Category Archives: Far right racists

BNP tries to regain lost ground in Stoke by scaremongering over halal meat

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Say No to IslamFar-right politicians in Stoke-on-Trent are campaigning for halal meat to be taken off school menus.

Seventeen of the 93 city schools are offering the ritually-slaughtered meat in their canteens after at least 10 per cent of parents backed the move. But the British National Party (BNP) is calling on Stoke-on-Trent City Council to ban the halal meat on animal welfare grounds.

BNP group leader Councillor Michael Coleman today denied the campaign is an attack on Muslims. Instead he urged councillors to stop the “barbaric method of slaughter”.

“The council tries to make out that it is just an option, but I don’t believe that is the case in all these schools. I think it is just being served up and pupils are not even aware that they are eating it. It’s against the law for me to kill an animal in that way, but it’s fine for a Muslim or a Jew to do it. It’s an unacceptable state of affairs.”

Halal meat has been provided to some city schools since 2000. It is estimated that halal meat accounts for about four per cent of the meat served in the 17 schools. All the schools offer an alternative to halal meat, except St Mark’s Primary.

Shelton Islamic Centre director Rana Tufail, said: “I am not aware of any problems caused by serving halal meat in schools in the last 10 years.” Community Voice Councillor Peter Kent-Baguley accused the BNP of “making mischief” against Muslims. He said: “The BNP are fiddling while our services burn, and are patently seeking to make trouble.”

Parents today hit out at the BNP motion which goes before the council on December 9. Sarah Richardson, whose nine-year-old son, Jordan, attends St Mark’s Primary, said: “I don’t see what the fuss is about. Jordan loves the food at school.” Jordan, of Whitmore Street, Hanley, said: “I really like the halal burgers, but my favourite school dinner is curry.”

The Sentinel, 30 November 2010

See also BNP news report, 24 November 2010

No doubt the BNP hopes this campaign will restore their political fortunes in Stoke-on-Trent, where election defeats and defections have reduced them to five councillors from a high point of nine, while in this year’s general election BNP candidate Simon Darby received a derisory 7.7% of the vote in Stoke-on-Trent Central, a seat the BNP thought it had a good chance of winning.

Swiss People’s Party launches anti-Islam manifesto

Posted on by Bob Pitt

SVP anti-Islam manifesto

A year after Swiss voters approved a ban on the building of minarets, both pro and contra groups are launching new campaigns to put the issue back on the political agenda.

An anti-minaret movement led by Ulrich Schlüer of the rightwing Swiss People’s Party presented a manifesto on Monday against the Islamisation of Switzerland. The document underlines Switzerland’s Christian foundations and aims to prevent the creation of a parallel society inspired by Islamic sharia law.

Schlüer said the group had waited a year in vain for the government to implement the minaret ban. A sign of the lack of progress was the green light canton Bern gave in September to the building of a minaret in the town of Langenthal, the politician said. The Bern authorities argued at the time that planning permission was originally granted months before the controversial vote.

Also on Monday, an Islamic group based in Bern said it was launching an initiative to lift the minaret ban. The Islamic Central Council – which represents 13 Islamic organisations with 1,700 members – said the aim of the initiative was to restore “the constitutional right of equality of all citizens regardless of their religious faith”.

The council said it would submit a text to the federal chancellery in January for initial examination. If the group decides to go ahead, it will have to collect 100,000 signatures within 18 months in order to force a nationwide vote.

More than 300,000 Muslims reside in Switzerland. When it is completed, the Langenthal minaret will be the fifth in the country.

swissinfo, 29 November 2010

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EDL shows violent racism with ‘Burn a mosque’ chant

Posted on by Bob Pitt

English Defence League supporters showed their true colours in Preston on Saturday, when a group marched down a main shopping street chanting: “Burn a mosque down, burn a mosque.”

The EDL make frequent claims that they are not racist or violent, but their deeply offensive call to burn down Muslims’ places of worship shows the reality of the organisation, which has links with the British National Party and other fascist groups.

The video shows the group of EDL supporters – who appear to have separated from the main body of up to 1,000 that descended on Preston on 27 November – chanting the offensive slogan.

UAF news report, 29 November 2010

Fascist graffiti sprayed on French mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Marmande mosque graffiti

Sud Ouest reports that racist graffiti was sprayed on the door of a mosque in Marmande in southwestern France. As you can see from the photograph the act was clearly fascist in inspiration, featuring a swastika and an Odin cross along with the letters FN (Front National).

The president of the association that manages the mosque is quoted as saying that the building has suffered similar attacks over the past two or three years and that he has reported the latest incident to the authorities in the hope that “this time the police will do something”.

BNP campaigns against Islamification of Bletchley

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The British National Party branch in Milton Keynes is to launch a public campaign consisting of leaflets, petitions and public protest actions against the conversion of a pub into a mosque in Bletchley, local organiser Kieren Trent has announced.

“We decided to start the campaign after being approached by angry members of the public,” Mr Trent said. “We have warned local people about the threat of creeping Islamification, and the conversion of an English pub into a mosque shows how our culture is gradually being replaced by a different culture. Another mosque in the area will change the nature and character of the area, as has happened everywhere else where these buildings have been allowed.”

The BNP has already started campaigning in the area on the issue, Mr Trent, who stood in the Easton Manor ward for the BNP, said. “The reception so far has been fantastic. The Eaton Manor and Lakes area is largely white working class, of whom many already feel dispossessed of their cultural security and identity.”

BNP news report, 29 November 2010

See also MK News, 24 November 2010

EDL targets school where pupil burnt Qur’an

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A school where a 15-year-old girl allegedly burnt a copy of the Koran could become the target of extremists.

English Defence League supporters identified the school, alongside demands for the mass burning of Islam’s holiest book in protest at the pupil’s arrest. The youngster allegedly posted a video of her setting fire to the Koran on Facebook.

The footage was reported to education chiefs and subsequently removed. She was arrested on suspcion of inciting racial hatred on November 19. A 14-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of making threats.

Both have since been released on police bail. Sandwell Council and West Midlands Police had asked the media not to name the school in an attempt to prevent extremists provoking trouble.

But EDL supporters ignored the request and, as well as naming the school on the internet, called for demonstrations that could lead to violence. But a senior teacher at the school said the girl did not realise what she was doing.

He said: “If she stopped to consider the fallout, and the offence it would cause to people within her own community, I honestly don’t believe she would have done it.”

Sunday Mercury, 28 November 2010

See also “Sandwell school fears ‘bandwagon’ over Koran burning”, BBC News, 27 November 2010

EDL tries to win support among other minorities by inciting fear and hatred of Muslims, report warns

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nachum Shifren with Carroll and Lennon
Nachum Shifren with EDL leaders Kevin Carroll and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon

A white extremist organisation is forging links with Jewish, Sikh and gay communities to fuel prejudice and fear and hatred of the Muslim community, it was claimed today.

The English Defence League (EDL), which was formed last year in protest at Islamic extremist activity, has also reached out across the Atlantic to build close ties with the American right-wing group, the Tea Party.

Hundreds of EDL members are planning demonstrations in Nuneaton and Preston today to protest at the building of mosques and what they claim is the growing influence in the UK of Sharia law.

But a new report, written by Professor Nigel Copsey of Teesside University, warns that the growth of EDL membership will spread Islamophobia in communities sharing a perceived “historical angst” against Muslims.

New branches of the League, such as the Jewish Division, could exploit the existing religious hostilities caused by territorial disputes in the Middle East, says Professor Copsey whose report was commissioned by the organisation Faith Matters.

It claims that these inter-faith tensions were brought into sharp focus last month when the senior US Jewish leader and Tea Party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren denounced Islam at a EDL rally outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Israeli flags have also been spotted at several EDL demonstrations across the UK.

As well as aggravating religious tensions, the EDL has established a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Division to “defend” gay people from Sharia law. There are also specialist divisions for women, soldiers and disabled people.

Professor Copsey warned: “True to the spirit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the EDL is targeting other ethnic communities. These communities need to guard against approaches by the EDL.”

Founder and director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, said: “The EDL’s main aim is to increase tensions, raise hate and divide communities. Their attempts to portray themselves as a legitimate and open movement cannot disguise their violent, anti-Muslim agenda. This hate can easily mutate against another community.”

The Faith Matters report is entitled The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality.

Independent, 28 November 2010

See also “EDL threatens social inclusion in UK, report warns”,IRNA, 27 November 2010

Nine arrested during EDL protest in Preston

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Preston

Police have made nine arrests during a protest by supporters of the far-right group the English Defence League.

Around 1,000 people joined the demonstration by the EDL in Preston city centre, and 150 counter-demonstrators from Unite Against Fascism also gathered nearby.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Although there were minor scuffles amongst the EDL demonstrators, there were only a handful of arrests for drunken or disorderly behaviour.

“Today’s demonstrations have been relatively incident-free and the majority of demonstrators have left the area.”

Police said officers remained in the city centre after the protest to ensure that any remaining demonstrators left the area in a peaceful manner.

Press Association, 27 November 2010

See also “Preston councillors and trade unionists stand up against EDL”, UAF news story, 27 November 2010

Update:  Over at over at Hope not hate, Searchlight have some revealing pictures of the EDL demonstration. See for example below:

EDL Preston 2

Nuneaton: EDL throw fireworks and bottles at locals

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Nuneaton
Nuneaton – police try to stop the EDL attacking local people (photo: Searchlight)

The racist thugs of the English Defence League threw lit fireworks and bottles at antiracist demonstrators from the local community in Nuneaton today.

The EDL – a violent, racist organisation with links to the British National Party and other fascist groups – mobilised across the Midlands and south of England to bring up to 800 to their Nuneaton “protest”, with some coming from parts of the north, including West Yorkshire.

They threw missiles at around 200-300 counter-protestors, mainly from Nuneaton, who had gathered to show that the EDL’s racism and violence is not welcome in their town.

Other members of the local community gathered to defend the area’s mosque from the EDL racists, who particularly target Muslims.

The antiracist counter-demo, which was backed by trade unionists from local National Union of Teachers and Unison branches, was boosted by the arrival of local Asian youths. Despite the violence of the EDL, antiracists made sure the voice of opposition was heard.

After the EDL had gone, the antiracist demonstrators were all invited back to the local Asian community centre for hot drinks and to warm up.

UAF news report, 27 November 2010

Update:  See also “Arrests during EDL protest in Nuneaton”, Sunday Mercury, 28 November 2010

Anti-Allah outburst earns EDL supporter £200 fine after protest in Leicester

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Leicester Mercury reports that EDL supporter Lee Whitby has been convicted of chanting “threatening, abusive or insulting” words that were likely to cause “harassment, alarm or distress” during an EDL demonstration in Leicester last month.

According to the Mercury, Whitby was convicted of a “racially aggravated” offence. This would seem unlikely, given that Muslims are legally defined as a multi-ethnic faith community. The BBC earlier earlier reported that Whitby had been charged with a religiously aggravated offence.