Civil liberties groups say report on killing may be used to tighten law amid warnings of UK Muslims being radicalised in Syria.
Monthly Archives: July 2014
UK Imam condemns full-face veil as an imported Saudi fad
That the headline to an article in today’s Times. It comes as no surprise that the “imam” in question is that pompous, self-promoting nonentity Taj Hargey, whose speciality is giving support to attacks on the rights of his fellow Muslims.
In a letter to the paper (see below) Hargey opines that “no one, including women, has an unqualified right to dress as one pleases in public” and declares that a “Saudi-financed campaign” is responsible for some Muslim women deciding to wear the niqab:
“This Saudi-financed campaign is just another salvo in the battle for the hearts and minds of British Muslims. If Britain’s liberal and human rights industry fail to recognise this, we will all live to regret it.”
In his letter Hargey calls on the British government to follow the example of France and “outlaw this Wahhabi-Salafi inspired trend”.
The report of Hargey’s intervention, by Dominic Kennedy, carries the following postscript: “This article has been chosen as today’s Talking Point by The Times community team for the quality of the comments left by readers.”
Again, it is hardly surprising that the majority of those comments are vehemently opposed to the right to wear the niqab. As one contributor pointed out:
“A pretty one-sided debate for ‘Talking Point’. Of nearly 200 posts so far only 3 individuals apparently arguing from a libertarian viewpoint seem to agree with Shami Chakrabarti that it should be acceptable for Islamic women to cover their faces in public.”
Sample comments: “Yes. Ban it. And hurrah for Dr Hargey.” “Ban it and dissolve the ideology underpinning it.” “This monstrous instrument of human, specifically female obviously, enslavement should be banned immediately.” “Ban it. It’s terrifying. It could be a man or a woman under the black garb packing explosives, knives, machetes or firearms.”
Another contributor calls for Muslim men to be banned from public pools because many Muslim women don’t participate in mixed-gender swimming sessions: “If your women aren’t allowed in, then you shouldn’t be either.”
This is what passes for “quality” debate at the Times.
Acevo head says perception of bias by Charity Commission damages Muslim organisations
Sir Stephen Bubb, head of the charity chief executives body Acevo, has said there is a perception that the Charity Commission is disproportionately targeting Muslim charities.
In a blog post published yesterday, Bubb said he had a meeting with the chief executives of Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid and the head of the Muslim Charities Forum, who had told him that it appeared that regulator was “targeting Muslim charities in a disproportionate way”.
The regulator rejected the claim of any bias in its regulatory work and said it was not possible for it to “remain silent about the risks and problems charities face”.
Bubb said the leaders had come to talk about their fear that recent actions by the commission were damaging the reputation of Muslim charities. He said it was the regulator’s role to examine and deal with complaints.
“In the turbulent world we live in, we are aware of terrorist threats from many parts of the globe,” he said. “But if that raises perceptions of a bias then that is in itself a problem. A perception is neither true nor false – it’s a perception – but damage can be done to charitable giving through bad perceptions.”
Bubb said it was worrying that the regulator had publicly announced a statutory inquiry into Muslim Aid. The regulator revealed that it was investigating the charity when it announced that it would in future name all charities that become the subject of statutory inquiries.
The charity said at the time that the inquiry was launched in November after Muslim Aid had itself notified the commission of “non-compliance with some operational aspects in two field offices”.
Bubb said that announcing the inquiry into Muslim Aid “had a devastating effect on its potential for fundraising now”. “Before even the results of the inquiry are known, it is now under a cloud of suspicion,” he said. He said the move had ramifications for the charity’s day-to-day business in making charitable payments around the world.
“How ironic that against the background of the most terrible suffering of the civilian population in Syria, it has become so difficult for Muslim charities to provide humanitarian aid,” Bubb wrote.
Piggin detained under Mental Health Act
Teenager Michael Piggin, who kept a stash of weapons in his home but denied he was planning a repeat of the Columbine school massacre, has been detained under the Mental Health Act.
Piggin, 18, admitted possessing petrol bombs and component parts for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Police discovered a hoard of petrol bombs and air rifles when they were called to investigate a public order offence from six days earlier at his home in Beaumont Road, Loughborough, in February last year.
Angry protesters shout abuse as they storm out of Astley Bridge mosque planning meeting
Angry protesters had to be escorted from a planning meeting by security staff as it descended into chaos after plans for a mosque were approved. Councillors sitting on the planning committee had to leave the room while campaigners against the application were led out.
Protesters advanced angrily on committee members and shouted abuse, while one person was seen to knock over a chair as they stormed out of the meeting. One protester also appeared to throw money at the councillors before the meeting was temporarily halted and order restored.
Plans for the mosque, submitted by Taiyabah Islamic Centre, which will be built on land just off Canning Street, near Blackburn Road, were approved by committee members by 13 votes to 6.
Vile anti-Muslim abuse on social media must be tackled
The government and the police have been urged to tackle the swathe of harassment suffered by Muslims on social media.
Publishing a report into ‘Online Hate against Muslims on Social Media’, Imran Awan, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham University revealed that ‘Muslim Paedos’, ‘Muslim terrorists’ and ‘Muslim scum’ are the three most used Islamophobic terms used to attack Twitter users.
Mr Awan said: “This study shows that both government and the police need to do much more to tackle the rampant online abuse and harassment Muslims are suffering, often purely because they are engaging in social media in the same way as anyone else. The problem has been particularly extreme since the murder of soldier Lee Rigby last year in Woolwich, which appears to have prompted a sharp spike in online anti-Muslim hate.”
The academic undertook the Twitter-based study to find out if well documented physical Islamophobia-related incidents following the Woolwich murder were being replicated in the virtual world.
New study reveals true extent of anti-Muslim abuse directed at veiled women
A new study has found the true extent to which veiled women bear the brunt of anti-Muslim abuse in the UK. Led by the University of Leicester it offers a unique insight into the experiences of veiled Muslim women as victims of Islamophobia, and the impact of this victimisation upon their families and wider Muslim communities.
Islamophobia, Victimisation and the Veil is a new book by Irene Zempi and Neil Chakraborti from the University of Leicester.
Irene said: “In a post-9/11 climate, veiled Muslim women are vulnerable to Islamophobic attacks in public because they are easily identifiable as Muslims. As with other forms of hate crime, Islamophobic victimisation falls under the police and local authority ‘radar’. The fact that it is such an under-reported phenomenon and under-researched topic means that victims of Islamophobia often suffer in silence.
“Our research reveals how Islamophobic victimisation is experienced as ‘part and parcel’ of wearing the veil, rather than as isolated ‘one-off’ incidents, and how repeat incidents of supposedly ‘low-level’ forms of hostility such as name-calling, persistent staring and other types of intimidatory behaviour place a potentially huge emotional burden on victims.
“The actual and potential threat of Islamophobic abuse and violence has long-lasting effects for veiled Muslim women, making them afraid to leave their house.”
Police investigating after Britain First go to two Gillingham mosques objecting to a planning application for a new place of worship
A right-wing group descended on two mosques in Gillingham threatening action if a planning application for a new place of worship is not withdrawn.
It comes after Britain First went to the new Nasir Mosque in Richmond Road, Gillingham, and the Jamia Mosque in Canterbury Street, Gillingham. The group of seven, clad in green raincoats and flat caps, confronted a solitary man on the doorstep of the Jamia Mosque before going inside and tackling him and another man on issues including the segregation of men and women within the mosque.
Police are now investigating the incidents.
In a video shot by Britain First and uploaded to YouTube one of the group said: “Withdraw your application for a new mosque, ok? Otherwise we, Britain First, will run a big campaign against you guys personally and also the council and the Imam, yeah? You’ve got a mosque, yeah. We don’t want these huge mosques with domes and minarets in our towns with separate entrances for men and women in our country.”
Fresh police appeal in Hull imam attack
Police are appealing for new information seven months after an imam was blinded in one eye following an attack in a Hull street.
Hafaz Rahmat Aziz Salik was injured in November after a stranger flagged down his car on Spring Bank West, opened the door and punched him in the face. He was with his wife and daughter at the time who were both uninjured.
Police have made no arrests in the case and have described the investigation as “stalled”.
Mr Salik said he hoped the new appeal would provide a breakthrough in the case. “I hope that somebody will come up,” he said. “Because I trust the community and the community are very helpful, truthful and faithful.”
Mosque opponents to take fight to Victoria’s highest court with help of right wing extremists
Anti mosque campaigners in Bendigo will lobby right wing extremists nationwide to bankroll a possible appeal to Victoria’s highest court.
Imposing young men standing guard at the door were closely watched by patrolling police at a secret meeting of campaigners held on Wednesday night at the Bendigo East Public Hall. The Concerned Citizens of Bendigo group, linked to the Stop the Mosque in Bendigo Facebook page, has vowed to take its case to the Supreme Court if it loses a VCAT appeal against the mosque being built.
Sydney lawyer Robert Balzola, hired to represent the group by Restore Australia founder Mike Holt, estimates a Supreme Court appeal could cost up to $50,000. The group has raised just $4000 to date and will appeal to supporters of Restore Australia and the Patriot Defence League Australia to raise the extra cash if needed.
Calls at the meeting for Bendigo to be specially legislated as a mosque-free city by the State Government have been labelled as “offensive” by Planning Minister Matthew Guy. “To target people based on their faith goes against everything Australia stands for as a peaceful, tolerant nation,” Mr Guy said.