Category Archives: Far right racists

‘Muslims are stealing our culture and traditions’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Polly-ToynbeeIt’s not every day that Islamophobia Watch has cause to quote Polly Toynbee favourably, but her piece in today’s Guardian features an effective polemic against right-wing myths about the Muslim attack on “our” Christian culture:

“In a daft parliamentary debate this month on something called Christianophobia, Mark Pritchard MP accused the politically correct of banning religion from Christmas cards and advent calendars: ‘Many shoppers find it increasingly difficult to purchase greetings cards that refer to Jesus.’ … Evangelicals started a new myth this year that postage stamps with the Madonna and child are only sold under the counter: you have to ask for them, for fear of offending Muslims and Jews. Stuff and nonsense, retorted the Post Office. But you can bet this one will run and run – along with last year’s myth that 70% of offices banned Christmas decorations for multicultural reasons….

“All this would just be seasonal silliness if it were not cover for a more sinister drumbeat. The right has taken to flying the ‘Christian’ flag in ways that suggest none too subtly that foreigners – Muslims – are stealing our culture and traditions. ‘They’ are stopping ‘us’ celebrating Christmas and teaching Christian stories to our children. When Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, appeared on GMTV this week, although as usual he denied any atheist plot against Christmas, the theme in about 3,000 emails afterwards was: ‘We are not Muslims, our culture must not be silenced to avoid offending them.’

“The BNP has been quick to cash in. In the Christianophobia debate in parliament, the reported case of a BNP Christmas card was raised, ‘which portrays the holy family on the cover and inside are the words “Heritage, Tradition and Culture”.’ Pritchard warned television firms: ‘The fear of violence from a particular faith group should not be grounds for hand-selecting or targeting other faith groups who may choose to protest peacefully.’ Fear of Muslim violence is killing off peaceful Christianity, he implies.”

‘Overlook BNP at our own peril’ says BoD president

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Henry Grunwald offers a perceptive analysis of the BNP’s intervention in a recent by-election in Harrow, in a ward with a large Jewish electorate:

“….  it is important to understand that the recent foray into Canons Ward was meant to highlight a purported ‘common cause’ with Jews. How? Using the alchemy of hate, the BNP sought to turn a legitimate concern with radical extremism into generalised prejudice against British Muslims.

“If nothing else, this shape-shifting vilification tactic is a reminder of the BNP’s core ideology. For no matter how they dress up their pitch, and how coded their language may be, the BNP remains dedicated to propagating their worldview in Britain, based on an anti-integration, white supremacist credo.”

Totally Jewish, 19 December 2007

‘Geert Wilders is evil, and evil has to be stopped’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Doekle TerpstraThe welcome campaign launched by the prominent Christian Democrat and former trade unionist Doekle Terpstra against anti-Muslim racist Geert Wilders has been roundly denounced by the Right.

At Pipeline News Bella Rabinowitz (who finds it significant that the campaign is supported by “the ultra-left Amnesty International”) denounces Terpstra’s initiative as an attempt to deny freedom of speech to Geert Wilders and claims that “the assault on Wilders is reminiscent of the hysteria which led to the assassination of another Dutch politician, Pim Fortuyn”.

Over at the Brussels Journal Thomas Landen opines: “Last month one of Holland’s most prestigious institutes, the University of Leiden, appointed the Islamist ideologue Tariq Ramadan to the post of professor of Islamology. Mr Ramadan is at least as controversial as Mr Wilders. One wonders why Mr Terpstra, contrary to Mr Wilders, did not oppose Mr Ramadan’s appointment. Mr Terpstra did not make any effort to say ‘Tariq Ramadan is evil, and has to be stopped’. Why has no-one heard him call upon his countrymen ‘to rise in order to stop Ramadan’?”

‘Pat Condell at his brilliant, hilarious and topical best’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

At least, that’s how the fascists of the BNP describe the latest anti-Muslim video from the National Secular Society’s favourite comedian. This one is on the Gillian Gibbons case: “Well, it’s another public relations triumph for Islam…. I bet they’re even laughing at this over in Pakistan.” Pakistan and its inhabitants, of course, being a byword for ignorance and backwardness.

But could Condell not at least give credit to the Muslim Council of Britain, I hear you ask, for their unequivocal condemnation of Gillian Gibbons’ arrest and conviction? But you’re forgetting, according to Condell the MCB are nothing more than “duplicitous, mealy-mouthed, unprincipled, terrorist-sympathising scum“.

Jews and Muslims forge a bond in the Oxford mêlée

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Oxford protestJewish and Muslim student leaders at Oxford University have expressed hopes that their co-operation in trying to stop the David Irving-Nick Griffin debate on free speech on Monday night will herald a new relationship between the two groups.

Their members were among up to 2,000 banner-waving, chanting demonstrators who besieged the Oxford Union buildings for four hours in the centre of the university city. A sit-down protest blocked the narrow entry gate to the Union and stopped many of the sell-out audience from getting in.

The Union of Jewish Students and Oxford University’s Islamic Society carried a huge banner marked with the symbols of both organisations. Some Muslim demonstrators carried posters proclaiming “Hands off our Jews”, while the Jewish Society carried others saying “Hands off our Muslims”.

Jewish Society president Steven Altmann-Richer said: “Ironically, the first event we held with the Islamic Society was last term when someone from the Muslim Council of Britain talked to us about the dangers of the BNP.”

Jewish Chronicle, 30 November 2007

Dutch MP makes anti-Qur’an film

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Geert WildersA rightwing Dutch MP said yesterday that he was making a film to highlight what he calls “fascist” passages in the Qur’an, in his latest high-profile criticism of Islam.

The interior and justice ministers expressed concern but said they had no authority to stop Geert Wilders screening his film. Wilders plans to depict parts of the Qur’an he says are used as inspiration “by bad people to do bad things”.

Less than 10 minutes long, the film is expected to be shown in late January. It will show “the intolerant and fascist character of the Qur’an”, said Wilders, whose anti-Islam campaign helped his Freedom party win nine seats in parliament in last year’s election.

In the past, Wilders has compared the Qur’an to Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf. He has claimed the Netherlands is being swamped by a “tsunami” of Islamic immigrants.

Guardian, 29 November 2007

Nationalist leader says Danish identity under threat from Muslim immigrants

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Pia KjaersgaardCOPENHAGEN, Denmark — Raving xenophobe or fearless defender of Danish values? Nationalist leader Pia Kjaersgaard’s anti-Muslim outbursts have earned her many labels — and many votes.

Despite predictions of her populist Danish People’s Party’s demise, Kjaersgaard remains a powerful force in domestic politics after winning 14 percent of the vote in last week’s election.

“The most important thing for the Danish People’s Party is to maintain the Danish identity,” Kjaersgaard, 60, told The Associated Press in an interview. “I am convinced that the Islamists want to sneak Sharia (Islamic law) through the back door, that they want to combat Western society and they want Islam to become the main religion,” she said.

Her party — Denmark’s third biggest — has held the role of kingmaker since 2001, giving the center-right government the backing it needs for a majority in Parliament. In return, Kjaersgaard has been able to press the government to adopt some of Europe’s strictest immigration laws, which she says have been instrumental in stemming the inflow of Muslims with radical views.

There are an estimated 200,000 Muslims among Denmark’s 5.4 million residents.

“The individual Muslim has never been a problem for Danish society. But their number has,” Kjaersgaard told AP in her office, decorated with Danish flags and paintings depicting Danish landscapes. To emphasize her point, she said she shops at a grocery store owned by a Turkish Kurd who respects Danish laws and culture. “He has a lot of great stuff — fruits, vegetables — and he’s a good friend of mine,” Kjaersgaard said.

The flow of asylum-seekers has dropped by 84 percent since Denmark tightened its immigration laws in 2001. There is now broad agreement across party lines to maintain the system.

But critics say the Danish People’s Party has polarized Danish society by bashing Islam and stereotyping immigrants as welfare cheats. “She is a scare-mongering populist and opportunist,” said Holger K. Nielsen of the left-wing opposition Socialist People’s Party. He added Kjaersgaard was a skillful politician who has tapped into undercurrents of nationalism and worries over immigration among Danes.

During last year’s uproar over Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, Kjaersgaard and other leading party members took turns blasting Islam as incompatible with Danish traditions including free speech. Ahead of the Nov. 13 election, one of the party’s campaign posters showed an artist’s hand drawing a picture of Muhammad, with the text “Freedom of speech is Danish, censorship is not.”

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‘Top cop shares platform with Islamic extremists’, fascists complain

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The head of the Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair is due to speak at an Islamic conference where Hizb ut Tahrir is advocating its extremist Caliphate message. Sir Ian is one of several dhimmis lined up to speak at the Global Peace and Unity Conference taking place at London’s Dockside this coming weekend. The Met is an official sponsor of the event along with the London Mayor’s Office, The Islam Channel and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). Sharing the platform over the two day event will be MPs including George Galloway, Lord Chancellor Jack Straw and Acting LibDem leader Vincent Cable.”

BNP news article, 20 November 2007