Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Islamophobia is a threat to democracy

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The following letter appears in today’s Guardian:

We are concerned by the rise of Islamophobia, the negative coverage of Muslims in the media, the violent street mobilisations of extreme rightwing organisations like the English Defence League, and the rising electoral support for the British National party (The battle for Barking, Weekend, 13 March). Following Channel 4’s recent inflammatory documentary, Britain’s Islamic Republic, which saw concentrated attacks on the East London Mosque, the English Defence League marched through central London with placards including the demand “Close the East London Mosque now”.

The East End of London is not new to having its communities attacked by fascists and the media. The 1930s saw the Battle of Cable Street when Oswald Mosley’s blackshirts attempted to march into the Jewish community in the area. We cannot allow this terrible history to repeat itself. Further, the documentary, and articles since, have attacked the participation in politics by the Muslim community. We cannot stand by and watch this continue without remark or action.

In the runup to the general election, all parts of the population should be actively encouraged to exercise their votes. That is democracy. We welcome the work of organisations who work to this end. We call for solidarity and support for those organisations that work to encourage political participation from all sections of society, including Muslims, and condemn those who seek to undermine it.

Ken Livingstone
Bonnie Greer
Dr Abdul Bari Secretary general, Muslim Council of Britain
Brendan Barber General secretary, TUC
Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC
Dr. Edie Friedman Executive director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality
Diane Abbott MP
Neil Jameson Executive director, London Citizens
Jagtar Singh Sikh Secretariat
Tony Woodley Joint general secretary, Unite the Union
Bruce Kent
Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
Professor Eric Hobsbawm
Louise Christian Christian Khan solicitors
Billy Hayes General secretary, Communication Workers Union
Rabbi Lee Wax
Anas Altikriti Spokesperson, British Muslim Initiative
Caroline Lucas MEP
Professor Avi Shlaim
Lord Nazir Ahmed
Kate Hudson Chair, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Andrew Stunell MP
Ismail Patel Co-ordinator, YouElect
Claude Moraes MEP
Rev. Alan Green Chair, Tower Hamlets Interfaith forum
George Galloway MP
Musleh Faradhi Central president, Islamic Forum Europe
Jean Lambert MEP
Salma Yaqoob Leader, Respect party
Jenny Jones AM
Steve Hart Regional secretary, Unite London Region
Andrew Murray Chair, Stop the War
Bell Ribeiro-Addy NUS black students officer
Sabby Dhalu Joint secretary, Unite Against Fascism

Update:   Response from EDL here.

‘Why I was banned in the USA’ – Tariq Ramadan

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“It’s not the first time America has tried to shield itself from dissenting opinions. During the Cold War, dozens of overseas artists, activists, and intellectuals – including British novelist Doris Lessing, Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez – were denied visas because of their left-leaning ideas. Today, though, the American concept of the ‘other’ has taken on a relatively new and specific form: the Muslim. America must face the reality that, in the West, many adherents to Islam demonstrate loyalty to democratic values through criticism.”

Tariq Ramadan writes in Newsweek, 29 March 2010

Quebec passes law against veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The province of Quebec passed landmark legislation Wednesday that stipulates Muslim women will need to uncover their faces when dealing with Quebec government services.

The bill says people obtaining or delivering services at places such as health or auto insurance offices will need to do so with their faces in plain view. The law covers all garments ranging from the face veil to the burqa, a traditional head-to-toe veil worn by some Muslim women. It says people’s face-coverings will not be tolerated if they hinder communication or visual identification.

Premier Jean Charest told a news conference that the province was drawing a line in defense of gender equality and secular public institutions.

The Muslim Council of Montreal said there may be only around 25 Muslims in Quebec who actually wear face-coverings. Of the more than 118,000 visitors to the health board’s Montreal office in 2008-09 only 10 people – or less than 0.00009 percent of cases – involved women who wear face veils. There were no cases among the 28,000 visitors to the Quebec City service center over the same time period.

Salam Elmenyawi of the Muslim Council of Montreal questioned the need to legislate against such a small minority of the population. “It is a knee-jerk reaction to the opposition and vote-grabbing more than anything else,” he said, adding the law was unlikely to encourage integration of Muslim immigrants.

Associated Press, 25 March 2010

Update:  See comment piece in the National Post by one Barbara Kay, who writes:

“Chapeau, le Quebec! That means, ‘Hats off to you, Quebec.’ With the announcement of Bill 94, barring the niqab in publicly funded spaces, Quebec has dared to tread where the other provinces, feet bolted to the floor in politically correct anguish, cannot bring themselves to go…. Apart from the odd imam crying ‘Islamophobia!’ and a clutch of disgruntled fundamentalist Muslim husbands, all of us – separatists, federalists, left-wingers, right-wingers, Christians, atheists, democratic Muslims, francophones, anglophones, allophones – are happy a line in the sand has been drawn on reasonable accommodation…. It doesn’t matter if there are only 20 women in Quebec wearing the niqab. Even one is too many.”

How Sarkozy boosted the Front National

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“The debate over national identity engineered by Sarkozy’s UMP has seen Islamophobia reach a new pitch – at one point the party spokesperson compared the burka to a ‘Mickey Mouse mask’.

“Yet however shrill the scapegoating of Muslims, it has done nothing to obscure the government’s impotence in the face of serious social and economic problems. Moreover, the realisation that Sarkozy is not an enforcer but a rather insecure figure in thrall to wealth and celebrity, has strengthened the claims of Le Pen to be the real authority figure in French politics.

“Le Pen has therefore been able to pick up support from those disenchanted by Sarkozy, his credentials as an authoritarian alternative bolstered by the government’s legitimisation of the racism that dominated the FN campaign. At a time of economic crisis, with Islamophobia on the rise across Europe, the government has had to learn, like all its predecessors, that the far-right is strengthened, not isolated, when mainstream politicians pander to racism.”

Jim Wolfreys at Comment is Free, 24 March 2010

Muslim woman sues local leader of Wilders’ party

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Muslim woman from Almere is suing local Freedom Party leader Raymond de Roon for discrimination and inciting hatred.

One of the Freedom Party’s stated aims in Almere is a ban on headscarves in the council house and other publicly-funded institutions.

Ayse Bayrak-de Jager said: “I became a Muslim and I chose to wear a headscarf. My headscarf is part of my identity and I’m not taking it off. I only take my clothes off for one man and that’s my husband.”

Even though the Freedom Party is the largest party in Almere, it is by no means certain that the council will introduce a headscarf ban. Mr De Roon abandoned council talks last week when none of the other political parties was prepared to support his party on this issue.

Radio Netherlands, 22 March 2010

The battle of Bolton and the media

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Bolton

Anti-fascist protesters emerged victorious on Saturday after holding Bolton’s central Victoria Square against the racists from the English Defence League. But mainstream national media reports are presenting it as a contest between two violent groups – and blaming the anti-fascists for the violence.

Anti-fascists faced brutality from police with dogs and on horseback. There were over 60 arrests – 55 Unite Against Fascism and 9 EDL, according to Sky news – including UAF leader Weyman Bennett “on suspicion of conspiracy to commit violent disorder”. The police commander made disgraceful allegations about the protesters.

Video on the Bolton News website makes it clear, however, that the violence was not coming from the anti-fascists. It shows an elderly veteran of World War 2 who had joined the protest, and UAF stewards can be heard urging protestors to stay calm in the face of apparent police efforts to provoke a riot.

Continue reading →

Ask your MP to sign EDM 1079

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Please ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 1079 – Muslims in Britain.

You can do this easily by clicking on this link. It takes less than two minutes.

The motion follows rising concerns about negative portrayal of Muslims in sections of the media and anti-Muslim demonstrations by extreme right wing groups such as the English Defence League, which recently marched on Parliament demanding the closure of the East London Mosque. If they had singled out a Church or Synagogue, there would rightly be an outcry.

We believe the targeting of communities in this way is creating a climate of fear and division, and undermines civil liberties and the right to freedom of expression. The motion welcomes the contribution of Muslim communities and their full participation in British society, including in politics.

EDM 1079 – Muslims in Britain:

“That this House opposes the increased demonisation of Muslims in sections of the media; expresses its deep concern at the recent visit to the House of Lords by the far right politician Geert Wilders; condemns the English Defence League demonstration outside Parliament in support of Geert Wilders and their slogans and placards inciting hatred, such as their demand for the closure of the East London Mosque, that will only lead to a climate of fear, division and disharmony; welcomes the participation and contribution of Muslims in British society, including in politics; believes that the full participation of all communities in the forthcoming general election is in the interests of democracy.”

Take action and click here to urge your MP to sign this important motion.

‘Neo-Nazi granny’ is BNP candidate for Mayor of Lewisham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tess Culnane at NA meeting July 2005

A “vile” and racist party has announced its candidate for Lewisham borough’s mayoral election.

Tess Culnane, who previously ran unsuccessfully for the far-right National Front at the London Assembly, has now been named as the British National Party (BNP) candidate for Mayor of Lewisham.

Ms Culnane, a long-term resident of the borough, has also spoken at a meeting of the British People’s Party (BPP), an extreme-right group which supports repatriation of immigrants and banning abortion.

The party sells busts of Adolf Hitler for £15 on its website, along with books on the Ku Klux Klan.

In a speech on the internet, Miss Culnane talks of people being “infected” with multiculturalism and speaks about an “invasion” of Britain.

News Shopper, 15 March 2010

Update:  See “Joint statement condemns BNP ‘race hate'”, News Shopper, 22 March 2010