Europe ‘too soft’ on Muslims, says Jerusalem Post

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Jerusalem Post offers its take on moves across Europe to ban the wearing of the veil:

Those who support such legislation realize that an easygoing multiculturalism works only when there are basic shared values and a willingness to integrate. But European multiculturalism has deteriorated into rudderless moral relativism and a pusillanimous reluctance to criticize radical Islamic customs for fear of being branded an Islamophobe.

Sadly, some Jewish leaders, such as Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, chief rabbi of Moscow and leader of the Conference of European Rabbis, have helped foster such unfounded fears. “Sixty-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz,” wrote Goldschmidt in the New York Times in February, in an op-ed opposing the idea of bans on the burka, “Europeans can permit themselves to be squeamish about how things start and how things, if left unabated, can end.” As a rabbi, he added, “I am made uncomfortable when any religious expression is restricted, not only my own.”

Goldschmidt has got it wrong. Europeans have a right to feel uncomfortable. But not, as Goldschmidt argues, because Europeans are being too hard on Muslims. Rather, because they are being too soft.

‘Why we object to Franklin Graham’s Islamophobia’

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“Let’s just face it: Franklin Graham is an Islamophobe, an anti-Muslim bigot and an international representative of the scourge of fundamentalist Christian supremacy and exceptionalism. As a result, he fails in the worst way as a role model for Constitutional American citizenship. How can Graham or anyone prejudge/brand all members of a specific culture, religion and/or ethnicity?”

Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation outlines the MRFF’s role in securing the withdrawal of the invitation to Franklin Graham to speak at the Pentagon’s National Day of Prayer on 6 May.

Weinstein reports: “Graham’s fellow fundamentalists don’t seem to be taking the defeat too well. MRFF has been literally flooded with thousands of threatening and vile hate e-mails and ugly phone calls…. One boastfully proclaims that ‘Islam is evil and anyone who practices Islam deserves to be shot on the spot’. Behold, the product of Franklin Graham’s ‘Christian love’.”

Washington Post, 26 April 2010

French government continues to incite Islamophobia over veil

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The fining of a French Muslim woman for driving whilst wearing a niqab, or face veil, has somersaulted, in the space of a weekend, from political embarrassment to political windfall for President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Controversy raged yesterday after the Government alleged that the husband of the fined woman was a suspected polygamist and social security fraud with possible links to an extreme Islamist organisation. The interior minister, Brice Hortefeux, who made the allegations in a letter released to the press, was accused by moderate Muslim groups and left-wing politicians of cynical “exploitation” of the affair for political gain.

The media spotlight instantly switched over the weekend to Anne’s husband, Lies Hebbadj, 35, an Algerian-born butcher and taxi operator, said to be living in three bungalows near Nantes with his 12 children and four or maybe three, fully-veiled women.

In a letter to the immigration minister, which was released to the press, Mr Hortefeux said that “according to information at my disposal”, Mr Hebbadj belonged to a radical Islamist group called Tabligh. The minister said that Mr Hebbadj was “thought to be living in a polygamous situation with four women”. Each woman was “believed to be” claiming benefit as a single mother.

Mr Hortefeux said that he had asked for an investigation into “possible polygamy and social security fraud”. He urged the immigration minister to consider action to revoke Mr Hebbadj’s French nationality (acquired when he married Anne in 1999).

By associating the veil with extremist movements, polygamy and fraud, the government evidently hopes to seize control of a “burqa” debate which had threatened to spin out of its control. It was announced last week, after months of indecision, that the Government would use emergency procedures to push through a complete ban on the burqa (full-length veil) or niqab (detachable face veil) in public places by July.

According to an opinion poll yesterday, only 33 per cent of French people support a ban. Another 31 per cent approve of banning burqas and niqabs from public buildings like hospitals and schools. The decision to push ahead with a full ban – against official advice – has been widely interpreted in the press as an attempt by Mr Sarkozy to prop up his failing presidency by pleasing his core, hard-right supporters.

Hence the scarcely concealed Government glee at the alleged activities of Mr Hebbadj, the husband of the veiled driver of Nantes. In a statement yesterday, the combined mosques of Nantes said that all Muslims were being “stigmatised” by the “exploitation” of an “insignificant event, which is not representative of the Muslim majority”.

The mayor of Nantes, Jean-Marc Ayrault, who is the leader of the Socialist main opposition group in the National Assembly, accused the Government of “dramatising and exploiting” the affair. “This man’s situation has been known for some time to the services of the State … Why was nothing done about him? Why are they pretending to discover the facts now?” Mr Ayrault asked.

Independent, 26 April 2010

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UAF protest against BNP election broadcast

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP dustbinProtesters are to gather outside BBC headquarters on Monday as the British National Party’s election broadcast is aired. The BBC is accused by campaign group Unite Against Fascism (UAF) of giving “unwarranted and uncritical coverage” of the BNP during the run-up to the election.

UAF’s protest at Broadcasting House in central London will be supported by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union (Bectu), as well as the Muslim Council of Britain and Jewish Council for Racial Equality.

UAF joint secretary Sabby Dhalu said: “The BBC has given unwarranted and uncritical coverage of the BNP during this election campaign, particularly on TV news and Radio 4, which has failed to challenge its racist scapegoating of immigrants and Islamophobia.

“The BBC’s justification for giving the BNP more coverage is the election of two BNP MEPs last year. This is misguided. Giving the BNP a platform and failing to expose and challenge it gives the BNP a veneer of legitimacy.

“The BNP is a fascist organisation, not a normal political party, and the public does not pay its licence fee to see fascists broadcast their politics of hate.”

Press Association, 26 April 2010

See also UAF press release, 25 April 2010

Internet ‘racist’ group targets plan for new Bristol mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bristol disused factoryExtreme right supporters are part of an internet group opposing plans for a new mosque in Barton Hill. More than 700 people have joined a Facebook group against a planning application to convert a disused building in Aiken Street into a place of worship and community centre.

Many of the messages on “No we do not want a mosque in Barton Hill” are from white people who claim they are being “pushed out” of their community. Some are too offensive to be printed in a family newspaper, with claims that mosques are “breeding grounds for terrorists” and calls to vote BNP.

A number of messages of support are given by the far-right English Defence League, whose members were removed from Harbourside by police in riot gear shortly before the political leader’s debate last week. Comments on the website have been branded as racist by other people who have posted in response to their views.

One referred to the commentators as “racist uneducated idiots”, while another said “What’s wrong with you lot? The world is changing, why can’t you see that? People like you just make the English look like horrible people”.

The proposal to convert the former Weston White factory into a mosque has been submitted to the council by Khalif Abdirahman, a parent governor at Barton Hill Primary School. He hoped the mosque would help bring the community together and argued many of the messages from the site are from people outside of the area.

One post that supports his theory reads: “Even though I don’t live in Somerset anymore, I don’t want this! This is England! I have sent this to friends in the US too, invited 110 people and filled in the petition form to Bristol City Council.”

Other comments included: “Why is there such a high demand for mosques? Because in there [sic] twisted religion they believe all of the Earth is Allah’s and they plan to dominate, no thanks **** off to the Middle East or some other Muslim hole.”

Another said: “What can we do to stop this I live 2 mins away from it I don’t want to walk up the street and fill [sic] like I am out numbered in my own country bring on the BNP.”

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Gunshots fired at French mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

VIOLENCES CONTRE LA MOSQUEE ARRAHMAFrance’s prime minister says gunshots were fired at a mosque in southern France. No one was hurt, and police are investigating.

Francois Fillon’s office says he told Muslim leaders on Monday of his “deep emotion and his support” after the incident at a mosque in the southern city of Istres.

Police say about 30 shots were fired at the mosque’s facade before dawn on Sunday. Mosque officials discovered the damage later.

Mohamed Moussaoui, president of an umbrella organization of French Muslim groups, says the incident deserves more attention. He says media have instead focused on the case of a Muslim man accused of having several wives.

Straits Times, 26 April 2010

See also France 24 which reports that a nearby halal butchers was also attacked.

Mosque Istres

Labour candidate suspended

Posted on by Bob Pitt

John Cowan

A Labour candidate has been suspended after allegedly saying on an internet forum that he would not want any children of his to marry a Muslim.

John Cowan, who is said to have admitted paying cash to a cleaner claiming benefits, called the row a “storm in a tea cup”.

His suspension comes too late for him to be replaced on the ballot paper for South East Cambridgeshire. A party spokesman said he hoped voters may “hold their noses” but vote Labour.

BBC News, 26 April 2010

See also “Election 2010: Labour suspends John Cowan over ‘unacceptable messages'”, Guardian, 26 April 2010

South Park controversy a distraction

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Writing at the CNN website Arsalan Iftikhar comments on the furore over the “threat” against the creators of South Park:

Free speech issues and portrayals of Islam needlessly stirred a hornet’s nest recently when “South Park” depicted the Prophet Mohammed disguised in a bear suit in the 200th episode of the popular Comedy Central TV show.

But what many people don’t realize is that the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, already used an image of Mohammed on “South Park” without any strife whatsoever in a July 2001 episode called “Super Best Friends.” …

To generate some press coverage and needless dispute, two extremist buffoons at a radical website called “Revolution Muslim” directed a thinly veiled threat against the show’s creators for depicting Mohammed in the recent episode. Much of the American mainstream media ended up giving a national platform to these unknown knuckleheads, which only helped to tarnish the reputation of Muslims in America further.

Sadly, it seems to be far sexier for the media to report the message of two extremists rather than the tempered and tolerant message of the majority of millions of American Muslims.

This is also important because actual Islamophobia – and other forms of bigotry and racism – badly needs to be combated by our society. That fight certainly does not revolve around a bunch of Comedy Centralcartoon characters named Eric Cartman or Mr. Hanky.

Instead of conjuring up fake controversies involving the equal opportunity offenders of “South Park,” we should focus on professional political polemicists, such as Ann Coulter, who has publicly stated that we should “kill their [Muslim] leaders and convert them to Christianity” – or the Rev. Pat Robertson of “The 700 Club,” who once told The Associated Press that neither American Muslims nor Hindus should be allowed to serve as U.S. federal judges.

These right-wing professional fear-mongers have nurtured, facilitated and expanded the growth of Islamophobia after the tragedy of the September 11, 2001, attacks to the point where Muslim is almost a slur in America….

Sadly, instead of dealing with the real cases of racism, bigotry and xenophobia regularly injected into our public airwaves by some of our political leaders and opinion makers, we have allowed ourselves to get sucked into a faux controversy involving two no-name idiots with a radical website taking on four pre-pubescent, fictitious cartoon characters from South Park, Colorado.

The two men behind “Revolution Muslim” are, however, not exactly unknown – they have a track record when it comes to this sort of provocation. And some have suggested that they are more than just knuckleheads. Ibrahim Cooper of CAIR has observed of Revolution Muslim that “most Muslims suspect they were set up only to make Muslims look bad. We just have very deep suspicions. They say such outrageous, irresponsible things that it almost seems like they’re doing it to smear Islam.”

Muslim pupil given detention for resisting harassment over hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Grahamsville, New York — The insults first came in fifth grade, pursuing Xelina Encarnacion in hallways, classrooms and the school bus that carried her between her Loch Sheldrake home and Tri-Valley Elementary School.

The taunts of “bomb baby,” “terrorist” and “towel head” followed her into the seventh grade at Tri-Valley Secondary School as she began wearing a hijab, a traditional head covering that Muslim women begin wearing at puberty.

When a boy pulled her hijab Wednesday, Xelina retaliated, landing in detention after chasing him down and hitting him. “I felt violated,” she said. “I felt like I didn’t deserve it, because I was protecting myself.”

Times Herald-Record, 24 April 2010

Multicultural society a success in Leicester, reports finds

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Muslims in LeicesterMost Muslims who live in Leicester feel at home in the city, a new study has found. Muslims in Leicester is the most detailed report on Muslim life in the city to date, and comes after researchers spent months questioning 300 people in Evington, Spinney Hills and Stoneygate.

The report found the majority of Muslims possessed a strong British identity and a sense of belonging to the city. The report by the Open Society Institute praised Leicester’s vibrant faith communities and strong political participation by ethnic minorities – 17 of the city’s 54 councillors are from an ethnic minority background.

Leicester Mercury, 23 April 2010

The OSI study is rather more nuanced than this article suggests. It notes the existence of “differing levels of socio-economic deprivation in areas within the city; simmering tension between particular minority groups; underachievment and unemployment among Muslims; and the increasing economic divide between the affluent and not so affluent”.

Neverthless, the study reinforces the view that Leicester, contrary to right-wing cliches, is a multicultural sucess story.