Category Archives: Right wing

Harry’s Place applauds LSE for offering platform to anti-Muslim bigot who supports ethnic cleansing

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Benny MorrisOver at the Islamophobic blog Harry’s Place Michael Ezra can scarcely contain his excitement at the news that Israeli historian Benny Morris will be speaking at the London School of Economics tomorrow at the invitation of the LSE Middle East Centre. The organisers state: “The lecture will look at various aspects, some of them innovative, of the 1948 War, the first between the Arabs and Israel.”

Benny Morris is the man who, in a notorious interview with Haaretz in 2004 entitled “Survival of the fittest”, supported the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs in 1948 and only regretted that the Zionist leadership had not gone further.

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‘Spooks unmask burka death squads’ – Daily Star announces a ‘world exclusive’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Brit spooks have stopped SIXTY terror plots involving Black Widow bombers. Many of the Muslim women who were pulled in were carrying explosives, we can reveal. Other radicals as young as 17 had bomb materials stashed in their homes across the country.

The operation started when a dozen women in the London and Greater Manchester areas were picked up in security sweeps but allowed to go free. They were put under surveillance and led the spooks to more than 30 terror group leaders. But it is feared there are at least 20 of the Black Widow bombers still at large and ready to carry out their deadly missions.

A senior security source said: “The terrorists rely on a woman in a black flowing dress not being stopped. They can’t be searched easily because of their strict rules and it’s hard to see what they are hiding under their robes. A lot of people would think twice about searching them for fear of offending religious rules or being accused of sexual harassment or indecency.”

A senior security source has revealed that in the past year between 50 and 60 attacks have been averted after spies infiltrated Muslim terror cells.

Female suicide bombers have been used by the Taliban and rebels in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and by groups including the Tamil Tigers and Hamas to target civilians and soldiers.

Last year, two women bombed two Moscow subway stations killing at least 38 people and injuring over 60. Chechen “shahidkas” or Black Widows attacked Russian troops in Chechnya and were among a group that took 850 hostages in the Moscow theatre siege in 2002. The stand-off lasted two-and-a-half days. Russian forces killed 38 attackers and at least 129 hostages.

Daily Star on Sunday, 12 June 2011

Yet another anti-Muslim scare story from the Star. Of course, they provide no evidence at all that the security services have uncovered “sixty terror plots involving Black Widow bombers”. And if you read to the end of the report, the only quotes the Star‘s intrepid reporter can get from the police give no support to the story at all.

You do wonder what point there is in Richard Desmond formally distancing the Star from the English Defence League when this sort of irresponsible journalism feeds the culture of ignorant bigotry in which the racist far right can thrive and grow.

Casuals United Daily Star burka death squads story

‘Police covered up violent campaign to turn London area Islamic’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Undeterred by the fact that his shoddy journalism recently led to his employers apologising to the East London Mosque and removing his inaccurate report from their website, Andrew Gilligan returns to promoting his fantasy about the “Islamification” of Tower Hamlets in today’s Sunday Telegraph.

Predictably, this latest episode in Gilligan’s witch-hunt has been taken up by the EDL:

EDL Andrew Gilligan

Here are some of the comments from EDL supporters that the article has inspired. Gilligan must be really proud of himself.

EDL comments on Gilligan's Telegraph article

French Muslims use our cash to fight burkha ban (not)

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Express had two of its perennial bugbears – immigration and Europe – in its sights this morning when it reported that a Muslim couple that had settled in Britain were to use taxpayers’ cash to fight France’s burkha ban in the European Court of Human Rights.

Its headline boldly declared that: “French Muslims to use our cash to fight burkha ban.” The first paragraph fleshed this out in more detail: “A French Muslim couple sparked fury yesterday by using a free legal service paid for by British taxpayers to challenge their country’s controversial burkha ban.”

However readers able to splutter their way through to the end of the article might have noticed a slight problem: none of the story as told in the bulk of the article was actually accurate.

The Express includes a cursory quote at the end of its article explaining that the couple concerned were not actually receiving public money, as was loudly proclaimed in the headline.

It read: “But a Legal Services spokesman said that even if taxpayer-funded IAS lawyers were representing the couple, that service would not be paid for by legal aid. He added that they only gave legal aid to cases involving British law and concerned with immigration.”

While the Express no longer subscribes to the Press Complaints Commission, we hope its editors would agree that articles such as this mislead and misinform the paper’s readers. We will therefore be asking the Express to print a correction.

Full Fact, 10 June 2011

EDL swallows Express fairytale

Herman Cain would require Muslim appointees to take a special loyalty oath

Posted on by Bob Pitt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnm0x3xeH_M

In March, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain burst onto the presidential scene when he told ThinkProgress that he “will not” appoint Muslims in his administration.

Under intense pressure, Cain’s campaign walked back the candidate’s words, saying that he would appoint “any person for a position based on merit.” However, the next week, Cain hedged his retraction, telling the Orlando Sun Sentinel that he would only appoint a Muslim who disavowed Sharia law, but that “he’s unaware of any Muslim who’d be willing to make such a disavowal.”

On the Glenn Beck Show today, the host asked the Georgia Republican about his refusal to appoint Muslims. Cain told Beck that he would be willing to appoint a Muslim only “if they can prove to me that they’re putting the Constitution of the United States first.” Beck followed up by asking if he was calling for “some loyalty proof” for Muslims. Cain said, “Yes, to the Constitution of the United States of America.” When Beck then asked “Would you do that to a Catholic or would you do that to a Mormon?” Cain told the host, “Nope, I wouldn’t.”

BECK: You said you would not appoint a Muslim to anybody in your administration.

CAIN: The exact language was when I was asked, “would you be comfortable with a Muslim in your cabinet?” And I said, “no, I would not be comfortable.” I didn’t say I wouldn’t appoint one because if they can prove to me that they’re putting the Constitution of the United States first then they would be a candidate just like everybody else. My entire career, I’ve hired good people, great people, regardless of their religious orientation.

BECK: So wait a minute. Are you saying that Muslims have to prove their, that there has to be some loyalty proof?

CAIN: Yes, to the Constitution of the United States of America.

BECK: Would you do that to a Catholic or would you do that to a Mormon?

CAIN: Nope, I wouldn’t. Because there is a greater dangerous part of the Muslim faith than there is in these other religions. I know that there are some Muslims who talk about, “but we are a peaceful religion.” And I’m sure that there are some peace-loving Muslims.

Scott Keyes at Think Progress, 8 June 2011

Baroness Cox introduces anti-Sharia bill

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A new Bill has been introduced to Parliament to tackle the problem of Sharia courts in England and Wales.

Under the Bill, it will become a crime punishable by up to five years in prison to falsely claim legal jurisdiction over criminal or family law. The Bill was introduced to Parliament yesterday by Baroness Cox.

Lady Cox said: “Equality under the law is a core value of British justice. My Bill seeks to preserve that standard…. I am deeply concerned about the treatment of Muslim women by Sharia courts. We must do all that we can to make sure they are free from any coercion, intimidation or unfairness.”

The Bill is supported by a wide range of groups, including The Christian Institute and the National Secular Society.

Christian Institute news report, 8 June 2011

Yes, this is the same Baroness Cox who, together with Lord Pearson, invited Dutch far-right racist Geert Wilders to the House of Lords to show his Islamophobic film Fitna – an event that prompted a supportive demonstration by the English Defence League. So the idea that Cox is motivated by concern for the rights of Muslims, whether women or men, is frankly laughable.

Doctors asked to spot ‘patients at risk from Islamic radicalisation’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Doctors are to be drafted into the fight against terrorism by being asked to identify patients at risk of being drawn into violent extremism. The controversial move will be spelt out today by the Home Secretary, Theresa May, as she publishes the Government’s much-delayed strategy for combating extremism.

Plans to ask medical professionals to alert authorities about people vulnerable to radicalisation will alarm doctors’ groups, amid fears it could erode patient confidentiality.

Independent, 7 June 2011

See also the Daily Telegraph, 7 June 2011

The Guardian quotes a spokesperson for the British Medical Association as saying: “Doctors cannot look into the future and say how someone might behave. This would threaten the trust of the doctor and … patient relationship. A doctor’s role is to treat the patient in front of them, not predict how the patient will behave in future.”

Birmingham universities rubbish Theresa May’s claims of ‘complacency’ over extremism

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Two Birmingham universities have rubbished claims made by the Home Secretary of “complacency” in tackling radicalisation and Islamic extremism at UK universities.

Theresa May has criticised the establishments for their complacency and said they were “unwilling to recognise” that radicalisation could take place on campus. Her comments come ahead of the publication of the government’s revised Prevent counter-terrorism strategy, which is due to be released today.

The report is expected to name Birmingham as one of the 25 boroughs most “at risk” from Islamist extremism, along with areas of London, Leeds, Bradford and Manchester. It is also believed that the Government has identified 40 English universities where there could be a “particular risk” or radicalisation or recruitment on campus.

Mrs May’s claims were roundly rejected by Birmingham City University and the University of Birmingham, which said it took the threat of extremism “very seriously”.

A spokesman for the University of Birmingham said it worked with the police, student societies and community organisations to promote “good campus relations”. The spokesman said: “We respect the right of all individuals to exercise freedom of speech within the law. However, we will continue to actively challenge discrimination of any kind and strive to strike a balance that protects these freedoms and ensures vigilance against any forms of potential extremism.”

A Birmingham City University spokesman said: “We are confident that extremism is not a problem at this University; we offer a safe community for students, staff and visitors. We are fully informed on Home Office advice in this area and work closely with local agencies.”

A spokesman for Aston University said: “We feel fostering mutual respect and providing opportunities to discover more about different faiths and cultures is an extremely important step to helping avoid extremes of views.”

Birmingham Mail, 7 June 2011