You only have to read the headline to know who wrote the article. Yes, it’s that pompous, self-publicising prat Taj Hargey.
The terrorist that wasn’t
After eight years in American and British prisons, Talha Ahsan is free.
James Ridgeway and Jean Casella report.
Update: See also Arun Kundnani and Jeanne Theoharis, “How outsourcing terror cases to the US can inadvertently result in a fair trial”, Guardian, 23 July 2014
France suspends plans for Halal prison meals
France’s highest administrative body has suspended a plan to provide Halal meals for Muslim inmates in one prison in the country’s east.
The council of state ruled on Wednesday that providing Halal meat at Saint-Quentin-Fallavier prison in the city of Grenoble was impractical “owing to its financial cost and high needs for organisation”.
France’s Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who had been contesting the plan since 2013, argued it would infringe on France’s rules on secularism that ban religious expression in public places.
France’s highest appeals court will make the final decision in the case.
Muslims tell of far-right group’s invasion of UK mosque
A Muslim worshipper has told Anadolu Agency of the disturbing moments when members of a far-right group stormed a mosque in south London.
Worshipper Mohammed Luthful Wahid told AA on Wednesday that he found himself confronted by five members of the Britain First group after they entered the Crayford Mosque and demanded the removal of what they called “sexist” signs – designating separate entrances for women and men – from outside of the building. Wahid, who is 69-years-old, said: “To be honest with you, I was nervous and worried.”
The group, which posted a video of its invasion on the Britain First Facebook group, had marched into the North West Kent Muslim Association mosque on Sunday, trampled on the prayer area without removing their shoes and demanded to speak to the Imam, who was not present.
In the video, the leader of the group, Paul Golding, approached Wahid and said: “We’re Britain First, yeah? We object to your signs that are outside, the signs for men and women… in this country we have equality.”
Wahid told AA: “We are Muslims, we are not aggressive. I just wanted them to take their shoes off. I wanted them off the carpet.” He said the three worshippers in the mosque at the time were left feeling shocked.
In the video, when asked to remove his shoes, Golding responds: “When you respect women, we’ll respect your mosques and you’ve got signs out there that segregate men and women.” Wahid can be heard in the video saying: “Please get out.”
Before leaving the mosque, Golding and his associates demanded that a Christian cross engraved into the brickwork on the outside of the building – a former Methodist church which was only opened as a mosque in 2008 – be covered up. Wahid said: “I told them that Jesus is one of our prophets, but the guy kept saying, ‘No’. Thank God there were only two or three of us in the mosque at the time, if they had come at prayer time, when there are about 20 people, it could have been disastrous.”
Worpshipper Shiraz Ahmed told AA that the Britain First group’s actions were “disrespectful and aggressive”. He said: “If they had come at a different time, when there are more people here, it would have been very different. I would have thrown them out of the mosque.”
How Americans feel about religious groups
Jews, Catholics and evangelical Christians are viewed warmly by the American public. When asked to rate each group on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100 – where 0 reflects the coldest, most negative possible rating and 100 the warmest, most positive rating – all three groups receive an average rating of 60 or higher (63 for Jews, 62 for Catholics and 61 for evangelical Christians). And 44% of the public rates all three groups in the warmest part of the scale (67 or higher).
Buddhists, Hindus and Mormons receive neutral ratings on average, ranging from 48 for Mormons to 53 for Buddhists. The public views atheists and Muslims more coldly; atheists receive an average rating of 41, and Muslims an average rating of 40. Fully 41% of the public rates Muslims in the coldest part of the thermometer (33 or below), and 40% rate atheists in the coldest part.
These are some of the key findings from a Pew Research Center survey conducted May 30-June 30, 2014, among 3,217 adults who are part of Pew Research’s new American Trends Panel, a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults.
‘Trojan Horse’ school trustees resign
The chairman of the education trust at the centre of the alleged “Trojan Horse” Muslim takeover plot in Birmingham schools has resigned along with his entire board of trustees.
Tahir Alam, of the Park View Educational Trust, made the announcement today outside the gates of Park View Academy in Alum Rock, Birmingham.
The trust has been the focus of allegations made in the anonymous Trojan Horse letter – now widely held to be a hoax – alleging the existence of a clique of hardline Muslims attempting to seize control of Birmingham schools. Those allegations triggered several inquiries and last month the trust’s three schools were placed in special measures by Ofsted. Mr Alam has always denied any wrongdoing and branded the investigations “a witch hunt”.
Mr Alam launched a scathing attack on outgoing Education Secretary Michael Gove, Ofsted and others, as he announced he would be standing down.
After four months of inspections and scrutiny, the capacity of the trust’s three schools – Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen – to continue to offer an outstanding education “is at risk of being seriously compromised”, he said.
“We believe strongly that we have justice on our side, and we know we have the support of many from within and outside Birmingham, including our students, parents and members of staff,” Mr Alam said.
“However, we are not prepared to subject our school communities to the further period of intense and bitter pressure that our continuing as members of Park View Educational Trust will see them face. And it is for this reason, and with a deep sense of injustice and sadness, that today we are announcing our intention to resign our positions at Park View Educational Trust and allow new people to assume responsibility with the aim of continuing the success of our schools.”
Mr Alam said the reputation of Park View School had been brought to the point of destruction, and the effect on the communities of the allegations and investigations had been “appalling”.
Photographer Nicolo Degiorgis lifts the veil on Italy’s Islamophobia
Nicolo Degiorgis contrasts the peace of prayer with the tension of politics, with many of Italy’s Muslims now forced to pray in warehouses, garages, gyms, and shops. Sean O’Hagan reports.
Hidden Islam is published by Rorhof (€47)
East London school changes Ramadan fasting policy after complaints
An east London school which forced fasting pupils to go home for a break during Ramadan has abandoned the policy after complaints from parents.
Newport Primary School, in Leyton, had said it was “unable to make provisions” for fasting children during lunchtimes. Parent Nusrat Siddiqui said the policy had meant her daughter could not fast and had “ruined her Ramadan”. The school declined to comment, but parents have now been told that fasting pupils could remain on the premises.
Ms Siddiqui said that her 10-year-old daughter wanted to fast but had been unable to due to the policy. “Two weeks of my Ramadan has been ruined. It’s the holiest month in our religious calendar and the school should know that, seeing as the majority of the pupils are Muslim,” she said. “My daughter wanted to fast but couldn’t because I was at work and couldn’t pick her up during lunchtime. They have clearly done it because of the wrong reasons.”
Revealing report on anti-Muslim racism in Ireland
An informative report by Dr James Carr on racism and bigotry against Muslims in Ireland has been published by the University of Limerick. Based on a survey of Irish Muslims on their experiences of anti-Muslim hostility, complemented by one-to-one interviews and focus group discussions, the report found that 36% of respondents felt they had been targeted on the basis of being identified as Muslim.
Dr Carr writes: “The manner in which this hostility manifested varied. Participants reported experiencing physical assaults (22%) ranging from being struck, having hijabs forcibly removed, to being pushed, spat at; some reported being threatened or harassed (20%). A white Irish male revert to Islam recalls his experiences of physical forms of abuse: ‘I have been pushed and have had people spit in my face, for being Muslim’. Fewer participants (14%) indicated that they had property damaged. Those who detailed how this manifested referred to tyres being slashed, having eggs thrown at their home inter alia.”
The survey found that women, who were more easily identified as Muslim because of their dress, experienced higher levels of anti-Muslim hostility (44%) and discrimination (40%) than men (28% and 22% respectively). Women interviewees also reported their frustration at being subjected to anti-Muslim stereotyping and regarded condescendingly as passive victims of male oppression.
Dr Carr adds: “The discourse of oppressed Muslim women also serves to ‘legitimise’ the deployment of ‘liberation tactics’ by those would be ‘liberators’ of the oppressed. The impact these ‘tactics’ have on the Muslim female participants in this study includes shock, depression, feelings of fear and vulnerability. Jada explains how she was told to ‘take that thing rag off your head you you’re too good looking for that’ by a patient in the hospital she works in.”
Police release CCTV image of Warrington mosque attack
Cheshire Police has released a CCTV image of suspects they are hunting, believed to be involved in an attack on the mosque in Warrington town centre.
Officers are again appealing for information after the mosque on Arpley Street was vandalised.
One man can be seen, apparently about to smash a window, with another man in the background of the image.
Police say they are treating the incident, on Monday, July 7, as racially aggravated criminal damage.
Sgt Rob Horton, of Warrington Town Centre NPU, said: “Enquiries are still ongoing and we would like to speak to anybody who may know the people seen in the CCTV footage.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident 1041 of 7th July, 2014. Alternatively, information can be passed via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.