In other news

Sister of murdered Muslim teenager denies she made up story about parents’ involvement

2012-05-31T05:32:00.000-07:00

SHAFILEA Ahmed's sister denied today that she invented a "wicked" story that the teenager was killed by her parents.

Alesha Ahmed told Chester Crown Court she was "torn" between her dead sister and her parents.

(Independent)

Europe's post-Nazi stress disorder has brought it to ruin

2012-05-31T05:31:00.000-07:00

Taking aside that they conflate genuinely nasty neo-Fascist parties like Golden Dawn with populist (often quite libertarian) groups such as the Dutch Freedom Party, the European dream is not under threat from a few Greek heavies who look like they’ve stepped out of a Vauxhall nightclub; it’s under threat from itself, because its vision is totally unworkable. The idea of a society without borders in a world where people share their countries is as radical and extreme as the idea that people might share their property – so don’t be surprised when it doesn’t work.

(Telegraph)

Is the Medieval Blood Libel Alive and Well?

2012-05-31T04:31:00.005-07:00

The question raised by Molzer begins by noting the "hundreds of children" that die in France of "bacterial infections caused by contaminated meat" and by wondering "to what extent the increase in E. coli contamination of minced or ground meat is linked with increasing consumption of halal or kosher meat."

(Huffington Post)

How to Attack the Critics of Islam: A Primer

2012-05-31T04:31:00.002-07:00

For some of us, the answer is obvious: voters in France, like voters across Europe, are sincerely concerned about Muslim immigration, and neither Sarkozy nor Hollande addressed the issue to their satisfaction. But for Joignot and many other members of the fourth estate, the whole point is to pretend that the answer for these voters' curious preoccupations lies elsewhere. In such articles, it is verboten to actually examine the issue of Islam objectively; one needs to strike a tone which communicates the notion that any professed concern about Muslim immigration into Europe is, on its face, ridiculous, ugly, and racist.

(AINA)

Pig's head left at future Belgian mosque site

2012-05-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

A pig's head was left at the site of a future mosque in the Belgian town of Lier. The head was cut into four.

(Nieuwsblad)

German Neo-Nazi supporter suspects released

2012-05-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

Germany's federal prosecutor on Tuesday said it had released two suspects arrested in connection with a string of immigrant murders blamed on a neo-Nazi gang.

(The Local)

'Swedish is now our kids’ dominant language'

2012-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Everything I had read in and out of education classes emphasized that successful bilingualism should be a conscious process, constantly reevaluated and fine-tuned.

(The Local)

Islam critics fear censorship in Breivik trial

2012-05-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Norwegian court announced yesterday which witness testimonies will be broadcast on TV. Islam critics say their testimonies are being censored.

The witnesses whose testimony won't be broadcast include: Ole Jørgen Anfindsen, Arne Tumyr (Stop the Islamization of Norway), Bruce Bawer, Ronny Alte (former head of the Norwegian Defence League). Islamists Mulla Krekar and Mohyeldeen Mohammad, Tore Tvedt (founder of Vigrid, a neo-Nazi organization) and Johan Galtung (sociologist and peace researcher)

(DR)

Muslim school to open in Vigneux-sur-Seine

2012-05-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

The first Muslim school in the Essone department will open next September in the Paris suburb of Vigneux-sur-Seine. About 50 parents recently attended n initial briefing. The school is busy hiring teachers and hopes to soon get state recognition.

The school will follow the national curriculum, and offer three additional optional subjects: Koran, Arabic and religious awakening.

(Le Parisien)

Anti-Semitism common in Norway: study

2012-05-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

“In all, 12.5 percent of the population have distinct prejudices against Jews. In a European context, this makes the prevalence of anti-Semitic thinking relatively low in Norway and on the same level as Great Britain, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden,” according to the report.

In certain areas, respondents displayed a particularly high level of anti-Semitism. For instance, a full 19 percent agreed with the statement that “the world’s Jews are secretly working to advance Jewish interests”, while 26 percent of Norwegians agreed that “Jews view themselves as being better than others”.

(The Local)

Minister: Sharia4Holland might use violence

2012-05-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Justice minister Ivo Opstelten has told parliament “There is a risk that Sharia4Holland supporters could cross the line and use violence.” His remarks were in response to questions by the Freedom Party, after a man was arrested at the weekend following a hate speech.

(RNW)

Breivik's terror network doesn't exist: police

2012-05-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Norwegian police said Wednesday they had ruled out that Anders Behring Breivik had accomplices when he killed 77 people last year, rejecting his claim to be part of a network prepared to strike again.

(The Local)

Serbian Minister defends controversial footballer

2012-05-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

Rasim Ljajić has spoken out in defense of national team footballer Adem Ljajić, by saying he had "made a mistake when he refused to sing the Serbian anthem".

"He certainly made a mistake, but instead of helping him find his way out of it, a hysterical reaction is taking place to destroy a sporting career," Rasim Ljajić said.

(B92)

British radical involved in Sharia4Holland

2012-05-30T03:18:00.001-07:00

British Muslim radical Anjem Choudary is one of the people behind the Sharia4Holland group and was present at Friday’s press conference in Amsterdam, the Parool reported on Tuesday.

(DutchNews)

European nations expel Syrian ambassadors

2012-05-30T03:17:00.001-07:00

German, Italian and Spanish foreign ministries announced today that Syrian ambassadors are being expelled - following similar moves by Britain, France, Australia and Canada after a massacre in which the United Nations says families were shot at close range in their homes.

(The Independent)

Al Jazeera to launch French news channel

2012-05-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Al Jazeera to launch French news channel

(Broadband and TV News)

France: Muslims stone Christians in church during Mass

2012-05-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday at 6:20PM, as Fr. Roger Barthes began to celebrate mass, four youths, aged 14 to 18, broke into the Church of St. Joseph, before launching handfuls of pebbles at 150 faithful present at the service. Immediately, men began pursuing the young troublemakers, but in vain. They managed to vanish into thin air, heading towards the city La Conte.

(Jihad Watch)

Racist vandals hit Muslim community centre

2012-05-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Vandals struck at a Preston community centre and daubed the walls with racist graffiti. The Hamaara Centre, at the rear of Castleton Road, Deepdale, Preston, was broken into and windows and furniture were smashed by the offenders.

The centre, which is run by Preston Muslim Forum, is used for English classes, youth clubs and mother and toddler groups.

(Islamophobia Watch)

Shah's son visits the Netherlands

2012-05-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Reza Pahlavi, son of the former Shah of Persia, is in the Netherlands on Thursday to speak at a closed session of parliament.

(DutchNews)

French gangs armed with bazookas raiding banks in Switzerland

2012-05-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

The swiss border guard is arming against heavily armed gangs from the french banlieues. These gangs stem mostly from the Lyon banlieue; their members are mostly french nationals of north-african origin. Until now, they have committed their raids mostly in western Switzerland [that is the german swiss term for the country's francophone zone] and in the Ticino [Switzerland's italophone zone].

(Vlad Tepes)

Multiculturalism and anti-Islamic movements in Europe

2012-05-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

The forces opposing immigrants and Islam in Europe go hand in hand: elections and the politics of division have served such forces well. In advancing their political agenda, the elites of the continent dislike Muslim immigrants, hate Halaal meat and remain fixated on Islamic fundamentalism. Extremists such as Anders Behring Breivik killed his own people because he felt that the Labour Party was too relaxed about Muslim immigration into Norway. It became the reason that he massacred them on July 2011 in Utoya. Moreover, the spectacular success of the French far-right party, The National Front, in 2012 French presidential election demonstrate the alarming shift of Europe’s politics from traditional liberalism to more radical extremism, cultural intolerance and more importantly, accepting Muslim integration into the European mainstream.

(Mareeg)

Sweden boosts spending on anti-terror battle

2012-05-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

The fight against terrorism is consuming ever larger portions of the budget allocated to Swedish security service Säpo, which has seen its allocation double in the last decade, according to a new report.

(The Local)

Tunisian president asks Swiss to give back funds

2012-05-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on Monday urged Switzerland to accelerate the restitution of frozen assets belonging to ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to his country.

(The Local)

A Name Change for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus?

2012-05-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Council of Ministers of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) has decided to remove the “TRNC” designation from its passports, and replace it with “Cyprus Turkish Republic” (CTR).(Turkish Digest)

(Turkish Digest)

Four Spanish children die in Qatar nursery blaze

2012-05-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Qatar's interior ministry has confirmed that four Spanish children have died after fire broke out in a nursery in a major shopping mall and entertainment complex in the Qatari capital Doha.

(ThinkSpain)