This is a cross-post by habibi from Harry’s Place
Here is some news from East London:
TOWN Hall leaders tonight have called for an Islamic conference to be scrapped in London’s East End on June 20, in the wake of a demo planned outside by the English Defence League.
The date was deliberately chosen by the EDL to coincide with the conference at the Troxy venue in Commercial Road, said Tower Hamlets council.
The Troxy must comply with the law and have regard to the impact such an event will have on social cohesion in the East End, the council warned today.
Deputy Leader Josh Peck said: “This Islamic conference is not supported by the council and we call on the Troxy to call it off in the interests of public safety and social cohesion.
“If necessary, we will review our working relationship with the Troxy.”
Council Leader Helal Abbas has been holding talks with police urging them to find any way to make sure both the conference and the EDL demo don’t take place.
“Neither is representative and will cause great distress,” said Cllr Abbas. “I call on the community to hold their nerve, but be vigilant in the face of the EDL’s blatant attempt at division along crude racial and religious lines.”
That threat worked:
A controversial Islamic conference due to take place on June 20 has been scrapped by the Troxy.
The Commercial Road venue was set to host ‘The Book that Shook the World’ but has changed its position after signing a council pledge.
A spokesman for the Troxy said: “We recently signed up to the council’s No Place for Hate campaign and feel that some of the speakers have the potential to clash with the terms of the pledge.”
The Troxy conference was organised by members of a student group – the Islamic society (ISOC) of City University. They are extremist fans of al Qaeda preacher Anwar al Awlaki. Their recent antics, such as the harassment of university staff, have been so offensive that City has withdrawn formal recognition of the society. Now Tower Hamlets council too has publicly rejected them. Good.
The organisers may try to find another venue for the conference. If they do and they succeed, it will be time for the Home Office to take a stand.
Here’s one reason why:
US singer Chris Brown has been forced to postpone his UK tour after being denied a visa to enter the country, it has been confirmed.
Brown was refused permission on the grounds of being guilty of a serious criminal offence, the Home Office said.
He was sentenced to a community service order for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, last February.
How about preaching that wife beating is OK? What’s the Home Office line?
Hussein Yee, a Malaysian with no residency rights in Britain, was one of the scheduled speakers at the Troxy event.
In March he attended a conference in Norway. He was asked about wife beating. This was his twisted answer:
“A Muslim man doesn’t have a right to beat his wife in anger or in order to injure. But you can do it if you do it in love, out of consideration,” answered Yee, according to the author.
The preacher said that in the Muslim country of Malaysia, parents have a right to beat their children out of love.
“In the same way men have a right to beat, but only if it’s in love and out of consideration for the wife. Moreover, it shouldn’t be on the head or other places that can be harmful to beat on, but only on other places in the body,” Yee answered.
Yee is a famous Malaysian preacher who has his own program on the Islamic TV channel Peace TV.
Mr Yee is also an antisemite and a supporter of jihad. Most notably, he hailed the “mujahideen” of Iraq in 2006, when British troops were among the countless targets of the fanatics at the peak of their murderous frenzy.
If Chris Brown has been declared persona non grata, how could the Home Office justify allowing Mr Yee to enter the UK?
As for the EDL, it has already chosen a new target: an event at Wembley on 26 June where Indian troublemaker Zakir “every Muslim should be a terrorist” Naik will speak.
Here too the Home Office could deprive the EDL of an easy target while delivering on David Cameron’s pledge to act against foreign hate preachers by banning Naik from the UK.
6 Comments
KEEP EDL OUT OF BRENT -JUNE 26TH
The English Defence League are to attempt to demonstrate in Wembley against a peaceful conference organised to bring greater understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Such a conference should be welcomed by all and recognised as a positive step in building harmony and understanding.
The conference due to be held at the Wembley Arena on June 26th, is the Al-Khair Peace Convention 2010 and its aims are set out on their website:
“Peace, internal and external be it on an ‘individual’ or at a ‘worldwide collective’ level is a must for effective human progress and realistic global unity.
For people of all beliefs, this conference will be a learning opportunity to realize, reflect on and correct their misunderstanding (if any) about Islam in the light of talks by authoritative and renowned international speakers.
Conference Focus
* To create a better awareness and understanding of Islam and its message of peace for the entire humanity, in an objective way.
* To remove misconceptions, false fear and hate of Islam and Muslims globally.
* To realize that Islam is a just, righteous and peaceful way of life, with due care for human rights and moral values.”
However such harmony , peaceful discussion and educational awareness is thought to be a threat to our society, according to the EDL. This exposes them for what they really are, a bunch of ignorant and bigotted Islamaphobes and racists with only one agenda- spreading racism, hatred and division.
Like most bullies, having run scared from attempting to show their face in Tower Hamlets, they thought they could find somewhere else to shout their hatred at.
Well, just like Tower Hamlets, the local community will remain united. Wembley is part of one of the most multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious boroughs in London. Near by is Harrow, where twice the EDL were shown the door by the mass united action on the streets .
The anti-fascists in Brent and Harrow are already mobilising, along with the UAF and others to ensure the EDL receive the message loud and clear, “racists and fascists keep out of our Wembley, you are not welcomed here or anywhere else”. We promise them the same welcome that they would have recieved in Tower Hamlets!
The Welsh BNP put out a video last year, which was widely condemned by many, including the Football Association, which referred to Wembley as no longer being the Britain they know.Well for many of us who live and work in Brent, we are proud of our communities and we feel enriched by having a multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-religious society. We reject totally the racist, Islamaphobic and homophobic bigotry of the fascists and racists. We will not allow them to divide us.
We call on all anti-fascists and anti-racists to join us in Wembley, showing your support for our tolerant and united society and keeping these fascists off our streets.
We reject the use of scapegoating and division being instigated by the EDL, BNP and other racists and fascists. In Brent we are attempting to build a coalition of resistance to the Condem cuts budget on 22 June in defence of jobs and services. The fight to defend workers’ rights and our living standards is closely linked to our fight against racism and fascism, along with our opposition to illegal wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Only the united action on the streets to prevent the fascists from coming to Wembley will stop this.
alf,
Is this a personal statement from yourself or from some group/institution?
Such a conference should be welcomed by all and recognised as a positive step in building harmony and understanding.
With Zakir Naik as the marquee name on the program?
Whatever.
http://thereligionofpeace.com
I take it inciting hate against the Kuffar is ok in your eyes then, you can’t fight bigotry with bigotry.
Faisal,
Alf is regurgitating copy from “Socialist Resistance”, a Trot group that emerged out of Socialist Alliance, Socialist Solidarity Network and the International Socialist Group.
SR is supportive of the SWP-front, the UAF.
SR is also intimately linked to Respect – and as such directly to IFE and associated Islamist fascists.
Alf’s piece appeared first in Socialist Resistance, here:
http://socialistresistance.org/?p=963
Oh look! Alf even comments on his own piece under this article using the same nickname… twice.