Do we want the Turkish peasantry here? Torygraph racist thinks not

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“… one of the symptoms of the chronic immigration syndrome is that the intelligentsia of the host-country refuses to discuss, or even permit discussion, of its long-term consequences. Instead there is much witless, liberal maundering about the unassailable virtues of a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-ethos society.

“Well, my little liberal friends, it hasn’t turned out like that. Opinion polls show that 11 per cent of Britain’s two million Muslims approved of the attacks of 9/11, and 40 per cent support Osama Bin Laden. Nearly 1,200 British Muslims have been trained in terror camps in Afghanistan; three British Muslims have become suicide bombers. British police are – finally – investigating 122 possible ‘honour killings’ of women in immigrant communities.”

Kevin Myers in the Sunday Telegraph, 19 December 2004

More Daily Telegraph Islamophobia by Charles Moore

Posted on by Eddie Truman

“It will be said, and it is true, that the MAB does not represent moderate Muslims. But one has to wonder, different though their tone undoubtedly is and personally decent though most of them clearly are, whether moderate Muslims really disagree with the extremist doctrines. I have not been able, for example, to get the MCB (the main moderate organisation) unequivocally to condemn the killing or kidnapping of British soldiers in Iraq.”

Charles Moore in the Daily Telegraph, 18 December 2004

44% of Americans back limits on Muslims’ rights: poll

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A new nation-wide poll showed that a major section of American society believes fellow Muslim citizens pose a national threat and supports curbing Muslims’ civil rights and monitoring their places of worship.

The survey, conducted by the Cornell University and posted on its Web site, found that at least 44 percent of the respondents believed that American Muslims “are a threat and their civil liberties should be curtailed” by the authorities.

The poll, based on telephone interviews with 715 people across the US, revealed that 27 percent of respondents wanted Muslim citizens to register their location with the federal government.

It further indicated that 26 percent believed mosques should be “closely monitored” by federal law enforcement agencies.

“Twenty-nine percent agreed that undercover law enforcement agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations, in order to keep tabs on their activities and fund raising,” according to the survey.

It said that about 22 percent of the respondents believed the federal authorities should profile citizens as potential threats “based on the fact that they are Muslim or have Middle Eastern heritage.”

Islam Online, 18 December 2004

‘Academic freedom threatened’ over Muslim scholar’s visa

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Mayor of London’s human rights adviser Yasmin Qureshi has expressed concern about the treatment of respected Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan by the US authorities, after Mr Ramadan resigned his professorship at an American university following the withdrawal of his visa. Swiss-born Professor Ramadan is one of the most respected philosophers of religion and conflict resolution. He was named by “Time” magazine as one of the world’s top 100 influential thinkers this year.

Mr Ramadan spoke at City Hall this year in favour of a woman’s right to choose to wear the Muslim headscarf (hijab). In July his American visa was revoked under the Patriot Act, adopted after the terrorist attacks on September 11, thus preventing him from taking up his post at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. He has so far been refused a new visa.

The failure of the US authorities to issue him with a visa has led him to announce his resignation of two professorships at the university – professor of Islamic studies in the classics department and professor of religion, conflict, and peace-building – and he has accused the American authorities of attacking academic freedom.

Yasmin Qureshi said: “The withdrawal of Tariq Ramadan’s visa is a de facto attack on academic freedom in the U.S.A and it appears to send a signal to Muslims all over the world that their respected academics and scholars are not welcome in the US. The US authorities have so far failed to provide an explanation for the withdrawal of Tariq Ramadan’s visa. If this can happen to a mainstream figure such as Professor Ramadan then Muslims everywhere will feel that it could happen to them. The Muslim population in London will have every right to feel uncertain about whether they are now welcome visitors to the USA. As we have already seen, London resident Yusuf Islam was ejected from the USA earlier this year, again with no reason given. There is a very real danger that exclusions and bans of such mainstream figures will play into the hands of extremists.”

The mayor of London announced the appointment of Yasmin Qureshi as his human rights adviser earlier this week, asking her to address the problem of Islamophobia as one her responsibilities.

GLA press release, 17 December 2004

Christian pastors found guilty of vilifying Islam in Australia

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Christian evangelical pastors Danny Nalliah and Daniel Scot have been found guilty of condoning and promoting racist and vilifying remarks against Islam and the Muslim community. They were convicted in the Australian state of Victoria under a law against inciting religious hatred.

Scot told a seminar in 2002 that the “Muslims’ Qur’an is promoting violence, killing and looting and that Muslims were liars and demons”. He further claimed that Muslims are drawing up a plan of violence and terror to overrun the western democracies, warning that Australia would be turned into an Islamic nation over the increasing numbers of Muslims in the European country

Nalliah wrote that Muslim refugees were being granted visas to Australia while Christians who suffer persecution in Islamic nations were refused refugee visas. He also referred to the high birth rate among Muslims in Australia at a time the birth rate in general was dropping.

Islam Online, 17 December 2004

CNS News, 17 December 2004

Muslim academic resigns from US university

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Tariq Ramadan, the leading Muslim academic, has resigned his professorship at an American university after authorities refused to give him a visa.

Swiss-born Prof Ramadan is one of the most respected philosophers of religion and conflict resolution; he has argued for a more moderate and modern Islam, and was named by Time magazine as one of the world’s top 100 influential thinkers this year.

But in July his American visa was revoked under the Patriot Act, adopted after the terrorist attacks on September 11, prohibiting him from taking up the post at the University of Notre dame in Indiana. They have so far refused to issue a new visa.

Today he announced his resignation of two professorships at the university – professor of Islamic studies in the classics department and professor of religion, conflict, and peace building – and accused the American authorities of attacking academic freedom.

In a written statement Prof Ramadan said: “No matter what decision I have taken today, I am still waiting for the American administration to reveal the results of their investigation so that my name can be cleared of all the untrue and humiliating accusations against me during these last few months. As yet, not a single piece of evidence has been produced to substantiate the claims made against me, which I believe is a classic case of infringement of academic freedom.

“My hope of teaching in the United States was based on the sincere aspiration to participate in the pressing and topical debates of our time. An unjust decision does not bar me from continuing this imperative struggle for dialogue and understanding between women and men, between religions and cultures.”

He thanked the university and his supporters from around the world, and added: “It is they who are promoting pluralism and democratic debate. The American administration, on the other hand, seems to be unfortunately demonstrating signs of a rapid descent into a closed and worrisome unilaterism.”

Prof Ramadan claims he has been called an anti-semite and has been accused of having links to extremist Islamic groups.

The university expressed regret at the news. R Scott Appleby, director of the Joan B Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, said: “We are disappointed that Professor Ramadan will not be joining our faculty. Faculty and students at Notre Dame and at other US universities were looking forward to engaging him productively on a variety of issues central to our times. Such dialogue, we believe, is an essential requirement to a deeper understanding of the complexity of the Muslim world.”

Guardian, 17 December 2004

London mayor picks Muslim woman human rights adviser

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has appointed a Muslim woman as his new human rights advisor, a decision welcomed by the sizable Muslim community in Britain.

Yasmin Qureshi, a barrister whose experience includes heading the Criminal Legal Section of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Department of Judicial Administration in Kosovo, will replace Graham Tope, who held the unpaid post during the mayor’s first term, said a press release posted on the official website for the Mayor of London.

“I am impressed with Yasmin’s serious approach to human rights, both in terms of the issues she has taken up and also her professional experience. She will bring an extra dimension to the work of my office in this field,” Livingstone said.

He asked Qureshi to include the issue of religious rights and freedoms as part of her work and to reflect the views of London communities who have concerns about the new French law banning religious symbols in state schools.

“I am pleased to have a Muslim woman advising me and carrying this work forward at a time when many Muslims feel that their rights around the world are not being addressed, and I am sure that she will take up these issues, such as a woman’s right to choose to wear the hijab, with vigor.”

Islam Online, 16 December 2004

Social Discrimination: Across the Muslim Divide

Posted on by Bob Pitt

‘Social Discrimination: Across the Muslim Divide’ – A report by Saied R. Ameli, Manzur Elahi, and Arzu Merali for the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

The report is the second in the series British Muslims’ Expectations of the Government. It aims to chart the key areas of concern for Muslims and what they as participants in the social order expect the government’s engagement with them to be. The report looks at the nature and extent of general discrimination experienced by Muslims in their day to day life. Following the event of 9/11 there has been sudden upsurge of negative behaviour towards Muslims in Britain. In an attempt to find out the causes and the extent of general discrimination it employs theories of social psychology and communication; at the empirical level it employs both the results of a nationwide survey of nearly 1200 Muslims, qualitative answers of 40 Muslims and a number of case studies.

Islamic Human Rights Commission press release, 16 December 2004

Seumas Milne takes on the militant secularists

Posted on by Eddie Truman

“For the left not to have stood with Muslims would have been a real betrayal. But for showing solidarity and working with Muslim organisations – whether in the anti-war movement or in campaigns against Islamophobia – leftwing groups and politicians such as the London mayor, Ken Livingstone, are now routinely damned by liberal secularists (many of whom have been keen supporters of the war in Iraq) for ‘betraying the enlightenment’ and making common cause with ‘Islamofascists’, homophobes and misogynists.”

Seumas Milne in Guardian, 16 December 2004

Neo-Nazi gang arrested for mosque attacks

Posted on by Eddie Truman

BARCELONA — Police have arrested a neo-Nazi gang which had carried out attacks on mosques and businesses owned by Muslims.

Seven people, including three teenagers, were arrested in towns near Girona, in Catalonia in north-east Spain. Those arrested were partially identified as Gerard B.A., 18, Jessica P.C, 24,  Josep V.V., 20, Francisco A.G., 20, who were all from Palafrugell, Salt or Girona. Three other teenagers who are under age were not named by police.

The group, called The Black Front, was said to espouse Nazi philosophy. The group carried out attacks on mosques, businesses owned by Muslims and other people whose ideologies were opposed to their own.

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