“Islamophobic – and Proud of It”

The above alarming title is one of the slogans used in Germany nowadays by Fundamentalist Christians who are fighting anything related to Islam.

Fundamentalist Christians are using populist slogans to incite against Muslims, whom they see as the new source of danger for Europe. The number of internet users who visit their websites is alarmingly high. Claudia Mende reports

The group calls itself “Deus Vult Caritatem” – Latin for “God wants love.” But it disseminates a fair amount of bad feeling. “Deus Vult Caritatem” caused uproar at a series of Munich city council information events in July. The Islam expert and lawyer Matthias Rohe held a talk on “The German constitution and sharia” which had to be broken off in a tumult. Several days later Rohe received a death threat via e-mail, and he published it on his homepage.

Spain to host Islamophobia Conference

MADRID — Amid world recognition of the alarming phenomena, Spain will play host on Tuesday, October 9, for an international conference on combating growing Islamophobia in Western societies.“There is a lack of data regarding the phenomena,” Gema Martin Munoz, the director of Arab House, a public body working to strengthen ties between Spain and the Arab world, told Agence France Presse (AFP) Sunday, October 7.

“It is important to collect data to avoid overestimating or minimizing Islamophobia.”

The conference, held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), would tackle discrimination against Muslims, its consequences and the role of the media in fueling Islamophobic sentiments.

Attendants, including high-ranking delegations from the OSCE’s 56 member states and NGOs, would also probe the role of education in countering this alarming phenomenon.

Also attending will be Arab league General Secretary Amr Mousa.

The two-day conference would be chaired by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.