Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

Former Britain First member denounces group and visits mosque to apologise

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Matthew Lester at Crayford MosqueA former member of Britain First has denounced the organisation and visited a mosque to apologise to the Muslim community he says they demonise.

Matthew Lester, 25, joined the group six months ago to protest radical preachers such as Anjem Choudry but soon became disillusioned with the group.

He told the Huffington Post: “I thought it was for the people but found out it was more about publicity. Basically it was publicity stunts more than getting anything done and tackling issues. They’re not just going after extremists, they’re going after Muslims.”

To make amends Lester visited Crayford Mosque to apologise. He said: “I went in there and took my shoes and hat off and they said Allah knows what’s in your heart and we can tell by the way you came down here and apologised.”

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Alabama ‘bans’ Sharia law amid fears it could violate American rights

Posted on by Bob Pitt

New York anti-Sharia protest
Sharia hysteria in New York, August 2010

Sharia law has been “banned” by Alabama in the US – even though it has never been part of the state’s legal system.

Under the “American and Alabama Laws for Alabama Courts Amendment”, it is now illegal for judges to apply any foreign law if it violates citizens’ existing rights.

Voters passed Amendment One on Tuesday, which despite being worded to encompass any foreign law, sprang from a specifically anti-Sharia bill first proposed almost four years ago.

Senator Gerald Allen’s original attempt, the “Sharia Law Amendment”, targeted Islamic laws but was dropped after a similar move was blocked in Oklahoma because it was found to unconstitutionally limit religious freedoms.

In a 2011 interview with the Anniston Star, Mr Allen claimed the measure as necessary to “protect” the current legal system but seemed unable to define Sharia. “I don’t have my file in front of me,” he said. “I wish I could answer you better.”

The paper found that the bill’s definition of Sharia – “a form of religious law derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the divine revelations set forth in the Koran and the example set by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad” – was almost identical to the current Wikipedia entry on the subject.

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Finsbury Park first mosque to win prestigious national award

Posted on by Bob Pitt

North London Central MosqueFinsbury Park Mosque (FPM), in St Thomas’s Road, has been given a Visible Quality Mark by national body Community Matters – only the third time the award has gone to a faith organisation.

It marks an exceptional turn around for the mosque; when the current owners took over it was best known as a hive of extremism where radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza had preached for more than a decade.

Mohammed Kozbar, chair of FPM, said: “It is great to achieve the Visible communities award after almost two years of hard work, we are proud to be the first mosque and the third faith organisation in the UK to achieve this award, it gave us the confidence to improve the standard of operation and accountability of our organisation”.

FPM, a registered charity, now attracts up to 2,000 worshippers, as well as hosting community events including youth and welfare services, IT courses and surgeries for councillors and Members of Parliament.

Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, said: “Congratulations to the staff at FPM. Your hard work and good results that are so valuable within our community deserve this wider recognition.

“It can be tough for charities in this climate, yet despite that you have been able to demonstrate high standards in all areas across your organisation. This endorsed standards award can give the public confidence that this charity is well run and give any funders assurance about how their money is being spent.”

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Australia launches a helpline to improve reporting of race and religion based abuse

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — A new Speak-Out Hotline has been launched to protect people from race and religion-based harassment intimidation and abuse in Australia’s most populous state New South Wales (NSW).

The NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services Stuart Ayres said the new hotline, which will be operated by the NSW Police Call Centre (PoliceLink) in conjunction with Multicultural NSW, would make it easier for people in NSW to report incidents of race or religion-based abuse.

“The new direct phone line will enable everyone in the community to speak out about physical or verbal incidents of race or religion-based abuse and to seek assistance from the appropriate authorities,” NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services Stuart Ayres said.

“This is about ensuring accurate records on the prevalence of alleged racial abuse are maintained. Having the service within PoliceLink will ensure criminal matters are attended to appropriately and non-criminal matters are referred to Multicultural NSW to be logged.

“The NSW Government will not stand by while fellow citizens are being targeted for insult because of their beliefs, their skin colour or their choice of dress.

“I encourage people to call the Speak-Out line, even if they are only witnesses to an incident. We will ensure their concern is directed to the right arm of government, be it Police or Multicultural NSW.”

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Local democracy under attack in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We deplore the proposal of the secretary of state Eric Pickles to “take over” the democratically elected council in Tower Hamlets (Report, 5 November). The inspection he ordered found no evidence of fraud or corruption, contrary to the Tory allegations made against the local administration. A takeover would be a flagrant violation of the democratic will of the population who re-elected a popular and well-regarded local mayor just a few months ago. A key reason Lutfur Rahman was endorsed again by local voters in east London is because he opposes the government’s efforts to force austerity policies on the council. He also shows how an administration can be managed with meagre resources so that key services are protected.

The administration in Tower Hamlets is vilified because it stands up against the government’s failing policies. It is a concerted effort to smear the local politician who has demonstrated that this stance is popular at the ballot box. That is why a string of wild and unfounded allegations has been made against the mayor and a series of investigations, including by the police, called for by the Tories. Scotland Yard has already this year cleared the council of any wrongdoing. The latest allegations from the Tories are simply more of the same. The imposition of unelected officials to overrule an elected mayor should send a chill down the spine of every democrat. It is not necessary to agree with every strand of policy adopted by Lutfur Rahman to see that this a blatant attack on local democracy. The mayor of Tower Hamlets, who has committed no legal or criminal offence, should be accountable to local voters, not to the will of a Tory secretary of state. We call on all those who support local democracy to oppose this manoeuvre.

Ken Livingstone Former mayor of London, Christine Shawcroft Labour party National Executive Committee, Kate Hudson National secretary, Left Unity, Billy Hayes General secretary, CWU, George Galloway MP, Malia Bouattia NUS Black Students’ officer, Steve Turner Assistant general secretary, Unite

Letter in the Guardian, 6 November 2014

Ken Livingstone launches bitter attack on Labour councillors in defence of Lutfur Rahman

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Lutfur Rahman and Ken LivingstoneKen Livingstone has launched a bitter attack on fellow Labour party members in defence of the controversial mayor of Tower Hamlets.

Lutfur Rahman is facing a series of government sanctions against his administration at the East End borough after a report by auditors. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is appointing commissioners to take over key powers from Rahman after the report accused his council of a lack of transparency. He was ordered to halt all property deals, stop handing out council grants to community organisations and freeze the recruitment of senior executives.

Rahman was dumped as Labour’s mayoral candidate in Tower Hamlets in 2010 but went on to win as an independent. He was relected for a second term in May. Livingstone had a similar experience when he defied the Labour party to run for Mayor of London in 2000.

He described Rahman’s treatment as “like something out of East Germany”.

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Muslim student’s headscarf torn off as she’s branded ‘terrorist p*ki’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A 19-year-old Muslim student was subjected to a sickening racial attack in Piccadilly Gardens yesterday – as her headscarf was torn from her head.

Maryam*, a first-year photojournalism undergraduate at Staffordshire University, was confronted by a group of white girls after expressing her disgust at the way they were treating a beggar.

Yet she was subjected to a torrent of racial and physical abuse by the gang, which left her in tears. The gang shouted: “Go back to your country you f*cking terrorist p*ki, I will bomb your face off.” Then they slapped her face, before pulling her headscarf off and kicking her on the left side on the hips.

“What bothered me was what she said. The words hit me more than the physical attacks,” Maryam said. “You know when you hear these things being said and you get really upset that people are saying these things, but try having someone screaming it to your face. I felt weak. I feel horrible from shock I started crying. My friend, from the shock stood there didn’t know what she was doing.”

The group of girls had initially hit out at a Hijabi beggar, telling her to “go back to your own country” and “if I went to your country and begged for money I would get kidnapped and killed”.

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Shots fired at California mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islamic Society of the Coachella ValleySomeone opened fire on a mosque in Coachella early Tuesday and the shooting is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

At about 5 a.m., investigators were called to the Islamic Society of the Coachella Valley, 84-650 Avenue 49, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

They determined several shots were fired at the building and a Toyota Corolla that was parked outside. Two bullet holes were visible in front of the mosque and two in the car.

The mosque was occupied at the time of the attack, but no one was injured, according to the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), citing police sources. One worshiper said four people were inside.

Investigators surrounded the one-story building with yellow tape and blocked westbound lanes. Other details haven’t been released and investigators ask anyone with information to call (760) 863-8990.

CAIR-LA is calling for an FBI investigation.

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