Yearly Archives: 2011

UCU conference to discuss motion defending students’ right to wear veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UCU logoStudents should have the right to wear religious attire, such as burkhas, in colleges and universities, lecturers will be told tomorrow.

Leaders of the University and College Union (UCU) will pledge their support for the right of people of all faiths “to wear the religious head-dress and other religious attire appropriate to their faiths”. The union argues that the move is essential to encourage participation in further and higher education among ethnic minority groups – particularly women.

Delegates will also debate an amendment condemning what it calls “the alarming precedent” of a UK college prohibiting students from wearing the veil in college. Burnley College in Lancashire took the decision last year on security grounds. In 2009, it had also refused a student permission to enrol at the college while she was wearing a veil.

The debate comes on the heels of the French government’s decision to ban the wearing of the veil in public – a move criticised by the union as evidence of increasing Islamophobia. Other countries, such as Austria, are said to be considering similar moves to France if the number of women wearing veils grows.

“Anybody should be free to wear what they choose to follow their beliefs,” said Alan Whitaker, president of the UCU. “That has been a principle of the union. We are a secular union but that doesn’t mean we’re anti-religion.

“We’re in favour of people’s freedom to practise any religion they choose, and to be able to follow the customs of that religion – and that includes what clothing they wear.”

Delegates will cite as further evidence of Islamophobia the Swiss referendum decision to forbid the construction of minarets on mosques.

A further amendment, tabled by lecturers at the London School of Economics, says that “an important principle of education is to combat superstition and prejudice”. The LSE lecturers stress that allowing people of all faiths to wear what they want would help to achieve this. The amendment adds: “People of all faiths, or of none, have the right to dress as they personally consider appropriate.”

Independent on Sunday, 29 May 2011

The UCU conference will also debate a motion from the union’s LGBT members standing committee which warns against rising Islamophobia, “deplores the recruitment of any LGBT people” to the English Defence League and calls for a united campaign “against the EDL, their actions and their message of hate”.

‘Religious hardliners’ attack Moscow gay rights rally

Posted on by Bob Pitt

RFI reports: “Moscow police Saturday detained three prominent foreign gay rights leaders and a number of local activists after religious hardliners attacked them.”

The “religious hardliners” responsible for this shameful attack were of course Russian Orthodox Christians. But then, nobody would imagine that gay rights demonstrators in Moscow would be attacked by any other sort of religious hardliner. Would they?

Geneticist warns of dangers of Muslim ‘inbreeding’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

One of Britain’s most eminent scientists has warned that the level of inbreeding among the nation’s Muslims is endangering the health of future generations. Prof Steve Jones, the geneticist, said that it was common in the Islamic world for men to marry their nieces and cousins. He said that Bradford has a particular problem and warned that it could affect the health of children born into these marriages.

Sunday Telegraph, 29 May 2011

Update:  Typically, the Daily Mail reports this under the headline “Muslim outrage as professor warns first-cousin marriages increase risk of birth defects”. In fact the two Muslim spokespersons who are quoted in the article – Mohammed Saleem Khan of the Bradford Council for Mosques and Mohammed Shafiq of the Ramadhan Foundation – offer calm and reasoned criticisms of Jones’ comments. It seems that the right-wing press is incapable of reporting any comment by Muslims without referring to “outrage” and “anger”.

Update:  See Samira Shackle, “Professor sparks ‘Muslim outrage’. Or does he?”, The Staggers, 31 May 2011

Sofia: mayor backs Ataka’s demand for reduction in volume of mosque speakers

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Sofia mosque Ataka victim 2The Sofia Municipality will request a decreasing of the volume of the Sofia central mosque speakers, stated mayor Yordanka Fandakova Sunday.

Speaking in an interview for TV7, the Sofia mayor, who is a representative of Bulgaria’s center-right GERB ruling party, said the measure will be taken to tone down tensions following the May 20 incident, in which representatives of extreme nationalist Ataka party, including MPs, attacked Muslims during Friday prayer.

The Ataka supporters had gathered that Friday on a protest motivated precisely by a request to lower the allegedly excessive volume of the minaret speakers of the Banya Bashi mosque in downtown Sofia. Several persons of both sides were injured in the disgraceful incident, which provoked the outrage of Muslims and large parts of Bulgarian society.

Key GERB representatives, including PM Boyko Borisov, Minister of Interior Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Sofia mayor Yordanka Fandakova failed to firmly condemn the events, simply characterizing them as a “lamentable” incident marking the inception of campaigning for municipal and presidential elections in the fall.

Sunday Fandakova said that the Ataka supporters had obviously breached public order and full investigations are underway. Nevertheless, she said she will press for lower levels of sound from the mosque during prayers.

“We will do everything possible to lower the volume, in order to decrease tensions. I believe that in this way we will go back to a normal tone of discussion, for safeguarding religious freedoms precludes interfering with public order by means of excessive noise from loudspeakers,” stated the mayor of the Bulgarian capital.

Novinite, 29 May 2011

Award-winning blogger discovers ‘untackled radical Islam’ in London’s East End

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Close East London Mosque NowTory blogger Graeme Archer, who was recently awarded the Orwell Blog Prize, has written an unpleasant article for the Daily Telegraph (“The East End villains who thrive behind a veil of multiculturalism”) in which he asserts that the “increasing Islamisation” of London’s East End has led to threats and violence against gay men, women and non-Muslims.

You might have thought the potential for right-wing scaremongering over this particular urban myth had been pretty well exhausted by now, but Archer manages to extract some further poison from the issue, even though we’ve heard most of this before from the likes of Andrew Gilligan or the Daily Mail.

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Dearborn anti-Islam protest today

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man whose rock band sings songs describing violence against Muslims is leading a rally against Islamic law at 3 p.m. today on the steps of Dearborn City Hall. Frank Fiorello, 35, of Marlette is with a band called Crude Legacy and a group called Order of the Dragon. “We’re a peaceful group,” Fiorello said.

Originally, he planned to rally with Quran-burning Pastor Terry Jones in front of a mosque in April, but backed off after meeting with Dearborn officials. Fiorello said today’s rally is “an assembly against radical Islam and shari’a,” which is Islamic law. In the past two years, Dearborn has dealt with accusations that the city is under shari’a, a claim city officials say is ludicrous.

Detroit Free Press, 28 May 2011

Update:  The Detroit News reports that only three members of the Order of the Dragon showed up.

Blackpool peace vigil condemns EDL

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-fascism protesters today mounted a “peace vigil” as the English Defence League (EDL) demonstrated close by on Blackpool Promenade.

The different protests were kept more than a mile apart by police who mounted a huge security operation to ensure public safety. While the larger EDL rally was held near south pier, the smaller anti-fascism rally gathered on the headland by central pier.

Weyman Bennett, national secretary for Unite Against Fascism (UAF), said: “We’re here because we believe these organisations are exploiting a tragedy to politically profit and we want to make it clear we reject racism and fascism and anyone who tries to divide our society. At a time of economic crisis we do not want to see right wing groups attacking people.”

Paul Jenkins, North West organiser for UAF, said the group had support from people across Blackpool. He added: “I think it is very important to say this is not just UAF this is an event supported by local people who have been working with groups to show that the EDL and racism is not welcome in Blackpool.”

Mr Jenkins said the EDL were using the Charlene Downes case as a respectable window dressing for a more sinister agenda. He said: “Undoubtedly they’re trying to exploit a very tragic event for their own agenda and it says a lot about a group who try to exploit such a tragic event. We want everyone to know the EDL are not welcome in Blackpool. Our problems are not caused by race or ethnicity and we will not allow our community to be divided, we will stand united.”

Around 40 people with banners and plaques gathered on the Promenade next to Central Pier to maintain a peaceful vigil. Along with UAF members, a Catholic priest and representatives from the local muslim community attended, as well as Blackpool councillor Mark Mitchell.

Blackpool Muslim representative Tasurraf Shah said: “We all should unite as one, no matter what colour or religion. Our religion – Islam – promotes love and peace and that’s what we should portray. We should be educating people of the true values of Islam. Blackpool’s diverse and has a wonderful culture here, it doesn’t matter what your colour or religion is.”

Coun Mitchell added: “It’s fantastic to be here, we’re doing something for the human spirit. Blackpool’s slogan is ‘it’s a place where difference makes no difference’. It’s deeply disappointing to see groups like the EDL here. It does nothing for tourism and it may lead to an impression that Blackpool is a home for racist hooligans.”

Blackpool Gazette, 28 May 2011

French hold anti-racism rallies

Posted on by Bob Pitt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw5OeoHWEr8

Rallies were held across France to protest what many say is the continued scapegoating of Muslims and immigrants for political gain. In Paris, thousands marched under many different banners, but they all spoke of feeling excluded from French society.

A large contingent of the demonstration consisted of immigrants who have worked in France for years, even decades, without acquiring resident status. This makes it difficult for them to rent lodgings or get medical care and it leaves them vulnerable to exploitation from their employers.

Since his appointment in February, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé has been the point man in the Sarkozy administration’s desire to keep their “national identity” campaign in the media. Recent decisions such as the burqa law, debates on the role of Islam in France and the deportation of Tunisian immigrants have been condemned by many as purposely divisive.

With unemployment and social insecurity still high as France tries to exit the Great Recession, the message here is that foreigners will not tolerate being used as a distraction.

Many protesters here say that the conservative wing of the nation’s establishment simply refuses to accept that Africans and Arabs are already a part of 21st century France. To quote a popular slogan here at the demonstration: “Besides, we’re already here!”

Press TV, 28 May 2011

Youth sentenced for assault on Muslim policeman during EDL attack on mosque meeting

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL No More MosquesA 17-year-old youth has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work after carrying out a religiously aggravated attack on a police officer.

The Cherry Willingham youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was previously found guilty of assaulting off-duty Muslim police officer PC Rizwaan Chothia by Lincoln magistrates following a two-day trial held earlier this month.

He faced trial alongside Daniel Odling, 26, of High Street, Blyton, near Gainsborough, who was found guilty of religiously aggravated threatening behaviour and fined £450 and ordered to pay £500 costs plus a £15 victims’ surcharge.

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Violent attacks on political opponents by EDL and BNP are ‘classic fascist tactics’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Far-right activists have attacked trade union meetings and anti-racist groups in the past month in what campaigners and politicians say is an escalating campaign of intimidation and violence.

In the latest incident, a 20-strong group hurled concrete pillars, glass and rocks at a meeting on multiculturalism organised by Labour councillors in Barking, east London.

“It was terrifying,” said Beverley, 48, an NHS worker who was hit by a rock, leaving her hand so badly damaged that she needed surgery and was on a drip in hospital for three days. “These people seem to think they can bully and intimidate people into staying away.”

The attack last Thursday followed incidents in Liverpool, Brighton and east London involving people who claim to be supporters of the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right street movement.

Anti-racist campaigners said the attack in Barking appeared to be well organised and targeted. The group “appeared out of nowhere” as people were gathering in the foyer and had lookouts stationed outside as the assault continued.

“All of a sudden about 20 men and one woman came running across the car park screaming E-E-EDL,” said Beverley, who did not want to give her second name in case of reprisals. “We rushed to lock the glass door … but they didn’t break stride, they just ran at it and smashed into it. They were head-butting it, kicking it, throwing things at it.”

The reinforced glass came away in chunks, which were hurled at the unionists and anti-racist campaigners trapped in the foyer. Beverley said: “They were crazed on the other side of this glass wall … They started ripping pieces of glass off and frisbeeing them at us through the holes and then they started hurling rocks at us.”

George Barratt, a Labour councillor for Barking’s Mayesbrook ward, who was due to speak at the meeting on multiculturalism and racism, said: “It is extremely disturbing. We don’t want these thugs here and we won’t tolerate them attacking our meetings.”

Weyman Bennett, from Unite Against Fascism, said: “These attacks are escalating in their frequency and in the level of violence. They are now targeting trade unionists and elected councillors as well as anti-racists – it is classic fascist tactics and cannot be ignored.”

Guardian, 27 May 2011

See also “Hooded thugs attack office before meeting in Barking”, Barking & Dagenham Post, 26 May 2011

Cf. Martin Smith, “EDL now acts like a classic fascist organisation”, UAF, 19 May 2011