Cultural & social affairs Department

OIC islamophobia Observatory

Monthly Bulletin – December 2013

I. Manifestations of Islamophobia:

1. Islamophobia in Russia – The election in August 2013 of Sergei Sobyanin, an ultranationalist, as mayor of Moscow had given racism in Russia a prominent official face. In the last week of November 2013, the mayor stunned the world by announcing that Moscow was banning the construction of new mosques. The ban was one of the latest and clearest signs of the growing anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiments in Russia.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, the four existing mosques in Moscow are overcrowded, but Mayor Sobyanin declared that no new mosques would be built because “they are used by migrant workers”. A new mosque was then under construction, but there would not be any more, the mayor said. He told the Russian daily newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda: “No new building permits will be issued. I think that’s enough mosques for Moscow.”

By December 2013, it was estimated that there were 2 million Muslim residents in the city, but none of Moscow’s four existing mosques could hold more than 10,000 people. Worshippers frequently had to use the streets or wait for hours to enter the existing mosques, especially on Fridays and religious occasions. Russian Muslim activists said that Russian authorities had long tried to prevent construction of new mosques, but this was the first clear ban in recent memory.

Although most pronounced in Moscow, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant racism was not confined to the capital city. According to the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, surveys showed that xenophobia and other racist expressions were prevalent among 50 percent of Russians. Amnesty International had reported that racism in Russia was “out of control” and estimated the number of Russian neo-Nazis in the tens of thousands. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/islamophobia-in-russia/#more-26536, retrieved on 02.12.2013, emphasis added

2. Russia: Construction of Kaliningrad mosque stopped – The Central District Court halted construction of the mosque on two land lots in the Southern Park of Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad City – the Museum of Fridlanskiye Vorota filed a lawsuit against the construction. The organization believed that the Kaliningrad head granted free land for the mosque and the road to it on 3 August 2009, illegally. The court has halted the construction and will be studying documents for construction of the mosque. Locals residents had been protesting against the mosque construction. A 20-year-old welder attempted to blow up the mosque in November 2011. In: http://vestnikkavkaza.net/news/society/48216.html, retrieved on 04.12.2013, emphasis added.

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3. Australia: Islamophobia on the Internet: Major new report exposes online hate targeting Muslims – The Online Hate Prevention Institute (OHPI), an Australian charity dedicated to the growing problem of online hate, announced the release of a major new report into the targeting of the Muslim community. The report, Islamophobia on the Internet: The growth of online hate targeting Muslims would be available on 10 December to mark International Human Rights Day.

The report examined anti-Muslim hate on Facebook and was produced by the Online Hate Prevention Institute, Australia’s only charity entirely dedicated to the growing problem of online hate, in consultation with the Islamic Council of Victoria, the peak body representing Victoria’s Muslim community. The report followed previous major works by OHPI examining online hate against Indigenous Australians, the Jewish Community, and the ANZACs and Military Veterans.

This major work examined 50 anti-Muslim Facebook pages, which ranged from “The Islamic threat” which on the day of publication of the news (03 December) had passed the 113,000 supporter mark and continued to rapidly grow, to “Mohammad the PIG”, which vanished after reaching 2000 supporters. From these 50 pages the report documented 349 images of anti-Muslim hate. These images represented 191 unique images and many repetitions as messages of hate moved between the different pages. The messages of hate in this report were divided into seven themes which the report discussed:

a) Muslims as a Security Threat or Threat to Public Safety b) Muslims as a Cultural Threat c) Muslims as an Economic Threat d) Content Dehumanising or Demonizing Muslims e) Threats of Violence, Genocide and Direct Hate Targeting Muslims f) Hate Targeting Refugees / Asylum Seekers g) Other Forms of Hate Speech

American, British and Australian nationals provided the highest level of support to these pages of hate. Of the pages examined 13 of them were specifically Australian in nature, including pages like “Look after Australians first deport all illegal boatpeople”, and “Australian Defence League Official Adl Est 2009”.

This report aimed at highlighting the existence of what was a serious hate speech problem on Facebook. To the extent that this content gave a window into the hate speech against Muslims that was circulating in society, it was hoped that the report would assist community leaders, policy makers, law makers and researchers in better understanding and responding to this threat to an inclusive society. In democracies inclusiveness is regarded as a public good, as such, this hate speech is not only an attack on the Muslim community but an attack on society as a whole. We must work together to tackle this growing problem. In: http://ohpi.org.au/islamophobia-on-the-internet-the-growth-of-online-hate-targeting-muslims/, retrieved on 04.12.2013, emphasis added.

3. UK: Vandals scrawl more offensive graffiti on planned Worcester Park mosque – Vandals scrawled offensive graffiti on the door of a building a Muslim community wanted to use as a mosque. The graffiti, saying “f*** off c****”, was spotted over the weekend of 7-8 December on the front door of the Bank Chambers building in Green Lane, owned by a Muslim group that had had two applications to turn the building into a mosque turned down. It was not the first time the building had been targeted by vandals, earlier in 2013 someone daubed a swastika on the same door. In: http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/topstories/10865317.Vandals_scrawl_more_offensive_graffiti_on_planned_Worcester_Park_mosque/?ref=nt, retrieved on 10.12.2013 2

4. UK: Imam Loses Eye in Racial Attack – 60-year-old imam Hafiz Salik in Yorkshire city of Hull had been left seriously injured with possibility of losing an eye after he was attacked on his way home with family. Humberside Police said in a statement cited by Hull Daily Mail on 09 December: “Police are appealing for information in connection with an incident on Spring Bank West, Hull.” The incident referred to in the police report occurred on 07 December when the leader of Hull Mosque and Islamic Centre, was attacked on his way home with his family.

Returning from his daughter’s house in that evening, two men and a woman tried to stop his car. His son, Ateeq Salik, said: “One of the men lay down in the road right in front of the car. My father was confused and thought he was injured. Then the man slowly got up and went to the car and opened the door…My mum was sitting in the front and my youngest sister was in the back. He looked at all of them and he punched my father very hard in the face. It was a very forceful punch and my father’s face was covered in blood. Then the man walked away.” Taken to hospital, Imam Salik suffered a serious eye injury and may never regain the sight in his injured eye.

In a bid to reassure the Muslim community, Humberside Police officers attended the mosque for prayers, confirming that the attack was very rare. The police had also issued a statement with the details of the attacks, putting the description of the attacker as a white man, 5ft 6in tall, well-built, short brown hair and aged 25-30. In: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/466791-uk-imam-loses-eye-in-racial-attack.html, retrieved on 10.12.2013

5. US: Islamophobes Publish Fake Image of “Muslims Throwing Christian Girl From Window” – The image below was posted on the right-wing website, FreePatriot.org, in an article titled “Muslim Mob Justice–15 year old girl thrown from Third Floor window.”

Free Patriot had a half million Facebook fans and after the article was shared on its page it went viral on the Islamophobia industry’s interwebs. Rick Wells who authored the post claimed that the picture was of a girl thrown from a third floor window by Muslims:

In a truly outrageous demonstration of the lawlessness that exists in Egypt today, the Muslim residents of a small village in southern Minya province went on a rampage. They attacked Christian homes, burning 10 of them. 15 Christians were wounded, including a 15 year-old girl who was thrown from the third floor of a building. The report is from Ezzat Ibrahim, a minority rights activist.

Wells made the story about the image up whole cloth. The real story behind the image: It is actually from June, 2011 and takes place in Shanghai, China not Minya, Egypt and the woman was not thrown out of the window but rather fell from the fifth floor!:

Daily Telegraph: A WOMAN has survived a fall from the fifth floor after a number of windows she hit on her way down broke her fall.

The Sun reports horrified onlookers saw her jump out after someone is believed to have threatened her.

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Asia One said the incident happened at a residential building in Shanghai’s Luwan district, where the woman was spotted crouching from the window on the fifth floor yelling, “Somebody is going to kill me!” The woman, 29 lost her grip on the window and fell into several open windows, which sent her spinning during her fall. The unnamed woman was rushed to hospital after the plunge and is recovering from the incident. It happened just days after the woman was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

It was not surprising or exactly breaking news that the Christian Right was willing to go to the lowest depths to demonize Muslims and Islam but what was interesting was the pathology behind their lies. Even after several commenters exposed the story to be false, many continued to believed it and stated quite clearly that they did not care for the truth:

Justin Pearson writes a comment for which he got 102 upvotes:

Ok., stop looking at the girl ppl. Its not about her. Yes., she is Asian. Yes, she got thrown out a window and yes., she is bound to suffer some terrible injuries when she hits that window and the ground after…, please however as Pissed off Patriot says., its not about her., its the story as a whole.We can become side tracked by the smaller things ( I apologise to her parents for that choice of words) but its the greater picture here folks.

islam is taking over the world in an extream atmosphere over run by extreamists and a weak islamic communist loving son of a bitch in the oval office named obama who happens to hate Americans who has actually broken international law…., as well committe high treason for selling weapons to known enemies.

The point here folks…., is that islam cant be trusted. Either you bow down to their false god and become a cult member, or you get thrown out windows or stoned to death or something else.

Howard wrote: muslim trash of the earth

Rick Mage, the proud Texan:

Hey, come try that shit here in Texas, Muslim militants! We’ll be more than happy to mow you scums down. You’ll find that the Christians in Texas aren’t so easy to push over, and we LOVE TO fight! So, come on down!

PissedOffPatriot:

I can’t believe you people are over looking what this story is about! It’s not about the picture damn it! It is about the fact that Muslims kill for no reason other than their own laws!! Forget if shes’ Asian or her age! Read the story not look at the picture! This shows that you are uneducated and this is the problem with letting Muslims get away with what they are doing around the World!!!!! In: http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2013/12/04/islamophobes-publish-fake-image-of-muslims-throwing-christian-girl-from-window/, retrieved on 10.12.2013

6. US: Murfreesboro mosque faces opposition over cemetery plans – A mosque in Rutherford County had been open for more than a year, but it seemed the legal battle against it was not over. Opponents of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro wanted to take their case to the United States Supreme Court, and it came as the congregation was seeking to open a cemetery on the property. A group hoping to stop approval of the cemetery met with attorneys Tuesday (10 December) morning.

Members of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro were to go before the Rutherford County Board of Zoning Appeals on the following day, seeking a special exception to the current zoning for the cemetery. ICM Imam Ossama Bahloul said: “You go to any state, and you'll find a cemetery is next to the church.”

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Late Monday (09 December), the original 14 plaintiffs, who sued in 2010 to stop construction of the mosque, filed a motion with the Tennessee State Supreme Court asking the court to stay its decision. Attorney Joe Brandon said: “We asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to stay its mandate, pending resolution of this case before the United States Supreme Court…Unless the mandate is stayed, or the BZA stops its plan, there will be a cemetery, a sports field and, then, a Muslim Brotherhood training center targeting not only Rutherford County, but also Rutherford County and the cities of Shelbyville, Manchester, Lebanon, Tullahoma, Franklin and Woodbury.”

The state’s high court declined to hear the appeal, claiming the Rutherford County Planning Commission failed to give proper notice when it approved the original site plans for the mosque.

The ICM received a conditional use permit to bury one of its members there in 2010, and then the congregation wanted a full cemetery. Some neighbors and other residents had expressed concern about traditional Muslim burials, in which the body is only buried so many feet deep, wrapped in a cloth and without a casket. However, Bahloul said: “If the county requires a casket, our religion allows us to have a casket.”

Rutherford County Judge Robert Corlew ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, agreeing not enough notice was given, but the county appealed that decision and won before the state appellate court. Brandon wrote in a press release: “The irony of this case is that the chancellor found there was no notice…But the federal court ignored that, stepped in and applied R.L.U.I.P.A. - a ‘religious law’ to propel an organization with links to terrorism and terrorist groups to give them exemption from notice requirements that apply to everyone else. The ICM bylaws require it to follow Sharia law, not Tennessee or United States laws.”

The group held the right to appeal through 09 January 2014. The Daily News Journal reported Bahloul had said repeatedly that he supported the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions and had noted that the Quran required Muslims to follow the laws of the land in which they lived. In: http://www.wsmv.com/story/24188056/murfreesboro-mosque-faces-opposition-over-cemetery-plans, retrieved on 12.12.2013, emphasis added.

7. UK: Koran ‘was ripped up at Birmingham City match’ – Police were treating allegations that Boro fans ripped up copies of the Koran to goad Blues supporters during a match as a hate crime. Middlesbrough FC immediately suspended two of their fans from all of their games after claims that they provocatively tore out pages from the Muslim holy book during the 2-2 draw in the weekend of 7-8 December.

West Midlands Police were treating the incident as a “hate crime” and were liaising with Cleveland Police. PC Tim Gant from West Midlands Police, said: “Police are investigating a report of a hate crime which happened during the football match between Birmingham and Middlesbrough on Saturday 7 December. Officers are following a number of lines of inquiry including examining CCTV footage and are working closely with both clubs. We have recovered paper which is currently being examined. We will not speculate on its content until examinations are complete.”

After the allegations came to light Middlesbrough Football Club vowed to ban anyone convicted of the crime from the Riverside Stadium for life. In a statement, the club said: “We can confirm that, at this point, two individuals have been suspended from attending Boro matches. As investigations by West Midlands and Cleveland Police into the alleged incident at Birmingham last weekend are ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.” In: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/koran-was-ripped-up-birmingham-6406631, retrieved on 16.12.2013

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8. Greece: Neo-Nazi party protests Athens mosque construction – The state-run Athens News Agency reported that some 700 members and supporters of Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn protested Saturday (14 December) against the construction of Athens’ first official mosque. Shouting “Greece belongs to the Greeks” and “No mosque in Athens”, protesters gathered in the Eleonas neighbourhood in central Athens where the mosque would be constructed.

Lawmaker Eleni Zaroulia the wife of Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos and three more of the party’s elected deputies reportedly participated in the protest.

In November 2013, the government announced that a Greek consortium had been chosen to lead the construction of Athens’ first mosque, 13 years after plans were first announced. In: http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/109-world-top-news/148720-neo-nazi-party-protests-athens-mosque-construction.html, retrieved on 16.12.2013

9. UK: Pig’s head stuck on a spike outside Portsmouth Islamic school – On 3rd December, A pig’s head was stuck on a fence spike outside a Muslim school in Portsmouth. The attack on the Madani Academy in Fratton had been branded “a despicable incident” by the Islamic community. A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “Police can confirm they are investigating a suspicious incident which occurred at the rear car park of the Madani Academy in Nutfield Place, Portsmouth, some time between 3.30pm on Sunday, December 1 and 11am on Tuesday, December 3.” In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/pigs-head-stuck-on-a-spike-outside-portsmouth-islamic-school/#more-27203, retrieved on 16.12.2013

10. US: CAIR calls for FBI investigation into vandalism of Muslim’s vehicle – The Council on American-Islamic Relations on Wednesday (12 December) called for the FBI to aid in the investigation of a vandalism incident involving a black Muslim man’s vehicle in the city on Saturday (07 December). Watertown resident Issa Alzouma’s 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche had its windshield shattered, and the front- and back-seat windows on the driver’s side smashed. A note left on the windshield contained several racist and anti-Islamic slurs. The note also called on him to quit his job as a security guard with Securitas Security Services at the Dulles State Office Building. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/watertown-ny-cair-calls-for-fbi-investigation-into-vandalism-of-muslims-vehicle/#more-27111, retrieved on 16.12.2013

11. France: Far-right demonstrators defend ‘secularism’ – On the weekend of 7-8 December, the French “secularist” organization Résistance Républicaine organized an anti-Islam demonstration in Paris.

It was held under what some might consider the rather contradictory slogan of “pour la laïcité et la sauvegarde des fêtes chrétiennes” (for secularism and safeguarding Christian holidays). The role of secularists, according to Résistance Républicaine and its co-thinkers, was to defend the Christian culture of France against the onslaught of Islam. The participants chanted “Islamists – racists, fascists and assassins!” and “Fascism shall not pass, Sharia shall not pass”.

Résistance Républicaine is a front organisation for Riposte Laïque, which is headed by ex-leftists Pierre Cassen and Christine Tasin. Cassen, who was one of the speakers at the demonstration, is in fact a former

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Trotskyist whose warped interpretation of secularism led him to embrace a virulent form of Islamophobia, taking him into the arms of the far right.

Other speakers at the protest included: Stéphane Lormenil, president of Génération Patriotes, with which Résistance républicaine in organising an anti-Islam protest in Metz earlier this year. Hugues Bouchu of Réseau Identités, who campaign against the “human and cultural immigration” which they complain is transforming Europe into a “multi-ethnic society”. And Paul-Marie Coûteaux of the far-right political party SIEL (Souveraineté, Indépendance et Libertés), which is part of the Rassemblement Bleu Marine political alliance dominated by the Front National. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/paris-far-right-demonstrators-defend-secularism/#more-27083, retrieved on 16.12.2013

12. US: CAIR asks FBI to probe mosque vandalism as a federal hate crime – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on state and federal authorities to investigate the vandalism at the I.S.A.R. (Islamic Society of the Appalachian Region) Worship Center in Green Valley as a possible hate crime, according to a CAIR press release. Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR national communications director was quoted in the press release as stating: “Just as we have requested following past hate incidents targeting American mosques, we urge the FBI to join with local authorities in investigating this case.” In: http://www.bdtonline.com/breakingnews/x1005129970/CAIR-asks-FBI-to-probe-mosque-vandalism-as-a-federal-hate-crime, retrieved on 20.12.2013

13. France: Pig’s head and ears left at Besançon mosque – AFP reported that on 22 December morning a pig’s head and several pig’s ears were found outside the Souna Mosque in Besançon, which had previously been the target of Islamophobic acts. Only in November 2013 a swastika and the slogan “Long live the FN” (Front National) were painted on the wall. The mosque had suffered an earlier graffiti attack in August 2013 when an SS sign, a Celtic cross, an Odal rune and the words “Vive la France” were sprayed on the building. In February 2013, Star of David graffiti was daubed on the mosque. Police patrols had been stepped up around the premises. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/pigs-head-and-ears-left-at-besancon-mosque/, retrieved on 24.12.2013

14. UK Islamophobia: Surge revealed in anti-Muslim hate crimes – Hundreds of offences were perpetrated against the country’s Muslim population in 2013, with the Metropolitan police alone – Britain’s largest force – recording 500 Islamophobic crimes, compared with 336 incidents in 2012 and 318 in 2011. A large number of forces across the country reported a particular surge in the number of anti- Muslim hate crimes following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby. In May 2013, the month in which Fusilier Rigby was killed, Scotland Yard recorded 104 anti-Muslim hate crimes, followed by a further 108 in June 2013.

The figures were obtained by the Press Association which sent Freedom of Information requests to every police force in England and Wales. However of the 43 forces, just 24 provided figures on the number of anti-Muslim crimes and incidents recorded – with some forces admitting they do not always record the faith of a religious hate crime victim. It was therefore likely that the actual numbers of incidents of hate crimes against Muslims perpetrated in 2013 was much higher.

Tell Mama, a group monitoring anti-Muslim incidents, said it had dealt with some 840 cases since just April 2013 – with the number expected to rise to more than 1,000 by the end of March. This compared with 582 anti-Islam cases it dealt with from March 2012 to March 2013. Fiyaz Mujhal, director of Faith Matters, runing the Tell Mama project, said reaction to the murder of Fusilier Rigby had caused the number of Islamophobic crimes to “significantly jump”. He added: “The far right groups, particularly the EDL (English Defence League) perniciously use the Internet and social media to promote vast amounts of online hate.” Branding guidelines by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to monitor social media as “not fit for purpose”, Mr Mujhal said tougher sentencing was needed to tackle Islamophobic crime, as “They raised the bar of prosecution significantly…Now unless there is a direct threat to somebody on

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Twitter or Facebook, the CPS will not prosecute. The CPS is just plainly out of sync with reality. We also need more robust sentencing. In one case, a pig's head was left outside a mosque and the perpetrator came away with a community sentence. When you target a mosque, you are targeting the whole community.”

Tell Mama also called for police forces to introduce a system which improved monitoring and recording of Islamophobic crimes, ensuring the faith of a religious hate crime victim was recorded. Mr Mujhal said: “There are three problems we come across. Firstly, there is a lack of understanding of the language of Islamophobia thrown at victims in any incidents. Secondly, there is very little training on how to ask relevant questions to pull out anti-Muslim cases. Thirdly, recording processes are not in line with each other. One force will allow an officer to flag an incident as anti-Muslim, another force will flag it as religious hate crime. There is no uniformity. There must be guidelines for all forces so we can know the level of the problem.”

A CPS spokeswoman said that for online communications, only those that were “grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or false” were prohibited in order to “preserve the right to free speech” because “Online communication can be offensive, shocking or in bad taste. However, as set out in CPS guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media, content has to be more than simply offensive to be contrary to the criminal law.” In: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/islamophobia-surge-revealed-in-antimuslim-hate-crimes-9026873.html, retrieved on 28.12.2013

I.I. On Geert Wilders:

1. Dutch ultranationalist leader insults Islam – The Leader of Dutch ultranationalist party for Freedom (PVV) Geert Wilders, who altered the Saudi Arabian flag in a slur campaign against Islam and subsequently offered to distribute it as a free sticker was condemned by the Dutch government and opposition parties.

Wilders altered the Saudi flag using the Arabic alphabet to include insults to Islam. He stuck the flag to the door of his office in parliament and urged Dutch society to do the same. Dutch FM Frans Timmermans. Said: “The government doesn’t approve these acts and does not support Wilders by any means.” Deputy PM Lodewijk Asscher defined the act as “dreadful”, adding that Wilders’ motivation was to offend people, and the Muslims that contributed to Dutch society did not deserve it. The learder of the Labor Party (PvdA) Hans Spekman and leader of Greens (GL) Bram Ojik spoke out against Wilders’ insults. In: http://www.worldbulletin.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=125369, retrieved on 22.12.2013

2. Google drops Wilders’ anti-Islam Gmail account – Google deactivated the [email protected], a Gmail account Geert Wilders was using to spread his anti-Islam stickers. The deactivation was probably prompted by the many complaints Wilders’ umpteenth anti-Islam initiative had prompted.

It was the politician himself who reported via Twitter on Boxing Day that his account had been closed. “Unbelievable; Google just blocked the account. It seems Mohammed Rabbae’s complaint was successful,” he tweeted. Rabbae had complained at Google that Wilders was abusing its service. His complaint –on behalf of the National Council of Moroccans- had been among many complaints that were lodged against Wilders after he came out with his anti-Island sticker a week before; it read “Islam is a lie. Mohamed is a criminal. The Koran is poison.” The politician claimed the sticker was not meant as an action against Muslims as the majority of people of this faith were not violent. He had since launched a new account where people may order his sticker. In: http://www.nltimes.nl/2013/12/27/google-drops-wilders-anti-islam-gmail-account/, retrieved on 28.12.2013

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II. Positive Developments:

1. Russia: Ban of Quran Translation Overturned, Easing Fears of Unrest – On 17 December, the Krasnodar Regional Court overturned a local court’s decision to ban a widely read Russian translation of the Quran, quieting fears of unrest among the country’s sizable Muslim community over the ban.

The decade-old translation of the holy book was banned in September 2013 by a court in the southern city of Novorossiysk under article 282 of the Criminal Code for the “incitement of national, racial, or religious enmity.” The ruling was appealed by the lawyer of Azeri theologian Elmir Kuliyev, who wrote the translation.

Rushan Abbyasov, the deputy head of the Council of Muftis of Russia, said by telephone: “We were expecting the ruling to be overturned. We actively participated in the appeals process, and our theologians demonstrated that Kuliyev’s translation was in no way extremist. The district court was incompetent, making a decision solely to foment a popular reaction, and the regional court realized that.”

Since Russia adopted its extremism law in 2002, the Justice Ministry had banned 2,142 publications, including “The Garden of the Righteous”, a compilation of verses from the Quran and Hadith. In: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/ban-of-quran-translation-overturned-easing-fears-of-unrest/491794.html, retrieved on 19.12.2013

2. UK: On 22 December, Laurie Penny, a British journalist and feminist activist, a contributing editor at the New Statesman, and the author, published an article in The Guardian entitled This isn’t ‘feminism’. It’s Islamophobia. The main points are as follows:

As a person who writes about women’s issues, I am constantly being told that Islam is the greatest threat to gender equality in this or any other country – mostly by white men, who always know best. This has been an extraordinary year for feminism, but from the Rochdale grooming case to interminable debates over whether traditional Islamic dress is “empowering” or otherwise, the rhetoric and language of feminism has been co-opted by Islamophobes, who could not care less about women of any creed or colour.

The recent blanket coverage of the “gender segregation on campus” story was a textbook case. This month Student Rights, a pressure group not run by students, released a report vastly exaggerating a suggestion by Universities UK that male and female students might be asked to sit separately in some lectures led by Islamic guest speakers. Many Asian women’s groups and individual Muslim feminists joined the subsequent protests, sometimes taking personal risks to do so. Unfortunately, rightwing commentators and tabloids seized upon the issue to imply that Islamic extremists are taking over the British academy.

Never mind that it wasn’t strictly true, the non-controversy spread to every level of government. Labour MP Chuka Umunna declared: “A future Labour government would not allow or tolerate segregation in our universities.” Even the prime minister stepped into the debate, saying the proposed guidelines, which have since been withdrawn, were “not the right approach”. The elite all-male Oxford club of which both he and the chancellor were members was presumably the perfect approach.

I have spent weary weeks being asked to condemn this “policy of gender segregation” by “Islamic extremists”, despite the fact that no such policy exists. Of course, I condemn all sexism within the academy. …Structural sexism does take place every day in our universities, as it does in our offices, shops and homes – and we should oppose it everywhere. But demanding that feminists of every race and faith drop all our campaigns and stand against “radical Islam” sounds more and more like white patriarchy trying to make excuses for itself: “If you think we’re bad, just look at these guys.”

It’s the dishonesty that angers me most. It’s the hypocrisy of men claiming to stand for women’s rights while appropriating our language of liberation to serve their own small-minded agenda. Far-right groups like the English 9

Defence League and the British National party rush to condemn crimes against women committed by Muslim men, while fielding candidates who make claims like “women are like gongs – they need to be struck regularly”.

…Horror stories about Muslim misogyny have long been used by western patriarchs to justify imperialism abroad and sexism at home. The Guardian’s Katharine Viner reminds us about Lord Cromer, the British consul general in Egypt from 1883. Cromer believed the Egyptians were morally and culturally inferior in their treatment of women and that they should be “persuaded or forced” to become “civilized” by disposing of the veil. “And what did this forward- thinking, feminist-sounding veil-burner do when he got home to Britain?” asks Viner. “He founded and presided over the Men’s League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage, which tried, by any means possible, to stop women getting the vote. Colonial patriarchs like Cromer … wanted merely to replace eastern misogyny with western misogyny.” More than a century later, the same logic is used to imply that misogyny only matters when it isn't being done by white men.

I am not writing here on behalf of Muslim women, who can and do speak for themselves, and not all in one voice. I am writing this as a white feminist infuriated by white men using dog-whistle Islamophobia to derail any discussion of structural sexism; as someone who has heard too many reactionaries tell me to shut up about rape culture and the pay gap and just be grateful I’m not in Saudi Arabia; as someone angered that so many Muslim feminists fighting for gender justice are forced to watch their truth, to paraphrase that fusty old racist Rudyard Kipling, “twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools”.

We are the fools, if we believe that accepting aggressive distinctions between nice, safe western sexism and scary, heathen Muslim sexism is going to serve the interests of women. The people making these arguments don’t care about women. They care about stoking controversy, attacking Muslims and shouting down feminists of all stripes.

For decades, western men have hijacked the language of women’s liberation to justify their Islamophobia. If we care about the future of feminism, we cannot let them set the agenda. In: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/22/this-isnt-feminism-its-islamophobia, retrieved on 24.12.2013

3. US: Judge rules against Geller, says ad campaign demeans Muslims – A federal judge rejected a pro-Israel group’s assertion that its free speech rights were violated when the MBTA turned down a subway advertisement on the grounds that the ad was “demeaning or disparaging.”

The ad was paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, a New York organization that sought to combat the spread of Islam in the United States. With bold, all-capital-letter text placed against a stark black background, the ad reads: “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel; defeat Jihad.” Officials with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority rejected the ad in November 2013 on the basis that it violated the agency’s advertising guidelines, which included rejecting advertisements that demeaned and disparaged individuals and groups, promoted alcohol or tobacco, and depicted graphic violence.

On 20 December, US District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sided with the state’s transportation authority, saying in the ruling that “it was plausible for the defendants to conclude that the … pro-Israel advertisement demeans or disparages Muslims or Palestinians.” MBTA general manager Beverly A. Scott said in a statement that the agency was “gratified” by Gorton’s decision, adding: “We will continue to administer our guidelines evenhandedly, so that our customers will not be subjected to advertisements that demean or disparage any person or group.” In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/judge-rules-against-geller-says-ad-campaign-demeans-muslims/#more-27542, retrieved on 25.12.2013

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III. On Muslims in US and Americas:

1. Mosque takes over former Wheaton church – A mosque recently moved into a former church building on the northeast side of Wheaton (Chicago), becoming what is believed to be the city’s first Islamic institution. In late August 2013, the Islamic Center of Wheaton bought and moved into the 26,193-square-foot former First Assembly of God Church at 900 E. Geneva Road, at the southwest corner of Geneva Road and President Street. Records showed that, through a bank trust, the Islamic Center of Wheaton paid $3.15 million for the church and its 7.08-acre property.

Mosque spokesman Abraham Antar said he and his fellow congregants were excited about their new home, which he said was Wheaton’s first Muslim community, as “Wheaton is a city of faith, and we’re very privileged to be able to establish an Islamic community for Wheaton and especially for the western suburbs…There are a lot of Muslims in Wheaton and the surrounding towns. It’s unfortunate for the (First Assembly of God) church that they lost their opportunity to stay there.” Antar also said Islamic Center of Wheaton leaders were looking forward to getting to know other religious institutions in the area. In: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/ct-mosque-wheaton-tl-1205-20131202,0,7706740.story, retrieved on 04.12.2013

2. Santa Barbara Muslims Get First Mosque – A years-old dream of the first Islamic worshipping house in Goleta city in the southern Santa Barbara County, California, finally come true after the Muslim community received the green light earlier in the second week of December 2013. Jamal Hamdani, the chair of the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara, said after the Center’s approval, Santa Barbra Independent reported on Thursday, December 19: “All of us made history today…I am truly proud to be an American, a Muslim, and a member of this community.”

Goleta Muslim community had been waiting for the approval of their proposed Islamic centre since 2001, after buying the land at the corner of Los Carneros Road and Calle Real. Living together for 30 years, more than 35 Muslim families along with students from US Santa Barbara University and Santa Barbra City College had formed the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara (ISSB). Without a worship place, Muslims community used to pray in the Goleta Valley Community Center. This all changed after the Muslim community got the go ahead for their own centre, thanking Goleta City Council who had unanimously approved the project. The approved Islamic centre would be 10,000 square foot including a mosque, a dining room and a lecture hall. In: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/467219-santa-barbara-muslims-get-first-mosque.html, retrieved on 22.12.2013

IV. On Muslims in Europe:

1. Denmark: Danish Far-right Withdraws Muslims Insult – A far-right Danish party withdrew its anti-Muslim comments after coming under fire from politicians and the Muslim community in the Nordic country. Søren Espersen, deputy of the right-wing Danish People’s Party (DPP), told The Copenhagen Post on 22 December: “That expression is perhaps exaggerated. I thought that myself when I saw what he said.”

The troubles erupted a week before when DPP announced its plans to vote against the bi-annual citizenship law that would grant hundreds of Muslims the Danish citizenship. The far- right party claimed that ‘too many’ Muslim immigrants were not welcomed in the Denmark. The citizenship list included 422 Iraqi and Afghani Muslims, who were vehemently rejected by DPP although they had accomplished their citizenship’s procedures. Despite DPP’s opposition, the Danish parliament voted unanimously in favor of the bi-annual citizenship bill on Thursday (19 December). According to the Danish law, the parliament has the right to grant the citizenship twice a year.

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The DPP’s anti-Muslims remarks were not the first. Earlier in 2013, the DPP was sued after producing an anti-immigration advertisement which had branded 700 new citizens as suspected terrorists. In 2007, the DPP, the third-largest political force in Denmark, had put forward a string of draft laws calling for a ban on hijab in public places and denying Muslims special worship areas in the workplace. The party had also called for a ban on halal meat in daycare centers and on separate locker rooms for Muslim schoolgirls. In: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/467309-danish-far-right-withdraws-muslims-insult.html, retrieved on 24.12.2013

IV.I. On Woolwich Murder Attack:

1. 2 former UK soliders jailed for attacking mosque – Two former British soldiers were sentenced to six years in prison for firebombing a mosque in northeastern England. Stuart Harness, 34, and Gavin Humphries, 37, made petrol bombs and threw them at the Grimsby Islamic Cultural Center. The two were jailed Friday (20 December) after admitting arson. During their trial, jurors were shown video footage of the pair carrying the bombs and launching them at the door of the building. No one was injured during the incident. The attack took place in May 2013 amid other mosque attacks and racially aggravated offenses across the U.K. days after a British soldier was murdered on a London street. In: http://www.ktvl.com/template/inews_wire/wires.international/33fe3d3d-www.ktvl.com.shtml, retrieved on 22.12.2013

IV.II. On Swiss Anti-Minarets’ Referendum:

1. Swiss Minaret Ban Politician Embraces Islam – Daniel Streich set out to read the Qur’an so he could argue against Muslims on the tenets of their faith. Convinced by the message, he became a Muslim. Daniel Streich was a member of Swiss People’s Party (SVP) in Switzerland. A well-known politician, Streich led the calls for a ban on minarets across Switzerland. He was active in building anti-Muslim sentiments throughout Switzerland. This sustained campaign led to him being given a high ranking position in the Swiss Army.

Streich left the SVP in November 2009 calling his party’s campaign against Islam as a ‘witch hunt.’ The date coincided with the second anniversary of Streich’s conversion which he had kept secret from the party. With the party’s campaign to ban minarets leading to a referendum, Streich said the situation had become unbearable for him. In the lead up to the ban Streich said “If the initiative passes, it will be an absolute deep blow for me. I would have to ask myself, why I applied myself professionally and politically for over 30 years for this political system. It is not worthy of Switzerland to force Muslims to practice their faith in back alleys.”

Streich, a military instructor in the Swiss army, was said to be a committed Christian reading the Bible and attending Church regularly. He was also committed to his party (SVP) and stood as a local politician in the commune of Bulle. Streich attempted to understand the Qur’an and Islamic teachings in order to argue against Muslims on tenets of their faith. In the course of his efforts the ex-Christian began to agree with and acknowledge the proclamations of the Qur’an. He said: “Islam offers me logical answers to important life questions, which, in the end, I never found in Christianity,” and he became a committed Muslim, attending the mosque, reciting the Qur’an and praying five times a day.

Streich then focused his intentions on participating in the building of the new Conservative Democratic Party in the canton of Freiburg. Freich’s new movement was in contrast to his previous one and he aimed at promoting religious tolerance and peaceful cooperative living, in spite of the fact that ban on mosques minarets had gained a legal status. He was vehemently opposed to the Minaret ban and was hoping to establish Switzerland’s fifth mosque and the most beautiful in Europe. Meanwhile the SUV had raised concerns over Streich’s position as Military Commander in the Army in the aftermath of his conversion citing him as a security risk. SVP-National Council member Alfred Heer cited the Fort Hood shooting spree as an example. In: http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2013/11/30/swiss-minaret-ban-politician-embraces-islam/, retrieved on 04.12.2013, emphasis in the original. 12

V. On Burqah and Veil Related Issues:

1. Australia: Thugs bash Muslim schoolgirl wearing hijab in Wantirna South (Melbourne) – The high school student was walking home from Westfield Knox along Stud Rd when she was set upon by a group of teenagers, according to Knox councillor Joe Cossari, who said it was a racial attack. The teen was punched to the ground and kicked, but didn’t report the assault to police because she feared reprisals, Cr Cossari said.

Councillors condemned the violence after hearing details at a recent council meeting. Cr Cossari told the council meeting: “We have to defend the right of all citizens so that our people can walk freely without fear…As a Christian and an Australian I will defend the rights of all religious groups and, in this case, the Muslim brothers and sisters of this municipality. To bash up a young girl because of what she was wearing is unacceptable. I will not tolerate this type of activity against any citizens of this municipality or this country. We pride ourselves on being a multicultural society, we talk about multiculturalism in our policies, but having this happen on our front door is not acceptable.”

Mayor Darren Pearce told Knox Leader he was shocked, but believed it was an isolated incident. But Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman Mohamad Tabbaa said it wasn’t as simple as Melbourne having “bad apples”, because many Muslims experienced racism from time to time. In: http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2013/12/02/thugs-bash-muslim-schoolgirl-wearing-hijab-in-wantirna-south/, retrieved on 04.12.2013

2. Canada: Edmonton police approve hijab headscarf design for female officers – Edmonton police approved a design for a hijab headscarf for female officers of Muslim faith. The hijab design covered the head and neck, but not the face, according to a press release issued Friday (06 December).

At the time of the approval, EPS did not have any applicants requesting to wear a hijab but police wanted to be proactive and “reflect the changing diversity in the community, and to facilitate the growing interest in policing careers from Edmonton’s Muslim community,” as stated in the release.

The EPS Equity, Diversity and Human Rights Unit, and the EPS Tactics Training Unit developed a prototype with the assistance of a hijab tailor. Police said the changes to the traditional garment had also been supported by members of Edmonton’s Muslim community. In: http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2013/12/07/edmonton-police-approve-hijab-headscarf-design-for-female-officers/, retrieved on 08.10.2013

3. French panel: Let Muslims wear head scarves in school – according to an iconoclastic report commissioned by the French Prime Minister, France should reverse decades of strict secularism to integrate its immigrant population better, allowing Muslims to wear head scarves in schools and promoting Arabic teaching.

The document, part of a government review of integration policy, sparked an outcry among conservative opposition politicians and unease among the governing Socialists. It said France, with Europe’s largest Muslim population, should recognize the “Arab-oriental dimension” of its identity, for example by changing street and place names, rewriting its history curriculum and creating a special day to honor the contribution of immigrant cultures. Although ethnic statistics were officially banned, an estimated 5 million Muslims, originating mostly from former African colonies such as Algeria and Morocco, lived in France.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who would chair a ministerial meeting in January 2014 on improving

13 integration based partly on the report, told reporters there was no plan to drop the head scarf ban and distanced himself from the study. Ayrault said after the daily Le Figaro drew attention to the document, which was posted on the prime minister’s official website in November 2013: “Just because I receive a report doesn’t make it government policy.” In: http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2013/12/europe-and-australia/french-panel-let-muslims-wear-head-scarves-in-school, retrieved on 15.12.2013

Related: France to maintain a headscarf ban despite legal advice – France decided on 23 December to maintain a ban on Muslim headscarves for volunteer school monitors despite a warning that it overstepped the law requiring religious neutrality in the public service. The Council of State, which advised the government on disputed administrative issues, said in a 32-page analysis that this neutrality did not apply to mothers who helped escort schoolchildren on outings such as museum visits. Education Minister Vincent Peillon promptly announced the ban would continue because the Council’s opinion also said that schools could impose internal rules against religious wear. “The memo (establishing the ban) remains valid,” he said in a communiqué after the Council’s analysis was released.

France imposed the ban in 2012 as one of several steps in recent years to tighten its policy of strict secularism. It banned headscarves for pupils in state schools in 2003 and outlawed full-face Muslim veils in public in 2011. It has also considered extending this religious neutrality, which had long been the rule in public service, to some businesses such as private child daycare centres.

The Council of State was the second advisory body to warn the government recently against overstepping the limits of the secularism policy. An “Observatory of Secularism” appointed by President Francois Hollande advised in October 2013 against a new law to extend the religious neutrality requirement to some private businesses, despite support for the idea from within his Socialist Party. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/france-to-maintain-a-headscarf-ban-despite-legal-advice/#more-27547, retrieved on 25.12.2013

VI. On Dialogue among Civilizations:

1. 5-year Anniversary: The Most Successful Christian-Muslim interfaith initiative – In 2008, A Common Word between Us and You began as an interfaith initiative to strengthen ties between Muslims and Christians. Since that time, more than a hundred scholars and faith leaders had signed the initial letter, which read in part:

A Common Word between Us and You

Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.

The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity. The following are only a few examples: Of God’s Unity, God says in the Holy Qur’an: Say: He is God, the One! / God, the Self-Sufficient Besought of all! (Al-Ikhlas, 112:1-2). Of the necessity of love for God, God says in the Holy Qur’an: So invoke the Name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him with a complete devotion (Al-Muzzammil, 73:8). Of the necessity of love for the said: “None of you has faith until you love for your ( صلى اهلل عليه وسلم ) neighbour, the Prophet Muhammad neighbour what you love for yourself.”

said: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. / And ( عليه سالم ) In the New Testament, Jesus Christ you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your

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strength.’This is the first commandment. / And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31) ———- In the Holy Qur’an, God Most High enjoins Muslims to issue the following call to Christians (and Jews—the People of the Scripture): Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (Aal ‘Imran3:64)

The words: we shall ascribe no partner unto Him relate to the Unity of God, and the words: worship none but God, relate to being totally devoted to God. Hence they all relate to the First and Greatest Commandment. According to one of the oldest and most authoritative commentaries on the Holy Qur’an the words: that none of us shall take others for lords beside God, mean ‘that none of us should obey the other in disobedience to what God has commanded’. This relates to the Second Commandment because justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part of love of the neighbour.

Thus in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we as Muslims invite Christians to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also what is most essential to our faith and practice: the Two Commandments of love.

To celebrate their five year anniversary, the group has issued an electronic book, available at http://www.acommonword.com. In: http://www.loonwatch.com/2013/11/5-year-anniversary-the-most-successful-christian-muslim-interfaith-initiative/, retrieved on 04.12.2013

2. Canada: New Book Sheds Light on Prophet Muhammad’s Interfaith Views – No other leader in world history had been more scrutinized and ridiculed than Prophet Muhammad. Since the founding of Islam in 632 AD, Christians and Jews had described the Prophet of Allah as a blasphemer, bigot, terrorist, and pedophile, among other slurs. However, according to a new book The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (published by Angelico Press, 2013), these accusations were found to be dishonest, prejudiced, and not based on sound scholarship.

Dr. John Andrew Morrow, author of The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, a scholar who received his PhD from the University of Toronto and completed the full cycle of Islamic seminary studies, was raised in a multilingual family in Montreal and Toronto, Canada. Morrow, also a Native North American of the Metis nation, proudly identified himself as an “Aboriginal Person.”

In his book, Morrow applied a documentary analysis of textual and historical research to the covenants created by Muhammad. Notable American poet, Charles Upton, noted in the foreword that these documents — letters, covenants, treaties — which Morrow accessed “have largely been neglected by both traditional Muslim and modern western scholarship, and are practically unknown to the mass of believers.” In reviewing Muslim, Christian, and secular documentary sources, Morrow’s study of the covenants of the Prophet brought “out their light in this period of darkness in which the People of Scripture, Jews, Muslims, and Christians, have strayed from their sacred traditions of tolerance and co-existence.”

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad provided a detailed account of Muhammad’s character and conduct as seen through his lifelong encounters with Christian hermits, monks, priests, and communities. Morrow states that these experiences confirmed that Muhammad had “confidence in his ability to count on the spiritual solidarity of the People of the Book,” or members of the Abrahamic tradition. Morrow also affirmed that Muhammad “had much more in common with the followers of Christ than with the idol- worshippers who surrounded him.” In: http://craigconsidinetcd.wordpress.com/2013/12/10/new-book-sheds-light-on-prophet-muhammads-interfaith-views/, retrieved on 12.12.2013 15

3. OIC chief praises pope’s efforts to revitalize interfaith dialogue – during his first meeting with the pope at the Vatican on Friday (14 December), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), commended the efforts exerted by Pope Francis to revitalize interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims.

The secretary-general pointed out that today the presence of Muslims in historically Christian countries had expanded, while some OIC countries either had native Christian communities or had witnessed in recent years the arrival of Christians as guest workers.

The two expressed the need for greater efforts to foster respect for religious pluralism and cultural diversity and to counter the spread of bigotry and prejudices. They stressed that inter-religious dialogue was a necessary condition for peace in the world and was a duty for adherents of all faiths and traditions. Ihsanoglu shared with the pope his vision regarding the need for a “historic reconciliation” between Islam and Christianity based on the common Abrahamic roots, in order to establish multiculturalism and harmonious societies. The pope commended the proposal and stressed the need to follow it up.

The two leaders expressed concern over the increase in inter-communal tension between Muslim and Christian communities and over the transformation of communal conflicts in some parts of the world into religiously motivated conflicts, even though the root causes were not religious in nature. Concern was also expressed about the exploitation of religion in conflict situations as a means to mobilize supporters. They highlighted establishing a secondary, cultural tract to support interfaith dialogue initiatives.

During the meeting, views were exchanged on regional and international developments, especially the situation in Palestine. Both leaders expressed hope that the holy city of Jerusalem would be a haven in which Muslims, Jews and Christians may live and worship in peace and harmony.

Concern and dismay were also expressed about the continuation of violence in Syria, which they agreed requires a solution based on dialogue and negotiation. The secretary-general concurred with the vision of Pope Francis on the need for a just world where poverty and hunger were eradicated and commended him for being recognized as “Person of the Year” by Time magazine. Before the audience with Pope Francis, the OIC delegation met with Antoine Camilleri, undersecretary for relations with states, to discuss means of forging cooperation between the Holy See and OIC to contribute to global peace and security. In: http://www.arabnews.com/news/492916, retrieved on 15.12.2013

4. UK: Muslims Save Bradford Synagogue From Closure – The Bradford synagogue thought it would have to shut its doors and sell the building because of a lack of funds to make necessary repairs. A saving grace came in the unlikeliest of forms when an intervention from Bradford's Muslim community raised enough money to save the synagogue.

Through a fundraising effort led by the secretary of a nearby mosque, with the owner of a popular curry house and a local textile magnate, The Guardian said the synagogue was able to secure a long-term future. It also created a friendship between followers of Islam and Judaism. Zulfi Karim, the secretary of the Bradford Council of Mosques, told HuffPost UK: “Many people do seem to be massively taken aback that the Jewish and Muslim community are working hand-in-hand, when all you seem to hear about Bradford are the nasty things.” Furthermore, Karim hoped this story of local collaboration, amid global Muslim- Jewish tensions, would be inspirational.

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Bradford had been known for its contention between Muslims and Jews. This newfound cross-cultural cooperation was more than welcomed by Bradford synagogue’s chairman Rudi Leavor. He said to The Guardian: “It makes me proud that we can protect our neighbours and at the same time preserve an important part of Bradford’s cultural heritage.” In: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/islam/muslims-save-bradford-synagogue-closure#, retrieved on 24.12.2013

5. US: Michigan Jews, Muslims volunteering on Christmas – The Detroit area’s Jewish community was once again working with Muslims in Christmas’ week to do some good deeds while their Christian neighbors celebrate that festive occasion. About 1,000 Jewish volunteers from several congregations were expected to join local Muslims Wednesday (25 December) for Mitzvah Day, the largest single day of volunteering by the local Jewish community. The Michigan Muslim Community Council was coordinating volunteers from its communities. The volunteers were to help social service agencies at about 40 sites throughout the day. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit had sponsored Mitzvah Day for more than 20 years. Muslims had been part of the effort since 2008. Mitzvah means “commandment” in Hebrew and is generally translated as a good deed. In: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Michigan-Jews-Muslims-volunteering-on-Christmas-5087374.php, retrieved on 24.12.2013

VI. General Issues:

1. Prof. Jocelyne Cesare published an article titled Why the West Fears Islam where she provided a starting point for issues related to the legitimacy of Islamic signs in public space (headscarves, mosques, and minarets) being increasingly seen as a rejection of western democratic values, or even worse, as a direct threat to the West. All over Europe Islamophobia seemed to be on the rise. Some of her arguments are as follows:

The integration of Muslim immigrants has been on the political agenda of European democracies for several decades. However, only in the last ten years has it specifically evolved into a question of civic integration closely related to religious identity. In the 1960s and 1970s, the socio-economic integration of immigrants with a Muslim background was the primary focus of academic literature, but with the emergence of the second and third generations, the interest has shifted to political mobilization. Beginning with the Rushdie affair in the United Kingdom and the hijab affair in France from 1989 to present, the spotlight has moved to the legitimacy of Islamic signs in public space, such as dress code, minarets, and halal foods.

As a consequence, controversies surrounding the visibility of these signs have steadily grown. Controversy is not merely a disagreement about divergent points of view; but it is about fundamental differences (or at least perceived as such) about the principles and norms that regulate the common life of individuals sharing the same time period. Such fundamental divergences that lead to exclusive or binary positions cannot coexist in the same public space.

Islam and the perceived rejection of democracy

Consequently, headscarves, mosques, and minarets are increasingly seen as a rejection of western democratic values, or even worse, as a direct threat to the West.

During the 2006 campaign to ban minarets in Switzerland, posters from the Egerkinger Committee displayed a woman in a burqa standing next to minarets that were rising from a Swiss flag and pointing to the sky like missiles (see picture). Such a perception of Islam in the public sphere has reached the United States as well through the ongoing Shari’a debates, discourse on Islamic radicalization in jails, and the ground zero mosque controversy in the summer of 2010.

Islamic signs are not only ostracized in public discourse, but are also controlled and restricted through multiple legal and administrative procedures in an attempt to “civilize” or adjust the signs to fit western political cultures. In April 2011, the French government enforced the ban on wearing the niqab or burqa, which was overwhelmingly approved in 2010 by the French legislature. Other countries like Belgium and The Netherlands have followed the French path in 2011 and 2012.

The most recent addition to the long list of outcast Islamic signs is circumcision. In June 2012, a judge in Cologne, Germany, outlawed circumcision on the grounds that it causes “illegal bodily harm”. Although Germany’s Chancellor Merkel has promised

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the Muslim and Jewish communities that they can continue practicing circumcision, the legal implications of this ban have yet to be determined.

Cultural struggle within Islam

This cultural struggle is also fought on the Muslim side. Salafism, a specific interpretation of Islam in stark opposition to western values and cultures, advocates many practices such as gender segregation and rejection of political and civic engagement that are deemed as efforts to fight the impurity of the West. This particular brand of Islam is one of the most visible, widespread, and accessible interpretations, and thus gives the illusion to both Muslims and non-Muslims that Salafism is the true Islam.

In sum, an essentialized West and an essentialized Islam are fighting each other and in so doing reinforce one another. The “burqa versus the bikini” opposition often used by both Islamophobes and Muslim fundamentalists encapsulates this sense of profound incompatibility that relates to politics, lifestyles, and most interestingly, women’s bodies.

On one hand, for most westerners, the burqa symbolizes total denial of freedom and of gender equality. On the other hand, for fundamentalist religious voices, the burqa symbolizes woman’s dignity and her devotion to family values, opposed to the bikini seen as an objectification and degradation of the female body.

Such stark oppositions are of course extreme, but at the same time, reflect the “either or” approach, in which most of the discourse on Islam is currently trapped. The German President, Joachim Gauck involuntarily illustrated the milder version of this binary opposition, when he said that Muslims can live in Germany but that, unlike his predecessor (Christian Wulf), he does not think that Muslims can be part of Germany.

Polarized mindset

One major consequence of such a polarized mindset is to mask the sociological reality of Muslims. In fact, a striking gap exists between the image of Islam as it is constructed in binary public discourse and the multifaceted reality of Muslims across countries and localities.

For example, the dominant assumption is that visible Islamic identities in the West are inversely correlated to their civic and political loyalties, while there is empirical evidence that contradicts such an assumption. My book – “Why the West Fears Islam – An Exploration of Muslims in Liberal Democracies” – presents first-hand data from focus groups I organized in Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Boston between 2007 and 2010. In this regard, it is the first systematic and comparative review of the existing knowledge about Muslim political behaviours and religious practices in western Europe and in the United States.

The major conclusion is that although Muslims are challenged by their secular environment, they do not experience the incompatibility so intensely debated by western politicians and Salafi preachers alike. Then why is Islam depicted as an obstacle in political discourse and the media? Taking up this intriguing gap, I have attempted to make sense of this disjuncture between what Muslims do and the political construct of the “Muslim problem”.

During this exploration, liberalism and secularism have appeared as the two major idioms used to make sense of the Muslim presence…

….At the core of the European shift is the blind spot of the social legitimacy of religion that has been completely eliminated from most of national discourse and values.

In sum, the symbolic integration of Muslims within national communities would require a dramatic change in the current liberal and secularist narratives. It is a daunting task, but it can be done. This article continues and is fairly long, but well worth reading in full. Read the rest here (http://en.qantara.de/content/muslims-in-liberal-democracies-why-the-west-fears-islam) In: http://www.loonwatch.com/2013/12/why-the-west-fears-islam/, retrieved on 04.12.2013, emphasis in the original

Compiled by: Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Secretary of the Observatory Culture & Social Affairs Department Email: [email protected] 18