Caron Bradshaw, CEO of the Charity Finance Group, disputes William Shawcross’s assertion that the influence of “Islamist extremism” in the charity sector is “growing” and is “potentially the most deadly” problem the sector faces. She argues that this sort of inflammatory claim can have very damaging consequences.
Yearly Archives: 2014
Tories ‘can afford to ignore Muslim vote’, Lynton Crosby advises
Lynton Crosby, the Tories’ election guru, believes that David Cameron has little to gain from adopting a tougher stance against Israel, according to a senior figure.
Tory MPs fighting to hold marginal seats with significant Muslim populations have been among those urging Mr Cameron to issue an outright condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Andrew Stephenson told The Times last week that he had received more than 500 emails from residents in his Pendle constituency, almost all raising concerns about the proportionality of Israel’s response.
The resignation of Baroness Warsi caused despair among some Conservative members of the government. “Cameron has just blown us the election,” one said. “This will lose us nearly all our ethnic support in the north and in seats like Luton.”
Mr Crosby, however, is said to believe the electoral impact of Gaza is overblown. “Lynton says there are hardly any of our marginal seats where the Muslim vote will be a decisive factor,” a senior Tory said yesterday.
Yasmin Qureshi backs call for boycott of HSBC
A Bolton MP has backed calls to boycott a bank which closed the account of an Islamic aid charity.
Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East, said she will also speak to ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills about the Ummah Welfare Trust, which was cut off by HSBC after it said providing services for the charity was ‘outside its risk appetite’.
The organisation, based in St Helen’s Road, has provided medical supplies, support and aid to communities in Gaza, which has been the centre of intense fighting between Israel and militant group Hamas.
Ms Qureshi said it was unacceptable that HSBC should not give more explanation about the decision – and as a customer she will consider changing her bank.
She said: “When I met with representatives from the Ummah Trust they told me it was a complete surprise when they received the letter from HSBC. Because HSBC is in 18 countries across the world and it’s a global bank it’s the best bank to use, and there’s never been any problem.
“It seems it has deliberately picked on the trust because it is doing a lot of work in Gaza at the moment. A similar situation happened in 2008 when again the trust was working in Gaza, during the last time there was a big almighty onslaught from Israel.
“HSBC has given no reason, no explanation, no nothing. I support the boycott, and I think I’m going to have to reconsider my own situation as a customer at HSBC.”
Hundreds of police officers to be drafted in for English Defence League demo in Batley
Hundreds of police officers from West Yorkshire and beyond will be drafted into Batley on Saturday (Aug 9) for a rally by the right-wing English Defence League. Traders have been told that up to 700 police officers will be put on standby to help prevent trouble.
The Yorkshire EDL Batley Division has called a national demonstration in protest at what they say is the growing influence of Islam and English people “treated as second class citizens.” As many as 600 EDL supporters from across the country could converge on Batley.
A counter demonstration, organised by Kirklees Unite Against Fascism and Huddersfield TUC, will also be held. The Celebration of Unity event is described as a “peaceful, anti-racist” gathering with music and speeches.
The EDL previously held big demonstrations in Dewsbury, in 2011 and 2012. In June 2012 around 500 EDL supporters met up in Dewsbury town centre. Afterwards it was estimated that policing and lost trade had cost the economy up to £500,000.
Batley councillors, politicians, Muslim leaders and the Bishop of Pontefract the Rt Rev Tony Robinson have all signed a Batley Unity Statement opposing the EDL rally.
Kahanist graffiti on Marseille mosque
The Collectif contre l’Islamophobie en France reports that graffiti has been sprayed on the wall of the Muslim Centre of Marseille by the extremist Jewish Defence League. The slogans, which read “Israel will live” and “JDL is watching”, are accompanied by a Star of David.
The CCIF points out that for several years it has called for Muslim places of worship to be protected as well as Jewish places of worship. When he was minister of the interior, Manuel Valls stated that this was under consideration. But nothing has been done since.
See also “‘Israël vivra’, ‘LDJ veille’ et une étoile de David tagués sur une mosquée de Marseille”, Des Dômes Et Des Minarets, 1 August 2014
Åkesson: ‘Islamism is the Nazism of our time’
Swedish party leaders traditionally hold summer speeches on their home turf during the holiday season and Saturday was the turn of the Sweden Democrats’ Jimmie Åkesson.
A crowd of a few hundred people had gathered in Åkesson’s home town of Sölvesborg in Sweden’s far south to hear the 35-year-old launch the party’s push towards the general election in September.
Following a sweeping review of the current global conflict zones, Åkesson shifted focus to Islam. “Islamism is the Nazism and Communism of our time,” he said, prompting the most generous applause of the afternoon.
Furthermore Åkesson said that he demanded that all aid to organizations and associations related to “Islamism” should be stopped, and directed his ire to the handful of Swedish citizens reported to be fighting in Iraq and Syria. “You guys can stay there. Sweden is no longer your home, this country built on Christian principles.”
Reports and comment from Islamophobia Watch 28 July‑3 August
Reports and comment from Islamophobia Watch 28 July-3 August 2014
- Britain First continues campaign of harassment 3 August 2014
- Bolton: NWI anti-mosque protest meets counter-demonstration 2 August 2014
- Mirror stokes up Islamophobia with bogus anti-Muslim story 2 August 2014
- Rowan Williams says Islam makes positive contribution to society, ‘secularist’ groups disagree 2 August 2014
- Hatred, hysteria and a Trojan Horse 1 August 2014
- ‘Report it!’ victims of hate urged 1 August 2014
- HSBC closes Muslim groups’ accounts 30 July 2014
- American opinion of Arabs, Muslims is getting worse: poll 29 July 2014
- Are French Muslims integrated? Depends on what you mean by integration 29 July 2014
- Bensonhurst, Brooklyn: Hate crime cops investigating anti-Muslim fliers 29 July 2014
- Nazi graffiti on Muslim prayer room in Nièvre 29 July 2014
- UKIP councillor brands Jaloos ‘call to war’, links to Facebook page proposing ‘cull’ of Muslims 29 July 2014
- Anti-Semitic incidents, vandalism of mosques persist in Bulgaria – US state department report 29 July 2014
- ‘Trojan Horse’ inquiry: Clarke report based on uncorroborated smear, anecdote, hoax, chatroom gossip and neoconservative assumptions 29 July 2014
- Bolton: racists scrawl anti-Islamic graffiti on Ironman triathlon route 29 July 2014
- Joplin’s Muslims rejoice in mosque’s reopening 29 July 2014
- Muslim spitting incident: police release CCTV images of suspect 29 July 2014
- Kalgoorlie-Boulder council approves mosque during fiery meeting 29 July 2014
- Torygraph discovers ‘jihad on dogs’ 29 July 2014
- Muslim school targeted by far right will open in September 28 July 2014
- Fury over ‘Muslim only’ rental advert as landlords fuel ghetto culture 28 July 2014
- Ofsted has ‘no plans’ to target inspections at Bradford over Trojan Horse row 28 July 2014
- Germany’s biggest tabloid attacks Islam 28 July 2014
- Israel now, Ireland next: Dublin embassy in propaganda pics storm 28 July 2014
- Anger as Islamic charity with Bradford base has its bank account shut down 28 July 2014
- Tension ahead of Kalgoorlie mosque debate 28 July 2014