Category Archives: UK

UKIP leader denounces ‘Ayatollah Livingstone’, calls for second preference vote for Boris Johnson

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Farage and flagBoris Johnson continues to win support from the anti-Muslim right for his bid to be re-elected to the London mayoralty. Following on from his endorsement by the English Defence League’s football hooligan section, UKIP is now calling on its supporters to cast their second preference vote for Johnson.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has explained: “Ken Livingstone is dangerous and does not represent the aspirations of Old Labour at all. His comments on Islam, calling for London to be a ‘beacon for Islam’ and to spend the next four years ensuring Londoners know the teachings of Mohammed are divisive, opportunistic and totally unacceptable.

“He has clearly been learning politics from George Galloway and is pandering dangerously to one religious group. He is standing to be the Mayor for the whole of London and, particularly with the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee celebrations, should be someone all Londoners can respect and be proud of.

“While we have deep reservations about some of Boris Johnson’s views, especially his support for amnesties for illegal immigrants, we now recommend that Londoners give him their second preference vote. Ken Livingstone – Ayatollah Livingston – would be a disaster for London.”

Islam has made London a more conservative place than it was 50 years ago

Posted on by Bob Pitt

So Ed West claims on his Telegraph blog. “The new conservatism of London has already had profound effects, as demographic changes gather pace”, he tells us.

The evidence West presents to justify the assertion that London’s Muslim community is having such an impact on a city in which 92% of the population is non-Muslim is, unsurprisingly, thin to say the least. He refers us to the hyped-up story about an alcohol ban at London Metropolitan University and to some swimwear adverts having been defaced in Tower Hamlets, where he invites us to believe there is a particular problem with homophobic violence (omitting to mention that the problem is much more serious in neighbouring Islington). Oh, and seven years ago Tate Britain decided not to show a piece of conceptual art that featured the Qur’an.

And that’s it. That’s the basis on which we’re asked to accept that Muslims (with some small assistance from “African Christians”) have turned London into “one of the most religiously conservative places in England”.

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‘Nazi salute’ EDL supporter banned from football matches

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A football hooligan who performed a Nazi salute and unveiled an English Defence League flag has been banned from football matches.

Lincoln City supporter Peter Briggs, 19, was associated with several violent flare-ups at football matches between 2009 and February this year. He appeared at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, April 5, where Lincolnshire Police applied for a civil banning order against him.

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Lincoln BNP candidate arrested over ‘racist images’ on Facebook page

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dean LowtherA British National Party candidate in Lincoln has been arrested over allegations of racist content on his Facebook page.

It was reported that anti-Islamic and other racist images and slogans appeared on the site of Dean Lowther, who is standing in Bracebridge ward in the city council elections.

Lincolnshire Police spokesman James Newall said: “Police have reviewed the material in question and a 45-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of producing material inciting racial hatred in the south of the city this morning. He is currently helping police with their enquiries.”

Lincolnshire Echo, 12 April 2012

According to an earlier report in the paper: “Muslim women were pictured with words stating that they are ‘heading our way’ and will claim benefits for their children from ‘our race traitor Government’.”

Anti-racists unite to take on EDL threat in Luton

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL placards Luton February 2011
Placards at EDL demonstration in Luton in February 2011

Anti-fascist activists, Muslim groups, trade unionists and local councillors in Luton are banding together to see off the threat from the racist English Defence League (EDL).

The EDL is threatening to march through Luton town centre on Saturday 5 May. They have targeted the town several times in the past, notably in February last year.

But the groups behind the “We Are Luton” statement have vowed to oppose the EDL and mount a march to St George’s Square. That’s the place where the EDL assembled last time, with police help.

“The EDL is a racist group dedicated to promoting hatred and intolerance in society,” the statement reads. “Islamophobia – bigotry against Muslims – is as unacceptable as any other form of racism.”

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Vote for Boris, says English Defence League

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Casuals United Vote for Boris

You may remember that in the 2008 London mayoral election the British National Party called for a second preference vote for Boris Johnson. The EDL’s football hooligan section, Casuals United, has outdone the BNP by advocating a first preference for Johnson in this year’s election. Their call has been endorsed by the EDL Jewish Division.

The “shining beacon of Islam” quote and the reference to promising financial support to Muslims are of course taken from a piece by Andrew Gilligan, which misrepresented a speech given by Ken Livingstone at the North London Central Mosque.

Gilligan’s impact on the London mayoral election this year is far less than in 2008, when his witch-hunt of Ken’s then equalities advisor Lee Jasper produced screaming headlines on Evening Standard billboards across London. These days most of his “journalism” has been relegated to a blog on the Telegraph‘s website. Still, Gilligan must be gratified to know that he still has some influence somewhere, even if it’s among a gang of racist thugs.

Tories seek Jason Kenney’s advice on courting BME voters

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Jason Kenney at MCCBritain’s ruling Conservative Party is reportedly seeking Jason Kenney’s help with an outreach effort among the U.K.’s ethnic minorities, longtime backers of the Labour party.

British news reports have quoted Conservative officials saying the party’s bid to achieve a parliamentary majority will only succeed if, like Canada’s Stephen Harper, Prime Minister David Cameron can broaden the Tories’ appeal among immigrants from India, Pakistan and elsewhere.

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Further attack on Llanelli mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Llanelli mosque frontLast September the mosque in the Welsh town of Llanelli was attacked. Thugs racially abused a group of elderly women who were entering the mosque and kicked the door in. As a result, extra CCTV cameras were installed.

We are told that there was a second attack on the mosque in February, when the windows were smashed while someone was praying inside. As you can see from the photo, the building has now been fitted with a window grille in addition to the existing steel gate in front of the door (cf. earlier photo here).

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Sheikh Raed Salah wins appeal, immigration tribunal rules that deportation order was ‘entirely unnecessary’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Raed Salah protest
Demonstration outside Royal Courts of Justice in support of Raed Salah last July

Sheikh Raed Salah, the leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, has won an appeal against his deportation from Britain, according to the group that invited him to the country.

Mark Ockelton, the vice-president of the UK’s Upper Immigration Tribunal, ruled that the government’s decision to deport Salah “appears to have been entirely unnecessary”, and upheld his deportation appeal, a statement from the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) said on Saturday.

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