Sikh Community issues Ultimatum to Guramit Singh, denounce EDL by Vaisakhi or face excommunication (UK)

Sikhs opposed to the English Defence League (EDL) have issued an ultimatum to Guramit Singh, spokesperson for the EDL who claims to be of Sikh heritage.

The ultimatum calls for Guramit Singh from Nottingham to publically denounce and distance himself from the EDL by the end of the Vaisakhi festival.

Vaisakhi is a Sikh religious festival that falls on April 13 and it is one of the most significant occasions for the Sikhs, commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa (martial Sikhism) in 1699 by the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh ji. This year will mark the 312th anniversary of this auspicious occasion and will be celebrated globally with recitals of religious hymns and prayers for world peace.

Should he (Guramit Singh) fail to do so the community will appeal to the highest political authority of the Sikhs, the Akal Takht in the holy city of Amritsar, Punjab, India to formally request excommunication orders for him to be permanently expelling from the Sikh faith for bringing it into disrepute.

The excommunication order, if passed could mean the EDL member being permanently shunned from all aspects of the Sikh community, although that would be an ultimate sanction.

It comes after the release of a joint statement condemning the EDL and its supporters from Sikh backgrounds. The joint statement which is supported by some of the UK’s largest Sikh Organisations and groups include Singh Sabha Gurdwara Southall (London) and Guru Nanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha (Birmingham).

It also follows recordings of Guramit Singh quoting Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs whilst delivering an offensive speech against the Muslim community.

Varinder Singh, an organiser of the ‘Sikhs Against the EDL’ campaign said:

“The Sikh Community has clearly condemned Guramit Singh’s public actions which are being used as a political stunt by the EDL and thereby bringing the Sikh faith into disrepute. His actions do not reflect the Sikh faith or the community and must be stopped to prevent further damage to inter-faith relations.

We believe because of his influence they carry the Sikh flag on their marches, use Sikh emblem and insignia in their propaganda and make on-sided and inflammatory statements about any past divisions between Sikhs and Muslims, including the partition.

We will be raising the concerns of our community leaders and will look to appeal to the Jathedar (Leader) of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, for him to formally issue excommunication orders should Guramit Singh decide not to denounce and distance himself from the EDL immediately.”

Balwinder Singh Rana, originator of the joint statement condemning the EDL said:

”Some of the largest Sikh and Hindu organisation in this country have signed our statement. We also have the full support of most of the Gurdwara’s (Sikh temples) and Mandirs (Hindu temples) in West London as well as East London.

In addition to this six Gurdwara’s in Birmingham, including the largest one, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, have pledged their support on our initiative.

Together with support from members of the wider community including Claude Moraes MEP, some MPs, a number of councillors and other prominent people as well as University Sikh Student Societies – we can confidently say that the tide is by far in our favour.”

He further added:”Guramit Singh claimed in the BBC program ‘Who’s Afraid of the EDL?’, that Sikhs have been trying to ‘protect the world from Islam for 300-400 years.’

However, anyone with the rudimentary knowledge of the Sikh religion would know that the Sikhs actually never fought against Islam. They only fought against the oppression and intolerance from some of the Mogul rulers.”

“The tenth and last living Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, himself made it very clear in the Akal Ustat:

‘Someone calls himself a Hindu, another a Turk, someone a Shia, another a Sunni. Recognise the whole of humanity as one race.’

‘The temple or the mosque is the same, the Hindu worship or the Muslim prayer are the same; all humans are the same, it is through error they appear different. It is the one God who created all.’

‘The Hindu God and the Muslim God are the same; let no man even by mistake suppose there is a difference.’ ”

The Turban Campaign

No terrorist link to packages in lake (UK)

Police say there is no terrorism link to two suspicious packages found floating in a lake at a beauty spot.

The packages, found at the boating lake, in Cottingham Road, Corby, on Monday, sparked a full-scale investigation involving an RAF bomb disposal unit and the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit.

However, police said yesterday they are no longer treating them as suspicious.

Road blocks were set up and a large area around the lake was cordoned off by police after the discovery of the packages by two young anglers.

At one point police were considering using divers to search the lake.

Read more of this news item at the Evening Telegraph

Wilders' inciting hatred court case will go ahead, judges say (Netherlands)

The court case against anti-Islam campaigner and MP Geert Wilders will go ahead as planned, the three judges hearing the case said on Monday.

Wilders’ legal team had tried to have the case dropped on a number of legal grounds.

But while agreeing the case, based on charges of inciting hatred and discrimination will continue, Wilders should not be charged with comparing Islam to fascism, the judges said.

Dutch News

EDL rally police help for colleagues (UK)

Lancashire authorities are taking advice from awardwinning police in Bolton ahead of this weekend’s planned English Defence League rally in Blackburn.

Up to 4,500 people are expected to turn up to the demonstration on Saturday which would make it even bigger than Bolton’s rally in March last year.

The Victoria Square demonstration was one of the biggest EDL rallies in the country and Bolton police are now seen as experts in dealing with the challenges that such events present.

A team of Bolton police won the Karen Mulligan Award for Diversity in Action at the Greater Manchester Police excellence awards this year for their work ahead of the rally.

Now Lancashire police have been taking advice from Bolton police to ensure that the demonstration passes peacefully.

Representatives from Blackburn with Darwen Council have also been speaking to Bolton Council chiefs.

Sgt Steve Baldam, who played a key role in preparations ahead of Bolton’s protests, said: “The fact that the systems and protocols we were able to produce were such that they can now be taken on by the rest of the North West certainly makes us feel very proud.”

Blackburn police expect about 2,500 EDL protesters and about 2,000 counter protesters from Unite Against Fascism and the Muslim Defence League to show up on Saturday afternoon.

Bolton EDL supporters are planning to travel to Blackburn by train for the demonstration.

Lancashire police Ch Supt Bob Eastwood said: “Our role is to facilitate peaceful protest. If anyone commits a criminal offence they will be dealt with fairly but firmly.

“The police will not tolerate damage to the town or acts of violence and I would urge anyone thinking of coming to Blackburn to attend either demonstration to bear this in mind.”

This Lancashire

German teenager admits throwing banana during Brazil v Scotland match

The mystery of who tossed a banana onto the field during Sunday's friendly meeting between Brazil and Scotland has been solved, with confirmation that the object was thrown by a German tourist with no racist intent.

A racism debate overshadowed Brazil's 2-0 win over the Scots, after the banana appeared on the field shortly after Neymar's second goal of the game. Amid fears the banana had been thrown as a racist act towards the striker, the player also mistakenly believed he had been jeered by Scotland supporters at the Emirates on grounds of his skin colour.

 Read more at  The Guardian

BOSNIA FOOTBALL TO BE SUSPENDED FROM INTERNATIONAL PLAY

Bosnia’s Soccer Federation has failed to end its ethnically selected presidency, and is now expected to be suspended from international competition.

At its meeting on Tuesday, Bosnia's Football Federation, NSBiH, failed to adopt a statute required by international football's governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, to change its football management structure. FIFA and UEFA had demanded that Bosnian football replace its three-member presidency - made up of a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb - with a single president by March 31 or face exclusion from the bodies. Because the new statute was not adopted by the deadline, Bosnia will be automatically suspended from international competitions, effective April 1, according to a previous FIFA and UEFA decision. The bodies also have the right to introduce a trustee who would set up a new Football Association in the country. In effect, Bosnia could receive an international administrator for football, much like the High Representative in the political sphere. Balkan Insight’s source in UEFA believes that Bosnia’s national team will not be suspended for a long period, despite the Federation's failure to adopt the statute. According to the source, the suspension might last for ten days, until a decision on temporary administration is declared by UEFA on April 10. FIFA and UEFA have not yet responded to Bosnia's decision on Tuesday not to adopt the statue.

Bosnia's soccer federation currently reflects the country’s political and ethnic divisions after the war of the 1990s. The NSBiH is made up of two associations, representing Bosnia’s two entities – the predominantly Serb Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation – which are together headed by the three-member presidency. The Bosnian Serb representatives oppose the one-president concept imposed by FIFA, as they fear this might jeopardize their autonomy. “We believe that preserving the tripartite presidency is a must… the only thing we can accept is that the Presidency rotates [between the three ethnic groups] every 16 months,” the vice-president of the Republika Srpska football association, Stasa Kosarac, told Balkan Insight. Changes to the football federation's structure are also opposed by Croat representatives. Josip Bevanda, secretary general of SC Siroki Brijeg and a member of the Bosnia Soccer Federation’s Executive Board, told Balkan Insight that the FIFA and UEFA rules are unfair. He said most of the delegates had voted against the changes to the federation structure demanded by UEFA. “What kind of democracy is that?" he asked. “Why do they insist on such rules, if we decided differently in a democratic fashion?”

Bogdan Ceko, a celebrated former Bosnian footballer and the Serb member of the NSBiH's presidency, advocates adopting FIFA's demands. He told Balkan Insight before Tuesday's vote that he hopes reason will prevail over what is widely recognised as a political problem. “Last week, I attended the UEFA Congress in Paris, and my friends from UEFA told me that we won't see anything nice if the required statute is not adopted,” Ceko said. “But still,” he added, “I am going to the session as an optimist. If the Olympic Committee three months ago did the same thing, I do not see any reason why it won't be done by NSBiH.” The effects of the NSBiH's suspension will likely be felt throughout Bosnia, where international funding currently makes up between 70 and 80 per cent of the NSBiH budget. In addition, Bosnian clubs often cannot pay their players regularly, so participation in international competitions is of vital importance for footballers. The best example is FC Borac from Banja Luka, which is expected to win the Bosnian club championships this year, and thus play qualifications for Europe’s Champions League. Even participation in the qualifications brings substantial revenue, and to small clubs like Borac it is essential to survival. Bosnia's national football team, however, arguably has the most to lose from a suspension, as it fights for first place in its qualifying group for Euro 2012. If Bosnia faces international exile, a great performance on Saturday against Romania could be the team's last for some time.

Balkans Insight

NEO-NAZI ORGANIZATION BLOOD AND HONOUR LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

A new website has been launched in the Czech Republic endorsing the international neo-Nazi organization Blood and Honour (BH) and the militant terrorist group Combat 18 (C18). The last website run by the Czech promoters of BH, calling themselves Blood and Honour Division Bohemia, was reportedly blocked by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (the FBI) three years ago.

The designers of the new website have posted the information that C18 is doing its best to "destabilize the system and unleash race war" in the Czech Republic. C18 is said to have been behind several actions in recent months "and will commit many others again soon." The section entitled "Who we are against and how to fight" includes the following statement: "The communists have their headquarters in the center of Prague off of Wenceslas Square, and what could be easier than driving by and throwing a grenade or an improvised bomb through the gateway?"

Communist Party (KSČM) spokesperson Věra Žežulková says the party will be seeking legal advice regarding the call for violence on the neo-Nazi website. "If the threats are specific, we will turn to the Czech Police," Žežulková told the Czech Press Agency. She said the KSČM unequivocally condemns racism, violence, xenophobia and similar phenomena and that the party is not surprised by the "hate of these extreme-right groups."

Jan Šubert, spokesperson for the Security Information Services (Bezpečnostní informační služby - BIS) did not want to comment on the activities or the website of the BH and C18 promoters. He told the Czech Press Agency that the civilian counter-intelligence services have no information that the neo-Nazis would, in recent months, have been behind some sort of organized, sophisticated, subversive action or that something of the sort might occur in the near future. "Of course, violent action by an individual can never be ruled out," Šubert said, adding that the neo-Nazi scene in the Czech Republic is currently fractured into small groups which operate in isolation without central leadership.

"Naturally, we know about the website. We monitor those pages just like all the other things that turn up on the internet and are somehow related to the extremist scene in this country," Pavel Hanták, spokesperson for the Organized Crime Detection Unit (Útvar pro odhalování organizovaného zločinu - ÚOOZ) told the Czech Press Agency. However, he did not want to comment on the website. "We of course do not publicize our operational activities," he said.

In one of the texts on the site, the authors praise the arson attack on a home occupied by Roma people in Vítkov, which the courts found to be a case of the attempted murder of eight people. At the same time, the authors distance themselves from groups such as the Autonomous Nationalists, National Resistance and the Workers' Social Justice Party, labeling them all "half left-wing".

A website devoted to the BH and C18 is nothing new for the Czech Republic. Czech daily Hospodářské noviny (HN) reported in May 2008 that the FBI had blocked the most recent one. "Our American colleagues acted at the instigation of British police officers who followed the website and labeled it terrorist," the daily quoted Karel Kuchařík, then head of the computer crimes division at the Police Presidium, as saying. HN reported that the Czech Police had tried on their own to have the website banned but had not succeeded.

The Blood and Honour organization was founded in the 1980s in Britain by Ian Stuart Donaldson, the singer with the neo-Nazi band Skrewdriver. It takes its name from the battle cry of the Hitler Youth. The organization endorses the legacy of the Third Reich and its main activity is organizing concerts and rallies and publishing and distributing music, magazines and clothing patches. BH divisions have been set up in many other countries.

The number 18 in Combat 18 stands for the initials of Adolf Hitler. The militant group openly calls for attacks on immigrants, Jewish people and Roma people. Political scientist Miroslav Mareš wrote in his handbook for the Czech Police on this issue that C18 was founded at the start of the 1990s in Britain and that divisions and sections of the organization have gradually been founded in other countries as well. Mareš says members of C18 have carried out a number of violent terrorist actions.

Romea.CZ

Racist incidents in Scotland fall by 4% in a year (UK)

The number of racist incidents recorded by police in Scotland fell by 4% over a one-year period, official figures show.

The chief statistician's report said 4,952 racist incidents were recorded in 2009-10, compared to 5,143 in 2008-09.

However, two police forces - Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders - recorded an increase.

Between 2004-10, reported racist incidents in Scotland increased by 10%, but the figures have been falling since 2006-07.

In 2009-10, about 48% of victims for whom ethnicity was recorded were of Asian origin and about 96% of perpetrators were white.

The most frequently recorded racist crime in 2009-10 was racially aggravated conduct, accounting for 65% of cases.

BBC News

Duluth Human Rights Supporters Push Against Anti-Immigration Bill (USA)

Human rights supporters expect the Duluth City Council to make its opposition official against a proposed state immigration law tonight.

Opponents of the bill believe, if passed, the legislation will encourage racial profiling across the Northland.
The Duluth Immigration Rights Coalition (DIRC) says they feel the state proposal mirrors the controversial legislation Arizona passed about one year ago.

Read more at Fox 21 Online

Hitler and the Muslamic Ray Guns

Admin ; We just had to share this with everyone.

Anti-terrorism unit to probe discovery (UK)

Counter-terrorism intelligence officers and bomb disposal experts were called to a beauty spot after two suspect packages were found floating in a lake.

The discovery was made yesterday at Corby boating lake, in Cottingham Road, an area popular with families, walkers and anglers.

Police said although the contents of the two packages could potentially make up an explosive device, neither were viable.

The drama started at 8am when anglers fished an object from the lake, sparking an evacuation of the area. One package, wrapped in a black bin liner, contained a glass jar packed with nails, a lighter, gas canisters, batteries and a strong-smelling liquid. The other held similar contents.

Police were called and the area, including the boating lake cafe, was immediately evacuted.

Roadblocks were set up at the junction of Willow Brook Road and Cottingham Road and outside the nearby Willowbrook Health Centre. Officers cordoned off a large area around the lake and stopped people using the footpath which leads through the woods to the town centre.

Police, paramedics and firefighters were also on the scene as cafe staff waited to find out if they could collect their vehicles, parked behind the police cordon.

People turning up at the police roadblock, hoping to keep appointments at Willowbrook Health Centre, were turned back and told to get to the complex from the Westcott Way end of Cottingham Road.

Passers-by gathered during the morning to watch events unfold and at the end of the lake furthest away from where the packages were discovered men continued to fish and people sat on benches as emergency services carried out their investigation.

Carl McCardine was working in the cafe when the packages were found. He said: “There were about 20 customers in at the time, some of them were members of a walking group. We were told to evacuate the cafe and get out of the area. Everyone was very calm.”

At about 1.30pm Cottingham Road was re-opened and cafe staff were allowed to remove their vehicles from the car park.

Evening Telegraph

Far right groups may be fuelling increase in city race attacks (UK)

FAR right groups are thought to be one of the causes behind a rise in race hate attacks in Portsmouth, The News can reveal.

New figures show that 455 incidents were reported to the city’s Racial Awareness Service over a nine-month period – a 25 per cent year-on-year rise.

Police also say hate crime – which includes those targeted because of their race or religion – went up by 16 per cent in the city to 317 last year.

Fareham, Gosport, Havant and Waterlooville also saw a nine per cent rise in hate crime.

It comes as an investigation by The News on pages 12 and 13 today reveals how one man has been the victim of seven race attacks in less than two months since opening his store in Ludlow Road, Paulsgrove.

Nanda Vayanaperumal has been subjected to racist abuse, had paint thrown at his store, his car tyres slashed and windows smashed at the Danny Mart.

Sharon Furtado, who manages Portsmouth City Council’s Racial Awareness Service, said: ‘The rise (in race attacks) could be due to a whole host of reasons.

‘Last year we had the elections and the British National Party and far right groups had more of a platform to express their views.

‘Some times people listen to them and it touches a chord with them.

‘It could also be down to the recession and there being a feeling that immigrants are coming in and taking jobs. We don’t know what the trigger is that makes someone decide to act.’

Last November, up to 100 people were involved in a demonstration at the Jami Mosque in Victoria Road North, Southsea.

The protest was sparked after a small group of Muslim extremists – not from Portsmouth – burned poppies in London during the two-minute silence on Armistice Day.

The English Defence League was blamed for organising the protests, which resulted in several arrests and charges.

Criminals face more serious penalties if the crime is found to be racially aggravated. A person convicted of actual bodily harm faces up to five years in prison, but if it is racially aggravated the offender can be jailed for up to seven years.

Chief Inspector Karen Scipio said: ‘Crimes aggravated by racial hatred are not only upsetting for the victims they’re also damaging to our wider communities.

‘We will continue to work hard to engage with the public and encourage victims of hate crime and people who witness it taking place, to come forward and report all incidents to us.’

Portsmouth News

Nordic far-right seeps into political mainstream

April elections in Finland could see the rise of yet another Northern European anti-immigrant, nationalist rightwing party that flatly rejects the far-right label while using populist rhetoric.

The True Finns is the latest such party to show signs of gaining mainstream traction.

Opinion polls suggest its showing in the April 17 parliamentary election could leap from its 4.1 percent score in the 2007 election right up to 20 percent.

The True Finns, Sweden Democrats (SD), the Danish People's Party (DPP) and Norway's Progress Party (FrP) are all already represented in their respective national parliaments.

There, they emphasise the importance and of "lifestyle politics such as abortion, gay marriages, gender education, immigration," says Swedish political scientist Anders Hellstroem.

"They are authoritarian, pro-family, want law and order, and are opposed to immigration. In that sense, they are all far-right," he tells AFP.

At the same time, however, since they are all represented in parliament, "all are established. They are part of the mainstream," he says.

The far-right label, which signals extremism, is therefore not completely accurate.

In Finland, for instance, the True Finns are far from having a monopoly on anti-immigration rhetoric, says writer and political analyst Jussi Foerbom: better-established parties having long "used pretty merciless and harsh language in the discussion of immigration."

The party has however by far been the most successful in transforming the issue into popular support.

All the Nordic populist parties tend to oppose high taxation levels, while still backing the social welfare models associated with their countries.

They are also trying to gain respectability.

Sweden's SD, which with its neo-Nazi roots has the most dubious past of the Nordic parties, has for instance purged the most extreme elements from its midst.

A True Finns city councillor was convicted for blog comments linking Islam to paedophilia and saying Somalis were predisposed to mugging people and living on the dole.

But Raimo Vistbacka, a party founding member, told AFP his behavior could be attributed to the fact that "every party has these young radicals."

"They mellow out as they get more experience," he said.

When Sweden's SD entered parliament for the first time last September after elections that handed Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's centre-right coalition minority rule, all the other parties pledged to isolate it.

The party has nevertheless been able to play kingmaker in a line of important parliamentary votes, handing the win to the government or the left-leaning opposition as it sees fit.

And the True Finns party, which has been represented in parliament since 1996, could very likely become the first of the Nordic populist parties to actually make it into government.

Denmark's DPP has also secured widespread mainstream acceptance.

In its role as key ally to the centre-right coalition in power since 2001, it has helped shape government policies and push Danish immigration policies to become among the most restrictive in Europe.

The party's head Pia Kjaersgaard has said she sees the party as "rather close to French Gaullism".

The DPP has been an ally to the minority government for 10 years and is Denmark's third largest party.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen has said it represents "a fringe of the electorate we can't ignore."

It has "made a lot of efforts not to be affiliated with the SD (in Sweden)," Swedish political scientist Hellstroem says, stressing however that "SD is no further right than DPP."

The DPP is now considered a possible coalition partner after general elections in Denmark later this year.

In Norway too, where the FrP has long been the second-largest party, there are signs it could for the first time be allowed into a government coalition after the next vote in 2013.

Such high acceptance level might seem far away for the SD, as its roots are much more extreme.

Norwegian political scientist Frank Aarebrot at the University of Bergen argues however that the Swedish party does not really differ much from the other populist parties in the region.

"But they are at different stages in their development," he says, pointing out that "FrP, when it was as young as (the) SD, was at least as isolated."

ABC News

Why aren't there more black football managers? (UK)

Is institutional racism in the boardroom the reason so few black players make it into management?

Glance at the average football pitch and you might conclude racism in Britain's favourite sport is dead. Team-sheets from the Premier League down have players of all ethnicities, and organising bodies host myriad anti-racism events. The discrimination bound-up with the game in decades past appears to be over. Until you look at the people shouting to the players.

In 2007, about a quarter of all players were black, but only two out of 92 league clubs had black managers. Today, there are still only two black managers in all four leagues: Paul Ince, manager of Notts County, and Chris Powell, of Charlton Athletic. Football management is still overwhelmingly white. Now academics at Staffordshire University, who have undertaken major research into the subject, report a strong call among black and minority ethnic (BME) football fans for the introduction of positive discrimination.

The research, by Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire, and his colleague Dr Jamie Cleland, senior lecturer in sociology, involved 1,000 football fans, professional players, referees, coaches and managers revealing their views on the dearth of black managers. More than 56% of those polled said there is racism at the top of football's hierarchy; among BME respondents, that figure was 73%. Most radically of all, over half of BME fans called for a policy similar to the Rooney rule in the US, which stipulates that all shortlists for management and coaching jobs in the National Football League must include at least one minority candidate. The Staffordshire academics report that a third of the polled football fans encouraged this type of reform.

"We didn't expect support for reform," admits Cashmore. "We thought that, as British culture tends to oppose any type of compulsion, the fans would resist a policy. But, in the event, they showed a clear recognition that the paucity of black managers has become an embarrassing anomaly that needs radical attention." The comments made by the surveyed football fans included: "Until you force something like the Rooney rule, the situation will not change"; "The US is now seeing the success of diversifying upper management"; "There are numerous white managers who have failed, but their name always crops up on a short list and they get given jobs. When you are black you get one chance and if you mess up, that's it."

The academics believe that while black former players like Ruud Gullit and Patrick Vieira helped combat racism in football by showing off their skills, football management escaped that development. "From the early 1980s, black players earned their place on teams on merit, and resentment subsided. But management is different. Skill isn't so self-evident – a manager needs an opportunity and a period of time to prove his worth," says Cashmore. "In the 1980s, football's upper echelons were tut-tutting about the unruly fans who still harboured racist views. Now the tide has reversed: over half of the fans are complaining that football's rulers are racist."

The academics report that fans believe "institutional racism" – where people do not consciously discriminate against minorities, but fail to challenge old assumptions and stereotypes, meaning a pattern of operations continues – is relevant in football management. One survey respondent said: "People appoint people like themselves. White chairmen appoint white, male managers. The cycle is not easily broken." Dismissing the idea that black managers will come through as the higher numbers of black players mature, another said: "Football boards have very few ethnic minorities on them – that's more likely to be the issue than the players or backroom staff. It's an old boys' club that is unlikely to bring in people from outside their peer group."

Cashmore agrees. "Succession in football management seems haunted by images of celebrated managers of the past and present – and they're all white," he says. Britain's first black football manager is believed to be Tony Collins, who managed Rochdale for seven years from 1960 – although most people assume it was Gullit, who managed Chelsea in 1996. Gullit, Cashmore adds, "retains the distinction of being the first football manager to have dreadlocks".

One insider response to the Staffordshire University research came from a black former league manager who no longer works in the UK. He said: "I had to keep reminding myself how much of a niche industry football management is – there are only 92 jobs. When a manger loses his job, within hours someone already on the management merry-go-round is installed as favourite without considering the merits of an outsider. That's the appeal of the Rooney rule – it opens up the field."

Evidence of continued racism came from the survey respondents' additional comments. One fan said: "The lack of black managers in football reflects the football view that while black men can play, they are not competent to manage."

"The research indicates that fans sense that there's an issue in British football," says Cashmore. "The majority is in no doubt that there is racism in the boardroom – that in itself demands attention." But he is gloomy about the prospect of change. "We sent the results of the our Topfan gay footballers project (on homophobia in football ) to the Football Association, Premier League, Football League and Professional Footballers' Association, but none expressed interest in acting on our results," he says. "So we don't hold out much hope that they will respond positively to the latest findings."

• Ellis Cashmore will discuss his research on BBC Radio5 Live's Total Blackout on Wednesday, 30 March at 8pm

The Guardian

Racist attack on mosque (UK)

Racist abuse was shouted at worshippers at a busy mosque.

Police were called to Eastern Avenue in Gants Hill after reports of a group of men causing damage to parked vehicles in the road.

Six men were seen heading in the direction Redbridge roundabout towards Redbridge Islamic Centre, also in Eastern Avenue.

As they reached the mosque they shouted racial abuse and threw bricks at the building, which broke glass in the front doors.

The incident occurred at around 7.45pm on Thursday (March 24), near the start of evening prayers.

A number of worshippers had already entered the mosque but there were still some people outside the building when the attack occurred.

One man suffered a minor head injury but did not need any medical treatment.

Six men were arrested by police and remain in custody at Ilford Police Station.

Chief Inspector Stan Greatrick, of Redbridge police, said: “We would appeal for anyone who was in the Eastern Avenue area and saw the group of males to contact us.

“We have spoken to a number of people in the area and continue to liaise closely with members of the Redbridge Mosque.

“We have already secured additional patrols for Eastern Avenue and we would like to reassure the local community, and those who worship at the Redbridge Mosque, that we are treating this case extremely seriously.”

Anyone with information should contact Redbridge CID on 020 8345 2632.

Waltham Forest Guardian

Neymar accuses Tartan Army in racism row (UK)

Brazil forward Neymar accused Scotland fans of racism after claiming a banana was thrown on to the field during Sunday’s 2-0 friendly win at the Emirates Stadium.

The 19-year-old, who scored both goals, the second from the penalty spot, also accused some spectators of racially abusing him.

‘I feel great and scored two but what happened with the banana is sad,’ he said. ‘They were jeering me a lot. This atmosphere of racism is totally sad.’

He added: 'I don't want to make a big deal of it...  I'd rather not even talk about it, to keep the subject from escalating.'

The incident took place as the Neymar - strongly linked with a move to Chelsea in the future - was preparing to take his 77th-minute penalty, his second goal of the game.

Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband strongly denied the jeers for Neymar were racially motivated.

He said: ‘The reason Neymar was booed was because we believed he was feigning injury. Any suggestion of racism from the Tartan Army today, as far as I am concerned, is absolute tosh.’

The match was played at a neutral venue and it is unclear whether the banana was thrown by a supporter of either side or a neutral.

Metro

Anti-Semitism Conference Looks At Ways To Combat An Ancient Hatred

With each passing year, the enormity of the Holocaust seems to fade from collective memory.

One of the major manifestations of contemporary anti-Semitism is to deny the Holocaust ever happened, or to minimize its impact.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly promises to enact a second Holocaust, threatening to eliminate the state of Israel.

That Holocaust denial often takes place alongside Holocaust glorification does not seem to give anti-Semites logical pause.

But the tragic history of the Jewish experience and the daunting challenges posed by anti-Semitism have not dismayed those committed to fighting it.

Several dozen human rights activists, historians, and government representatives recently gathered in Prague for a conference dedicated to “Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse.” The conference was sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

“It is deeply embarrassing that we have to deal with anti-Semitism some 66 years after the defeat of Nazi Germany,” said Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jiri Schneider, whose remarks opened the conference.

Far from being some new ideology, contemporary anti-Semitism is “old poison in new bottles,” he said.

While Jewish stereotypes propagated by anti-Semites may be ancient, participants said anti-Semites have been able to harness new technology to spread and popularize their bigotry.

“Intolerant discourse has never been as global as it is now,” said Lithuanian Ambassador Janez Lenarcic, the director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

Though anti-Semitism is a global phenomenon, the conference focused on topics pertaining to the OSCE region.

Read the full item at Radio Free Europe

St. Charles man ‘I’m no terrorist’ (USA)

Local dog trainer Ibraheim “Abe” Mashal says he might have considered the FBI’s request for him to work as an undercover informant if they’d recruited him openly.

Instead, the American-born Muslim and U.S. Marine Corps veteran charges that agents secretly put him on the federal government’s “no-fly” list and launched an investigation that included his family, friends and clients, then offered to restore his flying privileges in exchange for him spying on area mosques.

“If they had called and been straight up with me, they would have gotten a different answer,” said Mashal. “But this has to be a free country. You can’t go putting people on lists like they did in communist Russia.”

Read more at Beacon News

Children pose as IRA terrorists at EU-funded centre (UK)

Former Provos show off weapons to youngsters who are then photographed brandishing AK-47s

 Photographs showing children dressed as IRA terrorists and brandishing weapons provoked fury among victims' groups in Northern Ireland yesterday and prompted investigations by the police, the Children's Commissioner and the European Union.

The controversy involves a community centre in South Armagh that has received millions of pounds from the European Union, including funds intended to promote peace and social cohesion.

Describing itself as "the jewel in the crown of South Armagh tourism", the Ti Chulainn Centre, near Mullaghbawn, hosted a youth event organised by Sinn Fein at which scores of children listened to talks by former IRA terrorists.

Racks of sub-machineguns, rifles, handguns, mounted machineguns, a rocket launcher and even a bazooka were on show in the centre, and children were photographed holding AK-47s, rifles and handguns.

It is not known if the weapons were replicas or had escaped the decommissioning process.

The pictures, entitled "North Armagh Martyrs in South Armagh", were posted online. One, showing a boy cradling an AK-47 and dressed in combat uniform, black beret, sunglasses and leather gloves, is captioned "IRA dude".

The discovery of the photos comes just months after the centre was criticised for using EU money to fund tours promoting the "proud tradition of resisting British rule in Ireland".

The pictures came to light last week after the father of a boy at the event contacted the terrorist victims' group Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (Fair).

William Frazer, from Fair, said: "The son asked his father if he could join Sinn Fein Youth. I believe they had a heated discussion and, during this, the man discovered the photos on Facebook. He was distraught and was determined to make sure that no other child should face the same pressure. He did not feel comfortable going to the police and couldn't approach Sinn Fein, so he approached me. He told me, 'You need to try and stop this. They are poisoning those kids and filling them with hate'."

Dominic Bradley, the SDLP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Newry and Armagh, condemned the "elaborate glorification of violence and Provo gunmen involving young children".

Barrie Halliday, Newry and Armagh Assembly candidate for Traditional Unionist Voice in the May elections, said: "We're constantly being told to forget the past, as Northern Ireland has moved into a new era. These disgusting photographs show that to be lies."

Patricia Lewsley, Northern Ireland's Children's Commissioner, promised to investigate the incident. "My job is to hold government and organisations to account over their actions," she said.

The images were taken during a weekend to commemorate fallen IRA members. Republicans marched through Mullaghbawn on Sunday 3 October last year to the Ti Chulainn centre, where a monument in memory of IRA men on the "South Armagh Roll of Honour" was unveiled.

The IoS has discovered that the march was not registered with the Parades Commission. Yesterday the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that it had opened an investigation. In addition the Special EU Programmes Body, which has given grants to the centre from an EU Peace programme, is to look into the photographs.

Neither the Ti Chulainn centre nor Sinn Fein responded to requests for comment.

The controversy comes as the British government is about to stop favouring Catholic recruits to the Northern Ireland police force over Protestants, ending a decade-old affirmative action policy undertaken as part of the peace process.

The Independant

Serb ultra-nationalists behind Kadhafi Facebook support

Serbian Facebook page in support of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi which has gathered more than 46,000 "likes" was set up by an ultranationalist movement, its administrator said Thursday.

"It's all simply about support to Libyan people defending their independence," administrator Igor Marinkovic of the minority extreme nationalist movement Nasi 1389 told AFP.

"Libya was attacked as we (in Serbia) were in 1999. Libya and its leader, Colonel Kadhafi, supported us at the time and now we support them," he said.

Thursday marks 12 years since the start of a 78-day NATO bombing campaign to force the troops of then president Slobodan Milosevic out of Kosovo. Serbs have "bitter memories" of their own air strikes, Marinkovic added.

Some 46,516 people have so far liked the group "Support for Muammar al Gaddafi from the people of Serbia" at the Facebook social network, posting messages in favor of Kadhafi and against Western powers and coalition strikes.

"Never forget, never forgive, America kills, Support Libyans !!! 24.03.1999," read a posted Thursday.

"THE COLONEL HEARD ABOUT US!!! Our group was main news on Libyan television!!! Together until victory!," read another post by an administrator on Thursday morning.

Meanwhile a group calling itself the Libyan Youth Movement claiming to be a "leading organisation fighting against the criminal regime" of Kadhafi sent a statement to AFP raising concern over Serbian Internet support for Kadhafi.

"Libyan official state TV has been broadcasting Internet content from Serbian supporters of Kadhafi on a regular basis in order to show that Kadhafi still has supporters in other nations," they said. The claims could not be independently verified.

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