Category Archives: UK

Police seek EDL thugs who attacked Leeds anti-racism event

Posted on by Bob Pitt

City and Holbeck Police CCTV image

Police have released CCTV images of suspected thugs who threw bottles and bricks at an anti-racism concert crowd in Leeds.

Protestors shouting support for the far right extremists the English Defence League (EDL) stormed the Rage Against Racism event at The Well music venue in Chorley Lane near the city centre. The group, who were chanting “EDL”, smashed windows after going on the rampage after they were refused entry. They hurled projectiles at the 150-strong crowd. Two people were injured, including one man who suffered serious cut to his mouth and had a tooth knocked out in the incident.

It happened at about 2.30pm on Saturday, June 18.

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Birmingham EDL demo given two-hour time limit

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Demonstrators from the English Defence League have been slapped with a two-hour time limit on their protests in a fresh bid to prevent scenes of violence which have marred previous visits.

West Midlands Police had also told the group that their protest must take place in Centenary Square and must be over by 3pm.

Conditions have also been imposed on the community event, “Unity and Celebration of Differences” and any counter demonstration. Organisers have been told that their event can last no longer than three-and-a-half hours and must be over by 4pm. They must also confine the activities to Chamberlain Square.

The EDL said they were expecting between 700 to 2,500 of its members to turn up.

Birmingham Post, 27 October 2011

Put Babar Ahmad on trial in the UK NOT the US

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Have Faith in British Justice: Put Babar Ahmad on Trial in the UK NOT the US

The Muslim Council of Britain urges all British Citizens to sign the petition calling for Babar Ahmad, a 37 year old British Muslim held for 7 years without charge on an extradition request by the US, to be put on trial in the United Kingdom.

Farooq Murad, Secretary General of the MCB, commented, “The case of Babar Ahmad is problematic: here is a British citizen who is alleged to have committed crimes that can be prosecuted under British law and yet he is being shipped off to the United States, under the controversial Extradition Act 2003. The United States has a troubling record in dealing with terror suspects and therefore the British government has a responsibility to ensure the rights of its citizens are protected while at the same time ensuring justice is served.”

The Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Member of Parliament for Tooting said: “As Babar’s Member of Parliament, I have worked with his family and legal team for a number of years arguing that any trial should be held in the UK. I have known Babar for many years – we grew up in the same area of south London. This petition is a good way to raise public awareness of Babar’s case.”

The MCB is supporting a call to designate Friday 28th October as “Babar Ahmad Day” encouraging mosques across the country to get their congregations to sign the petition.

To sign the e-petition, click here:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/885

Muslim Council of Britain press release, 27 October 2011

Islamophobia OFF our campuses!

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Enough flyer

Islamophobia OFF our campuses!

Public meeting, called by the Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia

6:30pm, Thursday 27th October 2011

Room 3E, University of London Union, Malet Street, London

Following on from the successful Enough Coalition against Islamophobia summer conference in May 2011, we are now focusing on a very important aspect of Islamophobia that has affected many of us and that will continue to be a source of great injustice for many more if we do not speak out now.

Join the Enough Coalition on Thursday 27th October to discuss Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim hatred on our campuses.

Joining us on the panel are:

Dr Daud Abdullah (British Muslim Initiative)
Sanum Ghafoor (Student, blogger and activist)
Alaa Al Samarrai (FOSIS)
Hicham Yezza (Nottingham Uni – Editor of Ceasefire – and student who was arrested for printing the Al Qaeda manual)
Chris Nineham (Stop the War Coalition and Enough Coalition against Islamophobia)

Others To Be Confirmed!

Free entry, all welcome.

Facebook event page – https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=293831367311653
Facebook – Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia
Twitter – @enoughcoalition Event Hashtag #ECiphobiaUni

The Enough Coalition was established to tackle the rising tide of Islamophobia in the UK and confront anti-Muslim hatred. It brings together a coalition of organisations including Stop the War Coalition, Friends of Al-Aqsa, British Muslim Initiative, Federation of Students Islamic Societies, One Society Many Cultures, Unite Against Fascism, London Muslim Centre and the Islamic Forum of Europe.

‘Yes, I criticise certain aspects of Islam, but don’t call me a bigot’, demands Islamophobic bigot

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Global JihadWriting the Guardian, of all places, Patrick Sookhdeo once again declares that he’s not an Islamophobe. If you’re inclined to swallow that claim have a quick look through the entries under “Sookhdeo” on Islamophobia Watch.

Or check out the list of publications on the Barnabas Fund’s website. In addition to Sookhdeo’s own works, including Slippery Slope: The Islamisation of the UK, Global Jihad: The Future in the Face of Militant Islam and The Challenge of Islam to the Church and its Mission, we find such booklets as Islam and Truth (which examines “the growing challenge which Islam poses to Western society, culture and Church”), Islam and Slavery (which “shows that slavery is accepted uncritically in the Qur’an and sharia and is supported by the example of Muhammad”) and Islam in Britain (which exposes “the way in which the UK is becoming subtly islamised”).

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‘Highly offensive Islamophobic’ graffiti sprayed on Milton Keynes mosques

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police have opened an investigation into three acts of “religiously aggravated” vandalism in and around two mosques in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

Thames Valley Police say the “highly offensive Islamophobic” graffiti was sprayed on Zainabia Islamic Centre in Peverel Drive, Bletchley, between 10.30pm and 11pm on Saturday [September 24] and a shed to the side of the building was set alight and destroyed.

Detectives believe this incident is connected to two other acts of criminal damage at Jamia Al-Karam Masjid in North Street, New Bradwell, and on a white Mercedes Sprinter van in the nearby Harwood Street overnight between Saturday [September 24] and Sunday [September 25].

Offensive messages were sprayed in all the three locations. A worshipper at one of the mosques said the graffiti was “sexually explicit” with reference to “Allah”, while the vandalism on the van was racist in nature.

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Barnabas Fund not spreading Islamophobia, says Sookhdeo … and the Charity Commission evidently agrees with him

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Barnabas Fund Slippery SlopeThe Christian Post reports that the Charity Commission has rejected a complaint about the Barnabas Fund’s Islamophobic propaganda, as featured in a booklet entitled Slippery Slope: the Islamisation of the UK.

A report of the decision on the Barnabas website headlined “Barnabas Fund vindicated by Charity Commission” quotes a letter from the Commission as stating:

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Hackney Community College students protest against removal of prayer room curtain

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Hackney Community College protestKamil Alp and fellow Hackney Community College students are campaigning against the removal of the curtain in their prayer room.

They have accused chiefs at Hackney Community College in Falkirk Street, Shoreditch, of “discrimination” after it took down the drapes in the college’s multi-faith facility.

But the college says the room is for students and staff “of all faiths and none” and its actions are in line with its values of equality and inclusion.

A group of students have now started a petition demanding the curtain be replaced and have so far collected 30 signatures, including men and women of different faiths.

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Home secretary urged to ban planned EDL march in Birmingham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A councillor from one of the Birmingham suburbs most affected by the summer riots has written to Home Secretary Theresa May, urging her to ban the proposed EDL march.

Lozells and East Handsworth Labour councillor Waseem Zaffar said the recent disturbances had shown the need for communities to work together.

“During a difficult period for the city when three young Muslim men lost their lives in the disturbances, it was the strength of our communities standing together that defused the tension and allowed the diverse community of Birmingham to move forward together,” he said.

“The EDL must not be able to bring their messages of hate and division to places where diversity is a strength not a weakness. There must be no place for hatred in our communities. Now that EDL’s march in London has been banned by you, you must also ban the march in Birmingham,” he added.

Birmingham Mail, 25 October 2011

See also “Concern over planned EDL march in Birmingham next Saturday”, ENGAGE, 24 October 2011

And “Birmingham: say no to the racist EDL, Saturday 29 October”, Unite Against Fascism, 25 October 2011

Update:  See “EDL Birmingham demo location moved by police”, BBC News, 25 October 2011