A former teacher and British National Party member has accused police of wasting taxpayers’ money after he was arrested for protesting.
Adam Walker, from Spennymoor, County Durham, was arrested by West Yorkshire Police in Wakefield, on Tuesday.
He was part of a ten-man BNP protest group supporting Wakefield and District Housing electrician Colin Atkinson.
Mr Atkinson faces a disciplinary hearing by the housing group for refusing to move an 8in palm cross on his work’s vehicle dashboard.
Mr Walker, an ex-technology teacher at Houghton Kepier Sports College, Houghtonle- Spring, near Sunderland, pledged his support.
He and the BNP group handed a letter to the bosses of the housing group, supporting Mr Atkinson.
He said: “We were there to protect the rights of a Christian who has been persecuted for his beliefs.
“We handed in the letter at 1pm and then 15 officers arrived on the scene.
“I was parked in a private car park and they said I was parked over a path and told me I had to move. I agreed to move and they tried to give me a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt in a private car park.
“I refused to give them my name because I felt I’d done nothing wrong. I have a solicitor looking into it now.
“They stuck the ticket on my windscreen without my name on it and it was thrown on the floor.
“They opened the car door and took my keys and then the police dragged me from the car and handcuffed me.
“They took my belongings from me as they walked me to their van and they took me to the police station, but didn’t charge me.
“They expect me to pay the £60 fine for the ticket, but it won’t be paid.
“I was exercising my right to peaceful protest and the police action was another big waste of taxpayers’ money.”
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “We can confirm one man was arrested in relation to unrelated matters.
“He was given a fixed penalty ticket in relation to minor motoring offences.”
Northern Echo
Thursday, 21 April 2011
EDL member jailed for Liverpool Street football brawl (UK)
An English Defence League member has been jailed for nine months after taking part in a pre-arranged brawl between football supporters in London.
Joel Titus, 19, took part in the "pitched battle" between supporters of Brentford and Leyton Orient outside Liverpool Street station in May 2010.
Titus, of Pinner, north-west London, and five other men admitted affray.
The brawl, during which people punched, kicked and threw bottles, was by "prior arrangement", the Old Bailey heard.
Dean Wells, 22, of Isleworth, west London, was jailed for 12 months, David Mitchell, 19, of Littlehampton, West Sussex, was sentenced to seven months and Andrew Hudson, 26, of Hornchurch, Essex, was given an eight-month jail term.
Steven Donovan, 20, of Hayes, west London, and Thomas Armstrong, 24, of Woodford Green, Essex, were each given suspended six-month sentences.
'Frightening spectacle'
Judge Timothy Pontius said all six had taken part in a "disgraceful display of violence" that terrified ordinary people using a busy railway station as bottles were thrown across the street during the fight.
The "pitched battle" must have been a "frightening spectacle", he said, which required a "firm deterrent message".
Titus, an A-level student, was previously been convicted of threatening behaviour for swearing at a police officer who was trying to break up a fight. He will be sentenced in May.
The incident took place while he was on bail following the football brawl, the Old Bailey heard.
He also has a previous caution for battery after hitting a journalist during a right-wing demonstration in December 2009.
Henrietta Paget, for the prosecution, said Brentford-supporting hooligans had travelled to the scene after a game against Hartlepool, to meet rival Leyton Orient supporters, who were on their way back from a match at Colchester in Essex.
The court heard Hudson told police that there was "history" between the clubs dating back to the 1980s.
Titus said he went to the scene after hearing some commotion, but denied any knowledge of the brawl being prearranged.
All six were given football banning orders.
BBC News
Joel Titus, 19, took part in the "pitched battle" between supporters of Brentford and Leyton Orient outside Liverpool Street station in May 2010.
Titus, of Pinner, north-west London, and five other men admitted affray.
The brawl, during which people punched, kicked and threw bottles, was by "prior arrangement", the Old Bailey heard.
Dean Wells, 22, of Isleworth, west London, was jailed for 12 months, David Mitchell, 19, of Littlehampton, West Sussex, was sentenced to seven months and Andrew Hudson, 26, of Hornchurch, Essex, was given an eight-month jail term.
Steven Donovan, 20, of Hayes, west London, and Thomas Armstrong, 24, of Woodford Green, Essex, were each given suspended six-month sentences.
'Frightening spectacle'
Judge Timothy Pontius said all six had taken part in a "disgraceful display of violence" that terrified ordinary people using a busy railway station as bottles were thrown across the street during the fight.
The "pitched battle" must have been a "frightening spectacle", he said, which required a "firm deterrent message".
Titus, an A-level student, was previously been convicted of threatening behaviour for swearing at a police officer who was trying to break up a fight. He will be sentenced in May.
The incident took place while he was on bail following the football brawl, the Old Bailey heard.
He also has a previous caution for battery after hitting a journalist during a right-wing demonstration in December 2009.
Henrietta Paget, for the prosecution, said Brentford-supporting hooligans had travelled to the scene after a game against Hartlepool, to meet rival Leyton Orient supporters, who were on their way back from a match at Colchester in Essex.
The court heard Hudson told police that there was "history" between the clubs dating back to the 1980s.
Titus said he went to the scene after hearing some commotion, but denied any knowledge of the brawl being prearranged.
All six were given football banning orders.
BBC News
Rugby League star Ben Cockayne faces probe over alleged racist comments on Facebook (UK)
A big money rugby league star was being investigated last night after racist comments appeared on his and a mate’s Facebook pages.
Super League ace Ben Cockayne, 27, allegedly posted “p*** c***” on the site earlier this week.
It is thought the Hull KR fullback wrote on a pal’s profile page: “u owe me a quid an the p*** c*** that has got my wallet in his car owes me about 100”. It is believed Cockayne was referring to a wallet which he had lost in a taxi.
But 53 minutes later Cockayne, who was given a 12-month suspended sentence in 2009 for an assault, wrote on Facebook: “Found it :) thank f***”.
Last night Cockayne’s Facebook profile was removed within hours of the Mirror contacting his club and the Rugby Football League. A Hull KR spokesman said: “The club will be carrying out a full internal investigation into comments allegedly made on a website by Ben Cockayne. Nobody will be commenting further until that has concluded.”
The Rugby Football League, which has a Kick Racism Into Touch campaign, said: “We will be speaking to Hull KR about a potential social media matter.”
The Mirror
Super League ace Ben Cockayne, 27, allegedly posted “p*** c***” on the site earlier this week.
It is thought the Hull KR fullback wrote on a pal’s profile page: “u owe me a quid an the p*** c*** that has got my wallet in his car owes me about 100”. It is believed Cockayne was referring to a wallet which he had lost in a taxi.
But 53 minutes later Cockayne, who was given a 12-month suspended sentence in 2009 for an assault, wrote on Facebook: “Found it :) thank f***”.
Last night Cockayne’s Facebook profile was removed within hours of the Mirror contacting his club and the Rugby Football League. A Hull KR spokesman said: “The club will be carrying out a full internal investigation into comments allegedly made on a website by Ben Cockayne. Nobody will be commenting further until that has concluded.”
The Rugby Football League, which has a Kick Racism Into Touch campaign, said: “We will be speaking to Hull KR about a potential social media matter.”
The Mirror
Russian migration official fired in racism row
The spokesman for Russia's main migration agency was fired Wednesday after saying in an interview the "survival of the white race was at stake" in Russia.
Konstantin Poltoranin, the Federal Migration Service's chief spokesman since 2005, said he did not understand why Europe fostered immigration from Africa and the Middle East.
Russia must be more cautious about "mixing bloods," he said in an interview with the BBC Russian Service just hours before his sacking.
"The survival of the white race is at stake and this is very palpable in Russia," Poltoranin said.
The head of the Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Romadanovsky, called the comments "unacceptable" and confirmed they had cost the spokesman his job, the state-run Itar-tass news agency reported.
The Kremlin added Poltoranin's interview had raised a red flag at the presidential administration and his sacking was a "logical and necessary step," a spokesman said.
In a subsequent interview, Poltoranin denied his comments were "racist," but stressed Russia should give priority to migrants who "know Russia, know our faith and accept our customs and laws."
The Russian Orthodox Church is the dominant faith, but about one-fifth of Russia's 143 million people are Muslims.
With its combustible mix of disenchanted ethnic Russian youth and labour migrants from the mostly Muslim North Caucasus and ex-Soviet Central Asia, Moscow has become a focal point of racial tensions.
In December, Moscow saw the worst nationalist riots in its post-Soviet history, with police unable to stop some 7,000 youths rallying near the Kremlin from attacking people of non-Slavic appearance in what President Dmitry Medvedev called "pogroms."
SOVA, a non-government group that tracks ethnic violence, said at least at least two people were killed and 68 injured in hate crimes last December, compared to three killed and 22 wounded for the same month in 2009.
At least 37 people were killed in hate crimes in Russia last year, it said.
Reuters
Konstantin Poltoranin, the Federal Migration Service's chief spokesman since 2005, said he did not understand why Europe fostered immigration from Africa and the Middle East.
Russia must be more cautious about "mixing bloods," he said in an interview with the BBC Russian Service just hours before his sacking.
"The survival of the white race is at stake and this is very palpable in Russia," Poltoranin said.
The head of the Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Romadanovsky, called the comments "unacceptable" and confirmed they had cost the spokesman his job, the state-run Itar-tass news agency reported.
The Kremlin added Poltoranin's interview had raised a red flag at the presidential administration and his sacking was a "logical and necessary step," a spokesman said.
In a subsequent interview, Poltoranin denied his comments were "racist," but stressed Russia should give priority to migrants who "know Russia, know our faith and accept our customs and laws."
The Russian Orthodox Church is the dominant faith, but about one-fifth of Russia's 143 million people are Muslims.
With its combustible mix of disenchanted ethnic Russian youth and labour migrants from the mostly Muslim North Caucasus and ex-Soviet Central Asia, Moscow has become a focal point of racial tensions.
In December, Moscow saw the worst nationalist riots in its post-Soviet history, with police unable to stop some 7,000 youths rallying near the Kremlin from attacking people of non-Slavic appearance in what President Dmitry Medvedev called "pogroms."
SOVA, a non-government group that tracks ethnic violence, said at least at least two people were killed and 68 injured in hate crimes last December, compared to three killed and 22 wounded for the same month in 2009.
At least 37 people were killed in hate crimes in Russia last year, it said.
Reuters
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Moscow to see 'anti-fascist patrols' on Hitler's birthday (Russia)
Youth activists will patrol Moscow on Wednesday in a bid to prevent attacks by neo-Nazi groups celebrating the 122nd anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth, officials said.
Rosmolodezh - Russian Federal Agency of Youth Affairs - said that some 750 people from the country's "Volunteer Brigade" - an organization with close links to law enforcement bodies - and representatives of ethnic minority groups would "take under special control" squares, train stations and other public places.
April 20 has traditionally seen an increase attacks on ethnic minorities in Moscow and other Russian cities.
Ethnic tensions exploded in Moscow late last year after the killing of a football fan by a native of the country's mainly Muslim North Caucasus. Some 5,000 football hooligans and nationalists subsequently rioted near Red Square and clashes between ethnic Russians and internal migrants were reported across the country.
RiaNovosti
Rosmolodezh - Russian Federal Agency of Youth Affairs - said that some 750 people from the country's "Volunteer Brigade" - an organization with close links to law enforcement bodies - and representatives of ethnic minority groups would "take under special control" squares, train stations and other public places.
April 20 has traditionally seen an increase attacks on ethnic minorities in Moscow and other Russian cities.
Ethnic tensions exploded in Moscow late last year after the killing of a football fan by a native of the country's mainly Muslim North Caucasus. Some 5,000 football hooligans and nationalists subsequently rioted near Red Square and clashes between ethnic Russians and internal migrants were reported across the country.
RiaNovosti
Roanoke neo-Nazi Bill White may win freedom on free speech appeal (USA)
Neo-Nazi activist William A. White, who for the past three years has waged a First Amendment battle with the federal government, has won another round.
A U.S. District Court judge ruled today that a Chicago jury was wrong when it convicted White in January of using his website to solicit violence.
The decision means that White, who has been jailed almost continuously since October 2008, may soon be released.
It was not immediately clear if White intends to return to Roanoke, where he formed the American National Socialist Workers Party, a white supremacy movement that gained national attention.
In a decision today, Judge Lynn Adelman reversed a conviction that White -— angry at the conviction of a fellow white supremacist for trying to have a judge killed years ago -— used his website to solicit violence against the foreman of the jury.
White publicized the juror’s name and contact information, but made no direct threats against him. Prosecutors argued, and the jury agreed, that the posting should be taken in context with a campaign of intimidation and thinly-veiled threats that White maintained on his website, overthrow.com.
In reversing the jury’s verdict, Adelman ruled that White’s actions did not amount to a solicitation, and that they were protected by his free-speech rights.
"The First Amendment protects vehement, scathing and offensive criticism of others, including individuals involved in the criminal justice system," such as the juror, Adelman wrote.
White has been held in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, awaiting a decision from the judge. Because he has already completed a 2½ year prison term from previous convictions in Roanoke, While could be released as soon as today, said his Chicago attorney Nishay Sanan.
Federal prosecutors are expected to ask that White be sent back to jail pending an appeal, Sanan said.
Today’s decision is the latest in a back-and-forth conflict between the rights of a neo-Nazi to make hateful statements and the fears he struck in some of his targets.
Since 2008, federal authorities have filed eight charges against White, alleging in one form or another that he crossed the line between free speech and criminal activity. White was convicted of five charges in Roanoke and Chicago, although two of them -- including the one today -- were later reversed by judges.
"I think justice was done," Sanan said. "The First Amendment has been upheld."
"The government can’t just go around charging people who make unpopular speech."
Roanoke.com
A U.S. District Court judge ruled today that a Chicago jury was wrong when it convicted White in January of using his website to solicit violence.
The decision means that White, who has been jailed almost continuously since October 2008, may soon be released.
It was not immediately clear if White intends to return to Roanoke, where he formed the American National Socialist Workers Party, a white supremacy movement that gained national attention.
In a decision today, Judge Lynn Adelman reversed a conviction that White -— angry at the conviction of a fellow white supremacist for trying to have a judge killed years ago -— used his website to solicit violence against the foreman of the jury.
White publicized the juror’s name and contact information, but made no direct threats against him. Prosecutors argued, and the jury agreed, that the posting should be taken in context with a campaign of intimidation and thinly-veiled threats that White maintained on his website, overthrow.com.
In reversing the jury’s verdict, Adelman ruled that White’s actions did not amount to a solicitation, and that they were protected by his free-speech rights.
"The First Amendment protects vehement, scathing and offensive criticism of others, including individuals involved in the criminal justice system," such as the juror, Adelman wrote.
White has been held in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, awaiting a decision from the judge. Because he has already completed a 2½ year prison term from previous convictions in Roanoke, While could be released as soon as today, said his Chicago attorney Nishay Sanan.
Federal prosecutors are expected to ask that White be sent back to jail pending an appeal, Sanan said.
Today’s decision is the latest in a back-and-forth conflict between the rights of a neo-Nazi to make hateful statements and the fears he struck in some of his targets.
Since 2008, federal authorities have filed eight charges against White, alleging in one form or another that he crossed the line between free speech and criminal activity. White was convicted of five charges in Roanoke and Chicago, although two of them -- including the one today -- were later reversed by judges.
"I think justice was done," Sanan said. "The First Amendment has been upheld."
"The government can’t just go around charging people who make unpopular speech."
Roanoke.com
Royal wedding to be ‘protected by EDL ring of steel’
The leader of the English Defence League says the organisation’s members will risk prosecution in a bid to protect next week’s royal wedding from Islamic extremists.
EDL leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, said ‘50 to 100’ members would be at each train station near Westminster Abbey to prevent extremist Muslims from reaching the ceremony.
Muslims Against Crusades announced this week that it planned to demonstrate outside the April 29 ceremony, but its bid was blocked yesterday by the Metropolitan Police.
The group was behind the burning of a poppies on Armistice Day last year.
In an announcement on its website, Muslims Against Crusades said it hoped “the day which the nation has been dreaming of for so long will become a nightmare”.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon, who runs a tanning salon in Hastings Street, Luton, said EDL members planned to physically stop Muslim extremists getting to Westminster Abbey.
“The police will let them have their protest but we’ll be at each train station to make sure they don’t come,” he said.
“It’s going to be a public order offence – there will be mass disorder. We will form a ring of steel around that wedding.
“It will be ordinary members of the public going in to prevent a crime because the police won’t stop it. “We will be issued with Section 14 orders because we would cause a breach of the peace.”
In its statement yesterday, Muslims Against Crusades said Prince William should “withdraw from the crusader British military and give up all affiliation to the tyrannical British Empire”.
They said the demonstration was justified to highlight Britain’s “quest to occupy Muslim land and wage war against the religion of God”.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon said ordinary Muslims heading to Westminster Abbey would have nothing to fear from the English Defence League.
“Muslims Against Crusades will be carrying black flags and will be in uniform so we will know who they are,” he said. “As soon as they come out of any station there’s going to be chaos.”
Asked whether he was concerned that the EDL’s presence would only cause further disruption, he said: “It can’t get any worse than if Muslims Against Crusades turn up. You have freedom of speech but this is ordinary members of the British public who are angry about this, which is what happened when they tried to disrupt the Poachers’ parade in Luton.”
Mr Yaxley-Lennon said he would not be in London himself on April 29 as he will be away on holiday.
Luton Today
EDL leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the pseudonym Tommy Robinson, said ‘50 to 100’ members would be at each train station near Westminster Abbey to prevent extremist Muslims from reaching the ceremony.
Muslims Against Crusades announced this week that it planned to demonstrate outside the April 29 ceremony, but its bid was blocked yesterday by the Metropolitan Police.
The group was behind the burning of a poppies on Armistice Day last year.
In an announcement on its website, Muslims Against Crusades said it hoped “the day which the nation has been dreaming of for so long will become a nightmare”.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon, who runs a tanning salon in Hastings Street, Luton, said EDL members planned to physically stop Muslim extremists getting to Westminster Abbey.
“The police will let them have their protest but we’ll be at each train station to make sure they don’t come,” he said.
“It’s going to be a public order offence – there will be mass disorder. We will form a ring of steel around that wedding.
“It will be ordinary members of the public going in to prevent a crime because the police won’t stop it. “We will be issued with Section 14 orders because we would cause a breach of the peace.”
In its statement yesterday, Muslims Against Crusades said Prince William should “withdraw from the crusader British military and give up all affiliation to the tyrannical British Empire”.
They said the demonstration was justified to highlight Britain’s “quest to occupy Muslim land and wage war against the religion of God”.
Mr Yaxley-Lennon said ordinary Muslims heading to Westminster Abbey would have nothing to fear from the English Defence League.
“Muslims Against Crusades will be carrying black flags and will be in uniform so we will know who they are,” he said. “As soon as they come out of any station there’s going to be chaos.”
Asked whether he was concerned that the EDL’s presence would only cause further disruption, he said: “It can’t get any worse than if Muslims Against Crusades turn up. You have freedom of speech but this is ordinary members of the British public who are angry about this, which is what happened when they tried to disrupt the Poachers’ parade in Luton.”
Mr Yaxley-Lennon said he would not be in London himself on April 29 as he will be away on holiday.
Luton Today
English Defence League youth facing jail over mass brawl (UK)
 |
| Joel Titus centre |
Joel Titus, 18, took part in the bloody brawl between Brentford and Leyton Orient supporters outside Liverpool Street station in central London in May last year.
The A-level student was captured on CCTV hurling objects at rivals and fighting over a wooden pole with another thug.
Titus had previously been cautioned for battery after punching a journalist at a right-wing demonstration against the "Islamification of Europe" in December 2009, the Old Bailey heard.
Earlier this year he was found guilty of threatening behaviour after snarling "f*** off" at a police officer who tried to break up a fight.
He is reported to be a youth organiser for the EDL and has appeared on the BBC Newsnight programme talking about his role in protests.
Titus, of North View, Pinner, north-west London, appeared in court alongside five other men, all of whom admitted a charge of affray at earlier hearings.
They are: Dean Wells, 24, of Isleworth, west London; Steven Donovan, 20, of Hayes, Middlesex; Andrew Hudson, 26, of Hornchurch, Essex; David Mitchell, 19, of Littlehampton, West Sussex; and Thomas Armstrong, 24, of Woodford Green, Essex.
All six were remanded in custody to be sentenced tomorrow.
The court heard that the mass brawl, which involved people punching and kicking and the use of weapons, as well as bottles being thrown, appeared to take place "by prior arrangement".
Henrietta Paget, prosecuting, said Brentford hooligans had travelled to the scene after their home match against Hartlepool, to meet Leyton Orient thugs on their way back from an away match at Colchester.
By early evening the Orient group, including Armstrong and Hudson, were drinking at Dirty Dicks bar in Bishopsgate while the other four defendants were among those at the Railway Tavern in Liverpool Street.
CCTV footage showed the two sets of hooligans coming together in a violent confrontation before being dispersed by the arrival of a police car.
One of the thugs, Hudson, later told police that there was "history" between supporters of the two clubs dating back to the 1980s.
Titus was captured on camera, wearing a khaki jacket with a hood up, fighting alongside fellow hooligans.
He later told police he was an Arsenal fan who occasionally went to watch Brentford and had been out that night celebrating the end of the football season.
Titus said he was at the scene of the violence after he heard shouting and jogged down to see what it was about, but denied knowing what the fight was about or that it was planned.
The court heard that he was wearing a glove on one hand, which was specially designed to protect him from glass.
In December last year, while on bail over the affray, he threatened a police officer who tried to break up a fight.
"Mr Titus, with a half-full pint glass of beer, said 'f*** off, you aren't wanted here' and moved aggressively towards him," said Miss Paget.
He was convicted of threatening behaviour and is due to be sentenced at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court in May.
There was also a conviction for knife possession in 2006.
In December 2009 he received a caution for battery following a "far-right demonstration" at Harrow civic centre to "stop the Islamification of Europe", during which he punched a journalist.
Veronica Ramsden, for Titus, said he had "done well academically".
She said he was studying for A-levels including media studies, hoping for an A-grade, and that he planned to go on to Birmingham University to pursue a degree.
Miss Ramsden said he was "heartily sorry" to have been involved in the violence.
24Dash
Research documents racism in Poland
Over 400 racist incidents have been catalogued by campaigners against xenophobia in a so-called Brown Book 2009-2010, released this week.
Physical attacks on non-white men and women are amongst the crimes included in the document, as well as the racist rhetoric of football fans and the vandalism of sacred sites.
The research was carried out by the anti-fascist magazine Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again), and the Monitoring Centre on Racism in Eastern Europe.
“The Brown Book proves how big a problem racism, neo-fascism and anti-Semitism still are in Poland, ” claims Nigdy Wiecej editor-in-chief Marcin Kornak.
As it is, a considerable portion of the crimes described in the book were carried out by neo-fascist and extreme right factions but some were on the spur of the moment incidents, says the report.
“Nigger [czarnuch] get out of Poland,” a citizen from Ghana was told in January 2009, as he was beaten up by a 27-year-old Pole in Wroclaw, reports the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
Likewise, in March 2009, a dark-skinned Swedish woman was hit in the face by three men in a shopping mall in Bialystok. According to reports, security from a Media Markt branch adjacent to the crime scene failed to come to the aid of the Swedish medicine student.
Graffiti in Jewish cemeteries, including inscriptions such as “Jews in the oven because that's where your place is,” are still common in Poland, claims the research.
Radio Maryja
Anti-Semitic remarks have also been recorded on the far-right Radio Marya, station, says the report, echoing old stereotypes that the Jews are collectively responsible for imposing communism on Poland. One listener in a phone-in programme apparently described a former MP from the Civic Platform party as a “Jewish-Communist Platform clown”, to which the presenter replied, “you use strong words, but they are justified.”
Besides incidents relating to Jews and blacks, the book also highlights some incidences of anti-German and anti-Ukrainian abuse.
But the problem is not just with the usual suspects of anti-Semites and the far-right in general. In Poland, throw-away racists quips can also be heard on mainstream media.
Last month, popular chat show host Kuba Wojewodzki made a series of jokes about a Nigerian contestant on his show on the private TVN station, remarking that the guest had “eaten a white woman”.
The ‘joke’ echoes a remark Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski made shortly after the election of Barack Obama as US president. Right wing MEP Ryszard Czarnecki, quoted on his blog back in 2008 the foreign minister as saying: "Have you heard that Obama may have a Polish connection? His grandfather ate a Polish missionary."
A spokesman for the Polish foreign office said that Sikorski was merely giving examples of the sort of remarks that can be heard about the new US president.
"Mr Sikorski did not tell a racist joke," ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said at the time. "He was only giving an example of the unpalatable and racist 'jokes' that surround President Obama."
The News Pl
Physical attacks on non-white men and women are amongst the crimes included in the document, as well as the racist rhetoric of football fans and the vandalism of sacred sites.
The research was carried out by the anti-fascist magazine Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again), and the Monitoring Centre on Racism in Eastern Europe.
“The Brown Book proves how big a problem racism, neo-fascism and anti-Semitism still are in Poland, ” claims Nigdy Wiecej editor-in-chief Marcin Kornak.
As it is, a considerable portion of the crimes described in the book were carried out by neo-fascist and extreme right factions but some were on the spur of the moment incidents, says the report.
“Nigger [czarnuch] get out of Poland,” a citizen from Ghana was told in January 2009, as he was beaten up by a 27-year-old Pole in Wroclaw, reports the Gazeta Wyborcza daily.
Likewise, in March 2009, a dark-skinned Swedish woman was hit in the face by three men in a shopping mall in Bialystok. According to reports, security from a Media Markt branch adjacent to the crime scene failed to come to the aid of the Swedish medicine student.
Graffiti in Jewish cemeteries, including inscriptions such as “Jews in the oven because that's where your place is,” are still common in Poland, claims the research.
Radio Maryja
Anti-Semitic remarks have also been recorded on the far-right Radio Marya, station, says the report, echoing old stereotypes that the Jews are collectively responsible for imposing communism on Poland. One listener in a phone-in programme apparently described a former MP from the Civic Platform party as a “Jewish-Communist Platform clown”, to which the presenter replied, “you use strong words, but they are justified.”
Besides incidents relating to Jews and blacks, the book also highlights some incidences of anti-German and anti-Ukrainian abuse.
But the problem is not just with the usual suspects of anti-Semites and the far-right in general. In Poland, throw-away racists quips can also be heard on mainstream media.
Last month, popular chat show host Kuba Wojewodzki made a series of jokes about a Nigerian contestant on his show on the private TVN station, remarking that the guest had “eaten a white woman”.
The ‘joke’ echoes a remark Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski made shortly after the election of Barack Obama as US president. Right wing MEP Ryszard Czarnecki, quoted on his blog back in 2008 the foreign minister as saying: "Have you heard that Obama may have a Polish connection? His grandfather ate a Polish missionary."
A spokesman for the Polish foreign office said that Sikorski was merely giving examples of the sort of remarks that can be heard about the new US president.
"Mr Sikorski did not tell a racist joke," ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said at the time. "He was only giving an example of the unpalatable and racist 'jokes' that surround President Obama."
The News Pl
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Smoke bomb ends Hitler birthday party (USA)
Lyons police are investigating a smoke bomb explosion that abruptly ended a birthday party celebration for Adolf Hitler at a Lyons banquet hall, a party complete with decorated cakes and Nazi banners.
The suspect, a man with a backpack, had ordered a grilled cheese sandwich before he went into a restroom and set off the smoke bomb, authorities said Monday.
"The description we have to work off of is very vague," police Chief Harley Schinker said of the person responsible for the damage Saturday night to P.J. Klem's Restaurant & Banquet Hall.
Art Jones, chairman of the America First Committee, said he organized the party and that about 60 people attended. In addition to celebrating the 122nd anniversary of Hitler's birth, which is Wednesday, Jones said the group marked the April 12, 1861, start of the Civil War.
The party included two cakes, Jones said. One was decorated with the words, "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler." The other bore the phrase, "The South Was Right. White Men Fight," Jones said.
Officers arrived at the restaurant and banquet hall about 6:15 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call about smoke, according to a release from Lyons police.
The smoke bomb caused no serious damage or injuries, but police evacuated and closed the restaurant to allow the Cook County sheriff's police bomb squad to search the building, Lyons police said.
Pete Klemetzos, general manager of Klem's, said he was unaware of the party's specific purpose when it was scheduled several weeks ago.
The same group has rented the banquet hall in previous years and was holding a peaceful gathering, he added.
"There was no 'Heil Hitler' or anything like that," Klemetzos said, although banners bearing swastikas were displayed.
"They didn't wear uniforms. There were no outside demonstrations. A group came in and said they wanted me to cook for them — chicken, beef, sausage — and I didn't ask them who they were."
Chicago Tribune
The suspect, a man with a backpack, had ordered a grilled cheese sandwich before he went into a restroom and set off the smoke bomb, authorities said Monday.
"The description we have to work off of is very vague," police Chief Harley Schinker said of the person responsible for the damage Saturday night to P.J. Klem's Restaurant & Banquet Hall.
Art Jones, chairman of the America First Committee, said he organized the party and that about 60 people attended. In addition to celebrating the 122nd anniversary of Hitler's birth, which is Wednesday, Jones said the group marked the April 12, 1861, start of the Civil War.
The party included two cakes, Jones said. One was decorated with the words, "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler." The other bore the phrase, "The South Was Right. White Men Fight," Jones said.
Officers arrived at the restaurant and banquet hall about 6:15 p.m. Saturday after receiving a call about smoke, according to a release from Lyons police.
The smoke bomb caused no serious damage or injuries, but police evacuated and closed the restaurant to allow the Cook County sheriff's police bomb squad to search the building, Lyons police said.
Pete Klemetzos, general manager of Klem's, said he was unaware of the party's specific purpose when it was scheduled several weeks ago.
The same group has rented the banquet hall in previous years and was holding a peaceful gathering, he added.
"There was no 'Heil Hitler' or anything like that," Klemetzos said, although banners bearing swastikas were displayed.
"They didn't wear uniforms. There were no outside demonstrations. A group came in and said they wanted me to cook for them — chicken, beef, sausage — and I didn't ask them who they were."
Chicago Tribune
The Turner Diaries and the BNP.
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| David Copeland |
Copeland who had acted as a steward at various BNP meetings and was photographed with John Tyndall the BNP’s founder was well known by the BNP leadership.
At the time of his arrest Copeland stated this to the police as to the motivation for his actions.
"My main intent was to spread fear, resentment and hatred throughout this country, it was to cause a racial war."
He said: "If you've read The Turner Diaries, you know the year 2000 there'll be the uprising and all that, racial violence on the streets. My aim was political. It was to cause a racial war in this country.
There'd be a backlash from the ethnic minorities, then all the white people will go out and vote BNP."
Today marks the 16th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing which was another terrorist attack that was also inspired by The Turner Diaries book.
 |
| Timothy McVeigh |
The attack that occurred on the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 was carried out by the former U.S. Army member Timothy James McVeigh.
McVeigh who had sought revenge against the governments for its handling of the Waco siege where 77 members of the Branch Davidians died, had been inspired to his actions by this white supremacist literature.
“McVeigh frequently quoted and alluded to the white supremacist novel The Turner Diaries. It described acts of terrorism similar to the one he carried out.”
Wikipedia
Photocopies of pages sixty-one and sixty-two of The Turner Diaries were found in an envelope inside McVeigh's car.
Wikipedia
A Timothy McVeigh quote
“If people say The Turner Diaries was my Bible, Unintended Consequences would be my New Testament. I think Unintended Consequences is a better book. It might have changed my whole plan of operation if I'd read that one first.”
Wikipedia
The book tells the story of Earl Turner a member of a white supremacist guerrilla army trying to overthrow the American government in a future Aryan race war. It also contains a detailed description of the mass hangings of “Race Traitors” in Los Angeles and the ethnic cleansing of a city.
It’s full of anti-Semitic conspiracy theory government control bile, mixed in with white racial superiority, paranoia and xenophobia.
Here’s a section from the book.
“If the White nations of the world had not allowed themselves to become subject to the Jew, to Jewish ideas, to the Jewish spirit, this war would not be necessary. We can hardly consider ourselves blameless. We can hardly say we had no choice, no chance to avoid the Jew's snare. We can hardly say we were not warned....
The people had finally had their fill of the Jews and their tricks....If the Organization survives this contest, no Jew will -- anywhere. We'll go to the Uttermost ends of the earth to hunt down the last of Satan's spawn.”
Obviously due to its narrative it ticks all the white supremacist extremists’ boxes and is often called the “Bible of the Right Wing”.
So who wrote The Turner Diaries?
Unsurprisingly the author was a well known American Neo-Nazi called William Luther Pierce, writing under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald.Pierce was the founder of the American neo-Nazi white supremacist organisation the “National Alliance” and creator of the religion “Cosmotheism”.
A religion based on the principles of white racialism, pantheism, eugenics and National Socialism (Nazism).
Obviously William Pierce was a hardcore white supremacist and Neo-Nazi.
Yet this didn’t discourage the British National Party inviting him over to speak at one of their rallies in 1995. And in 1999 Pierce spoke at an American Friends of the British National Party meeting in Arlington, Virginia.
When William Pierce died in 2002, the BNP website carried an official obituary for the man.
Although today the BNP seldom officially make references to William Pierce, their members still hold the man in admiration.
In 2009 Nick Cass the BNP’s leafleting poster boy was spotted on a Television interview with an National Alliance tattoo.
 |
| Birmingham Nationalist |
And this BNP Non-Official, "cough” Blog is yet again promoting Pierce’s racial agenda and paranoia.
In the video of Pierce that this BNP blog has posted, he once again re-enforces the racist white supremacist anti-Semitic dogma that is blatant in The Turner Diaries.
Yesterday we reminded you of the Ex-BNP member David Copeland and his terror campaign in London.
Today we remind you of Timothy McVeigh and his terror campaign in Oklahoma City.
Today we have also have pointed out the not so distant link between these two events and the British National Party.
A link that should not be forgotten.
Especially as tomorrow is the anniversary of Adolph Hitler's birthday.
An event that is often celibrated by Neo-Nazi's around the world.
.
Wilders trial: police complaint about perjury (Netherlands)
PVV leader Geert Wilders is to make a formal complaint to the police of perjury against one of the witnesses at his inciting hatred trial.
On Monday, a special court panel refused to honour the Wilders’ camp call for new judges, because they refused to investigate statements made by Middle East expert Bertus Hendriks.
Wilders and his lawyer Bram Moszkowicz claim Hendriks lied in court about the motives for inviting another witness, Arab languages expert Hans Jansen, to dinner last May.
During that dinner, Moszkowicz claims a third witness tried to pressure Jansen about his evidence.
Following Monday’s decision, the case against Wilders can now continue.
‘The circus will go on,’ Wilders told the Telegraaf in a reaction.
Dutch News
On Monday, a special court panel refused to honour the Wilders’ camp call for new judges, because they refused to investigate statements made by Middle East expert Bertus Hendriks.
Wilders and his lawyer Bram Moszkowicz claim Hendriks lied in court about the motives for inviting another witness, Arab languages expert Hans Jansen, to dinner last May.
During that dinner, Moszkowicz claims a third witness tried to pressure Jansen about his evidence.
Following Monday’s decision, the case against Wilders can now continue.
‘The circus will go on,’ Wilders told the Telegraaf in a reaction.
Dutch News
Green blasts FPÖ for alleged neo-Nazi contacts (Austria)
He called on FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache to do so. Öllinger charged that individuals in the FPÖ’s entourage had sent emails to alleged neo-Nazi websites "unzensuriert.at" and "alpen-donau.info" and that one had called for a military coup in Austria, "a scandal" in Öllinger’s words.
In response, FPÖ General Secretary Herbert Kickl said that "Öllinger’s assertions do not become any more truthful through repetition. Nazis have no place with us."
Claiming that the FPÖ had been trying to investigate the operator of the website alpen-donau.info, Kickl added efforts had been made to make it "an instrument of provocation against the FPÖ" that "Green ideological fanatics and their stooges" could exploit.
The recent apprehension of an infamous fascist by police may have triggered Öllinger’s charge.
Gottfried Küssel was arrested on 11 April. The outspoken neo-Nazi is accused of cooperating with the people behind "alpen-donau.info", a controversial discussion platform of neo-Nazis on the internet. The site was taken offline last month after state prosecutors in Vienna asked their counterparts in the United States for support.
Austrian officials were forced to watch on as anonymous neo-Nazis posted hate messages against foreigners in German on the homepage. "Alpe-Donau" also made headlines for revealing the home addresses and private phone numbers of several journalists and left-wing politicians.
US officials vowed to cooperate with Austria in the matter. Viennese prosecutors failed to find a way to take action against "Alpe-Donau" for months after it became clear that the platform was being managed via a server located in the USA.
Küssel’s arrest came around half a year after investigators had confiscated data storage devices and documents at dozens of apartments and offices in Vienna. Around a dozen users of "Alpe-Donau" – which promoted events held by Küssel in cooperation with Czech neo-Nazis – have been identified in the meantime.
Investigators think that some of the suspected neo-Nazis may also have links to the FPÖ, the third-strongest political force in the federal parliament, according to recent reports. Strache has said many times over the past months that his party and he wanted to disassociate themselves from the disputed online forum.
Strache was pressed to speak out on the issue after participators of discussions on the website praised his party for its current policies. The FPÖ sparked outcry among most political competitors for campaigning against members of the Islamic community in Austria who are unwilling to integrate into society. Strache has warned of the creation of "parallel societies" in several speeches on the campaign trail in recent years. Surveys show that the right-wing party might come in first were Austrians asked to go to the polls in general elections this month.
Organisers of "Alpe-Donau" and people engaging in discussions in the website’s forum face several years in jail if prosecutors press charges under Austrian anti-Nazi propaganda regulations.
Austrian Times
Cash-strapped BNP 'turns to racist hardcore' (UK)
The anti-BNP campaign group Hope not Hate said it had compiled a dossier of extremist postings of candidates standing on 5 May, either in council elections or those to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. Among the postings the group collected from Facebook pages were:
* One BNP candidate in the North of England who posted on his Facebook page a mock advert for the gas Zyklon B – used in the Nazi extermination chambers of the Second World War – captioned, "Try Zyklon B. It's a gas!"
* One candidate urges his followers to "Stamp out diseases today. Spray pakis and poofs with hydrochloric acid".
* An activist in Wales, who has a photograph of his endorsement by BNP leader Nick Griffin on his Facebook page. Underneath it reads: "My grandfather was killed in Auschwitz. Apparently he got pissed and fell out of the watchtower!"
The candidate also posted, "Just popped round to see my Muslim neighbour's new baby. She asked me if I wanted to wind it but that seemed a bit extreme so I gave it a dead leg instead."
* A woman, describing herself as a "a big supporter of the BNP leader Nick Griffin", responded to a protest by Muslims Against The Crusades by saying: "They should all be burned."
* Another candidate posting about his arrest for "an out of date bus ticket", says: "They [police] have just made me hate them even more. From now on I will be celebrating the death of serving police officers when they are announced on the news. May sound a bit extreme but I hate them that much." He also posted that Labour's newly elected MP for Barnsley Central, Dan Jarvis, a former officer in the Parachute Regiment, "should have been shot from behind while facing the enemy".
Overall the BNP will be fielding just over 200 candidates in next month's elections – nearly 500 fewer than the in 2007. It said it "was having to cut its cloth" because of the amount of money it had had to spend defending a legal action against the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
Hope not Hate said: "As his party crumbles, Nick Griffin has been forced to turn to what even by BNP standards, is a hard core of neo-Nazis and racists. These are not just activists, but people Griffin is putting forward as candidates for elected public office. They are literally the best the BNP now has to offer."
Hope not Hate, which is funded by the trades union movement, said the party had become hopelessly split – with many members defecting to the English Democrats and the breakaway party British Freedom Party.
The BNP has been engaged in a long-running court battle with the EHRC over its policy of restricting membership to "indigenous British people". It scrapped the rule but the Commission accused Mr Griffin of failing to comply with an order to remove potentially racist clauses from his party's constitution. In December Mr Griffin fought off an attempt to have him declared guilty of contempt of court at the High Court – which rejected the EHRC's attempt to seize the party's assets. Costs were awarded to the BNP but deputy leader Simon Darby said the battle had affected its ability to recruit members and had cost a huge amount in legal fees which had yet to be reimbursed.
Mr Darby said: "Unlike the Labour Party we cannot afford to be £19m in debt and we have had to cut our cloth accordingly." He said the unsavoury postings could be fakes to discredit the party.
'BNP postings' on facebook
* "7/7 – keep trying ya raghead bastards. This is our country our England our rules. Time2 packup and get the fuck out of dodge."
* "Fly your flag! no excuses. We stock them. £5 to piss off your Muslim neigbours off big style. What a fucking bargain."
* "Going to the polling station was aday out for the lazy African population as they don't work."
* "Unless we stand up and are counted then it's bye bye England."
The Independant
The Oklahoma City bombing - 16 years on
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, which claimed 168 lives and injured more than 680 people, making it the most deadly act of terrorism in America until 9/11.
On 19 April 1995, 27-year-old Timothy McVeigh detonated a fuel and fertilizer truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Motivated by his anger at the FBI's handling of the Ruby Ridge incident 1992 and Waco Seige 1993, in which religious extremists were shot dead, McVeigh decided to bomb a federal building in response.
Within 90 minutes of the explosion McVeigh was stopped by police for driving without a licence plate and arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Forensic evidence quickly linked McVeigh and his accomplice, Terry Nichols, to the bombing.
The men, who met in 1988 at Fort Benning during basic training for the U.S Army and bonded over their interest in the militia movement, were charged within days.
The 4,800-pound fertilizer truck bomb, which killed 19 children under the age of six as well as eight federal agents, is estimated to have caused $652 million worth of damage. The official investigation, known as "OKBOMB", was the largest criminal investigation case in American history.
McVeigh was convicted two years later of first-degree murder charges, and found guilty of 11 counts of dealing with the bombing. He was executed by lethal injection on 11 June 2001. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison.
The Independant
On 19 April 1995, 27-year-old Timothy McVeigh detonated a fuel and fertilizer truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.
Motivated by his anger at the FBI's handling of the Ruby Ridge incident 1992 and Waco Seige 1993, in which religious extremists were shot dead, McVeigh decided to bomb a federal building in response.
Within 90 minutes of the explosion McVeigh was stopped by police for driving without a licence plate and arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Forensic evidence quickly linked McVeigh and his accomplice, Terry Nichols, to the bombing.
The men, who met in 1988 at Fort Benning during basic training for the U.S Army and bonded over their interest in the militia movement, were charged within days.
The 4,800-pound fertilizer truck bomb, which killed 19 children under the age of six as well as eight federal agents, is estimated to have caused $652 million worth of damage. The official investigation, known as "OKBOMB", was the largest criminal investigation case in American history.
McVeigh was convicted two years later of first-degree murder charges, and found guilty of 11 counts of dealing with the bombing. He was executed by lethal injection on 11 June 2001. Nichols was sentenced to life in prison.
The Independant
Monday, 18 April 2011
Violent neo-Nazi activity on the rise in Germany, official says
Extreme and violent German neo-Nazi groups have seen a recent rise in membership, a government official told a German daily on Monday, indicating that extremists in Germany were deserting traditional far-right parties in favour of more violent groups.
Speaking to the Neuen Osnabrücker Zeitung, Heinz Fromm, head of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, an organization responsible for gathering intelligence on extremist groups in Germany, warned of a rise in neo-Nazi activity, saying "violent neo-Nazi scene has become stronger."
While Fromm indicated that the far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) saw a decrease in membership in 2010, the extremist and often violent Autonomous Nationalists have seen a rise in activity.
"The Autonomous nationalists, who repeatedly make their presence felt through violence during demonstrations, show similar trends," Fromm said. "Among this group, a rise in the past year from 800 to 1,000 people was observed."
In contrast to the NPD, the Autonomous Nationalists reject participation in a political system they view as illegitimate, seeking to implement their political agenda outside of elections.
Haaretz
Ex-soldier jailed for burning Koran in Carlisle (UK)
Andrew Ryan had previously admitted religiously aggravated harassment and theft of a Koran from a library.
The 32-year-old, of Summerhill, said he had been "shocked" watching a Muslim burning a poppy on Remembrance Day.
Shoppers and schoolchildren witnessed the burning, outside the old Town Hall, on 19 January.
Sitting at Carlisle Magistrates' Court, District Judge Gerald Chalk described it as a case of "theatrical bigotry".
'My country'
He said: "It was pre-planned by you as you stole the book deliberately.
"You went out to cause maximum publicity and to cause distress."
Ryan struggled with security guards in court after the sentence was passed.
While being handcuffed he shouted: "What about my country? What about burning poppies?"
About 10 people were in court to support Ryan, and as they left the court they shouted "do you call this justice?".
After sentencing, Insp Paul Marshall, of Cumbria Police, said: "This incident was highly unusual for Cumbria as we have such low levels of hate crime in the county."
BBC News
David Copeland Terrorist and BNP Member (UK)
Yesterday marks the start of the 12th anniversary of the white supremacist terrorist bombing campaign carried out by the ex-BNP member David Copeland in Soho, London.
Following the Admiral Duncan pub bombing by former BNP member David Copeland, Griffin stated "The TV footage of dozens of 'gay' demonstrators flaunting their perversion in front of the world's journalists showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures so repulsive." Wikipedia.org
Here's a video about it.
Please support the videos uploader bnpinfo and his channel.
Following the Admiral Duncan pub bombing by former BNP member David Copeland, Griffin stated "The TV footage of dozens of 'gay' demonstrators flaunting their perversion in front of the world's journalists showed just why so many ordinary people find these creatures so repulsive." Wikipedia.org
Here's a video about it.
Please support the videos uploader bnpinfo and his channel.
Cloak-and-dagger day with the BNP – a party in crisis (UK)
With three volunteers holding up modest Union flag backdrops to ensure they did not blow over during the speech by the deputy leader Simon Darby, and press interviews held in the corner of a giant retail centre car park, the event was notably different from last year's general election campaign launch. Then, a man dressed as St George appeared with the leader Nick Griffin in Stoke to begin the party's ill-fated push for a Westminster seat. Mr Griffin was unable to attend this time due to poor health, leaving the floor – or rather pavement – for Mr Darby to address his small gaggle of followers.
He called the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband an "alien", a "reptile" and a thoroughly "odd-looking bloke", and accused Labour of gerrymandering the council ward boundaries to reduce the BNP's presence.
Michael Coleman, one of five BNP councillors in Stoke, said its nine-page policy document was intended to stop an "invasion and occupation by a foreign body of people", lauding it as "exciting, positive and uplifting".
All members present denied they were racist, but anti-Islamic rhetoric dominated the short affair, with Mr Coleman claiming white folk will flee the area because they are intimidated by the building of a mosque. "They've got no right to be in this country and everybody knows it," he said.
Mr Darby portrayed the BNP as the underdogs and claimed some of its supporters faced prison for their beliefs. He professed his delight to be out campaigning on a "sunny English day", but it appeared yesterday that the BNP's moment in the sun could be coming to an end.
It is expected to field about 200 candidates in next month's elections, compared with more than 700 in the comparable campaign in 2007, and faces losing all the seats that it is defending. Following its relatively poor general election showing, the BNP has been riven by internal strife, including a failed challenge to Mr Griffin's leadership. Some disaffected former BNP members have defected to the English Democrats, while others have set up a breakaway party, British Freedom.
Matthew Goodwin, of Nottingham University, an analyst of far-right politics said "Their situation is very grave. Even in their core areas, the BNP are struggling to find candidates."
Independant
Scotland and the veil: ‘I was attacked by a racist gang … It was because of what I was wearing’ (UK)
WHEN a gang of youths launched a terrifying attack on a young Scottish Muslim family in broad daylight, the victims were left in no doubt about why they were targeted: the veil.
Glasgow-born Samina Ansari and her loved ones were assaulted because she was wearing a traditional Islamic hijab, which covers the hair, but not the face.
It happened last year, when Ansari, her husband and their baby were driving along a main road. The gang, armed with bricks and chains and accompanied by a snarling dog, surrounded the car, shouting “get the Paki bastards” and “go back to your own country”, before attempting to smash the car windows.
Samina locked the doors while her husband frantically dialled 999, fearing for the safety of the baby in the back seat. One man brought the chain down on to the windscreen, while another tried to smash in through the passenger window.
Luckily, the young Muslim mother was able to speed off when the men moved away from the front of the car.
“It was racist,” she said. “But it was also Islamophobic. It only lasted a minute-and-a-half, but the trauma lingered for months. I felt too scared to go out walking with my baby in a pram. It was horrible.”
The trauma of the attack pushed Samina into launching a campaign to educate the Scottish public about the veil and Muslim women’s decision to wear it.
Read the complete item at The Herald Scotland
Glasgow-born Samina Ansari and her loved ones were assaulted because she was wearing a traditional Islamic hijab, which covers the hair, but not the face.
It happened last year, when Ansari, her husband and their baby were driving along a main road. The gang, armed with bricks and chains and accompanied by a snarling dog, surrounded the car, shouting “get the Paki bastards” and “go back to your own country”, before attempting to smash the car windows.
Samina locked the doors while her husband frantically dialled 999, fearing for the safety of the baby in the back seat. One man brought the chain down on to the windscreen, while another tried to smash in through the passenger window.
Luckily, the young Muslim mother was able to speed off when the men moved away from the front of the car.
“It was racist,” she said. “But it was also Islamophobic. It only lasted a minute-and-a-half, but the trauma lingered for months. I felt too scared to go out walking with my baby in a pram. It was horrible.”
The trauma of the attack pushed Samina into launching a campaign to educate the Scottish public about the veil and Muslim women’s decision to wear it.
Read the complete item at The Herald Scotland
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