Martin Robbins takes on Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins.
ENGAGE submission to OSCE on anti-Muslim hate crime
ENGAGE have just published their submission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe on anti-Muslim hate crime in the UK, as a contribution to the OSCE’s preparation of its Hate Crime Report 2012.
This is a thoroughly researched document which sheds a disturbing light on the widespread occurrence of anti-Muslim acts in Britain. It is certainly a much more substantial piece of work than anything produced by the government-backed TELL MAMA, despite the large-scale state subsidies the latter receives.
French reactionary hypocrisy – the hijab, gay marriage and secularism
The different reactions to the ban on burqas and to the legalisation of same-sex marriage lay bare the hypocrisy of the French right, argues Aurelien Mondon.
IRR: Spotlight on far-right violence
The Institute of Race Relations provides an overview of racially motivated attacks perpetrated by members of the far right and convictions over the last few months.
Islamic Center of Long Island worships 9/11 hijackers, Geller supporter claims
About 40 supporters of controversial Islam critic Pamela Geller rallied outside the Cuttermill Road offices of the Great Neck Record Sunday, protesting what they described as the newspaper’s deceptive coverage of Geller’s speech at Chabad of Great Neck earlier this month.
Missouri: Republican politician fires off anti-Islam email
Missouri State Representative Rick Stream fired off a bizarre e-mail to his House GOP colleagues this week that discusses the dangers of Islam…citing an 1899 quote from former British prime minister Winston Churchill.
“Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world,” writes Stream, quoting Churchill in a widely distributed e-mail that was forwarded to Daily RFT by way of a displeased recipient. “No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith.”
Birmingham man stabbed to death on way home from mosque
A 75-year-old man stabbed to death yards from his home may have been targeted in a racially motivated attack, according to police.
Mohammed Saleem, who used a walking stick, was stabbed three times in the back as he returned home from prayers at his local mosque in Small Heath, Birmingham, on Monday night. The blows were struck with such violence they penetrated to the front of his body.
The father of seven also had no defensive wounds in what has been described as a swift, vicious and cowardly attack by the man leading the murder investigation, Detective Superintendent Mark Payne of West Midlands police.
Officers want to trace a white man, aged 25-32, of medium height and build, spotted on CCTV footage running near the scene of the attack around the time it happened, just before 10.30pm.
UKIP member suspended over racist Facebook comments
Ukip has suspended a member from North Yorkshire who allegedly posted anti-Muslim jokes on Facebook, including one of US President Obama mocked up to look like a chimpanzee.
Police are investigating whether pensioner Tony Nixon [pictured] committed any offence on the social networking site.
It is understood Mr Nixon had been canvassing for Ukip in Stokesley, ahead of the local elections. His Facebook account listed pages he “liked”, including numerous English Defence League sites and ones expressing strong anti-Muslim sentiments.
Toronto: synagogue cancels Geller appearance after police intervention
York Regional Police threatened to remove a rabbi as one of the force’s chaplains if he hosted a controversial anti-Islamist speaker at his Thornhill synagogue.
Insp. Ricky Veerappan, of the force’s diversity, equity and inclusion bureau, confirmed he and officers from the service’s hate crimes unit met with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue on Tuesday.
They expressed concern about an upcoming talk to be given by Pamela Geller, a vocal critic of radical Islam. She protested past plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City, and has posted anti-Jihad messages in that city’s subway system.
Subsequent to his meeting with police, Kaplan cancelled Geller’s May 13 talk, which was sponsored by the Jewish Defence League (JDL) – a hard-line advocacy group that had rented space in Kaplan’s synagogue for the event.
California students pass anti-Islamophobia resolution
After approximately five hours of discussion, the ASUCD Senate passed Senate Resolution 21 on April 25 with a 7-4-1 vote. The resolution condemns Islamophobic speech at the University of California. The resolution defined Islamaphobia as “the irrational fear of Islam, Muslims or anything related to the Islamic or Arab cultures and traditions.” Authors stated that it was written due to the concerns for students’ well-being, safety on campus and the administration’s failure to address issues.
During public discussion, some members of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and other students spoke in support of the resolution. Members of the Ayn Rand Society (ARS), the group that held the April 11 “Islamists Rising” event on campus, spoke in opposition of the resolution. The event held by the ARS, which featured panelists such as author Daniel Pipes, sparked a conversation about freedom of speech on campus and with the administration.