Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Newcastle Muslim Association thanks skaters for standing up to bigotry

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Newcastle Mosque welcomes anti-racist skatersThe men who took a stand against an alleged act of bigotry last week in Newcastle have been formally thanked by members of the city’s Muslim association.

Patrick Burgess and Justin Lanz visited Newcastle Mosque on Saturday where they were also invited to a community open day that will be held at the mosque, which is located in Wallsend, this upcoming Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

The men were skating with four other friends last Monday when they came to the aid of a Muslim mother and daughter who were being attacked in an alleged bigoted tirade on Smith Street, in Newcastle West.

The incident occurred at a time of increasing community unrest and concern Australia’s mission against Islamic State in Iraq is fuelling attacks on Muslims in Australia. On Saturday a man was charged for allegedly shouting offensive comments and throwing cement bags at a mosque in Sydney’s south-west.

Newcastle Muslim Association vice-president Diana Rah said the group’s “quick response” was appreciated. “It took a lot of courage to do what they did,” she said. “We will be giving them a certificate on Wednesday when all six of them can visit us.

“For the open day we’re having a sausage sizzle, we’ve got an exhibition on Islam and Muslims and we’ve got a lot of different fun things planned. Everyone is invited; it’s about people getting to know us and us them.”

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Bishop of Tewkesbury visits Barton’s Jama Al-Karim Mosque in educational visit

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rt. Rvd Martyn Snow and Councillor Said HansdotFaiths and cultures came together at Barton’s Jama Al-Karim Mosque today during an educational visit by the Bishop of Tewkesbury.

Rt. Revd. Martyn Snow was joined by a group of Christians from Gloucester for a guided tour of the mosque in All Saints Road and to hear educational talks.

Visitors learned how Muslims pray, about the teachings of Islam and what the mosque has done for the Gloucester community over the years. The purpose of the visit was to educate the community about the Islamic faith, to meet neighbours and to foster a greater religious and cultural understanding between different groups.

Rt. Revd. Snow, who is currently the acting Bishop of Gloucester, said: “This visit was held to try to learn from each other and show that Christians and Muslims can live in peace. It’s all about growing an understanding of each other’s faiths so we are more able to live together and work together. We hoped to bring as many people along as possible to learn as much as we can about a different culture.”

Said Hansdot, city councillor for Barton and Tredworth who attended the event today, said: “Education about other’s cultures is very important if we all want to live in harmony. Events like this help because not everyone visiting here today has been to a mosque before. Hopefully it will be an eye-opener for them.”

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Unimpressive turnout for EDL protest in Birmingham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Birmingham 2014 (2)

In contrast to last year’s violent scenes, yesterday’s English Defence League protest in Birmingham passed off relatively peacefully, with only ten arrests. Although 750 demonstrators were expected, and some EDL sources had been predicting as many as 3000, the Birmingham Mail‘s reporter estimated attendance at “not more than 500”. Some 300 anti-racists joined a counter-protest organised by Unite Against Fascism.

Given the lack of an immediate issue over which to whip up the anger of EDL supporters – the publicity for yesterday’s event featured an extended shopping list of Islam-related grievances – it is not surprising that the protest failed to mobilise larger numbers. However, for a demonstration whose ambitious objective was to “give heart to millions who are intimidated by political correctness”, this was hardly an impressive show.

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San Diego mosque reports threatening letter

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamic Center San DiegoSAN DIEGO — A local Muslim civil rights group said a threatening letter was received by a San Diego-area mosque this week and has asked the FBI to investigate.

The letter, which came through the U.S. mail on Wednesday, was opened and included threatening language, said Hanif Mohebi, executive director of the San Diego chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He said the envelope also had a little plastic bag containing an unknown substance attached to the back of it.

Mohebi said the letter referred to a “death sentence” and also made references to Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco. He said the letter has been turned over to San Diego police.

FBI spokesman Darrell Foxworth said the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office is investigating the threat and contents of the letter. Authorities determined Friday the substance is not harmful and poses no threat to public safety.

Mohebi declined to disclose the exact contents of the letter, but said he has asked mosques and other religious centers in other cities to report if they receive similar threats. “Really our aim is to make sure that people are safe and secure,” he said.

In a Facebook post, Mohebi blamed the letter on the “rising level of anti-Muslim sentiment in our society that goes largely unchallenged.”

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Judge approves trial for Muslim Knoxville trooper deemed budding terrorist

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Knoxville-based state trooper who is a Sunni Muslim contends he lost his job after being labeled a potential Jihadist.

Now, a federal judge is giving the green light to a trial in U.S. District Court in a religious discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of fired Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper De’Ossie Dingus against the state Department of Safety.

U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell has set a Nov. 17 trial date after ruling a recorded conversation between a military liaison and a Department of Safety commander is proof on its face the agency fired Dingus based on an unsupported conclusion Dingus was ripe to be “turned” into a terrorist.

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Would-be Welsh Ukip MP faces discipline over anti-Islamic leaflet

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Ukip parliamentary candidate who distributed a leaflet condemning diversity and the notion of a multicultural society is to be disciplined by the party.

But Martyn Ford has not been suspended as the candidate for Swansea West and his case is unlikely to be considered before late next month.

The leaflet states: “Islamic terror. Abuse of our children. The consequence of multiculturalism.” It goes on to quote critical remarks made by Mr Ford about Muslims, immigration and the “political elite”.

A Ukip spokesman said: “This flyer was submitted for approval by the party, but it was deemed inappropriate. It was distributed nonetheless. We will be taking the appropriate action.”

It is understood that Mr Ford will be reported to Ukip’s national executive under the party’s disciplinary process, but that is not likely to be until late November.

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Newcastle councillor says battle with death threats and racism has increased after IS beheadings

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Councillor Dipu AhadA Newcastle councillor says he has to put up with racism on a daily basis. Dipu Ahad says he has even received death threats.

Councillor Ahad says the abuse has increased in the wake of the recent beheadings by Islamic State militants.

Northumbria Police is currently investigating an email which threatened to behead him in retaliation and post the footage on YouTube.

Now the member for Elswick says it has reached the stage where he has considered resigning from office as a result.

“Every night you go home and before you come out of your car you look around to see if there are any people around outside. You are suspicious if there is someone to target you. Every day I am being targeted and every day I wake up and say to myself do I need to do this?”

Councillor Ahad told ITV News that he experienced racism at all levels and he believes institutional racism is a major problem. Despite the abuse he has decided to stand again and this week submitted his papers.

ITV News, 9 october 2014

Australia: Muslims warn anti-terror laws could prevent teaching from Qur’an

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Lydia Shelly Ertunc Yasar Ozen and Moustafa KheirA Muslim cleric who preaches from certain passages of the Koran could be caught in the “broad” net of the government’s new anti-terror law, Islamic leaders have warned.

Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohammad and the Australian National Imams Council have called for the offence of “advocating terrorism” to be removed from the so-called Foreign Fighters Bill, currently before Parliament.

They went public with their opposition on the same day Prime Minister Tony Abbott backed the draft legislation as essential to reining in “preachers of hate”, including the radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir. The organisation is hosting a lecture in Lakemba on Friday to denounce “the politics and plots of the American-led intervention in Iraq and Syria” and Mr Abbott has conceded that the current legal framework is not sufficient to shut the event down.

The imams council said a cleric could fall foul of the new law even if he simply “advocated the duty of a Muslim to defend his land”.

“We are therefore concerned that the proposal has serious implications on free speech and will have a chilling effect on legitimate religious and political debate,” the council – representing 250 imams – said in a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Appearing in front of the committee on Wednesday, members of the Muslim Legal Network said the laws, introduced by Attorney-General George Brandis, should target the extreme fringe, not mainstream Muslims. They said any religious community could face being charged with a terror-related offence “if they refer back to stories in the Quran, Bible and Torah in their sermons”.

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Protest march against Muslim school in Portsmouth

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Hundreds of people are expected to march through Portsmouth in protest over a Muslim primary school in the city.

Members of the local community along with Britain First and English Defence League (EDL) members plan to march from Lake Road, where the Madani Academy is to be based, on Saturday. They will then walk through Fratton Road, Victoria Road South and Albert Road, returning to Lake Road before the march finishes at Guildhall Square.

Hampshire police has confirmed it is aware of the march taking place and there is expected to be a police presence.

Natasha Payne, 28, of Portsmouth, is one of the organisers. She said: “I just believe it [the school] is going to divide us even more. We should all be mixed, we should be mixing together. This is not about religion, I’m not a racist person. We should just all be together.

“It’s about being given the choice if we want to allow our children to go there, regardless of beliefs. This is not a racist march – we want the communities to come together.”

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Ofsted says no extremism in Tower Hamlets primary school

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Tower Hamlets school suspected of Islamic extremism has been cleared of concerns in a no-notice Ofsted inspection on Tuesday.

Marner Primary School has passed the recent inspection by Ofsted who said in today’s report: “The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.”

The snap inspection occurred after government suggestions that schools in the borough were falling under the influence of Islamic extremists.

Despite fears that children at Marner Primary were being exposed to unsuitable views, the Ofsted report states that: “The curriculum is broad, balanced and successful in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, including British values.”

Tower Hamlets has recently been in the spotlight due to a Sunday Times investigation of a second ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal, following events in Birmingham earlier this year. The Midlands scandal suggested that radical Muslims were controlling several school governing bodies, subjecting pupils to extreme views.

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