Category Archives: Anti-Muslim violence

Drunken thugs who attacked Scunthorpe mosque get suspended sentences

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Scunthorpe Social Cultural and Islamic CentreA mourner at a funeral service at a Scunthorpe mosque was attacked when four men burst in, a court was told.

Grimsby Crown Court heard that despite Anayat Shah’s attempts to keep them out, the men barged through the Pakistan Social Cultural and Islamic Centre’s doors, in Parkinson Avenue, and attacked the man and disrupted the service. Earlier, they had urinated against the walls of the mosque as the funeral service for Mr Shah’s aunt was coming to an end.

The court heard mourners including children and relatives were in tears following the attack on December 7.

The Scunthorpe men – Grantas Gruzauskas, 25, of Frodingham Road, Ernestas Rimkevicius, 26, of Fox Street, Mantas Vilkaitis, 26, of Wells Street and Donatas Komas, 31, of Porter Street – all admitted affray. They all received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

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Islamophobia in France on the rise

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamophobia is on the rise in France, according to figures released by the French Muslim umbrella group, CFCM. Attacks and insults perpetrated against Muslims went up 22 per cent in the first nine months of this year, the group says, and it fears that there will be more ahead of next year’s general election.

Citing Interior Ministry figures, the CFCM says that 115 cases were reported to the police between the beginning of January and the end of September. But they are a gross underestimate, according to CFCM president Abdallah Zekri, because victims are often loath to go to the authorities. “We can say that the rise, according to statistics we have, is about 50-55 per cent,” he told a press conference in Paris Thursday.

The figures cover profanation of cemeteries and mosques, physical attacks, insults, provocations and burning or profanation of the Koran.

Zekri called on Interior Minister Claude Guéant to put pressure on the police to “arrest at least some of the people who have committed these acts”, expressing frustration that vandals who attacked cemeteries have not been identified.

RFI, 3 November 2011

EDL members charged with racist attack on Plymouth kebab shop sent to Crown Court

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Hayley Wells & Kelly WattersonTwo women charged with a racist attack on a Kurdish woman at a city centre takeaway have been sent to Plymouth Crown Court.

Hayley Wells, aged 27, and Kelly Watterson, aged 29, appeared before Plymouth magistrates jointly accused of racially aggravated common assault against a woman in the kebab shop. Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, and Watterson, of St Peter’s Road, Manadon, both deny the attack on Sawda Kurdo at the Istanbul Kebab shop in Exeter Street on August 31. Watterson has also denied a further charge of affray in connection with the same incident.

Magistrates have now formally committed their case for trial at Plymouth Crown Court. Wells and Watterson were released on conditional bail to appear before a judge on January 3.

Plymouth Herald, 3 November 2011

Offers of aid pour in after fire at Wichita mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Wichita mosque fire (2)When the Rev. Jackie Carter learned of the fire that heavily damaged a mosque in west Wichita early Monday morning, she knew what she needed to do.

“They are welcome to use the worship space at our building,” said Carter, pastor of First Metropolitan Community Church at 156 S. Kansas. “We believe it’s important for everyone to have sacred space, and now they don’t.”

It’s just one of numerous offers of assistance for the mosque and those who pray there, said Hussam Madi, a spokesman for the Islamic Society of Wichita. The society posted a letter of appreciation on its website today.

“On behalf of the Islamic Society of Wichita, we would like to thank the Wichita community for the outpouring of support we continue to receive in response to the fire at the Westside Islamic Center,” Jenaya McHenry, office manager for the Islamic Society of Wichita, stated in the letter.

“We have received numerous phone calls and e-mails from individuals and churches offering kind words, support, services and space to aid the Muslim community in Wichita. We are truly grateful to be part of such a giving community and for each and every person who has reached out to us.”

The cause of the fire at the mosque at 3406 W. Taft, southeast of Maple and West streets, remains under investigation.

“There are plans to rebuild,” Madi said. “It’s going to require some fundraisers.” Preliminary cost estimates are in the $120,000 range, he said. People wishing to send financial donations for the mosque can send them to the Islamic Society of Wichita, 6655 E. 34th St. North, 67226.

“We deeply appreciate the help and the offers from other peoples of faith in our city,” Madi said. “That makes us feel that we are a part of this community, which we work hard to be a part of.”

Wichita Eagle, 3 November 2011

See also “Respect, protect rights”, Wichita Eagle, 3 November 2011

EDL supporter pleads guilty to racial abuse

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A drunken “Oompa Loompa” has been given a community order and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work after he admitted racially abusing two Asian teenagers. Robert Nottage, aged 21, pleaded guilty to abusing the teens while on a daytime drinking session in Northampton town centre on August 28, while dressed as an Oompa Loompa.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard Nottage was part of a group of friends also in fancy dress, including one who was dressed as a Golly. Prosecuting, Julie Costello said Nottage, from Rugby, was on an annual Bank Holiday drinking session in Northampton when he began hurling racial abuse in Abington Street, at 5.10pm, while children and families were around.

The court heard Nottage shouted racial abuse at two Asian teens, challenging them to fight him, and also shouting English Defence League (EDL) slogans. Nottage claimed he made the remarks after someone threatened a friend dressed as a Golly. He had earlier pleaded guilty to making racial threats.

Northampton Chronicle, 2 November 2011

EDL threatens violence against MAC

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anjem Choudary and his pathetic little gang of provocateurs are planning another publicity-generating stunt to mark Remembrance Day. As usual the Daily Mail is playing along with Choudary and providing Muslims Against Crusades with the sort of coverage that suggests to its readers that this tiny group actually represents some significant forces within the Muslim community – who of course regard Choudary with complete contempt.

Equally predictably, the Mail‘s report has been seized on by the English Defence League in order to whip its supporters up into an anti-Muslim frenzy. Nothing new in that you might think, except that the EDL is now openly and officially advocating violence:

EDL threatens MAC

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Wichita mosque damaged by fire had received anti-Islam messages

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Wichita mosque fire

A Muslim mosque in west Wichita that was heavily damaged by fire early Monday had received anti-Islam letters in recent months. Somebody also had begun turning on its outside water faucet overnight to hike its water bill, its leader said.

Abdelkarim Jibril, president of the Islamic Association of Mid Kansas at 3406 W. Taft, said the letters put down Islam, called the prophet Muhammad a pig, and enclosed drawings that mocked him. The mosque received about eight of the letters starting four to six months ago, but they had stopped about a month ago, he said.

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Police seek EDL thugs who attacked Leeds anti-racism event

Posted on by Bob Pitt

City and Holbeck Police CCTV image

Police have released CCTV images of suspected thugs who threw bottles and bricks at an anti-racism concert crowd in Leeds.

Protestors shouting support for the far right extremists the English Defence League (EDL) stormed the Rage Against Racism event at The Well music venue in Chorley Lane near the city centre. The group, who were chanting “EDL”, smashed windows after going on the rampage after they were refused entry. They hurled projectiles at the 150-strong crowd. Two people were injured, including one man who suffered serious cut to his mouth and had a tooth knocked out in the incident.

It happened at about 2.30pm on Saturday, June 18.

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Texas: arsonist gets 14 months for attack on mosque playground

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dar El Eman Islamic Center playground fireA man whose confessed hatred of Arabs led him to burn down a playground at an Arlington mosque was sentenced to 14 months in prison Monday. He had faced a maximum of 20 years for the hate crime.

Henry Clay Glaspell, 35, pleaded guilty in February to setting the fire at the Dar El-Eman Islamic Center at 5511 Mansfield Road – about a half mile from his home at the time. He admitted to a federal court in Fort Worth that he targeted the mosque for days, throwing used cat litter at its door, stealing pipe from it and shouting ethnic slurs at worshippers.

At the time of his crime, July 2010, many across the country were outraged by a New York developer’s plan to build a large Islamic community center near the site of the 9/11 attacks in Manhattan – which detractors dubbed “the ground zero mosque.”

In his plea, Glaspell stated that he did not hate Muslims, but rather Arabs and people of Middle Eastern descent. He will have to pay nearly $12,000 in restitution – the estimated cost of damage to the playground.

Dallas Morning News, 25 October 2011

‘Highly offensive Islamophobic’ graffiti sprayed on Milton Keynes mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police have opened an investigation into three acts of “religiously aggravated” vandalism in and around two mosques in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Thames Valley Police say the “highly offensive Islamophobic” graffiti was sprayed on Zainabia Islamic Centre in Peverel Drive, Bletchley, between 10.30pm and 11pm on Saturday [September 24] and a shed to the side of the building was set alight and destroyed.

Detectives believe this incident is connected to two other acts of criminal damage at Jamia Al-Karam Masjid in North Street, New Bradwell, and on a white Mercedes Sprinter van in the nearby Harwood Street overnight between Saturday [September 24] and Sunday [September 25].

Offensive messages were sprayed in all the three locations. A worshipper at one of the mosques said the graffiti was “sexually explicit” with reference to “Allah”, while the vandalism on the van was racist in nature.

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