Yearly Archives: 2014

UKIP tries to remove journalists from fringe meeting on sharia law

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UKIP has long prided itself on its commitment to “free speech” and open debate, but it seems the party isn’t prepared to practice what it preaches. There was outrage among journalists at the party’s Spring Conference today when officials attempted to remove them from a fringe meeting on sharia law.

The Telegraph’s Christopher Hope tweeted: “Ukip security has tried to remove the @Telegraph from a fringe meeting on Sharia law. I have refused to move. Outragous.” Those journalists who had taken their seats were eventually told that they could stay (“if you behave”) but others were reportedly turned away at the door.

Continue reading →

Conservative MP calls for public veil ban

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Muslim women should not be allowed to cover their faces in public as there is no formal requirement in their religion, a Conservative MP suggested today. Philip Hollobone was putting forward a Bill seeking to prohibit the wearing of face coverings, in particular the Muslim veil and balaclavas.

Presenting his Face Coverings (Prohibition) Bill, the Kettering MP expressed regret that his campaign had “come to this”. Speaking during the Bill’s Second Reading, he said: “But there’s growing concern amongst my constituents and across the country about the increasing number of people who are going about in public places covering their faces and this is causing alarm and distress to many people in our country.” Mr Hollobone told the Commons that he had received correspondence from alarmed Britons from across the country, “who are concerned that in this respect we are heading in the wrong direction as a nation”.

Continue reading →

Islamophobia row Tory kicked out of party

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Chris Joannides Facebook comment

A councillor embroiled in a race-hate Facebook scandal has been kicked out of the Conservative party.

Chris Joannides has been expelled for a period of 12 months after Conservative Party Central Office launched an investigation into his re-selection as a candidate for Grange ward in this year’s council elections.

At a meeting of the Conservative Party’s board this morning, senior figures formally ruled Mr Joannides out of seeking re-election in May.

Mr Joannides had the whip withdrawn from him by the Conservative group on Enfield Council last year after print-outs of his personal Facebook account were shown to group leader Michael Lavender and this paper. They contained Muslim-bashing jokes and comments likening women and children dressed in burkas to bin bags.

Continue reading →

CAIR asks Florida university to cancel event featuring Jonathan Matusitz

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to call off an event featuring UCF Professor Jonathan Matusitz that is scheduled for next week.

The group sent a letter today to Embry-Riddle’s president urging him to withdraw the invitation to have Matusitz speak about a book he wrote on terrorism. Matusitz, an associate professor at University of Central Florida, has been accused of promoting anti-Muslim bigotry.

“We were shocked to learn that Dr. Matusitz would be a part of Embry-Riddle’s 2014 President’s Speaker Series …,” wrote Hassan Shibly, chief executive director of the council’s Florida chapter. “Dr. Matusitz has an extensive history of vilifying Islam and Muslims.”

A spokesman for Embry-Riddle said the university has invited Shibly and other members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to participate in the event as audience members.

Continue reading →

Arson attack on Stevenage Central Mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stevenage Central Mosque arsonA possible arson attack was carried out on a mosque this week causing extensive smoke damage to the building.

The incident occurred at Stevenage Central Mosque, Vardon Road, sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning when an extractor fan in the mosques toilets was smashed and flammable liquid was poured in and set alight.

The toilets had a tiled floor and walls so the fire was unable to spread but the smoke caused extensive damage throughout the building.

Continue reading →

Belgian Jewish organisation condemns ‘obsession with the Muslim headscarf’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

CEJI logoCEJI: “Obsession with headscarf works negatively on the integration of Muslim women”

Brussels, 26 February 2014.
CEJI – A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe is deeply troubled by escalating racism and racial tensions in Belgium, highlighted in reports issued this week by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) (1) and by the Center for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism submitted to the United Nations Committee on Racial Discrimination (CERD) (2).

CEJI is deeply concerned about the division within the Belgian anti-racism movement today on the Muslim headscarf. CEJI believes strongly in the fundamental right of religious freedom and sees more harm than good coming out of this obsession with the Muslim headscarf. Not only has this obsession had negative consequences on the integration of Muslim women in the education and employment system of Belgium, but it also has had a serious impact on the freedom of Jews, Sikhs, Hindus and even Christians to wear religio-cultural dress and symbols. Neutrality is defined only by what is considered an acceptable norm, and we are challenged to re-consider how to make our public space effectively inclusive. Social coercion to wear or not to wear the headscarf is counterproductive to the goal of women’s emancipation.

Continue reading →

Legoland cancels private Muslim event after receiving threats

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Casuals United Legoland protest adLegoland in Windsor has cancelled a private event for a Muslim foundation after receiving threatening phone calls, emails and social media posts.

The Muslim Research and Development Foundation, a registered charity, had planned a family day at the Berkshire theme park on 9 March. Legoland said a “small group” had spread “deliberate misinformation” about the event to stop it going ahead. It decided to cancel the event after discussions with Thames Valley Police.

The force said it was investigating the offensive messages regarding the event. It has been reported that some of the messages had been sent by far-right supporters.

Continue reading →

Neath mosque attack: Steven Davies jailed for 22 months

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Steven DaviesA man has been jailed for 22 months for vandalising a south Wales mosque and attacking a couple who challenged him.

Steven Davies, 22 and from Neath, smashed four windows at the St Anne’s Islamic centre, Tonna, and then head butted, kicked and stamped on the woman and punched her husband. Davies admitted religiously aggravated criminal damage and assault.

The Swansea Crown Court judge said Davies “acted quite disgracefully” and racial aggravation was “very serious”.

The court heard Davies carried out the late night attack on the mosque on Friday 13 September last year.

James Jenkins, prosecuting, said caretaker Mohammed Islam was inside the mosque checking the premises as he had been doing more regularly following a number of assaults. The caretaker heard stones being thrown and called the police, who told him to stay inside, Mr Jenkins said.

A neighbour watching television in his bedroom heard windows being smashed and then looked out to see someone attacking first one window of the mosque, and then another. Mr Jenkins said when the man saw someone trying to barge into the building he called the police.

The noise woke another resident, Kevin Thomas, and his wife Melanie who asked Davies if he was all right. The defendant turned and ran towards Mrs Thomas and began assaulting her, after first accusing her of being part of the Muslim community, Mr Jenkins said.

Continue reading →

U.S. hate groups in decline as radical ideas go mainstream

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SPLC Year in Hate and Extremism 2013The number of radical-right hate and militia-type “patriot” groups in the United States, which peaked in 2012 after four years of explosive growth, fell significantly last year due in part to the mainstreaming of right-wing ideas, a civil rights group said Tuesday.

The Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center released its annual Year in Hate and Extremism report, which tallied 939 active hate groups and 1,096 patriot groups in 2013, for a total of 2,035, which the organization said remained a relatively high number historically. It represented a 14 percent decline over the 2,367 groups counted in 2012.

The drop came as mainstream politicians began co-opting more right-wing ideas into state legislation which face constitutional challenges, Mark Potok, a senior fellow at the center, said in a teleconference with reporters.

Continue reading →