Three accused over ‘savage racist attack’ on Muslims in Derby

One of four people standing trial accused of attacking a group of Muslims in Derby has had the case against him dropped.

Reece Hallas, 19, of Alvaston, had the charge dropped during the trial at Derby Crown Court. The teen, of Ashcroft Close, had been accused of racially aggravated assault following an attack on two men who the court was told “had their heads stamped on”. But yesterday he walked free from court.

Two men – Jake Sutherland, 18, of Hollington, Ashbourne, and Callum Toone, 20, of Field Lane, Alvaston, remain facing the charge while 36-year-old Claire Holdsworth, of Abbey Street, is accused of causing racially aggravated fear or provocation. All of them deny the allegations.

Three men wearing traditional Islamic clothes were allegedly taunted as “terrorists” and attacked by a racist gang as they walked through a Derby street. One of the victims was knocked unconscious while another suffered injuries to his eye and ear after having his head stamped on.

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Islamophobia on the Internet: Major new report exposes online hate targeting Muslims

Islamophobia on the InternetThe Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI), an Australian charity dedicated to the growing problem of online hate, has announced the release of a major new report into the targeting of the Muslim community.

The report, Islamophobia on the Internet: The growth of online hate targeting Muslims, is now available to journalists and bloggers by request. Parts of the report are publicly available on the OHPI website, and the full report will be available on 10 December to mark International Human Rights Day.

The report examines anti-Muslim hate on Facebook and was produced by the OHPI in consultation with the Islamic Council of Victoria. More details here.

Tommy Robinson – ally in the defence of Judeo-Christian civilisation, or pawn of the stealth jihadists? Geller has difficulty making up her mind

Lennon, Spencer and Geller in StockholmIt’s becoming almost impossible to keep up with the twists and turns of Pamela Geller’s relationship with former English Defence League leader Stephen Lennon (“Tommy Robinson”).

When Lennon announced his break with the EDL in October, Geller immediately issued a statement enthusiastically welcoming that development and declared that she looked forward to working with him in the future. But within days she was angrily denouncing Lennon for selling out to the Quilliam Foundation and publicly repudiated him in the harshest possible language. “It has become painfully obvious that the enemies of freedom have broken Tommy Robinson …”, a furious Geller wrote. “Now he is the poster boy for the stealth jihad.”

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Signs of revolt mount as French universities reject secular charter

Université de MontréalQuebec’s largest university is panning the province’s secular charter as a useless measure, adding to signs of a growing revolt against the Parti Québécois’s controversial bill.

The French-language University of Montreal is challenging the very basis of the government’s argument for its legislation. When the minister responsible for the charter, Bernard Drainville, introduced it in September, he said it was meant to address a “crisis” over religious accommodations that had festered for years and created tensions in Quebec.

The U of M searched its human-resources files going back 20 years and found no incidents whatsoever involving conflicts over religious accommodations. Whatever minor incidents occurred were quickly settled by applying the university’s internal rules, a spokesman said.

The university decided at a meeting of faculty, student representatives and administrators on Monday that the government’s legislation serves no purpose.

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Kaliningrad court halts mosque construction

Kaliningrad mosqueThe Central District Court has halted construction of the mosque on two land lots in the Southern Park of Kaliningrad, Rosbalt reports.

Kaliningrad City – the Museum of Fridlanskiye Vorota filed a lawsuit against the construction. The organization believes that the Kaliningrad head granted free land for the mosque and the road to it on August 3, 2009, illegally. The court has halted the construction and will be studying documents for construction of the mosque.

Locals residents have been protesting against the mosque construction. A 20-year-old welder attempted to blow up the mosque in November 2011.

Vestnik Kavkaza, 3 December 2013

Trial begins in legal challenge to no-fly list

Rahinah Ibrahim (2)An eight-year legal odyssey by a Malaysian university professor to clear her name from the U.S. government’s no-fly list went to trial Monday in federal court in San Francisco.

Rahinah Ibrahim claims she was mistakenly placed on the list because of her national origin and Muslim faith. She has fought in court since her arrest at San Francisco International Airport in January 2005 to clear her name.

Several similar lawsuits are pending across the nation, but Ibrahim’s legal challenge appears to be the first to go to trial.

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Italian politician fined for staging anti-burqa protest

Daniela Santanchè anti-burqa protestA well-known Italian right-wing politician was fined Monday for staging a protest against the wearing of burqas and other Islamic veils for women.

Daniela Santanchè, a leading member of the conservative Forza Italia party of former premier Silvio Berlusconi, organized the action in Milan four years ago, outside a building where Muslims were holding end-of-Ramadan prayers.

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Thugs bash Muslim schoolgirl wearing hijab in Melbourne suburb

Teenage thugs bashed a young Muslim girl wearing a hijab in what has been described as a racial attack in Wantirna South.

The high school student was walking home from Westfield Knox along Stud Rd when she was set upon by a group of teenagers, according to Knox councillor Joe Cossari, who said it was a racial attack. The teen was punched to the ground and kicked, but didn’t report the assault to police because she feared ­reprisals, Cr Cossari said.

Councillors condemned the violence after hearing details at a recent ­council meeting.

“We have to defend the right of all citizens so that our people can walk freely without fear,” Cr Cossari told the council meeting. “As a Christian and an Australian I will defend the rights of all religious groups and, in this case, the Muslim brothers and sisters of this municipality.

“To bash up a young girl because of what she was wearing is unacceptable. I will not tolerate this type of activity against any citizens of this municipality or this country. We pride ourselves on ­being a multicultural society, we talk about multiculturalism in our policies, but having this happen on our front door is not acceptable.”

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