Danish supermarket chain lifts headscarf ban following campaign by Muslim women

Netto hijab campaigners (2)

A well-known supermarket chain in Denmark has announced that employees will no longer be prohibited from wearing the Muslim headscarf at its stores. The move follows a two-week protest in the country led by a group of Muslim women.

The spokesman for Dansk Supermarked, which operates the Netto, Fotex and Bilka stores, told the media on Thursday that the chain has decided to end its policy of prohibiting employees from wearing headscarves. The chain has for the past decade not allowed its employees to wear headscarves at its stores.

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Marine Le Pen loses immunity, faces charges of inciting hatred against Muslims

Marine-Le-PenFrench far right leader, Marine Le Pen, could face criminal charges for inciting racism, the BBC has learnt.

The French authorities opened a case against Mrs Le Pen in 2011 after she likened the sight of Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France. As a European Parliament member (MEP), she enjoyed immunity from prosecution. However, this protection was removed by a European parliamentary committee in a secret vote this week.

BBC chief political correspondent Gary O’Donoghue says he has been told that the vote to remove her immunity was “overwhelming”. It will need to be ratified by the full parliament, but that’s expected to be a formality, our correspondent says.

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Local opposition to Lincoln mosque protest

Local residents are opposing a planned protest against the mosque set to be built in Lincoln on the former site of the Boultham dairy, along with a supermarket and housing development.

As previously reported, the demo is organised via Facebook by a group called East Anglian Patriots, possibly an off-shoot of the English Defence League (EDL). The event is planned for 1pm on June 8 at the site of the former Boultham Dairy, where the new mosque and a supermarket were approved back in November 2012.

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EDL graffiti on Muslim prayer hall in Blackburn cemetery

Blackburn prayer hall graffiti

Police are investigating after graffiti was painted on to the wall of a Muslim prayer hall at a cemetery in Lancashire. The writing was discovered in the Pleasington cemetery on Tower Road, Blackburn earlier.

Ch Supt Bob Eastwood said: “It is unacceptable for anyone to commit crimes like this, especially at places of worship.” He appealed for anyone with information to contact Lancashire Police.

BBC News, 31 May 2013

See also Asian Image, 31 May 2013

Anti-Muslim hate crimes soar since Woolwich attack

Lee Rigby’s family say he would not want people to use his name as an excuse to attacks others. But figures show that violence against Muslim targets has increased fivefold since his murder.

Channel 4 News has obtained figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), which emerged as Drummer Lee Rigby’s family appealed for calm following his killing on 22 May.

136 complaints of anti-Muslim incidents were reported online to police in the week following the killing – that included violence and internet material. The number is five times the number recorded in the preceding week, although the numbers hit a peak the day after the murder.

Channel 4 News, 31 May 2013

Lewisham Muslims welcome BNP march restrictions

Lewisham’s Islamic Centre has expressed its relief at the “welcome news” that far-right group, the British National Party, will be barred from marching in the southeast London’s borough’s streets.

BNP leader Nick Griffin had planned out a route from Woolwich Barracks, near to the scene where soldier Lee Rigby was murdered, to the centre only a few miles away, which was scheduled to go ahead tomorrow (June 1).

However, police intervened in the BNP’s plans, citing potential for serious violence and damage to neighbourhoods.

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Conservative MP denounces anti-Muslim bigots as ‘bloody fools’

Desmond SwayneOne of Hampshire’s top politicians has criticised the “crazy fools” insulting Muslims following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby. New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne has condemned the current wave of anti-Muslim incidents, including attacks on mosques, which began shortly after the young soldier was killed in Woolwich.

Writing in his weekly blog Mr Swayne says: “I have regular correspondents on the subject of Islam. Some are Internet ‘trolls’ who send me e-mails filled with complete drivel that they have picked up from nasty right-wing websites…. Then there are a few ‘churchy’ folk who send me considered but equally misguided stuff peppered with quotes taken out of context from the Koran and enclosing articles from evangelical publications.”

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Man arrested following attack on Huntingdon mosque

Huntingdon Islamic Centre

A mosque window was smashed during a disturbance in Huntingdon on Thursday (May 30).

Police said they were called to the Huntingdon Islamic Education and Prayer Centre in Coneygear Road to reports of the property being damaged. A 45-year-old man was arrested nearby on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

A police spokesman said: “It is being treated as an isolated incident and officers will be carrying out reassurance patrols as a precaution.”

There have been at least 10 attacks on mosques across the UK since the murder of soldier Lee Rigby last week.

Hunts Post, 31 May 2013

National campaign: Don’t let the racists divide us

UAF_logoUnite Against Fascism is launching a campaign – Don’t let the racists divide us – to organise a nationwide response to the attempts by the racist and fascist English Defence League and British National Party to exploit the tragic death of Lee Rigby to whip up racism and hatred.

This campaign will be launched at its ‘United communities – Don’t let the racists divide us’ event, taking place at 12 Noon, tomorrow Saturday 1 June, opposite Downing St.

The campaign is being launched in response to the stepped up activities of racist and far right groups in the aftermath of the murder, which have cynically attempted to exploit this tragedy to pursue their own agenda directed against Black, Asian and especially Muslim communities.

This has already led to a spike in Islamophobic attacks and a wave of assaults on Mosques. Muslim communities are experiencing verbal abuse, women’s headscarves have been torn off as well as more serious threats and violent attacks. Racists are simply stepping up their campaign.

This Saturday the English Defence League are organising 55 protests in different towns and cities across the country over the weekend. The far right British National Party is trying to re-launch itself after its recent splits by holding a national protest in Whitehall, Central London at 1pm – the first time they have done so since 1998.

UAF is organising local community responses around the country and the event in Whitehall to counter the BNP’s mobilisation.

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