Islamophobia Watch

'Jihad at Fort Hood' – according to Robert Spencer

Martin Sullivan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

"Major Hasan's motive was perfectly clear – but it was one that the forces of political correctness and the Islamic advocacy groups in the United States have been working for years to obscure. So it is that now that another major jihad terror attack has taken place on American soil, authorities and the mainstream media are at a loss to explain why it happened – and the abundant evidence that it was a jihad attack is ignored."

Robert Spencer at Front Page Magazine, 6 November 2009

See Mehdi Hasan's comments at Dissident Voice, 6 November 2009

The intersections between homophobia and Islamophobia

Martin Sullivan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Interesting post from Barry Kade at Socialist Unity.

Met Pc faces internal inquiry after being cleared of race assault

Martin Sullivan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:00 +0000

A Met police officer who was cleared of racially assaulting two teenagers could face the sack if he is found guilty in internal misconduct proceedings.

Pc Mark Jones, 42, is facing an internal inquiry as it emerged that he was linked to a "serious, gratuitous and prolonged attack" on a Muslim that cost the force £60,000 in damages.

Today it can be revealed that Pc Jones was part of a team in the Met's Territorial Support Group involved in the arrest of Babar Ahmad, a British Muslim terror suspect.

Only now can the officer be linked to the 2003 raid on Mr Ahmad's home which left him in fear of his life after he was held in a neck brace, punched and mocked for his religious beliefs.

A High Court order was lifted after a trial at Kingston crown court yesterday where Pc Jones was unanimously cleared of racially aggravated common assault on two teenagers in June 2007.

Jurors were told that one 16-year-old Kuwaiti was abused by the officer who accused him of "robbing people while British soldiers are getting killed in Iraq". But Pc Jones denied any wrongdoing and the jury of five men and seven women cleared him.

Evening Standard, 4 November 2009

Muslim men plan complaint after being 'treated like terrorists' by airport police

Martin Sullivan — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

A party of Muslim men who claim they were singled out and treated like terrorists by airport police vowed last night to push for an independent investigation. The seven-strong group say they plan to approach the Independent Police Complaints Commission over the incident at Cardiff Airport.

The men, who are from Pakistani families but were born and brought up in Cardiff, said they were questioned and had their details and passports checked by police officers. Two of the group also said they were singled out for hour-long interrogations, during which they claimed they were asked if they had extremist views and if they had ever been asked to carry out a terrorist attack.

Garage owner Sajid Hussain, 30, from Cyncoed, Cardiff, said: "It was clear discrimination. We were the only Asians in the airport. We understand they have a job to do and have to pull some people over, but it’s just the fact that it was all seven of us. And some of the questions they asked were ridiculous. It was like they were saying to me, 'You have got a beard, so you look like a terrorist'. I felt quite bad that, just because of my appearance, I am considered half way to becoming a terrorist."

Western Mail, 4 November 2009

EDL threatens journalists

Martin Sullivan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:37:00 +0000

Tough and urgent action is needed in response to violence, intimidation and death threats targeting journalists covering far right demonstrations. The call by NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear comes in the wake of specific email threats against photojournalist and investigative reporter Marc Vallée, and video journalist Jason N. Parkinson.

The emails follow verbal threats and intimidation aimed at photographers covering a march by the English Defence League in Leeds at the weekend and other EDL protests this year. Professional journalists covering the events have filed reports with the NUJ detailing physical violence, including one being punched in the head, verbal threats, and attempts to seize cameras and smash equipment. The union is to file complaints to the police.

Jeremy Dear said: "These are not idle threats made by kids – these are direct, named threats made by individuals who can be traced – in one case an individual already convicted of stabbing someone. They are designed to silence the media and stop photographers showing the true nature of the protests and protestors. The police must act now before a journalist is killed or seriously injured".

Jason N. Parkinson said: "It is ironic the English Defence League claim they are protesting 'peacefully' against Muslim extremism. Then late Saturday night, after returning from covering the Leeds protest, I receive a threatening email from one of their Welsh and English division organisers entitled 'Fatwa'. This is exactly the behaviour and tactics of extremism the EDL claim they are against."

NUJ news report, 2 November 2009

Via Lancaster Unity

Update: See also Comment is Free, 4 November 2009