Act Now, Islamophobia, Prison Pack, Ramadan Prisoner Pack

What’s new at www.ihrc.org.uk?

27 July 2013

Contents

1. Intro
2. Alerts
3. Press Releases
4. Briefings
5. Comment
6. Multimedia
7. IHRC in Media
8. Upcoming Events
9. Blogs
10. Shop

1. Intro

This week has been a traumatic one, with crises in Egypt and France. IHRC has been busy providing comment and information from the ground with interviews with activists in Cairo, to comment and press releases from French organisations.

In the UK, IHRC has written to the UK Prime Minister challenging him to lead a cultural change against Islamophobia. This letter is an important commentary on the causes of anti-Muslim hate crimes and the climate of Islamophobia.

The IHRC newsletter is here, and below you can find details on how to download it and distribute it. Other facets of IHRC’s work have been reported on including our hate crime monitoring activities and research in the UK and USA. We are including links to some of the more important articles and media from the last month as well as the last week, as we know there have been some problems with our mailing list. Many thanks for your patience.

If you would like to donate you can:

Visit us on-line and donate here

Or call the IHRC office on +44 20 8904 4222 between 9am – 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday and 10am – 6pm on Saturdays

Or download a copy of our latest newsletter and fill in one of the donation forms and return to us.

Don’t forget you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter @ihrc or on Youtube.

2. Alerts

Action Alert: Egypt – Protest Military Coup
IHRC is urging campaigners to write to their government condemning the military coup in Egypt.

Open letter to PM David Cameron regarding anti-Muslim hate crime
Open letter addressed to PM David Cameron regarding the attacks on mosques and prevalence of anti-Muslim hate crime.
IHRC charges David Cameron to lead a culture of change against Islamophobia.

Action Alert: Anniversary of Srebrenica massacre
18 years ago Serb forces entered a United Nations ‘safe zone’ and proceeded to murder 8,000 men and boys. Some of the victims’ remains, 18 years on, have still not been found.

Action Alert: UK / Palestine / Israel – Demand UEFA not hold the European U21 finals in Israel
In recent years, Israel has abducted arrested Palestinian national team players and subjected them to severe torture. Zakaria Issa who was detained in Al Ramla prison, died soon after his release due to medical neglect during his incarceration.

Visit this alert to obtain some sample letters that you can send to UEFA to write in protest.

Help IHRC this Ramadan – Become a Newsletter Distributor
From just a few copies to a few thousand, help get IHRC’s message heard

Free Advice Surgeries – London, UK
Islamic Human Rights Commission offers free weekly Information and Advice surgeries every Wednesday. Our professional caseworkers can provide people with information and advice on a whole range of issues.
Our service is confidential, independent and free.

3. Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE: Protesters killed in Egypt demonstrations – IHRC’s exclusive report from Egypt protests
Report on Egypt protests and killing of innocent protesters during the demonstrations.

IHRC is shocked at the reported treatment of pro-Morsi demonstrators that have been protesting against the military coup. This is especially concerning that it is taking place in the Holy Month of Ramadhan, a month that is traditionally marked out for its mercy and charity.

PRESS RELEASE: Reaching out to Muslim Prisoners this Eid
The Islamic Human Rights Commission will be distributing prison Eid packs for Eid al-Fitr 2013. Find out how you can help.

Forwarded Press Release: France – Serial Islamophobic aggressions: the involvement of Police forces in Trappes (Yvelines)
Aggression from the police, especially against women has increased. For several weeks now, violence toward French Muslim women is increasing in a very serious way. On Friday 19 July a case of Hajar, a young lady victim of a strong-arm identity checking, was referred to CCIF (Collective against Islamophobia in France).

PRESS RELEASE: David Cameron urged to do more to curb Islamophobia
IHRC has written an open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron calling on him to condemn attacks against mosques. We call upon the Prime Minister to “clearly and quickly condemn anti-Muslim attacks, but to also offer protection to vulnerable and beleaguered communities.”

PRESS RELEASE: Schedule 7 – Still a long way to go
The government does not go far enough in making amendments to Schedule 7. Whilst there are some changes to the legislation IHRC feels that there is still a long way to go.

PRESS RELEASE: Stop and Search
IHRC’s campaign against the discriminating use of stop and search.

PRESS RELEASE: IHRC condemns the closing of TV channels in Egypt
The Military regime in Egypt has now moved to close down religious TV stations

Forwarded Press Release: Portugal – Another Young African murdered by the Police
News from Plataforma Gueto, Portugal about more alleged police brutality

PRESS RELEASE: IHRC is not surprised at the Arson attack on a Mosque in London – We warned the police
Following the attack on a mosque in Muswell Hill, London, IHRC released a Press Release to condemn the actions of the police for not doing enough to prevent incidents like this from happening

4. Briefings

Assessing Hate Crimes and Backlash for Policy Change
IHRC presents a critical overview of existing methods of data collection and provides alternatives.

5. Comment

Trappes: Sacrilege as Politics.
Parti des Indegenes de la Republique on recent eventsn in Paris.

6. Multimedia

The Prisoners’ Diaries: Palestinian Voices from the Israeli Gulag
IHRC talks with Norma Hashim who edited the Prisoners’ diaries.

Al-Quds Day 2013
‘End the Siege, End the Occupation, End the Israeli Apartheid…’ if these words are ever going to become a reality we have to stand united for the Palestinian cause. Join IHRC’s annual Al Quds Day Demonstration on Friday 2nd August 2013 from Portland Place (assemble near BBC Broadcasting House) at 3pm to Grosvenor Square where a rally will take place in support of Palestine.

Protesters killed in Egypt demonstrations
IHRC’s exclusive interview with an Egyptian activist Sara Omer. She tells IHRC how protesters have been targeted by the military, police and thugs. Women protesters have been shot and killed Sara claims, the youngest of whom was 13-years-old. IHRC’s Arzu Merali interviews Sara.

The figures don’t come as a shock to organizations like Islamic Human Rights Commission, who have been warning against the widespread under-reporting of Islamophobia in Britain.

7. IHRC in Media

Combating Muslim extremism
IHRC Chair Massoud Shadjareh explains to PBS the problems of anti-terrorism strategies in the UK.

Nail bomb explosion at English mosque a “terrorist” incident
Counter-terrorism officers have launched an investigation after residents heard a loud bang in Tipton, West Midlands, before nails and other debris were found. The MCB hads asked for people to be “vigilant” and report any attacks to police or organisations such as IHRC.

Islamophobia on the rise in UK
9-11 was a watershed moment. A game-changing tragedy. And birth of the modern day Islamophobia that has spread across North America and Europe. The latest research by academics at Teeside University shows just how endemic Islamophobia has become in Britain since 9/11. Half of the country’s mosques and Islamic centers have been attacked – that’s 700 in 12 years.
The figures don’t come as a shock to organizations like Islamic Human Rights Commission, who have been warning against the widespread under-reporting of Islamophobia in Britain.

8. Upcoming Events

Al Quds Day 2013
Join the annual demonstration and rally. Assemble at Portland Place at 2pm, marching to Grosvenor Square. Details for Al Quds Day 2013:
Date: Friday 02 August 2013
Time: 2.00pm – 7.00pm
Assembly Point: Portland Place (near BBC Radio just off Duchess Street)
End/rally location: Grosvenor Square
Nearest train/tube: Regents Park (Bakerloo), Great Portland Street (Metropolitan), Euston Square (Metropolitan) & Euston Station (Northern, London Over ground and national rail)

For more information on any of the above, please contact events@ihrc.org or call the Events Team on 020 8904 4222

Author evening with Joe Glenton
Watch LIVE on www.ihrc.tv. Wednesday 28th August 2013, 6.45pm
IHRC will be hosting an evening with the British soldier who refused to serve in Afghanistan, talking about his book ‘Soldier Box’ (published June 2013) at the IHRC Bookshop in Wembley, London.

The event will be broadcast live at 6.45pm (GMT +1) on www.ihrc.tv and you can participate by sending your questions via Twitter @ihrc, email media@ihrc.org and via our Facebook page

Visionary Awakening
IHRC is delighted to host visionary photographer and artist Nasreen Shaikh Jamal al-Lail’s work at its gallery in Wembley, northwest London. Jamal al-Lail is a First class graduate in Photography (BA) from the University of Westminster.
Exhibition Launch Wednesday 18 September 2013, 7pm – 9pm

If you would like to attend the exhibition launch please contact events@ihrc.org. Space is limited so please book early.

9. Blogs

Moosa Arendt: This is not a coup
A general with medals makes the announcement that the elected President has been replaced. Is it a coup?

10. Shop

Please make the IHRC on-line shop your one stop shop for Eid. We have a discount all Ramadan on books of 20%. Just use the code 20PERCENTOFFBOOKS when shopping. We also have many art and handicraft items reduced All profits go to IHRC Trust and good causes, so please remember us with a purchase or donation.

New items include new children’s titles for various ages including fiction, books on manners and a new title on the history of Masjid Al-Aqsa. Also new in are unique leather suede journals, books on South America, the Black Panthers, Bosnia and the spiritual and symbolic meanings of the Mosque.

We have new pieces of original art, decorative items and prints, so please take a few minutes to look though the site and place an order.[ENDS]