Category Archives: Anti Fascism

Karadzic will not be troubling the hangman

By Faisal | Published: October 28, 2009

As the UN war crimes tribunal of Radovan Karadzic gets underway, we are already getting a taste of the grandstanding and manoeuvring that he is famous for. The judges have already accused Karadzic of trying to obstruct the course of justice.

Sniff the noose

Sniff the noose

This “poet, psychiatrist to Sarajevo football club, confidante of presidents and all-around statesman” is on trial for some very serious crimes, not least of which is playing his part in Europe’s worst genocide since the Nazi Holocaust. Karadzic stands accused of two counts of genocide, one relating to the massacre of more than 7,000 men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces at Srebrenica in July 1995, and nine further charges of war crimes in relation to the murderous ethnic war in Bosnia during 1992-95. These include:

  • Five counts of crimes against humanity (Article 5 of the Statute – extermination, murder, persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds, persecutions, inhumane acts (forcible transfer));
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Also posted in Anti Muslim bigotry, Human Rights | 3 Comments

Demonstrate Against Al Muhajiroun and for Secular Democracy

By Faisal | Published: October 27, 2009

On Saturday 31 October, Islam4UK plans to hold a procession called “March for Sharia” starting at 1pm. They intend to march past the Houses of Parliament where their members will call for the imposition of Shariah law and for the House of Commons to be abolished.

This website was set up by a collection of groups and individuals – both Muslim and non-Muslim – to organise a counter-demonstration against those who seek to undermine and challenge our values. We come from diverse social and religious backgrounds but share a common belief in secular democracy and the values of the British liberal state such as legal and constitutional equality for all, equal rights for women and minorities, and the right to religious freedom (including freedom from religion).

British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD), is organising and coordinating a broad based counter-demonstration of those of all faiths and none who are determined to stand together, in defence of liberal secular democracy.

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Also posted in Feature, Secularism | 3 Comments

A Tale of Two Extremes

By Faisal | Published: October 22, 2009

This excellent op-ed by Zafar Khalid Farooq, published in the The News in Pakistan, is well worth the read.

The money shot comes at the very end and it is spot on:

Even more worryingly, a new generation is being radicalised, often with the very government funds that are supposed to be countering radicalisation. The British Government’s counter-terrorism strategy is called Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE). In the past three years, 90 million pounds have been spent on PVE. However, by focusing on ‘violent extremism’, as opposed to all extremism, the government has allowed itself to hop into bed with organisations and groups deeply opposed to liberal, democratic values. These groups have ties with the Muslim brotherhood, and our very own Jaamat-e-Islami. Perhaps by joining hands with non-violent extremist groups, the government hopes to provide a defence, a pressure valve if you like, against violent extremism among the angry Muslim youth. But by collaborating with these groups, the government is effectively supporting and funding the Islamist ideology that spawns an illiberal, intolerant and anti-western view.

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Also posted in Islamism, PVE, Secularism | 6 Comments

The Wisdom of Sawalha

By Guest | Published: October 20, 2009

This is a cross-post from Harry’s Place by habibi

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Mohammed Sawalha, president of the British Muslim Initiative, fugitive Hamas commander, and a signatory of the pro-Hamas Istanbul declaration (pdf) knows that we are living in dangerous times. He knows where the blame lies too.

The British Muslim Initiative (BMI) is appalled by reports that government has been using its Prevent programme to spy on Muslim citizens. We hail the principled decision of the Guardian newspaper to publish the findings of its investigations, which confirm that the programme has maliciously targeted Muslim communities through what Liberty describes as “the biggest spying programme in modern times”. BMI president Muhammad Sawalha said, “This campaign of espionage is a hallmark of totalitarian societies. It is an unfortunate throw back to the Cold War years when spying was the order of the day.” “We are deeply aggrieved that such measures should be adopted to target law-abiding citizens in a modern democracy”, he added. The BMI recognizes in the government strategy a dark political undercurrent of hostility engineered by the Zionist, Islamophobe and Neo-Con alliance (ZINC).

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Also posted in Islamism | 1 Comment

At last…A counter-demonstration to Andy’s Army

By Effendi | Published: October 18, 2009

News is emerging of a planned counter-demonstration to Anjum ‘Andy’ Chaudhry’s “Islam4UK” outfit which plans to hold a rally in Central London later this month.

There is a Facebook group called ‘Say No To Andy’s Fanatics’ which has some details. It reads:

The extremist AND UNREPRESENTATIVE cult group al-Muhajiroun intends to provoke hatred and division in both Muslims and British people of all backgrounds with a demonstration in Central London….

I AM ASKING ALL TO STAND WITH LONDONERS AGAINST THESE EXTREMISTS ON OCTOBER 31st 2009….

The way we have stood together against the EDL we now need to stand together against those who want to harm the UK and its people.

Publicise this far and wide – and make sure you get down there. A big attendance is vital.

Afterwards, we’ll all go for a swift half.

andy

Andy in happier times...

Also posted in Activism, Politics, PVE | 13 Comments

“This article has been removed”

By Effendi | Published: October 16, 2009

Back in December 2007, the Economist published ‘Guilty at Birth’, an article dealing with Jamaat-e-Islam’s stake in the elections (January 2008) in view of its legacy and culpability in war crimes that took place in the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. Soon after, the editor of the Economist received a letter before action from the representatives of the Jamaat’s leader Motiur Rahman Nizami, demanding the withdrawal of the article backed up by a threat to sue the magazine.

Soon after receiving the letter from Nizami, the Economist retracted the article from its online archives. So if you have a pass into the subscription-only Economist website, you are able to see that the article no longer exists at this address, as it previously did, and is instead replaced with this cryptic message:

“This article has been removed”

Luckily however, the journalist Saleem Samad, who runs the ‘Bangladesh Watchdog’ blog published the article in its entirety prior to it being pulled, which you can read here.

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Also posted in Democracy, Freedom of Expression | 7 Comments

Fascists, Socialists, Islamists, Liberals: Holding Hands

By Guest | Published: October 15, 2009

This article by Lucy Lips has been cross-posted from Harry’s Place.

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The Palestine Telegraph reports:

The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) will host a conference on the 16th of December 2009 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA.

This is a list of “a list of those already confirmed”:

  • Claire Short- British MP
  • Baroness Jenny Tonge- Former British MP
  • Professor Norman Finkelstein- American Political Scientist and Author
  • Ambassador Khalil Makkawi – head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee
  • Dr Daud Abdullah- Expert on Palestinian issue and Deputy Secretary General of the MCB
  • Dr Bashir Nafi- Lecturer
  • Rachel Rudolf – Professor in Political Science
  • Sami Mashasha – UNRWA Spokesperson
  • Ali Huwaidi – Director of Palestinian Organization for the Right of Return “Thabit” in Beirut
  • Tariq Hamoud – Director of Palestinian Return Community “WAJEB” in Syria
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Posted in Anti Fascism | 3 Comments

Is Ashley Cole British?

By Guest | Published: October 14, 2009

This is a guest post by Tariq

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Having listened to the two young ignoramuses put forward by the BNP to represent them on BBC’s Radio 1 last week, I began to think of a debate I had with some of my friends a few years ago.

You see, all my life up until then I had never considered myself British, I had always seen myself as English. My argument was that since I was born in England, spoke English as a first language and displayed a culture that was distinctively English, and different when compared to a Scottish, Welsh or Irish identity, I had a right to identify myself as English.  This right should be extended to my children, my children’s children, and so on regardless of the fact that my parents were born in Zanzibar.

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Also posted in Identity Politics, Your View | Tagged | 119 Comments

Shut Down Blood & Honour

By Guest | Published: October 1, 2009

Cross posted from Harry’s Place

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Dear Home Secretary

I am writing following reports on 18 September 2009 of the activities of the group ‘Blood & Honour’.

The reports suggest that Blood & Honour is currently distributing material, including music CDs, which encourage and glorify hatred and acts of terror against ethnic minorities.   The reports also quote the group’s “Field Manual” as stating that those who carry out actions in the name of neo-Nazism ‘must be respected rather than condemned’ and that ‘Die-hard ‘Nazis’ not comfortable in any watered-down, democratic outfit, still have an option through leaderless resistance and direct action. [...] These lone white wolves must be respected and left alone to stalk the worst enemies of our race. They expect no support and assistance but they deserve acknowledgement and understanding’.

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Posted in Anti Fascism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The BNP: Guilty

By Guest | Published: September 25, 2009

This is a message from Nick Lowles from Hope Not Hate
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Over the past few years, we’ve known about the secret strategy, pursued by Nick Griffin and the BNP, to lie in order to whip up fear in our communities. And for the first time we have clear, definitive and undeniable proof.

Guilty

Guilty

Richard Barnbrook – the BNP’s third highest elected official – has been exposed fabricating two murders in a high profile BNP campaign. He has been found guilty of bringing both the Greater London Authority and the Barking and Dagenham Council into disrepute – his lies show the depths the BNP are willing to stoop to in their vile propaganda war.

And now I need your help to make sure that the communities Barnbrook represents know the truth. We urgently need to raise £5000 to deliver 150,000 targeted leaflets across London. And I need your help to make this happen.

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Posted in Anti Fascism | 3 Comments

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