Category Archives: Far right racists

Muslim graves targeted in hate attack

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Up to 20 Muslim graves have been vandalised in a racially motivated attack at a south Manchester cemetery. Vandals struck at the Southern Cemetery on Barlow Moor Road sometime overnight on Thursday. Staff arrived at the cemetery to find up to 20 gravestones had been deliberately pushed over, and a number had broken. The attack is being treated as racially motivated as only Muslim graves were targeted.

Det Con Rob Southern said: “This is the worst sort of vandalism imaginable. The graves of your loved ones should be a place where they can rest peacefully and that is absolutely sacrosanct. Sadly, we are treating this as a hate crime as only the Muslim section of gravestones were attacked. This sort of mindless, racist behaviour must be utterly condemned and I’m sure the whole community will be outraged.”

Manchester Evening News, 2 October 2009

See also the Hope Not Hate blog, where Nick Lowles comments: “Coming just a week before the planned EDL protest in the city, this horrendous act has either been carried out to whip up tensions or is the consequence of the current wave of Islamophobia.”

UAF appeal: demonstrate against the racist hooligans of the EDL

Posted on by Bob Pitt

UAF_logoAnti-EDL demo in Manchester: Sat 10 October, 12 noon, Piccadilly Gardens

The racist hooligans of the English Defence League are planning a series of anti-Muslim demonstrations at towns and cities across the country in coming weeks. Previous EDL demonstrations have seen their thugs attack Asian people, chant “Muslims out” and worse at passers-by and make “seig heil” Nazi salutes.

It is vital that we do not sit back and allow a small minority of racist thugs with links to the fascist BNP to terrorise and intimidate Muslims in Britain. All communities need to stand up and link arms with Muslims against the EDL. That’s why Unite Against Fascism called a counter demonstration against the EDL in Birmingham in August. That’s why we helped mobilise thousands of people in Harrow last month to defend the local mosque against the EDL and its affiliates.

We need to turn out and tell the EDL that they are not wanted at all the following dates. We must not let these thugs turn the clock back to the 1970s when they ran round the streets terrorising black and Asian people – or back to the 1930s when Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts targeted Jews in the East End of London.

Saturday 10 October: say no to the racist EDL in Manchester

Manchester UAF has called a demonstration against the EDL at 12 noon in Piccadilly Gardens. It is supported by the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Mancheseter and the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester. Email mancuaf@gmail.com for more details.

Forthcoming EDL demonstrations include:

17 October: Swansea
24 October: Newport
31 October: Leeds
7 November: Nottingham
14 November: Glasgow

Local UAF groups have called protests counter demonstrations at all these places – full details to follow.

Does the EDL hate Muslims?

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDLSupporterOver at the right-wing US website Family Security Matters, Adrian Morgan has posted a four-part analysis of the anti-Muslim protests organised by the English Defence League.

Observing that “the identification of players on the far left is complex enough” (yes we’d noticed that Morgan has difficulties with that), in the third part of the series he tries to identify the individuals and ideologies behind the EDL protests. To that end, Morgan sent a questionnaire about the EDL to various people linked to the organisation and received replies from Paul Ray of the Lionheart blog, Stephen Gash of Stop Islamisation of Europe and Mickey Smith of Casuals United.

Given the EDL’s official claim that it is protesting against a minority of Islamist extremists like al-Muhajiroun rather than against the Muslim community as a whole, the answers to Morgan’s question “Is EDL against Muslims, Islamists, or immigrants?” are of interest.

Paul Ray replies that “anyone trying to convert great Britain into an Islamic State, whether peacefully or militantly, is an enemy of the British people, so those are who I am against. If a Moslem is not actively engaged in trying to convert their host Nation into an Islamic State then they are not Moslem. Islamists are just the military wing of the religion…. Take a read of Robert Spencer’s Stealth Jihad which talks about the silent subversive war to take our countries over…. Obviously there are many Islamic militants who are arriving and have arrived in Britain through the immigrant route and have claimed and are claiming asylum in the country which then brings the immigrant question into the equation.”

Stephen Gash’s answer is: “We do not believe in moderate Muslims…. Some Muslims are more active than others, but all Muslims want sharia law and Islam to rule the world. Moderate Muslims are those who watch non-Muslims being killed, but still say Allah u Akbar when the killing is happening. Therefore, we obviously oppose Islamists because Islamists are merely Muslims, and Muslims are Islamists. We oppose immigration from Muslim countries.”

The response by Casuals United spokesperson Mickey Smith is more in line with the EDL’s tactic of covering up their extremist views and masquerading as moderates. Smith replies blandly that the EDL “is against Islamic Extremist, not Muslim people per se, those whose declared aim is to make Britain an Islamic state, and who laugh at our soldiers dying on their websites”.

Unfortunately for Smith, this stance is rather undermined by the explicit anti-Muslim statements on Casuals United’s own website: “I once read a book ‘The prophesies of Nostradamus’ and it said ‘Islamic hordes will invade europe but a British counter attack will drive them back’…. Our advice is this, NEVER EVER vote for any Muslim MP or Councillor as its clear their main interest ‘inshalla’ is the advancement of Islam and not the interests of this country.”

See also “Fomenting hate between Muslims and Christians” at ENGAGE, 1 October 2009

Ehsan Jami joins Wilders’ party

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Amsterdam — A Dutch self-declared ex-Muslim and critic of Islam has joined the rightist Freedom Party PVV which is also highly critical of Islam, its party leader confirmed Thursday.

Iranian-born Ehsan Jami, 24, may run for a council seat in The Hague in the upcoming local elections in 2010. Or, he may try to enter parliament following the general elections in 2011, PVV leader Geert Wilders said. “I think he prefers parliament,” Wilders said, adding Jami was someone “with guts and interesting viewpoints.”

Jami, born and raised in Iran, previously was a council member for left-wing Labour in Leidschendam-Voorburg near The Hague. In the spring of 2007 he established a committee for former Muslims demanding Muslims’ right to renounce their faith.

In September of that year he wrote an op-ed essay together with Freedom Party leader Wilders in the national daily Volkskrant, in which they compared Mohammed with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Labour subsequently expelled Jami from the party, but he continued as an independent councilman in Leidschendam-Voorburg. Both the liberal VVD and the Freedom Party tried to recruit Jami in the following months.

DPA, 1 October 2009

Calling the EDL what it is

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Luton riotNick Lowles of Searchlight reports that he has been inundated with indignant emails from English Defence League supporters objecting to his description of them as “hooligans”. Perhaps Nick should be grateful they’re not threatening to take him to court for libel. But his reply to the EDL’s complaints is spot on:

“Nearly all their key people are football hooligans – many with related convictions and banning orders. Most of the people they are mobilising around the country are from the football hooligan networks. I do not call the EDL a fascist organisation because it is not (though this doesn’t make any less dangerous and of course there are many active fascists within it and at a senior level) but organically linked and driven by football hooligans it is. I should also add racist and Islamophobic as well.”

Hope Not Hate blog, 30 September 2009

Certainly a more accurate understanding of the character of the EDL than that shown by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Scottish Defence League demo opposed by police

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Scotland’s largest police force has promised to “oppose” a demonstration by anti-Muslim extremists if the event is intent on stirring up racial hatred. It is the SDL’s intention to hold a demonstration in Scotland on November 14 that is worrying local authorities, police and community activists.

Authorities believe the SDL has earmarked George Square in Glasgow or land near the city’s sheriff court building as possible locations for the demonstration. The latter venue is close to Glasgow Central mosque, a focal point for Strathclyde’s 30,000 Muslims. Another option being considered for the protest, according to websites used by EDL supporters, is the Hillhead Tavern in Kilmarnock. Al-Huda Educational Society of Kilmarnock has hopes of buying the pub and turning it into Ayrshire’s first mosque.

However, the Sunday Herald understands that Strathclyde Police are ready to oppose any application for a rally that stirs up racial tensions. Inspector Brian Gibson reportedly told a public meeting in Glasgow last week that such a proposal would not be welcomed by his force.

Groups need a local council’s permission if a rally requires the use of a “public space”, such as George Square, or if a procession involves road closures. It is at the point of a formal application that a police force can advise a local authority on whether an event should take place.

Osama Saeed, chief executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, said: “We congratulate Glasgow City Council and Strathclyde Police for the stance that they’ve taken on the SDL. The likelihood is, though, that even if banned there will be an illegal protest. We have to be ready for that. Some sort of action against this protest is inevitable and necessary, though it is essential that it is peaceful.”

A police spokesperson said: “A police officer in attendance at the [public] meeting stated if an application was received from a group whom we believe were intent on causing racial hatred on the streets, then Strathclyde Police would oppose it.” A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said he was not aware of an SDL application having been made yet.

Sunday Herald, 27 September 2009

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EDL not extreme rightwing group, claims Met commissioner

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The significance of the far right should not be “overplayed” after clashes between anti-Islamic groups and Asian youths, the head of Scotland Yard warned on Thursday.

Far-right protests in Birmingham, Luton and Harrow had caused distress to Muslim communities, said Sir Paul Stephenson, commissioner of the Metropolitan police, “and I anticipate further problems”.

But he said: “We’ve got to be very careful to keep the problem in context and not to overplay [the far right’s] significance and give them an oxygen that serves their purpose.”

Sir Paul told the Metropolitan Police Authority the EDL and Stop the Islamisation of Europe were not viewed as extreme rightwing groups and could not be barred from protesting under the law that bans incitement to racial hatred.

Financial Times, 25 September 2009

What Stephenson told the MPA, in response to a question about the SIOE/EDL demonstration against Harrow Central Mosque, was that the EDL “per se are not viewed as an extreme right wing group in the accepted sense and have the right to protest”.

EDL claims it has Muslims’ support (yes, really)

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL NoMoreMosquesThe English Defence League last night claimed it had been swamped with messages of support from all races. And the masked men also said followers of Islam had contacted the EDL after the group produced a video proclaiming it is “anti-fascist”.

Yesterday the Daily Star revealed exclusive photos of the group’s swastika-burning video, which was its response to critics who say the organisation’s true motives can be compared to the Nazis.

The EDL said its campaign is only against hate-preaching fanatics, terrorists and Sharia Law. It says it has wrongly been linked with the far-right and BNP and only calls for integration. It said moderate Muslims were welcome in the country.

Daily Star, 24 September 2009

Update:  See also “Richard Desmond and the far-right”, Tabloid Watch, 27 September 2009

SIOE plans to return to Harrow Central Mosque to protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stephen GashAn anti-Muslim group forced to call off a 9/11 protest in Harrow for fear of violent reprisals is planning to return if it can raise 2,000 supporters.

Stop the Islamisation of Europe had planned to demonstrate against Islam outside Harrow Central Mosque on Friday, September 11, but was forced to abandon the demonstration because of police fears of a riot in the streets of Wealdstone.

A handful of supporters who did turn up were chased away by hordes of predominantly Asian men, some wielding sticks as weapons, who had broken away from more than 1,000 pro-Mosque supporters who had gathered outside Harrow Central Mosque, in Station Road.

However, Stephen Gash, the SIOE organiser, told the Harrow Times he was thinking of organising another demonstration in Harrow, and a message has been posted on the group’s website confirming it will return if 2,000 people pledge to turn up.

Mr Gash said 60 people had traveled to Harrow on September 11, and insisted they had a right to protest against what he claimed was totalitarian mosques preaching Jihad.

The first protest was widely condemned by leading members of the Harrow community, but police have conceded they have no powers to ban a lawful and peaceful protest.

Harrow Times, 22 September 2009

Before you get too worked up about Gash’s threat, bear in mind that when this pathetic little man organised his “Stop Kuffarphobia” demonstration in London two years ago he told the police he expected a thousand protestors to join him. The actual attendance was variously estimated at between 15 and 30.