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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Austria’s Muslims fear changes to historic Islam law

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Sebastian Kurz (2)A row has broken out in Austria over government plans to overhaul the country’s century-old law on Islam. The new draft, which is partly aimed at tackling Islamist radicalism, forbids any foreign funding. But Austria’s official Islamic Community says it reflects a widespread mistrust of Muslims and fails to treat them equally.

Islam has been an official religion in Austria since 1912. The Islam law, the “Islamgesetz”, was brought in by the Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph, after Austria’s annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Under the law, Muslims, like Catholics, Jews and Protestants, are guaranteed wide-ranging rights, including religious education in state schools.

Carla Amina Baghajati from the Islamic Community says the old law has served as “a kind of a model in Europe” and done much to integrate and anchor Muslims into Austrian society. It shows how recognition of Islam makes Muslims feel accepted, she says. “Their loyalty towards the state comes automatically.”

Roughly half a million Muslims live in Austria today, around 6% of the population. Many of them have Turkish or Bosnian roots.

After more than 100 years, most agree that the Islam law needs to be updated to reflect the realities of modern Austria. But some parts of the government’s draft legislation have caused controversy, in particular a proposed ban on any foreign funding for mosques or imams. The Islamic Community says that does not fit with the principle of equality.

But Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration Sebastian Kurz told Austrian Radio (ORF) that the ban was a necessary step. “With other religions, there is not the challenge that we have to fear influences from abroad and therefore have to be stricter with financing,” he said. “We want an Austrian form of Islam. Every Muslim in Austria should be able to practise his religion properly, but we don’t want influence and control from abroad.”

Relations between Muslims and Austria’s Catholic majority have been relatively calm, compared with many other European countries. But there are tensions.

The far-right Freedom Party, which has seen a surge of support, has taken to warning against what it calls “Islamisation”. At a Freedom Party Oktoberfest, Vienna district councillor Helwig Leibinger said many Muslims in Vienna were too foreign. “They cannot be integrated very well, because the women wear the burka or something like that and they don’t want to be real Austrians. They try to be Turkish.”

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New South Wales: Police step in over cookie abuse

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Byron Bay cookies

NSW police have launched an investigation into the ongoing abusive threats against Aussie biscuit company Byron Bay Cookies.

The company has been inundated with borderline racist remarks since earlier this year after making halal-certified Anzac biscuits.

Detective Inspector Brendon Cullen said the company has received threats over the phone and through social media since February.

“Police were alerted to all the incidents (on Wednesday 22 October) after staff became concerned about the frequent and abusive nature of the messages,” Det Insp Cullen said in an email to ninemsn.

“Officers from Tweed/Byron Local Area Command attended and commenced inquiries. “An investigation is underway, and police have a number of lines of enquiry that they are following. Anyone with information is urged to contact police.”

As reported by ninemsn late last month, customers left angry posts on the biscuit manufacturer’s Facebook page.

One customer wrote: “I was a big fan of the cookies but won’t ever buy them again now that they are Halal. Shocking.”

Another wrote: “I won’t be buying them either, why are you guys paying money to Islam just to satisfy a minority group? This isn’t being racist as if you were paying it to Jehovah’s I would say the same thing. Disappointed.”

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Nick Griffin tries to resurrect political career in Blackpool

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Griffin at Blackpool protest November 2014

A tenant has today told of the moment more than 50 people – believed to include ex-British National Party leader Nick Griffin – stood outside his home calling for his landlord to appear.

Latvian Janis Rozite, 22, said he was sat at home in Bloomfield Road on Saturday when the crowd appeared outside his property. They demanded to speak to the landlord who was one of the two men cleared several years ago of being involved in the disappearance of Charlene Downes.

Saturday marked the 11th anniversary of when the Blackpool schoolgirl went missing. Dozens of people were stood outside the Bloomfield Road property.

Hotel worker Mr Rozite told The Gazette: “I had a knock on my door around 12.30pm. I could hear shouting – I thought, ‘what the hell is happening?’ One of them shouted with a megaphone. They said where is your landlord? I said ‘please leave.’

“I called my landlord and he urged me to phone the police and when they arrived the crowd moved over to the other side of the road near Blackpool FC’s stadium.”

Mr Rozite said the crowd, which was seen by many Blackpool fans turning up for Saturday’s game against Ipswich, were carrying banners and shouting abuse. It is believed they remained for around 30 minutes before leaving.

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New vision for Dudley mosque is backed

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A controversial plan for a new mosque in Dudley has won the backing of council officers ahead of a decision this month – despite more than 800 people objecting to the proposal.

Dudley Muslim Association wants to build the 52ft high curved roof mosque with 62ft high minaret in Hall Street, along with a two-storey car park in Hall Street. The planning application was revised from a previously failed bid for the place of worship, which had the mosque at a height of 109ft – but it has still attracted 885 letters of objection.

Opposition has come in over the size of the three-storey mosque and the lack of parking, plus fears over congestion. A total of 370 letters of support and a petition for the application with 1,718 signatures were sent to the council.

Councillor Steve Waltho also weighed in with support for the proposal, saying it would bring the community together and transform an ‘eye-sore’ site.

In a report to councillors ahead of a development control meeting to decide on the proposal next week, officers said: “The design and appearance of the proposed development, along with the proposed landscaping of the site, is considered to be acceptable and the proposal is considered to have sufficiently overcome the previous reasons for refusal.”

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