Netherlands: 65% support ban on large mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

According to a large survey prepared by TV program Netwerk and newspaper Nederlands Dagbald, 65% of the Dutch ‘agree’ or ‘completely agree’ that there should be a stop to the building of large mosques.

Most Dutch are concerned about the growth of Islam in the Netherlands and its influence on society.  At the same time, a majority are also concerned about the negative manner in which Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) speak about Islam.

59% of the Dutch think that in 40 years Islam would be at least as an important aspect of the Netherlands as Christianity is today.  57% say the increase in the number of Muslims threatens Dutch culture, and 53% say it threats freedom of religion.

The concern about Islam crosses political boundaries.  56% of Labor Party voters, 65% of Socialist Party voters, 67% of Christian Union voters and 87% of Political Reformed Party (SGP) voters, support stopping the building of large mosques.

Islam in Europe, 5 June 2008

Principal reassigned over Islam presentation

Posted on by Bob Pitt

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — A junior high school principal who allowed a group to make a presentation about Islam to students is no longer on the job. Robin Lowe “has accepted another administrative position effective immediately,” the school district said in a statement late Wednesday.

Lowe was the principal of Friendswood Junior High when the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Houston gave a presentation described as “Islam 101” to about 875 seventh- and eighth-grade students last month, the district said.

Council president Tarek Hussein said he contacted Lowe about the educational presentation after hearing from a father who said his son was physically attacked at the school because he is Muslim. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim students often get teased and called terrorists, Hussein pointed out. But community members and parents of children at the predominantly Anglo and Christian school complained about the assembly.

David Bradley, a member of the State Board of Education whose district includes Friendswood, said parents have been contacting him to express outrage about the presentation. He said an assembly about Islam was a waste of tax dollars and was not an appropriate response to an attack on a student.

“There’s a personal incident between two students and as a result of that we’re going to yank everyone out of class?” he said. “I got beat up in junior high. Did my dad go down and force all the kids to sit through sensitivity training in their P.E. class? No, that’s absurd. The coach gave us licks and sent us home. That was the end of those incidents.”

Houston Chronicle, 4 June 2008

Update:  See “R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Religious persecution, not lessons in tolerance and diversity, should spark outrage”, Houston Chronicle, 7  June 2008

And “Friendswood principal backed in Islam flap”, Houston Chronicle, 10 June 2008

BNP says call to prayer at Stoke mosque will ‘provoke neighbours’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP Islam Out of BritainA new mosque will be built on a former pottery works, despite warnings that the call to prayer may offend non-Muslim neighbours.

The new place of worship will replace the nearby Ghelani Noor Mosque and be built on the old Denton Works, in Chaplin Road, Normacot. The plan was approved by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s development control committee yesterday by eight votes to two, with two abstentions.

But the mosque committee’s intention to ring out a call to prayer every Friday and during holy festivals was challenged by BNP councillor Phillip Sandland, who warned it could lead to flash points with non-Muslim neighbours.

As part of the planning conditions each call to prayer – or Adhan – must last no longer than two minutes and only be amplified between 7.30am and 8pm.

Mr Sandland told the committee: “I’m happy to see a house of God built, whether it’s Christian, Muslim or whatever. But there are people who will take exception to this call to prayer and for the time being it should not be allowed.”

Committee chairman, Councillor Mike Barnes, asked him: “Do we take the same account of bells when the Lord Mayor is appointed?” But Mr Sandland hit back: “It’s different as well you know – don’t provoke your neighbours, as this thing does.”

Sentinel, 5 June 2008

Qaradawi slams Pakistan bombing

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Qaradawi2DOHA — Renowned Doha-based Islamic scholar Dr Yusuf Al Qaradawi has denounced the bombing at the Danish embassy in Islamabad on Monday to protest against the blasphemous cartoons on Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him).

In a statement issued in the wake of the blast that killed two people and injured several others, Qaradawi said such violent protests will only help tarnish the image of Islam all over the world.

“We condemn what was done in the Danish embassy in Pakistan. We have been urging Muslims to protest peacefully against the blasphemous Danish cartoons. It is the duty of Muslims to protect the lives of people who live in their country as their guests,” said Qaradawi.

The scholar, who heads the International Union of Islamic Scholars, said the union has already denounced the Danish cartoons as a deliberate attempt to provoke Muslims all over the world and hurt their sentiments.

Peninsular, 4 June 2008

Blame terrorism on multiculturalism says Torygraph

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“One reason we face our current difficulties is that the so-called progressive elements, which dominated politics and much of the media, failed for too long to understand the damage they were inflicting on our country through the concept of multiculturalism.

“In the Nineties, when many of the problems with which the Government is now grappling were taking root, not only were the extremist tenets of fundamentalist Islam rarely challenged, the multiculturalists even coined an insult – Islamophobia – to damn those who did. And no one took seriously enough the report into the 2001 riots in some northern cities, that exposed the “parallel lives” being led by different ethnic and religious communities.

“When four British Muslims perpetrated the worst act of terrorism on British soil in July 2005, the country was finally shaken from this state of denial. Now, Labour ministers – once ardent cheerleaders for multiculturalism (not least because they imagined there were votes in it) – espouse respect for the monarchy, demand that immigrants learn English and praise British history and identity.

“It has taken a long time for the Government to assess properly the nature of this threat and there are signs that ministers remain unwilling to ditch their old instincts and grasp that, in a battle for hearts and minds, it is important to emphasise the superiority of your own values.”

Daily Telegraph, 4 June 2008

‘Symbolism of hijab’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Remember this article calling for the hijab to be banned from Irish schools? And this report that Ireland’s opposition parties backed the proposal? As a contribution to the “debate” the Irish Independent has published a letter from a US reader in support of a ban: “Like it or not, the hijab is a symbol of a culture that promotes the murder of innocents and mutilation…. The culture of the hijab is against the liberal principles of Western culture…. Ireland has an opportunity to take an early stand against a culture that threatens the West with violence and aggression.”

Pig’s head nailed to Asian centre

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Carnon Downs Asian CentreA pig’s head has been nailed to the door of a former Methodist chapel which is being converted into an Asian community centre. Police are treating the incident at Quenchwell near Carnon Downs, in Cornwall, as a racist attack.

The pig’s head is the latest incident at the centre which has been daubed with graffiti, including the words Leave Now, over the past two weeks. Muslim owner Tipo Choudhury said he was “saddened and shocked” by the attacks.

Mr Choudhury, who has some Indian restaurants in Cornwall, said the centre would not be just about religion, but would enable people to celebrate their faith and culture. “I think they have misunderstood the intentions behind the centre,” he said, addding that it would not be a mosque. The community centre group was made up of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. He said the plans for the community centre would continue, but the situation was being assessed daily.

Insp Mark Richards of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “The graffiti is offensive not only to Asians, Asian religions, but also to Christians and Cornish nationalists whose name is taken in vain. It is totally out of order.”

BBC News, 4 June 2008

See also “Pig’s head nailed to door in sickening racist attack”, Falmouth Penryn Packet, 4 June 2008

Update:  See “More ‘racist’ graffiti at Quenchwell Chapel”, Falmouth Penryn Packet, 16 June 2008

Posted in UK

Denmark: Three Muslims attacked after embassy bombing

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The former spokesperson of the Islamic Faith Society (IFS), Kasem Said Ahmed, was attacked on his way to work, soon after the attack on the Danish embassy in Islamabad was announced in the Danish media.  The attack occurred at the Ryparken station in Copenhagen.

Ahmed said that a man came up to him and asked if he wasn’t an imam and then punched him in the face.  Fortunately two Danish men quickly came and pushed him away.  He believes the attack is connected to the bombing in Pakistan.  He was not injured and therefore decided not to report the attack to the police.

Two women on their way to prayer were threatened by three hooded men next to the IFS mosque in Dortheavej, Nørrebro (Copenhagen).

ISF says they have received several hate-mails from angry Danes on Monday.  The mails said that Muslims should go back where they came from as Allah will continue to be insulted.

Billal Assaad, ISF’s chairman, says that they’re tired of being blamed for the terror attack.  They had sent out a press release in both Danish and Arabic where they deplored and rejected the attack.

Per Larsen of the Copenhagen police says they will make sure to deal such attacks before it gets out of hand and develops into something unstoppable.

Islam in Europe, 4 June 2008

Muslim in call centre abuse wins £20,000

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Muslim worker at a call centre based at the home of Rangers Football Club in Glasgow has been awarded more than £20,000 for racial and religious discrimination, after colleagues abused him for complaining about how they treated Irish and ethnic-minority callers.

James Lipka, 58, who worked for the Student Loans Company and Rangers Projects from Glasgow-based Response Handling’s call centre in Ibrox Stadium, complained that workers handling calls for the football club would mimic the accent of Northern Irish callers phoning to buy match tickets. Mr Lipka, who is Polish, said comments were frequently made suggesting the Irish callers were stupid. He also claimed call handlers regularly made racist comments regarding those calling about student loans.

Mr Lipka’s father came to the UK from Poland during the Second World War as a member of the Free Polish Army. His ancestors were Mongol Tartars, who had gone to live in Poland in the 14th century and retained their Islamic religion.

The abusive comments at his workplace got worse after the bombings in London on 7 July, 2005, with some of the agents becoming openly hostile towards Muslims. The abuse lasted until he left Response Handling in August 2006, but the company denied there had been any racist or religious comments.

In his written judgment yesterday, an employment tribunal judge, Stewart Watt, said: “The tribunal has no doubt that this conduct, viewed in any reasonable way, must have the objective effect of violating Mr Lipka’s dignity and creating an intimidating hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.”

Scotsman, 3 June 2008

Bardot fined over racial hatred

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Brigitte BardotA French court has fined former film star Brigitte Bardot 15,000 euros (£12,000) for inciting racial hatred. She was prosecuted over a letter published on her website that complained Muslims were “destroying our country by imposing their ways”. It is the fifth time Ms Bardot been convicted over her controversial remarks about Islam and its followers. This is her heaviest fine so far.

BBC News, 3 June 2008