Tomorrow on BBC1 at 10.30pm See You in Court reports on the libel action taken by North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park against the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange.
Monthly Archives: April 2011
‘The burka is an alien, cultural monstrosity…. and it CAN be banned in Britain’
Now, who do you suppose wrote an article for the Daily Mail with this headline? No prizes for guessing it’s Taj Hargey.
BNP ‘Qur’an man’ to stand in elections
A BNP member accused of burning a copy of the Qur’an will still stand in the Welsh Assembly elections, his party has confirmed.
Sion Owens, 41, of Bonymaen, Swansea, had a charge against him dropped today – but was told by magistrates legal proceedings may resume after further investigations. Owens was arrested last weekend after The Observer newspaper reportedly handed police a video, which appeared to show Mr Owens dousing a copy of the Qur’an with paraffin before setting it alight.
The alleged incident drew widespread condemnation from political and ethnic groups in Wales – who are urging voters to shun the far-right BNP in the May 5 poll. Owens is third on the list out of four candidates the BNP is putting up for the South Wales West regional seat.
Plaid Cymru described the alleged incident as appalling but “hardly surprising”. A party spokeswoman said: “Our advice to the electorate of Wales is to ignore their call for race hate as we have always done, ensure they lose their election deposits and above all quickly recycle their leaflets – as that is all they are good for.”
The BNP issued a 2,000 plus word statement on its website in response to Owens’ court appearance, complaining of “hypocrisy” by the authorities. A party spokesman said Owens would continue to stand as a candidate in the Welsh Assembly elections.
BNP leader Nick Griffin added: “The British National Party does not favour burning any book, although if there is any repeat of last year’s Poppy burning insult and subsequent lack of police action, we may well review that position.” He also said the BNP favoured freedom of speech – saying there needed to be a “resistance to the intimidation” encouraged by Muslim extremists.
However, Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council countered the claims, saying the BNP had abused that democratic right. Chief executive Taha Idris said: “While people have freedom of speech and freedom of action in the UK, it is a privilege that should never be abused.”
EDL thugs attack peaceful protest against French veil ban
Around 40 members of the racist English Defence League tonight attacked a peaceful protest outside the French Embassy, opposing the introduction of a ban on the niqab or face veil in France.
Young Muslim women were joined by students and trade unionists on the protest called by UAF and One Society Many Cultures and supported by the British Muslim Initiative, Islamic Forum of Europe, Islam Expo and the Enough Coalition.
They carried placards reading: “Defend religious and cultural freedom” and “Face veil – a woman’s right to choose”.
EDL thugs launched a physical attack on the peaceful protest before being surrounded by police and led away.
UAF joint secretary Weyman Bennett said:
It is unacceptable that a group of racist thugs has attacked a demo calling for freedom of religious and cultural expression for Muslim women.
We believe that by targeting Muslims with measures like the niqab ban, French president Nicolas Sarkozy is opening the door and providing dangerous encouragement to racist and fascist groups. Today’s events bear that out.
It is clear the EDL is building a street thug movement that aims to smash anyone who stands up against racism, fascism and Islamophobia. We will continue our efforts to oppose them.
The protest outside the French embassy was called to mark the day that the niqab ban came into force in France.
The ban contravenes Muslim women’s freedom of religion. We believe free and democratic societies should allow people to express their faith and culture however they choose.
Although there are no proposals to introduce such legislation in Britain, the ban on the niqab in France has provoked Islamophobic discussions and campaigns here in Britain.
Unite Against Fascism, 11 April 2011
See also “Londoners condemn France burqa ban”, Press TV, 11 April 2011
Update: Over at the Casuals United blog you can find the EDL boasting about their unprovoked attack on the peaceful protest outside the French embassy.
‘Burqa ban’ in France: housewife vows to face jail rather than submit
The Observer interviews Kenza Drider.
Lecturer accuses airline of racial harassment
A university lecturer has made a complaint of racial harassment against an airline after being told not to sleep with his hands covered as “a matter of security”. A flight attendant woke him after he had covered his head and hands with his jacket, saying his actions had “disturbed” other passengers.
Malhotra, 32, who was born in the UK but is of Indian descent, believes he would not have been treated the same way if he was white, and has been backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland. The incident, last month, raises fears that passengers of Asian or Muslim appearance are being discriminated against by some airline staff because of heightened tensions over terrorist attacks.
The Civil Aviation Authority, which regulates airlines, says there are no rules disallowing passengers from having their heads or hands covered during a flight.
BNP election candidate arrested over Qur’an burning
A senior member of the BNP who burned a copy of the Qur’an in his garden has been arrested following an investigation by the Observer. Footage of the burning shows Sion Owens, 40, from south Wales and a candidate for the forthcoming Welsh Assembly elections, soaking the Qur’an in kerosene and setting fire to it.
Superintendent Phil Davies of South Wales police, who led the investigation, said: “We always adopt an extremely robust approach to allegations of this sort and find this sort of intolerance unacceptable in our society.”
Owens was arrested within hours of police receiving the video. A second person, believed to have filmed the Qur’an burning, is also in police custody.
Photographs show Owens at a Welsh Defence League demonstration with a group of alleged Nazis including Wayne Baldwin, who has been pictured posing in front of a swastika flag. The Observer has also been passed images that show Owens’s face apparently superimposed on Hitler’s body.
Owens was officially announced last week as the BNP’s number three candidate for the South Wales West constituency of the Welsh assembly.
In 2008 he stood for the BNP in council elections, polling almost a fifth of votes in his ward but finishing last out of three candidates. His campaign posters at the time show him standing on a ticket against “mass immigration, enforced multiculturalism, political correctness”.
Update: See “BNP ‘Koran burning’ charge dropped”, Press Association, 11 April 2011
Camberley mosque minaret poses ‘no security threat’ say military experts
ENGAGE has the details.
Banning the veil: Salma Yaqoob debates Taj Hargey
From Al Jazeera.
Epsom man pleads not guilty to race attack at Kingston mosque
A man accused of being part of a gang that allegedly threw beer at and urinated on a mosque after a march against Muslim extremism has pleaded not guilty to two charges.
David Morris, 20, of Elm Way, Epsom, pleaded not guilty to one count of affray and one count of religiously aggravated criminal damage at Kingston Magistrates Court today (April 7). Appearing in court with a shaved head and wearing a light blue polo shirt he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and enter a plea.
The attack is alleged to have happened following a march through Kingston town centre [pictured] against Muslim extremism in November last year. The march had been organised via facebook and during the incident outside the mosque the men are alleged to have also placed bacon on cars outside the building.
Terence Earl, 31, of Aspen Lane, Northolt also pleaded not guilty to the charges. Alfie Wallace, 18, of Hetherington Road, Shepperton; Paul Abley, 24, of Hounslow Road, Shepperton; Karl Matthews, 20, of Brentford High Street and Adam Khalfan, 18, of Feltham Road, Ashford, all declined to enter a plea to the same offences. They will all appear before Kingston Magistrates on May 23 for a committal hearing.
All were granted bail on condition that they do not enter the borough of Kingston.