Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Somebody defended Sharia in the Capitol yesterday

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A woman in a hijab expounded on the benefits of Sharia in the basement of a Capitol office building on Monday, and somehow society has yet to collapse.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) held a hearing on the threat that state-level anti-Sharia bill present to American democracy in a room in the basement of the House Rayburn building at noon.

Congressional staffers, reporters and yes, Muslims, gathered to hear about opposition to the anti-Sharia laws which are spreading across statehouses.

TPM, 21 June 2011

Hijab-wearing ‘flash mob’ protests at right-wing bloggers’ conference

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Protestors at RightOnlineMINNEAPOLIS — A group of around ten women in Muslim headscarves crashed the RightOnline conference for about ten minutes Saturday, protesting what they said was an incident targeting Muslim women Thursday night.

The event was the latest spark kicked up by the proximity of Netroots Nation and RightOnline. The two conferences are blocks apart – RightOnline is being held in a hotel many Netrootsers are staying in – and interaction between the progressives at Netroots and the conservatives at RightOnline has been inevitable.

A spokesperson for the group of women told TPM they weren’t sure of the identity of the man responsible for the Thursday incident – when two hijab-wearing women were followed by a man with a cell phone camera who reportedly asked them why they were dressed the way they were “in America” – but rumors that the incident involved an employee of conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart were rampant at Netroots.

The women who arrived at RightOnline were Netroots attendees, and were accompanied by blogger Joe Aravosis and gay rights advocate/provocateur Dan Choi.

The spokesperson for the “flash mob,” Allison Nevitt, told TPM that there was a larger message to their protest beyond the Thursday incident, which Nevitt said had been reported to Minneapolis police. “The point was mostly that Muslim women are an equal part of this nation, and that we have an equal right to exist here,” Nevitt said.

TPM, 18 June 2011

Update:  See “Right-wing blogger charged with harassing Muslim women”, above.

Soccer referee banned for wearing hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Sarah BenkiraneMONTREAL — A former Lac St. Louis soccer referee is blowing the whistle on rules she said prevent her from practising her religion.

Sarah Benkirane, 15, was told after two years of refereeing for the soccer association that she was out of a job, after a complaint surfaced over her wearing her hijab while calling games.

“For me it’s not really an option to take it off,” she explained of her traditional Muslim head scarf. “It’s part of my religion. It’s part of who I am. It’s the way I express myself, so I think I should be allowed to wear it as long as I’m not causing any harm to anybody else and I’m not.”

Under Rule 4 of the FIFA guidelines, which govern the Lac St. Louis Soccer Association, players must not only avoid wearing any item which threatens to cause choking or injury, but also “must not have any political, religious or personal statements.” All rules for players also pertain to referees under FIFA rules.

Edouard St. Lo, executive director of the Lac St. Louis Soccer Association said he agrees with the regulations. “It’s not just safety, because it does talk about political, religious and any kind of personal feeling that the person wants to display on the field. That’s why they’re all wearing the same thing,” he said.

Benkirane has drawn support from some parents, who have signed a petition allowing her to play. “Absolutely she should be able to wear it – it’s her choice,” said one mother.

CTV, 18 June 2011

Update:  See “Soccer referee refused right to wear hijab a second time”, CTV, 20 June 2011

Arrests at anti-Islamic protest during Dearborn’s Arab International Festival

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bible Believers protest DearbornA small group of anti-Islamic protesters caused a ruckus at the Arab International Festival Friday, resulting in the arrest of several festival attendees.

The group, who identified themselves as the Bible Believers, held up signs referring to Islam as a “religion of murder” and urging Muslims to “repent” while standing in the festival’s free speech zone, located at Miller Road and Warren Avenue.

A group of counter-protesters and onlookers gathered around the area – some of them shouting at the Bible Believers and throwing water bottles, trash and shoes.

Wayne County and Detroit police, including mounted officers, quickly rallied to keep the public away from the anti-Islamic protesters. At least two people resisted, resulting in separate arrests.

Police were not able to confirm how many arrests were made at the festival.

Dearborn Patch, 17 June 2011

See also WXYZ.com, 17 June 2011

Why trade unions must defend multiculturalism

Posted on by Bob Pitt

It is well understood in the trade unions today, that the economic policy of the coalition government is a major assault upon working class living standards. Correctly, this has led the majority of trade unions to organise in opposition, in some manner or another, to this policy.

Unfortunately, what is not so well understood is that the social policy of the same government is an equally devastating attack upon the working class. In particular, David Cameron’s recent statements concerning multi-culturalism and the Muslim community, and immigrants, represents the social corollary of a reactionary economic policy. If you are going to inflict the biggest reduction in living standards since 1945, then a good dose of racism, Islamaphobia and xenophobia helps to divide the opposition.

As usual, the Conservatives demonstrate a degree of intelligence in the manner in which they promote their policy. David Cameron, whilst steering public opinion towards respectable forms of Islamaphobia, also tacks back by insisting that Islam is a good religion, and Muslims are generally peaceful. But it is evident that the suggestion that Muslims have to accept “our” values places them in total as a problem for the rest of society.

Billy Hayes – the blog, 14 June 2011

Counter protest planned against English Defence League in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-EDL march Tower Hamlets 2010

Community and faith groups are planning a counter protest after a far right group announced plans to march in Tower Hamlets.

UK-wide group Unite Against Fascism has called on people to protest – under the banner of the East End’s No Place for Hate campaign – against the English Defence League’s plans to march through the borough. Ranging from community and faith groups to trade unions, they are joining forces as East End United for the counter event on August 27 – the same day as the planned EDL protest.

The EDL claims Tower Hamlets is under siege from radical Islamic forces and that someone has to take a stand. It’s a picture not recognised by chair of Tower Hamlets Inter-Faith Forum Rev Alan Green.

Rev Green, who is also chair of the No Place for Hate Forum, added: “It’s a chance for us to show we are a very diverse community and we have very good relations here. There are individuals who seek to cause trouble but they aren’t the majority.” He said even if the EDL march doesn’t go ahead it will be a good opportunity to show what is “good about life here”.

A spokesman for the East London Mosque said it will face the threat as part of the East End United coalition.

Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said he wanted to reassure residents that attempts to create fear and instability in the community will not be accepted.

East London Advertiser, 17 June 2011

Statement by the Islamic Sharia Council on Baroness Cox’s bill

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Statement by the Islamic Sharia Council

Lady Cox recently proposed “The Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill” to Parliament. This aims to tackle discrimination by shariah councils and introduces an imprisonable offence if anyone claims that shariah councils have legal jurisdiction in criminal law.

It is indeed a crime that Lady Cox has made no attempt to understand the workings of the shariah councils. She repeats the modern mantra that shariah law “is an inherent discrimination system which is causing real suffering to women”. Perhaps she could then explain why 90% of clients of these councils are women.

It is totally incorrect to suggest that shariah councils consider their judgements to be superior to the English Legal System. At the Islamic Shariah Council, we are concerned only with the religious aspects of divorce, such as the settlement of the dower. This is akin to couples having a religious marriage (Nikah) at the Mosque and then a civil marriage at their local Registry office. The religious marriage and divorce satisfy the religious needs of the community and do not encroach on the work of civil bodies. In many cases Muslim couples do not register their marriages and in the event of divorce, the wife is then left in an incredibly vulnerable position with no recourse to the law. Shariah councils are in the position to dissolve this marriage.

Domestic violence is just as condemned in Islam as it is in the English Legal System. If a woman suffers from such abuse and approaches the Islamic Shariah Council, she is in a strong position to obtain the divorce she seeks. The ISC does not advise abused women to return to their husbands.

In child custody issues, we advise clients to approach family courts to settle them. If both clients sign their agreement to hear the advice of the ISC, we will certainly offer such advice. It is however not a binding judgment. In most cases of divorce, it is the mothers who receive custody of their minor children anyway unless there is very strong evidence against her ability as a mother and primary carer.

We fail to understand why the issue of the testimony of a woman being half of that of a man is even mentioned in this context. Shariah councils deal with marriage and divorce, and so have no jurisdiction in such matters.

Furthermore, it is morally wrong to comment on such issues without knowledge of them. In legal disputes, Islamic courts require two male witnesses as well. A female witness in a financial case is required to have a second woman with her in a supporting role, but the primary witness will be responsible for her own testament.

Lady Cox has regurgitated common myths about the role of women in Islam in an effort to undermine the work of the shariah councils. For this she deserves little praise.

Issued by:
Dr. Suhaib Hasan
Secretary
The Islamic Sharia Council

ECHR head admits Islamophobia rising in Europe

Posted on by Bob Pitt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EKkgsAez1w

Lawsuits based on Muslim discrimination are on the rise in Europe.

That’s what Jean-Paul Costa, president of the European Court of Human Rights, pointed out when Press TV asked him about the spreading of crimes triggered by religious and ethnic hatred.

Costa was on an official visit to Bulgaria and state authorities declared before him that they intend to impose a special law to compensate victims of human rights violations, as well as to establish a governmental unit to enforce more effectively convictions toward Bulgaria.

The European Court of Human Rights has sentenced Bulgaria 63 times in 2010 alone. This makes it the 6th most convicted country among 47 members of the Council of Europe – and in the lead of the most convicted in the EU-27.

The most recent and brutal act of human rights violations in Bulgaria took place here, at Sofia Grand Mosque, where Muslim worshippers were attacked by far-right activists during a peaceful Friday prayer.

A month after the incident, the Parliament issued a declaration, condemning such provocations as threats to the ethnic peace and the national security. However, many Muslims say they still do not feel safe as the declaration has done little to protect them.

The demand was raised after a Muslim worshipper was beaten on his way to a morning prayer. His attackers also tried to break into the Mosque.

Ibrahim tells us he would gladly join any type of citizen patrols, he’s not afraid of attacks and won’t stop coming here for prayers.

Press TV, 17 June 2011