Monthly Archives: May 2012

Police reject EDL lies about ‘paedophile gangs’ in Redditch

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL paedophile sex gangs placardPolice have quashed rumours circulated by the far-right English Defence League (EDL) that paedophile grooming gangs are operating in Redditch.

Speaking ahead of a planned demonstration by the group in the town on Saturday, Superintendant Adrian Pass said there was no evidence to back up the claims.

Saturday’s demonstration will be the first by the group in Redditch and is expected to attract around 150 demonstrators. However Supt Pass said there would be a robust police presence in the town to deal with any disorder and allow members of the community to go about their business.

He said: “There is no evidence to suggest Islamic grooming or any other kind of sexual targeting of young girls by gangs is happening in Redditch. If the EDL, or anyone else for that matter, has hard evidence of any other illegal activities of this nature in the area then they should come forward and tell us. They have not done so and we have no information whatsoever to suggest that there is a wider problem in Redditch or anywhere else in North Worcestershire.”

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English Defence League discovers a new hero

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Alan Clifford Islam is Evil

The English Defence League has latched onto the decision to ban the Norwich Reformed Church from council premises as a result of a complaint about their distribution of the publication “Why Not Islam” written by the church’s pastor the Rev Alan Clifford.

The EDL has announced that it will be holding a demonstration in Norwich in October to express its solidarity with Clifford, provoking the usual outburst of Islamophobic bile from EDL supporters (“Sick ov satanic islam get out our country!”, “what can be done to stop islam when the government, councils and police protect it”, “what has our country come to the goverment must be gettin a pay off from these muslim extremist”, “Are you People in the UK not going to fight this????? Your letting the muslims take over your Church!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!! WHO IS YOUR CITY COUNCIL????”). The EDL has also promoted Clifford’s “Why Not Islam” diatribe on its Facebook page.

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Nazi graffiti on mosque in south-west France

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tarascon Nazi graffiti

On Monday night a swastika and Nazi symbols were sprayed the mosque of the El Mouhsinine Muslim association in Tarascon-sur-Ariège. Police have launched an investigation. Local councillors visited the site to express their support for the association, and the mayor has called for a firm stand to be taken against racism and xenophobia.

France 3, 22 May 2012

See also La Gazette Ariégeoise, 22 May 2012

Via Islam in Europe

Racist bullying on increase in UK schools

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamophobia FilmNearly 88,000 racist incidents were recorded in Britain’s schools between 2007 and 2011, the BBC has found.

Data from 90 areas shows 87,915 cases of racist bullying, which can include name calling and physical abuse. Birmingham recorded the highest number of incidents at 5,752, followed by Leeds with 4,690.

In response to the local authority figures, obtained under a Freedom of Information request, the Department for Education said racism needed to be “rooted out”.

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Switzerland: court rules in favour of anti-Islam group

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MOSCIThe Federal Court says an anti-Islam group has the right to give out leaflets from an information booth if it wants – and the local authorities must protect them.

Fribourg Council banned the group – The Movement Against the Islamization of Switzerland – from setting up an information booth Place Georges-Python during the anti-minaret campaign in 2009. It said it refused to give permission because of a fear that violence and unrest would break out as a result, provoking a legal challenge.

The Federal Court upheld the group’s complaint that the authorities had impinged on its freedom of expression as well as on freedom of information, newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung reported.

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Veil ban ‘increased hostility towards Muslim women’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

France veilNew research shows that that there is a link between the banning of the veil in France and increased levels of hostility towards veiled Muslim women.

The Research from the Department of Criminology at the University of Leicester suggests that the veil ban stigmatises veiled Muslim women as “criminals” and fosters Muslim “otherness”. Even if not explicitly inciting hate-motivated violence, the law in its application contributes to a climate of intolerance of Islam in the West.

Irene Zempi, who led the study, will present her research on Islamophobia at a Departmental Research Seminar at the University of Leicester tommorrow.

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The burqa and the new religious intolerance

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nussbaum New Religious IntoleranceAmerican philosopher Martha Nussbaum, author of the recently published book The New Religious Intolerance, examines the spurious justifications given for banning the niqab and burqa.

She concludes that “traditions of religious liberty and equality in both the United States and Europe” are under threat as the result of “a climate of fear and suspicion, directed primarily against Muslims”.

ABC, 22 May 2012

EDL and BFP leaders hold ‘strategy meeting’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL BFP press conferenceBritish Freedom (as the British Freedom Party has been renamed, because BFP is “too closely sounding to BNP”) reports that its executive council has held a meeting with the English Defence League leaders to discuss future political plans.

BF chairman Paul Weston will be attending an “SIOE (Stop the Islamisation of America)” event in New York on 11 September along with newly appointed vice-chairmen Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll. Presumably this is the SION conference to “fight blasphemy laws under the Sharia Islamic supremacist war on free speech” announced by Pamela Geller a couple of months ago, at which “English politician and freedom fighter Paul Weston” is an advertised speaker. According to the BF report: “This will be a high-profile visit with excellent opportunities to publicise British Freedom internationally.”

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New Jersey: Muslim woman told to remove niqab in mall

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Wakeelah Salaam had been shopping by herself for less than ten minutes at the Bridegwater Commons Mall when a security guard approached her and told her to remove her traditional Muslim face covering.

“He said, ‘ma’am, I’m telling you, you cannot wear that mask in here. He came as close to me as though he was going to kiss me, and then he made the hand gesture like he was going to lift it up for me,” Salaam said.

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