Six teens charged with race attacks at Sandwell mosque

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Bob Pitt

Six teenagers as young as 14 have been charged after mosque worshippers including pensioners and a schoolboy were slapped and kicked. Members of the Cradley Heath Mosque & Islamic Centre were targeted, sparking an investigation from officers.

Today, West Midlands Police revealed a sales assistant aged 17 had been charged with three counts of racially-aggravated assault. He is accused of punching and kicking men aged 68 and 70 in attacks on October 16 and 17, and slapping an eight-year-old boy outside the mosque on October 24. Two 16-year-olds, two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old, all boys from Cradley Heath, have also been charged with racially-aggravated harassment and criminal damage to a motor vehicle.

The six, who cannot be named, have been bailed to appear at Sandwell Youth Court on Monday.

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No show by EVF at Croydon Islamic centre

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Bob Pitt

EVF Croydon mosque harassment Supporters of two right-wing groups did not follow through online threats made against an Islamic centre.

Last week the Advertiser reported that three men had appeared in a video recorded outside Anjuman-e-Zaini, in Brighton Road, South Croydon, late on the evening of January 19.

The men, believed to be connected to the English Defence League (EDL) and its splinter group the English Volunteer Force (EVF), can be seen ringing the doorbell and accusing the licensed place of worship of being an “illegal mosque”. One then threatened to return on Friday to “have the place over”. The video was posted online and the men also took to social media to invite others to join in.

Anjuman-e-Zaini, which has targeted by the groups in the past, contacted the police after being informed of the video by the Advertiser. Secretary Shaukat Dungarwalla said that Friday, and the weekend, had passed without incident. He added: “Fortunately nothing happened, but then police have been excellent. They put the lid on the issue.”

Croydon Advertiser, 27 January 2014

Geller and Spencer booked for Australian visit

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Bob Pitt

Debbie Robinson with Geller and Spencer
Debbie Robinson of the Q Society with Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer

Two American anti-Islam activists who were banned from entering Britain are due to speak at a Melbourne conference in March. The Q Society, which brought out Dutch anti-Islamic MP Geert Wilders to Australia last year, has organised the event with the international group Stop Islamisation of Nations (SION).

The location of the first International Symposium on Liberty and Islam in Australia will not be disclosed after violent protests were staged when Mr Wilders appeared in Melbourne last year. Organisers say only that venues will be in the inner city, with a visit to a pub and a cocktail reception at a waterside location on the agenda.

Speakers include SION leaders Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer from the US. They were barred from entering Britain last year to speak at an English Defence League rally because their presence was deemed to “not be conducive to the public good”. Ms Geller and Mr Spencer are critics of Islam and staunch supporters of Israel.

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