Christmas Snubbed by Scottish Government

The Scottish Government has come under fire for completely failing to mention Christmas in its “Winter Festivals” programme.

In an official news release the Government mentions St Andrew’s Day eleven times, Hogmanay five times and Burns Night several times. But Christmas is not mentioned at all.

But Bashir Mann, a prominent figure in Glasgow’s Muslim community, has criticised the omission of Christmas, saying: “This is political correctness gone mad.

Christian

“Why should we be offended? Scotland’s religious population is 98 per cent Christian. Why should they not be allowed to celebrate their biggest religious festival?

“If my neighbour is celebrating Christmas, then I should join him. That’s what my religion tells me.”

And John Deighan, parliamentary officer for the Roman Catholic Church of Scotland, described the omission as “disappointing and hurtful”.

Season

A press release to promote the “Winter Festivals” reads: “The season of celebrations to mark Scotland’s distinct culture, unique heritage and creativity runs from St Andrew’s Day on November 30 through Hogmanay to Burns Season at the end of January and will bring together lovers of all things Scottish from across the globe.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Christmas is a key celebration for families and communities.

“The Winter Festivals package includes events funded by the Scottish Government to help promote visitor attractions between St Andrew’s Day and Burns Night.”

Christmas

Earlier this month the daughter of Thomas the Tank Engine’s creator criticised “political correctness against Christian belief” after references to Christmas were left out of an episode.

In the offending episode, entitled Keeping Up With James, the trains compete to deliver presents to children but Christmas has been rebranded as “the winter holidays”.

Last year it emerged that more than three million school diaries with no reference to Christmas or Easter had been issued by the EU Commission.

The diaries did make reference to Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Chinese festivities, as well as Europe Day.

Christian Institute

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.

Ramadan Message from Alex Salmond

First Minister of Scotland, Rt Hon Alex Salmond, MSP:

On behalf of the Scottish Government and the people of Scotland, I would like to wish all Muslim communities in Scotland and beyond, Ramadan Mubarak.

The ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and this great religious observance in Islam is intended to teach patience, humility, and spirituality. This month of fasting - from sunrise to sunset each day - and spiritual reflection, also places a particular focus on family and charity, reminding Muslims to consider those less fortunate.

It is an example we can all follow. This Government values the positive influence Muslims have on our communities, and the rich tartan tapestry of all of our faiths add to our strength as One Scotland with many cultures.

May your Ramadan bring peace and blessings.

Source

Humza Yousaf Gets In On the Airport Agitation

I was surprised that the Herald's two articles yesterday about the supposed Muslim boycott of Glasgow Airport didn't feature our friend Humza Yousaf. But never fear. Humza has managed to get in on the airport action now in today's Herald.

SOME innocent Scottish Muslims have been questioned by terror police more than 15 times, campaigners against racial profiling at airports claimed last night.

Asians, usually men, say they are being stopped almost every time they fly, regardless of where they are going.

The claims were made by a group of prominent young Scottish Muslims, including Nationalist MSP Humza Yousaf and human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, as they set up a new Independent Advisory Group on the issue.

Mr Yousaf said: “I was astonished that people claimed to have been stopped at Glasgow airports more than 15 times.”

Mr Anwar said: “Thousands upon thousands of innocent Muslims and other minorities are being harassed and targeted by police every time they go to the airport.”

The Herald yesterday reported some campaigners saying that Muslims are continuing their long-standing boycott of Glasgow Airport, the scene of Scotland’s only major Islamic terror incident and home to what they believe are the most jittery terror police.

Law enforcement sources claim they have stopped asking some of the questions Muslims found most offensive, such as whether they knew Osama Bin Laden.

Britain’s overall terror threat was this week reduced to “substantial” –meaning an attack was a strong possibility rather than a probability.

Assistant Chief Constable Colin McCashey, Scotland’s counter-terrorism co-ordinator, stressed the public would be unlikely to notice any difference in the way police behaved.

Source: Herald

If there's one good thing to emerge from this episode, it is the illustration of how ordinary Scots feel about this Muslim agitation. The comments to the Herald article were much more robust and less politically correct than I would have expected. But that's ordinary people. The elite, of course, are a different story.

Muslims Agitate to Reduce Airport Security, SNP Colludes

Members of the Muslim community have criticised stop and questioning techniques used to help battle terrorism at airports.

Out of an audience of more than 60 people at least 18 said they had been questioned while at an airport.

Around eight people held their hand up when the audience in Glasgow was asked if they had been questioned more than four times.

Members of the audience at the public meeting said "offensive" questions, including whether they prayed five times a day, caused anger and could put people off contacting the police in the future.

Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 empowers police to stop and question people at UK ports and airports without any need for "reasonable suspicion" that the person is engaged in terrorism.

The public meeting - held at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Maxwell Park, Glasgow - was attended by Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill; Faroque Hussain, a Detective Inspector for the Ports Authority; and Chief Superintendent Ruaraidh Nicolson from Strathclyde Police.

A 32-year-old man, who lives in the West End of Glasgow and wished not to be named, said he was questioned for 80 minutes after flying into Glasgow Airport in June 2009. Asked how he felt looking back on the questioning, he said: "I feel angry"

Detective Inspector Hussain, from the counter-terrorism and intelligence section, said since feedback from the community, officers at Troon harbour and Glasgow Airport and Prestwick Airport had undergone cultural awareness training and "enhanced interview" techniques.

But Mr Hussain's claim that officers no longer asked whether people prayed "five times a day" since he took up his post in August were challenged by members of the audience.

Chief Supt Nicolson said work with an independent advisory group, made up of people from the community, had also been listened to in the last year. He said the group along with 20 to 30 others had also visited Glasgow Airport to give feedback on approaches.

Source

Note the security staff have now been forced to undergo 'cultural awareness' training. Also note the presence of Chief Superintendent Ruaraidh Nicolson. This is the guy who, following the arrest in Glasgow earlier this year of the Stockholm suicide bomber's accomplice, was so 'culturally aware' that he said the following:

The most important thing here is the community reassurance, and getting information out to our communities, that this is not focused on any one community. This is an individual. Terrorism is a criminal act and that is how we will be dealing with this.

and implicitly threatened to arrest anyone who implied that terrorism might have a disproportionate link to any particular 'community':

We are working together with our community advisers, our community leaders to make sure that Scotland is a safe place.

If there any repercussions, if there are any raised tensions, if there’s any focus on one community we will be taking a robust stance on that.

West Dunbartonshire Council Boycotts Israeli Books

The council is SNP-controlled but all 22 councillors (9 SNP, 9 Labour, 3, Independents, 1 Scottish Socialist) voted for the resolution in 2009. It's interesting that the SNP is not only not boycotting, but is actually giving foreign aid to countries like Pakistan and the Maldives, where the persecution of Christians by Muslims is rife.

Amusingly, this seems to have gone global on Israel-sympathetic sites round the blogosphere. I don't know if any of them have picked up on the SNP's donation of money to Islam-dominated countries that persecute Christians but if they did, it might be a good way of exerting pressure on the SNP about it. All the information is on this site.

Source

Didn't Take Long Did It?

Newly appointed MSP Humza Yousaf has already started to agitate on behalf of Muslim interests and against the interests of the Scottish people, and he seems to have roped the rest of the SNP hierarchy into his plans.

Airport Open Day for Minorities

Notice it says minorities when it's really specifically about Muslims.

Ethnic minority representatives will be invited to a security open day at Glasgow Airport to try to allay fears they are being singled out for questioning by security staff.

Glasgow MSP Humza Yousaf has been in discussions with airport authorities following claims that some ethnic minorities would rather travel to Manchester or London rather than face "awkward questions" at Glasgow.

Mr Yousaf said: "During the election campaign, a number of folk raised it with me. People have been stopped four or five times and asked really awkward questions like: How many times a day do you pray?; What mosque do you go to?; or Does your wife wear a headscarf?."

Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 empowers police officers to stop and question travellers at UK ports and airports without needing reasonable suspicion that the person is engaged in terrorism.

A BAA Glasgow spokesman said: "Schedule 7 checks are a police matter so we cannot comment specifically. However, we have good relations with ethnic minority groups who we meet with on a regular basis, and we will help facilitate an open day to explain the procedures involved in the security screening process."

Mr Yousaf welcomed the airport's approach. He said: "There was a report in The Guardian (newspaper) that said that people from ethnic minorities are 42 times more likely to be stopped under Schedule 7 in UK airports.

"From speaking to people, the situation seems to be a lot worse in Glasgow than anywhere else, to the point where some people are travelling to Manchester or London to take a flight instead.

"I spoke to one individual who has lived here for 35 years and is well integrated in the community, who has been stopped several times and now takes the train to Manchester whenever he wants to fly."

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill will be attending the meeting alongside Tayside Police's Assistant Chief Constable Colin McCashey, Scotland`s head of counter-terrorism.

He said: "There are some questions that need to be legitimately asked. Equally, there are manners and ways in which it can be done."

Source: The Herald

Of course the security staff who, before, were simply being appropriately thorough, will now be intimidated and will go softly-softly on the Muslims, increasing the risk to anyone flying in and out of Scotland.

Muslim MSP Humza Yousaf Takes Oath of Allegiance in Urdu

Humza Yousaf, the cousin of Muslim extremist Osama Saeed, who was appointed a member of the Scottish Parliament thanks to his top placement on the SNP's Glasgow Regional List, today swore his oath of allegiance in the Scottish Parliament in Urdu. Yousaf wore a traditional Pakistani garment called a sherwani with a tartan plaid.

Mr Yousaf said: "I'm proud, like many in Scotland, of my Scottish-Pakistani identity and by taking the oath in Urdu and English and mixing traditional dress from both cultures I hope to take a further step toward cementing the Scottish-Pakistani identity in Parliament."

Source

The Herald Uses the Death of Bin Laden as an Opportunity to Do Some PR for Muslims

Humza Yousaf, one of Scotland’s most prominent young Muslims and an SNP candidate for Glasgow in Thursday’s Holyrood election, said: “There is no doubt members of the Muslim community will also be relieved that the world’s most dangerous mass murderers is no longer a threat.

“This will hopefully give closure to hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the UK and US, but will also hopefully bring about the beginning of a stable and secure Pakistan, and an end to drone attacks in the region that have killed many civilians.”

Dr Salah Beltagui, convener of the Muslim Council for Scotland, also welcomed bin Laden’s death and said he hoped it would lead to less “military interference” in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He said: “It’s a bit of a relief really, relief that this symbol of this organisation, having at last been removed, will see the start of the end of this idea of killing people with no justification, especially those who have no part of any military action.”

Hanzala Malik, a leading Labour Glasgow City councillor, said: “This is a landmark victory for Pakistan, as well as the rest of the world. Someone connected with so much carnage has met his maker and that will undoubtedly dent his organisation.

“Hopefully the message goes out to young Muslims that bin Laden’s way was not the way of Islam and that while he has been a beacon for many, the fear he instilled could not protect him in the end.”

Dr Nazim Ghouri, a director of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, said: “I’m on holiday and have only just caught the headlines. What has struck me, though, is the efficiency of the whole operation.”

Aamer Anwar, the Glasgow-based lawyer, said he believed events in the Middle East this year had already marginalised bin Laden within the Muslim world.

Notice how they have managed to infiltrate Scottish political parties.

Source

Scotland's Population Soars As a Result of Immigration

The Scotsman today reports that Scotland's population is approaching its highest ever level as a result of immigration:

SCOTLAND'S population is on course to reach its highest level ever, with new figures showing that the country now has more than 5.22 million inhabitants - the largest number since 1977.

Rising immigration and the number of births exceeding deaths by the biggest margin for almost 20 years has contributed to the population soaring to 5,222,100 in mid-2010, a rise of 28,100 on the previous year.

Official projections now forecast that next year the population will surpass Scotland's all-time high of 5.24 million, which was recorded in 1974. In 2012, the population will reach 5.25 million, making the country more crowded than ever before.

Undoubtedly the rise in birth will be driven by immigration too. This is the pattern all across Europe, in which immigrants, particularly third-world immigrants, outbreed the indigenous population.

Note that only a small proportion of the immigrants to Scotland are from the rest of the UK. Most are from overseas, almost certainly primarily third worlders, although the report gives no precise indication of country of origin.

Yesterday's figures released by the National Records of Scotland were more proof that the country has turned around a population decline that was a source of anxiety at the beginning of this century. The population has increased by 167,300 since mid-2002, when it hit its lowest level since the Second World War.

According to the statistics, immigration exceeded emigration by 25,000 in the 12 months up to the middle of last year.

Analysis of the net migration gain of 25,000 showed that in the 12 months to mid-2010, there was a net gain of 3,300 from the rest of the UK added to a net gain of 21,500 from overseas.

The SNP were delighted by the news and demanded more powers over immigration so that Scotland could become even more immigrant-friendly:

The figures were welcomed by the SNP, which argued that the influx of more talent would help the economy.

An SNP spokesman said: "A growing population will help fuel our economic recovery.

The SNP believes Scotland should have responsibility for immigration policy, and should have an earned citizenship system similar to those in Canada or Australia, allowing us to attract highly skilled workers who can further boost prosperity."

More on the Maldives

I've been reading up on the persecution of Christians and other non-Muslims in the Maldives in light of the fact that the SNP is giving Scottish taxpayers' money to it.

Open Doors, a charity that campaigns for persecuted Christians worldwide, ranks the Maldives 6th in its list of countries where the persecution of Christians is worst!

All citizens must be Muslims in this archipelago. Legislation forbids the practice of any religion except Islam; churches are forbidden; and the import of Christian literature is prohibited. New regulations governing religious practice were unveiled by the government in 2010, and stricter policies were also imposed on tourists after some were caught bringing in Bibles. The few indigenous believers are isolated from one other and are monitored both by the authorities and the locals.

In 2010 a teacher from India was forced to flee the Maldives after angry parents tried to attack her. They accused her of attempting to spread Christianity because she had drawn a cross on the blackboard to teach the children the directions of the compass!

The Maldives, which is at the forefront of a campaign to get the international community to act on a looming global warming crisis, has a more immediate problem on hand. A rising tide of religious extremism is driving this tropical paradise of a low-lying string of islands down the road to a new conservatism.

What is more, the spread of militant Islam in the country and the appeal of a radical strain of Islam are drawing Maldivian youth into global jihadi groups.

"Hundreds of Maldivians" have been recruited by the Taliban and are fighting in Pakistan, Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed told the CNN-IBN news channel during his recent visit to India.

...

A puritanical version of Islam has taken root. Signs of conservatism are more evident on the streets of the capital, Male, today than they were even a few years ago. The number of burqa-clad women has been increasing steadily as has that of bearded men.

Forum 18 reports that even migrant workers are denied religious freedom:

Just as Maldivian citizens do not have the right to religious freedom – Sunni Islam in the state-approved form is the only permitted faith – migrant workers too are denied this right. The Maldives prevents the import of non-Muslim books and other religious items, for example by searching foreigners' luggage for "un-Islamic" materials. Migrant workers are banned from practising non-Muslim faiths even privately, while the lack of privacy in which many live makes it almost impossible to worship "unnoticed by locals", as one migrant worker put it to Forum 18 News Service. Some 80,000 migrant workers – mostly Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus from South Asia – make up about a quarter of the country's population, but are mostly in low-status jobs and find it difficult to challenge human rights violations. The government has not acted on United Nations recommendations to grant migrant workers religious freedom.

What Their 2011 Manifestos Say About The Immigration Policies of Scotland's Political Parties

In view of the upcoming election, I have been looking through the manifestos of the various political parties in Scotland to see what they have to say about immigration and islamification. In relation to the major parties, the SNP, the Conservatives, Lib Dhims and Labour, the answer - surprise, surprise - is nothing. The words immigration, immigrant, Islam and Muslim are not mentioned anywhere in the manifestos of the four major parties, despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that all of them agree immigration is a good thing.

The Lib Dhims do offer a brief mention of asylum seekers. They will:

Continue to work with the UK Government to ensure an integrated and sensitive approach to the treatment of asylum seekers, particularly in cases where children are involved, and ensure that asylum seekers have access to good legal advice early on and throughout the asylum process.

Labour says this about discrimination:

Scottish Labour will tackle racial or religious
prejudice, intolerance and discrimination,
not only because of the impact on the lives
of those who experience it, but because it
holds us back as a nation. We will support
initiatives to tackle racial and religious
discrimination in the workplace and in
communities and will continue support for
schemes that celebrate the diversity of
Scotland’s culture and its people. Scottish
Labour will conduct a review of the Scottish
Refugee Integration Strategy to reflect
on the effectiveness of current action and
to explore how integration work can be
sustained and developed.

The Scottish Greens have this to say about asylum seekers:

Global injustice and war lead to people coming to
Scotland as asylum seekers and refugees. Scotland must
welcome those fleeing persecution in their own countries,
while working to tackle the forces that persecute people.
We’ll deliver devolved services that take the rights and needs
of asylum seekers and refugees seriously, as well as putting
pressure on the UK Government to provide a genuinely
humane asylum system.

We’ll support moves to build a coalition of countries and
regions willing to adopt a policy of boycotts, disinvestment
and sanctions in relation to the Israeli Government to
encourage an end to illegal settlements and negotiations on
a final status for a Palestinian state. Some aspects of this can
be taken forward immediately in Scotland through public
procurement measures which are already under devolved
control.

It's notable that the SNP are now apparently dispensing foreign aid to third world countries. So Scottish taxpayers are being mugged once for foreign aid at the British level and then again at the Scottish level. I will discuss this in a separate post.

Only UKIP and the BNP talk about immigration explicitly in their manifestos. UKIP says this:

Restrict immigration so Scotland will be for the Scots and the British first

End Labour’s mass immigration, which let in three million in 13 years.

Freeze permanent settlement for five years to sort out the system.

Increase Border Agency staffing as necessary to control immigration.

Introduce strict visa controls.

Admit key workers only, for fixed periods only.

Deport illegal immigrants and foreign criminals.

Require all citizens to learn English.

Publish all official communications in Gaelic
or English only.

Scrap State promotion of multiculturalism.

As you would expect, the BNP talk quite a bit about immigration:

This is another reason for the significant hikes in council tax bills (which, not surprisingly coincided with a massive increase of immigration to this country,
again, with the blessing of the SNP).

The presence of ‘cheap’ East European labour (which proponents claim brings
economic benefit) in reality only adds to the cost of providing essential services,
at a time of high native unemployment. In addition, this influx has increased local
unemployment and benefit dependency amongst our own poor, which in turn
increases the burden borne by our taxpayers.

Lastly, local authorities have implemented a range of costly politically-correct
schemes and grants to ethnic minority and multi-cultural groups, causes, projects
and initiatives, including foreign language courses and interpreters. The SNP
has frequently been at the forefront of these initiatives, which well demonstrate
the bogus nature of its claim to support the national interests of Scotland and the Scottish people.

Muslim Successfully Destroys Police Officer's Career But Wants More

Last year police officer Gavin Ross was convicted of "a race hate" crime and fined £500 for jocularly calling Sergeant Amar Shakoor, his Muslim colleague, "a fucking Muslim bastard" after the Muslim had made a joke about him.

Today, the Herald reports, the police officer was allowed to keep his job but forfeited a pay rise he would otherwise have received. His career has been destroyed. Even if he has kept his job, he will be denied promotion in future based on what has happened. But the Muslim "victim" isn't happy:

Mr Shakoor, who is chairman of the Scottish Muslim Police Association, said: “He has been dealt with leniently. People who have committed similar offences got the sack.

“The force is supposed to have a zero-tolerance attitude policy towards racism, islamophobia, sexism and homophobia, and they should stand by that. This decision does not instill confidence among minority officers or the community at large.”

Nor are his fellow Muslim agitators. The news is said to have "reverberated around Glasgow’s Muslim communities yesterday." One of the Muslim infiltrators within the SNP even pitched in:

Humaz Yousaf, a list candidate for the SNP in May’s Holyrood elections, said: “Strathclyde Police enjoys a good reputation of engagement with the Muslim community.

“There tends to be a policy of zero-tolerance for racial, homophobic or any other type of prejudice.

“Therefore, it seems unusual such a lenient punishment has been meted out in this instance and it would be a shame if this had a detrimental effect on Muslim community relations, which Strathclyde Police have built up so effectively.”

Notice how the Muslim gloats about how dominant politically correct thinking is within Strathclyde Police. We saw evidence of that recently when the first priority of the Chief Superintendent whose officers had just arrested a dangerous Muslim terrorist who had plotted to murder non-Muslims was to reassure ... the Muslims. Ironically, indeed, the "race hate crime" between the two police officers occurred while they were attending a "diversity training course". It is shocking that at a time of straitened public finances, taxpayer money is being wasted on this folly.

There are also other issues to be considered here. Islam is not a race. So why was Gavin Ross convicted of "behaving in a racially-aggravated manner" for calling him a "Muslim bastard"? This "bracket creep" that we see in the extension of the concept of race is simply not acceptable. In the run-up to the war in Iraq, a protester was charged with a race-related crime for holding up an anti-American banner. Islam is an ideology people choose to embrace. It is not a fact of birth. We must be free to robustly critique ideologies like Marxism, Nazism or Islam.

A second issue here is the disproportionality. A man has been convicted of a crime for jokingly calling someone else a name. Almost every male in Glasgow will have been called a "fucking Fenian bastard" or a "fucking Proddie bastard" at one time or another, and often not in a spirit of jest. This is sectarian abuse - no different from what happened to the Muslim. "Fenian" or "Proddie" are references to religion just as "Muslim" is. Yet those other instances do not result in prosecutions.

Only when you call a Muslim a name do you get prosecuted. So, it seems, Muslims have a special protected status, higher than the rest of us. This, indeed, represents the de facto establishment of the conditions of sharia law and the status of dhimmitude in which the non-Muslim dhimmis live under Muslim rule, yet are forced to accept an array of conditions giving them second-class status, including a prohibition on cursing Muslims.

Should all of the "Fenian" and "Proddie" name-calling result in prosecutions too to create balance? Of course not. It would be impractical and a vast waste of public resources. People should grow up and learn to accept the little blows life deals them instead of nurturing a sense of narcisstic victimhood - something the Muslims seem to be world champions in.