British Muslim leaders are to tell mosques to reform and modernise in a government-backed attempt to prevent extremism.
Four major Muslim organisations say they want mosques to sign up to a community watchdog with powers to launch spot checks on standards.
The body has been two years in the making amid difficult negotiations.
The draft guidelines published on Thursday are the most significant step yet by Muslims to regulate UK mosques.
Following the July 2005 suicide bombings, ministers asked Muslims to come up with ways to preventing extremism. One key recommendation was the creation of an independent community-led body to modernise more than 1,500 mosques.
Critics say many mosques fail to adequately serve local communities. Ministers believe mosques could be important in marginalising extremists recruiting young Muslims.
Two years on, the proposed Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (Minab) says it has come up with minimum standards for Islamic institutions.
Key standards
The standards include counter-extremism programmes, community relations schemes, support and proper conditions for imams and greater condemnation of "un-Islamic" activity.
Mosques will also be asked to let more women and young Muslims have a say, while Minab wants spot check powers to make unannounced visits to check standards.
Yousif Al-Khoei, one of the plan's joint architects, said there was unprecedented determination to make the body work.
"It's going to be quite a challenging task that we are embarking upon because this is something that has not been done before," said Mr Al-Khoei, a leading Shia Muslim.
"We are four different groups from different backgrounds and we believe we have managed over two years of hard negotiation to come up with something that will work."
The government is a key supporter of the body and has been pressuring Muslim leaders to get it up and running.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said it was government's job to support mosques rather than tell them what to do - but she urged them to "grasp the opportunity".
"The constitution and the standards being published today are a positive sign," said Ms Blears.
"It shows that Muslim communities want to make the changes that will build community cohesion and ensure that mosques are playing a role at the heart of communities.
"Strong mosques positioned at the centre of community, and effectively governed, will be better able to withstand attempts to hijack them by certain groups supporting violent extremist interpretations of Islam."
Mr Al-Khoei said he wanted to underline that the body was entirely independent, including a decision not to take core funding from either the British or foreign governments.
"Many people in the community will be suspicious and may fear the government wants to take over mosques. If we all work together then no government will have the will or the power to do so."
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Honour killer can appeal
A MAN found guilty of the honour killing of his sister was given the go-ahead by senior appeal judges today to challenge his murder conviction.
Samaira Nazir, a 25-year-old graduate and recruitment consultant, was knifed to death in a savage attack at her home in Southall, west London, in 2005.
Her brother, greengrocer Azhar Nazir, now 32, of Southall, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years in July last year, after a jury at the Old Bailey convicted him of murder.
The court heard that her Pakistani family disapproved of the Afghan asylum seeker she was in love with and wanted to marry.
Her cousin Imran Mohammed, 17, was detained During Her Majesty’s Pleasure with a minimum term of 10 years for her murder.
At the Court of Appeal in London today Azhar Nazir was granted permission to appeal against his conviction by Lord Justice Laws, Mr Justice Lloyd Jones and Sir Michael Astill.
His full appeal, which will be heard on a date to be fixed, will centre on grounds relating to statements made to police by his co-defendant Mohammed and the anonymity granted to a witness during the trial.
Lord Justice Laws said the police interview of the co-defendant “went some distance, it might be thought, to exculpate the applicant”.
He added: “It is said that had it been before the jury for them to consider in the applicant’s case it may have greatly assisted him.”
Lord Justice Laws said it was “plainly arguable that the judge was wrong in declining to allow the jury to consider the co-defendant’s statement”.
Samaira Nazir, a 25-year-old graduate and recruitment consultant, was knifed to death in a savage attack at her home in Southall, west London, in 2005.
Her brother, greengrocer Azhar Nazir, now 32, of Southall, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years in July last year, after a jury at the Old Bailey convicted him of murder.
The court heard that her Pakistani family disapproved of the Afghan asylum seeker she was in love with and wanted to marry.
Her cousin Imran Mohammed, 17, was detained During Her Majesty’s Pleasure with a minimum term of 10 years for her murder.
At the Court of Appeal in London today Azhar Nazir was granted permission to appeal against his conviction by Lord Justice Laws, Mr Justice Lloyd Jones and Sir Michael Astill.
His full appeal, which will be heard on a date to be fixed, will centre on grounds relating to statements made to police by his co-defendant Mohammed and the anonymity granted to a witness during the trial.
Lord Justice Laws said the police interview of the co-defendant “went some distance, it might be thought, to exculpate the applicant”.
He added: “It is said that had it been before the jury for them to consider in the applicant’s case it may have greatly assisted him.”
Lord Justice Laws said it was “plainly arguable that the judge was wrong in declining to allow the jury to consider the co-defendant’s statement”.
Monday, November 26, 2007
British teacher faces 40 lashes in Sudan for naming a teddy bear Mohamed
A British teacher is facing 40 lashes from police in Sudan where she has been accused of insulting Islam after naming a Teddy bear Mohamed.
Colleagues of Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, said she made an "innocent mistake" by letting the six and seven-year-olds choose the name.
Ms Gibbons was arrested after several parents made complaints.
A spokesman from the British Embassy in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, said it was unclear whether she had been charged.
Embassy officials are expected to visit Ms Gibbons in custody later.
"We are in contact with the authorities here and they have visited the teacher and she is in a good condition," an embassy spokesman said.
The spokesman said the naming of the teddy happened months ago and was chosen by the children because it is a common name in the country.
"This happened in September and the parents did not have a problem with it," he said.
'Very sensitive'
The BBC's correspondent Amber Henshaw said Ms Gibbons' punishment could be up to six months in jail, 40 lashes or a fine.
The school has been closed until January for fear of reprisals.
Fellow teachers at Khartoum's Unity High School told Reuters news agency they feared for Ms Gibbons' safety after receiving reports that men had started gathering outside the police station where she was being held.
The school's director, Robert Boulos, said: "This is a very sensitive issue. We are very worried about her safety.
Mr Boulos said Ms Gibbons was following a British national curriculum course designed to teach young pupils about animals and this year's topic was the bear.
Ms Gibbons, who joined the school in August, asked a seven-year-old girl to bring in her teddy bear and asked the class to pick names for it, he said.
"They came up with eight names including Abdullah, Hassan and Muhammad," Mr Boulos said, adding that she then had the children vote on a name.
Twenty out of the 23 children chose Muhammad as their favourite name.
Mr Boulos said each child was then allowed to take the bear home at weekends and told to write a diary about what they did with it.
He said the children's entries were collected in a book with a picture of the bear on the cover and a message which read, "My name is Muhammad."
Book seized
The bear itself was not marked or labelled with the name in any way, he added.
It is seen as an insult to Islam to attempt to make an image of the Prophet Muhammad.
Mr Boulos said Ms Gibbons was arrested on Sunday at her home inside the school premises after a number of parents complained to Sudan's Ministry of Education.
He said police had seized the book and asked to interview the girl who owned the bear.
The country's state-controlled Sudanese Media Centre reported that charges were being prepared "under article 125 of the criminal law" which covers insults against faith and religion.
No-one at the ministries of education or justice was available for comment.
One Muslim teacher at the independent school for Christian and Muslim children, who has a child in Ms Gibbons' class, said she had not found the project offensive.
"I know Gillian and she would never have meant it as an insult. I was just impressed that she got them to vote," the teacher said.
In Liverpool, a family spokeswoman said Ms Gibbons' grown children, John and Jessica - both believed to be in their 20s - were not commenting on her arrest.
"I have spoken with her children and they do not want to say anything and aggravate the situation over there," she said.
Friends and neighbours of Ms Gibbons expressed their worry for the former deputy headteacher and respected educator who moved to Sudan in July.
"Gillian is a very talented and able teacher and she was extremely popular with the pupils at this school," said Gillian Jones, Ms Gibbons former colleague at Dovecot Primary School in suburban Aigburth.
Cartoons depicting Muhammad printed in several European newspapers sparked violent protests around the world in 2006.
Eleven-year-old girl banned from judo for wearing hijab!
As the human rights lawyers descend upon Manitoba to take up Hagar Outbih's case, Kathy Shaidle puts the whole thing in perspective:
Stories like this one make the news more frequently these days. I don't get it. Muslim reps always say, "No one is making me wear a headscarf. It is an expression of modesty", blah blah.Well: is it mandatory or not? If not -- and you say it isn't, not me -- then the girl can remove it to compete.
The rules say you can't wear such a scarf. So take it off and follow our rules.
Oh but wait: suddenly the scarf IS mandatory. See why we get annoyed?
"Head scarf breaks rules,"
A Judo Manitoba official reduced an 11-year-old girl to tears yesterday when he refused to allow her to compete in a tournament wearing a hijab, or Muslim head scarf.While other children squared off in the match at a Winnipeg gym, Hagar Outbih could only watch from the sidelines and wonder why she was singled out.
"He said that I can't fight. If I want to fight I have to take it off or I have to leave," Outbih said as tears rolled down her face.
Hagar's mother, Khadaja, tried to console her daughter.
"As a mom I feel so bad that my daughter would go through this." she said.
Judo Manitoba president Dave Minuk made the ruling.
He said it was based on International Judo Federation guidelines.
"It has nothing to do with religion, it is a safety issue," Minuk said. "It (the hijab) could be used to strangle somebody. It could fall over her face."
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Mosque conversion to cost £1.5m
Members of Shropshire's Islamic Foundation need to raise around £1.5m to create a mosque complex.
They have bought the former Territorial Army building in Wellington, Telford and have planning permission to convert it to a mosque.
Saleh Laher, a member of the foundation, said it hoped to have the building ready for use in the next 18 months.
He said the aim was to restore the building to its original condition.
No Minaret
The new mosque would not have a dome or a Minaret, said Mr Saleh.
He said it would look more like a Northern African mosque with a castle frontage and was to be created out of the four existing buildings in the complex.
There will be separate prayer facilities for women, a room for funerals, a community hall and classes for children to learn Arabic and Koran reading.
Mr Saleh said the group would ask the local community for cash, then the Muslim Council of Britain, Islamic Aid and Muslim Aid.
They also plan to approach international bodies based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait which set aside funding to help build mosques throughout the world.
He added they would also be applying to English Heritage and other similar organisations for help with the cost of restoring the 1950s building.
It is hoped that work on the conversion will start in the first quarter of next year.
They have bought the former Territorial Army building in Wellington, Telford and have planning permission to convert it to a mosque.
Saleh Laher, a member of the foundation, said it hoped to have the building ready for use in the next 18 months.
He said the aim was to restore the building to its original condition.
No Minaret
The new mosque would not have a dome or a Minaret, said Mr Saleh.
He said it would look more like a Northern African mosque with a castle frontage and was to be created out of the four existing buildings in the complex.
There will be separate prayer facilities for women, a room for funerals, a community hall and classes for children to learn Arabic and Koran reading.
Mr Saleh said the group would ask the local community for cash, then the Muslim Council of Britain, Islamic Aid and Muslim Aid.
They also plan to approach international bodies based in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait which set aside funding to help build mosques throughout the world.
He added they would also be applying to English Heritage and other similar organisations for help with the cost of restoring the 1950s building.
It is hoped that work on the conversion will start in the first quarter of next year.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Man jailed for terrorism offences
A Pakistani-born man has been jailed for six years after pleading guilty to terrorism charges.
Abdul Rahman, 25, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, is the first person in Britain to be convicted of a charge of disseminating terrorist information.
He was arrested with a "call to arms" letter from a Muslim fighter.
He is also the first person to be convicted of helping another person to breach a control order by paying the airfare for a man to flee to Pakistan.
The mobile phone shop worker had been due to stand trial at Manchester Crown Court, but pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Deportation
He was sentenced to six years for possessing articles for terrorist purposes.
He also received a six-year sentence for disseminating terrorist propaganda and three years for aiding or abetting the breach of a control order.
All sentences are to run concurrently and Rahman will be deported to Pakistan when he completes them.
The letter, which he admitted possessing, had been sent by his friend and former housemate Aslam Awan, 25, who was fighting in Afghanistan and is now banned from entering the UK.
Rahman admitted having the letter with a view to circulating it to encourage others to join the jihad.
Rahman was also accused of the more serious charge of assisting another person to commit or prepare a terrorist act, which carries a possible life sentence.
He formally entered a not guilty plea to the offence and instead, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aiding and abetting a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to break a control order.
Rahman helped the 22-year-old British man flee to Pakistan by paying his airfare.
Student visa
Rahman admitted the offences as part of a plea bargain agreed after the judge, his Honour Clement Goldstone QC, indicated that the defendant would only be jailed for a maximum of six years if he was to plead guilty and avoid a trial.
Rahman came to the UK in September 2004 on a four-year student visa to study biotechnology at a university in Dundee, but quit the course after one day.
He then moved to Manchester where he began working in a mobile phone shop.
When police raided Rahman's house, they found computer discs of speeches given to crowds in Pakistan claiming "Allah is calling for jihad".
All the charges relate to activity between April 2006 and January 2007
Abdul Rahman, 25, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, is the first person in Britain to be convicted of a charge of disseminating terrorist information.
He was arrested with a "call to arms" letter from a Muslim fighter.
He is also the first person to be convicted of helping another person to breach a control order by paying the airfare for a man to flee to Pakistan.
The mobile phone shop worker had been due to stand trial at Manchester Crown Court, but pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Deportation
He was sentenced to six years for possessing articles for terrorist purposes.
He also received a six-year sentence for disseminating terrorist propaganda and three years for aiding or abetting the breach of a control order.
All sentences are to run concurrently and Rahman will be deported to Pakistan when he completes them.
The letter, which he admitted possessing, had been sent by his friend and former housemate Aslam Awan, 25, who was fighting in Afghanistan and is now banned from entering the UK.
Rahman admitted having the letter with a view to circulating it to encourage others to join the jihad.
Rahman was also accused of the more serious charge of assisting another person to commit or prepare a terrorist act, which carries a possible life sentence.
He formally entered a not guilty plea to the offence and instead, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aiding and abetting a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to break a control order.
Rahman helped the 22-year-old British man flee to Pakistan by paying his airfare.
Student visa
Rahman admitted the offences as part of a plea bargain agreed after the judge, his Honour Clement Goldstone QC, indicated that the defendant would only be jailed for a maximum of six years if he was to plead guilty and avoid a trial.
Rahman came to the UK in September 2004 on a four-year student visa to study biotechnology at a university in Dundee, but quit the course after one day.
He then moved to Manchester where he began working in a mobile phone shop.
When police raided Rahman's house, they found computer discs of speeches given to crowds in Pakistan claiming "Allah is calling for jihad".
All the charges relate to activity between April 2006 and January 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
See the disturbing video that shows Muslim extremists training at al Qaeda camp in the Lake District
A Muslim extremist took part in a campaign to recruit and train "jihadists" after flying to Britain posing as a student.
Pakistani-born Abdul Rahman, 25, arrived in the UK on a student visa, but spent just one day at university before dropping out.
He then joined up with a gang of radical young Muslims who aimed to scout, recruit and encourage others to take up arms in a holy war.
Disturbing video footage showed the group taking part in an arduous 'Al Qaeda training camp' in the Lake District in preparation for the jihad.
Rahman was last night facing up to six years in jail after he admitted helping a terrorist suspect flee the country.
Pakistani-born Abdul Rahman, 25, arrived in the UK on a student visa, but spent just one day at university before dropping out.
He then joined up with a gang of radical young Muslims who aimed to scout, recruit and encourage others to take up arms in a holy war.
Disturbing video footage showed the group taking part in an arduous 'Al Qaeda training camp' in the Lake District in preparation for the jihad.
Rahman was last night facing up to six years in jail after he admitted helping a terrorist suspect flee the country.
Read more...
See video of the extremists training here (part 1)
See video of the extremists training here (part 2)
See video of the extremists training here (part 3)
See video of the extremists training here (part 4)
See video of the extremists training here (part 1)
See video of the extremists training here (part 2)
See video of the extremists training here (part 3)
See video of the extremists training here (part 4)
He admitted handing the suspect, who was subject to a Government control order, around £500 to help him buy plane tickets to flee the UK.
The court heard that after the suspect got away, police raided Rahman's house, where they found video footage of him taking part in the Lake District training camp.
The film referred to one as a suicide bomber whilst two others were seen crawling, commando-style, through the snow and undergrowth near Langdale, Cumbria, praising Allah and the Chechen Mujahideen.
In Rahman's house, police found hunting knives, two-way radios, GPS equipment and propaganda - including a document referring to terrorist finishing schools called How Can I Train Myself for Jihad?
Yesterday Rahman admitted two offences under the 2006 Terrorism Act and pleaded guilty to a further charge of helping a terror suspect defy a control order.
The case illustrated the weaknesses of control orders, said one senior police source outside court.
He added: 'There is real concern these orders are not worth the paper they are written on and do nothing in real terms to protect the public.
"Despite these orders, suspected terrorists are able to move around the UK and even leave the country to go and fight jihad elsewhere."
The court heard that after the suspect got away, police raided Rahman's house, where they found video footage of him taking part in the Lake District training camp.
The film referred to one as a suicide bomber whilst two others were seen crawling, commando-style, through the snow and undergrowth near Langdale, Cumbria, praising Allah and the Chechen Mujahideen.
In Rahman's house, police found hunting knives, two-way radios, GPS equipment and propaganda - including a document referring to terrorist finishing schools called How Can I Train Myself for Jihad?
Yesterday Rahman admitted two offences under the 2006 Terrorism Act and pleaded guilty to a further charge of helping a terror suspect defy a control order.
The case illustrated the weaknesses of control orders, said one senior police source outside court.
He added: 'There is real concern these orders are not worth the paper they are written on and do nothing in real terms to protect the public.
"Despite these orders, suspected terrorists are able to move around the UK and even leave the country to go and fight jihad elsewhere."
Manchester Crown Court heard that Rahman started a pharmacology degree in 2000 at a university in Pakistan close to the Afghanistan border, but dropped out after a year.
He moved to the UK in 2004 on a student visa and registered to begin a biotechnology degree at Abertay University in Dundee. After his first day, he left for Manchester telling tutors he had financial difficulties.
Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting, said Rahman took a job in a mobile phone shop and mixed with radical Muslims, sharing a house with some of them.
She said: "Their particular interest, it would appear, was the perceived assault on Islam in Afghanistan and the need as they saw it to provide resources and fighters for that conflict."
She said Rahman played a vital role supporting jihadists in Pakistan and acting as a "pipeline" to the UK.
In January this year he met up with a 22-year-old man, known only as AK for legal reasons, who had just been served with a control order.
Rahman gave him £480 to flee the country. Before taking a flight to Lahore via Tehran, CCTV filmed AK at Birmingham Airport after he had ditched his usual traditional Muslim attire for Westernised clothing.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, of Greater Manchester Police Counter-Terrorism Unit, said: "This man provided support to people determined to carry out terrorist acts.
"He was clearly intent on drawing others into his network."
He moved to the UK in 2004 on a student visa and registered to begin a biotechnology degree at Abertay University in Dundee. After his first day, he left for Manchester telling tutors he had financial difficulties.
Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting, said Rahman took a job in a mobile phone shop and mixed with radical Muslims, sharing a house with some of them.
She said: "Their particular interest, it would appear, was the perceived assault on Islam in Afghanistan and the need as they saw it to provide resources and fighters for that conflict."
She said Rahman played a vital role supporting jihadists in Pakistan and acting as a "pipeline" to the UK.
In January this year he met up with a 22-year-old man, known only as AK for legal reasons, who had just been served with a control order.
Rahman gave him £480 to flee the country. Before taking a flight to Lahore via Tehran, CCTV filmed AK at Birmingham Airport after he had ditched his usual traditional Muslim attire for Westernised clothing.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, of Greater Manchester Police Counter-Terrorism Unit, said: "This man provided support to people determined to carry out terrorist acts.
"He was clearly intent on drawing others into his network."
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Man pleads guilty in terror case
A man has pleaded guilty to possessing articles for terrorist purposes.
Abdul Rahman, 25, also pleaded guilty to disseminating terrorist propaganda and aiding or abetting the breach of a control order.
The mobile phone shop worker had been due to stand trial for the offences at Manchester Crown Court.
Pakistan-born Rahman, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, admitted possessing a "call to arms" letter which encouraged jihad in Afghanistan.
The letter had been sent by his friend and former housemate Aslam Awan, 25, who was fighting in Afghanistan and is now banned from entering the UK.
Rahman admitted having the letter with a view to circulating it to encourage others to join the jihad.
Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting, told the court that Rahman was part of a radical "cell" who believed in fighting a holy war.
"What this group, particularly this defendant were involved in, we say, was scouting, recruiting and encouraging others to join their philosophy of extreme jihad or holy war," Ms Cheema said.
Control order
Rahman was also accused of the more serious charge of assisting another person to commit or prepare a terrorist act, which carries a possible life sentence.
He formally entered a not guilty plea to the offence and instead, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aiding and abetting a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to break a control order.
He joined up with a group of young men, some of them fellow Pakistan nationals, some of them radical British Muslims Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting
Rahman helped the 22-year-old British man flee to Pakistan by paying his airfare.
Rahman admitted the offences as part of a plea bargain agreed after the judge, his Honour Clement Goldstone QC, indicated that the defendant would only be jailed for a maximum of six years if he was to plead guilty and avoid a trial.
Rahman came to the UK in September 2004 on a four-year student visa to study biotechnology at Dundee University, but quit the course after one day.
He then moved to Manchester where he began working in a mobile phone shop.
"He joined up with a group of young men, some of them fellow Pakistan nationals, some of them radical British Muslims," Ms Cheema said.
When police raided Rahman's house, they found computer discs of speeches given to crowds in Pakistan claiming "Allah is calling for jihad".
Rahman was told off by the judge for grinning and laughing as he sat in the dock while the case against him was outlined.
All the charges relate to activity between April 2006 and January 2007
Abdul Rahman, 25, also pleaded guilty to disseminating terrorist propaganda and aiding or abetting the breach of a control order.
The mobile phone shop worker had been due to stand trial for the offences at Manchester Crown Court.
Pakistan-born Rahman, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, admitted possessing a "call to arms" letter which encouraged jihad in Afghanistan.
The letter had been sent by his friend and former housemate Aslam Awan, 25, who was fighting in Afghanistan and is now banned from entering the UK.
Rahman admitted having the letter with a view to circulating it to encourage others to join the jihad.
Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting, told the court that Rahman was part of a radical "cell" who believed in fighting a holy war.
"What this group, particularly this defendant were involved in, we say, was scouting, recruiting and encouraging others to join their philosophy of extreme jihad or holy war," Ms Cheema said.
Control order
Rahman was also accused of the more serious charge of assisting another person to commit or prepare a terrorist act, which carries a possible life sentence.
He formally entered a not guilty plea to the offence and instead, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aiding and abetting a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to break a control order.
He joined up with a group of young men, some of them fellow Pakistan nationals, some of them radical British Muslims Parmjit Cheema, prosecuting
Rahman helped the 22-year-old British man flee to Pakistan by paying his airfare.
Rahman admitted the offences as part of a plea bargain agreed after the judge, his Honour Clement Goldstone QC, indicated that the defendant would only be jailed for a maximum of six years if he was to plead guilty and avoid a trial.
Rahman came to the UK in September 2004 on a four-year student visa to study biotechnology at Dundee University, but quit the course after one day.
He then moved to Manchester where he began working in a mobile phone shop.
"He joined up with a group of young men, some of them fellow Pakistan nationals, some of them radical British Muslims," Ms Cheema said.
When police raided Rahman's house, they found computer discs of speeches given to crowds in Pakistan claiming "Allah is calling for jihad".
Rahman was told off by the judge for grinning and laughing as he sat in the dock while the case against him was outlined.
All the charges relate to activity between April 2006 and January 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Illegal immigrant demands to be flown home because Britons are 'rude and unfriendly'
The British authorities should gladly oblige this fellow and any other immigrant who thinks Britons are rude. This is, of course, yet another manifestation of the bedrock assumption that Muslims must be served, must be accommodated. Chutzpah Alert from the Daily Mail
An illegal immigrant has demanded to be flown home after saying he was fed up with British people - because they are "rude and unfriendly".
Speaking today, Mokhtar Tabet, 30 - who has been given a home, food and free travel around London - claims his local council has breached his human rights by moving him to a place he does not like.
He was refused asylum in 2004 and is set to be deported.
He said: "The council evicted me from my home in September and moved me to Streatham, which I don't like.
"The new place is small, and the kitchen closes at 9pm, so I can't have anything to eat late at night. They have taken away my human rights."
Speaking today, Mokhtar Tabet, 30 - who has been given a home, food and free travel around London - claims his local council has breached his human rights by moving him to a place he does not like.
He was refused asylum in 2004 and is set to be deported.
He said: "The council evicted me from my home in September and moved me to Streatham, which I don't like.
"The new place is small, and the kitchen closes at 9pm, so I can't have anything to eat late at night. They have taken away my human rights."
Croydon Council says it has bent over backwards to help Tabet, who fled Algeria in 2002
A spokesman said: "Mr Tabet was accommodated in Norbury Crescent, with Croydon Council paying his rent, council tax and utility bills.
"In July, his landlord gave him two months' notice to quit the premises, and the council offered him a flat in Anerley Road, which he refused citing its poor state of repair.
"The necessary repairs were carried out and he again refused it.
"He was told that refusal would amount to him making himself intentionally homeless and he would be placed in hostel-style accommodation. He agreed to this."
Mr Tabet is entitled to return to Algeria at his own expense and admits that he "does not like it here".
But he refuses to do so and says Britain will have to pay for his travel if it wants him to leave.
He moaned: "I miss Algeria. The English people are not helpful, they are so unfriendly and rude.
"I thought I had made friends in Croydon, but when I ask them for money they don't give me it, so I know they can't be my friends."
Mr Tabet fled Algeria in 2002 after being arrested for refusing to give up his home so the army could monitor terrorist activity in his town.
Released after 30 days' solitary confinement he fled to Britain, illegally entering the country on a flight from Tunisia, and sought asylum.
He now receives £32 a week in vouchers from Croydon Council to buy food with while he awaits deportation.
Unsatisfied at this, he griped: "Croydon Council only gives me food vouchers, they won't give me cash. I want the money.
"I have nothing to buy new clothes with, I have to go to a refugee centre. But if there's not anything nice there, you leave with nothing.
"I want the council to give me a bigger flat and money instead of vouchers."
Mr Tabet suffers from diabetes, a retina disease and kidney failure and believes he should be allowed to stay in the country so he can continue to get free NHS care.
He said: "The Home Office said I could afford the medicine back home, but I can't, I don't have a job."
The council insists he has no grounds for complaint. The spokesman explained: "He is supported by the council by way of vouchers, in accordance with the law."
Mr Tabet admits that since he was refused asylum he has "stayed and no one has said anything about it".
But a spokesman from the Border and Immigration Agency insisted he can expect to be deported. He said: "The period between an individual being refused asylum and their removal will vary from case to case depending on individual circumstances. He is being processed through our returning scheme.
"Individuals are free to apply for a new passport and return voluntarily at any time. It's a case of if he wants to return on his Dollars or ours
Just imagine the horror.
An illegal immigrant has demanded to be flown home after saying he was fed up with British people - because they are "rude and unfriendly".
Speaking today, Mokhtar Tabet, 30 - who has been given a home, food and free travel around London - claims his local council has breached his human rights by moving him to a place he does not like.
He was refused asylum in 2004 and is set to be deported.
He said: "The council evicted me from my home in September and moved me to Streatham, which I don't like.
"The new place is small, and the kitchen closes at 9pm, so I can't have anything to eat late at night. They have taken away my human rights."
Speaking today, Mokhtar Tabet, 30 - who has been given a home, food and free travel around London - claims his local council has breached his human rights by moving him to a place he does not like.
He was refused asylum in 2004 and is set to be deported.
He said: "The council evicted me from my home in September and moved me to Streatham, which I don't like.
"The new place is small, and the kitchen closes at 9pm, so I can't have anything to eat late at night. They have taken away my human rights."
Croydon Council says it has bent over backwards to help Tabet, who fled Algeria in 2002
A spokesman said: "Mr Tabet was accommodated in Norbury Crescent, with Croydon Council paying his rent, council tax and utility bills.
"In July, his landlord gave him two months' notice to quit the premises, and the council offered him a flat in Anerley Road, which he refused citing its poor state of repair.
"The necessary repairs were carried out and he again refused it.
"He was told that refusal would amount to him making himself intentionally homeless and he would be placed in hostel-style accommodation. He agreed to this."
Mr Tabet is entitled to return to Algeria at his own expense and admits that he "does not like it here".
But he refuses to do so and says Britain will have to pay for his travel if it wants him to leave.
He moaned: "I miss Algeria. The English people are not helpful, they are so unfriendly and rude.
"I thought I had made friends in Croydon, but when I ask them for money they don't give me it, so I know they can't be my friends."
Mr Tabet fled Algeria in 2002 after being arrested for refusing to give up his home so the army could monitor terrorist activity in his town.
Released after 30 days' solitary confinement he fled to Britain, illegally entering the country on a flight from Tunisia, and sought asylum.
He now receives £32 a week in vouchers from Croydon Council to buy food with while he awaits deportation.
Unsatisfied at this, he griped: "Croydon Council only gives me food vouchers, they won't give me cash. I want the money.
"I have nothing to buy new clothes with, I have to go to a refugee centre. But if there's not anything nice there, you leave with nothing.
"I want the council to give me a bigger flat and money instead of vouchers."
Mr Tabet suffers from diabetes, a retina disease and kidney failure and believes he should be allowed to stay in the country so he can continue to get free NHS care.
He said: "The Home Office said I could afford the medicine back home, but I can't, I don't have a job."
The council insists he has no grounds for complaint. The spokesman explained: "He is supported by the council by way of vouchers, in accordance with the law."
Mr Tabet admits that since he was refused asylum he has "stayed and no one has said anything about it".
But a spokesman from the Border and Immigration Agency insisted he can expect to be deported. He said: "The period between an individual being refused asylum and their removal will vary from case to case depending on individual circumstances. He is being processed through our returning scheme.
"Individuals are free to apply for a new passport and return voluntarily at any time. It's a case of if he wants to return on his Dollars or ours
Just imagine the horror.
Women get 'virginity fix' NHS operations in Muslim-driven trend
Women are being given controversial "virginity repair" operations on the NHS, it emerged last night.
Taxpayers funded 24 hymen replacement operations between 2005 and 2006, official figures revealed.
And increasing numbers of women are paying up to £4,000 in private clinics for the procedure apparently under pressure from future spouses or in-laws who believe they should be virgins on their wedding night.
Doctors said most patients are immigrants or British of ethnic origin
The trend has been condemned by critics as a sign of social regression driven by Islamic fundamentalists. Some countries have made hymen reconstruction operations illegal.
Dr Magdy Hend, consultant gynaecologist at the Regency Clinic, Harley Street, London, who started hymen reconstruction more than 18 years ago in the Middle East and the Gulf, said: "In some cultures they like to see that the women will bleed on the wedding night. If the wife or bride is not a virgin, it is a big shame on the family."
Dr Hend said he was surprised by the "very good response" to the service and said there is "big competition on the market".
Most of his clients, he told More4 News, are in their teens or early 20s.
"They might be British of ethnic background, they might be immigrants, or some people come from abroad, Asia, Middle East, the Gulf, and they don't want to have it done back home," he added.
Dr Hend said demand is increasing, particularly from UK residents.
The operation can involve suturing of a tear in the hymen, such as might be caused by sexual assault, to help healing.
But it can also be conducted as a purely cosmetic procedure. A membrane is constructed, sometimes including a capsule of an artificial blood-like substance.
This operation is intended to be performed within a few days before an intended marriage.
Tory health spokesman Mike Penning expressed concern.
He said: "If there is any cultural or other pressure being put on the women from any source to have this done, that would be a very retrograde step.
"If a woman has been violated or raped and lost her virginity, clearly everything possible should be done to assist her.
"But what nobody would understand is if taxpayers' money is being used to fund operations of this kind for cultural or cosmetic reasons."
Labour MP Ann Cryer said she was "absolutely horrified" to learn of the phenomenon.
She added: "We should be trying to protect girls from this.
"It is a form of abuse of women and it may be that the woman who is asking for the operation to be done does not recognise the abuse that is taking place against her, but in later life she certainly will.
"We have to also ask whether our National Health Service should be providing this sort of facility. I don't think it should be available on the NHS."
The Department of Health said "certain cosmetic procedures" are available on the NHS "to secure physical or psychological health".
Virginity repair operations have become a source of controversy in France, where gynaecologists report a growing number of requests from women.
The procedure is supposed to be funded by the state only if the patient claims she has been raped. But some doctors agree to carry it out for cultural or cosmetic reasons.
Isabelle Levy, an author who studied the issue for her book Religion in the Hospital, said young Muslim girls are "modern and they have adventures like other Europeans - which never happened in the past.
"But on the other hand, fundamentalism is spreading and these girls are getting sent back to their countries of origin to marry. And they will be rejected if it is found out that they are not virgins."
Taxpayers funded 24 hymen replacement operations between 2005 and 2006, official figures revealed.
And increasing numbers of women are paying up to £4,000 in private clinics for the procedure apparently under pressure from future spouses or in-laws who believe they should be virgins on their wedding night.
Doctors said most patients are immigrants or British of ethnic origin
The trend has been condemned by critics as a sign of social regression driven by Islamic fundamentalists. Some countries have made hymen reconstruction operations illegal.
Dr Magdy Hend, consultant gynaecologist at the Regency Clinic, Harley Street, London, who started hymen reconstruction more than 18 years ago in the Middle East and the Gulf, said: "In some cultures they like to see that the women will bleed on the wedding night. If the wife or bride is not a virgin, it is a big shame on the family."
Dr Hend said he was surprised by the "very good response" to the service and said there is "big competition on the market".
Most of his clients, he told More4 News, are in their teens or early 20s.
"They might be British of ethnic background, they might be immigrants, or some people come from abroad, Asia, Middle East, the Gulf, and they don't want to have it done back home," he added.
Dr Hend said demand is increasing, particularly from UK residents.
The operation can involve suturing of a tear in the hymen, such as might be caused by sexual assault, to help healing.
But it can also be conducted as a purely cosmetic procedure. A membrane is constructed, sometimes including a capsule of an artificial blood-like substance.
This operation is intended to be performed within a few days before an intended marriage.
Tory health spokesman Mike Penning expressed concern.
He said: "If there is any cultural or other pressure being put on the women from any source to have this done, that would be a very retrograde step.
"If a woman has been violated or raped and lost her virginity, clearly everything possible should be done to assist her.
"But what nobody would understand is if taxpayers' money is being used to fund operations of this kind for cultural or cosmetic reasons."
Labour MP Ann Cryer said she was "absolutely horrified" to learn of the phenomenon.
She added: "We should be trying to protect girls from this.
"It is a form of abuse of women and it may be that the woman who is asking for the operation to be done does not recognise the abuse that is taking place against her, but in later life she certainly will.
"We have to also ask whether our National Health Service should be providing this sort of facility. I don't think it should be available on the NHS."
The Department of Health said "certain cosmetic procedures" are available on the NHS "to secure physical or psychological health".
Virginity repair operations have become a source of controversy in France, where gynaecologists report a growing number of requests from women.
The procedure is supposed to be funded by the state only if the patient claims she has been raped. But some doctors agree to carry it out for cultural or cosmetic reasons.
Isabelle Levy, an author who studied the issue for her book Religion in the Hospital, said young Muslim girls are "modern and they have adventures like other Europeans - which never happened in the past.
"But on the other hand, fundamentalism is spreading and these girls are getting sent back to their countries of origin to marry. And they will be rejected if it is found out that they are not virgins."
YouTube Islamist arrested for threats to Christian political leader
But his account at YouTube is still active.A man who placed an "obituary" on YouTube of one of the leading opponents of plans to build Europe's biggest mosque near the London Olympics site has been arrested by police.
The video, "In memory of Councillor Alan Craig", features the Leader of the Christian Peoples Alliance party, his wife and two daughters.
The two-minute video, which has now be taken down, was added by a man calling himself "abdullah1425" and was set to the strains of Elvis Presley's song Always On My Mind and opened with its title and the words 'To God we will all return'.
It featured a boxing scene with an Asian punching an opponent to the ground before ending with the message: "The mosque will be built in time for the 2012 Olympic Games."When the video was uploaded to Youtube, there was a web link from the Abbey Mills mega-mosque website to abdullah1425's YouTube mini website, where he identifies himself as Muhammad, 23, from Stevenage, Herts. It also had links to material relating to Tablighi Jamaat.
In one comment to another user posted on the site he said: "Jihad starts from the moment your mother gave birth to you." Police have taken a statement about the video from Cllr Craig. The man behind the posting has now been bailed to return to a police station in Hertfordshire.
Commenting, Cllr Craig said: "This incident now seems over. I will not be intimidated by threats of any kind as important issues about this mosque have to be addressed in an open and fair fashion. This whole episode has exposed the reality that some Muslims accustomed to using either violence, intimidation, or the threat of violence are linked to the idea of this mosque.
"I cannot say it often enough: the proposed mosque will be bad for London, bad for the community and an invitation for the propagation of separatist and fundamentalist Islamic ideas. Up to now, Mayor Ken Livingstone and the Labour establishment have turned a blind eye to the real nature of the organisation behind the mega-mosque. I hope they will look more seriously at them now."Mr Craig represents Canning Town South ward in Newham borough, where he has the support of many Muslim residents in the area in his opposition to plans for the "mega-mosque" at Abbey Mills, near West Ham tube station, which will have a 12,000 capacity.
It is being proposed by the controversial Islamist group Tablighi Jamaat, whose previous adherents include Glasgow airport bomber Kafeel Ahmed, shoe bomber Richard Reid and the July 7 bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer.The Christian Peoples Alliance is Britain's first political party of Christian Democrat inspiration and carries the support of sister parties across the European Union. With three councillors in London, the party has run twice for the Greater London Authority, in 2000 and 2004, winning votes both times from 100,000 people in the capital.
As well as backing from cross-denominational church leaders, the CPA carried support from leading members of other faiths and business figures. It has its annual conference today, Saturday 17 November, in central London.
the earlier story
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
'Mistress stabbed lover's pregnant Muslim wife to death in jealous rage'
A pregnant Muslim teenager was stabbed to death in her own bedroom in a ferocious and sustained attack by her Sikh love rival, a court was told today.
read more
read more
PM to unveil anti-terror measures
Plans to protect public places, railway stations and other key buildings from terrorist attacks are due to be launched by the prime minister.The security minister, Lord West, was asked to draw up the proposals after the summer's attempted bombings in London and at Glasgow Airport.
Gordon Brown warned that attacks could hit "anywhere and from any place".
He is also due to unveil a report on a planned border force which combines immigration, customs and visa staff.
Shattered glass
Lord West had been asked to look at ways of strengthening security on the transport network, in public areas such as sports stadiums and shopping centres, and at utility sites.
He has called for architects to include anti-terror features in new buildings and projects, it is believed.
BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the minister had recommended that access roads leading to stations and crowded areas should be constructed so that drivers cannot build up speed.
Lord West is also understood to have said that windows need to be more carefully positioned - to minimise the risk of injury from glass shattered by an explosion.
But he has added that features such as barriers need to be as unobtrusive as possible, and that efforts should be made to minimise disruption to people's day-to-day lives.
Local communities
Details of the unified border force, first announced by Mr Brown in July, are also due to be outlined.
A study led by the Cabinet secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, considered whether it should include police officers as well as those from the Border and Immigration Agency, Customs and the overseas UK Visa operations.
As part of a range of security announcements, the prime minister is also expected to update MPs on measures to counter radicalisation and extremism in local communities.
Writing in the Sun newspaper, he said: "Terrorism can hit us anywhere from any place.
"But just as the terrorists use every method and the very freedoms we enjoy to kill or maim people, so we must also adopt new tools to beat the terrorists, secure our borders and create a safe global society."
Story from BBC NEWS:
Thursday, November 08, 2007
'Lyrical Terrorist' found guilty
A 23-year-old who called herself the "Lyrical Terrorist" has become the first woman in the UK to be convicted under the Terrorism Act.Samina Malik from Southall, west London, has been found guilty at the Old Bailey of owning terrorist manuals.
The jury heard Malik had written extremist poems praising Osama Bin Laden, supporting martyrdom and discussing beheading.
Malik worked at WH Smith at Heathrow Airport until her arrest last October.
She had earlier been found not guilty of the more serious charge, under Section 57 of the Act, of possessing an article for a terrorist purpose. She denied the charges.
Extremist 'library'
Malik burst into tears in the dock when the verdict was read out.
These communications strongly indicate Samina Malik was deeply involved with terrorist related groups Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting
Following the verdict, Judge Peter Beaumont QC, the Recorder of London, told Malik: "You have been in many respects a complete enigma to me."
She had posted her poems on websites under the screen name the Lyrical Terrorist, prosecutors said.
Malik said the poems were "meaningless", but prosecutor Jonathan Sharp said: "These communications strongly indicate Samina Malik was deeply involved with terrorist related groups."
Police said they had found a "library" of extreme Islamist literature in her bedroom including The Al-Qaeda Manual and The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.
The court also heard she had written on the back of a WH Smith till receipt: "The desire within me increases every day to go for martyrdom."
Malik said she had only called herself the Lyrical Terrorist "because it sounded cool".
She was convicted of having articles "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command, said: "Malik held violent extremist views which she shared with other like-minded people over the internet. She also tried to donate money to a terrorist group.
"She had the ideology, ability and determination to access and download material, which could have been useful to terrorists. Merely possessing this material is a serious criminal offence."
Malik was bailed under what the judge described as "house arrest" until her sentencing on 6 December.
He warned her that "all sentencing options" remained open to him.
Malik 'led double life'
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
MI5: Al-Qa'eda recruiting UK children for terror
Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda terror group is recruiting British children as young as 15 to wage a campaign of carnage against their own country, the new head of MI5 has said.
Gimson Unbound: Talking terror
Read: Jonathan Evans's speech in full
In his first public speech since taking over the security service in the summer, Jonathan Evans said Islamists were "radicalising, indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism".
Mr Evans said the threat has yet to reach its peak
Mr Evans said the threat posed by al-Qa'eda had yet to reach its peak despite one successful bomb attack and several thwarted atrocities. He also revealed in a speech in Manchester that al-Qa'eda was using the chaos in Iraq as cover for its overseas forays. While Pakistan remained the base for the "core" leadership which controls its activities, "there is no doubt now that al-Qa'eda in Iraq aspires to promote terrorist attacks outside Iraq," he said.
Mr Evans added: "There is no doubt there is training activity and terrorist planning in East Africa - particularly in Somalia - which is focused on the UK.
"And there is no doubt that the extension of what one might call the 'al-Qa'eda franchise' to other groups in other countries - notably in Algeria - has created a significant upsurge in terrorist violence in these countries."
His warnings will fuel the growing political row over the length of time terror suspects should be detained without charge.
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A new terrorism Bill to be announced in the Queen's Speech will propose increasing the time limit from 28 days to as much as 56 days.
Although Mr Evans steered clear of taking sides in any political controversy he outlined the scale of the threat on which ministers will rely to make their case for tougher laws..
"MI5 has now identified around 2,000 individuals who we believe pose a direct threat to national security and public safety because of their support for international terrorism," he said.
"This increase from 1600 in November 2006 is due both to improved coverage of extremist communities and to the continued flow of new recruits to the extremist cause."
He added: "Extremists are methodically and intentionally targeting young people and children in the UK.
"This year, MI5 has seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist-related activity.
"The UK needs to protect its children from exploitation by violent extremists."
Mr Evans said the battle of ideologies would be a long one because the extremists worked in historical timescales.
"If the UK only reacts tactically while its enemies plan strategically, then we will struggle to meet this challenge," he said.
"The struggle against violent extremism relies not only on good intelligence and law enforcement, but also on the determination and perseverance of us all to resist extremism and to protect a decent, tolerant and open society."
Mr Evans said the successful and attempted attacks in Britain had not been random plots by disparate groups but co-ordinated and deliberate actions ordered by al-Qa'eda's leadership.
"The majority of these attacks, successful or otherwise, have taken place because al-Qa'eda has a clear determination to mount terrorist attacks against the United Kingdom," he said.
"This remains the case today, and there is no sign of it reducing. So although MI5 and the police are investigating plots, and thwarting them, on a continuing basis, we do not view them in isolation.
"Al-Qa'eda is conducting a deliberate campaign against us. It is the expression of a hostility towards the UK which existed long before September 11 2001.
"It is evident in the wills and letters left behind by actual and would-be bombers."
Ministers say one reason why longer detention is needed to question suspects is the growing complexity of the conspiracies now being uncovered.
Mr Evans said: "We now see different levels of sophistication. Yes, we have seen unsophisticated attempts to kill and injure, but we have also seen complex, logistically effective plots, which require a high degree of expertise and accurate targeting.
"We have to pay equal attention to both the crude and the complex. Because the primitive can be just as deadly as the sophisticated."
Gimson Unbound: Talking terror
Read: Jonathan Evans's speech in full
In his first public speech since taking over the security service in the summer, Jonathan Evans said Islamists were "radicalising, indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people to carry out acts of terrorism".
Mr Evans said the threat has yet to reach its peak
Mr Evans said the threat posed by al-Qa'eda had yet to reach its peak despite one successful bomb attack and several thwarted atrocities. He also revealed in a speech in Manchester that al-Qa'eda was using the chaos in Iraq as cover for its overseas forays. While Pakistan remained the base for the "core" leadership which controls its activities, "there is no doubt now that al-Qa'eda in Iraq aspires to promote terrorist attacks outside Iraq," he said.
Mr Evans added: "There is no doubt there is training activity and terrorist planning in East Africa - particularly in Somalia - which is focused on the UK.
"And there is no doubt that the extension of what one might call the 'al-Qa'eda franchise' to other groups in other countries - notably in Algeria - has created a significant upsurge in terrorist violence in these countries."
His warnings will fuel the growing political row over the length of time terror suspects should be detained without charge.
advertisement
A new terrorism Bill to be announced in the Queen's Speech will propose increasing the time limit from 28 days to as much as 56 days.
Although Mr Evans steered clear of taking sides in any political controversy he outlined the scale of the threat on which ministers will rely to make their case for tougher laws..
"MI5 has now identified around 2,000 individuals who we believe pose a direct threat to national security and public safety because of their support for international terrorism," he said.
"This increase from 1600 in November 2006 is due both to improved coverage of extremist communities and to the continued flow of new recruits to the extremist cause."
He added: "Extremists are methodically and intentionally targeting young people and children in the UK.
"This year, MI5 has seen individuals as young as 15 and 16 implicated in terrorist-related activity.
"The UK needs to protect its children from exploitation by violent extremists."
Mr Evans said the battle of ideologies would be a long one because the extremists worked in historical timescales.
"If the UK only reacts tactically while its enemies plan strategically, then we will struggle to meet this challenge," he said.
"The struggle against violent extremism relies not only on good intelligence and law enforcement, but also on the determination and perseverance of us all to resist extremism and to protect a decent, tolerant and open society."
Mr Evans said the successful and attempted attacks in Britain had not been random plots by disparate groups but co-ordinated and deliberate actions ordered by al-Qa'eda's leadership.
"The majority of these attacks, successful or otherwise, have taken place because al-Qa'eda has a clear determination to mount terrorist attacks against the United Kingdom," he said.
"This remains the case today, and there is no sign of it reducing. So although MI5 and the police are investigating plots, and thwarting them, on a continuing basis, we do not view them in isolation.
"Al-Qa'eda is conducting a deliberate campaign against us. It is the expression of a hostility towards the UK which existed long before September 11 2001.
"It is evident in the wills and letters left behind by actual and would-be bombers."
Ministers say one reason why longer detention is needed to question suspects is the growing complexity of the conspiracies now being uncovered.
Mr Evans said: "We now see different levels of sophistication. Yes, we have seen unsophisticated attempts to kill and injure, but we have also seen complex, logistically effective plots, which require a high degree of expertise and accurate targeting.
"We have to pay equal attention to both the crude and the complex. Because the primitive can be just as deadly as the sophisticated."
Guy Fawkes bonfire makes way for Diwali and Eid celebrations in UK constituency
A council representing the British constituency of Slough has banned bonfire night celebrations in a bid to promote "a Cleaner, Safer, Greener Slough".
According to the Daily Mail, the emphasis of the fireworks display, to be held in a Berkshire town park on November 3, will be on festivals that have a multicultural appeal, such as the Hindu and Muslim festivals of Diwali and Eid.
Officials claim the smoke produced by burning the fire and an effigy of Guy Fawkes is at odds with their efforts to promote greener policies.
Bonfires have already been banned by a number of other councils because of health and safety fears.
Public fires have also been cancelled by those who considered them a culturally exclusive British tradition which ignores those from ethnic groups.
The council admitted it had no idea what environmental impact a single annual event might have.
Residents of Slough are furious about the town's bonfire night party being cancelled
Conservative councillor Dexter Smith said: 'It is rather pleasant to warm yourself up by the bonfire so there is a bit of me that will miss that.' "The fireworks appeal particularly to the Asian population, with Diwali and Eid, so it still retains some elements of the Gunpowder Plot and makes the event multicultural," he added.
Others were less forgiving of the decision to cancel the tradition of burning a Guy.
Labour councillor Rob Anderson said: "On bonfire night you have a bonfire. The point of having a public-display is for safety reasons - to dissuade people from having them in their own gardens. If people do not feel satisfied that they have been entertained they may go and do their own. If they are following the environmental line then they should not have fireworks because they are full of chemicals."
John Midgely, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: 'If the council is genuinely interested in green issues they shouldn't be wasting their time with all this hot air. It is part and parcel of our country's heritage and if their motivation is to undermine this heritage they are being nothing short of politically correct."
Slough officials insisted, however, that their decision was purely about promoting a "Cleaner, Safer, Greener" environment. (ANI)
According to the Daily Mail, the emphasis of the fireworks display, to be held in a Berkshire town park on November 3, will be on festivals that have a multicultural appeal, such as the Hindu and Muslim festivals of Diwali and Eid.
Officials claim the smoke produced by burning the fire and an effigy of Guy Fawkes is at odds with their efforts to promote greener policies.
Bonfires have already been banned by a number of other councils because of health and safety fears.
Public fires have also been cancelled by those who considered them a culturally exclusive British tradition which ignores those from ethnic groups.
The council admitted it had no idea what environmental impact a single annual event might have.
Residents of Slough are furious about the town's bonfire night party being cancelled
Conservative councillor Dexter Smith said: 'It is rather pleasant to warm yourself up by the bonfire so there is a bit of me that will miss that.' "The fireworks appeal particularly to the Asian population, with Diwali and Eid, so it still retains some elements of the Gunpowder Plot and makes the event multicultural," he added.
Others were less forgiving of the decision to cancel the tradition of burning a Guy.
Labour councillor Rob Anderson said: "On bonfire night you have a bonfire. The point of having a public-display is for safety reasons - to dissuade people from having them in their own gardens. If people do not feel satisfied that they have been entertained they may go and do their own. If they are following the environmental line then they should not have fireworks because they are full of chemicals."
John Midgely, of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, said: 'If the council is genuinely interested in green issues they shouldn't be wasting their time with all this hot air. It is part and parcel of our country's heritage and if their motivation is to undermine this heritage they are being nothing short of politically correct."
Slough officials insisted, however, that their decision was purely about promoting a "Cleaner, Safer, Greener" environment. (ANI)
Two UK arrests in European anti-terror swoop
Two men have been arrested in Britain as part of a European anti-terror operation led by Italian police.
A total of 20 suspected Islamic extremists were arrested across Italy, Britain, France and Portugal today on charges ranging from association with the aim of committing international terrorism, to falsifying documents to aid illegal immigrants.
Police believe the detainees had been setting up "Salafist jihadi" militant cells, which have recruited and assisted would-be suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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The operation, ordered by Milan prosecutors, targeted the northern Italian cities of Milan, Bergamo, Varese and Reggio Emilia as well as Britain, France and Portugal.
Italian police said they had seized poisons, remote ignition devices for explosives, and manuals on guerrilla warfare and how to produce explosives.
The suspects are also accused of illegal immigration, falsifying identity documents and helping to hide people sought for terrorist activity.
In Britain, the Metropolitan Police extradition unit arrested a 34-year-old man in Croydon, and a 53-year-old man in Manchester.
British police said: "The two men were arrested on behalf of the Italian authorities under an extradition warrant in relation to allegations that between 2003 and 2005 they forged documents to facilitate the illegal entry into Italy of recruited volunteers to fight jihad in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Italian police said the main cell was based in the northern region of Lombardy, and that intercepted phone calls had indicated the roots of militancy in the group dated back as far as 1998. The 20 suspects arrested were primarily Tunisian.
The group allegedly exhibited signs of caution, with one member saying, "things are being done with extreme calm, haste does not bring the desired results," according to a transcript of one of the intercepted calls.
"Once more, the central role of Milan and Lombardy in the panorama of Islamic militants has been confirmed," the Italian military police said in a statement.
A total of 20 suspected Islamic extremists were arrested across Italy, Britain, France and Portugal today on charges ranging from association with the aim of committing international terrorism, to falsifying documents to aid illegal immigrants.
Police believe the detainees had been setting up "Salafist jihadi" militant cells, which have recruited and assisted would-be suicide bombers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
advertisement
The operation, ordered by Milan prosecutors, targeted the northern Italian cities of Milan, Bergamo, Varese and Reggio Emilia as well as Britain, France and Portugal.
Italian police said they had seized poisons, remote ignition devices for explosives, and manuals on guerrilla warfare and how to produce explosives.
The suspects are also accused of illegal immigration, falsifying identity documents and helping to hide people sought for terrorist activity.
In Britain, the Metropolitan Police extradition unit arrested a 34-year-old man in Croydon, and a 53-year-old man in Manchester.
British police said: "The two men were arrested on behalf of the Italian authorities under an extradition warrant in relation to allegations that between 2003 and 2005 they forged documents to facilitate the illegal entry into Italy of recruited volunteers to fight jihad in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Italian police said the main cell was based in the northern region of Lombardy, and that intercepted phone calls had indicated the roots of militancy in the group dated back as far as 1998. The 20 suspects arrested were primarily Tunisian.
The group allegedly exhibited signs of caution, with one member saying, "things are being done with extreme calm, haste does not bring the desired results," according to a transcript of one of the intercepted calls.
"Once more, the central role of Milan and Lombardy in the panorama of Islamic militants has been confirmed," the Italian military police said in a statement.
Death threats on YouTube for mosque opponent
A leading opponent of plans to build Europe's largest mosque in east London has seen a chilling "obituary" for him posted on the internet.The film on video-sharing website YouTube is entitled In memory of Councillor Alan Craig and contains pictures of him with his wife and two young daughters.
It was apparently posted in retaliation for his opposition to the mosque.
Mr Craig has now contacted police in fear of his family's safety and demanded that the video be taken down.
Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat wants to open the 12,000-capacity "megamosque" in Newham near the main 2012 Olympic site.
The FBI has described the group as "a recruiting ground" for al Qaeda, which it denies.
Shoebomber Richard Reid and 7/7 bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer were members.
Mr Craig, 61, a member of the Christian Peoples Alliance on Newham council, has led a local campaign against the mosque which is planned for the site at Abbey Mills next to West Ham Tube station.
The businessman today said he would be seeking advice about whether his 40-year-old wife, Sally, and daughters were safe.
He said: "Targeting me is one thing. But to use my wife and children is outrageous. This video obituary is either a threat or a very sick joke.
"Some people will look at this as an open invitation to take me out because I am opposing the mosque. That is not the way to operate in a democracy."
The video opens with its title and the words "To God we will all return" before showing a series of photos of the councillor, his family and political allies set to Elvis Presley singing You Were Always On My Mind.
The two-minute video ends with the message "The mosque will be built in time for the 2012 Olympic Games."
The video was posted by abdullah1425 whose page on YouTube claims he is 23-year-old Muhammad from Stevenage. It has links to material relating to Tablighi Jamaat.
In one comment to another user posted on the site he said: "Jihad starts from the moment your mother gave birth to you."
There is a link directly to the page from the mosque's official website but a spokesman promised to take it down if anything "inappropriate" was found.
He added: "We are not responsible for the content of external websites. But we condemn totally anyone who incites violence."
Plans for the 18-acre-complex, which is expected to include a school for 500 boys, have yet to be submitted to Newham council for approval.
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said he did not agree with Mr Craig's views but that he was entitled to express them.
He added: "If this has been reported to the police then it is right that they should investigate it."
Shoebomber Richard Reid and 7/7 bombers Mohammad Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer were members.
Mr Craig, 61, a member of the Christian Peoples Alliance on Newham council, has led a local campaign against the mosque which is planned for the site at Abbey Mills next to West Ham Tube station.
The businessman today said he would be seeking advice about whether his 40-year-old wife, Sally, and daughters were safe.
He said: "Targeting me is one thing. But to use my wife and children is outrageous. This video obituary is either a threat or a very sick joke.
"Some people will look at this as an open invitation to take me out because I am opposing the mosque. That is not the way to operate in a democracy."
The video opens with its title and the words "To God we will all return" before showing a series of photos of the councillor, his family and political allies set to Elvis Presley singing You Were Always On My Mind.
The two-minute video ends with the message "The mosque will be built in time for the 2012 Olympic Games."
The video was posted by abdullah1425 whose page on YouTube claims he is 23-year-old Muhammad from Stevenage. It has links to material relating to Tablighi Jamaat.
In one comment to another user posted on the site he said: "Jihad starts from the moment your mother gave birth to you."
There is a link directly to the page from the mosque's official website but a spokesman promised to take it down if anything "inappropriate" was found.
He added: "We are not responsible for the content of external websites. But we condemn totally anyone who incites violence."
Plans for the 18-acre-complex, which is expected to include a school for 500 boys, have yet to be submitted to Newham council for approval.
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales said he did not agree with Mr Craig's views but that he was entitled to express them.
He added: "If this has been reported to the police then it is right that they should investigate it."
Friday, November 02, 2007
Man charged over Pc robbery death
A 27-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Pc Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford two years ago.Mustaf Jama, who was extradited from Somalia, is due to appear before Leeds magistrates later.
He was also charged with robbery, possession of firearms and possessing prohibited weapons.
Pc Beshenivsky, 38, was shot dead and a colleague hurt during a robbery at a travel agents in November 2005. Five people have been jailed over the case.
Pc Beshenivsky was killed on 18 November - her daughter's fourth birthday - as she arrived at the scene of a robbery at the Universal Express travel agency.
Pc Teresa Milburn, 37, was also shot but survived.
Muzzaker Shah was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court last December for a minimum of 35 years after admitting the murder.
Yusuf Jama was also convicted and ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years.
Faisal Razzaq was found guilty of manslaughter, robbery and firearms offences and told he must serve a minimum of 11 years behind bars.
His brother, Hassan Razzaq, was later jailed for 20 years for manslaughter, robbery and firearms offences.
Earlier this year, Raza ul Haq Aslam was jailed for eight years for taking part in the robbery.
Another gang member believed to have been involved in the shooting, Piran Ditta Khan, has still not been traced.
Muslim Education Centre Defends Extremist Literature...
AN education centre has responded to claims in a report that it was selling "extremist literature".
Researchers who visited the Muslim Education Centre in Totteridge Drive, High Wycombe, during a year-long study say they found seven examples of extremist literature.
The claims were published in a report called 'The Hijacking of British Islam - How extremist literature is subverting mosques in the UK', by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange.
THE Muslim Education Centre has now issued a statement in response to the report.
It reads: "We have had an opportunity to look at the report produced by the right-wing 'think tank' Policy Exchange and the article in The Times . Before commenting on the contents, it is worth noting that this document is just the latest in a line of attacks by Policy Exchange on mainstream Muslim organisation (sic). They are clearly intent on using the media to further their divisive agenda to create sectarianism amongst law abiding British Muslims.
"The Muslim Education Centre views the Policy Exchange's latest offering as another divisive attempt to drive a wedge between British Muslims and the rest of society. The MEC strongly condemns fundamentalism and does not tolerate any messages of hate nor do we promote or accept such actions, whatever its source.
"The MEC would like to mention the statement issued by Dr. Muhammed Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain: Today's report lists extracts from a number of books on sale in some Muslim bookshops which they deem to be unacceptable. The plain fact is that if you deliberately go looking for controversial material then you will be guaranteed to find it somewhere in a bookshop. Muslim bookshops are no exception. Yet tellingly, it is only Muslim bookshops and institutions that Policy Exchange calls to be regulated. British Muslims will not be intimidated by these futile and irresponsible recommendations.' "A further substantiation of the above statement is that the so called 'think tank' failed to notice or mention a book titled 'The women of Paradise' published by the same Publishing House shelved by the book mentioned in 'The Times'.
"Regarding the book itself every statement that has been mentioned about the book has been referred out of context and nothing of any illegal nature is mentioned. It is merely a guide as to how one should live, and then it has been left up to the individual to accept or reject it. A book cannot be judged merely by a few quotes.
"Every book shop holds some sort of controversial material to which no one cries out to remove such materials off the shelf and does not necessary (sic) mean that that the book seller or the organisation hold such views. The report itself concedes it should also be emphasised that the discovery of offensive material at a specific institution should in no way be taken to mean that that institution necessarily condones, permits or encourages such literature'.
"Even religious works go against the Laws of this Country such as the Bible, Torah, and Quran etc., but it has been left to an individual to be the judge.
"The Muslim Education does not promote anything other than a cohesive and tolerant society. We strenuously highlight that views should not be taken out of context for any agenda, so that they increase the prevalent evil of Islamaphobia.
"We must all unite to fight any individual, organisations or bodies, including the camouflaged think tanks that are trying to cause discord with the harmonious Muslim community."
Researchers who visited the Muslim Education Centre in Totteridge Drive, High Wycombe, during a year-long study say they found seven examples of extremist literature.
The claims were published in a report called 'The Hijacking of British Islam - How extremist literature is subverting mosques in the UK', by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange.
THE Muslim Education Centre has now issued a statement in response to the report.
It reads: "We have had an opportunity to look at the report produced by the right-wing 'think tank' Policy Exchange and the article in The Times . Before commenting on the contents, it is worth noting that this document is just the latest in a line of attacks by Policy Exchange on mainstream Muslim organisation (sic). They are clearly intent on using the media to further their divisive agenda to create sectarianism amongst law abiding British Muslims.
"The Muslim Education Centre views the Policy Exchange's latest offering as another divisive attempt to drive a wedge between British Muslims and the rest of society. The MEC strongly condemns fundamentalism and does not tolerate any messages of hate nor do we promote or accept such actions, whatever its source.
"The MEC would like to mention the statement issued by Dr. Muhammed Abdul Bari, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain: Today's report lists extracts from a number of books on sale in some Muslim bookshops which they deem to be unacceptable. The plain fact is that if you deliberately go looking for controversial material then you will be guaranteed to find it somewhere in a bookshop. Muslim bookshops are no exception. Yet tellingly, it is only Muslim bookshops and institutions that Policy Exchange calls to be regulated. British Muslims will not be intimidated by these futile and irresponsible recommendations.' "A further substantiation of the above statement is that the so called 'think tank' failed to notice or mention a book titled 'The women of Paradise' published by the same Publishing House shelved by the book mentioned in 'The Times'.
"Regarding the book itself every statement that has been mentioned about the book has been referred out of context and nothing of any illegal nature is mentioned. It is merely a guide as to how one should live, and then it has been left up to the individual to accept or reject it. A book cannot be judged merely by a few quotes.
"Every book shop holds some sort of controversial material to which no one cries out to remove such materials off the shelf and does not necessary (sic) mean that that the book seller or the organisation hold such views. The report itself concedes it should also be emphasised that the discovery of offensive material at a specific institution should in no way be taken to mean that that institution necessarily condones, permits or encourages such literature'.
"Even religious works go against the Laws of this Country such as the Bible, Torah, and Quran etc., but it has been left to an individual to be the judge.
"The Muslim Education does not promote anything other than a cohesive and tolerant society. We strenuously highlight that views should not be taken out of context for any agenda, so that they increase the prevalent evil of Islamaphobia.
"We must all unite to fight any individual, organisations or bodies, including the camouflaged think tanks that are trying to cause discord with the harmonious Muslim community."
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