Monthly Archives: November 2006

Revealed: how Murdoch press smears Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

How Murdoch Smears MuslimsTwo smears, forming part of the barrage of attacks on Britain’s Muslims, fell apart last week. Both were splashed over the pages of the Murdoch press. Both proved to be completely baseless.

The first centred on claims that Muslims tried to scare four British soldiers from moving to a home in wealthy Datchet near Windsor. The second smeared Mohammed Abdul Kahar, the young Muslim shot by police during a “terror” raid on his home in Forest Gate, east London, in June.

Despite lurid headlines about the house being a “bomb-making factory”, Mohammed and his brother walked free from police custody. But that did not stop attempts to smear Mohammed, including lurid claims about child pornography.

Socialist Worker, 4 November 2006

We won’t become spies for the state, says UCU leader

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We won’t become spies for the state

By Paul Mackney

Morning Star, 1 November 2006

SOMETIMES, you wake up to the Today programme and have to pinch yourself because it seems as though you’re stuck in a nightmare. Labour ministers have been queuing up to parade their political virility on questions of race and Islam – all in the name of democracy.

Home Secretary John Reid started it off by enjoining Muslim parents to shop their children to the police. That’s understandable. After all, if there’s “something of the night” about Michael Howard, there’s something of the dawn raid about Reid.

Then, Jack Straw, undoubtedly the best home secretary in terms of race relations, pitched in with the suggestion that Muslim women remove their full-face veils at his surgery.

Next, Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell voiced his support for Imperial College London’s ban on students wearing the veil and suggested that it should be extended to cover lecturers. Gordon Brown explained that this helped “integration.”

Now, the Department for Education and Skills is preparing draft advice to universities and colleges on recognising Islamist extremists and alerting Special Branch.

The University and College Union is concerned that members may be sucked into anti-Muslim McCarthyism, with serious consequences for academic freedom and civil liberties.

The state cannot expect academics to monitor what Muslims say in seminars or download in libraries. Indeed, they could be subject to disciplinary action for discrimination.

Furthermore, DfES proposals to vet student societies suggest that Islamic separatism, enflamed by inspirational leaders, leads to “radicalisation” in a supposedly unstoppable sequence that ends in terrorism.

Radicalisation is not caused by cultural segregation. The Muslim community is at the bottom of the British social pile and you don’t have to be the head of the British army to know that foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan exacerbates frustrations.

But, for Tony Blair, such an explanation is unthinkable. So, the search for a cause ends up casting blame on Islam itself.

The distinction between radicalisation and terrorism is blurred in a way that could prove counterproductive. Radicalism is not terrorism and identifying the former gives no-one the right to contact Special Branch.

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‘They are here to take over our country’ – US Baptist warns of Muslim threat

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rev ClippardThe prophets of the Hebrew scriptures are known for their warnings of doom and gloom, but even Jeremiah – arguably the gloomiest Old Testament sage – would have tipped his hat to the Rev. David Clippard at the Missouri Baptist Convention’s annual meeting here this week.

Clippard reserved his strongest words for what he said he considered paramount for all Americans: the threat of Islam. “Today, Islam has a strategic plan to defeat and occupy America,” he told the 1,200-strong crowd of delegates (called “messengers”), pastors and lay people, many of whom cheered his words.

Clippard said the Saudi Arabian government and royal family had funded teaching positions and 138 Muslim student centers on university campuses across the United States, three in the University of Missouri system in Columbia, Rolla and St. Louis. “What they are after is your sons and daughters,” Clippard said. “They are coming to this country in the guise of students, and the Saudi government is paying their expenses.”

Clippard said that Muslims were hoping to take over the United States government one city at a time, and that they were starting with Detroit, where there is already a large Muslim population. “They are trying to establish a Muslim state inside America, and they are going to take the city of Detroit back to the 15th century and practice Sharia (or Islamic) law there.”

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Ruqayyah Collector: ‘Racism is the cause of segregation in society’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ruqayyah CollectorRuqayyah Collector, black students’ officer for the National Union of Students, speaks to Socialist Worker:

“A climate has been created where Muslim students are worried about their safety. I personally know people who are now afraid to travel around, who are only going to their lectures. You hear comments on buses like, ‘You have to speak English here now’, or ‘You’re not allowed to wear those headscarves now’. This is part of a wider shift that has taken place in society.”

Socialist Worker, 4 November 2006

Muslim bashing sets off furore in US

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Hernando County commissioner said Tuesday that he is “in total agreement” with a letter his wife wrote calling Islam a “hateful, frightening religion.”

“Overall, worldwide, it certainly is,” said Commissioner Tom Hogan Sr. “Don’t you read your own paper?” He went on to say, “There’s a saying out there, and there’s some truth to it, that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims. It’s their thing.”

The Hogans are widely considered the first couple of Hernando County’s Republican Party, and both have helped lead the party since the 1960s. Their comments earned wide condemnation Tuesday from political colleagues.

Local Muslim leaders reacted with shock and dismay, with one Islamic advocacy group saying it will call for Hogan’s ouster from the County Commission.

“We’re deeply concerned about the hateful and racist nature of these comments,” said Ahmed Bedier, executive director of the Tampa chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, promising to call on Gov. Jeb Bush to remove Hogan from office.

“They can call it whatever they want to,” Mary Ann Hogan responded Tuesday. “I’m calling them barbarians.”

St Petersburg Times, 31 October 2006

Update:  “CAIR-FL: Gubernatorial candidate asked to remove Muslim-basher”, CAIR press release, 3 November 2006

Update 2:  See “FL gubernatorial candidate drops Islamophobe”, CAIR press release, 3 November 2006

Brooklyn attack victim speaks out

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police are calling it a vicious hate crime. The victim is Pakistani and his alleged attackers are a group of Jewish teenagers. The victim is at Bellevue Hospital where he is recovering. He tells us the doctors here have informed him that he will require reconstructive facial surgery.

“They were saying you Muslim terrorist..get out of the country,” Shahid Amber said.

Those are the words that 24-year-old Shahid Amber says preceded a violent attack by a mob of teenagers – an attack prosecutors are now calling a hate crime. “One of them spit in my face and then when I wipe the spit off my face, I opened my eyes and saw brass knuckles,” he said.

The incident happened Sunday night in the Midwood section of Brooklyn right outside a Dunkin’ Doughnuts near the corner of Avenue M and East 15th Street.

Shahid Amber, who is Pakistani, was standing outside eating ice cream when witnesses say he was surrounded by a group of Jewish teenagers who attacked him. This man saw it happen. “He was Pakistani, he came inside with all the blood on his face…” the man said.

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Thugs asked ‘are you a Muslim?’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

An eight-year old-boy was left terrified by racist thugs who punched him in the face and pulled off his mosque cap. Mohammed Tamazul was attacked whilst on his way to his uncle’s home on Stockport Road Levenshulme, Manchester where friends and family gathered for special evening Ramadan prayers. As he made his way Mohammed noticed three teenage boys following him on mountain bikes. One of them got off and asked if he was Muslim. When he didn’t reply the lout pulled his cap and started throwing kicks and punches at him before riding off again.

Mohammed’s dad Tamazul Miah said he believed the attack was a result of the negative media coverage of the Muslim community. Father of four, Mr Miah said: “My son was targeted because he is a Muslim, I can’t see any other reason. This has never happened to him or any of my other children before. My son was left shaking after the incident. He told me that whilst they were attacking him, the other two thugs were laughing and encouraging their friend to carry on. They were also saying to their friend ‘get the Muslim’.

“It was nine at night and very dark so nobody saw the incident. When they left, Mohammed called me on my mobile and I went out to get him. He was left shaken and frightened. The boys were much bigger than he was. My son is only eight-years-old – this was a cowardly attack.” Mohammed was left with bruises around his eyes and is now frightened to go out.

Mr Miah added: “Though my son went through a terrifying ordeal, he realises that not all white people are the same. We have some brilliant non-Muslim neighbours who were shocked when they found out.

Asian News, 30 October 2006

Anti-fascists to gather at Griffin and Collett retrial

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP Islam Out of BritainYorkshire anti-fascist activists will gather at Leeds Crown Court this morning when two leading BNP members arrive to face a retrial on race-hate allegations. BNP leader Nick Griffin and party activist Mark Collett have been summoned to reappear at the court, which cleared the pair of two charges back in January but failed to reach a verdict on two other indictments.

The case arose from remarks made by each individual during speeches to supporters back in 2004, which were secretly recorded by a documentary team and broadcast on national television. After describing immigrants to Britain as “cockroaches,” Mr Collett ended his address by appealing to fellow party members to “show the ethnics the door in 2004,” while Mr Griffin was filmed branding Islam a “wicked, vicious faith.”

Anti-fascist campaigners have called on local people to show their opposition to the racist politics of the BNP by rallying outside the court building this morning from 9am. Urging the largest possible turnout, Yorkshire and Humberside UAF chairman John Campbell said: “It is vital that we have a large united presence at this peaceful anti-fascist rally.”

Teaching union NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: “These public demonstrations against the BNP and its leaders send a clear message that the pernicious views and activities of such groups will not be tolerated. NASUWT is participating in this demonstration because those who support racist and fascist agendas must be exposed and opposed.”

Morning Star, 1 November 2006