Category Archives: Right wing

More BS from Bindel

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Julie-BindelYou might have thought that a feminist journalist would welcome the elevation of Caroline Lucas to the leadership of the Green Party and her election as the party’s first MP. But not Julie Bindel. In a piece of monumental ignorance published in Standpoint Magazine, Bindel writes:

“Lucas says she is a feminist. Yet she has shared a platform with those who believe that adulterous females should be stoned to death. In 2004, Lucas supported the International Network Assembly for the Protection of Hijab (Pro-Hijab), which was formed in response to proposed headscarf bans in France and parts of Germany. Its aim was to ‘dispel myths about the hijab’ to lobby to reverse bans already brought in and to prevent more ‘abuses of democracy’ being imposed. Lucas joined the former Respect MP George Galloway and London’s ex-mayor Ken Livingstone on the platform at the assembly’s publicly-funded City Hall launch.

“The guest of honour was Livingstone’s old friend Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, who has spoken in favour of female genital mutilation, wife-beating, the execution of homosexuals in Islamic states, the destruction of the Jewish people, the use of suicide bombs against innocent civilians and the blaming of rape victims who do not dress modestly.”

There is barely a word of this that is accurate. Neither Caroline Lucas nor George Galloway was on the platform at the Pro-Hijab launch in City Hall in July 2004, and there certainly were no speakers who believed that “adulterous females should be stoned to death”. As for Qaradawi he is opposed to genital mutilation and wife-beating, doesn’t believe that homosexuals should be executed, that the Jewish people should be detroyed or that suicide bombing against innocent civilians is justified, and he has never blamed rape victims for not dressing modestly.

But what can you expect from a writer who finds it reprehensible that “Lucas supports a boycott of Israeli goods”, and who has been applauded by fascists for promoting their racist myth about “Asian grooming”? Looks to me like Bindel is bidding to become the UK equivalent of Phyllis Chesler.

Merkel honours anti-Muslim cartoonist

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Merkel and WestergaardGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has defended Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad caused anger in 2006. A depiction of Muhammad’s turban as a fused bomb sparked global outrage when it was published in Denmark.

Presenting him with a press freedom award, Mrs Merkel said Mr Westergaard was entitled to draw his caricatures. “Europe is a place where a cartoonist is allowed to draw something like this,” she said.

Germany’s Central Muslim Council (ZMD) criticised Ms Merkel for attending the award ceremony. A ZMD spokesman, Aiman Mazyek, told public broadcaster Deutschlandradio that the Chancellor was honouring someone “who in our eyes kicked our prophet, and therefore kicked all Muslims”. He said giving Mr Westergaard the prize in a “highly charged and heated time” was “highly problematic”.

BBC News, 8 September 2010

Perhaps Merkel might like to follow this up by promoting an exhibition of caricatures from Der Stürmer – all in the interests of celebrating Europe’s commitment to freedom of expression, you understand.

Qaradawi calls for peaceful protests against Burn a Koran Day

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Qaradawi2The International Union of Islamic Scholars has urged Muslims to react peacefully to the planned burning of copies of the Holy Quran by a small church in the US on the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on Saturday.

The head of the Union, Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi, in a statement yesterday called on fellow Muslims to protest in a peaceful manner and seek legal recourse against the group. “The man who has given the deplorable call and his group must be prosecuted,” said Dr Qaradawi. “The call is against the teachings of Christianity.”

The Doha Centre for Interfaith Dialogue has also condemned the call and said it reflected extremism and ignorance and ran contrary to the basic tenets of Christianity. “Christianity preaches peace and peaceful coexistence,” said Dr Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, the centre’s chairman.

The Peninsula, 9 September 2010

The problem with Qaradawi’s proposal that pastor Terry Jones should be prosecuted is that the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech, has been used to prevent the introduction of laws against incitement to hatred. Indeed, in the US it is possible to incite not only hatred but even violence against Muslims, as long as the call to violence remains generalised. So opponents of Jones’s vile behaviour do not in fact have any legal recourse.

It’s also worth considering what would happen in the UK if someone were to repeat Jones’s actions here. The reality is that a successful prosecution would be impossible under the existing religious hatred law, as it would be necessary to prove that the individual intended to incite hatred against Muslims, which they would certainly deny, and that the words and actions should be threatening, which they would not be.

On the other hand, if someone were to incite hatred against the Jewish community in the UK by erecting signs reading “Judaism is of the Devil”, burning copies of the Torah and claiming that Jews are the agents of Satan, then that individual could be successfully prosecuted – because Jews are defined as a mono-ethnic faith group and are therefore covered by the law against incitement to racial hatred, which requires neither proof of intent nor that incitement should take the form of threats.

Amsterdam VVD leader opposes deal with Wilders

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Eric van der Burg, leader of the right-wing Liberal VVD in Amsterdam, is against his party forming a new government with Geert Wilders’ anti-Islam PVV, local tv station AT5 reports.

“The PVV says things about large parts of the Netherlands and large parts of Amsterdam which I do not recognise. That is the main reason I say ‘you should not want to work with the PVV’.”

The national VVD, Christian Democrats and PVV are hoping to soon restart talks on forming a right-wing government.

Dutch News, 9 September 2010

Jones calls off Qur’an burning

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Terry Jones cartoon

A Florida pastor Thursday called off his controversial plan to burn copies of the Quran on the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.

The Rev. Terry Jones of the Gainesville, Florida-based Dove World Outreach Center, standing with a Florida Muslim leader, also said the imam who planned a mosque and Islamic center near ground zero in New York has agreed to move it to another location. But the imam who appeared with him said that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf in New York agreed to speak with Jones about possibly moving the center.

A spokesman from Soho Properties told CNN producer Vivienne Foley that “the Muslim community center called Park51 in lower Manhattan is not being moved.”

CNN, 9 September 2010

Update:  See “Quran burning on again? Florida pastor says maybe”, MSNBC, 9 September 2010

And “Fla. pastor, imam at odds over Quran-burning deal”, Washington Post, 10 September 2010

Also “No deal made to halt Quran burning, Muslim leader says”, CNN, 10 September 2010

‘Burn a Koran Day’ will go ahead, says Dove World Outreach Center leader

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Burn a Koran Day 2

An evangelical pastor’s plans to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of September 11 will put soldiers’ lives at risk, the US has warned.

Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville in Florida, says the event will “remember those who were brutally murdered” and send a warning “to the radical element of Islam”. But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the idea a “disrespectful, disgraceful act”.

Others in the Obama administration weighed in against the proposed burning, including Attorney General Eric Holder, who called it idiotic and dangerous. Mrs Clinton said: “I am heartened by the clear, unequivocal condemnation of this disrespectful, disgraceful act that has come from American religious leaders of all faiths.”

The White House has echoed calls from General David Petraeus, the top US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, for the event to be cancelled. Spokesman Robert Gibbs said: “Any type of activity like that that puts our troops in harm’s way would be a concern to this administration.”

General Petraeus says the image of the burning could have a similar impact to photos of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib jail, making targets of Americans around the world. He said it could “endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort” in Afghanistan.

Pastor Jones said he took General Petraeus’s words seriously but decided to push ahead with the burning. He said: “Instead of us being blamed for what other people will do or might do, why don’t we send a warning to them? Why don’t we send a warning to radical Islam and say, don’t do it. If you attack us, if you attack us, we will attack you.”

The Attorney General has met religious leaders from different faiths to discuss how to stem a wave of Islamophobia which has risen since plans were unveiled to build an Islamic cultural centre close to Ground Zero in New York.

“Having spoken to many families across the country over the last few weeks, I have heard many Muslim Americans say they have never felt this anxious or this insecure in America since directly after September 11,” said Ingrid Mattson, head of the Islamic Society of North America.

Sky News, 8 September 2010

See also “Owner of land with Quran-burning sign doesn’t ‘know what the big fuss is'”, Gainesville Sun, 7 September 2010

Petraeus’s condemnation of Burn a Koran Day is ‘recipe for surrender’, say Islamophobes

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Matt Gertz examines the response by Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer and Frank Gaffney to General Petraeus’s statement that Texas pastor Terry Jones’ plan to burn copies of the Qur’an will undermine efforts to combat terrorism and lead to a violent backlash against US troops.

Media Matters for America, 8 September 2010

Dudley Muslim Association to go ahead with Hall Street development after failing to find alternative site

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Muslim leaders are going ahead with a controversial multi-million pound mosque in Dudley town centre after abandoning hopes an alternative site will be found.

The Dudley Muslim Association says it has “no choice” but to prepare a full planning application for a mosque and community centre on land in Hall Street. Chairman Khurshid Ahmed said members could not wait any longer. They have decided to pursue the Hall Street proposal, which is expected to cost up to £1 2million and for which outline planning permission has already been secured. Detailed plans must be in by July next year.

The news is a hammer blow to Dudley Council. It has been involved in months of delicate negotiations with the DMA over Hall Street, which has attracted huge protests. The authority claimed in May the DMA had agreed to ditch the scheme in favour of a scaled down proposal in Castle Hill. The Castle Hill proposal was later ruled out sparking a fresh search for new sites.

Mr Ahmed said today: “We have no choice but to go ahead and make a full planning application for Hall Street. I’m very disappointed the council have not been able to come up with a viable alternative which would have resolved the issue.”

Express & Star, 7 September 2010

And note the comments that follow the report. There are a few individuals arguing in defence of the development, but they are outnumbered by the usual crowd of bigots:

“so the wishes of the Dudley majority christian population go ignored”

“problem is if you disagree with the muslim faith your a racist, just remember voters who to vote for next time eh”

“Got to think of the future majority population and their vote. IT WILL BE BUILT”

“no need for anymore mosques there are far too many in this country as it is”

“As their number increase,then so does the need to build more mosques”

“If this mosque is built it will be like the new mecca and thousands of muslims will move into Dudley and surrounding areas”

“If this goes ahead then it shows Councils and the Government are not for the indignous population. Why should one faith cause so much trouble for the majority? Why should their demands be continually met, yet those of others ignored. And why is one minority so demanding and intent in destroying their ‘host’ homeland?”

“NO MORE MOSQUES !!!!!”

“Im sorry but this is just wrong, what has a muslim mosque and community centre got to do with the black country roots……… Nothing!!!!”

“NO ! NO ! NO ! NO ! No more mosques – Full stop”

“The best site would be in Mecca!”

Jamie Glazov loves Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Over at Pajamas Media, in a piece entitled “The disastrous consequences of Muslim inbreeding”, FrontPage Magazine editor Jamie Glazov indignantly rejects accusations of Islamophobia. The subject of the article, he asserts, “is not evidence, as we are often inanely accused of by the left, that we harbor a hatred of Muslims –but very much the opposite. We are operating out of a pro-Muslim disposition and a love of the Muslim people”.