Category Archives: Far right racists

Protest against EDL racists and fascists: Leicester, Saturday 4 February

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UAF Leicester leafletAntiracists will take to the streets to show their opposition to the racists and fascists of the English Defence League on Saturday 4 February.

The EDL thugs want to stir up racism and division among the city’s diverse community. But people in Leicester have already shown the EDL is not wanted in Leicester – thousands turned out to show their opposition to the EDL and in October 2010.

Now black, white and Asian people are set to show their unity against the EDL again at a ‘Love Leicester, Hate Racism’ demonstration organised by UAF in the city centre on 4 February.

The protest against the EDL will assemble at 11am on Saturday 4 February at the Clock Tower, Leicester City Centre.

The antiracist, antifascist event is supported by CWU Leicestershire branch, Leicestershire County Unison, PCS Leicester and Leicestershire branch, Stoneygate Labour Party, Unite 0168M branch and Leicester District Trades Council.

Please join the protest against the EDL – bring your banners!

>> Get leaflets here

Last week, a packed public meeting heard UAF speakers, local trade unionists, community leaders, youth activists and Labour councillors urge unity against the EDL.

UAF news/action report, 27 January 2012

EDL supporter attacked family with knives, threatened to kill them

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A family barricaded themselves in their home as a neighbour armed with knives threatened to kill them, a court heard. Daniel Smith is said to have shouted racist abuse and English Defence League slogans as he smashed his way into the Thornhill Lees home.

Yesterday, victim Waaqas Ahmed said: “He was like a vicious animal against his prey, lunging. It’s a miracle I didn’t get hurt.”

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Wilders’ party helps critic to top European job

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nils Muiznieks(3)Geert Wilders’ populist Freedom Party (PVV) this week helped ensure one of its fiercest international critics got a top European job.

The PVV was so determined to block the appointment of Dutch Labour MP Frans Timmermans as human rights commissioner for the Council of Europe that it inadvertently helped Latvia’s Nils Muiznieks get the post.

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‘Strict Muslim’ raped four women at knifepoint to ‘punish them for being on the streets at night’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Thus the headline to an article in today’s Daily Mail. As is almost invariably the case when this newspaper reports on any issue involving Muslims, the headline is intentionally misleading.

If you read the article, you’ll see it is the rapist’s family background that is characterised as “strict Muslim” not the individual himself. In fact the judge in passing sentence made the point that the rapist carried out the attacks despite and in contradiction to his religious upbringing: “The fact that you have attacked these women not withstanding your background must represent your own wholly warped personality.”

But the headline suggests to the reader that it was the man’s strict adherence to his faith which produced the violent misogyny that led him to commit these crimes.

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Dutch veil ban legislation criticised by government advisory body

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Draft legislation aimed at banning burkas in the Netherlands has been heavily criticised by the government’s most important advisory body and needs significant amendments, news agency ANP reports, citing regional newspapers.

The GPD papers, who base their claim on sources in The Hague, say the Council of State delivered its recommendations to the home affairs ministry in November, but the legislation is only due to be sent to parliament this week – eight weeks later.

The Council of State has given the draft law “one of the most critical judgments possible”, ANP says. Estimates of how many women wear a burka in the Netherlands range from a handful to around 100.

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France: far-right graffiti on mosque and pig’s heads left at construction site

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Montigny-en-Ostrevent mosque graffiti
Fascist graffiti on the wall of Montigny-en-Ostrevent mosque

Saphir News reports on two Islamophobic attacks in France (see here and here). Fascist graffiti were painted on the wall of a mosque that is under construction in Montigny-en-Ostrevent, and two pig’s heads were left at the site where another mosque is being built in Nanterre.

See also “Islam en France : profanation de la mosquée de Montigny-en-Ostrevent”, AJIB, 19 January 2012

And “2 têtes de cochon à Nanterre”, CCIF, 22 January 2012

Joan Smith on ‘intimidation’ of Islam critics

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Joan Smith at Leveson inquiryJoan Smith had an article in yesterday’s Independent on Sunday (“Strong religious belief is no excuse for intimidation”) on the theme of Muslim attempts to suppress freedom of expression. Her arguments have been enthusiastically endorsed by fellow liberal Islamophobe Nick Cohen on his Spectator blog.

Smith claims that there has been an upsurge in attempts to intimidate critics of Islam, and gives three recent examples:

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Socialists now most popular party in Netherlands, support for Wilders’ PVV continues to slide

Posted on by Bob Pitt

For the first time ever, the Dutch Socialist Party has emerged as the biggest party in a national weekly opinion poll. At the same time, support for Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party continues to dwindle. And Labour and the Christian Democrats – once the biggest parties – see their combined number of seats plummet to a mere 29.

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The false claims about ‘two-tier system’ behind EDL’s planned Leicester protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Leicester Mercury exposes the lies and myths surrounding the assault on Rhea Page, which have been exploited by the English Defence League in order to mobilise its supporters for a protest in Leicester next month.

The Mercury argues:

One can only conclude that the reason the EDL has leapt upon the misunderstandings about this case is because it actually has a much wider agenda. It is seeking to propagate a message that white English people are becoming second-class citizens in their own country and preferential treatment is given to Muslims.

That is, of course, deeply divisive and dangerous stuff which breeds resentment between communities. And, as we have seen, its argument crumbles as soon as one carries out a detailed examination of the facts.

See also “Brilliant public meeting as Leicester unites to oppose EDL”, UAF news report, 20 January 2012