Luton MP Kelvin Hopkins, anti-racist activists and faith representatives are calling for a ban on the demonstration planned by the English Defence League (EDL) for Luton.

Evidence from previous EDL events is clear; wherever the EDL mobilises, mosques and other places of worship have been attacked, with Muslim people and police officers being assaulted. The EDL were caught on camera at a demonstration in Preston chanting “Burn down the mosque”.

Kelvin Hopkins MP said: “I have written to the Home Secretary, and asked her to ban this march. Our diverse communities in Luton have always lived peacefully side by side. A march by the EDL will damage community relations in the town when much work has been done to build and sustain them. Freedom of speech is important but when outsiders are determined to come into Luton and incite racial hatred they should not be permitted to do so.”

Farooq Murad, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said, “The Muslim Council of Britain deplores the attempt by the EDL and its spokespeople to stoke up fear and hatred in the heartland of our peaceful communities. The EDL’s latest, cynical and hypocritical attempt to pass itself off as the champion of an inclusive multicultural and interfaith Britishness embracing of Sikh, Jewish and Christian communities imperilled by Islam and Muslims would be risible if it were not so tragic in its consequences.

“The EDL no more represents the interests of minority faith communities than it does the working classes of this country, White, Black or Asian. The EDL’s racism is blatant; so must be our common front in the denunciation of the EDL’s racist targeting of Muslims. The EDL’s ‘marches’ not only wreak havoc in towns and neighbourhoods across the country, they threaten to rent asunder the very fabric of our common society.”

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I am writing to complain about your coverage of the English Defence League’s flash demonstration in the city centre last Saturday (Mercury, January 22).

This report did not represent what actually happened at all. For instance, you made no mention of the fact that the EDL members were shouting “Muslim scum” at the people on the stall, over and over again.

Passing shoppers (some with young children) were visibly upset by their presence.

They were also taking photos and threatening anyone who was standing up to them, including Unite Against Fascism protesters, shoppers and a handful of people who heard what was happening and went there at very short notice.

To my knowledge the people on the Islamic stall are there every weekend – but your article seemed to imply that they had just showed up. I have also never seen them “handing out leaflets” as your article suggested.

I have, however, seen them engaging with people from all backgrounds and faiths in discussions about their religion (which is any religious person’s right).

They are no different to any of the other religious stalls set up in town every weekend, and certainly did not deserve to be treated in the disgusting manner that they were by the so-called English Defence League – and the police, who to my mind should have arrested those EDL demonstrators who were clearly inciting racial hatred (and let’s face it, Islamophobia has now become a smokescreen for bare racism).

Letter in the Leicester Mercury, 2 February 2011

The far-right English Defence League is due to stage the biggest demonstration in its 18-month history this weekend amid growing fears of widespread disorder.

Thousands of EDL activists from across England will descend on Luton, the Bedfordshire town where the organisation started, for the protest on Saturday.

The EDL has staged more than 30 protests in towns and cities across the UK since it was formed in March 2009, many of which have been marred by Islamophobia, racism and violence.

On Saturday, between 25 and 30 coaches packed with EDL supporters are expected to travel to Luton, including a number of activists from far-right groups in France, the Netherlands and Germany.

“This event is creating more fear than anything else, especially among the elderly who have seen the pictures of what has happened at these events in the past,” said Luton councillor Mahmood Hussain.

“Everyone is very much concerned about what could happen because you only have to look at the record of this group to see what we face.”

Bedfordshire police are planning the biggest operation in Luton’s history with around 2,000 officers expected to be on duty, with several hundred more on standby.

Anti-racism campaigners are holding a counter demonstration in Luton on Saturday in separate part of the town. Unite Against Fascism, which is organising the event, says it expects supporters to travel from across the country.

Community leaders and politicians have been working with different community groups in Luton since the EDL announced it was going to stage the protest under the catchline “Back to where it all began”.

“We had a very emotional meeting last week where the young people were very concerned with some of the awful things that were written on the internet by EDL people,” said Hussain. “But we are trying to tell them not to be provoked because that is just what these people want.”

The EDL was formed in Luton after a small number of protesters from an extremist Muslim group held up placards at the homecoming of the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment reading “Butchers of Basra” and “Anglian soldiers go to hell”.

At a subsequent protest in the town scores of EDL supporters attacked Asian businesses, smashing cars and threatening passersby. The group has branches across the country and its leadership insists it is not violent or racist and is opposed only to what it describes as radical or militant Islam.

However, many of its demonstrations have descended into violence and racist chanting. Some supporters are known far-right activists and football hooligans.

Guardian, 1 February 2011

Details of the Unite Against Fascism demonstration can be found here.

UAF are holding a meeting in London on Tuesday 1 February under the title “Islamophobia, division and the far-right: How do we shape the fightback?”, details of which can be found here.

Leaders of some of the largest Sikh and Hindu organisations as well as Sikh Students in this country have signed a “Joint Statement” condemning the English Defence League including any Sikh youth who support the EDL.

The statement is also signed by two Members of Parliament from Asian background as well as a number of councillors, including Councillor Lakhbir Singh, former Mayor of Luton, who himself had suffered a vicious attack by a racist youth last year after some protests in Luton.

Other signatories include Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Southall, the largest Sikh temple outside India, together with many other Sikh and Hindu temples in Southall, west London. Its also been signed by a major Sikh temple in Barking, east London, a hotspot for the British National Party, as well as by the British Sikh Council (UK), an umbrella organisation for a number of Sikh temples in this country.

The Sikh Student Societies include some of the most famous colleges in London, like the London School of Economics, University College London and Imperial College as well as the University of Hertfordshire.

The statement is also signed by the Indian Workers Association (GB), Sikhs In England, an influential Sikh organisation, and Unite Against Fascism.

The statement reads, “We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned by the rise in fascism, Islamophobia, anti-semitism and racism. The English Defence League has organised events across the country, stirring up hatred, Islamophobia and racism – running riot in some cases and provoking violent attacks on Muslim, black and Asian communities and on Mosques and Mandirs (Hindu temples)”.

It further highlights, “They are using the old tactics of ‘divide and rule’ and are trying to divide the Asians by isolating the Muslim community. Furthermore, some misguided Sikh youth are letting themselves to be used by the EDL while a Sikh man has disgracefully joined the BNP. These people are helping to spread mistrust within our communities and we whole heartedly condemn their actions”.

And adds that, “At a time of economic crisis with mass unemployment and impending deep public spending cuts – if the racists are allowed to make any further gains then we all would suffer from grave consequences. Thus we urge all Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews and people of other faiths to come together to strongly condemn the actions of these racist organizations and unite to turn back this tide of hatred”.

Balwinder Singh Rana, spokesperson for UAF, also added, “The EDL pretend that they are not racist but they are no different than the old NF and the BNP. Now is the time for Sikhs and Hindus to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Muslim brethren and tell the EDL that their sinister aims of ‘divide and rule’ will not work. Otherwise it’s the Muslims today and it will be all us tomorrow”.

Varinder Singh, youth representative for the Turban Campaign, said, “It is of great concern that our youth are being recruited into the fascist and Islamophobic ideology which the English Defence League promotes. We as a community must face this threat to our youth head on by staying true to the core teachings of the Sikh Gurus, which emphasise the importance of pluralism and brotherhood amongst mankind.”

So far the EDL has held more than thirty marches and demonstrations up and down the country, often ending in violence. Now they are to return to Luton on Saturday, 5th February, which they regard their hometown as that’s where they began about 18 months ago.

Asian Image, 31 January 2011

See also UAF news report, 29 January 2011