London: Muslim women to get self-defence training

Via Islington Tribune:

A TAEKWONDO champion is teaching Muslim women how to defend themselves, after a series of vicious street attacks.

Theresa Thomas, 52, has been snapped up by the One True Voice women’s charity to run classes for women wearing the hijab, who have become targets for muggers.

“I first heard about this when I was running an Asian women’s self-defence group in East London,” she said. “Then when I came to work in Finsbury Park, after One True Voice asked me, many of the women told me that muggers had been deliberately targeting them, taking the pin from their hijab and stabbing them in the head with it.”

She said the women found it hard to defend themselves because they were often carrying shopping bags or had children with them.

(source)

UK: Muslim teenager ‘hit for kissing white man’

Via the BBC:

A Muslim teenager from Hampshire was kidnapped, imprisoned and had her hair cut off after her siblings saw her kiss a white man, a court has heard.

Winchester Crown Court heard Shamima Akhtar, 18, was attacked by her family in Basingstoke in April of last year. The prosecution said the case was about “honour-based domestic violence”.

Her sisters Nazira, 29, and Nadiya, 25, and brother Kayum Mohammed-Abdul, 24, deny kidnap, false imprisonment and causing actual bodily harm.

(source)

London: Youth jail inmates converting to Islam for protection, easier lifestyle

Via the Daily Mail:

A third of inmates at one of Britain’s most notorious youth jails are Muslims and the religion is attracting a large number of converts.

(…)

‘The popularity of the faith has surprised people. We are seeing a large number of inmates converting to Islam.’

He added: ‘There is a difference between mainstream believers and extremists, but the fear is that some in the jail are being radicalised.

‘Others convert for protection or to have what they believe is an easier lifestyle.’

(source)

UK: Three terror cells planned Mumbai-style attack

Via the Telegraph:

Four young men from London and Cardiff planned bomb attacks on targets including the London Stock Exchange, Parliament, the US embassy and the Mayor of London.

Three other men from Stoke were planning a further wave of attacks once they had travelled abroad for more training. Two other men were also linked to the plots.

Yesterday all nine men, of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, pleaded guilty to a series of terrorist-related offences at Woolwich Crown Court.

It followed months of surveillance by MI5 officers, who had watched the men develop from fringe radicals into terrorists who posed a grave threat to national security.

(source)

Wales: Kind mosque families raise £500 to help twins’ parents

MEMBERS of a Swansea mosque have raised £500 in just 48 hours to help a couple who say they are struggling to visit their premature twins in hospital. Families at the Swansea University site said they were inspired to help after reading about the story in the Evening Post. (source)

Wales: Kind mosque families raise £500 to help twins’ parents

MEMBERS of a Swansea mosque have raised £500 in just 48 hours to help a couple who say they are struggling to visit their premature twins in hospital. Families at the Swansea University site said they were inspired to help after reading about the story in the Evening Post. (source)

London: Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation

Via the BBC (h/t Talk Islam):

The president of a London university atheist society has resigned over a row about an image of the Prophet Muhammad.

The society at University College London (UCL) published an image on its Facebook page showing “Jesus and Mo” having a drink at a bar.

The atheist group was asked by the UCL union to remove it, but refused and started a petition defending its freedom of expression.

A student Muslim group began a counter-petition asking for its removal.

(source)

UK: Muslim airline pilot ’sacked because of religion’

Via Asian Image:

A Muslim airline pilot who was sacked after links were discovered to two suspected terrorists told an employment tribunal today that an “air of suspicion” had been created around him because of his race and religion.

The British man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was suspended by the major airline after he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in October 2007 who were investigating two suspects.

(source)

Surrey: girl attacked for wearing headscarf

Via the BBC (h/t Islamophobia Watch):

A race attack in Surrey on an 11-year-old girl will be the focus of community talks in Sunbury-on-Thames.

The girl was attacked by older white girls who kicked her, pushed her to the ground and drew on her face.

Surrey Police said it seemed the girl had been targeted on 11 January because she was wearing a headscarf.

(source)

UK: Growing use of Sharia

Via the BBC (h/t Islam in Britain):

An estimated 85 Sharia councils could be operating in Britain, according to a 2009 report by the think tank Civitas.

Several bodies like the Islamic Sharia Council have seen a large increase in their cases in the past five years.

”Our cases have easily more than tripled over the past three to five years,” says Sheikh al-Haddad.

”On average, every month we can deal with anything from 200 to 300 cases. A few years ago it was just a small fraction of that.

”Muslims are becoming more aligned with their faith and more aware of what we are offering them,” he explained.

(source)