Four EDL members guilty of violent disorder during July 2013 protest

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Gary Watts, Anthony Webster and Simon Reeve
Gary Watts, Anthony Webster and Simon Reeve

A further four members of the English Defence League (EDL) have been found guilty of violent disorder during a bloody demonstration in Birmingham city centre.

Following a trial, the jury convicted Adrian Rimmel, 50, of Swallow Avenue, Smithswood, Simon Reeve, 43, of London Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, Gary Watts, 29, of Parsoles Avenue, Dagenham, Essex and Anthony Webster, 38, of Strathmore Crescent, Newcastle, of the offence on July 20, 2013.

Footage from the incident – which included demonstrators trying to use a portaloo as a weapon against cops – was shown to the jury.

His Honour Judge Richard Bond adjourned their case for pre-sentence reports to be drawn up, but he warned them a prison sentence was inevitable.

Granting the four bail, he said: “Do not think because I have adjourned this case for pre-sentence reports anything other than an immediate custodial sentence will follow. You know how serious this offence is and I am taking this violent disorder very seriously. The starting point (for sentence) is a quite lengthy custodial sentence,”

At the end of the trial, in which the jury viewed police footage from the demonstration, Judge Bond told the panel that around 50 EDL members would face sentence next month for offences committed during the same incident.

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‘Bigotry’ on Facebook costs Big Stone GOP chair his day job

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Ortonville Hardware

The chairman of the Big Stone County Republican Party, who took to Facebook last week to issue a “call to arms” against Muslims, has lost his day job.

Jack Whitley “brought shame” to his community and to Hardware Hank, the Ortonville store where he has worked for the past several years, his employers decided. Whitley’s Facebook posts – in which he described Muslims as “terrorists” and “parasites” and calling for someone to “frag ’em” – came as a shock to the store’s owners, Bob and Sue Kulbeik, who were even more shocked when he stood by his remarks.

“Everything Jack said was so contrary to the way my husband and I conduct our life and the way we believe and think that we just couldn’t tolerate it,” said Sue Kulbeik.

He was let go, she said, not because of any outside pressure, but because “he clearly offered no remorse” for his statements. “We even asked him, ‘Is that really how you feel?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely,'” she said. “We said, ‘You’re no longer needed at our store.'”

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Angry dad doesn’t think daughter should have to learn about Islam because he was a Marine

Posted on by Bob Pitt

John Kevin WoodA Maryland family apparently plans to sue their daughter’s high school over an assignment that included lessons on the Muslim religion.

John Kevin Wood was banned last month from La Plata High School when school officials claimed he threatened to cause a “sh*tstorm” and disrupt classes over the world history lesson.

School officials considered the comments to be a threat against public safety, but the U.S. Marine veteran’s wife and attorneys insist he did nothing wrong.

“The school’s actions not only dishonored John Wood’s service, but the service of all men and women in our Armed Forces who defended our nation from Islamic violence,” said the conservative Christian Thomas More Law Center in a statement.

The family and their lawyers claim the girl was required to affirm “there is no god but Allah” and other aspects of the Muslim faith, but school officials say the class covered only the role of Islam in the history and politics of the Middle East – where it has been the dominant religion for centuries.

Wood and his attorneys claim the lesson amounted to “Islamic indoctrination” and violated the constitutional rights of Christians who are not able to proselytize at school.

According to a press release from the self-described “Christian response to the ACLU,” the Wood family objected to lessons that indicated Allah is the same god worshiped by Christians and Jews. They also were offended that lessons covered Muslim teachings about the role of women in Islamic societies.

“Wood witnessed firsthand the destruction caused in the name of Allah and knows Islam is not ‘a religion of peace,’” the law center said in a statement. “He served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and lost friends in that action. On 9-11, Wood responded as a firefighter to the smoldering Pentagon.”

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Mareeba, Queensland: Islamic school meeting draws hostile crowd

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Emotions were running high on Saturday at the first public meeting of the proposed Standard Bearers Academy, a $70 million multi-denominational boarding college to be built near Mareeba.

Proponents of the 1200 all-male student Academy held the information session at Mareeba Bowls Club to gauge public support after media reports described the planned broad-based curriculum as having an “Islamic world view.”

The school hopes to attract students from around Australia, including Far North Queensland taking in Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait.

The SBA plans to offer Agricultural courses on its 96 acre Tinaroo Creek Rd site with an emphasis on equestrian studies, environmental awareness, sports centre, Olympic-sized swimming pool, tartan running track, an orchard and a training farm.

More than 100 residents were told by Academy education advisor Dylan Chown that rather than focus on Islam, the Academy planned to offer students of all religions entry in an attempt to allay the perception of a fundamental Islamic school.

In reply to a question from the floor, Mr Chown said although “students from another faith could be enrolled, Islamic values will be taught.” This response brought a mercurial reply of derision from the audience with claims of Islamic indoctrination. Another member of the audience asked why Mareeba was chosen for the Academy and could the community expect rural areas in the north to be “infiltrated with students trying to convert others?”

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Anti-bigotry response team established to clean anti-Muslim graffiti from places of worship

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Anti-Bigotry Response Team

A group of volunteers has come together to support Perth’s Muslim community after a spate of recent graffiti attacks on places of worship.

The Anti-Bigotry Response Team has gathered outside a Sikh Temple that was mistaken for a mosque and spray painted with anti-Muslim messages three weeks ago.

That incident followed incidents at two Perth mosques and an Islamic school which were painted with slogans including “ban Islam”.

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Diane Abbott major speech: The age of intolerance

Posted on by Bob Pitt

THE AGE OF INTOLERANCE

The Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia in a Time of Austerity

Speech by Diane Abbott MP

Tuesday 25th November 2014
6.30-8.00pm
The School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), The Brunei Gallery, Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

As one of London’s longest serving MPs who has campaigned against racism and discrimination in all its forms her entire adult life, Diane Abbott MP is giving a major speech about racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia at the School of African and Oriental Studies.

Her speech is taking place against the backdrop of a surge in support for far-right parties across Europe and even in Britain as the nakedly anti-immigrant UK Independence Party is experiencing a growth in popularity.

Diane will highlight how throughout history we always witness a rise in racism during troubled economic times but she will argue that the important thing is not to give way to xenophobia and bigotry but to come together to campaign against it.

The speech is being supported by Operation Black Vote which supports Black communities further their position in politics.

Please note that the event is not ticketed and seats will be allocated on the day on a first come first served basis.

Update:  Here is the video of Diane’s speech:

Mutilated pig left outside mosque in Perth

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Perth mosque dead pigA mutilated pig has been found strewn outside the main entrance of a Perth mosque today.

Imam Shabir Moosa told news.com.au that a pig’s head, some of its limbs and guts were discovered about 8am by one of the students leaving the Masjid Ibrahim mosque and a local community member.

Islamic law forbides the consumption of pork and Imam Moosa said the incident could have been motivated by an “objection” to their beliefs. “It’s an awful thing to see, and while we do not consume pigs, animal brutality universally is not acceptable, so it’s disheartening from that angle as well,” he said.

It comes less than a week after a pig’s head was thrown at a mosque in Newcastle. The week before, on November 13, a Muslim man was punched in the face and racially taunted outside the mosque as he left prayer.

Imam Shabir said that while he could not be sure of the intent of the person who left the remains at Masjid Ibrahim, it was likely to be an expression of “venting, frustration or anger, an expression of an objection of something.”

The mosque in the southeastern Perth suburb of Southern River was opened in June by WA Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural interests Mike Nahan.

When asked whether security would be increased following this incident, Imam Shabir said: “Issues like this, in our opinion, don’t require anything further to be done”. What was needed, he said, was to continue to build bridges with other areas of the Australian community. “It doesn’t dampen our spirits in any way, if anything it inspires us to do more in this regard,” he said.

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Another fake anti-Islam quote from the far right

Posted on by Bob Pitt

We recently remarked, in connection with the New Daily Patriot falsely attributing a quote to Zakir Naik, on how the far right happily post and repost transparently fake Islamophobic propaganda without making the slightest attempt to check its accuracy.

Here is another recent example, from Britain First’s Facebook page. It quotes Marco Polo as stating that “the militant Muslim is the person who beheads the infidel, while the moderate Muslim holds the feet of the victim”. As you can see, it has proved quite popular, having been shared nearly 1,800 times.

Britain First Marco Polo quote

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Tackling Islamophobia – Roundtable event at Parliament

Posted on by Bob Pitt

MEND UAF roundtable November 2014

UAF and Mend held a joint event to discuss how to combat the rise in Islamophobia in Parliament. The event was hosted by Diane Abbott  MP and featured Muslim community groups. It was part of the annual Islamophobia Awareness Month programme of events in November.

This Thursday’s round table featured an in depth analysis of the concerning rise in Islamophobia and identified key areas where Government should make improvements if it is to be effectively challenged.

Diane Abbott MP highlighted how Islamophobia has reinforced and increased racism and outlined how the past decade has seen the mainstream media attack Muslims and migrants. Diane exposed the so-called debate of UKIP, which claims to talk about Europe but is actually a code for immigration, which in turn impacts on non-migrant settled black communities.  She said that the debate ends up benefiting the far right because if people have been convinced that immigration is the problem, you cant move far right enough for them.  Diane called for all communities to stand together and be united in the face of the rising racism and Islamophobia.

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