The Mosquebuster
Hope not hate, January-February 2013
Late last year a smartly dressed man in an office in Bristol was celebrating a decision to refuse a planning application for a mosque in Chingford, Essex. It was just the latest in a long list of victories for Gavin Boby. Dave Porter profiles a man who strives to block new mosques because of his hatred of Islam and Muslims in general.
A protest by a handful of far-right demonstrators marking the first anniversary of the murder of a man by Asian youths threatened to bring chaos to a residential area of Glasgow.
Mounted police, helicopters and scores of officers yesterday were deployed on to the streets of the city’s Pollokshields, home to Scotland’s largest Asian community, despite a maximum of 10 members of the Scottish Defence League (SDL) turning up.
That’s how the Sunday Times reports the “Muslim patrol” story covered by the Mail last week. So far, nobody has produced any evidence that there are “Sharia patrols” operating in east London, suppressing the consumption of alcohol on the streets, as the Sunday Times claims. What we have is a video from Tower Hamlets of two individuals harassing non-Muslims. That’s all. There’s no indication yet that this was anything more than a couple of pillocks staging an offensive stunt.
That’s the headline to a report in the Daily Mail. Ever eager to alert its readers to the encroaching Muslim menace, the paper claims that “a gang claiming to be Islamic vigilantes have been confronting members of the public and demanding they give up alcohol and women cover their flesh in their ‘Muslim area'”. This is accompanied by a video, originally posted by its creators on YouTube, in which a self-styled “Muslim patrol” harasses passers-by over their un-Islamic behaviour. According to the Mail, the events took place in Waltham Forest.
The report is taken from a piece on The Commentator website, titled “‘Muslim Patrol’ vigilantes attempt to control London streets”, which states that the video is “likely to have come from East London, where ‘Shariah zones’ were set up last year”. It provides a link to a 2011 report in the Mail headlined “‘No porn or prostitution’: Islamic extremists set up Sharia law controlled zones in British cities”, which was illustrated with photographs of one of Anjem Choudary’s idiot supporters putting up stickers in Waltham Forest announcing that the borough was a “Shariah controlled zone”. The Commentator adds that the individuals featured in the “Muslim patrol” video “are thought to be a part of an extremist network in East London”, the implication being that they are members of Choudary’s group.
In reality, it is clear that the video was shot in Tower Hamlets, near to the East London Mosque (which has issued a statement condemning the actions of the “Muslim patrol” and calling on anyone with information on the individuals involved to contact the police). There have in any case never been any sharia zones “set up” in Waltham Forest or anywhere else in East London. One dickhead putting stickers on lampposts doesn’t bring a “Shariah controlled zone” into existence.
Nor is there a “gang” harassing the citizens of Tower Hamlets over their alcohol drinking or way of dressing. As Richard Bartholomew has pointed out, the “patrol” appears to consist of just two individuals, one of whom is holding the mobile phone with which the video is taken. There is moreover no evidence that they are connected to Choudary’s minuscule band of nutters or indeed that they are part of any “extremist network” at all. Their behaviour was no doubt upsetting for the people they targeted, and hopefully they will be identified and charged with harassment, but if a couple of prats pulling a single Candid Camera type stunt constitutes a serious attempt by Islamist extremists to “control London streets” then words have lost all meaning.
This irresponsible reporting has of course had the predictable result of inflaming the far right, as it plays directly to their paranoid racist fantasies about the Islamification of Britain and the imposition of sharia law on non-Muslims. The English Defence posted a link to the Mail report on their Facebook page, provoking the usual outpouring of anti-Muslim hatred, threats of violence and calls for civil war. Not to be outdone, the EDL breakaway group Combined Ex Forces has announced that “members of CxF and other Patriots/Nationalists will be descending on London in the very near future to reclaim our streets”.
A charity involved in a dispute over a Scout hut says it cannot afford the rental terms it is being offered for an alternative building.
Demonstrations have been taking place in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, for several months against plans by As-Salaam to turn the hut into a community centre.
Earlier this month, city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby agreed protesters from the Forgotten Estates Committee would be given the lease on the hut for two years, rent-free.
The Muslim charity was offered another city council-owned building, the Raven Centre, next to Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, where the charity has met for prayers for the past three years. As-Saalam members said they had been offered two rental agreements, neither of which they could afford.
English Defence League protestors in Shotton Colliery last month
Police last night sought to reassure residents of a village where a far-right group protested against a planned Islamic education centre.
Around 200 members of the English Defence League gathered in the former pit village of Shotton Colliery, County Durham, on Saturday, December 1. Two people were arrested on suspicion of breach of bail and a woman was given a police warning.
It came after Durham County Council passed plans by businessman Kaiser Choudry to transform the Melrose Arms, a disused pub on Front Street, into an education centre.
Shotton Comrades Social Club was almost full for the special meeting last night attended by police, Stuart Timmiss, the council’s head of planning and assets and councillor Eunice Huntingdon, who represents the area, to discuss the plans. Several residents voiced fears about extremism at the meeting.
English Defence League thugs confront police at Walsall protest[
Three men have admitted their roles in trouble which broke out during an English Defence League protest in a busy Black Country town centre. Angry scenes unfolded in Leicester Street, Walsall, in September as the EDL held a protest and disorder erupted as supporters left a pub.
Kyle Kirkbride, of Rugeley, and Peter Jelley, of Shrewsbury, both admitted threatening behaviour, while John Sharpe, of Leamore, Bloxwich, admitted racially aggravated harassment at Walsall Magistrates Court yesterday.
“Joining the co-founder of the EDL in prison, Kevin Carroll has been arrested for a Facebook comment. This is part of the war on freedom and its champions.
“Kevin Carroll and Tommy Robinson are on the SION President’s Council and are true fighters for freedom. They oppose the oppression, subjugation and racism of Islamic supremacism. But the savages have succeeded in imposing the sharia – hence their arrests.
“Apparently Kevin Carroll used the word I made famous in our AFDI ads, ‘savage’. And got arrested. The savages didn’t like it. The [sic] is blasphemy enforcement by dhimmi law enforcment. But their instructions came from on high. Shocking. If the Brits don’t fight back, it’s over for them.”
Pamela Geller offers her thoughts on the arrest of English Defence League co-leader Kevin Carroll on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.
The EDL demonstration in Cleckheaton that preceded the racist attacks
Seven men have been locked up for causing trouble in Dewsbury and Heckmondwike after an English Defence League (EDL)demonstration in Cleckheaton.
The group, who were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court this morning, are all from Bradford. They attended the far-right group’s demonstration on March 17 last year.
Some went on to Heckmondwike and were involved in smashing a window at the Co-operative Travel in Northgate. All seven then went to the Principal pub in Dewsbury where Robert Collington, 27, hurled racist abuse at a passing motorist and his passenger.
Stephen Woodhead, 33, then spat on the passenger and Kevin Docherty, 39, threw his drink at the car as it drove away. Later, members of the group chased an Asian man along Corporation Street, Dewsbury, and beat him when he fell to the ground.
They were stopped by police as they made their way towards Savile Town.
All pleaded guilty at earlier hearings.
A member of the Thanet division of the English Defence League has quit the extreme political party after being contacted by the Isle of Thanet Gazette over posts on his Facebook page.
Gary Field’s page on the popular social networking site is under the pseudonym of Pat Riot. Messages posted since the start of the year, when he was the EDL’s area organiser, include comments directed towards Muslims.
The Isle of Thanet Gazette asked Mr Field to respond to posts put on his Facebook account. But after speaking with our reporter, Mr Field then said in a statement that he had left the EDL.