Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

The Breivik diagnosis: ideology wrapped in a straitjacket

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tad Tietze, co-editor of the recently-published collection of essays On Utøya: Anders Breivik, Right Terror, Racism and Europe, has posted an excellent piece in response to the news that two court-appointed psychiatrists have found Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik to be legally insane and unfit to stand trial.

The Drum, 2 December 2011

See also Simon Baron-Cohen, “Anders Breivik: cold and calculating, yes – but insane?”, Guardian, 2 December 2011

Cf. Bob Lambert, “Was Anders Breivik a psychotic spree killer or a calculating terrorist?”, RUSI, 29 July 2011

Bakery that refused headscarf-wearing Muslim woman a job denies discrimination against husband

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Country Style Foods GrimsbyA Grimsby bakery – found to have discriminated against a headscarf-wearing Muslim woman on religious grounds – is asking top judges to block a similar case being brought by her husband.

Country Style Foods Limited was ordered to pay Latvian-born Anastasija Bouzir about £7,000 in compensation following an employment tribunal’s ruling that it failed to offer her a job at its bread factory in Wickham Road, after she wore a Muslim headscarf to her interview.

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FBI illegally using community outreach to gather intelligence, ACLU alleges

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The FBI is using its extensive community outreach to Muslims and other groups to secretly gather intelligence in violation of federal law, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged Thursday.

Citing internal bureau documents, the ACLU said agents in California are attending meetings at mosques and other events and illegally recording information about the attendees’ political and religious affiliations.

Washington Post, 1 December 2011

See also ACLU press release, 1 December 2011

And “Big Brother, come clean: The FBI is misusing “community outreach” programs for intelligence gathering”, ACLU Blog of Rights, 1 December 2011

Also “CAIR concerned about FBI’s use of ‘outreach’ to spy on Muslims”, CAIR press release, 1 December 2011

Extradition law debate in Commons next Monday

Posted on by Bob Pitt

ENGAGE draws our attention to the welcome news that the Backbench Business Committee has now reversed its earlier decision and scheduled a full debate with a vote on the current extradition laws, to be held in the main chamber of the House of Commons on Monday 5 December.

The shocking case of Babar Ahmad has received some media attention, and it is thanks to the campaign organised by his supporters that next week’s parliamentary debate is taking place. But Babar Ahmad is not the only London Muslim to have fallen foul of the Extradition Act 2003. A less publicised case, which hopefully will feature in the House of Commons debate, is that of Talha Ahsan, who also faces the prospect of extradition to the United States.

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Queensland: deputy premier denounces Q Society on behalf of Labor government and calls on opposition parties to join him

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Q Society SOS campaign

Queensland’s Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser has called on Liberal National Party (LNP) and Katter’s Australian Party MPs to denounce a group spreading anti-Islamic propaganda in the state.

Mr Fraser’s west Brisbane electorate is being letterbox dropped by a group called the Qsociety, which is concerned with the “erosion of Western values and the Islamisation of Australia”. The flyers say “it’s time to say no” to the Halal food industry, “whitewashed Islamic content” in state schools, Sharia finance and “segregation and apartheid” such as prayer rooms. They direct readers to a website and a Victorian address.

Mr Fraser on Thursday told parliament the flyers presented a chance for MPs who voted against his bill on same sex civil unions to take a stand on another human rights issue. The bill passed on Wednesday night, with Labor MPs given a conscience vote and the LNP voting against it. Mr Fraser said they should denounce Qsociety.

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Court to rule on Muslim prayer in German schools

Posted on by Bob Pitt

In a landmark case, Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will rule on Wednesday whether schools need to provide practicing Muslim pupils with a place and the opportunity to pray.

The case revolves around Yunus M., who was 14 years old when he was barred from observing midday prayers in the corridor of his school in Berlin. Although Muslims have been praying in German schools for decades, his case marks the first time German courts have had to rule on the issue.

“I think the case has been hyped from both sides. Now, we have almost reached the final legal stage and that’s why it’s now turned into a political debate,” said Aiman Mazyek, of Germany’s Central Council of Muslims. “In the past, schools have been more pragmatic and laid-back about the issue, but now that has been pushed back.”

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