Islamophobia Watch

"In March 2013, a 19 year-old Tunisian activist by the name of Amina posted topless photographs of herself on Femen’s Facebook page. In one photo, “my body is my own and not the source of anyone’s honor” is written on her chest. In another image, Amina is holding up her middle fingers with “fuck your morals” written on her chest."
Femen Strikes in Tunisia – the Case of Amina
Sara Salem on Tahrir-ICN

Muslim women send message to Femen - Counter-protest launched against 'Topless Jihad Day'.
Aljazeera Storify piece

Muslim Women Shockingly Not Grateful for Topless European Ladies Trying To ‘Save’ Them
By Callie Beusman on jezebel.com

Nathan Lean charts the rise of the 'New Atheists' and their intersection with anti Muslim bigotry.

Some of Dawkins’ detractors say that he’s a fundamentalist. Noam Chomsky is one such critic. Chomsky has said that Harris, Dawkins and Hitchens are “religious fanatics” and that in their quest to bludgeon society with their beliefs about secularism, they have actually adopted the state religion — one that, though void of prayers and rituals, demands that its followers blindly support the whims of politicians. 

Salon article

Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed.   During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter.  One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'.

Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed.  During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter. One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'.

Daily Mail story reported by Muslimophobia

Employees of the department tasked with observing militant Islamists reportedly throw around deeply offensive, Nazi-affiliated words in private of the kind which would be unthinkable in a public setting. These range from Herrenrasse, the German for "master race" to Muselmann - originally a German word meaning "Muslim man" later used by the Nazis as a slang word for emaciated death camp inmates who had surrendered to their fate - to Ölauge, a derogatory name for "greasy" dark-eyed foreigners.  In one case currently the subject of an internal investigation, an agency employee is said to have offended co-workers in his office by positioning a doll of a Teutonic Knight with his sword pointing at a miniature mosque, wrote the paper.

Employees of the department tasked with observing militant Islamists reportedly throw around deeply offensive, Nazi-affiliated words in private of the kind which would be unthinkable in a public setting.These range from Herrenrasse, the German for "master race" to Muselmann - originally a German word meaning "Muslim man" later used by the Nazis as a slang word for emaciated death camp inmates who had surrendered to their fate - to Ölauge, a derogatory name for "greasy" dark-eyed foreigners. 

In one case currently the subject of an internal investigation, an agency employee is said to have offended co-workers in his office by positioning a doll of a Teutonic Knight with his sword pointing at a miniature mosque, wrote the paper.

German spies accused of racism, Islamophobia

A priest who has allowed Muslims to pray in his church has told how he has been hit by a barrage of abuse by internet 'trolls'.

St John's Episcopal Church became the first church in the UK to share their building with Muslims after Rev Isaac Poobalan saw members of a neighbouring mosque praying outside in the snow because of a lack of space.

Huffington Post article

As the new Government-backed anti-Muslim hatred body, 'Tell MAMA' has just reported a rising level of anti-Muslim hatred and sentiment is creeping into British life. We appear to have passed the point where Baroness Warsi referred to Islamophobia 'passing the dinner party test'.
Muhammad Abdul Bari

A ground breaking report on Islamophobia in Europe has documented the extent of the problem. Discrimination against Muslims in Europe is widespread, the report says. According to the study covering 26 national reports, Muslims continue to experience discrimination in a range of areas, more specifically in employment, education and access to goods and services. This is the first pan-European qualitative survey on Muslim communities in Europe, part of the Europe Network Against Racism’s 2011/12 Shadow Report on Racism in Europe and released ahead of International Day Against Racial Discrimination. ENAR Press Release (PDF file) "Manifestations of Islamophobia include discrimination and violence towards Muslims, criminal damage to Islamic buildings, and protests against the building of mosques even in countries, such as Poland, where some Muslim communities have been established and integrated for centuries.
"Muslim women and girls are particularly affected, facing an extreme form of double discrimination on the basis of both their religion and their gender. In France for instance, 85% of all Islamophobic acts target women."

A two-year inquiry into multiculturalism in Australia has found overwhelming concerns on Muslims and their faith. It found that out of 513 submissions to the inquiry, 212 raised concerns about or discussed the question of Islam in Australia. Some 113 submissions objected to the possible introduction of legal pluralism to accommodate the requirements of Islamic Shari`ah.

A two-year inquiry into multiculturalism in Australia has found overwhelming concerns on Muslims and their faith.
It found that out of 513 submissions to the inquiry, 212 raised concerns about or discussed the question of Islam in Australia.
Some 113 submissions objected to the possible introduction of legal pluralism to accommodate the requirements of Islamic Shari`ah.

OnIslam report

A Scottish reverend has invited Muslims to pray alongside Christians in an Aberdeen church because the nearby mosque is so small that some worshippers were forced to pray outside.

Tamsin Rutter reports in The Guardian

Peace campaigners are to unite against the English Defence League when they hold their biggest march of the year through Tyneside.

Hundreds of members of the right-wing organisation will walk from  Newcastle's Central Station to the Bigg Market in protest over plans for an Islamic School at the former Byker Grove building in the city's West End.

Now faith leaders and councillors are gathering to organise a peaceful city centre festival on the same day to celebrate Newcastle's ethnic diversity.

City councillor Dipu Ahad, who is leading the event alongside anti-racism groups, said: "The community are very frustrated that the EDL have the right to come and protest in our community where multi-culturalism and diversity thrive and is something that we believe in so strongly in Newcastle.

"Our event will be a festival and a celebration of the diversity in the city. People have lived here for generations and make a very strong contribution to the city and our counter event is all about celebration."

A final location is yet to be finalised for the counter event, which is supported by Unite Against Fascism and various trade unions, and will be held on Saturday, May 25.

Here's another account from a Muslim woman of the altercation with the two atheists that led to Krauss threatening to walk out of the debate:

"I attended the full debate and witnessed the full action! Upon arrival I went straight to the non-segregated seating and sat there with no questions asked! There were hundreds of seats that accommodated all attendees. Some Muslim girls wished to sit in a 'Male Free' area and that was there choice to be able to sit in a relaxed environment during the debate. What is said about females being forced to sit in the back is a lie! I am a Muslim fully covered girl and I sat in the front in the mixed area!

"What I still don't understand is why the 2 man insisted on sitting literally between the Muslim women who clearly didn't want that! ... I think the 2 guys out of 325 attendees made a scene deliberately to create unnecessary tension between the audiences.... The organisers tried their best to accommodate everyone’s requests and so allocated the seats that will accommodate everyone. Clearly that was not enough for the 2 guys."

Islamophobia Awareness Conference: Edinburgh 2013

Muslim Bashing...so wrong...so stop it now!

Saturday 16th March 2pm to 5pm

Augustine United Church, 41 George 4th Bridge, EH1 1EL

Speakers:
Inayat Bunglawala: Muslim writer (inayatscorner.wordpress.com)
Yvonne Ridley: Journalist and war correspondent
Eddie Truman: Co-founder of Islamophobia Watch
Craig Murray: Former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan
Margaret Woods from Unite Against Fascism

Organised by Edinburgh Stop the War, Radio Ramadan, Muslim Women's Association of Edinburgh, SACC, Unite Against Fascism

Stalls and food at the event

No charge for entry but donations to cover costs welcome

"Let's say no to Turkish religious and economic expansion!"

This was the main slogan of a protest rally organized by a group of Georgian nationalists outside the government's house. Members of the non-governmental organization named "National Front" staged the protest against construction of a new mosque in the sea-side city of Batumi near the Turkish border.

Protesters called on the government to annul agreements with Ankara for construction of the new mosque, as well as stop accommodating Turkish citizens in the coastal region of Adjara, which stipulates revision of visa relations with Turkey.

Press TV, 11 March 2013

See also "Georgian PM does not understand opponents of mosque construction in Batumi", Trend, 14 March 2013

The proposal to build a new mosque at Batumi was the subject of a much larger protest last year.

The Islamic Education & Research Academy has issued a statement in response to the controversy over the "Islam or atheism" debate at University College London last Saturday.

A Frenchman who ripped a Muslim woman's veil off her face as she strolled in a fairground was Wednesday given a five-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to compensate his victim.

The 30-year-old man, who admitted charges of aggravated assault, had justified the September 2012 attack at the time as an attempt to uphold a controversial law banning women from wearing niqabs, face-covering veils, in public.

That defence was thrown out by public prosecutors, who accused him of acting as a vigilante and carrying out an assault motivated by his victim's religious faith.

The man, who was not publicly identified on the request of his lawyers, was also convicted of presenting a false identity to police.

The incident in the western city of Nantes was the latest in a series triggered by France's controversial ban on the wearing of full face veils in public, which came into force in April 2011.

AFP, 13 March 2013

Last Saturday the Islamic Education and Research Academy organised a debate at University College London between iERA's Hamza Tzortzis and atheist scientist Lawrence Krauss on the topic "Islam or atheism. Which makes more sense?"

Krauss was unhappy about the organisation of the event, claiming that the audience was separated on the basis of gender, and he tweeted the following comment, which was widely publicised: "Almost walked out of debate as it ended up segregated + saw 3 kids being ejected for sitting in wrong place. I packed up and they caved in."

Krauss's complaint was seized on by fellow atheist Richard Dawkins, who informed his Twitter followers: "At UC London debate between a Muslim and Lawrence Krauss, males & females had to sit separately. Krauss threatened to leave." He added sarcastically: "I don't think Muslims should segregate sexes at University College London events. Oh NO, how very ISLAMOPHOBIC of me. How RACIST of me."

German far-right campaigns for the suppression of IslamGermany on Wednesday banned three ultra-conservative Salafist Muslim groups which the Interior Ministry said wanted to overturn democracy and install a system based on sharia, or Islamic law.

The ban, which took effect in the western states of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia in the early morning, is the latest step taken by German authorities who have increased surveillance of Salafists who espouse a radical version of Islam.

Supporters of a mosque in Doveton's industrial area have urged anti-Islamic cleric Pastor Danny Nalliah and his followers in the Catch the Fire Ministries to learn to live with it.

Outside Casey Council chambers on Tuesday night, supporters were quietly jubilant after Casey councillors ticked off the mosque in accordance with a recommendation from their planners. But Mr Nalliah, who has led the campaign against the mosque, described the decision as "a sad day for Australia" and said his group would appeal to the Supreme or Victorian Court to overturn it.

A spokeswoman for the applicants, Sherene Hassan, urged Mr Nalliah and his followers to follow Jesus' precept and "love thy neighbour". "That's what we plan to do," she said. "But we haven't felt much love from this group." The mosque is being built next to Catch the Fire's new headquarters and church, and Ms Hassan said they would welcome visitors from the neighbouring church.

Greece's foreign minister has reiterated his government's call to construct a mosque in Athens, but minority representatives in the country have expressed their skepticism about the administration's sincerity.

Christians in west Oxfordshire have signed a letter expressing "shock and outrage" at discrimination against Muslims in Chipping Norton.

A planned mosque in the town fell through last month after landlord Georg Wissinter received a threat that it would be burnt to the ground. Applicant Tahirul Hasan, a town councillor, had received planning permission to convert the former shop in Hitchmans Mews into a mosque. The town's 34-strong Muslim community had planned to open from sunrise until one hour after sunset for 10-minute prayers five times a day.

The letter says: "As Christians we know that Jesus called us to love God and our neighbour as we love ourselves. It is for us to welcome the stranger and to be hospitable to all. We affirm that all people have the right to be treated as human beings with the freedom to practice their faith without fear of persecution."

The letter is signed by 38 Christians, including Witney Congregational Church minister the Rev Jason Boyd, High Street Methodist Church minister the Rev Richard Donoghue, and Chipping Norton team vicar David Salter.

Witney Gazette, 12 March 2013