On Wednesday, Spain became the latest European country to advance legislation to ban burqas and other such face veils. Many of those in favor of such laws cite women’s rights, but does criminalizing their clothing help?
Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia
Rooting out Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crime
Dr Jonathan Githens-Mazer says that racist attacks like that recently on Exeter Muslim woman Hayat Kaddouri Roddy are becoming all too common.
Express attacks ‘Eurocrats’ for defending right to wear the veil
Europe backed the burkha yesterday by ruling that the controversial Muslim veils should not be banned.
MPs from 47 countries voted unanimously that outlawing the full-face veils would deny women “who genuinely and freely desire to do so” the right to cover their faces.
The Council of Europe’s resolution is not binding on members of the group, which includes all European countries except Belarus, as well as Turkey. But the vote by the human rights group threatens to torpedo bans planned in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain as it could open governments up to costly legal battles.
Last night the ruling was condemned as “out of touch”. UKIP leader Lord Pearson said: “This vote just highlights the disconnection between the appointed politicians of the Council of Europe and the peoples of Europe. They refused to represent the people’s wishes, preferring to hold them in contempt.”
Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “It just goes to show how out of touch European politicians are with popular opinion. I have no doubt that the majority of the British public are against the wearing of the burkha and the full-face niqab veil.”
The Council of Europe also branded the Swiss bigots for their ban on the construction of Islamic minarets. Last year Switzerland banned the building of the minarets – towers used to call Muslims to prayer – after a nationwide referendum. Politicians claimed the minarets represent militant Islam.
See also ENGAGE, 24 June 2010
Murfreesboro Islamic Centre: CAIR calls for investigation into second act of vandalism
A Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization is calling on local, state and national law enforcement agencies to investigate the latest act of vandalism at the site of the proposed Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
Local authorities were alerted to the second case of vandalism of a sign at the future mosque site on Veals Road near Bradyville Pike Wednesday, when a passing motorist reported the sign had been beaten with “an unknown object.”
The original sign marking the center was vandalized in January by a still-unknown person who wrote “not welcome” in spray-paint.
“A mosque official told CAIR that the latest incident of vandalism has been reported to local police and the FBI,” said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper, via a press release on behalf of Washington based civil rights organization. “That same official said local law enforcement authorities have been very supportive of the Muslim community and have stepped up police patrols in the area of the proposed mosque.”
CAIR believes the planned expansion of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro is being opposed by individuals who “have made Islamophobic statements at recent public hearings concerning the mosque.”
A candlelight vigil for peace, tolerance and freedom of religion is scheduled for later this evening in Murfreesboro.
Mosque opponents using fear to divide
Last Thursday evening hundreds of residents in my hometown of Murfreesboro, Tenn., attended the Rutherford County Commission meeting to express their outrage over a proposed Islamic center of worship in the community.
This is just the latest in a string of incidents around the country threatening the constitutional rights of Americans just like you and I. A group of citizens recently blocked a proposed mosque in Brentwood, Tenn. There are a growing number of people who are opposed to a mosque planned near ground zero in Manhattan.
The events of 9/11 and other actions taken by al Qaeda planted the seeds of dissent, intolerance, hatred and fear. Those seeds are growing. Al Qaeda’s endgame is destroying our way of life, our American principles and values.
As a Marine who has deployed through out the Middle East, I have worked, trained and broken bread with Muslims. I have known their families and communities. I have fought with them and for them, as I have for this country and my fellow citizens, many of whom are also Muslims. I can’t stand by while some people are accused of being guilty by association of one’s religion and therefore discriminated against.
Ben Leming at The Hill’s Congress Blog, 23 June 2010
European MPs vote against bans on veils and minarets
MPs from 47 countries have unanimously voted against a general ban on the wearing of the burka in public.
The Parliamentary Assembly of Europe’s human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, passed a resolution warning that if governments imposed such a ban they would be denying women “who genuinely and freely desire to do so” their right to cover their faces.
The resolution was part of a report on Islam, Islamism and Islamophobia, which also called on European governments to work to educate Muslim women, their families and communities on their human rights and to encourage them to take part in “public and professional life”.
It also called on Switzerland to repeal as soon as possible its general ban on the construction of minarets, which it described as discriminatory.
Associated Press, 23 June 2010
See also Swissinfo, 23 June 2010
Islamism, Ramadan and Qaradawi: why Paul Berman is wrong
In The Flight of the Intellectuals, Paul Berman argues that it is not violent Islamists who pose the greatest danger to liberal societies in the West but rather their so-called moderate cousins, such as Tariq Ramadan.
Such a reading of contemporary Islamism, however, misses the many nuances of the movement and the real battles between reformers and Salafists.
The ever-excellent Marc Lynch takes on Berman over Islamism, Tariq Ramadan and Qaradawi.
Lawyers condemn Zakir Naik ban
Lawyers representing an Indian Muslim preacher banned from entering the UK say the move was rushed and he was not given a proper chance to respond to it.
Majeed Memon, representing Mumbai-based television preacher Zakir Naik, described the move by the UK government as “barbaric and inhuman”. Mr Memon said the move was all the more extraordinary because Dr Naik was granted a five year UK visa in 2008.
The Islamic Research Foundation, based in Mumbai, India, said on Saturday that it was seeking a judicial review of the decision in the London High Court. Dr Naik said the move to exclude him was more of a political decision than a legal one.
His lawyers say that complimentary references he made in a speech about Osama Bin Laden were uttered in 1996 – and not 10 years later as detailed in the exclusion order made by the British government. Mr Memon said the comments were made before the 9/11 attacks and “should not be read into”. He accused the newly-elected British coalition government of making a “political decision to gain political mileage”.
Dr Naik – who is based in Mumbai (Bombay) and works for the Peace TV channel – is president of the Islamic Research Foundation. He has won support for his campaign against the exclusion order from Bollywood film maker Mahesh Bhatt, who praised him for “locking horns with the might of the British empire”.
Update: Zakir Naik has apparently been told that he will be refused entry to Canada, where he was due to speak at a conference in Toronto early next month. See the Toronto Star, 22 June 2010
Further update: See also “Muslim preachers, Zakir Naik & Bilal Phillips, denied entry into UK”, Muslim Matters, 23 June 2010
PACE report warns of rising Islamophobia in Europe
Europe’s largest intergovernmental human rights watchdog has warned that intolerance toward Islam and Muslims in Europe has been increasing in recent years and urged immediate action to stem violence against Muslims.
In a report titled “Islam, Islamism and Islamophobia in Europe“, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) noted with deep concern that in many of the Council of Europe’s 47 member states, Muslims feel socially excluded, stigmatized and discriminated against, stressing that they become victims of stereotypes, social marginalization and political extremism because of their different religious and cultural traditions.
PACE made recommendations to the Council of Europe saying, “Discrimination against Muslims must not be tolerated in Europe, as it violates the European Convention on Human Rights.” “Freedom of religion of Muslims must be fully guaranteed, but this freedom must not be used to deny other fundamental freedoms and human rights, in particular the right to life by non-Muslims, the right to non-discrimination by women or minorities, the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom of religion by non-Muslims,” it also added.
The report lambasted some member states where far right-wing parties have changed their traditional hostile campaign against immigration and foreigners and now exploit the public fear of Islam. The PACE report underlined: “Their political campaigns encourage anti-Muslim sentiments and the amalgamation of Muslims with religious extremists. They advocate the fear of Europe being swamped by Muslims.”
It listed political parties such as the French National Front, the Dutch Party for Freedom, the Belgian Vlaams Belang and the Swiss People’s Party, which have been very successful in running campaigns against Islam and largely contributed to the stigmatization of Muslims
Respect Party councillors lodge complaints over spy cameras
Two Birmingham councillors have lodged official complaints with the Independent Police Complaints Commission claiming they were deliberately misled over a hugely controversial project to tackle terrorism.
Sparkbrook Respect Party councillors Mohammed Ishtiaq and Salma Yaqoob have written to the IPPC demanding action is taken against senior officers who they said told them the prime focus of a £3million project would be to prevent crime in Sparkbrook and Moseley and not to spy on Muslims.
Police and council leaders were last week forced to put bags over 216 CCTV and ANPR equipment, which were installed in April, after accepting they had failed to consult community leaders from the wards affected.
Coun Salma Yaqoob said: “The way they went about it was very misleading and makes us lose confidence and trust. This is the only way to bring to light what’s gone on.”