Senate Judiciary panel to hold hearing on protecting Muslims’ civil rights

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dick DurbinDemocratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) announced Tuesday that he will hold Congress’ first-ever hearing on the civil rights of American Muslims next week. The hearing comes a little more than two weeks after a Republican in Congress made headlines by holding a controversial hearing on the radicalization of Muslim Americans.

The release announcing the hearing said it is in response to the “spike in anti-Muslim bigotry in the last year including Quran burnings, restrictions on mosque construction, hate crimes, hate speech, and other forms of discrimination.”

“Our Constitution protects the free exercise of religion for all Americans,” Durbin said. “During the course of our history, many religions have faced intolerance. It is important for our generation to renew our founding charter’s commitment to religious diversity and to protect the liberties guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.”

The panel of witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing include Muslim civil rights leader Farhana Khera; Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick; Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez, the Obama Administration’s top civil rights official; and former Assistant Attorney General Alex Acosta, the Bush Administration’s top civil rights official.

Durbin will lead the hearing next Tuesday in the subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, which is part of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

CBS News, 23 March 2011

See also “Muslims welcome Senate hearings on civil liberties”, USA Today, 23 March 2011

Durbin does have his critics. Robert Spencer weighs in at FrontPage Magazine (“Durbin is preparing to hold hearings about an ‘anti-Muslim bigotry’ that is almost completely nonexistent”) and at Jihad Watch (“Watch for this to be an orgy of Muslim claims of victimhood and demonization of freedom fighters trying to defend Constitutional freedoms against Islamic supremacism”), while Pamela Geller has a piece at the The Daily Caller (“I might agree with a hearing on ‘Muslim rights’ if it addressed the increasing surrender of secular law to Islamic law, and the assertion of Islamic supremacy over the rights of all others”).

Muslim New Yorkers seek dignity, respect from NYPD

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NYPD protestNEW YORK — “No to racial bias”, and “Yes to dignity for all”, read the posters held by community leaders and members from diverse groups on the steps of City Hall.

On Tuesday, city officials joined civil rights leaders, representatives from the Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition (MACLC), Muslim and immigrant organizations, and interfaith groups to voice their concerns over the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) use of a controversial film about Islam and Muslims to train officers working in Muslim communities.

The documentary film, “The Third Jihad”, recently reported on by The Village Voice and described as an “anti-Muslim horror flick”, was seen as smearing American Muslims and Islam. The 72-minute film explores the existence of radical Islam in America and depicts Islam and Muslims in an offensive and prejudicial way stated MACLC officials. They claim that using it as part of NYPD training will lead to increased racial and religious profiling.

“We are here today to call upon the police department to right its wrong,” said Councilman Daniel Dromm. “This is a basic civil rights issue. What has been done to malign the Muslim community can be done to any community in New York City.”

Reverend Chloe Breyer from the Interfaith Center of New York echoed this stance of unity. “We are in this together – Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, and those with no religious tradition. We need each other and it is wrong for anyone, particularly the police, to perpetuate hateful stereotypes that pit communities against each other,” said Breyer.

The NYPD did not address any of their concerns and demands, stated MACLC representatives. After MACLC sent two letters to the NYPD, and had a meeting with NYPD representatives, they only received a brief letter from Commissioner Raymond Kelly stating that the video was no longer being used.

Epoch Times, 22 March 2011

See also WNYC, 22 March 2011

Finance minister says Islam is part of Germany

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble on Tuesday warned Germany must not discriminate against its Muslim population, saying that Islam was a part of its society. His comments contrast starkly with those of the country’s new conservative interior minister.

“We have every interest in saying that Islam is a part of our country and in inviting Muslims to value what we have achieved in the Western World,” the Christian Democrat told the latest edition of political magazine Cicero. Religion, faith, democracy and universal human rights are all compatible, he added.

Still, immigrants must strive to integrate in Germany, said Schäuble, who initiated the government’s Islam conference in 2006 while he was interior minister in attempt to promote a healthier dialogue with the approximately four million Muslims living in the country.

In early March Germany’s new interior minister, Hans-Peter Friedrich, made the controversial statement that Islam did not “belong” in Germany because it lacked a historical foundation. The conservative Bavarian plans to meet with the Islam conference plenum next Tuesday.

Friedrich’s comments mirrored similar statements he made last autumn amid a rancorous debate over whether Muslim immigrants are capable of integrating into German society.

The Local, 22 March 2011

See also Islam in Europe which takes a more sceptical view of Schäuble’s statement.

Protest against Deborah Pauly faces small counter-demonstration

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Deborah Pauly protestAbout 500 demonstrators from various groups marched and chanted slogans against or in support of Councilwoman Deborah Pauly in front of Villa Park City Hall on Tuesday evening.

The large majority of demonstrators were Muslim supporters who organized in response to a speech by Pauly last month at a Yorba Linda rally. About 50 people showed up Tuesday night to support Pauly.

The two groups faced off on the walkway in front of City Hall before the council meeting shouting at one another through bullhorns and displaying signs with phrases such as, “I’m a Muslim not a terrorist,” and “Deborah Pauly is a patriot.” The protesters also chanted at and over each other: “Deborah Pauly, I’m your neighbor. Why are you such a hater,” “No Sharia law,” and “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the racism’s got to go.”

The protest was largely peaceful, but the exchanges among the demonstrators were heated. A pro-Muslim supporter shouted at someone “You don’t even know what you’re fighting for, you racist pig.” The Pauly supporter retorted: “You’re a disgrace.”

The demonstrations are a response to a speech Pauly gave at a rally during an Islamic Circle of North America fund-raiser Feb. 13, which many have interpreted as anti-Muslim. Her remarks are prominent in a YouTube video created by the Council on American-Islam Relations.

In the packed council chambers after the protest, the public comment section of the council meeting became a heated argument over topics ranging from Pauly’s speech to the merits of Shariah law. Sheriff’s officers stood at the doors and prevented anyone who wasn’t on the speaker’s list from entering.

Pauly listened as Muslim constituents and Pauly supporters repeatedly asked her to apologize or affirm her words with audible cheers and boos punctuating each comment from the hundreds of protesters outside.

Orange County Register, 22 March 2011

Austria: Muslim women often victimised for wearing headscarves, report says

Posted on by Bob Pitt

More and more headscarf-wearing women are becoming victims of racist attacks, according to an organisation’s annual report.

Civil courage and anti-racism institution ZARA said yesterday (Mon) it had been informed of 745 cases of racist abuses in Austria last year, around 50 fewer than in 2009. The organisation – which stressed that the actual number of offences is much higher – emphasised that the number of verbal abuses of devout Muslims wearing headscarves was on the rise.

ZARA explained Muslim women were experiencing difficulties applying for jobs in Austria if they are unwilling to remove the scarf during working hours. The organisation claimed these developments were primarily not based on racist tendencies among businesspeople, but their concerns that the number of clients may decline if a headscarf-wearing woman was hired.

Another aspect ZARA is emphasising in its 2010 report is “reckless” and often anonymous posting of racism-fuelled messages on social networking sites. The Vienna-based organisation said the fight against such actions was becoming more difficult since notes have often been read and passed on by many people before they get removed.

Muslims, Afro-Americans and members of the Jewish community in Austria are the main groups experiencing day-to-day racism in Austria, according to ZARA. The institution also criticised the country’s police for carrying out more so-called ethnic profiling in which black people and members of other minorities are being questioned and asked for their IDs only because of their origin and skin colour.

ZARA’s announcements come shortly after a poll revealed that fewer than one in five Austrians think of ethnic minorities as a group in need of protection. Magazine profil reported that just 18 per cent of Austrians think ethnic minorities deserve more protection.

The survey – carried out by research firm Karmasin – also showed that two in 10 Austrians said the same about migrants and asylum seekers. A meagre 13 per cent of Austrians told the pollster that religious minorities should get more protection in the country.

Another recent Karmasin survey revealed that, with 49 per cent, nearly one out of two Austrians consider asylum seekers as “generally dishonest”. Karmasin reported that a majority of 53 per cent agreed with the claim that people applying for political asylum in Austria “are more criminal than other social groups”.

Researcher IMAS found some months ago that 42 per cent of Austrians think immigrants receive more preferential treatment by authorities than themselves.

Austrian Times, 23 March 2011

Via Islam in Europe

‘Race hate has no place in Reading’ say political leaders

Posted on by Bob Pitt

PIC BY STEWART TURKINGTON www.stphotos.co.uk 07778 334771Three political leaders in Reading have united to condemn a march by the English Defence League (EDL) through the town centre.

About 200 supporters of the organisation took part in a demonstration against the “Islamification of England” on Saturday afternoon. Political leaders on Reading Borough Council have accused the group of trying to stoke up hatred and division.

Reading Council for Racial Equality (RCRE) sent member George Mathew to observe the demonstration after police advised them not to demonstrate themselves. Mr Mathew said:

“We went there with the assumption there would be between 30 and 50 people so we were really shocked by the sheer number of them. It was really scary and there were people around who were trying to do their normal shopping who were shocked by it. For me, the most disappointing, or scary, thing was that there were people who were not part of the demo who came from the crowd and joined them. That was unexpected and it made us feel very uneasy.”

Conservative Reading Borough Council leader Andrew Cumpsty said the town has excellent relations between its varied communities. He said: “Hatred and division have no place in civilised political debate and I condemn the activities of this small minority.” Deputy council leader Cllr Kirsten Bayes said: “The antics of a marginalised, discredited group such as this have no relevance to Reading. They should go home.”

And Labour group leader Cllr Jo Lovelock said: “People who come to Reading with the sole intention of stirring up racial hatred and driving a wedge between different communities must be given a clear message that they are not welcome and their hateful approach will be rejected by all who value tolerance and diversity.”

Reading Post, 23 March 2011

EDL thug admits to stupidity

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man who smashed a window during the English Defence League protest in Leicester has admitted causing criminal damage worth £1,500. Gareth Mooney (29) of Sandown Court, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, broke the shop window of Big John’s Takeaway, in Humberstone Road on October 9 last year.

Liz Dodds, prosecuting, told Leicester magistrates that Mooney was one of about 200 protesters who broke through a police cordon in Queens Street at about 4pm to challenge a group of Asian youths. The trouble then spilled into Humberstone Road, where up to 20 members of the public had sought refuge in the takeaway.

She said: “Mr Mooney was caught on CCTV giving a forceful kick to the window, causing it to shatter in a spider effect. His behaviour instigated the subsequent attack on the building which caused a total of £5,000 damage.”

Mooney said: “I’m very sorry for the trouble I’ve caused. It was down to stupidity.” He was bailed to appear at North Tyneside Magistrates Court on April 12.

Leicester Mercury, 23 March 2011

Hysteria over sharia in Florida

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Conservatives are freaking out over a Florida judge’s decision to use Islamic law to arbitrate a lawsuit over a local mosque. Erick Stakelbeck at CBN cried that this was “the latest example of how it is slowly and stealthily creeping into our judicial system.” The judge, however, isn’t invoking Islamic law because he simply felt like it; he’s doing so because this is essentially a contract dispute in which the agreement was drawn up according to Sharia.

Adam Serwer at The American Prospect, 23 March 2011

See also Mother Jones, 23 March 2011

Franklin Graham’s new Obama-Muslim conspiracy theory

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Franklin-GrahamYes, there’s a new Obama-Muslim conspiracy theory on the right: The evangelical son of one of America’s most famous evangelists says that President Barack Obama has allowed the Muslim Brotherhood to become part of the US government and influence administration decisions.

In an interview last week with Newsmax.com, a conservative website (that pushes the Obama-was-born-in-Kenya conspiracy theory), Franklin Graham, an evangelist like his father, Billy Graham, claimed that the fundamentalist Islamic political group has burrowed into the Obama administration and is shaping US foreign policy. Sounding a bit like Glenn Beck, Graham explained:

The Muslim Brotherhood is very strong and active in our country. It’s infiltrated every level of our government. Right now we have many of these people that are advising the US military and State Department on how to respond in the Middle East, and it’s like asking a fox, like a farmer asking a fox, “How do I protect my henhouse from foxes?” We’ve brought in Muslims to tell us how to make policy toward Muslim countries. And many of these people we’ve brought in, I’m afraid, are under the Muslim Brotherhood.

Infiltrated every level of our government – that’s quite a claim. Yet Graham did not name a single Muslim Brotherhood infiltrator or cite a specific Obama administration decision that has been manipulated by these crafty behind-the-scenes Islamists.

Mother Jones, 22 March 2011