A 15-year-old girl was raped by a man after he dragged her down a Burnley back street late at night, a jury was told.
The girl, who had earlier been with friends at a youth club, was said to have been walking alone up the slope to Daneshouse Road, speaking to a friend on her mobile, when Muhaamed Ansari, 34, struck next to a mosque, Burnley Crown Court heard.
The hearing was told how the alleged victim, who told police she had had a litre and a half of vodka, was said to have arrived home just after midnight crying and shaking after the incident in February last year.
Ansari was arrested the next day when he pulled up to speak to a police officer who was driving the 15-year-old around the area to see if she could identify her alleged attacker. Ansari, of Allen Street, Burnley, denies rape.
The jury was told Ansari allegedly took the girl’s mobile phone off her, turned it off and gave it her back.
He is said to have raped her on a pathway which ran between the mosque and sheltered housing in Hebrew Road.
He is said to have asked her to commit a sex act after the alleged attack, but she refused.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Killer driver is free
A KILLER who immigration chiefs have been trying to boot out of Britain for five years has been set free.
Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, 31, was locked up awaiting deportation after his application for asylum and citizenship was rejected.
But a judge at a special immigration hearing has now released the Iraqi Kurd while he launches a new bid to stay.
Amy Houston, 12, died after she ran into the street and Ibrahim hit her with his car in Blackburn, Lancs, in 2003.
He was jailed for just four months after admitting fleeing the scene and driving while banned.
After several failed bids to kick him out, the UK Border Agency took Ibrahim into custody last year, vowing to deport him “at the earliest opportunity”.
Amy’s father Paul, 39, last night attacked the decision to free him, saying: “He’s laughing at British justice.”
Blackburn MP and Justice Secretary Jack Straw, said: “I am very concerned. I’m making arrangements to speak to the family and with the Home Secretary.”
Aso Mohammed Ibrahim, 31, was locked up awaiting deportation after his application for asylum and citizenship was rejected.
But a judge at a special immigration hearing has now released the Iraqi Kurd while he launches a new bid to stay.
Amy Houston, 12, died after she ran into the street and Ibrahim hit her with his car in Blackburn, Lancs, in 2003.
He was jailed for just four months after admitting fleeing the scene and driving while banned.
After several failed bids to kick him out, the UK Border Agency took Ibrahim into custody last year, vowing to deport him “at the earliest opportunity”.
Amy’s father Paul, 39, last night attacked the decision to free him, saying: “He’s laughing at British justice.”
Blackburn MP and Justice Secretary Jack Straw, said: “I am very concerned. I’m making arrangements to speak to the family and with the Home Secretary.”
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Jihadists from Leeds sentenced to seven years in jail for planned terror trips
Waheed Ali, 25, and Mohammed Shakil, 32, were cleared of helping the 7/7 bombers to select their targets but convicted of conspiracy to attend a training camp for terrorists after they were arrested before boarding a flight for Pakistan in 2007.
Mr Justice Gross sentenced the pair to seven years each at Kingston Crown Court.
Both men have already spent more than two years in custody, which will be deducted from the time they will serve. They admitted attending terrorist training camps in the past, before it had been made an offence.
Ali and Shakil stood trial with Sadeer Saleem, 28, for assisting the 7/7 attacks on London. Yesterday all three were found not guilty. The three men, from Beeston in Leeds, were re-tried after an earlier jury failed to reach verdicts.
They were the only people to be charged as a result of the biggest police inquiry in British history. More than 37,000 exhibits were forensically examined, 4,700 telephones seized and 24,000 people eliminated from inquiries by an army of police and MI5 investigators. The total cost of the two trials is likely to exceed £5 million.
Families of the 7/7 victims say that the verdicts mean no one is likely ever to be brought to justice for the attacks on London’s transport network. Some have demanding a full independent inquiry.
Bereaved families and survivors have also called on the Government to publish a second Intelligence and Security Committee report into the bombings without delay. And they said inquests into the deaths of all 52 victims, plus the four suicide bombers, should be held in public as soon as possible.
The three men were accused of visiting the London Eye, the Natural History Museum and the London Aquarium to identify potential targets seven months before the 2005 atrocity.
Four suicide bombers, Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Germaine Lindsay, detonated rucksack devices packed with explosives on three Tube trains and a bus.
The trial heard that the three defendants travelled from Leeds to London on December 16, 2004, with Hussain, who went on to detonate his bomb on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square, claiming 13 lives. They also met Lindsay, who killed 26 people on a Piccadilly Line Underground train.
The prosecution alleged that they conducted a “hostile reconnaissance” of potential targets during a two-day visit. The three defendants admitted making the visit but claimed it was an entirely innocent social outing.
Mr Justice Gross sentenced the pair to seven years each at Kingston Crown Court.
Both men have already spent more than two years in custody, which will be deducted from the time they will serve. They admitted attending terrorist training camps in the past, before it had been made an offence.
Ali and Shakil stood trial with Sadeer Saleem, 28, for assisting the 7/7 attacks on London. Yesterday all three were found not guilty. The three men, from Beeston in Leeds, were re-tried after an earlier jury failed to reach verdicts.
They were the only people to be charged as a result of the biggest police inquiry in British history. More than 37,000 exhibits were forensically examined, 4,700 telephones seized and 24,000 people eliminated from inquiries by an army of police and MI5 investigators. The total cost of the two trials is likely to exceed £5 million.
Families of the 7/7 victims say that the verdicts mean no one is likely ever to be brought to justice for the attacks on London’s transport network. Some have demanding a full independent inquiry.
Bereaved families and survivors have also called on the Government to publish a second Intelligence and Security Committee report into the bombings without delay. And they said inquests into the deaths of all 52 victims, plus the four suicide bombers, should be held in public as soon as possible.
The three men were accused of visiting the London Eye, the Natural History Museum and the London Aquarium to identify potential targets seven months before the 2005 atrocity.
Four suicide bombers, Mohammed Siddique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer, Hasib Hussain and Germaine Lindsay, detonated rucksack devices packed with explosives on three Tube trains and a bus.
The trial heard that the three defendants travelled from Leeds to London on December 16, 2004, with Hussain, who went on to detonate his bomb on the No 30 bus in Tavistock Square, claiming 13 lives. They also met Lindsay, who killed 26 people on a Piccadilly Line Underground train.
The prosecution alleged that they conducted a “hostile reconnaissance” of potential targets during a two-day visit. The three defendants admitted making the visit but claimed it was an entirely innocent social outing.
Brits Concede 'No Justice' for 7/7 Victims...
No one will be brought to justice for the mass murder of 52 people in the 7/7 London bombings, security sources conceded last night as three men were acquitted of helping the terrorists.
After a massive security operation, a four-year investigation and two trials costing well in excess of £100 million, three friends of the lead suicide bomber, Mohammad Sidique Khan, were cleared by a jury of being part of his support cell. Sadeer Saleem, 28, left court a free man but Waheed Ali, 25, and Mohammed Shakil, 32, were convicted of attending terrorist training camps and will be sentenced today.
Detectives are certain that the bombers received help from within the Muslim community in Beeston, Leeds, which, they say, is reluctant to co-operate with police. Sources said that potential witnesses had been “actively dissuaded” from helping police. As many as ten sets of unidentified fingerprints were found in bomb factories used by Khan, 30, and the three other men who killed themselves in the attacks on three Tube trains and a London bus on July 7, 2005.
Related Links
'7/7 could have been prevented'
Deputy Assistant Commissioner John McDowall, of the Scotland Yard Counter Terrorism Command, said: “While those directly responsible for the bombings died in the attacks, we remain convinced that others must have been involved in the planning.”
Mr McDowall appealed for witnesses to come forward, but Andy Hayman, the Yard’s head of counter-terrorism in July 2005, writes in The Times today that the trial was “the last throw of the dice” for the 7/7 investigation.
Survivors and relatives of the victims accepted the verdicts with resignation and demanded immediate publication of an Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) report into 7/7, the urgent opening of inquests and an independent inquiry with powers to summon witnesses.
“We want an inquiry which can get to the bottom of what went wrong and why Khan wasn’t stopped. We don’t want a witch-hunt, we just want the truth,” said Rachel North, who was injured in the blast at King’s Cross.
The ISC report is expected in two weeks. The key issue for the relatives will be the fate of a fax message sent by MI5, which watched Khan in 2004 as he associated with another British terrorist, to West Yorkshire Police asking for his movements to be watched.
Informed sources say that receipt of the fax was never acknowledged. Police did not monitor Khan and he flew to Pakistan where he was groomed by al-Qaeda leaders to become a suicide bomber.
Graham Foulkes, whose son David, 22, died on a Circle Line train at Edgware Road, said that the trial revealed that there had been significant pre-attack intelligence about Khan.
He said: “Immediately after the bombings the Home Secretary, Tony Blair and other politicians were saying these men were ‘clean skins’ and the attacks came ‘out of the blue’. Either they were lying, or the intelligence community lied to the politicians.”
Muslim-owned shop bans customers wearing veils
A Muslim-owned jewellery shop has decided to ban customers wearing veils after being targeted by robbers disguised as Islamic women.
Muslim women in a niqab will be encouraged to telephone in advance to ensure that a female member of staff is present during their visit, to confirm their identities.
Everyone entering ATAA Jewellers in Glasgow must reveal their faces under planned new rules to protect staff from further attacks.
The store owners decided to act after two Asian men wearing traditional Muslim women’s clothes – including niqab veils – made away with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery earlier this month.
The pair, who were also carrying handbags, pretended to be interested in buying some items but attacked staff with pepper spray when cabinets were unlocked.
Read full story from vladtepesblog.com
Muslim women in a niqab will be encouraged to telephone in advance to ensure that a female member of staff is present during their visit, to confirm their identities.
Everyone entering ATAA Jewellers in Glasgow must reveal their faces under planned new rules to protect staff from further attacks.
The store owners decided to act after two Asian men wearing traditional Muslim women’s clothes – including niqab veils – made away with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery earlier this month.
The pair, who were also carrying handbags, pretended to be interested in buying some items but attacked staff with pepper spray when cabinets were unlocked.
Read full story from vladtepesblog.com
Monday, April 27, 2009
EU judges want Sharia law applied in British courts
An EU plan calls for family courts across Europe to hear cases using the laws of whichever country the couple involved have close links to.That could mean a court in England handling a case within the French legal framework, or even applying the laws of Saudi Arabia to a husband and wife living in Britain.
The Centre for Social Justice think tank today attacked the so-called Rome III reform as ludicrous.
It warned it would slow down cases, increase costs and lead to unjust results. However, in a report it says existing arrangements are 'anti-family'.
Currently, a couple from different EU states can have their divorce heard in the first country where one of them files divorce papers.
Because different states offer varying financial advantages to spouses in terms of division of wealth, the resulting 'race to court' in the best jurisdiction discourages couples from trying to save their marriage, it says.
The report calls for a simpler solution, with each country applying its own laws and cases being heard in the country where the couple have the closest connection.
At least nine EU states - not including the UK - are said to want to push ahead with the Rome III plan.
What every non-Muslim needs to know about Islam!
British Hostage to be Killed if Abu Qatada Not Released...
Al-Qaeda in North Africa has threated to kill a British hostage unless the UK government releases Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim preacher in custody in a British jail.
The terror group said in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site today that it will execute the tourist, who has been held by the group since late January, if Abu Qatada is not freed within 20 days.
Abu Qatada, a Palestinian-Jordanian, was jailed in Britain in 2002 accused of links with militant groups but was released in 2005. He was re-arrested and is pending deportation to Jordan where he was sentenced to life in prison in absentia.
Four tourists, including two Swiss, a German woman and a British man, were kidnapped by gunmen on January 22 in Niger, their tour operator said. It is understood that they was seized near the border between Niger and Mali while they were returning from a music festival in the Sahara desert.
Al-Qaeda in North Africa grew out of an earlier Islamist organisation based in Algeria called the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.
It has been praised by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, but appears to operate independent of bin Laden's control.
The terror group said in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site today that it will execute the tourist, who has been held by the group since late January, if Abu Qatada is not freed within 20 days.
Abu Qatada, a Palestinian-Jordanian, was jailed in Britain in 2002 accused of links with militant groups but was released in 2005. He was re-arrested and is pending deportation to Jordan where he was sentenced to life in prison in absentia.
Four tourists, including two Swiss, a German woman and a British man, were kidnapped by gunmen on January 22 in Niger, their tour operator said. It is understood that they was seized near the border between Niger and Mali while they were returning from a music festival in the Sahara desert.
Al-Qaeda in North Africa grew out of an earlier Islamist organisation based in Algeria called the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.
It has been praised by Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, but appears to operate independent of bin Laden's control.
Stewardess sacked for refusing to wear Islamic robe and walk behind male colleagues
A BMI air stewardess was sacked for refusing to wear a traditional Islamic robe and walk behind male colleagues when travelling to Saudi Arabia.
Lisa Ashton, 37, was told that she had to wear a black robe, known as an abaya, which covers everything but the face, feet and hands, when out in public areas.
She was also instructed by the airline to follow her male colleagues, irrespective of their rank.
But Miss Ashton, who earned £15,000-a-year, refused to fly to Saudi Arabia, claiming the requirements were discriminatory and that she considered the country to be unsafe to travel to because of the risk of terrorist attacks.
'It’s not the law that you have to walk behind men in Saudi Arabia, or that you have to wear an abaya, and I’m not going to be treated as a second-class citizen,' she said.
'It’s outrageous. I’m a proud Englishwoman and I don’t want these restrictions placed on myself.'
Miss Ashton had been working for BMI on long-haul flights for nine years when she was told in the summer of 2005 that she would be expected to work on the airline's new service to Saudi Arabia.
However, at the time the Foreign Office was advising visitors of a 'threat of terrorism' in the country.
Miss Ashton decided against travelling there and was offended by the regulations BMI set out for staff working in the area.
A document BMI sent to its staff read: 'It is expected that female crew members will walk behind their male counterparts in public areas such as airports no matter what rank.'
Miss Ashton was offered a transfer to short-haul flights with a 20 per cent salary cut, which she refused.
For some time she was then allowed to continue flying to her normal destinations of India, the Caribbean and the US, but in June 2007 she was told she was on the rota to fly from London to Saudi Arabia.
When Miss Ashton refused to fly she was dismissed.
An employment tribunal in Manchester earlier this year cleared BMI of sexual discrimination, ruling it was justified in imposing 'rules of a different culture' on staff.
It ruled there was no evidence that women would regard BMI's requirements on wearing an abaya or that walking behind men would 'place them under any disadvantage'.
But Miss Ashton has since consulted human rights organisation Liberty and may now seek a judicial review of the tribunal decision.
It is not the law to wear an abaya in Saudi Arabia, although many western women do, and many Saudi expats say it is a 'myth' that women must walk behind men.
Miss Ashton is now following a music career and said one of her songs - Shame, Shame, Shame - was inspired by her experiences with BMI.
Lisa Ashton, 37, was told that she had to wear a black robe, known as an abaya, which covers everything but the face, feet and hands, when out in public areas.
She was also instructed by the airline to follow her male colleagues, irrespective of their rank.
But Miss Ashton, who earned £15,000-a-year, refused to fly to Saudi Arabia, claiming the requirements were discriminatory and that she considered the country to be unsafe to travel to because of the risk of terrorist attacks.
'It’s not the law that you have to walk behind men in Saudi Arabia, or that you have to wear an abaya, and I’m not going to be treated as a second-class citizen,' she said.
'It’s outrageous. I’m a proud Englishwoman and I don’t want these restrictions placed on myself.'
Miss Ashton had been working for BMI on long-haul flights for nine years when she was told in the summer of 2005 that she would be expected to work on the airline's new service to Saudi Arabia.
However, at the time the Foreign Office was advising visitors of a 'threat of terrorism' in the country.
Miss Ashton decided against travelling there and was offended by the regulations BMI set out for staff working in the area.
A document BMI sent to its staff read: 'It is expected that female crew members will walk behind their male counterparts in public areas such as airports no matter what rank.'
Miss Ashton was offered a transfer to short-haul flights with a 20 per cent salary cut, which she refused.
For some time she was then allowed to continue flying to her normal destinations of India, the Caribbean and the US, but in June 2007 she was told she was on the rota to fly from London to Saudi Arabia.
When Miss Ashton refused to fly she was dismissed.
An employment tribunal in Manchester earlier this year cleared BMI of sexual discrimination, ruling it was justified in imposing 'rules of a different culture' on staff.
It ruled there was no evidence that women would regard BMI's requirements on wearing an abaya or that walking behind men would 'place them under any disadvantage'.
But Miss Ashton has since consulted human rights organisation Liberty and may now seek a judicial review of the tribunal decision.
It is not the law to wear an abaya in Saudi Arabia, although many western women do, and many Saudi expats say it is a 'myth' that women must walk behind men.
Miss Ashton is now following a music career and said one of her songs - Shame, Shame, Shame - was inspired by her experiences with BMI.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Pakistan to UK: "Pointing a finger towards Pakistan was shocking for us ... it was uncalled for and shocking."
Twelve Pakistani "students" plot to terrorize Britain; the latter arrests and then releases them but admonishes Pakistan; and the latter -- which poses a "mortal threat" to the world -- is "shocked," just "shocked." "More on this story.
"Pakistan anger at UK terror 'slurs'," by Vikram Dodd for the Guardian,
Britain was yesterday plunged into a new diplomatic row with Pakistan over the arrests of 12 people accused of plotting bombing attacks on northern England.
All were this week released without charge, but a top Pakistani diplomat in London has said that Gordon Brown's statements after the arrests a fortnight ago were shocking and had helped extremists.
In an interview with the Guardian, Asif Durrani, Pakistan's deputy high commissioner to London, said Britain appeared vindictive against Pakistani nationals and said claims that Islamabad was soft on terror were slurs.
Brown's statements were taken by Pakistan as a public accusation that it was not doing enough to help the UK's fight against terrorism. Ten of those accused were Pakistani nationals who entered Britain on student visas, one is believed to be Afghani, and another is a British national granted sanctuary here after claiming persecution by the Taliban.
Durrani, a diplomat for 23 years with previous postings in Kabul and the United Nations, said: "Pointing a finger towards Pakistan was shocking for us ... it was uncalled for and shocking."...
"Pakistan anger at UK terror 'slurs'," by Vikram Dodd for the Guardian,
Britain was yesterday plunged into a new diplomatic row with Pakistan over the arrests of 12 people accused of plotting bombing attacks on northern England.
All were this week released without charge, but a top Pakistani diplomat in London has said that Gordon Brown's statements after the arrests a fortnight ago were shocking and had helped extremists.
In an interview with the Guardian, Asif Durrani, Pakistan's deputy high commissioner to London, said Britain appeared vindictive against Pakistani nationals and said claims that Islamabad was soft on terror were slurs.
Brown's statements were taken by Pakistan as a public accusation that it was not doing enough to help the UK's fight against terrorism. Ten of those accused were Pakistani nationals who entered Britain on student visas, one is believed to be Afghani, and another is a British national granted sanctuary here after claiming persecution by the Taliban.
Durrani, a diplomat for 23 years with previous postings in Kabul and the United Nations, said: "Pointing a finger towards Pakistan was shocking for us ... it was uncalled for and shocking."...
Terror preacher Abu Hamza gets round hunger strike with crisps
HOOK-HANDED cleric Abu Hamza is cheating his way through a prison "hunger strike" by gorging on crisps.
The terrorist and his al-Qaeda followers in the High Security Unit in Belmarsh have refused to eat prison food all week.
They took objection to a strip search on an inmate and have refused cooked food from kitchen staff since.
But the protesters have been eating food from the prison shop and scoffing snacks during meetings with solicitors.
Hamza was spotted eating crisps and chocolate in his cell after calling on the Muslims Boys Gang to go on a hunger strike.
The weak-willed backlash came after a Muslim prisoner objected to a strip search along with two other inmates. All three lashed out and were placed in the segregation unit.
The officer who tried to search them received death threats and was moved to a new job.
A source said: "It is almost funny. They have been refusing food from the hot plate, but are still snacking on everything else.
"Hamza has been sneaking crisps and chocolate into his cell." A Ministry of Justice spokes man said: "Prisoners in Belmarsh are not on hunger strike."
The terrorist and his al-Qaeda followers in the High Security Unit in Belmarsh have refused to eat prison food all week.
They took objection to a strip search on an inmate and have refused cooked food from kitchen staff since.
But the protesters have been eating food from the prison shop and scoffing snacks during meetings with solicitors.
Hamza was spotted eating crisps and chocolate in his cell after calling on the Muslims Boys Gang to go on a hunger strike.
The weak-willed backlash came after a Muslim prisoner objected to a strip search along with two other inmates. All three lashed out and were placed in the segregation unit.
The officer who tried to search them received death threats and was moved to a new job.
A source said: "It is almost funny. They have been refusing food from the hot plate, but are still snacking on everything else.
"Hamza has been sneaking crisps and chocolate into his cell." A Ministry of Justice spokes man said: "Prisoners in Belmarsh are not on hunger strike."
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Muslims admit plotting to firebomb the home of Muhammad book publisher
An update on this story. "Men plotted against UK publisher of Mohammad book," from The Star,
LONDON (Reuters) - Two men admitted on Tuesday plotting to firebomb the London home of the publisher of a controversial novel about the Prophet Mohammad's child bride.
Ali Beheshti, 41, and Abrar Mirza, 23, were arrested last September after an arson attack on the house in north London where Gibson Square publisher Martin Rynja lived and had an office.
The attack took place shortly before Gibson Square was due to publish "The Jewel of Medina" by journalist Sherry Jones, which traces the life of child bride Aisha from her engagement at the age of six to the prophet's death.
The building suffered minor fire damage after fuel was poured through the letterbox.
Beheshti and Mirza pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court in south London to conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life, the Press Association reported.
A charge of arson with intent to endanger life was not pursued and they were remanded in custody for sentencing at a later date.
A third man, taxi driver Abbas Taj, 30, will go on trial next Tuesday charged with conspiracy to damage property with intent to endanger life and arson. He denies the allegations.
Gibson Square bought the rights to the novel after Random House dropped plans to publish it, fearing it could "incite acts of violence".
Jones said her book was respectful to Islam, and Rynja said last October that the novel was not offensive and that he felt its publication was part of a liberal democracy.
LONDON (Reuters) - Two men admitted on Tuesday plotting to firebomb the London home of the publisher of a controversial novel about the Prophet Mohammad's child bride.
Ali Beheshti, 41, and Abrar Mirza, 23, were arrested last September after an arson attack on the house in north London where Gibson Square publisher Martin Rynja lived and had an office.
The attack took place shortly before Gibson Square was due to publish "The Jewel of Medina" by journalist Sherry Jones, which traces the life of child bride Aisha from her engagement at the age of six to the prophet's death.
The building suffered minor fire damage after fuel was poured through the letterbox.
Beheshti and Mirza pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court in south London to conspiracy to recklessly damage property and endanger life, the Press Association reported.
A charge of arson with intent to endanger life was not pursued and they were remanded in custody for sentencing at a later date.
A third man, taxi driver Abbas Taj, 30, will go on trial next Tuesday charged with conspiracy to damage property with intent to endanger life and arson. He denies the allegations.
Gibson Square bought the rights to the novel after Random House dropped plans to publish it, fearing it could "incite acts of violence".
Jones said her book was respectful to Islam, and Rynja said last October that the novel was not offensive and that he felt its publication was part of a liberal democracy.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
UK schools may close for Ramadan
Some schools in Britain could soon be allowed to close for non-Christian religious festivals, it has emerged.
The move comes as figures reveal a big increase in absences from city classrooms for 'religious observance'.
Under new council guidelines currently being drawn up, schools in Manchester where more than 40 per cent may be absent for a religious festival could decide to close.
Parents are legally entitled to take their children out of school for non-Christian religious festivals, such as Ramadan.
But because academic holidays are largely based on the Christian calendar, they can't do it without missing lessons.
Now headteachers could soon be timing teacher training days to coincide with holy dates such as Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Adha, Yom Kippur and Diwali.
Schools must still be open for the legally-required 190 days a year so that no pupil misses out on teaching time.
Meanwhile, the traditional school calendar, with Easter and Christmas holidays, stays the same.
The changes are most likely to affect schools in areas such as Longsight and Cheetham Hill that have a large percentage of Muslim pupils....
The move comes as figures reveal a big increase in absences from city classrooms for 'religious observance'.
Under new council guidelines currently being drawn up, schools in Manchester where more than 40 per cent may be absent for a religious festival could decide to close.
Parents are legally entitled to take their children out of school for non-Christian religious festivals, such as Ramadan.
But because academic holidays are largely based on the Christian calendar, they can't do it without missing lessons.
Now headteachers could soon be timing teacher training days to coincide with holy dates such as Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Adha, Yom Kippur and Diwali.
Schools must still be open for the legally-required 190 days a year so that no pupil misses out on teaching time.
Meanwhile, the traditional school calendar, with Easter and Christmas holidays, stays the same.
The changes are most likely to affect schools in areas such as Longsight and Cheetham Hill that have a large percentage of Muslim pupils....
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hizb ut-Tahrir, whom Tony Blair promised to ban, calls for jihad and elimination of Israel at London rally
Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in numerous countries -- even by the prolific exporters of jihad in Saudi Arabia -- but legal in Australia and the U.K. Now, according to a spokesman for Britain's Home Office, "the group's status was being reassessed in light of the latest remarks but ... the decision to proscribe an organisation must be 'proportionate'."
Dr Imran Waheed, told followers of Hizb ut-Tahrir that there could be "no peace" with Israel and urged them to "fight in the way of Allah".
A leaflet distributed by the international wing of the organisation also called for Muslim countries to "eliminate the state of the Jews".
The remarks increased pressure on Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Patrick Mercer, the Tory chairman of the Commons Counter-Terrorism Subcommittee, said Dr Waheed's comments appeared to represent "incitement to violence" and accused the Government of performing a U-turn on an earlier commitment to ban it.
Speaking in Downing Street in August 2005, just a month after the London bombings, Mr Blair announced a wider crackdown on extremism, adding: "We will proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir and the successor organisation of Al Mujahiroun."
The group, advocates the setting up of an Islamic "caliphate" or nation and describes itself as "unashamedly anti-Israel".
But it insists that it is exclusively non-violent and denies accusations of anti-Semitism.
Critics say that the group, which has thrived on university campuses, is a gateway to more extremist groups, something which it also vehemently denies.
Addressing a rally at Marble Arch in January following the Israeli military action in Gaza, Dr Waheed – the group's media adviser in Britain who was banned from entering Indonesia in 2007 – said that there was "no need for conferences, no need for treaties, no need for negotiations".
In the speech, highlighted by the think tank the Centre for Social Cohesion, he added: "There will be no peace and no negotiations with the illegitimate entity of Israel."
He went on: "There is only one solution to the occupation of Muslim lands, one solution to the cries of the widows and the orphans, one solution to avenge the death of the elderly and the children ... fight in the way of Allah those who fight you. Al-Jihad."
A leaflet available on the group's international website, dated Jan 19 2009, criticises the governments of Muslim countries which have attended peace summits as "shameful".
"Instead, it was their duty to eliminate the state of Jews that has usurped Palestine," it added.
A spokesman for the Home Office said that the group's status was being reassessed in light of the latest remarks but said that the decision to proscribe an organisation must be "proportionate"....
Dr Imran Waheed, told followers of Hizb ut-Tahrir that there could be "no peace" with Israel and urged them to "fight in the way of Allah".A leaflet distributed by the international wing of the organisation also called for Muslim countries to "eliminate the state of the Jews".
The remarks increased pressure on Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Patrick Mercer, the Tory chairman of the Commons Counter-Terrorism Subcommittee, said Dr Waheed's comments appeared to represent "incitement to violence" and accused the Government of performing a U-turn on an earlier commitment to ban it.
Speaking in Downing Street in August 2005, just a month after the London bombings, Mr Blair announced a wider crackdown on extremism, adding: "We will proscribe Hizb ut-Tahrir and the successor organisation of Al Mujahiroun."
The group, advocates the setting up of an Islamic "caliphate" or nation and describes itself as "unashamedly anti-Israel".
But it insists that it is exclusively non-violent and denies accusations of anti-Semitism.
Critics say that the group, which has thrived on university campuses, is a gateway to more extremist groups, something which it also vehemently denies.
Addressing a rally at Marble Arch in January following the Israeli military action in Gaza, Dr Waheed – the group's media adviser in Britain who was banned from entering Indonesia in 2007 – said that there was "no need for conferences, no need for treaties, no need for negotiations".
In the speech, highlighted by the think tank the Centre for Social Cohesion, he added: "There will be no peace and no negotiations with the illegitimate entity of Israel."
He went on: "There is only one solution to the occupation of Muslim lands, one solution to the cries of the widows and the orphans, one solution to avenge the death of the elderly and the children ... fight in the way of Allah those who fight you. Al-Jihad."
A leaflet available on the group's international website, dated Jan 19 2009, criticises the governments of Muslim countries which have attended peace summits as "shameful".
"Instead, it was their duty to eliminate the state of Jews that has usurped Palestine," it added.
A spokesman for the Home Office said that the group's status was being reassessed in light of the latest remarks but said that the decision to proscribe an organisation must be "proportionate"....
Friday, April 17, 2009
Whitehall to train pro-West Islamic groups to game Google
Whitehall officials will train pro-West Islamic groups to manipulate their Google search ranking in an attempt to drown out extremist voices online, The Register has learned.
The policy is being developed despite recent warnings from a group of international experts on radicalisation that such strategies are likely to be "largely ineffectual".
The Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), a 200-strong Home Office unit created 18 months ago, has said in meetings it wants to "flood the internet" with "positive" interpretations of Islam.
It plans to train government-approved groups in search engine optimisation techniques, which it's hoped will boost their profile online and battle radicalisation.
Organisations such as Quilliam which describes itself as "the world's first counter-extremism think tank" and is jointly led by former radical Ed Husain, have been identified as potential beneficiaries of the work. A spokesman for the group declined to comment.
Officials are currently understood to be in the early stages of the programme.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed search engine optimisation training is part of the government's anti-radicalisation strategy. "In order to support mainstream voices, we work with local partners to help develop their communication, representational and leadership skills," he said.
"This support could include media training, which can help make their voices heard more widely, and support the development of skills which allow communities to be more effective in debate."
The effectiveness of search engine optimisation in reducing traffic to extremist websites has been dismissed by academics however. In March, a report produced by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) said young Muslims were much more likely to be directed to extremist material online by web forums and offline associates than by Google or other search engines.
"Tweaking the results for supposedly extremist terms would be largely ineffectual, not least because it is unlikely that any but the most callow wannabe terrorist would use a mainstream search engine to find banned material," the authors wrote. ICSR is a collaboration between British, American, Israeli and Jordanian universities.
The embattled Home Secretary Jacqui Smith recently launched the government's updated counter-terror strategy, CONTEST 2, which put heavy emphasis on countering extremist views. In December she said: "We will host a core network of people who will put forward positive messages from the British Muslim community on the internet, directly challenging the extremists that set out to groom vulnerable individuals."
The OSCT plans to help Islamic groups manipulate their Google rankings appear to be a part of that "direct challenge". The Home and Foreign Offices also set up the secretive Research, Information and Communications Unit, which actively produces and distributes propaganda against extremist groups.
Search engine optimisation techniques are used widely by news organisations and online merchants to make websites more attractive to Google's ranking algorithm. They are broadly classified into legitimate "white hat" manipulation methods such as using common keywords in page titles, and "black hat" methods, which try to trick search engines into giving undeservedly high rankings.
When Google detects black hat methods it bans the page from its index, as it did to the German website of car maker BMW in 2006. ®
Related stories
Secret European project to battle online jihad (8 April 2009)
UK's net radicalization plans are 'crude, costly, counter-productive' (11 March 2009)
Jacqui's jihad on web extremism flops (13 February 2009)
Top MI6 spy: Terrorism less serious than bird flu (11 February 2009)
Smith plans 300-strong force to tackle UK radicalisation (16 April 2008)
Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web (17 January 2008)
The policy is being developed despite recent warnings from a group of international experts on radicalisation that such strategies are likely to be "largely ineffectual".
The Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT), a 200-strong Home Office unit created 18 months ago, has said in meetings it wants to "flood the internet" with "positive" interpretations of Islam.
It plans to train government-approved groups in search engine optimisation techniques, which it's hoped will boost their profile online and battle radicalisation.
Organisations such as Quilliam which describes itself as "the world's first counter-extremism think tank" and is jointly led by former radical Ed Husain, have been identified as potential beneficiaries of the work. A spokesman for the group declined to comment.
Officials are currently understood to be in the early stages of the programme.
A Home Office spokesman confirmed search engine optimisation training is part of the government's anti-radicalisation strategy. "In order to support mainstream voices, we work with local partners to help develop their communication, representational and leadership skills," he said.
"This support could include media training, which can help make their voices heard more widely, and support the development of skills which allow communities to be more effective in debate."
The effectiveness of search engine optimisation in reducing traffic to extremist websites has been dismissed by academics however. In March, a report produced by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) said young Muslims were much more likely to be directed to extremist material online by web forums and offline associates than by Google or other search engines.
"Tweaking the results for supposedly extremist terms would be largely ineffectual, not least because it is unlikely that any but the most callow wannabe terrorist would use a mainstream search engine to find banned material," the authors wrote. ICSR is a collaboration between British, American, Israeli and Jordanian universities.
The embattled Home Secretary Jacqui Smith recently launched the government's updated counter-terror strategy, CONTEST 2, which put heavy emphasis on countering extremist views. In December she said: "We will host a core network of people who will put forward positive messages from the British Muslim community on the internet, directly challenging the extremists that set out to groom vulnerable individuals."
The OSCT plans to help Islamic groups manipulate their Google rankings appear to be a part of that "direct challenge". The Home and Foreign Offices also set up the secretive Research, Information and Communications Unit, which actively produces and distributes propaganda against extremist groups.
Search engine optimisation techniques are used widely by news organisations and online merchants to make websites more attractive to Google's ranking algorithm. They are broadly classified into legitimate "white hat" manipulation methods such as using common keywords in page titles, and "black hat" methods, which try to trick search engines into giving undeservedly high rankings.
When Google detects black hat methods it bans the page from its index, as it did to the German website of car maker BMW in 2006. ®
Related stories
Secret European project to battle online jihad (8 April 2009)
UK's net radicalization plans are 'crude, costly, counter-productive' (11 March 2009)
Jacqui's jihad on web extremism flops (13 February 2009)
Top MI6 spy: Terrorism less serious than bird flu (11 February 2009)
Smith plans 300-strong force to tackle UK radicalisation (16 April 2008)
Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web (17 January 2008)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Britain is fighting a war – and we are too soft on our enemies
It's not just soldiers who win wars. Governments also have a crucial role to play – and to judge by the response of most Western governments to the threat we face from radical Islamism, we are simply not competing on equal terms with the enemy.
No one can claim that we in Britain don't understand the nature of the threat we face. In recent months, there has been a succession of reports highlighting the increasingly pernicious influence British Islamists are having on the Nato-led campaign to bring stability to Afghanistan.
After senior officers confirmed last year that British Muslims were fighting with the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, it was revealed that RAF Nimrod surveillance planes monitoring Taliban radio stations were surprised to hear insurgents speaking in strong Yorkshire or Midlands accents.
More recently, officers based at the main military base at Lashkar Gah revealed that they had found British-made components in roadside bombs used to attack coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, sent to Helmand by Muslim sympathisers in Britain. This week three British Muslims, part of a terrorist cell whose leader was convicted of plotting to kidnap and behead a British soldier on video, were jailed at the Old Bailey for supplying equipment to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
The active involvement of radical British Muslims in the Afghan insurgency has led senior officers to claim that they are engaged in a "surreal mini-civil war" in Afghanistan. And yet, for all the compelling evidence that British-based Islamist radicals are actively participating in a jihad against Britain and its coalition allies, the Government, together with those who have opposed our involvement in the War on Terror from the start, seems determined to give the Islamist radicals the benefit of the doubt.
Even when incontrovertible proof is found that British Muslims are aiding and abetting the enemy in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the Government's instinct is to try to cover up their involvement, for fear of further inflaming Islamist sensitivities.
Twice in the past year I have been admonished by our military establishment for revealing details about the support British sympathisers are providing to the Afghan insurgency, whether it involves actually fighting alongside the Taliban or providing them with the means to kill and maim British personnel. Officials did not question the reports' veracity. On both occasions, I was told that it was simply not helpful to expose such details, as they might cause offence to the Muslim community, or encourage Islamist radicals to intimidate British soldiers returning from combat.
Well, to judge by the disgraceful reception given this week by Muslim demonstrators to members of 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, as they paraded through the centre of Luton, the Islamists are receiving all the encouragement they need, not least in the form of the virulently anti-Western sermons delivered over the internet by the Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who was banished from Britain in 2005 following the July 7 attacks in London. He has made his approval of the protesters' actions known, claiming "my brothers from Luton were protesting against people they see as killers of Muslims".
Nor should we be surprised that the only action taken by Bedfordshire police has been to arrest those who were incensed by the Islamists' taunts of "criminals" and "terrorists", aimed at the returning soldiers. The authorities' response in Luton is symptomatic of the perverse attitude that seems to have become Britain's default position when confronted by difficult Islamist issues. When the former Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed claimed that British intelligence officials were complicit in his torture, the main focus of the controversy was the alleged collusion of ministers, rather than precisely what Mr Mohamed was doing in Afghanistan.
He might, as he insists, be innocent of any wrongdoing. But the risks of taking the protestations of innocence of a former Guantánamo detainee at face value have been graphically demonstrated this week by the revelation that another inmate, Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul, has re-emerged as one of the Taliban's most effective commanders in southern Afghanistan.
During the six years he was held at Guantánamo, Rasoul, now known as Mullah Abdullah Zakir, managed to convince his American interrogators that he had never held a military command, even though it turns out he was a high-ranking commander close to Mullah Omar, the Taliban's supreme leader. Rasoul was eventually released after claiming he wanted to return to his family and farm. British officials believe he is the mastermind behind the deadly surge in roadside bombings in Helmand since last spring.
The worldwide campaign against Islamist-inspired militancy is highly complex. But if the West to wants to prevent further terror attacks, we must first distinguish between those who are on our side, and those who are not.
No one can claim that we in Britain don't understand the nature of the threat we face. In recent months, there has been a succession of reports highlighting the increasingly pernicious influence British Islamists are having on the Nato-led campaign to bring stability to Afghanistan.
After senior officers confirmed last year that British Muslims were fighting with the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, it was revealed that RAF Nimrod surveillance planes monitoring Taliban radio stations were surprised to hear insurgents speaking in strong Yorkshire or Midlands accents.
More recently, officers based at the main military base at Lashkar Gah revealed that they had found British-made components in roadside bombs used to attack coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, sent to Helmand by Muslim sympathisers in Britain. This week three British Muslims, part of a terrorist cell whose leader was convicted of plotting to kidnap and behead a British soldier on video, were jailed at the Old Bailey for supplying equipment to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.
The active involvement of radical British Muslims in the Afghan insurgency has led senior officers to claim that they are engaged in a "surreal mini-civil war" in Afghanistan. And yet, for all the compelling evidence that British-based Islamist radicals are actively participating in a jihad against Britain and its coalition allies, the Government, together with those who have opposed our involvement in the War on Terror from the start, seems determined to give the Islamist radicals the benefit of the doubt.
Even when incontrovertible proof is found that British Muslims are aiding and abetting the enemy in Afghanistan and elsewhere, the Government's instinct is to try to cover up their involvement, for fear of further inflaming Islamist sensitivities.
Twice in the past year I have been admonished by our military establishment for revealing details about the support British sympathisers are providing to the Afghan insurgency, whether it involves actually fighting alongside the Taliban or providing them with the means to kill and maim British personnel. Officials did not question the reports' veracity. On both occasions, I was told that it was simply not helpful to expose such details, as they might cause offence to the Muslim community, or encourage Islamist radicals to intimidate British soldiers returning from combat.
Well, to judge by the disgraceful reception given this week by Muslim demonstrators to members of 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, as they paraded through the centre of Luton, the Islamists are receiving all the encouragement they need, not least in the form of the virulently anti-Western sermons delivered over the internet by the Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who was banished from Britain in 2005 following the July 7 attacks in London. He has made his approval of the protesters' actions known, claiming "my brothers from Luton were protesting against people they see as killers of Muslims".
Nor should we be surprised that the only action taken by Bedfordshire police has been to arrest those who were incensed by the Islamists' taunts of "criminals" and "terrorists", aimed at the returning soldiers. The authorities' response in Luton is symptomatic of the perverse attitude that seems to have become Britain's default position when confronted by difficult Islamist issues. When the former Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed claimed that British intelligence officials were complicit in his torture, the main focus of the controversy was the alleged collusion of ministers, rather than precisely what Mr Mohamed was doing in Afghanistan.
He might, as he insists, be innocent of any wrongdoing. But the risks of taking the protestations of innocence of a former Guantánamo detainee at face value have been graphically demonstrated this week by the revelation that another inmate, Abdullah Ghulam Rasoul, has re-emerged as one of the Taliban's most effective commanders in southern Afghanistan.
During the six years he was held at Guantánamo, Rasoul, now known as Mullah Abdullah Zakir, managed to convince his American interrogators that he had never held a military command, even though it turns out he was a high-ranking commander close to Mullah Omar, the Taliban's supreme leader. Rasoul was eventually released after claiming he wanted to return to his family and farm. British officials believe he is the mastermind behind the deadly surge in roadside bombings in Helmand since last spring.
The worldwide campaign against Islamist-inspired militancy is highly complex. But if the West to wants to prevent further terror attacks, we must first distinguish between those who are on our side, and those who are not.
Spending on equality watchdog soars by 50% to £70million
The cost of the Government's anti-discrimination watchdog has ballooned by £22.5million in a year to an eye-watering £70million.
Salaries for bureaucrats at the Equality and Human Rights Commission have also soared by an inflation-defying 25 per cent.
Staff received an average increase of around £9,000, taking their average salary to £45,920.
The soaring costs to taxpayers of the Government quango were revealed by research from the Conservatives.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission was formed by merging the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission in October 2007.
In 2008-09 - its first full year of operation - it was given a £70million budget.
The total budget for the three groups it replaced for their last full year in existence was £47.5million.
Figures obtained by the Tories also reveal that nearly £ 2million was spent on consultancy fees in preparation for the merger.
'This is truly shocking,' said Tory communities spokesman Paul Goodman.
'These figures reveal how Labour's bloated quangos are simply failing to use taxpayers' money efficiently, especially at these difficult times.'
He added: 'How is it possible that you can bring three separate organisations together and yet have a higher wage bill than before?'
Salaries for bureaucrats at the Equality and Human Rights Commission have also soared by an inflation-defying 25 per cent.
Staff received an average increase of around £9,000, taking their average salary to £45,920.
The soaring costs to taxpayers of the Government quango were revealed by research from the Conservatives.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission was formed by merging the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality and the Disability Rights Commission in October 2007.
In 2008-09 - its first full year of operation - it was given a £70million budget.
The total budget for the three groups it replaced for their last full year in existence was £47.5million.
Figures obtained by the Tories also reveal that nearly £ 2million was spent on consultancy fees in preparation for the merger.
'This is truly shocking,' said Tory communities spokesman Paul Goodman.
'These figures reveal how Labour's bloated quangos are simply failing to use taxpayers' money efficiently, especially at these difficult times.'
He added: 'How is it possible that you can bring three separate organisations together and yet have a higher wage bill than before?'
Pakistan condemns Home Office over student terror arrests
A diplomatic row has erupted over Britain’s handling of the arrest of Pakistani students last week on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks in the UK.
The Pakistani government issued a formal complaint after British officials refused to reveal details of the suspects’ identities or grant Pakistani diplomats consular access to the men.
In a rare and outspoken attack, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London issued a public condemnation of Home Office and police officials for taking a high handed approach to the case.
read more
The Pakistani government issued a formal complaint after British officials refused to reveal details of the suspects’ identities or grant Pakistani diplomats consular access to the men.
In a rare and outspoken attack, Pakistan’s High Commissioner in London issued a public condemnation of Home Office and police officials for taking a high handed approach to the case.
read more
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Pirates can claim UK asylum
THE Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has been told by the Foreign Office not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights.
Warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain.
The Foreign Office has advised that pirates sent back to Somalia could have their human rights breached because, under Islamic law, they face beheading for murder or having a hand chopped off for theft.
In 2005 there were almost 40 attacks by pirates and 16 vessels were hijacked and held for ransom. Employing high-tech weaponry, they kill, steal and hold ships’ crews to ransom. This year alone pirates killed three people near the Philippines.
Last week French commandos seized a Somali pirate gang that had held a luxury yacht with 22 French citizens on board. The hijackers were paid off by the boat’s owner and then a French helicopter carrier dispatched 50 commandos to seize the hijackers and the ransom money on dry land.
Britain is part of a coalition force that patrols piracy stricken areas and the guidance has troubled navy officers who believe they should have more freedom to intervene.
The guidance was sharply criticised by Julian Brazier MP, the Conservative shipping spokesman, who said: “These people commit horrendous offences. The solution is not to turn a blind eye but to turn them over to the local authorities. The convention on human rights quite rightly doesn’t cover the high seas. It’s a pathetic indictment of what our legal system has come to.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There are issues about human rights and what might happen in these circumstances. The main thing is to ensure any incident is resolved peacefully.”
The guidance is the latest blow to the robust image of the navy. Last year 15 of its sailors were taken prisoner by the Iranians and publicly humiliated.
In the 19th century, British warships largely eradicated piracy when they policed the oceans. The death penalty for piracy on the high seas remained on the statute books until 1998. Modern piracy ranges from maritime mugging to stealing from merchant ships with the crew held at gunpoint.
Warships patrolling pirate-infested waters, such as those off Somalia, have been warned that there is also a risk that captured pirates could claim asylum in Britain.
The Foreign Office has advised that pirates sent back to Somalia could have their human rights breached because, under Islamic law, they face beheading for murder or having a hand chopped off for theft.
In 2005 there were almost 40 attacks by pirates and 16 vessels were hijacked and held for ransom. Employing high-tech weaponry, they kill, steal and hold ships’ crews to ransom. This year alone pirates killed three people near the Philippines.
Last week French commandos seized a Somali pirate gang that had held a luxury yacht with 22 French citizens on board. The hijackers were paid off by the boat’s owner and then a French helicopter carrier dispatched 50 commandos to seize the hijackers and the ransom money on dry land.
Britain is part of a coalition force that patrols piracy stricken areas and the guidance has troubled navy officers who believe they should have more freedom to intervene.
The guidance was sharply criticised by Julian Brazier MP, the Conservative shipping spokesman, who said: “These people commit horrendous offences. The solution is not to turn a blind eye but to turn them over to the local authorities. The convention on human rights quite rightly doesn’t cover the high seas. It’s a pathetic indictment of what our legal system has come to.”
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There are issues about human rights and what might happen in these circumstances. The main thing is to ensure any incident is resolved peacefully.”
The guidance is the latest blow to the robust image of the navy. Last year 15 of its sailors were taken prisoner by the Iranians and publicly humiliated.
In the 19th century, British warships largely eradicated piracy when they policed the oceans. The death penalty for piracy on the high seas remained on the statute books until 1998. Modern piracy ranges from maritime mugging to stealing from merchant ships with the crew held at gunpoint.
British Cleric: Easter is 'Evil'...
EASTER is evil, proclaimed Muslim preacher of hate Anjem Choudary last night as he plumbed new depths by delivering his vile attack on the holiest Christian festival of the year.
The message was posted on Choudary’s website Islam4UK, which is a group inspired by exiled cleric Omar Bakri that wants the “flag of Allah” to fly over Downing Street. An article on the site claimed that Easter was merely a “pagan festival” and “nothing to do with Jesus”.
Firebrand cleric Choudary, denied writing the article, but when asked if he believed Easter was evil, he said yesterday: “I think that anything that’s non-Islamic is evil, I do believe that, yes. To attribute a son to God is anathema to Islam and I do believe that it’s an insult to God.”
When it was suggested that Christians might be offended, he said: “It’s not insulting to disagree with people’s beliefs. I’m not saying that Christians are evil.” He said Christians should “accept the final message of Mohammed and come back to the true monotheistic faith”.
He added: “Christianity, like all religions that are not Islamic, is misguided. Anything outside Islam is not good and you have good and you have evil, don’t you?
“Jesus was a messenger of Allah and he will return one day and show the deviations and misconceptions of Christianity. Easter is not in fact part of Christianity in the first place – it has been invented, it’s a pagan festival.”
His rant came as he backed a decision by Muslim-led Tower Hamlets Council in east London to allow extremist Anwar al-Awlaki, who has links to Al Qaeda, to broadcast a series of video messages last night to a conference at the Brady arts centre, Whitechapel, which is publicly owned.
The message was posted on Choudary’s website Islam4UK, which is a group inspired by exiled cleric Omar Bakri that wants the “flag of Allah” to fly over Downing Street. An article on the site claimed that Easter was merely a “pagan festival” and “nothing to do with Jesus”.
Firebrand cleric Choudary, denied writing the article, but when asked if he believed Easter was evil, he said yesterday: “I think that anything that’s non-Islamic is evil, I do believe that, yes. To attribute a son to God is anathema to Islam and I do believe that it’s an insult to God.”
When it was suggested that Christians might be offended, he said: “It’s not insulting to disagree with people’s beliefs. I’m not saying that Christians are evil.” He said Christians should “accept the final message of Mohammed and come back to the true monotheistic faith”.
He added: “Christianity, like all religions that are not Islamic, is misguided. Anything outside Islam is not good and you have good and you have evil, don’t you?
“Jesus was a messenger of Allah and he will return one day and show the deviations and misconceptions of Christianity. Easter is not in fact part of Christianity in the first place – it has been invented, it’s a pagan festival.”
His rant came as he backed a decision by Muslim-led Tower Hamlets Council in east London to allow extremist Anwar al-Awlaki, who has links to Al Qaeda, to broadcast a series of video messages last night to a conference at the Brady arts centre, Whitechapel, which is publicly owned.
British bomber 'fighting for the Taliban against British soldiers'
DNA from a terror suspect with British nationality has been found on an unexploded roadside bomb planted by the Taliban.
The sample matched with a database of UK terror suspects and confirms mounting fears that British nationals are now fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
New threat: British forces patrol the Helmand town of Musa Qala in Southern Afghanistan. There is now proof that British nationals are joining the Taliban
The DNA sample was taken from an roadside bomb that was diffused by bomb disposal experts in Helmand Province.
It is believed to be an exact match with a known Muslim extremist who was naturalised in England after arriving from Pakistan, according to the Sun.
He was radicalised in Britain before disappearing two years ago and heading to Afghanistan.
Recent intelligence reports show that rising numbers of home-grown jihadists have joined the Taliban so they can kill British soldiers.
Carla Bland, whose 21-year-old brother Wayne was killed in a bomb blast in August told the paper: 'These people are traitors and sick in the head.
'It’s hard enough for the soldiers over there without having to face their own people as well.
'My brother was trying to help Muslim people. These bombers aren’t helping Afghans - they’re just making it worse for everyone.'
Senior military sources say UK troops are engaged in a 'surreal mini-civil war' in the dusty badlands of Helmand Province.
Surveillance operations from the warzone has picked up voices talking with West Midlands and Yorkshire accents, according to official briefing documents.
The electronic 'chatter' shows that young disaffected Muslims are travelling to southern Afghanistan to commit violence against British targets.
MI5 has estimated that up to 4,000 British Muslims had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for military training, with 'dozens' switching to the front-line.
RAF spy planes have 'listened in' to the conversations of Taliban fighters, and officials now believe the British jihadists are mounting missions against British and Western targets in the warzone.
A Ministry Of Defence spokesman refused to comment on the latest report.
The sample matched with a database of UK terror suspects and confirms mounting fears that British nationals are now fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
New threat: British forces patrol the Helmand town of Musa Qala in Southern Afghanistan. There is now proof that British nationals are joining the Taliban
The DNA sample was taken from an roadside bomb that was diffused by bomb disposal experts in Helmand Province.
It is believed to be an exact match with a known Muslim extremist who was naturalised in England after arriving from Pakistan, according to the Sun.
He was radicalised in Britain before disappearing two years ago and heading to Afghanistan.
Recent intelligence reports show that rising numbers of home-grown jihadists have joined the Taliban so they can kill British soldiers.
Carla Bland, whose 21-year-old brother Wayne was killed in a bomb blast in August told the paper: 'These people are traitors and sick in the head.
'It’s hard enough for the soldiers over there without having to face their own people as well.
'My brother was trying to help Muslim people. These bombers aren’t helping Afghans - they’re just making it worse for everyone.'
Senior military sources say UK troops are engaged in a 'surreal mini-civil war' in the dusty badlands of Helmand Province.
Surveillance operations from the warzone has picked up voices talking with West Midlands and Yorkshire accents, according to official briefing documents.
The electronic 'chatter' shows that young disaffected Muslims are travelling to southern Afghanistan to commit violence against British targets.
MI5 has estimated that up to 4,000 British Muslims had travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for military training, with 'dozens' switching to the front-line.
RAF spy planes have 'listened in' to the conversations of Taliban fighters, and officials now believe the British jihadists are mounting missions against British and Western targets in the warzone.
A Ministry Of Defence spokesman refused to comment on the latest report.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
isnt britain wonderful,giving us visas and the opportunity to improve our education
This idiocy definitely belongs in the "You couldn't make this up" category.
British law enforcement are in the midst investigating a heinous plot by group of Pakistani muslim "students" to blow up shopping centres and nightclubs with the intent to cause the violent death and destruction of innocent British adults and children. So in the midst of and despite this investigation - The ABSOLUTELY INCOMPETENT AND MORONIC British government is allowing Muslim cleric Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki - who has links to Al Qaeda and the September 11 attacks - and who has been banned from the United States for using taped lectures to encourage terrorist attacks - to video-speak at a London conference paid for by British taxpayer's! (AGAIN!)
"But the preacher of hate has been given the go-ahead to speak to an audience of hundreds at the three-day event in east London which is being held at a taxpayer-funded venue starting today"
Where is this taxpayer funded muslim hate-fest being held? - It should comes as no surprise that this is happening at the Brady Arts Center - located in the heart of muslimized London = Tower Hamlets.
UK Muslims Impose Ramadan Fasting Rules on Non Muslim Councillors
MUSLIM THUGS CONTINUE TO TAKE OVER EAST END LONDON
Muslim Polygamists Milking Britain's Benefit System
One wonders if "moderate muslims" will flood the streets of London to protest this "unIslamic"
Muslim cleric Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki 's speaking at this event? Like they did HERE - HERE -HERE - HERE - the examples are endless.
(Expect cricket-chirping silence)
Article in full:
BANNED CLERIC OF HATE INVITED TO RANT IN UK
BY David Pilditch
ANGER was growing last night after it was revealed that an Islamic extremist linked to Al Qaeda and the September 11 hijackers is to address a UK conference by video.
Muslim cleric Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki has been banned from the United States after he was accused of using taped lectures to encourage terrorist attacks
But the preacher of hate has been given the go-ahead to speak to an audience of hundreds at the three-day event in east London which is being held at a taxpayer-funded venue starting today.
Tower Hamlets council granted permission for the pre-recorded video message to be broadcast despite admitting it “obviously had some concerns”.
Last night the council released a statement saying the decision had been made after consultations with police and Home Office officials. But politicians accused Home Secretary Jacqui Smith of failing to take action to crack down on extremists.
American-born al-Awlaki has been banned from returning to the US following accusations he acted as a spiritual adviser to three of the 9/11 terrorists.
He now lives in the Yemen where he served 16 months in jail, during which he claims he was interrogated by the FBI.
The US Department of Homeland Security describes al-Awlaki as an “Al Qaeda supporter” who uses the internet to encourage terror attacks and urge Muslims worldwide to take up jihad.
Last night Shadow Security Minister Pauline Neville-Jones called for the meeting to be banned.
She called al-Awlaki “one of the most prominent English-language supporters of violent jihad”.
But Tower Hamlets said it had found “no grounds” to prohibit the event, at the Brady arts centre in Whitechapel. A spokesman said: “We sought advice from the Home Office.
“These enquiries did not present us with grounds to prohibit playing of the message.”
Those attending are required to register online and pay a fee up to £70 which goes towards “promoting Islam”.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Islam row bishop 'has no regrets'
A leading Church of England bishop who is to resign after 15 years in the post said he has no regrets about controversial statements he has made.
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, said his decision to resign was a spiritual one.
The Church's first non-white diocesan bishop is set to retire in September.
Last year, he received death threats after saying some areas of the UK had become no-go areas for non-Muslims because of Islamic extremism.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Nazir-Ali said he had no regrets about anything he has said in the past.
The bishop, who turns 60 in August, said he still stood by his claims made earlier in his career that "extreme forces" presented a grave threat to Britain's way of life and culture.
Dr Nazir-Ali said the reason he decided to resign was because of a message from God which said it was time to do "something else".
The bishop added that his Easter message, which would focus on the recession and its effect on economically hard-hit Britain, would say there was "another way" for people to live that did not involve having lots of money.
No stranger to controversy, Dr Nazir-Ali has said that married couples had a duty to have children and those who remained childless were "self-indulgent".
Earlier this year he expressed his fears that the massive Thames Gateway development, which encompasses his cathedral, risked creating "alienated" communities.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali was born in Pakistan and has both a Christian and Muslim family background.
A former practising Catholic, he was the first non-white senior bishop in the Church of England when he was appointed the 106th Bishop of Rochester in 1994.
The Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali, said his decision to resign was a spiritual one.
The Church's first non-white diocesan bishop is set to retire in September.
Last year, he received death threats after saying some areas of the UK had become no-go areas for non-Muslims because of Islamic extremism.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Mr Nazir-Ali said he had no regrets about anything he has said in the past.
The bishop, who turns 60 in August, said he still stood by his claims made earlier in his career that "extreme forces" presented a grave threat to Britain's way of life and culture.
Dr Nazir-Ali said the reason he decided to resign was because of a message from God which said it was time to do "something else".
The bishop added that his Easter message, which would focus on the recession and its effect on economically hard-hit Britain, would say there was "another way" for people to live that did not involve having lots of money.
No stranger to controversy, Dr Nazir-Ali has said that married couples had a duty to have children and those who remained childless were "self-indulgent".
Earlier this year he expressed his fears that the massive Thames Gateway development, which encompasses his cathedral, risked creating "alienated" communities.
Dr Michael Nazir-Ali was born in Pakistan and has both a Christian and Muslim family background.
A former practising Catholic, he was the first non-white senior bishop in the Church of England when he was appointed the 106th Bishop of Rochester in 1994.
Ten men arrested in terror raids
Twelve men have been arrested in the north west of England after Britain's most senior counter-terrorism police officer sparked a security alert.
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick said he "deeply regretted" revealing a secret document to photographers when he arrived for a briefing at No 10.
The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an ongoing counter-terrorism operation.
The 12 suspects were later arrested at locations across north-west England.
It is understood raids took place at 10 addresses sooner than planned due to the documents being revealed.
Opposition MPs criticised Mr Quick, with the Liberal Democrats describing him as "accident prone" and the Conservatives condemning his "very alarming" lapse of judgement.
But former Labour Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said it would be wrong for such an experienced officer to resign "for holding a piece of paper the wrong way".
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made no comment about the officer's mistake. Instead, she praised police for their professionalism.
"The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the security service," she said, adding that she and the Prime Minister had been kept informed of developments.
“ Police were shouting at [a suspect] and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head ” Student Daniel Taylor
Some hours after the Downing Street incident, armed officers from the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit arrested a man outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University.
Students said they heard police shouting at two suspects as they were advised over the library loudspeaker to stay away from the windows for their own safety.
Journalism student Daniel Taylor said: "I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head."
Police wearing blue plastic gloves were searching the man, along with a second man nearby, and both appeared to be "ordinary students", Mr Taylor said.
Ten of those arrested are Pakistan-born nationals on student visas and one is a UK-born British national.
Their precise ages are not known but range between a youth in his mid-to-late teens and a 41-year-old man.
Greater Manchester Police said several hundred officers were involved in the operation, including armed officers during some of the arrests.
Five addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, are being searched.
Three premises are being searched in Merseyside, plus a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Two men are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid.
In Cheetham Hill, witnesses described two men being taken from the cafe after police arrived.
Mesu Raza, who lives in the flat above, said: "I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed."
The counter-terrorism officers were assisted by officers from the Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire police forces.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of the North West CTU said: "Today's action is part of a continuing investigation and we have acted on intelligence received.
"This phase is still in its very early stages, so the information we can release about it is limited."
Earlier on Wednesday press photographers in Downing Street pictured Mr Quick clutching a white document marked "secret" and containing the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat.
Details of the information revealed cannot be reported.
Mr Quick was attending the meeting in his role as lead for counter terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).
On Wednesday evening he apologised to Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Assistant Commissioner Quick accepts he made a mistake on leaving a sensitive document on open view and deeply regrets it."
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said Mr Quick's judgement had been called into question.
"This was highly sensitive information that should not have been carried under an arm in front of a line of photographers," he added.
Secrets revealed
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick seems to be increasingly accident prone which is potentially dangerous given the serious responsibilities of his role."
Ken Livingstone said: "The idea that we should offer up the person who's at the head of our counter terrorism, with years of experience - a dedicated public servant, for one mistake of holding a piece of paper the wrong way - well, al-Qaeda will be delighted."
Mr Quick, once seen as a "safe pair of hands" by Scotland Yard colleagues,
Police chief quits over blunder
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick said he "deeply regretted" revealing a secret document to photographers when he arrived for a briefing at No 10.
The document, clearly marked "secret", carried an outline briefing on an ongoing counter-terrorism operation.
The 12 suspects were later arrested at locations across north-west England.
It is understood raids took place at 10 addresses sooner than planned due to the documents being revealed.
Opposition MPs criticised Mr Quick, with the Liberal Democrats describing him as "accident prone" and the Conservatives condemning his "very alarming" lapse of judgement.
But former Labour Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said it would be wrong for such an experienced officer to resign "for holding a piece of paper the wrong way".
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith made no comment about the officer's mistake. Instead, she praised police for their professionalism.
"The decision to take such action was an operational matter for the police and the security service," she said, adding that she and the Prime Minister had been kept informed of developments.
“ Police were shouting at [a suspect] and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head ” Student Daniel Taylor
Some hours after the Downing Street incident, armed officers from the North West Counter-Terrorism Unit arrested a man outside the main library at Liverpool John Moores University.
Students said they heard police shouting at two suspects as they were advised over the library loudspeaker to stay away from the windows for their own safety.
Journalism student Daniel Taylor said: "I saw a man on the floor. Police were shouting at him and one of the officers had what looked like a machine gun pointed right into his head."
Police wearing blue plastic gloves were searching the man, along with a second man nearby, and both appeared to be "ordinary students", Mr Taylor said.
Ten of those arrested are Pakistan-born nationals on student visas and one is a UK-born British national.
Their precise ages are not known but range between a youth in his mid-to-late teens and a 41-year-old man.
Greater Manchester Police said several hundred officers were involved in the operation, including armed officers during some of the arrests.
Five addresses in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, including an internet cafe, are being searched.
Three premises are being searched in Merseyside, plus a guest house in Clitheroe, Lancashire.
Two men are understood to have been arrested at a Homebase DIY store in Clitheroe, where dozens of police officers carried out a raid.
In Cheetham Hill, witnesses described two men being taken from the cafe after police arrived.
Mesu Raza, who lives in the flat above, said: "I saw police arrest two people and put them in a police van. They had handcuffs on, they were Asian men, and the police were armed."
The counter-terrorism officers were assisted by officers from the Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire police forces.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, head of the North West CTU said: "Today's action is part of a continuing investigation and we have acted on intelligence received.
"This phase is still in its very early stages, so the information we can release about it is limited."
Earlier on Wednesday press photographers in Downing Street pictured Mr Quick clutching a white document marked "secret" and containing the names of several senior officers, locations and details about the nature of the overseas threat.
Details of the information revealed cannot be reported.
Mr Quick was attending the meeting in his role as lead for counter terrorism and for the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo).
On Wednesday evening he apologised to Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson for the error.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Assistant Commissioner Quick accepts he made a mistake on leaving a sensitive document on open view and deeply regrets it."
Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said Mr Quick's judgement had been called into question.
"This was highly sensitive information that should not have been carried under an arm in front of a line of photographers," he added.
Secrets revealed
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick seems to be increasingly accident prone which is potentially dangerous given the serious responsibilities of his role."
Ken Livingstone said: "The idea that we should offer up the person who's at the head of our counter terrorism, with years of experience - a dedicated public servant, for one mistake of holding a piece of paper the wrong way - well, al-Qaeda will be delighted."
Mr Quick, once seen as a "safe pair of hands" by Scotland Yard colleagues,
Police chief quits over blunder
Hamza sons stole £1million worth of luxury cars to fund party lifestyle
Three sons of the firebrand Islamic preacher Abu Hamza could face jail after yesterday admitting taking part in a £1million stolen car fraud.
Hamza Kamel, 22, Mohamed Mostafa, 27, and their 28-year-old step brother Mohssin Ghailam used the cash to fund a 'party lifestyle'.
One of the co-accused also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
The trio and three friends selected expensive cars, including models by BMW and Mercedes, belonging to owners who they knew spent long periods away from home.
Once the gang, all from West London, established the owners were away they would write to the DVLA, posing as the car owner.
They would claim to have moved and request a new log book be sent to an address.
The DVLA would then write to the registered address saying that unless it received a reply within 21 days a new log book would be posted to the bogus address.
After receiving the new documents the gang used them to change the owner to an alias.
They then used the log book to obtain replacement keys from dealerships to get around the cars' security systems. 
Some of the vehicles were sold on to unsuspecting buyers, sold abroad or used as collateral against loans taken out under false names.
The gang would default on the loan, keep the cash and the car would disappear, leaving the loan company out of pocket.
A source said: 'The total value of the scam, including the value of the cars and the loans, was about £1million.'
These guys were just using the money for themselves. Anti-terrorist police investigated the finances and there is no evidence at all this money was spent on terrorism. They just used the cash to party.'
Abu Hamza, 50, was jailed for six years in 2004 for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. He faces extradition to the U.S. for allegedly setting up an Al Qaeda training camp.
Last year another of his seven sons, Yasser Mostafa Kamel, 18, narrowly escaped a prison term after admitting burglary. He has a previous caution for handling stolen goods.
Last month he was arrested over allegations of violent disorder outside the Israeli embassy in London during protests over the conflict in Gaza.
Judge Peter Testar at Southwark Crown Court warned the gang yesterday they could face jail.
'I am ordering these pre-sentence reports with no prejudice - that means no promises,' he said.
Hamza Kamel pleaded guilty to five counts of handling stolen goods during the scam which ran from January 1, 2007 until November 5, 2008. He also admitted laundering £14,975 in cash.
Mostafa pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud - he took out a £12,000 loan against a stolen BMW and also used a fake name in an attempt to obtain keys for another BMW.
Their half-brother Ghailam admitted one charge of conspiracy to defraud and to one count of fraud for taking out an £11,000 loan under a false name using a stolen BMW.
The three others in the gang - Abdul Chiadmi, 22, Hamza Mrimou, 27, and Khalid Jebari, 22, all Londoners, admitted playing a part in the scam.
Jebari also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
The case comes seven months after the 27-year- old daughter of hate preacher Omar Bakri was revealed to be a pole dancer after rebelling against her fanatical father.
Hamza Kamel, 22, Mohamed Mostafa, 27, and their 28-year-old step brother Mohssin Ghailam used the cash to fund a 'party lifestyle'.
One of the co-accused also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
The trio and three friends selected expensive cars, including models by BMW and Mercedes, belonging to owners who they knew spent long periods away from home.
Once the gang, all from West London, established the owners were away they would write to the DVLA, posing as the car owner.
They would claim to have moved and request a new log book be sent to an address.
The DVLA would then write to the registered address saying that unless it received a reply within 21 days a new log book would be posted to the bogus address.
After receiving the new documents the gang used them to change the owner to an alias.
They then used the log book to obtain replacement keys from dealerships to get around the cars' security systems.
Some of the vehicles were sold on to unsuspecting buyers, sold abroad or used as collateral against loans taken out under false names.The gang would default on the loan, keep the cash and the car would disappear, leaving the loan company out of pocket.
A source said: 'The total value of the scam, including the value of the cars and the loans, was about £1million.'
These guys were just using the money for themselves. Anti-terrorist police investigated the finances and there is no evidence at all this money was spent on terrorism. They just used the cash to party.'
Abu Hamza, 50, was jailed for six years in 2004 for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred. He faces extradition to the U.S. for allegedly setting up an Al Qaeda training camp.
Last year another of his seven sons, Yasser Mostafa Kamel, 18, narrowly escaped a prison term after admitting burglary. He has a previous caution for handling stolen goods.
Last month he was arrested over allegations of violent disorder outside the Israeli embassy in London during protests over the conflict in Gaza.
Judge Peter Testar at Southwark Crown Court warned the gang yesterday they could face jail.
'I am ordering these pre-sentence reports with no prejudice - that means no promises,' he said.
Hamza Kamel pleaded guilty to five counts of handling stolen goods during the scam which ran from January 1, 2007 until November 5, 2008. He also admitted laundering £14,975 in cash.
Mostafa pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud - he took out a £12,000 loan against a stolen BMW and also used a fake name in an attempt to obtain keys for another BMW.
Their half-brother Ghailam admitted one charge of conspiracy to defraud and to one count of fraud for taking out an £11,000 loan under a false name using a stolen BMW.
The three others in the gang - Abdul Chiadmi, 22, Hamza Mrimou, 27, and Khalid Jebari, 22, all Londoners, admitted playing a part in the scam.
Jebari also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply.
The case comes seven months after the 27-year- old daughter of hate preacher Omar Bakri was revealed to be a pole dancer after rebelling against her fanatical father.
Monday, April 06, 2009
British Taxpayers Fund Cartoon Slander of Christians...
A Government-funded charity was at the centre of a row last night after a magazine it publishes for children appeared to depict Christians as Islamaphobes who regard Muslims as terrorists.
In a cartoon strip, a boy wearing a large cross around his neck is shown telling a friend that a smiling Muslim girl in a veil looks like a terrorist.
He later confronts her and shouts: ‘Hey, whatever your name is, what are you hiding under your turban?’
'Wrong message': The cartoon thug is wearing a cross
She replies that the garment is called a hijab and it is part of her religion, ‘like that cross you wear’.
The girl is then shown standing up for another boy, who is being bullied, and her behaviour is contrasted with that of the boy wearing the cross.
The cartoon story, entitled Standing Up For What You Believe In, appears in the latest issue of Klic!, a quarterly magazine aimed at children in care aged from eight to 12.
Published by the Who Cares? Trust, a charity set up in 1992, it is described on the cover as ‘the best ever mag for kids in care’ and is widely distributed by town halls.
The charity received £100,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, headed by Ed Balls, in both 2007 and 2008, and £80,000 this year.
Although the cartoon does not specifically refer to the boy’s religion, it has angered Christian groups and MPs who fear it sends out the wrong message.
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: ‘What about Christian children in care who received this magazine? How will they feel to see themselves mocked as narrow-minded Islamaphobes?
‘It is a clumsy caricature, symptomatic of a culture which says it is OK to bully Christians in the name of diversity.’
Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, said: ‘I think it is very unfortunate that the lad who is pointing the finger is wearing a cross.
'You can hardly imagine anyone producing a magazine in which the roles were reversed and it was the Muslim girl who was behaving badly.’
Gary Streeter, the Tory MP for South West Devon, said the religious parody was ‘unacceptable’, adding: ‘If it is being done with public money, it should be investigated and the magazine withdrawn.’
But Who Cares? Trust chief executive Natasha Finlayson said she had no intention of withdrawing it, describing the cross as ‘bling’ rather than a religious symbol.
She said the charity had received a complaint but did not agree the cartoon was derogatory towards Christians
‘I am a Christian myself, so when a woman called us, I went back and looked at the comic strip from her point of view,’ Ms Finlayson said.
‘I am sorry that she is upset but I don’t share her view. When I saw the cartoon, I didn’t think of that character being a Christian because I saw the cross as ‘bling’, as jewellery.
‘To me it is a cartoon about bullying rather than discrimination or religion.’
In a cartoon strip, a boy wearing a large cross around his neck is shown telling a friend that a smiling Muslim girl in a veil looks like a terrorist.
He later confronts her and shouts: ‘Hey, whatever your name is, what are you hiding under your turban?’
'Wrong message': The cartoon thug is wearing a cross
She replies that the garment is called a hijab and it is part of her religion, ‘like that cross you wear’.
The girl is then shown standing up for another boy, who is being bullied, and her behaviour is contrasted with that of the boy wearing the cross.
The cartoon story, entitled Standing Up For What You Believe In, appears in the latest issue of Klic!, a quarterly magazine aimed at children in care aged from eight to 12.
Published by the Who Cares? Trust, a charity set up in 1992, it is described on the cover as ‘the best ever mag for kids in care’ and is widely distributed by town halls.
The charity received £100,000 from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, headed by Ed Balls, in both 2007 and 2008, and £80,000 this year.
Although the cartoon does not specifically refer to the boy’s religion, it has angered Christian groups and MPs who fear it sends out the wrong message.
Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, said: ‘What about Christian children in care who received this magazine? How will they feel to see themselves mocked as narrow-minded Islamaphobes?
‘It is a clumsy caricature, symptomatic of a culture which says it is OK to bully Christians in the name of diversity.’
Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, said: ‘I think it is very unfortunate that the lad who is pointing the finger is wearing a cross.
'You can hardly imagine anyone producing a magazine in which the roles were reversed and it was the Muslim girl who was behaving badly.’
Gary Streeter, the Tory MP for South West Devon, said the religious parody was ‘unacceptable’, adding: ‘If it is being done with public money, it should be investigated and the magazine withdrawn.’
But Who Cares? Trust chief executive Natasha Finlayson said she had no intention of withdrawing it, describing the cross as ‘bling’ rather than a religious symbol.
She said the charity had received a complaint but did not agree the cartoon was derogatory towards Christians
‘I am a Christian myself, so when a woman called us, I went back and looked at the comic strip from her point of view,’ Ms Finlayson said.
‘I am sorry that she is upset but I don’t share her view. When I saw the cartoon, I didn’t think of that character being a Christian because I saw the cross as ‘bling’, as jewellery.
‘To me it is a cartoon about bullying rather than discrimination or religion.’
Fanatics let into UK during G20
HOME Secretary Jacqui Smith's department is under fire for allowing two leading terrorist sympathisers to enter Britain.Both spoke at the House of Commons last week at a pro-Palestinian meeting organised by a far-left Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn.
one is Hussein Al Hajj Hassan, a member of the political wing of Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.
The other is Dyab Abou Jahjah, a Belgian Muslim firebrand who has published disgusting anti-Semitic cartoons.
One showed Adolf Hitler and 15-year-old Holocaust victim Anne Frank both naked in bed with the caption: "Write that in your diary, Anne".
A Home Office source said last night Ms Smith had been alerted that Jahjah was on his way and was preparing to ban him. But by the time officials had completed the paperwork he had already arrived. The source said: "If Jahjah puts a foot wrong he will be arrested."
The failure to keep both men out during the G20 summit comes in the same week she was given a final warning by Gordon Brown in the row over hiring adult films on expenses.
It also comes less than two months after she publicly banned anti-Muslim Dutch MP Geert Wilders from entering the UK.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "There seems to be absolutely no consistency in the decisions that the Home Secretary is taking."
Mr Corbyn, who invited Gerry Adams to the Commons at the height of the IRA's campaign of murder, said he did not regret inviting Jahjah to Parliament. It was a meeting to "promote dialogue."
(Scotland) Muslim Men in Burkas Rob Jewelry Shop...
Two Asian men wearing traditional female Muslim dress and carrying handbags have robbed a jewellery shop in a possible copycat of an international spate of thefts.
The pair wore black Muslim dress, including headwear which completely covered their faces, as well as sunglasses, when they carried out the attack.
The raid on the ATAA Jewellers in Glasgow's Great Western Road resembles thefts in Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and London, where a robber has dressed as a wealthy Muslim woman to take jewellery worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The disguise prompted one prominent Scots-Asian politician to say retailers would be "perfectly within their rights" to deny entry to anyone wearing a burkha or niqab.
Hanzala Malik, a Glasgow councillor for 14 years and in whose ward Saturday's raid took place, said he was concerned this was a copycat event and that while it would be unfortunate for a Muslim women in religious dress to be denied access, safety concerns should outweigh this.
The councillor admitted having some sympathy with former home secretary Jack Straw who caused controversy when he said he asked constituents to lift their veils before he spoke to them at surgeries.
He said: "If retailers are uncomfortable about customers coming into secured premises and dressed in burkhas, they are perfectly within their rights to deny entry. Banks don't allow people wearing helmets into their premises.
"It's not that much of an issue in Scotland because the burkha is not that common up here.
"But in this day and age if you want to wear that dress and expect to be served, I don't think you should feel hurt if you are not."
The robbers entered the jeweller's at around 4pm on Saturday, threatened staff and then made off with their loot along Woodlands Drive into West Princes Street towards the Park Road area. As they made their escape, clothing was thrown away.
It is understood to be the second raid on a jeweller's owned by the same family in little over a year. The other one was on a shop in Cathcart Road, on the south side of Glasgow, which has remained shut since.
Police said no firearm was discharged and no-one was injured but that two female members of staff were left badly shaken and were taken by ambulance to the Western Infirmary as a precaution.
The two suspects are described as Asian, around 5ft 10in to 6ft in height. They were both wearing sunglasses and carrying handbags
Detective Constable Andrea Mclellan said: "This was a very frightening experience for the women working in the shop at the time of the robbery and they are still very distressed and traumatised by the whole incident.
In February, the theft of a £15,000 diamond ring from the Lime Blue Diamond Store in Edinburgh was linked to a series of raids by an international thief who dresses as a wealthy Muslim woman and has been dubbed the "high magician".
The woman, wearing a headscarf, coat and goldframed glasses, either swaps gems for replicas or distracts staff.
She may also have been responsible for stealing a £115,000 six-carat diamond ring from Abrahams jewellers in Hatton Garden, London, after CCTV footage appeared to show it was the same woman who has struck at stores in Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt.
The pair wore black Muslim dress, including headwear which completely covered their faces, as well as sunglasses, when they carried out the attack.
The raid on the ATAA Jewellers in Glasgow's Great Western Road resembles thefts in Edinburgh, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt and London, where a robber has dressed as a wealthy Muslim woman to take jewellery worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The disguise prompted one prominent Scots-Asian politician to say retailers would be "perfectly within their rights" to deny entry to anyone wearing a burkha or niqab.
Hanzala Malik, a Glasgow councillor for 14 years and in whose ward Saturday's raid took place, said he was concerned this was a copycat event and that while it would be unfortunate for a Muslim women in religious dress to be denied access, safety concerns should outweigh this.
The councillor admitted having some sympathy with former home secretary Jack Straw who caused controversy when he said he asked constituents to lift their veils before he spoke to them at surgeries.
He said: "If retailers are uncomfortable about customers coming into secured premises and dressed in burkhas, they are perfectly within their rights to deny entry. Banks don't allow people wearing helmets into their premises.
"It's not that much of an issue in Scotland because the burkha is not that common up here.
"But in this day and age if you want to wear that dress and expect to be served, I don't think you should feel hurt if you are not."
The robbers entered the jeweller's at around 4pm on Saturday, threatened staff and then made off with their loot along Woodlands Drive into West Princes Street towards the Park Road area. As they made their escape, clothing was thrown away.
It is understood to be the second raid on a jeweller's owned by the same family in little over a year. The other one was on a shop in Cathcart Road, on the south side of Glasgow, which has remained shut since.
Police said no firearm was discharged and no-one was injured but that two female members of staff were left badly shaken and were taken by ambulance to the Western Infirmary as a precaution.
The two suspects are described as Asian, around 5ft 10in to 6ft in height. They were both wearing sunglasses and carrying handbags
Detective Constable Andrea Mclellan said: "This was a very frightening experience for the women working in the shop at the time of the robbery and they are still very distressed and traumatised by the whole incident.
In February, the theft of a £15,000 diamond ring from the Lime Blue Diamond Store in Edinburgh was linked to a series of raids by an international thief who dresses as a wealthy Muslim woman and has been dubbed the "high magician".
The woman, wearing a headscarf, coat and goldframed glasses, either swaps gems for replicas or distracts staff.
She may also have been responsible for stealing a £115,000 six-carat diamond ring from Abrahams jewellers in Hatton Garden, London, after CCTV footage appeared to show it was the same woman who has struck at stores in Paris, Berlin and Frankfurt.
Mohammed cartoonist accuses BBC of 'appeasing Muslim fanatics by not showing interview'
The BBC has been accused of appeasement of radical Islam by the artist behind one of the infamous cartoons of Mohammed.
Kurt Westergaard claims the corporation's decision not to air a recent interview with him came because they are petrified of upsetting Muslims extremists.
Westergaard was one of the 12 cartoonists commissioned by the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper in 2005 to produce caricatures of the Muslim prophet.
Islamic tradition says no image of him should be produced or shown.
Kurt Westergaard said he was disappointed 'on behalf of freedom of speech' if the BBC did not show his interview
Muslims were particularly incensed by Westergaard's cartoon, which portrayed Mohammed with a bomb in his turban and was seen as extending the caricature of Muslims as terrorists. The images sparked protests and outrage across the globe.
Mr Westergaard, 73, gave his first-ever English interview to BBC journalist Malcolm Brabant four weeks ago.
It had been expected to go out on BBC World, the BBC News channel, across radio services and on its website. But the corporation has kept the report under wraps amid claims it is frightened that it will 'inflame' Muslims around the world.
Mr Westergaard told the Daily Mail last night: 'I am disappointed on behalf of the freedom of speech. Every time you are afraid I think you make a step backwards. That is depressing me.'
He compared the BBC's behaviour with the way countries tried to appease Hitler before the Second World War and added: 'If you have an appeasement policy towards the radical Muslims then you are on a very wrong way and you have to start marching backwards.'
A BBC spokesman said last night: 'No decision has been made yet. As and when one is, it will be based, as always, on editorial merit.'
Kurt Westergaard claims the corporation's decision not to air a recent interview with him came because they are petrified of upsetting Muslims extremists.
Westergaard was one of the 12 cartoonists commissioned by the Danish Jyllands-Posten newspaper in 2005 to produce caricatures of the Muslim prophet.
Islamic tradition says no image of him should be produced or shown.
Kurt Westergaard said he was disappointed 'on behalf of freedom of speech' if the BBC did not show his interview
Muslims were particularly incensed by Westergaard's cartoon, which portrayed Mohammed with a bomb in his turban and was seen as extending the caricature of Muslims as terrorists. The images sparked protests and outrage across the globe.
Mr Westergaard, 73, gave his first-ever English interview to BBC journalist Malcolm Brabant four weeks ago.
It had been expected to go out on BBC World, the BBC News channel, across radio services and on its website. But the corporation has kept the report under wraps amid claims it is frightened that it will 'inflame' Muslims around the world.
Mr Westergaard told the Daily Mail last night: 'I am disappointed on behalf of the freedom of speech. Every time you are afraid I think you make a step backwards. That is depressing me.'
He compared the BBC's behaviour with the way countries tried to appease Hitler before the Second World War and added: 'If you have an appeasement policy towards the radical Muslims then you are on a very wrong way and you have to start marching backwards.'
A BBC spokesman said last night: 'No decision has been made yet. As and when one is, it will be based, as always, on editorial merit.'
Sunday, April 05, 2009
CHOUDARY: I’LL BE A PRISON MARTYR
MUSLIM hate preacher Anjem Choudary warned he was prepared to go to jail for his extremist beliefs.
The radical Islamist says he wants Britain to become a Sharia state.And he warned he won’t rest until the “black flag of Islam flies over Downing Street”.Choudary was speaking after reports that he faced arrest for allegedly calling for gay people to be stoned to death.
The 41-year-old denies the claims and says he has “nothing to fear”.He also insisted he was ready to become a “martyr” for Islam and maintained jail held “no fear” for him.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star , the East London-based preacher said: “This is part of what you expect when you address society and you try to change it.
“This life is not the be all and end all, it is part of our existence.“So if it is part of my destiny to be in prison then so be it. I can worship God just as well in prison as I can out of it.“I don’t think prison is something you need to look down upon.
I don’t think being in prison means you are necessarily a bad person.“Even for the West, some of their heroes are people that have been in prison. People like Nelson Mandela spent time in prison for what they believe in.“I think this concept of being in prison because you struggle for what you believe in, an ideology you want to live by – surely that is a good thing.”
Why Sharia Law must be Opposed
The radical Islamist says he wants Britain to become a Sharia state.And he warned he won’t rest until the “black flag of Islam flies over Downing Street”.Choudary was speaking after reports that he faced arrest for allegedly calling for gay people to be stoned to death.
The 41-year-old denies the claims and says he has “nothing to fear”.He also insisted he was ready to become a “martyr” for Islam and maintained jail held “no fear” for him.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star , the East London-based preacher said: “This is part of what you expect when you address society and you try to change it.
“This life is not the be all and end all, it is part of our existence.“So if it is part of my destiny to be in prison then so be it. I can worship God just as well in prison as I can out of it.“I don’t think prison is something you need to look down upon.
I don’t think being in prison means you are necessarily a bad person.“Even for the West, some of their heroes are people that have been in prison. People like Nelson Mandela spent time in prison for what they believe in.“I think this concept of being in prison because you struggle for what you believe in, an ideology you want to live by – surely that is a good thing.”
Why Sharia Law must be Opposed
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Blackburn man admits flashing at three women in an hour
Imran Ahmed, 28, of Stirling Drive, Blackburn, struck in Blackburn town centre and the Audley Range area on Monday.
Blackburn magistrates heard that Ahmed had mental health issues which had resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service dropping some charges against him in December.
But the court was told Ahmed was fit to plead, knew what he had done was wrong and needed help. Ahmed, of Sterling Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent exposure.
He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Isla Chilton, prosecuting, said the first incident happened at 4pm on Monday in Audley Range.
A woman saw Ahmed waiting at a bus stop and when she came out of the Post Office he had his trousers around his ankles and was holding his T-shirt up, fully exposing himself.
Half an hour later he repeated his behaviour on Blackburn Boulevard and 15 minutes after that he struck in Audley Range.
When interviewed Ahmed confirmed he knew what he was doing and that it was wrong.
He said he did it because he was angry at life because his wife, family and friends had turned against him, the court heard.
Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client was clearly unwell.
“It is a terrible shame but he knows what he is doing is wrong,” said Mr Taylor. "He is fit to plead and clearly he needs help.”
Blackburn magistrates heard that Ahmed had mental health issues which had resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service dropping some charges against him in December.
But the court was told Ahmed was fit to plead, knew what he had done was wrong and needed help. Ahmed, of Sterling Drive, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent exposure.
He was remanded on bail for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Isla Chilton, prosecuting, said the first incident happened at 4pm on Monday in Audley Range.
A woman saw Ahmed waiting at a bus stop and when she came out of the Post Office he had his trousers around his ankles and was holding his T-shirt up, fully exposing himself.
Half an hour later he repeated his behaviour on Blackburn Boulevard and 15 minutes after that he struck in Audley Range.
When interviewed Ahmed confirmed he knew what he was doing and that it was wrong.
He said he did it because he was angry at life because his wife, family and friends had turned against him, the court heard.
Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client was clearly unwell.
“It is a terrible shame but he knows what he is doing is wrong,” said Mr Taylor. "He is fit to plead and clearly he needs help.”
Gang Abuses Blind Dog, Hurls Racial Slurs at Owner...
A DOG was viciously attacked by a gang of youths while walking through Milnshaw Park, Accrington, with its owner.
William Townsley, 66, was walking his 14-year-old partially-blind Cairn terrier Snoopy through the park at around 1pm on Monday.
As he was passing the children’s play area, William said a group of around 18 Asian youths racially abused him, shouting obscenities before kicking the defenceless dog in the face and ribs.
William, of Devonshire Street, Accrington, said: "I could hear them shouting racial obscenities but I ignored them at first and carried on walking towards the old tennis courts.
"As I turned around to shout Snoopy, a couple of the gang, who had broken off from the rest, kicked him in the ribs and then in the face before running back to their friends.
"I thought he was dead. The poor dog had been kicked into the air and was just lying on its side.
"As I walked off I could hear them shouting: ‘Carry on, we’ll do to you what we did to the dog’. I was in fear of my life."
William said he picked his pet up and cradled it in his arms before making his way to the nearby Asda store to call for help.
He added: "I was so shaken up I could hardly talk. The woman I spoke to at Asda said Snoopy was the fourth animal to be attacked up there."
William said he waited at the store for an hour for a police officer to arrive but then had to leave to get Snoopy to the vets. On his return home he contacted the police again and was assured someone would visit him soon. However, he was still awaiting a response.
Inspector Dave Mangan at Accrington Police Station confirmed the crime had been reported and apologised for the delay in dealing with it.
He said: "After the initial call was logged, another job came in with a high priority and the patrol had to be deployed there. Because we didn’t have a mobile number, we were unable to contact Mr Townsley
"We understand that to this man it was an important call, but unfortunately we don’t have limitless resources and we had to prioritise. We would like to be able to send someone to every crime as soon as it happens but it is not always possible."
Police are now investigating and said if any other animals have been attacked in the area the owners should contact them on 51212.
William Townsley, 66, was walking his 14-year-old partially-blind Cairn terrier Snoopy through the park at around 1pm on Monday.
As he was passing the children’s play area, William said a group of around 18 Asian youths racially abused him, shouting obscenities before kicking the defenceless dog in the face and ribs.
William, of Devonshire Street, Accrington, said: "I could hear them shouting racial obscenities but I ignored them at first and carried on walking towards the old tennis courts.
"As I turned around to shout Snoopy, a couple of the gang, who had broken off from the rest, kicked him in the ribs and then in the face before running back to their friends.
"I thought he was dead. The poor dog had been kicked into the air and was just lying on its side.
"As I walked off I could hear them shouting: ‘Carry on, we’ll do to you what we did to the dog’. I was in fear of my life."
William said he picked his pet up and cradled it in his arms before making his way to the nearby Asda store to call for help.
He added: "I was so shaken up I could hardly talk. The woman I spoke to at Asda said Snoopy was the fourth animal to be attacked up there."
William said he waited at the store for an hour for a police officer to arrive but then had to leave to get Snoopy to the vets. On his return home he contacted the police again and was assured someone would visit him soon. However, he was still awaiting a response.
Inspector Dave Mangan at Accrington Police Station confirmed the crime had been reported and apologised for the delay in dealing with it.
He said: "After the initial call was logged, another job came in with a high priority and the patrol had to be deployed there. Because we didn’t have a mobile number, we were unable to contact Mr Townsley
"We understand that to this man it was an important call, but unfortunately we don’t have limitless resources and we had to prioritise. We would like to be able to send someone to every crime as soon as it happens but it is not always possible."
Police are now investigating and said if any other animals have been attacked in the area the owners should contact them on 51212.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
'Holy War' Advocate Spared Jail Time by British Court...
AN OLDHAM mum sentenced on terrorism charges after urging Muslims to fight a holy war against the West has escaped a jail sentence.Shella Roma, of Chester Street, Werneth, was handed a three-year community order with a two year supervision requirement at Manchester Crown Court yesterday after admitting disseminating a terrorist publication.
The maximum sentence was seven years in prison. The court heard she suffers from a dissociative personality disorder that was blamed for her actions.
Roma is the first person in the UK to be convicted of the offence in what was the first terrorism case in Oldham.
The 29-year-old wrote a terror leaflet urging Muslims to go abroad to fight a Jihad (holy war) against America and Britain.
She paid £50 to have 200 copies printed at an Ashton photocopiers and gave them to her husband Amjad Mahmood (30) to hand out to people leaving a mosque in Cambridge Street, Oldham. Jonathon Sharp, prosecuting, said the document suggested conspiracy theories over 9/11.
It stated that if calling for Muslims to engage in violence against America and its supporters made her a terrorist, fanatic and extremist then she “bears witness” that she is these things. Mr Sharp said: “She affirms that the loyalty of British Muslims should be only to their religion and that she has no allegiance towards the country in which she was born and grew up.”
Thomas Bayliss QC, defending, said that Roma was intelligent and creative and it was unfortunate her illness at the time led it to be channelled in this direction.
Judge Clement Goldstone QC said: “He accepted she was not working with any wider terrorist organisations. He said because of her mental health she would not go to prison but warned if she so much as “whispered preachings” in the future intended to destabilise the minds of law abiding people, then nothing would save her from a prison sentence.
A charge against Mr Mahmood has been ordered to lie on file.
updated from these storys
Go play in the traffic, Shafiq
THE gags are as old as the hills. What do you call an Irish Crufts winner? Pat Madogg. The Scottish insulation expert? Phil McCavity. The Pakistani waiter? Mehat Mecoat.In fact, in the late Eighties there was an Indian restaurant in Longfield, Kent, called the Mehat Mecoat. I know, I’ve eaten there.
These are simple puns based around people’s names.
But what happens today?
Sir David Jason, one of the greats of the television business and with an untarnished reputation after four decades in the public eye, goes on Absolute Radio to win money for a charity.
He was asked to leave a question for the next guest. He said: “What do you call a Pakistani cloakroom attendant? Mehat Mecoat.” There was silence from the rather dim presenter Christian O’Connell, in which I presume he was trying to show distance from the joke. Why?
Bullies
It was an ancient and not very funny gag but presumably O’Connell, who seems to have gone downhill along with his audience since joining Absolute (formerly Virgin when it was a decent station) from Xfm, thought there was something “racist” about this. There wasn’t.
Anyway, by the time the Muslim lobby had joined in Jason was forced into the preposterous position of apologising. I wish that somebody, anybody, would take on these bullies and tell them to get stuffed, or get a sense of humour, or both.
Mohammed Shafiq of something called the Ramadhan Foundation — presumably if his whole
family were piled into the kitchen it would be called a Shafiq jam (no, I’m not apologising) — has the cheek to say the following: “As a well-loved actor, Jason needs to be careful about what he says. He should have known better.”Actually, he doesn’t need to be careful. He shouldn’t take any notice of this rent-a-gob and I wonder whether I could urge media organisations, especially those dim and skint to**pots in radio, not to call him again for his views.
They are not worth anything.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Dangerous al-Qaeda prisoners try to escape by hijacking helicopter
Al-Qaeda terrorists in a British jail were caught planning to escape in a hijacked helicopter.
Accomplices on the outside were to hire the helicopter for "business" then force the pilot to land in prison at gunpoint.
Nine Muslim inmates plotted to kidnap the jail imam during prayers with weapons hidden in the prison mosque.
According to the plan they would then move to a sports field using the imam as a shield and be picked up by the helicopter.
Wardens at Full Sutton prison in Yorkshire, acting on a tip-off, went to the plotters' cells hours before the escape attempt was due to start.
The nine, including convicted terrorists, will now be transferred to other jails.
A source told the Sun: "This would have been one of the most damaging escapes ever. The intelligence was very strong and from a good source. It had to be acted on immediately.
"It involved some of the most dangerous al-Qaeda terrorists in jail, all of whom are a massive threat. It had been planned for months and the use of a helicopter shows it was sophisticated."
The prison holds notorious terrorists like Omar Khyam who plotted to blow up Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.
Security sources said the jail imam was innocent.
The source added: "The imam is a respected figure for his ability to embrace all faiths.And there it is: at first, it seemed weird that these Muslims would use an imam as their shield; now it's clear they used him as they had concluded he was a munafiq (hypocrite), or worse, an apostate, deserving of death.
"But that makes him a target for the extremists in this jail who want to convert Muslims to their warped views."
A spokesman for the Justice Department confirmed a possible plot had been uncovered He said the Prison Service was investigating.
Once a hijacker -- of planes, not religions -- apparently always a hijacker. "Al-Qaeda terrorist prisoners plotted to escape in hijacked helicopter,"
What every non-Muslim needs to know about Islam!
Accomplices on the outside were to hire the helicopter for "business" then force the pilot to land in prison at gunpoint.
Nine Muslim inmates plotted to kidnap the jail imam during prayers with weapons hidden in the prison mosque.
According to the plan they would then move to a sports field using the imam as a shield and be picked up by the helicopter.
Wardens at Full Sutton prison in Yorkshire, acting on a tip-off, went to the plotters' cells hours before the escape attempt was due to start.
The nine, including convicted terrorists, will now be transferred to other jails.
A source told the Sun: "This would have been one of the most damaging escapes ever. The intelligence was very strong and from a good source. It had to be acted on immediately.
"It involved some of the most dangerous al-Qaeda terrorists in jail, all of whom are a massive threat. It had been planned for months and the use of a helicopter shows it was sophisticated."
The prison holds notorious terrorists like Omar Khyam who plotted to blow up Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.
Security sources said the jail imam was innocent.
The source added: "The imam is a respected figure for his ability to embrace all faiths.And there it is: at first, it seemed weird that these Muslims would use an imam as their shield; now it's clear they used him as they had concluded he was a munafiq (hypocrite), or worse, an apostate, deserving of death.
"But that makes him a target for the extremists in this jail who want to convert Muslims to their warped views."
A spokesman for the Justice Department confirmed a possible plot had been uncovered He said the Prison Service was investigating.
Once a hijacker -- of planes, not religions -- apparently always a hijacker. "Al-Qaeda terrorist prisoners plotted to escape in hijacked helicopter,"
What every non-Muslim needs to know about Islam!
9/11 plotter is dumped in the UK
SURVIVING 9/11 plotter has been secretly dumped in Britain — by Italy.
Evil Cabdullah Ciise — a Somali with NO links to the UK — has cost taxpayers THOUSANDS since he was booted over here five months ago.
Soft-touch Britain took him in the instant Italy freed him from six years in jail there for terrorism — simply because he claimed asylum here.
Rome was last night believed to be cock-a- hoop at getting shot of the fanatic — a pal of 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta, who flew the first hijacked jetliner into the Twin Towers.
Dumbfounded Tory MP Patrick Mercer blasted: “What possessed the Home Office to accept this man?”
Farcically Ciise — linked to other al-Qaeda atrocities — is believed to have been nicked the moment he set foot on British soil. His asylum claim was then rejected — but he has battled since November against deportation to Somalia.
He is currently at Berkshire’s Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre.
A source said: “He was transferred from Belmarsh jail in total secrecy. It’s costing thousands a week to detain him.”
Last night after The Sun approached the Home Office, there were suddenly plans to boot him out within hours.
An official said: “We’re absolutely clear anyone posing a threat to public safety should leave or we’ll remove them.”
Evil Cabdullah Ciise — a Somali with NO links to the UK — has cost taxpayers THOUSANDS since he was booted over here five months ago.
Soft-touch Britain took him in the instant Italy freed him from six years in jail there for terrorism — simply because he claimed asylum here.
Rome was last night believed to be cock-a- hoop at getting shot of the fanatic — a pal of 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta, who flew the first hijacked jetliner into the Twin Towers.
Dumbfounded Tory MP Patrick Mercer blasted: “What possessed the Home Office to accept this man?”
Farcically Ciise — linked to other al-Qaeda atrocities — is believed to have been nicked the moment he set foot on British soil. His asylum claim was then rejected — but he has battled since November against deportation to Somalia.
He is currently at Berkshire’s Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre.
A source said: “He was transferred from Belmarsh jail in total secrecy. It’s costing thousands a week to detain him.”
Last night after The Sun approached the Home Office, there were suddenly plans to boot him out within hours.
An official said: “We’re absolutely clear anyone posing a threat to public safety should leave or we’ll remove them.”
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