Tariq Ramadan rejects 'clash of civilizations' idea

At an interfaith conference in Prague sponsored by former Czech president Vaclav Havel, a prominent Muslim intellectual rejected the notion that the world is on the verge of a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West. Tariq Ramadan describes himself as a "Western Muslim." He says the "clash of civilizations" idea fails to consider the large and growing Muslim presence in the West.

Radio Free Europe, 2 December 2004

Imaan discusses Qaradawi

The Muslim lesbian and gay group Imaan was initially listed as a supporter of the anti-Qaradawi "Community Coalition". However, it turned out that one of Imaan's officers had signed up to the coalition without consulting the rest of the group. As a result of protests by the membership, Imaan withdrew from the coalition.

A serious and thoughtful discussion of the issues arising from the anti-Qaradawi campaign took place on the discussion board of Imaan's website. Not a single contributor to the discussion argued favour of supporting the Community Coalition.

"If Qaradawi comes to London again and Outrage and the other racists form a campaign against him, I will be out there standing against them and I will defend him", one Imaan member wrote. Another contributor agreed: "I add to the objections of aligning ourselves as Queer Muslims with the racists in Outrage and other such organisations."

The prevailing view was that Outrage! and the other supporters of the anti-Qaradawi campaign were making things worse for lesbian and gay Muslims in particular and adding to the general atmosphere of Islamophobia.

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Qaradawi Not Welcome

Qaradawi's projected return visit to London is part of a grand plan to promote fundamentalist Islam in Britain, The Islamists want to undermine liberal humanitarian values, which they see as corrupt and decadent.

Peter Tatchell writing in Labour Left Briefing, November 2004.

Documented on What Next Journal website

The widespread perception is that Islam discriminates against women. Why is that so?

Muslim women speak to the Guardian.

Guardian, 30 November 2004

Boy, 14, beat Muslim student in racist attack

It did not occur to Yasir Abdelmouttalib to be afraid. And he paid little heed to friends warning him against wearing Islamic white robes to prayers. That decision seems to have cost him his health and his future. It almost cost him his life.

Guardian news report

The Sleeping World Is Awakening to the Dangers of Islam

"In France, which has the largest Muslim population in Europe, Islamic clerics openly troll the streets seeking restless young men to indoctrinate and send out to kill for Islam. They weed out the weaklings by having them view videos of the actual torture and beheadings of human beings complete with the screams of pain and all blood and gore of a nightmare. They watch Islamic 'snuff films'. This is what will be expected of them as 'warriors' of Allah."

Barbara J. Stock writing for ChronWatch

Ken’s favourite Muslim?

The Alliance for Workers Liberty on Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

Solidarity, 18 November 2004

Hijab: "A weapon of visual terrorism"

"This fake Islamic hijab is nothing but a political prop, a weapon of visual terrorism. It is the symbol of a totalitarian ideology inspired more by Nazism and Communism than by Islam.... It is used as a means of exerting pressure on Muslim women who do not wear it because they do not share the sick ideology behind it. It is a sign of support for extremists who wish to impose their creed, first on Muslims, and then on the world through psychological pressure, violence, terror, and, ultimately, war."

Right-wing Iranian exile Amir Taheri commenting on the French hijab ban in the New York Post, 15 August 2003. Reproduced on the website of the US neocon consultancy Benador Associates

Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi: Theologian of Terror

The US Anti-Defamation League presents its own contribution to the defamation of Yusuf al-Qaradawi.

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Muslims 'facing most faith bias'

Muslims in the UK are more likely to face discrimination based on religion rather than race, a study says. The report, by the Open Society Institute (OSI), says Islamophobia is adding to the problems of the UK's most disadvantaged faith group.

Since 2002 increasing Islamophobia had added to the long-established problems of the group in areas such as education, employment and housing, researchers found. Eighty percent of UK Muslims hade reported being victims of Islamophobia since September 11 and more than a third complain of being singled out by authorities while using UK airports. Young Muslim women were the most likely to report discrimination in the aftermath of September 11 and believed this was related to their decision to wear traditional dress.

"In the post-September 11 environment, religion is more important than ethnicity in indicating which groups are more likely to experience racism and discrimination," the report concluded.

BBC News, 22 November 2005