Category Archives: UK

Exhibition will combat myths about Islam

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Europe’s biggest exhibition of modern-day Islam will take place in London a year after the 7 July bombings in an effort to depict the religion in a positive light.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, is set to launch the event which hopes to “combat the myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings of Islam”. IslamExpo will consist of a series of exhibitions on Islam’s cultural heritage, lectures, debates, films, stand-up comedy and workshops at Alexandra Palace. Organisers plan to invite survivors of the Tube attacks to attend with a special commemoration on the day.

It is hoped that the event will help to improve relations between Britain’s 1.8 million Muslims and the wider community.

Independent, 23 January 2006

For details of Islam Expo, see here.

For the thoughtful comments of Jihad Watch supporters, see here.

More misrepresentation of Manji

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Another puff piece for Irshad Manji, who is apparently a leader of “reform-minded Muslims”.

Sunday Times, 22 January 2006

This despite the fact that Manji is almost universally loathed by Muslims, including the most “reform-minded” of her co-religionists. On the other hand, Manji is greatly admired by the likes of Melanie Phillips and Daniel Pipes.

And while the Murdoch press is happy to promote Manji, it has no hesitation in also publishing articles entitled “How my neighbourhood was lost to the multiculture“.

Christian-Muslim Forum and Islam Expo seek to build bridges

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to host the inaugural meeting and formal launch tomorrow of a new Christian-Muslim Forum in the UK. The event coincides with the unveiling in London today of what is claimed to be Europe’s largest-ever exhibition to “combat the myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings of Islam” – headed up by the Muslim envoy who has been seeking the release of four Christian Peacemaker Teams activists in Iraq.

Ekklesia news report, 23 January 2006

Muriel Gray on the dangers of Islamic education

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“To conduct oneself properly as an adherent Muslim, one must obey the Koran and guidance of the prophet Muhammed. With regard to artistic endeavours, he was unambiguous about Allah’s will. It is haram (forbidden) for a Muslim to make a drawn or modelled representation of any animate living thing, as Allah’s creations must not be imitated by the hand of man. Trees, flowers and landscape are fine, say the scholars, but humans, birds and animals are out. It is also haram to make or listen to music for pleasure, or to dance for pleasure or artistic expression. It is haram to view filmed or theatrical images of entertainment or read ‘un-Islamic’ literature.”

Muriel Gray explains why a state-funded Catholic primary school in Glasgow, 90% of whose pupils are from Muslim families, should not be allowed to become a state-funded Muslim school.

Sunday Herald, 22 January 2006

Update:  For Osama Saeed’s response, See Rolled Up Trousers, 23 January 2006

Gay Muslims object to negative Channel 4 portrayal

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Imaan, the support group for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Muslims are featured in the Channel 4 documentary Gay Muslims, produced by Love Productions, which is being broadcast on Monday, 23rd January at 8.00pm.

“Imaan wish to make it clear that its participation in the documentary was NOT made in partnership or consultation with the group – the largest and longest established LGBT Muslim group in the UK and Europe. Indeed Imaan tried very hard to obtain editorial input but Love Productions refused. Instead they appeared more interested, from the outset, in casting gay Muslims in a negative and inaccurate light.

“Contrary to the angle of the documentary most of the LGBT Muslim community do not lead ‘tortuous, secret lives’ but are happy balanced individuals who are supported by a growing LGBT Muslim community and increasingly by the wider gay AND Muslim communities in this country and abroad.”

Imaan press release, 21 January 2006

And have Peter Tatchell and Outrage rallied to support Imaan on this issue? No, of course not – they’re more interested in staging stupid provocations like this.

More Islamophobic crap from Tribune

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tribune joins the witch-hunt against Adam Yosef. Deputy editor Barckley Sumner mainly restricts himself to parroting Outrage’s stupid press release portraying Adam Yosef as a violent racist homophobe. But Sumner goes further, suggesting that Adam Yosef’s NUJ card should be withdrawn. Yosef’s article on Birmingham Pride is of course entirely ignored, as it wouldn’t fit in with Sumner’s own bigotry. Unfortunately this is par for the course with Tribune. We have already drawn attention to the magazine’s recent disgraceful attack on the Muslim Association of Britain. Sumner and his friends appear intent on destroying any remaining credibility the Labour Party has among British Muslims.

Continue reading →

Fascist predicted London bombings claim

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nazi scumMedia coverage of the trial of fascist supremo Nick Griffin is not exactly helpful. The Times reports yesterday’s court proceedings under the headline “BNP chief predicted an Islamist attack on British city, court told”, the Telegraph article is headlined “BNP leader predicted attack a year before London bombs”, BBC News has “BNP boss ‘predicted bomb attacks'” and Channel 4 “BNP leader ‘predicted’ July bombings”.

Of course, it is true that the defence did make these claims at Leeds Crown Court. But in the aftermath of the Blair government’s participation in the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq there was hardly anyone who didn’t predict that the UK would be subjected to reciprocal terrorist attacks. The effect of these headlines is to give the impression that the fascist leader possessed some unique insight into the situation.

The Nazis themselves are well pleased with the media coverage: “When Nick told a packed private meeting at Morley Town Hall that ‘sooner or later there’s going to be Islamic terrorists letting off bombs in major cities’ the number of people in that hall numbered about 120. Now tens of millions of newspaper readers, web viewers and radio listeners in the UK and beyond have heard this prophetic statement….”

BNP leader ‘claimed Qur’an allows rape of non-Muslims’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nazi scumSecretly filmed tirades against Muslims and Asians by the leader of the British National party, Nick Griffin, were described to a jury yesterday, including claims that rape and paedophilia against non-believers were countenanced by the Qur’an.

At private party meetings, the Cambridge graduate who has immersed himself in far-right politics for nearly 30 years described parts of Britain as “multiracial hellholes” targeted by a supposed Asian Muslim plan for global conquest.

Films of his speeches in small West Yorkshire towns two years ago were broadcast by a BBC TV undercover team last summer, leading to police action against half-a-dozen BNP activists. Mr Griffin, 45, and former Leeds council candidate Mark Collett, 24, deny 12 charges of using words or behaviour intended or likely to stir up racial hatred.

Opening a two-week trial at Leeds crown court, Rodney Jameson QC, prosecuting, said Mr Griffin had focused on paedophile drug rape in a recruiting speech in Keighley in January 2004. The town had just seen a gang of British Asian youths jailed for violence, drug dealing and sexual assault on under-age girls.

Unaware that one of his new recruits at the Reservoir Tavern was undercover BBC reporter Jason Gwynne, the court heard that Mr Griffin told his audience: “These attacks are going to continue, because that is what the Qur’an says. The bastards that are in that gang, they are in prison so the public think it’s all over. Well it’s not. Because there’s more of them.

“Their ‘good book’ tells them that that’s acceptable. If you doubt it, go and buy a copy and you will find verse after verse saying you can take any woman you want as long as they’re not Muslim. These 18, 19 and 25-year-old Asian Muslims are seducing and raping white girls in this town right now.”

Guardian, 18 January 2006