Press TV draws our attention to last week’s edition of Yvonne Ridley’s Agenda discussion programme which was devoted to the question “Who is fueling the rise in Islamophobia?” Guests included Anas Altikriti and Bob Lambert.
Watch the programme here.
Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia
Banning veil undermines secular democracy
“The hysteria around the niqab is the inevitable outcome of the post-9/11 politics of fear that we have allowed ourselves be whipped into. We need to rediscover our confidence in the strength of democracy to accommodate differences, rather than let demagogues destroy it.”
Haroon Siddiqui writes in the Toronto Star, 18 July 2010
Palin calls on Muslims to ‘refudiate’ Ground Zero mosque
See Huffington Post, 18 July 2010
Palin’s stand has won her the enthusiastic support of mad Pamela Geller: “Gd, I love this woman! … She has spine, character, ethics, integrity, and above all, true grit. If she runs, I’ll be right behind her.”
Tory minister says women should have the right to wear veil – Tory press is outraged
See “Caroline Spelman: wearing burka can be ’empowering'” in the Daily Telegraph, “Burkas empower women: Top Tory woman insists freedom to wear Muslim veil is a right” in the Daily Mail and “Uproar after minister says: Let women wear a burkha if they want”, in the Daily Express.
Mayor Bloomberg continues to defend ‘Ground Zero mosque’ plan
There’s no doubt that the site of a planned Islamic community center and prayer space is close to the World Trade Center site, as it is two short blocks from the site of the terror attacks. While some see the proximity as offensive, others like Mayor Michael Bloomberg see it as a virtue, symbolic of America’s commitment to religious freedom.
“I happen to think this is a very appropriate place for somebody who wants to build a mosque, because it tells the world that America, and New York City, which is what I’m responsible for, really believes in what we preach,” said Bloomberg on Friday.
The mayor’s comments were perhaps his most forceful on the controversy, which in this election year has quickly become a political football.
Opinions seem to split along political party lines. Republican candidate for governor Rick Lazio and Republican Congressman Peter King have demanded an investigation into the project’s funding, while Democrats like Andrew Cuomo have been supportive of the project.
Bloomberg, a political independent, brought up the topic unsolicited at a forum with Dartmouth College students.
During his weekly radio show, the mayor also sparred with a caller who asked, “How do you consider it un-American to question the appropriateness of a mosque at Ground Zero?” The mayor responded, “I don’t think it’s un-American. I just don’t think that the government should keep some people from praying the way they want to and let others pray.”
Racism veiled as liberation
Whose “way of life” is France’s lower house protecting? Not the women who wear niqabs.
Madeleine Bunting argues against the French veil ban.
See also Mehdi Hasan at the New Statesman.
Another day, another Muslim-bashing story in the tabloids
ENGAGE has the details.
US TV networks refuse to run right-wing mosque-bashing ad
A conservative political action committee blasted the CBS and NBC networks Wednesday for rejecting its ad imploring Americans to fight the mosque proposed for Ground Zero.
Titled “The Audacity of Jihad“, the commercial intersperses graphic footage of the 9/11 attacks with armed Muslim militants and the sounds of Muslims praying.
The narrator of the 60-second spot proposed by the National Republican Trust says, “On Sept. 11, they declared war against us. And to celebrate that murder of 3,000 Americans, they want to build a monstrous 13-story mosque at Ground Zero.”
In e-mails to the group, CBS and NBC officials said the ad did not meet the networks’ standards and guidelines for broadcast.
NRT executive director R. Scott Wheeler accused the networks of being two-faced, arguing they have run ads by such left-leaning groups as MoveOn.org.
Wheeler described the networks as “a very weak media that seems to be interested in only defending Muslims as poor victims.”
He said his group was planning to pay the networks more than $50,000 to run the ad.
CBS and NBC Universal corporate officials confirmed the ad was rejected by both networks.
Murfreesboro: anti-mosque demonstrators meet with counterprotest
Anti-mosque marchers proudly paraded their opposition for a mile along East Main Street to the Public Square on Murfreesboro Wednesday. They carried flags of America and Israel, sang, “God Bless America,” and carried many signs, including: “Mosque leaders support killing converts. Tell it!”
While the crowd from both protesters and counter protesters appeared to number 500 to 600 at its peak, protest march organizer Kevin Fisher estimated that several hundred marched in his group alone from Central Magnet School to the County Courthouse.
There, they encountered hundreds more of counter protesters carrying signs with messages such as, “All you need is love” and “Freedom for all religion” and “Tolerance.”
“Ignore their hate,” Fisher told his participants as they turned the east corner of the Square on their way to the west side of the County Courthouse.
The marchers included other people seeking public office, such as congressional candidates George Erdel, who calls himself “a tea party Democrat”, and Lou Ann Zelenik, a Republican. Many Zelenik supporters proudly displayed signs and T-shirts with her name on it.
Erdel also helped organize the march, using a bullhorn to give instructions before the parade began. He also handed the bullhorn to Dusty Ray, the pastor of Heartland Baptist Church at Walter Hill where Erdel attends.
Ray led the large group gathered on the Central Magnet School grounds in prayer about their march in opposition to the plans of local Muslims. “They are about oppression,” Ray said in his prayer. “Lord, we’re trying to stop a political movement.”
See also “Counter protesters turn out in force too”, DNJ.com, 15 July 2010
EDL’s latest provocation in Dudley condemned
Faith representatives, politicians and community leaders have spoken out against the return of the English Defence League to Dudley Town Centre.
The Bishop of Dudley said: “People in Dudley from across cultures and faiths have lived and worked together for decades. EDL, by their repeated and unwanted visits are only trying to undermine the town with its reputation and relationships. We want as many residents to show we belong together; that Dudley is home for all of us.”
A peaceful, community rally, aimed at celebrating the diversity and unity of Dudley is set to take place on Saturday afternoon. The event, which has been organised by Dudley Borough Interfaith Network and supported by Unite Against Fascism, will take place between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. It will take place at the same time as a rally by the English Defence League, which will be taking place in Stafford Street.
Steve Sparrow, Coordinator of Dudley Borough Interfaith Network, said: “Dudley is a great place to live with warm and welcoming people. This celebration event shows just how futile the EDL’s attempts to separate us are.”
See also Dudley demo assembly details on the UAF website
And “Dudley unites against the EDL”, The Stirrer, 15 July 2010