Tabloid Watch analyses the subject matter of the Daily Star‘s front page news coverage over the past month.
Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia
Judge issues permanent injunction on Oklahoma Sharia law ban
A federal judge in Oklahoma has issued an order putting on hold the certification of a ballot measure that forbids state courts from considering or using international laws, as well as Sharia, or Islamic law. That permanent injunction will allow the judge more time to consider the constitutional issues raised by State Question 755, which was approved by voters earlier this month.
Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange had earlier issued a temporary restraining order in favor of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which had sued to nullify the law completely.
“While the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out,” wrote the judge in Monday’s order, “the court finds that the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual’s constitutional rights.”
The language of her 15-page order indicated Miles-LaGrange has initial doubts about the constitutionality of the ballot measure. She said the case goes “to the very foundation of our country, our Constitution, and particularly the Bill of Rights. Throughout the course of our country’s history, the will of the ‘majority’ has on occasion conflicted with the constitutional rights of individuals.”
Outpouring of community support for Oregon mosque hit by arson attack
CORVALLIS — The parking lot in front of the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center filled Monday with community members and religious leaders uniting against the arson that charred the mosque’s office the day before.
“This shouldn’t happen here – it shouldn’t happen anywhere – but Corvallis is a wonderful, open community,” said Laurie Holst as she stopped by the mosque to drop off a potted plant and card. The gifts were part of a growing cluster of poinsettias, bouquets and cards placed in front of the men’s entrance to the mosque.
Holst has lived in Corvallis for more than 25 years. She went to school at Oregon State and now works there as an adviser for students in natural resources. “This is as abhorrent as what happened in Portland – this is just wrong, it shouldn’t happen anywhere or here,” she said, fighting back tears. “I want these folks that worship here to know that this is not Corvallis … it’s some redneck idiot.”
For Mohamed Siala, the director of the mosque, the outpouring of support served as a silver lining. “This is how the community in Corvallis is here,” he said as he spoke with Benjamin Barnett, rabbi at Beit Am, a local synagogue. “We want you to pray for us and use this opportunity to get closer to each other.”
Barnett said members of his synagogue planned to meet to discuss what they can do to best offer support – fundraising probably won’t be necessary because the damage will be covered by insurance. “The main thing we want to do is show solidarity,” Barnett said. “The news should be that the majority of us want to stand side by side.”
BNP tries to regain lost ground in Stoke by scaremongering over halal meat
Far-right politicians in Stoke-on-Trent are campaigning for halal meat to be taken off school menus.Seventeen of the 93 city schools are offering the ritually-slaughtered meat in their canteens after at least 10 per cent of parents backed the move. But the British National Party (BNP) is calling on Stoke-on-Trent City Council to ban the halal meat on animal welfare grounds.
BNP group leader Councillor Michael Coleman today denied the campaign is an attack on Muslims. Instead he urged councillors to stop the “barbaric method of slaughter”.
“The council tries to make out that it is just an option, but I don’t believe that is the case in all these schools. I think it is just being served up and pupils are not even aware that they are eating it. It’s against the law for me to kill an animal in that way, but it’s fine for a Muslim or a Jew to do it. It’s an unacceptable state of affairs.”
Halal meat has been provided to some city schools since 2000. It is estimated that halal meat accounts for about four per cent of the meat served in the 17 schools. All the schools offer an alternative to halal meat, except St Mark’s Primary.
Shelton Islamic Centre director Rana Tufail, said: “I am not aware of any problems caused by serving halal meat in schools in the last 10 years.” Community Voice Councillor Peter Kent-Baguley accused the BNP of “making mischief” against Muslims. He said: “The BNP are fiddling while our services burn, and are patently seeking to make trouble.”
Parents today hit out at the BNP motion which goes before the council on December 9. Sarah Richardson, whose nine-year-old son, Jordan, attends St Mark’s Primary, said: “I don’t see what the fuss is about. Jordan loves the food at school.” Jordan, of Whitmore Street, Hanley, said: “I really like the halal burgers, but my favourite school dinner is curry.”
The Sentinel, 30 November 2010
See also BNP news report, 24 November 2010
No doubt the BNP hopes this campaign will restore their political fortunes in Stoke-on-Trent, where election defeats and defections have reduced them to five councillors from a high point of nine, while in this year’s general election BNP candidate Simon Darby received a derisory 7.7% of the vote in Stoke-on-Trent Central, a seat the BNP thought it had a good chance of winning.
EMRC report shows how mosques combat political violence
Demonised Mosques Tackle Political Violence
Launching our new report Islamophobia and anti-Muslim Hate Crime: UK case studies at the London Muslim Centre (Saturday 27 November) and the Birmingham Central Mosque (Sunday 28 November) we highlighted the success of the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, the Masjid al-Gharaaba in Luton, the North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park and other UK mosques in tackling political violence of two kinds: on the one hand, tackling arson attacks and intimidation by far right thugs against mosques and Muslims; on the other, tackling al-Qaeda inspired violent extremism.
Criticising a small number of lazy journalists and politicians who wrongly conflate the East London Mosque and other mosques with extremism we dedicated our report to Dr. Muhammad Abdul Bari, the chairman of the East London Mosque who has empowered and encourageed local youth workers involved in successful violent crime reduction initiatives in one of the UK’s poorest neighbourhoods.
At the heart of defending Park 51, the so called Ground Zero Mosque, Professor John Esposito flew in from New York to deliver a powerful keynote speech in support of UK and US mosques in the face of violence, intimidation and demonisation and in support of our research findings.
Sadly, as our report highlights, a significant number of smaller mosques and isolated Muslim communities in market towns and suburbs throughout the UK do not have the resources or support to defend themselves against political violence and anti-Muslim hate crimes of all kinds.
We therefore note with enthusiasm the formation of an overdue All Party Parliamentary Commission on Islamophobia – after a long campaign led by Dr. Bari – and call on parliamentarians to defend demonised mosques and to offer support to isolated mosques under seige.
Dr. Robert Lambert and Dr. Jonathan Githens-Mazer, co-directors of the European Muslim Research Centre, University of Exeter.
European Muslim Research Centre press release, 29 November 2010
The 224-page report can be downloaded here.
Eric Pickles recycles ‘war on Christmas’ myth
Tabloid Watch takes up the press release “Councils should take pride in Christmas celebrations“, issued by Communities and Local Government secretary Eric Pickles, which repeats the familiar right-wing nonsense about the abolition of Christmas. The press release states:
“Mr Pickles urged councils to take pride in Britain’s Christian heritage; celebrating the nativity and all the traditions that have sprung up around it from tinsel and tree lights to turkey.
“We should actively celebrate the Christian basis of Christmas, and not allow politically correct Grinches to marginalise Christianity and the importance of the birth of Christ. The War on Christmas is over, and likes of Winterval, Winter Lights and Luminous deserve to be in the dustbin of history.”
Mr Pickles explained that the Christian festival has previously been ambushed by those intent on re-branding Christmas as a bland “Winter festival”, insisting that multi-cultural Britain can enjoy Christmas without abandoning its underlying Christian heritage in a misguided attempt to appease these politically correct “Grinches”.
See also Enemies of Reason, 27 November 2010
EDL shows violent racism with ‘Burn a mosque’ chant
English Defence League supporters showed their true colours in Preston on Saturday, when a group marched down a main shopping street chanting: “Burn a mosque down, burn a mosque.”
The EDL make frequent claims that they are not racist or violent, but their deeply offensive call to burn down Muslims’ places of worship shows the reality of the organisation, which has links with the British National Party and other fascist groups.
The video shows the group of EDL supporters – who appear to have separated from the main body of up to 1,000 that descended on Preston on 27 November – chanting the offensive slogan.
EDL tries to win support among other minorities by inciting fear and hatred of Muslims, report warns
Nachum Shifren with EDL leaders Kevin Carroll and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon
A white extremist organisation is forging links with Jewish, Sikh and gay communities to fuel prejudice and fear and hatred of the Muslim community, it was claimed today.
The English Defence League (EDL), which was formed last year in protest at Islamic extremist activity, has also reached out across the Atlantic to build close ties with the American right-wing group, the Tea Party.
Hundreds of EDL members are planning demonstrations in Nuneaton and Preston today to protest at the building of mosques and what they claim is the growing influence in the UK of Sharia law.
But a new report, written by Professor Nigel Copsey of Teesside University, warns that the growth of EDL membership will spread Islamophobia in communities sharing a perceived “historical angst” against Muslims.
New branches of the League, such as the Jewish Division, could exploit the existing religious hostilities caused by territorial disputes in the Middle East, says Professor Copsey whose report was commissioned by the organisation Faith Matters.
It claims that these inter-faith tensions were brought into sharp focus last month when the senior US Jewish leader and Tea Party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren denounced Islam at a EDL rally outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Israeli flags have also been spotted at several EDL demonstrations across the UK.
As well as aggravating religious tensions, the EDL has established a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Division to “defend” gay people from Sharia law. There are also specialist divisions for women, soldiers and disabled people.
Professor Copsey warned: “True to the spirit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the EDL is targeting other ethnic communities. These communities need to guard against approaches by the EDL.”
Founder and director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, said: “The EDL’s main aim is to increase tensions, raise hate and divide communities. Their attempts to portray themselves as a legitimate and open movement cannot disguise their violent, anti-Muslim agenda. This hate can easily mutate against another community.”
The Faith Matters report is entitled The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality.
See also “EDL threatens social inclusion in UK, report warns”,IRNA, 27 November 2010
Nine arrested during EDL protest in Preston
Police have made nine arrests during a protest by supporters of the far-right group the English Defence League.
Around 1,000 people joined the demonstration by the EDL in Preston city centre, and 150 counter-demonstrators from Unite Against Fascism also gathered nearby.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Although there were minor scuffles amongst the EDL demonstrators, there were only a handful of arrests for drunken or disorderly behaviour.
“Today’s demonstrations have been relatively incident-free and the majority of demonstrators have left the area.”
Police said officers remained in the city centre after the protest to ensure that any remaining demonstrators left the area in a peaceful manner.
Press Association, 27 November 2010
See also “Preston councillors and trade unionists stand up against EDL”, UAF news story, 27 November 2010
Update: Over at over at Hope not hate, Searchlight have some revealing pictures of the EDL demonstration. See for example below:
Nuneaton: EDL throw fireworks and bottles at locals
Nuneaton – police try to stop the EDL attacking local people (photo: Searchlight)
The racist thugs of the English Defence League threw lit fireworks and bottles at antiracist demonstrators from the local community in Nuneaton today.
The EDL – a violent, racist organisation with links to the British National Party and other fascist groups – mobilised across the Midlands and south of England to bring up to 800 to their Nuneaton “protest”, with some coming from parts of the north, including West Yorkshire.
They threw missiles at around 200-300 counter-protestors, mainly from Nuneaton, who had gathered to show that the EDL’s racism and violence is not welcome in their town.
Other members of the local community gathered to defend the area’s mosque from the EDL racists, who particularly target Muslims.
The antiracist counter-demo, which was backed by trade unionists from local National Union of Teachers and Unison branches, was boosted by the arrival of local Asian youths. Despite the violence of the EDL, antiracists made sure the voice of opposition was heard.
After the EDL had gone, the antiracist demonstrators were all invited back to the local Asian community centre for hot drinks and to warm up.
UAF news report, 27 November 2010
Update: See also “Arrests during EDL protest in Nuneaton”, Sunday Mercury, 28 November 2010