Category Archives: EDL

Betrayal of Islam? Or Betrayal to Islam?

Posted on by

If you appreciate this essay by Fjordman, please consider making a donation to him, using the button at the bottom of this post.

On 22 May 2013, two militant African Muslims armed with knives and Koranic quotations beheaded a British soldier in broad daylight in the streets of Woolwich, London. The murderers praised Allah and stated that the British would never be safe in their own streets anymore. The unarmed man beheaded by the two Islamic fanatics was Lee Rigby — a 25-year-old serviceman described as a “loving father” to his two-year-old son Jack.[1] Witnesses said the suspects hacked and chopped at his body and shouted the Islamic phrase “Allahu akhbar!”

British Prime Minister David Cameron stated in 2013 that this murder was a “betrayal of Islam.”[2] Cameron further claimed that “There is nothing in Islam that justifies acts of terror.”[3] Similar sentiments were echoed by London Mayor Boris Johnson as well as other Western political leaders and media outlets.

On 26 February 2014, Rigby’s attackers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were sentenced to life imprisonment for this brutal public murder. Adebolajo responded by shouting “Allahu akhbar” (God is greater). Justice Sweeney, coincidentally echoing the exact words used by the country’s Prime Minister, stated that their crime was a “betrayal of Islam.”[4] That sounds nice, but it’s unfortunately not true. This mantra is based on wishful thinking, not facts.

As noted by the scholar Lawrence A. Franklin, the medieval Muslim warrior Saladin has long been romanticized. Yet the historical Saladin choreographed the mass execution of prisoners of war. He even personally ordered clerics in his Jihadist army to behead at least one Christian knight. Only a few prisoners saved themselves by “converting” to Islam.[5]

For centuries Muslim writers have commented on the psychological impact of beheadings upon their enemy’s fear factor and will to resist. This is indicated by Koran 8:12: “I will cast terror into the hearts of those who have disbelieved, so strike them over the necks and smite them over all their fingers and toes.”[6]

Professor Timothy R. Furnish explains that during nearly 1,400 years of Islamic history, beheading has been a recurring theme.[7] A variation upon this theme would be slitting the throats of infidels, as happened to the Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh in Amsterdam in 2004. The practice of beheading non-Muslims extends all the way back to Islam’s founder. Ibn Ishaq, the earliest biographer of Mohammad, is recorded as saying that the Prophet ordered the execution by decapitation of 700 men of the Jewish Banu Qurayza tribe in Medina.

Centuries later, the Turks of the Ottoman Empire were quite enthusiastic about decapitating Christian Europeans and others. Decapitation has also been used against those deemed to commit blasphemy or seen as apostates from Islam. Over the past decades, modern Saudi Arabia has decapitated hundreds of people for alleged crimes ranging from drug running to witchcraft and apostasy.

Continue reading →

Hijra to Legoland: Cancelled

Posted on by

As mentioned here previously, the “British” firebrand Haitham al-Haddad and the Muslim Research and Development Foundation (MRDF) had booked the Legoland theme park in Windsor for a day of culturally enriched halal family fun.

But now it looks like Mohammed will not go to Legoland after all. The Legoland corporate ownership took note of all the controversy, and decided that “community cohesion” was not worth the headache.

Below is a statement from the English Defence League. The EDL website is under attack at the moment, and unavailable, so their message is being spread by other means:

MRDF Family Fun Day – Sunday 9th March

The EDL prides itself on welcoming everyone to our wonderful country, therefore the decision by LEGOLAND Windsor Resort to arrange an exclusive event for a discriminatory group, led by a notorious hate-preacher who has made it quite clear that he is opposed to almost every standard of democracy, decency, morality and inclusiveness that we British see as the cornerstone of our culture was incredibly difficult to accept.

We are pleased to hear that LEGOLAND Windsor Resort has listened to the complaints of the EDL, its members and concerned members of the public and decided to cancel this event.

We join the staff of LEGOLAND Windsor Resort in wholeheartedly condemning any threats of violence. In a country with a long and honourable tradition of peaceful protest there is absolutely no excuse for this and the EDL affirms its commitment to non-violent action.

Sadly, we note with some regret that LEGOLAND Windsor Resort saw fit to excuse its actions by claiming that well-founded, substantiated facts are “misinformation” and referring to some un-named “vociferous group with a clear agenda”. If by this they mean to avoid giving the EDL credit where credit is due, then that is their right, but we accept the credit no matter how grudgingly given and are pleased that our position on repressive, fascist groups has struck enough of a chord to earn the title of being called a “clear agenda”.

The real losers are the followers of hate-preacher Haitham al Haddad and their many wives and children. The EDL sends them its sympathies and hopes that they will all be able to visit LEGOLAND Windsor Resort during the season and enjoy a fun day not as members of an exclusionist, supremacist cult but as free members of this great, secular democracy that we are proud to call our home — England.

Norway and Kenya Terrorism

Posted on by

If you appreciate this essay by Fjordman, please consider making a donation to him, using the button at the bottom of this post.

Norway and Kenya Terrorism
by Fjordman

On 21 September 2013, a group of gunmen without warning attacked hundreds of unarmed civilians at the upmarket Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The attack and siege lasted for several days and resulted in the deaths of 61 civilians, 6 Kenyan soldiers and 4 attackers. Several hundred people were wounded as well.

Al-Shabaab, a Somali militant Islamic group with ties to the terror network al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for this attack. It was one of the worst terror attacks in Kenya since the bombing of the United States embassies in Nairobi and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 1998. That mass murder was also carried out by Muslims. They, too, had ties to al-Qaida, the Jihadist terrorist network of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The attackers behind the siege of the Westgate shopping mall had been living in Nairobi and plotted the attack for several months, according to a Western source. Kenyan officials believe they have determined the identities of four attackers who stormed the mall. All four of the men are Somalis, although one of them, identified as Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, grew up in Norway and was a Norwegian citizen. They entered Kenya from Somalia in June 2013. Four other men have so far been charged as accomplices to the terror attack.

In an update written by Nicholas Kulish and published in The New York Times on November 18 2013, the NYT didn’t once use the words “Muslim” or “Islamic” to refer to these mass murdering terrorists. They were merely referred to as “men” or “Somali citizens.” In contrast, after Anders Behring Breivik’s massacre in 2011, Kulish was in the same newspaper very quick to tie Breivik to alleged “right-wing extremists” who oppose Muslim immigration.

This is dishonest journalism. The specifically Islamic nature of the mall attack in Nairobi couldn’t be more obvious than it is. Even mainstream news reporters from the broadcaster CNN stated that the ruthless terrorists “took turns to pray, removing shoes to perform the ritual washing in a room stacked with boxes. They bowed down in Islamic prayer, taking a break from incessant gunfire.” In video footage from the shopping mall, the gunmen are seen shooting members of the public and taking breaks for prayers in between their massacre. They also talked on their mobile phones occasionally.

An eyewitness said that the attackers had told Muslims to leave and that only non-Muslims would be targeted. Others were asked to name the mother of the Islam’s prophet Mohammad or given other Islam-related questions. As terrified civilians hid in toilet stalls or in ventilation shafts, the assailants began a game of questions to separate Muslims from those they considered infidels. A Jewish man scribbled a Koranic quote on his hand to memorize, after hearing that the terrorists were asking captives to recite Koranic verses.

Numerous survivors described how the attackers from the militant group al-Shabaab shot people who failed to provide the correct answers. In an email exchange with The Associated Press, Shabaab made its intentions clear: “The Mujahideen [Islamic Holy Warriors] carried out a meticulous vetting process at the mall and have taken every possible precaution to separate the Muslims from the Kuffar [infidels] before carrying out their attack.”

In other words, this was a specifically Islamic attack dedicated to traditional Jihadist principles. It systematically targeted non-Muslims, although some Muslims were also accidentally hit in the process.

Although not all of the details were yet clear at the time of writing, one of the primary suspects named so far from this terror attack is Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow. He was registered at an address in Larvik, southern Norway, as late as in 2009. “He was a quiet guy,” said a former classmate in Norway. “He was very committed to his religion, but not extreme. He brought a prayer mat to school.”

Abdukadir Mohamed Abdukadir, known as Ikrima, is thought to be a key player behind the siege at Kenya’s Westgate Mall. Intelligence officials say Ikrima is a commander and active recruiter within the Somali militant group al-Shabaab. He is believed to be associated with those who planned the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Kenya that killed more than 200 people. Ikrima grew up in Kenya and speaks several languages — including English, Somali, Swahili, French, Norwegian and some Arabic. He came to Norway in 2004 “and left in a hurry in 2008,” according to Norwegian TV2 correspondent Bent Skjærstad, who has been investigating Ikrima.

It was there that Hamisi Mbombe befriended Ikrima. They met at the Ringsaker Refugee Center, about two hours north of Oslo. “He had two sides, he was literally two-faced,” Mbombe says. “All smiles and pleasant to the boss, quite charming when he was outside, but back in the center he was unfriendly and aggressive. He spoke a lot about Norway and the Norwegians, saying he hated them and the Americans.”

Ikrima is a Kenyan citizen of Somali background. The Westgate Mall attack has raised more questions about his time in Norway. Could he have recruited Hassan Dhuhulow, the 23-year-old Somali Muslim and Norwegian citizen who appears to be one of the gunmen caught on surveillance cameras during the siege?

After Breivik’s attacks in Norway in 2011, the Western mass media launched a search for other alleged right-wing extremist Islamophobes who might be potential terrorists. Fingers were quickly pointed at the English Defence League (EDL), a street protest movement protesting against Islamization.

Yet the EDL are mentioned only a tiny handful of times in the 1518 pages of Breivik’s manifesto. The single longest mention of them there is actually extremely negative. They are there dismissed as a bunch of useless, non-violent sissies who won’t liberate Britain by blowing up British nuclear reactors. So Breivik’s open denunciation of the EDL for being non-violent in the mass media became twisted into the claim that Breivik supported the EDL.

Continue reading →

When Tommy Met Mo

Posted on by

On Monday night the BBC aired its long-awaited documentary about Tommy Robinson and his departure from the English Defence League. The film features Tommy’s association with Mo Ansar, a Muslim who gained notoriety by demanding that the EDL be banned. It also discusses his introduction to the Quilliam Foundation.

One of the notable incidents in this video occurs when Tommy and a group of concerned parents in Lancashire confront Mr. Ansar and another Muslim about the sexual enslavement of underage white girls by Muslim pedophile gangs. The BBC not only allowed this footage to aired, it did not attempt to refute or relativize what the “Islamophobes” said — which may be a first for the Beeb.

There are some other interesting moments in this documentary. I recommend watching it all the way through:

Previous posts about Tommy Robinson, Kevin Carroll, and the Quilliam Foundation:

Continue reading →

Tommy Robinson on RT

Posted on by

Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League, was interviewed on Russia Today this morning by Sophie Shevarnadze. Tommy talks about his reasons for leaving the EDL, his fight against Islamic fundamentalism, and his plans for moving his message into the mainstream.

Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this clip. Note: Vlad didn’t edit this video, so the two halves of interview are separated by commercials and promotions:

A full transcript is available here.

Previous posts about Tommy Robinson, Kevin Carroll, and the Quilliam Foundation:

Continue reading →

Losing the Right to Walk the Streets of London

Posted on by

Pax Europa

Below is the intervention read by Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, representing Bürgerbewegung Pax Europa at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, Session 8 “Freedom of Assembly and Association”, Warsaw, September 27, 2013. Elisabeth’s speech on behalf of the EDL, “Losing the Right to Walk the Streets of London”, is followed by the official British response.

Many thanks to Henrik Ræder Clausen for recording these videos, and to Vlad Tepes for uploading them.

Intervention:

Right to respond, United Kingdom:

The text of the British response was not registered with OSCE. Below is the prepared text of Elisabeth’s intervention (official OSCE pdf version):

Continue reading →

Tommy Robinson on BBC One

Posted on by

Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League, appeared this morning in the program “Sunday Morning Live” on BBC One.

His appearance was accompanied by an online poll: “Does the English Defence League represent a view that needs to be heard?” The results of the poll are not visible outside the UK, but I was told earlier today that 95% of the respondents answered “Yes”, that the EDL should be heard.

Samira Ahmed was the program’s presenter. The other studio guests were Inayat Bunglawala of Muslims4UK, and Esther Rantzen, a television personality and former BBC presenter.

Video 1:

Video 2:

Continue reading →

Tommy Robinson Attacked in Luton

Posted on by

Tommy Robinson isn’t enjoying any respite from the customary violence directed at his person, despite having left the English Defence League. This afternoon he tweeted from Luton:

Tommy Robinson @TrobinsonNewEra
Just been attacked in Luton town cente in a religious attack!

(Tommy’s Twitter account is here.)

Below is a brief article about the incident from Luton Today:

Former EDL leader “attacked” in Luton while filming documentary

The former leader of the EDL says he was attacked in Luton town centre this afternoon.

Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Lennon, was filming a documentary in Chapel Street when he was allegedly attacked by three men at about 4.30pm.

A passerby who did not wish to be named said she was sat in her car nearby when the incident happened.

She said: “Three men came out of the chicken shop and started shouting at Tommy and the film crew. Then they went for him and attacked him, they were hitting him and he was just trying to get away saying he didn’t want a fight.

“Everybody was just trying to get out of the way. It was a bit crazy. I was trying to move my car, I thought ‘oh my god’ there’s kids about. I know a lot of people don’t agree with what he stands for but no one should be attacked in the street.”

Continue reading →

The EDL Will Survive

Posted on by

Joe is an EDL supporter and a longtime commenter at Gates of Vienna whose cogent comments are always welcome in this space. The comment below echoes and complements what Dymphna said in the previous post. It was posted earlier this evening, but it is so far down the thread that it might otherwise go unnoticed.

I’m reposting it here in its entirety. It has been edited for punctuation and paragraphing:

I think I have a closer ring-side seat in all of this than anyone else commenting on it, on any of the major blogs.

Tommy has been under unbelievable pressure, not just from the state, the media and the police, but has also been involved in making two or three videos in the last nine months. One of these videos has taken at least seven of the last nine months to complete. Only a few weeks ago he did the last day of shooting that documentary, and I remember him talking about that same documentary back in June, and today when I looked I realised he’d been talking about that same documentary in February. I’ve seen three minutes from one of these documentaries, and I watched it twenty times, and each time the hair stood up on my neck (the whole thing can’t live up to those three minutes, so adjust your expectations).

I also know that there have been Nazis lurking round EDL divisions and demos. I heard from some gay people that they got death threats from Nazis when they turned up on demos, and I was in the room when Tommy was told this. He was angry, frustrated and depressed that the Nazis were still cropping up and threatening people whom Tommy was encouraging to show themselves (mind you, given half a chance, those homophobic Nazis turn up in the comments section of GoV and other sites).

But the gays in EDL are not shrinking violets, and they deal with violent Nazis by themselves, knowing they can turn to their compatriots for support. Still, it must be awful to be Tommy and have his family get hundreds of death threats from Muslims with no police action, to have all the organs of the state on his back, to have the media systematically lie about him and EDL, and then to have Nazis turning up and trying to destroy everything he’s doing.

I can’t say that I would have left EDL the way he did, but then I’m not 1% of the man he is, and would never have been in the situation where I would have to make the decisions he has had to make. Those of us who know him acknowledge he has an unbelievable tolerance for stress. Even those who don’t know him must recognise that he’s taken on a national struggle that none of the institutions of the entire country would take on.

When this crisis broke a few days ago, I didn’t think EDL would survive (I only observe things from the periphery). But seeing how EDL have responded, I think they will survive. And I think the actions they are taking might be entirely productive. I’m pleased to see how professional they’ve been in their response (and that must really rile the traitorous media and “an-ti-fa”). And EDL’s tactical decisions give me confidence.

I know that the Nazis can’t be more than 5% of EDL, and I know they are there because the state agencies place agents provocateurs even in organisations like the Green movement, so they are bound to be inside EDL And if EDL was any left-wing or Muslim organisation, the media would not have concealed the organisation’s attempts to communicate its message: Nazis and racists are not welcome. Instead, the media send the opposite message to Nazis.

I think we should all give Tommy the benefit of the doubt. I have no problem supporting EDL in what they are doing and supporting Tommy in what he is doing. Maybe with Tommy’s magnetism out of the way, EDL can sort out the problem with Nazis that just proved too much for him (on top of everything else he has taken on). As likable as Tommy is, maybe EDL should never have had “a face”, but should have maintained a clandestine nature. As things stand at the moment, EDL has split off into “a face” that will work with the establishment, and an anonymous-collective street movement that will continue to hold protests wherever it wants.

Continue reading →

The Problem with Gates of Vienna Is…

Posted on by


Okay, I’m going to give this meme its five minutes before we move on. Any number of people have said similar things, but this comment by “Timmy” will serve the purpose of bringing this kind of talk to an end.

Timmy says:

…the problem is a lot of the commentators here are from the US and because of that they cannot see or feel the diametric shift that has occurred in British society as a result of what the EDL has done.

The EDL has basically taken the fight from a whisper between close friends and a few blog posts to an every day level of conversation.

Whats more the outing of muslim pedophile gangs would still be a dirty secret hushed up by the police, social services and the media, along with many other news worthy events. Now the media are at least willing publish these articles and to mention that these people are muslims.

Hopefully the EDL will carry on to ensure that the media does not volt face and start hushing things up again.

The first assertion is wrong on a number of levels. Timmy says:

…the problem is a lot of the commentators here are from the US and because of that they cannot see or feel the diametric shift that has occurred in British society as a result of what the EDL has done.

To which I would answer:

First, we have a goodly number of English (and British and Anglosphere) readers, commenters and donors.

Second, the Baron works with a number of Brits on the transatlantic team and they keep us informed in detail.

Third, we do indeed pay attention to the shifts and swings taking place within an increasingly sovietized England. Any regular reader of this site is aware of that.

Fourth, of the two American blog administrators, one lived in Yorkshire in his formative years and had a fine English education back when such things existed. In fact, his A Level work permitted him to skip a year of university when he returned to the U.S.

Fifth, we have been following the EDL since it first began — actually, before it began and was almost strangled at birth. Those were tumultuous times.
Continue reading →

Introducing W.H. “Abdullah” Quilliam

Posted on by

Yesterday it became clear that Tommy Robinson has been made an offer that he couldn’t refuse. He and Kevin Carroll announced their exit from the English Defence League, and Tommy is now prominently opposing “extremism in all its forms” as an affiliate of the Quilliam Foundation.

It’s no surprise that progressive-minded folks on both sides of the Atlantic are gloating over the decapitation of the EDL, and celebrating Tommy’s efforts on behalf of “moderate” Muslims. Certain of our colleagues among anti-Shariah conservatives have jumped on the same bandwagon, voicing their relief that Tommy has abandoned the “extreme right-wing” or “neo-fascist” elements of the EDL.

Before expressing further jubilation over Tommy’s sudden swoon into the embrace of the Quilliam Foundation — which, I might add, is funded by the British government, the same government that denied entry to the “Islamophobes” Geert Wilders, Robert Spencer, and Pamela Geller — let’s take a closer look at the man for whom the organization was named.

Our good friend Andrew Bostom has brought to our attention two Sharia-supremacist pronouncements by the British convert to Islam, William “Abdullah” Quilliam, from March and April of 1896. It should be noted that among his other accomplishments, Mr. Quilliam was responsible for the building of the first mosque in Britain.

Dr. Bostom includes this introductory note:

Quilliam protested Britain’s response to the bloody Mahdist jihad in the Sudan, admonishing Muslims (on March 24, 1896; cited here, p. 341) that any support whatsoever of “infidel” British soldiers was “contrary to the Sharia.” A month later (on April 20, 1896; cited here, pp. 173-4) Quilliam made plain his own aggressive, Pan-Islamic Caliphate dreams, denying national boundaries, “Among Muslims none should be known as Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Ajem, Afghans, Indians or English. They are all Muslims,” and proclaiming, “under the standard of the Khalifate [Caliphate], let us unite there, one and all, and at once!”

Below are the full texts and original sources. First, Quilliam on British foreign policy in Sudan:

In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful!

Peace be to all True-Believers to whom this shall come!

Know ye, O Muslims, that the British Government has decided to commence military and warlike operations against the Muslims of the Soudan, who have taken up arms to defend their country and their faith. And it is in contemplation to employ Muslim soldiers to fight against these Muslims of the Soudan.

For any True Believer to take up arms and fight against another Muslim is contrary to the Shariat, and against the law of God and his holy prophet.

I warn every True-Believer that if he gives the slightest assistance in this projected expedition against the Muslims of the Soudan, even to the extent of carrying a parcel, or giving a bite of bread to eat or a drink of water to any person taking part in the expedition against these Muslims that he thereby helps the Giaour against the Muslim, and his name will be unworthy to be continued upon the roll of the faithful.

Signed at the Mosque in Liverpool, England, this 10th day of Shawwal, 1313 (which Christians erroneously in their ignorance call the 24th day of March, 1896),

W.H. ABDULLAH QUILLIAM, Sheikh-ul-Islam of the British Isles.

[Source: The Crescent, March 25th 1896, Vol. VII, No. 167, p. 617; original punctuation and spelling retained.]

Secondly, a call for the World Caliphate:

Continue reading →

A Paradigm Shift in the British Counterjihad?

Posted on by

Concerning the departure of Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll from the EDL, a California reader named Cadavera Vero Innumero sent us the following email:

Confusion is reigning over at Jihad Watch and Atlas Shrugs! They erred in not including the “little” item regarding the Quilliam Foundation.

I posted at Atlas Shrugs, early. Unless I overlooked it, it got removed. Not for mentioning QF, maybe for giving kudos to Gates of Vienna for their sympathetic understanding of Robinson’s personal plight.

Have never been surprised about the, now, several years rift within the Counterjihad Movement. Think, at the time, I grasped the issues, but found it so unfortunate. Oh well, it just mirrored the human story. Like Paul and Silas (and even Peter) going about their different callings. Am sure the personal entered into it somewhere and how.

And you are most likely correct, in your remark about the British security services being involved, in various direct and subtle ways. The BNP could never have lasted this long without being propped up. The way to weaken an extremist element is to isolate and scatter (as they are now doing with the EDL). Scattered, isolated, they are toothless. The BNP serves other purposes than their own public agenda.

Continue reading →

Tommy Robinson and Kevin Carroll Leave the EDL

Posted on by

The two top leaders of the English Defence League have left the organization to join the Quilliam Foundation, a mainstream NGO that fights “extremism” in all its forms. Among other actions, Quilliam takes great pains to prevent the stigmatization of Muslims by “Islamophobes”.

Ever since Tommy was released early from prison last winter, I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and now it has. It seemed obvious back then that attempts would be made to “turn” him while he was in solitary confinement, offering him both carrots and sticks to cease his anti-Shariah advocacy as the head of the EDL.

The first carrot was his early release. That was followed by a series of increasingly unpleasant sticks — arrest after arrest after arrest. Later this month he is facing trial for one of the Woolwich-related arrests. Presumably the judicial authorities had a quiet word with him about how long he would spend behind bars this time. He may have been facing the prospect of only being able to see his kids once a week through that glass wall, while they grew up without him. He might have seen his family forced into destitution, ostracism, and humiliation.

Then along came the Quilliam carrot. The Quilliam Foundation is one of those quasi-governmental entities that exists to serve the purposes of the governing elites. A coordinated strategy involving it would serve to decapitate the EDL, driving much of the membership of the regional divisions into the arms of the BNP. From the point of view of Cameron, Clegg, and Miliband, nothing could be better: the EDL’s effectiveness as street force would be reduced, a renewed BNP would mop up the “Islamophobic” opposition and marginalize them further, and support for UKIP would be weakened.

The BNP is not the real threat to the British Powers That Be — it is widely seen as being an appendage of MI5, and is kept within a cozy anti-Semitic corral like the NPD in Germany, unable to achieve any meaningful electoral success whilst drawing the support of discontented nationalists.

What really makes the well-coiffed heads in Whitehall turn prematurely white is the thought that growing support for the EDL might merge with the grassroots surge that is now pushing UKIP ahead of one or more major parties in local elections and public opinion polls. An EDL-UKIP juggernaut must be their big nightmare, and that has now been shrewdly avoided by moving Tommy and Kevin into a harmless position within an organization that acts as a stooge for the government.

Any demoralized EDL members who turn to the BNP for solace are making a serious strategic error, but their sentiments are understandable — why would they embrace UKIP, which from their perspective is weak dishwater as a political party?

As for Tommy and Kevin, all we can do is wish them well in their new positions. Tommy is a courageous scrapper with an uncommon amount of grit. A lesser man would have folded years ago. I have no illusions about my own courage — I would have given in the first time the cell door clanged shut behind me, or when the first fist connected with my cheekbone. Tommy has earned my enduring admiration.

Godspeed to both of them. And maybe the luck of the Irish as well.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Below are excerpts from a BBC report about Tommy’s and Kev’s decision:

EDL Leader Tommy Robinson Quits Group

English Defence League leader and founder Tommy Robinson has left the group, saying he has concerns over the “dangers of far-right extremism”.

The EDL organises protests across the UK against “radical Islam”.

Mr Robinson said it was still his aim to “counter Islamist ideology”, although “not with violence but with better, democratic ideas”.

Several senior figures have quit, but an EDL spokesman said the group “will not die because they’re walking away”.

He added that supporters would spend the next few weeks discussing how to proceed.

‘No longer productive’

The EDL, formed in 2009, has organised marches and demonstrations in several cities across the UK, which have seen sometimes violent confrontations with anti-fascism campaigners.

Mr Robinson’s co-leader, Kevin Carroll, has also opted to leave.

Their decision follows discussions with the Quilliam group, which describes itself as a “counter-extremism think tank”.

Mr Robinson said: “I have been considering this move for a long time because I recognise that, though street demonstrations have brought us to this point, they are no longer productive.

“I acknowledge the dangers of far-right extremism and the ongoing need to counter Islamist ideology not with violence but with better, democratic ideas.”

He explained his motives for leaving, telling BBC Radio 5 live’s Nicky Campbell: “When some moron lifts up his top and he’s got the picture of a mosque saying ‘boom’ and it’s all over the national newspapers, it’s me, it’s when I pick up my kids from school the parents are looking at me, judging me on that.

“And that’s not what I’ve stood for and my decision to do this is to be true to what I stand for. And whilst I want to lead the revolution against Islamist ideology, I don’t want to lead the revolution against Muslims.

“I believe that the revolution needs to come from within the Islamic community and they need to stand up. And I believe this is a step forward not a step back.”

Continue reading →

Enforcing Islamic Blasphemy Laws in Tower Hamlets

Posted on by

Last Saturday supporters of the English Defence League marched across Tower Bridge in London and staged a demonstration at the very edge of the Borough of Tower Hamlets, the most notoriously enriched neighborhood of East London.

After the demo EDL leader Tommy Robinson was arrested “for breaching section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 and inciting others to breach section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.” I assume that means he ran afoul of this provision:

If the senior police officer, having regard to the time or place at which and the circumstances in which any public assembly is being held or is intended to be held, reasonably believes that — (a) it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community…

In other words, Tommy and his associates — as he pointed out in his speech — are being repeatedly arrested because the police cannot do their duty and prevent violent attacks against a lawful and peaceable assembly of native English citizens.

Below is the entirety of the speech Tommy gave that day. Many thanks to Vlad Tepes for uploading this video:

Here’s a brief news story about Tommy’s arrest:

Continue reading →