Stop Islamisation of Europe
Contents
Background
Stop Islamisation of Europe was founded in 2007 in an attempt to build on the success of Stop Islamisation of Denmark (SIAD), led by Anders Gravers. [1]It describes itself as "an alliance of people across Europe with the single aim of preventing Islam becoming a dominant political force in Europe."[2]
History
An SIOE demonstration marking the anniversary of 9/11 was banned by the mayor of Brussels in 2007. Filip Dewinter of Vlaams Belang asked members of his party to attend without party insignia. [3] Udo Ulfkotte, reportedly an SIOE representative, contested the ban, saying "Our organization is democratic and peaceful, and has expressly rejected any link with the extreme right and with political parties." [4] SIOE and Ulfkotte were represented at a subsequent hearing by Belgian Senator Hugo Coveliers, with Bart Debie of Vlaams Belang acting as Ullfkotte's interpreter.[5]
Ulfkotte later reportedly attempted to cancel the event because he "was was not happy with the fact that the far-Right was increasingly usurping the demonstration." However, British and Danish co-organisers said they intended to go ahead.[6]
Two members of the Belgian Vlaams Belang party were arrested at the event, along with Italian Northern League MEP Mario Borghezio.[7] Gravers handed a petition condemning the ban to UKIP MEP Gerard Batten.[8]
SOIE held a demonstration at Amsterdam in the Netherlands on 26 March 2008, which was followed by two more in Denmark, at Hobro on 14 March and Aalborg on 15 March. According to Searchlight magazine, the presence of 'the notorious Dutch nazi Ben van der Kooi' caused a split in SIOE in the Netherlands. Two further demonstrations, planned for Amsterdam on 5 April and Copenhagen on 31 May, were called off, and SOIE Netherlands withdrew from European co-operation.[9]
On 11 September 2008 SOIE held a demonstration outside Lambeth Palace, the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. According to a posting on Stephen Gash's blog, speeches on the 'dangers of Islamisation' were given by Baroness Cox, Potkin Azarmehr, founder of 'For a democratic and secular Iran', SIOE supporter Magnus Neilson, English Democrats Party leader Richard Tilbrook and SIOE leaders Anders Gravers and Stephen Gash. [10]
Dec 09 Harrow demonstration
On 13 December 2009, Stephen Gash and Anders Gravers led an SIOE demonstration outside Harrow Central Mosque, claiming a turnout of 40 people.[11] However, the Harrow Times reported that 19 people turned up, heavily outnumbered by 200 counter-protesters from Unite Against Fascism.[12] During the event, a spokesman for the mosque invited SIOE to come in and discuss their objections but this was rejected by Gash:
- “What's the point of me discussing with an Imam at the mosque. What we want is the debate with John Denham and the Home Office.”[13]
- Joel Titus of the English Defence League was accused of assaulting a photojournalist at the demonstration.[14] The Metropolitan Police confirmed that "an 18-year-old man from Harrow was arrested and cautioned following an allegation of common assault" at the demonstration.[15]
Asim Siddiqui, an advisor to Harrow Central Mosque, noted the broad opposition that the SIOE demonstration inspired:
- Sunday also saw a much welcome boost to interfaith relations with Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu and non-faith leaders pledging support to the mosque. One journalist at the mosque on Sunday joked that he thought he'd turned up at the local synagogue given the numbers of Rabbis present. Some Jews, in particular, feel a wary sense of the risk that darker chapters of Europe's history might be repeated. This provided a powerful response to the SIOE who had come waving Israeli flags in order to provoke a response.[16]
Funding and finances
People
Affiliations
Subsidiaries
SIOE Denmark (SIAD) | SIOE Russia | SIOE England | SIOE Finland | SIOE France | SIOE Germany | SIOE Norway | SIOE Poland | SIOE Romania | SIOE Sweden |
Publications
Contact details, Resources, Notes
Contact
- Address:
- Phone:
- Fax:
- email: sioe@siad.dk
- Website: http://sioe.wordpress.com/
External Resources
Notes
- ↑ Anti-Islamic movement hits the rocks, by Anne Jessen, Originally published in Searchlight, August 2008, reprinted at Islamophobia Watch.
- ↑ About SIOE, Stop Islamisation of Europe, accessed 23 November 2008.
- ↑ Brussels mayor bans protest against "Islamization of Europe" BBC Monitoring Europe - Political, 11 August 2007: Source: Text of report by Belgian newspaper De Standaard website on 10 August.
- ↑ Organizers of banned anti-Islam march to sue Brussels mayor, BBC Monitoring Europe - Political, 14 August 2007. Source: Text of report by Belgian newspaper De Standaard website on 14 August.
- ↑ Organizer of Belgian anti-Islam march contests plans for French trial, BBC Monitoring Europe - Political, 30 August 2007. Source: Text of report by Belgian newspaper De Standaard website on 29 August.
- ↑ Danish, British organizers plan to defy Belgian ban on anti-Islamic 9/11 march, BBC Monitoring Europe - Political, 11 September 2007. Source: Text of report by Belgian newspaper De Standaard website on 8 September.
- ↑ Police arrest 2 far-right Belgian leaders at anti-Islam 9/11 protest, Associated Press, 11 September 2007, accessed via the Internet Archive on 17 August 2011.
- ↑ Scores arrested in anti-Islam protest in Belgium, Agence France Presse, 11 September 2007.
- ↑ Anti-Islamic movement hits the rocks, by Anne Jessen, Originally published in Searchlight, August 2008, reprinted at Islamophobia Watch.
- ↑ Stephen Gash, 'London "No sharia here!" demo', 15 September 15, 2008, 02:58 PM GMT
- ↑ Update Harrow Demo, SIOE, 13 December 2009.
- ↑ Tristan Kirk, face off outside Harrow mosque, Harrow Times, 13 December 2009.
- ↑ Jack Royston, Harrow mosque shunned by Islamaphobics over request for dialogue, Harrow Times, 13 December 2009.
- ↑ Marc Vallée, EDL & PRESS FREEDOM, marcvallee.co.uk, 15 December 2009.
- ↑ Phone call to Metropolitan Police Press Bureau, 9.40pm, 18 December 2009.
- ↑ Asim Siddiqui, Anti-Muslim groups protest in vain, Comment is Free, CIF Belief, 14 December 2009.
