FOREIGN doctors have been "victimised" in the aftermath of the failed bomb attacks in Glasgow and London, according to the new head of the British Medical Association.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, who was born in the Capital and studied at Edinburgh University, said colleagues from overseas feared a backlash after the revelation that NHS staff may have been involved in the attacks.

Several doctors were arrested in the wake of the failed car bomb attacks, though some have now been released.

Dr Meldrum, who was appointed chairman of the BMA last month, said today: "There certainly have been reports from Middle Eastern colleagues that they have felt quite nervous following what has happened in Glasgow."

He also spoke out against targeting doctors from abroad for tougher checks, and urged the authorities to show restraint.

"To suggest, as one or two suggest, that we need to particularly toughen up on the checking of people who come from abroad, seems to me out of proportion," he said.

Dr Meldrum also warned that all doctors felt under siege from increasing checks on how they carry out their work.

Many felt they were working in an atmosphere where there was an immediate assumption that they were bad at their jobs, he said. [Link]

Racist crime in the west of Scotland had increased after the suspected terror attack on Glasgow Airport, BBC Scotland has learned.

Strathclyde Police have released figures on racist crime and a senior officer confirmed that there had been a noticeable rise.

Community and political leaders were quick to call for calm in the aftermath of the attack.

The force said the rise may have been down to a greater willingness for minorities to report incidents.

Between 1 and 27 July, there were 258 reported racial attacks, 31 of which were airport-related, according to Strathclyde Police.

Previously, the force had been dealing with around 200 such incidents a month.

Speaking to the BBC Scotland news website, Chief Inspector Val Thomson of Strathclyde Police's diversity unit, said there had been a definite increase in attacks after the Glasgow Airport incident. [Link]

Racist crime has increased by almost a third in parts of Scotland since last month's foiled bomb attack on Glasgow Airport, reports The Independent.

According to the paper, the incidents include a suspected fire bombing of a mosque and verbal assaults on Asians.

Community and political leaders in Scotland have called for calm in the aftermath of the June 30 attack, but statistics released this weekend show that the country's Asian community has faced a backlash.

Strathclyde Police said it had recorded more than 10 racially-motivated crimes per day since the airport attack.

In the 12 days following July 1, there were 142 racist incidents.

Scottish Muslim representatives have voiced concerns over the figures, and believe many more have gone unreported.

Osama Saeed of the Muslim Association of Britain, said: 'We still need to build bridges and ensure that those responsible [for the attacks] are punished.' [Link]

Nearly three weeks removed from the [Glasgow] attacks, Cresswell said he's surprised there hasn't been any "backlash against the minorities. It was surprising, yet good to hear as well."

Yet, there appears to be an underlying fury that a quiet country would be attacked for no apparent reason, no apparent cause for retribution.

"It was shock, as such, I wouldn't say it was any fear," Cresswell, said. "We allow these people to come over here and better their lives, and this is how they repay us.

"At this point, it's just anger." [Link]

For Britain's overseas doctors, all this has been bad news and the writing on the wall is already clear. It is now official that they are to be subjected to a more stringent vetting regime before they are considered for employment in the NHS. Doctors from India fear that they are likely to face greater scrutiny because of the Indian "connection'' to the London-Glasgow plot. Ramesh Mehta, president of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, acknowledged that there was a great deal of "worry" among Indian doctors. Already, some 10,000 doctors from India are struggling to find jobs as a result of new immigration rules, which are discriminatory towards overseas doctors outside the European Union. Things can only become more difficult for them.

Muslim doctors are particularly concerned. "If a doctor is identifiable as a Muslim because of the beard or the hijab, we are worried that the trust between a doctor and a patient could be compromised,'' said a spokesman for the Federation of Student Islamic Societies.

So far, fears of a social backlash have proved unfounded. Unlike Australia where apparently some patients refused to be seen by Indian/Muslim doctors, there has been no such case in Britain. But anxiety remains and as one doctor said: "Just because nothing has happened does not mean that we are not under greater scrutiny. We are all quite conscious of it.'' [Link]

The foiled terrorist attacks in Britain last month have prompted anxiety and soul searching in India, a country whose economy relies heavily on its citizens' ability to work overseas.

Some of those arrested in connection with the thwarted bombings in London and Glasgow are Muslims from India. It is the first time since 1985, when a bomb downed Air India Flight 182 near the coast of Ireland, that Indian citizens have been implicated in a major international terrorist incident.

The revelations have prompted fears that Indian professionals, Muslim or otherwise, will face increasing difficulty finding employment overseas.

Concerns that relatives already working abroad will face a backlash have also been heightened.

Some Indians remember that the first hate crime victim in the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh filling station owner in Arizona shot to death by a man who apparently saw Sodhi's turban as a symbol of terrorism and anti-American hatred.

A pledge by Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain last week to review policies for screening foreign doctors was met with a plea from the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, not to single out citizens of any country for scrutiny.

"A terrorist is a terrorist and has no religion or community," Singh said he told Brown. [Link]

In the entire row of stores, the only one that was targeted - the one that still smells of smoke - is owned by a man of Pakistani descent.

Shafiq Ahmed said vandals rammed a car into his 'One Stop Shop' convenience store, then set a fire - an assault disturbingly reminiscent of the attempted terror attack just days earlier on the airport of this gritty Scottish city.

Police are investigating the alleged attack and others as part of an apparent backlash against Glasgow's Muslims since the failed airport assault and attempted car bombings in London. At least 24 incidents are being probed, from graffiti on a mosque to firebombed businesses.

As he cleaned the soot from his charred store, Ahmed, who moved to Britain as an infant, hoped the attack on his family business wasn't racially motivated. After 30 peaceful years in Scotland, the idea that some may no longer welcome him and his Scottish-born children is highly uncomfortable.

'I haven't got words to describe it. I'm hoping it's not retaliation,' Ahmed, 41, said Sunday, in a thick Glasgow accent. 'It's a shame to think you can't work with people and enjoy the company of people and instead have to worry.'

Unlike in Muslim enclaves in northern England, Asian Muslims in Glasgow do not live in complete isolation. White customers are common in curry restaurants and ethnic grocery stores. Glaswegians wearing the colors of the local soccer team, the Glasgow Rangers, share the sidewalks with Muslim community elders clad in the long tunics and matching baggy trousers traditionally worn in Pakistan. [Link]

Trying to avoid a backlash here, a group of Muslim physicians who call St. Louis home felt compelled Friday to condemn the terrorist actions in Britain said to involve doctors and medical students.

Police overseas are questioning eight people — all thought to be Muslim foreigners who worked for Britain's National Health Service — in connection with foiled car bombs in London and an attack at Glasgow airport in Scotland.

In Britain Friday, an Iraqi-born doctor was charged in the Glasgow attack.

Muslim doctors here say they are trying to be more vocal in denouncing terrorism. They condemned the "crazies" who are "misguided" and did those acts.

"If we keep quiet, we become kind of a silent supporter of that, although we are not," said Dr. Ghazala Hayat, a professor of neurology at St. Louis University. "This is actually sickening and shocking to doctors, that this would happen." [Link]

In the row of shops, a Pakistani immigrant owns the only one that was targeted. Shafiq Ahmed says vandals rammed a car into his "One Stop Shop" and set it on fire — an assault disturbingly reminiscent of the terror attack just days earlier on the airport of this gritty but until now racially well-integrated Scottish city.

Police say there has been a backlash against Glasgow's Muslims in the wake of the attempted airport bombing, with at least 24 attacks, ranging from graffiti on a mosque to firebombings of businesses.

Soaping off soot with his family in his charred convenience store, Ahmed is hoping that the attack on his family business wasn't racially motivated. After 30 peaceful years in Scotland, the idea that some may no longer welcome him and his Scottish-born children is simply too uncomfortable.

"I haven't got words to describe it. I'm hoping it's not retaliation," Ahmed said Sunday, in a thick Glasgow accent. "It's a shame to think you can't work with people and enjoy the company of people and instead have to worry."

British police are still threading together the terror plot investigation, reaching out to India, Australia, Jordan, Iraq and to communities here in Scotland where Muslims and non-Muslims have long lived in peace together — and where the majority are determined to keep it that way.....

In Glasgow, some Muslims fear that they will now face the same unwelcome scrutiny, even alienation and violence, that others across the border in England have complained of since four British-born Muslims blew themselves up on trains and a bus in London on July 7, 2005, killing 52 people and injuring more than 700.

Senior officials have since urged Muslims to better integrate. Jack Straw, the justice secretary and lord chancellor in the new government of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, spoke out in October against the head-to-toe black veils worn by some Muslim women.

"After 7/7 it was not that bad for Muslims here," said Imran Ali, a 22-year-old in Pollokshields, the most populous Muslim district of Glasgow. "It's going to be worse now."

John Neilson, one of Glasgow's most senior police officers, told The Associated Press that they have made 25 arrests in the 24 attacks they suspect were revenge for the airport assault. But he also pointed out that for every attack, there were hundreds more expressions of support for Scotland's 60,000 Muslims. [Link]

When Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced more rigorous background checks on foreign doctors applying for visas to work in Britain, panic spread through India's medical community, whose highly skilled professionals have always found it easy to work and study abroad.

The prime minister's announcement this week followed the disclosure that, among the medical professionals being held in connection with the failed bombings in Britain, three are from a single family in Bangalore. It was the first time that Indian Muslims have been accused of being linked to a possible al-Qaeda plot.

In emotional television broadcasts, Indian political and medical leaders said they worried that it would be harder to get visas to Britain and that Indian professionals living abroad would face racial profiling.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, displaying rare emotion while speaking with journalists Thursday in New Delhi, said that he had spoken with Brown on Wednesday evening. Singh said he told Brown that he was "against all labeling of terrorism by nationality." Singh also said: "A terrorist is a terrorist and has no religion or community. As a Sikh I know what it's like to be called a Sikh terrorist." [Link]

Since the attacks, the Muslim community in London has experienced a strong backlash. Police say there have been at least 38 racist incidents, including a number of beatings, though no serious injuries. [Link]

U.K. Muslims and South Asians suffered several reprisal attacks after terrorists tried to explode car bombs in London and murder people at Glasgow International Airport, the Muslim Council of Britain said yesterday.

Over the past week, a Muslim man was stabbed in Manchester, northwest England, a Pakistani-run convenience store was attacked in Glasgow and a premises next to an Islamic center in the Scottish city had an explosive device thrown through the window.

``We've already had some in Scotland, Muslim businesses have been attacked,'' Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Inayat Bunglawala said in a telephone interview. Muslims in the U.K. number 1.6 million, or about 2.8 percent of the population, according to the 2001 population census. The Muslim Council of Britain is an umbrella group founded in 1997 by more than 250 Muslim organizations.

On June 29, police officers dismantled two car bombs made from gas canisters, gasoline and nails parked in London's theater and shopping district. A day later, two men rammed a Jeep Cherokee, filled with flammable material, into a terminal entrance at Glasgow airport. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the plot. All are Muslims who worked in the state-run National Health Service.

Ghulam Mustafa Naz, 47, a Pakistani-Syrian, was stabbed in Manchester's Blackley district on June 30 in a brutal assault, a Greater Manchester Police spokeswoman said. No motive has yet been established, the spokeswoman said. He was dressed in a track suit at the time, a police spokeswoman said.

Convenience Store Rammed

In Glasgow, a driver repeatedly reversed a car into the convenience store on July 3, before setting fire to it, a Strathclyde Police spokesman said.

In another attack, a Century 21 real estate agency was targeted with an incendiary device on July 1. The office is next to the Sarajia Islamic Studies center and its back windows are adjacent, John Darrock an agent at Century 21 said.

``Some sort of device was thrown through the upstairs toilet window.'' Darrock said. The intense heat melted the water pipes in the rest room so the fire was extinguished before it was discovered, Darrock said.

The real estate agents was attacked ``by mistake'' and the Sarajia Center next door was probably the intended target, Bunglawala said.

There hasn't been an increase in racial attacks in Glasgow following the terrorist attacks, Strathclyde Police said.

``Individuals are responsible for their actions -- not communities,'' Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister and head of the Scottish Parliament, told reporters on June 30. ``No community in Scotland should feel threatened or under suspicion because of this incident.'' [Link]

The arrests of two Indians in connection with the Al Qaeda- style bombing plots in London and Glasgow have sparked surprise and consternation here in their homeland, where Islamic radicalization is of relatively small but increasing concern.

News of the arrests was splashed on front pages across the country yesterday, and raised fears among India's millions of Muslims that they could fall under greater suspicion at home and abroad. Community leaders appealed to the public not to rush to judgment concerning Mohammed Haneef, a doctor who was arrested in Australia, and Sabeel Ahmed, a trainee physician who was detained in northern England, where he reportedly had worked with Haneef....

"The community is a bit shocked. You don't expect young doctors to be connected with such incidents," Mohammed Belgami, a urologist who is president of the local chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a national Muslim organization, said by telephone from Bangalore.

"Secondly, I'm a doctor and I do know most students here. And from what I know, they are very upright and very morally sound doctors," Belgami said of the two young men, both in their 20s. "Nothing is proven. It's as if they're already incriminated."....

India is home to more Muslims than any other country besides Indonesia and Pakistan. About 13 percent of Indians are Muslim, out of a population of 1.1 billion. The proportion in Bangalore is higher -- about 1 in 5, Belgami said....

"Muslims in India have a lot of problems. They don't have jobs, a good education," said Sayeed Khan, who runs the Muslim Youth of India organization. "At least 43 percent of Muslims live in slums. They don't have basic facilities."

His organization is trying to keep young Muslims from becoming radicalized, which he acknowledges "is happening, but on a very small scale."

With the arrests of Haneef and Ahmed, Khan expressed concern that India's Muslims could face more harassment.

"This creates a stigma for all educated Indian Muslims in Britain and the States," he said. [Link]

uslims are organizing a rally in Glasgow on Saturday to demonstrate a united front against terrorism and to quell fears of a backlash against Scotland's Islamic community.

The announcement came on the same day that thousands of Indian and Pakistani cricket fans gathered in the city to watch a goodwill match between their countries' national teams, which had been planned before the failed car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow last week. The game was washed out by rain.

Mosques and Islamic organizations hope the event, which will be held on July 7, the second anniversary of the fatal bombings in London, will demonstrate their resolve against terrorism. Under the title "Scotland United Against Terror," they are inviting everyone to take part, including faith leaders, churches, trade unionists and others in civic society. [Link]

Fears of a backlash against Muslims are rising tonight in the wake of the car bomb plot.

It came as a Pakistani-born Scotsman's newsagents was ram-raided and fire-bombed in Glasgow.

Racial incidents rose in the days after the July 7 bombings and there was a similar backlash after the September 11 attack.

Tonight a prominent Muslim leader spoke of his fears of a "rising hostility" towards the Asian community. [Link]

A MUSLIM leader spoke today of his fears of a "rising hostility" towards the Asian community in Scotland after the car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport.

Osama Saeed, the Muslim Association of Britain's Scottish spokesman, made the warning as police launched an investigation into an attack on an Asian newsagent's in Glasgow.

A car was rammed into the shop which was then set alight in the early hours of this morning.

It follows an incident in Bathgate yesterday where an estate agency next door to a mosque was set on fire. In a separate incident, two men were arrested after allegedly racially abusing a pair of Asian shopkeepers in Edinburgh

Mr Saeed said today: "In some ways it was expected as there was a backlash after September 11 and 7/7.

"I think we did have a sense of foreboding about it. But we have got to stress to people we are in this together.

"It hurts when these things happen. You are Scottish born and bred, yet people look at you when you walk down the street as if you don't belong.

"I know the people of Scotland as a whole will react to this as they should. But what you get are a small group of individuals who are out of control and want to take out a misplaced sense of revenge."

A Lothian and Borders Police spokeswoman said: "There have been a few incidents across the force area which may be related to the recent events in Glasgow and London. However, we have not experienced any significant increase."increase." [Link]

ANXIETY, fear and anger rippled through Britain after three failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow.

Government and religious leaders appealed for calm, but some Muslims braced for a backlash — while some non-Muslims looked for someone to blame.

The attacks sparked scattered incidents of racist abuse in London, with young white men targeting Muslim taxi drivers and others of South Asian appearance. Glasgow Central MP Mohammad Sarwar said some Muslims in Scotland had been threatened or targeted with abusive graffiti.

"I have spoken to a number of people from the Muslim community and the Asian community who feel very angry," he told BBC radio. He said Scottish Muslim leaders were meeting in Glasgow to discuss the attacks' impact on their community.

Muslim anger was directed at the terrorists — but also at a society some felt singles Muslims out for scrutiny whenever there is a terrorist attack.

"We are seething with anger about this," said Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain.

"As a community not only are we just as likely to be victims as anyone else, but we are also looked to in order to provide direction and in some respects take responsibility for this," he said.

On an official level, Government and Islamic groups say they have made great strides since July 7, 2005, when four British Muslims blew themselves up on the London transport system, killing 52 commuters, despite incidents of arson on mosques and attacks on women wearing headscarves. Many Muslims also feel they have borne the brunt of the Government's tough new anti-terror measures. The Government has made a point of reaching out to Muslim groups and consulting organisations such as the Muslim Council of Britain, which represents more than 400 affiliated mosques and organisations.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has also appointed Shahid Malik, an up-and-coming legislator from northern England, as the country's first Muslim government minister. [Link]

Racist incidents including a suspected fire attack on a mosque were reported across Scotland yesterday as communities said they had been targeted after the weekend's events.

There were claims of racial abuse in Glasgow and Edinburgh, while Lothian and Borders Police said they were investigating a suspicious fire at an estate agent next door to a mosque in Bathgate.

Detectives said accelerant was used to start a fire in a toilet at the rear of the building adjoining the mosque in West Lothian, which was extinguished by a sprinkler system before anyone was injured.
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Sajid Mohammad, spokesman for the Bathgate Mosque and Islamic Centre, said last night he was convinced his place of worship had been the target. He said: "It seems likely the mosque was the target. We are meeting with police to discuss security measures."

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Police said: "There is a mosque next door to the premises and there has been some speculation that it was the intended target.

"At present police are not able to say if that is the case but we are investigating the matter.

"There have been a few incidents across the force area which may be related to the recent events in Glasgow and London. However, we have not experienced any significant increase."

While a spokesman for Strathclyde Police said it had no reports of incidents, Glasgow MP Mohammad Sarwar said some Muslims had been threatened or targeted with abusive graffiti and a meeting of community leaders was called in response.

Grampian and Tayside police forces both said there had been no incidents reported but that officers were "monitoring the situation".

Last night religious leaders united to condemn the weekend's attacks.

Allan Forsyth, chair of the Baha'i Council for Scotland, said: "We are confident that this terrible attack on Glasgow airport will not impact on the close relations between faith communities in Scotland,"

The Most Rev Keith O'Brien, Cardinal and Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said: "Like almost all Christians, I have the most friendly relationships with members of the other great world faiths, including those of the Muslim faith. Nothing must be allowed to destroy that friendship or the mutual respect we have for each other, even in times of crisis."

The Rt Rev Sheilagh Kesting, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, added: "It is important that as leaders of the different faiths we stand together in the face of such atrocities to condemn utterly any backlash there might be on the Asian community in our country." [Link]

Name-calling, anxiety, fear and anger rippled through Britain on Sunday after three failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow. Government and religious leaders appealed for calm, but some Muslims braced for a backlash — while some non-Muslims looked for someone to blame.

The attacks sparked scattered incidents of racist abuse on the streets of London, with young white men targeting Muslim taxi drivers and others of South Asian appearance. Glasgow lawmaker Mohammad Sarwar said some Muslims in Scotland had been threatened or targeted with abusive graffiti.

"I have spoken to a number of people from the Muslim community and the Asian community who feel very angry," he told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

He said Scottish Muslim leaders were meeting in Glasgow to discuss the attacks' impact on their community.

"They're concerned about a backlash and that's why the emergency meeting has been called."

Muslim anger was directed at the terrorists — but also at a society some felt singles Muslims out for scrutiny whenever there is a terrorist attack.

"We are seething with anger about this," said Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain.

"As a community not only are we just as likely to be victims as anyone else, but we are also looked to in order to provide direction and in some respects take responsibility for this," he added.

"We are sick of being defined as a community by terrorism and having to answer for it."

On an official level, government and Islamic groups say they have made great strides since July 7, 2005, when four British Muslims blew themselves up on the London transport system, killing 52 commuters.

In the weeks that followed, several mosques were attacked by arsonists, while others received hate mail. Some women reported having their traditional head scarves pulled off in the street.

Relations between the government and many British Muslims had already been strained by the unpopular wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many Muslims also feel they were unfairly targeted for suspicion and have born the brunt of the government's tough new anti-terror measures.

The government has made a point of reaching out to Muslim groups and consulting with umbrella organizations like the Muslim Council of Britain, which represents more than 400 affiliated mosques and organizations.

Gordon Brown, who took over as prime minister from Tony Blair on Wednesday, appointed Shahid Malik, an up-and-coming legislator from northern England, as the country's first-ever Muslim government minister.

On Sunday, Brown stressed the need to isolate extremists from the broader Muslim community.

"We have got to separate those great moderate members of our community from a few extremists who wish to practice violence and inflict maximum loss of life in the interests of a perversion of their religion," he said.

On the streets of London, the city's famous stoicism and tradition of tolerance were still in evidence — but tinged with an undercurrent of unease.

"I haven't had one nasty look or one nasty comment," said Abdul Basit, 26, a bearded Muslim man strolling the streets of Whitechapel, an east London area home to large Muslim and working-class white communities.

"It's all about education. As long as people know who we are and what our religion is about and know that we don't condone, it, then it's all right."

But suspicion remained.

"I haven't talked to anyone about the car bombs, but I definitely think the Muslims around there are still connected with the car bombers," said David Delmas, 23. "Even if not directly, and they aren't friends with them, I think they understand why they did it and where they're coming from, and that is a big problem." [Link]

Na'eem Raza, a member of the Scottish Interfaith Council and founder of Scotland's Muslims Consultancy, gives his reaction to the terror attack at Glasgow Airport to the BBC Scotland news website.

ot again... not in Scotland... not in Glasgow... not the airport... please. Not Asians... Oh God, please, not Muslim. Oh God, please not Asians and Muslims from Glasgow... no!

Saturday afternoon was a period of reflection while all around me was in turmoil. I wasn't thinking of the ongoing events, rather the aftermath that might follow.

I was born and have lived all my life here. I love this country; it is my home, my heritage, my culture, our future.

I remember my father used to tell us stories of the difficulties he went through when he first arrived here, being called all sorts of names and the blatant racism that he faced. I could never relate to that period. We have moved on, haven't we?

I wanted to stay at home on Saturday evening; I needed some security, I felt an air of unease, of tension. I could relate to my father's stories now.

Sunday morning, I felt strange leaving the house; I felt everyone was watching me. I arrived at the Central Mosque for the community leaders meeting and press conference.

I was re-assured when I saw some non Asian faces, faces from the other communities. It wasn't just our problem, it was our problem....

The comfort of seeing the other communities on Saturday was short lived. There are deeper issues at hand.

No subject or group of people has come under the microscope in the last few years as Islam and Muslims.

Hardly a day goes by without the words "Islam" and "Muslims" being splashed on front pages or mentioned in our news headlines.

Sadly, according to statistical analysis, animosity towards Muslims in Scotland has increased over the past few years.

The problem may be as old as Islam itself, but one cannot fail to have noticed the increased controversy surrounding the public's perception of Islam and Muslims since September 11th and ongoing world affairs.

The events of 9/11 and 7/7 and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have had a direct impact on the lives of various faith communities in Scotland particularly the Muslims. Saturday will not have helped.

I recall being invited to a Catholic conference recently; Father Gordian Marshall and I ran a workshop on "dialogue in Scripture".

The workshops were packed out and people left aghast at the similarities between Islam and Christianity, furthermore the reverence Islam affords Jesus and his beloved mother, Mary (Peace be upon them both).

In fact there is a chapter in the Qur'an dedicated to Mary and she is described as the best woman God created.

My wife was born in the Gorbals, Glasgow. A few years ago she decided to wear the hijab (headscarf). Suddenly everyone spoke to her very slowly.

At any meeting and while shopping, people would speak to me but look at her! She speaks with a broad Glaswegian accent! Yet the hijab gave a perception that she could not even speak English! She was uncomfortable on Saturday. Everyone was looking at her... "She's one of them".

We need to educate each other, we need to get to know each other, we need to work together. No more cups of tea and smiley faces, it really is time for action. [Link]