Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Principal reassigned over Islam presentation

Posted on by Bob Pitt

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — A junior high school principal who allowed a group to make a presentation about Islam to students is no longer on the job. Robin Lowe “has accepted another administrative position effective immediately,” the school district said in a statement late Wednesday.

Lowe was the principal of Friendswood Junior High when the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Houston gave a presentation described as “Islam 101” to about 875 seventh- and eighth-grade students last month, the district said.

Council president Tarek Hussein said he contacted Lowe about the educational presentation after hearing from a father who said his son was physically attacked at the school because he is Muslim. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim students often get teased and called terrorists, Hussein pointed out. But community members and parents of children at the predominantly Anglo and Christian school complained about the assembly.

David Bradley, a member of the State Board of Education whose district includes Friendswood, said parents have been contacting him to express outrage about the presentation. He said an assembly about Islam was a waste of tax dollars and was not an appropriate response to an attack on a student.

“There’s a personal incident between two students and as a result of that we’re going to yank everyone out of class?” he said. “I got beat up in junior high. Did my dad go down and force all the kids to sit through sensitivity training in their P.E. class? No, that’s absurd. The coach gave us licks and sent us home. That was the end of those incidents.”

Houston Chronicle, 4 June 2008

Update:  See “R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Religious persecution, not lessons in tolerance and diversity, should spark outrage”, Houston Chronicle, 7  June 2008

And “Friendswood principal backed in Islam flap”, Houston Chronicle, 10 June 2008

Muslim in call centre abuse wins £20,000

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Muslim worker at a call centre based at the home of Rangers Football Club in Glasgow has been awarded more than £20,000 for racial and religious discrimination, after colleagues abused him for complaining about how they treated Irish and ethnic-minority callers.

James Lipka, 58, who worked for the Student Loans Company and Rangers Projects from Glasgow-based Response Handling’s call centre in Ibrox Stadium, complained that workers handling calls for the football club would mimic the accent of Northern Irish callers phoning to buy match tickets. Mr Lipka, who is Polish, said comments were frequently made suggesting the Irish callers were stupid. He also claimed call handlers regularly made racist comments regarding those calling about student loans.

Mr Lipka’s father came to the UK from Poland during the Second World War as a member of the Free Polish Army. His ancestors were Mongol Tartars, who had gone to live in Poland in the 14th century and retained their Islamic religion.

The abusive comments at his workplace got worse after the bombings in London on 7 July, 2005, with some of the agents becoming openly hostile towards Muslims. The abuse lasted until he left Response Handling in August 2006, but the company denied there had been any racist or religious comments.

In his written judgment yesterday, an employment tribunal judge, Stewart Watt, said: “The tribunal has no doubt that this conduct, viewed in any reasonable way, must have the objective effect of violating Mr Lipka’s dignity and creating an intimidating hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.”

Scotsman, 3 June 2008

Muslim leader’s protest at police ‘spy tactics’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Osama Saeed (4)Strathclyde police are facing accusations that it operates a covert intelligence monitoring unit which is infringing the rights of Muslims, after the force launched an investigation into claims that a group of Asians on a clay pigeon shoot had behaved “like terrorists”.

Osama Saeed, chief executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, has written to Strathclyde’s chief constable, Stephen House, expressing concern at the way Special Branch officers are questioning Asians about their lifestyles, religious and political beliefs and internet activities. He added that the continued use of the tactics would lead to “further marginalisation of Muslims”, and is already leading some to think twice about practising their beliefs for fear that police will disrupt their lives.

His comments came as one solicitor claimed police have also been secretly “recruiting” Muslims to provide information about their community in return for payments.

The 10-strong shooting party were questioned informally at their homes and businesses by two policemen a year after their November 2006 trip to Kypeside Farm, an activity centre near Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire. The officers, believed to be from Special Branch, were reacting to a tip-off from a member of the public who claimed the group had been overheard discussing “shooting AK-47 rifles in Pakistan”.

The 29-year-old trip organiser, who declined to be identified, said: “They wanted the names of my family and friends and my thoughts on Afghanistan, Iraq and what I would do if I encountered an extremist at my mosque. I replied that I didn’t think I would go to them because they were so ignorant, but would speak to the imam.

“I had my solicitor present, who told me that it was no coincidence several men were standing trial for involvement in a terror camp in the Lake District. It hadn’t even crossed my mind what we did could be seen as terrorist activity and I found it very sinister.”

Sunday Herald, 1 June 2008

Stop the War Coalition public meetings

Posted on by Bob Pitt

DEFENDING THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Stop the War has organised a series of rallies to defend the Muslim community, starting next week. If one of these rallies is being held in your area, please attend and publicise as widely as you can.
PUBLIC MEETINGS:  RACISM, THE WAR ON TERROR AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY

* LONDON Tuesday June 3, 7PM. Speakers: Moazam Begg, George Galloway, Anas Al-Tikriti, Chris Nineham, Louise Christian, David Edgar. Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London EC2M. Nearest tube, Liverpool Street.

* BIRMINGHAM: Wednesday June 4, 7PM. Speakers: Terry Eagleton, Anas Al-Tikriti, Salma Yaqoob, Andrew Murray. Bordesely Centre, Stratford Road, Camp Hill Roundabout.

* MANCHESTER: Thursday June 5. Speakers: Moazzam Begg, David Edgar, Nahella Asraf. Friends Meeting House.

* BLACKBURN: Wednesday June 11, 7PM. Speakers: Alice Mahon, Anas Al-Tikriti, Chris Nineham. Blackburn Central Library, Hornby Lecture Theatre.

* LEEDS: Thursday June 12, 7PM. Speakers: Alice Mahon, Anas Al-Tikriti, Chris Nineham. Leeds Islamic Centre, Spencer Place, Chapeltown, LS7.

* GLASGOW AND EDINBURGH: Details not yet available. See http://www.stopwar.org.uk for updates.

A reply to the Church of England Newspaper

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The following letter was published in the Church of England Newspaper, 30 May 2008:

Sir, In a time of fear and polarisation, Christians must avoid both the political right’s shrill paranoia and the liberal left’s naive secular arrogance.

Sadly, your leader (“Religious trends and our religious future“, May 23) falls into the former trap, with predictions of the UK as “an Islamic nation” and talk of concessions to Muslim “demands”.

Ironically, the supporting anecdotes, seemingly culled from the front pages of the Mail and Express, undermine the overall claim of a Muslim “advance”. The hospital bed story you cite, for example, was slammed as “entirely inaccurate” by the hospital in question.

We would not accept the same deluge of sensationalistic smears, generalisations and hate speech about any other race or religion. There is a humble yet honest conversation to be had between Christians and Muslims in Britain, but comments like these do not help.

Ben White

Act now to stop deportation of Hicham Yezza

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Free HichSTOP THE ATTACKS ON MUSLIMS
ACT NOW TO STOP DEPORTATION OF HICHAM YEZZA

As the “war on terror” unravels, attacks on the Muslim community are increasing alarmingly. Almost every day the tabloid press carries scurrilous stories about Muslims. College authorities are suppressing Muslim groups and curtailing academic freedoms. Prominent intellectuals regularly denounce Islam. The government is trying to extend powers of detention without trial for ‘terrorist suspects’. All this threatens to create a divisive and dangerous atmosphere in Britain.

What happened to Hicham Yezza and Rizwaan Sabir is a frightening example of where this official hysteria can lead. Yessir works at Nottingham University, where his friend Sabir is a student. When, as part of his research into political Islam, Sabir downloaded from the internet an Al Quaeda training manual, he emailed it to Hicham and – unable to afford the cost of printing – asked him to print it. The university authorities informed the police, who immediately arrested the two friends under the Terrorism Act.

They were held without charge for six days, their homes searched, their computers seized and friends and family interrogated. Upon release, Hicham was re-arrested under unrelated immigration charges. Although he was initially given a hearing date for 16 July, he was served with a deportation notice last Friday, which informed him he was to be removed on Sunday 1 June on flight BA894 from Heathrow to Algiers. Campaigners have been mobilising to prevent his deportation and last Wednesday held a demonstration at the University of Nottingham, attended by up to 500 people.

Stop the War is urging its supporters to support the campaign to prevent this deportation by:

1) Most urgently, using the model letter (http://tinyurl.com/4a6va7) or write one yourself and e-mail and/or fax it the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith before 5pm today. Quote Home Office reference number Y76064.

Jacqui Smith has the power to stop Hicham’s deportation
* Telephone: 020 7035 0198
* Fax: 020 7035 0900
* Email: indpublicenquiries@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

2) Before 5pm today, use the template provided by the campaign to fax the deportation centre where Hicham is being held: http://tinyurl.com/3w8sm7

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO CONTACT THE DEFENCE CAMPAIGN:
WEBSITE: http://freehichamyezza.wordpress.com
EMAIL: staffandstudents@googlemail.com
PHONE: 07948590262

UPDATE:  At 12.30 hours today, an application to the High Court in London was issued seeking a judicial review of the decisions of the Home Office in this matter. The removal directions set for Sunday 1st June have now been cancelled by the Home Office, and an application will be made to them this afternoon for Mr Yezza to be released while his case is reconsidered. David Smith, of Cartwright King solicitors in Nottingham, says “We hope and trust that the Home Office will now release Mr Yezza and reconsider his case properly and in accordance with the law; we will proceed vigorously with the High Court action unless they agree to do so.”

Stop the Deportation of Hicham Yezza campaign press release, 30 May 2008

See also “Deportation plan to be reviewed”, BBC News, 31 May 2008

State surveillance of US mosques challenged

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A report that mosques in Los Angeles and San Diego are under federal surveillance has resurrected fears in the Muslim community about government monitoring and led two civil rights groups Wednesday to call for congressional hearings.

The request for public hearings followed a newspaper article last week that cited FBI and Defense Department files pertaining to surveillance of mosques and Muslims in Southern California.

Corey Saylor, Washington spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune “has again raised concerns that our community is being watched.” “We’ve heard about this in the past, but this article appears to be the first confirmation that surveillance is taking place,” Saylor said. “Has faith moved from a personal choice to probable cause?”

Council chapters in Anaheim and San Diego joined the American Civil Liberties Union and Islamic Shura Council of Southern California in asking the U.S. House and Senate judiciary committees and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for hearings. In a letter to the committee chairmen and ranking minority members, the groups said hearings are needed to determine the extent of the surveillance and whether people are being monitored because they are Muslim.

Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2008

School ban sparks Belgian hijab campaign

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Belgian hijab campaignBRUSSELS — The decision of a Brussels school to deny Muslim girls the right to wear hijab has motivated them to champion a protest campaign, the latest episode of the hijab debate in the European country.

“The hijab ban has no ground and the administration offered no explanation and did not consult with teachers or parents,” reads a petition circulated by Muslim students in the Institut des Ursulines in the Brussels borough of Molenbeek.

The Catholic school, where Muslims comprise some 85 percent of the students, has decided to ban hijab starting the next academic year. The controversial decision promoted Muslim students to launch a protest campaign, including a rally outside the school, which is located in an area with a large Muslim population.

“The decision, a violation of women rights, is unacceptable,” says the petition. “It has caused us much distraction during our exam period and will threaten the educational future of tens of students next year. It was never reported before that the hijab has caused any disruption of the educational process.”

Many students have already announced they will leave the school if forced to take off their hijab.

Islam Online, 28 May 2008

Muslim women say company’s dress code violates faith

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A group of Muslim workers allege they were fired by a New Brighton tortilla factory for refusing to wear uniforms that they say were immodest by Islamic standards. Six Somali women claim they were ordered by a manager to wear pants and shirts to work instead of their traditional Islamic clothing of loose-fitting skirts and scarves, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil liberties group that is representing the women. The women have filed a religious discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Minneapolis Star Tribune, 27 May 2008

See also CAIR press release, 27 May 2008