Islamophobia Watch

"The retrial of the Free Speech Two, Nick Griffin and Mark Collett starts in Leeds tomorrow (November 1st). Both men are facing charges of using words likely to incite racial hatred for daring to criticise the failed experiment of multiculturalism and describe the alien religion of Islam as a 'wicked faith'. A charge which seems utterly ludicrous in the context of all that has been perpetrated in the name of Allah at home and abroad in recent years, never mind the centuries of conflict and bloodshed in the Middle East, North Africa, Iberia and the Balkans.

"For daring to stand up and tell the truth about the threat in our midst the two accused could face up to seven years in prison in a court in a supposed western democracy where 'the truth is no defence'; a situation akin to the Inquisition or the witchcraft trials of the 17th century."

BNP news article, 31 October 2006

"The terrorist son of hook-handed Abu Hamza has been working on London's Tube, The Sun can reveal. Mohammed Kamel Mostafa, 25 – a convicted fanatic who has glorified suicide attacks like the 7/7 slaughter – was rumbled by Underground workmates when they saw his picture in The Sun. They went straight to bosses, who told Mohammed Kamel Mostafa, 25, to sling his hook. But last night fury erupted over the security shambles that led to the convicted terrorist being granted astonishing access to London’s Tube network."

The Sun, 31 October 2006

The "convicted terrorist" label stems from the fact that Mohammed Kamel Mostafa served three years in prison in Yemen from 1999-2002 for a terrorism-associated offence. Regarding this case, the US State Department wrote: "Eight Britons and two Algerians who were arrested in December 1998 were tried from February to August 1999 in Aden on charges of possessing illegal weapons and explosives and conspiring to commit terrorist acts. The 6-month trial did not meet minimum international standards for due process. Defense lawyers claimed that the prosecution lacked adequate evidence, and that the defendants were tortured, sexually abused, and denied access to their lawyers...."

US State Department reports on human rights practices, 2000: Yemen

"... the British government’s fixation with the attire of Muslim women and British Muslims in general has done nothing except to embolden racist and Islamaphobic elements within society." Ismaeel Nakhuda replies to Jack Straw.

Arab News, 31 October 2006

THE Wales TUC joined forces with the Muslim Council of Wales (MCW) last night to recruit more Muslims into trade unions and battle racism. In a joint statement pledging to work together to combat the scourge of Islamophobia, they said that "WTUC and the Muslim Council of Wales will work together in support of workplace justice and against Islamophobia."

The statement notes that, "by combining together, we will be able to achieve more towards those objectives we share in common than we can do by acting alone." It stresses: "The shared belief of the MCW and Wales TUC in justice, equality and opposition to prejudice is matched by our belief that these objectives can be better achieved in the workplace. We believe it is in the interests of workers to join the appropriate trade union at their workplace and that employers should recognise such unions."

WTUC general secretary Felicity Williams said on Monday: "Belonging to a union is the best protection an individual can have against prejudice and exploitation at work. We will also be looking at ways of promoting a greater understanding of Islam and to do all we can to combat the hatred being stirred up by extremists, particularly at election times, who are seeking to drive a wedge between Wales's many communities."

MCW secretary general Saleem Kidwai said: "We seek to work in partnership with the WTUC and through its networks to enhance an awareness of Islam and dispel the myths, misunderstandings and misconceptions about Islam and how the religion relates to modern society."

The statement was published to coincide with the WTUC Challenging Racism conference 2006 today in Wrexham.

Morning Star, 31 October 2006

See also TUC press release, 31 October 2006 and MCB committee news, 31 October 2006

Most Londoners believe multiculturalism is good for the capital despite the recent row over Muslim veils, according to a new survey.

The MORI poll for the Greater London Authority showed 70 per cent of residents felt London was a better place to live because of its "mix of cultures, languages and ethnicities". Thirty-seven per cent said the diversity of the capital was "a very good thing" and 33 per cent "quite a good thing". Seven per cent said it was "quite a bad thing" and six per cent a "very bad thing".

Ken Livingstone said: "It is good to see Londoners have not been deflected from their enjoyment of multiculturalism by the intolerance we have seen from politicians over recent weeks. Londoners support a basic principle: we all have the right to be ourselves as long as we don't interfere with the rights of others. That tolerance and respect for individual choice unites us and underpins our success as a global financial centre, welcoming companies and their staff from every part of the world."

The poll found nearly three quarters of voters believe Britain's involvement in the Iraq war led to the 7/7 terror attacks last year.

Evening Standard, 30 October 2006

Jonathan Glancey interviews Ali Mangera and Ada Yvars Bravo, the architects responsible for designing the proposed Markaz at West Ham.

The piece is informative, and broadly sympathetic. "We're trying to design a welcoming and beautiful building," Mangera is quoted as saying, "yet at times I feel I'm being accused of designing a bomb factory." But you do despair of ever reading an article on this issue which avoids recycling the stuff about the FBI claiming that Tablighi Jamaat is a recruiting ground for al-Qaida, or how 7/7 bomber Mohammed Sidique Khan reportedly attended the Dewsbury Markaz.

Guardian, 30 October 2006

The number of Islamic cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, has increased dramatically in the past year; however, a prominent foreign policy expert and graduate of West Point says America's oldest military academy needs to be very careful when considering Muslim applicants who seek admission to the school.

Recently, the U.S. Military Academy announced that it has opened its first space dedicated to Muslims – a worship hall, complete with a pulpit facing Mecca. In 2001, there were only two Muslim cadets at West Point; but this year there are 32, which is ten more than were enrolled last year.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bob Maginnis feels West Point officials should exercise caution when considering Muslim applicants who might embrace jihad. "That's where your leadership have to make the determination as to who to allow into the military academy," he says.

Maginnis thinks it would also be wise for academy officials to consider the implications of creating a worship space for followers of Islam on the military leadership training school's campus. He says here, again, West Point's leadership needs to think about "whether or not the sanctioning of a religious service of that nature would serve the overall best interest" of America and the U.S. military.

Agape Press, 30 October 2006

"To those who genuinely want to support Muslim women in their fight for equality, I say that this focus on the niqab is a distraction. Probably not much more than 1 per cent of Muslim women wear it and the majority of them in Britain do so out of religious conviction, not compulsion.

"The Equal Opportunities Commission points to more traditional barriers. In a report on the Muslim girls and education, it concludes that girls from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds – 90 per cent of whom are Muslim – are making remarkable advances. They have overtaken white boys at GCSE level and are catching up with white girls despite coming from poorer backgrounds. The problem that they face is when they enter the workplace, where they are faced with a 'brick wall of discrimination'.

"My own experience as a councillor is that the biggest obstacles that Muslim women face are poverty, unemployment, racial discrimination and lack of decent housing and not the imposition of Islamic dress or any other culture issues.

"For those of us who are trying to overcome conservative barriers within Muslim communities, this current climate makes that job more difficult, not less. These constant attacks are creating a siege mentality. In this climate, criticism, from whatever quarter, can be presented as giving succor to Islam's enemies. I got a personal taste of this last week, when I was denounced during Friday prayers in at least one Birmingham mosque for having said on Question Time that the imposition of Islamic dress in Saudi Arabia was wrong.

"Right now, we need unity between Muslims and non-Muslims to defend the model of multicultural Britain that we enjoy, with toleration of religious and cultural differences at its core. The stronger the anti-racist culture we create in the country as a whole, the greater the space we create within Muslim communities for progressive currents to tackle reactionary cultural practices."

Salma Yaqoob in the Morning Star, 30 October 2006

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Over at World Net Daily, Barbara Simpson accuses President Bush of being soft on Islam:

"His continued mantra about the 'religion of peace' and his ongoing efforts to be welcoming to Muslims, insults the intelligence of those who see the reality of the danger from militant Islam. It's also insulting for our president and the administration to treat American citizens as children who need to be taught tolerance and acceptance when the reality of the war against us is clearly evident. 'There are none so blind as those who will not see.' In this case, our blind leaders bring us to the abyss.

"It's too easy to view the battle between Islam and the West as military. The truth is more insidious. In fact, many imams have spoken openly that they'll accomplish their mission via immigration and procreation. Every country in Europe faces this and as the population grows by Muslim birth rates and immigration, Muslims demand their culture be accepted. While Europeans are beginning to chafe under the pressures, it may well be too late to stop the tide....

"There's a difference between emigrating to a country to become part of it and moving there to change the culture. What will it take for us to admit that? Why don't we proudly protect the culture of Western civilization and value it for what its meant to human rights, freedom and equality – the best in the history of the world?

"We're in a religious war, fought on one level by passive integration through large families and massive immigration and on another level by the ancient barbarity of beheadings, torture and terrorist attacks on civilians."

WorldNetDaily.com, 30 October 2006

In the US over the past few days a popular anti-Muslim scare story has concerned the alleged refusal of Somali taxi drivers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to pick up passengers carrying alcohol.

The right-wing blog Power Line opined that "the airport taxi controversy exposes one template for the Islamist imperial project forcing the acceptance of Sharia law by the infidels". And, basing itself on an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Little Green Footballs announced: "Muslim Brotherhood Behind Airport Taxi Controversy."

In response, the Muslim Brotherhood has issued a statement denying that it was in any way involved:

"The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) completely denied any involvement in the current dispute caused by a group of Somali Muslim cab drivers at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, U.S.A, who are refusing to pick up passengers carrying alcoholic beverages claiming that Islam prohibits them from driving passengers with Alcohol.

"Dr. Mohamed Habib, the first Deputy Chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood, affirmed that Muslim Brotherhood has nothing to do whatsoever with what these Muslim cab drivers believe or view mistakenly as religious decree. Dr. Habib said 'Muslims must respect and comply with the laws and regulations of the countries they live in and be a good example for their fellow citizens'.

"Several organizations and media outlets in the U.S, driven by their own hatred towards the Muslim Brotherhood, have been engaging in a smear campaign and trying disparately to link the Muslim Brotherhood to the current controversy, which the MB has nothing to do with.

"These laughable and despicable reports have capitalized on the controversy they helped to create in the first place and frantically panicked about what they called 'the Muslim Brotherhood project to islamize the U.S by imposing the Sharia Law on Americans', which is utterly ridiculous."

IkhwanWeb.com, 27 October 2006