Yearly Archives: 2014

We’re not probing ‘Muslim school plot’, say Bradford’s education chiefs

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Education bosses in Bradford say none of its schools are being investigated over an alleged hardline Muslim plot to force out governors and headteachers despite claims the issue was affecting the city.

The leader of Birmingham City Council, which is investigating 200 complaints in relation to the Operation Trojan Horse allegations, says his officers had spoken to authorities in Bradford and Manchester about the problem. Sir Albert Bore said: “There are certainly issues in Bradford which have similarities with the issues being spoken about in Birmingham.”

There are now 25 schools under investigation in Birmingham after an anonymous letter claimed a small but radical group of Muslims were pursuing their own agenda in the classrooms, with uncooperative headteachers and governors forced out. The council’s investigation, running in parallel to a separate inquiry by the Department for Education, is due to initially report back in May.

Michael Jameson, strategic director of children’s services at Bradford Council, said the authority and West Yorkshire Police were aware of the claims made “several months ago”. He said: “We work very closely with West Yorkshire Police and will continue to liaise regarding any potential issues that may arise locally. No schools in Bradford are being specifically investigated in relation to the allegations made in the Trojan Horse letter.

“The council’s primary concern is always the education of all the children in Bradford’s schools. If the council has any concerns about the effectiveness of a governing body, we will act quickly and appropriately to help that school make rapid progress in improving the education experience and outcomes for its pupils.”

Yorkshire Post 15 April 2014

IDF officers produce Islamophobic T-shirt

Posted on by Bob Pitt

IDF T-shirtYediot Achronot reported that several IDF officers created a T-shirt for their soldiers with a chilling explicitly racist, Islamophobic message. It read: “Every Arab mother should know that the fate of her children is in our hands…Schem [Nablus] we’re on the way.”

The T-shirt features a graphic image of an armed soldier toppling the minaret of a mosque. It’s certainly designed to reassure the mothers of Nablus that the IDF believes in the purity of arms and is the most moral army in the world, as liberal Zionists and others like to claim.

This T-shirt is not an anomaly. Veterans of Operation Cast Lead made a variety of equally offensive products which were proudly modeled and sold online.

Tikun Olam, 14 April 2014

Far-right terrorist Geoff Ryan claims he’s changed his ways

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Geoff Ryan at meetingTattooed Geoff Ryan warmly embraces the Imam of Braintree Mosque and says sincerely: “I’m sorry.”

Less than a year ago, the 44-year-old stormed the peaceful prayer centre, armed with knives and smoke grenades, and even threatened to kill a worshipper in a “revenge” attack for the brutal murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

After serving half of his nine-month jail sentence, the builder and former member of the English Defence League spent four hours discussing politics, extremism, religion and the events of that fateful night in May with leaders of the Muslim community, and now wants to help change negative perceptions of Islam.

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Quebec’s ruling party suffers crushing defeat – despite the anti-Muslim campaign

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The lunacy which has dominated the discourse coming out of Quebec over the last year has finally been countered with a dose of sanity. In a historic vote this Monday, the ruling Parti Québécois (PQ) suffered a major defeat after just 19 months of taking office. Premier Pauline Marois organized an ugly campaign which centered on identity politics and secession from Canada. Her gross miscalculations resulted in a humiliating loss and allowed the federalist Liberal party to form a majority government in the Francophone province.

“The madness which characterized PQ’s odious agenda is best exemplified with their proposed secular ‘Charter of Values’. The notorious document, an affront to Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, proposed banning all public employees from wearing religious symbols: hijabs, turban, skullcaps – anything ‘conspicuous’. This Charter paved way to a discourse which was perhaps the most jaw dropping display of xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric in recent history.”

Waleed Ahmed reports.

Muslim Matters, 11 April 2014

EDL-supporting former army trainee injured in homemade bomb explosion

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jordan SmithA teenager who wanted to join the Army is believed to have lost both hands in an explosion at his home.

Jordan Smith, 19, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries after the blast at his parents’ luxury barn conversion. A bomb disposal squad was called in and four neighbouring homes were evacuated until the area could be checked.

The cause of the explosion was not known last night. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the blast.

Neighbours said they knew little of Mr Smith’s interests, but it later emerged that his Facebook page features slogans such as “No more mosques”, “We hate Muslim extremists” and “No surrender to Al Qaeda”, as well as references to the English Defence League.

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Mosque arsonist gets bail

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Christophe Lavigne, the French airforce sergeant with far-right links who was recently acquitted on a technicality of planning to shoot Muslims, is still to stand trial in June on a charge of desecration of a place of worship in connection with a terrorist enterprise, in connection with an arson attack on a mosque in Libourne in August 2012.

Despite his having reportedly admitted to that crime, Lavigne has been released on bail, according to his lawyer, because the court accepted that he poses “no risk of reoffending”. The Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en France wants to know how an individual with such a record, charged with a violent terrorist offence, could possibly have been allowed out.

Five people charged after EDL demo in Thatcham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Five people have been charged in connection with an English Defence League protest in Thatcham.

After twenty people staged a protest in Thatcham at the end of February, five people have been charged with a string of offences.

The four men and one woman face charges like racially or religiously aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress. They had indicated they were members of the EDL carrying out a demonstration in The Broadway.

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Academy school in Birmingham is victim of ‘witch-hunt’, says governor

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Muslim-majority academy at the centre of a row over alleged Islamic fundamentalism in Birmingham is the victim of a “witch-hunt”, a governor at the school has claimed.

David Hughes, a trustee and governor at Park View school in Birmingham for more than 15 years, said the secondary was under attack “under the pretext of concerns about extremism and threats to the education of pupils”.

In recent weeks the school, in the Alum Rock area of the city, has been subject to emergency investigations by the schools inspectorate Ofsted and the Education Funding Agency (EFA).

According to Liam Byrne, the local Labour MP, the inspections were triggered by “serious” complaints from former and present staff. There were reportedly concerns over financial mismanagement and alleged extremist preaching during assemblies. “When allegations are made, they need investigating. We can’t just ignore them,” Byrne said.

But Hughes, who is a Christian, accused the Ofsted team of giving “every indication of having no wish other than to condemn the school – even the outstanding features.”

Writing in the school’s spring newsletter, Hughes claimed “in all my time as a governor we have not received a single complaint about ‘extremism’ or ‘radicalism’. If we had we would have investigated it openly and thoroughly.”

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