Author Archives: Bob Pitt

Sarkozy defends Switzerland minaret ban

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nicolas Sarkozy today voiced sympathy for Switzerland’s controversial decision to ban the building of Muslim minarets, calling on religious practitioners to avoid “ostentation” and “provocation” for fear of upsetting others.

The French president said he was surprised by the widespread criticism of the outcome of last week’s referendum in Switzerland when 57% voted to proscribe the building of new minarets in a country that has four, and is home to 400,000 Muslims.

Sarkozy’s foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, promptly denounced the Swiss decision last week, saying he was shocked and scandalised and calling for the ban to be reversed.

But writing in the Le Monde newspaper, Sarkozy defended the Swiss in arguing for the necessity of the contentious debate on national identity he has sponsored in France.

“How can you not be amazed at the reaction that this decision has produced in certain media and political circles in our own country,” Sarkozy said. “Instead of condemning the Swiss out of hand, we should try to understand what they meant to express and what so many people in Europe feel, including people in France.”

Guardian, 8 December 2009

Citibank asked to apologise for hijab incident

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Citigroup To Cut Thousands Of Jobs Amidst Posting Huge LossThe Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today called on Citibank to apologize to a Muslim woman who was allegedly verbally abused by a security guard at a Gresham, Ill., branch because she wears a religious head scarf, or hijab.

According to the Muslim woman, the guard said it was against Citibank’s policy for customers to transact business wearing head coverings. While another Citibank employee did allow the woman to complete her business, that employee insisted on personally escorting her to the counter and watched over her shoulder as she conducted her transactions.

The guard also reportedly objected to the woman receiving service because it would encourage more of “them” to come into the bank. Throughout the process, which the Muslim customer described as “humiliating,” the guard allegedly made anti-Muslim remarks.

CAIR-Chicago is calling for the apology, a review of Citibank policies related to religious head coverings and for diversity training of bank staff.

CAIR-Chicago press release, 8 December 2009

Jewish community hits out at ‘divisive’ anti-Muslim protesters

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Leading members of Harrow’s Jewish community have joined together to condemn anti-Muslim campaigners who are planning a protest in the borough this weekend. Rabbis Aaron Goldstein, Hillel Athias-Robles, Kathleen Middleton, Frank Dabba Smith, and Michael Hilton have signed a letter offering unequivocal support for the borough’s Muslim community.

They wrote: “As leaders of the Jewish community in Harrow, we are writing to express our support for our Muslim friends and neighbours, especially those at Harrow Central Mosque, who are under attack from those whose only purpose is to spread hatred and fear. We share the desire of the Muslim community of Harrow to respect our mutual traditions, to learn from each other’s cultures and ways of life, and to live together in peace.”

The Rabbis, from Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, Middlesex New Synagogue, Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue, and Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community, used the letter to condemn Stop Islamisation of Europe, who are planning a protest outside the mosque in Station Road on Sunday, December 13.

The show of unity from the Jewish community is in defiance of a direct appeal by SIOE on its website for 1,000 Jews bearing the Israeli flag to turn up. However, the Rabbis hit out at SIOE’s “outrageous lies” which are “entirely without foundation” and accused the self-confessed islamaphobic organisation of spreading hatred and violence to divide the Harrow community.

Harrow Times, 7 December 2009

See also Watford Observer, 8 December 2009

Muslim boxer banned because of beard

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Mohammed PatelA talented young boxer was banned from fighting in his debut bout – because of his beard and religion. Mohammed Patel, who has the beard as part of his Muslim faith, has now lost all motivation to box and is on the verge of quitting the sport.

The 25-year-old was due to fight in front of a packed house of 300 spectators at Bolton Lads and Girls Club’s annual boxing night, earlier this year – but a competition official told him he could not take part unless he shaved. Mr Patel, from Astley Bridge, said: “I was gobsmacked – I didn’t know what to say. When I saw the rule book, I thought, ‘What can I do?’.”

The Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) rules state that fighters must be clean shaven for health and safety reasons. There is an allowance for Sikh boxers, who must wear a net – but the rule book makes no mention of any other religion.

When Mr Patel arrived early at the club to weigh in for the bout last January, he was asked by the event’s OIC (Official in Charge) if he was Sikh. He said he was Muslim and was then told he would have to shave if he wanted to take part. He refused and was not allowed to fight.

The promising boxer’s plight has since been taken up by Inayat Omarji, from the Bolton Council of Mosques (BCOM), who is now trying to force a change in the rules. He said: “I was shocked. I spoke to the ABAE to ask them for the rule to be changed but we seem to have got nowhere in 11 months. If the governing body doesn’t accept the religion then there’s a big problem.”

Bolton News, 8 December 2009

Violence erupts at EDL demo in Nottingham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

English Defence League protestViolent clashes have erupted between police and members of the English Defence League (EDL) during a city centre protest.

Some 500 demonstrators from the EDL, many of whom had been drinking all morning, marched through Nottingham shouting: “We want our country back.”

The hundreds of officers, many of whom had been drafted in by Nottinghamshire Police, surrounded the rally. Officers mounted on horses were forced to keep back some of the demonstrators with batons while some constables had dogs to try and contain the violence.

Many of the demonstrators had their faces covered with hooded tops and scarves and shouted: “Allah, Allah, who the f*** is Allah?”

Other protesters had Union Jacks and St George’s flags which they either waved or wrapped around their shoulders as a police officer barked instructions at the crowd from a helicopter circling overhead. Some of the group waved placards which read: “Protect Women, No To Sharia” and “No Surrender”.

Press Association, 5 December 2009

See also BBC News and Indymedia.

The right-wing fantasist who became Debbie Schlussel’s ‘new hero’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A fraudulent email making the rounds of the right-wing blogosphere this past week, from Glenn Beck’s 9/12 site to Fox News, relayed the amazing first-hand tale of an heroic patriotic Texan who practically single-handily thwarted a “terrorist dry run” on a flight from Atlanta to Houston. The fake Jack Bauer wannabe in question, Theodore Petruna, posted the tale of his Texas tough-guy commando action against 11 Muslims on a plane in “full attire,” on his Facebook and sent it to a few friends.

The tale of 11 “robotic” terrorists on a plane in full Muslim dress, who would have been allowed to fly on the plane with real Americans, were it not for the brave actions of Tedd Petruna, was forwarded by a friend who vouched for his credibility. And from that point the ridiculous story was used as proof by right-wing blogs, that America was “under siege.” Right-wing blogger Debbie Schlussel “confirmed” the story in the email as legitimate and wished that we had “real men like Tedd Petruna running things”.

The fake story found its way to AirTran Airways and the airline debunked Petruna’s made-up story point by point. What was the first clue that his story was a lie? He wasn’t even on the plane in question, because he missed his connecting flight. And there were no Muslims on the plane dressed like Arab Sheiks. The incident in question involved two Spanish-speaking passengers who were asked to put away their cell phones and other electronic devices. Because they didn’t speak English, they didn’t respond and the flight was delayed, until the two passengers were questioned and allowed to re-board.

ChattahBox.com, 5 December 2009

Boycott Switzerland, says Ken

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The Swiss vote to ban minarets on mosques isn’t a surprise. There’s always been something unpleasant lurking beneath the respectable veneer of Swiss society. It was only in 1971 that they allowed women to vote, and in some backward areas they weren’t allowed right up until 1990. The Swiss refused to give up the wealth German Jews deposited in Swiss banks before they were exterminated in their millions by Hitler. After the war Swiss banks pulled every trick in the book to hide these bank accounts from relatives who survived the Holocaust.

“People should be free to practise their religion as long as they allow others to do the same. The Swiss vote is what we expect from the BNP, not a modern democracy. The world should boycott their cuckoo clocks and Swiss chocolate and refuse to go skiing on the Swiss Alps until this disgusting result is reversed. The International Olympic Committee’s HQ is in Switzerland. How can they represent the world’s sporting nations after this insult to the quarter of the world’s population who are Muslim? The national Olympic committee should vote to move the HQ to a country where all religions are respected.”

Ken Livingstone in the Sun, 4 December 2009

Swiss youth erect Geneva’s first new minaret

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Cardboard minaretThe Network of Genevan Youth Associations (GLAJ) immediately registered its shock at the result of the Swiss referendum on the banning of minarets by erecting a minaret made of cardboard, wood, paper and tissue in Geneva’s New Square.

The site of the symbolic minaret was deliberate; it was placed at the feet of the statue of General Dufour on a horse. Dufour is a Swiss national hero who presided over the first Geneva Convention which established the International Red Cross.

The young people, all of whom were too young to vote in the referendum, wanted to express their dismay at the ‘vote of shame’ through this symbolic action. As all shops were closed, they had worked through the night collecting whatever materials they could find on the streets of Geneva to build the minaret. GLAJ says more actions will follow and will be posted on Facebook.

Now other young people are joining the protest, bringing with them their own minature minarets upon which they have written messages. Among the messages inscribed on one was an extract from the Tunisian national anthem, written by the celebrated poet Abou El Kacem Chebbi, “When a people want their life, the force of destiny responds. The shadows dissolve and the chains break.”

IRR news report, 3 December 2009

Racists are a minority in Manchester, vigil told

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UAF vigil ManchesterMore than 100 people joined a vigil outside Southern Cemetery in south Manchester following the desecration of Muslim graves.

The group – which crossed religious, social and political divides – met to show a united front against the action after more than 20 graves were vandalised.

It is the third time in three months that vandals have targeted Muslim headstones at the cemetery on Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton, and police are treating the attacks as a racist hate crime.

The 45-minute vigil was organised by Unite Against Fascism, and protesters waved placards as speeches were made by representatives of different uniting groups. Those taking part included leaders of the Muslim, Christian and Jewish faiths, along with members of white and non-white communities, and political representatives from different parties.

Speaking at the rally, Chorlton councillor and deputy leader of the council, Val Stevens said: “This attack is not an act of mindless violence. Those who did it knew exactly what they were doing. And we all know that they are a tiny, tiny minority in this city.”

Manchester Evening News, 4 December 2009