Arkansas Republicans distance themselves from candidate who wants to expel all Muslims from the US

Posted on by Bob Pitt

God's LawArkansas Republicans tried to distance themselves Saturday from a Republican state representative’s assertion that slavery was a “blessing in disguise” and a Republican state House candidate who advocates deporting all Muslims.

The claims were made in books written, respectively, by Rep. Jon Hubbard of Jonesboro and House candidate Charlie Fuqua of Batesville. Those books received attention on Internet news sites Friday.

On Saturday, state GOP Chairman Doyle Webb called the books “highly offensive.” And U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican who represents northeast Arkansas, called the writings “divisive and racially inflammatory.”

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Gary Lineker describes praying Muslims as ‘eating grass’ during Al Jazeera commentary

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Gary Lineker has been forced to apologise after accidentally ridiculing two Muslim footballers during a match commentary on TV.

When the players celebrated a goal by dropping to their knees and bowing their heads in the Islamic prayer position, Lineker said it looked as though they “ate grass”. The gesture is often used by Muslim players to celebrate.

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Posted in UK

Speaker at Geller’s New York conference advocated genocide against Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Geller addresses SION conferenceLoonwatch draws our attention to an attack on Islam made by a Hindutva extremist named Babu Suseelan at the so-called “International Freedom Congress” in New York last month that was organised by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer’s Stop Islamization of Nations.

“If we do not kill the bacteria, the bacteria will kill us”, Suseelan told the audience. Otherwise, he warned, “Muslims will breed like rats and they will be a majority”. But Suseelan finished on an upbeat note: “Islam can be stopped! And it can be wiped out.”

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Toledo: multifaith gathering advocates unity

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nihad Awad at Toledo interfaith eventAfter a week dealing with the devastation that a fire caused at the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo, members and friends of Toledo’s Muslim community were able to gather for prayer. Congregants did so under a tent Sunday because on Sept. 30 an arsonist burned the mosque’s prayer room.

The suspect in the case, Randy Linn, is now in custody and has been charged with two felonies.

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BNP join in Skegness halal abattoir opposition

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A nationalist political party leader visited Skegness last week to add his voice to the mounting opposition against a halal abattoir in the town.

British National Party chairman Nick Griffin MEP spoke with fellow opponents during a small demonstration outside the Heath Road slaughterhouse last Tuesday morning. Speaking after his visit Mr Griffin said:

“Halal ritual slaughter is an extremely cruel practice, which any native British person would rightly be taken to court for carrying out. We don’t believe any exception should be made for reasons to do with political correctness or otherwise. As a civilised people it is our responsibility to treat animals with decency. The way we treat animals reflects on us and our society.”

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13 arrests at Sunderland mosque protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police made 13 arrests when a protest at the site of a recently-approved new mosque turned violent. Around 200 people were involved in the demonstration on St Mark’s Road, which saw members of far-right groups including the English Defence League clashing with anti-fascists and members of the Muslim community.

Scores of police armed with batons were called in as the disorder escalated, and a firecracker in a glass bottle was seen being thrown at officers. Despite numerous objects hitting police officers and nearby homes, it is understood there were no injuries and no damage to property.

Two men both aged 32 have since been charged with being drunk and disorderly. They are both due to appear before Sunderland magistrates on October 26. Eight men arrested on suspicion of public order offences and another three arrested on suspicion of affray have been bailed pending further enquires.

The National Front has pledged to make the demonstrations a monthly fixture, although supporters were asked not the bring NF flags to the event on pain of being removed by far-right organisers who said they would create the wrong impression. A number of protesters among the far-right groups were not from Sunderland, with some travelling from Bradford and Edinburgh.

Plans to convert a former council transport depot into a new mosque were put forward in 2011 and approved by Sunderland City Council in August. The application by the Pakistan Islamic Centre attracted almost 700 letters of objection and a petition of more than 1,400 signatures.

Sky Tyne and Wear, 7 October 2012

See also “Sunderland antiracists stand firm against EDL, NEI, NF and BNP”, UAF news report, 6 October 2012

Update:  Spark FM has an interview with Gary Duncan of Sunderland Anti-Fascist Coalition.

‘Sharia mosque four times the size of St Paul’s Cathedral’ – Daily Star resumes campaign against Newham Riverine project

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NRAP Riverine Centre designBritain could have its first Sharia-controlled zone if plans for a mega-mosque more than four times the size of St Paul’s Cathedral get the go-ahead.

The East London mosque, known as the Riverine Centre, will hold 9,312 worshippers, compared to 2,400 at St Paul’s. The 16-acre site in West Ham will include 40ft minarets, an Islamic library, a dining hall, multi-use games areas, tennis courts, sports facilities and eight flats for visiting Muslim clerics.

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Fascists hold protest against ‘Muslim grooming’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Britain First Downing St demo (2)

The Sunderland mosque protest wasn’t the only far-right anti-Muslim demonstration in the UK yesterday. Britain First, a small fascist grouping led by former British National Party councillor Paul Golding and the party’s ex-fundraiser Jim Dowson, held a protest in London demanding “justice for victims of Muslim grooming”. They demonstrated outside Downing Street before marching down the road to Parliament Square where they burnt a Saudi flag. (There is of course a clear connection between the Saudi monarchy and the disappearance of Charlene Downes in Blackpool.)

Britain First claims that their demonstration was attended by “around 80-100 patriots, from several organisations”. Judging by the photographs on their own website it looks like no more than a couple of dozen were there. However, Paul Golding’s claim that a “disciplined delegation from the English Defence League” was among those participating is interesting, given that other organisations that were represented included the BNP and the ex-EDL breakaway group the Infidels. According to Hope Not Hateanother participant was the veteran neo-Nazi Eddie Stamton, who a year ago was proscribed by the EDL, along with the Infidels.