And that must be a first. However, the two workers in question are Malory Nye, who claims that he was dismissed from his post as principal of an independent college in Dundee “because its hierarchy viewed his race and religion as a threat to its Muslim values”, and his wife Isabel Campbell-Nye, who says she was dismissed as head of the college’s English language centre “because she brought in too many students who were not Muslims or Arabs”.
A teenager who brutally attacked an elderly worshipper outside a mosque has been given three years’ detention.
Samuel Cassidy, 16, left 71-year-old Muhammed Iqbal with horrific injuries after kicking and stamping on his head, even after he lay unconscious, during the racist attack.
Mr Iqbal, a retired shopkeeper, was opening up Ayrshire Central Mosque in Kilmarnock for early morning prayers shortly before 2am when Cassidy pounced, calling him a “Paki b******”.
Nancy Beresford, prosecuting, said Cassidy pushed Mr Iqbal to the ground before kicking and stamping on his head and body. Witnesses said the attack continued after the grandfather lay unconscious on the ground. She said: “This continued for what they thought was about ten minutes.”
Kilmarnock Sheriff Court heard Cassidy fled before two more worshippers arrived on the scene. One was a doctor and gave first aid while an ambulance was called. Mr Iqbal was taken to Crosshouse Hospital suffering from severe facial injuries. He needed scans and was kept in hospital for several days. The court heard Cassidy boasted in a text message: “I have just left a Paki in a puddle of blood.”
Cassidy, of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, admitted racially aggravated assault to severe injury in July.
The attack caused widespread disgust in the Kilmarnock district, where Mr Iqbal was decribed as a “pillar of the community” for more than 40 years. Dr Shaheen Mirza, vice-chairman of Ayrshire Central Mosque, said after the incident: “It is a sad day when an elderly gentleman of any community is viciously attacked. How you treat your elderly is a gauge of the community’s civility you live in.”
A teenager shouted racial abuse as he kicked and stamped on a 71-year-old grandfather’s head for 10 minutes. And he later sent a sickening text boasting about his horrifying actions.
At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday, the 16-year-old – who cannot be named for legal reasons – pleaded guilty to carrying out the vicious attack outside the Ayrshire Central Mosque in July.
His victim, who had already suffered a stroke, sustained severe facial injuries in the unprovoked attack which took place in the early hours of the morning.
Nancy Beresford, prosecuting, said that the former Crosshouse shopkeeper had gone to the mosque, in Hill Street, Kilmarnock, to prepare for Friday prayers at around 1.40am. As he approached the door, clad in white robes, he noticed a male and two females, along with young children, standing in the street, with another group of females nearby.
The 16-year-old then came towards him shouting abuse, including “Paki bastard”. He punched the pensioner in the chest, causing him to fall to the ground. The teenager continued the assault, while still shouting abuse.
Interviewed, he denied the assault and racial abuse. The 16-year-old told police that he couldn’t understand “why somebody was praying at that time in the morning”.
David Miller reports on the “Ten years of terrorism and counter terrorism” conference in Glasgow.
Hundreds of police have staged a show of force in central Edinburgh at a rally by the Scottish Defence League. Almost 200 supporters of the far right group were heavily outnumbered by officers drawn from forces across the central belt. They were penned in after the city council refused them permission to march.
A counter demonstration of about 400 Unite Against Fascism protesters was allowed to hold a procession. They marched along Princes Street before attending a rally.
Right-wing extremists have threatened to tear their opponents “limb from limb” during protests due to be held in the Capital on Saturday.
The online threat was made by a member of an English group called North West Infidels, whose members are expected to travel to the Capital on Saturday to take part in a rally organised by the Scottish Defence League.
The NWI’s opponents say they are even more radical than the Scottish or English Defence Leagues. On a Facebook page set up by NWI members, a threat has been posted referring to a “coalition” of three groups – themselves, a similar group known as the North East Infidels, and the SDL.
It reads: “With only three days left we are issuing a challenge to any Red scum that are planning to oppose us. The NWI-NEW-Sdl coalition thrive on kicking the s*** out of c**** like you so the more of you that turn out in Edinburgh the better, that’s more of your scruffy little bodies to go round for us to systematically tear limb from limb. See you Saturday.”
Anti-racism groups are mobilising a major counter-protest after the right-wing Scottish Defence League vowed to go ahead with a demonstration in Scotland’s capital despite it being banned by the city council.
Councillors threw out the group’s application last week, claiming they were worried about risking disorder and violent confrontations, despite police saying they had “no objections” to the march.
The SDL, an off-shoot of the anti-Islam English Defence League, is already promoting the planned protest on 10 September. Details of the route and location of any rally are being kept under wraps, after an SDL meeting in a Royal Mile pub in February 2010 was ambushed by dozens of anti-racism protesters, leading to scuffles in the street.
But the SDL has received messages of support from across the UK after announcing some form of demonstration in Edinburgh would go ahead regardless. One post stated: “The march is banned. We are having a static demonstration. And most likely the police will have to march us if they want rid of us.”
The SDL spent weeks negotiating with police and council officials over its planned demo, which was due to leave from Regent Road, near the American consulate, and include a rally at the Wellington Statue at the east end of Princes Street.
Councillors said the threat of a “significant risk” of disorder outweighed concerns about flouting principles of freedom of speech by banning the march. The protest had attracted more than 1,000 complaints from politicians, anti-racism groups, community organisations and trade union leaders, who were concerned the group would trigger racial unrest. SDL representatives told the council the group had distanced itself from more hard-line members and the EDL, but left councillors unconvinced.
Luke Wright is spokesman for the Unite Against Fascism group, which is organising a public meeting in the city tomorrow to rally support for a counter-demo. He said:
“We’ve applied to the council for a counter-demonstration on 10 September after we spotted quite a bit of online activity about the SDL going ahead with a demo despite the council’s decision last week. Despite enormous public opposition including a wave of complaints to the council, and despite political opposition it seems that the SDL still do not understand Edinburgh does not want their violent racism.”
Update here
A far right group will not be allowed to march in Edinburgh on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist atrocity.
The Scottish Defence League wanted to rally in the capital’s east end. However, Edinburgh City Council backed opponents who said the gathering would be a threat to public safety.
The Scottish Defence League (SDL) is an offshoot of the English Defence League which has been associated with trouble at gatherings south of the border. That group was cited by Norwegian gunman Anders Breivik as an organisation he admired.
About 50 SDL supporters held a rally in Edinburgh last year. They were outnumbered by 2,000 counter protesters marching under the banner of Scotland United.
The SDL notified the council they intended to march from near the American Embassy to the east end of Princes Street on 10 September.
The decision to turn down the proposal was made by members of the council’s licensing committee on Friday over fears of public disorder.
Update: See also the Scotsman, 20 August 2011
A controversial far-right group is set to win permission to stage a demo in Edinburgh after police chiefs said they had no objections to the Scottish Defence League being allowed to stage a parade – despite protests from politicians, trade unions and anti-racism organisations.
Critics believe the group has deliberately chosen the date to inflame racial hatred and capitalise on recent publicity linking its sister group, the English Defence League, with Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik.
The SDL has given Edinburgh City Council, which will rule on the application tomorrow, “freedom of speech” as the main reason for holding the event, which it expects to attract around 200 supporters.
Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill wants the protest banned, claiming the group is known to espouse “both racist and homophobic views” and expressing concern the march could pose a threat to public safety. Local MSPS are also among those against the application.
Lothian and Borders Police has warned the local authority to consider the group’s proposed demo “in the context” of the recent riots that flared across several English cities.
But it has effectively given the green light to the march, which will include a rally beside the statue of the Duke of Wellington, despite admitting the group’s views are “controversial” and that a sizeable “opposition rally” is likely to be held.
Superintendent David Carradice has told the council he is confident the force can handle a demo by the SDL and any planned counter-demonstration, insisting it is used to catering for groups that want to “exercise their right to protest”.
He said: “Whilst there can be no guarantees there will be no disruption to the daily business of the community, we are confident that, with the assistance of the council, an operation can be put into place to minimise such and thereby allow the SDL rally to go ahead and cater for an opposition rally too.”
Update: See “Council to decide whether far-right group march through Edinburgh”, STV, 19 August 2011
A racist man went on a “wicked and upsetting” campaign of harassment against a newsagent after claiming the shop owner stole his £10m winning lottery ticket.
James Young produced leaflets claiming shopkeeper Imran Hussain was a “Muslim lottery ticket thief” then posted them to shops and homes near the newsagent in Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
Young at one stage told Mr Hussain: “You’re a Muslim – maybe the Koran tells you to cheat people.” He also made covert videos in Thornton’s Newsagents, run by Mr Hussain, then posted one of them on YouTube. The YouTube video – titled Lottery ticket thief – was accompanied by text branding Mr Hussain a “Muslim thief” and claiming he had “conned old people”.
He was later arrested after going into the shop in the city’s Gray Street and threatening Mr Hussain’s wife, Shubnum, stating he would kill them both.
Fiscal depute Ross Cargill told Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday: “The accused first entered Mr Hussain’s shop on April 3 this year and claimed he handed over a winning Euromillions lottery ticket to a member of staff.
“He stated that the member of staff must have kept the ticket for himself. On April 13 the accused came back in and said he had contacted Camelot about the ticket and was going to the police and Mr Hussain agreed that was the correct course of action. Unknown to Mr Hussain the accused filmed the conversation with a camera located in the pocket of his top.”
Young, of Aboyne Avenue, Dundee, pled guilty to a racially aggravated breach of the peace and to uttering threats against Mr and Mrs Hussain.
Mr Cargill added: “The accused cannot remember the numbers on the ticket or prove it was a winner.”
Sheriff Alistair Duff described Young’s behaviour as “nasty harassment” and warned him he could face jail. He told the accused: “I take the view that this is extremely serious bad behaviour. The reality is that whether it is imagined or real injustice your behaviour towards the gentleman was wicked and upsetting.”
Young will be sentenced later this month.