Mohammed Saleem stabbing: new leads
A TV appeal to find the killer of a man murdered on his way home from a mosque has prompted new leads.
Mohammed Saleem, 82, was stabbed after leaving the Green Lane Mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham, on 29 April. West Midlands Police said it had “several new leads” after a reconstruction and appeal on Thursday’s BBC1 Crimewatch show. It has appealed for an anonymous man who rang with information about the attack to call back.
Lee Rigby death no excuse for attacks, says family
Killed soldier Lee Rigby would not have wanted his death used to excuse reprisal attacks, his family have said.
Drummer Rigby’s family called for calm as the Queen met army personnel during a visit to the barracks near to where he was killed on 22 May. In a statement his family said his friends’ different cultures and religions “made no difference to Lee”.
The family’s plea came amid reports of a rise in anti-Muslim incidents since the soldier’s murder last week.
Oxford Union votes that Islam is a religion of peace
The Oxford Student reports on last week’s Oxford Union debate on the motion “This House believes Islam is a religion of peace”. Adam Deen, Matthew Handley and Mehdi Hasan spoke in favour, while Peter Atkins, Daniel Johnston, Anne-Marie Waters spoke against. At the end of the debate the vote was Ayes 286, Noes 168.
Appeals Court overturns mosque ruling
A Tennessee Court of Appeals panel ruled Wednesday that the Rutherford County Planning Commission did provide adequate public notice prior to approving construction of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro.
“We have concluded that the (Rutherford County Chancery) Court erred in finding the notice provided to be inadequate under the Open Meetings Act,” said Judge Andy D. Bennett, who authored the opinion.
As part of the decision, the Appeals Court overturned the ruling by Chancellor Robert Corlew III, who has contended the Planning Commission should have utilized multiple media outlets given what he has described as the “totality of the circumstances” – a standard that is not required by law.
The ruling is a victory for the Rutherford County government, which has argued it followed the law.
Drummer Lee Rigby’s regiment urges members not to participate in ‘self-serving’ demonstrations
The regiment of Drummer Lee Rigby has urged its members not to participate in “self-serving” demonstrations following the soldier’s brutal murder in Woolwich last week.
A number of demonstrations have been held since Drummer Rigby’s death last Wednesday, with members of the English Defence League marching through central London on Monday. EDL members protested outside Downing Street, with protesters heard chanting “Muslim killers off our streets” and “There’s only one Lee Rigby”.
Drummer Rigby’s regiment has now distanced itself from such demonstrations, with regimental secretary Brigadier Ian Liles criticising organisations trying to “exploit” the murder for “a range of self-serving and unhelpful reasons”.
French burqa ban to be heard by the Grand Chamber ECtHR
The Chamber of the ECtHR to which the application in S.A.S. v France (No. 43835/11) was assigned has relinquished jurisdiction to the Grand Chamber, neither party having objected to relinquishment.
Under Law no. 2010-1192 of 11 October 2010, which came into force on 11 April 2011, it is forbidden in France to conceal one’s face in a public place: “Nul ne peut, dans l’espace public, porter une tenue destinée à dissimuler son visage”.
The applicant, a French national who is a practising Muslim, states that she wears the burqa in order to live according to her faith, her culture and her personal convictions. She also wears the niqab veil in public and in private, but not consistently; however, she wants to be able to wear it when she so chooses. She states that her purpose in wearing the burqa or the niqab is not to inconvenience others but to live according to her principles. She also asserts that neither her husband nor any other member of her family puts pressure on her to wear the burqa.
Far-right groups plan day of demonstrations across England
Far-right groups are planning their biggest mobilisation for 30 years this weekend with more than 50 demonstrations planned in towns and cities across England.
Anti-racism campaigners have branded Saturday a “day of hate” after identifying 55 English Defence League (EDL) events as well a BNP march in London.
CAIR lawsuit claims U.S. citizens detained, asked about religion
Four Americans citizens are suing U.S. Customs, Border Protection and the FBI. They claim their First Amendment right were violated when they were detained. The government wants the lawsuit dismissed.
One of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit says he actually lost a business because getting across the border became such a time consuming hassle. Now the Council on American Islamic Relations is trying to change that with this lawsuit.
“There is an actual policy that’s in place that instructs these border authorities and FBI agents at the borders to ask a certain set of questions,” says CAIR attorney Lena Masri.
Questions that Masri says cross the line.
“Which mosque do you pray at? Do you pray your morning prayer at the mosque? Who is your religious leader? Are you Sunni or are you Shia?” Masri says. “They’re invasive, and they’re unconstitutional.”
Conditions imposed on planned BNP march and rally
Conditions to prevent “serious disorder” have been imposed on a march and rally being planned by the British National Party (BNP) this Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), using Section 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, has set conditions that the BNP march and rally must take place between 1pm and 4pm between Old Palace Yard and the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
The BNP had applied to hold the event from Woolwich Barracks, close to where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in a brutal attack last Wednesday, to the Lewisham Islamic Centre, which Scotland Yard said resulted in a “number of groups indicating they wished to attend to hold counter protests”.
Scotland Yard continued: “The information and intelligence available to the MPS meant that it was necessary to impose the conditions to prevent the demonstration from resulting in serious disorder, serious damage to property, and/or serious disruption to the life of the community.”