Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Islam in Europe Weekly Review

This is starting to become a bi-weekly review, but I'll try to get back on track with it.


Ramadan:

An international Christian initiative to pray for Muslims on Ramadan encountered resistance in Oxford, where one Muslim organization accused the initiators of running a missionary campaign.

Muslims in the Ukraine are coming out with a Ramadan campaign for both Muslims and non-Muslims.  In the UK health officials are warning of fake Zam Zam water and are concerned that Muslim girls would miss out on cervical cancer immunizations.  A hospital in Amsterdam is offering Ramadan counseling for diabetic patients.

The Rome mayor sent Ramadan greetings to his Muslim constituents.

Ramadan also brought about a new controversy in France, when a court in Southern France agreed to postpone a trial after the accused lawyers said he wouldn't be in top shape due to his fasting.  The demands of fasting on Ramadan are much more acute for athletes, and they must make a choice as to whether to fast or not.

France is reporting increased demand of Muslim related products on Ramadan, with the Koran placing 8thon the bestsellers list.


Radicalism/Terrorism:

The British Channel 4 has come out with a sequel to its Undercover Mosques, this time focusing on female preachers.  Meanwhile the BBC is accused of not willing to broadcast a docudrama on terrorist attacks in London for fears of Islamophobia. Sikhs and Hindus accuse the broadcaster of having a pro-Muslim bias.  In Scotland a politician was suspended from his party after it was revealed he had taken his family for a shooting vacation in Pakistan.

An EU court acquitted Somali-Swedes accuses of terror financing.


Discrimination:

There were several racist attacks this past couple of weeks.  A Qatari student studying English in the UK was killed in a racist attack.  In Paris three Jewish students were attacked and injured.  A college in southern France was spray-painted with swastikas and racist comments.

A TV station in the Czech Republic was fined for Islamophobia.  A report recently published there shows Muslims are concerned about increasing Islamopobia.  in the UK a lawyer run a racism lawsuit after she was suspended for calling Bin Laden her pal.

A Swedish bank prevents Muslim customers from completing online transactions, apparently based on anti-terrorism EU directives.


Sharia: 

Utrecht opened a swimming pool for male only swimming lessons, while in Oslo a debate rages about segregated swimming lessons in schools.

A Sharia fund, Sweden's first, is now available in that country.  A Swedish medical journal reports about plans for a Muslim hospital and who's behind it.  A fight between asylum seekers over roasting pork is now bringing the Swedish migration board to give Muslims their own pots.

In Rotterdam a court allowed a lawyer to remain sitting when the judges enter, based on his religious convictions.  The decision caused a political uproar.

German Muslims are upset at Germany's only Islamic religion professor for questioning Muslim beliefs.


Crime:

Fake Bulgarian passports, a ticket to the EU, are being sold in London mosques.  Attention is being paid in Sweden to the problem of honor violence against males.  In Denmark rival gangs are taking to the streets.  Immigrants in one Spanish town are rioting after the killing of an immigrant.


Hijab:

A tourist wearing a niqab was ousted from a museum in Venice.  Following the incident the museum apologized and the special rooms were set aside to check veiled women.

In the UK a radiographer quit her job after refusing to bare her arms.

An Islamic convert in Norway spoke about her experiences and started off a storm when she implied women should cover up to prevent rape.


Miscellaneous

*
Former Mohammed crisis Danish imam Ahmed Akkari is now working in Greenland as a teacher, hoping to put the past behind him.  Meanwhile, French lawyers intend to sue the Danish cartoonist.

* The refugee flow to Sweden is dropping.  A Belgian who married his housekeeper in order to give him a residence permit found himself in hot water in Senegal.

* The Islamic Council of Norway announced its position that imams should be attentive to Muslim gays.  The editor of a gay newspaper meanwhile finds women more sympathetic.

* An Israeli parliament member intends to hold an anti-Islam conference in Jerusalem in order to create a coalition of European parliament members.

* Somali youth in Sweden speak about their life on radio, while in Norway a member of the  Somali community has come out with a critical book.

* A Danish artist comes out with a logo exhibit, one of which focuses on Allah.

* The Muslim community in Marseille is divided over a proposed Muslim school.  A magazine in Belgium examines the Muslim student body in Brussels.

* The official Muslim representative body in Belgium is now receiving government subsidies again.

* A study of French Muslims shows they give overwhelming support to the Socialist Party.  In Finland an Islamic party is trying to run in the local elections.

* The Swedish prime minister visited a halal slaughterhouse and called on companies to be more attentive to the needs of Muslims.  A study of Swedish history teachers brings their opinions on immigrants and integration.

* A study of immigrant gamblers in the Netherlands shows that Turkish and Moroccan gamblers are more likely to be addicted.

* France's Muslim Justice Minister is pregnant, and the hunt is on to find out who's the father.

* Religious leaders in the UK are calling for non-discriminatory employment and student enrollment practices in faith schools.

* The plans for the Cologne mosque have been approved after an agreement has been reached about the height of the minarets.


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

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