Category Archives: UK

Islamophobia row Tory kicked out of party

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Chris Joannides Facebook comment

A councillor embroiled in a race-hate Facebook scandal has been kicked out of the Conservative party.

Chris Joannides has been expelled for a period of 12 months after Conservative Party Central Office launched an investigation into his re-selection as a candidate for Grange ward in this year’s council elections.

At a meeting of the Conservative Party’s board this morning, senior figures formally ruled Mr Joannides out of seeking re-election in May.

Mr Joannides had the whip withdrawn from him by the Conservative group on Enfield Council last year after print-outs of his personal Facebook account were shown to group leader Michael Lavender and this paper. They contained Muslim-bashing jokes and comments likening women and children dressed in burkas to bin bags.

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Arson attack on Stevenage Central Mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stevenage Central Mosque arsonA possible arson attack was carried out on a mosque this week causing extensive smoke damage to the building.

The incident occurred at Stevenage Central Mosque, Vardon Road, sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning when an extractor fan in the mosques toilets was smashed and flammable liquid was poured in and set alight.

The toilets had a tiled floor and walls so the fire was unable to spread but the smoke caused extensive damage throughout the building.

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Legoland cancels private Muslim event after receiving threats

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Casuals United Legoland protest adLegoland in Windsor has cancelled a private event for a Muslim foundation after receiving threatening phone calls, emails and social media posts.

The Muslim Research and Development Foundation, a registered charity, had planned a family day at the Berkshire theme park on 9 March. Legoland said a “small group” had spread “deliberate misinformation” about the event to stop it going ahead. It decided to cancel the event after discussions with Thames Valley Police.

The force said it was investigating the offensive messages regarding the event. It has been reported that some of the messages had been sent by far-right supporters.

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Neath mosque attack: Steven Davies jailed for 22 months

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Steven DaviesA man has been jailed for 22 months for vandalising a south Wales mosque and attacking a couple who challenged him.

Steven Davies, 22 and from Neath, smashed four windows at the St Anne’s Islamic centre, Tonna, and then head butted, kicked and stamped on the woman and punched her husband. Davies admitted religiously aggravated criminal damage and assault.

The Swansea Crown Court judge said Davies “acted quite disgracefully” and racial aggravation was “very serious”.

The court heard Davies carried out the late night attack on the mosque on Friday 13 September last year.

James Jenkins, prosecuting, said caretaker Mohammed Islam was inside the mosque checking the premises as he had been doing more regularly following a number of assaults. The caretaker heard stones being thrown and called the police, who told him to stay inside, Mr Jenkins said.

A neighbour watching television in his bedroom heard windows being smashed and then looked out to see someone attacking first one window of the mosque, and then another. Mr Jenkins said when the man saw someone trying to barge into the building he called the police.

The noise woke another resident, Kevin Thomas, and his wife Melanie who asked Davies if he was all right. The defendant turned and ran towards Mrs Thomas and began assaulting her, after first accusing her of being part of the Muslim community, Mr Jenkins said.

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EDL anti-mosque protest in Grantham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Grantham anti-mosque protestThe English Defence League held a demonstration in the Lincolnshire town of Grantham on Saturday, in opposition to plans to build a new Islamic centre there.

It drew an estimated 160 protestors, though the EDL itself, with predictable exaggeration, claimed that the turnout was between 200 and 250. Around 100 of the EDL’s opponents joined a counter-demonstration organised by Grantham Solidarity Network.

The Grantham Journal disgraced itself by publishing what was little more than EDL propaganda, with reports headed “Mixed race woman on EDL march in Grantham says group ‘are like family'” and “EDL say Grantham protest rally was ‘brilliant'”.

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Twenty charged over violence at EDL rally

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL smokebomb Birmingham July 2013Twenty men are due to appear in court later this month accused of violent disorder during an English Defence League protest last year. The men were arrested as part of a nationwide operation to trace and identify people involved in the violence during the protest in Birmingham city centre on July 20 last year.

Around 2,000 protesters gathered on the day, with EDL supporters meeting in Centenary Square and those staging a counter demonstration meeting in Chamberlain Square. Arrests were made across the country following leads from an appeal on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme in January.

The 20 men will appear before magistrates in Birmingham next week charged with violent disorder, West Midlands Police said.

A total of 31 people have been identified from the images of 57 people released during last month’s appeal. Six men have been arrested and released on police bail pending further enquiries. A team of detectives is working to trace the remaining suspects. Images of seven men suspected of involvement in disorder at the counter demonstration have also been released. One of those men has also been identified.

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Tory MP says ‘EDL is not welcome’ in Grantham

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nick Boles MPThe MP for Grantham has spoken out about the upcoming protests in Grantham which centre around a plan to build an Islamic community centre.

The Journal asked Nick Boles for his views on the double demonstration taking place on Saturday, one put on by the English Defence League (EDL) and the other by the Grantham Solidarity Network in opposition to EDL views.

Mr Boles said: “EDL is not welcome in Grantham and does not represent the views of the vast majority of local people. But the right to peaceful protest is an essential democratic freedom and I have total confidence that Lincolnshire Police will be able to maintain order on Saturday.

“I have no objection in principle to the establishment of an Islamic community centre in Grantham as our Muslim neighbours have the same rights as anyone else, but I have no views on the particular planning application.”

The Grantham Solidarity Network will set up in Avenue Road by Abbey Gardens at 1pm, while the EDL will set off on a march from the Blue Bull pub in Westgate to the green on St Peter’s Hill, where a static protest will take place. Police will be present.

Grantham Journal, 19 February 2014