Category Archives: Resisting Islamophobia

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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Reza Aslan: Media has pushed Islamophobia to ‘unprecedented levels’ in U.S.

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Religious scholar Reza Aslan ripped comedian Bill Maher on Monday, saying Maher had “gotten away” with making Islamophobic statements in the past because people like him – but adding that the tide has turned.

“I like him,” Aslan told Fusion host Nando Villa. “I think at a certain point, though, there’s been a kind of ‘jump the shark’ moment, and I think that people who are smart, engaged are just not putting up with it any longer. And so a much-needed conversation is finally being had. Not just about the problem of religion and violence, but in how we talk about it.”

Aslan conceded that the ongoing conversation around Islam was precipitated by Maher’s argument with actor Ben Affleck on the Oct. 3 episode of Real Time, during which Maher said the religion was “like the mafia.”

“The problem is that anti-Muslim sentiment in this country is at unprecedented levels, thanks in great part to the media rhetoric,” Aslan said.

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Welsh Shia Muslim accused of supporting ISIS

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Shazia Ramzan and familyA mother flying a black flag outside her family home in a quiet suburban street has told her neighbours: “We are not supporting Islamic State.”

Shazia Ramzan, 35, shocked her neighbours when she raised what looked like the black flag of jihad in her street. Passers-by threatened to call the police after Prime Minister David Cameron said anyone seen with the Shahada flag should be arrested.

But mum-of-two Shazia said it was not the same banner used by the terrorist organisation – and she branded IS as “scumbags”.

She said: “We did not want to cause any grief by putting the flag up. But I’m scared that our house will be bricked. Islamic State are scumbags. Islam does not say what they proclaim; Islam is beautiful and a true religion when followed correctly. They are not Muslims. True Islam does not say anything Islamic State does.”

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Police frisk man in Muslim dress – moments after letting him walk past in Western clothes

Posted on by Bob Pitt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLkwkG5nPE&list=UU0W6NYJ_y7cd3laVfaSOl0A

A shocking video that apparently shows a New York police officer pushing two Muslim men up against a wall just because of how they are dressed has sparked fury online.

YouTube star Adam Saleh uploaded the video to the internet after claiming he had had enough of police officers ‘racially profiling’ him when he is dressed in traditional Muslim clothing.

Adam runs a YouTube account called TrueStoryASA with his friend Sheikh Akbar where the two young men make funny and prank videos.

However, they decided to make a new video for their 650,000 subscribers after becoming frustrated at police following them when they are dressed in traditional Muslim attire.

In the three minute video, branded “messed up and cruel” by online fans of the pair, the two young men are first seen wearing western clothing and having an argument in American accents.

A police officer stands close by and appears to watch as the two play out a row that, at one point, gets physical. Despite Adam ‘threatening’ and pushing Sheikh, the officer does nothing.

Just 20 minutes later, the two young men have changed into traditional Muslim dress and are walking past the officer again. They again pretend to have an argument but the officer, who appears to have no clue it is the same men as earlier, instantly steps in and demands to know what is going on.

The officer, whose face is blurred throughout, asks the men what is going on, but when he is told it’s nothing, asks sternly: “What’s all the arguing about, why are you dressed like this?”

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Lega Nord marches against migrants and mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Lega Nord Milan protest

On Saturday some 40,000 supporters of the right-wing Lega Nord party took to the streets of Milan to protest against immigration, under the slogan “Stop invasion”.

Lega Nord secretary Matteo Salvini, who headed the march, stopped the demonstration for several minutes outside the town hall to lead the protesters in chants against a plan to build a mosque in Milan.

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Hundreds visit Queensland mosque open day

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Building on years of mutual trust with the community, a Newcastle mosque received more than 400 visitors in its open day event on Sunday, October 19, offering guests food and a chance to view Islam in a clearer way.

“We were very grateful to them for coming out and getting to know us and allowing us to get to know them,” Diana Rah, spokesperson of Newcastle Muslim Association, told The Herald.

The Newcastle mosque in Wallsend has opened its doors on Sunday, using conversation and clarity to fight misconceptions about Islam. The event attracted more than 400 visitors who listened to Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed and attended an exhibition about Islam.

Moreover, attendants were offered a chance to try traditional Islamic dress, have a mosque tour and attend a question and answer session. Visitors were also invited to enjoy a barbecue, traditional homemade sweets and Saudi chai tea.

“Our mosque has always had relationships with church and community groups, but we have noticed in recent times some negative reporting about Muslims and an escalation of verbal attacks on Islamic women, of eggs, coffees and milkshakes being thrown at them from car windows,” Rah said.

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Snap inspections target private Islamic schools

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Emergency inspections have been conducted at more schools in Tower Hamlets, east London, this month at the request of the Department for Education (DfE).

Most are understood to be private Islamic schools, but they include a flagship Church of England state school.

Ofsted inspectors gave a clean bill of health to safeguarding arrangements for pupils at Marner Primary, a Tower Hamlets state school, after a visit in September.

At the time, Tower Hamlets council strongly denied claims by a Whitehall source that the borough was “expected to be the next Birmingham” with a “Trojan Horse” problem of Islamic influence in schools.

Inspectors have now visited six more schools after concerns about curriculums had been raised by the DfE, according to government sources.

They include Al-Mizan primary and the London East Academy, private schools for Muslim boys run by the East London Mosque Trust. Their pupils, who are mostly from Bangladeshi families, learn a combination of Islamic education and some national curriculum subjects.

Ofsted teams also paid snap visits to Jamiatul Ummah secondary, another private school for Muslim boys, and Sir John Cass Red Coat CoE Secondary School, a voluntary aided state school overseen by the Tower Hamlets education authority. Two other schools inspected have not been named.

Tower Hamlets said that “whilst we do not usually comment on Ofsted reports before they are published, we can categorically state the inspection has not found any ‘Trojan Horse’-type issues relating to the conduct of staff and governors or the curriculum” at Sir John Cass.

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Gun Owners of America to give award to shooting range owner who banned Muslims

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jan MorganLast month, an Arkansas gun range owner named Jan Morgan got some national attention when she declared her business a “Muslim free zone,” writing on her website, “This is more than enough loss of life on my home soil at the hands of muslims to substantiate my position that muslims can and will follow the directives in their Koran and kill here at home.”

What many news reports missed is that Morgan is not just the owner of a single shooting range, but a national gun activist who has spoken at multiple events for the “religious liberty” group Liberty Counsel as well as Tea Party gatherings and last month’s misnamed “Two Million Bikers” rally against President Obama.

And Morgan has some friends in high places in the gun lobby. In an interview with Arizona-based radio host Josh Bernstein this week, Gun Owners of America director Larry Pratt praised Morgan, saying that she was “on very sound ground” with her Muslim ban.

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Anti-Islamophobia rally in Perth confronted by small far-right counter-protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Perth anti-Islamophobia rallyA peaceful anti-Islamophobia rally in Perth has been confronted by counter-protesters, some wearing masks and waving the Australian flag.

The group of about 20 people, who denied they were members of the far-right Australian Defence League, singled out controversial Perth Muslim preacher Junaid Thorne. They held anti-Islamic banners and chanted “Junaid Thorne, terrorist scum”, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie” and “this is Australia for Australians”.

Mr Thorne, a self-declared Sheik, said: “You can tell from the language these people use they are uneducated bogans.” The 25-year-old, who has gained national attention for his lectures, said he was showing his support for a “united community”. He would not answer questions about Islamic State terrorists and said his social media posts were just commentary, adding: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

Most of the counter-protesters, some of whom wore Australian flag bandannas and T-shirts emblazoned with ‘This is Australia”, refused to speak to The Sunday Times. One of the group, Wayne White, 55, said: “We want to see Australia stay as Australia, what our forefathers fought for. We are just guys that are scared about the way our country is going. If they bring in Sharia Law we would be finished.”

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Tower Hamlets: Local hero slams anti-Muslim political attacks

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Rabina KhanTower Hamlets councillor Rabina Khan, recently nominated “Hero of the Year” in the European Diversity Awards, has slammed anti-Muslim attacks against the borough and defended its diversity and integration.

Khan said that distorted media coverage and damaging comments from powerful politicians help build a negative image of the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets, an image that she has been struggling to change.

She said: “If you watch Theresa May’s [UK’s Home Secretary] speech at the Tory conference, she talks about extremism and then refers to a large Muslim community in Tower Hamlets. She doesn’t exactly accuse us of Sharia law, but she puts them in the same sentence. Comments like these are enough to damage the whole Muslim community.”

Khan has been living and working in Tower Hamlets since she was 19. In the last 15 years she has been campaigning for gender equality and promoting incorporation between different groups in society.

Her work as an independent councillor and community worker promoting equality and diversity earned her the prestigious Unilever Hero of the Year title earlier this month.

Tower Hamlets has recently been under fire after a primary school was subject to an Ofsted inspection amid concerns of Islamic estremism. Even though all concerns were cleared, Khan said that she felt attacked by the negative media coverage. She said: “I think that the media have a wrong perception of the borough. It has been covered in a negative light.”

She voiced her view that some media outlets have picked Tower Hamlets as an “extremist” borough and that too often the focus is on the negativity associated with Muslim communities. Khan challenged this negative image saying: “When it comes to facts, I haven’t heard about one extremist being arrested in this borough, or being challenged and finally jailed.”

As a councillor, Khan has been working a lot with the borough’s youth. She said that the council invested in schools and offered summer camps and clubs to stop antisocial behaviour: “We use their energy in a positive way, not to teach them to go out and bomb people.”

With her work Khan wishes to change the way the Muslim community is represented in mainstream media and confront the stereotypes.

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