Saturday, January 16, 2010

Resisting Sharia in the UK

The Ummah Jack

Those who oppose the Islamization of Britain consistently find themselves at odds with the stringent politically correct multicultural ideology which now reigns in the UK. Muslim immigrants are free to insult and intimidate “persons of English background” with impunity, but wearing a cross or owning a golliwog can be a punishable offense — if you happen to be white, and have English as your native language.

The English Defence League (EDL) is a grassroots movement which has arisen to resist Sharia in Britain. It predictably finds itself vilified by the Left, excoriated by the press, and branded as “racist” and “fascist” by anyone who has a stake in the existing system — which means civil servants, academics, BBC producers, and politicians of both the Tory and the Labour persuasions. Whenever the EDL organizes a demonstration, it can expect to be physically attacked by “anti-fascist” counter-demonstrators, with only desultory protection offered by the police.

Needless to say, the MSM refuses to treat the EDL objectively, but the following report from France 24 is fairer than most:

Britain’s escalating extremism

A new organisation is taking on radical Muslims in the United Kingdom. The English Defence League’s movement is slowly gaining ground across the country, as its members protest against those who want to impose Sharia law across Britain.

The Queen of England, a Muslim convert? Buckingham Palace, a mosque?

That’s what Islamist extremists in Britain, such as Anjem Choudary, have been calling for. They want Sharia law imposed across the country, with every man, woman and child conforming to the strict Islamic code when in the public arena.

But not if the English Defence League can help it.

Luton is a small, multicultural town about an hours drive north of London. In March 2009, the Second Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment paraded here to mark the end of their tour in Iraq. Their return home was met with pride — and protests.

A group of Muslim protestors had gathered, some bearing placards declaring the soldiers “Baby killers” for having gone to Iraq. This highly-charged event gave birth to an organisation called the United People of Luton, soon to become the English Defence League.

With members and divisions now spread across the UK, the EDL calls for all Islamist extremists to be banned and hold protests all over the country to raise their profile.
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Many of these demonstrations have turned violent. Little wonder, given the EDL’s choice of clothing: makeshift “burkhas”, designed to both protect their own identities and to provoke the Muslim community.

The group they are most vehemently opposed to is ‘Islam 4 UK’, led by Anjem Choudary. Choudary is a self-proclaimed judge in some of the UK’s 85 Sharia courts and teaches up and down the country with the London School of Sharia.

The Islam 4 UK website reveals pictures of how his followers see Britain in future: Islamic flags fly from London’s best known monuments, while Buckingham Palace is redesigned with a minaret.

Choudary and his supporters also hold protests, chanting slogans such as ‘Freedom Go to Hell’ and ‘Democracy Hypocrisy’.

But such is the level of tolerance in the UK that both sides will be allowed to have their say — as long as they stay on the right side of the law.

And staying on the right side of the law is the all-important rule that has allowed Islam 4 UK, as well as the EDL, to campaign as hard as they have. Freedom of speech is a principle that the British public are reluctant to give up, even if the consequences are extremist propaganda and violence. That is what allows Choudary to say in our video that he is aligned with al-Qaida, and what allows the EDL to chant ‘Islam Out’ in their protests.

Choudary in particular knows just how far he can go while still remaining within the confines of the law. At the end of our interview, he asked us how soon we would be forwarding the tape to the police, although he wasn’t worried; he hadn’t “said anything too illegal anyway”.

The EDL is opposed to his beliefs and to the fact that he is impressing them on young Muslims all over the country. They are incensed that he can convert an 11 year old boy to Islam on a busy shopping street and go unchallenged. They abhor the fact that he refuses to condemn the 7/7 London bombers and that Sharia courts can exist alongside British courtrooms.

While they remain a relatively minority group, their message is resonating with some people across the UK and it remains to be seen how large the EDL movement can grow.

See the original article for the accompanying video.


Hat tip: Gaia.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This on France 24 ? Someone has been sleeping at the command post. Heads should begin to roll any time now.

Zenster said...

Many of these demonstrations have turned violent. Little wonder, given the EDL’s choice of clothing: makeshift “burkhas”, designed to both protect their own identities and to provoke the Muslim community. [Emphasis added]

Brilliant, effing brilliant. Let's see British Muslims begin to protest the wearing of burqas. Any attempt by legal authorities to prohibit British citizens from wearing such disguising apparel should result in a prompt backlash with respect to Muslims attiring themselves in a similar fashion.

This is the sort of "pushback" that needs to happen. It is a form of "weaponizing" Islam against Muslims that has been sorely needed for some time now. Other commentors are invited to cogitate as to alternate ways of "weaponizing" Islam in a comparable manner.

If Western law cannot, or is not allowed to, be turned against Muslims, then Islam itself must be converted into an anti-Islamist vehicle. Politically Correct Multiculturalism will not brook any frontal assaults upon this declared enemy, so it is falls upon stalwarts like the EDL to originate new and innovative ways of abrading our supremely thin-skinned foe.

Nick said...

Anjem Choudary's organisation has in fact been banned in the UK. And some of the articles discussing him have been quite scathing. So he has in fact been treated appropriately by at least some sections of the MSM, and he has fallen foul of the law.

As for how much the EDL will grow, well not very much is the answer to that question.

They're obsessed with proving the existence of "moderate" Islam and engaging with "moderate" Muslims.

This has been the UK's policy for some time now, and look how well that's worked out!

The EDL want to take a failed policy and, with far less resources, think they can make it work.

Good luck with that ...

thll said...

Maybe you should think more outside the box Nick...

The EDL's obsession 'with proving the existence of 'moderate' Islam and engaging with 'moderate' Muslims' will never be satisfied because no Muslim, no matter how moderate, would ever engage with a non-Muslim against a Muslim, no matter how extreme.

I've yet to see evidence of 'moderate' Muslims marching alongside the EDL and I don't expect I'll ever see it.

Isn't the EDL's stance on 'moderate' Muslims calling the Muslim bluff?

Abu Abdullah said...

thll, you got it. The EDL is hoisting the slaves of Allah on their own Islamic petard.

Henrik R Clausen said...

They're obsessed with proving the existence of "moderate" Islam.

They will fail.

And I think this is deliberate. Beating the bushes to find the mythical 'moderate' Muslims is an excellent way to prove that they are as frequent as .. unicorns.

Wonder how many signed the Charter?

watling said...

From reports and video footage the most violent EDL demo to date seems to have been in Birmingham where the EDL were attacked by Muslim gangs in alliance with the far left thugs of the UAF.

I believe the EDL has decided not to visit Birmingham again due to the unacceptable risk of further violence there.

Rather amusingly, though, some anti-EDL Trade Unionists at the Birmingham demo got attacked by Muslims who mistook them for the EDL.

Anonymous said...

The EDL are a single issue group, fighting against militant Islam. We invite all people regardless of race, sex or sexuality to join us in this fight. If you want to know more, come to our forum at http://s1.zetaboards.com/EDL_The_Forum/index/ you will be most welcome.
The EDL also have an informative media site which I recommend you visit first. http://www.edlmedia.com/
Don't believe the propaganda that the leftist like the UAF spew out about the EDL and don't believe the EDL either. Work it out for your selves, talk to both sides, and various other sources. That's what I and many of the new EDL supporters have done, and is the reason why EDL support is rising fast.
Hope to see you at the forum.

Anonymous said...

Yes you are most welcome at EDL as long as you do not criticize moderate moslem

Anonymous said...

Henrik

And I think this is deliberate. Beating the bushes to find the mythical 'moderate' Muslims is an excellent way to prove that they are as frequent as .. unicorns.

I wish this was the case, any serious debate on EDL,s Forum about so called moderate muslims is taboo is blocked, threads are locked and deleted, and commentators are banned.

EDL,s stance concerning moderate muslims is not a tactic, but due to a total lack of knowledge of islam on the part of the Administrators and moderators.Plus the fact that the majority in the EDL dont bother going on the internet

The EDL site has become very PC in the last few weeks, with some of the more moderators trying to "reach out" to the Muslim community, such as British Muslims for Secular Democracy, despite all the evidence that BMSD are far from moderate.

The EDL stance is that moderate muslims do exist and that the EDL has no problem with them. That's it.

If you want to take a more ardent stance than that, then you are flamed by the moderators and banned.

Henrik R Clausen said...

Shiva, noted. You have a good point here, I was merely second-guessing.

Perhaps EDL should work with Muslims Against Sharia. They seem a fairly intelligent group.

Let me know when EDL has found some 'moderates' to work with :)

Unknown said...

shiva said...
"And I think this is deliberate. Beating the bushes to find the mythical 'moderate' Muslims is an excellent way to prove that they are as frequent as .. unicorns.
I wish this was the case, any serious debate on EDL,s Forum about so called moderate muslims is taboo is blocked, threads are locked and deleted, and commentators are banned."

A quick check of the site seems to show that this is NOT true. The first thread I read revealed the opposite to what you state. Check the following:
'Islam Is Not A Religion'
http://s1.zetaboards.com/EDL_The_Forum/topic/3985270/1/

This is a devastating commentary on Islam and 100% True. We all need to be more vigilant.

I noticed many other threads that would appear to be very critical of Islam as well -- keep up the good work!