Islamophobia Watch

Regular readers of Islamophobia Watch will need no introduction to Frontpage magazine. For years now we have covered the ravings of Robert Spencer and his cronies as they take the language of hate and give it an air of respectability so that loons like Melanie Phillips aren't forced to rely on BNP propaganda for their diatribes.
Today, though, our attention has been drawn to an article that is little more than a 21st century version of the scientific racism used to justify some of history's most appalling acts of genocide and colonialism. At first we thought it was a spoof designed to discredit Spencer and his website but, no, it does appear to be genuine.
What Islam isn't by Dr Peter Hammond

The Daily Star has a perfect storm of scare stories; sex offenders and Muslims.
In the latest instalment of The State Goes Soft On Muslims stories from the Richard Desmond owned rags, now it is the UK's jails which are capitulating to Muslims.
Except they are not.
A Muslim has written to a letter to the prisoners paper Inside Times but that doesn't stop Shadow Justice Minister Nick Herbert providing the Daily Star with an outraged quote.

Daily Star [page contains images degrading women] 

The convictions of five young Muslim men jailed over extremist literature have been quashed by the Appeal Court.
Freeing the men, the Lord Chief Justice said there was no proof of terrorist intent. The lawyer for one said they had been jailed for a "thought crime".
Imran Khan, solicitor for Mr Zafar, said the five had been prosecuted for "thought crime" and that the ruling would have an significant impact.

BBC News report 

A 32-year-old woman who stabbed an Asian teenager she called a terrorist has been jailed for six years.

BBC News report 

Aamer Anwar, the lawyer represesenting Mohammed Atif Siddique, is to face contempt of court charges following remarks he made after the case. It is the first time in UK legal history that a solicitor has faced a contempt of court allegation in respect of remarks made outside of court.

For our previous coverage of this case see here, here and here

BBC News report

Scotland Against Criminalising Communities 

Lenin's Tomb has a brilliant deconstruction of an Independent On Sunday front page and story;

"The three basic elements of Islamophobia mentioned above are all present in the hysteria about what Muslim women wear: resentment (why should you get to hide your face?); fear and loathing (what have you got to hide?); and patronising 'concern' (that veil hides bruises and tears, sister, so kindly allow whitey to liberate you)."

Richard also deals comprehensively with the appalling reality of domestic abuse in the UK, 89% of which is directed at the female spouse. 

The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, is peddling more dangerous nonsense in the Sunday Telegraph today.
We've already covered his call for Muslim women to be banned from wearing the veil in public here and his claim that Muslims who convert to other faiths risk being killed here.
The Bishop's latest intervention moves into territory that chimes perfectly with the BNP's narrative of 'no-go' areas for non-Muslims and the far right racists website
is using the story to full effect.
The Sunday Telegraph print edition carries another Muslim scare story on the same page, quoting residents of Oxford worring about the possibilities of "population shift", or a "Muslim ghetto" in racist newspaper speak, if a Mosque is allowed to broadcast a call to prayer.

"While the urgency of 'responding' to Islamic fundamentalism has been consistently highlighted in the ongoing presidential campaign, very little has been said about Christian, Jewish or other religious fundamentalisms. Rarely has a candidate – with the exception of Democrat Dennis Kucinich – dared to examine the relationship between Christian fundamentalism and the Iraq war, or Jewish fundamentalism and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Religious fanaticism and fundamentalism are rarely discussed as perilous phenomena in their own right; if it’s not 'Islamic' it simply doesn’t count."

Ramzy Baroud writing at Middle East Online 

"The reality is that parents are getting very jumpy about their kids getting involved in any kind of Muslim activity no matter how mundane for fear of them ending up on some watch, and that is dangerous, because when there is anger about foreign policy there needs to be an outlet, and that has effectively been shut down by the atmosphere and the approach to the Muslim community.

"Young Muslims are feeling angry at what is going on in the world with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. What is vital is that these people are channelled into the democratic process, where they can air their views and make change."

Osama Saeed interviewed in The Scotsman 

Osama's blog is here 

"Scots are becoming increasingly prejudiced against Muslims, according to a wide-ranging survey carried out after the terror attacks of July 2005 but before the strike on Glasgow Airport this summer.

"Half of those questioned in the government study said Scotland would lose its identity if more Muslims come to the country – up on the 38% who said the same in 2003 when a similar survey was taken.

"The number of Scots who would be unhappy if a relative formed a close relationship with a Muslim was also up over the three years, from 20% to 24%, but while almost one-third of Scots believe there is sometimes a good reason to be prejudiced – an attitude which is on the rise – the number of people who are prejudiced against gays and lesbians is decreasing."

The Herald

Attitudes To Discrimination In Scotland