Second St. Paul cop photographed wearing hijab

St Paul police officer hijab (2)A second photo of a St. Paul police officer dressed in a Muslim hijab surfaced late this week, packing an extra wallop: The officer appears to be wearing blackface makeup.

The two pictures, apparently taken at parties in 2010 and 2012, have set off a storm of criticism from some Somali and Muslim community members who feel mocked and belittled by the images. St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III called out the second image for the officer’s apparent use of blackface makeup. The first image did not include blackface makeup.

“The actions of the officers depicted in these photos are offensive and embarrassing,” Carter said in a written statement. “Mocking culture, skin color and religion for a laugh may seem trivial, but any behavior that violates the sacred, essential trust between our officers and residents is reckless and inexcusable.”

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Tory councillor says anti-Muslim Facebook comment was ‘against Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism’

Chris JoannidesA local councillor has been suspended for posting a comment on Facebook comparing Muslim children wearing burkas to bin bags.

Chris Joannides also messaged friends during meetings with his constituents asking for updates on football scores and complaining about missing his favourite television programmes.

The Conservative councillor for Enfield, in north London, has denied being Islamophobic and defended his comments as “blokeish banter”.

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Republican women’s organisation in Virginia to hear that ‘hijab is a catalyst for Islamic terrorism’

The Republican Women of Clifton will welcome three distinguished individuals at its February meeting. Dr. Ileana Johnson, the bestselling author of “U.N. Agenda 21: Environmental Piracy” will be joined by Stephanie Reis, the founder of the Omaha ACT for America Chapter and property rights advocate Martha Boneta.

“To preserve freedom in America, we must keep informed about the forces working to destroy our liberty so we can combat them,” said RWC President Alice Butler-Short. “Two of those forces are U.N. Agenda 21 and Sharia Law, and our speakers will give us insights into how these are undermining our country.”

Reis is the founder and former leader of the Omaha ACT for America Chapter, and will discuss the treatment of women in Islamic society and how the Hijab is a catalyst for Islamic terrorism.

Fairfax Station Patch, 5 February 2013

Minnesota: police join Muslims in denouncing photo mocking hijab

St Paul police officer hijabAn Internet-spread photo of a St. Paul Police officer wearing lipstick and a hijab, the traditional outfit for Muslim women, has angered community activists and spurred a department investigation.

“I was literally sick to my stomach,” said Ramla Bile of Minneapolis. “My identity is not a costume, and it’s not OK for cultures to be turned into caricatures.”

Police Chief Thomas Smith immediately opened an investigation. Police spokesman Howie Padilla confirmed that an officer is depicted in the picture, but could not release his identity Monday.

“The St. Paul Police Department has worked hard to establish a strong and respectful relationship with our Muslim communities, and I will not allow these types of images to erode that relationship,” Smith said in a written statement. “Diversity is one of the greatest strengths of the city of St. Paul, and we expect each one of our officers to respect and take pride in serving each of our diverse communities.”

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Muslims feel targeted after Philadelphia school kidnapping

The Muslim community in Philadelphia held a meeting venting frustrations over people committing crimes dressed in traditional Muslim garb.

“We have a right to wear a face veil if we choose to, that’s our right, our God-given right,” said Alia Walker.

Muslim women in West Philadelphia are becoming increasingly fearful.

This as the pressure mounts for the capture of the woman dressed in Muslim garb and her accomplice, who kidnapped a 5-year-old girl from her classroom and brutally assaulted her.

“Right now, a lot of the Muslim sisters are saying, ‘People are walking around looking at them cross-eyed.’ They haven’t done anything wrong,” said Rep. Ron Waters.

At a standing room only meeting to discuss the matter, Muslims expressed outrage that it’s happening again and again.

Criminals have been committing crimes disguised as Muslim women – robbing banks, stores and now kidnapping. Violent crimes they fear put Muslim women in danger.

“We consider anyone dressing up like a Muslim woman perpetrating a hate crime,” said Iman Asim Abdul Rashid.

WPVI Philadelphia, 2 February 2013

Hijab for a day: Non-Muslim women who try the headscarf

BBC News reports on World Hijab Day.

Update:  Mad Maryam Namazie offers her thoughts on the subject: “Today is World Hijab Day! What next? Maybe we can all try to mutilate our daughters on World Mutilation Day or marry off our girls on World Child Marriages Day? How about a day when our male guardians can track our whereabouts to make sure we aren’t leaving the country.”

CAIR, ACLU praise Oklahoma Bankers Association’s headscarf clarification

The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) on Thursday expressed appreciation to the Oklahoma Bankers Association for clarifying a security policy commonly referred to “no hats, no hoods, no sunglasses” used by many of the state’s banks.

The two groups along with the Oklahoma Conference of Churches recently requested a meeting with the OBA following an incident in which a Muslim woman was initially denied access to a branch of Valley National Bank in Tulsa and asked to remove her religious head scarf, or hijab, before entering. The bank cited the “no hats, no hoods, no sunglasses” policy to justify its actions.

“Our goal in meeting with the OBA was to use this unfortunate incident as a teaching moment about the different types of head coverings worn by Muslim women and by individuals of other faiths,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani, in a written statement.

Roger Beverage, president and CEO of the OBA, said: “There was an effort on the part of the association to clearly understand what had happened and why that was such a big issue…. Once we understood that, it was easy to go the next step, which is to make reasonable choices when you’re in those kinds of situations.”

Tulsa World, 25 January 2013

Teenager detained for pulling hijab from woman’s head in racist attack

A teenager pulled a hijab from a woman’s head in a racist attack on her in a park. Paige Bain and her aunt Eileen Kennedy assaulted Umaimi Musa as she was sitting with her friend Mary Marandran in Glasgow.

On Monday, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard 16-year-old Bain also attacked Mrs Marandran, who was five months pregnant at the time of the incident in the city’s Royston Road.

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The constitutionality of the Belgian burqa ban

Jelle Flo and Jogchum Vrielink examine last month’s ruling by Belgium’s Constitutional Court that the 2011 ban on the face veil does not violate human rights. the conclude:

“Fundamental rights ultimately exist to protect minorities, unpopular minorities in particular, against the tyranny of the majority. A boundary is crossed when rights of individuals are simply sacrificed to majority sentiments; a boundary which should be protected by institutions such as the Court. In other matters, the Constitutional Court has not hesitated to fulfil this role. In the case of the burqa ban, however, these boundaries seem to have evaporated, making for the constitutional equivalent of a Schengen area.”

Open Democracy, 14 January 2013

Via ENGAGE