Rap and the Arab Spring - London event

opendemocracy.org, FINAL REMINDER: Rap and the Arab Spring - London, Wednesday "This event will explore the questions: What ways did rap inspire the revolutionaries and how are the revolutions inspiring Arab rappers? With no real Arabic hip hop industry to speak of, how do we account for the genre's popularity and influence? Has Arab rap transcended its regional boundaries and made its impact global?"

Conference Announcement: Muslims and Political Participation in Britain

If you are interested in this event, please respond to address below, not myself:


Muslims and Political Participation in Britain

20th and 21st April 2012 

John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh

Registration is now open for this conference which focuses on the
involvement of Muslims in all aspects of political life in Britain. Places
are limited so register now to avoid disappointment. Deadline for
registration is 19th March 2012. The two day delegate rate is just £60 which
includes lunch and refreshments on both days. Accommodation options are also
available next to the conference venue.

On the evening of Friday 20th April there will also be a free public event
at the Scottish Parliament entitled 'Muslims and the political process in
Scotland'. The panel includes Muslim representatives from the four largest
political parties in Scotland:

Majid Hussain (Conservative Party)
Hanzala Malik MSP (Labour Party)
Shabnum Mustapha (Liberal Democrats)
Humza Yousaf MSP (Scottish National Party)

Further information about the conference and the public event may be found
at http://www.alwaleed.ed.ac.uk/ (click on the 'Conference: April 2012'
link).

Shadid on politics

Anthony Shadid, NYT, Islamists’ Ideas on Democracy and Faith Face Test in Tunisia - this article from the late Anthony Shadid was reproduced in the Observer at the weekend. It's a comprehensive and interesting piece about Tunisian politics, and the impact of exile (in this case in London on Said Ferjani).

Channel 4, Make Bradford British

Channel 4, Make Bradford British

Forthcoming TV programme. Looks interesting ... first programme is 1 March 2012.

Somali conference - related coverage

Much of this coverage contains an internet-related element

Nima Elbagir, CNN, Somali militants target addicts in UK’s ‘khat cafes’  

Guardian, Somali community in Britain begins to find its voice

"Britain's Somalis have talks with David Cameron about problems of jobs, poverty, stress and image ..."

Guardian, al-Shabaab: the Somali militant group recruiting young Britons to its ranks

"Intelligence agencies say young extremists are travelling to training camps in Somalia as they once did in Afghanistan"

VOA, Faltering al-Shabab Surrenders Strategic Somali City
 

"Al-Qaida linked rebels have surrendered Somalia's third largest city, Baidoa, without a fight, fleeing in the face of a joint offensive by pro-government forces and Ethiopian troops."

UK Line Helps Islamophobia Victims

onislam.net, UK Line Helps Islamophobia Victims “Monitoring a rising Islamophobia rate in British society, a new line was launched to offer help for victims of hate crimes”

Study: "Muslims pass on faith at higher rates than Christians"

BBC News, Muslims pass on faith at higher rates than Christians says Cardiff University study, 14 Feb 2012 “Researchers found 77% of adult Muslims actively practise the faith they were brought up in, compared with 29% of Christians and 65% of other religions.”

Abu Qatada

NY Times, Britain Releases Militant Preacher, 13 Feb 2012 "Abu Qatada, a militant Islamic preacher held without charge for more than six years as a threat to Britain’s national security, was released from prison on Monday night after an immigration judge signed off on strict bail conditions earlier in the day."

Radicalisation issues

Telegraph, Extremist preachers now radicalising young Muslims in private homes, says senior Government security adviser, 10 Feb 2012 "Extremist preachers are turning their backs on mosques and using private homes to radicalise young Muslims into becoming terrorists, according to one of Britain’s top security advisers."

Stock Exchange bomb plot: Wales Institute for Muslim Affairs reaction

BBC News, Stock Exchange bomb plot: Wales Institute for Muslim Affairs reaction, 10 Feb 2012 "A Welsh Muslim think-tank says more must be done to tackle extremism after two Cardiff brothers were jailed for plotting to bomb the Stock Exchange."

Trial outcome

AFP, Nine Islamists jailed for plotting terror attacks, 9 Feb 2012 “[Judge] Wilkie said they were “fundamentalist Islamists who have turned to violent terrorism in direct response to material, both propagandist and instructive, issued on the Internet by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”“

Report. Roots of violent radicalisation

Home Affairs Committee - Nineteenth Report. Roots of violent radicalisation, 31 Jan 2012

Commons Select Committee, MPs urge internet providers to tackle on-line extremism  "The Committee concludes that the internet is one of the most significant vehicles for promoting violent radicalism - more so than prisons, universities or places of worship, although direct, personal contact with radicals is in many cases also a significant factor. Witnesses told the Committee that the internet played a part in most, if not all, cases of violent radicalisation."

smh.com.au, UK lawmakers: Most radicalism linked to Internet, 6 Feb 2012

Four men admit London Stock Exchange bomb plot

BBC News, Four men admit London Stock Exchange bomb plot, 1 Feb 2012 "Four men inspired by al-Qaeda have admitted planning to detonate a bomb at the London Stock Exchange."

There are several references to internet materials in this case.