Latest on UAF Wembley Mobilisation against EDL

Following Theresa May's decision to ban the entry of Zakir Naik, one of the main speakers at next Saturday's Peace Convention, it is not clear whether the Convention will go ahead. It may be postponed until Naik's entry is secured or may go ahead with a video link.

Meanwhile the EDL have claimed the ban as a victory and said they are switching their action on the 26th to Barking where there is a council by-election.

The Muslim Council of Britain and the Convention organisers have issued statements condemning the Home Secretary's ban on Naik who has been pilloried for being a 'hate preacher' on various blogs using various quotations attributed to him. The Islamic Research Foundation today issued a long press release taking each quotation in turn and giving the full context. I have reprinted this as a page on this site so that readers can make their own judgement.

However, for me the main issue is that whatever the pretext, it is important that we make it clear that the English Defence League are not welcome in Wembley. We have a successful multicultural community that of course is not perfect, but where people get along with friends, neighbours and work colleagues of all sorts of backgrounds. We do not want to see that community disrupted and divided by people who thrive on feeding prejudice, stereotypes and discontent.

Brent and Harrow UAF will be holding an organising meeting next week to discuss developments and I will post any further news on this site.

Labour councillors back UAF Statement on EDL

 Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, has written to Brent and Harrow UAF in support of the statement below which is being circulated throughout the borough:

I am writing on behalf of all of Brent Council’s 40 Labour councillors to support the statement you have made in opposition to the English Defence League’s planned demonstration in Brent.

Brent is Britain’s most diverse multi-cultural and multi-faith borough and our diversity is our strength. The planned demonstration is a deliberate provocation aimed at creating fear amongst the Muslim community and undermining community relations.

The EDL is not welcome here.

UNITE AGAINST FASCISM STATEMENT

●No to Racism
●No to Islamophobia
●EDL not welcome here

 

The English Defence League is threatening to demonstrate in Wembley on Saturday June 26th against a Peace Conference, organised by a Muslim charitable foundation and aimed at building understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. The EDL is an organisation of violent, bigoted thugs with proven links to the Nazi BNP. They should be condemned everywhere, but will be particularly unwelcome if they come to Wembley, part of this country’s most diverse borough. We are proud of our diversity. In the London Borough of Brent, people live and work together, children study, play and grow up together in peace and mutual respect, regardless of faith or skin colour. As residents and workers in the borough, we will not tolerate attempts to divide us or stir up hatred. We stood united to show that there was no place for racism and Islamophobia in the neighbouring borough of Harrow. We stand prepared to do the same in Brent.

This statement was initiated by UAF Brent & Harrow and national Unite Against Fascism. For further information or to add your name to the statement, contact: uafbrentandharrow@gmail.com

SIOE TURN-OUT: NOT THE PROMISED 1,500, NOR 150, IN FACT ONLY 15

Stephen Gash of Stop the Islamisation of Europe (SIOE)  promised 1,500 people at his anti-Islam demonstration outside the Harrow Mosque.

In fact only 15 turned up, even though numbers were augmented by English Defence League supporters, and the rather sad little group, one wearing a blond wig and another a santa hat, were corralled into a cold car park and protected by police. A couple of them made speeches to the windswept car park observed by press photographers who out-numbered them 3 to 1 - all against the background of chants from several hundred anti-Fascist demonstrators, who sometimes broke into open gales of laughter at the sheer absurdity of the lonely little band in the car park. Stephen Gash the 'leader' even managed to be late and nearly miss the event!  There is more than a touch of Captain Mainwaring about the man - without the lovability.

Given these numbers it is surely time for the local press to stop building up the group and cease publicising their baseless claims and their incitant comments.

Hundreds of anti-Fascist demonstrators made it clear that the Fascists were not welcome in Harrow and the diversity of the demonstrators once again showed that the local community were united in defence of the Harrow mosque.

Ajmal Masroor, a spokesman for the Harrow Mosque, crossed to the corral and spoke to representatives of the SIOE and EDL and invited them into the Mosque to discuss their concerns. His invitation was turned down and Stephen Gash said he wanted to talk to the Home Office instead.  A similar invitation has earlier been issued by the group British Muslims for a Secular Democracy without success.

The SIOE has thus shown it is not really interested in dialogue or debate, but just in creating division.  In my speech to the Solidarity Vigil, as Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brent North, I pointed out that what the SIOE, EDL and BNP have in common is racism and xenophobia. Despite the SIOE's website claim that racism is 'the lowest form of stupidity' they are quite happy to get 'nod and a wink' support from the EDL. At the September 11th demonstration anti-Mosque demonstrators openly gave Nazi salutes and EDL members were present again today.

The SIOE attempt to 'soften up' an area by organising a provocative demonstration, with EDL help, and any reaction is then depicted as Muslim violence. Having caused division the BNP then move in by leafletting the area, as they did in Harrow after the September 11th demonstration, trying to build electoral support on the back of the dirty deeds of their allies. It is important that we see them as overlapping organisations with a similar agenda, and take with a pinch of salt their internicine squabbles. The SIOE may be absurd and today's demonstration comical, but the racist and Fascist nature of the groups that build on their provocations must be recognised and their activities firmly opposed.

I congratulate Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism for organising a highly effective, united and peaceful demonstration

JOIN LIVNI PROTEST AND MOSQUE VIGIL THIS SUNDAY

DEFEND THE HARROW MOSQUE

Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism are again organising a demonstration to show Harrow's rejection of the SIOE's (Stop the Islamisation of Europe's) attack on Harrow's Muslim community and their mosque.

Assemble at 12 noon on Sunday on the broad pavement outside Harrow Civic Centre, opposite the mosque. Police have announced they will be carrying out stop and searches for weapons. The leader of the Labour group on Harrow Council and Navin Shah Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow will be joining the solidarity demonstration.

PROTEST AT LIVNI'S LONDON VISIT ONE YEAR AFTER ISRAELI WAR CRIMES

Also on Sunday there is an all-London alert for a demonstration against Tzipi Livni, former Foreign Minister of London who was a major force behind 'Operation Cast Lead' the Israeli offensive against Gaza which began on December 27th last year and killed 1400 Palestinians, many of them children, and injured 5,000.

Livni is due to speak at a meeting of the Jewish National Fund from 10.30am until 4pm on Sunday somewhere in North London. The organisers are kept the venue secret until the last minute in order to minimise demonstrations against Livni whose callous pronouncements on the Gaza conflict will be remembered for a long time.  Up to date information will be published on this website and on the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's website and PSC's Facebook Page.

A reminder of what happened almost a year ago:

HA1 Harrow Unity Interviews - Defend the Harrow Mosque on December 13th

The Stop the Islamisation of Europe and EDL are demonstrating against the Harrow Mosque again on December 13th. Unite against Fascism are holding a counter-demonstration:

A message from Brent and Harrow UAF:

The Swiss referendum decision not to allow the building of any more minarets will feed the Islamophobia motivating the right wing demonstration against Harrow Central Mosque on Sunday December 13th. This makes it all the more important that we have a large, peaceful, united demonstration with a strong representation of trades unionists and Harrow's diverse community, young and old. An organisation called British Muslims for Secular Democracy will also be holding a counter-demonstration to the one called by Stop the Islamisation of Europe. We welcome their participation and will be happy to have them speaking at the rally.

ASSEMBLE 12 NOON, DECEMBER 13TH, OUTSIDE HARROW CIVIC CENTRE

(OPPOSITE THE MOSQUE)