Discrimination and Xenophobia
Austrian far-right legislator convicted of anti-Muslim incitement
Austrian far-right parliamentarian Susanne Winter was convicted Thursday of incitement because of her anti-Muslim statements, including the claim that Islam’s prophet Mohammed was a pedophile. A court in Winter’s home town of Graz also found the 51-year-old politician guilty of humiliating a religion. She was sentenced to a fine of 24,000 euros (31,000 dollars) euros…
Geert Wilders to be prosecuted for inciting racial hatred
An Amsterdam appeals court has ordered the prosecution of Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders. The court alleges that Wilders’ film Fitna, in addition to various comments he has made about Islam, have “incited racial hatred and discrimination” against Dutch Muslims. This reverses last year’s decision by public prosecutors not to charge Wilders for his anti-Islam…
French “Chief of Diversity” calls for changes in French diversity model
Yazid Sabeg issued a wakeup call to the French nation, which has already suffered major rioting from alienated immigrant youth in the country’s social housing projects. President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Sabeg in December 2008 to the newly created position of diversity and equality commissioner. He is to oversee a government action plan aimed at putting…
Man wearing Jewish symbol stabbed near Paris
France’s interior ministry says masked thieves who attacked a young man east of Paris to steal his car repeatedly stabbed him after noticing he was wearing a Jewish symbol. Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie has condemned the “revolting attack” in the suburban town of Fontenay-sous-Bois and says authorities are working to find the perpetrators. The ministry…
Top rights official urges respect for European norms on immigration
A senior European rights official has criticized a controversial security bill approved by the Italian Senate which sanctions fines and immediate expulsion for illegal immigrants. Thomas Hammerberg of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Commissioner said that he hopes the government will remove “discriminatory” measures from the bill before it becomes law, citing a need…