Marianne Møllmann of Amnesty International welcomes FIFA’s recent decision to lift its ban on women footballers wearing headscarves and also the news that several gulf countries are for the first time sending female athletes (wearing headscarves) to the Olympics. She notes, however, that more and more European countries are imposing restrictions on the wearing of headscarves or face-veils in public.
Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia
We Are Bristol and South West TUC hit back at Lib Dem attacks on anti-EDL protest
Trades unions and protesters have called on a Bristol City Council cabinet member to withdraw his claim that the Labour mayor candidate was “weak and naive” in his handling of the English Defence League (EDL) march earlier this month.
Gary Hopkins, the executive member for community safety, said Labour councillor Mike Woollacott was “totally irresponsible” for ignoring police advice and encouraging a counter-demonstration in the city centre. He added Marvin Rees, the party’s nomination for elected mayor, was weak, easily led and naïve for supporting him if he did not think violence would follow. Cllr Hopkins also attacked Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy for calling for a ban on the EDL march.
But at the weekend, the We Are Bristol group – made of trades unions and community groups – hit back, asking whether the Liberal Democrats were “playing the race card”.
This is how racism takes root
The different ways the media covered two cases of men grooming children for sex show how shockingly easy it is to demonise a whole community, Joseph Harker argues.
Frank Gaffney and the Center for Security Policy
“Gaffney has turned up so many ‘Muslim infiltrators’ in government or civic positions that it is difficult to keep track. If a Muslim runs for political office, or even wants to get involved in their local community, or establish any sort of institution, whether they are a Republican or a Democrat, outrageous charges of ‘creeping Sharia prononent’, ‘stealth jihadist’, ‘Muslim Brotherhood plant’, etc. are made by Islamophobes.”
Sheila Musaji examines the record of the man who inspired Michele Bachmann’s Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy theory.
The American Muslim, 21 July 2012
See also Matt Duss, “Frank Gaffney’s latest boogeyman inspired Bachmann’s witch hunt”, Think Progess, 19 July 2012
Is Congressional Christian Brotherhood group behind GOP Islamophobia?
Sheila Musaji notes that many of Congress’s leading Republican Islamophobes are members of an evangelical Christian organisation called Capitol Ministries. She writes:
“Looking through information on Capitol Ministries, it seems that they are not only anti-Muslim, but also anti-gay, and anti-Catholic. However, they seem to focus more of their venom on Muslims….
“How is it that of the 46 Congressional sponsors on Capitol Ministries list, at least 23 of them have been involved in anti-Sharia, anti-Muslim, Islamophobic activities? That’s at least 50% of the members of this group who seem to believe that it is a ‘Christian’ value to bash Muslims….
“These are people who have political power, and are using it to demean and demonize members of a minority religion.”
A win for ‘secularists’ in Libya? It’s not what you think
This week, so-called ‘secularists’ were declared official winners in Libya’s parliamentary elections – and yet they support a constitutional place for Islamic sharia values. This seeming contradiction in Libya belies Western stereotypes about the incompatibility of Islam and democracy.
Amyn B. Sajoo writes in the Christian Science Monitor, 19 July 2012
BNP anti-halal protestors outnumbered by counter-demonstrators
BNP members have met with an angry backlash in Sunderland as they gathered to protest against the use of halal meat in Subway sandwich shops.
Party members and their anti-fascist opponents faced each other across the road as they gathered on either side of St Luke’s Terrace.
The Echo reported yesterday how BNP leader Nick Griffin planned a protest outside the Pallion Subway branch today against the company’s use of halal meat in its sandwiches. Mr Griffin, who failed to turn up to the protest, said the use of such meat was cruel.
Union members, representatives from United Against Fascism and workers on their lunch hour came out to stand in front of the Subway store to prevent the controversial right-wing party from delivering their message.
Bristol: Lib Dems condemn Labour opposition to English Defence League
Labour’s Bristol mayor candidate Marvin Rees has been accused by a rival politician of being “naïve and weak” in his handling of the run-up to Saturday’s EDL march and counter-protests.
Mr Rees was also branded as “easily led” in the statement released today on behalf of Lib Dem councillor Gary Hopkins. But the mayoral candidate has hit back – saying he is “disappointed” by the move.
Mr Hopkins’ statement notes that Mr Rees and other Bristol Labour politicians appeared on Unite Against Fascism (UAF) leaflets before the counter-protests on Saturday, and that violent clashes had broken out between counter-EDL protesters and the police.
Judge grants Tennessee mosque’s petition to open
A federal judge ordered a Tennessee county on Wednesday to move ahead with opening a Muslim congregation’s newly built mosque after a two-year fight from opponents.
The Islamic Center of Murfreesboro sued Rutherford County earlier in the day and asked District Judge Todd Campbell for an emergency order to let worshippers into the building before the holy month of Ramadan starts at sundown Thursday. Federal prosecutors also filed a similar lawsuit.
EEOC files suit against security company who fired Philadelphia woman for wearing headscarf
Tahira B. El, a practicing Muslim, faced religious discrimination when she was fired by her employer, a security company providing guards to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, because she refused to remove a head scarf she wore for religious reasons, according to a federal lawsuit filed in Philadelphia on her behalf Wednesday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The suit said that El, of Philadelphia, was hired by ABM Security Services, of California, to work at the center on Feb. 21, 2011. She was fired the next day, the suit said, when she showed up in uniform, wearing the khimar, which covers her hair and ears, but not her face.