One of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on Islam says the Swiss authorities need to keep a closer eye on the country’s mosques. Pierre Bürcher, assistant bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, tells swissinfo it is what goes on inside mosques rather than the construction of minarets that poses a greater threat to peace. His comments come just weeks after a group of rightwing politicians launched a nationwide campaign to ban the construction of minarets.
Category Archives: Far right racists
Denmark: Proposal to ban veils
The Danish People’s Party wants a total ban on veils in Denmark, but both the opposition and the government don’t support it. Pia Kjærsgaard, leader of the Danish People’s Party, said in an interview: “I want the headscarf to be completely banned in Danish society. It is oppressive and I cannot tolerate it.” She suggested to start with schools and institutions. Kjærsgaard is not talking about Jewish skullcaps and Christian crosses, saying they’re not the same and are not religious laws. According to a survey 46% of Danes support a ban on veils in schools.
USA: Vandals write hate messages in mosque
Vandals broke into a Brentwood mosque and left hate-ridden messages on the walls and doors, officials said yesterday. The Shah-e-Najaf Islamic Center of Suffolk County’s president discovered the writings at around 9 a.m. when he returned to the mosque after several weeks in Pakistan, said Syed Naqvi, the head of the mosque. On one wall, the burglars wrote “white power” and drew a large swastika using a black marker.
No 10 accused of condoning Islamophobia over e-petition
Muslim campaigners have accused Downing Street of condoning Islamophobia by publishing a petition which warns that building a large mosque complex will “cause terrible violence and suffering”.
The petition is one of the most popular on No 10’s website, with over 45,000 signatures to date. It was posted under the name of Jill Barham. Attempts by Guardian Unlimited to contact her have been unsuccessful.
The writer of a blog called “English Rose”, which links to sites supporting the BNP and “opposes the Islamification of this country”, claims to be the author of the e-petition.
It states: “We, the Christian population of this great country England would like the proposed plan to build a mega-mosque in east London scrapped. This will only cause terrible violence and suffering and more money should go into the NHS.”
Update on the ‘mega mosque’ petition
Radical Muslim keeps up the pressure over the BNP-initiated “mega mosque” petition.
BNP announces candidate for London Mayor
“The man from the BNP breezes up in a white linen suit looking like some latter-day Martin Bell and says: ‘Can you believe it? Two of our schools are having Muslim days tomorrow – on 7/7! It’s like chucking mud in people’s faces’.”
The man from the BNP is Richard Barnbrook, who the fascists have just announced will be their candidate in next May’s London mayoral election.
For a picture of Barnbrook leading the massed ranks of the Master Race, see here. You do wonder whether this is part of some cunning plan by Nick Griffin to deflect accusations that his members are dangerous fascists by making them look like total prats.
Danes battle the veil
Jakob Illeborg examines the case of Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, who has been denounced by right-wing Danish politicians for stating that she will continue to wear the headscarf if elected to parliament.
Faith communities oppose fascism
Muslim and Jewish leaders have called on voters to stop the BNP in Yorkshire and other target areas. Their move follows the Archbishop of York’s advert on May 1st warning about the threat posed by politics of hate.
On Tuesday, Archbishop of York Dr. John Sentamu placed an advert in the York press calling for a vote against division and hatred.
His advert read; “…Not voting creates a political vacuum, leaving the way open to unrepresentative politicans and parties to get their way. There are those seeking your vote whose actions betray the lives of those who fought for freedom. Jesus warned us to be wary of wolves who come in sheep’s clothing. They come with honeycombed words, promising a New England, and a land of milk and honey. In reality they offer us a diet of bile and discord, a litany of hopelessness and policies which stoke the ashes of Cliffords tower.
If apathy becomes the real winner on Thursday night, then those who seek to divide us will be elected, hiding under apathy’s skirt. My hope is that as you cast your vote on Thursday you do so with your eyes wide open so that our city does not sleepwalk into a wall of hate.”
Swiss rightwingers want nationwide vote on minarets
The construction of minarets in Switzerland looks sets to go to a nationwide vote after a group of rightwing politicians launched a campaign calling for a ban. The country’s Muslim community says it is stunned by what it sees as an “Islamophobic” move, which it warns will undermine already fragile relations. Those behind a people’s initiative, who include members of the county’s biggest political party, the Swiss People’s Party, have until November 2008 to raise the 100,000 signatures required to force a ballot.
People’s Party parliamentarian Ulrich Schlüer, who is co-president of the campaign committee, argues that the construction of minarets will create problems in communities and threaten the peace. “The minaret has nothing to do with religion: it is not mentioned in the Koran or other important Islamic texts. It just symbolises a place where Islamic law is established,” Schlüer told swissinfo.
The rightwing drive to force a nationwide vote on minarets is being seen as a major setback by the League of Swiss Muslims. Adel Méjri, the organisation’s president, says the construction of minarets is not even a priority for Swiss Muslims. Méjri also points to a report by the Federal Commission against Racism in September last year, which revealed that Swiss Muslims face discrimination in all walks of life – a situation that could be exacerbated by the minarets’ affair. “Through dialogue we can find solutions but the aggressive – or dare I say ‘Islamophobic’ – way in which this is being treated could have unforeseen consequences. This kind of initiative threatens peace and hurts Muslims,” he said.
Both the Protestant and Catholic churches have rallied to the defence of the Muslim community, claiming the constitutional right to religious freedom allows the building of minarets. “We must recognise that there are a large number of Muslims in Switzerland and they have a right to practise their religion,” said Walter Müller, spokesman for the Swiss Bishops Conference.
‘Close all Islamic schools’ demands Wilders
THE HAGUE – Freedom Party PVV faction leader Geert Wilders is arguing that all Islamic schools in the Netherlands should be shut down immediately. He says this measure is necessary in order to “protect children against the spread of Islamic doctrine.”
Wilders writes this in a column that appeared on the website Nieuwnieuws.nl. “Islam is rapidly pushing our Western civilisation close to the edge of the abyss. We have too much Islam in the Netherlands. Islam is more a violent political ideology than a religion,” the MP writes.
Wilders receives the enthusiastic approval of Adrian Morgan over at Western Resistance.