A Muslim from Scotland Spreads Islam in Mexico

Islam spreading in southern Maya Mexico

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)

8/31/2011

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)



As many as 500 locals in one of Mexico's poorest regions have converted to Islam.



Muslims have settled in rural Mexico and converted at least 500 locals, mostly indigenous Mayans, to Islam in the impoverished state of Chiapas. The conversions are still ongoing but began in the 1996 as Europeans arrived in the aftermath of civil conflict in the region.



CHIAPAS, MEXICO (Catholic Online) - Deep in southern Mexico, one does not expect to find Islam. Mexico is a very Catholic country although protestants, Jehovah Witnesses, and Mormons have made significant inroads there. Islam arrived in Chiapas brought by activist Europeans who came to rebuild the troubled communities.



The first arrivals came in 1996 just as the government started peace talks with the Zapatista rebels. Many locals were converted to evangelical Christianity, at the urging of missionaries from the U.S. and Europe, but Muslims quickly followed and spread a different message beside the Bible. Local converts explain that the Muslims and their families that settled in Chiapas have brought opportunities as well as faith to the people.



Among the opportunities are work--for a price. People who convert to Islam are frequently given jobs, which means a stable income. It is mostly Spanish-Muslims that have settled and established restaurants and carpentry shops, and are responsible for most of the conversions, although the sect's spiritual leader is reportedly a Muslim from Scotland.



In a popular move, the some of the Muslims have proceeded to align themselves with the Zapatistas, and echo their message of rebellion. With this, the Muslim outsiders quickly became insiders amongst the impoverished people. They have spread a message that is anti-capitalist, anti-government, and that people ought to return to the traditional life of Mohammed.



The traditional life appeals to many who say such ways are also the ways of their ancestors. While acknowledging such ways are primitive, several converts simply say they are more comfortable living in that way and that modern western practices are unnatural for them.



Many complain that evangelical Christianity does not offer enough. Wanting community, and more than just the Bible, newly arrived Muslims have satisfied the people's desires where evangelicals did little by comparison.



The indigenous Mayan people of Chiapas are ripe for conversion. They have been largely dissatisfied with their treatment at the hands of the government who they accuse of seizing land and aligning with wealthy interests at the expense of the native peoples. They claim such abuse has always been.



Associating Christianity with the establishment, and with their native religion long extinct and impractical, many are more than willing to take up the Quran and listen to a different message.



In the village of San Cristobal de las Casas, local Muslims have built a mud hut for a mosque and they gather there regularly to pray. Local Muslin immigrants have even paid to send converts on pilgrimages to Mecca.



Mexican-Muslims say they are happy with their conversions. They claim their community is close-knit and relatively free of vice. Such benefits are doubtless attractive to the poor and often troubled people of the region. For now, there are only 500 converts in the region, but with ongoing strife and a continuing influx of Muslims, those numbers are likely to change.



© 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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Alex Salmond Submits to Allah's Will in His End of Ramadan Message

Alex boasts of how he's giving away even more Scottish taxpayers' money to Pakistan. He concludes the broadcast by saying "insha'Allah", Arabic for "As Allah Wills".

On behalf of the Scottish Government, I am delighted to send my sincere and warmest wishes to Muslims across Scotland, and around the world, who are marking the end of Ramadan by celebrating Eid ul-Fitr.



Scotland's Muslims, and our many other minority ethnic and faith communities, are valued and appreciated by this Government for their contribution to our culture, society and economy.



The holy month of Ramadan encourages Muslims to reflect on the poor and hungry throughout the world and the burden they bear.



So this year's Eid will be a poignant occasion for many Muslims, as we remember those whose lives have been left devastated by the recent flooding in Pakistan.



Charity is at the heart of Ramadan, and at the close of Ramadan, Muslims give Sadaqa-Ul-Fitr, a donation that allows those who are struggling to make ends meet to also enjoy the festivities of Eid.



And, this year, Mosques throughout Scotland are collecting for aid to Pakistan. Here at the Blackhall Mosque in Edinburgh, where I am recording this message, I have been privileged and humbled to see the work that is going on to collect goods and money and to see that they are delivered to Pakistan.



The scale of suffering in Pakistan is immense and ongoing. So far, Scots have given - with typical generosity - over £3.9 million to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal and we must continue to do all we can do to help those whose homes and communities were destroyed by these floods.



The Scottish Government made £807,000 available last week to assist the Pakistani aid effort. We are in regular contact with Scottish aid agencies working in Pakistan, to monitor the situation on the ground, so that we can help to provide further assistance where and when needed.



So let me repeat my best wishes to Muslims across Scotland who will be enjoying festivities with family and friends this Eid, whilst our hearts and thoughts are also with the people of Pakistan. Eid Mubarak to everyone.

Source

Faisal Abdul Rauf's Deceit Exposed

Yesterday the ground zero mosque imam, Faisal Abdul Rauf, implied that Sharia law could be implemented only partially, not conflicting with the country's penal code. It was pointed out on JihadWatch, however, that he had said the exact opposite in his book Islam: A Sacred Law.

And since a Shari'ah is understood as a law with God at its center, it is not possible in principle to limit the Shari'ah to some aspects of human life and leave out others.

It was good to see that the comments on the Herald were robustly critical of Rauf and his Islamic pretensions. I think people are starting to wake up to the threat of Islam. You can be sure that politicians and journalists will be the last to wake up, though.

Ground Zero Mosque Imam Calls for Sharia to be Incorporated into UK and US Law

It will all be fine, just as long as we accept multiculturalism and submit to sharia.

Ground Zero imam gives Scotland his recipe for successful multiculturalism



Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf: multiculturalism is key

BY VICKY ALLAN



28 Aug 2011



AMERICA’S most controversial imam – the man at the centre of the storm over plans for the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York last year – flew into Edinburgh yesterday to tell the Festival of Spirituality and Peace that greater integration between Islam and the West depends on the incorporation of Sharia law into the legal systems of the UK and the United States as well as Muslims adopting the culture of their host countries.



Many see Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf as an Islamic moderate even though he has been vilified in the US press as an apologist for radical Muslims. In an interview with the Sunday Herald, Rauf said he believes the world is in the grip of a “dangerous myth” and “self-fulfilling prophecy” that “Islam and the West are at war. But the real battleground is not between Islam and the West, but between the wise, fair-minded people of all faith traditions and the extremists.”



Although he is a pro-US imam who has argued that America is the embodiment of Islam’s ideal society, Rauf became a hate figure in the US over the so-called Ground Zero Mosque. The plan offended relatives of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and led to a US pastor proposing a “Burn a Koran day”.



Rauf says that when the project – a community centre containing a mosque – was announced on the front page of the New York Times [in December 2009] there was no reaction. But six months later, it was picked up by conservatives like Sarah Palin and became one of the most divisive subjects in US society. Rauf later said: “If I had known this would happen, cause this kind of pain, I wouldn’t have done it.”



Was he naïve? “What surprised me is that I’ve been in the United States for 46 years and I think of it as having a very strong concept of separation of church and society, and yet a house of worship was used in a political campaign,” Rauf said.



But most of his work is about dousing fires rather than fanning them. He often talks about the interweaving of Muslim and Western culture. Multi-culturalism, he believes, is the way forward, and the state we are globally shifting towards. America, he points out, has been more successful at this than Europe.



It is, he says, a paradigm because it is “structurally multi-cultural”. As he puts it: “Americans are predominantly hyphenated. They are Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans and so on. So there is a recognition and celebration of variety. That’s a very important factor in creating a space for Muslims to be integrated.” He notes that a greater percentage of Muslims in America are wealthy and highly educated and “those who are better off and educated have an easier time integrating”.



An essential element of this interweaving of cultures, he says, will have to be the incorporation of Sharia law into the legal systems of Europe and the US. In this, he is in agreement with the Archbishop of Canterbury who said that the adoption of some aspects of Sharia law “seems to be unavoidable”.



Rauf points out that “the only truly clashing area is the penal code, and no Muslim has the intention of introducing that to America. The penal code is the area that people in the Western world are worried about – but these are things that aren’t even observed today in most of the Muslim world. Apart from the Taliban and a few places like that, where do you see this happening?”.



In the UK, he says, we need to recognise that the radicalisation of Muslim youth is not a problem of religion. “You have to consider how we would approach it if these people were not Muslims, but were Christian, for instance. The source of the problem is not religion, but an economic one.”



Another myth which Rauf tries to counter is the idea that Islam is at odds with Western concepts of gender equality. “Look around the world, and you see six or seven predominantly Muslim countries that have had heads of governments and heads of state who were women. Glass ceilings have already been broken for many countries in the Muslim world.”



The rise of the extreme right in Europe is something he perceives as a “reaction of fear to a threat of the loss of identity”. He says: “What it means to be Dutch, or what it meant to be British, in terms of ethnicity or language, is undergoing a shift.” The tensions this provokes have to be “addressed by both the host community and the immigrant community ... We need to develop a local Muslim culture. Dutch Muslims have to become increasingly Dutch. The same for British Muslims. We should dress like the people of our country.”



His emphasis is always on what binds, not divides. “I’ve been around and seen a lot,” says the Kuwait-born Imam, who grew up in England. “The fact is that the Western world and Muslim world are very enmeshed ... To me those mutual interests are very bonding.”



Rauf supported the decision by Edinburgh City Council to ban the far-right Scottish Defence League from marching on the eve of the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 amid safety fears.



He also supported the Scottish Government’s decision to release the Lockerbie bomber.



Imam Feisal is to meet Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf, who has been vocal on Muslim issues. He will hold a second talk in Glasgow on Wednesday, and will receive a peace award from the Festival, the city of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Interfaith Association and the Conference of Edinburgh’s Religious Leaders.

Source: The Herald

Ground Zero Mosque Imam Supports Ban on SDL

Apparently devoid of any sense of irony, the ground zero mosque imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, advocates suppressing the freedom of those who, in his opinion, wish to suppress freedom.

An American Muslim leader who spearheaded plans for a controversial Islamic community centre near the site of the World Trade Centre has supported the decision to ban a far-right group from marching in Scotland on the eve of 9/11.



Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, whose proposed Park51 Islamic community centre was dubbed a "megamosque" by critics who objected to its proximity to New York's 'Ground Zero', has given a talk in Scotland's capital.



He was invited to speak at the Festival of Spirituality and Peace by Edinburgh University's Prince Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam.



His visit comes almost a fortnight ahead of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks, and six days after Edinburgh City Council turned down an application from the Scottish Defence League to march on September 10 amid public safety fears.



Speaking after the talk, Imam Feisal said: "I don't think we should allow, in our communities, space for those who wish to abridge the freedoms of another person on the basis of their religion, race, language or gender. I think we have to combat those tendencies."



He added: "I do believe that freedoms are not absolute. A famous American judge said: 'Freedom of speech does not give you the right to shout fire in a crowded theatre'. The outcome will result in innocent people being made victims. So the freedom comes with a responsibility."



Imam Feisal added that he supported the Scottish Government's decision to release Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, the Libyan Muslim who is the only man convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, but he would have been equally supportive if they had decided to keep him in prison.



He said: "I am not a Scotsman so I don't have the jurisdiction to comment, but if the government of Scotland deem that it is in its best interests to do something then it is up to them, but I would have supported their decision either way."



Imam Feisal is also due to meet Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf, who has been vocal on Muslim issues in Scotland since his election to the Scottish Parliament in May.



He will hold a second talk in Glasgow on Wednesday, and will receive a peace award from the festival, the city of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Interfaith Association, and the Conference of Edinburgh's Religious leaders.

Source: The Herald

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Glasgow Babel

NEARLY 8000 children from countries across the world have enrolled in Glasgow schools in the past five years, according to new figures.



The figures are revealed as the local authority considers proposals to shut a pioneering language support unit in the city.



Official statistics from Glasgow City Council show the highest number of new pupils are Polish followed by Slovakians, Pakistanis, Indians and Nigerians.



Significant numbers have also arrived from Somalia, Malaysia, Romania, Iraq and the Congo.



The number of new arrivals – a total of 7405 since 2005 – are recorded in a review of the way pupils who speak little or no English are supported in Glasgow schools.



The local authority is currently considering the closure of a pioneering support unit located in Shawlands Academy, on the south side of the city.



Officials argue closing the unit will have no impact on educational quality because staff will be retained and used to support pupils in their own schools – possibly in smaller specialist units.



However, critics believe a single dedicated unit is the best way to educate pupils who have little or no English – termed EAL (English as an Additional Language).



The review includes the results of a consultation exercise on the future of the unit which found the vast majority of respondents opposed its closure.



Of the responses received, 40 opposed the proposals and just one agreed with them.



Despite this, in a report to the council’s children and families policy development committee, Maureen McKenna backed the proposed changes.



She pointed to evidence from a 1986 report by the Commission for Racial Equality which said placing EAL pupils in separate units amounted to indirect discrimination.



“From as early as 1998, educationalists ... were putting forward the position that EAL learners should not be placed into separate units,” she added.



“Immersion, where the learner is placed in an English language rich environment, has been shown to be by far the most effective way for a second language to be acquired.”



Ms McKenna goes on to accept that some of the needs of EAL learners are not currently being met. To try to combat this, she said the council had been training mainstream teachers, including probationers, to meet their needs.



She concludes: “The research shows there is little evidence for a separate base where newly-arrived children should go to acquire English before being returned to their local secondary school.”



Jean McFadden, the council’s executive member for education, said: “The council has witnessed a shift in the make-up of young people with EAL coming to Glasgow over the last few years.



“This is largely due to the reduction in asylum seeker families arriving in the city and the increase in the number of Eastern European families.



“The proposals being discussed would result in a more flexible service more in tune with the current needs of Glasgow’s young people.



“We remain committed to supporting the needs of all children and young people with EAL despite the financial challenges facing all councils.”



Glasgow has more than 130 EAL teachers. Around a 100 are based in schools providing direct support to mainstream teachers and learners, the report states.

Source: The Herald

David Miller: Scotland's Leading Islamic Apologist

The Guardian features an article today by David Miller, "professor of Sociology in the Department of Geography and Sociology at the University of Strathclyde". The first paragraph gives a good flavour of it:

Conservative thinktanks are in a bit of a bind when it comes to responding to the rise of Islamophobia. On the one hand they want to condemn the BNP and the English Defence League for their racism and violence, but on the other they want to downplay the extent and existence of anti-Muslim racism because it might deflect attention from "Islamism" – the catch-all term for politically active Muslims, which they see as the main problem facing the UK. The difficulty with their position is that they end up condemning the peaceful political activism of Muslim groups, while downplaying and even excusing the violent modus operandi of racist and Islamophobic groups such as the EDL.

It is a poorly written and constructed piece that summarises the key elements of the report he has just issued, titled "The Cold War on British Muslims". The report attacks two think tanks, the Centre for Social Cohesion and Policy Exchange, for, in essence, daring to be a bit critical of Muslims. Although the two organisations in question limit themselves to coded dhimmi-style critiques of "Islamism", even that is going too far for the good Dr. Miller. He argues that it is illegitimate to criticise Muslim political involvement even when it involves ideas that are incompatible with democracy, free speech and other western norms. Pursuing this approach, he claims risks a "narrowing of political debate"; although this "narrowing of political debate" does not seem to concern him when he launches drive-by attacks on the EDL and BNP.



The report generally consists of McCarthyite smears by association, including long lists of alleged "Zionist" and "neoconservative" funders of the two think tanks discussed. At no point is there a robust engagement with the ideas critiqued or any acknowledgement that there can be any moral, rational or legitimate concern about the ideology of Islam that is not "Islamophobic". Indeed, in a sign of the poor academic quality of the report, the much-used term "Islamophobia" is not even defined.

American Muslim leader coming to Scotland

Imam Faisal Abdul Rauf, the American Muslim leader, author and activist at the centre of the recent storm about plans to build an Islamic community centre near Ground Zero in New York, arrives Scotland at the end of this week for a series of talks and events connected with the 2011 Festival of Spirituality and Peace in Edinburgh.



Imam Faisal will be speaking at a discussion on 9/11, entitled ‘The Day the World Changed’, on Saturday 27 August, from 9.30 to 10.30am at St John’s Church, Lothian Road, and on Wednesday 31 August, from 6.30 to 8.00pm. at Wellington Church, University Avenue, Glasgow.



He will also be receiving a Peace Award at the closing event of the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, on Sunday 28 August, at 6.00pm at St John’s Church, and will be meeting religious and civic leaders while he is here.



Tickets for the Edinburgh conversation (£6 or £4 concessions, free to under1 8s and claimants) from Hub Tickets, Castlehill, Edinburgh (http://www.hubtickets.co.uk/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=1188), or on the door - though this is likely to be sold out.



The full Festival programme is at: http://www.festivalofspirituality.org.uk/



* Spirituality Peace and News: http://festivalofspirituality.blogspot.com/



* More on FoSP from Ekklesia: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/festivalofspirituality



* Latest press release: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15231



* Media contact for Imam Faisal's Scottish visit: Edd McCracken, University of Edinburgh: 0131 651 4400 Edd.McCracken AT ed DOT ac DOT uk

Source

City hailed for blocking bid to stage far-right parade

This Scotsman story on the ban of the SDL march contains some more detail. Listen to rent-a-quote Muslim presuming to speak for the city of Edinburgh.

The Scottish Defence League's rally would have seen around 200 people take to the streets on the day before the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York.



The controversial march attracted a flurry of objections over the group's "racist and homophobic" views, with Justice Secretary Kenny McAskill claiming it "could pose a threat to public safety".



The council's licensing committee voted unanimously to throw out the plans yesterday.



Aamer Anwar, a human rights lawyer and organiser of Scotland United, said: "We welcome the council's decision to ban the SDL march. Neo-Nazis masquerading under the flag of Scotland will never be welcome in our capital city."



During the meeting yesterday, Councillor Joanna Mowat said she feared the parade could turn violent.



"Given the tension there is in the UK, along with what has happened in England, I think this could be a flashpoint.



"There could very well be a risk to public safety."



Asked to explain the views shared by SDL members, regional organiser Paul O' Donnell told councillors: "The main issue is the rise of militant Islam in the UK and how we feel the Government is not doing anything about it.



"We feel that when peoples' lives are being put at risk because of Islamic extremists, we've got to stand up."



Fellow organiser Graham Fleming added: "The EDL have members who are BNP members, we ourselves are trying to get these people out. We do offer moderate Islams the chance to stand beside us."



But the pair were grilled over photographs of an SDL event in Irvine, which showed participants carrying banners proclaiming "No more mosques".



Mr Fleming insisted the people carrying the banners had no connection with the SDL, but Councillor Louise Lang said: "The concern I have is over the lack of proactive action over those placards.



"I would not be comfortable in supporting this on the basis of public order."



Lothian and Borders Police did not object to the bid, but Superintendent David Carradice said in a statement: "If previous experience in February 2010 is anything to go by, any opposition rally is likely to be significant in size with some of the opposition wanting to find themselves near to SDL with a view to registering their concerns at the views being expressed."



Asked whether the SDL would appeal the decision, Mr Fleming said: "We will need to sit down and work out what is the approach now for the SDL."

Source: Scotsman



The results of the Scotsman's online poll on the topic are currently as shown below:

Yes, there’s no place for their hate-mongering here 53.85% (70 votes)





No, everyone has the right to free speech 36.15% (47 votes)





All marches should be banned, they’re a nuisance 10% (13 votes)

People who don't support free don't deserve to live in a democracy.

SDL March Banned

A march planned by a far-right group through the streets of Edinburgh has been rejected over fears for public safety.



Edinburgh City Council's licensing sub-committee turned down the application from the Scottish Defence League (SDL), which wanted to march on September 10. The council said the decision was taken unanimously.



Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Council (STUC), said: "The STUC welcome the decision of the regulatory committee to reject the application by the Scottish Defence League to spread their hatred on the streets of Edinburgh. This sends out a clear message that racism and fascism has no place in Scotland's towns and cities."



Aamer Anwar, a human rights lawyer and organiser of Scotland United, said: "We welcome the council's decision to ban the SDL march. Neo-Nazis masquerading under the flag of Scotland will never be welcome in our capital city. As the only place in the UK that has successfully stopped these thugs marching through our streets, we repeat our message: you are not welcome in Scotland.



"I want to thank the thousands of decent minded people, the trade unions, 47 MSPs, the Scottish Government, the party leaders and the First Minister who backed Scotland United's objections to this march. Today is a good day for freedom and democracy and unity against racism."



Lothian and Borders Police had no formal objection to the application, but raised some concerns in light of "major unrest" across the country.



The proposed route would have taken an estimated 200 people along Regent Road and Waterloo Place to the Wellington monument at the end of Princes Street. The route passes the Scottish Government ministerial headquarters and is close to the US consulate.



A report to councillors who decided the application said that the police acknowledged there may be some disruption to city centre business. But the report also said that with sufficient planning in place, it should be possible to accommodate the SDL procession and any other "resultant demonstrations".



Councillors were given copies of objections, including one from the STUC which had concerns about the proximity of the march to the 10th anniversary of the terror attack on the Twin Towers in New York.



Committee convener councillor Rob Munn said: "The council holds dear the values of freedom of speech, of the right to assemble and march, and we would go to great lengths to protect those rights. We have taken great care to consider all of the issues raised by council officials, Lothian and Borders Police, the SDL and by objectors. Today's decision was wholly based on the information available to us regarding the potential impact on public safety, public order and possible disruption to the life of the community."

Source: Herald

Murderers Convert to Islam to get Privileges in Prison

A BRUTE who murdered a gran has converted to Islam behind bars - so he can avoid work.



Evil David Millar - who stabbed frail 82-year-old Lucy Marshall to death - will skip his duties in the laundry because of his new faith.



He will be excused from work on Fridays so he can attend prayers.



And he's told pals he'll not have to do chores during the holy month of Ramadan.

The 28-year-old will also receive special halal meals such as curries at Dumfries prison.



Murdered ... Lucy



One jail source said: "He works in the laundry but wants to use his new-found faith to get out of it.



"He's told a few of his cronies he won't have to work for the whole of Ramadan, which us basically like getting a month off his duties.



"It's so see-through."



Jail sources claim Millar - who was just 14 when he knifed Lucy in a Buckfast-fuelled frenzy in 1997 in Cowdenbeath, Fife - showed no previous interest in Islam before his conversion.



But it's believed the fitness fanatic thought a Muslim diet would aid his weight training.

One guard said: "It came out of the blue.



"But we're duty-bound to help once a prisoner decides to become Muslim."



Millar - who was detained without limit of time - married behind bars after meeting wife Sheree Malik, 29, on an online dating website for cons.



The SPS said it could not comment on individual cases.



Last month we revealed how wife killer Malcolm Webster, 52, became a Muslim convert because he fancied better grub.

Source



And here is the story about the other killer converting to Islam a few weeks ago:

WIFE killer Malcolm Webster is converting to Islam in jail - so he can scoff curries prepared for Muslim cons.



The murderer revealed his plans to adopt the religion after learning about exotic meals such as Indonesian chicken.



But fellow lags at Glasgow's Barlinnie nick - who are served bland grub like sausage and chips - are outraged by the 52-year-old's scam.



A source said: "There is no way Webster is serious about converting - he doesn't come across as the religious type. He's just greedy and the prison authorities should tell him to sling his hook. Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day - but he doesn't even have a prayer mat."



Evil Webster was ordered to serve at least 30 years for the murder of first wife Claire Morris, 32. He drugged her then left her to die in a burning car after staging a crash in Kingoodie, Aberdeenshire, in 1994.



Just five years later, the nurse tried to kill second wife Felicity Drumm, 50, in a copycat attack in New Zealand.



Lags have already branded Webster the "most hated man" in Scotland's jails. The prison service said it does not comment on individual prisoners.

Source

Idiot Salmond Boasts that Scotland is Different But Doesn't Understand Why

Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, has complained about broadcasters headlining coverage of urban unrest as "UK riots". Salmond said he was not complacent but claimed Scottish society was different from that in England, and that similar riots were much less likely in Scotland.



By referring to the riots as being UK-wide, he said, the risk was increased of copycat riots in Scotland and damage to Scotland's reputation as a tourism destination.



Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, he said: "We know we have a different society in Scotland, and one of my frustrations was to see this being described on BBC television and Sky as riots in the UK. Well, until such time as we do have a riot in Scotland, then we've seen riots in London and across English cities. It's actually unhelpful to see them inaccurately presented, because one of the dangers we face in Scotland is copycat action."



His stance was backed by Scottish National party MSPs, as well as bloggers, who claimed that Welsh and Northern Irish citizens would share the irritation.

Source: Guardian



Yes, Scotland is different. But Salmond fails to grasp why it is different. Scotland is different because its people's natural sense of community has not been destroyed by mass third-world immigration. Alex Salmond and fellow members of the political elite are doing their best to change that, however, by throwing open the gates to the third-worlders.



If his policies remain in effect, we can be sure that a few decades from now Scotland's cities will be subjected to sack and pillage just as England's have been.

Cheap Flights to Dubai - Plan Your Holidays During Ramadan Festival 2011

Holidaying in Dubai during Ramadan would be a totally different experience for visitors, especially for the non- Muslim travelers. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar when Muslims all over the World fasts from dawn to dusk. Being a strong Pillar of The Muslim Faith, Ramadan holds special meaning to Muslims and is celebrated with great delight. A visit to Dubai during Ramadan would give you a chance to see and experience the thrills related to this festive season. With numerous Dubai flights offers, you can now be a part of the celebrations in Dubai during Ramadan. Just book with any of the cheap flights to Dubai and get the opportunity of a lifetime to enjoy Iftar fest during Dubai Ramadan.


Dubai is a cosmopolitan city where people from different part of the world live harmoniously. They also bring in their own traditions and cultural heritage, which forms a unique part of Dubai culture. Ramadan is a month long annual event that sees a lot of activities and celebrations in Dubai, enjoyed not only by the Muslims but people across religions and communities. Dubai hosts several Ramadan events, which you could enjoy during your visit to the city during Ramadan. Despite the fact that the timing and working hours of most endeavors gets altered, the fun and excitement that can be enjoyed in the evening makes your Dubai visit during Ramadan quite interesting. You must keep in mind that eating and drinking in public places in Dubai during the day time when Muslims fast in Ramadan is not allowed. But you can always pack your food and eat in privacy, in your hotel room or your car etc. Restaurants remain close during morning hours but open in the afternoon till late in the night and serves delicious iftar meals, with which Muslims break their fast in the evening. Non Muslims can pack these special delicacies during the day time to eat in private and join the feast in the evening till late night. Hotels, including five stars, mid-ranged hotels, and restaurants hold special feasts serving popular Arabic and other cuisine that you can savor upon.


Another important thing to note during Ramadan is that movie theatres and other live recreational programs remain unavailable during the fasting period and can be enjoyed in the evening. However, malls, water parks, supermarkets do open even during the day. So, to experience all this and much more grab a reasonably rated Dubai flights offers and book your flights to Dubai this Ramadan to be a part of this major celebration month.

Teenager's racist killer fails with appeal bid

A GANG member who was jailed for life for the racially motivated murder of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald has lost his bid to overturn the conviction.

Judges have rejected claims that new evidence would clear Imran Shahid - known as Baldy - and called for an investigation, believing the evidence was "fabricated" as part of a plot to fool the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Kriss was 15 when he was snatched from the street in Pollokshields in March 2004.

After taking him across Scotland, his captors returned to the Clyde Walkway near Celtic's training ground in the city's east end.

There Kriss was hauled from the car, stabbed, doused in petrol and set on fire.

Shahid, 34, was said to have snatched Kriss because he was white, and Shahid wanted to avenge some insult outside a Glasgow city centre nightspot.

Shahid's hopes of early freedom finally ended when appeal judges threw out the last of his challenges last month.

However, a gagging order imposed during lengthy appeal meant that the judges' rulings could not be reported until it was lifted yesterday.

Shahid was jailed for life after a trial in November 2006 and ordered to serve at least 25 years in jail before he can apply for parole. Two other Glasgow men, Mohammed Faisal Mushtaq and Zeeshan Shahid, Shahid's brother, were also jailed for life for their part in the murder.

But he went back to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh claiming that text messages on a mobile phone hidden in an attic would reveal the identity of the true killers.

Appeal judges Lord Hamilton, sitting with Lords Reed and Emslie, became suspicious because the texts spelt Kriss Donald's unusual first name correctly. Examination of the phone also cast doubt on the story.

Source: Scotsman

17-Year-Old Scottish Girl Raped by an Algerian in Nice

Last Sunday a 17-year-old Scottish girl was raped by an Algerian while on holiday in France. The incident occurred in a public garden in Nice.

While she was lying on the grass with her friends, several strangers appeared and insinuated their way into the group. One, an Algerian man said to be in his 20s, lured the girl away to a spot where they could not be seen then raped her and stole her mobile phone.

The Algerian was arrested on Tuesday, still in possession of the stolen mobile phone. On Wednesday evening he was brought before a court and charged with aggravated rape and theft.

Source

Sex predator who posed as cabbie is jailed for three years

A SEX attacker who preyed on young women in his car while pretending to be a taxi driver was jailed for more than three years yesterday.

Sajjad Hussain, who picked up his victims as they waited for taxis after nights out with friends, will be supervised in the community for three years after his release.

His two victims, aged 23 and 39, who cannot be named for legal reasons, got inADVERTISEMENT

to his car, believing it to be a taxi. Once they were inside, Hussain sexually assaulted them.

The 39-year-old woman told police: "I will never forget what happened in the car for the rest of my life."

Hussain, a former taxi driver, is already on the sex offenders register. When he was questioned by police, he claimed that he was at home with his brother on both occasions last year.

But the jury rejected his alibis and convicted him of the assaults on 7 July and 5 November, 2010.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Sam Cathcart told Hussain that due to the "gravity of the crime" a custodial sentence was appropriate.

He also placed Hussain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The court heard from both of Hussain's victims who described each of the incidents in his car. The younger of the two women told the jury Hussain's car was a "private hire looking car" and was waiting outside the Casino in Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street around 6am last July.

She said when she heard the driver would charge her only a few pounds to get home and opened the passenger door for her she got in.

But, after reaching her destination only a short distance away in Tradeston, Hussain pounced on his passenger.

The woman said she attempted to push Hussain away, threw the taxi fare at him and ran away. She told the jury that she now felt "stupid" for paying him.

Hussain's next victim got in to his car a few months later at Battlefield Road, Glasgow, believing it to be the taxi she thought her friend had called.

But, while driving her home his hand brushed her leg. She said she thought it was an accident and his hand accidentally touched her while changing gears. Ms Henderson asked: "What happened after that?"

The woman replied: "It was almost immediately after that he touched my leg again with his left hand."

She was asked: "How did he touch your leg?"

The witness replied: "Kind of like a grope of the leg, like a squeeze."

She added that Hussain moved his hand up her body and touched her chest over her clothes.

The court heard the woman escaped from the car when it stopped at traffic lights and she reported the incident to the police.

Source: Scotsman

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Sad, Just Sad

Source

Humza Yousaf: the Hamas Connection

In a post yesterday, I mentioned that Humza Yousaf had been a director of the Scottish Islamic Foundation and that the Scottish Islamic Foundation had ties to Islamic extremists and had even introduced a man alleged to have been involved in terrorism, Mohammed Sahalwa, to officials of the Scottish government.

Now we have the proof that Humza Yousaf himself was personally involved in this. The graphic shows a screen capture documenting a meeting between SIF personnel, including Humza Yousaf, and Mohammed Sawalha. This establishes that Humza Yousaf had a personal acquaintance with Sawalha. The original web page is here.

This page has some excellent information on Mohammed Sawalha's background, some of it reproduced below.

In 2005, the Sunday Times reported:

Sawalha’s link with Hamas emerged after he was named as a co-conspirator in an American court case involving racketeering and conspiracy. Last week the cleric, who arrived in Britain 15 years ago and has been given indefinite leave to remain, said that he still supported Hamas, notorious for its suicide attacks in Israel.

Asked whether he supported the military activities of Hamas, he replied: "I have no comment on the question of military activity."

...According to US court documents, Sawalha was a leading militant in the early 1990s “in charge of Hamas terrorist operations within the West Bank”. The documents, from the federal court in Chicago, claim he met two of the three “conspirators” accused of laundering millions of dollars to finance Hamas activities, including the purchase of weapons.

Hamas was classified as a terrorist organisation by the UK government in 2003.

On Panorama, the BBC reported:

From London, Sawalha is said to have master minded much of Hamas’ political and military strategy. Wanted by Israel, he fled to London in 1990… In London, Sawalha is alleged to have directed funds, both for Hamas’ armed wing, and for spreading its missionary dawah. Then, in January 1993, an operation Sawalha was involved in went badly wrong. Hamas would be forced to reorganise its funding arrangements. A senior Hamas man from America flew into London for instructions from Sawalha. Sawalha’s visitor was en route to the Palestinian territories. The two men travelled to Sawalha’s home. His visitor’s name was Mohammed Salah. Salah’s mission was to distribute funds. Sawalha told him who to meet in the Palestinian territories…. With Sawalha’s agreement Salah began distributing about a quarter of a million dollars to local Hamas operatives. Some was ear marked for military activities. Some for missionary dawah. More money was in the pipe line from his bank in Chicago. But the Israeli’s had been tracking him. Stopped at a check point as he left Gaza, Salah was arrested.’

How can Humza Yousaf complain about being stopped at airports when he has associations with known extremists?