The BBC Should Not Be Promoting ‘Fake News’ About Muslims and Jews

June 29, 2017 Article

The BBC reported yesterday on German Muslim schoolgirls who were racially abused by locals on a trip to visit Holocaust memorials in Lublin in Eastern Poland. The Board of Deputies of British Jews rightly picked up on the following statement that was inserted into the piece on the BBC article. The phrase stated:

The Holocaust is a sensitive topic for many Muslims because Jewish survivors settled in British mandate Palestine, on land which later became the state of Israel.

The relevance of linking the state of Israel to the Holocaust and how it is perceived within Muslim communities was perverse to say the least. Holocaust education and awareness is not linked to developments in the Middle East and the assumption completely disregards the diversity of Muslim communities and the large numbers of Muslims who want to know more about the Holocaust. Indeed, the article cites German Muslim girls travelling to Poland to find out more about the Holocaust.

Furthermore, the assumption that all Muslims cannot somehow empathise and feel the pain of the Holocaust in whatever form that takes, suggests that the writer thinks that all Muslims think the same. Additionally, many Muslims can distinguish between the practices of the Government of Israel and the implementation of policies regarding the Occupied Territories and Jewish communities globally. Linking political decisions made in Israel and Palestine to the genocide of Jews in Europe is frankly, sickening. Wherever such blatant linkages are made, they must be challenged and we therefore welcome the quick action of Muslim and Jewish groups and in particular that of the Board of Deputies, which we fully supported.

The BBC is globally seen as a respected news source. The last thing we need is ‘fake news’ creeping into a publicly funded body which promotes divisions between Muslims and Jews.

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Categories: abuse, BBC, German Muslims, hate crime, Holocaust, Israel, Jews, Lublin, Opinions, Palestine

Locals condemn anti-Muslim graffiti found outside shop in Scotland

June 28, 2017 Article

Locals in the Scottish town of Renfrew have taken to social media to condemn the anti-Muslim graffiti found at a popular local shop, the Renfrew Mini Market.

Rehman Afzal, uploaded photos of the vandalism yesterday morning, sent to him by his brother Ozzy, who is the shopkeeper of the store that has served locals for 25 years, two weeks after the first attack.

The graffiti includes the words ‘Allah,’ ‘f*ck,’ and ‘you swine’.

A photo of the graffiti in full. Credit: Rehman Afzal.

In a statement, Ozzy Afzal said: “I feel shocked and it impacts my mood on my daily job and responsibility. I feel very much victimised by this ignorance and want to send a message out there that I and my family are part of this tightly knitted community, we treat people good and provide a very friendly service and have done for over two decades. Awareness needs to be created so that people with a lack of knowledge can understand that this is wrongful and innocent people are only suffering due to this.

It’s an example of Islamophobia, I suggest if people really have so much hate, then please study and look around how many responsible Muslim people they will find in prominent jobs, providing a wide range of essential services. We have nothing in common with those who create fear in society by targeting innocent people with their barbarism. I urge people to please love one another and help one another. I have always felt naturally a part of Scottish society and Renfrew. I thank everyone who has shown their support, who have come in to show me, love. Much appreciated.”

Mr. Afzal’s Facebook post attracted various supportive comments, and those condemning the hate-filled vandalism. Some expressed their shock, adding that they hoped that Mr. Afzal and his family are okay.

Others wrote: “Disgusting ignorant conduct. Shame on them!” and “This is disgusting. People should not be tarred with same brush”.

In a plea for further tolerance, Rehman Afzal wrote: “At this moment, we would like to underline the fact that we are part of Scottish society, hard working and fully integrated as a family.” He added: “Please let’s come together to stop this hate.”

The family has reported the vandalism to Police Scotland.

 

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Categories: hate crime, News, Scotland, shop, vandalism

Tell MAMA Security Bulletin for Mosques

June 27, 2017 Article

We launch our first security bulletin for mosques in the United Kingdom. We highlight simple steps that mosques can take for their security and where we have documented that since May 2013, over 100 mosques in the United Kingdom have been targeted for hate incidents and hate crimes. We want to re-iterate that our country is one of the safest in the world and the simple precautionary steps we highlight, are just that. We want to re-assure mosques that police forces, local authorities and hate crime agencies such as Tell MAMA are all working to ensure that people feel safe and secure in our country.

DOWNLOAD THE TELL MAMA PDF SECURITY BULLETIN: Mosques Security Bulletin 26062017

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Categories: anti-Muslim hatred, Bulletin, Hate Crimes, hatred, Leaflet, mosques, News, Opinions, security

‘Islam = Brain Cancer’ graffiti removed from toilet cubicle in Luton Airport

June 27, 2017 Article

The staff at London Luton Airport have acted quickly to remove anti-Muslim graffiti after it was discovered in a toilet cubicle.

Twitter user @nathanever82 alerted the airport and our staff to the vandalism this morning.

The text reads ‘Islam = brain cancer’. And below the person(s) added ‘White Europe!’

According to @nathanever82, the graffiti was in the “Mans toilet in front of check in 4-5. Last toilet on the right.” Airport staff replied on Twitter: “Thank you. We’re send the cleaning team right away.”

This far-right inspired language also appears online. Days ago, a neo-Nazi account with the handle ‘Strattus88’ had uploaded four posts with the ‘Islam = brain cancer’ caption to the website ‘Hiddenlol’. All were removed, but it shows how such ideas are so readily distributed online.

The homepage of ‘Hiddenlol’ includes some horrific content on its homepage, including an obese ‘Pepe the Frog’ meme calling for the death of Muslims in Newcastle, following the Eid traffic accident.

Another gratuitous hate-filled meme asks users if they would rather see a Nazi-era flag or Angela Merkel be hung in Germany.

The Hiddenlol Instagram also shares similar ‘Pepe the Frog’ memes. It echoes how neo-Nazis are using the social media platform to spread Holocaust denial and hate materials.

A key way to challenge such hatreds in young people includes the work of Stand Up! Education Against Discrimination. This is an interfaith programme managed by Streetwise and supported by Tell MAMA. Its primary goal is to empower young people in mainstream schools to learn about and act against discrimination, racism, antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, whilst developing their social responsibility in the community.

You can get advice through our confidential and free helpline on 0800 456 1226. Or through our free iOS or Android apps. Report through our online form. Or contact us via WhatsApp on 0734 184 6086.

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Categories: graffiti, Luton airport, News

Istanbul police enforce ban on gay, transgender pride march

June 25, 2017 Article

Turkish police deployed in central Istanbul on Sunday to enforce a ban on the city’s annual gay and transgender pride march, blocking off a main street and dispersing groups of demonstrators who gathered nearby.

Police with riot shields and helmets sealed off entrances to Istiklal Street, where organisers had planned to hold the march before authorities announced the ban on Saturday, citing security concerns after threats from an ultra-nationalist group.

Small groups of people gathered in sidestreets waving rainbow flags, symbols of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse one group, witnesses said, and detained several people.

Footage posted on the internet also appeared to show them firing tear gas at one location.

Istanbul’s pride march attracted tens of thousands of people in the past, making it one of the biggest in the Muslim world. But in 2015 it was broken up by police and it was banned last year and again this year after threats from the ultra-nationalist Alperen Hearths group.

The Istanbul governor’s office said it decided to prevent the demonstration out of concern for the security of marchers, tourists and residents.

“The true reason for the reactions towards a march that took place in peace for 12 years is hate,” organisers said.

“Our security cannot be provided by imprisoning us behind walls, asking us to hide,” they added. “Our security will be provided by recognising us in the constitution, by securing justice, by equality and freedom.”

Istanbul has traditionally been seen as a relative safe haven by members of the gay community from elsewhere in the Middle East, including refugees from Syria and Iraq.

But although homosexuality is not a crime in Turkey, unlike many other Muslim countries, homophobia remains widespread. Critics say President Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party have shown little interest in expanding rights for minorities, gays and women, and are intolerant of dissent.

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Categories: ban, Demonstration, Erdogan, gay, Islamist, istanbul, March, News, Pride, transgender, Turkey

Threatening Letter With Anti-Muslim Abuse & a Hanging Person Sent to Post Office

June 24, 2017 Article

This note, with dabs of red ink, was left at a local post office in an attempt to intimidate the owners of it. The material is also with the police and the event has clearly shaken up the owners of the post office given the threats that are made in the paper.

The individual took time to cut out words from a newspaper and at the side of the document is a picture of a person with ‘Allah bastards’ written across it.

Emblazoned across the document are the following words,

“Get Out. You Paky (sic) Muslims, pig faced murderous cowardly bastards. Murdering young children. Watch out I will come and kill your family.”

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Categories: anti-Islam, anti-Muslim abuse, anti-Muslim hate, Community Cohesion, letter, Manchester Bombing, News, Post Office

Chilling Graffiti Left on the Wall of Muslim Man Knocked Unconscious

June 23, 2017 Article

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner highlighted the case of a Muslim man who was carrying out DIY in his home when racists entered his property and knocked him unconscious as he was listening to his earphones and unaware that they had entered his home. The back door of his property was open and the perpetrators climbed up the stairs and struck him on his head with a blunt object which knocked him unconscious.

When he came to, the victim rang the police and ambulance who took him for medical assistance. He arrived back in his home to find a number of graffiti statements that were left on his wall as the perpetrators scrawled chilling anti-Muslim statements on his walls. The victim also mentioned that the perpetrators took nothing from his property and they simply targeted him.

The graffiti reads:

Cockroaches, we need a Final Solution. #Machester (sic)

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Categories: assault, DIY, graffiti, Huddersfield, Muslim Man, News, Walls

Man charged following incident at Regent’s Park mosque

June 22, 2017 Article

A 37-year-old man has been charged with Public Order offences following an incident outside of Regent’s Park mosque in central London on June 21.

A man was found in possession of a shoehorn that he had allegedly stolen from inside the mosque, at around 1:20 am. He was arrested on suspicion of affray after police had Tasered him.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the incident was not terrorism-related and no one was hurt.

A video uploaded to social media showed police officers dealing with the suspect on the pavement outside of the mosque.

On June 22, the man was charged with the following offences:

Use threatening/abusive/insulting words/behaviour with intent to cause fear of/or provoke unlawful violence

Racially / religiously aggravated harassment / alarm / distress by words / writing

Racially / religiously aggravated harassment / alarm / distress by words / writing

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court this morning.

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Categories: hate crime, London, Metropolitan Police, News, Regent's Park mosque

London mosque attack suspect named, according to media outlets

June 21, 2017 Article

The driver of the van that plowed into pedestrians near a mosque in north London has been identified as Darren Osborne, 47, a resident of Cardiff in Wales, according to multiple UK media outlets.

One man died and nine people were hospitalized following the assault, the latest in a series of terror attacks to hit the United Kingdom this year.

The driver, a white man, was wrestled to the ground by members of the public and then arrested at the scene, officials said. He was being held on suspicion of terrorism offenses, police said.

Eyewitnesses reported chaotic scenes as the incident unfolded just after midnight, when evening Ramadan prayers had finished.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the attack was directed at Muslims and condemned it as “every bit as sickening” as deadly Islamist attacks that hit the country in recent months.

‘I just can’t believe that he did that’
Osborne, a father of four, is originally from the English county of Somerset, UK media reported.

The Press Association reported that Osborne’s neighbors were shocked at seeing photographs of him after the attack.
Police said they were searching a residence in Cardiff in connection with the attack. That address is in Pentwyn, where Osborne is listed as living, the Press Association reported.

The suspect was not “on the security services’” radar, Home Office Minister of Security Ben Wallace said.

The London Bridge attack was on June 3. That attack also appeared inspired by Islamist extremism.
The head of Tell MAMA, Fiyaz Mughal, warned of reprisal attacks against Muslims after major Islamist terrorist incidents.
“We saw that very clearly after Manchester, a very high peak. We saw that clearly after London Bridge,” he said.

CNN’s Rebecca Wright, Marilia Brocchetto, Sarah Tilotta, Antonia Mortensen, Laura Goehler, Ryan Prior, Alla Eshchenko and Darran Simon contributed to this report.

Click here for more details

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Categories: News

Finsbury Park terror attack: Police given more time to question suspect

June 21, 2017 Article

The man suspected of driving into Muslims outside of the Muslim Welfare Centre on Monday evening was asked to leave a pub following an ‘anti-Muslim rant’ over the weekend.

A group of people were helping a man who had collapsed when they were hit by the van at 00:20 BST on June 19. Police have confirmed that it is too early to speculate if the death is connected to the attack. In a statement, deputy assistant commissioner Neil Basu added: “Officers were in the immediate vicinity as the attack unfolded and responded instantly. Additional officers arrived within 10 minutes.

Speaking to Sky News, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd confirmed that the van attack was ‘immediately’ treated as a terrorist attack by police.

Darren Osborne, 47, was arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism, attempted murder and murder.

The general manager of the Hollybush pub in Cardiff, Andy Parker, asked Mr Osborne to leave following an anti-Muslim rant on Saturday night. A pub local told Sky News that: “When he came in the landlord said he was on his own and started shouting ‘I’ll kill every f****** Muslim’.”

Mr Parker told the Times: “He was very motivated about the Muslim Al Quds Day rally and kept saying: ‘Our brothers and sisters are dying and someone needs to do something about it”.

A pub local named Jack Norman, 20, who helped remove Mr Osborne from the pub, added that he had ranted about the prospect of living under ‘Sharia law’.

Hours later, and South Wales Police were alerted to a ‘drunk man’ sleeping in a van matching the description of the van used in the terror attack a day before the attack. A police spokesperson confirmed that officers attended the scene and assessed that no offences had occurred.

Pub locals describe Mr Osborne as belligerent and aggressive. He had marital problems and may have spent some time living in the woods.

His Muslim neighbours spoke of an unremarkable man who they never had a complaint against him until the weekend. The family’s 12-year-old son, Nadeem, said: “I was on my bike and he just came up to me and said, ‘Inbred.’ Just out there [on the road]. It was just a normal voice.”

Other family members also heard Mr Osborne use the ‘inbred’.

Residents spoke of a ‘polite’ man who had become more aggressive in recent weeks. One neighbour recalled an incident where Mr Osborne is said to have shouted at family members and thrown things around the garden.

May residents in the Cardiff cul-de-sac had expressed their sadness and shock at the news.

Members of Mr Osborne’s family have spoken of their own anguish. His sister claimed that he had attempted suicide six weeks earlier, begging to be sectioned.

On social media, it’s alleged that Mr Osborne had a Twitter account, though he never sent his own tweets, he did follow the leadership of the far-right party and street defence movement Britain First.

Toufik Kacimi, 48, chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, said that Mr Osborne had driven around asking for directions to Finsbury Park Mosque. Appearing on Good Morning Britain, a couple spoke of their fear that they had unwittingly given him directions to the Finsbury Park area.

Police have been given more time to question the terror suspect. The warrant has been authorised until 00:54hrs on Saturday, 24 June.

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Categories: Darren Osborne, Finsbury Park, News, terrorism