EDL abuses MEPs attending anti-racist meeting in Luton

Posted on by Bob Pitt

EDL protest against Luton anti-racist meeting

A chorus of boos and chants greeted Euro MP Richard Howitt as he arrived at Luton Town Hall for extremism talks this afternoon.

A large group of English Defence League members had gathered at the Duke of Clarence pub after EDL leader Tommy Robinson accused the MEP of failing to tackle Islamic extremism.

With Mr Howitt were MEPs from five other European countries who have experienced far right extremism in their own countries.

Before the group arrived, EDL members emerged from the pub and lined the pavement, holding placards and chanting slogans including “Muslim bombers off our streets” and “No surrender to the Taliban”.

Emerging from the meeting to more booing, Mr Howitt said: “Not only are the EDL unrepresentative, they seek to prey upon the insecurities of normal people who are worried about their jobs and homes.”

Luton Today, 26 May 2011

A updated report adds that “MEPs from Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary and Slovakia arrived at the building for anti-extremism talks to booing and shouts of ‘scum’ from the EDL members.”

See photos by Mirrorimage at Demotix

Prosecutors again call for Wilders’ acquittal

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Dutch prosecutors Wednesday again argued for anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders’s acquittal on hate speech charges, saying that while his comments may have caused anxiety and insult, they were not criminal.

“In regards to this case, the public ministry has not changed its mind. We recommend an acquittal,” prosecutor Paul Velleman told the Amsterdam district court. Prosecutors previously called for the politician’s acquittal on charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims and people of non-Western immigrant origin, particularly Moroccans.

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Judge waits for medical report on racist who threatened Salma Yaqoob

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The mental health of a racist extremist who harassed a Birmingham city councillor will be assessed before he is sentenced.

Stuart Peter John Collins, of Mill Lane, Bartley Green, targeted Respect councillor Salma Yaqoob, who later spoke of the distress it caused.

Collins, aged 50, made offensive phone calls about the councillor to the emergency services claiming she was spreading racial hatred. He pleaded guilty to making offensive phone calls. It puts him in breach of an 18-month suspended jail sentence after he previously bombarded Ms Yaqoob with a series of offensive and racist emails.

Judge Trevor Faber bailed him, after adjourning sentence for a mental health assessment.  He told Collins: “I want to make it clear that I am not giving any indication of sentencing but I am prepared to make a short adjournment so that the psychiatric team can prepare a report for the benefit of the judge who will sentence you.”

In the latest attack, Ms Yaqoob was repeatedly targeted by Collins who said he was “sick of extremists in the UK”.

Ms Yaqoob said: “I am surprised that he is up in court again. I would have thought he would have learnt that it’s not a good idea to send abusive and racist messages, that’s why he was in court last time and having been on the receiving end, it’s not very pleasant.

“But part of me is also concerned that he has mental health issues and I don’t know whether that has been taken into account, but it does sound bizarre going on such rants. I hope he gets the help he needs.”

Birmingham Post, 25 May 2011

Hate message left on US Muslim family’s car

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We don't want Muslims in AmericaA hate message was left on the car of a Muslim family while they were inside a business in Redmond, the Washington state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-WA) said Tuesday.

CAIR-WA said a Muslim mother reported that she found the message, which said, “We don’t [want] Muslims in America” in English and “We don’t want Muslims in our country, go away”, in Arabic, stuck to the family’s vehicle when she returned to it Monday afternoon after visiting a Redmond Starbucks.

“I can’t believe someone could hate me because of my religious beliefs,” the victim told KIRO 7. She asked us not to use her name or show her face.

The Muslim mother, who was with her 9-year-old daughter at the time of the incident, wears an Islamic head scarf.

Earlier this month, CAIR’s Michigan chapter called on state and national law enforcement authorities to investigate an incident in which a vehicle was vandalized and defaced with a racially-derogatory phrase and profanity.

CAIR-WA Executive Director Arsalan Bukhari said a coalition of some 60 interfaith and community leaders recently asked Everett Community College to drop an “Islamophobic” speaker scheduled to appear Thursday as part of an “Islam in America” lecture series.

Bukhari said that a growing number of hate incidents targeting American Muslims, those perceived to be Muslim and Muslim institutions have occurred in the days since the death of Osama bin Laden.

“Some of the issues we see happening are an increase in rhetoric against Muslims and an increase in mainstreaming of anti-Muslim speech,” Bukhari said.

CAIR-WA held a news conference Tuesday afternoon with the Muslim mother and her daughter to talk about the incident.

The victim said she isn’t angry about the note, but she’s shocked that it would happen in a community she’s grown to love. “We are just regular people, and I hope this person realizes that they can’t make us afraid to go out and live our lives regularly,” she said.

KIRO TV, 24 May 2011

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‘Peacefully protesting against Islamic extremism’ – another EDL member is charged with affray

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man from Birmingham has been charged with affray following ugly clashes at an English Defence League demonstration in Aylesbury in May last year.

Stuart Bates, aged 41, of Lazyhill, Kings Norton, was charged with affray by Thames Valley Police on May 5. He was bailed and appeared at Aylesbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday where he entered a not guilty plea to the charge. The case was adjourned and the next hearing will be at Aylesbury Crown Court in July.

Bucks Herald, 25 May 2011

According to Searchlight Stuart Bates is a regular participant at EDL demonstrations. He is also a trusted member of the BNP West Midlands security team. “In fact Bates is so highly regarded that he was drafted in to provide security for Griffin at the BBC Question Time fiasco and at his High Court appearance.”

Bates has stood as a BNP candidate for Birmingham City Council on a number of occasions. Contesting the Quinton ward in this year’s elections he got 267 votes (3.62%).

It has also been claimed that Bates acted as a bodyguard for Stephen Lennon (“Tommy Robinson”) at the EDL demonstration in Luton in February.

Qur’an ‘desecrated’ in Chorley mosque attack

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Chorley mosqueA Quran was “desecrated” and racist graffiti daubed at a mosque, it has emerged. Two teenagers have been charged with racially aggravated criminal damage connected with the incident in Chorley.

Police said intruders entered the Dawat Ul Islam Masjid, also known as Chorley Mosque, in Brooke Street, before causing interior damage and damaging various items, including a Quran. Officers added that racially-abusive graffiti was found on walls at the building during the incident.

Police said that their investigations had not linked the attack to any organised anti-Islamic group.

Coun Hasina Khan, who lives nearby and represents Chorley east on the borough council, said many Muslims in the town were shocked by the incident. She said: “Every religion and all places of worship should be given the greatest of respect by all members of the community.” She added: “Chorley is a place of cohesion between the communities and incidents like this are very rare.”

Sergeant Kevin Mountain, from the Chorley neighbourhood police team, said: “We treat incidents of this nature with the utmost gravity. I would urge anyone who feels they have been subjected to a crime because of their race or religious beliefs to contact us immediately and we will investigate fully.”

The £500,000 mosque, which opened five years ago, has a capacity for more than 500 worshippers and was the first purpose-built mosque in Chorley. Its facilities include a wash room and two large prayer rooms on each floor.

The incident happened on April 16 but police have only just released details after charging two people.

Daniel Barrow, 18, of Berkeley Close, Chorley, has been bailed to appear before Blackburn magistrates on July 15 charged with racially-aggravated criminal damage. A 17-year-old youth has been bailed to appear before a juvenile court in Chorley on July 5 charged with two counts of racially aggravated criminal damage.

Lancashire Telegraph, 25 May 2011

Posted in UK

EDL threatens to gatecrash European anti-racist meeting in Luton

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Stephen Lennon with anti-mosque placard2A Euro MP says a bid by the English Defence League to hijack an anti-racism meeting in Luton today (Thursday May 26) will not derail the event. Richard Howitt will be joined by other members of the European Parliament to discuss racism and extremism, as part of his campaigning against far right groups across Europe.

But the EDL says it is angry at the politician’s criticism of their organisation. EDL leader Tommy Robinson says he plans to try to enter a meeting planned at Luton Town Hall to put questions to Mr Howitt.

He said: “I want to get in and talk to him. Are they going to talk about militant Islam? They need to wake up and not be afraid to talk about the real problem. The EDL hasn’t got a stall outside Don Miller’s in the town centre every week. We’re not the ones they need to stop. It’s just a political stunt by Richard Howitt so he can say that he’s stopped racism.”

Mr Howitt says the MEPs, from five European countries, have “hands-on”experience in tackling extremism, and that the aim of the visit is to show that Luton is a “centre of excellence” for combating racism and extremism. During the visit they will speak with faith leaders, councillors, trade unionists, Unite Against Fascism, Searchlight and join with the Luton Town FC Managing Director and players.

Commenting on the possibility of an EDL protest during today’s event, he said: “The demonstration against me is a typical example of the EDL shouting and screaming from the sidelines and causing upset and fear while ordinary people just want to get on with living peacefully and happily in Luton.

“My European MEP colleagues were saddened to see people from France, Germany and Denmark joining the ranks of the EDL march in Luton earlier this year. The significance of the EDL spreads far beyond the UK’s shores which is why we need a Europe-wide response and I think the EDL must be running scared if they feel they need to hold a protest on Thursday.

“Luton is resilient and Lutonians won’t let racists and extremists dictate to them. I am confident threats and intimidation by the EDL aimed at stirring up panic, racial hatred and fear will never succeed in dividing Luton.”

Luton Herald & Post, 26 March 2011

Belgium: senate gives green light to veil ban

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Belgium was set Wednesday to become the second European Union country to enforce a ban on public wearing of Islamic face veils, as its senate failed to raise objections against the provision passed last month by the lower chamber of parliament.

The Chamber of Deputies approved the so-called burqa ban law on April 28. The senate had 15 days to interfere with it, but declined to do so, the Belga news agency said, quoting sources from the Belgian Parliament.

Belgian lawmakers had already voted to ban Islamic face veils last year, but the law did not get into the statute books as parliament was dissolved in the wake of a government crisis fueled by a row between the country’s French and Dutch-speaking politicians.

“This time it should go through,” Belga wrote, indicating that the law is set to be enforced ten days after its publication in the country’s official journal.

The measure is supported by all political parties except French- and Dutch-speaking Greens, which either opposed it or abstained in last month’s chamber vote.

The law would punish anyone caught in public places with their face completely or partially covered –thus preventing their identification – with fines between 15 to 20 euros (21 to 35 dollars) and/or up to seven days’ imprisonment.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International have criticized it, arguing that it “would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion” of affected women.

DPA, 25 May 2011

Another anti-Islam protest comes to Dearborn

Posted on by Bob Pitt

OOTDAnother protest over what organizers call “radical strains” of Islam is planned on Saturday in front of Dearborn City Hall.

The Order of the Dragon, a pro-Israeli group, is planning the 3 p.m. demonstration to call attention to the “implementation of Sharia” or Islamic law in some court rulings, said Frank Fiorello, the head of the group’s Michigan chapter.

“We have a lot of people worried about Sharia creeping into family court,” said Fiorello, a Marlette resident. “There are 23 different jurisdictions where Sharia is being implemented in family court.” Fiorello did not provide specifics, but said there are recent cases in Ann Arbor District Court.

Other groups participating in the rally include the American Defense League, ACT! For America and David Horowitz’s Freedom Center’s Palestinian Wall of Lies, Fiorello said.

Fiorello, a Detroit native, was scheduled to host controversial Florida Pastor Terry Jones’ protest in Dearborn on April 22 but Fiorello backed off his protest after meeting with Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly and a member of an interfaith group.

Jones ended up protesting a week later after being ordered by a Dearborn district judge that he would have to post a peace bond if he wanted to protest outside the Islamic Center of America on Good Friday.

Fiorello also said he backed away from Jones after a difference of option about how the protest should be handled. “We’re not wanting to be involved in shock tactics,” said Fiorello. “That is not our route.”

Jones, meanwhile, has planned to protest against “radical Islam” at the Arab American International Festival in Dearborn next month.

Detroit News, 25 May 2011