Category Archives: Anti-Muslim violence

Caroline Fourest fined €6000 for defaming young Muslim victim of racist attack

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rabia-B. (2)Saphir News has reported that Caroline Fourest – the French “left-wing” Islamophobe who wrote Brother Tariq: The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan – has been successfully sued for defamation over comments she made in June last year on the radio station France Culture.

Fourest was responding to the attacks on two Muslim women in Argenteuil, one of whom lost her baby after being kicked in the stomach by her assailants. This followed an earlier incident in which a 17-year-old woman named Rabia Bentot (pictured) was punched and kicked by racists, who also tore off her headscarf while shouting “dirty Arab” and “dirty Muslim”

Instead of Fourest declaring her outrage at the assaults, and her solidarity with the victims, this self-styled feminist expressed scepticism about the women’s accounts.

Fourest claimed that Rabia Bentot was being manipulated by her father and by the Coordination contre le Racisme et l’Islamophobie, assisted by what Fourest described as the “communalist” website Oumma.com, and she suggested that the story of an attack might well have been fabricated. Even if an assault did take place, Fourest asserted, the police had not excluded the possibility that Rabia was the victim of violence by her own family, who could have beaten her up as punishment for living too free a lifestyle.

Needless to say, Fourest offered no evidence whatsoever to back up these disgraceful slurs.

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Molotov cocktail thrown at Albuquerque mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Albuquerque mosque firebomb attackFBI agents and Albuquerque police investigated a Molotov cocktail thrown at a mosque in southeast Albuquerque Friday morning.

The device hit the exterior wall of the Islamic Center of New Mexico around 3:55 a.m. Friday, scorching a wall and leaving broken glass on the ground.

Several agencies responded to the Islamic Center to conduct an investigation, including the FBI and APD bomb squad personnel.

“I’m very disappointed something like this would happen here in Albuquerque,” said Jameela Abdul Halim, the assistant administrator at the Islamic Center.

The center’s janitor, Shakir Farid Abdullah, said he found the burnt bottle about five hours later, around 9 a.m. Abdullah said he feared the perpetrator assumes the mosque is affiliated with terrorist groups overseas.

“We believe in peace, nonviolence…we don’t support terrorism,” said Abdullah. “We don’t support any acts of violence against any religious group…so someone, obviously, is ignorant to that.”

The Molotov cocktail was apparently thrown at the section of the building dedicated to women and children. Friday is also the day hundreds of Muslims from across the area come to the mosque to pray. No one was injured, but the incident is still disturbing to those who attend the mosque.

“[We’re] very grateful it didn’t go through the window. There was nobody around at the time; we didn’t have a lot of people,” said mosque member Abdul Halim.

This is not the first incident at the Islamic Center. According to mosque member Andy Brooks, people threw flaming Qurans into the mosque’s yard a couple years ago, and last year, someone walked into the Iman’s office and threatened him with a gun.

Also, this past February, a man approached two children on the mosque’s playground and allegedly threatened to stab them because he hated Muslims.

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‘We’re being treated like paedophiles!’ Asian cabbies protest after boss reveals he supplies white drivers on request

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Heywood taxi drivers protestA group of Asian cabbies have staged a protest after their boss revealed he supplies white drivers to customers on request.

Dozens of furious drivers who work for Heywood firm Car 2000 gathered in the town centre tonight in response to the admission by owner Stephen Campbell.

In 2011, Mr Campbell’s family took over the business, which as formerly called Eagle Taxis, which employed two of the nine men jailed a year later for grooming girls. Earlier this week, Mr Campbell told the M.E.N. his staff would provide customers with white drivers on request.

The Asian cabbies protesting tonight blasted the policy as ‘racist’ and ‘discriminatory’ – and called on Mr Campbell to apologise.

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Alberta mosque vandalised

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Cold Lake Mosque vandalised

The Cold Lake Mosque was vandalized overnight in what local business owners and residents are calling a “disgusting” crime.

RCMP Sgt. Troy Hadland said police responded to a call of mischief at 6:30 a.m. Both front windows were broken and the words “go home” and “Canada” were spray painted with red paint on the outside of the building. Hadland said evidence at the scene was seized and sent to St. Paul RCMP for analysis. “This type of behaviour won’t be tolerated,” he stressed.

A steady stream of business leaders came in through the front door of the mosque offering their support. They described the crime as “disgusting” and assured mosque members that this crime does not reflect the view of the community of Cold Lake.

The mosque has been gathering posters, flowers and gifts from the community and displaying them by the windows that were smashed. One of the posters reads “you are home.” A pen has been left by the poster and people have been signing their names.

One of the members of the mosque came in at 6 a.m. to pray, and found his place of worship vandalized. He said the writing upset him more than the damaged windows, which can be fixed. “This is my home. Cold Lake is my home. My kids were born here. They go to school here.”

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Ellesmere Port man arrested after pig’s head found outside Islamic centre

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ban Ellesmere Port mosque Facebook page backs arson attacks on MuslimsA man has been arrested after a pig’s head was placed outside an Islamic cultural centre in Ellesmere Port.

Police were called to King Street after a member of the public reported suspicious activity outside the Islamic Cultural Centre shortly before midnight on Wednesday (October 23). A pig’s head was found at the building, police have confirmed.

A 41-year-old man from Ellesmere Port was arrested in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) on suspicion of committing a racially aggravated public order offence. He remains in police custody and enquiries are ongoing.

Officers remain at the scene of the cultural centre, which is currently under construction after being granted planning permission by Cheshire West and Chester Council earlier this month amidst angry scenes.

Police have vowed to put an end to all racist incidents and hate crimes in Ellesmere Port following the latest attack on the centre, which will be used as a place of worship and to hold religious festivals.

Chief Inspector Giles Orton said: “Local residents can be reassured that the police have a high visibility presence in the area. Through firm policing we will put an end to racially aggravated incidents in Ellesmere Port. Hate crimes are not tolerated within this community.”

The vow comes as a Facebook group containing racist content, including images of pigs and anti-Islamic messages, reached almost 600 likes. The ‘community’ page, named ‘Ban Ellesmere Port Mosque’, was set up on September 12 by an unnamed individual, and says it aims to “stop Muslims taking over Ellesmere Port” and “keeping Britain British”.

When asked about the social media page today (Wednesday) police and community leaders would not comment due to ongoing enquiries, and would not confirm whether it was connected with the incident.

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Racist teenager jailed for assault on young boys walking home from mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A racist teenager has been jailed for throwing a pot noodle at two Asian boys walking home from Mosque.

Blackburn magistrates heard Luke Croft had a previous conviction for throwing a stone at Asian boys leaving school and had posted racist abuse on his Facebook page. And after a previous court appearance he put on Facebook an abusive message about one of the magistrates.

Croft, 18, of Wood Street, Darwen, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated assault. He was jailed for 20 weeks.

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‘Muslim men are raping women’ – investment banker caught on camera launching racist rant on train

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Neil DochertyAn investment banker was caught on camera launching a racist rant at a woman on an inter-city train in front of shocked passengers.

Police issued CCTV stills, and a mobile phone snap of Neil Docherty taken by a disgusted witness, in bid to track him down. Within hours members of the public called cops with his name and place of work, Livingston Sheriff Court heard yesterday, and he later handed himself in to police.

Docherty, of Linlithgow, West Lothian, appeared on bail and admitted two racially aggravated offences. He pleaded guilty to assaulting Fella Hammach, 33, on board a Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh train at Linithgow, West Lothian, on August 28.

The 43-year-old also pleaded guilty to acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm and distress to Ms Hammach by shouting and swearing, acting in an aggressive manner and directing religious remarks towards her using racially offensive language.

Procurator fiscal Catherone Knowles said the assault was witnessed by several passengers on the train, which was packed with revellers returning from a night out.

As the train pulled into Linlithgow station at around 11pm Ms Hammach was unexpectedly slapped to the right side of her head from behind. She said: “The accused was overheard shouting at her: ‘Go back to your own f*****g country. Muslim men are raping women’.”

Mrs Knowles said a female passenger told the accused to stop but he ignored her and shouted: “It’ll be a different story when they take over the world and you’re all wearing burkhas!”

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Another German mosque set on fire

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bad Salzuflen mosque fireAmid unprecedented escalation of arson attacks targeting German mosques, a new mosque in Bad Salzuflen in the in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, has been set on fire, raising again concerns about a rise in Islamophobia and racism.

“We investigate with high pressure in all directions,” a police spokesman was quoted by Die Welt.

The attack occurred when unidentified arsonists sat the front door of the mosque on fire last Saturday, October 11. The fire burnt the mosque, at the entrance floor of a building, along with three other apartments in the same floor. The fire department has reportedly saved nine people, three of them were children, the sources said.

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Newcastle Muslim Association thanks skaters for standing up to bigotry

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Newcastle Mosque welcomes anti-racist skatersThe men who took a stand against an alleged act of bigotry last week in Newcastle have been formally thanked by members of the city’s Muslim association.

Patrick Burgess and Justin Lanz visited Newcastle Mosque on Saturday where they were also invited to a community open day that will be held at the mosque, which is located in Wallsend, this upcoming Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

The men were skating with four other friends last Monday when they came to the aid of a Muslim mother and daughter who were being attacked in an alleged bigoted tirade on Smith Street, in Newcastle West.

The incident occurred at a time of increasing community unrest and concern Australia’s mission against Islamic State in Iraq is fuelling attacks on Muslims in Australia. On Saturday a man was charged for allegedly shouting offensive comments and throwing cement bags at a mosque in Sydney’s south-west.

Newcastle Muslim Association vice-president Diana Rah said the group’s “quick response” was appreciated. “It took a lot of courage to do what they did,” she said. “We will be giving them a certificate on Wednesday when all six of them can visit us.

“For the open day we’re having a sausage sizzle, we’ve got an exhibition on Islam and Muslims and we’ve got a lot of different fun things planned. Everyone is invited; it’s about people getting to know us and us them.”

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Man charged after storming a mosque throwing cement bags and threatening to hit a woman with a chair

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man has been charged after allegedly shouting offensive comments and throwing cement bags at a mosque in Sydney’s southwest.

Police say a 39-year-old man entered the mosque in Auburn at 1.30pm on Saturday and started to cause a disturbance. A statement from NSW Police said: “the man began shouting offensive comments and throwing around cement bags that were inside the building.” He then picked up a chair and threatened to hit a woman with it after she had approached him.

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