ANAS Sarwar, above, chair of Holyrood’s Cross-Party Group on Tackling Islamophobia, has hit out at a Scottish Labour group for posting a meme on Facebook that said ‘there is no such thing as Islamophobia.’ The Argyll and Bute Labour account also claimed Islam is “responsible for more terror attacks than any other” and treats women as “second class citizens”. What is described in this report as a “racist” message was posted on Tuesday afternoon, alongside the question: Any disagreement with… Read more
May 10, 2019
Labour group slammed over ‘no such thing as Islamophobia’ post
May 10, 2019 By Barry Duke
10 Comments
May 10, 2019
Hate crime: man arrested for mocking Muslims in a prayer room
May 10, 2019 By Barry Duke
17 Comments
ALTHOUGH police have not named him, a man arrested this week for making fun of Islamic prayer is believed to be Terence Howarth, above. The arrest was made after two videos appeared on Howarth’s Facebook page showing a man going though the motions of prayer along with the words: May Jesus be with you now leave me alone as I fly on my magic carpet. On Wednesday, police were made aware of the videos, and a day later a 30-year-old man… Read more
May 9, 2019
UK PM told to impose same-sex marriage on Northern Ireland
May 9, 2019 By Barry Duke
4 Comments
SARA Canning, above, the partner of the murdered Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee has urged Theresa May to legalise same-sex marriage in the deeply conservative province when she met her at McKee’s funeral in Belfast last month. Canning yesterday (Wednesday) revealed in a statement through Amnesty that she made the demand at the memorial event for her partner, who was shot dead by dissident republicans during rioting in Londonderry last month. Canning said: If the politicians won’t legislate for equal… Read more
May 9, 2019
Consecrated hosts sold for satanic black masses alarm Catholics
May 9, 2019 By Barry Duke
11 Comments
AN e-commerce company that allowed a vendor to sell nine ‘sacred’ hosts on its site has sounded alarm bells among Catholics. According to LifeSiteNews Etsy.com is known for sales of “cute”crafts but it recently carried an ad for “real Catholic hosts, ordained by an authorized Catholic priest’ intended to be abused during black magic rituals crafts. The vendor, calling himself “AL” and his business “Pentagora”, stated that the purpose of the nine hosts was: To abuse for classic black fairs… Read more
May 8, 2019
Ex-Muslims will target Brunei’s London Embassy over Sharia law
May 8, 2019 By Barry Duke
0 Comments
DESPITE the fact that the Sultan of Brunei – Hassanal Bolkiah, above – has done a u-turn on his plan to use newly-introduced Sharia laws to execute homosexuals in the face of international condemnation, the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain (CEMB) is going ahead with a protest outside Brunei’s London Embassy. The protest, part of a number of events the CEMB is planning for the run-up to Gay Pride in London on July 6, will take place on June 17. Prior… Read more
May 8, 2019
‘Blasphemous’ artworks censored at top London gallery
May 8, 2019 By Barry Duke
50 Comments
The counter-extremist think-tank Quilliam has reacted with anger to reports that the Saatchi Gallery had covered two paintings after complaints from Muslim visitors that the works were ‘blasphemous’. Usama Hasan, head of Islamic studies at Quilliam, said the artworks were: Really dangerous…it’s The Satanic Verses all over again. Hasan referenced the 1988 fictional book by Salman Rushdie, which caused major controversy among Muslims who accused it of mocking their faith. So, what’s the story? The Independent revealed that two paintings –… Read more
May 7, 2019
Voltaire Lecture’s chair clashed with mother over faith schools
May 7, 2019 By Barry Duke
9 Comments
THE 2019 Voltaire Lecture, organised by Humanists UK and due to take place in London on May 14, will be chaired by the organisation’s President, Professor Alice Roberts, above, who is currently leading a campaign against faith schools in the UK. In announcing that Dr Adam Rutherford, presenter of BBC Radio 4’s flagship science radio programme, Inside Science, will be delivering this year’s Voltaire Lecture, Humanists UK revealed that anthropologist Professor Roberts will act as chair at the lecture, the subject… Read more
May 7, 2019
Polish woman arrested over desecrated Black Madonna icon
May 7, 2019 By Barry Duke
11 Comments
A WOMAN identified by Amnesty International as Polish activist Elżbieta Podlesna has been arrested on suspicion of ‘offending religious beliefs’ for possessing copies of a poster showing the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus with rainbow halos. Responding to news that the Polish authorities detained Podlesna for several hours, Amnesty International’s Regional Europe Researcher, Barbora Cernusakova, said: We are extremely concerned to hear that Elżbieta Podlesna, a Polish human rights activist, was arrested and detained for several hours on spurious charges… Read more
May 6, 2019
Pakistan has angered its costly moon-sighting Ramadan committee
May 6, 2019 By Barry Duke
14 Comments
A SUGGESTION that scientists should be brought in to determine precisely when the Muslim month-long period of fasting – Ramadan – should begin has upset religious groups in Pakistan. According to this report, Imran Khan’s government faces a clash with Islamic faith bodies because his Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, above, said Pakistan would use scientists to predict when the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan starts, rather rely on clerics with telescopes. Chaudhry said the new committee of astronomers… Read more
May 6, 2019
‘Ian Paisley would be aghast’: lesbian wins N Ireland council seat
May 6, 2019 By Barry Duke
20 Comments
WHEN the notoriously anti-gay Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) announced that it had chosen lesbian Alison Bennington, above, as a candidate for upcoming council elections, people the length and breadth of Norrthern Ireland were ‘shocked’ by the decision. Nevertheless Bennington went on to win a seat last week in the Antrim and Newtonabbey Borough council, which is located in the north of Belfast, obtaining 1,053 votes. The claim that people throughout Northern Ireland were appalled was made last month by the… Read more
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