Stop Islamisation of Europe, also known as Stop the Islamification of Europe, is a group with the stated goal of "preventing Islam from becoming a dominant political force in Europe". It is a political interest group which has been active in Denmark and has conducted anti-Islamic protests in the United Kingdom. The group originated out of the joining of the Danish group Stop Islamisation of Denmark with English anti-Islam activists. The group says that its aim is to oppose Islamic extremism; they have the motto "Racism is the lowest form of human stupidity, but Islamophobia is the height of common sense".
Ideology
The group describes itself as an alliance "with the single aim of preventing Islam becoming a dominant political force in Europe." The organisation calls for the total boycott of Muslim countries. The group advises boycotts of companies including Fisher-Price, Asda, Kentucky Fried Chicken and The Radisson Hotel chain because of their marketing of products to Muslims.
was born in Denmark and lives in the small town of Storvorde. He contested municipal elections in Aalborg in 2005 and gained 383 votes and the group Stop the Islamisation of Denmark received a total of 1,172 votes. This represented less than 1% of the votes cast in the election. At the 2007 Danish Parliamentary Election Pedersen stood in Jutland and gained 73 votes.
England
Central London
In October 2007 the group staged a demonstration in central London.
On 11 September 2009, SIOE co-sponsored a demonstration with the English Defence League in Harrow which generated national and international media attention. The purpose of the demonstration was to campaign against the building of a five-storey mosque, Harrow Central Mosque, which was under construction. The group had pledged to hold a peaceful protest after the EDL cancelled a planned protest on 29 August 2009. In response to the protest, several Jewish community leaders condemned the group, after SIOE openly appealed to the Jewish community in an effort to encourage 1,000 Jews to carry the Israeli flag and support the protest. Rabbis Kathleen Middleton, Frank Smith, Aaron Goldstein, Hillel Robles and Mike Hilton sent a letter supporting the Harrow Mosque, saying SIOE use "outrageous lies" to try and divide Harrow's community, adding “As leaders of the Jewish community in Harrow, we are writing to express our support for our Muslim friends and neighbours, especially those at Harrow Central Mosque, who are under attack from those whose only purpose is to spread hatred and fear." The protests were also condemned by Councillor Susan Hall and Tory councillors Anjana Patel and Jeremy Zeid, by The Jewish Chronicle newspaper, and the Community Security Trust, which monitors discrimination on behalf of the Jewish community in the UK. The CST asserted that SIOE "...provides the fuel for terrorism. British Jews should have no part of it." Unite Against Fascism was present to oppose the demo, as well as Muslims there to defend the mosque. In all, over 1,000 people gathered outside the mosque. Counter demonstrators clashed with the police, throwing bricks, bottles and firecrackers. Ten arrests were made during the protests, including the organiser of the protest Stephen Gash.
Denmark
Stop the Islamification of Europe was originally a Danish anti-Islamist group which originated out of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The group was founded in 2007 by Anders Gravers Pedersen, the leader of a small Danish party called the Stop the Islamisation of Denmark. On 11 September 2007, the group staged a demonstration in Brussels, Belgium. Affiliate organisations have been created in 11 European countries including Denmark, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, as well as the United States of America.
In September 2009, John Denham, Labour's Communities Secretary, criticised the group and stated that it was "trying to provoke violence on Britain's streets" and called it "right-wing". Unite Against Fascism have opposed the group. The British National Party has consistently denied any links with SIOE.
