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Politics : The Truth About Islam -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck who wrote (2047)	10/6/2006 4:59:15 PM
From: Proud_Infidel	Respond to of 20106

Race clashes hit Windsor (Street battles between English and muslims) This is London ^ \| 05.10.06 \| This is London thisislondon.co.uk Extra police are being drafted into the Windsor area today after three nights of violent clashes between white and Asian youths. Gangs have fought battles in the streets using baseball bats and pitchforks. A Muslim-run dairy which wants to build a mosque was petrol bombed. Dozens of officers have been deployed to stop and search youths and mounted police are being brought in. The Queen usually spends weekends at Windsor Castle and no decision has yet been taken over whether she would change her plans. A senior source said: "We are aware of what is happening and all appropriate security measures are in place." Tensions have been growing between residents and the owners of the dairy, who have applied to convert an office building into a mosque for their workers. Despite a lack of planning permission to use Technor House as a place of worship, workers and visitors have been praying there. Violence flared for the first time on Monday outside the building in Vale Road in the Dedworth area of Windsor. There was an altercation between a teenage boy and dairy staff during prayers. It escalated and the windows of several vehicles were smashed. Amid claims that the boy, his mother and teenage sister were assaulted, up to 50 young people clashed on Tuesday night. Windows of the makeshift mosque and dairy vehicles were smashed. Residents said gangs of Asian youths travelled from Slough to fight the white gang. One youth was reportedly arrested for carrying a 12-inch knife. Dairy manager Sikander Khan, 50, said the 50 predominantly Asian workers at the dairy were now worried about their safety. The firebomb attack took place on Wednesday night. Mr Khan said: "The youths threw a petrol bomb at us. "The flames damaged the front of the building, but we were able to put it out with a fire extinguisher. Workers are fearful now because we are under attack." Nearby, one hooded youth claimed the problems had started after the previous owners, Express Dairies, left. The 17-year-old said: "I've been here all my life and there were no problems with the old owners, they used to give us milk and stuff. "We have had a couple of fights with this lot before, but now they're taking it seriously. We want them out of Dedworth." Police stopped cars full of white youths and searched them as other officers photographed and videoed them. Several youths hurled racist abuse at the dairy from their cars as police looked on. A woman living nearby, who did not want to be named, said the trouble started on Monday. The following night numbers on both sides had swelled and there was largescale brawling. "On Monday three young lads, about 15 or so, were in Shirley Avenue when the men came out of prayers and attacked them with pitchforks, baseball bats and iron bars," she said. "Whether they were provoked or not I don't know. "I'm worried that if they allow the mosque things will get worse." Other residents said that late-night noise from the dairy was driving them out of their homes and they feared a mosque would make things worse. A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: "We are investigating incidents of disorder and criminal damage on Monday and Tuesday nights. "These have involved groups of predominantly white and Asian teenagers. As a result of the disorder one business and at least five vehicles have been damaged." He added: "We will monitor the situation and are working with the community, the business and the local authority to prevent further disorder." A 16-year-old boy arrested on Tuesday night was charged with possessing an offensive weapon. There were two other arrests, including one for common assault, and 22 people have been searched by police. Three youths are in custody today after the petrol bomb attack. The unrest came the day after David Cameron waded into the debate over multiculturalism, saying there could be no place for communities living "parallel lives" in Britain. Earlier this week the Queen gave permission to convert a room at Windsor castle into a prayer room. The room in the Saxon Tower allows Nagina Chaudhry, who works in the castle gift shops, to carry out the halfhour lunchtime prayer which is required of all Muslims during Ramadan.

To: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck who wrote (2047)	10/7/2006 10:48:26 AM
From: Proud_Infidel	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 20106

Ban the veil The Daily Express ^ \| October 7, 2006 \| Padraic Flanagan dailyexpress.co.uk CONCERNED Britons gave massive backing last night to calls for Muslim women to ditch the veil. An astonishing 97 per cent of Daily Express readers agreed that a ban would help to safeguard racial harmony. Our exclusive poll came a day after Leader of the Commons Jack Straw spoke out against the veils. His call followed moves across Europe, and Muslim countries including Turkey and Tunisia, to curb the wearing of traditional Muslim dress. Mr Straw stoked up the row yesterday by saying the veil was a barrier to good race relations. And he admitted he would prefer that the face-covering garments were not worn at all. His comments came after he disclosed that he asks women he meets at constituency meetings to remove their veils so that they can truly talk "face to face". He was supported by senior figures, including a Muslim peer and the Bishop of London. Tony Blair backed his right to speak his mind. Mr Straw faced fierce criticism from some Muslim groups. But Muslim peer Baroness Uddin said there was a need for a "measured debate" and added that the nation should "also consider the status of Muslim women in this country". She added: "I think it’s about human rights on both sides – Jack’s right to say and the women’s right to wear what they please." The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, sympathised with Mr Straw but said it was an explosive issue not easily resolved. He also backed Mr Straw’s claim that wearing the veil was not required by the Muslim holy book, the Koran. Dr Chartres added: "I can understand why he has said it. My understanding is that the veil came from the habit of upper-class Christian women in the Byzantine empire, and it has become a symbolic issue." Heiress Jemima Khan, a convert to Islam, said: "Covering the face is completely unnecessary in Islam. I have never read anywhere in the Koran that a woman is obliged to cover her face. "That said, Muslim women will argue that a skeletal 14-year-old on a catwalk is equally disturbing." Muslim writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown said: "For a change I totally agree with Jack Straw. I think it’s completely unacceptable for these local Muslim ‘representatives’ to react how they are. "Muslim women constantly talk about how Western women dress, so why shouldn’t our society discuss how they dress? This has nothing to do with Islam at all – the veil actually came out of the desert when there were sandstorms and people had to cover their faces. It is ridiculous that it has now come to this." Mr Straw, whose constituency in Blackburn has an Asian population of 30,000, said the increasing trend towards covering the face was "bound to make better, positive relations between the two communities more difficult". Asked if he would rather the veils be discarded completely, he said: "Yes. It needs to be made clear I am not talking about being prescriptive but, with all the caveats, yes, I would rather." Conservative policy director Oliver Letwin said it would be a "dangerous doctrine" to start telling people how to dress, while Liberal Democrat chairman Simon Hughes dubbed the remarks "insensitive and surprising". Shahid Malik, Labour MP for Dewsbury, said: "We shouldn’t shoot somebody for being honest. What we’ve got to understand is that this is a two-way street. We need to increase understanding." But a spokesman for Lancashire Council of Mosques said: "We fully support the right of Muslim women to choose to follow this precept of their faith in adopting the full veil, which causes no harm to anyone. It is their human right to do so. Many of these women find Mr Straw’s comments offensive." Zareen Roohi Ahmed, of the British Muslim Forum, added: "My worry is that if someone in Jack Straw’s position can get away with asking Muslim women to remove their veils, what is to stop employers, bus drivers or shopkeepers from applying the same kind of pressure?" On the streets of Blackburn, the community was divided over Mr Straw’s comments. Bank worker Irfan Asghar, 23, said he was surprised by the remarks, adding: "In Britain, whatever faith you are you should be able to follow it in whatever way you want." Student Safiya Mohammed, 18, who was wearing a veil and head-dress bearing the Calvin Klein logo, said: "He should respect other people’s beliefs, values and culture. I don’t believe it draws attention to us, that’s the reason why we wear the veil. We are keeping our beauty to ourselves, so what does it matter?" Planner Anthony Conlon, 38, said: "I don’t think he was out of order. It’s like talking to someone with a motorbike helmet on – you can’t gauge their reaction. "There will be a big backlash to this, because a large number of Asians vote for him." Retired couple Terry and Mary Alty also agree with the politician’s point of view. Mary said: "I think it was right. When you are speaking to someone you really need to see their reaction." Husband Terry added: "If you come to a country then you abide by the rules. I do worry that we are moving too far to becoming a non-English country but I would not want to be seen as a racist." Mr Straw’s Labour colleagues, including the party chairwoman Hazel Blears, backed Mr Straw, saying his request to constituents was "perfectly proper". Downing Street refused to reveal Mr Blair’s personal views. A spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister believes that it’s right that people should be able to have a discussion and express their personal views on issues such as this."