Denmark: Politiken staff rejects prophet drawing apology Thirty-eight staff members of the Danish daily Politiken issued a letter on Saturday saying they are against the newspaper's apology for offending Muslims by reprinting a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban. In a letter published in the newspaper, the editorial staff said “Politiken has nothing to apologize for.” “The settlement gives the impression that we regret our journalism, something there is no basis for whatsoever,” they wrote, saying democratic journalism entails “describing reality as precisely as possible and to encourage social debate.” They also said they fear the settlement could interfere with their editorial freedom. Politiken, which has around 200 staff members, last week apologized for offending Muslims with the 2008 reprint but did not apologize for reprinting the cartoon

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Debate: Is Europe Failing its Muslims?

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Bern: Muslims plan anti-Kadhafi protest A group of Swiss Muslims will demonstrate Saturday in Bern in response to the call for Jihad by the Libyan head of state, following the minaret vote.

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Netherlands: Voting in headscarves against PVV Dutch municipal elections are today.  The PVV,  Geert Wilders' party is participating in the municipal elections in the Almere and the Hague.  In both places they're expected to win top places. —————— A group of teachers and students in the Hague decided to protest Wilders' proposal to ban headscarves in municipal buildings and associations by urging voters, men and women, to wear headscarves when they come to vote.  The idea was started by several teachers and spread fast. A spokesperson for the group stressed that this is not a demonstration but rather a 'courteous action', and that they're not demonstrating against Wilders personally, but against the idea of banning headscarves

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Norway: Immigrants, Muslims portrayed negatively in the media The IMDI report is available here (in Norwegian) ————- The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDI) published a report on Tuesday “Immigrants in Norwegian media: Media caused Islam fear and invisible day to day life”, a detailed report on how immigrants are portrayed in Norwegian media. The report shows that in 2009 there were just as many reports about Islam and Muslims (77,000) as there were about PM Jens Stoltenberg, and more than about the swine flu (74,000). 71% of all media reports focusing on immigration or integration were assessed as problem-oriented.

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Scotland: Muslims tackle Islamic far-right The British National Party and the Scottish Defence League often portray Islam as a separatist Trojan horse inside Britain – a religion of shadowy conspirators plotting to bring the county to its knees.

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Germany: Jewish leader warns of Muslim antisemitism In a related story, Imam Sabahattin Türkyilmaz of the Shiite Hazrat Fatima Zehra mosque in Frankfurt resigned all his positions in the mosque this week, saying he did so in order to protect the community, the blessed mosque, to protect all the families involved, the Muslims of the city and to protect – although now damaged – dialog.

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Often times, Muslims generally seem to have beef (problems) with other Muslims whether it comes to masjid politics, MSA drama, basketball on the court, or whatever else may be an issue between two Muslims.  However, this is obviously not the way of the believer.  As Muslims, we are told to forgive one another as the believers are described as “ those who avoid major sins and acts of indecencies and when they are angry they forgive ” (Translation of the Meaning of the Quran, 42: 37).  So ask yourself, have you forgiven those that have wronged you in any way in the past?  You may be thinking, but my situation is different as this specific person doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.  However, is it?  Forgiveness, by definition, is given to those people that don’t deserve it.  So why not forgive those that may have done something harmful towards you?  Even if you don’t want to forgive that specific person for their sake, forgive them for your sake so that you may be forgiven by your Lord as we are told, “ The reward of the evil is the evil thereof, but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon Allah ” (Translation of the Meaning of the Quran, 42:40) We all want mercy, love, and kindness from our Lord.  Do we strive to exhibit these same qualities to others?  So ask yourself, do you forgive?

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Opinion: Why don't the Jews join us? An orthodox Jewish reader once asked me why Islam-critics criticize EVERYTHING about Islam.

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Norway: Muslims to demonstrate against '9/11 threat' In other news, police in Bodø in Norther Norway, removed a Muhammad cartoon sign Friday night ( picture here ).  Police say they responded to the possible traffic hazard the sign, which was hung from a bridge above the busiest road in the city, could cause. Per Youssef Alsiddique, a Norwegian convert who spoke in the anti-Dagbladet demonstration in Oslo, says he's been harassed since hten.  He doesn't intend to report them to the police, though, since he doesn't feel there's anything serious behind them

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