A Bournemouth councillor has apologised “unreservedly” after saying online that only the English Defence League “sticks up for the English”.
Conservative councillor Sue Anderson said she had suspended herself from the party and referred herself for disciplinary procedures.
She made the comment via her Twitter account on Saturday.
The Interior Minister of Germany’s western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has blamed a far-right group that displayed lampooning cartoons of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) outside mosques for a recent cycle of violence in the European country.
The actions of the extremist anti-Islam group, “Pro NRW”, in Bonn on Saturday had been a “deliberate provocation” that had triggered reprisals by Salafists, Ralf Jäger, the NRW Interior Minister, was quoted as saying by Deutsche Welle on Monday, May 7.
Gathering outside the Saudi Fahd Academy in Bonn’s suburb of Mehlem, “Pro-NRW” supporters showed caricatures depicting a man said to be the prophet.
Hundreds of Salafi Muslims gathered in response to protest the rightist rally, which developed into clashes that left 29 policemen injured. More than 100 Salafist protesters were briefly arrested.
See also Spiegel Online, 7 May 2012
Hundreds of Israelis are running for a seat in the Knesset. Only one is running for a seat in Congress.
“France’s Muslims must embrace the responsibilities of French citizenship if they want to enjoy the rights of that citizenship. But many in France’s Muslim leadership are ambivalent at best, and at worst hostile, to the idea of becoming French, even though community support is essential to success. The historical experience of Jews in France could have profound relevance for French Muslims if they are willing to listen.”
Toni Kamins in Haaretz, 7 May 2012
Two elderly people from the Muslim community were assaulted on Friday-Saturday night in Amiens. The two attackers claimed to be from the far right, it was learned on Sunday from the Regional Council of the Muslim Faith in Picardy and the Somme prefecture.
The victims, two men aged 70 and 71, were attacked around five o’clock in the morning while they were on their way to the mosque in North Amiens for Fajr prayer, which takes place at dawn. After being violently abused by two men “with very short hair and claiming to belong to the extreme right” the two men were beaten up.
They settle domestic disputes, rule on financial disagreements and even grant marriages and divorces. But Sharia courts that dish out verdicts based on hardline Islamic law operate outside our justice system. Recent attempts by the Ministry of Justice to investigate the courts were abandoned following a lack of co-operation from Muslim elders.
The Daily Star Sunday gained unprecedented access to this secretive network, accused by Baroness Cox of using “intimidation backed by death threats”. Last month the cross-bencher claimed they could eventually lead to the destruction of democracy, with stonings, whippings and amputations becoming common punishments.