It's been all of a couple of months since community relations in Luton hit the news. But yesterday Saiful Islam and the al-Muhajiroun boys hit the news again as a number of eggs hit Baroness Warsi and her entourage as they went walkabout in Bury Park. The BBC were on the scene yesterday and caught the action - Tory Muslim peer Baroness Warsi pelted with eggs - though it seems that it is not done to record for posterity the actual eggs hitting their target which was shown on the regional news first off yesterday.
The longest interviews with the Baroness and al-Muhajiroun are on the Luton Today website, Islamic Extremists pelt Tory Peer with Eggs
Al-Muhajiroun are the extremist group that protested again the homecoming parade of the Royal Anglian Regiment on March 10 this year, and sparked off a summer of anti-Islamic protests here and around the nation. Most of the news reports seem to be overly cautious and fail to pin yesterday's protests on the group or the individuals, but Saiful Islam actually admits to being al-Muhajiroun at the end of the interview.
Muslims in Luton have been very quick to disassociate themselves from the protest and condemn it. Luton council of Mosques press statement is here: Luton Council of Mosques: Attack on Baroness Warsi a shameful act. Text below the page break
That the attack happened and gave the Baroness an opportunity to attack the governments community cohesion policy and Preventing Violent Extremism agenda was a great bit of PR for the Conservative campaign. The governments policy has failed. However i am not convinced that the conservatives will do any better. This is an issue that needs to stand above party politics; it is too sensitive and the consequence of failure too dangerous to be exposed to the argumentative culture of the ballot box.
That Saiful and his cronies remain at liberty to mock that policy is itself a condemnation of it.
LCM: Attack on Baroness Warsi a shameful act
Luton Council of Mosques (LCM) strongly deplores the cowardly
behaviour of a handful individual who threw abuse and eggs at the
Dewsbury peer on her visit to town. The Muslim community totally
disassociates itself from this shameful and appalling act. Such
behaviour is not just unacceptable, but alien to the fundamental
teachings of the Muslim faith – where the position of a woman is
honoured and respected. Indeed, it was right and proper for
Baroness Warsi to have received a welcoming reception as the town
exhibits some excellent community cohesion assets – for example,
the coming together of Churches Together (Luton) with Luton
Council of Mosques to form the “Peace in Luton” initiative.
Luton Council of Mosques will continue to work with people of all
faith, or of none, and with all organisations to ensure that such
irresponsible and immature behaviour does not deter us from
creating an environment full of respect, honour and dignity for
everyone.
Comments