News: Europe

Clerics & Preachers

Hate preachers to be blocked from entering the UK in fresh crackdown on extremism Ministers already have powers to block people who are 'non-conducive to the public good' — and believe they can be extended to include individuals preaching racism and incitement.

March 3, 2024   

(Sky News) Hate preachers are to be banned from entering the UK. It is understood that officials will identify the most dangerous extremists from countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Indonesia and add them to a warning list. Anyone on that list will […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

In Britain, shockwaves from Israel-Hamas war are jolting domestic politics The United States and several European nations have been caught up in toxic debates that have altered election campaigns and led to eruptions of inflammatory language over the conflict.

February 29, 2024   

(NY Times) Inside Britain’s Parliament, lawmakers jeered, booed, and stormed out of the House of Commons to protest the speaker’s handling of a vote calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Outside, a crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators projected the slogan, “From the river […]

Clerics & Preachers

French interior minister announces plans to introduce new ‘imam status’ The success of the status will depend on the willingness of Muslim communities in France to embrace it

February 29, 2024   

(Morocco World News) Following the expulsion of Imam Mahjoub Mahjoubi to Tunisia, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin unveiled earlier this week the designation of “imam in France” status. The minister made the announcement in a speech tackling the notion that Islam is […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

UK’s Tories tear themselves apart over Islamophobia A row over a suspended MP has triggered a days-long debate in the governing party about anti-Muslim hatred.

February 28, 2024   

(Politico) Britain’s Conservatives have yet another civil war on their hands. The governing party has spent much of the past week publicly agonizing about anti-Muslim prejudice — and the bitter row shows no signs of subsiding. Lee Anderson, the party’s former deputy […]

Demonstrations

Anti-Islam activist burns Quran in Swedish demonstration Salwan Momika, a refugee from Iraq with political asylum in Sweden, faces being expelled back to the Islamic country for his demonstrations.

February 25, 2024   

(Jerusalem Post) Salwan Momika, a refugee from Iraq who has been publicly critical of Islam, filmed himself on Sunday burning pages of the Quran and shared the footage on his X account. “During every demonstration I hold, I light my cigarette with […]

Discrimination & “Islamophobia”

Berlin coalition to discuss constitutional protections against Islamophobia The SPD's parliamentary leader Raed Saleh is pushing for laws against Islamophobia to be entered into the state constitution.

February 23, 2024   

(Exberliner) Berlin’s SPD parliamentary leader Raed Saleh is advocating for laws against Islamophobia to be entered into the state constitution, according to a report by Tagesspiegel. Saleh emphasises that this would be in addition to constitutional clauses which advocate against antisemitism. The topic […]

Citizenship

Shamima Begum: East London schoolgirl loses appeal against removal of UK citizenship The 24-year-old's legal battle is likely to continue as one of her lawyers said 'as long as she is there, it is not the end.'

February 23, 2024   

(Sky News) Shamima Begum has lost an appeal against the removal of her British citizenship. The east London schoolgirl, now 24, travelled to Syria in 2015 at the age of 15, before her citizenship was revoked on national security grounds shortly after […]

Demonstrations

Commons speaker says he allowed Labour Gaza motion out of fears for ‘safety of MPs and their families’ Lindsay Hoyle apologises to MPs over Commons Gaza vote chaos saying 'I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing'

February 22, 2024   

(Jewish News) House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has said he controversially allowed Labour to bring their Gaza ceasefire motion to a vote because of genuine fears over the safety of MPs and their families. The surprise move took place as thousands […]

Government & Politics

George Galloway accused of ‘using’ Rochdale’s Muslim community A renegade candidate and Labour in turmoil — all eyes are on next week’s by-election as recent events make the result anything but a foregone conclusion

February 22, 2024   

(Jewish News) Muslim voters in the Greater Manchester by-election town of Rochdale this week openly expressed fears to Jewish News that the veteran anti-Zionist campaigner George Galloway is “using us” as he attempts to secure victory in the polls. One local businessman, […]

Government & Politics

Robert Jenrick claims ‘Islamist extremists’ have been allowed to dominate our streets The former minister tells the Commons 'British Jews and others' are ' too intimidated to walk through central London week after week'

February 22, 2024   

(Jewish News) Former Tory minister Robert Jenrick has suggested “Islamist extremists” have been allowed to dominate our streets leaving “British Jews and others too intimidated to walk through central London week after week.” Speaking in the Commons, as MPs discussed the frantic […]

Academics & Education

Bereaved father from 2012 Toulouse attack: ‘We’re not safe but life goes on’ Yaacov Monsonego, director of the Ohr Torah (formerly Ozar Hatorah) school in the French city, lost his daughter Myriam to the terrorist shooting.

February 21, 2024   

(JNS) On March 19, 2012, Mohammed Merah, a French-Algerian supporter of al-Qaeda, carried out a shooting attack on the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse, killing a teacher, Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, his two sons, Gabriel, 3, and Aryeh, 6, and an 8-year-old girl, Myriam […]

Demonstrations

Minister expects probe into judge who appeared to like antisemitic LinkedIn post Social media grab seems to show magistrates court Judge Tan Ikram, who gave 12-month conditional discharge to three women found guilty of terror offence, liking post saying 'Free Free Palestine'

February 20, 2024   

(Jewish News) A minister has suggested a judge accused of giving “lenient sentences” for terrorism offences should be investigated for appearing to support a pro-Palestine social media post. The Home Office’s Chris Philp told MPs he would expect the Judicial Conduct Investigations […]

Arts & Entertainment

Danish gallery set to auction off controversial Muhammad drawings The satirical drawings infuriated the Muslim world and pushed Denmark to the forefront of the discussion on freedom of expression.

February 20, 2024   

(Courthouse News) Original satirical drawings and sketches of the Prophet Muhammad that threw Denmark into a diplomatic crisis in the 2000s are now set for sale. On Tuesday, gallery KW ICONS auctioned 21 creations by cartoonist Kurt Westergaard including his controversial drawing […]