A 30-year-old man was arrested Friday evening in Berlin's Neukölln district on suspicion of arson, following a series of attacks on several mosques in the German capital, a police spokesman said.
Investigators apprehended the man at the Blaschkoallee U-Bahn station.
The arrest follows a wave of arson attacks on Muslim houses of worship in Berlin in recent months. No one was injured, but the fires caused property damage in every case.
The assailant or assailants routinely left messages behind at the scene. Police did not describe the notes in detail, but media reports said the messages were collages of newspaper articles.
Following a comprehensive investigation, state prosecutors reportedly obtained a warrant to search the offices of the Berlin daily newspaper B.Z. A police spokesman said investigators confiscated evidence that strengthened the case against the suspect.
According to the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Peter Huth, the suspect contacted B.Z. in mid-December under false pretenses, requesting a copy of a newspaper article. Huth said an employee received the inquiry.
"Wisely, she took down the name and the address and was able to inform police officers on Friday afternoon, which allowed for an arrest within a few hours," B.Z.'s editor said.
A police spokesman said the man arrested Friday is suspected of involvement in four of seven arson attacks on Berlin mosques since June of last year. Investigators are examining whether the suspect has any connection to the other incidents.
Most recently, the entrance of a mosque of the Ahmadiyya community in the Wilmersdorf district of Berlin was set ablaze in the early hours of January 8. Mosques in the districts of Neukölln and Tempelhof were targeted in similar attacks in 2010.
The Local Germany
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Barnardo's ex-head says race issues threaten adoptions (UK)
The reluctance of some councils to arrange adoptions because of a child's race means the UK faces a collapse in adoption rates, the outgoing chief executive of Barnardo's has warned.
Martin Narey told the Guardian this "prejudice" was so entrenched that it would be difficult to reverse.
He said the adoption rate of babies must "quadruple" in the next few years.
Children's Minister Tim Loughton has said it is unacceptable to deny a child a home because of ethnic differences.
Children from ethnic minorities are over-represented among those seeking adoption, but it typically takes three times as long to place them.
Official figures show that 2,300 children were placed for adoption in 2009, compared with 2,500 the previous year, and down from 3,400 in 2005.
In about 20% of cases identified as suitable for adoption, no placement is found.
Mr Narey, who has run Barnardo's for more than five years, said the numbers of toddlers and older children placed with new families needed to increase dramatically.
The charity's outgoing chief executive, who is being replaced by Anne-Marie Carrie, accused local authorities and adoption agencies of showing a disregard for the law through a reluctance to allow white couples to adopt children from different ethnic backgrounds.
"The law is very clear. A child should not stay in care for an undue length of time while waiting for adoptive parents of the same ethnicity.
"But the reality is that black, Asian and mixed race children wait three times longer than white children," he said.
In November, in a letter to local authorities in England, the children's minister said he was "troubled" to hear that sometimes "there may be over sensitivity on the grounds of ethnicity when it comes to the matching of children with prospective adopters".
He wrote: "It is plainly unacceptable for a child to be denied loving adoptive parents solely on the grounds that the child and prospective adopters do not share the same background.
"The primary consideration must surely be whether the family can offer a strong, safe, stable and loving placement that can meet the child's needs."
And, in a speech last year, the minister also said: "We know that a child tends to do better if adopted by a family that shares their ethnic and cultural heritage.
"Although the law and guidance is clear that due consideration needs to be given to language, religion, culture and ethnicity, this isn't translating into practice.
"It is much better that a child is adopted by loving parents than left waiting for their future to be decided."
BBC News
Martin Narey told the Guardian this "prejudice" was so entrenched that it would be difficult to reverse.
He said the adoption rate of babies must "quadruple" in the next few years.
Children's Minister Tim Loughton has said it is unacceptable to deny a child a home because of ethnic differences.
Children from ethnic minorities are over-represented among those seeking adoption, but it typically takes three times as long to place them.
Official figures show that 2,300 children were placed for adoption in 2009, compared with 2,500 the previous year, and down from 3,400 in 2005.
In about 20% of cases identified as suitable for adoption, no placement is found.
Mr Narey, who has run Barnardo's for more than five years, said the numbers of toddlers and older children placed with new families needed to increase dramatically.
The charity's outgoing chief executive, who is being replaced by Anne-Marie Carrie, accused local authorities and adoption agencies of showing a disregard for the law through a reluctance to allow white couples to adopt children from different ethnic backgrounds.
"The law is very clear. A child should not stay in care for an undue length of time while waiting for adoptive parents of the same ethnicity.
"But the reality is that black, Asian and mixed race children wait three times longer than white children," he said.
In November, in a letter to local authorities in England, the children's minister said he was "troubled" to hear that sometimes "there may be over sensitivity on the grounds of ethnicity when it comes to the matching of children with prospective adopters".
He wrote: "It is plainly unacceptable for a child to be denied loving adoptive parents solely on the grounds that the child and prospective adopters do not share the same background.
"The primary consideration must surely be whether the family can offer a strong, safe, stable and loving placement that can meet the child's needs."
And, in a speech last year, the minister also said: "We know that a child tends to do better if adopted by a family that shares their ethnic and cultural heritage.
"Although the law and guidance is clear that due consideration needs to be given to language, religion, culture and ethnicity, this isn't translating into practice.
"It is much better that a child is adopted by loving parents than left waiting for their future to be decided."
BBC News
Police accuse far-right DM deputy head of Nazism promotion (Czech Rep)
The Czech police have accused a 21-year-old woman, who is Workers' Youth (DM) deputy head Lucie Slegrova, according to the Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS) server, in connection with her speech delivered at the DSSS's meeting in Litvinov on November 17, 2010.
In her speech the woman expressed her positive stance on the movements suppressing human rights and freedoms and her adherence to the ideology of German Nazism and she promoted German National Socialism, police spokeswoman Ludmila Svetlakova told CTK Thursday.
The woman is prosecuted without being taken into custody. If found guilty, she faces up to three years in prison.
According to the police, she spoke about the ideology of National Socialism and she called this ideology the only possible path to fight against the current situation in the government.
The police recorded the speech and asked political scientists to assess it, Svetlakova said.
The DSSS reports that Slegrova is also accused of carrying a flag with the logo of the banned Workers' Party (DS) at the DSSS's pre-election meeting.
The Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) decided to dissolve the far-right extra-parliamentary DS party last February, complying with the proposal of the government saying the DS is extremist and poses a threat to democracy.
Last November the DSSS met in Litvinov to commemorate a march of ultra-right supporters in 2008. They clashed with the police who prevented then from marching to the Romany-inhabited Janov housing estate.
Prague Monitor
In her speech the woman expressed her positive stance on the movements suppressing human rights and freedoms and her adherence to the ideology of German Nazism and she promoted German National Socialism, police spokeswoman Ludmila Svetlakova told CTK Thursday.
The woman is prosecuted without being taken into custody. If found guilty, she faces up to three years in prison.
According to the police, she spoke about the ideology of National Socialism and she called this ideology the only possible path to fight against the current situation in the government.
The police recorded the speech and asked political scientists to assess it, Svetlakova said.
The DSSS reports that Slegrova is also accused of carrying a flag with the logo of the banned Workers' Party (DS) at the DSSS's pre-election meeting.
The Supreme Administrative Court (NSS) decided to dissolve the far-right extra-parliamentary DS party last February, complying with the proposal of the government saying the DS is extremist and poses a threat to democracy.
Last November the DSSS met in Litvinov to commemorate a march of ultra-right supporters in 2008. They clashed with the police who prevented then from marching to the Romany-inhabited Janov housing estate.
Prague Monitor
* News * World news * Arizona Tucson teachers fight to overturn ban on Mexican American classes (USA)
Attorney general attacks anti-white 'brainwashing', but critics say he is pandering to xenophobic sentiment
Arizona is a state riddled with anti-government white militias, radio stations pumping out racist hate speech and politicians who wave guns as they denounce the oppressive rule of Washington. But Arizona's attorney general apparently believes the real threat to the stability of the US government is being fomented in a handful of high schools in a liberal corner of the desert state.
Tom Horne has declared classes in Mexican-American history and social studies in the city of Tucson illegal on the grounds that they are "propagandising and brainwashing" students into overthrowing the constitutional government and hating white people.
Horne has ordered schools to scrap the ethnic studies programmes under a law he wrote in his previous role as Arizona's education superintendent. He has not banned similar classes dealing with black or Native American history on the grounds that no one has complained about them.
Critics, including teachers of the classes he wants to scrap, accuse Horne of political opportunism by exploiting growing hostility to people of Hispanic origin in a state that recently passed controversial anti-immigrant legislation.
José Gonzalez, who lectures at a Tucson high school, is one of 11 teachers suing to prevent that ban from being enforced.
"If you were to look at the legacy of Tom Horne and his past eight years as the superintendent of instruction in Arizona, you will see that he has targeted Mexican-American people. He did away with bilingual education. He was very proud of that," said Gonzales. "He's a politician and, quite frankly, a very successful politician so he's pandering to these xenophobic sentiments here in Arizona and that's helping him get elected."
Horne began pushing to abolish Mexican-American studies after an incident in 2007 when a prominent trade unionist, Dolores Huerta, told high school students in Tucson that Republicans hate Latinos.
Horne, a Republican, sent an aide to the school to counter the message, only to have him met by a group of students who turned their backs and raised a fist.
Infuriated, Horne blamed the teachers and wrote a law barring Arizona schools from holding classes that breached any of four prohibitions: promoting the overthrow of the government, creating resentment toward a race or class of people, focusing on students of one ethnic group or promoting ethnic solidarity.
Teachers of the offending classes acknowledge that they deal with sensitive issues, such as the past and continuing discrimination against Hispanic people in the US. They also teach the role played by figures such as César Chávez, the Mexican-American civil rights activist and trade union leader who was instrumental in improving the lot of agricultural workers, many of whom were immigrants.
Among other things, state officials have objected to classes portraying Benjamin Franklin as a racist for owning slaves and for promoting a climate of "victimisation" by teaching that white people have been more privileged in the US.
The classes involve Latino literature, although Shakespeare is on the curriculum too, as well as books such as Rodolfo Acuña's Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, which Horne has described as fostering "ethnic chauvinism" and promoting separatism.
The book, which describes Mexican- Americans as "captives of a system that renders them second-class citizens", is in its seventh edition and used at universities across the US.
The teachers say that these books are the basis for robust discussion about the past and present, which inevitably touches on race in the US – particularly in a state where about 30% of Arizona's 6.5m people are of Hispanic descent and businesses once carried signs saying: "No Mexicans or dogs allowed."
"American history is supposed to teach the history of the United States and the United States is made up of immigrants," said Gonzales. "Everyone is an immigrant here with the exception of the indigenous people, so they all have their story. The narrative that's given is traditional so Mexican-Americans' contribution to this country have been omitted and their experience has not always been a good one. We should at least be able to talk about it."
Critics said that Horne's law could mean an end to teaching about slavery because of the resentment it might cause among black students toward whites. Despite this the Arizona legislature passed the legislation last year. It was put on the statute books at the beginning of this month, just as Horne took up his new job.
Within days, he told the schools that their Mexican-American studies classes breached all four criteria, and ordered them shut down. The classes continue while the issue is resolved in the courts.
Horne has been backed by some Tucson teachers such as John Ward, who is of Hispanic origin and said the classes indoctrinate "students, based primarily on ethnic divisions, in the belief that there is a war against Latino culture perpetrated by a white, racist, capitalist system".
The Tucson school board turned down Horne's request for every Mexican-American studies class to be videotaped. But teachers say the political attacks have forced them to watch what they say in class.
"There is a chilling effect," said Lorenzo Lopez. "There's a lot more pause in what we say. Because of the unprecedented scrutiny we are a lot more cautious how we raise issues, how we discuss them. It's really hampered the dialogue that takes place."
The Guardian
Arizona is a state riddled with anti-government white militias, radio stations pumping out racist hate speech and politicians who wave guns as they denounce the oppressive rule of Washington. But Arizona's attorney general apparently believes the real threat to the stability of the US government is being fomented in a handful of high schools in a liberal corner of the desert state.
Tom Horne has declared classes in Mexican-American history and social studies in the city of Tucson illegal on the grounds that they are "propagandising and brainwashing" students into overthrowing the constitutional government and hating white people.
Horne has ordered schools to scrap the ethnic studies programmes under a law he wrote in his previous role as Arizona's education superintendent. He has not banned similar classes dealing with black or Native American history on the grounds that no one has complained about them.
Critics, including teachers of the classes he wants to scrap, accuse Horne of political opportunism by exploiting growing hostility to people of Hispanic origin in a state that recently passed controversial anti-immigrant legislation.
José Gonzalez, who lectures at a Tucson high school, is one of 11 teachers suing to prevent that ban from being enforced.
"If you were to look at the legacy of Tom Horne and his past eight years as the superintendent of instruction in Arizona, you will see that he has targeted Mexican-American people. He did away with bilingual education. He was very proud of that," said Gonzales. "He's a politician and, quite frankly, a very successful politician so he's pandering to these xenophobic sentiments here in Arizona and that's helping him get elected."
Horne began pushing to abolish Mexican-American studies after an incident in 2007 when a prominent trade unionist, Dolores Huerta, told high school students in Tucson that Republicans hate Latinos.
Horne, a Republican, sent an aide to the school to counter the message, only to have him met by a group of students who turned their backs and raised a fist.
Infuriated, Horne blamed the teachers and wrote a law barring Arizona schools from holding classes that breached any of four prohibitions: promoting the overthrow of the government, creating resentment toward a race or class of people, focusing on students of one ethnic group or promoting ethnic solidarity.
Teachers of the offending classes acknowledge that they deal with sensitive issues, such as the past and continuing discrimination against Hispanic people in the US. They also teach the role played by figures such as César Chávez, the Mexican-American civil rights activist and trade union leader who was instrumental in improving the lot of agricultural workers, many of whom were immigrants.
Among other things, state officials have objected to classes portraying Benjamin Franklin as a racist for owning slaves and for promoting a climate of "victimisation" by teaching that white people have been more privileged in the US.
The classes involve Latino literature, although Shakespeare is on the curriculum too, as well as books such as Rodolfo Acuña's Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, which Horne has described as fostering "ethnic chauvinism" and promoting separatism.
The book, which describes Mexican- Americans as "captives of a system that renders them second-class citizens", is in its seventh edition and used at universities across the US.
The teachers say that these books are the basis for robust discussion about the past and present, which inevitably touches on race in the US – particularly in a state where about 30% of Arizona's 6.5m people are of Hispanic descent and businesses once carried signs saying: "No Mexicans or dogs allowed."
"American history is supposed to teach the history of the United States and the United States is made up of immigrants," said Gonzales. "Everyone is an immigrant here with the exception of the indigenous people, so they all have their story. The narrative that's given is traditional so Mexican-Americans' contribution to this country have been omitted and their experience has not always been a good one. We should at least be able to talk about it."
Critics said that Horne's law could mean an end to teaching about slavery because of the resentment it might cause among black students toward whites. Despite this the Arizona legislature passed the legislation last year. It was put on the statute books at the beginning of this month, just as Horne took up his new job.
Within days, he told the schools that their Mexican-American studies classes breached all four criteria, and ordered them shut down. The classes continue while the issue is resolved in the courts.
Horne has been backed by some Tucson teachers such as John Ward, who is of Hispanic origin and said the classes indoctrinate "students, based primarily on ethnic divisions, in the belief that there is a war against Latino culture perpetrated by a white, racist, capitalist system".
The Tucson school board turned down Horne's request for every Mexican-American studies class to be videotaped. But teachers say the political attacks have forced them to watch what they say in class.
"There is a chilling effect," said Lorenzo Lopez. "There's a lot more pause in what we say. Because of the unprecedented scrutiny we are a lot more cautious how we raise issues, how we discuss them. It's really hampered the dialogue that takes place."
The Guardian
Judge makes an example of vile bus yob (UK)
A man has been jailed for launching a tirade of racist abuse at a female bus passenger.
District Judge David Cooper wanted to make an example of Daniel Nixon, 37, after he and Michael Spidy’s foul-mouthed rant at a female student who boarded a Number 78 bus at the Hythe.
Sentencing Nixon to 42 days in prison, Judge Cooper said the bus passengers were “very brave” for confronting the “vile offenders”.
Yesterday, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Nixon, of Rosabelle Avenue, Wivenhoe, and Spidy, 20, also from Wivenhoe, were on the bus at about 7pm on December 8 when the student, from Essex University, boarded the bus at the Hythe’s Tesco store.
Tazmin Sharpe, prosecuting, told the court the pair subjected her to racist and sexual abuse from the backseat of the top deck of the bus, leaving her “shaken” and “scared”.
After asking the men to stop, the woman approached the bus driver for help. The two men then told her to “go home to her own country”.
The victim, a Cypriot national, was told to wait on the top deck of the bus while the men were dealt with.
After briefly getting off at the university, the pair got back and began barging into her, until getting off in Wivenhoe.
The court heard other passengers on the bus were shouting at the men to leave and the victim had suffered nightmares since the incident, and was frightened to use buses as a result.
Spidy was given a caution for causing harassment, alarm and distress by using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour at an earlier hearing, but yesterday, Judge Cooper handed father-of-five, Nixon, a prison sentence.
Judge Cooper described the incident as “deeply depressing” and said he wanted to make an example of Nixon, who has ten previous convictions for a variety of offences, including criminal damage and possession of cocaine.
Judge Cooper said: “It is absolutely disgraceful people can not even get on a bus without being abused by someone like Nixon.
“People wanting to travel on public transport need to be protected. It is a disgrace the other chap only got a caution.”
Addressing Nixon in court, Judge Cooper, added: “There are families on buses and vulnerable women who need to be protected from this sort of thing.
“She now doesn’t feel able to get on the bus. ”
Daily Gazette
District Judge David Cooper wanted to make an example of Daniel Nixon, 37, after he and Michael Spidy’s foul-mouthed rant at a female student who boarded a Number 78 bus at the Hythe.
Sentencing Nixon to 42 days in prison, Judge Cooper said the bus passengers were “very brave” for confronting the “vile offenders”.
Yesterday, Colchester Magistrates’ Court heard Nixon, of Rosabelle Avenue, Wivenhoe, and Spidy, 20, also from Wivenhoe, were on the bus at about 7pm on December 8 when the student, from Essex University, boarded the bus at the Hythe’s Tesco store.
Tazmin Sharpe, prosecuting, told the court the pair subjected her to racist and sexual abuse from the backseat of the top deck of the bus, leaving her “shaken” and “scared”.
After asking the men to stop, the woman approached the bus driver for help. The two men then told her to “go home to her own country”.
The victim, a Cypriot national, was told to wait on the top deck of the bus while the men were dealt with.
After briefly getting off at the university, the pair got back and began barging into her, until getting off in Wivenhoe.
The court heard other passengers on the bus were shouting at the men to leave and the victim had suffered nightmares since the incident, and was frightened to use buses as a result.
Spidy was given a caution for causing harassment, alarm and distress by using threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour at an earlier hearing, but yesterday, Judge Cooper handed father-of-five, Nixon, a prison sentence.
Judge Cooper described the incident as “deeply depressing” and said he wanted to make an example of Nixon, who has ten previous convictions for a variety of offences, including criminal damage and possession of cocaine.
Judge Cooper said: “It is absolutely disgraceful people can not even get on a bus without being abused by someone like Nixon.
“People wanting to travel on public transport need to be protected. It is a disgrace the other chap only got a caution.”
Addressing Nixon in court, Judge Cooper, added: “There are families on buses and vulnerable women who need to be protected from this sort of thing.
“She now doesn’t feel able to get on the bus. ”
Daily Gazette
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