Emerson’s ‘Jihad in America’ film panned

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jihad in America The Grand Deception“Resembling the anti-Communist, red-baiting films of the 1950s, Jihad in America: The Grand Deception effectively sums up its intentions with its title. This documentary co-directed by Rachel Milton and Steve Emerson (the latter is the executive director of the organization Investigative Project on Terrorism) is a broad indictment of Islam, seemingly implicating every person of that faith as a potential violent jihadist determined to destroy America.”

The Hollywood Reporter isn’t greatly impressed by Steve Emerson’s witch-hunting film.

Vandalism at Islamic Society of Delaware

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamic Society of Delaware vandalism

Worshippers making their way to morning prayer found the entryway to the Islamic Center of Delaware vandalized.

The fences to their driveway had been torn down, a wooden sign had been knocked to the ground and an electronic sign was damaged with rocks and possibly mud tossed at it. A cross was fashioned from the debris and placed on the electric sign along Salem Church Road near Newark.

“This is very hard. This is very shocking for us,” said Mahamed Allimulla, president of the Islamic Society of Delaware. “We’re just trying to realize why this happened.”

Allimulla said the damage was done sometime between midnight and 5:30 a.m. today. State police were out investigating the damage this morning. Allimulla said he would be contacting federal authorities as well.

Although police have not commented on the incident, Allimulla said he believes this to be a hate crime and wondered if the people who did the damage had been casing the organization, since Friday is the day of Jumma prayer, drawing about 1,000 people for the afternoon service.

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Few takers for Geller’s hysterical campaign against Bill de Blasio

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stop Red Bill ad

It seems that Pamela Geller’s attempt to whip up hysteria among New Yorkers over the threat posed by Bill de Blasio’s mayoral candidacy isn’t going very well. She complains that at her press conference yesterday “there was no media present, with the exception of Jennifer Fermino from the NY Daily News”.

And Fermino evidently wasn’t too impressed with what she heard. Her report refers to Geller as an “Islam hater”, “anti-Islam blogger” and “pro-Israel flamethrower” – entirely accurate descriptions which Geller denounces as an attempt to “defame and smear” her.

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Muslims real target of charter, law prof. says

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MONTREAL — Muslims are the real target of the proposed charter of Quebec values, while kippot and turbans are “collateral damage” in the provincial government’s plan to eliminate religious symbols from the public service, a McGill University law professor says.

Speaking Oct. 20 at a panel discussion on the issue at Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, Daniel Weinstock said Islamophobia is “the elephant in the room” in the push to secularize Quebec.

“We are not at the centre [of this debate], but as Jews, according to our ethical tradition, we have to stand up resolutely for our Muslim brothers and sisters,” Weinstock said, receiving widespread applause.

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Pavlo Lapshyn to serve 40 years for anti-Muslim murder and mosque bomb attacks

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Pavlo Lapshyn nail bomb
Remains of the nail bomb that Pavlo Lapshyn planted outside the Kanz-ul-Iman Central Jamia Mosque in Tipton

A white supremacist terrorist who admitted murdering a Muslim pensioner and plotting three explosives devices at mosques in the West Midlands has sentenced to life in jail.

Pavlo Lapshyn, 25, admitted to stabbing grandfather Mohammed Saleem as he returned home from evening prayers in Small Heath, Birmingham on 29 April. He also pleaded guilty to planting three explosive devices near mosques in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Tipton.

Lapshyn from the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipropetrovsk, was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison at the Old Bailey. As well as murder, he was also sentenced to 12 years for offences under the Explosives Substances Act and 12 years for offences under the Terrorism Act, all to run concurrently.

The prosecution pushed for Lapshyn to receive a whole-life tariff, meaning he would never be able to apply for parole.

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Daily Beast provides anti-Muslim ammunition for former EDL leader

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nico Hines 'Muslims Patrols' article

We have already noted the Times‘ misleading report of the assault on US student Francesco Hounye, which tried to link the attack to earlier incidents involving the so-called Muslim patrol, in the absence of any evidence whatsoever to indicate such a connection.

Taking its cue from the Times, and ratcheting up the Islamophobic content a few more notches, the Daily Beast also covered the story, under the headline “American student slashed in London, police eye ‘Muslims patrols'”.

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The Times discovers another ‘Muslim patrol’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Yesterday the Metropolitan Police released CCTV footage of an attack on American student Francesco Hounye, which took place last June on Commercial Road in London’s East End. In addition to being kicked and punched, Mr Hounye was hit in the face with a bottle, resulting in permanent scarring.

It was a horrible assault, and hopefully the perpetrators will be identified and charged. However, the cause of the dispute that led to the violence is unclear. The Met can only suggest that Mr Hounye may have been picked on because he was “obviously not local” and had answered back when he was accosted by his attackers.

That hasn’t prevented the Times from publishing a report (see below) implying that the attack was linked to the earlier “Muslim patrol” incidents in the same area, which resulted in three men appearing in court last week. (The headline has since been changed to “US student attacked by Asian gang in London”.)

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EDL member admits possessing parts which could be used to make an explosive device

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Loughborough neo-Nazi accused of planning a “new Columbine” massacre has admitted possessing parts which could be used to make for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The 17-year-old EDL supporter, who is said have planned terrorist attacks on Loughborough University, the local cinema, and council offices, was caught with canisters of carbon dioxide.

He had initially denied the charge but changed his plea half way through the trial. The teenager, who cannot be named, has already pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon.

He denies possessing an article for a purpose connected with terrorism and possessing a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

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55% of public favour complete ban on niqab, poll finds

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Channe 4 ComRes niqab poll

British people are broadly opposed to the niqab – the full-face veil which shows only the wearer’s eyes – being worn in any public place, exclusive research for Channel 4 News reveals.

An exclusive ComRes poll for Channel 4 News showed that more than half of the public believe women should not be allowed to wear the niqab in public – with 55 per cent backing an outright ban similar to the one in France.

An even greater proportion, 81 per cent, say they support a ban on wearing the niqab in certain public places, such as schools, courts or hospitals.

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