The leader of far-right group the North East Infidels has appeared in court accused of causing disorder during a demonstration at the site of a new mosque in Sunderland.
Warren Faulkner, who leads a splinter group of the English Defence League, will be tried by a jury after he denied causing fear or provocation of violence at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court on Thursday March 21, 2013.
He also pleaded not guilty to possessing cocaine, a Class A drug.
A priest who has allowed Muslims to pray in his church has been hit by a barrage of abuse by internet “trolls”.
St John’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen became the first church in the UK to share their building with Muslims after Rev Isaac Poobalan saw members of a neighbouring mosque praying outside in the snow because of a lack of space.
Hundred of Muslims now pray in the church’s main hall and chapel every week, but the news has not been well received by some Christians, who have taken to the church’s Facebook page to blast the decision.
Unite Against Fascism Scotland Conference Sat 23 March 2013
Stopping the rise of fascism and racism
Celebrate Multiculturalism, Challenge Islamophobia
11.30 – 4.30pm
Unison Glasgow City Branch
84 Bell Street,
G1 Glasgow,
United Kingdom
For more information contact: uafscotland@gmail.com
A fresh courtroom battle is planned over the controversial multi-million-pound Dudley Mosque as a date has been fixed for an appeal hearing.
High Court judges will hear the latest appeal by the Dudley Muslim Association into the long-running battle in June.
A Scottish reverend has invited Muslims to pray alongside Christians in an Aberdeen church because the nearby mosque is so small that some worshippers were forced to pray outside.
The rector of St John’s church, Rev Isaac Poobalan, has made parts of the building available to the congregation of the mosque. Up to 100 Muslims now pray in the main chapel five times every Friday.
Demonstrations by the British National Party and Unite Against Fascism in Rotherham passed peacefully, police said.
Seven BNP supporters were given section 27 dispersal orders. Two were arrested for breaching these orders.
About 40 turned out for the far-right party near the B&Q roundabout to protest plans for a replacement Chapel Walk mosque.
Predictably, the right-wing press has seized on the dispute over so-called gender segregation at last Saturday’s iERA debate at UCL to further its “Islamisation of Britain” narrative.
The Daily Mail covers the story in detail (“University College London bans hard-line Islamic group which tried to segregate men and women at a debate held on university premises”), as does the Telegraph, which has interviewed Lawrence Krauss (“Britons afraid to challenge radical Islam, says former Obama adviser”). The latter paper also has a comment piece (“Even a right-on Obama advisor is shocked by Islamic sexism at UCL”) by Toby Young, who in recent years has become a something of a byword for dyspeptic right-wing bigotry.
Peace campaigners are to unite against the English Defence League when they hold their biggest march of the year through Tyneside.
Hundreds of members of the right-wing organisation will walk from Newcastle’s Central Station to the Bigg Market in protest over plans for an Islamic School at the former Byker Grove building in the city’s West End.
Now faith leaders and councillors are gathering to organise a peaceful city centre festival on the same day to celebrate Newcastle’s ethnic diversity.
Islamophobia Awareness Conference: Edinburgh 2013
Muslim Bashing … so wrong … so stop it now!
Saturday 16th March 2pm to 5pm
Augustine United Church, 41 George 4th Bridge, EH1 1EL
Speakers:
Inayat Bunglawala: Muslim writer (inayatscorner.wordpress.com)
Yvonne Ridley: Journalist and war correspondent
Eddie Truman: Co-founder of Islamophobia Watch
Craig Murray: Former UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan
Margaret Woods from Unite Against Fascism
Organised by Edinburgh Stop the War, Radio Ramadan, Muslim Women’s Association of Edinburgh, SACC, Unite Against Fascism
Stalls and food at the event
No charge for entry but donations to cover costs welcome