Category Archives: Anti-Muslim violence

Suffolk man who threatened that mosque would ‘be burned down’ gets community order and fine

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man posted a racially offensive comment on Facebook during a group discussion about a Bury Free Press front page, a court has heard.

Luke Janzen joined in a debate started by one of his friends about The Falcon pub, in Bury St Edmunds, being converted into a mosque, saying if that happened it would “be burned down”.

When he appeared at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court on Friday, the 22-year-old, of Clay Road, Bury, pleaded guilty to sending an offensive message by public communication network.

Prosecuting, Colette Griffiths said the case was “an unusual matter” which stemmed from Janzen posting a comment on March 17. She told the court he wrote: “If there’s going to be a mosque in Bury then the f*****’s going to be burned down.”

Janzen was arrested 10 days later after police researched the social networking site following complaints about abusive comments that had appeared on it. He told police “well, we have all got our own opinions,” said Mrs Griffiths.

She added: “He said it was a silly thought, that he was thinking if there was a mosque there, someone was bound to burn it down and not that he intended to burn it down.”

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Police called to ‘large scale disorder of EDL’, court told

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Michael Rafferty and Ricky Burley (2)A court heard how police called to a “large scale disorder” were forced to use pepper spray and brandish Tasers to tackle a “very aggressive” crowd.

Two men, Ricky Burley, aged 43 [on right of picture] and 34-year-old Michael Rafferty [on left] both appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court to face trial on charges of resisting police officers in Exeter Street on August 31 last year. Burley, of High Street, Stonehouse, also faces a charge of threatening behaviour. Rafferty, of Woolwich, London, but formerly from Devonport denies the charges, as does Burley.

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Revoked-plates man had first asked for ‘HAJIKLR’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

ICUHAJI plateWhen an Iraq War veteran filed an appeal last month to get back his personalized license plates, his attorney claimed the Department of Motor Vehicles had misinterpreted them.

The tag that read “ICUHAJI” was intended only as a message of support for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. Not as a threat against Arabs.

What Andrew D. Meyer failed to mention was the content of the previous message his client had tried to get on his plates: HAJIKLR.

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Sentencing of EDL hooligans adjourned after ‘commander’ collapses in court

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Bernard Holmes in chicken costumeThe sentencing of a group of English Defence League (EDL) supporters was adjourned for a second time after the man dubbed their “commander” collapsed in court.

Judge Norman Wright postponed the Preston Crown Court case after being told Bernard Holmes [pictured, in chicken costume] was lying “semi comatose” in the public gallery yesterday.

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‘Anti-mosque activity’ in more than half of US states

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which were carried out by hijackers from Arab countries, animosity toward Muslims sometimes has taken the form of opposition to construction of mosques and other Islamic facilities. National debate erupted over plans for a community center that became known as the “Ground Zero mosque” in Lower Manhattan.

In the last five years, there has been “anti-mosque activity” in more than half the states, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Some mosques were vandalized – a $5,000 reward is being offered in a 2011 Wichita mosque arson case – and others were targets of efforts to deny zoning permits.

Mosque opponents often raise concerns about traffic and parking, but Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU’s freedom of religion program, says they can be “sham arguments” that mask anti-Muslim sentiment.

USA Today, 28 May 2012

EDL supporter faces prison sentence over attack on neighbours

Posted on by Bob Pitt

A man has admitted threatening to kill his neighbours and forcing his way into their Thornhill Lees home. Daniel Smith, 39, was told that he should expect a long jail term when he returns to Leeds Crown Court for sentencing on June 22.

On Wednesday, Smith admitted 10 offences linked to events in Victoria Road on August 26, 2011. They included burglary, common assault, affray, four counts of making threats to kill and two counts of possessing a knife.

He denied aggravated burglary and possessing a screwdriver as an offensive weapon – charges which he had faced at an earlier trial where a jury could not reach a verdict.

A re-trial had been ordered and was expected to start at the court on Wednesday morning. But when Smith entered guilty pleas to the majority of charges, the prosecution decided a second trial was not in the public interest.

Prosecutor Christopher Tehrani said the complainants in the case had been spoken to and agreed with that course of action.

Judge Guy Kearl QC told Smith: “This is going to result in a long sentence of imprisonment. I do, however, think it will be helpful to me if I can have the assistance and benefit of a pre-sentence report upon you.” He said it would be in Smith’s interest to co-operate with the probation service while they prepared the report.

Smith was remanded into custody until his sentencing.

Dewsbury Reporter, 27 May 2012

See also Hope Not Hate, 28 May 2012