Dutch politician Wilders draws protests in Berlin

Far-right Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders warned against the "Islamisation" of Europe and criticised  German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a speech in Berlin on Saturday that sparked public protests.

More than 500 people gathered to hear Wilders speak at the Hotel Berlin. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Berlin's police said over 100 people gathered for a protest against the anti-Islam politician's visit.

The demonstration, which was organised by the Social Democrats and an association opposed to extreme-right politics, passed off peacefully.

Protestors, outnumbered by around 250 police, brandished photos of the shock-blond Wilders that portrayed him with a moustache similar to that worn by Adolf Hitler.

In his speech at the Hotel Berlin, Wilders claimed Germany's national identity, democracy and prosperity were threatened by Islamic political ideology. "A Germany full of mosques and full of veiled women is no longer the Germany of Schiller and Heine, Bach and Mendelssohn," he said.

The 47-year-old politician also took aim at Chancellor Merkel and Germany's established parties, accusing them of accepting the "Islamisation" of Germany.

Wilders was invited to speak in Berlin by ousted former conservative politician René Stadtkewitz, who recently announced he was forming a new "Freedom" party in Germany.

In an interview with the Sonntag Aktuell newspaper, Green party parliamentary group leader Jürgen Trittin said Wilders' visit was an "affront to Berlin's cosmopolitan tradition," in a city that is home to hundreds of thousands of Muslims. "We must stop all attempts by smug right-wing populists and Islamophobic bigots to marginalise and vilify these fellow citizens," he said.

Wilders' anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV) won record support in the June election in the Netherlands, giving it the third highest vote and an unprecedented bargaining position.

At a special party congress in the Dutch city of Arnhem on Saturday, members of the Dutch Christian Democrats (CDA) agreed to a power deal with the Liberal party (VVD), which would rely on support from Wilders' PVV.

In the run-up to the decision, German politicians expressed concern over the pact.

Wilders is due to stand trial in Amsterdam on Monday on five charges of giving religious offence to Muslims and inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims and people of non-western immigrant origin, particularly Moroccans.

The target of death threats, Wilders enjoys 24-hour state-sponsored protection while pursuing his mission to "stop the Islamisation of the Netherlands."

The Local Germany

Veterans Against Jihad Takes on ‘Threat’ of Sharia Law (USA)

The latest fairy tale to emerge from the paranoid right is the idea that the United States legal system is haunted by the specter of Sharia law. Although strict Islamic legal codes are the rare exception even among Muslim-majority nations, anti-Muslim groups and individuals — including well-known politicians like Newt Gingrich — are now warning with straight faces that mullahs could soon be caning American schoolchildren if they get caught chewing gum.

Among the groups decrying this make-believe threat, a relatively new organization called Veterans Against Jihad (VAJ) seems particularly well positioned to benefit from the current Sharia hysteria. Founded last spring by two retired Marine Corps veterans, the goal of VAJ is to “to encourage Veterans to more actively respond to challenges threatening our Constitution [and] awaken American Citizens to Islam’s Jihadist religious mandate, which dictates the teaching of Shari’ah law, and how Shari’ah Law will impact our way of life.”

Toward this end, the group is asking all veterans to “renew and retake The Oath of Enlistment, reaffirming their loyalty to our Constitution, our Country and it’s [sic] citizens.” But the VAJ’s understanding of that loyalty is an unusual one; its manifesto specifies the kinds of orders its members can respect as well as what sort of authority it deems legitimate. The VAJ code promises only to cooperate with those officials “legally enforcing, and/or preserving our nation’s security.” Judging from the VAJ site, it is clear the group does not consider that the current Democratic White House fits the bill.

The VAJ’s distaste for religiously flavored law, however, is selective. Among the far-right groups and individuals linked to on its site is Reclaim America for Christ, which is on a mission to “educate our pastors, legislators, educators, students and all citizens as to the truth about America’s Christian Heritage and the role of fundamental, Biblical Christianity in the establishment and function of our legal, legislative and educational systems.”

While the VAJ works to protect America from Allah and reclaim it for Christ, it sees the menace of Sharia everywhere, including law firms that offer consultations on the (private) intricacies of Islamic estate planning. But as this article in the New Jersey Jewish News notes (referenced in this Eugene Robinson column), there has in the entire history of the republic been only one instance of an actual crime (domestic abuse) being forgiven by a U.S. judge on grounds of “Islamic practices” — and this ruling was swiftly overturned by another judge.

“Talk of Sharia law taking root in our country is just a way of stirring up nativist fears,” said Richard Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center. “It would require throwing out the entire Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. Obviously, no such effort would have the remotest chance of success.”

SPLC Centre

Two men charged over 'homophobic attack' in Edinburgh (UK)

Two men are due to appear at court in Edinburgh in connection with a homophobic assault in the city.

The charges come after a 27-year-old man was attacked in Lady Lawson Street as he walked home from a nightclub on Sunday 19 September.

Lothian and Borders Police said a 27-year-old man would appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later.
A 21-year-old man, accused of a homophobic breach of the peace, will also appear.

BBC News

Aide to Barack Obama was on white supremacist's hit list (USA)

President Obama's top White House political advisor was on the hit-list of a white supremacist who shot dead a security guard at the US Holocaust Memorial museum in Washington, it has emerged. 

James von Brunn chose David Axelrod as a target because he believed that Mr Obama was "too hard to reach" and the political consultant was at the centre of the president's inner circle, Time magazine reported.

"Obama was created by Jews," von Brunn wrote in a notebook. "Obama does what his Jew owners tell him to do." Mr Axelrod, who helped mastermind Mr Obama's 2008 election success, is Jewish.

Von Brunn, 89, killed an African American guard at the Holocaust museum last year but died in prison before his murder case reached trial.

"The episode sent a jolt through the FBI and [The Department of Homeland Security]," Time reported. "Von Brunn had demonstrated motive, means and intent to kill one of the President's closest aides. The Secret Service assigned Axelrod a protection detail and took other, undisclosed steps to broaden its coverage."

Officials such as Mr Axelrod would not receive protection unless authorised by the Department of Homeland Security and approved by the White House. He is now seen with Secret Service bodyguards when he was back in his home city of Chicago on routine visits to sports events and restaurants.

Von Brunn was wounded in the head during the museum attack at the museum and later died in jail while undergoing mental health evaluation. Prosecutors said that he wanted to send a message to the Jewish community that the Holocaust was a hoax.

 The Telegraph

Anti-fascist move by the SDLP (Northern Ireland)

SDLP Youth members have launched an anti-fascist petition against the National Front at the University of Ulster, Coleraine Fresher's Day.

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It follows a recent National Front party meeting which took place in Coleraine earlier this month. East Derry Youth Leader Liam McNulty said the groups presence within East Londonderry was "greatly resented".
Liam said:

"The fact that hundreds of people from right across the political divide have supported our petition sends out a clear message that there is no place for racism or fascism in our community.

"Students have in the past been at the forefront of anti-fascism activity in this area and they have demonstrated willingness for an inclusive, pluralist and equal society once again.

They are horrified that this motley group met in a Coleraine bar recently after deceiving the bar staff about their purpose and motives. Their presence is greatly resented and they will have great difficulty finding a venue in the future unless they rely on their ago old practice of deception.

He continued: "Those who divide our community along racial or national lines have no solutions for the pressing problems of unemployment, deprivation and inequality. Only by uniting together can we move forward into a shared future. Coleraine needs the National Front like a hole in the head.

The SDLP Youth Organisation has been congratulated on their initiative by East Derry SDLP Assembly Member John Dallat, a veteran campaigner against the National Front. He said: "Many years ago when this unholy group of hate mongers last tried to organise in Coleraine students from all over Ireland organised one of the biggest counter NF marches ever to be held on this island. From the four provinces they outnumbered the NF hate mongers by 10 to 1 to ensure that the facists never got putting down their vile roots in this community. I am glad that students today are no less caring about racism and hate-mongering."

Londonderry Sentinel

UTCH PARTY GIVES NOD TO COALITION DEAL WITH WILDERS

A pact to allow Dutch centre-right parties to form a government with the support of anti-Islamist populist Geert Wilders has cleared another hurdle. The Christian Democrats (CDA) ratified the deal at a meeting on Saturday by 68% in favour, with 32% opposed. As part of its programme, the government will ban the full Islamic veil in the Netherlands, parties say. However, two CDA lawmakers remain opposed and could yet derail the deal when MPs vote on it later this week. The agreement, which ends months of deadlock, includes plans for budget cuts of 18bn euros ($24bn; £15bn) by 2015; curbs on immigration; and an increase in the number of police officers. The Liberals (VVD) and CDA, which hold 52 seats in the 150-member parliament, would rely on Mr Wilders' 24 Freedom Party (PVV) MPs to get legislation passed. "We want to give the country back to the working Dutch citizen," said Liberal leader and Prime Minister-designate Mark Rutte on Friday.

The pact calls for budget cuts
CDA leader Maxime Verhagen described it as a "very good governing agreement". "I am convinced that it is an agreement that every Christian Democrat will be able to identify with," he said. The deal has angered some CDA MPs who do not want to work with Mr Wilders. He goes on trial in Amsterdam on Monday on charges of inciting hatred with his film Fitna (division). The film juxtaposes the Muslim holy book, the Koran, with the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people in the US were killed in 2001. The Netherlands has been run by a caretaker government since February when a coalition led by the CDA's former leader, Jan Peter Balkenende, collapsed after a row over military involvement in Afghanistan. June's general election delivered a surge of support for the Freedom Party, which won the third biggest share of the seats. The CDA went from 40 seats to 21.

BBC News

Police investigate racist attack by gang of youths (UK)

Police in Glasgow are treating an attack on a Somali man by a gang of youths as racially motivated.

The 20-year-old was standing at a bus stop near a Tesco supermarket on Springburn Road at 2330 BST on Friday when he was attacked by the group.

He was treated in Glasgow Royal Infirmary for a head injury.

The suspects, one female and three males, are believed to be aged between 16 and 19 years old. Police appealed for any witnesses to come forward.

One of the male suspects was wearing a blue hooded top and another was wearing a yellow hooded top.
Det Sgt John Semple, from Strathclyde Police, said: "We believe that the attack on this young man was racially motivated.

"Officers have been scouring local CCTV in a bid to identify those involved and it is thought that they may have entered Tesco supermarket following the attack. I would therefore appeal to any shoppers or staff who were in the supermarket shortly after 11.30pm and may have seen the suspects to come forward to police.
"Springburn Road is an extremely busy thoroughfare and I would also ask any motorists, taxi drivers, bus drivers or pedestrians to get in touch with police if they witnessed the disturbance or saw a group of youths running off afterwards."

BBCNews

Israeli Arab MK: Racism in Israel has reached frightening levels

Some 6,000 Israeli Arabs march in memory of 13 youths who were killed by Israel Police officers in October 2000 riots; Israeli Arabs call for suspects to be tried, declare general strike.

Some 6,000 Israeli Arabs marched Friday from the Galilee town of Kfar Kanna in a procession that marked the commemoration of the October 2000 riots, in which 13 Israeli Arab youths were killed by Israel Police officers.

Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) urged Israeli officials to try the police officers allegedly responsible.

"Failure to put the criminals on trial is like making sure the victims are really dead," Tibi said on Friday. He also said that since the events of October 2000, the level of racism in Israel increased and has reached "frightening levels."

"I call on the new Attorney General [Yehuda] Weinstein to reopen the case and indict the suspected police officers," Tibi urged. "Otherwise, the state will be sending a message that it disregards the lives of its Arab-Israeli citizens and belittles their value because they are Arabs."

"These past 10 years have been filled with anger and pain for the victims' families, and for the general Arab public. They represent a black mark on the history of the State of Israel," he went on to say.

The procession included the families of the victims, members of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, Knesset members, and Jewish peace activists. The demonstrators marched and held up pictures of the victims along with signs calling on the state to put the police officers on trial.

Earlier Friday, the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee declared a general strike on Friday in commemoration of the 13 Israeli Arab youth killed by Israel Police officers in October 2000.

The events of October 2000 have become a contentious issue for Israeli Arabs, many of whom say Israel has failed to properly investigate the circumstances of the riot and take action against the police officers who killed the youths.

Israeli Arabs have expressed anger over the issue by holding demonstrations and strikes during the month of October in the years since the incident.

Demonstrators gathered last week in small groups in Nazareth and Haifa and at 12 major intersections across Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians marking the outbreak of the Intifada. They waved Palestinian flags and held pictures of those killed in the riots.

Families of the 13 killed still stand firm on their demand that a new investigation into the incident be opened and the police who killed the rioters be brought to justice. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decided not to indict the police officers involved in the deaths.

In many ways, the incident marks an unraveling of the Israeli Arabs' connection with the government and reflects how alienated they are from the state.

Ramiz Jaraisy, mayor of Nazareth and the acting head of the Higher Monitoring Committee, described the day as one in which "the Arab population are still fighting the government of Israel for justice."


The sector is feeling an increasing sense of discrimination, he said, particularly from elements within the government.

Approximately 45 percent of the general Israeli Arab population lives in poverty – a figure even higher among the sector's children, at 57 percent.

Only some 20 percent of Israeli Arab women are employed. While the figure for Israeli Arab men is higher – 60 percent – most of those jobs are in physical labor and many are laid of between the ages of 40 and 45.
Nearly 8 percent of Israeli Arab youths drop out of high school – a figure nearly three times the national average.

Public transportation is either completely lacking or insufficient about 80 percent of Israeli Arab towns and villages, and overcrowded housing in these communities is 70 percent higher than in Jewish communities.

 Haaretz