Category Archives: UK

EDL shows violent racism with ‘Burn a mosque’ chant

Posted on by Bob Pitt

English Defence League supporters showed their true colours in Preston on Saturday, when a group marched down a main shopping street chanting: “Burn a mosque down, burn a mosque.”

The EDL make frequent claims that they are not racist or violent, but their deeply offensive call to burn down Muslims’ places of worship shows the reality of the organisation, which has links with the British National Party and other fascist groups.

The video shows the group of EDL supporters – who appear to have separated from the main body of up to 1,000 that descended on Preston on 27 November – chanting the offensive slogan.

UAF news report, 29 November 2010

BNP campaigns against Islamification of Bletchley

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The British National Party branch in Milton Keynes is to launch a public campaign consisting of leaflets, petitions and public protest actions against the conversion of a pub into a mosque in Bletchley, local organiser Kieren Trent has announced.

“We decided to start the campaign after being approached by angry members of the public,” Mr Trent said. “We have warned local people about the threat of creeping Islamification, and the conversion of an English pub into a mosque shows how our culture is gradually being replaced by a different culture. Another mosque in the area will change the nature and character of the area, as has happened everywhere else where these buildings have been allowed.”

The BNP has already started campaigning in the area on the issue, Mr Trent, who stood in the Easton Manor ward for the BNP, said. “The reception so far has been fantastic. The Eaton Manor and Lakes area is largely white working class, of whom many already feel dispossessed of their cultural security and identity.”

BNP news report, 29 November 2010

See also MK News, 24 November 2010

EDL targets school where pupil burnt Qur’an

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A school where a 15-year-old girl allegedly burnt a copy of the Koran could become the target of extremists.

English Defence League supporters identified the school, alongside demands for the mass burning of Islam’s holiest book in protest at the pupil’s arrest. The youngster allegedly posted a video of her setting fire to the Koran on Facebook.

The footage was reported to education chiefs and subsequently removed. She was arrested on suspcion of inciting racial hatred on November 19. A 14-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of making threats.

Both have since been released on police bail. Sandwell Council and West Midlands Police had asked the media not to name the school in an attempt to prevent extremists provoking trouble.

But EDL supporters ignored the request and, as well as naming the school on the internet, called for demonstrations that could lead to violence. But a senior teacher at the school said the girl did not realise what she was doing.

He said: “If she stopped to consider the fallout, and the offence it would cause to people within her own community, I honestly don’t believe she would have done it.”

Sunday Mercury, 28 November 2010

See also “Sandwell school fears ‘bandwagon’ over Koran burning”, BBC News, 27 November 2010

Channel 4 gives airtime to Anjem Choudary

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anjem-ChoudaryA radical Muslim who led the banned group al-Muhajiroun is to be handed his own programme on Channel 4.

Anjem Choudary, who was also involved with the banned group Islam4UK which planned a protest march through Wootton Bassett, will have free reign to give his views during an edition of the channel’s daily opinion slot, known as 4thought.tv.

Choudary, who has described the 9/11 bombers “magnificent martyrs”, will say in his programme to be broadcast on Dec 5 that British Muslims are “persecuted”.

Channel 4 has already broadcast a film by another radical Muslim, Abu Nusaybah, who supported Choudary’s plan for an Islamist march through Wootton Bassett, the scene of tributes to fallen British soldiers. In it, Nusaybah called for sharia law to be introduced in Britain.

Sunday Telegraph, 28 November 2010

This isn’t the first time that Channel 4 has used Muslims in a cynical attempt to provoke outrage. Four years ago they had the bright idea of persuading a veiled Muslim woman to deliver an “alternative Chistmas message”, to be broadcast in direct opposition to the Queen’s annual Christmas Day message. This stunt played right into the hands of anti-Muslim bigots who want to portray Islam as a hostile and alien ideology. But what did Channel 4 programmers care about that? They’d succeeded in generating controversy and gaining cheap publicity, and assisting the political right in whipping up Islamophobia was a price worth paying. The same irresponsible motives would appear to lie behind the decision to give airtime to unrepresentative nutters like Anjem Choudary and Abu Nusaybah.

EDL tries to win support among other minorities by inciting fear and hatred of Muslims, report warns

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nachum Shifren with Carroll and Lennon
Nachum Shifren with EDL leaders Kevin Carroll and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon

A white extremist organisation is forging links with Jewish, Sikh and gay communities to fuel prejudice and fear and hatred of the Muslim community, it was claimed today.

The English Defence League (EDL), which was formed last year in protest at Islamic extremist activity, has also reached out across the Atlantic to build close ties with the American right-wing group, the Tea Party.

Hundreds of EDL members are planning demonstrations in Nuneaton and Preston today to protest at the building of mosques and what they claim is the growing influence in the UK of Sharia law.

But a new report, written by Professor Nigel Copsey of Teesside University, warns that the growth of EDL membership will spread Islamophobia in communities sharing a perceived “historical angst” against Muslims.

New branches of the League, such as the Jewish Division, could exploit the existing religious hostilities caused by territorial disputes in the Middle East, says Professor Copsey whose report was commissioned by the organisation Faith Matters.

It claims that these inter-faith tensions were brought into sharp focus last month when the senior US Jewish leader and Tea Party activist Rabbi Nachum Shifren denounced Islam at a EDL rally outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Israeli flags have also been spotted at several EDL demonstrations across the UK.

As well as aggravating religious tensions, the EDL has established a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Division to “defend” gay people from Sharia law. There are also specialist divisions for women, soldiers and disabled people.

Professor Copsey warned: “True to the spirit of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, the EDL is targeting other ethnic communities. These communities need to guard against approaches by the EDL.”

Founder and director of Faith Matters, Fiyaz Mughal, said: “The EDL’s main aim is to increase tensions, raise hate and divide communities. Their attempts to portray themselves as a legitimate and open movement cannot disguise their violent, anti-Muslim agenda. This hate can easily mutate against another community.”

The Faith Matters report is entitled The English Defence League: Challenging Our Country and Our Values of Social Inclusion, Fairness and Equality.

Independent, 28 November 2010

See also “EDL threatens social inclusion in UK, report warns”,IRNA, 27 November 2010

Nine arrested during EDL protest in Preston

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Preston

Police have made nine arrests during a protest by supporters of the far-right group the English Defence League.

Around 1,000 people joined the demonstration by the EDL in Preston city centre, and 150 counter-demonstrators from Unite Against Fascism also gathered nearby.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “Although there were minor scuffles amongst the EDL demonstrators, there were only a handful of arrests for drunken or disorderly behaviour.

“Today’s demonstrations have been relatively incident-free and the majority of demonstrators have left the area.”

Police said officers remained in the city centre after the protest to ensure that any remaining demonstrators left the area in a peaceful manner.

Press Association, 27 November 2010

See also “Preston councillors and trade unionists stand up against EDL”, UAF news story, 27 November 2010

Update:  Over at over at Hope not hate, Searchlight have some revealing pictures of the EDL demonstration. See for example below:

EDL Preston 2

Nuneaton: EDL throw fireworks and bottles at locals

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Nuneaton
Nuneaton – police try to stop the EDL attacking local people (photo: Searchlight)

The racist thugs of the English Defence League threw lit fireworks and bottles at antiracist demonstrators from the local community in Nuneaton today.

The EDL – a violent, racist organisation with links to the British National Party and other fascist groups – mobilised across the Midlands and south of England to bring up to 800 to their Nuneaton “protest”, with some coming from parts of the north, including West Yorkshire.

They threw missiles at around 200-300 counter-protestors, mainly from Nuneaton, who had gathered to show that the EDL’s racism and violence is not welcome in their town.

Other members of the local community gathered to defend the area’s mosque from the EDL racists, who particularly target Muslims.

The antiracist counter-demo, which was backed by trade unionists from local National Union of Teachers and Unison branches, was boosted by the arrival of local Asian youths. Despite the violence of the EDL, antiracists made sure the voice of opposition was heard.

After the EDL had gone, the antiracist demonstrators were all invited back to the local Asian community centre for hot drinks and to warm up.

UAF news report, 27 November 2010

Update:  See also “Arrests during EDL protest in Nuneaton”, Sunday Mercury, 28 November 2010

Anti-Allah outburst earns EDL supporter £200 fine after protest in Leicester

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The Leicester Mercury reports that EDL supporter Lee Whitby has been convicted of chanting “threatening, abusive or insulting” words that were likely to cause “harassment, alarm or distress” during an EDL demonstration in Leicester last month.

According to the Mercury, Whitby was convicted of a “racially aggravated” offence. This would seem unlikely, given that Muslims are legally defined as a multi-ethnic faith community. The BBC earlier earlier reported that Whitby had been charged with a religiously aggravated offence.

European Muslim Research Centre study highlights anti-Muslim hate crimes

Posted on by Bob Pitt

An alarming picture of the physical violence, intimidation and discrimination faced by many of Britain’s two million Muslims on a daily basis, was portrayed yesterday in new academic research.

The 224-page report from the European Muslim Research Centre, based at the University of Exeter, said that the bulk of incidents went unreported by communities who had lost faith in the authorities to do anything about them.

Continue reading →

Three men arrested on suspicion of violent disorder during EDL protest in Dudley

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Dudley July 2010 2
EDL protestors confront police in Dudley, July 2010

Three men have been arrested this morning in connection with an English Defence League protest in Dudley Town Centre.

Police executed warrants across Dudley and Walsall as part of their ongoing investigation into criminal damage and disorder following the EDL protest and counter protest by the Dudley Interfaith Alliance on July 17.

The men, aged 18, 20 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. They were questioned by police before being released on bail pending further enquiries.

A number of criminal offences have been recorded to date from the protests, including criminal damage caused to cars and premises in the town including homes, businesses and the Hindu Temple.

Dudley News, 26 November 2010