Yearly Archives: 2012

Michigan DJ’s ‘repugnant’ anti-Muslim blog post

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Holland radio personality’s blog post that’s being called offensive and “repugnant” has been removed from the Internet.

Friday morning, WHTC’s Red Kingman posted a series of one-liners about Muslims on his “Off the top with Red Kingman” blog. The post starts off with “This is straight forward country thinking…” and leads into what it characterizes as a Jeff Foxworthy routine on Muslims.

However, the Internet meme is not associated with the comedian known for his redneck jokes, said Foxworthy’s attorney Samuel Fox. Fox called the statements “repugnant.”

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Posted in USA

New York: thugs savagely attacked elderly man after asking if he was Muslim

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ali AkmalA brutal beating left a beloved grandfather in the hospital Friday night and police want to know if it was an act of hate.

The whole incident apparently started with a simple question and answer, but it ended with the victim bloody and bruised from head to toe. It happened just before 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 24 in Queens.

Ali Akmal laid in his hospital bed in critical condition with wounds and bruises covering most of his body. The 72-year-old was savagely beaten after he went out for his early morning walk on 46 Avenue in Corona last Saturday.

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Norwalk, Connecticut: city moves to settle mosque lawsuit

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The city and Al-Madany Islamic Center of Norwalk appear headed toward resolution of the latter’s lawsuit against the city.

Al-Madany Islamic Center sued the city after the commission on June 6 rejected the center’s plan to build a mosque/multi-purpose center at 127 Fillow St. That decision might now be reversed, or at least altered.

On a 6-1 vote Thursday night, Norwalk Zoning commissioners approved the following motion: “Subject to an agreement on the terms and conditions of the final settlement agreement, we consent to a resolution to allow for zoning approval for the mosque and accessory use building.”

The Hour, 29 November 2012

There has been an ongoing dispute over Al-Madany Islamic Center’s plans (see here, here and here).

Update:  See “Norwalk supports mosque after lawsuit, fed inquiry”, Associated Press, 8 December 2012

Posted in USA

Leveson on media misrepresentation of Muslims and migrants

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Leveson reportThe Leveson report into press standards includes a section on “Ethnic minorities, immigrants and asylum seekers”, which draws on evidence presented by ENGAGE, former Daily Star journalist Richard Peppiatt, Peter Oborne of the Daily Telegraph and others about the atrocious treatment of Muslims by the tabloid press.

Leveson writes that “the identification of Muslims, migrants, asylum seekers and gypsies/travellers as the targets of press hostility and/or xenophobia in the press, was supported by the evidence seen by the Inquiry”.

He concludes that, while much of the press has acted responsibly, “there are enough examples of careless or reckless reporting to conclude that discriminatory, sensational or unbalanced reporting in relation to ethnic minorities, immigrants and/or asylum seekers is a feature of journalistic practice in parts of the press, rather than an aberration”.

The relevant section of the report has been reproduced by the Electronic Immigration Network, or you can read it here.

Stavropol student barred from school for wearing headscarf

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The parents of a schoolgirl living in the village of Privolny, Stavropol Territory, are complaining that their daughter has been barred from school for wearing a headscarf.

“Today we sent our daughter to school on the school bus. The senior teacher put her back on the bus and it took her home. She has been barred from classes over the headscarf for about two weeks now,” the girl’s father Rizak Rizakov told Interfax.

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Mona Eltahawy in court over defacing posters: ‘I’m proud of what I did’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Writer and activist Mona Eltahawy appeared in court on Thursday on charges of criminal mischief for spray-painting an anti-Muslim poster in a New York City subway station.

Eltahawy was offered a plea deal but chose to go to trial for charges of criminal mischief, making graffiti and possession of an instrument of graffiti.

“I actually look forward to standing trial, because I acted out of principle and I’m proud of what I did and I will spray-paint that ad again in a second,” Eltahawy told the Guardian.

Guardian, 29 November 2012

Shotton Colliery: Muslims fear EDL demo

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Shotton Colliery EDL demonstrationWorried Muslims are expected to flee the village they have made their home when far-right extremists stage a protest tomorrow.

Members of the English Defence League (EDL) are due to hold a demonstration in Shotton Colliery tomorrow from 2pm.

The march is in protest at Durham County Council’s approval of local businessman Kaiser Choudry’s plans to turn the former Melrose Arms pub, in the village’s Front Street, into a Muslim education centre.

Mr Choudry’s nephew, Imran Nadeem, 38, who works in the village’s Milco Store, said: “We are very scared. There has been a Muslim presence in Shotton for at least the last 23 years, there are about five or six families, and we have been a very peaceful community. We will be leaving the area for our safety tomorrow and we are worried about our business.”

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