! Cultural & social affairs Department

OIC Observatory

Monthly Bulletin – September 2014

I. MANIFESTATIONS OF ISLAMOPHOBIA:

I.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: Christian activist calls for holy war: ‘ has no place in civilized society’ – Gary Cass, head of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, argued in a post on his organization’s website that the Islamic militant group ISIS had revealed the intentions of all Muslims. He wrote: “ISSI (sic) has done us all a favor…The true face of Islam is on full display even as Mohammed is burning in hell. We will have to face the harsh truth that Islam has no place in civilized society. Muslims cannot live in a society based on Christian ideals of equality and liberty. They will always seek to harm us.” Cass, a former Republican Party official in San Diego who had previously suggested “you can’t be a Christian if you don’t own a gun,” dismissed deportation or the forced conversion of Muslims as “possible solutions, but really there’s only one” – violence. Cass argued: “The only thing that is biblical and that 1,400 years of history has shown to work is overwhelming Christian just war and overwhelming self defense…Christian Generals Charles Martel in 732 and Jon Sobieski in 1672 defeated Islamic Turks in their attempts to take the West. Who will God raise up to save us this time? Will God even intervene or turn us over to the Muslims for turning against Him?” He warned Christians to prepare for more terrorist attacks at home and abroad, but he said violence was a necessary sacrifice. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/christian-activist-calls-for-holy-war-islam-has-no-place-in-civilized-society/#more-36303, retrieved on 06.09.2014

2. US: Hatred for Muslims growing in America, says report – A new report released by South Asian Leading Together (SAALT) stated that South Asians, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern, and Arab communities faced an increasingly hostile climate in the United States. Suman Raghunathan, Executive Director of SAALT, releasing the report here, said in a press release: “Thirteen years after the tragic events of 9/11, we saw consistently high numbers of hate violence incidents and a surge in xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at our communities, portraying them as un-American, unwelcome, and disloyal. Community members are being sent a message that we are unwelcome even in our most sacred spaces-a message that stands contrary to our nation’s core values.”

1 The report, titled, ‘Under Suspicion, Under Attack’ documents over 150 incidents of hate violence and xenophobic rhetoric by political figures and government officials that occurred nationwide from January 2011 through April 2014. Some findings:

▪ Disturbingly, over 80% of documented hate violence incidents were motivated by anti-Muslim sentiment. Similarly, an overwhelming majority—-over 90%—-of xenophobic political comments were characterized by anti-Muslim bias.

▪ There was a 40% annual average increase in xenophobic political comments since SAALT’s last analysis, released in 2010.

▪ Hate violence ‘hot spots’ included the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan area; Chicago and its outlying suburbs; and Southern and Northern California. In: http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/09/10/hatred-muslims-growing-america-says-report/, retrieved on 11.09.2014

3. US: GOP congressman: Spy on U.S. mosques to stop ISIS recruitment – Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King was calling for the U.S. government to begin spying on American mosques to stop ISIS’ recruitment efforts, charging the militant organization was actively operating in mosques across the country. Although there was no evidence that ISIS was running a nationwide recruitment effort or using mosques as centers to target would be jihadis, King insisted the Obama administration must target mosques for domestic surveillance activities.

King said speaking to the Deace Show on 11 September: “Here’s a thought that occurred to me…I didn’t look at the population of Germany at the beginning of the Third Reich but it’s probably in the area of 70-80 million is my guess. And out of that Hitler in a few years build something that cost the lives of roughly 60 million people. The radical islamists have 1.3 or more billion Muslims to work with. Now they aren’t all supporters. Daniel (inaudible) says 10-15% of them, but that is a huge population to draw from.” King said ISIS recruiters were “certainly in the United States,” citing mosques in Virginia and Minneapolis to say mosques were the “communications centers” for ISIS. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/gop-congressman-spy-on-u-s-mosques-to-stop-isis-recruitment/#more-36515, retrieved on 15.09.2014

4. US: Fox News Military Analyst Compares Islam to Nazism, Fascism and Communism – A retired three-star general railed against the Obama administration, political correctness, the media and rules of engagement during a speech in the night of 15 September at Sandhills Community College. Thomas G. McInerney, who retired from the Air Force in 1994 as a lieutenant general, currently serves as a Fox News military analyst and was invited to speak by the Moore County Republican Party. The general was originally slated to talk about how military downsizing may affect preparedness, but changed his topic to instead address current threats facing the nation.

McInerney presented views that he called “more harsh” than 2 his Fox News commentary. McInerney said the economy, shrinking military and more than a decade’s worth of U.S. policies in the Middle East had only increased the dangers facing the nation, as “These are very dangerous times for America…We are leading from behind, and that’s why these things are happening. You cannot lead from behind. Someone has to lead.” The biggest threat, McInerney said, was radical Islam, and the general said the onus for “cleaning house” had to be on the Muslim community. McInerney said American leaders were afraid of offending Muslims, and said radicals had hidden behind their religion. Earning applause from the audience, he compared Islam to Nazis, Fascism and Communism, asserting: “Political correctness is killing us. It is a global war against radical Islam. Let’s call it what it is … Islam is not a religion of peace.” McInerney said his strong feelings had been developed since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/fox-news-military-analyst-compares-islam-to-nazism-fascism-and-communism/ #more-36645, retrieved on 17.09.2014

5. Canada: Anti-Muslim Vandals Strike Fort Saskatchewan [Alberta] Prayer Room – Members of Fort Saskatchewan’s Muslim community were once again cleaning up after a home that they use for prayer was vandalized with anti-Islam insults twice in the beginning of September 2014. Waseem Akhtar, living in the home, awoke to the sounds of something striking the side of the building early morning of 15 September. When he went outside to look, he found his home had been pelted with eggs; many of the bits of eggshells spread across his lawn had anti-Muslim insults written on them in marker.

Less than a week earlier, on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks in New York, vandals spray-painted a red cross on the side of Akhtar’s home.

3 Muslim organizations in Canada say they’d noticed a spike in reports of anti-Islam sentiment in recent weeks before the aforementioned incidents. A week earlier, a Calgary claimed he was struck by a vehicle while walking to Friday prayer. He said the woman who was driving the vehicle shouted ethnic slurs and called him a terrorist. Amy Awad, human rights coordinator for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said the recent spike in incidents was likely due to increased attention on ISIS militants in Iraq, asserting: “The more people see negative stories about people who appear to be Muslim, the more suspicious they might become…And that can feels of hatred…and hate incidents like these ones.” In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/anti-muslim-vandals-strike-fort-saskatchewan-prayer-room/#more-36649, retrieved on 17.09.2014

6. US: Oklahoma: Republican Politician Says Islam Is ‘A Cancer in Our Nation that Needs to be Cut Out’ – State Rep. John Bennett, R-Sallisaw, meeting in the night of 15 September with about 85 constituents at a Republican gathering at Western Sizzlin’, did not back down from statements he made earlier this month that were critical of Islam. Bennett has been at the center of a political maelstrom that has gained national attention since he published comments on social media warning people to be wary of Muslim Americans and then refused to apologize in the face of mounting criticism.

Asked before the meeting whether he planned to apologize for his comments, Bennett said, “No. Because I’m right, and they know I’m right. CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) used political pressure to make me back down, but I didn’t and I’m not going to,” he said to a standing ovation. Bennett, who served in the U.S. Marines in Iraq and , said he had heard from people all over the world supporting his position.

In a lengthy presentation that included videos made within U.S. mosques, Bennett outlined a history of the Islamic faith and his views that Islam was a sociopolitical movement intent upon destruction of Western civilization and world domination, adding: “Their goal is the destruction of Western civilization from within. This is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out. The media is playing right into their hands. We need to share his (’) story, love others and stand for freedom,” he said to loud applause. I love each and every one of them, but I’m not going to stand back and let them push Islam into our nation.” In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/oklahoma-republican-politician-says-islam-is-a-cancer-in-our-nation-that-needs-to-be-cut- out/#more-36638, retrieved on 17.09.2014

7. US: NYPD: Hate Crimes against Muslims, Jews up Due to Unrest Overseas – According to the New York City police department, suspected hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim people were up following unrest overseas. Deputy Chief Michael Osgood said on 17 September there has especially been an increase since 1st July 2014, when reports about unrest in Gaza and the group became front-page news. There had been 17 reported attacks against Muslims, up from seven in 2013. Fourteen of the attacks on Muslims occurred after 1st July 2014.

The incidents were not from any organized group, Osgood said. They were random and impulsive acts by “street thugs,” he said. Here’s the breakdown, according to the NYPD: ▪ Hate crimes in general are up 17 percent over 2013. ▪ Anti-Semitic hate crimes are up 39 percent. ▪ Anti-Muslim hate crimes are up 143 percent. ▪ The increase jumped after July 1 from eight crimes a month to about 18 crimes a month.

4 Osgood said they were seeing offenders caught in a grip of passion who would not have offended before. People who would have not reported a hate crime before are also now more inclined to report, Osgood said. Police Commissioner William Bratton said the authorities were watching very closely and aggressively. He said it was important to note that the crimes were not an organized effort to strike a particular religious group or race. In: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/09/17/nypd-hate-crimes-against-muslims-jews-up-due-to-unrest-overseas/, retrieved on 18.09.2014

I.II. In Europe:

1. French Muslim Minister Wants Respect After Slurs – France’s new Muslim education minister called for more respect on 03 September after becoming the target of slurs, while a top Socialist politician said a magazine should be convicted of inciting racial hatred for referring to her religion and ethnic background as a “provocation.” Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, a 36-year-old rising star in the Socialist Party, said she had been the target of racially-motivated verbal attacks over the last week of August 2014, including being branded “Ayatollah” by a conservative weekly. “I call for respect,” she told The in an email. “And I repeat in particular that racism is not an opinion, but a crime.” The Morocco-born Vallaud-Belkacem, who did not publicly speak about her religion, was seen as an easy target to attack the unpopular Socialist government led by President Francois Hollande. She is a young, Muslim woman in a political landscape made up mostly of white, Catholic men. She’s an outspoken defender of gender and racial equality, and supported a divisive law legalizing gay marriage last year. She also intervened in a national debate on the negative impact of halal meat, saying society should stop pointing the finger at Muslims.

One conservative politician referred to Vallaud-Belkacem as a “smiling Vietnamese Communist,” and a fake identity card has appeared on social media falsely claiming she changed her name from Claudine Dupont to a more ethnic- sounding one to get promoted.

A top Socialist Party official threatened legal action against Minute magazine, which in its latest edition calls her religious and ethnic background a “provocation.” The official, Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, said the magazine should be convicted of inciting racial hatred. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/french-muslim-minister-wants-respect-after-slurs/#more-36186, retrieved on 04.09.2014

2. Germany: Two Mosques Attacked in Germany’s Lower Saxony – Two Turkish mosques in Germany’s Lower Saxony state come under attack by unknown assailants. Police said that the molotov cocktail attack on the Haci Bayram mosque in Oldenburg in the last weekend of August 2014 was an attempt of arson. German authorities begun an investigation into the attack on the mosque, which was bound to the Turkish Religious Affairs department and served as an official Turkish diplomatic mission for Turkish citizens abroad. 5 Another attack on a Turkish mosque, again bound to the Turkish Religious Affairs department, took place in the city of Mölln. This was the second attack on the mosque in two weeks. There had been five attacks in mosques around Germany during the month of August 2014, four of which involved attempts of arson. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/two-mosques-attacked-in-germanys-lower-saxony/#more-36237, retrieved on 06.09.2014

3. Russian Agents Raiding Homes of Muslims in Crimea – The homes of Muslims in Crimea had been repeatedly searched by Russian agents for banned literature. On 5 September, agents raided the houses of members of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis (Parliament) Mustafa Salman and Dilyaver Hayreddinov in Nizhnegorsk Rayon. Crimean Tatar national movement activist Zair Smedlyaev said: “The searches were conducted by police officers, it is unclear, why in Nizhnegorsk Rayon exactly. They are searching for banned literature.”

Eye-witnesses said police searched for arms while Mustafa Salman and his two sons were deployed to the local police department, journalist Shevket Namatullaev wrote in Facebook. This was not the first case of such searches in Crimea. Previously, Russian Federal Security Service officers searched Crimean madrassas (religious schools) for banned literature. Three madrasas were searched during 13 August, ahead of Russia’s Federal List of Extremist Materials law that would come into force in 2015 that banned a number of popular Islamic books.

The law would ban a number of Islamic religious books that under Ukrainian law were deemed legal. The Federal List of Extremist Materials was compiled by the Russian Ministry of Justice on 14 July 2014 and contained 1,058 items as of 25 December 2011. Producing, storing or distributing the materials on the list had become an offense in Russia. Some Islamic books that were banned included the work of popular 20th century Turkish scholar Said Nursi and the famous ‘Fortress of the Muslim’ book of supplications of the Prophet , which was collected by ancient Muslim scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf Al-Qahtani. A certain biography of the Prophet Muhammad was also banned. In: http://www.worldbulletin.net/muslim-world/143844/russian-agents-raiding-homes-of-muslims-in-crimea, retrieved on 08.09.2014

4. British Lord: US Should Ban Portions of Koran, Jail Anyone Who Reads Them Aloud – Britain’s Lord Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, a politician and globe- trotting climate-change denier, called upon the United States to outlaw certain parts of the Islamic holy book the Koran and to make reading them aloud illegal.

Right Wing Watch reported on Monckton’s latest column for conspiracy website and “Birther” hub World Net Daily, in which the former advisor to England’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher urged the U.S. Congress to outlaw passages of the Koran as incitement to murder. Monckton falsely claimed, omitting acts of terror by U.S. right-wing militia and the ongoing campaign of brutal violence being waged by Mexican drug cartels: “Nearly all acts of terrorism perpetrated throughout the world in the past quarter of a century were carried out by Muslims in the name of Allah”. Then he asked: “Why?...One does not need to look any further than their “holy” book, the [Koran]. Craven public authorities have failed to act against the circulation of the [Koran] in its present form because they fear a violent backlash.”

But, he said, anti-Islamists should not shrink from banning the portions of the Koran that call for violence against nonbelievers. The rights of free speech, he said, were outweighed by the need to stop incitement, proposing: “A bill should be brought before Congress identifying all passages in the

6 [Koran] which, whether in isolation or taken together, constitute incitement to murder.” He went on, “The bill should specify that anyone who reads any of these passages out loud is to be charged with that crime and, if convicted, subjected to the usual penalty for it –- a long prison term.” Censoring these passages of the Koran, he theorized, would neutralize the book’s radicalizing effects on young Muslims. In: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/british-lord-us-should-ban-portions-of--jail-anyone-who-reads-them-aloud/? utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20TheRawStory%20%28The%20Raw%20Story%29, retrieved on 17.09.2014

5. UK: Yorktown Islamic Community Center Vandalized; 3 Boys Charged – Three young boys were under arrest for vandalizing a place of worship in Yorktown. Police said they caused a lot of damage at the Hudson Valley Islamic Community Center in Mohegan Lake, including ripping up a Koran. The suspects allegedly ripped items off the bathroom wall, kicked in doors, wrote profanity on blackboards and, worst of all, desecrating the holy books by throwing them on the floor and stomping on them. One had more than 40 pages torn out. The suspects were charged with burglary, but not as a hate crime. In: http://7online.com/news/3-boys-charged-in-vandalizing-of-yorktown-islamic-community-center/314371/, retrieved on 19.09.2014

6. UK: Islamophobia gets stronger by the day – Remona Aly, whose brother Shaizir arrived at his home in south east recently to find this notice sticky-taped to his front door, had a comment piece at reflecting on the rising tide of Islamophobia in the UK. Aly pointed out that, while spikes in anti-Muslim hate crime followed events such as Lee Rigby’s murder, the Rotherham abuse scandal and the killings by ISIS, there was “a low-level, simmering current of anti-Muslim hatred regardless”. Aly related the experiences of British Muslims she knew who had been spat at, had bottles thrown at them, been threatened by skinheads, accused of being terrorists, and told “you’re disgusting, go back to your own country”.

She wrote: “Horrific crimes carried out in the name of religion are as much anathema to the average Muslim Briton as they are to any Briton. An additional burden for us, however, is the warped assumption that British Muslims are somehow to blame for the actions of murderers. The notion that Muslims should feel some form of collective guilt and be collectively punished is a reprehensible one, but it seems to be evident into an increasing number of people’s attitudes.” Aly argued that repeated demand for Muslims to “apologise for crimes they played no part in”, such as the horrific murder of David Haines, “is irrational and entirely unhelpful, and in itself constitutes a form of everyday Islamophobia”. She also takes a welcome swipe at the appalling Hazel Blears, who had arrogantly called for “more integration” by British Muslims. As Aly pointed out: “integration is not the issue here. It is bigotry and prejudice and a language exclusive to the far right.” Aly concluded: “I still firmly believe Britain is leading the way in Europe in its religious tolerance and inclusivity. But this could easily change. Now is not the time to get complacent about a prejudice that seems to get stronger by the day.” In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/islamophobia-gets-stronger-by-the-day/#more-36766, retrieved on 20.09.2014

7 8. UK: Photographer ‘Horrified’ over Claims Britain First Used Picture of First Afghan Policewoman Killed by for ‘Ban the Burka’ Campaign – A photographer had described her horror after being alerted to a picture she said she took of Afghanistan’s first female police officer being used to promote banning the burka by Britain First. Canadian Lana Slezic alleged that a picture she took of Lieutenant Colonel Malalai Kakar, who was shot dead by the Taliban in 2008, had been posted to Facebook without permission by Britain First.

She said she was alerted by various media outlets that the photo was being used in such a manner on 19 September. She claimed that the image of Lt.Col Kakar in a burka and holding a gun had been edited with a caption that read: “Terror attack level: severe – an attack is highly likely. For security reasons it’s now time to ban the .” Lt. Col. Kakar was a high profile policewoman who fought for women’s rights and against extremism and terrorism until she was assassinated on her way to work at a police station. Ms Slezic said her memory had been “desecrated” by Britain First and the Australian Palmer United senator Jacqui Lambie, who shared Britain First’s post on her Facebook wall.

She told the Australian Associated Press: “Here’s a woman whose life was taken by terrorists, extremists in the most horrific way…She died in front of her son, shot to death outside her home on her way to work. Everything she stood for, everything she fought for, for herself, her family, her daughters and future of her country, everything has been desecrated by how Jacqui Lambie and Britain First have used this photograph.”

The image was taken at Lt. Col. Kakar’s office in 2004 as part of a series showing her in different aspects of her life. Ms Slezic, living in Toronto, told Lt. Col. Kakar would be in uniform when she was in the office, but would be expected to wear the burka when she went outside. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/photographer-horrified-over-claims-britain-first-used-picture-of-first-afghan- policewoman-killed-by-taliban-for-ban-the-burka-campaign/#more-36844, retrieved on 22.09.2014

I.III. Rest of the World:

1. Australia: Another Hysterical Anti-Mosque Campaign in Australia – Gold Coast leaders said a radical anti-Islamic “redneck movement” was damaging the city’s reputation and putting its $4.2 billion tourism industry at risk. State Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey on 10 September night black-listed the public outpouring against the background of an application to build a mosque in Currumbin, and said: “I am deeply disappointed by this because this [protest] does not represent the people of the Gold Coast or the people of my electorate and are is not helping anyone’s cause.”

8 More than 100 people on the same day attended the heated protest at Evandale, where the city’s planning committee recommended approving the application to build the mosque. Placards from the protest decrying law and invoking images of the beheading of US journalists in Iraq by members of Islamic State were beamed worldwide. The banners included: “Super mosque today, Sharia Law and ISIS tomorrow, beheadings the next”; “Team Australia Vs Team Terror: Aussies rule” and “burqua (sic) or bikinis – you decide”. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/another-hysterical-anti-mosque-campaign-in-australia/#more-36465, retrieved on 12.09.2014

2. Australia: Logan Mosque Targeted With Anti-Muslim Pamphlets, Sparking Fears of Violence – Muslim leaders in south-east Queensland said they were being targeted by an increase in hate crimes, following an increase in the terror threat level and the arrests of two people allegedly linked with fighting in Syria.

Logan mosque spokesman Ali Kabri said that overnight on 13 September, someone left pamphlets outside the mosque filled with abusive language and photographs, saying Australian Muslims were not welcome in the country. Few days before officials also discovered a photo of Mecca and a photo of a pig’s head close by. It followed an incident two months earlier when body parts of a pig were found outside the mosque. The pamphlets have been reported to police. In: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-14/logan-mosque-targetted-by-anti- muslim-phamplets/5742726 & http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/queensland- mosque-targeted-in-anti-muslim-hate-crimes/#more-36523, retrieved on 15.09.2014

3. Australia: Rise Up Australia Campaign Launch Told Islam is A ‘Death Cult’ – Maverick MP Geoff Shaw and UK climate sceptic Lord Christopher Monckton are expected to join forces and attend a campaign meeting for a hard-right Christian party. Rise Up Australia’s firebrand leader Danny Nalliah said he recently spoke to Mr Shaw and the balance-of-power MP would attend a party meeting in Frankston. It came as the anti-Islam party and the independent MP worked to strike a preference deal ahead of November 2014’s state election.

On 15 September, Mr Nalliah launched the party’s Victorian election campaign, declaring that Islam was a “death cult”.

9

The flag-waving gathering at St Kilda town hall attracted an ethnically diverse crowd of about 100, with supporters from India, China, Hungary and Malaysia united by their fear of Islam. There was lots of rising up – for prayers, rounds of applause and the singing of the national anthem. Australian flags swayed as the crowd sang the party’s theme song. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/rise-up-australia- campaign-launch-told-islam-is-a-death-cult/#more-36582, retrieved on 16.09.2014

4. Australia: ‘Evil’ Painted On Queensland Mosque – Vandals spray-painted the word “Evil” across a far north Queensland mosque – an act the local mayor described as deeply saddening. Worshippers arrived at the mosque in Mareeba, inland from Cairns, in the morning of 19 September to find their place of worship defaced with the yellow paint.

Mayor Tom Gilmore told AAP the mosque had been part of the community since the 1950s. Mr Gilmore said he understood a series of anti-terrorism raids in Queensland and NSW had left people frightened, but targeting innocent people was not the answer. He said Mareeba’s Muslim community was highly respected, honest and hard-working and didn’t deserve to be connected to extremist groups. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/evil-painted-on-queensland- mosque/#more-36744, retrieved on 20.09.2014

5. Australia: Queensland’s Muslim Women Targeted amid Terrorism Hysteria – Despite pleas for calm from the Queensland Premier and senior police, Muslims – particularly women – had been targeted in a series of hate attacks. The Sunday Mail could reveal Muslim women were being singled out, including one victim who had coffee thrown in her face while she was stopped at traffic lights south of Brisbane. The woman said a man in a car pulled up beside her and callously doused her in coffee before driving off along Beenleigh Rd. “I was terrified,” she said. “I feel unsafe. I feel like a stranger in my own country.”

Other Muslim women had been abused and threatened, with one told to take off her headscarf – or – at West End by a man who wanted to burn it. The women did not want to be identified, and all believed they were “collateral damage” from recent police anti-terrorism raids which had fuelled fear and suspicion across the nation.

Sarah, 30, said she’d been waiting outside a shop in Logan Rd at Underwood with a 12-year-old girl when insults were hurled at her by a man riding past on a pushbike. “He yelled f— jihad, f— off, go back home you c— and continued to verbally abuse us,” she said. In the next 20 minutes she was abused twice by other men. “It’s quite frightening to hear such vile language and hatred. I was fearful,” she said. Stacey, 27, said she had copped offensive insults online. “I’m a seventh generation Australian,” she said. “My family are as Australian as you can get and I’m scared.”

10 The Brisbane attacks come after a Mareeba mosque had the word “Evil” painted on it and the Logan and Holland Park mosques were targeted in anti-Islamic incidents. Police Commissioner Ian Stewart urged victims to come forward. On 18 September night – just hours after homes were raided by police – Mr Stewart, Police Minister Jack Dempsey and Multicultural Affairs Minister Glen Elmes held talks with Brisbane’s Muslim community representatives to address their concerns about their safety and welfare. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/queenslands-muslim-women-targeted-amid-terrorism-hysteria/#more-36861, retrieved on 22.09.2014

6. Australia: We are the Ones being Terrorised, Australian Muslims Say – A car has been damaged and daubed with offensive comments, threatening letters have been sent and women have been abused in the street.

A backlash of hate crimes against the Muslim community after the police raids a week earlier had also sparked a rash of social media comments such as “this is how they should deal with them”, “behead them all”, “give them a taste of their own medicine for a change” and “we just need to blow up parramatta n bankstown”.

Anti-Muslim sentiment had been felt around Australia and people were reporting graffiti on mosques and attacks on homes. Threatening letters had been sent to businesses, bookshops and religious leaders with handwritten messages such as “we will fight you … terror for terror … blood for blood and … bomb for bomb”.

New South (NSW) Police Superintendent Mark Walton said officers would not “stand guard” outside mosques that received bomb threats, purportedly from the Australian Defence League. He said that, other than the letter from the league, there were no credible threats to security being investigated during Operation Hammerhead, a NSW operation to increase police visibility that was launched after terrorism raids on 18 September. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/we-are-the-ones-being-terrorised-australian-muslims-say/#more-36863, retrieved on 22.09.2014

11 7. Australia: Brisbane Mosque Vandalised with Anti-Muslim Graffiti – The words “die” and “Muslims are evil and have no respect for our ways” were spray-painted on the Indonesian community mosque at Rocklea. Muslim community leaders and police were alerted to the vandalism in the evening of 24 September. A police forensic team had begun an investigation.

It was the second Muslim prayer site in Queensland to be defaced in less than a week. A mosque at Mareeba in far north Queensland was vandalized on 20 September.

In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/brisbane- mosque-vandalised-with-anti-muslim-graffiti/#more-36971, retrieved on 25.09.2014

I.IV. On :

Dutch Researchers: Geert Wilders Misused Our Statistics-- Researchers from two separate institutes distanced themselves from the way Geert Wilders has used their reports to score politicial points about Dutch Muslims.

During 17 September debate on the government's 2015 spending plans, Wilders claimed that 73% of Dutch Muslims believed people travelling to fight in Syria were heroes. The research was published in May 2013 by bureau Motivaction. Senior researcher Ahmed Ait Moha told newspaper Trouw the figures were not only outdated, but refered to ousting Syrian leader Assad, not supported for the IS militias. Wilders also claimed three- quarters of Dutch Muslims support the introduction of sharia law in the . However, researcher Ruud Koopmans, told Trouw his focus was on rules outlined in the Koran not the interpretations of the Koran used to devise Sharia law. In: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/09/geert_wilders_misused_our_stat.php, retrieved on 22.9.2014 II. POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS:

II.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: 9/11 Families Sponsor Anti-Islamophobia Campaign for Anniversary of Tragedy; Study Claims Islamophobia Is on the Rise in US – The organization September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows launched a campaign against Islamophobia through a new bus ad promoting religious tolerance and interfaith unity in New York City. That came just after a poll conducted by

12 the Arab American Institute showing that Americans had an increasingly negative attitude toward Muslims in the United States.

Project Director Terry Greene, whose brother died aboard United Flight 93, told HuffPost: “We wanted to make a clear statement that our 9/11 family members do not want to promote fear and hatred in our names…We believe that unity and interfaith tolerance are the path forward to a more peaceful tomorrow.”

The group noted in their campaign: “By developing and advocating nonviolent options and actions in the pursuit of justice, we hope to break the cycles of violence engendered by war and terrorism. Acknowledging our common experience with all people affected by violence throughout the world, we work to create a safer and more peaceful world for everyone. Since 9/11 our families have despaired as hate crimes have been perpetrated against Muslims as well as Sikhs and others appearing to be of Middle Eastern descent. We stand united to firmly assert that this must end.” In: http://www.christianpost.com/news/9-11-families-sponsor-anti-islamophobia-campaign-for-anniversary-of-tragedy-study- claims-islamophobia-is-on-the-rise-in-us-126069/, retrieved on 10.09.2014

2. US: Ayaan Hirsi Ali Draws Criticism from Fellow Atheists at Yale – A campus appearance by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the outspoken Muslim-turned-atheist activist, was being challenged again, this time at Yale University where she was scheduled to speak in the night of 15 September. While her previous campus critics had included members of religious groups, especially Muslims, this time the critics included Ali’s fellow ex-Muslims and atheists. Members of Yale Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics posted on Facebook Friday (12 Sept.): “We do not believe Ayaan Hirsi Ali represents the totality of the ex-Muslim experience…Although we acknowledge the value of her story, we do not endorse her blanket statements on all Muslims and Islam.” Those statements include calling Islam “the new fascism” and “a destructive, nihilistic cult of death.” She has called for the closing of Muslim schools in the West, where she settled after immigrating from her native , and is a vocal advocate for the rights of women and girls in Islam. The students’ statement continued: “We believe Ayaan Hirsi Ali represents a sadly common voice in the atheist community that attacks and provokes, rather than contributes to constructive criticism or dialogue.”

Ali was to speak at the invitation of the William F. Buckley Jr. Program, a student organization that described itself as committed to diversity. Thirty-five other Yale groups had expressed concern over the invitation.

Reaction from the broader atheist community had been sharp. Commenting on the Yale students’ statement on Facebook, Gregory James, a Milwaukee atheist and humanist wrote: “I am ashamed to hear of this anti-intellectual and absurd position. I expect religiously motivated opposition to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I never expected such a statement from a Humanist group. Shame.”

Ali, 44, is best known in the atheist community for her 2007 memoir, “: My LIfe,” in which she described her own genital mutilation. She wrote the screenplay for “Submission,” the 2004 documentary about that led to the murder of its director, Theo van Gogh, by a Muslim extremist. Van Gogh’s murderer pinned a note to his body threatening to kill Ali as well. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/ayaan-hirsi-ali-draws-criticism-from-fellow-atheists-at-yale/#more-36599, retrieved on 16.09.2014

3. US: Actor Sues Google for ‘Muslim Innocence’ – A second actor has sued Google over “Muslim Innocence”, the trailer for the movie about the prophet Muhammad that sparked the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and other violent protests around the world. Gaylord Flynn of Riverside County sued YouTube’s parent company Google on 11 September in a

13 federal complaint of copyright infringement, fraud, unfair business practices, libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Flynn claimed he had no idea that he would be appearing in anti- Islamist propaganda piece when he signed on for what he thought was a desert adventure movie.

Suing Google only for copyright infringement, Flynn claimed that Google’s search engine still included results for torrent sites where users may download the trailer. The 9th Circuit in February 2014 ordered Google to remove the trailer from YouTube, after actress Cindy Lee Garcia filed a similar complaint back in 2012. “In this case, notwithstanding the fact that Google has been informed both by Ms. Garcia and by plaintiff that its platforms continue to direct consumers to torrent sites that contain infringing content, Google has failed to act,” the complaint states. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In: http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/09/15/71380.htm, retrieved on 17.09.2014

I.II. In Europe:

1. Austrian Far-Right Activist Convicted of Inciting hatred against Muslims – In mid-August 2014, an Austrian far-right activist, named by the Stoppt die Rechten website as Michael F., received a 5-month suspended prison sentence for incitement, as a result of anti-Muslim comments he had posted on the “JA!! zu: Österreich ohne Minarette!!!” (YES!! to Austria without Minarets!!!) Facebook page. These comments included references to “Muslim scum” and to “Muslims who live here at our expense and only breed like rats”.

Stoppt die Rechten pointed out that the “JA!! zu: Österreich ohne Minarette!!!” Facebook page had featured comments that were even more inflammatory than Michael F.’s , and noted that the admins had been urgently deleting them. It asked why the authorities had taken no action over this.

“JA!! zu: Österreic h ohne Minarette!!!” was launched in 2009 by Robert Faller, a founder and leader of the now reportedly defunct Nationale Volkspartei. In 2012 Faller was given a suspended 18-month sentence for breaching Austria’s constitutional ban on National Socialist activity. Despite its clear neo-Nazi links, his Facebook page had attracted over 16,000 likes, including from prominent members of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which claimed to be a mainstream political party with no connection to fascism. Earlier in 2014, the Heimat ohne Hass (Home without Hate) website published a list of these FPÖ politicians. They included party leader Heinz-Christian Strache. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/austrian-far-right-activist-convicted-of-inciting-hatred-against-muslims/#more-36170, retrieved on 04.09.2014

2. UK: Soapbox Tim Sumpter: My Experience is that Muslims Enrich, Rather than Threaten, Our Society – the following are his own words published in an article with the same title:

JUST after the brutal murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby last year, I spent an evening with a group of friends at a local pub.

14 The wide-ranging conversation turned to Islam and it soon became evident that there was a deep antipathy towards Islam in general and Muslims in particular following 9/11, 7/7 and other atrocities. I was concerned that although none of us sitting around that table knew any Muslims or had ever been in a mosque, most believed Islam to be a religion that promotes violence.

I decided I would do something practical in response to my own ignorance about this faith community. I contacted the Derby Multi-Faith Centre and explained to the director that I would like to be put in touch with a Muslim family in Derby who might be willing to meet me and help me to understand Islam and how their faith impacted upon their daily lives.

A few weeks later, I first met my new friend in his home in Derby. We spent more than an hour together chatting and he graciously listened to the back-story that had led me to our meeting. I was then invited to join his extended family for a meal. This was an occasion of prayer, informal conversation and laughter and I feel deeply privileged to have been invited to participate.

Since then, I've been able to explain to some of my friends just how compassionate, welcoming and peace-loving my friend and his family are, which, of course, will be true for the majority of Muslims both here in the UK and around the world. Many of them may be conservative in how they express their faith, but that most definitely should not be seen as a threat!

This July, I decided to keep a day's fast in Ramadan as a small way of standing alongside the local Muslim community, especially at a time when many feel ostracised at being seen as a threat to society. Indeed, one man told me how, while walking to work holding a bag, someone shouted from a passing car: "Is the bomb heavy!" I visited my friend's mosque (the first to be opened in Derby in 1965) to observe a prayer meeting, after which we broke our fast and had another meal with his family. I am looking forward to welcoming them all to my home in Ockbrook in the near future.

I feel that my life is being enriched through my developing friendship with this Muslim family and in understanding more about their faith. All the Muslims I have met so far have been welcoming, generous with their time, open to questions and peace-loving. I believe they bring enrichment to our society. I wish to do all I can to challenge the misunderstanding held by some that Muslims are, by their very nature, a threat to society. My experience shows that just isn't the case and I would encourage everyone to seek to get to know members of this faith community for themselves and so build some bridges of reconciliation, peace and hope. In: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Soapbox-Tim-Sumpter-experience-Muslims-enrich/story-22891992-detail/story.html, retrieved on 10.09.2014

3. UK: Man Charged with Spitting At Muslim Woman as She Walked through Bristol’s Cabot Circus – Police had charged a 26-year-old man with spitting at a Muslim woman as she walked through Cabot Circus. As previously reported, Hasina Khan was on her way to work when she was allegedly attacked at about 9am on 21 July 2014. Ms Khan said she had was spat on and verbally abused by a stranger who approached her as she walked through the shopping centre.

Avon and Somerset police arrested Jack Hughes, of Upton Road,

15 Southville. He was then been charged with racially- or religiously-aggravated common assault and was due to appear before Bristol magistrates on 13 November 2014. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/man-charged-with-spitting-at-muslim-woman-as-she-walked-through-bristols-cabot- circus/, retrieved on 25.09.2014

II.III. Rest of the World:

1. Philippines Offering Muslims Autonomous State – The president of the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines proposed on 10 September to give Muslims in the south the ability to run their own government under their own flag, part of a peace plan aimed at ending a four-decade rebellion that has killed 150,000 people. The draft law submitted by President Benigno Aquino III to Congress fleshed out a peace deal signed in March 2014 by the country’s largest Muslim insurgent group, the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The autonomous region in the southern island of Mindanao, to be called Bangsamoro, would get its own 60-member parliament that would wield exclusive power over such areas as agriculture, trade, tourism and education. Under the proposal, Islamic Shariah law would apply to Muslims in the region, but the country’s justice system would continue to apply to non-Muslims. The Moro group has renounced the terrorist acts of extremist groups, including the Islamic State, which seeks to impose a harsh version of Shariah law in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq. But at least three smaller Muslim rebel groups oppose the autonomy deal and have vowed to fight it.

The autonomous zone, which generally covers five provinces, would replace an existing one, seen as a dismal failure. The new plan grants much more autonomy to the region, and Aquino’s government also has promised to pour 17 billion pesos ($389 million) in special development funds over the next five years into the region, which has been stunted economically due to the conflict. In:http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/947040-philippines-offering-muslims-autonomous-state/?photo=2, retrieved on 11.09.2014

2. Australia: Abbott Urges Australia to Stay United with Muslim Community--Prime Minister urged Australians to stand alongside Muslim communities amid the fallout of the largest terror raids in Australian history.

Four men were arrested as part of the counter-terror raids, which saw more than 800 state and federal police officers carry out operations across a dozen Sydney suburbs on 18 September. The raids sparked a backlash from the Muslim community, prompting Mr Abbott to call for calm. He urged Australians to remember the raids were about crime, not religion. “The police actions yesterday were about crime,”… “They weren't about any particular religion or any particular community”, he said.

Speaking to Channel Seven and Nine on 19 September, Mr Abbott also addressed the protest against the raids. “The vast majority of Australian Muslims are absolutely first class Australians,” and he said he did not want to isolate the Muslim community. In: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/09/19/abbott-urges-australia-stay-united-muslim-community, retrieved on 22.09.2014

16 3. Myanmar: Myanmar Gives Citizenship to 209 Displaced Muslims, Including Rohingya— On September 22, Myanmar gave citizenship to 209 Muslims displaced by sectarian violence, after the first phase of a project aimed at determining the status of about a million Rohingya whose claims to nationality were rejected in the past.

The Rohingya Muslim minority lived under apartheid-like conditions in Rakhine State in the west, needing permission to move from their villages or from camps where almost 140,000 remain after being displaced in deadly clashes with ethnic Rakhine Buddhists in 2012. The government and many people in the predominantly Buddhist country refered to them as "Bengali", a term that implied they were illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although Rohingya families had lived in the area for generations. Some of the 209 who received citizenship were members of the Kaman Muslim minority, who were recognized by the government as indigenous to Myanmar, but there were also Rohingya. Many Rohingya were effectively stateless because they were not recognized as citizens by Myanmar or by neighboring Bangladesh. In: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/22/us-myanmar-rohingya-idUSKCN0HH1BZ20140922, retrieved on 24.09.2014

III. SITUATION OF MUSLIMS

III.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: Alaska to Get Its First Mosque – The U.S. state of Alaska was due to get its first mosque in the town of Anchorage. The small Muslim community in the town had for years been performing congregational prayers in a rented space in a shopping mall, but the growing number of Muslims in the area left them with no choice but to search for a bigger space. After years of fundraising, the four-year construction of the state’s first mosque was about to be completed by end of August 2014. The two-story mosque would cater for both men and women, and would also include classrooms, offices and a library for the benefit of local Muslims who had migrated from all over the world. Estimates for the number of Alaskan Muslims ranged from 1,000 to 5,000, about 0.5% of the state’s population. In: http://muslimvillage.com/2014/08/31/57365/us-alaska-get-first-mosque/, retrieved on 01.09.2014

2. US: N.Y. Mayor Blasts Anti-Islamic Ads on City Transit – New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio said on 19 September that an anti-Islamic ad campaign on the city’s buses was “outrageous, inflammatory and wrong”. The ads, which would appear on 100 New York City buses and two subway entrances a week after, had “no place in New York City, or anywhere,” he said in a statement to the Daily News.

The ads were paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative run by blogger Pamela Geller. She said the campaign highlighted points about Islam ignored by government and media. On its Indiegogo page, the campaign claimed to “tell truths about Islam and jihad that government and media ignore." "It's not islamophobia, its islamorealism”.

17

Transit officials had rejected an ad from the same group that included the phrase “Killing Jews”. The six approved ads showed an image of beheaded American journalist James Foley standing next to his killer. The ads were meant to parody the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ “My Jihad” campaign, which portrayed jihad as an individual, nonviolent struggle.

Blasio also said: “These hateful messages serve only to divide and stigmatize when we should be coming together as one city. While those behind these ads only display their irresponsible intolerance, the rest of us who may be forced to view them can take comfort in the knowledge that we share a better, loftier and nobler view of humanity.”

The American Freedom Defense Initiative was planning to sue the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), claiming its decision to nix the latter ad violated the group’s freedom of speech, reported. In: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.616806, retrieved 21.09.2014

Related: NYC Officials Denounce Anti-Islam Transit Ads – Elected officials and religious leaders from several faiths on 23 September denounced anti-Islamic ads that were to appear on New York City transit buses and subway stations. Six different ads would appear in the last week of September 2014 on some Manhattan subway entrances and a week later on 100 buses. Some of the ads depicted American journalist James Foley with his masked executioner in the moments before he was beheaded. Another was an image of a Muslim leader next to Adolf Hitler. The ads, which were to cost $100,000, were being bankrolled by a group led by blogger Pamela Gellar.

City Comptroller Scott Stringer said at a news conference held in front of City Hall: “We can reject hatred…This is the kind of hatred that we must have zero tolerance for.” The officials who rallied at City Hall suggested that even if there were legal grounds to run the ads, there were outweighed by moral concerns. “These ads have no place in New York City,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who was joined by several other councilmembers, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Public Advocate Letitia James and , executive director of the Arab American Association.

A 2012 federal court decision ruled that the MTA, which runs the region's mass transit system, must run so-called viewpoint ads. MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said: “Our hands are tied. A series of court rulings have made clear the MTA cannot refuse advertisements that meet our revised advertising standards.” The ads would run with a disclaimer saying that they did not represent the views of the MTA. One ad, which made reference to “killing Jews”, was rejected by the MTA on the grounds that it could incite violence. In: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nyc-officials-denounce-anti-islam-transit-ads-25708745, retrieved on 25.09.2014

III.II. In Europe:

18 1. French Muslims Denounce IS Atrocities, Hijacking of Islam – The Muslim Council in France, home to Europe’s largest Islamic minority, denounced the persecution of Middle East Christians on 9 September and said mosques across the country would pray for them in that week. In a joint statement with a Christian group, the Council (CFCM) said: “barbarians are perpetrating crimes against humanity” in the region “exploiting Islam as their banner”. The signatories reaffirm their support to their Middle Eastern Christian brothers, many of them Arabs, as well as for all other minorities in the region who are now victims of a destructive campaign by these terrorist groups that threaten their existence.

Several French Muslim groups had already condemned the harsh tactics of Islamic State, the radical movement that has declared a caliphate in Syria and Iraq, but this was the first time they got together with Christians to support the victims.

The Vatican and Christian leaders in Western countries have called on Muslims to speak out against Islamic State. Many had, but the decentralized nature of Islam meant these individual declarations often carried less weight than a joint effort. In: http://www.arabnews.com/middle-east/news/627561, retrieved on 11.09.2014

2. Germany: Local Muslims Invite All Faiths Today of Prayer against ISIS – More than 2,000 German mosques had invited Germans of all religions to join their Friday prayers to present a united front against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to try to dissuade young Muslims from travelling to fight with radical Islamists in Syria and Iraq. Germany’s four main Muslim groups announced their plan on 16 September in response to concerns that German Muslims were joining ISIS and returning home with radical ideas and combat experience, posing a domestic security threat.

The head of the Central Council of Muslims, Aiman Mazyek, told a news conference in Berlin: “We want to make clear terrorists and criminals do not speak in the name of Islam, they have trampled on the commandments of our religion, and that murderers and criminals have no place in our ranks, in our religion.” The groups were also organizing peace rallies across Germany on the same day which senior officials, including Interior Minister de Maiziere and Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit, were expected to attend. Authorities estimated 400 Germans had joined IS in Iraq and Syria. De Maiziere, announcing a ban on the group earlier, urged the country’s 4 million Muslims to be vigilant about IS recruitment, especially on the Internet. In: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/16/German-Muslims-invite-all-faiths-to-day-of-prayer-against- ISIS.html, retrieved on 18.09.2014

3. Austria Seeks Standardized Koran to Stem Islamic Extremism – Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said on 20 September that the Austrian government planned a bill to create a standardized German-language version of the Koran, in order to prevent extremists from misusing the holy Muslim text. The bill was needed because Austrians should know the Koran’s content, said Kurz. Additionally, he argued mainstream Muslims were suffering because terrorists and their sympathizers were acting upon incorrect interpretations.

He told public radio Oe1 that a standardized Koran version was to be selected by Austria’s Islamic Religious Community, adding: “We will be pushing for this vigorously.” The provision on the Koran would be part of a bill to update Austria’s Islam Law from 1912.

19 The Islamic Community’s spokeswoman, Carla Amina Baghajati, said on the same day that it was very difficult to define one correct Koran version, because words often had a wide range of meanings. However, it was in her organization’s interest to work on this issue. In: http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.616878, retrieved on 21.09.2014

4. UK: Young British Muslims Use #NotInMyName to Denounce ISIS – Young Muslim activists in the UK are using social media to add their voices to the fight-back against Islamic State (ISIS). In a campaign organized by London-based charity Active Change Foundation (ACF) in the wake of the murder of British aid worker David Haines and kidnapping of Alan Hemming, British Muslims had been using the #NotInMyName hashtag to denounce Islamic State on social media, and distance themselves and their religion from the militants.

The ACF released a YouTube video featuring a number of young Muslims condemning the actions of ISIS, holding up a placard bearing the hashtag #NotInMyName, and explaining why the extremist group that has captured large parts of Iraq and Syria does not represent them. By the time of this news item, the video had amassed almost 50,000 views. In the clip, one woman said that: “ISIS do not represent Islam or any Muslim”, while another says that “[ISIS militants] abuse hearts and minds”. The founder and CEO of the ACF, Hanif Qadir, added: “They show no compassion”. The short video also urged other Muslims to join the movement, which had so far amassed a considerable international response, with young Muslims around the world taking to Twitter and Instagram to voice their disgust of the actions of Islamic State. In: http://www.newsweek.com/young-british-muslims-use-notinmyname-denounce-isis-272254, retrieved on 24.09.2014

III.III. REST OF THE WORLD:

1. Canada: Anti-Terror Muslims Rally in Toronto Against Radical Islam – On 21 September, Muslims Facing Tomorrow held a public rally in Queen’s Park, Toronto, on the steps of the Legislature, “in Support for minority Christians and other religious communities in the Middle East and the .” Approximately 125 people turned out for this Muslim-initiated rally against “ISIS…and for the minority communities of Christians and non-Christians who have been brutally attacked, killed, or forcefully converted into Islam under pain of death.”

Speakers included Raheel Raza, President of the Council, Vice-President of Muslims Facing Tomorrow author Salim Mansur, the Honorable Federal Minister of State for Multi-Culturalism, and former Member of Parliament (MP), Tim Uppal. In addition, four other MPs spoke: MPs John Carmichael, Devinder Shory, Brad Butt, and Bernard Trottier. Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent a strong message of support.

20 In addition, Rev. Majed el Shafie, President and founder of One Free World International; Avi Benlolo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, Arshad Mahmood, Director, Progressive Muslims Institute, Canada, Peter Bhatti, Chairman, International Christian Voice, Christopher Khokhar, son of the late Shuja Khokhar and Chairman of International Christian Awaaz, and Tahir Aslam Gora, TV producer, editor, and founder of the Muslim Committee Against Anti-Semitism—all spoke as well.

In other words: Religious and non-religious Muslims, ex-Muslims, Muslim converts to , Christians--including Pakistani Christians, Sikhs, Jews, and secularists-- immigrants originally from Egypt, Pakistan, and India, to name only a few countries of origin, took a stand at this rally. In: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/09/22/Muslims-Rally-in-Toronto-Against-Radical-Islam, retrieved on 24.09.2014

2. Australia: Facebook page to 'track' religious hatred against Muslims—Members of Australia's Muslim community have set up a Facebook page to track religious hatred and discrimination. The page, Islamophobia Register Australia, encourages people to report any anti- Muslim sentiment they have experienced.

Since its creation on mid September, it's already attracted more than one thousand likes. In: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/09/22/facebook-page- track-religious-hatred-against-muslims, retrieved on 22.9.2014

IV. ON BURQAH AND VEIL RELATED ISSUES:

1. Ombudswoman’s defence of Hijab Sparks Heated Debate in the Czech Republic – Two young women from Somalia and Afghanistan who were studying at a Prague nursing school left the institution in 2013 after the headmistress refused to allow them to wear headscarves in class. While the headmistress claimed that the dispute was not about religious freedoms but about adhering to the rules of a given institution, Ombudswoman Anna Šabatová defended their right to do so: “It was indirect discrimination. The girls were, in effect, denied access to education. A school principal cannot use an internal regulation to decide if someone can cover their head with a scarf, which in this case happened to be a religious symbol.”

The Ombudswoman’s stand immediately sparked heated debate about whether students should be allowed to wear headscarves and other religious symbols. Radko Hokovský from the Prague- based European Values think tank argues that the Ombudswoman’s verdict does not reflect the broader situation in Europe: “The veil is not only a religious symbol. According to a verdict by the German Constitutional Court and other international institutions in Europe, including the European Court of Human Rights, it is also perceived as a form of exclusion within schools and also as discrimination against women.” Politicians from the Social Democratic Party and TOP 09 expressed sentiments along the same line, with President Miloš Zeman arguing that allowing women to wear headscarves would eventually lead to allowing as well.

A heated discussion about headscarves is also underway in the north Bohemian spa town of Teplice, where the locals complained about Muslim visitors being too noisy and not respecting local customs. The town was debating a plan to introduce a regulation that would ban women from covering their face in public.

Meanwhile, Czech human rights organizations were ringing alarm bells and warning against growing xenophobia among the Czech public.

21 In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/ombudswomans-defence-of-hijab-sparks-heated-debate-in-the-czech-republic/ #more-36208, retrieved on 02.09.2014

2. Spain Opens Door to Ban on Burqas – Spain’s interior minister Jorge Fernández Díaz on 3rd September said the Spanish government would consider including a ban on burqas as part of a packet of planned new security reforms. Speaking at a press conference, Díaz said that a ban on burqas could be included in the final version of Spain’s draft Citizen Security Law.

Díaz noted that the draft bill, yet to be passed in the country’s parliament, already included provisions banning people from hiding their faces in demonstrations. Now could be a “good moment” to look to obtain “a level of consensus” on this issue, the interior minister noted. Díaz stressed his department had no powers when it came to issues affecting the dignity of women, but could rule against the wearing of burqas and other full face veils on the grounds they made identification of people difficult. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/spain-opens-door-to-ban-on-burqas/#more-36250, retrieved on 05.09.2014

3. UK: Teacher Suspended over Alleged Comment about Muslim Student’s Headscarf – A teacher was suspended after she allegedly made a comment about a Muslim student’s headscarf. Parents complained to police and Bolton Council following the alleged incident at Sunning Hill Primary School, Daubhill, on 10 September. It was claimed a girl at the school was fidgeting with her headscarf and the teacher involved was heard to say: “If she was in my class I would chuck the scarf in the bin.” The woman was alleged to have made the comments about the traditional female Muslim head dress in earshot of several pupils. Bolton Council said the teacher had been suspended pending an investigation. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/teacher-suspended-over-alleged-comment-about-muslim-students-headscarf/, retrieved on 14.09.2014

4. UK: Camden School Bans Muslim Teenager from Taking A-levels because She Wears the Niqab--A Muslim teenager has been barred from starting her A-levels at one of London’s top state schools because she wears a full-face veil.

The 16-year-old, who has studied at Camden School for Girls for five years, decided to wear the traditional Islamic niqab to cover her hair and face when she returned this month to start in the sixth form. But the north London school is refusing to allow the girl to begin her A levels if she insists on wearing the veil. Although the school, whose alumni include campaigner Sarah Brown, the wife of former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and actress Emma Thompson, has no uniform, it says the niqab goes against an appearance policy. In: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/camden-school-bans-muslim-teenager- from-taking-alevels-because-she-wears-the-niqab-9750269.html, retrieved on 24.09.2014

5. Australia: Tony Abbott Dismisses Cory Bernardi Call for Burqa Ban— The call followed police raids across Brisbane and Sydney that resulted in 15 people being detained and the charging of one Sydney man with a serious terrorism-related offence. “Note burqa wearers in some of the houses raided this morning? This shroud of oppression and flag of fundamentalism is not right in Aust(ralia),” Senator Bernardi tweeted.

Senator Bernardi has been a frequent critic of the burqa

22 and the security and identification issues raised by the use of the garment worn by women in some Islamic traditions. However, the Prime Minister said Australians should not be concerned about what people wear. “This isn’t about peoples’ religion, it’s not about what people wear, it’s about potential terror attacks here in Australia and that’s what we’ve got to guard against,” Mr Abbott said. “We have got to guard against potential terror attacks here in Australia.”… “We shouldn’t fret about people’s faith. We should not fret about what people wear. We should guard against crime. We should protect ourselves against potential terror and that’s exactly what our police and security forces have done today”, PM Abbott added. In: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/for-australias-sake-we-need-to-ban-the-burqa-20100506- ubun.html, retrieved on 22.9.2014

V. ON DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS:

1. US: Multi-faith prayers organized for Nevada—In a remarkable interfaith gesture, Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Baha’i leaders gathered in Nevada Governor’s Mansion and prayed for the welfare of Nevada on its 150thAnniversary.

Organized by distinguished religious statesman Rajan Zed and Nevada 150, this Signature Event was presided over by Nevada Lieutenant Governor Brian K. Krolicki. Clergy and other leaders who prayed/spoke at this “Multi-faith Prayer Service” included Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno Vicar General Charles T. Durante, First Congregational Church of Reno Pastor Richard L. Smith, Northern Nevada Muslim Community President Sherif A. Elfass, Universal Society of Hinduism President Rajan Zed, Reno Buddhist Center Staff Priest Shelley L. Fisher, North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation & Temple Beth Or Rabbi ElizaBeth W. Beyer, Baha’i teacher Roya Galata, Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church Reno Presiding Priest Stephen R. Karcher, Carson City Stake President of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints David A. Haws and Sparks Mayor Geno R. Martini.

United States (US) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, US Senator Dean Heller and US Congressman Mark E. Amodei sent signed testimonials recognizing the Service. Heller’s Certificate read: “In honor and recognition of celebrating our States 150th Anniversary by coming together to build a foundation of culture appreciation that will last for generations to come”. Zed, in his welcome address, stressed the need of dialogue among religions for global harmony. In: http://www.spyghana.com/multi-faith-prayers-organized-nevada/, retrieved on 22.09.2014

2. Albania: Pope in Albania Urges Muslims to Condemn Extremism—Pope Francis called on 21 September for Muslims and all religious leaders to condemn Islamic extremists who "pervert" religion to justify violence, as he visited Albania and held up the Balkan nation as a model for interfaith harmony for the rest of the world. "To kill in the name of God is a grave sacrilege. To discriminate in the name of God is inhuman," Francis told representatives of Albania's Muslim, Orthodox and Catholic communities during a half-day visit to Tirana in which he recalled the brutal persecution people of all faiths suffered under

23 communism. "This is especially the case in these times in which authentic religious spirit is being perverted by extremist groups. Let no one consider themselves to be the armor of God while planning and carrying out acts of violence and oppression!" Francis said in the wood-paneled reception room of Tirana's presidential palace.

Addressing Muslim and other religious leaders at a Catholic university, Francis said religious intolerance was a "particularly insidious enemy" that was evident in many parts of the world today. "All believers must be particularly vigilant so that, in living out with conviction our religious and ethical code, we may always express the mystery we intend to honor," he said. "This means that all those forms which present a distorted use of religion must be firmly refuted as false since they are unworthy of God or humanity."

Francis has said it was legitimate to use force to stop the Islamic extremists, but that the international community should be consulted on how to do so. In August, the Vatican's office with relations with Muslims issued a strong statement condemning the Islamic State's atrocities and calling on religious leaders, particularly Muslims, to use their influence to stop them. The extremists' advance is of particular concern to the Vatican given the exodus of faithful from lands where Christian communities have existed for 2,000 years. In: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_REL_ALBANIA_POPE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT, retrieved on 22.9.2014

VI. GENERAL ISSUES:

Meet the Muslims who Sacrificed Themselves to Save Jews and Fight Nazis in World War II – Noor Inayat Khan led a very unusual life. She was born in 1914 to an Indian Sufi mystic of noble lineage and an American half-sister of Perry Baker, often credited with introducing yoga into America. As a child, she and her parents escaped the chaos of revolutionary Moscow in a carriage belonging to Tolstoy’s son. Raised in Paris in a mansion filled with her father’s students and devotees, Khan became a virtuoso of the harp and the veena, dressed in Western clothes, graduated from the Sorbonne and published a book of children’s tales — all before she was 25.

One year later, in May 1940, the Germans occupied Paris. Khan, her mother, and a younger brother and sister fled like millions of others, catching the last boat from Bordeaux to England, where she immediately joined the British war effort. In 1942, she was recruited by Churchill’s elite Special Operations Executive (SOE) to work in Paris as a wireless operator. Her clandestine efforts supported the French Underground as England prepared for the D-Day invasions. Among SOE agents, the wireless operator had the most dangerous job of all, because the occupation authorities were skilled at tracking their signals. The average survival time for a Resistance telegrapher in Paris was about six weeks.

Khan’s service continued from June 1943 until her capture and arrest by the Gestapo in October. Her amazing life and eventual murder in Germany’s Dachau prison camp in September 1944 are the focus of a PBS film I co-produced that is airing this week. In researching her story, I came across quite a number of other Muslims who bravely served the Allied cause — and sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice. History is rich with examples of their daring heroism and split-second decisions that helped defeat the Nazis.

24 Behic Erkin, the Turkish ambassador in Paris, provided citizenship papers and passports to thousands of Jews (many with only distant claims to Turkish connections) and arranged their evacuation by rail across Europe. One fateful day, Necdet Kent, the Turkish consul-general in Marseille, stymied the shipment of 80 Turkish Jews to Germany by forcing his way onto a train bearing them to their likely death and arranging for their return, unharmed, to France.

Abdol-Hossein Sardari used his position at the Iranian consulate in Paris to help thousands of Jews evade Nazi capture. Later dubbed the Iranian Schindler, he convinced the occupying Germans that Iranians were Aryans and that the Jews of Iran had been Iranian since the days of Cyrus the Great — and, therefore, should not be persecuted. Then he issued hundreds of Iranian passports to non-Iranian Jews and saved their lives.

Ahmed Somia, the Tunisian co-director of the French Muslim Hospital outside Paris, organized weapon caches, facilitated Resistance radio transmissions, treated wounded Resistance fighters, and helped save many downed U.S. and British pilots by hiding them in fake T.B. wards where Gestapo and French gendarmes feared to go.

Khan was posthumously decorated with the highest British and French civilian and military honors, but so were other Muslims, including standout heroes among the 2.5 million British Indian troops fighting Axis forces around the globe. In this largest volunteer army in recorded history, Muslims (roughly one-third of the force), like Hindus and Buddhists, played prominent roles. In a letter to President Roosevelt during the war, Churchill pointed out that Muslim soldiers were providing “the main army elements on which we [the British] must rely for the immediate fighting.” In 1944-45, the French Army of Africa, joined to de Gaulle’s Free French Forces, was expanded to 260,000 men, of whom 50 percent were North African, the great majority being Muslim, while another substantial group were Senegalese Muslim riflemen. These forces invaded Italy and helped liberate southern France. According to American historian Juan Cole, fighting these dark-skinned Africans in “Aryan” Europe, and losing to them, dismayed many German soldiers steeped in trumped-up theories of racial inferiority.

Eastern Europe offered more examples. In the Balkans, for instance, only 200 Jews lived in Albania before WWII. Yet by war’s end, almost 2,000 Jews lived in the country, because so many had fled Greece, Austria and other locations in Europe to take shelter there among the predominantly Muslim population, which hid and protected them.

As Cole wrote elsewhere, commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day: “While a few Muslims did support the Axis, out of resentment of Western colonialism and hopes that the rise of an alternative power center would aid their quest for independence, they were tiny in their numbers compared to the Muslims who not just supported the Allies… but actively fought on their behalf.” One of the jobs of documentary film is to rescue stories that fall out of the history books. Khan’s account, and others like it, seems at odds with the history of the modern Middle East, whose combatants — whether Arab, Turkish, Iranian or Israeli — may want for their own reasons to bury stories about Muslim-Jewish collaboration. But these tales should be remembered and honored. It is my sincere hope that with the story of Noor Inayat Khan, we have done just that. In: http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/09/08/meet-the-muslims-who-sacrificed-themselves-to-save-jews- and-fight-nazis-in-world-war-ii/, retrieved on 24.9.2014 Compiled by: Dr. Dodik Ariyanto Culture & Social Affairs Department Email: [email protected] Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Secretary of the Observatory

25 Culture & Social Affairs Department Email: [email protected]

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