A political row has broken out over claims public money was given to two schools which, the Tories say, have links to Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.
Tory leader David Cameron suggested money from an "anti-extremist fund" had been given to "extremists".
But Schools Secretary Ed Balls accused the Conservatives of "playing politics" and making "untrue" allegations.
Hizb ut-Tahrir said it did not run any school and accused Mr Cameron of "bare-faced lies".
The row began at prime minister's questions on Wednesday when Mr Cameron accused the government of allowing the funding of extremism.
'Anti-extremist fund'
He said two schools had been established by "an extremist Islamist foundation" which he said was a "front" for Hizb ut-Tahrir - a legal organisation that former PM Tony Blair had said he would ban.
Mr Cameron asked Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "How can you have an anti-extremist fund that results in a Labour local authority handing out money to extremists?"
"They have secured a total of £113,000 of government money, some of which was from the Pathfinder scheme, whose objective is meant to be preventing violent extremism."
“ There is no evidence at all of extremist activity, they are inspected, they are properly registered, as far as we are aware they are using public money properly ” Ed Balls Schools secretary
Mr Brown said he would look "very carefully" at the allegations. But later Mr Balls said the Tories were wrong in their claims that the schools had not be inspected by Ofsted and were not registered.
He also said Mr Cameron was wrong to suggest they had been given money from the Pathfinder scheme.
He told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that both Slough and Haringey local authorities, where the schools are based, had told him "categorically" that "the only funding they've received is for the care of three and four year old nursery care".
He said both were inspected at his request in 2007 when concerns were first raised and were "registered on a publicly available website".
'Genuinely worrying'
He added: "There is no evidence at all of extremist activity, they are inspected, they are properly registered, as far as we are aware they are using public money properly."
He said: "I think David Cameron and [shadow schools secretary] Michael Gove have made a massive misjudgement today... to play politics when you don't know the facts is a very very dangerous thing to do and I think that's what they've done today."
But Mr Gove told the BBC: "We know that they have received public funding and we know that the charity concerned has links with Hizb ut-Tahrir."
He added: "It seems to be genuinely worrying."
Haringey Council said it launched an investigation into claims about the school in its area on 26 October and funding had been suspended pending the outcome.
“ Our school is being used as part of a wider political agenda and this type of vilification of the Muslim community needs to stop ” Farah Ahmed Head teacher
But a spokesman said "no evidence was found to suggest inappropriate content or influence in the school" and it had told them "that it no longer has any links with any of the individuals who are alleged to have connections with Hizb ut-Tahrir".
"We are waiting for evidence from the school that the reported connections have been completely severed," he said.
Meanwhile the head teacher of the school in Slough, Farah Ahmed, said: "Our school is being used as part of a wider political agenda and this type of vilification of the Muslim community needs to stop."
She added: "We would expect politicians to check the accuracy of the information they receive before using it. No-one from the Conservative Party has contacted the school to verify information."
In 2005 Tony Blair suggested he would ban the Islamist organisation, but later dropped the idea.
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni political party whose goal is to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state or caliphate, ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph head of state elected by Muslims.Its anti-Semitism has resulted in the group being banned in Germany and on some British university campuses....
The group denies links to terrorism and says it opposes violence, but does campaign for an Islamic state across the Middle East.
In a statement it accused Mr Cameron of "baseless allegations" and said it never accepted funding from government.
Spokesman Taji Mustafa said it was a political party that did not run schools, adding: "David Cameron's bare faced lies that Hizb ut-Tahrir runs schools, receives government funding and promotes hatred and violence are another desperate attempt to boost Conservative poll ratings."
In the Commons the Conservative leader also asked Mr Brown why the group had not been banned. Mr Brown said that "proscription should be on the basis of evidence, that was clearly proven, about advocating violence".
Sharia supremacist group gets $165,000 in taxpayer funding
Embarrassed Tories admit error over 'Muslim extremist schools' funding
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Muslim who threatened to kill his wife and cut out her tongue gets community service, no jail
Giving out the wrong message. Absurd Britannia Alert: "Spared jail, the forced marriage case father who told wife: 'I'll cut out your tongue,'" by James Tozer in the Daily Mail,
Four Misunderstanders of Islam face "terror-related charges"
Four Britons have been charged with terror offences following raids last week.
Israr Malik, 21, of Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, is charged with intending to commit acts of terrorism.
Matthew Newton, 27, of Stalybridge, Munir Farooqi, 52, of Longsight, and Haris Farooqi, 26, of Levenshulme, are accused of intending to assist others to commit acts of terrorism.
Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit detained the men in what was described as a 'low key operation' following a 15-month investigation into a plot to commit 'violent jihad'.
Newton was reported to have previously run a clothing business with the son of the former Celebrity Big Brother winner Bez of the Happy Mondays band.
All four are due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today.
Munir Farooqi, who is the father of Haris Farooqi, was also charged with three counts of soliciting or encouraging another to murder on three separate dates.
Muslim cleric Shaykh Asif Hussain Farooqui, from Bolton, was yesterday released without charge and thanked those who had called for his freedom.
Up to 2,000 people signed online petitions which called for the release of the scholar who is a member of the Al Rahman Mosque in Daubhill.
Campaigners expressed their 'outrage' that the 'well-respected figure' in the Muslim community in Bolton had been detained. Some protested outside Greater Manchester Police's headquarters hours before he was released.
Shaykh Farooqui, who is not related to any of the charged men, was arrested at his home in Deane.
In a statement, he thanked his legal team, police custody staff - who he said respected his religion - and those who prayed and fasted for his 'speedy release'.
He added: 'I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those individuals who have signed petitions, organisations who have written letters and politicians who have shown unwavering support.
'Regarding the matter for which I have been arrested, I have from the very outset - from my arrest to the conclusion of my detention - maintained my innocence.
'I understand the need for the police to maintain law and order, and protect us all.
'However, I am a man of peace. All who know me, and know of me, know this to be true. I encourage people to follow the teachings of Islam and devote their lives to the remembrance of the Creator, to become good Muslims and law-abiding citizens of this country. This time in detention I believe has been a great lesson to us all.
'I am anxious to return to my family and congregation and would be grateful if my privacy could be respected.'
His solicitor, Nasir Hafezi, said: 'Shaykh Asif Hussain Farooqui is a man of immaculate good character and is held in the highest esteem within the Muslim community.
'While in detention the Shaykh continued persistently to maintain his complete innocence with regard to the unfounded allegations of terrorism against him.
He is obviously relieved to be released from police custody and while he was treated well by the custody staff it is clear to anyone who knows, loves and respects the Shaykh that he should never have been arrested in the first place.
'There is a message for our society as a whole that when the police so fundamentally fail to consider all of the available information, which is often easily accessible, then anyone, irrespective of their religion or standing in the community, can be arrested and detained for lengthy periods under the terror laws.
Israr Malik, 21, of Fallowfield, Greater Manchester, is charged with intending to commit acts of terrorism.
Matthew Newton, 27, of Stalybridge, Munir Farooqi, 52, of Longsight, and Haris Farooqi, 26, of Levenshulme, are accused of intending to assist others to commit acts of terrorism.
Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit detained the men in what was described as a 'low key operation' following a 15-month investigation into a plot to commit 'violent jihad'.
Newton was reported to have previously run a clothing business with the son of the former Celebrity Big Brother winner Bez of the Happy Mondays band.
All four are due to appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London today.
Munir Farooqi, who is the father of Haris Farooqi, was also charged with three counts of soliciting or encouraging another to murder on three separate dates.
Muslim cleric Shaykh Asif Hussain Farooqui, from Bolton, was yesterday released without charge and thanked those who had called for his freedom.
Up to 2,000 people signed online petitions which called for the release of the scholar who is a member of the Al Rahman Mosque in Daubhill.
Campaigners expressed their 'outrage' that the 'well-respected figure' in the Muslim community in Bolton had been detained. Some protested outside Greater Manchester Police's headquarters hours before he was released.
Shaykh Farooqui, who is not related to any of the charged men, was arrested at his home in Deane.
In a statement, he thanked his legal team, police custody staff - who he said respected his religion - and those who prayed and fasted for his 'speedy release'.
He added: 'I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those individuals who have signed petitions, organisations who have written letters and politicians who have shown unwavering support.
'Regarding the matter for which I have been arrested, I have from the very outset - from my arrest to the conclusion of my detention - maintained my innocence.
'I understand the need for the police to maintain law and order, and protect us all.
'However, I am a man of peace. All who know me, and know of me, know this to be true. I encourage people to follow the teachings of Islam and devote their lives to the remembrance of the Creator, to become good Muslims and law-abiding citizens of this country. This time in detention I believe has been a great lesson to us all.
'I am anxious to return to my family and congregation and would be grateful if my privacy could be respected.'
His solicitor, Nasir Hafezi, said: 'Shaykh Asif Hussain Farooqui is a man of immaculate good character and is held in the highest esteem within the Muslim community.
'While in detention the Shaykh continued persistently to maintain his complete innocence with regard to the unfounded allegations of terrorism against him.
He is obviously relieved to be released from police custody and while he was treated well by the custody staff it is clear to anyone who knows, loves and respects the Shaykh that he should never have been arrested in the first place.
'There is a message for our society as a whole that when the police so fundamentally fail to consider all of the available information, which is often easily accessible, then anyone, irrespective of their religion or standing in the community, can be arrested and detained for lengthy periods under the terror laws.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Bluewater bomb plot terrorist sues Government over torture claims
An Al Qaeda terrorist serving a life sentence for his part in planning a fertiliser bomb attack on mainland Britain is suing security services and the Government for up to £50,000 over claims he was tortured in Pakistan.Salahuddin Amin, 34, from Luton, Bedfordshire, has issued a High Court writ against MI5 chief Jonathan Evans, the incoming head of MI6 Sir John Sawers, the Home Office, the Foreign Office and Attorney General Baroness Scotland.
He is expected to receive thousands of pounds in legal aid, although his lawyers say they will work for nothing on a substantial part of his case.
After a 12-month trial, Amin was convicted in 2007, along with four other men, of planning to bomb the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, the Ministry of Sound nightclub in Central London, the gas or electricity network and Parliament during Prime Minister’s Questions.
The group, some of whom met two of the July 7 London suicide bombers, had bought 1,300lb of ammonium nitrate fertiliser from an agricultural merchant to prepare for their attacks. Amin was said to have provided the terrorists with a formula to make the bombs.
Now he claims that after fleeing to Pakistan in 2004 he surrendered to the Pakistani Secret Intelligence Service who he says repeatedly tortured him, forcing him to give false confessions before he was deported back to Britain.
He alleges MI5 and other sections of the UK Government turned a blind eye and, possibly, instigated his torture, which he claims included being whipped, suspended by his wrists from the ceiling and being threatened with a drill.
MI5 does not deny questioning Amin several times during his detention in Pakistan. Under the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, it is an offence for British officials to instigate or consent to the inflicting of ‘severe pain or suffering’ on anyone, anywhere in the world, or to agree to such treatment.
At his trial the judge, Sir Michael Astill, accepted Amin had been mistreated but said he believed
the claims had been exaggerated. Sir Michael added that the men, who are all British citizens, had ‘betrayed their country’.
At his trial the judge, Sir Michael Astill, accepted Amin had been mistreated but said he believed
the claims had been exaggerated. Sir Michael added that the men, who are all British citizens, had ‘betrayed their country’.
Amin was born in London, moving to Pakistan aged four. He gained a degree in product design engineering but became radicalised and spent time at the controversial Finsbury Park Mosque in North London, where he met hook-handed terrorist Abu Hamza.
The case – one of 15 in which British agents have been accused of complicity in torture – has been assigned to High Court procedural judge Master Leslie.
He will hear initial details of the action before deciding how and when it should proceed.
Amin has paid a High Court fee of £760 to issue his writ. This is split between a £360 fee for a cash claim of between £15,000 and £50,000 and £400 for a non-financial claim, usually an injunction.
Tayab Ali, one of Amin’s legal team, said last night: ‘This case is not about money. What we are looking for is to hold the people who are guilty of being complicit in this torture to be accountable for their actions.’
A Home Office spokesman said: ‘There is not a shred of evidence to support these allegations. We utterly refute them and we will robustly defend ourselves in court.
Terror suspects under surveillance get £650,000 in taxpayer handouts to pay for living expenses
Terror suspects placed under police surveillance have received more than £650,000 in living expenses including household bills and telephone costs, it emerged last night.
Twenty four suspects under control orders - given to those who are thought to be a grave danger to national security but cannot be prosecuted by the courts - have on average received £25,000, according to official figures.
Control orders can take a number of forms from curfews of 12 hours or more to near house arrest as well as the use of electronic tags and a ban on internet access.
Being watched: 24 suspects under police surveillance have on average received £120-a-week expenses to cover household bills and other costs since 2007
If suspects can claim that the terms of their order prevent them from getting a job, they are then entitled to receive handouts to cover their living costs, including rent, council tax, utility bills and telephone costs.
Home Office figures, obtained by the Conservatives, showed taxpayers have spent £656,500 on the living costs of terror suspects subject to control orders since 2005.
Conservatives say the sums spent were the equivalent of £120 per week for each of the 24 held under the controversial system.
The terror suspects qualify for free phone rental and calls, and have their gas, electric bills paid. They are also entitled to housing support and payments if they are refugees claiming asylum.
Separate figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the total cost to the Home Office of the control orders regime since April 2006 is £9.4million.
The figures were uncovered by the Conservatives who argue they bolster the argument for scrapping control orders and putting suspects on trial.
Shadow Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones said: 'Control orders deny due process to the defendant, do not provide a reliable remedy to the security problem posed by terrorist suspects, and on top of all that cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
'A Conservative government would review the morally objectionable and costly control order regime with a view, consistent with the security situation, to replacing it by the trial of suspects through the normal court system.’
The figures were obtained through a freedom of information request.
In September Home Secretary Alan Johnson ordered a wholesale review of the control orders regime following a House of Lords ruling that anyone placed under an order without knowing the basis for it was being denied a fair hearing.
Two have so far been revoked as a result.
A Home Office spokesman defended control orders.
He said: 'The UK faces a real and serious threat from terrorism.
'We need to protect individual liberty whilst maintaining our nation's security. We must protect the most important of civil liberties - the right to life - whilst also protecting our other fundamental values.
'This is a challenge for any government but the UK Government has sought to find that balance at all times.
‘The protection of human rights is a key principle underpinning our counter-terrorism work at home and overseas.
'Terrorists are criminals who seek to undermine these rights and values.
'When dealing with suspected terrorists, prosecution is, and will continue to be, our preferred approach.
‘Where we cannot prosecute, and the individual concerned is a foreign national, we look to detain and then deport them.
'For those we cannot either prosecute or deport, control orders are the best available disruptive tool for managing the risk they pose.'
Some suspected terrorists are believed to have spent nearly four years on a control order.
The orders are given if evidence against suspects has, for example, been obtained using intercept techniques not admissible in court.
They are also served on international extremists who can't be deported on human rights grounds.
Twenty four suspects under control orders - given to those who are thought to be a grave danger to national security but cannot be prosecuted by the courts - have on average received £25,000, according to official figures.
Control orders can take a number of forms from curfews of 12 hours or more to near house arrest as well as the use of electronic tags and a ban on internet access.
Being watched: 24 suspects under police surveillance have on average received £120-a-week expenses to cover household bills and other costs since 2007
If suspects can claim that the terms of their order prevent them from getting a job, they are then entitled to receive handouts to cover their living costs, including rent, council tax, utility bills and telephone costs.
Home Office figures, obtained by the Conservatives, showed taxpayers have spent £656,500 on the living costs of terror suspects subject to control orders since 2005.
Conservatives say the sums spent were the equivalent of £120 per week for each of the 24 held under the controversial system.
The terror suspects qualify for free phone rental and calls, and have their gas, electric bills paid. They are also entitled to housing support and payments if they are refugees claiming asylum.
Separate figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the total cost to the Home Office of the control orders regime since April 2006 is £9.4million.
The figures were uncovered by the Conservatives who argue they bolster the argument for scrapping control orders and putting suspects on trial.
Shadow Security Minister Baroness Neville-Jones said: 'Control orders deny due process to the defendant, do not provide a reliable remedy to the security problem posed by terrorist suspects, and on top of all that cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
'A Conservative government would review the morally objectionable and costly control order regime with a view, consistent with the security situation, to replacing it by the trial of suspects through the normal court system.’
The figures were obtained through a freedom of information request.
In September Home Secretary Alan Johnson ordered a wholesale review of the control orders regime following a House of Lords ruling that anyone placed under an order without knowing the basis for it was being denied a fair hearing.
Two have so far been revoked as a result.
A Home Office spokesman defended control orders.
He said: 'The UK faces a real and serious threat from terrorism.
'We need to protect individual liberty whilst maintaining our nation's security. We must protect the most important of civil liberties - the right to life - whilst also protecting our other fundamental values.
'This is a challenge for any government but the UK Government has sought to find that balance at all times.
‘The protection of human rights is a key principle underpinning our counter-terrorism work at home and overseas.
'Terrorists are criminals who seek to undermine these rights and values.
'When dealing with suspected terrorists, prosecution is, and will continue to be, our preferred approach.
‘Where we cannot prosecute, and the individual concerned is a foreign national, we look to detain and then deport them.
'For those we cannot either prosecute or deport, control orders are the best available disruptive tool for managing the risk they pose.'
Some suspected terrorists are believed to have spent nearly four years on a control order.
The orders are given if evidence against suspects has, for example, been obtained using intercept techniques not admissible in court.
They are also served on international extremists who can't be deported on human rights grounds.
Qur'an Teacher, Preacher Arrested in UK Terror Bust...
A RELIGIOUS leader is among five men arrested on suspicion of terrorism. The Muslim preacher and three others were arrested in raids across Greater Manchester .
The man, who has not been named, teaches the Koran at a number of mosques across the region. The 62-year-old was arrested at his home on Willows Lane, Deane, Bolton.
"I'm surprised. He carries out spiritual sessions twice-a-week. He is very spiritual," said one source within the Muslim community.
Investigation It is understood this morning's raids were part of an investigation into terror training camps in Afghanistan which may have led to a terror plot overseas.
Police sources have stressed the threat was not 'imminent' nor aimed at the UK. The Counter Terrorism Unit of Greater Manchester Police swooped on the addresses from around 4am.
The raids were culmination of a year-long investigation into the recruitment here of would-be terrorists for training in Afghanistan.
The five men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism and also inciting an act of terrorism overseas. First, police swooped on three addresses in Manchester and one in Bolton at around 4am.
Another man, 27, was arrested in a later raid in Rydal Walk, Stalybridge. Police have said more arrests could follow.
Around 40 unarmed officers were involved in the raids and they are now searching the properties. The raids took place at a mobile phone shop and the flat above on Stockport Road, Levenshulme.
No-one was arrested at these properties. Police arrested a 52-year-old man at a house on Victoria Terrace, Longsight, and a 21-year-old man at a property on Bowdon Avenue, Fallowfield.
Later police arrested a 26-year-old man at a hotel near Heathrow Airport. Scene of crime officers were today continuing to search the Greater Manchester properties.
Police are looking for computers, laptops and computers. A neighbour on Bowdon Avenue, Fallowfield, said: "The family have been here for about 20 years. There are eight children.Hectic
"I got up at up at six o'clock this morning, looked out of my window and saw about 12 to 16 police officers coming out of the house. The scene was hectic. I shouted at my husband to come and look because something was going on. I thought it must have been serious because the amount of police that were there.
"This is a quiet street. It's probably one of the most quiet in Fallowfield so it's really shocking that something like this would happen here. "They are a quiet family. They keep themselves to themselves." A neighbour in Victoria Terrace, Longsight, said a man lived in the neat terraced house which was raided with his wife, two daughters and a son. He said: "They have lived there for about five years and seemed okay to me.
They were always quiet and nice so this has come as a big surprise. I am absolutely gob smacked." Solicitor Shabnam Yunis, 26, from Mustafa Solicitors, works a few doors away from Efones, on Stockport Road, Longsight, which was raided along with the flat above, said: "The two lads who own the shop are really decent friendly lads. I am really shocked.
You just don't expect anything like this going on. It is normally a quiet and respectable area."Concern Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: "Protecting people both at home and abroad is our primary concern which is why we take such steps.
"This is a complex and ongoing investigation, which has now reached the point where it was necessary to make arrests and speak to a number of people. "There was no direct threat against Greater Manchester and the arrests are the latest stage of a thorough investigation. We have been liaising with local people to provide reassurance about what has happened and will continue to keep a high profile presence in affected areas.
"Officers will also be distributing letters around the areas concerned and speaking to residents to let people know what has happened and to ask them to continue to work with us in the coming days. "The community will be concerned that these arrests caused disruption and distress to people living there.
There is no suggestion that those other people were involved in any offences and our priority is to look after these people."
So much "misunderstanding" of Islam's purportedly peaceful and tolerant message: Funny how that keeps happening.
The man, who has not been named, teaches the Koran at a number of mosques across the region. The 62-year-old was arrested at his home on Willows Lane, Deane, Bolton.
"I'm surprised. He carries out spiritual sessions twice-a-week. He is very spiritual," said one source within the Muslim community.
Investigation It is understood this morning's raids were part of an investigation into terror training camps in Afghanistan which may have led to a terror plot overseas.
Police sources have stressed the threat was not 'imminent' nor aimed at the UK. The Counter Terrorism Unit of Greater Manchester Police swooped on the addresses from around 4am.
The raids were culmination of a year-long investigation into the recruitment here of would-be terrorists for training in Afghanistan.
The five men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism and also inciting an act of terrorism overseas. First, police swooped on three addresses in Manchester and one in Bolton at around 4am.
Another man, 27, was arrested in a later raid in Rydal Walk, Stalybridge. Police have said more arrests could follow.
Around 40 unarmed officers were involved in the raids and they are now searching the properties. The raids took place at a mobile phone shop and the flat above on Stockport Road, Levenshulme.
No-one was arrested at these properties. Police arrested a 52-year-old man at a house on Victoria Terrace, Longsight, and a 21-year-old man at a property on Bowdon Avenue, Fallowfield.
Later police arrested a 26-year-old man at a hotel near Heathrow Airport. Scene of crime officers were today continuing to search the Greater Manchester properties.
Police are looking for computers, laptops and computers. A neighbour on Bowdon Avenue, Fallowfield, said: "The family have been here for about 20 years. There are eight children.Hectic
"I got up at up at six o'clock this morning, looked out of my window and saw about 12 to 16 police officers coming out of the house. The scene was hectic. I shouted at my husband to come and look because something was going on. I thought it must have been serious because the amount of police that were there.
"This is a quiet street. It's probably one of the most quiet in Fallowfield so it's really shocking that something like this would happen here. "They are a quiet family. They keep themselves to themselves." A neighbour in Victoria Terrace, Longsight, said a man lived in the neat terraced house which was raided with his wife, two daughters and a son. He said: "They have lived there for about five years and seemed okay to me.
They were always quiet and nice so this has come as a big surprise. I am absolutely gob smacked." Solicitor Shabnam Yunis, 26, from Mustafa Solicitors, works a few doors away from Efones, on Stockport Road, Longsight, which was raided along with the flat above, said: "The two lads who own the shop are really decent friendly lads. I am really shocked.
You just don't expect anything like this going on. It is normally a quiet and respectable area."Concern Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thompson said: "Protecting people both at home and abroad is our primary concern which is why we take such steps.
"This is a complex and ongoing investigation, which has now reached the point where it was necessary to make arrests and speak to a number of people. "There was no direct threat against Greater Manchester and the arrests are the latest stage of a thorough investigation. We have been liaising with local people to provide reassurance about what has happened and will continue to keep a high profile presence in affected areas.
"Officers will also be distributing letters around the areas concerned and speaking to residents to let people know what has happened and to ask them to continue to work with us in the coming days. "The community will be concerned that these arrests caused disruption and distress to people living there.
There is no suggestion that those other people were involved in any offences and our priority is to look after these people."
So much "misunderstanding" of Islam's purportedly peaceful and tolerant message: Funny how that keeps happening.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
London Charity Lays Down Sharia Law at Indian Refugee Camp...
A London-based charity that set up a rehabilitation colony for Muslim victims who lost their homes in Gujarat’s 2002 riots is laying down a hard “Sharia law” for those living there — forcing many to pack up and leave.
The Muslim Relief Organisation, run by NRI businessmen in London, built 46 houses in Detral, a village in Bharuch, for families of riot victims.
Now it has imposed a blanket ban on what it calls “shaitani” (devilish) things such as TV, music systems and all forms of electronic entertainment. It has threatened to evict the riot victims if they don’t adhere to these.
Residents have been ordered to stay away from fellow villagers, asked to pray only in the special “Sharia-specified” place of worship built for them and not in any local mosque. Among other diktats, they are also required to wear skull caps and keep long beards.
The notice, accessed by The Sunday Express, reads: “... As per Islamic Shariyat, any person possessing a television, or any other such Shaitani goods in his house, cannot be the beneficiary of money from Zakat, Fitr, Sadka or any Imdaah. Last week, when the committee trustee came down from London, he showed his unhappiness when he saw television antennas and dish connections. So, take notice that within 15 days after receiving this, all televisions must be removed from all houses. If any television is found turned on, or even in a non-use condition, after 15 days, take note that as directed by the trustees from London, we will be forced to take re-possession of those houses. If you want to stay in this colony, all of you will compulsorily remove all televisions from your houses.”
“This land was donated by the elder brother of one of the trustees. These houses are built using zakat money we raised. That’s why everyone has to adhere to these religious rules. Those not following the rules have left,” says the local representative for the sponsors, Bashir Dawood Dukanwala who is the camp’s caretaker.
The order was first issued last year but several reminders have followed. A dozen families have already left and many more are on their way out, sources said.
Most families here say they got the Rs 50,000 compensation for their homes destroyed but that’s too meagre to buy or build another home.
When contacted at their London office, a functionary of the Muslim Relief Organisation, who declined to be named, admitted that the outfit’s members themselves used TVs in London, but “only when required”.
“Television is only a necessary evil, we use it only when required. It is not meant for any entertainment or pleasure,” he said.
The Tableeghi-e-Jamaat in Vadodara, which Dukanwala is associated with, claimed it had nothing to do with the issue.
Speaking to The Sunday Express, its Amir, Shoaib Qazi, a schoolteacher, said: “We do not mind TV or music. If they are doing this in the relief colony, it is beyond my knowledge.”
For the residents, that’s of little comfort. After five years in relief camps, Mohammad Shah Diwan hoped he had, at last, found a secure home in Detral.
“I never expected that we will have to go through this,” he said. “We are constantly harassed and told that if we do not follow those rules, we are kafirs.”
Diwan moved out three months ago with his daughter. At Detral, he worked as a poultry farmer but the caretaker asked him to limit his interaction with local villagers. “Then they built an Ibadatkhana for residents to pray and asked us not to even go to the village mosque,” says Diwan. He now lives off his teacher’s pension while his two sons drive autorickshaws.
Similar is the plight of Idrish Shaikh, a tailor who lost his home in Vejalpur in Godhra in the riots.
“I lost all my property in the riots and now our own people are treating us like animals,” says Shaikh. “Once the caretakers came and tried to lock up my home in my absence. They said I had been warned not to let my customers into the colony. I had no choice but to obey them.”
But Iqbal Diwan is one who moved out to his uncle’s house in Halol in the Panchmahals. “My sister is unmarried and we no longer have a home. We stay with our uncle in Halol who faced a lot of hardship after his house was damaged in the riots. But this is still better than staying under those people in Detral,” says Iqbal.
“They asked me and my father to wear caps at all times and to keep a long beard. We are not very comfortable with that lifestyle. There were unpleasant situations outside my house almost everyday when the caretakers would come and ask us to do this or that,” he says. “So the only option we had was to leave.”
Detral sarpanch Gajanand Mahant admitted he was aware of the new rules in the relief colony but said he didn’t wish to intervene. Some families went to the police, too. “But the police said it was our internal problem and it was up to the trust to decide what to do,” says Idris Sheikh.
The Muslim Relief Organisation, run by NRI businessmen in London, built 46 houses in Detral, a village in Bharuch, for families of riot victims.
Now it has imposed a blanket ban on what it calls “shaitani” (devilish) things such as TV, music systems and all forms of electronic entertainment. It has threatened to evict the riot victims if they don’t adhere to these.
Residents have been ordered to stay away from fellow villagers, asked to pray only in the special “Sharia-specified” place of worship built for them and not in any local mosque. Among other diktats, they are also required to wear skull caps and keep long beards.
The notice, accessed by The Sunday Express, reads: “... As per Islamic Shariyat, any person possessing a television, or any other such Shaitani goods in his house, cannot be the beneficiary of money from Zakat, Fitr, Sadka or any Imdaah. Last week, when the committee trustee came down from London, he showed his unhappiness when he saw television antennas and dish connections. So, take notice that within 15 days after receiving this, all televisions must be removed from all houses. If any television is found turned on, or even in a non-use condition, after 15 days, take note that as directed by the trustees from London, we will be forced to take re-possession of those houses. If you want to stay in this colony, all of you will compulsorily remove all televisions from your houses.”
“This land was donated by the elder brother of one of the trustees. These houses are built using zakat money we raised. That’s why everyone has to adhere to these religious rules. Those not following the rules have left,” says the local representative for the sponsors, Bashir Dawood Dukanwala who is the camp’s caretaker.
The order was first issued last year but several reminders have followed. A dozen families have already left and many more are on their way out, sources said.
Most families here say they got the Rs 50,000 compensation for their homes destroyed but that’s too meagre to buy or build another home.
When contacted at their London office, a functionary of the Muslim Relief Organisation, who declined to be named, admitted that the outfit’s members themselves used TVs in London, but “only when required”.
“Television is only a necessary evil, we use it only when required. It is not meant for any entertainment or pleasure,” he said.
The Tableeghi-e-Jamaat in Vadodara, which Dukanwala is associated with, claimed it had nothing to do with the issue.
Speaking to The Sunday Express, its Amir, Shoaib Qazi, a schoolteacher, said: “We do not mind TV or music. If they are doing this in the relief colony, it is beyond my knowledge.”
For the residents, that’s of little comfort. After five years in relief camps, Mohammad Shah Diwan hoped he had, at last, found a secure home in Detral.
“I never expected that we will have to go through this,” he said. “We are constantly harassed and told that if we do not follow those rules, we are kafirs.”
Diwan moved out three months ago with his daughter. At Detral, he worked as a poultry farmer but the caretaker asked him to limit his interaction with local villagers. “Then they built an Ibadatkhana for residents to pray and asked us not to even go to the village mosque,” says Diwan. He now lives off his teacher’s pension while his two sons drive autorickshaws.
Similar is the plight of Idrish Shaikh, a tailor who lost his home in Vejalpur in Godhra in the riots.
“I lost all my property in the riots and now our own people are treating us like animals,” says Shaikh. “Once the caretakers came and tried to lock up my home in my absence. They said I had been warned not to let my customers into the colony. I had no choice but to obey them.”
But Iqbal Diwan is one who moved out to his uncle’s house in Halol in the Panchmahals. “My sister is unmarried and we no longer have a home. We stay with our uncle in Halol who faced a lot of hardship after his house was damaged in the riots. But this is still better than staying under those people in Detral,” says Iqbal.
“They asked me and my father to wear caps at all times and to keep a long beard. We are not very comfortable with that lifestyle. There were unpleasant situations outside my house almost everyday when the caretakers would come and ask us to do this or that,” he says. “So the only option we had was to leave.”
Detral sarpanch Gajanand Mahant admitted he was aware of the new rules in the relief colony but said he didn’t wish to intervene. Some families went to the police, too. “But the police said it was our internal problem and it was up to the trust to decide what to do,” says Idris Sheikh.
Prisoner Scalded by Muslim Gang for Demanding Remembrance Day Respect...
A PRISONER at one of Britain's toughest jails had boiling water thrown in his face following a row over Remembrance Sunday.
Trouble flared at Belmarsh Prison after a pair of Muslim inmates played table tennis during a two minutes silence.
A white con who objected to the "lack of respect" took the ball - prompting five Muslim men to attack a different white man with the boiling water and a glass jar in a sock the following day.
He required emergency surgery after Monday's attack at the South London prison.
Three of the attackers - who are part of the al-Qaeda splinter group the Muslim Boys - were put in solitary.
One of the others and his pals tried unsuccessfully to ambush another white lag on Tuesday, and ended up with cuts and bruises.
Two white cons have been moved away, while the Muslim Boys will be dealt with at the prison. A Belmarsh source said: "Tensions are simmering. It's very worrying."
Al Qaeda Running UK Prison
Trouble flared at Belmarsh Prison after a pair of Muslim inmates played table tennis during a two minutes silence.
A white con who objected to the "lack of respect" took the ball - prompting five Muslim men to attack a different white man with the boiling water and a glass jar in a sock the following day.
He required emergency surgery after Monday's attack at the South London prison.
Three of the attackers - who are part of the al-Qaeda splinter group the Muslim Boys - were put in solitary.
One of the others and his pals tried unsuccessfully to ambush another white lag on Tuesday, and ended up with cuts and bruises.
Two white cons have been moved away, while the Muslim Boys will be dealt with at the prison. A Belmarsh source said: "Tensions are simmering. It's very worrying."
Al Qaeda Running UK Prison
Tories investigate their own Muslim website
Although keen to win the Muslim vote, the Conservatives were distancing themselves from one of their own internet ventures yesterday after Mandrake informed them it included material apparently lifted from a website founded by a "hate preacher" banned from Britain.
Officials were trying to contact the man they had employed to create the Conservative Muslim Forum's website to ask why it features chunks of text from IslamOnline, which was established by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who was described as "dangerous and divisive" by David Cameron.
"That particular piece you mention, about charity, was, indeed, lifted from a website, but they can't tell for sure which one," says a spokesman for the Tories. "It is reasonable to assume that it is from the website [IslamOnline]. It should have been attributed."
Al-Qaradawi, who helped set up IslamOnline in 1997, has been banned from America since 1999 and from Britain since 2008 because of his extremist views.
In 2003, he expressed his support for suicide attacks against Israeli civilians, which he called a "necessary Jihad". He is held to be the unofficial leader of the Muslim Brotherhood by a number of informed authorities.
The Conservative Muslim Forum was established in 2005 to increase the Tories' understanding of Muslim issues and encourage Muslim involvement in the party
Officials were trying to contact the man they had employed to create the Conservative Muslim Forum's website to ask why it features chunks of text from IslamOnline, which was established by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who was described as "dangerous and divisive" by David Cameron.
"That particular piece you mention, about charity, was, indeed, lifted from a website, but they can't tell for sure which one," says a spokesman for the Tories. "It is reasonable to assume that it is from the website [IslamOnline]. It should have been attributed."
Al-Qaradawi, who helped set up IslamOnline in 1997, has been banned from America since 1999 and from Britain since 2008 because of his extremist views.
In 2003, he expressed his support for suicide attacks against Israeli civilians, which he called a "necessary Jihad". He is held to be the unofficial leader of the Muslim Brotherhood by a number of informed authorities.
The Conservative Muslim Forum was established in 2005 to increase the Tories' understanding of Muslim issues and encourage Muslim involvement in the party
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
No deportation for Muslim Serial Rapist as UK Immigration let him get away
A convicted rapist is on the run after escaping security guards at the Pakistan High Commission in London days before he was due to be deported.
Imtiaz Hussain, 44, had been transported from prison, where he was serving a nine-year sentence for rape, to the Pakistan High Commission to get a new passport in preparation for his deportation.
But the serial rapist gave immigration officials the slip, escaping through a window after claiming he needed the toilet.
He was last seen running along Sloane Square.
Police have now launched an nationwide manhunt for the sex attacker said to be 'very dangerous' and a 'serious threat to women'.
The failed asylum seeker was convicted on May 14, 2004 of rape and false imprisonment after attacking two prostitutes at knife-point in March of that year.
He was jailed for nine years, but after serving half of that his sentence expired last week.
But Hussain was still being held in a prison in the north of England pending his deportation to Pakistan.
Last Thursday he was transported in a secure prison van to Colnbrook immigration removal centre in Slough.
The following day he was escorted by immigration officials to the Pakistan High Commission in Victoria for his appointment about a replacement passport.
He was due to be sent back to prison following the interview, but he escaped at 2.30pm on Friday.
Scotland Yard is now liaising with police officers in Derbyshire, where he last lived.
At his trial at Derby Crown Court, the jury heard Hussain had threatened two women with a knife, beaten and raped them when they refused to do what he wanted.
Sentencing him, Judge David Pugsley said: 'You have perpetrated two rapes in circumstances which were horrific.'
Yesterday Detective Chief Inspector Brent Lancaster said: 'This individual is believed to very dangerous and we need to apprehend him as soon as possible.
'If anyone sees him, please don't approach him but call or alert police immediately.'
Hussain is described as around 5ft 5ins, of medium to chubby build, with dark cropped hair, and was wearing a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and white trainers.
David Wood, head of Criminality and Detention for the UK Border Agency said: 'A 44-year-old Pakistani male has absconded whilst on an escorted visit to the High Commission in London.
'Police were immediately informed. His details have been placed on the Police National Computer and watch-lists.
'We are actively searching for this individual to return him in to custody and remove him from the UK.'
Thus we find ANOTHER serial rapist is back on the streets of England.
Imtiaz Hussain, 44, had been transported from prison, where he was serving a nine-year sentence for rape, to the Pakistan High Commission to get a new passport in preparation for his deportation.
But the serial rapist gave immigration officials the slip, escaping through a window after claiming he needed the toilet.
He was last seen running along Sloane Square.
Police have now launched an nationwide manhunt for the sex attacker said to be 'very dangerous' and a 'serious threat to women'.
The failed asylum seeker was convicted on May 14, 2004 of rape and false imprisonment after attacking two prostitutes at knife-point in March of that year.
He was jailed for nine years, but after serving half of that his sentence expired last week.
But Hussain was still being held in a prison in the north of England pending his deportation to Pakistan.
Last Thursday he was transported in a secure prison van to Colnbrook immigration removal centre in Slough.
The following day he was escorted by immigration officials to the Pakistan High Commission in Victoria for his appointment about a replacement passport.
He was due to be sent back to prison following the interview, but he escaped at 2.30pm on Friday.
Scotland Yard is now liaising with police officers in Derbyshire, where he last lived.
At his trial at Derby Crown Court, the jury heard Hussain had threatened two women with a knife, beaten and raped them when they refused to do what he wanted.
Sentencing him, Judge David Pugsley said: 'You have perpetrated two rapes in circumstances which were horrific.'
Yesterday Detective Chief Inspector Brent Lancaster said: 'This individual is believed to very dangerous and we need to apprehend him as soon as possible.
'If anyone sees him, please don't approach him but call or alert police immediately.'
Hussain is described as around 5ft 5ins, of medium to chubby build, with dark cropped hair, and was wearing a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and white trainers.
David Wood, head of Criminality and Detention for the UK Border Agency said: 'A 44-year-old Pakistani male has absconded whilst on an escorted visit to the High Commission in London.
'Police were immediately informed. His details have been placed on the Police National Computer and watch-lists.
'We are actively searching for this individual to return him in to custody and remove him from the UK.'
Thus we find ANOTHER serial rapist is back on the streets of England.
MUM-of-three Beth Hoyle claims an Asda till worker refused to serve her because she was wearing a wristband backing injured troops.
Beth says the checkout lad told her the band for Help for Heroes - aided by The Sun - meant she supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.And when she complained to a supervisor, he BACKED the Asian youth, saying he was entitled to his view.
Beth, 40, who has two brothers in the services, said the checkout worker told her he didn't want to serve her because of "what she was wearing."
Shocked Beth, of Whitworth, Greater Manchester, said that at first she thought the youth at Asda's Rochdale store meant a cross round her neck.
"He pointed to my Help for Heroes wristband and accused me of supporting the war. I told him it was nothing to do with the war, but about supporting our injured troops.
"I immediately complained to a supervisor, but he said it was his right not to serve me. I was disgusted."
An Asda spokeswoman said they were "shocked" by the claims but had found no evidence that the incident happened in their store.
She added: "We are big supporters of the Help for Heroes campaign and we sell the pin badges and wristband in hundreds of our stores."
interesting - but not surprising - is Beth Hoyle first thought it was the crucifix around her neck that caused the 'offense" to the 'Asian' clerk.
Muslim mother who hid terrorist manual in burka 'was willing to blow up herself and her children'
A mother-of-six who today admitted hiding an explosives manual in her burka wrote a note suggesting she was willing to blow up herself and her children, a police source said.
Houria Chahed Chentouf, 41, from Manchester, was sentenced to two years in prison for the terror-related offence but walked free from court after serving her time on remand.
Officers found the chilling note written by Moroccan-born Chentouf at her home in Holland.
It indicated she was prepared to sacrifice her life and that of her children for the sake of her religion.
She wrote: 'Myself and my children would seek revenge, we would be bombs for the sake of this religion, may Allah forgive you.'
The court heard Chentouf suffers from a mental illness, triggered by the death of a family member and has previously self-harmed.
Her extremist views were discovered when she accidentally dropped a pen drive computer storage device containing terror-related documents while she was being questioned at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
On October 16 last year she was randomly stopped and searched by officers after she landed on an easyJet flight from Amsterdam, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Police said Chentouf had become agitated as soon as she was stopped at the airport.
The memory stick had been tied to the inner sleeve of her burka but fell out as she reached down to scratch her leg.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Where the memory stick was found (file image)
Chentouf was released but arrested the following day at her rented home in Reynell Road, Longsight, Manchester.
More than 7,000 files were found on the pen drive, including an explosives manual for the 'Brothers of the Mujahadeen,' the court heard.
It was described by police as 'a mini encyclopaedia of weapons making' and amounted to a step-by-step guide on how to create a bomb.
She had identified suitable targets as sports grounds, cinemas, colleges and bus stations, the court heard.
Another document contained information about the military use of electronics, the court heard, while searches of computers and laptops at the home found clear evidence she had had chat room conversations with militants about the roles of women and martyrdom.
She had been radicalised through the Internet, investigators said - the process beginning about two years ago.
Chentouf pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing documents likely to be useful for a terrorist.
A guide on establishing a terror cell, a manual setting out the principles of Jihad and a document about creating a training camp were also found on the 4GB pen drive, but these counts were allowed to remain on file.
Detectives also discovered she had written to convicted terrorist Mohammed Chentouf - no relation - who is serving a prison sentence in Holland for his part in a terror plot targeting Dutch politicians.
She had telephone numbers for the exiled Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who is banned from Britain, and Islamic convert Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, who famously heckled the former Home Secretary John Reid and was jailed for raising money for terrorists and inciting terrorism overseas.
Chentouf, wearing a full burka, did not react to the sentencing as Judge Michael Henshell told her she had 'developed an obsessive interest in Jihad and the more extreme forms of Islam'.
But he said there was 'no evidence' to suggest she intended to pass the material on and 'no intention of putting it into practical use'.
Chentouf was born in Tangier but moved to Holland when she was 19, where possessing an article for terrorist purposes is not illegal.
She lived in The Hague with her now ex-husband and their six children, who are aged between four and 16.
Six computers were later recovered in the UK and a further four were recovered in The Netherlands.
An external hard drive, other electronic media and a number of other documents were recovered from both addresses.
About 90% of the material recovered was in Arabic or Dutch and each one had to be translated, which took more than 12,000 man hours.
She wanted to move permanently to the UK because she was discriminated against in Holland, the court heard.
Police say she worked for the tax office in Holland but was on benefits at the time of her arrest for her mental health problems.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said they might never know Chentouf's intentions.
'This woman elected not to give us the reason why she had the material but possessing it constitutes a serious offence,' he said.
'It was the huge quantity which lead us to believe that this was not by sheer chance.
'We do know she has got known and established links to extremists abroad and that puts us on notice to be concerned.
'She is on our radar and she will know she is on our radar so I think we are in a better position than we were a year ago.'
Under the terms of her sentencing, Chentouf must notify police if she wishes to travel abroad in the next five years.
"It had been tied to the inner sleeve of her burka, but fell out as she reached down to scratch her leg ... It was described by police as "a mini encyclopaedia of weapons-making."
"Truly Multicultural" Britain
Houria Chahed Chentouf, 41, from Manchester, was sentenced to two years in prison for the terror-related offence but walked free from court after serving her time on remand.
Officers found the chilling note written by Moroccan-born Chentouf at her home in Holland.
It indicated she was prepared to sacrifice her life and that of her children for the sake of her religion.
She wrote: 'Myself and my children would seek revenge, we would be bombs for the sake of this religion, may Allah forgive you.'
The court heard Chentouf suffers from a mental illness, triggered by the death of a family member and has previously self-harmed.
Her extremist views were discovered when she accidentally dropped a pen drive computer storage device containing terror-related documents while she was being questioned at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
On October 16 last year she was randomly stopped and searched by officers after she landed on an easyJet flight from Amsterdam, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Police said Chentouf had become agitated as soon as she was stopped at the airport.
The memory stick had been tied to the inner sleeve of her burka but fell out as she reached down to scratch her leg.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport: Where the memory stick was found (file image)
Chentouf was released but arrested the following day at her rented home in Reynell Road, Longsight, Manchester.
More than 7,000 files were found on the pen drive, including an explosives manual for the 'Brothers of the Mujahadeen,' the court heard.
It was described by police as 'a mini encyclopaedia of weapons making' and amounted to a step-by-step guide on how to create a bomb.
She had identified suitable targets as sports grounds, cinemas, colleges and bus stations, the court heard.
Another document contained information about the military use of electronics, the court heard, while searches of computers and laptops at the home found clear evidence she had had chat room conversations with militants about the roles of women and martyrdom.
She had been radicalised through the Internet, investigators said - the process beginning about two years ago.
Chentouf pleaded guilty to two offences of possessing documents likely to be useful for a terrorist.
A guide on establishing a terror cell, a manual setting out the principles of Jihad and a document about creating a training camp were also found on the 4GB pen drive, but these counts were allowed to remain on file.
Detectives also discovered she had written to convicted terrorist Mohammed Chentouf - no relation - who is serving a prison sentence in Holland for his part in a terror plot targeting Dutch politicians.
She had telephone numbers for the exiled Muslim cleric Omar Bakri Mohammed, who is banned from Britain, and Islamic convert Abu Izzadeen, also known as Trevor Brooks, who famously heckled the former Home Secretary John Reid and was jailed for raising money for terrorists and inciting terrorism overseas.
Chentouf, wearing a full burka, did not react to the sentencing as Judge Michael Henshell told her she had 'developed an obsessive interest in Jihad and the more extreme forms of Islam'.
But he said there was 'no evidence' to suggest she intended to pass the material on and 'no intention of putting it into practical use'.
Chentouf was born in Tangier but moved to Holland when she was 19, where possessing an article for terrorist purposes is not illegal.
She lived in The Hague with her now ex-husband and their six children, who are aged between four and 16.
Six computers were later recovered in the UK and a further four were recovered in The Netherlands.
An external hard drive, other electronic media and a number of other documents were recovered from both addresses.
About 90% of the material recovered was in Arabic or Dutch and each one had to be translated, which took more than 12,000 man hours.
She wanted to move permanently to the UK because she was discriminated against in Holland, the court heard.
Police say she worked for the tax office in Holland but was on benefits at the time of her arrest for her mental health problems.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Porter, of the North West Counter Terrorism Unit, said they might never know Chentouf's intentions.
'This woman elected not to give us the reason why she had the material but possessing it constitutes a serious offence,' he said.
'It was the huge quantity which lead us to believe that this was not by sheer chance.
'We do know she has got known and established links to extremists abroad and that puts us on notice to be concerned.
'She is on our radar and she will know she is on our radar so I think we are in a better position than we were a year ago.'
Under the terms of her sentencing, Chentouf must notify police if she wishes to travel abroad in the next five years.
"It had been tied to the inner sleeve of her burka, but fell out as she reached down to scratch her leg ... It was described by police as "a mini encyclopaedia of weapons-making."
"Truly Multicultural" Britain
Muslim man 'racially abused BNP leader Nick Griffin and threatened to shoot him', court hears
British National Party leader Nick Griffin was racially abused by a Muslim man who made threatening 'gun gestures' towards him, a court heard today.
Mr Griffin was giving evidence in the trial of 23-year-old Tauriq Khalid, from Burnley, who is accused of shouting 'white b*****ds' towards Griffin and other BNP members who were demonstrating in the Lancashire town.
As the far-Right leader gave media interviews outside Burnley police station last November, Khalid drove past and made the comment, returning shortly afterwards to make the gun gesture, Preston Crown Court was told.
The defendant denies one charge of using racially abusive threatening behaviour against Griffin.
But he admits he stopped his silver Vauxhall Astra at the scene but says he shouted, 'Nick Griffin, you f*****g w****r' and the hand gesture was a V-sign.
Ian Metcalfe, prosecuting, told the jury of seven men and five women that the incident took place as several BNP members, including Griffin, staged a peaceful demonstration outside Burnley police station against the arrest earlier that day of four party colleagues.
Mr Metcalfe said: 'In the course of that demonstration Mr Griffin received some signals of support from members of the public and also signals of reproach from others.
'The prosecution say the defendant went further and indeed broke the law.
'He drove past the demonstration on repeated occasions and while doing so took the opportunity, from inside his car with the window down, to shout to Mr Griffin that he and other demonstrators were white b*****ds.'
Mr Metcalfe added that Khalid then went further 'by words or hand gestures to threaten to Mr Griffin that he was going to shoot him or have him shot'.
Khalid then drove off and, Mr Metcalfe said, Griffin then left the demonstration following the advice of BNP security guards.
The party leader sat in an unmarked car for 30 minutes.
After learning that one of the protesters had noted down the registration number of Khalid's car, a complaint was made to police and the defendant was later arrested by appointment.
Giving evidence, Mr Griffin said he was abused on two occasions that afternoon, firstly by the driver of a private hire cab and then by the driver of the silver Astra.
He said of the Astra driver: 'He stopped the car and shouted out of the window, I thought, "white b*****d"
i saw him again when he came back - he was a young Asian man wearing a white top.'
Demonstrating the alleged gun gesture to the jury, Mr Griffin said: 'The second time I saw him, he leaned out of the car and pointed at me and made a gun and gang gesture.
'I took it to be in the manner of a handgun.'
Mr Griffin then said he heard the defendant shout 'I'm going to...' but did not hear the rest of the sentence.
Mr Griffin said: 'I took it as "kill you" or "shoot you".
'I discussed it with my security men and decided it would be best to make myself scarce.'
Under cross-examination by Mark Stuart, defending, Mr Griffin denied he had misheard what Khalid said.
Mr Griffin said: 'I don't think "Nick Griffin, you w****r" can be possibly be misheard as "white b*****ds".
Mr Stuart said: 'The defendant accepts it is him and he is not proud of his behaviour but he says he drove past and flashed a V sign at you.'
Mr Griffin said: 'I am quite used to people making gestures at me, it doesn't bother me.
'But there is a difference between that and making a gun gesture, it is a direct threat.'
The trial continues.
Mr Griffin was giving evidence in the trial of 23-year-old Tauriq Khalid, from Burnley, who is accused of shouting 'white b*****ds' towards Griffin and other BNP members who were demonstrating in the Lancashire town.
As the far-Right leader gave media interviews outside Burnley police station last November, Khalid drove past and made the comment, returning shortly afterwards to make the gun gesture, Preston Crown Court was told.
The defendant denies one charge of using racially abusive threatening behaviour against Griffin.
But he admits he stopped his silver Vauxhall Astra at the scene but says he shouted, 'Nick Griffin, you f*****g w****r' and the hand gesture was a V-sign.
Ian Metcalfe, prosecuting, told the jury of seven men and five women that the incident took place as several BNP members, including Griffin, staged a peaceful demonstration outside Burnley police station against the arrest earlier that day of four party colleagues.
Mr Metcalfe said: 'In the course of that demonstration Mr Griffin received some signals of support from members of the public and also signals of reproach from others.
'The prosecution say the defendant went further and indeed broke the law.
'He drove past the demonstration on repeated occasions and while doing so took the opportunity, from inside his car with the window down, to shout to Mr Griffin that he and other demonstrators were white b*****ds.'
Mr Metcalfe added that Khalid then went further 'by words or hand gestures to threaten to Mr Griffin that he was going to shoot him or have him shot'.
Khalid then drove off and, Mr Metcalfe said, Griffin then left the demonstration following the advice of BNP security guards.
The party leader sat in an unmarked car for 30 minutes.
After learning that one of the protesters had noted down the registration number of Khalid's car, a complaint was made to police and the defendant was later arrested by appointment.
Giving evidence, Mr Griffin said he was abused on two occasions that afternoon, firstly by the driver of a private hire cab and then by the driver of the silver Astra.
He said of the Astra driver: 'He stopped the car and shouted out of the window, I thought, "white b*****d"
i saw him again when he came back - he was a young Asian man wearing a white top.'
Demonstrating the alleged gun gesture to the jury, Mr Griffin said: 'The second time I saw him, he leaned out of the car and pointed at me and made a gun and gang gesture.
'I took it to be in the manner of a handgun.'
Mr Griffin then said he heard the defendant shout 'I'm going to...' but did not hear the rest of the sentence.
Mr Griffin said: 'I took it as "kill you" or "shoot you".
'I discussed it with my security men and decided it would be best to make myself scarce.'
Under cross-examination by Mark Stuart, defending, Mr Griffin denied he had misheard what Khalid said.
Mr Griffin said: 'I don't think "Nick Griffin, you w****r" can be possibly be misheard as "white b*****ds".
Mr Stuart said: 'The defendant accepts it is him and he is not proud of his behaviour but he says he drove past and flashed a V sign at you.'
Mr Griffin said: 'I am quite used to people making gestures at me, it doesn't bother me.
'But there is a difference between that and making a gun gesture, it is a direct threat.'
The trial continues.
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