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04 September 2010

This is Why - Part 1

According to the 26th British Social Attitudes survey, the largest of its kind, at least a third (34%) of the British public are negative about Muslims, not much more are neutral, and barely a quarter have positive feelings.

This is in stark contrast to the low level of any negative feelings (6% - 15%) and much higher positive feelings towards other religious groups.

Muslims themselves complain of “Islamophobia”.

Why is there so much dislike or suspicion of Islam and Muslims?

Some Muslims put it down to ignorance. All would be well if only the British knew more about Islam, if they had read the Koran (in the original Arabic, some say), had things explained to them in the right way.

There is another and better explanation. It is the effects that Islam and Muslims have on the world around us. The religion is judged by what comes out of it, and what its followers do, not by what experts and clerics claim it is about (often contradicting one another).

This post is a survey of typical reports and news items over recent months concerning Islam and Muslims. Judge for yourself.

The “War on Terror”, Terrorism, the Israeli/Palestinian issue and ongoing conflicts in Muslim countries are deliberately excluded.

We address the usual objections to media information here.

July 2010

Domestic abuse rampant in modern, moderate Turkey

Stop preaching or get out

A teacher says no to burqa in a West Bengal Muslim university, isn’t allowed to teach

Parents in hot water over missed swimming lessons

Pew Survey: Pakistanis overwhelmingly favor killing apostates

Sonorous black Saudi cleric rescinds objection to fatwa against singing

Hamas bans lingerie displays in Gaza Strip

Claim of 'Islamic veil bus ban' thrown out

Sharia creeps into New Jersey courtroom – but gets short shrift on appeal

Police Muslim forum headed by Islamic extremist

Indonesian police tears down house church: Muslim organisation gets the authorities to tear down the building

Iran cuts off hands from five thieves

Two Muslim women thrown out of pool for wearing 'burkinis

Malaysian first wives and children oppose polygamy

BBC defends Qur'an incident in EastEnders

The burka empowering women? You must be mad, minister

Muslims ban Manchester United shirts over red devil image

Reading, Writing and Ramadan

Syria's niqab ban is part of a clash within Islam itself

White Christian Britons being unfairly targeted for hate crimes by CPS, Civitas claims

Iranian prosecutor urges Islamic dress checks

Muslim bus drivers refuse to let guide dogs on board

Gaza water pipe smoke ban for women

Americans must not be cowed by Muslim objections to cartoons

Pakistani couple face death by stoning threat after conviction for adultery

By refusing to ban the burka, Damian Green is supporting the humiliation of millions of British women

Majority of Brits want burkas banned

The fundamentalist-linked Labour politician and the extremist solicitor

Muslim Public Loo Fury

French MPs vote to ban Islamic full veil in public

Muslims seek to add Islamic holidays to New York school calendar

Egyptian Islamists attempt to draw a veil over 'salacious' masterpiece

Council tells schools to rearrange exams and cancel swimming for Ramadan

Muslim woman sues Somerset Medical Center for religious discrimination

Muslims Attempt to Behead Apostate in Egypt

Iran imposes media blackout over stoning sentence woman

Iranian government bans new women's football kit

Widespread Support for Banning Full Islamic Veil in Western Europe

Chechnya's leader hails paintball attacks on women

Hizb ut Tahrir – we hate it here but let us stay

Iran issues list of approved Muslim hairstyles for men

Iran: Homosexual young man sentenced to death

What isn't wrong with Sharia law?

Alleging blasphemy, fanatics hack lecturer's hand

Swimmers plunged into dark after council covers swimming pool windows 'to protect Muslim women's modesty'

Stop the stoning of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani

Morocco Continues to Purge Nation of Foreign Christians

June 2010

Homely Homemaking Homebodies? Why the Quran Commands Muslim Women: “Stay in Your Homes”

Syria bans the Burka

Saudi Textbooks: Still Teaching Hatred

Hard-line groups target Christianity with sharia law

KFC forced to ditch halal-only menus after disappointing sales

Ex-Muslim wants multiculturalism and ‘poisonous’ faith schools ditched

Pakistan to monitor Google and Yahoo for 'blasphemy'

Is a religious bus ban on my dog right?

Saudi women and men sentenced to flogging and prison for mingling at party

Muslim domestic abuse

The Zakir Naik School of Comparitive Religion

Iran cleric says dogs "unclean" and not to be kept as pets

Norway: Sharia courts a possibility

Some Muslim practices cause poverty, Muslim religious leader says

New Report – Sharia Law in Britain – A Threat to One Law for All and Equal Rights

Conductor banned from wearing crucifix necklace

Bremner fears joke about Islam would mean death

A veil, a traffic ticket and deep unease in France over Muslims

Appeal for Afghan Christians, sentenced to death for their faith

Why is secularism incompatible with Islam?

Women’s Rights: Inspired by Muhammad?

Saudi convicts young man for kissing woman in mall

Surge for Dutch anti-Islam Freedom Party

Muslim teens enraged by pop star’s name

Study finds young, devout Muslims in Germany more prone to violence

Has al-Jazeera changed its style?

Why do Muslims hate music?

Belgium: Parents against halal food for their children

Islamic Foundation calls for death sentence if apostate fails to repent

May 2010

"Every Muslim Should Be A Terrorist”

Italy: Imam's consent needed for health-care

Muslims who support football world cup are deviants and hypocrites

Facebook rival launched in Pakistan after 'blasphemous' Prophet images published

The Spanish town of Lerida has become the first in the country to ban the Burka in municipal buildings

Court rules company can fire woman for wearing headscarf

Authorities distribute 20,000 long skirts to enforce tight pants ban in Indonesia's West Aceh

Apple pulls iSlam Muhammad app

How Islamists Came to Dominate European Islam

Sharia court now in session

Dutch Parliament Concerned About Muslim Brotherhood In The Netherlands

Muslim leader: find wives in Britain not Pakistan and India

Poll: 57 per cent of Swiss favour banning the burqa

Pakistan blasphemy laws used to justify 'murder': EU parliament

Morocco expelled Christians 'to prevent conflict'

Brussels Increasingly Looks Like Any Great Middle East City; 'In Years to Come, Muslims in Europe Could Only Grow In Numbers, Coming... In Droves'

France has first 'burka rage' incident

Central Council of Muslims in Germany Pulls Out Of Government Sponsored Integration Effort

Saudi woman beats up virtue cop

Woman in burkha held after MP is stabbed in stomach

Catholic school girl who refused headscarf for mosque trip labelled a truant

Muslim clerics in India issue a fatwa forbidding women to work for their living

Turks found worst integrated group amid widespread bigotry

City of Helsinki Pool Sponsoring Muslim Girls' Only Swimming Classes.......

The Iranian Regime's Efforts to Enforce the Wearing of the Hijab

Taxi refuses to take woman home with alcohol

South Park the last bastion of free thought

Fribourg cuts benefits for veil-wearers

Adulterer to be lashed, jailed in Sharjah

Italy: Third council to fine burqa wearers

Iran detains 80 youths for illegal "pleasure seeking

For Australia's sake, we need to ban the burqa

'I have to keep her indoors now': Muslim husband's shocking response as wife is first to be fined £430 for wearing a burka

Saudi liberals see hope as clerics argue over gender segregation

Aceh Drafts Regional Ban on Non-Islamic Broadcasts

Banning hijab no rights violation, court says

Tan ban in Iran

Saudi eases ban on unrelated couples in cars