French magazine accused of inciting racial hatred

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Valeurs actuelles cover

This is the cover of the next issue of the French magazine Valeurs Actuelles, due to hit the newsstands tomorrow. It features Marianne, the symbol of the French republic, wearing an Islamic veil.

The Union des étudiants juifs de France (UEJF), the Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples (MRAP) et SOS Racisme have all issued protests against its publication. The UEJF has registered a complaint against the magazine’s editorial director for incitement to racial hatred, stating that the issue “contains an explicit exhortation to commit acts of discrimination or violence … against Muslims”.

Wilders lashes out after Nazi supporter claims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

PVV rally Nazi saluteGeert Wilders, leader of the anti-immigration PVV, and Alexander Pechtold of the Liberal democratic party D66 have clashed in parliament over Nazi salutes spotted at last weekend’s PVV rally.

During the first of the two-day debate on the budget, Pechtold asked Wilders to distance himself from the far right.

During Saturday’s PVV demonstration in The Hague, several people were seen to make Nazi salutes and were carrying a flag from the Dutch national socialist party NSB. There were also people present with convictions for anti-semitism.

“I am concerned,” Pechtold said, before asking Wilders to comment. Wilders refused to do so, and went on to call Pechtold a “sad, miserable, hypocritical little man”.

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Vlaams Belang stunt backfires

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Vlaams Belang Freedom or Islam posterLast year the Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang launched a new front organisation, Women Against Islamisation, with a poster featuring party leader Filip Dewinter’s teenage daughter wearing a bikini and a veil.

Evidently pleased with the publicity generated by this stunt, last week VB followed it up with a new poster featuring a photograph of Anke Van dermeersch, the former Miss Belgium who is leader of the VB group in the Belgian senate, hitching her skirt up her legs. Various hem-lengths are marked, with “stoning” at the top and “sharia-compliant” at floor level. The photo is accompanied by the same slogan that appeared on last year’s poster – “Freedom or Islam?”

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Quarter of young British people ‘do not trust Muslims’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

More than a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds in Britain do not trust Muslims, a BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat poll suggests. Of the 1,000 young people questioned, 28% said Britain would be better off with fewer Muslims, while 44% said Muslims did not share the same values as the rest of the population. Some 60% thought the British public had a negative image of Muslims.

An adviser on anti-Muslim hatred said the findings suggested young people needed to mix more. Akeela Ahmed, from a cross-government working group on anti-Muslim hatred, said: “These findings indicate that we need to ensure young people are mixing at local levels and that they’re working on projects together so that people can get to know Muslims and vice versa.”

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Posted in UK

Florida transit board reverses ban on CAIR bus ad

Posted on by Bob Pitt

CAIR Florida bus ad

Reversing course, Hillsborough County’s transit agency will allow the Florida Council on American-Islamic Relations to advertise on its buses.

The unanimous vote by members of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit board of directors is a sharp turn from where members were in August, when eight of the 10 present rejected the advertisement on county buses, citing promotion of religion as a concern. The vote, taken Monday evening, came after CAIR Florida filed a letter requesting an appeal.

The nonprofit organization says it is aimed at challenging stereotypes of Islam and Muslims and defending civil liberties.

Its ad features a photograph of eight people and the CAIR Florida logo, with the message: “Embracing Diversity at Work, Defending Civil Rights in The Community.” It is meant to promote free legal advice the group provides to people of all religions, races or national origin, the organization said.

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Scottish Defence League planning return to Dundee

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SDL in Dundee

Controversial far-right group the Scottish Defence League are planning another protest in the centre of Dundee. They aim to hold a rally outside the Overgate Centre a week on Saturday in defiance of a council warning that they do not have permission for a gathering.

Police are drawing up plans to deal with any unrest from the extreme political organisation’s arrival in the city on October 5. The potential for disorder has been heightened by plans by an anti-fascist alliance to hold a demonstration against the SDL’s visit on the day.

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Fear creates opposition to planned mosque in Virginia Beach

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Virginia Beach mosque planSome Virginia Beach residents don’t want a mosque in their neighborhood.

“I have deep concerns about the proposed Islamic mosque in Virginia Beach. It is well known that mosques are the recruiting and training ground for radical Islamists and terrorists,” Atwood Brooks wrote.

“This proposed mosque is something Virginia Beach citizens should think twice about. NYC police monitor the sermons there as they often contain messages which incite and co-ordinate violence against citizens,” Cyndy Welde wrote.

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Posted in USA

Student thinks she knows better than Muslim women what form of dress their religious beliefs require

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A student asked not to wear her cap in Bromley College says she won’t agree unless Muslim women remove their headdresses as well.

Caroline Powell, of Sevenoaks Way, Orpington, is attending Greenwich University, which uses facilities in Bromley College, Rookery Lane. While inside the Bromley College buildings, the 39-year-old has been told repeatedly to remove her cap, but believes that, while Muslim women are allowed to wear headdresses, this represents “double standards”.

The 39-year-old told News Shopper: “It started in September last year when I got stopped at the door by a woman and she said ‘you need to take your cap off’. It is a small black leather cap but it’s part of my identity. She said ‘you need to take it off, they are the rules’. A Muslim woman walked in behind me and I asked if she was going to ask her to take off her headdress. I’ve read the Koran, and it doesn’t say they have to wear it, it is a choice.”

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