A university Islamic Society said it is shocked one of its centres is to close. The centre at the University of East Anglia is used for Friday prayers and is often visited by students at other times of the week. The university said that the arrangement was always temporary and that permission had now lapsed.
Mohammed Patel, of the Islamic Society, said no-one knew closure was imminent and claimed a multi-faith chaplaincy was too small.
James Macintyre examines the double standards behind the prime minister’s differential treatment of Sayeeda Warsi and Jeremy Hunt.
If anything, Macintyre is too soft in his criticism of what to any independent observer looks like the result of blatant anti-Muslim bigotry directed against Warsi by the Tory right. Recent articles in the Sunday Telegraph (see here and here), trying to associate Warsi with Hizb ut-Tahrir, are in the classic tradition of Islamophobic witch-hunting. It’s only surprising that Andrew Gilligan isn’t on the case.
The EDL have delightedly posted a link to a Sky news report of their members attacking a “Stuff the Jubilee party” in Newcastle earlier today. This despite a clear statement in the report that “Nazi salutes and chants” were directed against the anti-Jubilee protestors by the EDL.
There is also video footage of an EDL supporter throwing a firecracker, which apparently hit one of the anti-Jubilee crowd, burning his hair, much to the pleasure of his attackers, who admitted in gloating Facebook comments to throwing bottles as well.
The EDL’s football hooligan division, Casuals United, has posted a short report too, making no attempt to hide the fact that the EDL organised the demonstration in co-operation with the Infidels breakaway group, with whom the EDL had supposedly severed links due to the Infidels’ neo-Nazi sympathies.
A website dedicated to following the New York City Police Department published a document Monday detailing Islamic schools, NGOs, mosques, student associations, and persons of interest that were monitored by the NYPD in 2006 as part of its secret and legally questionable program to spy on Muslims.
As a child, Kasim Hafeez often heard his father praising Adolf Hitler, lamenting only the Nazi tyrant’s failure to kill even more Jews during World War II.
A son to a British family of Pakistani origin, he grew up in a fundamentalist Muslim community that called for the destruction of all Jews and taught him to believe that that Israel is a terror state.
But after years of taking part in anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic activity, Hafeez’s beliefs took an unexpected 180-degree turn. The man who now calls himself “a proud Muslim Zionist” has arrived in Israel for a four-day visit on Saturday as part of his effort to battle misinformation about the Jewish state.
By the end of Marked for Death, we see what Wilders is leading up to – a horrifying vision of a fortress Europe, defending “freedom” through the deployment of totalitarian state powers to expunge Islam from the continent. His recommendations are reminiscent of the discriminatory social control measures taken against Jews and other minorities under Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Wilders, of course, is careful to disavow violence and reiterate he hates Islam, not Muslims. But it is difficult to deny the implicitly violent subtext of his sweeping proposals, including a halt to all Muslim immigration, payments to settled immigrants to leave, cessation of building of mosques, and taxation of Muslim religious practices such as the headscarf. Most disturbing is his endorsement of Israeli-style “administrative detention” (indefinite internment without trial on security grounds) in Europe as part of criminal operations in Muslim communities; not to mention the forcible deportation of tens of millions of Muslims from Europe for “thinking” about “crime” or “Shari’ah”.
Yasmin Qureshi and Nafeez Ahmed examine the political programme presented in Geert Wilders’ Marked for Death: Islam’s War Against the West and Me.
A high-flying businessman was hauled before the court for a tirade of religious abuse at a Muslim immigration official waiting to check his passport.
Anthony Holt, 65, had become wound up after reading an article in the Daily Mail about the “victimisation of Christianity” on a flight into Manchester. When he landed, the retired consultant refused to go through a desk where Sayima Mohammed was on duty.
He astonished witnesses by pointing at her and saying: “I don’t want to be seen by that. I don’t want to be seen by any Muslim in a position of authority. I want to be seen by someone who’s English. This is England. This is my country. I’m not into all this Islam.”
As Ms Mohammed burst into tears, her colleagues refused to check Mr Holt’s documents and ordered him to calm down. When police arrived, Holt turned his attention to a cop, saying: “That’s Islam. I’m not going to that. This is my country.” The 15-minute row only ended when he was arrested.
A leading figure from Redditch Mosque has praised residents for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the town’s Asian community following a demonstration by the English Defence League.
Hafiz Ghulam Rasool, head of education at Central Jamia Masjid-E-Noor (Redditch Mosque Trust), expressed pride in the Redditch community, particularly the hundreds of people from all faiths and sections of society who joined a counter-demonstration against the 40 or so EDL members police estimate turned up to protest in Church Green on Saturday (May 26).
“We know Redditch is a diverse community both cohesive and integrated with no racial tensions. Our Mosque members feel the people in Redditch generally are friendly, co-operative and supportive, making it a fabulous part of the United Kingdom to live in.
“Together we need to unite against and resist, counter and refute these mongers of hate to maintain our exemplary social cohesion and keep our town free from their hatred and their scare mongering tactics,” he said.
“Our appreciation goes out to all the people of Redditch community for their thoughtfulness and for many of them partaking in the much larger and peaceful counter demonstration with the most respectful and highly dignified conduct that is a tribute to all of us.”
He added with the Diamond Jubilee, European Championships, Olympics and the month of Ramadhan coming up he hoped it would provide an “arc of unity”. An event to celebrate Redditch’s diversity is also being planned.
Kevin Dicks, chief executive of Redditch Borough Council who watched the largely peaceful protest unfold from West Mercia Police headquarters, said: “We have a really diverse community here in Redditch and one we are proud of. We want to work with the community over the coming weeks and months to organise something that is a celebration of Redditch.”
The statement in full:
We primarily thank the West Mercia Police, local authority and partner agencies for ensuring that the EDL March came to pass with only a handful of low level of isolated incidents. This was due to the success of the controls and security put in place by the timely strategic planning, public consultations and effective running of operations on the day.
We know that Redditch is a diverse community both cohesive and integrated with no racial tensions. Our Mosque members feel that the people in Redditch generally are friendly, cooperative and supportive and making it a fabulous part of the United Kingdom to live in. Together we need to unite against and resist, counter and refute these mongers of hate to maintain our exemplary social cohesion and keep our town free from their hatred and their scare mongering tactics.
Our appreciation goes out to all the people of Redditch community for their thoughtfulness and for many of them partaking in the much larger and peaceful counter demonstration with the most respectful and highly dignified conduct that is a tribute to all of us.
The Redditch community has always done us proud and truly celebrates our diversity by recently twinning Redditch with the city of Gujar Khan in Pakistan.
Hopefully the forthcoming Queens Golden Jubilee, the European Cup, Olympics and the month of Ramadhan with its many Eid festivals will universally cascade an arc of unity highlighting a rainbow of nations and races in peaceful existence that reflect the true spirit of Britain and the global world we live in today. Many of us will be planning our holidays to the very countries of origin of the many minority communities residents of Redditch that contribute towards its diversity. All divine faiths preach a message of tolerance, peace and harmony with universal human values especially safeguarding the honour and dignity of our neighbours and communities.
Finally we continue to feel proud of our town particularly its social administration and residents that reinforces a positive sense of community that we are committed to pass onto our future generations.
Hafiz Ghulam Rasool
Head Of Education
Central Jamia Masjid-E-Noor (Redditch Mosque Trust)
Redditch Standard, 1 June 2012
The sentencing of a group of English Defence League (EDL) supporters was adjourned for a second time after the man dubbed their “commander” collapsed in court.
Judge Norman Wright postponed the Preston Crown Court case after being told Bernard Holmes [pictured, in chicken costume] was lying “semi comatose” in the public gallery yesterday.