CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad assesses the “Draw Muhammad Day” provocation.
CAIR press release, 19 May 2010
See also Ahmed Rehab, “Everybody Draw Muhammad Day is not about rights. It’s about what’s right“.
Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia
New York mosque plan stirs up 9/11 memories
BBC News presents a balanced and informed view of the ‘Ground Zero mosque’ controversy.
‘Britain must end the appeasement of Islamist terrorists: the Human Rights Act should be scrapped’
Nile Gardiner denounces the ruling by the Special Immigration and Appeals Commission that two terror suspects could not be deported to Pakistan on the grounds they might be tortured there.
His colleague Douglas Murray goes with “Why do al-Qaeda’s rights trump those of the British people?”
Neither Gardiner nor Murray bothers to mention that the two individuals have not been convicted of any offence – or indeed allowed to hear, still less to challenge, the evidence against them.
See also ENGAGE, 19 May 2010
CAIR calls on Tea Party Convention to exclude Geller
CAIR is calling on American Muslims and other people of conscience to contact the organizers of the inaugural Tennessee Tea Party Convention to be held this weekend in Gatlinburg and ask that they drop an anti-Islam speaker who claims that “Hitler and the Nazis were inspired by Islam” and that Islam “mandates” lies and deception.
The extremist anti-Islam speaker, far-right blogger Pamela Geller, is also head of the hate group Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA). At the convention, Geller is scheduled to speak about “The Threat of Islam.”
Today, Geller posted images on her blog purporting to depict Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Several of those images show the prophet as a pig. Another image, headlined “Piss Be Upon Him,” shows one of the controversial Danish cartoons of the prophet covered in urine. (“Piss Be Upon Him” is designed to mock the traditional phrase “Peace Be Upon Him” that Muslims use when mentioning any prophet of God.)
CAIR’s request comes just a day after the Washington-based civil rights and advocacy organization called on the Tea Party to repudiate “ignorant” comments made by one of its leaders, who wrote that Muslims worship a “monkey-god.” Mark Williams, chairman of the Tea Party Express, also wrote on his blog that Muslims are “animals of allah [sic].”
“The Tea Party needs to decide whether it is a legitimate national political movement or just a safe haven for bigots and extremists,” said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We ask that convention organizers not legitimize Geller’s extremist anti-Muslim rhetoric by offering her an official platform.”
CAIR press release, 20 May 2010
What has provoked CAIR, Geller claims, is her campaign against the plan to build a mosque and community centre near the former site of the World Trade Center in New York: “The grand jihadist Muslim Brotherhood at CAIR know what that means. It will be the icon, the rally call for every devout Muslim and jihadist across the world. They must have their symbol of conquest.”
French veil bill criminalises ‘incitement to hide the face’
A bill to ban Muslim veils covering the face to be presented to France’s Cabinet on Wednesday calls for fines and, in some cases, citizenship classes.
The bill turns on the “dignity of the person,” rather than security issues as many speculated would be the case, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press. Article 1 of the bill stipulates that “no one can wear a garment intended to hide the face in the public space.” The ban covers streets.
The divisive legislation proposed by the conservative government of President Nicolas Sarkozy is to go to the lower house of parliament for debate in July and to the Senate in September. There is little doubt the bill will pass despite opposition.
The bill calls for a fine of €150 ($185) for those breaking the law and eventual citizenship classes. The measure creates a new crime – inciting to hide the face – and anyone convicted of forcing a woman to wear such a veil would risk a year in prison and a €15,000 ($18,555) fine.
Update: See also “Women protest as French Cabinet gets veil ban bill”, Associated Press, 19 May 2010
France: Muslim graves desecrated
Offensive racist graffiti were found on graves in the Muslim section of the cemetery at Vienne (Isère) on Friday morning.
The graffiti specifically targeted the Harki community. Written in black felt-tip pen on the gravestones, they were removed after investigations by the police in charge of the inquiry.
In order to condemn these acts, on Monday afternoon a ceremony honouring the families was held in the Muslim section of the cemetery. Government representatives, the mayor of Vienne, army veterans and representatives of different faith communities attended the ceremony.
See also Nouvel Observateur, 16 May 2010
Calls to ban EDL march in Newcastle
Far-right group the English Defence League are planning a march through Newcastle, sparking counter protests. The EDL, which claims to protest against Muslim extremism, will march from the city’s Central Station to the Bigg Market, on Saturday, May 29. Members of anti-fascist groups and trade unions are planning counter demonstrations for the same day. Some councillors have called for the EDL’s parade to be banned.
Coun Dipu Ahad, Labour member in Elswick, said: “Do we really want this kind of thing in our city? Relationships between communities in Newcastle are very good and harmonious and this can only stir up hatred. It’s all very well saying a demonstration will be peaceful, but it only takes a few individuals to cause trouble and you have a riot. Newcastle is billed as a City of Peace, so how can this march be allowed to threaten that? I’ve had many emails and phone calls from the Muslim community and they are extremely worried. This march can only serve to break up bonds built up and increase tension.”
Miss USA controversy: ‘It is simply Muslims that they hate’
“Personally, I’m not fond of either extreme in feminine clothing – burkas or bikinis. I believe that beauty contests exploit women, and I’m pleased that they seem to be less and less popular with each passing year, and will not be at all sad when they are no more.
“Nevertheless, women have the right to express themselves however they see fit, and the reaction of some Americans to Rima Fakih’s winning the Miss USA beauty pageant should be enough to prove once and for all that Islamophobia does exist, and that it has nothing to do with ‘political Islam’, ‘radical Islamists’, ‘Islamism’, or any of the other carefully crafted terms used to attempt to hide their hatred of Muslims as actually being a defense of western civilization against extremist or ‘radical’ Muslims.
“The truth is out there now for everyone to see. It is simply Muslims that they hate.”
Sheila Musaji at The American Muslim, 18 May 2010
See also Khaled Diab, “Miss USA 2010 and a confused conspiracy theory”, Comment is Free, 18 May 2010
A Hitch in the argument on the burqa
Norman Geras replies to Christopher Hitchens.
Update: See Yusuf Smith’s comments at Indigo Jo Blogs.
Reacting against the racists
Peace campaigners will join Muslim community organisations and anti-racist activists in a one-day conference next month to prepare for a potential rise in Islamophobia as the new government steps up war efforts in the Middle East.
The event, entitled Defend the Muslim Community, will take place on June 5 and has been organised by the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and the British Muslim Initiative with support from numerous other organisations.
Explaining the event, StWC convener Lindsey German told the Star yesterday: “The government’s Prevent anti-extremism programme has actually gone a long way in attempting to criminalise Muslims for their political beliefs. A person should not be regarded as an extremist just because they oppose a war most people in this country do not support.
“We want to bring together people on the left with the Muslim community and peace campaigners and anti-racists to discuss what can be done.
“People are claiming the discrimination is not racist because it is about religion. But that is exactly what they said about the Jews and we all know what happened there.
“We hope this will be the start of a campaign which will see Muslims and non-Muslims standing together to reject the scapegoating of the Muslim community and racist attitudes.”
The conference is scheduled to feature guest speakers including Daud Abdullah from the Muslim Council of Britain; director of Cage Prisoners Moazzam Begg; CND chairwoman Kate Hudson; Respect party representative Salma Yaqoob; former head of Scotland Yard’s Muslim Contact Unit Robert Lambert and journalists Seumas Milne and Peter Oborne.
The conference will take place at the Camden Centre from 10am to 5pm on Saturday June 5. To book tickets visit www.stopwar.org.uk or call 020 7801 2768