Anti-Islamic film up for discussion at Muslim conference in Southampton

A film that provoked a storm of violent protests among Muslims across the world will be discussed in Southampton next week.

The Muslim Council of Southampton (MCS) is holding a conference about the anti-Islamic video that was posted on Youtube by a US citizen. The clip led to protests that have caused more than 75 deaths and hundreds of injuries across the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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Far-right campaign fails – Skegness halal abattoir application granted

A Skegness abattoir which has sparked controversy over its plans to reopen as a halal slaughterhouse, has had an application to run granted.

Premier Halal Ltd, which appears to be a Yorkshire based meat wholesalers, had its documents approved on November 16. A spokesperson for the Food Standards Agency said: “This approval allows the company to operate both as a slaughterhouse and cutting plant, in relation to cattle, calves, sheep and goats.”

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CAIR challenges use of anti-Muslim textbook at Toronto school

2000 Years of Jewish HistoryA Canadian Islamic organization is accusing a Toronto-area Jewish day school of using a textbook that vilifies Muslims.

In a Nov. 19 letter to Jewish groups, the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-CAN, charges that a textbook used at the Joe Dwek Ohr HaEmet Sephardic School employs “inflammatory and hateful terms in describing Muslims.”

CAIR-CAN alleges that the book, “2000 Years of Jewish History,” describes Muslims as “rabid fanatics” with “savage beginnings.”

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Family of British Muslim imprisoned in Djibouti deny terrorist links, allege state harassment

A former pupil of Haverstock School is believed to be in an East African prison amid claims he could have operated as an international terrorist.

The Home Office has banned Mahdi Hashi from Britain, listing him as threat to national security.

But his family are demanding answers from the government after what they say is a decade of unexplained “harassment” by the secret services. They say the 23-year-old, who came to Camden Town aged six from Somalia, was plagued by spooks years after he refused to work for them as an “informer”.

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‘Asian grooming gangs’ – how the media racialises sexual abuse

ENGAGE has posted a detailed reponse to yesterday’s appalling media coverage of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s interim report on “child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups”. The Daily Mail, for example, featured the headline “Anger as sex abuse report ‘turns blind eye to Asian gangs'”.

For comments by Sue Berelowitz, deputy children’s commissioner for England and co-author of the report, see her article in the Guardian. And “Children’s commissioner defends child sex abuse report“, also in the Guardian.

See also Yakoub Islam’s response to Yasmin Alibhai-Brown’s articlein the Mail.

Muslim man returns to Oklahoma after being on U.S. ‘no-fly’ list

A McAlester native returned from the Middle East to Oklahoma on Monday after being on the nation’s “no-fly” list.

Saadiq Long, a 43-year-old Muslim and U.S. Air Force veteran, arrived at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City about 6:30 p.m. Monday where he was greeted by his sister and officials from the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter.

Long declined to talk to the media, citing exhaustion from the 36-hour trip. However, CAIR-Oklahoma representatives said he was overjoyed to be home.

NewsOK, 19 November 2012

Muslim man returns to Oklahoma after being on U.S. ‘no-fly’ list

A McAlester native returned from the Middle East to Oklahoma on Monday after being on the nation’s “no-fly” list.

Saadiq Long, a 43-year-old Muslim and U.S. Air Force veteran, arrived at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City about 6:30 p.m. Monday where he was greeted by his sister and officials from the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Oklahoma chapter.

Long declined to talk to the media, citing exhaustion from the 36-hour trip. However, CAIR-Oklahoma representatives said he was overjoyed to be home.

NewsOK, 19 November 2012