Speech from the EDL Demo in Stoke: “Societies Are Fragile”

Thanks to Aeneas, here is the text of the first speech given at the English Defence League demonstration in Stoke-on-Trent. I don’t yet have the name of the speaker:

Societies are fragile.

This great nation did not fall down from the sky or come down in the last shower of rain; It was built up by a thousand years of toil and struggle and against, at times, fierce opposition.

In recent times our parents and grandparents fought the Nazi ideology.

At great cost, Nazi Germany was defeated but, of course, evil forces manifest themselves in different ways and in other times and places; a vigilant people need to be always awake to danger; awake to anything which threatens our society.

Our nation fought for liberty and to protect freedom in World War II. But today, liberty and freedom are threatened by Muslim preachers and their sympathisers who want to bring Sharia law into this country.

Sharia means the slavish domination of women, rule by Muslims, intolerance of and discrimination towards non-Muslims, and the end of democracy.

Ironically, our soldiers are now fighting foreign wars, suffering and dying for societies that are committed to the enforcement of Sharia — While at the same time we have to fight against the forces of Sharia in THIS country.

- - - - - - - - -

We demand that the government understand and lock horns with an ideology, masquerading as a religion, and deal with the people who seek to turn this ‘green and pleasant land’ into Sharia-land, into a theocratic state run by Mullahs and those who wield the sword of Islam.

As we failed to do prior to World War II, it is essential to know our enemies, and it is no secret what their plans are and what they believe.

Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda have accurately summed up the traditional position of Islam and its relationship to all non-Muslims. Based on Qur’an 9:29, he says:

‘…we are to force people by the power of the sword to live by our particular understandings, customs and conditions, all in order to induce debasement and humility, just like Allah commanded…’

He believes: There are only three choices for the infidel in Islam: either willing submission, that is become a Muslim; or pay a special tax which is applied only to non-Muslims, or the sword.

Osama bin Laden goes on to say, and I quote him verbatim: ‘The matter is summed up for every person alive: either submit, or live under the control of Islam, or die.’

To Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and all their supporters and sympathisers, no matter where you are — from the caves of Afghanistan to homes in London, Liverpool or Luton — we say: ‘Get the hell out of this country!’

Our society is under threat because our tolerance and our generosity towards those of other countries and cultures are being used by intolerant people, in order to promote intolerance. This is a weakness in our society which can be exploited by them for only so long.

We stand here today in Stoke as we did in Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Nottingham, and say: We as a society will only be pushed so far but no further.

The English Defence League urges you to take this message back to your communities and find peaceful ways to push back the forces of Sharia, wherever it raises its ugly head.

From Land’s End to John O’Groats we say: We will never submit.

The demonstration is still ongoing, and there is a live feed of the demo at the EDL site.