Stop the Islamification of Europe
Encyclopedia
Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE), also known as Stop the Islamification of Europe, is a group with the self-declared goal of "preventing Islam
becoming a dominant political force in Europe
". It is a political interest group which has been active in Denmark
and has conducted anti-Islamic protests in the United Kingdom
. The group originated out of the joining of the Danish group with English anti-Islam activists.
The group's proclaimed aim is to oppose Islamic extremism
; they have the motto "Racism is the lowest form of human stupidity, but Islamophobia
is the height of common sense".
, Kentucky Fried Chicken and The Radisson Hotel chain
due to their marketing of products to Muslims.
. The group has 2,300 supporters on its Facebook page. Social networking sites have been used to plan protests.
(triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair) for the English Democrats Party
. Gash gained 177 votes. According to his election literature the main themes of his campaign were support for an English Parliament, resolving the West Lothian question
and immigration control. Gash has also contested local elections for Carlisle City Council
. He has used the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in 1371 as a justification for the actions of Radovan Karadzic
, indicted for involvement in the Srebrenica Massacre
in 1995.
. He contested municipal elections in Aalborg
in 2005 and gained 383 votes and the group received a total of 1172 votes. This represented less than 1% of the votes cast in the election. At the 2007 Danish Parliamentary Election
Pedersen stood in Jutland
and gained 73 votes.
in Harrow
which generated national and international media attention. The purpose of the demonstration was to campaign against the building of a five storey mosque
, Harrow Central Mosque
, which was under construction. The group had pledged to hold a peaceful protest after the EDL cancelled a planned protest on 29 August 2009.
. The group was founded in 2007 by Anders Gravers Pedersen, the leader of a small Danish party called the Stop the Islamisation of Denmark . On 11 September 2007, the group staged a demonstration in Brussels
, Belgium
.
Affiliate organisations have been created in 11 European countries including Denmark, Hungary, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway
, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, as well as the United States of America.
's Communities Secretary
, criticised the group and stated that it was "trying to provoke violence on Britain's streets" and called it "right-wing". Unite Against Fascism
have opposed the group. The Community Security Trust
(CST) has linked the SIOE to the English Defence League
and the far-right British National Party
(BNP); although, the BNP has consistently denied any links with SIOE.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
becoming a dominant political force in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
". It is a political interest group which has been active in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and has conducted anti-Islamic protests in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The group originated out of the joining of the Danish group with English anti-Islam activists.
The group's proclaimed aim is to oppose Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
; they have the motto "Racism is the lowest form of human stupidity, but Islamophobia
Islamophobia
Islamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
is the height of common sense".
Ideology
The group describes itself as an alliance "with the single aim of preventing Islam becoming a dominant political force in Europe." The organisation calls for the total boycott of Muslim countries. The group advises boycotts of companies including Fisher Price, AsdaAsda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
, Kentucky Fried Chicken and The Radisson Hotel chain
Radisson Hotels
Radisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
due to their marketing of products to Muslims.
History
The group Stop the Islamification of Europe was inspired by a Danish group of the same name which have held protests outside Danish mosques since the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. The group has 2,300 supporters on its Facebook page. Social networking sites have been used to plan protests.
Leaders
Stephen Gash
Stephen Gash (born 1953) stood in the Sedgefield by-election, 2007Sedgefield by-election, 2007
The Sedgefield by-election, 2007 was a by-election held on 19 July 2007 for the British House of Commons constituency of Sedgefield in County Durham...
(triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair) for the English Democrats Party
English Democrats Party
The English Democrats are an English federalist political party, committed to the formation of a devolved English Parliament with at least the same powers as those granted to the Scottish Parliament. Whilst not supporting English Independence, the English Democrats consider themselves the English...
. Gash gained 177 votes. According to his election literature the main themes of his campaign were support for an English Parliament, resolving the West Lothian question
West Lothian question
The West Lothian question refers to issues concerning the ability of Members of Parliament from constituencies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to vote on matters that only affect people living in England...
and immigration control. Gash has also contested local elections for Carlisle City Council
City of Carlisle
The City of Carlisle is a local government district of Cumbria, England, with the status of a city and non-metropolitan district. It is named after its largest settlement, Carlisle, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Brampton and Longtown, as well as outlying villages...
. He has used the Ottoman invasion of Serbia in 1371 as a justification for the actions of Radovan Karadzic
Radovan Karadžic
Radovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
, indicted for involvement in the Srebrenica Massacre
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
in 1995.
Anders Gravers Pedersen
was born in Denmark and lives in the small town of StorvordeStorvorde
Storvorde is a small town to the east of Aalborg in Denmark with a population of 3,243 .-References:...
. He contested municipal elections in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
in 2005 and gained 383 votes and the group received a total of 1172 votes. This represented less than 1% of the votes cast in the election. At the 2007 Danish Parliamentary Election
Danish parliamentary election, 2007
The 66th Folketing election in Denmark was held on 13 November 2007. The election allowed prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to continue for a third term in a coalition government consisting of the Liberals and the Conservative People's Party with parliamentary support from the Danish People's...
Pedersen stood in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
and gained 73 votes.
Harrow Central Mosque protest
On 11 September 2009, SIOE co-sponsored a demonstration with the English Defence LeagueEnglish Defence League
The English Defence League is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism...
in Harrow
Harrow, London
Harrow is an area in the London Borough of Harrow, northwest London, United Kingdom. It is a suburban area and is situated 12.2 miles northwest of Charing Cross...
which generated national and international media attention. The purpose of the demonstration was to campaign against the building of a five storey mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, Harrow Central Mosque
Harrow Central Mosque
Harrow Central Mosque is a mosque in Harrow, England. The current mosque is located in a pre-existing building, while a new, purpose-built construction is taking place on the site, to provide a larger mosque, with ancillary space for religious and community facilities...
, which was under construction. The group had pledged to hold a peaceful protest after the EDL cancelled a planned protest on 29 August 2009.
In response to the protest, several Jewish community leaders condemned the group, after SIOE openly appealed to the Jewish community in an effort to encourage 1,000 Jews to carry the Israeli flag and support the protest. Rabbis Kathleen Middleton, Frank Smith, Aaron Goldstein, Hillel Robles and Mike Hilton sent a letter supporting the Harrow Mosque, saying SIOE use "outrageous lies" to try and divide Harrow's community, adding “As leaders of the Jewish community in Harrow, we are writing to express our support for our Muslim friends and neighbours, especially those at Harrow Central Mosque, who are under attack from those whose only purpose is to spread hatred and fear." The protests were also condemned by Councillor Susan Hall and Tory councillors Anjana Patel and Jeremy Zeid (who are Hindu and Jewish respectively), by The Jewish ChronicleThe Jewish ChronicleThe Jewish Chronicle is a London-based Jewish newspaper. Founded in 1841, it is the oldest continuously published Jewish newspaper in the world.-Publication data and readership figures:...
newspaper, and the Community Security TrustCommunity Security TrustThe Community Security Trust is a British charity established in 1994 to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community in the UK. It follows a history of Jewish defence organisations in the United Kingdom dating back to the 1930s...
(CST), which monitors discrimination on behalf of the Jewish community in the UK. The CST asserted that SIOE "...provides the fuel for terrorism. British Jews should have no part of it." Unite Against FascismUnite Against FascismUnite Against Fascism is an anti-fascist pressure group in the United Kingdom, with support from politicians of all mainstream UK political parties...
was present to oppose the demo, as well as Muslims there to defend the mosque. In all, over 1000 people gathered outside the mosqueMosqueA mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
. Counter demonstrators clashed with the police, throwing bricks, bottles and firecrackers. Ten arrests were made during the protests, including the organiser of the protest Stephen Gash.
Denmark
Stop the Islamification of Europe was originally a Danish anti-Islamist group which originated out of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
. The group was founded in 2007 by Anders Gravers Pedersen, the leader of a small Danish party called the Stop the Islamisation of Denmark . On 11 September 2007, the group staged a demonstration in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Affiliate organisations have been created in 11 European countries including Denmark, Hungary, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway
Stop the Islamisation of Norway
Stop the Islamisation of Norway is a Norwegian anti-Islamisation organisation which was established in 2008, although its history goes back to a group started in 2000. Led by Arne Tumyr, the organisation currently has thousands of members and sympathizers....
, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, as well as the United States of America.
Criticism
In September 2009, John Denham, LabourLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's Communities Secretary
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
, criticised the group and stated that it was "trying to provoke violence on Britain's streets" and called it "right-wing". Unite Against Fascism
Unite Against Fascism
Unite Against Fascism is an anti-fascist pressure group in the United Kingdom, with support from politicians of all mainstream UK political parties...
have opposed the group. The Community Security Trust
Community Security Trust
The Community Security Trust is a British charity established in 1994 to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish community in the UK. It follows a history of Jewish defence organisations in the United Kingdom dating back to the 1930s...
(CST) has linked the SIOE to the English Defence League
English Defence League
The English Defence League is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism...
and the far-right British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP); although, the BNP has consistently denied any links with SIOE.
See also
- Criticism of multiculturalismCriticism of multiculturalismCriticism of multiculturalism questions the multicultural ideal of the co-existence of distinct ethnic cultures within one nation-state. Multiculturalism is a particular subject of debate in certain European nations that were once associated with a single, homogeneous, national cultural identity...
- Criticism of IslamismCriticism of IslamismCriticism of Islamism concerns critique of those beliefs or notions ascribed to Islamism or Islamist movements. Such criticisms focus on the role of Islam in legislation, the relationship between Islamism and freedom of expression and the rights of women.Among those authors and scholars who have...
- Criticism of IslamCriticism of IslamCriticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
- MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianismMANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianismMANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism is a political statement made in response to the violence surrounding the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The signatories said they issued the letter to demonstrate that there is a need to fight for secular values and personal freedom...
- Neither Whores Nor SubmissivesNi Putes Ni SoumisesNi Putes Ni Soumises is a French feminist movement, founded in 2002, which has secured the recognition of the French press and the National Assembly of France. It is generally dependent on public funding...
- NativismNativism (politics)Nativism favors the interests of certain established inhabitants of an area or nation as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. It may also include the re-establishment or perpetuation of such individuals or their culture....
- Muslim BrotherhoodMuslim BrotherhoodThe Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
- Islamic terrorism
Islam in Europe
- EurabiaEurabiaEurabia is a conspiracy theory about the alleged Arabization and Islamization of Europe, and the European leaders' alleged capitulation to Islamic influences.-Origin of the term:...
- Islam in EuropeIslam in EuropeThis article deals with the history and evolution of the presence of Islam in Europe. According to the German , the total number of Muslims in Europe in 2007 was about 53 million , excluding Turkey. The total number of Muslims in the European Union in 2007 was about 16 million .-Early history:Islam...
- Islam in the United KingdomIslam in the United KingdomIslam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
- Islam in DenmarkIslam in DenmarkIslam is the largest minority religion in Denmark. According to the U.S. Department of State, approximately 3.7% of the population in Denmark is Muslim...
re: Danish wing
Islamism in Europe
- Islamism in London
- Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London in 2006Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London in 2006The 2006 Islamist demonstration outside the Embassy of Denmark in London took place on 3 February 2006, in response to controversy surrounding the publication of editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
- The IslamistThe IslamistThe Islamist: Why I Joined Radical Islam in Britain, What I Saw Inside and Why I Left, is a book about Ed Husain's five years as an Islamic fundamentalist. Husain became an Islamist at the age of sixteen, but rejected fundamentalist teaching and returned to normal life and his family...
- Undercover MosqueUndercover MosqueUndercover Mosque is a documentary programme produced by the independent television company hardcash productions for the Channel 4 series Dispatches which first aired on 15 January 2007 in the UK. The film caused a furore in Britain and the world press due to the content of the released footage...
- Londonistan: How Britain is Creating a Terror State Within
Affiliate organizations
- Stop the Islamisation of NorwayStop the Islamisation of NorwayStop the Islamisation of Norway is a Norwegian anti-Islamisation organisation which was established in 2008, although its history goes back to a group started in 2000. Led by Arne Tumyr, the organisation currently has thousands of members and sympathizers....
- Stop Islamization of AmericaStop Islamization of AmericaStop Islamization of America, also called the American Freedom Defense Initiative, is an American anti-Islam organization. It is led by Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, and was founded in 2010 at the request of Anders Gravers Pedersen, the leader of Stop Islamisation of Europe, of which it is the...