There is an interesting coincidence of all the upset over Anjem Choudary's "plan" to parade through Wooton Bassett, and the appearance in court today in Luton of Choudary's followers for their taunts last year during the now infamous Royal Anglian homecoming parade. I posted on the former last night ( An outpouring of anger at Anjem Choudary is not the answer.).
Reports on the court hearings of seven men on trial for "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress" began at Luton magistrates court this morning. ( Muslim protesters 'branded British soldiers rapists and baby killers during homecoming parade' | Mail Online and Men in court over 'baby killer' chants at returned soldiers | World news | guardian.co.uk. ) The words on the placards included "British Army, murderers"; "British soldiers, burn in hell"; "Baby killers, shame on you" and "British soldiers, you will pay". Recognising that the matter of the the British army's actions in Iraq and Afghanistan were matters of legitimate debate the prosecution said that it was likely to come down to "the defendants behaviour with reference to their right of freedom of expression under thew Human Rights Act" as well as some fo their behaviour.
Meanwhile on the Wooton Bassett issue, Anjem Choudary has issued a letter to the families of soldiers who had died or are serving in Afghanistan.
As I said in my post last evening, Choudary has done little in his most recent challenge that was not done on the streets of Luton less than ten months ago. It is only the context and the size of the audience that is different. He is playing a very skillful game but nonetheless reprehensible game. There is little that is illegal in his challenge, as indeed the words on the placards last year were deeply offensive but on the boundary of the law. We await the results of the court case on that.
I predict some comment on the news channels on this tonight or at least tomorrow, some probably clumsy actions by the government that will satisfy few, and if the result of the court case in Luton is guilty, an appeal on the basis of freedom of expression and human rights issues that reaches Strasburg. If it is not guilty I dare not imagine what the popular response will be. Meanwhile there does need to be some real debate over the war than avoids Choudary's / the Islamist wider agenda and which avoids unnecessary pain for those who have lost love ones.
All people of faith need to be seeking peace and praying for peace on this one.
Reports on the court hearings of seven men on trial for "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress" began at Luton magistrates court this morning. ( Muslim protesters 'branded British soldiers rapists and baby killers during homecoming parade' | Mail Online and Men in court over 'baby killer' chants at returned soldiers | World news | guardian.co.uk. ) The words on the placards included "British Army, murderers"; "British soldiers, burn in hell"; "Baby killers, shame on you" and "British soldiers, you will pay". Recognising that the matter of the the British army's actions in Iraq and Afghanistan were matters of legitimate debate the prosecution said that it was likely to come down to "the defendants behaviour with reference to their right of freedom of expression under thew Human Rights Act" as well as some fo their behaviour.
Meanwhile on the Wooton Bassett issue, Anjem Choudary has issued a letter to the families of soldiers who had died or are serving in Afghanistan.
"It is worth reminding
those who are still not blinded by the media propaganda that Afghanistan is
not a British town near Wootton Basset but rather Muslim land which no one
has the right to occupy, with a Muslim population who do not deserve their
innocent men, women and children to be killed for political mileage and for
the greedy interests of the oppressive US and UK regimes.
"The procession in Wootton Basset is therefore an attempt to engage the British publics minds on the real reasons why their soldiers are returning home in body bags and the real cost of the war."
Gordon Brown has condemned the plan. ( Planned Muslim march through Wootton Bassett 'is an insult and a stunt') The Sun's heading this morning was not so cautious: Hate mail cleric. Clearly the public feel the same. The Facebook group opposing Choudary's plan topped 200,000 at lunchtime today and now stands at 216,500. Since it was 108,000 at 5pm yesterday after 48 hours, and had been under 50,000 the previous day, that means it is more than doubling every 24 hours. If that rate of growth continues for another two days it will be approaching one million members. While the government will have to consider the wisdom of a policy response to a facebook page it can surely not ignore such a level of popular feeling.As I said in my post last evening, Choudary has done little in his most recent challenge that was not done on the streets of Luton less than ten months ago. It is only the context and the size of the audience that is different. He is playing a very skillful game but nonetheless reprehensible game. There is little that is illegal in his challenge, as indeed the words on the placards last year were deeply offensive but on the boundary of the law. We await the results of the court case on that.
I predict some comment on the news channels on this tonight or at least tomorrow, some probably clumsy actions by the government that will satisfy few, and if the result of the court case in Luton is guilty, an appeal on the basis of freedom of expression and human rights issues that reaches Strasburg. If it is not guilty I dare not imagine what the popular response will be. Meanwhile there does need to be some real debate over the war than avoids Choudary's / the Islamist wider agenda and which avoids unnecessary pain for those who have lost love ones.
All people of faith need to be seeking peace and praying for peace on this one.
Men of all denominations; religions,races did not fight in two world wars for Britain; Freedom and Democracy so that evil Traitors like this could insult all those who gave their lives. It is an insult; they would never have dared to do such things in Saddam's Iraq, they would never be allowed to do such things in Saudi Arabia and I am damned sure that they will never be allowed to do such things in Britain. There are men and women; including good muslims fighting today against evil; for freedom and democracy and to allow such as they to march in Britain should call all Britains to arms to sort the buggers out once and for all. Labour should be bloody ashamed of themselves for allowing this scum to breathe British air and insult those who gave their tomorrows for our todays. Time to get tough and teach this scum a lesson they will never forget.
Posted by: Jim | January 05, 2010 at 10:00 PM