Category Archives: UK

Douglas Murray and Anjem Choudary – two self-publicists help each other out

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Murray and Choudary

Over at Comment is Free, Douglas Murray of the Centre for Social Cohesion tries to defend his decision to debate Anjem Choudary at a meeting at Conway Hall, London, organised by an al-Muhajiroun front calling itself the “Global Issues Society”.

The meeting was cancelled following a confrontation over al-Muhajiroun’s attempt to impose gender separation, resulting in lots of publicity for both Murray and Choudary.

Murray claims: “We were sceptical of GIS from the start. We strongly suspected that they were some sort of front group. But we couldn’t satisfactorily confirm the fact. Despite our concerns, and our knowledge that it was a possible ambush, I gave them the benefit of the doubt and decided to attend the event in good faith.”

According to Murray, he went to Conway hall with the highest motives, intent only on defending “religious pluralism, women’s rights, gay rights, and actual diversity in society”. It is, Murray asserts piously, “possible to chip away at the mindset of radicalised Muslims – sowing seeds of doubt. Even if it is just one member of the audience who is receptive to the anti-totalitarian possibility it is vital to do this. It is the reason why I debate.”

Yeah, right. This is the same Douglas Murray who in 2006 told the Pim Fortuyn Memorial Conference: “All immigration into Europe from Muslim countries must stop…. Conditions for Muslims in Europe must be made harder across the board: Europe must look like a less attractive proposition.” Some defender of “actual diversity in society”!

Contrast Murray’s efforts at self-justification with Yayha Birt’s explanation of the CSC’s motives:

“the CSC says it acted in ‘good faith’ in accepting this invitation, an assertion that can’t be left unchallenged…. It seems probable that the CSC was more focused on highlighting their own campaign for a quick ban and burnishing their reputation as a scourge of radical Islam by playing up to al-Muhajiroun’s all-too-familiar tactics.”

Update:  See Yusuf Smith’s comments at Indigo Jo Blogs, 21 June 2009

Mel and Geert – spot the difference

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The enemies of reason sets a quiz.

You simply have to guess who said the following statements – Melanie Phillips or Geert Wilders.

1. “Socialists are the most inveterate cultural relativists in Europe. They regard the Islamic culture of backwardness and violence as equal to our Western culture of freedom, democracy and human rights. In fact, it is the socialists who are responsible for mass immigration, Islamization and general decay of our cities and societies.”

2. “The nation-wrecking ideology of multiculturalism and the Marxist redefinition of racial prejudice into racism – ‘prejudice plus power ‘– which have turned our society inside out are the product of the left.”

3. “Voters have been told in effect that there is nothing standing between national suicide on the one hand and racism on the other. If you don’t want the former, you are automatically branded with the latter.”

4. “And so, the voters have had enough. Because they of course realise that Europe is going in the wrong direction. They know that there are enormous problems with Islam in Europe. They are well aware of the identity of those who are taking them for a ride, namely, the Shariah socialists.”

5. “They are areas of very high immigration where the transformation of the ethnic, religious and cultural landscape has made indigenous inhabitants feel strangers in their own country — and yet they are told they are racist for saying so”

6. “Mass immigration, demographic developments and Islamization are certainly partly causes of Europe’s steadily increasing impoverishment and decay.”

7. “Above all else, we should absolutely refuse to countenance the spread of Sharia law, which is not only inimical to our own deepest principles but aims to supplant our own laws. Yet we are turning a blind eye to the steady Sharia-isation”

8. “Just like communism, fascism and nazism, Islam is a threat to everything we stand for. It is a threat to democracy, to the constitutional state, to equality for men and women, to freedom and civilisation. Wherever you look in the world, the more Islam you see, the less freedom you see.”

9. “The problem, however, is that it doesn’t understand what Muslim extremism is. Believing that Islamic terrorism is motivated by an ideology which has ‘hijacked’ and distorted Islam, it will not acknowledge the extremism within mainstream Islam itself.”

10. “Of course, there are many moderate Muslims. However, there is no such a thing as a moderate Islam. Islam’s heart lies in the Koran.”

11. “In the war being waged by radical Islamism against the west, such symbolism [as mosque-building] is of the utmost importance and significance. It is itself a strategic weapon of cultural and religious demoralisation.”

12. “We will have to close down all radical [mosques] and forbid the construction of any new mosques, there is enough Islam in Europe.”

Tricky, no? So there you have it – Geert Wilders and Melanie Phillips. One a dangerous extremist with vile views; the other a Dutchman with silly hair.

What support does the Quilliam Foundation have among British Muslims?

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The answer is: none. And yes, I realise this probably rates alongside revelations about the religious affiliation of the Pope or the excretory habits of bears, but it’s nevertheless useful to have some solid evidence to back up what any informed observer already knew.

So thanks to ENGAGE for drawing our attention to a report by the Redbridge Faith Forum entitled Conversations with Muslim Community leaders in Redbridge about the Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) Agenda. It found that “negative view[s] towards the Quilliam Foundation [were] held almost universally by all participants”.

Posted in UK

Muslim waitress awarded £3,000 for being made to wear low-cut dress

Posted on by Bob Pitt

5128243W009 FataLemes02.JPGA Muslim waitress has been awarded a £3,000 pay out for sexual harassment after being made to wear a revealing red dress for work. Fata Lemes, 33, quit her job after claiming that the low-cut dress was “disgusting” and made her look like a “prostitute”. Miss Lemes, a Bosnian Muslim, had told an employment tribunal that she “might as well have been naked” in the dress.

The Central London Employment Tribunal awarded Miss Lemes damages after pointing out that only women – and not male staff – were required to wear the summer uniform at the bar in Mayfair, London. The outfit was described as “brightly coloured, figure hugging garb”.

Continue reading →

Conspiracy to take over Labour Party exposed

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Shocking news from the Sunday Express:

“The growing influence of the Golders Green Synagogue, whose education wing was built with Israeli money, on the Labour party is causing concern in Downing Street. Gordon Brown, Justice Secretary Jack Straw and new Communities Secretary John Denham have been briefed on Zionist groups based there. Party officials have held crisis talks about one group in particular, the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Senior party members fear it has infiltrated Labour and exerts too much power over MPs and councillors in areas with large Jewish populations. Politicians fear that the BoD can persuade rabbis to direct bloc votes at elections.”

Oh no, hang on, this how the article actually reads:

“The growing influence of the East London Mosque, whose education wing was built with Saudi money, on the Labour party is causing concern in Downing Street. Gordon Brown, Justice Secretary Jack Straw and new Communities Secretary John Denham have been briefed on Islamic groups based there. Party officials have held crisis talks about one group in particular, the Islamic Forum of Europe. Senior party members fear it has infiltrated Labour and exerts too much power over MPs and councillors in areas with large Muslim populations. Politicians fear that IFE can persuade imams to direct bloc votes at elections.”

Update:  See IFE media release here.

‘Fear and hatred on the streets of Luton’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Luton riotDavid James Smith reports for the Sunday Times on tensions and conflict between communities in Luton, following the highly-publicised Al-Muhajiroun protest in March.

The article includes an interview with Mikey Birch, one of the organisers of the counter-protests against Al-Muhajiroun, including the notorious 24 May demonstration that ended in rioting.

Birch has presented himself as the voice of moderation, publicly declaring his opposition to fascist involvement in the 24 May protest. The Sunday Times article, however, indicates that Birch’s attitude to far-right racism and violence is rather more sympathetic than he made out:

“Birch said he had no affiliations with a far-right party, but he did say that if the BNP were in charge at the town hall, Luton would not be so biased towards Muslims. ‘I’m not being racist, but…’, he said, ‘…I don’t want my kids being Islamified. I don’t want them forcing their religion on us.’ He was concerned about the number of Muslim councillors in Luton…. ‘Have Al-Muhajiroun or Al-Qaeda infiltrated the council? That’s what people are saying.’ It was Birch who told me that people had talked of storming the town hall in protest. ‘The BNP will get a stronghold here because people feel they are the only party prepared to take on the Muslim extremists. And if the police and the council won’t fight the war against Sayful Islam, then we will fight it for them’.”

Update:  Over at his Lionheart blog Paul Ray, the defender of the 24 May rioters (“No one thinks that removing the militant wing of Islam from our land is going to be easy, and if the government will not do it then the people will, and they will quite obviously be wearing balaclavas to do that”) takes exception to Smith’s report:

“His upper-class Liberal view is that the lower-class white community are all racists, even though I am not a racist, and those involved with UPL including ‘Mikey Birch’ are not racists, but this journalist doesnt care, he just wants his Liberal anti-white, pro-Moslem, racist, story for the Times magazine, and doesnt care what he writes about people so long as it is in line with the Liberal world view according to David James Smith.”

There, there Paul, of course you’re not a racist. Although, to be fair, you are currently on bail facing a charge of incitement to racial hatred, aren’t you?

Further update:  And I can’t resist quoting this introductory paragraph from a post on another far-right blog attacking the Sunday Times report:

“I had the displeasure of reading what has to be one of the worst pieces of journalism in a British broadsheet. It stinks with appeasement and of course its underlying message is that British people should accept multiculturalism. No doubt the author (David James Smith) is either an immigrant, anti British, a student of Marxism or all three.”

‘Radical Islamists must be exposed, not invited to tea’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“One of the bravest things I have witnessed is the stand taken by ex-Cabinet Minister Hazel Blears against political Islam. As her adviser, I saw first-hand the pressures on her to sit round the table with groups whose political outlook was the diametric opposite of her beliefs in pluralist democracy, rights for minorities and equality for women. She consistently stood firm.

“For years, government ministers unquestioningly invited the leaders of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) to meetings to ‘represent’ the political, ethnic and religious diversity of Britain’s Muslims, as though such a thing were possible. First under Ruth Kelly, then Hazel Blears, the Government wised up to the nonsense that a small, unelected group of men, drawn from the conservative elements of Islamic politics, spoke for millions of Muslims in modern Britain….

“The hardliners in the MCB and other groups were challenged, not fêted. It culminated in a boycott of the MCB after one of its leaders attended a conference in Istanbul dominated by supporters of Hamas…..

“The way to tackle this strand of political Islam, which creates the environment for terrorists to brainwash and recruit potential bombers is not to debate with it, nor to invite it for tea at the Department for Communities or Number Ten. It is to expose it, disrupt it, and make it clear such views are repulsive and unacceptable. The new Secretary of State, John Denham, and the new Communities Minister, Shahid Malik, arrived at their desks this week. All eyes will be on them.”

Paul Richards in the Jewish Chronicle, 11 June 2009

Given Richards’ former role as Hazel Blears’ SpAd, this article provides a useful insight into the sort of ignorant, bigoted thinking behind DCLG’s decision to sever links with the MCB. At least we’ve now got rid of the truly appalling Blears, whose backstabbing antics in relation to her own party have hopefully destroyed any future revival of her political career. Things, as they say, can only get better.

Update:  See also ENGAGE, 12 June 2009

Police appeal for witnesses after Stortford mosque attack

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Police are today (Thursday, June 11) appealing for witnesses and information following a racially aggravated assault and criminal damage at Bishop’s Stortford’s mosque.

On Monday, April 25 at around 9pm a group of about five men approached the Islamic cultural centre at Millars 2, off Southmill Road, and had a verbal altercation before one of them punched a community member and smashed a window. They returned shortly after and there was a further confrontation.

Sgt Keith Cassells, investigating, said: “We are appealing for anyone who was in the area at the time who may have seen these men or the altercation take place to contact police on 0845 3300222.

“This was an unprovoked incident which has been distressing for all those involved. Bishop’s Stortford Neighbourhood Team is working closely with the community members at the mosque and will be increasing patrols in the area.”

Alternatively, call Crimestoppers free and in confidence on 0800 555111.

Two men, a 30-year-old and a 26-year-old, both from Bishop’s Stortford, have been arrested and released on police bail until June 22.

Herts & Essex Observer, 11 June 2009