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Islam in Ireland

Western Muslims are the most liberal, tolerant, pro-democracy Muslims in the world. All the dissidents are here - the religious dissidents, the political dissidents, the feminist dissidents, and the gay dissidents. All the dissident works - such as criticism of Islam and Islamism - are published in the West.

This is all much to be celebrated. However, there is a substantial minority (10-20 percent) of immigrants who threaten our western freedoms. They are Islamists - essentially religious fascists who want to impose their religious beliefs on the rest of us. What to do about these aggressors is one of the questions of our time.

We have already seen this minority attack England, Scotland, Spain, Holland, France, Norway and Denmark, and plot against Germany, Italy, Sweden, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Ireland. It is probably only a matter of time before they successfully attack Ireland, too. As in the UK, there is a lack of moderate Muslims in Ireland brave enough to stand up to the Islamists. As in the UK, most of the running is being made by infidels.

• Islam in Ireland

The Clonskeagh mosque

The Clonskeagh mosque will clearly be of no help in the struggle against Islamism.

• Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI), Clonskeagh, Dublin
  • The ICCI was built and funded by the ruling family of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a country with an appalling human rights record ("Laws prohibit criticism of the government, ruling families, and friendly governments").
  • Has the ICCI ever condemned the lack of freedom in Dubai? Tell me here.

• The religious conservative Hussein Halawa, Imam of the ICCI
  • Hussein Halawa denies the claim that he said he would like to see Ireland an Islamic state. But "I have never made such a statement" is not much of a denial. I would like to see him go further and state clearly that he is opposed to an Islamic state because he believes in freedom of religion for all, including atheists like me. I don't threaten his religious freedom. I want to be confident that he does not threaten mine.

  Open question to Hussein Halawa: Can you please state openly that you believe in freedom of religion, including the right to be an atheist, and including the right of a Muslim to convert from Islam to atheism? Let me know the answer here.

• The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR)
  • Hussein Halawa is also General Secretary of the European Council for Fatwa and Research, based at the ICCI at Clonskeagh.
  • The ECFR is headed by the extremist religious fascist Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, who, among many other disgusting beliefs, supports suicide bombing of civilians, explicitly rejects separation of state and church and freedom of religion, and supports death for atheists and homosexuals. He is banned from entering the US because of his support for violence and terror. The Tory party has called for him to be banned from the UK.
  • The ECFR's Deputy Chairman, Faysal Mawlawi, supports suicide bombing of civilians.
  • Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi: Theologian of Terror, by the Anti-Defamation League, has more on the ECFR.
  • "Theologian of terror" held radical Islamic council session here, Jim Cusack and Mark Dooley, Sunday Independent, 6 Mar 2005.
  • The 'sheikh of death' must be barred, Mark Dooley, Sunday Independent, July 17th 2005. - "Yusuf al-Qaradawi is banned from entering the United States and will soon be barred from Britain. If Minister McDowell is serious about combating Islamic fanaticism here, he must follow suit by ensuring that the "theologian of terror" is permanently prevented from entering this State."
  • This group should have no place in Ireland. The ECFR should be expelled from Ireland.
  • Islamic extremists use Irish base to preach global hate, Mark Dooley, Sunday Independent, 12 Feb 2006.
  • Apparently, the ECFR moves to wherever the General Secretary is, which is why it is in Ireland. When Hussein Halawa's time as General Secretary expires, the ECFR will move on to the location of the new General Secretary (i.e. outside Ireland).

• Shaheed Satardien on the Clonskeagh mosque.
  • He says it is linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. If the mosque denies this, please tell me here.
  • Even Islamist whitewasher Mary Fitzgerald says: "Many Muslim Brotherhood members I met recently in Cairo asked me if I knew Sheikh Halawa after hearing I was from Ireland."

• In 2007 the Clonskeagh mosque hosted two extremist speakers:
  1. Saudi cleric Salman Al Awda (or Salman al-Audah or Salman Al-Aouda), one of the 26 Saudi scholars who issued the fatwa in 2004 calling for holy war against the Americans in Iraq. "There is no doubt that the Jihad against the occupation is a duty of those who are capable of it." And this man was let into Ireland! He visited Clonskeagh in 2007. Ali Al Saleh, imam of the Shia mosque in Dublin, said the cleric had recently written an article in a Saudi newspaper describing Shias as "non-Muslims".
  2. Egyptian cleric Wagdy Ghoneim (or Wajdi Ghunaim), supporter of suicide bombing. "Those young people who explode themselves to kill the Jews were not committing suicide but jihad." He was denied entrance into Canada for being a member of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. And yet he was let into Ireland! And invited by the Clonskeagh mosque. He visited Clonskeagh in 2006 and 2007.
• Muslim issue will turn and bite us if we fail to act: It's time to show the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland tough love, Ruth Dudley Edwards, 11 November 2007. Or via here.

Ali Selim

• The religious conservative Ali Selim, general secretary of the Irish Council of Imams.
• Interview, Hot Press, 1 Nov 2006:
  • Ali Selim says he does not believe the London suicide bombings were carried out by Muslims: "events that happened in England - I personally haven't seen compelling proof that that was done by Muslims." Hot Press: "But the 7/7 bombers were Muslims!" "In my understanding, I haven't seen proof that those who did that were Muslims."
  • He also expresses doubts about the standard theories of 9/11. He says he is against violence, but declines to judge Bin Laden as a terrorist, saying he would have to meet him and talk to him. He declines to say that people should have the right to draw cartoons of Muhammed in a free society. He declines to condemn the fatwa against Salman Rushdie. He defends Sharia law if the majority want it.
  • He says about Iraq: "all the Iraqi people describe themselves as fighting against the occupation", which is nonsense. How about all of the Iraqi army and police, who are fighting with the occupation against the jihadis? He says: "So they see that they have no other alternative", which sounds like support for violence to me. If not, clarify this here. And they do have an alternative. They don't have to fight allied troops. They can simply vote for a party that asks for the occupation to end. Why didn't they? The answer is because they don't want the occupation to end. At least, not yet.
  • He never has doubts about his belief in an invisible supernatural being: "Never! Never. Never. There is God, all the time. I find it really very strange if someone believes - or even thinks - that there is no Allah or there is no God." Maybe he should read a bit more.
  • In short, he is at best a useless neutral in this global war. He will be of absolutely no use at all in this conflict.

• Ali Selim says that sharia law should rule Ireland if there is ever a Muslim majority, Sept 2006.
• No other minority that I know of threatens our ancient freedoms like this. Only the Muslim community, apparently. If there is any other minority that has openly threatened our ancient freedoms in Ireland, let me know here.

Open question to Ali Selim: Can you state that everyone in the world should have the right to draw cartoons of Muhammed. Can you state clearly that Salman Rushdie has the right to publish his book, even if you think it is rubbish. Can you state that all Muslims in the world should have the right to freely convert to any other religion, or to atheism, without fear. Let me know the answer here.

Shaheed Satardien

• Possibly a real moderate: Shaheed Satardien, Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland: "Neither should the [Irish] government allow in any further senior clerics from outside Ireland, from places like Egypt or Sudan. Many of these recent arrivals are preaching a message that is divisive and ultimately very dangerous to Ireland and its citizens."
• Sounds good. However he also led a protest march against the Muhammed cartoons.

  Open question to Shaheed Satardien: Can you state that everyone in the world should have the right to draw cartoons of Muhammed, Jesus or any other figure. Can you state that all Muslims in the world should have the right to freely convert to any other religion, or to atheism, without fear. Let me know the answer here.

• Letter, 2 Feb 2007: "The Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland would like to say that it believes that the rule of civil law, the democratic system of representation in government, the protection of the rights of women and minorities and the freedom of thought and belief - under all of which we live here in Ireland - are not only compatible with Islamic values but are closer to the ethos and spirit of tolerance, pluralism and peace in Islam and better serve the Irish Muslim community than the undemocratic regimes and the draconian judicial systems found in some predominately Muslim countries today."
• Great stuff, but still not enough. Can the Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland answer my questions above?

• Politically-correct left-wingers and conservative Muslim groups attack Shaheed Satardien:
  • Satardien claimed that extremist Islamist views are widespread among young Muslims in Ireland.
  • Racism group claims Irish media is fuelling Islamophobia, August 27, 2006: The ultra PC "National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism" (NCCRI, which taxpayers are forced to fund) complains about the coverage given to Satardien. The NCCRI says: "One paper widely quoted the leader of the Muslim Supreme Council of Ireland. This entity is almost non-existent and has a handful of members. It is completely unrepresentative, as were the unfounded opinions of its leader. Just because something makes a good soundbite or is shocking, does not mean it is correct or should be printed."
  • I agree with John Fay that those who want to deny any possible Islamism problem - like the NCCRI and conservative Muslim groups like the ICCI - are liable to increase "Islamophobia", while Muslims who challenge Islamism like Satardien are liable to reduce it.
  • The ICCI says: "We have 1,000 people coming to the mosque here at each of the weekend prayer meetings, and many are horrified that extreme and complete untrue statements are being made, and allowed to go almost unchallenged." What are they talking about? The appalling statements of their fascist associate Yusuf Al-Qaradawi? No. They are talking about claims that Islamist ideas are spreading among young Irish Muslims. The ICCI's reaction makes one afraid that these claims must be true.
  • Then the ICCI says: "We have had to deal with enough anti-Islam criticism through the years, but when it comes from one of your supposed own, it is even more difficult to deal with." Frankly, that sounds like a threat to any Muslim who dares to speak against Islamism. Not a physical threat, but certainly a threat of ostracism in the Muslim community. If the ICCI welcomes Muslims who attack Islamism, there is no sign of it here. Describing Satardien as "one of your supposed own" is a particularly nasty, closed-ranks, tribal turn of phrase. As I say, groups like the ICCI merely spread fear of Islam with reactions like this.
  • Satardien has been ostracised and received death threats.
  • Satardien replies to the NCCRI.

Immigration

• As I say, I support immigration for freedom-loving immigrants.
• However, I support deportation for freedom-hating immigrants, even if their lives are at risk.

• Afghan asylum seekers' protest, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, May 2006:
  • Allegations (also here) that some of them were connected to the Taliban.
  • If it is true that these people are connected to the Taliban, then they should be deported, even if their lives are in danger. We should not care about the lives and safety of fascists. We should not let them in, because they will only attack us. People who do not believe in Western values should not be let in to the West, even if they are being persecuted.
  • It must be noted that they deny these allegations and are planning to sue.
  • The Irish Daily Mail points out the irony of them desecrating a Christian church in Ireland rather than a mosque: "Here was a group of Muslim zealots, some of whom were allied in Afghanistan to political groups who treat Christianity with murderous contempt." OK, so maybe it is false that they are Muslim zealots. But why did they desecrate a church rather than a mosque?

Extremists

• Syrian enemy jihadi Omar Bakri Mohammed allegedly calls for attack on Irish airports, 2006.

• Irish Islamic terrorists plan attack on Israeli embassy in Dublin (or via here), report, July 17, 2005.

• RTE "Prime Time", 18 December 2006, investigates Islamist extremism and terror groups in Ireland. See summary.

Opinion polls

• First ever poll of Irish Muslims, Dec 2006, shows that Shaheed Satardien was right. Like in Britain, there is a minority of Irish Muslims who are extremists:
  1. The majority (59 percent) of Irish Muslims disagree that "people in Ireland should be free to say whatever they want, even if it offends other people's religious beliefs". Though 35 percent agree.
  2. 37 percent of Irish Muslims would like Ireland to be governed as an Islamic state. Though 50 percent said they would not.
  3. The majority (57 percent) of young Irish Muslims (under 26) believe Ireland should become an Islamic State.
  4. 36 percent of Irish Muslims said they "respect" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
  5. 15 percent said they "respect" Osama Bin Laden.
  6. 11 percent said they "respect" Mullah Omar.

• Survey of Irish people, Apr 2007
  • 42 percent of Irish people agree that: "Islamic fundamentalism is a serious threat for our country".
  • 46 percent of Irish people agree that: "We must stop countries like Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, even if that means taking military action".

Islam in the UK

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