Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Gwent police step up patrols around mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Newport cemetery graffiti(3)A senior Newport officer said police have been organising patrols for mosques in light of threats elsewhere in the country. The city’s Superintendent Mark Warrender said a recent attack on four Muslim graves in a Newport cemetery was despicable and that officers were working hard to find out who did it.

He spoke at a meeting of Newport full council in response to a question from Labour Victoria ward councillor Majid Rahman who asked what precautions were being made in relation to mosques in Newport.

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Scottish Defence League: Banned from marching in Glasgow but welcome to march through Edinburgh

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The far-right Scottish Defence League has been given permission to march down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile during the middle of the Festival.

The group, which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, initially applied to stage their procession down the Royal Mile to the Scottish Parliament on August 24, but agreed to move the date to avoid clashing with the Festival of Politics. Supporters will now make their way down the Mile on Saturday, August 17.

Meanwhile, authorities in the west of the country have banned an SDL procession through a multi-cultural area.

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Anti-fascists mobilise against EVF in Croydon tomorrow

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Oppose the fascist EVF

The fascist English Volunteer Force (EVF), an anti Muslim splinter group from the English Defence League (EDL), is planning an anti immigration ‘protest’ outside Lunar House, in Croydon on Saturday 27th, July. The EVF is targeting all immigrants and migrants, in this latest move. Like the EDL, they seek to inflame Islamophobia, in the aftermath of Lee Rigby’s murder.

EVF members include National Front (NF) and British National Party (BNP) thugs who have been involved in intimidation of trades unionists and anti fascists. It is seeking to cause division in Croydon. Staff (many in the PCS Union) at Lunar House, should not have to suffer fascists at their workplace. We call on all who oppose racists and fascists to stand in solidarity with workers at Lunar House.

UAF, PCS and the ‘We are Croydon’ campaign, are uniting to stand up against racists and fascists and for our diverse community. Join our counter protest and show the EVF that we stand as one against their hate. Bring Union and other banners.

Oppose the fascist EVF
Saturday July 27
Assemble 11am
Lunar House, 40, Wellesley Rd, Croydon, CR9

See also “PCS calls for support for the EVF counter demo”, on the PCS Croydon (Home Office) website.

Muslims criticize Bloomberg veto of NYPD watchdog

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Muslim-American civil rights groups are criticizing New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for vetoing a bill on Tuesday (July 23) that would have created an independent inspector general to oversee the New York City Police Department.

The New York City Council passed the bill June 27 as a check against controversial NYPD policies that critics say violate the civil rights of Muslim and other minority New Yorkers. Reports that the NYPD spied on mosques, Muslim businesses, organizations and students began surfacing in 2011.

“The NYPD is out of control and discriminates against innocent Americans, and Mayor Bloomberg has let Americans down by allowing the NYPD to use discriminatory policies without any accountability,” said Glenn Katon, legal director for Muslim Advocates, a civil rights group based in San Francisco.

Critics say the surveillance program has caused many Muslims to stop going to Islamic institutions or speaking out in public, worried it could land them in legal troubles.

The bill would have made it easier to bring racial profiling lawsuits against the NYPD.

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Newport rally held to denounce violence

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Newport cemetery graffiti(1)A rally was held in Newport on Monday night to unite groups from across Gwent against fascism. Around 40 people attended the event, which was held at the Newport Centre. Unite Against Fascism Wales called the rally to bring together different groups, communities, cultures, and faiths to show they are united against racism.

Speakers included organisers Mubarak Ali, secretary for the Islamic Society for Wales, June Ralph, president of Newport trades council, David Phillips, chief executive officer for South East Wales Race Equality Council, Marianne Owens, NEC member and Julian Goss, liaison officer for UAF Wales.

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EDL not welcome in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-EDL march Tower Hamlets 2010
The people of Tower Hamlets demonstrating against the EDL in 2010

The fascist English Defence League (EDL) has announced plans to demonstrate in East London on Saturday 7 September.

They have attempted to march in Tower Hamlets three times before. On each occasion trade unions, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, other faith, LGBT communities, local elected politicians and many more stood together and prevented them from entering the borough. Now more than ever it is crucial we stand together again. The EDL is trying to stir up racial hatred following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in May, we must not let them.

Wherever the EDL go attacks on Muslims and other communities occur. In June, a Muswell Hill mosque and community centre was burnt to the ground and ‘EDL’ was found painted on the walls.

In July, three mosques in the West Midlands were subjected to bomb attacks shortly before the fascists mobilised several hundred in Birmingham. We want to show that the EDL and their fascist ideas are not welcome in Tower Hamlets or any other part of London. We need a vibrant demonstration of multi-cultural East London.

Unite Against Fascism is urging all antiracists and antifascists to join a demonstration opposing the EDL on Saturday 7 September 2013. We must stop these racist street thugs from dividing our communities.

EDL not welcome in Tower Hamlets – Don’t let the racists divide us
Saturday 7 September
Assemble 11am
Altab Ali Park, Whitechapel Road, London E1
Called by Unite Against Fascism

Download the leaflet here

UAF News report, 24 July 2013

Increase in Islamophobic incidents in France

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamophobic incidents in France saw an overall increase of 35% in the first half of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012, the president of the Observatoire contre l’islamophobie told AFP on Tuesday.

Abdallah Zekri stated that 108 Islamophobic acts – violence, assault, arson, vandalism – were officially recorded between 1 January and 30 June 2013, compared with 80 during the same period in 2012, an increase of 41.2%. Islamophobic threats – threatening gestures and abuse – rose from 63 during the first half of 2012 to 84 during the same period this year, an increase of 33.3%. Overall this represents an increase of 35%.

Zekri emphasised that the figures are only for incidents that have been the subject of an official complaint and therefore underestimate the real number of Islamophobic incidents.

He also pointed out that the figures are for the six months to the end of June and therefore “do not take account of a new and worrying phenomenon that arose during the month of July, namely attacks against women whose faces are not covered, who are not wearing the niqab but the simple headscarf”. Zekri told AFP that the Observatoire contre l’islamophobie had counted five such attacks in the Reims region, 3 in the Val d’Oise and one in Trappes.