A town council mayor who claimed Muslims “cause mayhem with explosives” quit the Conservative party last night. Mirfield Mayor Clr Robert Bennett provoked outrage when comments he made about Islam in an email were leaked. Clr Bennett wrote in the email:
“I am aware Islamic organisations are keen to promote a view that they are peaceful, forward-thinking individuals who wish to integrate into the British way of life. The policy of clothing the feminine population of Dewsbury in black sack-like clothing from head to toe, the occasional trip out to cause mayhem with explosives and the proposal that all those of homosexual persuasion should be killed by shooting or other means is adequate and practical testimony to the level of progress being made in this direction.”
With an investigation into the leaked email under way, Clr Bennett told the town council: “I have decided to withdraw from membership of the Conservative party until such time as this matter is resolved.”
Clr Keith Sibbald, of Northorpe ward, spoke in the mayor’s defence. He said: “Those comments were intended to be off the cuff, but they have been taken up and used in an almost barbaric fashion by the Press.” Clr Sibbald went on to accuse Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik and the British National Party of using the controversy “to make political gain out of a private email”. Clr Sibbald then proposed a vote of confidence in Clr Bennett as mayor, which was passed.
“Walid Shoebat, Kamal Saleem and Zachariah Anani are the three stooges of the Christian right. These self-described former Muslim terrorists are regularly trotted out at Christian colleges – a few days ago they were at the Air Force Academy – to spew racist filth about Islam…. These men are frauds, but this is not the point. They are part of a dark and frightening war by the Christian right against tolerance that, in the moment of another catastrophic terrorist attack on American soil, would make it acceptable to target and persecute all Muslims, including the some 6 million Muslims who live in the United States. These men stoke these irrational fears….
A councillor who campaigns against a “mega mosque” near the Olympic Park in Stratford is to run for London mayor. Alan Craig, leader of the Christian People’s Alliance opposition group on Newham council, is to be a candidate in the 1 May poll. He will also run for the London Assembly and could win a seat if he secures five per cent of the votes cast across the capital. He has been chosen to represent the Christian Party and will brand himself the “Christian choice”.
“Beneath the deceptively placid surface of everyday life, the British population is engaged in a momentous encounter with Islam. Three developments of the past week, each of them culminating years’ long trend – and not just some odd occurrence – exemplify changes now underway…. These developments suggest that British appeasement concerning the war on terror, the nature of the family, and the rule of law are part of a larger pattern. Even more than the security threat posed by Islamist violence, these trends are challenging and perhaps will change the very nature of Western life.”
Islam attacked by both church and state