Charlie Hebdo attempts to boost circulation with another anti-Islam stunt

The Guardian reports that French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo will this week release a special edition illustrated biography of the prophet Muhammad.

Its editor, Stéphane Charbonnier, told Agence France-Presse that the Life of Muhammad would be “perfectly halal” because it was a compilation of all that had been written about the prophet in the past by Muslim writers and Charlie Hebdo had “simply put it into images”.

As the Guardian points out: “Charlie Hebdo, which must sell 30,000 issues of its weekly magazine from news-stands to keep afloat, has routinely seen sales double or magazines sell out each time it has run controversial cartoons of Muhammad.”

Sky provides platform for fascist thug

Alan Spence and Dipu Ahad

Spot the fascist thug: Alan Spence and Dipu Ahad

Sky Tyne and Wear has helpfully provided a platform for the English Defence League’s North East regional organiser Alan Spence to promote the EDL’s forthcoming protest against plans to convert Benwell Towers, the former setting for TV series Byker Grove, into a faith school for Muslims.

Sky doesn’t bother to inform its viewers that Spence is a notorious fascist thug, a former British National Party parliamentary candidate who a year ago was given a 7-month prison sentence for his part in an EDL attack on a left-wing meeting at Tyneside Irish Centre.

Still, even though Spence’s record of political violence is covered up, he is such an ignorant bigot that his TV appearance is unlikely to win any wider public support for the EDL’s message of anti-Muslim hatred. By contrast, local Labour councillor Dipu Ahad comes across as an articulate defender of the area’s growing diversity.

Sweden Democrats MP quits after racist scandal

A Swedish lawmaker once seen as a future leader of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats party announced Sunday he was quitting parliament and the party after a racist scandal.

Erik Almqvist, 31, was one of three party officials caught on film hurling racist abuse at two men, arming themselves with iron bars after a heated argument outside a fast-food restaurant, and calling a woman who tried to intervene a little “whore”.

“No, this is not your country, it’s my country,” Almqvist is seen telling one of the men in the clip.

Continue reading

Man charged in connection with Thurnby Lodge pig’s head incident

A 23-year-old man has been charged in connection with an incident where a pig’s head was left at a community centre being used as a Muslim place of worship.

The man was arrested at around 9:15pm yesterday (Friday December 28) and has tonight been charged with religiously/racially aggravated harrasment, alarm or distress under section 4 of the Crime and Disorder Act. He will appear in court in the New Year.

Three people, a woman age 40-years-old and two men aged 37 and 46, arrested earlier in the day on Friday remain on police bail pending further investigations.

The incident happened on Boxing Day at around 7.30am in the morning at the Community Centre on Thurncourt Road in Thurnby Lodge.

Officers would like to thank members of the community for their assistance in this investigation.

Leicester Police news report, 29 December 2012

Posted in UK

George Galloway condemns council’s rejection of Newham ‘mega mosque’ plan

George Galloway at Newham Respect meetingGeorge Galloway took to the stage last night to re-launch his Respect party in Newham and try to force a local election after the council rejected plans for a so-called mega mosque.

Mr Galloway vowed to put a petition up on the Downing Street website, as soon as parliament resumes after its Christmas break, demanding Newham Council changes its decision on the mosque or changes its leadership.

Mr Galloway, a former MP for Bethnal Green and Bow and now the MP for Bradford West, said he believed Newham is ready for a political revival after Newham councillors voted down a planning application for a mosque holding more than 9,000 people in Canning Town, run by followers of the controversial Tablighi Jamaat movement.

Continue reading

Qaradawi makes fervent plea for unity in Egypt

EGYPT SYRIA PROTESTProminent Islamic cleric Dr Yousuf Al Qaradawi has urged Egyptian Christians to remain united and help build a new Egypt.

Delivering the Friday sermon at Al Azhar University Mosque in Cairo yesterday, he called on all Egyptians, Muslims and non-Muslims, rival political factions, the ruling elite as well as the opposition, to unite in the interest of their nation and to realise the goals of the January 25 revolution.

Continue reading