Lyons: Anti-Islamophobia protest

Lyons: Anti-Islamophobia protest

Update: France24 has a video report.


Muslims protested outside a mosque hit by an arson attack in Saint-Priest, near Lyons. Police estimate about a thousand people showed up, while organizers estimate more than 2,000.


The demonstrators braved the cold to express their 'anger and incomprehension' at the 'outbreak and significant increase of Islamophobia in France'.

The crowd listened quietly to religious and political leaders. Azzedine Gaci of the Regional Council for the Muslim Faith, talked about having a national demonstration against racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and asked for surveillance cameras near mosques.

Abdelaziz Chaambi, of Collective of French Muslims wants a law against Islamophobia.

Maurice Amsellem of the Representative Council of French Jewish Insitutions said that 'it's sacrilege to see holy books in smoke. Where is the respect for religions?'

Somebody in the crowd waved the flag, another held up a Koran burned in the fire. "This Koran is full of peace, this Koran is full of love, read it!'

Source: AFP , Le Parisien (French)

Lyons: Arson at mosque

Lyons: Arson at mosque

A bookshelf with copied of the Koran was destroyed in an arson attack at a mosque in Saint-Priest, next to Lyons yesterday. The faithful who came for the morning prayers, extinguished the flames before the arrival of the fire bridge. The entrance of the building was the most severely damaged by the heat and smoke. The building itself was practically undamaged. "The perpetrators wanted to burn down the whole mosque," said the imam of the Great Mosque of Lyons, Kamel Kabtane.


Minister of Internal Affairs, Michèle Alliot-Marie, condemned the attack in a letter to the French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM). She promised to use all means to catch the perpetrators as quickly as possible.

The incident caused anger and concern by the Muslim community, which plans to demonstrate today to denounce the 'increase of racism and Islamophobia'.

Kamel Kabtane says that after the desecration of the cemetery in Arras, after the fire in a mosque in Coulommiers, after Toulouse, the atmosphere worries them. The Muslim community asks itself these questions: is an anti-Muslim atmosphere in the process of taking a hold in France?

The president of the CFCM, Mohammed Moussaoui, denounced 'this new attack against a place of prayer, peace and reflection' and appealed to the authorities to do everything possible to stop the perpetrators of this criminal act. The CFCM called upon the citizens to be alert since the council fears attacks on mosques and cemeteries of Muslims.

Dalil Boubakeur, imam of the Grand Mosque of Paris, condemned a 'growing feeling of Islamophobia which is only worsening'.

Martine Aubry, First Secretary of the Socialist Party, said that if this criminal act is confirmed, it is once again, after the desecrations of the Nortre-Dame de Lorette cemetery, a despicable act of racism and refusal of the other.

Dominique Paillé, spokesperson for the UMP, declared that this new unspeakable act should be solemnly denounced and its perpetrators found and severely condemned.

MRAP (movement against racism) said that racism suffers from a real absence of recognition and substantive actions of the government. IT said that racism against Islam was banalized and that perpetrators usually came off scot-free.

Sources: HLN (Dutch), Le Telegramme (French)

Trondheim: Suspect wanted to "kill Muslims if the opportunity presented itself"

Trondheim: Suspect wanted to "kill Muslims if the opportunity presented itself"

Mahmed Jamal Shirwac, a Somali driving an illegal taxi in Trondheim, was shot to death August 22nd, 2008 (Dagbladet).

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A 26 year old murder suspect wrote that he planned "to kill Muslims if the opportunity presented itself".  Father to six Mahmed Jamal Shirwac (46) was brutally murdered with 13 shots.

In a committal order by the Frostating court of appeals the judges emphasized "the suspect's extensive activity and strong racist statements on the internet".  In addition they noted a note the suspect wrote prior to the murder that he planned "to muder Muslims if the opportunity presented itself". Trondheim police recently said that htey thought the murder was racially motivated.

"We have made several discoveries that support us in this theory," says police lawyer Heidi Melø of the Sør-Trøndelag police district.

The police think that the 26 year old murdered Shirwac with 13 shots at close range with a Heckler & Koch weapon.  Thirteen empty casings found on the scene of the crime in Ringvålvei could come from this weapon.

"There is no doubt that this is a very serious action due to the number of shots," says Melø.

Police didn't want to comment on details in the case in consideration to the man's family, and since the police hasn't got all the materials in the case in writing.
to the

According to the order from the Forstating court of appeal "three empty casings were confiscated at the suspect's residence, which in all probability came from cartridges fired by the same weapon that shot the murder shots."  Fifteen casings were also found in connection to the arrest of the suspect and according to KRIPOS (criminal police) were likely fired by the same weapon as the cartridge casings found on the scene of the crime.  The suspect also had a loading machine which was used to load the cartridges.

This machine left unique marks on the cartridges.  The KRIPOS investigators will show that the marks on a casing on the scene of the crime and by the 26 year old connect him to the case.

The suspect 25 year old was a member of the Trondheim field shooters.  During the investigation the police conducted an extensive weapons project where the investigated shooting ranges and conducted test shooting of other weapons.

"It seems to me that the police identified the shooting community.  Members in the club called me after having been contacted by the police in connection with their shooting weapon," says Morten Elstad, head of the shooting club.

the police think that the suspect tried to modify the weapon after the murder, by among other things polishing and grinding.  The results from this analysis and from the weapons project aren't complete.

The court also based its decision on the following data when they decided two weeks ago to keep hte man in prison for eight more weeks.

* Two independent witnesses gave evidence of a pedestrian man in connection to the murder place and time of the murder.  Their descriptions resulted in a facial composite: "The similarity with the suspect is striking," says a court source.

* A video from Statoil Heimdal just before 1AM on the night of the murder shows a passenger in Shirwac's car.  The passenger had similar features to the suspect."

The 26 year old is suspected of intentional murder of the father to six.   He doesn't have an alibi for the night of the murder and had told the police that he blacked out in the time period when the murder happened.

"My client doesn't want to take part in the police's game of going out with several elements from the investigation to the media before an eventual court case, and is content in saying that he nothing to do with the murder and therefore is not guilty," says his lawyer, John Christian Elden.

In his appeal to the appeal court Elden said that no DNA was found in the case that connects the suspect to the scene of the crime.

Source: Adressavisen (Norwegian)

Belgium: Request to remove couple from terrorism list

Belgium: Request to remove couple from terrorism list

On December 10th, Belgium asked for the third time to remove a Belgian couple from the list of groups and sympathizers of the al-Qaeda terrorism network and the Islamic Taliban. The new request comes after the Human Right Committee in Geneva called Belgium to order, reports La Libre Belgique. The committee sees to the UN treaty regarding civil rights and political rights.


Nabil Sayadi and Patricia Vinck, who have been on the list already for six years, may not travel, have no access to a bank account and live off welfare and financial assistance from their friends. They live together with their four childrne in Putte, in the province of Antwerp.

On October 29th, the UN Human Rights Committe judged that Beldium had the task to cross off the couple from the list. The list is drawn up by the membersof the UN Security Council.

Source: HLN (Dutch)

Malmö: al-Aqsa foundation charged with financing terrorism

Malmö: al-Aqsa foundation charged with financing terrorism

The chairman for the Malmö association al-Aqsa Spannmål (Al-Aqsa Grain Foundation) [Khaled al-Yousef] was charged Thursday at the Malmö court for having financed terrorism in Israel.

According to the prosecution, in five years the association sent millions to various committees in Gaza and the West Bank, writes Sydsvenskan.  According to the association's own data, this was humanitarian aid to Palestinians, but according to the deputy chief prosecutor Agneta Hilding Qvarnström, the money did not reach needy children but rather Hamas terrorists.

More than two years of investigative work are behind the prosecution.  Among the 75 pieces of evidence are tapped conversations which the prosecutor thinks prove that the chairman knew that both martyrs and Hamas were supported by the association.

In a similar process in Denmark, the al-Aqsa movement was acquitted, but Agneta Hilding Qvarnström set up the process in a different way.  Among other things, the Swedish prosecution is building on documentation from Israel to a lesser extent.

Source: SR (Swedish)

France: Terrorist suspect says he was recruited by Intelligence service

France: Terrorist suspect says he was recruited by Intelligence service

Le Monde reports that Kamel Bouchentouf (35), born in France of Algerian origins, also known on the internet as "Brother Abou Zhara from France", was in touch with Salah Gasmi, head of AQIM's information committee and who is designated as a terrorist by the US Treasury.

He congratulated his correspondents with 'shaking France' in their operations in Algiers and promised to promised to 'film a bag while walking' in the streets of France with a 'small homemade bomb'.  Bouchentouf denies the confessions he made while in administrative detention.  He says the videos found on his computer where 'compilations' for the French intelligence services.

The DST (French intelligence) claim secrecy requirements, but do admit that 26 telephone contacts between the defendant's cellphone and two number of the DST in Nancy.  The details of "Alex", a DST official, were also found on the same cellphone.

A local police commissioner acknowledged in the hearing that Bouchentouf attracted the attention of their services, but that he had too much of an unstable personality for contact to be maintained and that in no way was he recruited.  While the prosecutor points out that they found bombs and weapons at Bouchentouf's house.


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Kamel Bouchentouf, detained in France since Mai 2007 for suspicions of plotting terror attacks, has charged French Intelligence services of implicating him in such case after recruited and charged him of infiltrating al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.


During an 8 hours confrontation, Thursday, in the fourteenth chamber at Appeal Court of Paris, Bouchentouf 35 years-old, who used to be a transporter of goods, assumed he "had been a victim of Directorate of Territorial Surveillance" (French Intelligence services), which used him and pushed him to the unknown, he added.


The Court is to decide on the abovementioned case next 22 of January. Bouchentouf further told the judge: "I met members of Directorate of Territorial Surveillance more than 200 times within 6 years," pointing out that they have charged him of different missions, including spying terror groups in Algeria, in exchange of seeing his daughter, who had been taken away by his ex wife.


The Franco-Algerian defendant unveiled that the mission he had been charged to carry on in Algeria was infiltrating some squads belonging to the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat GSPC, converted into al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. He admitted that Directorate of Territorial Surveillance had charged him of an additional mission in Algeria, to bring him, finally, his daughter back. The think is about, according to Bouchentouf, getting in touch, via terror web forums, with Salah Gacemi, who is in charge of information cell at al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.


Bouchentouf further told the judge he had been terrorized when he was arrested in May 2007 by Special Forces, who stormed his apartment, while charged him with inciting terrorism on French territory for the benefit of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. He said such an arrest had been "a conspiracy" to get rid of him, concluding: "if I have not told anyone that I was in prison, I would have had been eliminated long time ago."    


See also: El Khabar (English), see also Le Monde (French)

Russia: 23 Hizb ut-Tahrir members convicted

Russia: 23 Hizb ut-Tahrir members convicted


More than 20 members of the international terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir were convicted in Russia this year, Federal Security Service Director Alexander Bortnikov told chiefs of Russia's leading media on Thursday.


"Twenty-three heads and members of the international terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir were convicted, and another ten faced criminal charges," he said.


In addition, Russia extradited five members of the international terrorist organization Islamic Party of Turkestan.


Security services stopped the criminal activities of individuals related to international criminal organizations. Those individuals formed extremist groups in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and Udmurtia and recruited Russian citizens to terrorist training camps based abroad, he said.


Source: Interax (English)

Finland: Islamic party would like to enact Sharia law

Finland: Islamic party would like to enact Sharia law

Tundra Tabloids reports more on Islamic party in Finland.


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Mohammed al-Hello, who moved to Finland twelve years ago from Baghdad, at first found it quite difficult getting used to his new home.


"What I miss about the lifestyle in Iraq is the communication between people," said al-Hello.


Even native Finns are embracing Islam. Abdullah Tami heads the Finnish Islamic Party and has hopes to gain a foothold in elections in 2011. His party's platform consists of more emphasis on social and green issues, not joining NATO and imposing Sharia Law, which is the legal framework of Islam.


Tami believes Sharia Law has gained a negative image, but says that it could prove beneficial for both Muslims and non-Muslims.


"We are explaining the fundamnetals of Sharia law and how it can work within the Finnish community - it is not about stoning and flogging solely - it's about simplifying - a Sharia law-led banking system, dealing with promiscuity, for instance as Finland has one of the highest rates of sex outside of marriage," said Tami.


Finland's one official Mosque equals the amount of Islamic teachers. However, according to the Finnish Islamic Council, more and more are undergoing training like Leban Yahye Ibrahim.


"I've seen many muslim youths, Arab, Somalis, Africans, who really need someone who is their age, who knows Islam well," said Ibrahim. "We need more people like me training up - I'm young and understand youth here."


Those who have just arrived here say they notice that life is quieter and very different to the country of their birth but say they have finally found peace here, and want to make it their home.


Source: Russia Today (English), h/t Jihad Watch

Belgium: Proposal to allow Muslims religious vacation days

Belgium: Proposal to allow Muslims religious vacation days

Every Muslim employee would be able to choose a number of holidays, that is the wish of the umbrella organization of several dozen Muslim organizations.

The proposal of the umbrella organization comes one day before Eid al-Adha.  Most Muslims are then obligated to take a day off from work, but that doesn't always succeed.

Youssed Souissi from the Association for the Development and Emancipation of Muslims (Vereniging voor Ontwikkeling en Emancipatie van Moslims): "We simply want that Muslims could have their holidays without the fuss of doctor's certificates, family leave or tolerated absences."

"Most company heads do realize the importance of Eid al-Adha for their employees.  They then gladly allow leave.  We deeply advise Muslims against coming with a doctor's letter, that would be a wrong signal."

The proposal says that if a Muslims takes Eid al-Adha as a holiday, he or she would work regularly on, for example, Whit Monday.

Source: GvA (Dutch), h/t NRP

Malmö: Disturbances calm down (updated)

Malmö: Disturbances calm down

For more in English, see The Local


Update2:

Six cars were set aflame Sunday morning in Rosengård. According to Peter Martinsson of the Skåne police, about 20 youth congregated round the cars, but the extinguishing work proceeded quietly.

Police describe the whole weekend as calmer than expected, as a result of the many adults who were in the area and the police reinforcements.

Police also think that many left-wing protesters went to a Greece-related demonstration in Copenhagen Saturday night and thereby contributed to the relative quiet.

Sources: SVT, SydSvenskan (Swedish)


Update:

The youth might get a new place when the Rosengård pool will be built on, according to Rosengård's neighborhood chairman, Andreas Konstantinides (s), after a meeting with Muslim organization in the police station today.

There were no promises about premises, but Konstantinides and the municipality vice chairperson Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (s), promised to worked together with the Muslim organization to create a better situation in Rosengård.

The national Islamic council was behind the invitation. The meeting lasted a couple of hours. According to Romdhone Boussaidi, who represented Ibn Rushd, it ended on good terms.

Andreas Konstantinides was glad that a hundred people helped to guard the neighborhood earlier in the evening. Adult volunteers went out at the initiative of the associations, equipped with white bands on their arms.

Source: Sydsvenskan (Swedish)
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The disturbances in the Malmö neighborhood of Rosengård continued Friday night, including several arson cases. At 2AM, however, the police assessed the situation as calm.

"There's a willingness and people in place to continue, but we consider it now as more of a normal situation," says Skåne police spokesperson Ewa-Gun Westford.

Skåne police received reinforcements by specially trained police from Guthenburg and Stockholm. In all about 200 police were on duty.

The reinforcements will remain further.

The so called dialog police was also mobilized. "Three of them were in place, but was have yet found any partner in dialog. But 30 adults from the Islamic Cultural association have been out and made contact with the youth here and they have been a great help for us," says Ewa-Gun Westford.

Several Muslims have now openly opposed the disturbances in Rosengård.

"We Swedish Muslims express our absolute dissatisfaction with what's happening in the area and are not responsible for what's happening."

In a press release Saturday night the representatives from 8 associations and organizations write that they consider the picture that the media has given of the disturbances is incomplete.

They want to now work together with the authorities and politicians to examine and investigate what caused the disturbances and from that reach solutions.

Source: Aftonbladet, SVT (Swedish).

Previous reports:
* Malmö: Disturbances continue after mosque eviction
* Malmö: Mosque evicted
* Malmö: Youth protest mosque eviction