UAF demonstration at Downing Street today

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Handing in of UAF unity statement to Downing St prior to EDL mobilisation

Monday 27 May 2pm outside Downing Street London SW1A

Speakers:

Jeremy Corbyn MP
Murad Qureshi AM
Daniel Trilling Assistant Editor, New Statesman
Azad Ali, Islamic Forum Europe
Mohammed Kozbar, British Muslim Initiative
Zita Holbourne, TUC Race Relations Committee
Steve Hart, Unite the Union Political Director
Andy Reid, PCS Executive Member and Woolwich resident
Kate Hudson, General Secretary CND
Unjum Mirza Political officer, RMT
Aaron Kiely NUS Black Students Officer
Matt Stanley NUS LGBT Committee
Lynne Chamberlain, Woolwich Trades Council
Weyman Bennett Joint National Secretary, Unite Against Fascism

and others tbc

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Petrol bomb attack on Grimsby mosque

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Grimsby mosque arsonPetrol bombs were thrown inside a Grimsby mosque tonight – in front of police officers who were guarding it.

The police, fire service and two ambulances attended the building, on the junction of Weelsby Road and Legsby Avenue, at about 10pm. Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson at the scene. The building was being protected by the police because of another incident there earlier this week.

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York: Students and community unite in opposition to EDL

Posted on by Bob Pitt

York mosque supportersOver 100 students and members of the public turned up outside the York Mosque and Islamic Centre at Bull Lane on Sunday afternoon after rumours of a EDL rally surfaced on Facebook and Twitter on Saturday evening. The York community stood together as an act of solidarity against fascism that very afternoon. 4 EDL supporters arrived at around 3:00 pm.

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EDL riot in Bristol

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL wreck Bristol pub
‘Peacefully protesting against militant Islam’ – Bristol pub after the EDL had finished with it

Supporters of the English Defence League marched through Bristol yesterday, using the armed forces charity Help For Heroes as a flag of convenience. Around 40 of them ended up being penned by mounted police in a pub in the St George area of the city, where they paid tribute to the memory of Lee Rigby by getting drunk, fighting the police and trashing the pub.

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Muslim groups urge consultation over government plans to combat extremism

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Leading British Islamic groups have urged the government to consult Muslims over plans for combating extremism, warning that knee-jerk policies risk exacerbating the problem and damaging social cohesion.

The home secretary, Theresa May, has proposed a series of measures to address the radicalisation of Muslims, including new controls on the internet and the banning of groups preaching hate.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) – which described the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last week as “a horrific instance of extremism” – said that while a new and effective strategy was needed, it must not be rushed through at the expense of British Muslims or society at large.

“We hope wisdom prevails as we reflect on the response of these past few days and the missed opportunities of previous years,” it said in a statement on Sunday. “We must be vigilant and ensure we do not inadvertently give into the demands of all extremists: making our society less free, divided and suspicious of each other. Lessons from the past indicate that policies and measures taken in haste can exacerbate extremism.”

Guardian, 26 May 2013

Young woman spat at as charity reports rising anti-Muslim incidents after Woolwich murder

Posted on by Bob Pitt

WDL Facebook postYoung Muslims in Wales say they fear a backlash after the barbaric killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in London. Charity Faith Matters said it is looking at claims a young woman was spat at in an incident in the Cardiff area and said it was dealing with a significant rise in the number of anti-Muslim incidents in Britain as a result of the attack in Woolwich.

Meanwhile, hateful messages have been posted on social media websites. The Welsh Defence League’s Facebook page boasted a picture of the aftermath of the shocking murder with the message: “Still believe Islam is the religion of peace? How many more have to die to disprove the lie?” It comes after bacon was left outside a Cardiff mosque the day after Drummer Rigby was hacked to death.

Other incidents across the UK have seen a mosque in Kent attacked, while in Essex a man walked into a temple brandishing a knife and a burning bottle was hurled at an Islamic centre in Bletchley. Young Muslims in Wales have now told how they fear a rising tide of hostility will engulf them following 25-year-old Drumer Rigby’s murder.

Wales Online, 26 May 2013

YouGov poll: 80% say most Muslims are peaceful and terrorist threat is low

Posted on by Bob Pitt

YouGov poll May 2013

Following the attack on soldier Drummer Lee Rigby outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich on Wednesday, new YouGov research finds the British public resolute in their perceptions of the terrorist threat level and in their attitudes towards the Muslim community.

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