Sweden: Muslim Youth group invites hate preacher to annual conference Swedish journalist Per Gudmundon, reports that Sweden's biggest youth organization invited a hate-preacher, Abdullah Hakim Quick, to headline its annual event. In related news, controversial British Muslim convert Abdurraheem Green was invited to speak at the Scandinavian peace conference by the Norwegian IslamNet
London: MCB, parliamentarians discuss how to tackle Islamophobia ‘The formation of an All Party Parliamentary Group on Islamophobia would be a crucial step and one that would inspire confidence in Muslim communities’ The Muslim Council of Britain hosted a special closed-meeting to discuss the growing spate of attacks in all its forms against British Muslims on March 3rd at the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons. The event entitled ‘Tackling Islamophobia: Reducing Street Violence Against British Muslims’ brought together distinguished Parliamentarians, academics, journalists, police, public servants, and community representatives who all endorsed calls for the establishment of an All-Party Parliamentary Committee on Islamophobia with a view to holding a parliamentary inquiry on Islamophobia in the UK
Leeds: Social housing org builds community links through sports West North West Homes Leeds (WNWHL) has launched a community cohesion project to build links with the Asian community in the Armley area of Leeds.
Norway: Sharia student continues to threaten Mohyeldeen Mohammad (24), the Norwegian-Iranian who threatened Norway with its own 9/11 during the anti-Dagbladet demonstration last week, remained in the news this week. On Tuesday Mohammad was interviewed in Communist newspaper Klassekampen and said gays deserved to be stoned. Then Dagbladet lodged a complaint against him for threatening to kill two of their journalists, after which the police detained and interrogated him today.
UK: More on the British Social Attitudes study Via LibertyPhile, data and analysis of the recent British Social Attitudes study. LibertyPhile also has an analysis of the Gallup Coexist Study 2009: Gallup Coexist Study 2009 – The Headlines You Didn’t See! It’s interesting to note, in the question below, that Muslims and “Deeply religious” have very similar scores
BREAKING: Brit arrested in Sweden for filming onboard plane Not many details as of yet. This is either a big story, or I'll have to retract later.. ————— A 37-year-old British citizen has been arrested in Sweden after staff on a Ryanair plane claimed they spotted him secretly filming their security procedures. Cabin crew on the plane said the suspect, a British man resident in Stockholm, had been attempting to secretly film security procedures on board a flight that left Stansted in London on Monday night.
UK: Media and politicians ‘fuel rise in hate crimes against Muslims’ According to the report, Muslims are being targeted by right-wing extremists, street gangs and individuals not linked to either. ———— A rise in the number of hate crimes against Muslims in London is being encouraged by mainstream politicians and sections of the media, a study written by a former Scotland Yard counter-terrorism officer, published yesterday, says. Attacks ranging from death threats and murder to persistent low-level assaults, such as spitting and name-calling, are in part whipped up by extremists and sections of mainstream society, the study says.
UK: Majority would agree to burqa, niqab ban More than 70 per cent of respondents would agree with banning the burqa in public places (72%), at schools and universities (79%) and at airports (87%). Two thirds of Britons (66%) would ban the niqab in public places, while higher proportions would forbid the use of the garment at schools and universities (75%) and airports (85%). A majority of respondents believe the hijab should not be banned at airports (63%), schools and universities (69%) or in public places (75%)
UK: Conservatives discuss Sharia with law students Harborough, Oadby & Wigston MP and Shadow Attorney General Edward Garnier and Leicester City Councillor and Conservative Group Leader, Ross Grant, met male and female Muslim law students attending Leicester and Warwick Universities last Friday, 22 January 2010, to discuss current legal issues including the interface between Sharia councils and the application of Sharia laws on the one hand and the law of England and Wales and its application on the other. Edward Garnier and Ross Grant took part in a free-flowing discussion led by Rajnaara Akhtar, a post-graduate studying for her doctorate in law at Warwick University who comes from Oadby
UK: Muslim police union says it supports anti-terrorism strategy Following reports that the British Muslim police union accuses anti-terror strategy of stigmatising Muslims , the NAMP put out a press release ( PDF ).