Category Archives: UK

EDL hooligans arrested after attack on Respect meeting in Oldham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Four people were arrested after far-right campaigners stormed a meeting where former MP George Galloway was speaking.

Protesters, believed to be members of the English Defence League, burst into Oldham’s Pakistani Community Centre in Glodwick. The group hurled abuse at Mr Galloway and members of the audience at the Respect Party public meeting. Punches were thrown and the police were called. Officers arrested four protesters on suspicion of affray.

It is understood that members of Respect, who arranged the gathering, had earlier made police aware of the event after a similar gathering in Wythenshawe was disrupted by EDL protesters in the summer.

Manchester Evening News, 17 November 2010

Islam is being ‘demonised’ says former Met Police Commissioner

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Lord BlairIslam is being “demonised” as a result of atrocities carried out in the name of a “distorted” version of the faith, former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Blair of Boughton has said.

The ex-commissioner, who led the Met during the 2005 suicide bombings on London’s transport system, described Islam as one of the “great” Abrahamic faiths and a “faith of peace” which had suffered as a result of atrocities carried out by individuals.

Press Association, 16 November 2010

Back in 2005 Ian Blair won the IHRC’s “Islamophobe of the Year” award, presumably on the basis of the stick he received over the Menezes killing. This struck me at the time as grossly unfair. Whatever criticisms you might make of Blair, he was never an Islamophobe. On the contrary, he always had a good line on supporting multiculturalism and diversity, and countering anti-Muslim bigotry in the police force – for which he was denounced by the likes of the Daily Mail, Melanie Phillips and the BNP.

Tory MPs take up halal meat campaign

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A Yorkshire MP has called for clearer food labelling after discovering that halal meat was unknowingly sold in the House of Commons’ canteens.

The Commons catering service is currently looking for new food suppliers who can tell them how the meat they sell is killed after admitting it had “unknowingly received” poultry slaughtered in accordance with Islamic law. MPs and staff who eat at the Commons’ canteens and restaurants were “not made aware” of how the animals were killed, Sir Stuart Bell, representing the House of Commons Commission, added.

MPs are now calling for the Government to introduce legislation to make sure halal meat is properly labelled by restaurants, food wholesalers and supermarkets.

Conservative Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) tabled a question last week to find out whether halal meat had been sold in the Commons’ outlets. He added there was cross-party support for halal meat to be clearly labelled. Mr Knight said: “This underlines the need to have proper labelling in place so people actually know what they are eating. It seems to me that there has been this drive in the food industry to do everything halal so it doesn’t offend people. But as a consumer I would like to know what I am eating and how it was killed. The issue needs to be addressed and I hope it is something the Coalition does shortly.”

Fellow Tory Philip Hollobone (Kettering) said he was “not shocked or surprised” by Sir Stuart’s admission. He added: “I am angry because I don’t think it is that difficult a problem to solve. It just needs the political will to do it. We are waiting for Europe to do something rather than taking the initiative ourselves or maybe the Government is frightened about upsetting ethnic minorities.”

Meanwhile, Conservative Andrew Rosindell (Romford), secretary of the Associate Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare, said consumers had a right to know what they were eating.

Earlier this year, an investigation found halal meat was being served in many schools, hospitals, pubs and sporting venues without diners being told. A written Commons question was then tabled last week by Mr Knight. In it, the MP asked whether canteens in the House of Commons had served halal beef, lamb or chicken in the last year and should, therefore, be added to the list.

Yorkshire Post, 17 November 2010

EDL supporter threatened waiter because restaurant served halal meat

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ashley WilsonStaff at an Indian restaurant in Bridgwater believe they are being targeted on religious and racist grounds following a spate of attacks.

This week a man was convicted for religiously aggravated criminal damage and provocation of violence at the Spice Club in Eastover. But there have been further reports of an assault on a waiter, racial abuse and criminal damage. Waiter Mehbub Kamali, 19, who claims he was punched on one occasion, told the Mercury: “I have been attacked for no other reason than the colour of my skin.”

Last Tuesday, Sedgemoor Magistrates heard how Ashley Wilson [pictured], 24, smashed a glass pane at the restaurant and threatened to cut waiters’ faces because they served Halal meat. The court heard he asked Mr Kamali and Sultan Ahmet “Are you Muslim?” When they said yes, he said “I’m going to cut your face” and that it was “because I’m EDL [English Defence League].”

Mr Kamali said: “It’s happening again and again and it’s terrifying. I wonder what’s next?”

Wilson, of Claremont Grove, admitted the attack on September 26 and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £165 compensation and £85 costs. In mitigation, Crispin Hayllar said he had drunk too much and acted out of character.

Police confirmed this week that a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage for an attack on the restaurant on November 3, and have been released on bail.

This is the West Country, 16 November 2010

Shameful suppression of democratic rights in Muslim-majority country – no word from Harry’s Place yet

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Egyptian police have rounded up about 600 Muslim Brotherhood members ahead of this month’s parliamentary election and some 250 are still detained, a senior Brotherhood official said on Tuesday.

Mohammed Mursi told AFP that the crackdown on members of the opposition Islamist group began when the Brotherhood announced on October 9 plans to field candidates for the November 28 legislative polls.

“Arrests are still being made. Someone goes out to campaign, he gets harassed and arrested and then released in a few days,” said Mursi, a member of the Brotherhood’s politburo who heads the group’s election campaign. “About 600 have been arrested since we announced that we would run in the election. About 250 remain in jail.”

AFP, 16 November 2010

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You might have thought that sites like Harry’s Place, who were so vocal in defending the political opposition in Iran against state repression, would take a clear stand in defence of the democratic rights of the opposition in Egypt. But so far not a peep.

Could it be that Harry’s Place believes that democratic rights don’t extend to members and supporters of Islamist political parties? Given HP’s obsessive campaign to drive Islamists out of public life in the UK, that would seem to be a reasonable conclusion to draw.

Gilligan continues to smear North London Central Mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Over at his Telegraph blog, Andrew Gilligan responds to Bob Lambert’s recent Al-Jazeera article.

Gilligan sneers at the role of the Metropolitan Police’s Muslim Contact Unit in helping to oust Abu Hamza al-Masri from the North London Central Mosque in Finsbury Park, claiming that one gang of terrorist sympathisers was merely replaced by the present management which itself has “close links with another designated terrorist organisation, Hamas”.

NLCM can answer for themselves about the nature of their supposed “close links” with Hamas. But it is worth pointing out that Hamas is in fact a political party with mass support – it won a majority on the Palestinian Legislative Council through democratic elections in 2006, with 44% of the vote – and is not a proscribed terrorist group in the UK. It is the Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades that is proscribed. But when has Gilligan ever been interested in accurate reporting?

Gilligan also provides a link to his earlier piece attempting to associate NLCM with Anwar al-Awlaki and Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Given that this allegation has been shown to be nonsense, you might have thought an apology to NLCM from Gilligan would be in order. But the day when Gilligan admits he was wrong, even after his misreporting has been thoroughly exposed, is yet to dawn.

Islam Channel appeals against Ofcom ruling, condemns Quilliam’s ‘junk research’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islam ChannelIslam Channel is planning to appeal against Ofcom’s ruling that the satellite TV network breached the regulator’s broadcasting code for advocating marital rape and violence against women.

Five programmes broadcast on the London-based Islam Channel between 2008 and 2009 were in breach of Ofcom’s broadcasting code, the regulator ruled last week.

Islam Channel was censured for breaching impartiality rules in programmes on the Middle East conflict and for programmes appearing to advocate marital rape, violence against women and describing women who wore perfume outside of the home as “prostitutes”.

Ofcom launched its investigation into Islam Channel programmes in March, following a report by the Quilliam Foundation thinktank accusing the broadcaster of regularly promoting extremist views and regressive attitudes towards women.

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EDL joins poppy protest outside Portsmouth mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Portsmouth mosque graffitiPolice say they will investigate the protests which took place outside a Portsmouth mosque on Saturday.

Scores of demonstrators gathered outside Portsmouth’s Jami Mosque. They were protesting after a small group of Muslims – not from the city – burned poppies in London during the two minutes’ silence on Armistice Day.

The protest, led by former soldier David Tallard, congregated outside the mosque at midday and numbered about 40. It broke for Pompey’s home game against Doncaster, and gathered again shortly after 5pm this time with about 100 taking part.

Peace protesters who had heard about the protest also gathered outside the mosque. Shouting between the two groups then ensued with firecrackers, an egg and a golf ball being thrown into the peace campaigners.

A 6ft poppy had also been graffitied on the mosque the day before.

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EDL leader charged with assault

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stephen Lennon arrestedThe founder of the English Defence League has been charged with assaulting a police officer during clashes with Islamic protesters in London.

Stephen Lennon, 27, of Layham Drive, Luton, was held by police in Kensington, west London, as the nation stopped to mark the anniversary of Armistice Day. Father-of-two Lennon, also known as Yaxley-Lennon and Tommy Robinson, has spoken on behalf of the EDL after a series of violent and intimidating confrontations.

Five others associated with his group were also arrested as members of Muslims Against Crusades burned remembrance poppies.

Press Association, 12 November 2010