Two in court over EDL attack on Plymouth kebab shop

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Hayley Wells & Kelly WattersonTwo women have appeared in court accused of a racially-aggravated attack at a city kebab shop. Hayley Wells, aged 27, and Kelly Watterson, aged 29, faced Plymouth magistrates charged with racially-aggravated assault during an incident in Exeter St.

Plymouth magistrates were told there was a Kurdish family inside the Istanbul Kebab Shop at the time of the incident on the afternoon of Sunday August 31.

Wells, of Shell Close, Leigham, and Watterson, of St Peter’s Road, Manadon, both denied a joint charge of racially aggravated common assault against a woman in the kebab shop. Watterson also denied a further charge of affray.

Gareth Warden, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said members of a group were drinking in the Wild Coyote pub near the kebab shop. Mr Warden said a group shouted “vile abuse” at a woman in the shop. He added that Wells and Watterson are then alleged to have assaulted the woman. Mr Warden said: “Kelly Watterson is alleged to have then thrown a glass into the shop which shattered. A baby and a 14-year-old were in the shop at the time.”

Jane Wills, for the pair, said the allegations were “strongly contested”.

Magistrates ruled that the charge was so serious the pair must be tried at Plymouth Crown Court. They were released on bail on condition they do not go within 100 metres of the takeaway while papers are prepared for a judge. Watterson and Wells must return to face magistrates on November 1.

Plymouth Herald, 8 September 2011

Islamophobia: Thought Crime of the Totalitarian Future

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamophobia Thought Crime of the Totalitarian FutureFrontPage Magazine reports that David Horowitz and Robert Spencer have a new book out:

In their new pamphlet, Islamophobia: Thought Crime of the Totalitarian Future, Horowitz and Spencer have created what amounts to a biography of this malign concept.

Their work shows how the term “Islamophobia” originated with the Muslim Brotherhood, is connected to violent protests over cartoons about Mohammed, the growing number of blasphemy laws in Europe, resolutions against this “form of racism” in the UN, and prosecutions of notable opponents of Islamic terror such as Oriana Fallaci and Geert Wilders.

They show, too, how what began as a political strategy by the Muslim Brotherhood has now spread to American higher education and has, like political correctness and other such mad experiments cultured in the campus laboratory, the potential to break out into the larger political culture.

We can only hope.

Terry Jones returns to Michigan to denounce Islam

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Terry Jones, the controversial Florida pastor, returned to Michigan on a rainy Wednesday night for a 30-minute speech on the steps of the Capitol where he railed about radical Islam. The pastor’s speech was greeted by more police, media and protesters than supporters or curious onlookers.

About a dozen protesters started chanting “Say No to Hate” during Jones’ speech before police quieted them down. “Terry Jones is not welcome here,” said protester David Mitchell, 30, of Lansing, who held a banner with others saying: “They shall not pass.”

Jones, wearing jeans and a Harley Davidson black bomber jacket, decried Islam as a not a peaceful religion and oppressive to women. The Islamic law, Sharia, should not be tolerated, he said. “Islam is a religion that hates freedom of speech,” Jones said.

He was in Lansing to support a new organization, Operation Freedom’s Tree, founded by James Terpening. The political group denounces Islam as evil.

Jones supporter Eugene Connors, 40, of Lansing agrees. One sign he held said: “Stop Burning Christians.” “People don’t realize the threat Islam poses to everyone,” he said.

Detroit News, 7 September 2011

Catholic school may ban Islamic headscarves, Amsterdam court rules

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Imane MahssanA Catholic secondary school in Volendam is within its right to ban pupils from wearing Islamic headscarves, Amsterdam appeal court said on Tuesday.

The court said independent schools, such as the Don Bosco College, can set standards to uphold their own values, as long as they apply the rules consistently. This is the case at the Volendam school, the court said.

In addition, the pupil was well aware the school was a Catholic institution when she applied and should have realised that adopting Islamic dress would not be allowed.

The school in the former fishing village introduced the ban several months after Imane Mahssan had requested permission to wear a headscarf and had begun doing so. She was then banned from attending lessons.

The girl’s father took the case to the Equal Opportunities Commission. It ruled in the girl’s favour, but the school decided to ignore the ruling, prompting the girl to go to court. It found in favour of the school, prompting the girl to take the case to appeal.

Dutch News, 6 September 2011

Justice Department upholds religious freedom in Virginia mosque construction dispute

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday (Sept. 6) announced a settlement with Henrico County, Va., over the county’s alleged violation of a federal anti-discrimination law when it refused to rezone property for a group of Muslims who wanted to build a mosque.

The Justice Department claimed the county’s actions violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), which prohibits religious discrimination in land use and zoning decisions. The settlement requires the county to allow the mosque to be built without improper interference or delay.

“Religious freedom is one of our most cherished rights, and that right includes the ability to assemble and build places of worship without facing discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez.

The case arose in late 2008 when local Muslims were denied the ability to build the first mosque in the county, just north of Richmond. The Muslims filed suit, charging that the denial of the request was “arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable.”

The Justice Department joined the case in March 2010 and found evidence that the request to build had been denied on the basis of hostility toward Muslims. The county had never turned down a rezoning application submitted by one of its 209 Christian churches, government attorneys said.

The settlement requires Henrico County to publicize its nondiscrimination policies and to provide training on RLUIPA to all county officials involved in land use matters.

“This agreement will ensure that religious freedom is upheld in Henrico County,” said Neil H. MacBride, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Religion News Service, 7 September 2011

Greek parliament approves Athens’ first mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Golden Dawn anti-Muslim poster (2)

Greece’s parliament on Wednesday approved the construction of a new mosque in Athens to satisfy a long-standing demand by thousands of Muslim residents, a government source said.

The project to build the Greek capital’s first official Muslim place of worship in decades was supported by 198 deputies from the centre, right and left (out of 300) against the objections of 16 nationalist MPs.

The mosque plan was included in an environment ministry bill regulating illegal construction, another long-running concern in Greece. It calls for the renovation of an existing state building – a disused military base – in the run-down Athens industrial district of Elaionas.

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NWI threatens ‘Red scum’ with violence at Scottish Defence League protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NWIRight-wing extremists have threatened to tear their opponents “limb from limb” during protests due to be held in the Capital on Saturday.

The online threat was made by a member of an English group called North West Infidels, whose members are expected to travel to the Capital on Saturday to take part in a rally organised by the Scottish Defence League.

The NWI’s opponents say they are even more radical than the Scottish or English Defence Leagues. On a Facebook page set up by NWI members, a threat has been posted referring to a “coalition” of three groups – themselves, a similar group known as the North East Infidels, and the SDL.

It reads: “With only three days left we are issuing a challenge to any Red scum that are planning to oppose us. The NWI-NEW-Sdl coalition thrive on kicking the s*** out of c**** like you so the more of you that turn out in Edinburgh the better, that’s more of your scruffy little bodies to go round for us to systematically tear limb from limb. See you Saturday.”

Scotsman, 8 September 2011

Most Americans still think Muslims are singled out unfairly, poll finds

Posted on by Bob Pitt

CBS-NYT pollMore than three in four Americans say it is likely that Muslims, Arab Americans and immigrants from the Middle East get unfairly singled out in the United States, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll taken in conjunction with the ten-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Twenty-nine percent of Americans – including 35 percent of New Yorkers – said it’s very likely that people in those groups are singled out unfairly. Another 49 percent called it somewhat likely. Eighteen percent said they did not think such singling out is taking place.

Democrats and younger Americans were more likely than Republicans, independents and older Americans to say people in these groups are being unfairly singled out.

Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, a full 90 percent of Americans said it was at least somewhat likely that Muslims, Arab Americans and immigrants from the Middle East would be unfairly singled out – including 50 percent who said it was very likely. That figure fell to 80 percent in Sept. 2002, and it stands at 78 percent today.

CBS News, 8 September 2011

Another West Bank mosque attacked

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Vandals graffitied a West Bank mosque, torched two Palestinian cars and uprooted olive trees overnight in attacks which locals on Thursday blamed on Jewish settlers.

The mosque in Yatma village some 10 kilometres (six miles) south of Nablus was spray-painted with Hebrew graffiti reading “price tag” and “Migron” in reference to a settlement outpost where Israeli troops demolished three homes on Monday.

Hardline settlers have adopted what they call a “price tag” policy under which they attack Palestinians and their property in response to Israeli government measures against settlements.

It was the second time in three days that vandals, believed to be settlers, had attacked a mosque and daubed the word “Migron” on the walls. In Monday’s attack, they also tried to set light to the building, causing fire damage.

AFP, 8 September 2011

Muslim stewards played ‘vital role’ in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Lutfur Rahman talks to mediaHundreds of Muslim youths could be trained to steward volatile events following the good work of a peace-keeping team deployed on Saturday.

About 300 volunteers – most of them aged 18 to 25 – patrolled the streets around Whitechapel dispersing large groups of youths to prevent trouble breaking out over the English Defence League demonstration at Aldgate. Volunteers and youth workers played a “vital role” in keeping young people calm, police said. A Met spokeswoman added: “The stewards who worked on Saturday were well trained and effective.”

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