Germany: 63% don’t think immigration making country dumber Via The Local : Nearly two-thirds of Germans disagree with controversial central banker Thilo Sarrazin’s claim that rampant immigration is making Germany “dumber,” a poll released Friday has found. A poll published by the news magazine Focus reported that 63 percent of respondents disagreed and 31 percent agreed with the proposition – a key claim in Sarrazin’s anti-immigration arguments that have sparked furious debate this week.

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Spain: Muslims upset at Mecca disco Via Al-Arabiya (h/t Bivouac-ID ): The inauguration of a discotheque called Mecca in Spain infuriated Muslims in the country and raised questions about the position of Muslim workers offered jobs in the controversial place. After 10 years of renovations, an old discotheque in the city of Aguilas in the southwestern province of Murcia opened its doors on June 18 under the name La Meca amid protests from Muslim individuals and organizations, the Arab Spanish newspaper Andalus Press reported Wednesday

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Germany: Public split on fate of race row banker Via Reuters : German public opinion is deeply split over the fate of a central banker whose disparaging comments about Muslim immigrants have triggered a heated debate on race and integration, surveys showed on Wednesday. Over the past week and a half, Thilo Sarrazin has dominated headlines with criticism of Germany’s large Muslim community, and contentious remarks asserting that Jews have a particular genetic makeup. (…) A survey by pollster Emnid for N24 television showed 51 percent of respondents saw no need for the Bundesbank to fire board member Sarrazin, with 32 percent taking the opposite view.

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Austria: Prosecution investigating FPÖ muezzin-shooting game Via Austrian Times : The Styrian Greens have reported the Freedom Party (FPÖ) for agitation over a computer game in which the player must shoot at mosques and kill muezzins [ed: with little stop signs]. The FPÖ’s Styrian branch is identified as creator of the online game called “Moschee ba ba” (Bye, bye mosque).

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Russia: First logistics hub for halal products Via BBC : Tatarstan has discovered a new money-making opportunity: providing services to its Muslim community. The majority of its inhabitants are Muslims

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Vienna: FPÖ boss wants minarets referendum (Vienna Mosque, Wikipedia ) Via Austrian Times : Freedom Party (FPÖ) leader Heinz-Christian Strache has announced a referendum over minarets if he wins the upcoming Vienna election. The right-winger announced today (Tues) he will hold a referendum to let residents decide whether they want a law preventing the construction of minarets in the capital

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France: Burger chain launches more halal outlets Via AFP : A popular fast-food brand said Tuesday it would extend the number of halal only restaurants in its chain in France, after a controversial pilot project in February proved a success. Some politicians reacted angrily to Quick’s announcement earlier this year of its first halal-only branches, saying the chain had deprived non-Muslims of a right to standard burgers and promoted social divisions. But the Belgian chain said Tuesday it would switch 14 more of its French branches to serve only halal meat, certified as slaughtered in accordance with Islamic practices, bringing the total in France to 22 of its restaurants

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Switzerland: Attitudes towards minorities getting worse Via Swiss Info : The political climate for minorities in Switzerland is becoming more difficult, an expert tells swissinfo.ch. Gülcan Akkaya, vice president of the Federal Commission against Racism, says Switzerland needs a policy that includes and recognises everyone living here. Her comments come after the population voted in favour of a controversial anti-minaret building initiative in November 2009 and prepares to vote on a people’s initiative to deport foreign criminals

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Rome: Models convert during Gaddafi lecture on Islam ( photo ) Via Al-Arabia : Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi gave a lesson on Islam and copies of the Quran to a few hundred young Italian women Sunday as he arrived in Rome for his fourth visit in a year. It was the second time the Libyan leader – who travels with female bodyguards and fancies himself a self-styled feminist – had staged such an event for Italian women, who were recruited by a modeling agency and paid an undisclosed sum to attend. Michela, who asked that her last name not be used, told Associated Press Television News that three of the participants converted to Islam on the spot.

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Chechnya: Rebels attack president’s home village Via AP : A shootout between the Chechen president’s personal protection detail and suspected separatist insurgents has left 19 people dead, including five civilians, officials and media reports said.

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