Islamophobia – praag.org

Iranian commander says Islamic State is US creation

The commander of Iran’s Basij (volunteer) force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi lashed out at the US and Israel for sponsoring the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

He said the US created, equipped and armed the ISIL terrorist group with the help of Britain, Israel and oil-rich countries.

Western countries ordered ISIL to carry out “crimes and large-scale massacre of Shiites and Sunnis on the pretext of a sectarian Sunni war on Shiites” General Naqdi said, addressing a gathering of thousands of Basijis in Lorestan province.

He noted that Western countries wanted to introduce a tainted image of Islam to the world by displaying horrible crimes and savage wickedness against children, women and innocent people with extreme brutality and savagery.

General Naqdi said every now and then the Western powers attack the terrorists to pretend that they are fighting terrorism while American, British and Israeli military advisors are supporting them in the battlefield.

“The outcome of the actions of this terrorist current in Syria was unprecedented as it caused people’s high turnout in that country’s presidential election, which set as yet another example of the inefficiency of weapons and the victory of the resistance movement against the global arrogance,” he added.

Also, in similar remarks in August General Naqdi held the US and certain European states responsible for providing logistics for the terrorist ISIL to find an alibi to boost its buildup in the region.

“American’s intangible presence in the region has been a major cause for the creation of the terrorist ISIL group,” Naqdi said, addressing people in a city near Tehran last month.

He also condemned the US Congress for approving an aid budget for the ISIL, and said, “The European countries, including France, arm the ISIL and the US and the West’s attempts are not aimed at any goal but getting closer to Iran” borders.

On Monday, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri warned of the malicious spread of Islamophobia.

“The world public opinion is aware that the phenomena such as the al-Nusrah Front, the ISIL, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups in the region, have been created by the intelligence services of the US and the White House’s allies and have a mission to defame Islam to prevent the people’s conversion to the real Islam and to spread Islamophobia and weaken the regional resistance front,” General Massoud Jazayeri said.

Source: farsnews.com

Islamophobia is a kind of racism: Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that Islamophobia was a kind of racism such as the other forms of discrimination by describing the term as a crime against humanity.

Releasing a message on International Conference on Islamophobia: Law and Media which is being held in Istanbul, Erdogan stated that the Islamic concepts were used as a negative way bringing defamatory, dismissive and alienating connotations in the western world.

“It must be known that Islamophobia is dangerous as much as racism, discrimination or anti-semitism. Because Islamophobia is a kind of racism such as the other forms of discrimination. It is a crime against humanity” Erdogan said.

Stating that Islamophobia was embittered via movies, soap operas, music, media, photographs even with unofficial articles and essays, Erdogan said 9/11 caused an enemy perception against “Islam” in the western world.

He added “No monotheistic religion adopts, supports, permits or leads terror.”

‘Hate ideology’

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said, “Islamophobia as a hate ideology is also a tool of oppression.”

Speaking at the International Conference on Islamophobia: Law and Media in Istanbul on Thursday, Arinc said “The attitudes that cause cultures and civilizations confront each other build psychological barriers between people.”

The main aim of the pressure on Muslims was fed by “Islam and democracy are not compatible with each other” theory”, said Arinc and added, “I clearly express here in this meeting which Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) co-organizes, Muslims are democrats in essence.”

He showed ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party as the most important example.

Arinc also said, “If Christianity and Judaism cannot be mentioned with terrorism, then our noble religion Islam cannot be deflamed this way either.”

“Islamophobia is also a version of racism and a crime against humanity like other kinds of discrimination,” said Arinc, adding that anyone with intelligence and conscience had to oppose this crime as a humanly duty.

Arinc called on the Islamic world to put effort for clearing the prejudices about Muslims, as well as adivising the west, especially the US and the EU to take measures against the fast and insidious spread of Islamophobia in their lands.

“Turkish government is ready to undertake its responsibility.”

The Conference is organized by the Directorate General of Press and Information (BYEGM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on September 12-13, 2013 with the participation of OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu and several international scholars. – worldbulletin.net

‘Racist and Islamophobic attack’ by alleged white Afrikaans-speakers

by SAPA and Praag

The North West Premier Thandi Modise on Thursday condemned the killing of a Muslim man in Magaliesburg, reports the South African Press Association.

“There is no place in our diverse society for those who harbour racism and religious intolerance,” she said in a statement.

Modise called on police to ensure those responsible for the death of Muhammad Fayaaz Kazi, 27, were arrested.

The attack was both racist and Islamophobic, she said. She called on residents to help the police in their investigation and to exercise restraint.

Former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils said on Wednesday the “savage” attack on Kazi and another Muslim man carried “the stench of Islamophobia”.

“My heartfelt condolences and solidarity to the family of Fayaaz Kazi, whose brutal killers must be hunted down and brought to justice,” Kasrils said in a statement.

Kazi was beaten to death in Magaliesburg, allegedly by two people who insulted him because of his beard, according to a family friend.

Kazi, from Ventersdorp, and his father’s friend Anser Mahmood, were attacked at a Chicken Licken outlet in the town on Monday.

“Two white people… they called him [Osama] bin Laden in Afrikaans because of his beard…and then they called us kaffirs,” Mahmood told Sapa by telephone on Wednesday.

“Fayaaz, he understood Afrikaans, and was arguing with them.”

All four were thrown out of the fast food shop, and the fight continued outside.

“I asked why they were troubling him and he punched me,” Mahmood, 33, said.

“I don’t know what he hit me with. I was unconscious.”

Mahmood was mostly hit in the face, while Kazi was beaten over the head. Mahmood said he did not know what object was used to attack Kazi.

“Nobody helps us. They wanted me dead also, but I survived.”

North West police said a murder docket had been opened.

“After purchasing food from a fast food outlet an argument allegedly broke out between Kazi and two unknown Afrikaner males. It further alleged that the two suspects were mocking Kazi about his long beard,” said Brigadier Thulani Ngubane.

The two men fled the scene after the assault.

Ngubane said Mahmood refused to open a case and the two left for Ventersdorp.

“Upon arriving on Ventersdop, Kazi became weak and was transported to the Ventersdorp Hospital where he was treated and transferred to Potchefstroom Hospital after his condition became worse,” Ngubane said.

Kazi died in hospital at Potchefstroom. His funeral was held on Tuesday.

The murder case was registered at the Potchefstroom police station. It was expected to be transferred to the Magaliesburg police.

The Media Review Network, a Muslim advocacy group on human rights, called on Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to ensure a speedy investigation.

Researcher Ibrahim Vawda said there was widespread anger across the Muslim community.

“We strongly urge all members of our community to exercise restraint and patience and to allow the normal process of the law to take its course.”

Bin Laden was the founder of al-Qaeda, which the US claimed was responsible for the September 11, 2001, suicide attacks on the country. US soldiers killed him in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.

In her comments, Netherlands-based blogger Adriana Stuijt wrote:

“While this is a horrific incident, I would ask why there wasn’t a similar outrage when four Afrikaner dads, unarmed, were mowed down in Umbilo by two South African Muslim policemen who had taunted the Afrikaners about their ‘penis size’. That was just as much a hate crime, yet the SA news media have kept very silent about this. There was no ‘brawl’ until the Muslims had insulted the Afrikaners, who were in their usual pub watching a football game in Umbilo. Three of the Afrikaner men died instantly at the scene – Nick Janse van Rensburg, 57, Shawn Strydom, 33, and Rory Menzies, 40. Two others, Shawn and Bruce Edwards, were injured. Bruce Edwards later died in hospital. All were family men. It does not help to keep sweeping up emotions and polarising people like this.”