Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

French government continues to incite Islamophobia over veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The fining of a French Muslim woman for driving whilst wearing a niqab, or face veil, has somersaulted, in the space of a weekend, from political embarrassment to political windfall for President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Controversy raged yesterday after the Government alleged that the husband of the fined woman was a suspected polygamist and social security fraud with possible links to an extreme Islamist organisation. The interior minister, Brice Hortefeux, who made the allegations in a letter released to the press, was accused by moderate Muslim groups and left-wing politicians of cynical “exploitation” of the affair for political gain.

The media spotlight instantly switched over the weekend to Anne’s husband, Lies Hebbadj, 35, an Algerian-born butcher and taxi operator, said to be living in three bungalows near Nantes with his 12 children and four or maybe three, fully-veiled women.

In a letter to the immigration minister, which was released to the press, Mr Hortefeux said that “according to information at my disposal”, Mr Hebbadj belonged to a radical Islamist group called Tabligh. The minister said that Mr Hebbadj was “thought to be living in a polygamous situation with four women”. Each woman was “believed to be” claiming benefit as a single mother.

Mr Hortefeux said that he had asked for an investigation into “possible polygamy and social security fraud”. He urged the immigration minister to consider action to revoke Mr Hebbadj’s French nationality (acquired when he married Anne in 1999).

By associating the veil with extremist movements, polygamy and fraud, the government evidently hopes to seize control of a “burqa” debate which had threatened to spin out of its control. It was announced last week, after months of indecision, that the Government would use emergency procedures to push through a complete ban on the burqa (full-length veil) or niqab (detachable face veil) in public places by July.

According to an opinion poll yesterday, only 33 per cent of French people support a ban. Another 31 per cent approve of banning burqas and niqabs from public buildings like hospitals and schools. The decision to push ahead with a full ban – against official advice – has been widely interpreted in the press as an attempt by Mr Sarkozy to prop up his failing presidency by pleasing his core, hard-right supporters.

Hence the scarcely concealed Government glee at the alleged activities of Mr Hebbadj, the husband of the veiled driver of Nantes. In a statement yesterday, the combined mosques of Nantes said that all Muslims were being “stigmatised” by the “exploitation” of an “insignificant event, which is not representative of the Muslim majority”.

The mayor of Nantes, Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is the leader of the Socialist main opposition group in the National Assembly, accused the Government of “dramatising and exploiting” the affair. “This man’s situation has been known for some time to the services of the State … Why was nothing done about him? Why are they pretending to discover the facts now?” Mr Ayrault asked.

Independent, 26 April 2010

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UAF protest against BNP election broadcast

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP dustbinProtesters are to gather outside BBC headquarters on Monday as the British National Party’s election broadcast is aired. The BBC is accused by campaign group Unite Against Fascism (UAF) of giving “unwarranted and uncritical coverage” of the BNP during the run-up to the election.

UAF’s protest at Broadcasting House in central London will be supported by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (Bectu), as well as the Muslim Council of Britain and Jewish Council for Racial Equality.

UAF joint secretary Sabby Dhalu said: “The BBC has given unwarranted and uncritical coverage of the BNP during this election campaign, particularly on TV news and Radio 4, which has failed to challenge its racist scapegoating of immigrants and Islamophobia.

“The BBC’s justification for giving the BNP more coverage is the election of two BNP MEPs last year. This is misguided. Giving the BNP a platform and failing to expose and challenge it gives the BNP a veneer of legitimacy.

“The BNP is a fascist organisation, not a normal political party, and the public does not pay its licence fee to see fascists broadcast their politics of hate.”

Press Association, 26 April 2010

See also UAF press release, 25 April 2010

Internet ‘racist’ group targets plan for new Bristol mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bristol disused factoryExtreme right supporters are part of an internet group opposing plans for a new mosque in Barton Hill. More than 700 people have joined a Facebook group against a planning application to convert a disused building in Aiken Street into a place of worship and community centre.

Many of the messages on “No we do not want a mosque in Barton Hill” are from white people who claim they are being “pushed out” of their community. Some are too offensive to be printed in a family newspaper, with claims that mosques are “breeding grounds for terrorists” and calls to vote BNP.

A number of messages of support are given by the far-right English Defence League, whose members were removed from Harbourside by police in riot gear shortly before the political leader’s debate last week. Comments on the website have been branded as racist by other people who have posted in response to their views.

One referred to the commentators as “racist uneducated idiots”, while another said “What’s wrong with you lot? The world is changing, why can’t you see that? People like you just make the English look like horrible people”.

The proposal to convert the former Weston White factory into a mosque has been submitted to the council by Khalif Abdirahman, a parent governor at Barton Hill Primary School. He hoped the mosque would help bring the community together and argued many of the messages from the site are from people outside of the area.

One post that supports his theory reads: “Even though I don’t live in Somerset anymore, I don’t want this! This is England! I have sent this to friends in the US too, invited 110 people and filled in the petition form to Bristol City Council.”

Other comments included: “Why is there such a high demand for mosques? Because in there [sic] twisted religion they believe all of the Earth is Allah’s and they plan to dominate, no thanks **** off to the Middle East or some other Muslim hole.”

Another said: “What can we do to stop this I live 2 mins away from it I don’t want to walk up the street and fill [sic] like I am out numbered in my own country bring on the BNP.”

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South Park controversy a distraction

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Writing at the CNN website Arsalan Iftikhar comments on the furore over the “threat” against the creators of South Park:

Free speech issues and portrayals of Islam needlessly stirred a hornet’s nest recently when “South Park” depicted the Prophet Mohammed disguised in a bear suit in the 200th episode of the popular Comedy Central TV show.

But what many people don’t realize is that the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, already used an image of Mohammed on “South Park” without any strife whatsoever in a July 2001 episode called “Super Best Friends.” …

To generate some press coverage and needless dispute, two extremist buffoons at a radical website called “Revolution Muslim” directed a thinly veiled threat against the show’s creators for depicting Mohammed in the recent episode. Much of the American mainstream media ended up giving a national platform to these unknown knuckleheads, which only helped to tarnish the reputation of Muslims in America further.

Sadly, it seems to be far sexier for the media to report the message of two extremists rather than the tempered and tolerant message of the majority of millions of American Muslims.

This is also important because actual Islamophobia – and other forms of bigotry and racism – badly needs to be combated by our society. That fight certainly does not revolve around a bunch of Comedy Centralcartoon characters named Eric Cartman or Mr. Hanky.

Instead of conjuring up fake controversies involving the equal opportunity offenders of “South Park,” we should focus on professional political polemicists, such as Ann Coulter, who has publicly stated that we should “kill their [Muslim] leaders and convert them to Christianity” – or the Rev. Pat Robertson of “The 700 Club,” who once told The Associated Press that neither American Muslims nor Hindus should be allowed to serve as U.S. federal judges.

These right-wing professional fear-mongers have nurtured, facilitated and expanded the growth of Islamophobia after the tragedy of the September 11, 2001, attacks to the point where Muslim is almost a slur in America….

Sadly, instead of dealing with the real cases of racism, bigotry and xenophobia regularly injected into our public airwaves by some of our political leaders and opinion makers, we have allowed ourselves to get sucked into a faux controversy involving two no-name idiots with a radical website taking on four pre-pubescent, fictitious cartoon characters from South Park, Colorado.

The two men behind “Revolution Muslim” are, however, not exactly unknown – they have a track record when it comes to this sort of provocation. And some have suggested that they are more than just knuckleheads. Ibrahim Cooper of CAIR has observed of Revolution Muslim that “most Muslims suspect they were set up only to make Muslims look bad. We just have very deep suspicions. They say such outrageous, irresponsible things that it almost seems like they’re doing it to smear Islam.”

Muslim pupil given detention for resisting harassment over hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Grahamsville, New York — The insults first came in fifth grade, pursuing Xelina Encarnacion in hallways, classrooms and the school bus that carried her between her Loch Sheldrake home and Tri-Valley Elementary School.

The taunts of “bomb baby,” “terrorist” and “towel head” followed her into the seventh grade at Tri-Valley Secondary School as she began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering that Muslim women begin wearing at puberty.

When a boy pulled her hijab Wednesday, Xelina retaliated, landing in detention after chasing him down and hitting him. “I felt violated,” she said. “I felt like I didn’t deserve it, because I was protecting myself.”

Times Herald-Record, 24 April 2010

Multicultural society a success in Leicester, reports finds

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Muslims in LeicesterMost Muslims who live in Leicester feel at home in the city, a new study has found. Muslims in Leicester is the most detailed report on Muslim life in the city to date, and comes after researchers spent months questioning 300 people in Evington, Spinney Hills and Stoneygate.

The report found the majority of Muslims possessed a strong British identity and a sense of belonging to the city. The report by the Open Society Institute praised Leicester’s vibrant faith communities and strong political participation by ethnic minorities – 17 of the city’s 54 councillors are from an ethnic minority background.

Leicester Mercury, 23 April 2010

The OSI study is rather more nuanced than this article suggests. It notes the existence of “differing levels of socio-economic deprivation in areas within the city; simmering tension between particular minority groups; underachievment and unemployment among Muslims; and the increasing economic divide between the affluent and not so affluent”.

Neverthless, the study reinforces the view that Leicester, contrary to right-wing cliches, is a multicultural sucess story.

Netherlands: Labour Party’s rise may block Wilders’ bid for power

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Job_CohenRising support for the Dutch opposition Labor Party is putting it in a dead heat with Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s Christian Democrats and may block an anti-Islam party’s bid for power in June elections.

Labor candidate Job Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam, was officially named party leader at a congress today in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. His surprise candidacy sent the Labor Party, which favors lifting taxes on the highest earners, from third place to the top of opinion polls. Labor’s rise coincides with the slump to fourth place of Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party, which wants to ban headscarves and new mosques.

Cohen, whose popularity rose after he helped keep the peace following the killing in Amsterdam of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic extremist in 2004, contrasts with Wilders, who is being prosecuted for comments in his 2008 film “Fitna” in which he calls on Muslims to rip out “hate-preaching” verses from the Koran.

“I want to live in a land where civilization is not an old-fashioned word,” Cohen told the party congress today, “where ambulance staff can work without being harassed, where the elderly can walk the streets safely to visit their children, where nobody is called names; not Jews, not gays, not Muslims.”

Cohen, 62, a former law professor and rector at Maastricht University, rules out any coalition with Wilders. “The Netherlands has always been a country of minorities and we have succeeded in living together in a decent way,” Cohen, said when presenting his election program on April 7. “Newcomers and inhabitants who, despite differences in religion, culture and tradition, choose a joint future.”

Bloomberg, 25 April 2010

Aylesbury Council accused of obstructing anti-racist carnival

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The committee organising a call for a peaceful celebration of Aylesbury’s diverse community on May 1st to challenge the ideas of the EDL condemned Aylesbury District Council’s lack of support for the event.

The planned carnival against racism, a music event with speakers from across Aylesbury’s diverse community, had received backing from Aylesbury’s town mayor, the Bishop of Buckingham, the Rabbi of South Bucks Jewish Community, the Racial Equality Council plus PCS, CWU, NUT and UNISON union branches. Organisers have been trying to negotiate a venue in Aylesbury town centre but have been denied council permission.

Julie Simmons of Love Music Hate Racism who has been booking rap artists, bands and DJs to play for free said: “We first approached the council nearly two weeks ago and it has been like getting blood out of a stone in terms of what we needed to do to hold our event – we have organised an event in this time and yet have hardly heard anything in response, though the council has not held back in telling everyone to stay at home.

“We found we had to ask exactly the right question to get an idea as to the process we had to follow. Absolutely nothing was volunteered. Today the Safety Advisory Group made it clear they would not be happy with our plans for a modest event, demanding a level of organisation more suggestive of Glastonbury. It was clear they don’t want the event to go ahead. Meanwhile a gang of known racist thugs can waltz into town and hold their event in Market Square without any objection.”

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BNP under fire over anti-Islamic leaflet

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A rabbi has branded an election leaflet put out by the British National Party as “blatantly Islamaphobic”. The leaflets have been sent to Jewish voters showing people dressed in Islamic clothing performing Nazi salutes and holding banners bearing anti-Semitic claims such as “God Bless Hitler”.

Rabbi David Hulbert, of Bet Tikvah Synagogue, Newbury Park, and a member of the borough’s Three Faiths Forum, which is a coalition between Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities, said: “It’s blatantly Islamaphobic. I really don’t think they will be picking up many votes from the Jewish community here.”

BNP Cllr Julian Leppert, who is hoping to regain his council seat for Hainault and is also standing as an MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, said the images on the leaflet were designed to be attention grabbing. He said: “We’re using this election to bury some of the myths about the British National Party. If you read the Jewish press, they are still banging on about the same old rubbish, saying we’re Nazis.”

Ilford Recorder, 23 April 2010

Well, you can understand how the Jewish press might come to that conclusion, can’t you?