Lyon: Attack on mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Meyzieu mosque graffitiNazi graffiti was painted on a hall in Meyzieu, a suburb of Lyon, and a fire started in the toilets Thursday.

The hall of 300 sqm, purchased and renovated by the local Muslim association, was to be inaugurated shortly and operation for the coming Ramadan.

Written in German, the inscription was the motto of the SS “Loyalty is our honor” and was written on the facade of the building, according to the local mayor, Michel Forissier.

Moreover, at the rear of the building a window was broken and a plastic bag filled with papers was thrown in, sprayed with inflammable liquids to set the fire. The fire did not spread and the firefighters didn’t need to intervene, according to Forissier, but the smoke caused damage, notably to the toilet area.

The inauguration of the hall shouldn’t be called into question. The mayor advanced a theory of an ‘isolated’ incident since there was no opposition to the project in the municipality, which has always accommodated all religions.

Islam in Europe, 22 August 2008

Swedish mosque arsonist held for hate crime

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Strömsund mosque arsonA man in his twenties has been arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a mosque in Strömsund, northern Sweden.

Police are classifying the attack as a hate crime.

The mosque was set on fire during the night of August 15th. Witnesses told police that they had seen several young men run away from the blaze, which took place in a cellar where the mosque is situated.

After a week’s investigations police called in several men for interrogation, one of whom has confessed to starting the fire.

The Local, 22 August 2008

See also “Anlagd brand mot moské i Strömsund”, Östersunds-Posten, 16 August 2008

Update:  See “Man sentenced over Swedish mosque arson”, Islamophobia Watch, 7  October 2009

MI5 colluded with torture of Guantánamo prisoner

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Binyam MohamedMI5 participated in the unlawful interrogation of a British resident now held in Guantánamo Bay, the high court found yesterday in a judgment raising serious questions about the conduct of Britain’s security and intelligence agencies.

One MI5 officer was so concerned about incriminating himself that he initially declined to answer questions from the judges even in private, the judgment reveals. Though the judges say “no adverse conclusions” should be drawn by the MI5 officer’s plea against self-incrimination, they disclose that the officer, Witness B, was questioned about alleged war crimes under the international criminal court act, including torture. The full evidence surrounding Witness B’s evidence, and the judges’ findings, remain secret.

The MI5 officer interrogated the British resident, Binyam Mohamed, while he was being held in Pakistan in 2002. Mohamed, 30, an Ethiopian national, was later secretly rendered to Morocco, where he says was tortured by having his penis cut with a razor blade. The US subsequently flew him to Afghanistan and he was transferred to Guantánamo Bay in September 2004 where he remains.

In a passage which appears to contradict previous assurances by MI5, Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones concluded: “The conduct of the security service facilitated interviews by or on behalf of the United States when [Mohamed] was being detained by the United States incommunicado and without access to a lawyer.” They added: “Under the law of Pakistan, that detention was unlawful.”

Asked last month about unrelated allegations involving detainees held in Pakistan, the Home Office said on behalf of MI5: “All security service staff have an awareness of the Human Rights Act 1998, and are fully committed to complying with the requirements of the law when working in the UK and overseas.”

It added that the security and intelligence agencies “do not participate in, solicit, encourage or condone the use of torture or inhumane or degrading treatment”.

Guardian, 22 August 2008

MI5 report on terrorism challenges stereotypes

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MI5MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian.

The sophisticated analysis, based on hundreds of case studies by the security service, says there is no single pathway to violent extremism.

The “restricted” MI5 report takes apart many of the common stereotypes about those involved in British terrorism. They are mostly British nationals, not illegal immigrants and, far from being Islamist fundamentalists, most are religious novices.

The security service also plays down the importance of radical extremist clerics, saying their influence in radicalising British terrorists has moved into the background in recent years.

Far from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practise their faith regularly. Many lack religious literacy and could actually be regarded as religious novices. MI5 says there is evidence that a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation.

Guardian, 21 August 2008

Posted in UK

Muslim sprinter wins Olympic sprint dressed head to toe in hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Sprinters have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.

In 2004, Bahrain’s Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab. Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird’s Nest stadium – despite being clothed head to foot.

Daily Mail, 19 August 2008

‘Britain’s terror laws have left me and my family shattered’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Hicham Yezza recounts his experiences as an innocent person swept up by the “war on terror”.

Comment is Free, 18 August 2008

Hicham was released without charge after six days in custody, but was immediately rearrested on immigration charges and issued with a removal order to Algeria. See freehicham.co.uk for details on how to support his campaign against deoprtation.

Sun apologises to Arunas Raulynaitis

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Arunas Raulynaitis“An article on March 29, ‘Everyone off my bus, I need to pray‘, stated that Arunas Raulynaitis, a London bus driver and a Muslim, asked passengers to leave his bus so he could pray and that passengers later refused to re-board the bus because they saw a ruck-sack which made them think he might be a fanatic. The article included pictures of Mr Raulynaitis praying.

“We now accept that these allegations were completely untrue. Mr Raulynaitis is not a fanatic and he did not ask passengers to leave his bus to allow him to pray. In fact, he was praying during his statutory rest break. We apologise to Mr Raulynaitis for the embarrassment and distress caused.”

Sun, 15 August 2008

Swiss Christian Democrat leader calls for veil ban

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The president of the centre-right Christian Democratic Party Christophe Darbellay proposed a nationwide veil ban in a recent interview with the broadsheet Tages-Anzeiger. It would also apply to holidaymakers from Arab countries in resorts like Interlaken, where the visitor segment from Middle Eastern countries has seen rapid growth, and female tourists wearing the niqab and burqa are becoming a common sight. Tourism industry representatives have reacted with scepticism to the CDP’s proposal.

Jungfrau Zeitung, 18 August 2008

‘As race wars split Georgia, could it happen in Britain?’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

douglas_murrayDouglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion writing in the Daily Express:

“In Britain we look at scenes like those emerging from Georgia in the last week and congratulate ourselves that at least we do not have to worry about such conflict. But the truth is Britain, like any nation, should observe the feuding in the Caucuses and reflect on whether we really are that different. Some warning notes have already sounded.

“It is now seven months since the Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, warned of the existence of ‘no-go areas’ within Britain. The reaction from leading politicians was dismissive. Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, described the comment as ‘inflammatory’ and ‘a gross caricature of reality’. But the fact is that the Bishop was onto something….

“Instead of fostering integration and cohesion between communities, successive UK governments and local authorities have encouraged separatism between ethnic and religious groups. Instead of being strong and standing up to the grievance-mongers and activists, they have pandered to such people….

“Telling people communities could run parallel lives in Britain ended in disaster. Immigrants were given no incentive to adapt to their new home; those already in the country resented the separation of their new neighbours and so the walls grew. But whenever people highlighted the dangers of segregation it was their comments rather than foolish government policies that were denounced….

“Last year the Commission for Racial Equality wound up. When several years ago its Chairman Trevor Phillips admitted that the multicultural experiment had failed he was hailed for his bravery in speaking out. Would that he had done so earlier!”