ENGAGE – the deluded, disingenuous and paranoid Muslim group advising Parliament on 'Islamophobia'

ENGAGE, a Muslim group that says it is dedicated to promoting the involvement of British Muslims in politics and the media, has been appointed as the secretariat of the recently formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia.

The chance of them bringing objectivity to this important task is zero and it undermines any hope of the APPG producing a useful result.

.... Why do I say this about ENGAGE? Well, I am a regular reader of their website and from time-to-time add my thoughts to the comments section. Despite what they say about their objectives, the site seems dedicated to slagging off the British Media (and promoting certain political views). [Archbishop Cranmer] Read more

Islamist hate books inquiry call

.... thinktanks call for inquiry into public library stocks after a Channel 4 News investigation finds hundreds of books written by radical Islamist preachers .... Among the authors was the first person to be banned from entering the country by the Coalition Government earlier this year.

Works by Zakir Naik as well as other banned Islamist leaders, such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Abdullah Al-Faisal and Bilal Philips, are available to borrow across London’s libraries.

Indian televangelist Naik was barred from entering the country in June, after Home Secretary Theresa May uncovered comments attributed to him, which she said represented "unacceptable behaviour". [Channel 4 News] Read more

The sight of women's breasts won't deter Islamists – they're obsessed with sex

Denmark’s government is being called upon to employ a lethal new weapon in the fight against Islamist extremism: bare breasts.

No, I’m not making this up – and also deny outrageous suggestions that I’m looking for an excuse to tear myself away from the world-changing Wikileaks exposé. Peter Skaarup, the foreign policy spokesman of the Danish People’s Party, wants footage of topless women at beaches to be included in a video shown to prospective immigrants, in order to deter religious fundamentalists.

“Topless bathing probably isn’t a common sight on Pakistani beaches, but in Denmark it is still considered quite normal. I honestly believe that by including a couple of bare breasts in the movie, extremists may have to think twice before deciding to come to Denmark,” he said. [telegraph.co.uk] Read more

Qatar's FIFA success proves we are winning the war on terror

... In the Middle East, on the other hand, soccer must compete with radical Islamism for the attentions of the young. Both have their pin-ups, their romantic warrior-heroes, their narrative of victimhood (the whole Israel-Palestine question boils down to little more than a prodigious case of "We woz robbed"), their irrational closed-minded team-loyalties, their hooliganism. Both are powerful vehicles for male bonding. The more football there is, the less terrorism there is likely to be.

The Qataris have done us all a huge favour. I suspect the principality's most famous resident, Ken Livingstone's old mate Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi, won't like it one bit. [Heresy Corner] Read more

Sharia doesn't mean what Islamists claim it means

Martin Parsons published a three-part series ... this week about radicalisation towards extremism - and the ideology or theology that underpins violence. There was much in it that holds true. He's correct to argue that tackling violence without also tackling the ideas that create violent individuals and create a justification for violence missing the point.

He's also right to maintain that violence and ideology is partly a result of a very strident interpretation of the textual sources of Islam - the Quran and, for most orthodox Muslims, the Sunna (or Prophetic teachings and practice).

However, it's important to understand that the task of combating this ideology and violence requires a detailed understanding of the issues. For this reason, we'd like to raise a few clarifications. The distinctions we're about to make may seem unimportant or a nuance too far, but they're nevertheless essential to make if misunderstanding the problem is to be avoided. [ConservativeHome] Read more

Hardline Pakistan cleric offers reward to kill Christian woman

A hardline, pro-Taliban Pakistani Muslim cleric Friday offered a reward for anyone who kills a Christian woman sentenced to death by a court on charges of insulting Islam.

The sentence against Asia Bibi has renewed debate about Pakistan's blasphemy law which critics say is used to persecute religious minorities, fan religious extremism and settle personal scores. Non-Muslim minorities account roughly 4 percent of Pakistan's about 170 million population.

Maulana Yousef Qureshi, the imam of a major mosque in the northwestern city of Peshawar, offered a $5,800 (3,700 pounds) reward and warned the government against any move to abolish or change the blasphemy law. [Reuters] Read more

Iran authorities chop off man's hand

.... On 24 October, state radio reported that authorities amputated the hand of a 32-year-old man in front of other prisoners in the central city of Yazd.

On 16 October, the state-run Fars news agency reported that an Iranian court had condemned a 21-year-old man convicted of stealing chocolates and cocoa from a Tehran pastry shop to have a hand chopped off.

On 22 July, authorities amputated the hands of five men accused of stealing in the city of Hamedan, western Iran, the state-run news agency ILNA reported.

On 2 July, authorities amputated the hand of a man accused of stealing in the city of Malayer, western Iran, the semi-official daily Kayhan reported.

International human rights bodies have repeatedly called on the regime to halt inhumane and degrading punishments. [Iran Focus] Read more [via Religious Watch]

Scathing U.S. view of French unrest and Muslim integration in WikiLeaks

The U.S. embassy in Paris turns out to be one of the sharpest critics of France’s track record in integrating its Muslim minority. Thanks to WikiLeaks, we now have its unvarnished view of the 2005 unrest in the poor suburbs of Paris and other large cities.

It is a scathing indictment that goes beyond even what many of the government’s domestic critics at the time were saying. It may also go beyond most if not all of the criticisms of domestic policy found in cables from other European capitals (has anyone found anything more devastating elsewhere?). Here is our overall news report on the cables. Some excerpts from the key cables are copied below. [Reuters Blogs - FaithWorld] Read more

Believe this, or else

.... The resolution is designed to bolster discriminatory laws in Muslim countries and to combat Islamophobia in non-Muslim countries, in many of which, the OIC says, there is a campaign to promote intolerance, especially by linking Islam with violence and terrorism.

The danger of even a non-binding resolution, according to campaigner Nigel Rooke, is that it utterly contradicts the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and will be used to legitimise blasphemy and apostasy laws (which make it a capital offence to convert from Islam) in the countries that have them.

.... "The Australian government considers human rights are about protecting the rights of individuals, rather than the protection of institutions," he said.

Tragic tales like that of Asia Bibi or Latif Masih are far from unusual. If the resolution passes they will become much more widespread, because many Islamic states and Islamist groups will treat it as tacit UN approval to jail, torture and kill Christians, Sabaean Mandeans, Baha'is, Ahmadiyyas and other minorities. Open Doors's Nigel Rooke says: "Once you put an ideal above human beings, you open up serious abuses. Minority groups in these nations will face deeper persecution." [The Age] Read more

Muslim imam who lectures on non-violence in Germany is arrested for beating up his wife

A Muslim imam who lectures on non-violence and advises the German government on interfaith issues has been arrested in Germany for beating up his wife.

Sheikh Abu Adam, 40, is now on remand in Munich while his wife, 31, is being guarded by police. She was allegedly assaulted so badly that she suffered a broken nose and shoulder and numerous cuts and bruises.

Media reports claimed the woman, who has borne one of his ten children, wanted to live a more 'western' lifestyle and was allegedly attacked after telling her husband.

The police said they received a call from a lawyer hired by the victim. Adam is alleged to have shouted a verse from the Koran at his wife as he beat her. [MailOnline] Read more

No charges for Koran burning teen

A 15-year-old schoolgirl who burnt an English language version of the Koran will not face criminal charges, the Crown Prosecution Service has confirmed.

The West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service said it had also decided to take no action against a 14-year-old boy who made threats about the girl on a social networking site.

In a statement, the CPS said there was sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction against each teenager, but prosecutions would not be in the public interest.

The girl, who has not been named but is known to attend a school in the Sandwell area of the West Midlands, was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred on November 19 after posting footage of the incident on Facebook. [UKPA] Read more

Why is the American ambassador visiting the East London Mosque?

The East London Mosque is among Britain's most extreme Islamic institutions. Built with financial aid from Saudi Arabia, the sprawling facility is home to the London Muslim Center where incendiary preachers are regularly welcomed. On Monday, the East London Mosque hosted a very different kind of visitor-the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom, Louis Susman. Urged by President

Barack Obama to engage with British Muslims, Mr. Susman spoke of his "great admiration" for the mosque and his enthusiasm for meeting its staff.

By any measure the East London mosque is a troubling institution. Last year, for example, it hosted an event titled "The End of Time: A New Beginning," where pamphlets were distributed showing Manhattan crumbling under a Hadean apocalypse of meteors, which shattered the Statute of Liberty asunder and set the city ablaze.

One of the invited speakers, Khalid Yasin, described the beliefs of Christians and Jews as "filth." Most worryingly, the event also featured a live video question-and-answer session with Anwar Al Awlaki, the U.S.-born preacher aligned with al Qaeda. [Standpoint] Read more

The Centrality of Tradition in Sunni Muslim Society

Although there is a debate among scholars of Islam and the Muslim world as to whether Islam is the most important factor in the daily lives of all Muslims, irrespective of nationality, people in the Western world find it hard to accept that medieval texts can dictate the daily routine of other societies -- a result of mirror imaging, of assuming that everyone is "just like us," from which Westerners suffer when they try to understand the Muslim world.

For Muslims, Muhammed was the ideal Muslim. Sunni Muslims believe that they should model their behavior and pattern their lives after his. This means blindly imitating his habits, practices, and lifestyle whether they understand why he did what he did or not. This is called the Sunna (in Arabic, The Way of Life). In it, how the perfect man – Muhammed -- acted is how all Muslims should act; those who imitate Muhammed are called Sunnis. [Hudson New York] Read more

Islamic extremism: is this the year's most embarrassing academic report?

.... the primary purpose of the Lambert- Githens-Mazer dodgy dossier is not academic; it is political. The authors’ real aim is not to defend Britain’s Muslims, but to defend their own paymasters, the Islamist leaders of the IFE and its allies.

As they put it: “It is impossible to deal effectively with the multi-faceted problem of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred without grasping the nettle of neo-Conservative campaigning against effective, credible, politically-active Muslims like Dr Bari.”

.... The report is so transparently shrill and dishonest that I really don’t think the Islamists have got their money’s worth. Even the usual suspects online and in the press seem to have ignored it and the report is no longer available to download from the Cordoba website. Perhaps they’ve realised what an own goal it is.

The more important financial question is for Exeter University. I know universities need to get income from wherever they can these days, but the price of this particular funding in terms of political pain, media attention and academic credibility could turn out to be rather high. [telegraph.co.uk] Read more

The civil war among Muslims in Britain

The previous government’s controversial programme for preventing violent extremism is currently being reviewed by the Home Office. How did it happen that programmes which were introduced with the aim of promoting “community cohesion” and preventing the influence of violent extremists ended up achieving the opposite of what they set out to achieve?

Since the introduction of such programmes British Muslim communities have been engaged in what is effectively a ‘civil war’ which has left young Muslims (the intended beneficiaries of the programmes) further marginalised and more vulnerable to extremist ideas. [independent.co.uk] Read more

Wrong to ban student with niqab: ombudsman

“According to the DO’s assessment, kicking a student out of class simply because she was wearing a niqab, without taking into account the specific circumstances of her participation, violates the law against discrimination,” Equality Ombudsman Katri Linna wrote in an opinion article in the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper.

Linna’s decision stems from a January 2009 incident in which a Muslim woman was was told she would no longer be welcome at an adult education college in Spånga, west of Stockholm, if she continued to wear her niqab. The niqab is part of a hijab headress and covers the entire face except for the eyes. [The Local] Read more [via Islam in Europe]

Germans most critical of Islam

Germans are much more critical of Islam than other European countries. Sociologist Detlef Pollack of the University of Münster conducted a survey "Religion and Politics", and interviewed 1000 people in Germany, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Portugal about their attitudes towards Islam.

The study showed that 40% of West-Germans and 50% of East Germans feel threatened by foreign cultures.

Less than 5% of the Germans say that Islam is tolerant, compared to more than 20% of the Danes, French and Dutch say that Islam is tolerant. Although those countries have violent conflicts with their Muslim minorities, a clear majority had a positive image of Muslims.

In West-Germany, only 34% had a positive opinion of Muslims, and in East Germany, only 26% [Islam in Europe] Read more

Muslims and the Daily Star

During November, only seven different topics appeared as the front page lead on the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday. Here's the list, together with the number of times they appeared:

• The X Factor - 12 days
• Katie Price and/or Peter Andre - 6 days
• Muslims - 3 days
• Footballers - 3 days
• Royal Wedding - 3 days
• I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here - 2 days
• Gordon Ramsay - 1 day

So for almost half the month, half-true (at best) stories about reality TV shows dominated the Star's front page. Another ten front pages were wasted on the sex lives and family feuds of celebs, chefs and footballers. Three front pages were devoted to the Royal Wedding. [Tabloid Watch] Read more [via Islamophobia Watch]

State of Muslim-West Relations

.... Section 5: Muslims’ Voices on the Meaning of Respect: On one hand, Muslims (63%) believe predominantly Muslim communities respect the West, and on the other, fewer than 3 in 10 Muslims (28%) believe the West respects them. Interestingly, significant proportions of non-Muslims share this sentiment as 42% say they do not believe the West respects predominantly Muslim societies.

Perceptions of disrespect are highest among residents of the MENA region (65%) and lowest among residents living in Europe (35%) and sub-Saharan Africa (37%). In the U.S., 53% of the American public say the West does not respect majority Muslim communities.

When asked what the West could do to improve relations with predominantly Muslim societies, Muslims say “respect Islam.” The most meaningful action to display respect revolves around religious symbols. Seventy-two percent of Muslims say abstaining from desecrating Islam’s holy book and Muslim religious symbols would be very meaningful to them. Muslims also report respect as being treated fairly in policies that affect them (54%) and portraying Muslim movie characters in an accurate manner (49%). [Gallup] Read more

Indonesia's Islamic laws are 'abusive', report says

Two Islamic laws applied in the Indonesian province of Aceh violate people's rights and are implemented abusively, Human Rights Watch says. Encouraging the community to enforce Sharia laws resulted in arbitrary arrests, abuses and torture, HRW says.

In one incident, an unmarried couple were dragged into the streets by a crowd and assaulted. The government is reviewing local laws that could be in conflict with constitutional rights, officials said.

Aceh's unique autonomy status within Indonesia allows it to implement Sharia as a formal legal system. [BBC] Read more

The Truth About Islam: In Rebuttal to a Recent Article Published in The Tennessean

.... It is a fact that the Wahhabi philosophy is diametrically opposed to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States in every detail. It is also a fact that Saudi monies have played a large role in funding American colleges and universities. It is a fact that the Saudi regime itself promotes no democratic participation.

Does my citing of these facts constitute hatred of Arabs? Of course not. It merely indicates and states the power and influence of a political system beyond and within its own borders -- and we would be well served to consider the consequences of ignoring that influence and power and allowing a doctrine that is so blatantly opposed to our Constitutional belief system go unchallenged.

.... all the foregoing facts dictate with precise clarity the reality of the situation: fundamental, literal Islam presents itself as an ideology that is diametrically opposed to our Constitution and thus our country.

The mandate this reality dictates should be clear to all as well -- it is and should be the duty of every American to vigorously oppose the growth of an ideology that inherently contradicts our founding principles and documents and calls for the destruction of the freedoms and way of life those principles have established for Americans and for much of the free world. [New English Review] Read more

The Downfall of Political Islam

The theme of my argument is the following statement: Islam, as a religion, has nothing to offer to economic or political theory. This simple idea has serious consequences. Political Islam, when it runs the country, will ultimately fail. It has no appropriate agenda that provides solutions to real political or economic challenges such as underdevelopment, unemployment, inflation, recession, poverty, just to mention a few.

(I will not touch upon the most significant political-socioeconomic issue which is income inequalities, because Islam accepts a society composed of very rich classes living side by side with very poor classes- examples can be found from history or from today’s Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, and Iran). While some Islamists continue to claim the existence of “Islamic economics,” they have failed in producing anything close to a simple theory of economics. [New English Review] Read more

Accept truth, in all its extremes

.... If a Christian or a Jew suddenly becomes more devout, there is very little chance that he or she will become violent. Quite the contrary. By contrast, religious zeal among Muslims is often expressed with bombs and the blood of innocents. Thousands of imams worldwide preach violent jihad, Islamic schools instill contempt for other faiths, and terrorists actively recruit killers willing to commit massacres for Allah.

Yet Attorney General Eric Holder cannot bring himself to say, under questioning before Congress, that terrorists might be motivated by “radical Islam.” The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security banned the words “jihad” and “mujahadeen” from official statements about terrorism. And the president removed the term “Islamic extremism” from the National Security Strategy. [Spokesman-Review] Read more [via National Secular Society]

Moving with the times

.... A Saudi man is to be lashed 70 times with the whip after he was caught using the Bluetooth feature in his mobile phone near a women’s shopping centre, the London-based Saudi Arabic language daily Alhayat reported Wednesday.

Members of the feared Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice grabbed the man after suspecting him when he came close to a women’s market in the central town of Taif, the paper said.

They handed him over to the authorities after they checked his mobile phone and found that the Bluetooth option was in operation, it said. [Mick Hartley] Read more

Islamists and Muslim Haters Share a Common View of Islam

Let’s make no mistake here. Neo Nazis will do whatever it takes to whip up hatred against minorities. They’re determined to see conflict between the different cultural groups who make up the population of the United Kingdom.

However, that’s precisely the aim of Islamist politicians, as well. Yet, Islamists continue present themselves as champions of Islam by claiming to fight ‘Islamophobia’. As I argued in my last article, that is a mere guise for more infiltration into mainstream British politics with view to furthering divisive Islamist goals. [Harry’s Place] Read more