You might have thought that the TUC/MCB joint statement opposing Islamophobia and encouraging Muslim workers to join trade unions would be welcomed by all anti-racists as a progressive alliance between the labour movement and an oppressed minority community. But apparently not. Over at the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, Janine Booth complains: “the statement was a liberal mush through which the MCB gets itself a new ally and the TUC promotes a religious organisation with an anti-gay stance.”
Author Archives: Bob Pitt
Pope pontificates on Islam and jihad
Pope Benedict stepped into the controversy over Islam and violence Tuesday, citing historic Christian commentary on holy war and forced conversion.
The German Roman Catholic Pope quoted from a book recounting a conversation between a 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and an educated Persian on the truths of Christianity and Islam.
“The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war,” the Pope said. “He said, I quote, ‘Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached’.”
Toronto Star, 12 September 2006
Pope Benedict XVI weighed on the delicate issue of rapport between Islam and the West. He said that violence, embodied in the Muslim idea of jihad, or holy war, is contrary to reason and God’s plan, while the West was so beholden to reason that Islam could not understand it. In a major lecture at Regensburg University in Germany, where he taught theology from1969 to 1977, he said Christianity was tightly linked to reason and contrasted this view with those who believe in spreading their faith by the sword.
Several Vatican watchers believe the Pope’s speech seemed to reflect the struggle of Vatican over how to confront Islam and terrorism. The 79-year-old Pope pursues what is often considered a more provocative, hard-nosed and skeptical approach to Islam than his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. In his speech, the Pope used language open to interpretations that could inflame Muslims, at a time of high tension among religions and three months before he makes a trip to Turkey.
TimesNow.tv, 13 September 2006
See also Islam Online, 13 September 2006
Robert Spencer applauds this example of “anti-dhimmitude from Pope Benedict XVI”.
Stares, whispers take toll on Detroit Muslims
“Chami, who wears an Islamic headscarf, visited a Downriver fair last year where someone barked at her: ‘Go back to your own country!’ She’s never visited the Middle East, let alone lived there.”
5 years on, US Muslims decry prejudice
Five years after the terrorist 9/11 attacks, many American Muslims complain they continue to face discrimination and stereotyping because of their Islamic attires or identities, while others blame the problem on the misconception of Islam and urge fellow Muslims to work hard to reflect the right picture of their faith.
“The prejudice against Muslims is widespread since 9/11,” Dr. Siraj Islam Mufti, a retired faculty from the University of Arizona and a retired chaplain from the US Department of Justice told IslamOnline.net. “Some advocate profiling based on ethnicity, religion and even identification cards. As a result, there is an increase in a variety of hate crimes committed against Muslims,” added Mufti, now a Contractor to the Federal Correctional Institutions as Imam and a contract Imam with the Corrections Corporation of America in Arizona.
“I experienced some difficult moments of racial profiles,” insists hijab-clad Iman Hadi, remembering she faced her worst experience at the JFK airport in her way back from Egypt. “We were singled out and were detained for about 6 hours for no reason,” she complained. “They took us to a room where I found tens of Arabs and Muslims, even Egypt Air’s pilots were waiting there. They asked us several questions and treated us in a very aggressive way. And the officer was very rude and was trying to humiliate us.”
For Hadi, this was the moment when she felt stranger and unsafe in her own country where she lived for more than 20 years.
Martin Amis: aimless and confused
“As well as neglecting the impact of the Iraq war and delivering a tendentious account of Qutb’s radicalisation, Amis also indulges in a display of casual prejudice: ‘No doubt the impulse towards rational inquiry is by now very weak in the rank and file of the Muslim male’. No doubt.”
Inayat Bunglawala replies to Martin Amis’s piece in last Sunday’s Observer.
Guardian Comment is Free, 12 September 2006
Protestors hang Bin Laden effigy outside US mosque
Activists hanged an effigy of Osama Bin Laden across the street from a Southern California mosque Sunday to protest radical Islam on the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
With a crowd of about 100 people shouting “Remember 9-11!” and “No more Jihad!” two men on the back of a pickup truck slipped a noose around the neck of a dummy wearing a Bin Laden mask and strung it up, while the crowd pelted the effigy with shoes.
The protest was organized by the United American Committee, a group that says it promotes awareness of internal threats facing America.
About 70 counter-protesters described the King Fahd Mosque as a peaceful center for area Muslims and yelled “racists go home!” during the ritual. A group of clergy joined hands with some of the mosque’s worshippers and stood in a circle in front of the mosque.
“I think it’s crazy,” said mosque spokesman Usman Madha. “We have never encouraged extremism. We were the first mosque that condemned the Sept.11 atrocities and we kicked out a few people that protested that condemnation.”
In 2003, Jewish Defense League activist Earl Krugel pleaded guilty to conspiring to bomb the mosque along with the office of San Diego congressman Darrell Issa.
Associated Press, 10 September 2006
Robert Spencer can’t understand why supporters of the mosque should object: “… why is it that when the United American Committee hanged Osama in effigy, the members of the King Fahd mosque didn’t eagerly join in, happy for the chance to show that they’re patriotic Americans who are outraged at what bin Laden and his ilk have done to their faith? Why instead did they mount counter-protests crying racism?”
Jihad Watch, 11 September 2006
For photos of the protest and counter-protest, see LA Indymedia, 10 September 2006
Radical Islam’s War With the West? Or Radical Judaism’s War With Islam?
Sheila Musaji reports on the showing of an Islamophobic “documentary”, Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West , by the Orthodox Jewish outreach and educational organisation Aish HaTorah in St Louis.
“Over 1,000 people (including children) attended the screening, among them was our little group of 6 Muslims. Fortunately, we sat together because as the evening progressed we drew comfort from each others presence. The audience seemed to be primarily Jewish, but with a large Christian contingent also. The film was a classic propaganda piece – in its 1 hour and 17 minutes, except for a disclaimer that this was not meant to be about all Muslims, the balance of the film was relentless in its depiction of issues, political movements, individuals, and positions as connected to the religion of Islam….
“Bigotry and hatred can be found in all communities – for every photograph or speech in this film another could be shown just as virulent from another community, e.g. American protestors burning the American flag, Jewish Israeli children signing missiles with love, photos of Christian clergy with Hitler, Hitler’s statements about Christianity, Nazi insignia with Christian symbols, statements by Meir Kahane or other Jewish Defense League members, or by Christian white supremacist clergy, Jewish Israelis having a party to celebrate the Hebron massacre. Statements by extremist rabbis that during time of war the enemy has no innocents, or that call for the extermination of the enemy. Signs in a U.S. shop window calling Palestinians pigs and cockroaches. The list is long, and the effort to demonize each other pointless….
“Two weeks after the event we are still experiencing physical and emotional distress primarily due to the positive reaction of the audience – including applause and standing ovations, and to some of the hateful comments we overheard from individuals sitting around us. The fact that some of us saw people we knew, who saw us and said nothing and avoided eye contact was very disturbing….
“Aish HaTorah, the producers of this film say that their objective as an organization is to revitalize the Jewish people by providing opportunities for Jews of all backgrounds to discover their Jewish heritage in an atmosphere of open inquiry and mutual respect…. Can one people be ‘revitalized’ by the demonization of another?”
‘Me? An Islamophobic bigot?’ Richard Littlejohn is offended
A characteristically thoughtful and informed comment from Richard Littlejohn in today’s Daily Mail:
“With exemplary tact and exquisite timing, the ‘leader’ of Britain’s Muslims chose the eve of the fifth anniversary of 9/11 to warn that we are facing the threat of two million home-grown Islamic terrorists. The preposterous, self-aggrandising ‘secretary-general’ of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Muhammad Abdul Bari, predicted an angry backlash against what he perceives as widespread ‘Islamophobia’ in this country.
“To be honest, I did wonder whether it was worth even dignifying this garbage with a reaction, especially when it comes from a man who appears to wear a ginger wig with a grey beard. But someone’s got to do it.
“Bari and his sidekicks are regularly wheeled out as the authentic voice of ‘moderate’ Islam. Their victimhood shtick is treated as gospel by broadcasters and they are taken seriously by government ministers and senior police officers. They never miss an opportunity to advance their own agenda. It always the same old song. They utterly condemn terrorism, you understand, but unless we give them exactly what they want, they can’t be held responsible for the actions of the more excitable members of their community.
“Criticise them and you are damned as an ‘Islamophobe’. When I described the MCB as a ‘self-appointed bunch of chancers’ a few weeks ago, Bari’s ridiculous Mr Bean-lookalike press officer Inayat Bunglawala wrote accusing me of being a bigot.”
Now, where could Inayat possibly have got that idea from? As for the “self-appointed” accusation, the MCB has over 400 affiliates and the leadership is of course elected every two years. And the “threat of two million home-grown Islamic terrorists” bit is just based on a misunderstanding of what Dr Bari said. As I understood his remarks, he was saying that there was a risk of treating Britain’s entire Muslim community as though they were terrorists (see here). Not that two million Muslims were about to turn themselves into suicide bombers.
Californians asked to repudiate mayor’s anti-Muslim remarks
The Sacramento Valley chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SV) has called on Californians to repudiate remarks insulting to Muslims made by a mayor in the northern part of that state.
CAIR-SV said that Redding, Calif., Mayor Ken Murray claimed Shia Muslims “believe it’s acceptable to lie, cheat, steal and kill as long as it ultimately glorifies Allah.”
“Folks, they’re not like us,” said Murray.
When asked about his offensive remarks, Murray drew a distinction between “mainstream” and Shia Muslims, who he called “wing nuts.”
“Either the Judeo-Christian philosophy will survive or the Islamic philosophy will survive,” said Murray.
“The unthinking bigotry and ignorance of such remarks are unworthy of an American public official and should be repudiated by all those who seek tolerance and mutual understanding,” said CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra.
Is this the way to Al-Jazeera?
Video: BBC staff in bad-taste Middle East spoof
By Alexa Baracaia
Evening Standard, 11 September 2006
MEMBERS of the BBC London news team have filmed a spoof video making light of the conflict in the Middle East.
The joke film – a skit on Peter Kay’s Is This The Way To Amarillo? – was made to mark the departure of assistant editor Simon Torkington, who is moving to news channel Al-Jazeera International in Qatar with his wife, former ITV news anchor Shiulie Ghosh.
It was shown at a private leaving party for Torkington – nicknamed “Storky” – last week. But a copy was leaked by a BBC insider angry that licence fee payers’ cash was used to make a “tasteless” skit that could cause offence to Muslims and relatives of the victims of 9/11 and the London bombings.
It is particularly embarrassing coming as the world remembers the 2001 terror attacks. BBC London journalists, including transport correspondent Andrew Winstanley and reporter Sarah Harris are seen singing in tea towel head-dresses and fake beards with a video backdrop of news footage of missile launchers, tanks and soldiers in gas masks.