Remember this article calling for the hijab to be banned from Irish schools? And this report that Ireland’s opposition parties backed the proposal? As a contribution to the “debate” the Irish Independent has published a letter from a US reader in support of a ban: “Like it or not, the hijab is a symbol of a culture that promotes the murder of innocents and mutilation…. The culture of the hijab is against the liberal principles of Western culture…. Ireland has an opportunity to take an early stand against a culture that threatens the West with violence and aggression.”
Author Archives: Bob Pitt
Pig’s head nailed to Asian centre
A pig’s head has been nailed to the door of a former Methodist chapel which is being converted into an Asian community centre. Police are treating the incident at Quenchwell near Carnon Downs, in Cornwall, as a racist attack.
The pig’s head is the latest incident at the centre which has been daubed with graffiti, including the words Leave Now, over the past two weeks. Muslim owner Tipo Choudhury said he was “saddened and shocked” by the attacks.
Mr Choudhury, who has some Indian restaurants in Cornwall, said the centre would not be just about religion, but would enable people to celebrate their faith and culture. “I think they have misunderstood the intentions behind the centre,” he said, addding that it would not be a mosque. The community centre group was made up of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. He said the plans for the community centre would continue, but the situation was being assessed daily.
Insp Mark Richards of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The graffiti is offensive not only to Asians, Asian religions, but also to Christians and Cornish nationalists whose name is taken in vain. It is totally out of order.”
See also “Pig’s head nailed to door in sickening racist attack”, Falmouth Penryn Packet, 4 June 2008
Update: See “More ‘racist’ graffiti at Quenchwell Chapel”, Falmouth Penryn Packet, 16 June 2008
Denmark: Three Muslims attacked after embassy bombing
The former spokesperson of the Islamic Faith Society (IFS), Kasem Said Ahmed, was attacked on his way to work, soon after the attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad was announced in the Danish media. The attack occurred at the Ryparken station in Copenhagen.
Ahmed said that a man came up to him and asked if he wasn’t an imam and then punched him in the face. Fortunately two Danish men quickly came and pushed him away. He believes the attack is connected to the bombing in Pakistan. He was not injured and therefore decided not to report the attack to the police.
Two women on their way to prayer were threatened by three hooded men next to the IFS mosque in Dortheavej, Nørrebro (Copenhagen).
ISF says they have received several hate-mails from angry Danes on Monday. The mails said that Muslims should go back where they came from as Allah will continue to be insulted.
Billal Assaad, ISF’s chairman, says that they’re tired of being blamed for the terror attack. They had sent out a press release in both Danish and Arabic where they deplored and rejected the attack.
Per Larsen of the Copenhagen police says they will make sure to deal such attacks before it gets out of hand and develops into something unstoppable.
Muslim in call centre abuse wins £20,000
A Muslim worker at a call centre based at the home of Rangers Football Club in Glasgow has been awarded more than £20,000 for racial and religious discrimination, after colleagues abused him for complaining about how they treated Irish and ethnic-minority callers.
James Lipka, 58, who worked for the Student Loans Company and Rangers Projects from Glasgow-based Response Handling’s call centre in Ibrox Stadium, complained that workers handling calls for the football club would mimic the accent of Northern Irish callers phoning to buy match tickets. Mr Lipka, who is Polish, said comments were frequently made suggesting the Irish callers were stupid. He also claimed call handlers regularly made racist comments regarding those calling about student loans.
Mr Lipka’s father came to the UK from Poland during the Second World War as a member of the Free Polish Army. His ancestors were Mongol Tartars, who had gone to live in Poland in the 14th century and retained their Islamic religion.
The abusive comments at his workplace got worse after the bombings in London on 7 July, 2005, with some of the agents becoming openly hostile towards Muslims. The abuse lasted until he left Response Handling in August 2006, but the company denied there had been any racist or religious comments.
In his written judgment yesterday, an employment tribunal judge, Stewart Watt, said: “The tribunal has no doubt that this conduct, viewed in any reasonable way, must have the objective effect of violating Mr Lipka’s dignity and creating an intimidating hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.”
Bardot fined over racial hatred
A French court has fined former film star Brigitte Bardot 15,000 euros (£12,000) for inciting racial hatred. She was prosecuted over a letter published on her website that complained Muslims were “destroying our country by imposing their ways”. It is the fifth time Ms Bardot been convicted over her controversial remarks about Islam and its followers. This is her heaviest fine so far.
The Islamisation of Europe (part 697)
“In 1683, a Turkish army reached the suburbs of Vienna. The outcome trembled in the balance until Jan Sobieski of Poland arrived with his army, threw back the Ottomans and finally freed western Europe from the threat of Muslim domination, thus completing the work begun by Charles Martel at Poitiers in 732.
“Or did he? Today, there are plenty of Europeans who would say: ‘Charles Martel, Jan Sobieski, you are needed at this hour.’ There are widespread fears that Muslim immigrants, reinforced by political pressure and, ultimately, by terrorism, will succeed where Islamic armies failed and change irrevocably the character of European civilisation.”
Bruce Anderson in the Independent, 2 June 2008
Ireland: Opposition calls for school ban on hijab
Muslim girls should not be allowed to wear a headscarf in public schools, the two main opposition parties said last night.
Labour’s Ruairi Quinn said immigrants who come to Ireland need to conform to the culture of this country. “If people want to come into a western society that is Christian and secular, they need to conform to the rules and regulations of that country,” the Labour spokesman on education and science told the Irish Independent.
His comments come amid mounting controversy over guidelines on the wearing of the hijab, commonly worn by Muslim girl in state schools.
His stance on the issue was backed by his Fine Gael counterpart Brian Hayes, who says it makes “absolute sense” that there is one uniform for everyone.
Mr Quinn said immigrants should live by Irish laws and conform to Irish norms. “Nobody is formally asking them to come here. In the interests of integration and assimilation, they should embrace our culture,” he said. He added: “Irish girls don’t wear headscarves. A manifestation of religious beliefs in such a way is unacceptable and draws attention to those involved. I believe in a public school situation they should not wear a headscarf.”
Mr Hayes said Ireland should not be going down the route of multiculturalism.
Last night, a spokesperson for Integration Minister Conor Lenihan said he had no problem with students wearing the hijab. “For those that wear the hijab, it’s an issue of modesty. It’s not so long since Irish women wore headscarves to church, so we have to respect that,” the spokesperson said.
A win for racists in Camden
Organised racism scored a win on May 27, when Camden Council voted unanimously to reject a proposal to build the 1200 student Al Amanah Islamic College in the south-western Sydney suburb.
Muslim speakers at Texas school outrage parents
FRIENDSWOOD — A presentation to Friendswood junior high students about Islam has ignited a furor among some parents. Parents of Friendswood Junior High School students started a letter campaign to school officials in protest of a presentation meant to combat hate and bullying.
On May 22, two Muslim women gave a 30-minute presentation about Islamic culture as part of a yearlong study at the school of respect, tolerance and culture, according to a statement from district officials.
Principal Robin Lowe had “best intentions”, said Karolyn Gephart, district spokeswoman. The guest speakers discussed Muslim culture, including topics such as food, religion, dress, beliefs and famous Muslims, Gephart said. “If you pulled a book about Islam from the library, you would find the same stuff in the book,” Gephart said. “There was no proselytizing.”
Parents, however, were not told about the presentation. By district policy, parents are supposed to be informed about the purpose and content of presentations so that they can keep their children out of the presentation if they think the material might be offensive or inappropriate. Not informing parents beforehand was a mistake that would not happen again, Gephart said.
Kim Leago, whose son is in the eighth grade at the junior high, said she’s still upset that her child was exposed to the “inappropriate” presentation. Choosing to teach about Islamic culture was the “worst choice” of any religion, Leago said. “I’m not a prejudiced person … but Muslims, from what I know of the faith, don’t want to be incorporated with Americans,” she said. “Look at what’s going on in the world right now, with the war and with 9/11.”
Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, a member of the board of directors for the Galveston Islamic Center, said there’s a common misperception that Muslims are somehow un-American. The few Muslims that have tainted the faith as terrorists have helped spread the myth that Islam is violent and extremist. “Muslims in the U.S. are Americans, not intruders,” he said. “They are not invaders; they are not outsiders. We are all Americans, and we are all working toward a better America.”
Galveston Daily News, 31 May 2008
World Net Daily for its part, in an article entitled “Islam-promoting principal defied order to protect kids”, reports that the two speakers were associated with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the most mainstream of US Muslim organisations. WND quotes a statement by an organisation called the Houston Area Pastor Council:
“The failure of the principal of Friendswood Junior High to respect simple procedures requiring parental notification for such a potentially controversial subject, to not only approve but participate personally in a religious indoctrination session led by representatives of a group with well-known links to terrorist organizations and her cavalier response when confronted, raises serious questions about her fitness to serve in that role.”
Muslim leader’s protest at police ‘spy tactics’
Strathclyde police are facing accusations that it operates a covert intelligence monitoring unit which is infringing the rights of Muslims, after the force launched an investigation into claims that a group of Asians on a clay pigeon shoot had behaved “like terrorists”.
Osama Saeed, chief executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, has written to Strathclyde’s chief constable, Stephen House, expressing concern at the way Special Branch officers are questioning Asians about their lifestyles, religious and political beliefs and internet activities. He added that the continued use of the tactics would lead to “further marginalisation of Muslims”, and is already leading some to think twice about practising their beliefs for fear that police will disrupt their lives.
His comments came as one solicitor claimed police have also been secretly “recruiting” Muslims to provide information about their community in return for payments.
The 10-strong shooting party were questioned informally at their homes and businesses by two policemen a year after their November 2006 trip to Kypeside Farm, an activity centre near Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire. The officers, believed to be from Special Branch, were reacting to a tip-off from a member of the public who claimed the group had been overheard discussing “shooting AK-47 rifles in Pakistan”.
The 29-year-old trip organiser, who declined to be identified, said: “They wanted the names of my family and friends and my thoughts on Afghanistan, Iraq and what I would do if I encountered an extremist at my mosque. I replied that I didn’t think I would go to them because they were so ignorant, but would speak to the imam.
“I had my solicitor present, who told me that it was no coincidence several men were standing trial for involvement in a terror camp in the Lake District. It hadn’t even crossed my mind what we did could be seen as terrorist activity and I found it very sinister.”