Another inflammatory anti-Muslim headline in the Mail

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Daily Mail Eid rape headline

That’s the headline to an article in today’s Daily Mail, reporting on the conviction of a group of men for abducting, assaulting and raping two girls, aged 15 and 16.

The article quotes one of the convicted men as claiming that sex with the two girls was consensual: “It was Eid. We treated them as our guests. OK, so they gave us [sex] but we were buying them food and drink.”

And that single quote is the sole the basis for an inflammatory headline that plays to the poisonous far-right racist myth that Muslims are directed by their faith to sexually molest young girls.

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17 years after Oklahoma City bombing, right-wing extremism is still main domestic terror threat in US

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“Fifty-six percent of domestic terrorist attacks and plots in the U.S. since 1995 have been perpetrated by right-wing extremists, as compared to 30 percent by ecoterrorists and 12 percent by Islamic extremists. Right-wing extremism has been responsible for the greatest number of terrorist incidents in the U.S. in 13 of the 17 years since the Oklahoma City bombing.”

Ken Sofer and Molly Bernstein analyse the statistics.

Think Progress, 19 April 2012

‘The only responsible vote in France next Sunday is one for Marine Le Pen’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Her defence of French national identity in the country with Europe’s most numerous Muslim minority is credible, whereas Sarkozy’s betrays his increasingly impotent opportunism.”

Richard Waghorne advocates support for the French far right on the Mail‘s blog RightMinds, 20 April 2012

Here Waghorne merely echoes Le Pen’s own criticism of Sarkozy.

‘I’m not a racist’ says Dumfries & Galloway council candidate who wouldn’t want a Muslim moving in next door

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Colin Wyper election posterA candidate in next month’s council elections has admitted to being a former member of the British National Party. Colin Wyper, who is standing as an independent in Dee ward, joined the organisation in the wake of the London terrorist bombings in July 2005.

But Mr Wyper says he was never an “active member” and did not renew his membership in 2006, admitting it was “a foolish thing to do”. He said: “I was a member, technically, for a year. I was sent some BNP propaganda but I very quickly found out what they said wasn’t true. I do not, hand on heart, see myself as a racist.”

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Former EDL regional organiser among men arrested over online race-hate material

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Paul DuffyTwo alleged far-right extremists from the North-East – including a former regional organiser of the English Defence League – have been arrested on suspicion of posting race-hate material online.

The men were among five suspects arrested by the North-East Counter Terrorism Unit in a series of raids across the UK yesterday.

Paul Duffy, 46, who was appointed regional organiser of the EDL in July 2010, was arrested in Elgin Avenue, Seaham, County Durham, on suspicion of public order offences.

Yesterday, neighbours said they were aware of a police presence at a semi-detached house in the street at about 7am, but did not wish to comment further. A woman living at the address which was searched told The Northern Echo: “It’s a private matter. I do not wish to discuss it.”

Meanwhile, Darren Yateley, 43, was arrested in Shrewsbury Drive, Backworth, North Tyneside, for the same offences and was later released on police bail.

Both are believed to be linked to the Infidels, a breakaway organisation from the EDL, whose Facebook page describes itself as an alliance of “right-wing nationalists, patriotic and loyalist groups from different parts of the UK”.

Police also made arrests in Merseyside, Barnsley and London. An 18-year-old man from Merseyside remained in custody last night, as well as a 21-year-old man from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and a 56-year-old man from Holloway, London. An address in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, was also searched.

Northern Echo, 19 April 2012

Five members of EDL splinter group arrested for inciting racial hatred

Posted on by Bob Pitt

NWI banner

Five men believed to be linked to the far-right English Defence League have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred.

Police said that officers working with the North East Counter Terrorism Unit swooped to arrest the men, who are members of the North West Infidels – a splinter group of the EDL. The arrests are in connection to a series of alleged racist comments posted on social networking sites, including Facebook.

After news of the arrests spread, rumours surfaced online suggesting that John “Snowy” Shaw, who is thought to be the leader of the group and live in Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, was among those arrested as part of the operation. Police, however, denied he was one of the five detained today.

Officers confirmed that a 43-year-old man from Northumbria; a 46-year-old man from County Durham and an 18-year-old man from Merseyside were arrested, along with a 21-year-old man from Barnsley and a 56-year-old man from north London. All five were taken to local police stations to be interviewed.

A spokesman for the North East Counter Terrorism Unit added that officers took computers, laptops and mobile phones after searching the men’s addresses and others in Knaresborough and Leeds.

The two men from Northumbria and north London have been released on bail, pending further enquiries, a spokesman said. Those from County Durham, Merseyside and Barnsley remain in custody.

Independent, 19 April 2012

Roberta Moore claims Breivik trial is a ‘kangaroo court’, agrees that his murder of Labour Party youth was no different to killing Nazis

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Roberta Moore and Stephen Lennon

Giving evidence at his trial yesterday Anders Breivik “compared Norway’s Labour Party youth wing to the Hitler Youth and called their annual summer gathering an ‘indoctrination’ camp”.

This view of the attack on Utøya is shared by former EDL Jewish Division leader and friend of Stephen Lennon, Roberta Moore. Taking issue with a Facebook critic who argued that there is never a reason to kill innocent civilians, Moore responded: “They were NOT innocent.”

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Attacks on Llanelli’s mosque prompt security rise

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Llanelli mosque frontSecurity measures have been taken at Llanelli’s mosque following claims of attacks on the building.

Metal bars have been fitted over the Station Road mosque’s front window after reports were made that the glass was smashed while someone was praying inside. The incident came just months after the door was kicked through and a group of elderly women were followed in.

And police are now conducting high visibility patrols in the area to calm the concerns of people using the mosque.

Press officer for Llanelli’s Ethnic Minority Help Association Anne Stevens-Bevan said she was working hard to ensure people feel safe when they go to pray.

“I met with the police last week and I am negotiating with them and the Muslim Council for Great Britain to see what advice they can give,” she said. “There have been problems with things thrown at the window and people being chased and abused physically and mentally. The trouble has been on-going for 14 years, but I have made a promise that it won’t happen again because it’s just not fair.”

Mrs Stevens-Bevan said she was “sickened to the stomach” to hear that the window was smashed while someone was praying. “It should be a world of calmness,” she said. “Having to put bars over the window takes away from that – it takes away from the sense of peace.”

She added that while lighting would soon be installed near the mosque, efforts were still being made to have CCTV cameras installed.

“The mosque is well used – and by some very elderly people – and they should feel safe,” she said. “They get mouthy people passing, and these words can build up and rob them of their self-esteem. People don’t forget things like that, and for the women who were followed into the mosque it must be in their minds all the time. The mosque is a sacred place, like our churches and chapels, and we will not give up until people feel safe to go there.”

PC Dylan Davies said: “When they reported the criminal damage to me I did advise them to think about taking some security measures, which they did by adding the grill to the window. Having said that, this is a one-off instance. I am aware of concerns the people using the mosque have, and I am keeping an eye on the building and making sure that there are regular high visibility patrols in and around the area.”

This is South Wales, 17 April 2012

Police hunt man who ripped off Muslim woman’s face veil in Solihull

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Solihull CCTVDetectives are hunting a man who grabbed a Muslim woman by the head and pulled off her face covering in a packed shopping centre.

The thug approached the woman from behind in Touchwood shopping centre, Solihull, on Saturday March 3 at 2pm. As she walked past the Disney Store he ripped the veil from her face and threw it on the floor before walking off.

Cops today released CCTV of the man they believe is responsible in an effort to track the thug down. Chief Inspector Kevin Doyle, from Solihull Police, said:

“Reports of crimes like this are exceptionally rare both in Solihull and the wider West Midlands. We are treating this incident as a hate crime as we believe the woman was deliberately targeted because of her faith, symbolised by her attire. I would urge anyone who recognises the man captured on camera to contact us as a matter of urgency.”

Anyone who recognises the man should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Birmingham Mail, 17 April 2012

Dudley mosque plan rejected by High Court

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Plans to build a new mosque on a derelict site in the centre of Dudley have been thrown out by the High Court.

In September, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council refused permission for a second time to build an £18m mosque and community centre on Hall Street.

Accusations of unfairness and “abuse of power” made by the Dudley Muslim Association against the council were rejected by the court. Dudley Muslim Association said it would appeal against the ruling.

Kurshid Ahmed, from the association, said he was “bitterly disappointed” with the judgement and claimed the planning dispute had damaged community relations. He also called for an independent hearing into the planning process, which dates back to 2005, when the association bought the plot of land.

Following the High Court decision, the association is now required to sell the Hall Street site back to the local authority within the next month.

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