Asia Bibi and the continued problem of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws

The Supreme Court of Pakistan recently suspended the execution of Asia Bibi – the Christian mother-of-five convicted on alleged blasphemy charges that reportedly started over a glass of water. It sounds positive, as historically Pakistani courts seemed to be under enormous pressure whenever it came to blasphemy related cases. One of the judges of the same court, Justice Arif Iqbal Bhatti, was assassinated in 1997 after he acquitted two Christians, Salamat Masih and Rehmat Masih, in a blasphemy case because of insufficient evidence. According to various reports, 1274 people have been charged with blasphemy between 1986 and 2010 – 51 accused have been murdered before finishing their respective trials. With that in mind, it is possible to see how the above potentially influenced the decision to uphold Asia Bibi’s death penalty conviction last year (without any credible evidence). The above numbers signify a horrific picture for the fate of anyone accused of breaching blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Whatever the courts decide about the case, the religious fanatics rarely allow them to survive. Not only are the accused at risk; but their supporters and lawyers are targets and killers are sometimes glorified. Under these circumstances, no one should think that Asia [...]

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How Twitter users are ridiculing ISIS with cartoon memes

Individuals are using manga to drown out ISIS propaganda. The birth of ISIS-chan (Japanese: ISISちゃん, Aishisu Chan) took place in January to damage ISIS’ image SEO. ISIS-chan’s popularity increased after hacktivist group Anonymous targeted and exposed sympathetic ISIS Twitter accounts. The use of ISIS-chan comes with its own set of rules: do not insult Islam, avoid Islamic iconography and avoid naming Allah or the Prophet Muhammad. Alongside a strict no-gore, no-porn policy. At the turn of 2015, an alleged ISIS account attempted to spread propaganda on unrelated Japanese hashtags. Examples included ‘Daikan’ (a term to describe the coldest day of the year) and ‘Zuwaigani‘ (queen crab). A hashtag dedicated to Hitoshi Saito, the two-time judo Olympic gold medalist, who died on January 20, after a battle with cancer, became a target. The propaganda depicted the impeding peril of hostages Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa. Some created the hashtag #ISISクソコラグランプリ (ISIS kusokora guranpuri or ISIS crappy collage grand prix) to invert fear and ridicule the terror group. #ISISクソコラグランプリ pic.twitter.com/PR3BwpJevL — temmo kun (@temmo5) January 20, 2015 ISIS had threatened to murder both men unless Japan paid a $200m ransom – the same amount President Shinzo Abe donated to countries fighting the [...]

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Will Twitter’s new safety policies tackle online hate?

Twitter’s new ‘Safety Centre‘ offers a streamlined service for users concerned about online abuse. The promotion of “good digital citizenship” points you in the direction of extended FAQs relating to existing features. So for individuals new to the platform it helps. There is specific information breakdowns for teachers, students, and parents. But some changes could

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‘Oldest’ Quran manuscript found in Birmingham University

A recently discovered manuscript at Birmingham University could be one of the world’s oldest fragments of the Quran, thanks to scientific analysis. Tests at Oxford University’s Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit dated the parchment between AD 568 and 645 with 95.4 per cent accuracy. That timeline is a close match to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (AD 570 and 632). This accidental discovery gives new significance to the study of Islam in Birmingham. A PhD researcher, Alba Fedeli, decided to get the parchments tested. The manuscript was misbound with leaves of a similar seventh century Quran manuscript. Susan Worrall, Director of Special Collections (Cadbury Research Library), at the University of Birmingham, said:  “We are thrilled that such an important historical document is here in Birmingham, the most culturally diverse city in the UK” The manuscript, which consists of two parchment leaves, contains parts of Suras 18 to 20, written in Hijazi, an early Arabic script. According to Professor David Thomas, Professor of Christianity and Islam, the findings are significant. With a ‘degree of confidence’ the parchment text is traceable to less than two decades after Muhammad’s death. “These portions must have been in a form that is very close to the [...]

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Jan Karski: the Catholic spy who warned about the Holocaust in 1942

The story of Jan Karski’s bravery in the Second World War came to life in a recent documentary in his native Poland. Sławomir Grünberg’s ‘Karski and the Lords of Humanity‘ (Karski i władcy ludzkości), blends archival footage, animation, and interviews to retell a story of wartime heroism. Born in the Polish city of Łódź in 1914, the youngest of eight Catholic children, Jan Romuald Kozielewski later adopted the nom de guerre of Karski. The city exposed a young Karski to multiculturalism. He found himself living alongside Germans, Jews, Russians and Poles. That exposure to Jewish life created an affinity within Karski. Academic pursuits helped him join Poland’s diplomatic service. When interning for the foreign minister, he found himself in Nuremberg, Germany. Karski saw the Nazi propaganda rallies in 1933 and the toxicity of Nazi antisemitism. It created a deeper sympathy for their plight and a sense of foreboding. Other diplomatic assignments brought him to London and Paris. But the outbreak of war brought a career change as he enlisted in the army in 1939. In a few short weeks, invasions from German then Soviet troops divided Poland. The Soviets arrested Karski and placed him in a detention camp; but a [...]

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Regina (State) vs Paul Golding (2014) – Counter Terrorism Division of the CPS

We have highlighted the following case to show the actions of far right groups like Britain First who intimidate people and who, thankfully, have been successfully prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service. This text highlights the criminal conviction of the Group’s leader, Paul Golding. On the evening of 3 April 2014 Paul Golding, the leader

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David Cameron’s Speech Should Be Welcomed With a Small Note of Caution

A Prime Minister Who Laid Out A Heartfelt Vision To Tackle Extremism We welcome the speech of the Prime Minister and the need to tackle both non-violent and violent extremism. The Prime Minister’s approach to identifying the problem and putting in measures where grievances are both addressed and tackled was delivered in a heartfelt and […]

Prime Minister’s Speech on Extremism Will Set the Scene for 5 Years

Tomorrow the Prime Minister is to make a key note speech on extremism and ISIS and is set to outline how the group uses men and women, boys and girls, to promote it’s nihilism through death and destruction. Yet the Prime Minister’s speech will also be notable for one other element which the Government has […]

Aryan Brotherhood Social Media Site Proposing Action Against Prisons

The following far right Twitter and social media account was brought to our attention  a few days ago. The account know as @whitebriton (the Aryan Brotherhood) has the following tag-line which is deeply worrying: “Open forum for debate about all issues of white advancement – and supporting direct action on behalf of our Aryan kin near you

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#MandelaDay: a chance for interfaith dialogue and community change

July 18 is a day for change. A change inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Each year, the Nelson Mandela Foundation makes a simple request: that you dedicate 67 minutes of your time to humanity. Why 67 minutes? The number represents Mandela’s 67 years of public service. In 2009, the United Nations adopted a resolution to recognise Nelson Mandela Day. Saturday July 18 would have been his 97th birthday. Inspired by Mandela’s values, the day intends to promote positive self-improvement through community work. That work can be as simple as spending 67 minutes making a new friend; irrespective of ethnicity or faith. Or spending those minutes donating unwanted items and clothing to a charity shop. What matters most is to do something that inspires positive change. The Nelson Mandela Foundation encourages individuals to nominate ‘community changers’ with the #Time2Serve hashtag. Others can take part with the #MandelaDay hashtag. To echo Mandela’s words in 2008: “There is still too much discord, hatred, division, conflict and violence in our world here at the beginning of the 21st century. A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place [...]

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