Netpol publish critical report into EDL policing

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Netpol Leicester reportNetpol has published a critical report into the policing of the EDL and Counter demonstrations of February 4th in Leicester. The report is a collation of the evidence and observations obtained by a team of community-based legal observers who spent the day monitoring the policing of both EDL and counter-demonstrations. The legal observers deployed were local volunteers trained by Netpol with support from The Race Equality Centre (TREC) and Highfields Centre.

The report criticises police handling of the demonstration, particularly the effort and resources the police and local authorities devoted to persuading the local community, particularly young people in the local community, not to attend counter demonstrations against the EDL. It also raises questions about the use of force, particularly the use of dog units against Muslim youth, and the restrictions on movement placed on the Muslim population, effectively making Leicester a ‘no-go’ area.

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Vlaams Belang thugs intimidate students at school BBQ

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Vlaams Belang BBQ attackThe Belgian press has reported that three Vlaams Belang politicians staged a protest at a school in Schoten, where many of the students are Muslims, because it had organised a barbecue that included halal meat.

The protestors climbed over the wall into the school grounds and, according to deputy head Jacques Gits, “intimidated the children and pushed pork sausages down their throats”. One of the students, who were aged between 12 and 14, added: “They said that halal meat is not real food and that our stomachs needed filling.”

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IDF radio host: ‘Islam is most terrible disease in the world’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Loonwatch draws our attention to a comment made by one Avri Gilad on a talk show he hosts on the Israel Defense Forces station Army Radio, during a discussion about the current violent racist backlash against black African migrants in Israel. Gilad stated:

… let us not forget that those knocking on our doors belong to Islam, and Islam today is the most terrible disease raging around the world. It poisons its believers and poisons every place it reaches. The people that come here, especially the South Sudanese, are very moderate people, the real beautiful face of Islam … the problem is that when you carry the virus, you don’t know when it will explode inside you … every Muslim who enters here might become the flag carrier of the global Islam … and therefore we must take care of our lives.

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Leyton: Mosque hits back at ‘extremism’ claims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Masjid-al-Tawhid (2)

The management of a mosque under investigation for alleged links to extremists has spoken out for the first time, denying what it says are malicious accusations.

The Charity Commission launched an inquiry last week into claims that the Madrasah Al-Tawhid mosque in Leyton High Road allowed “individuals with potential links to terrorist organisations” to promote their views.

But the Active Change Foundation (ACF), a charity which specialises in tackling extremism in Waltham Forest, told the Guardian yesterday it strongly believed that the claims were untrue and motivated by former members who were bitter following a power struggle.

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Bulgarian far right in new protest against Sofia’s Banya Bashi mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Volen Siderov, leader of Bulgaria's nationalist party "Attack", attends protest in front of Banya Bashi Mosque in central Sofia
Volen Siderov heads an Ataka protest against the Banya Bashi mosque in May 2011

Two Bulgarian far-right nationalist parties – Ataka (Attack) and VMRO – staged Thursday the latest protest against the volume of the loudspeakers of Sofia’s Banya Bashi mosque.

About 100 activists and supporters of the parties gathered across the building of the City Hall in downtown Sofia under the sounds of patriotic songs.

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Islamophobia: Anatomy of an American Panic

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anatomy of an American PanicThe Nation has a special issue entitled “Islamophobia: Anatomy of an American Panic” with articles examining different aspects of Islamophobia in the US.

These include Moustafa Bayoumi, “Fear and Loathing of Islam“, Jack Shaheen, “How the Media Created the Muslim Monster Myth” (subscription only), Petra Bartosiewicz, “Deploying Informants, the FBI Stings Muslims“, Laila Lalami, “Islamophobia and Its Discontents“, Abed Awad, “The True Story of Sharia in American Courts“, Ramzi Kassem, “The Long Roots of the NYPD Spying Program“, Max Blumenthal, “The Sugar Mama of Anti-Muslim Hate“, and Laila Al-Arian, “When Your Father Is Accused of Terrorism“.

Two arrested after EDL attack on Newcastle anti-Jubilee protestors

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Two men have been arrested after EDL members clashed with anti-jubilee protestors in a city centre flare-up.

Police launched an investigation after trouble broke out on Monday June 4 during a protest at the Monument, in Newcastle city centre, when firecrackers went off among a crowd of people. A teenage protestor suffered a slight injury and received hospital treatment before being discharged.

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Finnish MP loses committee post after racist remarks

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jussi Halla-aho (2)Finnish lawmakers on Wednesday forced a member of the opposition Finns Party to resign from an influential parliamentary committee after he was fined for making racist remarks, the latest in a string of setbacks for the anti-euro party.

Finns Party lawmaker Jussi Halla-aho was fined by the Supreme Court on Friday for comments posted on his personal blog in 2008 which linked Islam to paedophilia and Somalis with theft. Somalis are a major immigrant group in Finland.

Members of all political parties other than the Finns Party agreed on Wednesday that Halla-aho should quit as chairman of a parliamentary committee dealing with immigration and state security. He resigned from the post, although he will stay in parliament.

“Although I consider the attack against me as unreasonable … I don’t want to unnecessarily prolong the circus generated by others,” he said on his party’s website.

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