Category Archives: UK

Men who attacked Poole mosque sentenced to four months in prison

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Four men who smashed windows in a religiously-aggravated attack on a Poole mosque were jailed for four months today.

Before their afternoon attack on the Dorset Islamic Cultural Centre on May 23, Michael Manyweathers, Robert Mullins, Trevor Mullins and Jeremy Rochester had been drinking and discussing the murder of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich the day before.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that 34-year-old Rochester used a stick to smash six windows, encouraged by Manyweathers, 49, and Trevor Mullins, 38. Robert Mullins, 35, who drove them to the Ashley Road mosque, sat in the car nearby. They were interrupted by an off-duty police officer who was walking nearby with his elderly father, and later arrested.

All four pleaded guilty to racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage as the attack was deemed a joint enterprise.

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EDL march banned from Woolwich

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A planned march to Woolwich tomorrow (June 29) by far-right group the EDL has been banned by police – but its leader has vowed to visit anyway.

The group had planned to end an Armed Forces Day march – billed as a charity walk – in Woolwich where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in May. But the police have announced new conditions imposed on the event.

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Man arrested in connection with Walsall mosque bomb

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Aisha Mosque Walsall (2)A 75-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or damage property after a home-made bomb exploded near a mosque.

West Midlands police said the man was arrested at his home in Walsall on Thursday afternoon by detectives from the counter-terrorism unit. He has been taken to a police station in the West Midlands for questioning.

Officers are searching his home address as part of the investigation into the home-made explosive, the remains of which were found in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street, in the Caldmore area of Walsall, last Saturday. The arrest comes as part of a major investigation by specialist detectives and experts from the West Midlands counter-terrorism unit.

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Dog whistle politics in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by Bob Pitt

This is a crosspost from Socialist Unity

Contrary to the right-wing myth that it is being transformed into “Britain’s Islamic Republic”, the east London borough of Tower Hamlets is in reality a highly diverse place. Residents of Bangladeshi heritage comprise 32% of the total population according to the 2011 census, only slightly more than those describing themselves as “White British”, who make up 31.2% of the borough’s population, while those in the third largest category, “White Other”, account for a further 12.4%. Muslims are the largest religious group, but at 35% of the population they are heavily outnumbered by people of other faiths and none.

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Geller and Spencer banned from UK

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Spencer, Carroll, Geller and Lennon in Stockholm

Two of the people behind a campaign against the building of the “Ground Zero Mosque” in New York have been barred from entering Britain to speak at an English Defence League rally in London this weekend, it has been announced.

The Home Secretary Theresa May has told Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, both of the anti-Islamic group Stop Islamization of America, that their presence in the UK would “not be conducive to the public good”. The decision, which they cannot appeal, will stand for between three and five years.

According to the Home Office, Mr Spencer and Ms Geller set up organisations “described as anti-Muslim hate groups” and, consequently, they have been told not to travel to Britain.

The decision follows pressure from anti-racist groups and chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz, who wrote to Ms May earlier this week asking her to consider a ban.

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Shock revelation by Daily Mail: Obama administration held meeting with influential Muslim leader

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The White House’s National Security Council has confirmed that staffers held a June 13 meeting with Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah, an Islamist cleric who shares leadership of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, where he is vice-president and the terror supporter Yusuf al-Qaradawi is president.

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Swastikas and EDL/NF graffiti sprayed on Redditch Central Mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Redditch mosque EDL graffitiA mosque being built in Worcestershire has been broken into and graffiti including swastikas sprayed on to the walls and windows.

The damage at the mosque in Jinnah Road, Redditch, was caused between 02:00 BST and 04:30. Graffiti was sprayed over at least six windows. The intruders forced their way through a gate and broke into the main building.

Police believe the motive for the attack was to steal building equipment. A spokesperson said about £1,000 worth of equipment was taken and the paint used to daub the swastikas was stolen from the building.

Officers had increased patrols in the area and were guarding the site. Supt Kevin Purcell, of West Mercia Police, said because of incidents “happening nationally”, targeted patrols had been put in place at the mosque, which has been under construction for several years. He said they would now be “further increased” and police would not “tolerate mindless attacks of this nature”.

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Union leader brings message of solidarity to Muslim community

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey became one of the first senior trade union leaders to officially address worshippers at Friday prayers when he visited two mosques in East London on 21 June.

He brought a message of support and solidarity to the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets and the wider Muslim community across the UK when he addressed Friday prayers at Brick Lane mosque. He then walked through Brick Lane market with Tower Hamlets executive mayor Lutfur Rahman. They both then went to the East London mosque where Len McCluskey greeted worshippers and met Muslim community leaders.

Unite condemns the recent attacks on Muslim men and women by far right extremists and racists and offers the hand of friendship. Unite believes that every person in our community should live without fear and intimidation.