Assembly: It is right that we should be told the truth about
the tragic death of a person. However, after all this time, the real
questions surrounding the war with Iraq remain unanswered.
Richard Holloway, author and former primus of the Scottish Episcopal
Church: I strongly opposed the war in Iraq but I agree with Blair
over tuition fees. I want him to win the vote over tuition fees for
the party and then resign over what has happened in Iraq.
Annabel Goldie, Tory list MSP: On top-up fees Blair has in a sense
undermined his own stature. The whole Hutton process has been an
accumulative attack on his position. His survival is now about what
the past events have done to change the public's opinion about him.
Roseanna Cunningham, SNP MSP for Perth: I think Blair's credibility
is already seriously in doubt before we even get to next week. For my
part it is hard to see how anyone with such a low standing in the
public's eyes can continue to have the premiership.
Patrick Harvie, Green Party MSP: I'm glad that I'm not a Labour MP
this week. Does he deserve to survive? Absolutely not. You can say
what you like about top-up fees but he took the country to war on the
basis of a lie and he should go just on that point alone.
Robin Cook, Labour MP and the ex foreign minister: It is becoming
really rather undignified for the prime minister to continue to
insist that he was right all along when everybody can now see he was
wrong, when even the head of the Iraq Survey Group has said he was
wrong.
Michael Ancram, shadow foreign secretary: It raises very serious
questions about the prime minister and why he told us what he did
last year ... about WMD. It is important if we are to be able to
rely... on the word of the prime minister we need a public inquiry to
do that.
Glenda Jackson, Hampstead and Highgate Labour MP: If one of the
servants [David Kay] of the main architect of the war [President
George W Bush] is now saying there are no weapons, I think the Prime
Minister should resign.
--- End forwarded message ---
