** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** Rights group Muslim Engagement & Development (MEND) have launched a new report The Great Debunk: Challenging Islamophobic Conspiracy Theories, which examines how false narratives about Muslims once limited to the far-right fringes have entered mainstream political,...
The London Evening Standard reports on offensive and racist postings on Facebook by a member of Transport for London staff. The postings, dating as far back as 2010, reveal a deep antipathy for Asians and Muslims. Martin Aitken posted messages such as: “Did you know that in the time it takes to...
The Independent reports on the outcome of the trial of Liam Ferrars, 24, who pleaded guilty last month to religiously aggravated harassment after he left a pig’s head outside the doors of the Thurnby Lodge centre in Leicester on Boxing Day last year. The former Scouts Hut was being used for...
The website, Loonwatch, alerts us to another incident of abuse at the Nasir mosque in Hartlepool. Loonwatch reports: “Police are hunting two men and a woman who burst into a mosque and shouted racial abuse. The incident happened at the Nasir Mosque on Brougham Terrace, in Hartlepool, at around...
The newspapers’ favourite ‘rent-a-gob’ features in the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and Daily Star today, following an article in The Sun on Sunday about Anjem Choudary and his haranguing his small group of misfits. The Sun, which filmed Choudary espousing his usual provocative...
The Yorkshire Post reports on Sheffield Council’s initiative to set up new “third party reporting centres” across the city to tackle the under-reporting of hate crimes. The centres, which will be staffed by trained individuals, are to be set up in locations including universities, libraries,...
The Mail on Sunday yesterday reported on the PM’s reaction to an alleged threat received by a shop owner in Chipping Norton whose building was to be converted into an Islamic community centre. Chipping Norton town council approved the plans last week but the shop’s owner, Georg Wissenger, said...
The Berwick Advertiser reports on steps being taken by Northumbria Police ahead of the Scottish Defence League’s demonstration in Berwick tomorrow, Saturday 16th. The local paper notes that “Posts on a Facebook group under the [SDL] branch’s name contain a series of anti-Islamic references...
Islamophobia Watch alerts us to the apology issued by Pink News to Islam Channel after it erroneously implicated the Channel in a story concerning OfCom rulings against specialist broadcasters found to have breached the regulator’s code. It would appear Pink News was nothing short of careless in...
BBC News reports that the people behind a proposed mosque in Chipping Norton, which won council approval last week, are seeking a new venue following an alleged arson threat received by the building’s current tenant. “Georg Wissinger said he had since received a threat that it would be...
The Oswestry and Border Counties Advertiser follows its report last week, on the planning approval granted by the local council to the Oswestry Muslim Society for converting a 19th century Presbyterian church into an Islamic centre with news of the BNP’s criticism of local churches for supporting...
