Cultural & social affairs Department

OIC islamophobia Observatory

Monthly Bulletin – December 2014

I. MANIFESTATIONS OF ISLAMOPHOBIA:

I.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: FBI investigates man for hate crime after teen killed outside mosque–A sophomore at Staley High School was killed on 4 December after police said he was purposely hit by an SUV. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said they were working in conjunction with the Kansas City and Police Department to investigate any possible Federal Civil Rights violations and the potential of a hate crime.

Police said 15-year-old Abdisamad Sheikh- Hussein had just walked out of the Somali Center of Kansas City at Admiral Boulevard and Lydia Avenue on that day at 5:23 p.m. He was standing outside a Toyota about to get in when a driver in an SUV appeared to have intentionally swerved towards the teen.

Community members said they recognized the SUV as the one covered in anti-Quran graffiti, driven by a man who had since been banned from Somali markets and restaurants for his rants against Muslims. They showed KCTV5 a photo they took two months before. The writing on the back window read, “Quran is a virus disease woreste than Ebola.” One community member said people did confront the man in that SUV back then and it turned violent. In: http://fox2now.com/2014/12/07/fbi-investigates-man-for-hate-crime-after-teen-killed-outside-mosque/, retrieved on 08.12.2014

2. US: St. Cloud mosque vandalized for 4th time in a month– Leaders of the Central Minnesota Islamic Center in St. Cloud were expressing fears for public safety after the mosque was vandalized for the fourth time in December.

Mosque spokesman Mohamoud Mohamed said: “No one was hurt when someone broke a window at the mosque on 15 December night…. In the past, vandals have thrown rocks and other objects at the mosque and dented windows.”

The St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said investigators did not have any solid proof that the incidents were connected, but he also did not believe that it was a coincidence. In: http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/12/18/mosque-vandalized-for-fourth-time, retrieved on 19.12.2014

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3. US: ‘Hate Crime’: Taxi Cab Driver Survives Brutal Attack–A 26-year-old man was arrested on 7 December after he called a taxi driver a ‘terrorist’ and beat him unconscious, causing the cab to drift out of control and strike several parked cars before slamming into an apartment building in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. Investigators labeled the attack a ‘hate crime’.

Adam Gaal, the 34-year-old cab driver, told police the incident began when he picked up three men and a woman in Belltown just before 2am at that day, and drove them to the 4200 block of 27th Avenue West. The suspect then gave Gaal his credit card to pay for the trip and apparently became angry at how long the transaction was taking.

Gaal told Seattle police that the man said to him: “You know where you are? You’re in America, this is not where you come from. You are an immigrant, this is not your country. You are terrorist. You are ISIS”.

The passenger, later identified as Jesse Fleming, then leaned across the seat and repeatedly punched Gaal in the face. Gaal lost consciousness and his foot slipped off the brake, causing the cab to roll downhill, stroke several cars and eventually came to a stop after crashing into the stairs of an apartment building. In: http://www.islamophobiatoday.com/2014/12/10/hate-crime-taxi-cab-driver-survives-brutal-attack/, retrieved on 09.12.2014

I.II. In Europe:

1. UK: Men fined £600 for threatening to ‘torch’ and ‘blow up’ Astley Bridge mosque on Facebook–Two men had been convicted of making Facebook threats to ‘torch’ and ‘blow up’ a proposed new mosque in Astley Bridge.

Leon Richmond, aged 18, wrote on the page that he would not be bothered if the mosque was built as he would ‘blow it up’ himself. A 23-year-old Darren Hubble posted: "Bolton people say no, Wigan says not a chance, I'll torch the place if I get half the chance".

The posts related to the plan to build a large new mosque building in Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge. The plans, submitted by Taiyabah Islamic Centre, included a dome, minaret tower and 19 classrooms. This had prompted protests by objectors in the lead-up to the planning meeting set up since July, and protestors shouted abuse at councillors as the proposals were approved.

Both men were fined £600 when they appeared before magistrates in Bolton on 3 December, as well as being ordered to pay £145 costs. In: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/crime/11647850.Men_fined___600_for_threatening_to__torch__and__blow_up__Astley_Bridge_mos que_on_Facebook/, retrieved on 06.12.2014

2. UK: ‘Bigot’ Eric King who was spared jail for Islam hate mail says he will continue to share his views online–A man branded a ‘vile, reprehensible bigot’ by police after sending offensive photographs and social media posts to an Islamic community centre near Truro, had been spared jail despite saying he would continue to share his views on Facebook.

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Eric King, aged 60, was handed a four-day-a-week curfew and a suspended sentence when he appeared before Truro magistrates on 16 December.

King, of St Austell, smeared dog excrement on images depicting the prophet Mohammed having intercourse with a pig and of a naked woman squatting on an Islamic State flag with the letters “IS” scrawled across her buttocks and posted them to Tipu Choudhury, general secretary of the Cornwall Islamic Community Centre at Carnon Downs.

At an earlier hearing, King admitted sending two indecent or grossly offensive messages to the centre via its Facebook page and sending an indecent or grossly offensive letter to Mr Choudhury.

Gail Hawkley, for the prosecution, said when King was arrested he told officers he was a member of the English Defence League and the British National Party. When asked if he would stop after he had been to court he said: “I shouldn’t think so…I was hoping that whoever saw the letter would kill themselves’”. In: http://www.westbriton.co.uk/8216-Bigot-8217-Eric-King-spared-jail-Islam-hate/story-25727197-detail/story.html, retrieved on 18.12.2014

3. Austria: Pig’s head hung on mosque door in Vienna– In a barbaric affront to Muslim sensibilities, part of a pig’s head and some pork tripe were attached to the door of a mosque in Vienna’s 21st district on 25 December. The imam of the Kocatepe mosque spoke to the Andadolu Press Agency about the incident, condemning the vandalism as an unacceptable act.

Fatih Karadas, the head of the Turkish Islamist Union in Vienna (ATIB), condemned the attack, by saying that “this is not an attack against Muslims but the whole of humanity. We, as Muslims, will preserve our calm and collective attitude.”

This was not the first incident of its type, as Austria’s Muslim community had suffered several times during 2014 of the similar hate crimes: Not long before, an Imam Hatip school in Vienna that focus on religious education was vandalized; During Ramadan in October, a pig’s head was left in front of the school’s door; In August, a pig’s head was impaled on a fence at a construction site for a new Islamic school; Another mosque called Eyup Sultan, located in the town of Telfs, was repeatedly vandalized with graffiti; Recently, an elderly Muslim woman was attacked in a bank, apparently the victim of a hate crime motivated by religious intolerance; In September 2014, a Muslim woman was attacked by another woman on a train, apparently because the former was wearing a headscarf; a month earlier two elderly Muslim ladies wearing headscarves were attacked in Favoritenstrabe. Police were reportedly slow to respond to these incidents. In: http://www.thelocal.at/20141227/pigs-head-nailed-to-mosque-door-in-vienna, retrieved on 28.12.2014

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4. Sweden: Five hurt in mosque arson attack–An arsonist set fire to a mosque in central Sweden on 25 December injuring five people, in the latest of a spate of attacks targeting Muslims. The mosque was located on the ground floor of a building in the city of Eskilstuna, some 90 kilometres west of Stockholm. Police said they were investigating the incident as a case of aggravated arson but had no suspects yet. In: http://www.thelocal.se/20141226/five-hurt-in-mosque-arson-attack, retrieved on 27 December 2014

5. UK: Anti-Muslim hate crimes on rise, says charity—The number of Muslim women reporting hate crime had risen by up to 10%, according to a UK charity. TELL MAMA, a British national project measuring anti-Muslim incidents, had told Sky News that over the last 18 months they had seen a 5-10% increase. The number of women wearing the niqab, the face veil, and reporting hate crime had also doubled since 2013.

Fiyaz Mughal, director of TELL MAMA, said it was not clear whether incidents were rising or reporting of the problem was getting better. He said: “Over the last two years our data has shown that women suffer more incidents of hate and they also suffer more aggressive incidents of hate.”

The research had also shown that Muslim women were subjected to verbal or physical attacks, mostly by men, on the street. The TELL MAMA project highlighted there was still ‘substantial under reporting’ by the Muslim community about hate crime. In: http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-on-rise-says-charity/, retrieved on 30 December 2014

5. Netherlands: Dutch Muslims concerned by mosque attacks—An unidentified man wearing a hoodie placed fireworks in the window of the Selimiye Mosque in Enschede, a city in the Netherlands, on 14 December. Few seconds after, the fireworks exploded, breaking the window.

More than one-third of the Netherlands’ 475 mosques had experienced at least one incident of vandalism, threatening letters, attempted arson, the placement of pigs' heads, or other aggressive actions since the past 10 years, according to research by Ineke van der Valk, author of the book Islamophobia and Discrimination.

The Kuba Mosque, in the city of Ijmuiden, said it has counted more than 40 incidents since its founding in 1993. Suleyman Celik, a board member of the Kuba Mosque, said: “Lines like 'go to hell, Muslims' on the wall, graffiti that contains Nazi symbols, pig heads on the doorstep, Molotov cocktails … A lot has happened.''

Van der Valk found the fact that attacks on mosques happen more frequently in small rather than large cities, adding that "many of these attacks appear to be a response to national or international events, such as a terrorist attack or Dutch jihadists leaving to Syria to join terrorist groups". In: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/12/dutch-muslims-concerned-mosque-attacks-20141226131025788306.html, retrieved on 27.12.2014

6. Germany: Mosque under construction attacked—A major investigation had been launched after a mosque under construction, named Suleymaniye mosque, in the suburb of Dormagen was attacked at early morning on 22 December.

A 500,000 Euro reward had been posted and police were reviewing security footage. Many people had come together to protest the event and show solidarity to Muslims in there. Dursun Pekdemir, the mosque representative, said that extreme right wing members wrote anti-Islamic slogans such as “long live Hitler, long live the NSI” and “Let Islam die in Germany” on the walls in 2012 when the construction first started. In: http://www.worldbulletin.net/world/151372/racists-attack-a-mosque-under-construction-in-germany, retrieved on 23.12.2014

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7. Germany: Four Germans Attack Muslim Woman—A Muslim woman had been verbally and physically attacked on mid-December by four German men, leaving her severely injured after she was hit by their car while crossing the street.

The woman was hit by a car from which four people, aged 20 to 22 years, came out and insulted the Muslim woman, a police statement cited by the Braunschweigter Zeitung. The police statement added: “The driver suddenly grabbed her by the collar of the jacket when surrounding witnesses shouted at them, assisted the women and the racists escaped by car”. The authorities were now looking for witnesses to the incident dubbed xenophobic act. In: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/europe/481011-four-germans-attack-muslim-woman.html, retrieved on 22.12.2014

I.III. Rest of the World:

1. Australia: Outrage after Aussie cafe declares ‘Sorry, no Muslims’— A Queensland cafe had come under fire for an anti-Muslim sign only a week after Australians appeared to unite against Islamophobia, when #illridewithyou went viral in support of the Muslim community following the Sydney siege.

The owner of Eagle’s Nest Bar and Grill in Longreach had refused to apologise for a sign that read "Sorry, no Muslims". The words came at the bottom of a sandwich sign which also said: "2000 years ago Jesus Christ made headlines turning water into wine...the tradition continues...We turn money into beer". Hundreds of people had vented on the cafe's Facebook page condemning the sign, calling for it to be taken down. Longreach mayor Joe Owens said the sign was something most people in his town didn't agree with and described the incident as a very unfortunate thing. In: http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/outrage-after-aussie-cafe-declares-sorry-no-muslims-6211042, retrieved on 25.12.2014

2. Australia: Anti-Islam Protest Takes Place near Sydney Hostage Site—A group of Australian residents organized an anti-Islam protest near the notorious Sydney café, where several people were taken hostage by an extremist on 19 December.

Four men gathered at Sydney’s Martin Place, shouting anti-Muslim slogan ‘Islam is evil’ and calling Muslims ‘murders’. A slogan on their banners said: "Muslim terrorists not wanted here - neither are their leftist supporters", while another said: “Tony Abbott - will you protect us from multiculturalism?"

The Sydney café siege took place on 15 December, when a gunman stormed a Lindt Chocolat Café and took 18 people hostage. The attacker, Man Haron Monis, was born in Iran, but had been granted an Australian citizenship as an asylum seeker. Monis was reported to have been inspired by radical ideology and became follower of the Islamic State. The hostage crisis claimed lives of three people, including the attacker. Four other café visitors and one police officer were injured. In: http://sputniknews.com/society/20141219/1016045730.html, retrieved on 20.12.2014

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I.IV. On Geert Wilders:

Anti-Islamification Geert Wilders to Face Prosecution—Months after a fiery speech, Dutch police had announced they would be prosecuting house of representatives member Geert Wilders for asking his voters whether they wanted to see fewer Moroccans or not in the Northern European country.

This was not the first time Wilders had been in trouble for making xenophobic comments, having narrowly avoided prosecution in 2011 after calling for a ban on the Koran. Nine months after he made the speech, the authorities decided to prosecute him again on the same charges.

There were protests against his comments by public, and the Dutch police received over 6,400 complaints. He would be charged with insulting a specific group based on race, and inciting discrimination and hatred. In: http://www.breitbart.com/london/2014/12/20/anti-islamification-geert-wilders-to-face-prosecution/, retrieved on 22.12.2014

II. POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS:

II.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: Kennesaw city council changes course; votes ‘yes’ on new mosque – Kennesaw city council voted yes to let the Suffa Dawat mosque temporarily move into a strip mall on Jiles Road, reversing a decision earlier in December to reject the mosque.

The same city council voted the measure down two weeks prior to approving it, saying there were issues like parking, traffic and zoning that all played a factor in the decision.

Attorney Doug Dillard said: "The city has approved as many as five other similar situations in the city of Kennesaw - churches - and they've denied this group….We want to be a part of the Kennesaw community. Muslims are part of the community in Kennesaw".

City council members originally shot down the proposal 4-1, but all four who voted ‘NO’ later told Mayor Mark Mathews they had a change of heart.

A handful of protestors opposing the mosque demonstrated outside city hall, saying council members caved in to fears of possible legal action. Dillard said they had gone above and beyond what was required of the law to get the clear sign. He and members of the Muslim group were hoping they would finally get the vote they had been looking for. In: http://www.wnem.com/story/27628152/kennesaw-city-council-to-vote-again-on-mosque#ixzz3NloxPBMv, retrieved on 17.12,2014

2. US: St. Cloud faith leaders support Muslim community after vandalism incidents at mosque — Religious leaders from the St. Cloud area were standing with the Muslim community after a mosque was damaged by vandals four times in one month. Faith leaders met on 21 December at the Central Minnesota Islamic Center to discuss the issue and see the damage.

St. Cloud police were still investigating and patrols had been increased. The vandalism had included broken windows on the center and vehicles. In one incident, a window was shot 10 times with a pellet gun.

The Rev. Randy Johnson, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church said that a small minority was causing the damage, and those voices did not speak for the community. In: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/286550491.html, retrieved on 23.12.2014

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I.II. In Europe:

1. Germany: Immigration is good, says Germany’s finance minister– Wolfgang Schaeuble, the German Finance minister, said that immigration was good for the country and politicians must explain better that everyone stands to gain from it, in response to the rise of a new movement opposing an influx of Muslim immigrants.

The number of asylum seekers in Germany had doubled in 2014 to around 200,000, and net immigration is at its highest level in two decades. Many Germans were concerned about the related costs and worry about refugees taking jobs.

The sudden emergence of grass-roots movement, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA), which the week before held a 17,500 people anti-immigrant rally in the eastern city of Dresden, had forced lawmakers to respond.

Schaeuble told Bild Online: "The world is more open and immigration helps everyone. Just as we used millions of refugees and expellees after World War Two to rebuild ….so we need immigration today". In: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11314472/Immigration-is-good-says-Germanys-finance-minister.html, retrieved on 28.12.2014

Related: German President Slams Anti-Islam Protests, Urges Tolerance in Xmas Speech—German President Joachim Gauck criticized the recent anti-Islam protests in Dresden which gathered a record number of 17,000 people in his Christmas message, Deutsche Welle reported on 24 December. "Where we can contribute to maintaining peace or alleviating suffering so that we can build a better future, then we should do everything in our power to do so," Deutsche Welle quoted Gauck as saying. The president added that he was encouraged by the fact that the great majority of Germany do not follow those who want to seal off the country.

Earlier on that day, the German Federal Foreign Office posted on Twitter that the country's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier also welcomed protests against the Pegida group, who opposed the ‘Islamization of the West’. In: http://sputniknews.com/europe/20141224/1016200124.html, retrieved on 25.12.2014

2. France: Prominent French journalist and TV personality fired for 'Islamophobia'—An often controversial figure in French media, Eric Zemmour had been fired from his position on a weekly talk show. The move followed comments Zemmour made about Muslims in France to an Italian newspaper.

Polarizing French journalist and writer, Eric Zemmour, had been sacked from his recurring gig on a French chat show for the iTELE Channel following remarks on mid- December widely seen as anti-Islamic.

Zemmour, an outspoken opponent of immigration despite his immigrant background, told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper that ‘Muslims kept to themselves in the suburbs,’ and that as a result of the spread of Muslim neighborhoods outside of cities, the ‘French were forced to move out’. The French journalists union SNJ lauded the move as a strong decision, an opinion shared by anti-racism watchdog SOS Racisme.

Zemmour was no stranger to controversy and pride himself on his provocative defiance of liberals, whom he considered over politically-correct. He was convicted of inciting racial hatred in 2011 for comments he made on French public TV asserting that human traffickers were mostly black or Arab, and that employers could rightly refuse to hire people of either background. In: http://www.dw.de/prominent-french-journalist-and-tv-personality-fired-for-islamophobia/a-18145516, retrieved on 23.12.014

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3. Netherlands: Dutch supreme court ruling sets limit to politicians’ free speech—A new ruling by the Dutch supreme court set limits on freedom of speech for politicians and had implications for the case against anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders, the NRC reported on 15 December.

The lower court had ruled that the statements were allowable under freedom of speech laws because they were made by a politician in the ‘context of a public debate of general importance’. However, the Supreme Court said that while politicians could shock or insult as part of public debate, they also had a responsibility ‘to prevent spreading pronouncements which conflict with the law and the principles of a democratic state’. In: http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/12/dutch-supreme-court-ruling-sets-limit-to-politicians-free-speech.php/, retrieved on 17.12.2014

II.III. Rest of the World:

1. Australia: Australian broadcaster ordered to pay $10,000 for racial vilification–Broadcaster Alan Jones had been ordered to pay Muslim community leader Keysar Trad $10,000, ending a nine year battle over a radio segment found to have stimulated listeners to hatred of Lebanese men. The Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Mr Trad’s complaint of racial vilification over the comments, which Jones described as being a letter from a listener, was substantiated.

The letter said Lebanese men “simply rape, pillage and plunder a nation that’s taken them in”. The radio segment followed a story on A Current Affair about a group of men, who Jones said ‘announced themselves as Lebanese Muslims’, gathering at Brighton-le-Sands and The Rocks.

The tribunal found that the opinions expressed in the letter were not relevant to any argument about the public interest. They said: “Jones used contemptuous and hateful language and the broadcast was gratuitously insulting and offensive to Lebanese males”.

Jones and Harbour Radio were ordered to pay the damages, along with some of Mr Trad’s legal costs. Harbour Radio was also ordered to review its policies in preventing racial vilification, if it hadn’t already done so. The case has been in and out of courts for years. Jones was first ordered to pay damages to Mr Trad in 2009, but the broadcaster launched two attempts to overturn that decision. In: http://www.arab-news.biz/islam/2014/12/30/australian-broadcaster-ordered-to-pay-10000-for-racial-vilification/, retrieved on 31.12.2014

2. Australia: Australians Suggest Chaperoning Muslims Fearing Backlash after Sydney Siege— Australians had suggested accompanying local Muslims to work in case they were afraid of being targeted on the streets after a Sydney cafe siege on 15 December. They were using the hashtag #illridewithyou on Twitter, offering to accompany Muslims wearing religious attire on commuter trains or buses, with drivers ready to offer people a ride in their cars.

The campaign on Twitter had been launched over the fears that anti-Muslim sentiments might spread after the Arabic writing ‘There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ was seen on a black flag pressed against the window of the Lindt cafe on the hostage day.

Several Muslim groups in the country had condemned self-proclaimed Iranian sheikh Man Haron Monis, who was responsible for the siege, in a statement describing the inscription on the flag as a "testimony of faith that has been misappropriated by misguided individuals". In: http://sputniknews.com/asia/20141215/1015875606.html, retrieved on 16.12.20145

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3. Australia: Sydney siege: Abbott refuses to blame Islam for Man Haron Monis's actions— Prime minister said hostage taker was a ‘deeply unstable person’ rather than representative of Islamic community, telling the ABC: “We don’t blame the pope for the IRA and we don’t blame the Catholics living next door for the folly and madness of some people who may claim Christian motivations.”

The prime minister was repeatedly asked by the ABC AM presenter Chris Uhlmann whether it was necessary to have a more ‘honest’ discussion with Islamic community leaders about the ‘significant minority’ in their community attracted to extremism. Abbott replied he had not heard anyone talking about the Sydney attack as some kind of justifiable response to something Australia might have done, and anyone who does even think that was dead wrong. He said: “Monis was a deeply unstable person with a long history of violence and mental illness … someone who was way beyond any mainstream … and who has been rightly repudiated by all the mainstream of Australia”. He added: “What I hope to see is a spirit of pluralism, a spirit of diversity … right around the Middle East people are coming to understand this ISIL death cult has declared war on everyone, it is not picking sides, it is attacking everyone…They claim to be acting in the name of God … but there is no serious religious leader who is defending this … and if you take the ISIL death cult in the Middle East it has been roundly condemned by leading Sunni scholars … there has been fatwa after fatwa pronounced against it.”

Abbott said the government would investigate why Monis was not on a security watchlist, because he had been of interest to security agencies and NSW police, had been found guilty of many serious crimes and was clearly a very unsavory individual. In: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2014/dec/17/sydney-siege-abbott-refuses-to-blame-islam-for-man-haron-moniss-actions, retrieved on 17.12.2014

4. Australia: A man arrested in Sydney for threatening calls to mosque—Australian police arrested a man for allegedly making threatening phone calls to a mosque in Sydney. The 30-year-old man allegedly made several threat calls to a mosque in Auburn in Sydney, the Sydney Morning Herald reported 17 December. He was arrested at a Dural home in Sydney`s north-west and later charged with threatening to destroy property, using a carriage service to threaten serious harm and offend. He was likely to appear before Parramatta Local Court on 21 January 2015. In: http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=284398, retrieved on 18.12.2014

III. SITUATION OF MUSLIMS

III.I. In the United States and Canada:

1. US: How local Muslims won the fight to build a worship center in St. Anthony [Chronicle excerpted from Ibrahim Hirsi], – In 2009, two mosques in Minneapolis decided to join forces to purchase a space and establish a large Islamic Center in the Twin Cities area in hopes of accommodating Minnesota’s growing Muslim population. After a long search and an ambitious fundraising campaign, in 2012 mosque leaders purchased the former Medtronic headquarters in St. Anthony, rebranding it as Abu Huraira Islamic Center.

Later that year, when mosque leaders sought a permit from the St. Anthony Village City Council, however, they encountered bitter resistance from local residents during a public hearing. Residents made it clear that they didn’t want to see an Islamic center in their community. One of testimonies said: “Islam is evil….There are no pluses at all in letting this mosque into our city.

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After the testimony, the St. Anthony City Council voted 4-1 against the proposal, explaining that the plans for the Islamic center were not compatible with light-industrial zoning of the St. Anthony Business Center, where the mosque would be located.

Lori Saroya, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota (CAIR-MN), was concern to hear the comments made publicly at the meeting about the mosque. But what more concerning was that in other mosque opposition cases, officials had been very clear, that out right bigotry would not be tolerated at a City Council meeting. Sheik Abdrerahman Haguf, co-founder and leader of Abu Huraira Islamic Center, echoed a similar sentiment about what had been said at the meeting.

Leaders of the Abu Huraira Islamic Center turned to CAIR-MN for legal support, and the organization asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate. The department then went on to find that the city violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, and U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger filed a federal lawsuit against the city of St. Anthony for refusing to allow a permit for Abu Huraira Islamic Center. The Islamic center initially wanted to solve the case through dialogue with the community and council members but it was refused.

U.S. attorney, city officials and Abu Huraira representatives announced on 16 December, a settlement agreement which ends the federal lawsuit. The agreement outlined that the Islamic center would use the rest of the building for light industrial use — which means 90 percent of the center would be rented out to businesses. There was also agreement that the center would not expand its worship space to the rest of the building and that it would not allow other religious organizations to use the facility. As part of the agreement, St. Anthony agreed to pay $200,000 in attorney fees for Abu Huraira Islamic Center. The city also agreed to train its employees in land use requirements of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, the law which the city allegedly violated.

The Minnesota Muslim community had been closely watching the case for the since 2012. For many, the rejection seemed motivated by a fear of Islam and Muslims, hence during the press conference on that day, Haguf tried to address those concerns by saying: “We understand that you may have some fear of Somali people, and Muslims. But I want to tell you, we came here 20 years ago seeking freedom, and safety. The same reasons your forefathers came here: safety and freedom, including religion.”

It was not only Muslim leaders applauding the deal. Steve Hunges, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, also praised the settlement, saying that religious freedom is a right all Americans must be able to exercise. Hunges said in a statement: “The Muslim community is an integral part of the diverse and democratic society in Minnesota and we stand in solidarity with them.” In: http://www.minnpost.com/community-sketchbook/2014/12/how-local-muslims-won-fight-build-worship-center-st-anthony, retrieved on 20.12.2014

2. US: US Muslims Advocate Jeans for Teens—Students of a Muslim academy in New Orleans had advocated a new community service project for the needy, urging people to donate new or gently used jeans for teens in homeless shelters. Niran Mousa, leader of the Follow the Sunnah program, told Nola.com on 9 December: "Islam does not require Muslims to only focus on Muslims….We are required to focus on all of society, to make sure that every one of our neighbors and children are taken care of.”

The Muslim academy, at 440 Realty Drive in Gretna, had launched its new project to offer help to needy teens in homeless shelters. Under the title, ‘Teens of Jeans’, the campaign started in partnership with Aeropostale and

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DoSomething.Org. The school's jeans drive is sponsored by the school's sixth grade Follow the Sunnah program.

According to members of the group, the students wanted to give back to the needy, following Prophet Mohammad's (peace be upon him) footsteps of giving back and doing good deeds to help others. In: http://www.onislam.net/english/news/americas/480683-us-muslims-advocate-jeans-for-teens.html, retrieved on 10.12.2014

3. US: Muslims unite at 13th MAS-ICNA in Chicago—First set up after the September 11 attacks, Muslims in America had come together for the 13th Muslim American Society (MAS) - Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) meeting in Chicago held at the McCormick Place Convention Centre, organised by MAS and ICNA and took place between 25-29 December. With Muslims attending from all corners of the globe, the event had activities, artistic performances, exhibitions, business meetings and a Quran reading contest and an exhibition.

The yearly meeting initially started with 500 attendees, with the 2014 year numbered at 15,000, and the main sponsor being the Turkish backed American Zakaat Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Halil Ibrahim Demir, and in a short time has achieved a strong backing and appreciation from the Muslim community in America. As the most attended stand of the exhibition, it collected a sponsorship of 550 orphans in 15 minutes. Attendees collected $600 per child bringing the total sponsorship amount to $330,000. In a statement, Demir said, “After the twin tower attacks in NYC, this pushed Muslims to be more confident and united them to act as one and so at the end of 2001, they came together forming ICNA. After 9/11, even innocent muslims who were targeted just for their belief felt the need to come together”.

With the fair bringing Muslims from different cultures and backgrounds, it was the first time a Turkish- American organization took part with the Turkish-American Will attending for the first time. Stating that they intended to participate at ICNA each year, the association officials said that, “We are part of the Muslim community in America. We must find common solutions to our shared problems. Here many of the Muslims were unaware of the Turkish-Armenian dispute and we have distributed brochures for them to be informed”. In: http://www.worldbulletin.net/todays-news/151984/muslims-unite-at-13th-mas-icna-in-chicago, retrieved on 02.01.2015

III.II. In Europe:

Russia: European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) accepts application for mosque from Russian Muslims—Muslims in Kaliningrad have fought for 20 long years in order to build their own mosque. With this in mind, Muslims had purchased and allocated land for this in 2009. Construction of the mosque began in 2010 but was suspected in December 2013. Kaliningrad Court made a decision claiming that the mosque land was located in a recreation area and of regional and cultural importance, and annulled the decision of land allocation.

The Russian Supreme Court rejected the appeal of the Russian Muslims. The local government demanded that the mosque, of which 80% had been built, be demolished. Muslims living in the city of Kaliningrad then made an application to the ECHR and the later then accepted the application after an assessment. In: http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/151983/echm-accepts-application-for-mosque-from-russian-muslims, retrieved on 01.01.2015

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III.III. Rest of The World:

1. India: In challenge to Modi, India Hindu group to convert Muslims, Christians– The head of India’s most powerful Hindu group vowed to press ahead with a campaign to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, stoking a sensitive debate that had stalled parliament and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic reform agenda.

Mohan Bhagwat of the rightwing Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, which is also the ideological wing of Modi’s party, said India is a “Hindu nation” where many Hindus have been forcibly converted to other religions. He said: “We will bring back those who have lost their way. They did not go on their own…..They were lured into leaving.” These comments came after Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party said it does not support forced religious conversions and called for an anticonversion law.

India’s 1.2 billion people were predominantly Hindus but there were also about 160 million Muslims and a small proportion of Christians. Modi was under fire for being slow to rein in hard-line affiliate groups that had been accused of promoting a Hindu-dominant agenda that includes luring Muslims and Christians to convert to Hinduism. In: http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/12/21/world/social-issues-world/challenge-modi-india-hindu-group-convert-muslims- christians/#.VKY3ASuUejA, retrieved on 22.12.014

2. Australia: For Australia’s Muslims, Relief is Shadowed by Fear—When television networks showed hostages being forced by a gunman to hold a flag with Arabic script against the window of a Sydney cafe, it was the first sign that their captor wanted to link his cause to Islam.

In the aftermath of the siege, which left the gunman and two captives dead, Australian Muslims said they were relieved that there had been no major backlash against them. But they said they were also fearful that the country was one attack away from reversing its integration efforts, as well as a growing but tenuous acceptance of Muslims.

Ben Zerouk, a Muslim computer specialist in Sydney, said he felt a piercing glare from a colleague. He said: “He looked at me like I had to explain myself....I walked back to my desk with my head down. I felt like I wanted to hide.”

Hisham Bouab, who managed a chain of restaurants and attended a mosque in the Sydney suburbs, began receiving calls from non-Muslim friends and colleagues while the siege was unfolding. Nancy Mourad, a cancer researcher at a government medical institute, said she felt guilty by association. She said: “I felt the need to apologize to everyone who looked at me — ‘sorry, sorry, sorry’ — for something I had no connection to,” she said.

Ms. Mourad, who wears a head scarf, said that as the siege continued into the night, she was jeered while playing in an indoor soccer tournament. “I heard people on the sidelines saying, ‘Kick her! Tackle her, take her down!” The next day, she continued, while she was on the way to her office Christmas party, an older man shouted at her on the train, “Bloody Muslims, go back to your country.” Muslim office workers, students and homemakers in Australia had said that many of their non-Muslim compatriots expected them to have answers about what happened. In: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/world/asia/sydney-siege-muslims.html?_r=0, retrieved on 19.12.2014

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3. South Africa: Christians invited to Open Mosque—In the spirit of Christmas and to encourage interfaith relations, leaders of the Open Mosque in Wynberg had invited Christians for a buffet lunch at the mosque. Calling it a ‘historic Christmas invitation’ to all followers of Christianity, the leaders said guests would be served a banquet of halaal food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The mosque’s founder, Dr Taj Hargey, said this event was following Prophet Muhammad’s example of welcoming Christians to stay and pray in his mosque in Madinah, where he housed 60 bishops during their travels in the Middle East.

Hargey said: “In an age of Boko Haram and Islamic State, it is an initiative in a bitterly fractured world where Islamic fundamentalists and religious fanatics have wilfully ignored the tolerant teachings of pristine Islam to engage in systematic oppression and brutal persecution of Christians in the Middle East, South Asia and elsewhere.”

Mosque spokeswoman Jamila Najar spoke of pioneered initiatives to reflect the true spirit of Islam. She said: “There is a strong emphasis on a Qur’an-centric faith, its unprecedented gender equality and unique non- sectarianism. The bold campaign by the Open Mosque to challenge this toxic manifestation of Islam is a small but significant step in generating peaceful co-existence and harmony between the followers of Jesus and Muhammad in South Africa.”

The mosque hosted the lunch on December 21 from 1pm until 5pm, serving traditional Cape Malay cuisine. There were music, talks and poetry, extolling the inherent commonality of the two great Abrahamic faiths. An extensive buffet meal in the mosque was prepared and served by Muslim volunteers as a token of esteem and respect for the adherents of Jesus. In: http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/christians-invited-to-open-mosque-1.1795537#.VKgzTSuUejA, retrieved on 26.12.2014

4. Singapore: New mosque at Jurong to be built with changes suggested by public by end-2016— Muslim worshippers living and working in Jurong might look forward to a new mosque, which was on track for completion by the end of 2016, despite changes to the design based on public feedback.

Construction of the $18 million Maarof Mosque, located along Jalan Bahar, began on 6 December with a ground-breaking ceremony officiated by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communication and Information and Minister in-charge of Muslim Affairs.

The four-storey mosque, capable to accommodate 4,500 worshippers, would cater to residents in Jurong West and Boon Lay estates, workers from Jurong Industrial Estate, Tuas and the planned Wenya Industrial Estate, as well as students from Nanyang Technological University and nearby schools. So far, worshippers in the area went to Assyakirin Mosque at Yung An Road or Almukminin Mosque at Jurong East Street 21.

The development of the new mosque was announced by Dr Yaacob in 2010, to cater to the growing Muslim population in the area and to ease overcrowding at the existing mosques. Through roadshows showcasing the mosque's proposed design in June and July 2014, the mosque's building committee, appointed in December 2013, garnered feedback from the Muslim community which would be incorporated into the final design. In: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/new-mosque-jurong-be-built-changes-suggested-public-end-, retrieved on 07.12.2014

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IV. ON BURQAH AND VEIL RELATED ISSUES:

1. UK: Sophie, Countess of Wessex, speaks out in support of Muslim women who choose to wear burqa—Sophie, Countess of Wessex, had spoken out in support of the burqa, arguing that fashion was a great way “to break down barriers and dispel the myths about Muslim women” who choose to wear the Islamic garb.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar magazine ahead of her 50th birthday, the countess said that under a burqa there was probably a woman wearing “something really quite fashionable,” the Daily Express reported.

The countess hosted an event at Windsor Castle, on behalf of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, where she met representatives from the Islamic Fashion Festival, allowing a number of designers to showcase their clothes. One of the goals, the countess said, was to try to use fashion to break down barriers and dispel the myths about Muslim women. She told Harper’s: “It’s very evident that Muslim women can be fashionable while also retaining their modesty”. In: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/30/sophie-countess-of-wessex-speaks-out-muslim-burka/#ixzz3NYprDdef, retrieved on 31.12.2014

2. US: Muslim Women Sue in US Courts for Right to Wear Islamic Garb on the Job (A legal discourse on Burqa ban in the US, excerpted from Dr. Phyllis Chesler) –The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning the rights of a woman to wear hijab, a headscarf, while working at Abercrombie and Fitch. This case began in 2008, in Tulsa, Oklahoma on behalf of then seventeen-year-old Samantha Elauf and is known as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission versus Abercrombie and Fitch Stores, Inc.

France banned the burqa (a head, face, and full body covering). To do so in a religion-neutral way, they banned “face masks” and all other religious insignia. France also banned hijab (a headscarf) in certain settings such as public schools for both staff and students and for those who “deliver public services.”

In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights upheld the French burqa ban. Other governments (Denmark, Germany, Turkey, Russia, China) have also banned the headscarf in school or in general. Even Turkey, although it has begun to force more children into religious schools where hijab is mandatory.

At least ten briefs have been submitted by religious and civil rights organizations, including the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the American Jewish Committee, the National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations aka the Muslim Brotherhood in America and the un-indicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation lawsuit. The issue is framed in this way:

Whether an employer can be liable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for refusing to hire an applicant or discharging an employee based on a ‘religious observance and practice’ only if the employer has actual knowledge that a religious accommodation was required and the employer’s actual knowledge resulted from direct, explicit notice from the applicant or employee.

Similar right to wear hijab cases have been brewing all across America for the last decade.

In 2004, the U.S. Justice Department supported a lawsuit brought on behalf of a sixth grade student in Oklahoma who wanted to wear hijab in her public school. That same year, the school reviewed their policy, amended their dress code, paid the student an undisclosed sum, and allowed her to attend classes wearing hijab.

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In 2006, in a small claims matter in Michigan, a Muslim woman, Ginnah Muhammed, refused to take off her face mask (niqab) while she testified. Judge Paul Paruk dismissed her case. Muhammed sued, and the ACLU backed her. They argued for a “religious exception” to courtroom attire. Although Muhammed’s small claims case was against a car rental agency, here is what Michael Steinberg, legal director of the ACLU of Michigan stated:

The Michigan Supreme Court should not slam the door of justice on a category of women just because of their religious belief…Under the proposed rule, women who are sexually assaulted do not have their day in court if they wear a veil mandated by their religion.

Sexual assault was not at issue nor was the victim afraid that testifying might lead to her death. Leave it to the ACLU to almost always get it wrong.

On June 17, 2009, the Michigan Supreme Court, in a 5-2 vote, ruled that a Judge had the power to “require witnesses to remove head or facial covering as (the witness) was testifying.”A Judge has the right to see a witness’s “facial expressions” to determine her “truthfulness”while she testifies.

Both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have gone to court in Florida (2012), California (2115), Michigan (2118), and Oklahoma (2118) to fight for a Muslim woman’s right to cover her hair or face—whether it is while being photographed for a driver’s license or for a police mug shot or while working at McDonald’s or at Abercrombie Kids.

In 2007, CAIR wrote a letter on behalf of a Muslim woman in Georgia who refused to remove her headscarf in order to enter a courtroom to plead “not guilty” to a traffic ticket.

Religious Muslims are outraged that Christians can wear crucifixes, nuns and priests can wear habits, Jews can wear skullcaps or wigs and head coverings, Sikhs can wear turbans, Hindus can wear veils and saris, but Muslims cannot wear hijab, burqas or niqab, which is a point. The face mask (niqab) and the burqa (ambulatory body bag) mask all five senses and make human interaction impossible. But what’s wrong with hijab (a head covering)?

Over the years, a number of religious Muslim women who are completely westernized, educated, modern, and certainly anti-Jihad have been interviewed. They cover their hair for religious, ethnic, and feminist reasons. It is a statement of ‘who they are’ and what they believe in. This sometimes includes a desire to publicly signify a belief in God and to separate themselves from a secular, promiscuous world in which women dress provocatively.

Religious people do not want the government telling them how to dress or limiting their religious practices. Many secular feminists have viewed Islamic “coverings” as either a Muslim woman’s religious right or as her culturally sanctioned expression of modesty. In addition, many progressives see the ban on the burqa (not to mention discrimination against hijab) as a form of “racial profiling,” or as “Islamophobic.”

Calling for an American ban on the burqa might be a violation of woman’s rights and a health hazard. Dr. Daniel Pipes is on record about the burqa being a national security risk. A head covering is more problematic. The Qu’ran mandates “modesty” for both men and women. Mullahs have interpreted the hadith as requiring women to cover their hair. However, some people fear that if America legally accepts hijab in the public square that doing so may represent the proverbial “nose of the camel.” Once the camel’s “nose” is permitted in the tent, soon enough, the demands for halal food, separate classes for boys and girls, separate swimming facilities, breaks for prayer, and the recognition of Muslim holidays in public, tax-funded public schools and in government employment may soon follow.

Some counter-terrorism experts fear that permitting what is Arab and Islamic clothing on the job, at school, in the United States at this time in history may not be the same as allowing a nun, a priest, a rabbi, or a religious Jew or Sikh to wear a head covering. Why? Because no other religious ideology calls for supremacy over infidels or for violent Jihad against infidels and against other Muslims who do not adopt extremist views. None of the other religions mentioned views the state and religion as one or views non-co-religionists as “kafirs,” infidels, whom Muslims are supposed to dominate, tax, persecute, and convert via the sword. Islam is also the only religion among

15 them in which believers are commanded to kill all those who leave the religion. In addition, since global Jihad is upon us, permitting head coverings at work may frighten or offend some customers and may not comport with the expected dress code on the job.

The Supreme Court will have to carefully balance the separation of religion and state; freedom of religion; the nature of public space and business bottom lines; and individual civil rights—over and against the meaning that the Islamic headscarf may have in such dangerous times. In: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2014/12/18/muslim-women-sue-in-us-courts-for-right-to-wear-islamic-garb-on-the-job/, retrieved on 19.12.2014

3. China: China Becomes Latest Nation to Impose Burqa Ban—China had just banned the burqa in the mainly Muslim province of Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi. The government had also banned Islamic head coverings and beards in an effort to contain restive Islamic fundamentalism (political Islam) from turning into a full-scale Jihad against the state.

Communism still view religion as the ‘opiate’ of the people and as having the dangerous power of dividing citizen’s loyalty between private faith and the state. Thus, China had controlled permitted religious practices– also jailed clerics, instituted bans, and restricted certain religious practices entirely. In neighboring Tibet, occupied by China, Buddhist monks, nuns, and former nuns had immolated themselves in protest to the brutal repression of their religion.

China was not known as a bastion of religious freedom or of other human rights. Although religious freedom was a constitutional right, nevertheless, Chinese government had been persecuting, outlawing, and limiting Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Falun Gong, and Taoist practices for many years. Islamic practice was similarly treated. There were anywhere from 21 to 50 million Muslims, mainly located in four northwest provinces of China: Ningxia, Quinghai, Gansu (where Hui/Han and some Uyghur Muslims live), and Xinjiang (where mainly ethnic Uyghur Muslims live). In: http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2014/12/15/china-becomes-latest-nation-to-impose-burqa-ban-in-muslim-western-capital/, retrieved on 16.12.2014

V. ON DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS:

1. US: Michigan Jews, Muslims volunteering on Christmas—Again, Jews and Muslims joined together as volunteers around metropolitan Detroit to help their Christian neighbors celebrate Christmas.

The Detroit News said about 1,000 Jewish and Muslim volunteers from a number of congregations collaborated on 25 December at Mitzvah (commandment) Day. The Michigan Muslim Community Council was coordinating volunteers from its communities.

Dr. Muzammil Ahmed said that support for the joint Christmas Day effort was growing among Muslims despite the terrible year for peace in the Middle East, which saw widespread destruction in the war between Israel and Gaza-based Hamas.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Metropolitan Detroit had sponsored Mitzvah Day for two decades, and Muslims had been joining in for the past six years. In: http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/michigan/2014/12/26/Michigan-Jews-Muslims-volunteering-on-Christmas.html, retieved on 27.12.2014

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2. US: Islamic Circle Of North America Launches Billboard Campaign In Dallas—A billboard had gone up since 15 December by the Dallas Zoo that reads “One Family – One Message.” It was part of a campaign, in English and Spanish, launched by the Islamic Circle of North America.

Riyaz Lareef, the organization’s Outreach Director, said: “As American Muslims, it is our religious and civic responsibility to present fellow citizens authentic information about Islam and Muslims, encourage healthy dialog and bring about a positive change in the society. Lareef added that the messages on the billboards were designed to illustrate the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The campaign also encouraged people to call a toll free number 1-877-WHY-ISLAM hotline or visit www.whyislam.org to learn about Islam and Muslims and ask questions about the religion. In: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2014/12/19/islamic-circle-of-north-america-launches-billboard-campaign-in-dallas/, retrieved on 20.12.2014

3. US: Faith leaders, law enforcement unite to recall 2010 arson at Corvallis mosque – More than four years after the arson fire that damaged the Salman Al-Farisi Mosque in Corvallis, religious leaders and law enforcement gathered once more on 17 December. They came together in solidarity; they spoke of growth and strength through an interfaith community. A dozen Muslims joined another dozen members of law enforcement, community leaders and religious leaders to show that they were one people, united against violent extremism.

Court Scharn, the supervisory special agent for the FBI said: “I think it’s important that we believe, and I know I personally believe, that those of us good will are in the majority.”

Back to the time of incident, more than 300 people gathered at the mosque on 1 December 2010, to speak of unity and peace — or to stand in the steady downpour that night in support of those ideals. One day after, Oregon State University students held a peace rally in front of the Memorial Union. Community members echoed the message of peace and celebrated the unification of faiths seen in Corvallis. In: http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/faiths-leaders-law-enforcement-unite-to-recall-arson-at-corvallis/article_50a1e331-3087-5210- b37a-2785f06d51ce.html, retrieved on 18.12.2014

4. Nigeria: 200 young Muslims protect Christians from attack—More than 200 Muslim youths were among those who protected Christians from attacks in the Nigerian city of Kaduna over Christmas, a local church official had confirmed.

According to Pastor Yohanna Buru of the Christ Evangelical Church in Kaduna, the interfaith initiative was the first of its kind in the city. He said that Muslims volunteered to protect his church in response to a series of suicide bombings and attacks on Christian places of worship by Islamist militant group Boko Haram. "I really appreciate their love and care," he said of the young Muslims, adding that it showed the possibility of lasting peace and harmony between those of different faiths. Buru also expressed a hope that the initiative would be taken up in other areas of Nigeria. In: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/nigeria.200.young.muslims.protect.christians.from.attack/45069.htm, retrieved on 30.12.2014

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5. Brazil: Lebanon's Dar al-Fatwa holds interfaith summit in Brazil—In the meeting held in Brazil at the invitation of Lebanon's Dar al-Fatwa, Christian and Muslim religious leaders underlined the need for unity against extremism and violence.

The meeting at the Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel Monday grouped Christian and Muslim religious leaders as well as Arab ambassadors representing the Arab League, Palestine, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Morocco, Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in addition to consuls from the U.S., UAE, Indonesia, Turkey, Jordan, Pakistan, Lebanon and Bahrain.

Security leaders also attended the meeting, held under the title “Christ in Islam.” University deans, heads of political parties, associations and clubs as well as other officials interested in the interfaith dialogue and a number of notables of the Lebanese and Arab community in Brazil also were present.

A statement released on 16 December by the office of Sheikh Mohammad Moghrabi, Dar al-Fatwa’s representative in Brazil, saying that head of the Orthodox Church in Brazil, Bishop Damaskinos Mansour, stressed on the importance for unity in the face of extremism and violence committed in the name of religion. Mansour highlighted the fact that Muslims and Christians have lived peacefully for hundreds of years.

Moghrabi shared his condemnation with Mansour, rejecting fighting, killing and destruction committed in the name of religion. He spoke of the significance and benefits of such meetings, stressing that Brazil is the model of coexistence and equality. He supported the peoples’ ‘call for change’ in peaceful ways and called on the world’s powerful countries to stop supplying militants of various groups with weapons, but rather address the causes of extremism and violence through dialogue. In: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Dec-16/281231-lebanons-dar-al-fatwa-holds-interfaith-summit-in- brazil.ashx#sthash.ytoNwaE1.dpuf, retrieved on 17.12.2014

6. Vatican: Pope Francis Hopes Turkey Trip Brings ‘Fruitful Dialogue’ Between Christians and Muslims—Pope Francis said on 3 December he prayed that his recent three-day trip to Turkey would promote fruitful dialogue between the country’s majority Muslims and Eastern Orthodox Christians. He said: “Religious belief has an important place in the life of this predominantly Muslim nation. In my visit to Ankara, I wished to stress the importance of ensuring its free exercise by all, and the need for Christians and Muslims to work together in promoting solidarity, peace and justice.”

Pope Francis spent one day in Ankara, followed by two in Istanbul, the nation's largest city. His speeches focused on the importance of inter-religious peace among Christians and Muslims and greater unity between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The pontiff’s trip came during a tumultuous time in the Middle East where hundreds of thousands of Christians in Syria and Iraq had been forced to flee due to threats from al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Many had sought refuge in Turkey. In: http://www.ibtimes.com/pope-francis-hopes-turkey-trip-brings-fruitful-dialogue-between-christians-muslims-1732659, retrieved on 04.12.2014

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7. The Abrahamic cousins: Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Excerpt from Alayna Ahmad [Aquila Style Magazine].

The three largest monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – are undoubtedly related. All claim their descent from the patriarch Ibrahim, who is referred to as Khaliilaan (An-Nisa’ 4:125), from which comes his title of Khalilullah, or ‘friend of Allah’. The ties and relationships between these three religions have become lost or distorted over time. However, they are all children of the same parent and are equally capable of creating a harmonious coexistence in the world, just as they did for a brief period in history in Moorish Spain.

The Genesis and the Qur’an confirm that Ibrahim had two sons called Ismail and Ishaq, born of two different mothers. God spoke to Hajar, the mother of Ismail, and informed her that He would ‘make him [Ismail] a great nation’. When Ismail had settled in Mecca, he laid down the first foundations of the Kaaba along with his brother Ishaq and father. In his biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Martin Lings writes this was a prelude to the birth of the Arab people and Islam. Simultaneously, he says, Ishaq in Canaan would give birth to the Jewish nation.

According to the Islamic tradition, Isa (Jesus) was the descendant of Ishaq through his mother Mariam. He was sent to Earth to preach the unity of God. However, in the Christian tradition, Jesus was the Son of God who preached the Kingdom of Heaven. It is interesting to note that some earlier Christians also viewed Jesus as the messenger of God. It was not until the Council of Nicaea in 325AD that the concept of ‘Unity’ became a ‘Trinity’.

The Prophets of the Genesis are generally shared between all Abrahamic faiths, although the story of these prophets may vary slightly according to traditions. Nevertheless, together with their cousins the Jews and Christians, Muslims share the same histories leading back to the creation of Adam. The Qur’an refers to the followers of Judaism and Christianity as Ahl al-Kitab, or people of the book.

They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer]. – ‘Ali ‘Imran 3:113

There is much evidence in the Qur’an to promote a peaceful coexistence amongst these followers. For example:

Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabaeans [before Prophet Muhammad] – those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness – will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve – Al-Baqarah 2:62

This verse implies that their good deeds and belief in God and Judgement Day are enough to grant them reward.

The God of Ismail has bestowed upon this world three gifts, brought down by angels at their Lord’s command. The first is the Torah which was given to Moses. The second are the Psalms given to David and the Gospels to Jesus. The third and last is the Qur’an – the final chapter revealed to Muhammad. In my opinion, the Qur’an cannot be understood completely unless we study further its counterparts – a belief which is confirmed in the Qur’an: ‘He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.’ (‘Ali ‘Imran 3:3)

There are many traditions, practices and sentiments which unite the Abrahamic faiths. All hold a significance to the city of Jerusalem and believe that humans are the best of God’s creation on Earth. The Jewish and Islamic communities both eat ritually slaughtered meat, prohibit idolatry, grant equal status to women, perform male circumcision and agree on the tablet which was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, amongst many other issues. The Christian and Muslim communities believe in the miracles performed by Jesus, refer to Jesus 19 as the spirit of God, believe in the concept of charity, Judgement Day, the return of Jesus near the End Times, heaven and hell, and angels and prophets of the Old Testament.

Not only are these faiths linked biologically through their patriarch Ibrahim, but they are also linked by their belief in the Divine. Furthermore, a concept of brotherhood and community runs across all Abrahamic teachings. In Matthew 7:12, God demands, ‘So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophet.

Similarly, a saying attributed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as his final sermon states: ‘Even as the fingers of the two hands are equal, so are human beings equal to one another. No one has any right, any claim to superiority over one another. You are as brothers.’ The Jewish tradition imparts, ‘God has made all men brothers and they should live together as brothers at all times. It is good for men to act in unity as brothers. Such action will be blessed by God and will prosper.’

As monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam share ancestors, believe their scriptures are divinely guided, and share practices and rituals such as charity, prayer and pilgrimage. They even share common holy sites and acknowledge that good deeds will be rewarded in the afterlife whilst bad ones shall be punished. Today, however, these faiths are engulfed with animosity for one another, usually driven by a nationalistic or political ideology. An obvious example is the decades-old conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

If we take a step back and look at our history and traditions, it will dawn upon us that we are one and the same: the people of scripture and the people of the same God. Therefore, it is only with mutual understanding, patience and respect for one another that we will be able to create a world worthy for the generations of Jews, Christians and Muslims to come. In: http://www.aquila-style.com/focus-points/spirituality/abrahamic-cousins-judaism-christianity-islam/90488/, retrieved on 27.12.2014

VI. GENERAL ISSUES:

Muslims in Britain make important contribution to the country [excerpt interview by Meryem Atlas with Nazir Afzal, the Chief Prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service for North West England, about multiculturalism in Britain, ISIS and Islamophobia].

Meryem Atlas (MA): Where is multiculturalism in today's world, especially in cosmopolitan societies like the U.K.? How do you see the future of multiculturalism in terms of creating a lawful society? Is it a solution, an end or something to promote?

Nazir Afzal (NA): Whenever anyone talks about multiculturalism, I prefer to talk about contribution. It is very distinct. For example, 10 percent of London is Muslim, but there are Ahmedi Muslims, Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims – we are diverse communities. So you cannot just simply say "the Muslim community" because we are so many different communities. Also, if you go to London, you see that there is an Indian shop next to a Pakistani shop next to a Polish shop. But when they go home, they lock the door and stay Indian, Pakistani and Polish. They do not necessarily want to mix outside of work and in the north of England, even less. There are Pakistani people living in Bradford or part of Manchester and Polish people live here. People don't really mix in the way people suggest they do. I do not think it matters. What matters is the contribution you make to British society. When people say to me, "How is it to be a British Muslim?" I say to them I do not love my first child any less because of the second one. I love them both. You can have love for "Britishness" and love for Islam. It does not cause tension for me. That's the view I take of anybody who is living in England. Muslims in England make a contribution of about $30 billion a year to the gross domestic product of the British economy. They build businesses, teach in schools and run hospitals. They are all over the place. I think

21 when you start to talk about multiculturalism they are actually trying to give a name to something more than that. It is simply about communities and society. What I would like more and more is for the barriers to break down. I still see some schools are 90 percent South Asian, for example. Some other schools are 99 percent white. They do not mix the things in the way they should do. That may be just because of the location. When my family first went to England they only wanted to live next to other people who look like them, who think like them, so the whole of the area became British-Pakistani. You do that because it is a national thing. What happens then? As people start to make some money or enter professions and are educated, then they go into different parts of the city because they cannot afford not to. I think that is a natural growth. A lot of people, unfortunately, use the whole issue of multiculturalism to beat communities with you are not British, Irish or Turkish because you are not behaving as the British do, and I do not accept that as I had mentioned.

MA: Do you see contemporary British society as people living together equally but different?

NA: Yes, there is nothing wrong. In the north of London there is a very big Turkish community; in the west of London, a very big Muslim, Hindu and Sikh community; in east of London, a very large Muslim and Bangladeshi community and in the south of London, very big African and Caribbean communities. The fact that they live together does not mean they are not mixing. Because when they are working in the environment I work in where there are a large number of people including Turkish people, Muslim people, Christian people and Hindu people.

MA: But are they living under the British umbrella that is made of British rules?

NA: We have to apply the rules. My job is to apply British law. British Parliament has made the law and my job is to enforce it with the police. I do not apply Islamic law or Pakistani law. The only law that matters in Britain is British law. The only law that matters in Turkey is Turkish law. That has got to be the way.

MA: I understand. What would you say about the recent assaults and attacks on Muslims all over Europe and in the U.S. as if any Muslim wearing black or who has a beard is a supporter of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham [ISIS]? This kind of hate behavior is being repeated accordingly to world politics such as 9/11. And we call this Islampohobia in general. However, Islamaphobia is something ongoing within Western societies, something a part of the daily routine. I would call these kinds of attacks based on certain events as hate, not a form of phobia.

NA: Quite right, I do not even like the term Islamophobia myself. I agree and think it is hate. You are hated because you are disabled, a woman, black or Muslim, whatever it is. That is how we deal with it. We do not necessarily have to go into the politics behind it. If you beat somebody up, it does not matter that you have a political reason for doing so. It is a crime and I would deal with it as a crime. If it is a hate crime, you get a longer prison sentence and the decision of the court would be more severe. Because you are targeted not because of what you did, but because of who you are. I should not be targeted because I am British-Pakistani or Muslim. If I do something wrong, by all means, target me. I always say that criminality or bad behavior begins and ends with the criminal. The whole Muslim community is not responsible for the horrible things that ISIS is doing. Such a thing happened in England about six weeks ago. A taxi driver from the north of England was beheaded. In fact, I am pretty sure that he gave me a taxi journey because I live in the same city, in Manchester. At the moment he was killed, everybody was worrying about what the reaction would be. The first memorial service for him was in a mosque. Because he was doing aid work, he was in Syria to help children, families and he went there specifically to help Muslims. He was not there as a soldier, but he was there to help us. The amount of violence and hate has been minimized because Muslims said: "This is wrong, we all accept it as wrong and we have to show committed sympathy for families." I think it is not as bad as it could have been. After 9/11 and 7/7, which was the bombing on the underground trains in England, we expected serious violence. In fact, there was some violence and additional hate, but not that much. Because it was well-managed by the police and the authorities, we stamped down on it and we stopped it. That's what happened and what continues to happen on ISIS. The idea is the criminals, these are horrible people, if anybody does something to you because of who you are, then we will deal with it. I think that is the answer. 21

MA: Turkey is being condemned by many countries for its loose border policies and letting people go and join ISIS through its territory. There are people from France, Spain, the U.S., Canada and the U.K. coming with their passports without being stopped at the borders and without any notice from their home countries. How can Turkey stop the citizens of these countries? Why don't these countries take their own precautions before they reach Turkey?

NA: There are two issues here. One is if there is intelligence then this individual is not flown to Turkey. It is dangerous. That's different – I would hope they share the intelligence with Turkish authorities and Turkish authorities would do whatever needs to be done to prevent that from happening, but I do not blame the Turkish people or Turkish authorities for the individuals who are just passing through there – they come here with German, French and British passports. If there is no information about them, you can discriminate against them. You cannot say: "You are not allowed in." For example, I am Muslim and I have a British passport. Does that mean you should not allow me in? So my point is that the individuals are responsible for what they do. It is not the Turkish government's responsibility. Additionally, you have such an enormous border. If they wanted to go to fight in Syria, they will find another way. This is an issue of individualism and this is their choice. What we have to do in Britain or other countries is, as we are doing, to educate more of these people to prevent them from going in first place.

MA: ISIS beheaded some people in front of the eyes of the whole world and everybody learned about ISIS. We know ISIS is converted from another form of terrorist organization and renamed itself, but people really did not know anything about them. Now, what we see is very professional media propaganda that makes many young people go and join ISIS. Why do Muslims in Europe join ISIS? How do they come to this point individually?

NA: It is very complex. I do not totally understand it myself. But we have been dealing with it for a long time, for at least 20 years. We have had young men and some young women who have been radicalized online. They see some images saying "The West is bad" or "What the West is doing to Muslim children is bad," when they are online. Many children and young men do it all day. They watch YouTube videos and the like. They are hearing some charismatic voice, some radical preacher or just somebody who is trying to persuade or brainwash them.

MA: But they are living in the West, not in the Middle East? You may easily experience hate in the streets without being affected by a preacher to brainwashing them.

NA: Let's put it like this: If somebody hates me, I do not necessarily want to hit them back. If I can, I would try to educate them. These are weak people. Weak in the brain, weak minded, easily manipulated, their education is poor in the sense of being focused on the thought of "Muslims as victims." We should keep talking and explain, talking online and talking in schools.

MA: So you mean joining ISIS is an individual responsibility or irresponsible behavior of the individuals that puts the burden on their shoulders? Society, leaders, hate speech, media does not affect it?

NA: They have. Whoever creates the language has, of course. What I mean is in the U.K., hate language is a crime. If somebody comes up to me and says: "You Muslims are horrible," and I report that to the police, the police will take it seriously. They will deal with it and that person will be arrested or prosecuted. So you have to tackle the language because, ultimately, it can become a big abuse. But it is very small in number. For example, when my father and mother went to England for the first time 50 years ago there was more racism. It was not because of Islam, it was because one was black or white. It was this kind of racism and it was always overt, it was always in your face. There were always people coming up to me and using this kind of language. So it was really bad in those days. My father used to say to me: "Get used to it, it is we who are just visiting here."

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MA: Hate speech is one think, how do you see the burka ban?

NA: As you know, there is a burka ban in France and that creates problems for the Muslim community. I would say, that's their law, their decision and they are enforcing their law. However, in the U.K., we have not made this decision. We think it's an expression of oneself. So if you want to wear a scarf over your face, it is a matter for you. The debate in Britain is about how it is impacting education. For example, a school child generally looks at the teacher and looks for expressions from the teacher. Do you like what I am doing? If the teacher wears something so you can't see their expressions, it is going to have an impact on education. This is just a discussion. But we have no plans in the U.K. to make a criminal offence against the burka, and we will certainly stamp down on people using this as an excuse for Muslim hate. In: http://www.dailysabah.com/features/2014/12/06/muslims-in-britain-make-important-contribution-to-the-country, retrieved on 07.12.2014

Compiled by: Dr. Dodik Ariyanto Culture & Social Affairs Department Email: [email protected] Reviewed by: Abdula Manafi Mutualo, Secretary of the Observatory Culture & Social Affairs Department Email: [email protected]

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