Islamophobia Watch

Daniel Pipes takes up the Sunday Times article which asserts – on the basis of no evidence at all other than hearsay – that the government is backpedalling on gay rights specifically to appease Muslim voters.

Daniel Pipes' weblog, 27 February 2005

"Gay rights campaigners have been snubbed by the government for fear of upsetting Muslim voters who are regarded as more important to Labour’s election campaign. This week a new bill giving Muslims protection against religious discrimination will be published, but there will be no equivalent right for gays, as had been planned by ministers. Downing Street fears that Muslims, whose votes could be the key to saving the seats of many Labour MPs, might feel offended if they were 'lumped together' with homosexuals."

Sunday Times, 27 February 2005

"In favouring Muslim voters at the risk of upsetting gays, Labour is following in the footsteps of Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London. Livingstone has assiduously courted the Muslim vote, even at the expense of goodwill among the gay community. He invited the Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi to London despite the sheikh’s views. Al-Qaradawi condemns homosexuality, advocates wife-beating and describes suicide bombers as 'martyrs'. "

Sunday Times, 27 February 2005

Another story directly equating Islam as a religion with terrorism. Spanish government want to introduce stricter controls over mosques & "democracy lessons" for Imams

Click to read more ...

"Despite the apparent decision by President George W. Bush against re-nominating him to the board of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), 'anti-Islamist' activist Daniel Pipes is working as diligently as ever to protect the United States and the Western world from the influence of radical Islamists."

Daniel Pipes (the man who describes Muslims as "brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and not exactly maintaining Germanic standards of hygiene") exposed by Jim Lobe.

antiwar.com, 25 February 2005

"The religious bigots are at it again, and this time it's closer to home. Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, recently wrote to Charles Kennedy threatening to withdraw Muslim votes from the Liberal Democrats unless the party drops its opposition to the incitement to religious hatred law.... I sincerely hope that Charles Kennedy continues to back Evan Harris and that he has the balls to tell Mr. Sacranie where he can shove his Muslim votes."

The Liberal Dissenter weblog, 26 February 2005

"It is unfortunate that the only people saying things like this are Jean-Marie Le Pen ..."

Robert Spencer comments on Le Pen's warning against "the day in France when we have 25 million Muslims, not five million".

Dhimmi Watch, 25 February 2005

The French hijab ban, now in place for almost a year, has both veiled the country's social problems and unveiled its racism, Naima Bouteldja argues.

'The reality of l'affaire du foulard', Guardian, 25 February 2005

Nadir Remli is a British national facing extradition to Algeria from Italy. On the 22nd February 2005, Nadir went on a holiday to Italy with his 11 year old son. He was arrested on arrival at Milan airport.

Islamic Human Rights Commission press release 23 February 2005

"I would like to say that the proposed legislation in France banning conspicuous religious symbols in state schools and institutions is essential and an important step forward in the defence of secularism and women's and children's rights, but it is not enough. We have to go further."

Azar Majedi of the Worker Communist Party of Iran advocates state repression of religion.

See here