Islamism & Islamophobia Abroad - News & Analysis

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 15 Dec 2012 05:39

nikah - actually derives from a pre-Quranic Arabic practice, and refers to the price and contract for ahem ahem. At least 4 obvious examples mentioned in the ahadith. Note that in India, the more typical word used for Islamic marriage - shaadi - is of Persian/Farsi extraction, meaning "joy". In the strict Arabic-Isamic sense - there is no marriage in the usual sense we understand it. Its a contract for ahem ahem. This should be obviosu to anyoen who cares to read through the sharia for the four major Sunni law schools.

The mutah - was allowed by the founder/ or his supposed revelator - after a certain battle in which the opponents were ambushed in a surprise attack while they were preparing to go out for working their fields/orchards in the morning. The women - many married, had to be raped before their husbands - which even the jihadis found difficult apparently. So the divine supreme quickly took care of their conscience by providing a revelation on how the "marraiges" with pre-existing husbands stood automatically annulled on capture and that the jihadis could therefore enter into a short term marriage contract [the jihadis were pennyless before the raid - so they paid with the looted money itself].

This was also the case when ejaculation "outside" was banned - coitus interruptus. Perhaps the "breeding out" policy.

Shias and Sunnis differ about this - Shias claim that mutah was not later withdrawn by the founder, and current Iran still allows it. Sunnjis say it was withdrawn. But they retain the "annullment of marriage" of a wife on capture by the jihadis, and that any number of "right hand possessions" [literally the women you hold in your power] over and above the 4 for commoners [and 9 for the founder].

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 15 Dec 2012 05:54

Not Nikah but its Nikoh =Pentration .

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 15 Dec 2012 06:09

B ji, its also because Islamic fiqh tries to discourage masturbation. The Prophet Muhammad's disciples who were stationed on patrols away from home often complained about not getting any. As a result they would regularly masturbate:

"If a man is torn between continued desire or releasing it, and if this man does not have a wife or he has a slave-girl but he does not couple with her, then if a man is overwhelmed by desire, and he fears that he will suffer because of this (someone like a prisoner, or a traveller, or a pauper), then it is permissible for him to masturbate, and Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) is explicit on this. Furthermore, it is narrated that the Companions of the Prophet (s) used to masturbate while they were on military expeditions or travelling".
Bada'i al-Fuwa'id of Ibn Qayyim (Islamic scholar), page 129

The same author further elaborates that better than masturbation with the hand is to make a hole in a watermelon, piece of dough, piece of leather, or an idol/statue and have sex with it. However, even though this allowance is there in extreme circumstances, masturbation is heavily discouraged. It has been mentioned that the person who masturbates shall be resurrected on the Day of Judgment with a pregnant hand!

So mut'ah was created and propagated so that travelling traders, soldiers and other types of Islamic missionaries could form physical relationships with women rather than masturbate. It appears that indigent student scholars in Shi'ite seminaries (and sometimes indulgent older married mullas) also make regular use of mut'ah to release frustration. In the holy city of Qom (Iran), it is known that if a woman seats herself in a public place with her chador wrong side out (with the stitched hem showing), that is supposed to be a signal. The mother of a friend of mine once did so unwittingly, and she was approached for mut'ah by a mulla within 5 minutes.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 15 Dec 2012 08:30

Jhujar wrote:Not Nikah but its Nikoh =Pentration .

Originally - the whole group of languages had no vowels - formally as alphabet. So the root splits as n-k-(h). The more accurate Qureshi/Quranic version would be closer to na-ka-ha. It is used classically in the sense of "penetration" or "embrace". Explicitly, the usage in the context of men-women - is "intercourse" [those who are familiar can look at "nokh"], and that is how it is taken in Shaafii and Hanafi school. Some scholars explicitly point out that because it is in bad "taste" to talk of intercourse in public spaces, figuratively it is used in the sense of "marriage", but it is a metonymic use. The point is proven by the fact of explicit Arabic parallel and contemporary words for the more current sense - like "jayaz".

The reason its called "n-k-h" is made clearer in the Sharia versions. The brideprice that is touted as a kind of miracle reverse dowry - is explicitly mentioned as the price of the use-right of the buza [ price of useright of the private parts]. From this price-exchange for pieces of the body, follows a whole lot of other sharia clauses connected to "marriage" and "divorce".

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 15 Dec 2012 08:47

Carl ji,
I do find some sympathy for the Iranians in this. Whatever be their motivations - one thing is that they through this recognize transsexuals who go through the state approved SRS. For many of these TS, mutah marriage as officially recognized, is a saving line until they can find something else.

Second, they are at least legalizing to some degree - what is known elsewhere, as prostitution. If formally the defintion of the word is exchange of body-use for sexual purposes against material resources, then women are being auctioned by others or by themselves - in almost every society, whether it is glorified sometimes as marriage or not. Recognizing the exchange aspect formally takes a lot of the guilt - typically generated by religious perversions [the need to hate desires] - away.

The Persian tradition of using catamites, or castrati for pleasure, has been retained I guess within the Iranian Shiism. This aspect of retention of older sexual practices within the Islamic, is actually not much studied. Apart from the fight over legitimacy from a nine-year old Persian princess captured by duplicity at a Gulf outpost and "married" by Ali, it could also be the differences in sexual practices of the two regions - that lay behind the everlasting contest.

As imperialists - Persians saw value in Islamism, but did not want to give up their distinction from the Arab, as the identity supremacy is crucial to future dominance of the empire. Thus they would try to show their distinctions on points of salience. I never thought about the sexual side of the divide though. Thanks Carl ji for giving me a nudge in that direction.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Dec 2012 10:48

Also isn't 'aurat' the Muslim word for woman also based on private parts?

Totally disgusting and depraved fellows and their leader.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 15 Dec 2012 10:54

So its not a union of souls but a play of 2 fowls. Chirra- Chirri ka Khela, Nikoh kush Pal ke mela . My guess is main man must have revelation after watching 2 pigeon doing the divine act of nikoh ride.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 15 Dec 2012 17:31

Basically I consider mut'ah as legitimate practice. Nikah and its true meaning however need to be told to our secular people!

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 15 Dec 2012 21:40

Carl wrote:
So mut'ah was created and propagated so that travelling traders, soldiers and other types of Islamic missionaries could form physical relationships with women rather than masturbate.

Hm mut'ah better than muth maarna eh?

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 17 Dec 2012 07:18

Jews told to hide identifying symbols in Denmark, Jordan

Israel Radio noted that Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, had experienced no fewer than 39 reported anti-Semitic attacks this year.

Local Jewish leaders confirmed that it has become increasingly dangerous to be seen as a Jew, and hinted that the problem stems from growing Muslim influence in the city.

A little less surprising was a report that Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities had sent out a letter to all local tour guides instructing them to advice Israeli visitors against wearing Jewish symbols or publicly worshipping in a Jewish way.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 17 Dec 2012 08:33

Homeland: TV’s most Islamophobic show

With its portraits of Brody and Roya Hammad, "Homeland" warns that Muslims are a hidden danger to fellow Americans...

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 17 Dec 2012 15:13

Anindya wrote:Homeland: TV’s most Islamophobic show

With its portraits of Brody and Roya Hammad, "Homeland" warns that Muslims are a hidden danger to fellow Americans...

The scene to see is the conversation between Carrie and Abu Nazir, when Carrie is being held captive by the latter in Episode 10 of Season 2: "Broken Hearts". I have never seen such frankness and honesty in portraying an Islamist. I think any American who saw that conversation must have made is screen crawl.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 18 Dec 2012 00:39

RajeshA wrote: The scene to see is the conversation between Carrie and Abu Nazir, when Carrie is being held captive by the latter in Episode 10 of Season 2: "Broken Hearts". I have never seen such frankness and honesty in portraying an Islamist. I think any American who saw that conversation must have made is screen crawl.

Agreed. I was astounded to see such honesty in a fictional TV show.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 18 Dec 2012 05:38

Is that part on YouTube by any chance? Would search myself but don't know what to search for. Never seen the series, don't have it in our neck of the woods - only heard you amirkhans discussing it...

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 18 Dec 2012 10:11

nachiket wrote:
RajeshA wrote: The scene to see is the conversation between Carrie and Abu Nazir, when Carrie is being held captive by the latter in Episode 10 of Season 2: "Broken Hearts". I have never seen such frankness and honesty in portraying an Islamist. I think any American who saw that conversation must have made is screen crawl.
Agreed. I was astounded to see such honesty in a fictional TV show.

I went to On Demand to watch the episode. Nothing that we dont know or understand about Islamists. On the othe hand, it explain the failure of Islam in India. Islamist power cant imagine that Indians can fight for almost a millennium and still fresh to do the necessary clean up . Instead of being tired or dead, Desis still looking forward, waiting eagerly to avail the oppertunity.
WEST is idiotic to not to give Indics their due. India with the army of 3 Million Soldiers,2k deployed Angry Budhas and Khar Dimag Ruler in Delhi can do wonder by bringing human civilization in near abroad.

KrishnaK · Post by **KrishnaK** » 18 Dec 2012 12:51

jem,
That's premium tv programming. You'll have to turn into a pirating chinese to get hold of that.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 18 Dec 2012 19:44

JE Menon wrote:Is that part on YouTube by any chance? Would search myself but don't know what to search for. Never seen the series, don't have it in our neck of the woods - only heard you amirkhans discussing it...

JE Menon saar,

here is the episode (Filesize: 304.32 MB):

Code: Select all

http://eztv.it/ep/40138/homeland-2x10-hdtv-x264-evolve/

You'll however need a Torrent Client, e.g. BitTorrent. To watch the episode, you can use VLC media player!

On YouTube they do not have the conversation!

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 18 Dec 2012 21:06

You boys are nasty... Let me see if I can get it from above link.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 19 Dec 2012 01:14

Russia may ease Brotherhood ban

Moscow - Russia may ease restrictions on the Muslim Brotherhood soon to improve relations with Egypt and rebuild influence lost during the Arab Spring revolutions, diplomatic sources say.

...

Russia's Supreme Court banned the Muslim Brotherhood from operating in Russia in 2003, describing it as a terrorist organisation.

But Moscow is now trying to beef up ties with Egypt, partly to offset some of the influence it has lost in the Arab world in the past two years, particularly in countries such as Libya and Syria that have been recipients of Russian arms.

Easing restrictions on the Muslim Brotherhood would follow a similar move by the United States, which tweaked its ban on formal contacts with the Islamist group, banned under Mubarak, early in 2012. Morsi is expected to visit Washington in 2013 for the first time since his election in June.

...

Russia has in the past accused the Muslim Brotherhood of supporting rebels who want to create an Islamist state in Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus.

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“As far as I know, Minister Lavrov wants to 'delist' it (the Muslim Brotherhood),” said Alexei Grishin, head of the Religion & Society think tank who used to be a presidential adviser on Islam.

...

In Egypt, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman said the ban on the group in Russia was “a very bad thing” and made clear any real improvement in ties was unlikely before that was settled.

“Our leader (the head of the Brotherhood group) had mentioned that issue to the Russian ambassador in Cairo during a joint meeting where he told the ambassador: 'How come you are asking to have a strong relationship with us while you see as a terrorist group?',” spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said. - Reuters

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 19 Dec 2012 01:18

^^^ Meanwhile, 'Islamophobia' in the US is being monitored by Egypt and commented on. This article gives the US a pat on the back.

Islamophobes Downfall Delights US Muslims

CAIRO – American Muslims have hailed the downfall of candidates known for their hostile tone against the sizable minority and their religion in Congressional elections this week.

"These encouraging results clearly show that mainstream Americans reject anti-Muslim bigotry by candidates for public office and will demonstrate that rejection at the polls," Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of the umbrella Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement obtained by OnIslam.net.

Congressional election on Tuesday, November 6, saw the fall of candidates known for their hostile rhetoric against Muslims.

In Florida, Republican Representative Allen West lost to his Democrat challenger Patrick Murphy.

West has once described Islam as a “totalitarian theocratic political ideology” that is a “very vile and very vicious enemy”.

Another Islamophobic lawmaker, Republican Adam Hasner, was voted down by voters in Florida.

Hasner is known for championing events to taint the image of Muslims.

In 2009, he sought to block a day, “Florida Muslim Capitol Day”, that marks Muslim achievements.

Two years earlier, he sponsored the screening of a documentary that scares Americans away from Islam and Muslims for state legislators.

The documentary “Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against The West”, which presents what it describes as radical Islam's campaign against Christians, America and the West, was shown on college campuses across the country.

It features interviews with commentators famed for their notorious anti-Islam views, including Martin Gilbert, Daniel Pipes and Steve Emerson

A third Islamophobic candidate, Terry Kemple, was also defeated in his bid for the Hillsborough County School Board.

Kemple's main issue in the race was seeking to keep Muslim speakers out of local schools.

Tuesday’s election left the Democrats in control of the 100-member Senate, while the Republicans remained in control of the 435-member House of Representatives.
...

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 19 Dec 2012 02:55

Safwat Higazi threatens Egypt's Copts. Convert Or Die.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 19 Dec 2012 08:09

Sounds like a BD in Londonistan.

Worst case of a groping GP I've seen in 40 years: Judge's attack on doctor who fondled patients
Gousul Islam, 70, abused young women under the pretext of examinations

A lecherous GP who sexually assaulted women patients during medical examinations over three decades was jailed for 11 years yesterday.

Dr Gousul Islam, 70, regularly made inappropriate comments and propositioned patients and staff for sex.

In his consulting room at a village surgery, he serially groped teenage girls and young women.

Under the pretext of examinations, he fondled their breasts, stroked their thighs and touched them intimately.

The doctor asked the women to undress in his presence without a screen and lie on his treatment couch without a blanket or towel to protect their modesty.
...
He asked one teenager to ‘strip off and go upstairs with him’ at his surgery and told her: ‘You are fit, you are stunning, you are beautiful.’

Islam repeatedly asked her to go on weekends away or watch videos with him at his house and told her he was not interested in his wife.
...
One woman said he made her feel like a ‘freak’ and he even examined her ‘down below’ when she complained of a sore throat.

She said: ‘You knew he was going to have a quick feel. You just knew what was coming.’

Another victim complained the GP examined her breasts even when she saw him for an injured wrist.

He also targeted his staff. Islam told a new practice nurse: ‘You will have sex with me.’

He propositioned the 27-year-old in his Mercedes car after they went to an educational evening hosted by a pharmaceutical firm.

He told the married nurse an affair could ‘spice up’ a marriage before he slid his hand under her skirt.

He said he had ‘needs’ and offered to take her to medical conferences abroad with him. She rejected his advances and was so shocked that she quit.
...
Islam was finally caught when one victim went to police in March 2010 and others came forward. He was suspended by the General Medical Council and will now be struck off.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 22 Dec 2012 01:24

Deoband says shooting videos against Islam
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/299 ... ainst.html

A new fatwa by the prestigious Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, Deoband, has said that videography conducted at any ceremony or function is wrong in the eyes of shariat and should be avoided.The religious decree was issued in response to a query by a resident of Pakistan by the Darul Ifta of the Uttar Pradesh-based seminary a few days ago.The questioner wanted to know if making video of a ceremony and deriving income from such videography was proper in the eyes of Islam. The clerics of the seminary replied that it was ‘un-Islamic’ and must be avoided. They said the income derived from doing so was also wrong. “According to Islam, pictures and photographs are improper and hence any income from them will also be improper,” said senior cleric Maulana Mufti Arif Quasmi. He, however, made it clear that pasting photographs on passports and other documents was permitted. The seminary is known for issuing fatwas at regular intervals, some of them on trivial social issues. Many fatwas issued by Darul Uloom have drawn flak from a section of the Muslim community and the clergy.Earlier, the seminary had said that a Muslim woman cannot work as receptionists as it was against the shariat or Islamic laws. It said the religion did not permit women from appearing before men without veil.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 22 Dec 2012 01:27

Baikul · Post by **Baikul** » 22 Dec 2012 08:53

Well, well, welly welly, wellity, wellity...whodathunk it?

Some of you may have read about the inexplicable beating to death of a Dutch football linesman by a bunch of teenagers, an incident that has deeply shocked Holland.

I just read a recent report..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012 ... h-linesman

.......with this interesting para:

The ethnic background of those arrested has never been confirmed by the police or the public prosecution office but it has been reported in the Netherlands that several of the teenagers are of Moroccan descent. Snoek claimed he does not know the identify of all of those who have been arrested but said that, in terms of the team that played against Buitenboys on 2 December, "about six or seven were Moroccans." He does not, however, accept Wilders's provocations. "I reject the statement that it is a Moroccan problem. I think it's a community problem and it starts with the upbringing of the children."

I urge everyone to remember that at least 1.1% of the Moroccan population is Christian and, as we all know, Islam is a religion of peace.

arun · Post by **arun** » 22 Dec 2012 11:22

Mohammadden religion inspired vigilantism in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan results in a man being burnt to death inside a police station for allegedly burning books held to be holy by Mohammaddens:

Mob justice: Alleged blasphemer lynched in front of police

AbhiJ · Post by **AbhiJ** » 23 Dec 2012 18:51

What is the source of Idealism coming from Islam?

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Dec 2012 19:48

^^^ Failed to understand your question.

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Dec 2012 19:48

Dhimmitude in Spain.

Story from about a week back on an Ex-Mohammadden from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan named Imran Firasat, who was threatened with having his asylum revoked by the Spanish Government for making a video on the life of the Mohammadden prophet. Below article carries a link to the video posted on Youtube:

Spain Threatens to Deport Filmmaker for Anti-Islam Documentary

It appears that the Spanish Government does not subscribe to the notion that Mohammadenism is a religion of peace as an article today reports that the Spanish Government has revoked Imran Firasat’s asylum for ““putting the security of the Spanish state at risk,”:

Spain Ends Asylum for Pakistani Who Made Insulting Mohammed Video

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Dec 2012 18:36

Jamaat-e-Islami violence on the up in neighbouring BD

In the crucial last year of its tenure, the Hasina government faces, on the one hand, street protests by opposition parties positioning themselves ahead of the elections, and on the other, organized opposition against the trial by the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami, the party that had opposed Bangladesh’s independence, supported by the Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Jamaat-e-Islami and its militant students wing, Islami Chatra Shibir, have chosen the route of organized street violence. Their aim is clear — they want their key leaders, now on trial in war crimes tribunals, to be set free. Jamaat cadres — no one can forget that the party sided with Pakistan army in all conceivable ways to foil the national quest for freedom — have gone as far as to attack the police, snatching their rifles and setting on fire dozens of police vehicles in Dhaka and across the country. They also attacked the Law Minister's motorcade.

The spate of attacks across the country has left several hundred policemen injured, many of them hospitalized with serious injuries. The government sees these as ominous signs of a plot to destabilise the country and foil the trial. The manner in which the police came under attack was somewhat unprecedented, and astonishingly, in most cases, the police lost the battle to the attackers.

Neither have the arrests of a few hundreds Jamaatis stopped the violence. Jamaat, which has grown over the years to become the most organized cadre-based party both in terms of its funding and structure, launched the offensive from November, continuing it into the nationally sensitive month of December. In the backdrop of sustained street violence, secular, pro-liberation forces are seriously concerned that if such violence in the name of democracy is not checked, it may emerge as a single biggest threat to country’s liberal polity and security. There have been calls for a ban on Jamaat, but there are concerns too that proscription might send the party underground, with more dangerous consequences.

The main opposition BNP has not condemned the actions of its Islamist ally. Rather, it has been providing vital support to Jamaat’s game plan, to the extent that even BNP sympathizers are concerned that the “poisonous weed” of Jamaat’s theocratic and medieval political and social agenda might ultimately eat up the very vitals of what remains of the party’s remaining liberalism.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 25 Dec 2012 09:15

Interesting tidbit:
سراسقف بیت‌المقدس در مراسم کریسمس از کشور مستقل فلسطینی حمایت کرد
'Archbishop of Jerusalem speaks during Christmas rites in support of the creation of a permanent Palestinian state'

kish · Post by **kish** » 25 Dec 2012 14:47

Rotten egg attack mars Indonesia Christmas

MORE than 200 Indonesian Muslims have thrown rotten eggs at Christians wanting to hold a Christmas mass near empty land outside Jakarta where they plan to build a church.

Some 100 Christian worshippers intended to hold the mass on the site about 30 kilometres east of the capital, the focus of a project barred by district government and community members in 2009

The last prophet's followers give gifts to previous prophet's ardents for Christmas. Ofcourse they believe in 1 same God, but their books are different.

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 25 Dec 2012 14:59

Carl wrote:Interesting tidbit:
سراسقف بیت‌المقدس در مراسم کریسمس از کشور مستقل فلسطینی حمایت کرد
'Archbishop of Jerusalem speaks during Christmas rites in support of the creation of a permanent Palestinian state'

Archbishop is confident, Syria is out of their way.

Israelites do not yet realise what is in store for them or perhaps they know and they have reconciled to their fate.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 25 Dec 2012 22:15

KANO (NIGERIA): Gunmen attacked a church in northern Nigeria during a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, killing six people including the pastor, before setting the building ablaze, residents and police said on Tuesday.

"A group of gunmen came into the village at midnight and went straight to the church," said Usman Mansir, a resident of Peri village near Potiskum, the economic capital of Yobe state.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 758112.cms

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 26 Dec 2012 10:39

PEW’s shoddy Muslim numbers don’t add up: “The UK Muslim population has grown from 1.65 million to 2.87 million since 2001″. Will reach 17 mil by 2030 not 5.5 mil

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 26 Dec 2012 13:21

Anindya wrote:PEW’s shoddy Muslim numbers don’t add up: “The UK Muslim population has grown from 1.65 million to 2.87 million since 2001″. Will reach 17 mil by 2030 not 5.5 mil

This extreme Paranoia, how will 2.87 million grow to 30 million??

UK needs it resident population of Pakis at a high enough % so that the uK public has a check on thier policies.

brihaspati · Post by **brihaspati** » 26 Dec 2012 22:00

^^You can have that by exponential growth. Even if you consider a more sophisticated logistic type growth curve [eventual asymptotic saturation and stagnation], for small values in the early stage sof the growth, the curve will approximatley be exponential. Assuming that the Muslim growth model actually follows such growth curves based on more rational human demographic strategies.

Anindya · Post by **Anindya** » 26 Dec 2012 22:31

The basic claim of the article seems to be that Muslims will reach 17M by 2030 in the UK - starting from an actual base of 4.37M today. This seems plausible.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 27 Dec 2012 05:30

One major dilemma for the modern people of WANA is what is the alternative to Islam? Can't go back to their old religions as they were decimated. And can't go to soul harvesters who are themselves leaving that religion in their native lands. and Inida is run by pseculars who are soul harvesters without souls aka zombies.

Agnimitra · Post by **Agnimitra** » 27 Dec 2012 05:48

Anindya wrote:PEW’s shoddy Muslim numbers don’t add up: “The UK Muslim population has grown from 1.65 million to 2.87 million since 2001″. Will reach 17 mil by 2030 not 5.5 mil

Whatever the numbers, political parties there experience an "existential threat" if they don't start pandering to "immigrant" voters.

Briturd PM orders new minorities push to stave off Tory election crisis

David Cameron has ordered a drive to increase the number of black and Asian Conservative parliamentary candidates, amid fears within the party that its unpopularity among ethnic minorities could spell disaster at the next election.

...

Senior party figures are pointing to last month's defeat for the Republican candidate Mitt Romney – who was largely shunned by black and Hispanic voters – in the US presidential election as a warning of the costs of ignoring Britain's rapid demographic shifts.

...

The Tories said they were basing the strategy on the success of the governing Conservative Party of Canada, which boosted its electoral fortunes partly by increasing its support among voters born outside the country.

The Reading West MP Alok Sharma, the Tory vice-chairman in charge of the strategy, said Mr Cameron supported increasing the diversity of Conservative parliamentary candidates and MPs.

Mr Sharma said he hoped the party and Parliament would come to be "reflective of the country we live in". He said: "I very much hope that over a period of time there will be many more people from ethnic minority backgrounds on the Conservative benches, but also all benches."

...

Research presented privately to party leaders revealed that people from Afro-Caribbean and Pakistani backgrounds are most hostile to the Conservatives, but that other ethnic minorities including Sikhs and Hindus – even those who regard themselves as middle class – are resistant to Tory messages.

They have been told the Conservatives suffer a serious "brand" problem dating back to Enoch Powell's "rivers of blood" speech. It has been fuelled by such episodes as Norman Tebbit talking about the "cricket test" for immigrants and the institutional failures exposed by the murder of the black schoolboy Stephen Lawrence, which occurred under a Tory government.