The young Muslim woman in the hijab hardly noticed the man she passed in the street – until he stopped, spat and swore at her. But then as a white-skinned blonde in Islamic garb, religious convert Amy Sall is used to attracting attention. What has shocked her since she became a Muslim has been the level of hostility she has attracted from complete strangers.
Yearly Archives: 2012
Police investigate after firework attack on Darlington mosque
Police have launched an investigation after a man pushed a lit firework through the door of a mosque. The Jamia Mosque, on North Lodge Terrace, in Darlington, suffered minimal damage in the incident but officers say they are taking the matter seriously and cannot rule out a religious or racial motive.
Walthamstow: EDL ‘will still hold protest’ despite ban threat
The far-right English Defence League (EDL) and counter protesters say they will still demonstrate in Walthamstow this weekend despite police attempts to ban all marches.
French Muslims feel hated, book reveals
Discrimination, abuse and Islamophobia. France’s Muslim population reveal their experiences of bearing the brunt of anti-Muslim hate crimes in a new book published by the Islamic Human Rights Commission. The study looks into how France’s institutions, political culture and attitudes towards Islam have created a hostile and dangerous environment against Muslims.
In London, an event was held to address the growing concerns of Muslim demonization in Europe. Communities were encouraged to foster better understanding in order to counter the inflammatory propaganda against Islam.
EDL anti-mosque protestors disrupt Chelmsford Council planning meeting
Police had to be called in halfway through a planning committee meeting after far-right protesters became “abusive”.
Members of the English Defence League were at the meeting of Chelmsford Council’s planning committee and are said to have caused a disturbance. The incident happened shortly after councillors agreed to plans for a Waitrose supermarket, along with 39 apartments, to be built on Royal Mail’s sorting office site.
Pig’s head left outside Newbury mosque
A pig’s head was found outside Newbury’s mosque in Pound Street this morning (Tuesday). Police say they are treating the incident as a hate crime.
Officers were called at around 9.30am and cordoned off the area while they investigated. They are now reviewing CCTV footage and working closely with the mosque’s Imam.
Neighbourhood police team officer, Insp Al Lloyd, said: “This is a matter that we are taking extremely seriously and we will not tolerate hate crime in this area. We are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and I would urge anyone in the community who has any information about this incident, or who knows who may be responsible, to contact police urgently.”
The incident is the latest in a string of attacks on the mosque.
Newbury Today, 23 October 2012
In 2010 two youths were convicted for their part in the harassment of the Newbury mosque’s imam, Olid Khandokar, who had been “repeatedly singled out by jeering youths who hurled foul abuse and even attacked him with stones as he walked in the town centre”.
‘Sikhs Against the EDL’ support Walthamstow demonstration
The “Sikhs Against the EDL” campaign have today announced that they will be supporting the counter protest against the EDL in Walthamstow on Saturday 27th October 2012. The counter protest is being organised by a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-faith organisation known as “We Are Waltham Forest”, a broad-based network of local community groups, political organisations and trade unions. Their aim is to “celebrate diversity and oppose racism and fascism” and to show the EDL that they are not welcome in Walthamstow. The UK’s largest anti-fascism organisation, “Unite Against Fascism”, is also calling for a national mobilisation to support the “We Are Waltham Forest” demonstration.
EDL to be banned from marching in Waltham Forest
A ban on the far-right English Defence League (EDL) marching in Waltham Forest this weekend is set to be announced later today.
The Metropolitan Police is believed to have applied to the Home Office for the group to be barred from demonstrating in the borough on Saturday over concerns for public safety.
The Guardian, the council and community group We Are Waltham Forest have campaign against the EDL returning to Waltham Forest following a demonstration in September.
The group was blocked from marching to a rally near the town hall by thousands of residents and anti-fascist groups.
An event celebrating the borough’s diversity in Walthamstow Town Square will still go ahead on Saturday.
Informant: NYPD paid me to ‘bait’ Muslims
A paid informant for the New York Police Department’s intelligence unit was under orders to “bait” Muslims into saying bad things as he lived a double life, snapping pictures inside mosques and collecting the names of innocent people attending study groups on Islam, he told The Associated Press.
Nazi graffiti on French family’s house
France 3 reports that on Sunday morning a family at Pont-du-Château in Auvergne in central France found the walls of their house covered in Nazi graffiti. Of Algerian origin, the family has lived in the area for fifteen years.