Mayor of Tower Hamlets on East London Gay Pride

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“As a British Asian, as a British Muslim, I know what it’s like to be part of a minority. But minorities have since the beginning of time been woven into the fabric of this borough – and what makes us special is how we stand together and speak up for one another.”

Lutfur Rahman celebrates yesterday’s East London Gay Pride march.

I’m not sure it was a good idea for Lutfur to give Peter Tatchell a boost, though. Rainbow Hamlets regard Tatchell as a disruptive tosser, and while they may not be right about everything they’re certainly right about that.

Tatchell was interviewed on the march by BBC News. Asked about Mohammed Hasnath and the “Gay Free Zone” stickers, he replied: “I’m not sure the guy who did the stickers should have been prosecuted. I take a very strong free speech line.”

Yes, really. While almost everyone in the East End, from Rainbow Hamlets to the East London Mosque, complained that the small fine imposed on Hasnath was an inadequate punishment for the crime he had committed, Tatchell takes the view that Hasnath shouldn’t have been charged with an offence at all.

Vile train hooligans need tackling now

Posted on by Bob Pitt

I know this happens all the time and probably won’t be ‘news’ to you, but I’m so angry I needed to tell someone.

Yesterday, getting the train from Sheffield to Norwich, a group of what I would describe as disgusting bigots and football hooligans got on the train from Nottingham to Grantham.

The carriage was full of families of all ages including very small children. They were extremely drunk, disturbing, crude and basically acting like animals: punching the train roof, spilling beer everywhere and causing general chaos. I have attached a photo of the main lout punching the train and being disruptive, and I also have a video of him chanting offensive and crude songs. Particularly disturbing was when they were chanting “EDL”.

I am so ashamed to think I live in a world of disgusting people like this. There should be more done in local areas to deal with animals like these, and they should be named and shamed.

Their faces should be spread over the front page of the newspaper, so in a more sober state they can realise how disgustingly they acted.

I was with my elderly mother and she was so upset about their behaviour and attitude. Everybody on the train was too scared to confront them so we just had to endure it.

Email to the Grantham Journal, 25 September 2011

St Louis man who wanted war with Muslims gets five years

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL — An explosives-trained Army veteran who wore a fake bomb during a standoff that followed a phone call to a mosque in which he threatened to “start an apocalypse” was sentenced Friday to five years in prison by a federal judge who called the matter an escalation of the man’s aggression.

U.S. District Judge David Herdon wasn’t swayed by Roman Conaway’s apology during a rambling, 18-minute appeal for leniency, handing the former Walmart worker a prison term longer than the four years and two months prosecutors sought. Conaway’s attorney pressed for a sentence of 2 1/2 years.

Associated Press, 23 September 2011

EDL supporters back racist who attacked Muslim community centre

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Daniel Parker EDLEnglish Defence League supporters have organised an e-petition demanding the release of Daniel Parker, who recently received an 8-month prison sentence for his role in an EDL mob that attacked the Barnsley Muslim Community Centre and racially abused its imam.

Here are some of the comments added by those who signed the “Free Danny Parker” petition:

“The riots earlier this year was just a taster of whats to come, if they carry on turning on patriots and pandering to the trouble causers there will be a revolution before much longer and then what will they do!”

“some Muslim can disrespect our country by burning a poppy right in front of our nations eyes and gets a fine for 50 pound but then one of our own speaks his mind and gets locked up its just not fair at all”

“I have never met Danny but I would gladly shake his hand and I agree with his non-violent actions, it’s just a shame our justice service is deluded and exaggerate on political correctness.”

“if actions like these keep happening to BRITISH! Citizens then you should be prepared for the backlash,british people have had enough of foreigners being put before us rightful inhabitants of this country”

“That judge is a complete CLOWN!!! … In this world you should be able to speak your mind, without the fear of JAIL.”

“hes only said what we’re all thinking, is there no such thing as free speach anymore?? foreigners are getting away with everything!!! makes me so angry!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Daniel Parker just voiced his opinion in a non violent way and for this he is jailed for 8 months.THE JUDGE SHOULD HANG HIS HEAD IN SHAME”

“what a joke free the man!!! He was only using his freedom of speech!!!!!”

“why is it so wrong for us to say how we feel but yet get the worst punishment ever and yet people of a different race can shout what they want to us in whatever language they speak other than English but how often do you see those getting sentenced ? never !”

“If you value your freedoms, please sign this petition to free a political prisoner. Support free speech in a free England!”

“This is a blatant infringement of our Freedom of Speech! 8 months in jail for expressing what the whole country is thinking is absurd!!! We DEMAND his release immediately!! … We will NOT be silent no matter what. MUSLIM BOMBERS OFF OUR STREETS!!!”

“Get Danny Parker out NOW! The Hell with the Muzzies! If I were the PM, I would deport them all PERIOD!”

“Wake up brits before it’s too late! down with sharia law!!”

“2 tier system yet again! Shout abuse at troops=nothing, singing=8 months! justice system is a crock of shit!”

“used to be proud of our British laws knowing if you broke them what you could expect, now it seem if you are a muslim extreemist you are above the law and no one can touch you and i am ashamed.”

“free this lad he only sang what we normally sing”

“Total injustice mate, u should never be locked up just for speaking your mind”

“this country is so run by muslims now we will all go to jail for shouting things we believe”

“A family man taken from his family and children for a few truthful words i dont see any christian bombers? hindu bombers? jewish bombers on our streets. Shame on you all”

“To be imprisoned for speaking ones mind is an affront to freedom of speech.”

“We can commit our Soldiers to help give people free speech in Afghanistan and Libya, but in this Country we bang people up for it. WHY??????”

“This is outrageous! You put a family man in jail for shouting five innocent words,that just happen to be accurate,but you allow hate monegring,racist,blood thirsty calls for jihad and the downfall of English society to go?? Gutless bastards,it would be poetic justice if one of your family members or YOU happen to feel the prphets sword on your neck first.ASSHOLES!”

“Its Time for the Police and Government to Uphold the ‘Law’ and arrest anyone committing Treason in Our Country , any Muslim who incites , Condones , Preaches or is openly promoting the downfall of Our nation through clandestine movements which threaten Democracy the Crown and Our Christian Religion, Human Right, Gay rights . DO YOUR JOB ! The people have had enough you will push our Country into Civil war”

“Freedom of speech is a right, if the Muslims can speak out again us so freely, why shouldn’t we state it too? He only said facts!”

“how rediculous! its totally unjust. if he was muslim he would not be jailed”

“let him out now the muslims have more hate in them and thay get away with it”

“People of the islamic ideology can say and do whatever they please, yet anyone else who uses freedom of speech goes to prison. Terrible…”

“this country is going down the shitter,with the usual race card routine with help from this Dhimmi government and judicial system,Danny Parker has done absolutely nothing wrong whatsoever,free speech in his own country”

“the goverment needs to wake up before it gets too late theres going to be lots of bloodshed on our streets and it wont be the none muslims doing it it will be muslim extremists trying to impose shia law they already stated that they want dewsbury bradford and tower hamlets. enoughs enough give our freedom of speech back and listern to whats been said.”

“Do we see the Muslim extremists getting locked up, NO. this is ridiculous. “

“To jail him for this means the courts support the muslim bombers. If they are against Danny Parker, they must be for the bombers. There is no third choice”

“The Government wanna stop arresting people up fOr stupid stuff!! Start going for the real threats an criminals to England such as the Muslim peadophile rings ect!!! Disgusting!!”

“total disgrace! release an innoncent man from prison to be with his wife and children. I am sickened by this, it would be different if he was black!”

In a post on the “Free Danny Parker” Facebook page, Parker’s wife Cheryl warns that “if the press see some of the comments they’re just going to dismiss us as a group of far right supporters”. You can see her point, can’t you?

Update:  Not that EDL supporters have heeded Mrs Parker’s advice. Recent comments by signatories to the petition include:

“Be warned you politicians it wont be long before there’s another riot. People will only put up with so much Bullshit before they snap.”

“islam is not a race, neither is it a religion, but an ideology no different from nazism. s lets ‘GET DANNY OUT!'”

Update 2:  There has been a heated discussion of the case over at the Barnsley Chronicle‘s Facebook page. Cheryl Parker has been banned and her comments deleted after she falsely accused one of her husband’s critics of being a sex offender.

Still, Mrs Parker is not without her supporters. Here is one comment that was posted in her defence:

EDL Barnsley Chronicle Ian Shaw comment

Followed by:

EDL Barnsley Chronicle Ian Shaw comment2

 

Man who nailed bacon to mosque door avoids prison sentence after Muslim community asks for leniency

Posted on by Bob Pitt

John WhiteA churchgoer who stuck bacon to the door of a mosque in South Tyneside as part of a religious hate campaign was branded “un-Christian” by a judge. But John White, 63, walked free from court after the chairman of the mosque wrote a letter to court, begging for leniency.

White was caught on CCTV carrying out the attacks in South Shields in January, Newcastle Crown Court heard. On January 2, the bacon was placed outside the Jam-E-Masjid mosque, in Baring Street, South Shields, which has about 200 regular worshippers. Throughout the month, meat was repeatedly left outside the mosque and a member’s home in Coston Drive, South Shields, was also targeted, with bacon even being stuck to the front door of the mosque.

Tom Moran, prosecuting, said: “Muslims are not allowed to eat or touch pork, and this was absolutely intended to be offensive.”

The bacon was found by the mosque’s treasurer, who covered it with a cardboard box to prevent other members from being offended, then called the police. In a victim impact statement, the family whose home was targeted said they feared that the action was the work of an extremist group.

Mr Moran said: “South Shields has a substantial Bangladeshi and Muslim community, and, by and large, they are well integrated. These offences coincided with a time when in other parts of the world, right-wing extremists were threatening to burn the Quran (the central religious text of the Muslim religion).”

Concerned that the attacks could be sinister threats from a right-wing group, police trawled through CCTV footage before arresting White.

He admitted five charges of religiously aggravated harassment, but claimed that his motivations were personal, targeting a particular Muslim family, over a 20-year grudge.

The court heard that White, a Christian, has attended a church on the same street as the mosque for 20 years.

Despite the fear he caused to the Muslim and Bangladeshi community, chairman of the Jam-E-Masjid mosque, Mohammed Miah, asked the judge to show leniency. In a letter read out in court, Mr Miah described how he had known White since 1982 and said he was known and liked in the community. He said: “We wish the courts to be lenient with John. Although we were upset initially, we do not wish for any serious consequences to happen to John.”

Judge Michael Cartlidge commended the forgiving attitude of the Muslim community and condemned White’s actions as “un-Christian” and “stupid”. White was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months. He is also now banned for 12 months from going within 100 metres of the mosque or the family home he targeted.

Shields Gazette, 24 September 2011

Posted in UK

Wilders’ website hacked

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-Islam PVV party leader Geert Wilders said on Friday that his website has been hacked. The hacker called himself a “Turkish Muslim Hacker” and left a photo of Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a verse from the Koran on the site.

The hacking follows a clash between Wilders and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Thursday which focused on the PVV attitude to Erdogan.

The page has now been taken off-line and it is not known what action Wilders will take.

Dutch News, 23 September 2011

EEOC sues Albuquerque hotel over ban on employee wearing hijab

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MCM Elegante Hotel704 HTL Operating, LLC and Investment Corporation of America, doing business as MCM Elegante Hotel in Albuquerque, violated federal law by subjecting a Muslim woman to religious discrimination and to retaliation for opposing the discrimination, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed on September 21, 2011.

In its suit, the EEOC said that the hotel failed to accommodate Safia Abdullah’s request to work wearing a hijab, a head scarf worn by Muslim women for religious purposes. In addition, the EEOC alleges that the hotel either failed to hire Abdullah or discharged her because of her religion and/or because she engaged in the protected conduct of opposing discrimination, including requesting religious accommodation.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on religion and retaliation for opposition to discrimination. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico (EEOC v. 704 HTL Operating, LLC and Investment Corporation of America Civil Action No. 1:11-cv-00845) after first attempting to reach a voluntary settlement through its conciliation process.

“We will vigorously prosecute cases of religious discrimination throughout our district, including claims that involve the employer’s refusal to provide reasonable accommodation for an individual’s religious beliefs,” said Regional Attorney Mary Jo O’Neill of the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office, which has jurisdiction over Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. “We are particularly concerned when the accommodation requested is easy to provide and the employer appears to have reacted to myths or stereotypes about a religion.”

EEOC press release, 22 September 2011

New study of English Defence League published

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL Britain's New Far Right Social MovementToday the University of Northampton publishes its new study The EDL: Britain’s ‘New Far Right’ Social Movement.

You can download it here.

I’ll try to do a review of this later, but in the meantime I would recommend Chapter 4, “The English Defence League’s leaders and followers”, by Mark Pitchford. Its conclusion is spot on:

“First, the EDL is unarguably connected to the BNP and other far‐right groups, whether by previous association or by shared interest. Secondly, some of these far‐right individuals have possessed significant weaponry that identifies them as potential ‘lone wolf’ terrorists. Thirdly, EDL leaders and followers have engaged in criminality, especially racially aggravated incidents. Fourthly, the EDL engages in double-speak that powerfully questions their claim to be a single‐issue, non‐racist movement.”

Perhaps someone should send a copy of this chapter to Adrian Tudway.