"ALL CAPS IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY IS NO VICE."

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Islam in Europe Weekly Review

When does reporting become adertising?  How can we tell truth from fiction?  Not so easy to tell, sometimes.

Here are the stories I've reported on this past week.


Sharia


* The Norwegian Islamic Council is still waiting for a fatwa from the European Fatwa Council regarding how European Muslims should see the death sentence for homosexuals.  It is interesting that they expect European Muslims to have a united approach, since Europe itself does not have a united approach to homosexuality, as can be seen from the recent gay parades in Eastern Europe.

Norwegian authorities are meanwhile tired of waiting and the council might lose government funding.

* A gynecologist in Lyons trying to treat a Muslim woman was attacked by her husband.

* A new Sharia pre-paid card is available in the UK.

* Dutch Arabist Hans Jansen accuses a bank of Islamist propaganda on its site.

* Balkan Muslims agree on the same date for Ramadan, using astronomical calculations.

* Halal slaughtered chicken is available from several Swedish brands.  Halal slaughter is banned in Sweden, but in this case the actual slaughter is done in Denmark.

* In the UK, several Muslim bodies came together to write up a new marriage contract which gives women more rights within the Muslim framework.


Terrorism/Radicalism

* An Israeli-Arab was arrested in Israel on suspicion of being recruited by Hizbullah, in Germany.  This has caused concern in Germany about possible future attacks by the Shiite group.

* Mullah Krekar is suing Norway in the European human rights court for not letting him live a normal life.  Krekar has not been deported, is not in jail, but is prevented from working.

* A Palestinian terrorist currently in Ireland claims Israel tried to assassinate him.

* The Glasvej terror trial started out in Denmark.

* A new study was published by Lorenzo Vidino on Islamism and Jihadism in Italy.

* Tabligh preachers preach Islam openly outdoors.


Interviews

* Richard Dawkins, a noted scientist in the UK, accused fundamentalist Muslims of bringing creationist theories into schools.  He then went on to complain about fundamentalist Christians.

* Hirsi Ali appeared on CNN, comparing European and American Muslims.


Immigration

Sweden and Iceland agreed to take in more Palestinian refugees from Iraq.  In Brussels, the police helped evict Afghani illegals who took refuge in a church after the parish priest feared neighbors will post clips from the church on YouTube.  (A newsclip is available) 


Marriage

Statistics Netherlands will now look into polygamy in the Netherlands, previous policy having been to disregard such marriages registered as administrative errors.

Forced marriage among men is going up in Denmark.  Previously this trend had been noted in the Netherlands and the UK.

In Germany a court approved the (future) deportation of a Turkish brother who had killed his sister's girlfriend on the grounds of honor.


Discrimination/Anti-Muslim

* Le Pen, Streche and Dewinter will be gathering in Germany for an anti-Islamization congress, leading to criticism from some who had previously supported the efforts against building a mosque there.

* A Muslim in France wants to have an attack he'd experienced officially labeled Islamophobic.

* A proposal in Italy to turn a medieval Crusader gathering point into an interfaith center has run into opposition.

* Attitudes towards Muslims in the Netherlands are becoming more positive.

* Refugees in Norway who cannot prove their identity cannot attain citizenship.  Apparently this is also true for their children.

* A Muslim school in Rotterdam won a court case against a local councillor who warned parents not to send their kids there.


Miscellaneous

* The Quran was translated to Maltese and presented to the local archbishop.  This seems a new trend, as formerly translation of the Quoran was considered undesirable.

* Lack of media interest has brought about a sharp decline in conversions to Islam in Belgium.

* A Muslim site in Germany launched a Muslim Comedy Contest.

* A court in France approved municipal support of mosque building.

* Whether in Morocco, Turkey or elsewhere on the globe, insurance companies in the Netherlands are turning to investigators to find out if ill workers might really be vacationing.

* A proposal to open a debate forum in Italy for Islamic dissent has received support from local Muslim leaders.

* Serbs complain that Sarajevo has become almost completely Muslim.


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This article was cross-posted to Islam in Europe and to THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS.

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