Israeli Aggression

By Ibrahim Vawda – Senior Researcher,MRN

On the 17th March 2010, Hussein Solomon, a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Pretoria, will be hosting a seminar titled: “Global Jihad: The South African Front”. In view of his anti-Muslim stance and the fact that his alarmist theories bordering on 42have been previously discredited, the following open letter has been sent to the relevant authorities at the University of Pretoria.

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10th March 2010

OPEN LETTER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

On 17th  March 2010, Professor Hussein Solomon, a lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, will be presenting a seminar entitled ‘Global Jihad: The South African Front’ as part of the Faculty of Humanities Seminar Series. While Media Review Network (MRN) respects and encourages responsible academic freedom and healthy dialogue, we are extremely concerned that Prof. Solomon is using the University of Pretoria as a platform to propagate his anti-Muslim views.

Professor Solomon has played a key role in fuelling alarm and suspicion against Muslims in South Africa. On 13 March 2008, MRN brought to the University’s attention the content of a defamatory address that Prof. Solomon made at a conference in Israel in September 2007. During this presentation Solomon claimed:

South African Muslim organizations, mosques and the Muslim media were psychologically preparing local Muslims for terrorism; Military training is occurring at various South African Muslim high schools; Muslims were a potential threat to the 2010 World Cup; South African madressahs (religious schools) were a breeding ground for terrorism.

He went on to state that the local Muslim community was “volatile” and would provide safe-houses and money to potential terrorists. At no point did Prof. Solomon provide a shred of evidence to substantiate his distortions and wild allegations. Read More »Mrn open letter to university of pretoria

By Sapa-AP

(source: The Star – June 24, 2010 Edition 1)

STOCKHOLM: Swedish dock workers launched a week-long boycott of Israeli ships and cargo yesterday to protest over Israel’s raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that killed nine pro-Palestinian activists last month.

About 1 500 members of the Swedish Port Workers Union began the boycott at Sweden’s ports, which handle up to 95 percent of the country’s foreign trade. The action is due to end on June 29.

"Even if goods arrive in trucks, dock workers often have some role in handling them when they arrive in port," said Per Helgesson, attorney and chief negotiator at Ports of Sweden, an industry and employers’ organisation for the sector.The union supported the international aid convoy and demands that Israel lift its blockade on Gaza.Several Swedish activists were on the flotilla when Israeli commandos attacked it on May 31.

Israel recently eased the three-year-old blockade under international pressure, but union spokesman Bjorn Borg said the measure was insufficient. "We don’t think it is far-reaching enough," Borg said. "We want them to lift the blockade."Borg said stevedores in the south-western port of Goteborg had already refused to handle about a dozen containers containing cargo from Israel or goods destined for it.

Officials said they expected the boycott to have a minimal impact on Swedish-Israeli trade, which accounts for 0.2 percent of the Nordic country’s total imports and exports.Last year, Swedish exports to Israel were valued at 2.5 billion kronor (R2.4bn) and imports amounted to about 850 million kronor, according to the Swedish Trade Council.

Read More »Swedish dock workers act against Isarael

By Michel Comte

(source: AFP)

OTTAWA — Canadian Muslims have erected the Arctic’s first minaret, atop a little yellow mosque which serves as spiritual home to the area’s fledgling Islamic community.

The prefabricated mosque arrived in Inuvik last month to serve a growing Muslim population in Canada’s far north, after traveling 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) over land and water. The minaret — built locally and installed this week — has four levels and stands 30 feet (10 meters) off the ground.

“It’s really beautiful when we turn on the lights in the dark,” Amier Suliman, a mosque committee member, told AFP on Wednesday. Only finishing touches — applying a second coat of paint inside, and hooking up bathroom plumbing — remain before the mosque’s grand opening next week.

Read More »Canadian muslims erect first minaret in arctic

Joint Press Release:

The Media Review Network (MRN) and Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) are inspired by the confirmation that senior Libyan diplomatic personnel and ambassadors have resigned in solidarity with the protest against the Gaddafi regime. We also recognize calls made by the diplomats to the International Community to take urgent steps to halt the massacres taking place in Benghazi, Tripoli and other Libyan cities. We therefore believe that the Libyan Ambassador to South Africa, Dr. Abdallah Alzubedi, has a moral obligation to show solidarity with the Libyan people.

The Libyan government of Muammer Gaddafi has embarked on a brutal and violent suppression of the popular uprising by the people. Using military weapons supplied by the west, he has employed his air force, security forces on the ground as well as mercenaries, on defenseless civilians, in an attempt to suppress the uprising. The Gaddafi family dynasty, like all other family fiefdoms in the region, is western supported, is a sham democracy and held in position by rigged elections.

The MRN and MJC acknowledge the resignation of senior politicians from the Gaddafi government, notably the Minister of Justice, Mustafa Mohammed Al – Jaleil, Libyan Ambassador to India, Ali Al-Esawi and others. We therefore call upon the Libyan Ambassador to South Africa – Dr A A Alzubedi to also immediately resign his position.

Ibrahim Vawda

Senior Researcher,

Media Review Network

Tell: 012 374 6987

E-mail: webmaster@mediareviewnet.com

Nabeweya Malick                                                                                                                                    

Public Affairs & Media,

Muslim Judicial Council   

Cape Town

Cell: 083 408 1157

E-mail: pro@mjc.org.za

Read More »Call on the Libyan ambassador to resign