Stop Islamisation of Europe

Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) is a pan-European counter-jihad organisation 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". 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. Stop the Islamisation of Europe was inspired by a Danish group of the same name who have held protests outside Danish mosques since the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. The group has 6,600 supporters on its Facebook page. Social networking sites have been used to plan protests. Affiliate organisations have been created in eleven European countries including Denmark, Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, as well as the United States of America. Stephen Gash (born 1953) is the spokesman of SIOE in the UK, and stood in the 2007 Sedgefield by-election (triggered by the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair) for the English Democrats Party. Gash gained 177 votes (this represented 0.6% of the votes cast at the election) . According to his election literature the main themes of his campaign were support for an English Parliament, resolving the West Lothian question and immigration control. Gash has also contested local elections for Carlisle City Council. Anders Gravers Pedersen was born in Denmark and lives in the small town of Storvorde.