‘Irish Muslims’ Held Protest Against the Islamic State – But Nobody Came

Drawing fewer than 50 people, a protest by Muslims against the Islamic state in Dublin has instead become emblematic of the silent acquiescence of ISIS among many in Western Europe’s Islamic communities.

Organised by the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council, this weekend’s protest was meant to be a strong symbol of the rejection of extremist Islam by westernised Muslims, but it ended up a bit of a damp squib after fewer than 50 people took part. Standing on a traffic island between two main roads through central Dublin, the rally was called to disassociate Islam from the Islamic State – but leader Dr Umar al-Qadri admitted there was radicalisation in Ireland.

Far from the turnout being just down to apathy – or the Irish weather – he admitted one of his volunteers had even been beaten up in an Irish mosque while handing out flyers advertising the protest. The assailant shouted “We are Isis, are you going to protest against us?” as he assaulted the pamphleteer, reports the Irish Times.

Speaking of his inspiration for setting up the group and offering suggestions to the Irish government on how to prevent radicalisation, Dr al-Qadri said he looked to the state of radicalisation in the United Kingdom and didn’t want Ireland to go down the same path. Although he maintains the number of radical Islamists in Ireland is small, he worries that will change, remarking:

“who says we won’t be like the UK… If we as a Muslim community do not take a stand to end extremism and radicalisation, and have a strategy that will prevent radicalisation, then we may end up like the UK”.

If the Irish Muslim Peace and Integration Council are sincere about preventing Ireland from developing a radicalisation problem such is found in the United Kingdom, they might consider joining forces with PEGIDA Ireland in County Kerry, which is protesting the building of a new mosque in Tralee.

Irish Central reports the group also want to “save Ireland from Islam”, and is a spin-off group from the German PEGIDA movement, the ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West’.

Plans for the mosque, with its 60-foot dome and 80-foot minaret overlooking nearby housing have already been rejected on multiple occasions stretching back to 2006 by planning officers, but the designs have been submitted again.

Islam is now the third religion in the region and is growing quickly.

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