Cherie Blair Defends Islam (II)

Yesterday I wrote about Cherie Blair's robust defence of Islam, and particularly the role of Muslim women, when questioned by an interviewer about her sister Lauren's conversion.

Some of the comments she made came as she addressed a conference in Madrid to honour the "European Muslim Woman of Influence".

She was particularly adamant that wearing a burqa or any other covering is a woman's choice, and Westerners only disapprove or see it as a threat as a nice way of expressing their latent racism and Islamophobia (well, it can certainly be argued that was the subtext).

In fact, she said that the Burka is "no more of a threat than a nun's habit."

Which is rather strange - because Friday brought us our second European "Burka-clad Muslim woman in the dock" story of this week.

(Actually, I'm wrong; the first woman, Roshanara Choudhry, didn't actually appear in the dock - because she, er, didn't recognise the jurisdiction of the British court as it wasn't operating under Sharia law. Still, details, details).

This second one comes from Germany, and concerns Filiz Gelowicz, the wife of one of the four men convicted in March of plotting to attack US troops and interests, as well as infidels generally, on German soil:

The wife of a German convert to Islam who was convicted of plotting a thwarted attack on U.S. targets in Germany went on trial herself Friday on charges of supporting terrorist organizations.

Filiz Gelowicz, 28, is accused of supporting the Islamic Jihad Union and the German Taliban Mujahideen by helping provide euro3,000 ($4,225) to fund terrorist training camps in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region between 2009 and 2010. She faces up to five years in prison.

One of two male co-defendants, identified only as 21-year-old Alican T., also went on trial in the Berlin state court on suspicion of supporting the same terrorist organizations. The other, Fatih K., 31, is in Turkish custody awaiting extradition to Germany.

When they were charged in August, prosecutors said in addition to raising the money that Alican T. posted 16 radical Islamic videos on the Internet trying to recruit new members for jihad, or holy war, while Filiz G. posted more than 1,000 videos, comments and texts online.

In six contributions, Filiz F. specifically asked Muslims in Germany to join Islamic Jihad Union, the German Taliban Mujahideen and al-Qaida.

How many nuns have appeared in the dock during that time? Or, at all? How many refuse to recognise the judge because Britain isn't a Catholic country?

Not that I'm calling Cherie Blair a delusional fool at best and a useful idiot at worst, you understand.

Hat tip: Weasel Zippers.

Muslim "Refugee" Sexually Assaults Australian Girl on Train

A self-confessed paedophile from Afghanistan who was granted an Australian visa on "humanitarian grounds" has been referred to a higher court for sentencing in Adelaide after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a young girl.

The assault, which 34 year old Sayed Mohammed Sidaqat carried out on a defenceless 16 year old, took place in July:

Prosecutors told the court that, on July 17, Sidaqat boarded an Outer Harbour line train at Ethelton and sat down next to a girl, 16.

He "squashed her" up against the side of the train before caressing her hand and placing it on his erect penis.

Prosecutors said the girl felt "extremely scared and powerless" as Sidaqat kissed her neck, fondled her breasts and tried to touch her pubic region.

Much of the Australian media has seized upon the fact that Sidaqat is a refugee who was apparently tortured by the Taliban, as if this someone excuses or explains his actions. In fact, the by-lines in both The Australian and Adelaide Now begin with "A refugee once tortured by the Taliban..."

He committed his crime just one month after he was granted his visa and released from detention on Christmas Island.

Now, whilst his time in Taliban custody is being trumpeted from headlines, there doesn't seem to be a great deal of information about him being a "self-confessed paedophile" - oddly enough. After all, it wouldn't do to give the wider Australian public too much information about the kind of scum the government forces them to fund generously.

An Adelaide magistrate has now referred the case to a higher court, as he feels the offence warrants more than the two years behind bars which is the maximum his court could impose.

Unfortunately, Sidaqat was released on bail until he appears in the South Australian District Court on 6th December, but at least the Australian authorities have the right idea in some ways - Muslim men have been walked free from court after committing similar, or even worse, offences in Britain.

The potential severity of the sentence does not ease the girl's suffering, however:

The 16-year-old told police she was scared and powerless and had tried to get the attention of other passengers on the train, but no one responded.

It's a shame that, due to the Australian government's immigration policies and the fact tha no one can join the dots and learn a lesson from these incidents, countless other young Australian girls will have to go through a similar or worse ordeal in the future.

Just how many "self-confessed paedophiles" and potential rapists are waiting on Christmas Island for their humanitarian visas to be processed? How many will be acting in the name of the perfect man?

Hat tip: A Western Heart.

Cherie Blair Defends Islam

Mark Richardson over at Oz Conservative recently wrote an excellent post about the conversion of Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, to Islam.

He cites an article written by Peter Hitchens back in 2003, about the prospect of Britons embracing Islam as they realise they need a kind of moral structure, but are so brainwashed against Western society and their own heritage they cannot comprehend turning to Christianity, and as the influence of Christianity wanes and that of Islam grows all around them:

When Christianity was part of our culture and its beliefs were handed down in homes and schools, its familiarity kept it strong. Everyone knew Bible stories, hymns and prayers. Now it is at least as alien to many young people as Islam, if not more so because it does not seem to be interested in them.

But Islam is interested in them. And Islam is growing. More and more British cities have seen the domes and minarets of smart, prominently positioned new mosques rising in their neighbourhoods.

A large and imposing Islamic centre is now nearing completion in Oxford, one of Christian England's holiest places. Imagine what would happen if Anglicans sought to build a Christian centre in Qom, Isfahan, Najaf or anywhere on the soil of Saudi Arabia, and wonder what Muslim leaders think of Christian feebleness on such matters.

Thanks to the immigration of recent decades, Britain has a young, energetic and swelling Muslim population which is increasingly assertive about its faith.

Lauren Booth is basically the new Yvonne Ridley, a Leftist journalist who has dedicated much of her life to Islamic or pseudo-Islamic causes, particularly the struggle of the "Palestinians". Like Ridley, she has also worked for the Iranian-funded television station Press TV.

I can recall an article Booth wrote in The Sun at least 10 years ago in which she lambasted Israeli border security agents for questioning her about a large number of anti-American leaflets and a Yasser Arafat-style headscarf "she just liked to wear sometimes" present in her luggage, as if all normal, self-respecting people travel with such things.

Now she's taken that extra step, and claims to be reading her way through the Koran and considering wearing a burqa "if she feels like it".

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Muslim women are not free to "feel like it", and suffer beatings, acid attacks or worse if they don't comply with the wishes of their men-folk, Booth, like Ridley before her, has pretty much called Islam an enlightened, female-friendly faith - in fact she recently boasted in the Mail on Sunday about propagandising it to her young daughters.

Many have dismissed her as an idiotic attention-seeker, and I'm sure there is a healthy dose of truth in this.

Her sister Cherie "if it's not nailed down it's a freebie" Blair, wife of Tony, has now waded into the row - not to defend her sister, but Islam:

The former Prime Minister's wife also claimed that it was “not true” that women who covered up were oppressed and “incapable” of thinking for themselves. Her comments, in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, follow Lauren Booth's claims that the religion has given her “a new sense of respect”.

“We use the appearance of women as a metaphor of our fear of a supposed Islamic threat,” she told the El Pais newspaper. “There are thousands of Muslims in Europe who participate in our way of life and intend continuing to do so and if they want to dress in a certain way because of their beliefs, we shouldn't feel threatened. It's important to fight against certain stereotypes that affect above all Muslim women. We tend to believe they're oppressed, insecure and incapable of thinking for themselves and that is not true.

“One of the things I try to do is help to explain that Islam is an open religion in which women have influence, whether they hide their hair or not.” Asked about Miss Booth's conversion, she replied: “It's her choice.”

Interesting. This would be the "supposed Islamic threat" that her husband is currently making an awful lot of money speaking about, presumably.

The "supposed Islamic threat" that recently attempted to murder one of his former Parliamentary colleagues, amongst other things.

What particularly strikes me is that Cherie Blair probably knows as much, and cares as much, about the life of an illiterate, covered Pakistani woman in Bradford as she does about the life of normal working English people - i.e. nothing, and not at all if it doesn't benefit her, preferably in monetary terms.

She's hardly a neutral voice, however; back in February, Cherie was working part-time as a judge at Inner London Crown Court. One of the cases that came before her was that of Shamso Miah, 25, who had been charged with breaking the jaw of a fellow customer whilst queuing in a bank.

Miah is a Muslim (as is the victim), and had just left his local mosque before the incident took place.

Here's what took place in court:

The unemployed first-time offender, from Redbridge, north-east London, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Yet despite saying violence on our streets 'has to be taken seriously' Mrs Blair, a QC who professionally uses her maiden name Cherie Booth, let him walk free from court.

She told him: 'I am going to suspend this sentence for the period of two years based on the fact you are a religious person and have not been in trouble before.

'You caused a mild fracture to the jaw of a member of the public standing in a queue at Lloyds Bank.

'You are a religious man and you know this is not acceptable behaviour.'

Miah was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for two years, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Can you seriously imagine her treating a Christian so leniently simply on account of the fact he was religious? Frankly, I can't.

The National Secular Society lodged an official complaint about her conduct, outraged by the idea that all offenders are apparently not equal before her and religious belief could apparently bring about a lighter sentence.

Of course, Cherie came up smelling of roses:

An investigation found her decision to give a lenient punishment to a 'religious person' did not amount to misconduct.

Yesterday the Office for Judicial Complaints said 'no disciplinary action is necessary'.

Nope, no disciplinary action necessary - because this perfectly sums up the mindset of the liberal elite. Non-Western good, Western bad.

Context, circumstances, actual facts - they simply don't matter.

That's why Cherie should stand by her sister - the kind of cognitive dissonance whereby someone is horrified to find themselves in a Roman Catholic Church because of the "atrocities" committed in the name of that creed, but will happily not only join one of the most aggressive, bloodthirsty, totalitarian and misogynistic ideologies humanity has ever know, but also boast about it and shill for it to her daughters cannot be found often.

Perhaps it's a family trait?

The Worst Moment of George W. Bush's Presidency

What was the worst moment of George W. Bush's presidency?

There's a question that can easily inflame people on both sides of the political fence, and those who sit quite squarely on that fence.

But what would you guess?

The 9/11 attacks which killed over 3,000 innocent people?

Launching a largely pointless war in Iraq, leading to the deaths of thousands of American and hundreds of British troops, plus resulting in an insurgency which left an unknown number of civilians dead and strengthened Iranian influence in Iraq and the entire region?

Not finding and bringing to justice Osama bin Laden, ostensibly the reason for which a (now) largely pointless war is being fought in Afghanistan, in which thousands of American and hundreds of British troops, not to mention scores of Dutch, French and German troops, have died?

Not seizing the moment adequately and allowing the most poisonous aspects of the Left to set the debate and agenda on events as diverse as Guantanamo Bay and Hurricane Katrina?

You'd think any of those were in with a good chance - but you'd be wrong.

It was when rapper and professional thug Kanye West said on national TV that he didn't think Bush cared about black people!

Of course. That's much worse than anything I mentioned above.

Can this please be the final nail in the coffin of the notion that Bush is in any way conservative?

Hat tip: View from the Right.

What Constitutes Racism in Britain?

Meet John Woodward, pictured above.

He's a veteran of the First Gulf War who now drives a taxi in Cheshire. Being a self-described patriotic Englishman, John got a friend who writes signs to make him one for his cab.

It says "British by birth, English by the grace of God", and is based on several in the same vein he saw being displayed by Welsh lorry drivers whilst on holiday.

John had to remove the sign, however, after two separate members of the public complained to the council claiming it had "racist overtones".

Whilst the council and the taxi licensing body now refuse to rule on whether or not the sign is racist, John has been forced to remove it because he - gasp - didn't get permission from the council to display it on his own vehicle in the first place.

I think John sums up the situation very well:

“There’s nothing racist about this slogan at all. It is just a statement of fact by a patriotic Englishman. We should be proud of our nation, especially in times like these, but for some crazy reason we’re not allowed to display that pride.”

He added: “I have served Queen and country and I’m very proud of my nationality and heritage. I don’t see what is wrong with that. I got the idea when I went to Wales and saw one that said ‘British by birth - Welsh by the grace of God’, so I thought I’d adapt it. My friend is a sign writer and he did it for me.

“To say I’m racist is a massive allegation against someone. The fact is I fought for my country and I’m proud to be British.”

All very interesting. The council have as good as admitted that they see displaying such a sign as wrong:

A spokesman for Cheshire West and Chester Council’s licensing enforcement office said: “The authority has received complaints from two different members of the public who felt that Mr Woodward’s sign was racist. The council has not made any decision on that allegation but it accepts that Mr Woodward did not intend any offence and that he regards his sign only as a reflection of pride.”

He added: “However, as a Hackney cab driver he is not allowed to display a sign without applying for permission and was asked to take it down only on that basis.”

Good of them, I'm sure. However, in my part of the world, it is very common to find Sikh, Hindu and Muslim taxi drivers who display some symbol of their nationality or faith in their vehicles, normally by hanging it from the rear-view mirror.

I wonder if they get permission first?

The story neatly sums up the madness of the times we currently live in, and the culture of denounciation which successive governments, egged on by the people who actually run the country from Brussels, have create with politically correct legislation.

I thought it served more as a useful point of comparison, however.

Back in April, a chap called Tohseef Shah (below) appeared in a British court. He's 21 and was born here.

In December 2009, he decided to spray vile insults all over a Staffordshire war memorial. The graffiti included the line "Islam will dominate the world", as well as glorifying Osama bin Laden and calling for the death of then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

For this act, an outrageous slur on those who have given their lives to defend this country, and a clear attack on its heritage and values, Shah walked free from court with a two year conditional discharge and a £500 fine.

Why did he walk free? Because the CPS decided that his actions did not constitute a "hate crime"; i.e. inciting racial or religious hatred, i.e. our dreaded old foe racism, i.e. the one thing our "justice system" actually considers to be serious. They explained:

The CPS said Shah's offence could not be charged as a hate crime because the law requires that damage must target a particular religious or racial group.

It said: 'While it was appreciated that what was sprayed on the memorial may have been perceived by some to be part of a racial or religious incident, no racial or religious group can be shown to have been targeted.'

Quite. He obviously just did it for a laugh, and it has no connection with his race/religion and his contempt for this country. Nothing to see here, move along.

To add insult to injury, Shah didn't even show any remorse, as his defence counsel helpfully explained:

Defending, Mumtaz Chaudry said Shah did not hold extremist views. 'This is nothing to do with his religious beliefs, his family's beliefs or his cultural beliefs,' he said. 'He is just an ordinary guy.

'He is remorseful, but at the time of his interview he was simply answering questions and didn't realise that was the right time to show remorse.'

Yes, those seem like the actions of an "ordinary guy"; I can't tell you how many people I know who have inadvertanty sprayed "Islam will dominate the world" on something without quite knowing why.

To show what an "ordinary guy" he is, Shah appointed a Muslim spiritual leader called Abdullah Ibn Abbas to speak on his behalf after the court appearance. Abbas had this to say:

'It really doesn't concern us how the British people feel about the graffiti he wrote - the real outrage should be about the thousands of Muslims who are being killed and butchered as a result of British foreign policy.'

Now I see it clearer than ever - absolutely no political message was intended in this man's actions, nor was it in any way an act of racial/religious hatred or contempt for the country he was born in...

It's just worth noting - the great and the good see one of these two individuals as a nuisance who needs to start thinking along the correct lines, and the other as an upstanding citizen who ignorant people are making a fuss about for no good reason.

The only problem is, they've got it completely the wrong way around.

Update on the Roshonara Choudhry Sentencing

Further to yesterday's post about the Muslim fanatic who stabbed Labour MP Stephen Timms during a constituency surgery, the Daily Mail has an article containing further information on the disruption Musim "protesters" attempted to bring to the proceedings.

Apparently, several Muslim men were ejected from the public gallery after swearing at the judge, threatening members of the jury, and shouting "curse the British", "British go to hell", "curse the judge" and "Allahuakbar".

What beggars belief is that they weren't arrested for contempt of court or attempting to pervert the course of justice, but allowed to continue their "protest" outside, as the picture below demonstrates.

I'm fairly sure that under any other circumstances, those causing the disruption would have at least spent the rest of the day in the cells; threatening the jury is quite clearly an attempt to directly influence the outcome of the case, and to get away with doing it in an open court is an absolute disgrace.

It goes back to the point I was making yesterday; we need to worry a bit less about what sort of videos are available on YouTube, and simply stop mollycoddling these people when they step out of line. It's time to stop posturing and start acting, to show people such as these that they can't act with impunity.

Interestingly, several articles about the case dwell on how "intelligent" Choudhry is, how she was the top of her class, etc etc, until she had the misfortune to be "radicalised" by watching some videos.

The subtext seems to be; "look how lucky we were to have someone like her, until this catastrophe occurred. It's not mass immigration that's a problem, but a few radical sermons which can be accessed online too easily."

I'm not convinced we were all that lucky, however; here is a transcript of her police interview, from the Mail article linked above:

Choudhry: I was the top student.

Question: Was you? OK and what did they say when you pulled out?

Choudhry: They didn’t want me to pull out.

Question: Tell me what happened today.

Choudhry: I stabbed Stephen Timms.

Question: You stabbed Stephen Timms?

Choudhry: Yep. I’ve been learning more about Islam.

Question: Where have you been learning that?

Choudhry: Internet.

Question: What websites you been looking at?

Choudhry: I’ve been listening to lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki.

Question: Who’s he?

Choudhry: He’s an Islamic scholar. He lives in Yemen.

Question: And where have you been listening to these lectures?

Choudhry: I downloaded it off of the internet … explaining stories from the Koran and explaining about jihad.

Question:  Has that contributed to your decision to leave King’s?

Choudhry: Yes.

Question: And where was the link there then?

Choudhry: I thought that I should have loyalty to my Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine and so I should leave King’s and that would show my loyalty to them.

Question:  So when did you decide: ‘From what I’ve learnt, I’m now gonna go and stab Stephen Timms?’

Choudhry: A couple of weeks ago. It’s three weeks ago, four weeks ago.

Question: How do you feel now about what you’ve done today?

Choudhry: I feel like I did what I’d planned to do.

Question: Tell me your thoughts about what you’ve done.

Choudhry: I feel like I’ve ruined the rest of my life. I feel like it’s worth it because millions of Iraqis are suffering and I should do what I can to help them and not just be inactive and do nothing while they suffer.

Question: I just want to go over a little bit how your thought has gone from getting to religion to wanting some form of vengeance.

Choudhry: Because as Muslims we’re all brothers and sisters and we should all look out for each other and we shouldn’t sit back and do nothing while others suffer. We shouldn’t allow the people who oppress us to get away with it and to think that they can do whatever they want to us and we’re just gonna lie down and take it.

Question: Where did you learn that from?

Choudhry: From listening to his lectures.

Question: How did you feel about what you was about to do?

Choudhry: I was a bit nervous about what I was gonna do but I felt like it had to be done and it’s the right thing to do.

Question: What, what did you think about getting killed then?

Choudhry: I wanted to die.

Question: Why?

Choudhry: I wanted to be a martyr.

Question: Why’s that then?

Choudhry: ‘Cos, erm, that’s the best way to die.

Question: Who told you that?

Choudhry: Islamic teaching.

Question: Where did you learn that?

Choudhry: It’s in the Koran and I learnt it from listening to lectures.

Question: What lectures?

Choudhry: By Anwar al-Awlaki.

Question: Why did you pick an MP to carry out this attack?

Choudhry: Because he was directly involved with the declaration of war, so he’d directly committed a crime.

Question: What do you think about what you’ve done?

Choudhry: I’ve fulfilled my obligation, my Islamic duty to stand up for the people of lraq and to punish someone who wanted to make war with them.

Hmm. As the old saying goes - with friends like her...

Mysterious Woman Sentenced for Stabbing MP

As most of you will be aware, back in May Labour MP Stephen Timms was stabbed in the stomach twice whilst holding his regular constituency surgery in Newham, east London.

The woman responsible was named as Roshonara Choudhry, a 21 year old from the area. A BBC report from July noted:

Roshonara Choudhry, 21, of Central Park Road, East Ham, east London, is charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon.

She refused to enter a plea when appearing at the Old Bailey via videolink.

Why did she refuse to enter a plea? Is that in any way significant?

Apparently so. Whilst the mass media did its best to prevent much in the way of detail about the case leaking out, one of the security guards who restrained Choudhry until the police arrived let slip that she was "an Asian woman wearing a head covering."

The media did its best to avoid speculating and dwelling on such points. However, it turns out her refusal to enter a plea was significant, as the reason emerged at yesterday's trial:

Choudhary, who had refused to appear in court, told her barrister Jeremy Dein QC she did not accept the court's jurisdiction and did not wish him to challenge the prosecution case.

Yesterday she was convicted of the attempted murder of Mr Timms, and of two counts of possessing an offensive weapon (she thoughtfully took along a second knife to attack Timms, "in case the first one snapped"). This morning she was sentenced to life in prison, and must serve a minimum of 15 years.

It turns out she stabbed Mr Timms because he voted for the Iraq war. It also turns out that, when arrested, she was in possession of a "hit list" of other MPs who had done likewise, all of whom she intended to harm if possible.

Now, the really surpising bit; it turns out that she had been "a moderate Muslim student who had been looking forward to a career in teaching before watching the videos."

The videos described are sermons by Anwar al-Awlaki which Choudhry found on the internet.

So, here we have it; yet another poor, innocent "moderate Muslim" corrupted by those evil extremists to misunderstand their peaceful creed. Just an ordinary British girl, really, could have happened to anyone, I'm sure.

The attack by this poor corrupted moderate Muslim on Mr Timms was described thus:

During the half-day trial William Boyce QC, prosecuting, said Choudhry told police she attacked Mr Timms, 55, as a "punishment" and "to get revenge for the people of Iraq".

Jurors heard she made an appointment to see the MP at Beckton community centre on 14 May.

When she arrived she smiled as she walked up to him, acting as if to shake his hand, before lunging at him with a kitchen knife.

Mr Timms told the court: "She looked friendly. She was smiling, if I remember rightly."

Choudhry stabbed Mr Timms, sending him "reeling and staggering" as his assistant prised the knife from her.

She was held in a "bear hug" by a security guard until the police arrived.

Mr Boyce said Miss Choudhry told police she made the appointment solely for the purpose of attacking him.

She had two knives with her in case one broke during the attack.

In a police interview the next day she said: "I was not going to stop until someone made me.

"I wanted to kill him... I was going to get revenge for the people of Iraq."

Oddly, the BBC report does not mention the terms "jihad" or "political assassination" (although they do acknowledge she's a Muslim, which is a fairly large step forward for them). The Daily Mail is slightly closer to the mark:

Her attack on the former Treasury minister is thought to be the first Al Qaeda-inspired attempt to assassinate a politician on British soil.

The judge alluded to much the same in his summing up:

Mr Justice Cooke, sentencing Choudhry, said: 'You said you ruined the rest of your life. You said it was worth it. You said you wanted to be a martyr'.

The judge said Choudhry would continue to be a danger to Members of Parliament for the foreseeable future.

The judge said that if Choudhry had succeeded in killing Mr Timms he would have given her a whole-life sentence, meaning she would never be released.

He told her: 'You intended to kill in a political cause and to strike at those in Government by doing so.

So, what's the solution to all of this? Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Neville-Jones thinks she might have the answer; attempting to block videos made by extreme Muslim clerics which "have incitement to murder, when you have people actively calling for the killing of fellow citizens and when you have the means to stop that person doing so, then I believe we should act.

'Those websites would categorically not be allowed in the UK.

'They incite cold-blooded murder and as such are surely contrary to the public good."

So, the normal head in the sand tactics, then.

Of course it would be beyond the Baroness, or anyone else involved, to see that Choudhry identified first and foremost with the people of Iraq over Timms and other British citizens - because they are Muslims, and we are not.

Thus, we will always come second. Don't shout that too loudly though - it may be the truth, but it's probably racist or something.

It's quite clear to me that what has been "contrary to the public good" is mass immigration from the Third, and especially the Muslim worlds.

That is what is ultimately responsible for this - not the ability to watch such videos in Britain, but the fact that the country is now full of those who will act on their message without compunction because they despise us, even as they live off of us.

Quite what it is going to take to get that message across, I don't know. This was a terrorist attack, plain and simple, and the media simply ignored that aspect, because it is not conducive to their agenda.

Stephen Timms survived and Choudhry is now in jail, but surely the point of an attack such as this is that every elected representative will have it in their mind when they are asked to vote, especially on certain issues; how many represent what the Muslim Council of Britain has the audacity to call a "very diverse constituency, including many Muslims"?

Diversity and democracy simply do not mix.

***UPDATE 15.36***

From the updated Daily Mail article:

After the sentence was passed, a group of men began shouting in the public gallery 'Allahu akbar' ('God is great'), 'British go to hell' and 'Curse the judge'.

A demonstration was also taking place outside the court.

Yep, it's clearly all about those pesky videos.

The evil Right-wing Mail describes the actions of the men as "the public gallery erupting in protest".

Let's hope the judge showed some backbone and called it "contempt of court" followed by a free trip to the cells, although I doubt it.

Sweden Suspends Deportations to Greece

Today the BBC reports that Sweden is the latest in a line of EU countries to announce it will no longer deport "asylum seekers" (i.e. illegal immigrants) to Greece.

Under the rules of the Dublin II treaty implemented by the European Union, "asylum seekers" must make their claim and be processed in the first EU country they reach.

Unfortunately for the Greeks, this is generally them when it comes to "asylum seekers" travelling by land, particularly from countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. The border between Greece and Turkey has recently been announced as one of the EU's "pressure points" when it comes to illegal entry, and a team of border guards from across Europe have been posted there under the EU banner.

Incidentally, shall we just take a brief moment to imagine how much more intense the "pressure" would be if Turkey joined, and the EU bordered Syria, Iraq and Iran?

Anyway, back to the point; the problem with the EU's grandstanding is that it's all largely for show. Most European countries have great legal difficulties expelling asylum seekers they detect as bogus, and many don't even seem to have the will to do so. The vast majority of illegal entrants will end up staying, one way or another, as their host countries tie themselves in legal and ethical knots - throwing even more money down the drain than they spend supporting the vibrant newcomers and their (invariably numerous) dependants.

Which brings me to Sweden's announcement (following similar ones last week from Austria, Finland and Norway); the BBC helpfully informs us:

Under the EU's Dublin II Regulation, asylum seekers generally have to be processed by the first EU member state they come to. That means many have been sent back to Greece.

But in Greece far fewer asylum seekers are granted refugee status than in northern European countries.

Sweden's decision affects about 100 people who would otherwise have been returned to Greece, said Swedish Migration Board director Dan Eliasson.

"The situation in Greece is deteriorating constantly for asylum seekers," the AFP news agency quoted him as saying.

'Inhuman' conditions

Last month a UN special rapporteur, Manfred Nowak, said Greek holding centres for migrants were in a "critical state" and conditions for many of them were "inhuman".

So, the reason for not sending "asylum seekers" back to Greece is simply that they have a much lower chance of being accepted than if they're lucky enough to reach Northern Europe?

Given that the vast majority of these illegal immigrants are simply Third World people, often young males, seeking a new life, often on the Western taxpayer, such criteria simply beggars belief.

On that basis, shouldn't the governments of Sweden and Norway simply send a delegation around the Third World, addressing large crowds and asking "hands up if you want a new life, to you akin to winning the lottery, courtesy of Scandinavian taxpayers."

It would probably be cheaper for them in the long run than maintaining any pretence about "border security".

The flow will only be stemmed when getting into Europe doesn't automatically mean staying in Europe, and UN employees in non-jobs funded largely by Western taxpayers don't describe any conditions which don't include free flights to Scandinavia, large wads of cash, free accommodation and a free hand to harass Swedish women as "inhuman".

I shan't be holding my breath, however.

Election Fever in Barking

Today's Daily Mail carries a report about an incident which occurred yesterday in Barking, involving the BNP's parliamentary candidate for Romford, Bob Bailey.

The bare facts are that former-Royal Marine Mr Bailey and his canvassing team were aggressively approached by three Asian youths, who seemed determined to remonstrate with them and start trouble. After attempting to defuse the situation, Bailey tells them that they are out numbered and should be on their way, at which point one of the youths spits right in his face, causing him to retaliate - which in turn leads to a brawl.

Judge for yourself:

At the beginning, Bailey seems to me to be saying "how many are there of us," or something along these lines, as the youths approach, attempting to appeal to common sense and diassuade them from violence.

The BBC camera crew who just happened to be on hand to record the incident insist that Bailey actually shouted "are you lot robbers," or something similar - at least, that is what I am informed was reported on last night's BBC London news programme.

Apart from their manifesto launch and an interview between Nick Griffin and Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, this is pretty much the only mainstream media coverage the BNP have had in this election campaign.

As usual when it comes to the BNP, opinion and commentary on this latest incident is purely black and white; several copies of the video of the incident on YouTube have titles like "BNP's Bob Bailey Drunkenly Attacks Asian Youths," giving the impression that a swaggering Bailey walked up to some skinny lads quietly reading in a park and attacked one of them for no reason.

The Daily Mail itself reports the incident as: "Caught on camera: BNP candidate punches and kicks Asians after being spat at on campaign trail." It's marginally better than what it was before the update: "BNP Candidate Punches and Kicks Asian Voters After Being Spat At."

The fact is, most people would retaliate after being spat at for going about their lawful business. No one is forced to vote for the BNP or any other party, and attacking canvassers you disagree with is about as counterproductive as it gets.

Some of the comments on the article play for sympathy; apparently, those hooded and hulking Asian males who feel it is their right to silence anyone they don't like are "youngsters" who are "threatened by the BNP's message of hate."

Well, clearly a fair number of white voters in this country feel threatened by Asian gangs, of "youngsters" or otherwise, and the rise of the BNP simply reflects that.

I'm sure the commentators who expressed such sentiments would be just as understanding if some disaffected white youngsters spat in Shahid Malik's face on the campaign trail, because they were scared by his call for a Muslim Prime Minister and the rapidly shifting demographic reality in this country - or outraged over his slithering out of fraud charges over his expenses thefts.

As usual, this is an own-goal for the liberal elite; many people will respect Bailey for standing up to intimidation, particularly those who would not have reacted as he did but wish they could. There is also a glaringly clear case of double standards going on; if Bailey had slunk away, the UAF and Hope Not Hate types would be crowing about how the "scum" aren't welcome on the streets and won't defend themselves, about how the big bad BNP types are scared of some "boys".

Let's be honest, in public relations terms the BNP are damned if they do and damned if they don't, and that's the way the media like it.

Mr Bailey was assaulted in a particularly disgusting and humiliating way whilst going about his business and expressing his legitimate political opinions, canvassing for votes in a supposedly free country; it is clear from the video the Asian males did not want a debate or to protest but simply to provoke him and cause trouble. They succeeded, but because they didn't come out on top we're supposed to feel sorry for them.

Well, I don't. I am sick and tired of media bias and inconsistencies,of unprincipled thieves and crooks trying to prove how moral they are by smearing others, of name-calling and outright lies passing for commentary and debate, and of what is happening to my country.

Tonight I will stay up and follow the election results as they come in, and frankly I wish any political party that isn't Labour, Liberal Democrat or "Conservative" very well indeed. Of particular interest should be the results from Buckingham, where UKIP's Nigel Farage hopes to unseat the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, and Barking, where the BNP's Nick Griffin hopes to unseat the ghastly New Labour ideologue Margaret Hodge.

Good luck to both - and good luck to Britain. I fear that whatever the outcome, she'll need it.

7 Muslims Arrested in Ireland in Plot to Kill Swedish Cartoonist

Breaking news from the BBC:

Seven people have been arrested in the Irish Republic over an alleged plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist for depicting the Prophet Muhammad, police say.

The four men and three women are all Muslim, according to media reports, though a police statement did not confirm this.

Cartoonist Lars Vilks had depicted the Prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog in the Nerikes Allehanda newspaper.

Islamic militants then put a $100,000 (£67,000) bounty on his head.

Irish police said the seven suspects were arrested after an investigation that also involved police in the US and other European countries.

The suspects ranged in age from their mid-20s to late-40s.

Ireland's RTE news network reported that five were detained in Waterford and two others in Cork.

An update from the BBC news site:

RTE said those in custody were originally refugees from Morocco and Yemen, but had gained asylum and were in the Republic of Ireland legally.

Mr Vilks has been under police protection in Sweden since threats were made against his life.

In 2007 a group linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq offered a $100,000 reward for killing Mr Vilks, and a 50% bonus if he was "slaughtered like a lamb" by having his throat cut.

It offered another $50,000 for the murder of Ulf Johansson, editor-in-chief of the regional newspaper, Nerikes Allehanda.

Raheem Nawaz Detained Indefinitely on 7 Counts of Attempted Murder

I wrote previously about the case of Raheem Nawaz, who went on two separate stabbing sprees in Keighley back in August, leaving a total of seven people seriously injured. Two of them nearly died.

At the time of Nawaz's arrest, a press blackout was imposed on the case, leading to much speculation about his motives. Was it a racially motivated crime? Was it a terrorist attack?

On Friday, Nawaz, a paranoid schizophrenic, was detained indefinitely under the mental health act for seven counts of attempted murder, and for the first time details about the case were made publicly available.

From the BBC:

Raheem Nawaz, 20, of Wilmer Drive, Bradford, stabbed a man he knew then attacked six strangers in Keighley last August, the city's crown court heard.

Two of his victims nearly died and one of the strangers was the brother-in-law of the first victim who was attacked after visiting him in hospital.

The judge detained Nawaz indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.

The court heard how Nazam was high on drink and drugs when he went on a "rampage" on 20 August.

He was armed with a "horrendous-looking" 6in (15cm) knife which he had bought especially, the court heard.

In the first attack, at 2215 BST, Nawaz stabbed a 24-year-old man he knew, Mohammed Nazam.

Just over two hours later, he went on to attack six strangers with a knife, near the Livery Room pub in North Street.

Three of the victims, Sarah Wade, Carol Owlett and Fiona Haughey, were waiting for a taxi, and the fourth, Fiona Moorhouse, had gone to see what was going on.

A man, James French, was stabbed in the neck and shoulder as he passed the pub while looking for a taxi.

Nawaz's final victim, Majid Hussain, was returning from visiting Mohammed Nazam when he was attacked.

The court was told that Nawaz "remains seriously disturbed" and often hears voices. He also believes that members of the public can hear his thoughts and are laughing at him, a condition which is exacerbated by drink and drugs.

Judge James Stewart, QC, said: "On 20 August of last year you went on the rampage, wildly stabbing seven people quite indiscriminately.

"You had no issue with any of them, you just decided to stab them with a horrendous-looking knife which you had just bought for that purpose. Two of your victims nearly died."

He added: "The only saving grace for this dreadful violent behaviour is that, at the time, you were, and still are, seriously mentally ill."

Nawaz is to receive treatment at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

Kent Police Issue E-Fit of "Eastern European" After Sexual Assault

What springs to mind when you hear that someone is "Eastern European"?

It is a term which is used very loosely, and can refer to someone from the vast majority of the south, west and east Slavic countries.

I don't know about the average person, but for me the image conjured up is not this one:

However, after the sexual assault of a 15 year old girl in Ashford by a man described as "Eastern European", the above e-fit was released by Kent Police:

Police have now issued an image of a man they are hunting after a sexual assault on a teenage girl in an Ashford alleyway.

A man had started talking to a 15-year-old in an alley off Godfrey Walk. He then started kissing her.

She got away and ran to a friend's house.

The suspect is described as Eastern European, in his late 30s, skinny and about 6ft 2in tall.

He had a moustache and stubble, black short hair and was wearing a black hooded top and blue jeans.

Anyone with information about the incident - which happened at 7.45pm on Saturday, January 23 - is urged to contact police on 01303 289180.

This individual is Turkish, Albanian or, dare I say it, "Asian."

Being Kent, he is likely a Kosovar Albanian or a Romanian gypsy, if indeed the use of the term "Eastern European" is not completely erroneous.

I have met and indeed I now teach large numbers of "Eastern Europeans" from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic and Croatia, and not one of them looks anything like this.

"Global Education"

The British Council aims to establish 4,600 "links" between schools in Britain and the Third World by 2012, in an attempt to educate children about other cultures. Apparently, "government schemes to promote global education" fund such initiatives.

Things aren't quite going to plan so far, however. It seems that certain pupils in Britain have come away from these lessons with the idea that Third World countries are failed states rife with poverty and corruption.

Could this be because teachers spend so much time telling them that Third Worlders are victims of Western evil, incapable of helping themselves without vast sums of our money?

The article doesn't speculate - but it does tell us that some of these accurate perceptions are simply racist and neocolonialist and must be altered by a "different way of thinking."

Presumably that would be a different way of thinking whereby these Third World countries must be given our help in every conceivable sense, but are immune from our criticism lest the magic "R" word be used.

Of course, many of these statements are also the confused ideas of children - but to the Leftist ideologue, there are no children, just mini-adults and potential future racists whose way of thinking must be altered at all costs.

From The Evening Standard:

School links between the UK and the developing world can leave children with “racist” views of other cultures, research has found.

British pupils believe that their peers there are covered in flies and all wear straw skirts as lessons focus too much on poverty, the study said.

Academics warned that badly trained teachers in subjects such as geography were fuelling “neocolonialist” views.

Growing numbers of state schools have formed partnerships around the world under government schemes to promote global education.

The British Council aims to establish 4,600 links by 2012.

Researchers asked English children about their Gambian peers.

The pupils said: “They don't wear much clothes, they wear straw. The boys wear skirts too.”

Other responses, reported in The Times Educational Supplement, included: “Gross things like flies go in their mouths. Because their mouths are brown and the flies think their mouths are made of mud.”

Dr Fran Martin, from Exeter University, who led the study, said: “There needs to be a different way of thinking to avoid partnerships having these neocolonialist or racist undertones.”

The way I look at it is that facts are facts. Ideology can hide reality up to a point, but not very well and certainly not forever.

If you teach British children about the Third World, they're going to learn about the Third World, no matter what spin is put on it.

To use the example from the article, either Gambia is a thriving, successful modern nation, or it is not.

Clearly, it is not, and the reasons for that are clear to all but die hard Leftists, and thus this brainwashing might have the opposite effect to that intended - it might wake up future generations to the fact that all cultures are not equal. At all.

Somali Fosi Farah Attacked Ian Wright with Hammer

From The Derby Telegraph:

A DERBY man claimed "voices in his head" told him to attack a passer-by with a claw hammer in a city street.

Derby Crown Court heard yesterday that the attack by Fosi Farah left Ian Wright, 53, with a 3cm gash in his skull and terrifying flashbacks.

Gillian Foxcroft, prosecuting, said Mr Wright had been walking along Green Lane, towards a bank when the attack happened.

She said: "He had walked past a man holding a bottle of alcohol.

"Soon after, he realised he was being followed and suddenly he felt a thud on the top of his head."

She said Mr Wright turned and saw the man he had passed earlier coming towards him armed with a hammer.

In interviews, Mr Wright said 43-year-old Farah seemed to be trying to attack him again. He kicked out at his attacker, who then dropped the hammer and ran off.

Ms Foxcroft said that Farah, of Wilson Street, Derby, told a nearby policeman what he had done.

She said: "He could not give a reason why he had done it, other than the voices in his head told him to."

Farah pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.

Judge Andrew Hamilton ordered that Farah should be detained in a mental health hospital and undertake medical treatment.

It will be for an unspecified length of time, until doctors feel it is safe to release him.

He said: "It is clear from the evidence that you are suffering from a mental illness.

"If there was not a medical disposal I would take the view that this man was extremely dangerous and would lock him up for life."

Ms Foxcroft said witnesses had seen Farah swing the hammer up high and bring it down on the victim's skull.

Other witnesses said the attack and the victim's screaming and shouting afterwards was "a terrible thing both to see and hear".

Somalian-born Farah had been living in the UK for a number of years. He was unemployed at the time of the attack.

Peter Pimm, in mitigation, said Farah had been suffering from schizophrenia for more than 15 years and had experienced suicidal tendencies.

The court ordered the destruction of the hammer.

Shame the court didn't also order the deportation of the violent Somali criminal.

Instead he will be detained and treated at our expense until a doctor deigns him fit to be released on an unsuspecting public once more.

CPS Blunders Set Violent Gang Member Free

The Evening Standard bring us this taste of what happens when cultural enrichment and diversity meet judicial incompetence:

A judge has attacked “hopeless” prosecutors in London after a man accused of stabbing a father who was protecting his son walked free from court.

Bashier Hussein, 20, was due to stand trial for allegedly knifing Everald Carter at his home after a gang came looking for the victim's teenage son.

But the case against him was thrown out after the judge ran out of patience with the Crown Prosecution Service's failure to provide key documents.

Judge Peter Birts QC told Snaresbrook crown court that although the alleged attack was “a most appalling incident” he was being forced to abandon the trial because of prosecutors' “unjustifiable delay” in providing transcripts to the defence.

He accused them of having “sat on the case since late 2007” and said that their inability to respond to requests for the transcripts amounted to an “intentional failure to comply with the court”. The case, which will prompt renewed concern about the effectiveness of prosecutors in London, follows a warning by the Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service that hundreds of criminals in the capital are walking free because of similar failings.

Mr Carter's wife, Michelle, today said that she and her husband had been let down by the prosecution.

“The CPS have been completely incompetent,” she said. “They've never apologised to us. It is so disappointing to come this far only for these people to walk away. We were hoping to finally get some closure and have our day in court, but it looks like we will never get that now.”

Hussein, of Plaistow, was charged with wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm after being arrested over the incident at Mr Carter's house in Barking in October 2007.

The alleged attack happened after up to eight youths arrived looking for Mr Carter's teenage son after a row at Leyton Sixth Form College over a firework. Mr Carter, who works with the business development unit of the CPS, attempted to reason with the gang but was stabbed in his leg and groin area.

His son, then aged 16, saved his life by using his shirt to stop the bleeding. Mr Carter, who still has trouble walking, spent months recovering, while the family has been forced to move out of their home because of fears of another attack.

Mr Carter's 74-year-old mother Gurzel said it was “a disgrace” that his alleged attacker had been allowed to walk free. “I thought my son was going to die. When Everald was stabbed I cried and cried. He was trying to protect his son. How could the system fail so badly?”

Hussein, who is known by his rap name “Sketch”, is understood to be part of the Greengate gang, which operates near West Ham football stadium. Their rivals are the Lego Manz crew.

As the new tourist posters have it - come to London and see the world.

But if you don't survive, don't say you haven't been warned.

Charaf Elmoudden Handled Stolen Pictures of Robert Knox

Robert Knox was murdered in May 2008 by a known violent criminal called Karl Bishop who was on early release at the time off the crime.

As if this wasn't distressing enough for the Knox family, pictures of their son's corpse taken before his post mortem were stolen after Bishop's trial.

A man has now admitted handling the photographs, and is facing jail:

A MAN is facing jail after admitting handling stolen photographs of murdered Harry Potter actor Robert Knox.

Charaf Elmoudden, of The Concourse, Grahame Park, admitted handling the pictures of Mr Knox's body before a post mortem, which were stolen following the trial of the 18-year-old's murderer last year.

The 20-year-old admitted handling the pictures at Wood Green Crown Court today and was warned by Judge Shaun Lyons he was treating the case “very seriously”.

He added the severity of the offence had passed the custody threshold.

Mr Knox was murdered outside the Metro Bar in Sidcup on May 24, 2008, just weeks after filming a small part in the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

At a hearing last month, prosecution lawyers were told to take the case more seriously by the judge, who added: ““This is a serious case. It has the potential for a great deal of upset to the people involved.”

Elmoudden is due to appear at the court next month for sentencing.

Darius Tatar Accused of Repeatedly Beating & Raping Woman

...So naturally he's granted "conditional bail" to continue enjoying his life on the British taxpayer until his trial in July.

From The Plymouth Herald:

A MAN is facing trial accused of raping and attacking a woman.

Darius Tatar of Boon's Place, North Road West is accused of raping the woman between June 30 and August 1 last year and assault causing actual bodily harm with intent to commit a sexual offence between the same dates.

He is also accused of assaulting the same woman and causing her actual bodily harm on September 9.

Tatar, aged 29, denied all three counts during his appearance at Plymouth Crown Court.

He was granted conditional bail until his trial, which will start on July 5 and is expected to last two or three days.

Gang of "Asians" Attack Man in Ilford

From The Waltham Forest Guardian:

POLICE have appealed for information after a man was attacked by a gang of thugs in a Redbridge street.

The 39-year-old, who has not been named, was assaulted by four Asian men in Green Lane, Ilford, on Monday evening at about 9.30pm.

He was taken to hospital for treatment to a hand injury.

Anyone with information should call Detective Sergeant Simon Giles at Ilford Police Station on: 8345 2610 or Crimestoppers on: 0800 555 111.

Iraqis Enriching the Lives of British Women

Two recent cases in which British women have allowed Kurdish men from Iraq to enrich their lives and experienced first hand the results of living in such a vibrant, colourful and exciting country as New Britain:

1) From The Burton Mail:

AN immigrant living in Stapenhill assaulted his girlfriend before slapping her friend across the face in a town centre car park, a court has heard.

Burton Magistrates’ Court saw CCTV evidence of Abdul Rajman’s offence as he admitted two assault charges yesterday.

The 37-year-old Iraqi also pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage relating to his smashing of girlfriend Gemma Fitzpatrick’s phone during the attack.

Having been recently assaulted himself, Rajman limped into court supported by Miss Fitzpatrick and with bandages around his hands.

But magistrates afforded the Exeter Road resident little sympathy, imposing on him fines totalling £335 and an 18-month community order.

Giles Rowden, prosecuting, told the court how the attack happened after all three parties had been drinking.

He said: “The offences were captured by CCTV cameras in the BHS car park, off Union Street, in the early hours of January 3.

“The video shows the defendant grabbing Miss Fitzpatrick’s phone from behind her ear, causing her to incur a split upper lip in the same movement.

“He then throws the mobile to the floor, smashing it to pieces, before slapping his partner’s friend, Natalie Davies, across the face. However, she did not incur any injuries.

“The defendant told police that he grabbed the phone because he thought it was his and apologised for his actions.” Neil O’Driscoll, defending, told the court how his client had been living in the UK for 10 years.

He said: “My client has no history of violent offences on his record and it is clear that, in this instance, he does not hit anyone but does slap Miss Davies.

“In terms of the injury to Miss Fitzpatrick, Rajman insists this was a complete accident and apologises.

“He entered a guilty plea at the earliest opportunity and admitted the offences during police interview.

“There are clear issues here with anger management and alcohol, which he is working to address.” Presiding magistrate Vivien Patterson said: “To watch the CCTV evidence here was not a very nice experience at all.

“You must pay Miss Fitzpatrick compensation of £150 for her phone and £100 for the injury you caused, as well as £85 court costs.”

Oh, as long as he apologises then! What is this violent thug still doing in Britain? Why is this woman so stupid that she is still hanging around him? Why is the very lenient sentence handed down to him implied to be quite harsh?

Discuss.


2) From The Huddersfield Examiner:

AN Iraqi Kurd who left his girlfriend ‘physically and mentally battered’ after a drunken attack in a Huddersfield street has been jailed for a year.

Dishad Ibrahim, now of Cusworth House, Doncaster, admitted assaulting Abigail Rhodes in June last year after he had been drinking in Greenhead Park.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC was told how the couple then moved on to the Tesco store in Viaduct Street where more alcohol was bought, but as they walked along Bradford Road an argument developed.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Ibrahim, 24, began shouting and slapped Miss Rhodes hard across the face.

Ibrahim continued the attack in Fartown Green Road where he punched and kicked his girlfriend before police officers arrived on the scene.

Miss Rhodes suffered swelling to her face, a bruised and bloodshot right eye and bruising to her arms, legs and body.

Barrister Edward Renvoize, for Ibrahim, conceded that his client had been well in drink at the time of the violence and had acted in a wholly inappropriate way.

He told the judge that Ibrahim had been granted indefinite leave to remain in this country after arriving as an asylum-seeker from Iraq.

Judge Durham Hall said the attack had been ‘nasty and prolonged’ which had left the victim physically and mentally battered.

The court heard that Ibrahim had previous convictions for common assault, drunkenness and possessing a bladed article.

The judge said Ibrahim clearly had a problem with alcohol and a prison sentence was inevitable.

Britain clearly has a problem, too - people like this keep being let in and allowed to remain, at our expense, no matter what they're like and what they do.

Meanwhile, her citizens are seemingly too dosed up on propaganda and nonsense to notice patterns and avoid getting involved with such individuals - after all, that might be racist or something. Far better to just say nothing and pretend it isn't happening.

On and on it goes.

"Muslims 4 Ken"

The Daily Telegraph carries a very disturbing article about the Islamic influences on voting patterns in London's 2008 mayoral elections, in an attempt to secure victory for then-incumbent "Red" Ken Livingstone, paragon of a number of Leftist and Islamist virtues:

In an election lost by Mr Livingstone, the Islamic Forum of Europe helped secure massive and unexpected swings towards him in its east London heartland.

In one ward, Spitalfields, his vote share rose from 29.6 per cent in 2004 - an election he won - to 68.4 per cent in 2008, a rise of nearly 39 percentage points.

In every other ward in Tower Hamlets and Newham with a sizeable Muslim population, his vote rose by between 23 and 36 percentage points. His vote in other Muslim and ethnic minority areas of London also rose, but by far smaller amounts.

Mr Livingstone's economic development body, the London Development Agency, had agreed to pay more than £1.3 million to the East London Mosque, controlled by the IFE, and described by critics as hardline.

Emails leaked to The Sunday Telegraph show that a senior LDA official furiously protested against at least £500,000 of this grant, saying there were "major concerns" about the mosque project and "no case" for giving it the money.

However, the official was overruled and the grant was paid.

Part of Mr Livingstone's voting rise will have been due to his opposition to the Iraq war and support for the Palestinian cause, both popular among Muslims.

However, part can be explained by the activities of a group called "Muslims 4 Ken," which The Sunday Telegraph has established was run by the IFE's community affairs co-ordinator, Azad Ali, and an IFE ally, Anas al-Tikriti of the British Muslim Initiative.

Mr Ali is listed on his personal web page as a "team member" of Muslims 4 Ken and on the Muslims 4 Ken site, along with one other person, as a "contributor".

On his IFE blog, Mr Ali has praised a key mentor of Osama bin Laden, described al-Qaeda as a "myth," and justified the killing of British troops in Iraq.

Muslims 4 Ken made a series of false and inflammatory claims against Mr Livingstone's main opponent, Boris Johnson.

It leafleted mosques claiming that Mr Johnson had "expressed his hatred against Islam" and also claimed that he wanted to ban the Koran.

Muslims 4 Ken's website quoted Mr Johnson as saying that "racism is natural" without adding the sentences which followed ("It is as natural as sewage. We all agree that it is disgusting.")

After the election, Muslims 4 Ken boasted that it "mobilised the Muslim community in unprecedented numbers," saying: "We got out the vote."

Electoral officials have also expressed concern, The Sunday Telegraph has established, about dramatic fluctuations in the number of people registered to vote in Tower Hamlets.

In 2008, the year of the mayoral election, the area's electorate was 154,181. The following year, when there were no major local polls in the borough, it dropped sharply, to 148,970.

But in 2010, the year of local council elections and a referendum on switching to a powerful directly-elected mayor in Tower Hamlets, the borough's electorate has shot up again - to 160,278.

This is a rise of more than 11,000 voters, or 7.6 per cent, in just a few months.

Office of National Statistics figures given to the council do show that the population of Tower Hamlets is rising, but only by about 1.5 per cent a year.

IFE activists are heavily involved in campaigning for a Yes vote in the Tower Hamlets mayoral referendum.

Undercover footage taken by Channel 4's Dispatches shows that they are organising to take the mayoralty, with almost total power over the council's £1 billion budget.

One IFE member, Abu Talha, tells the undercover reporter: "The [new] mayor is going to have a lot more control. That's why we need to get someone, one of our brothers, in there. Which we will do, whether it will be brother Azad [Azad Ali] or someone else."

The referendum was granted after a leading IFE activist, Abjol Miah, organised a petition containing the signatures of more than five per cent of the Tower Hamlets electorate, as the law requires.

However, a report by council officers found that almost half the names on the petition were "invalid", including more than five thousand which did not appear on even the expanded electoral register.

A total of 99.3 per cent of the names on the petition are Asian, in a borough where only around 40 per cent of the population is Asian.

The petition contains entire pages of names and addresses written in the same handwriting. Nonetheless, enough signatures were ruled to be valid and the mayoral referendum was granted.

There is no suggestion that Mr Livingstone, Mr Ali, or Mr al-Tikriti conspired to rig votes or register fake electors.

However, investigations by The Sunday Telegraph have established that some of the new voters - albeit in a community where many people have common names - do have the same names as people linked to the IFE. The IFE categorically denied that it had registered fake voters.

The launch of the "Muslims for Ken" campaign came after the East London Mosque, which is closely connected to the IFE, secured at least £1.3 million in funding from Mr Livingstone's City Hall.

They needn't have worried, of course. Evil "Right-wing" Boris Johnson is if anything even more enamoured with Islam than Ken.

The latter seems to see it purely as a means of resistance to the West and its traditional values, whereas the former will often take the opportunity to remind us of the charming tale of his ancestors, one of whom was a Russian-Circassian woman sold into Turkish slavery. How romantic! How diverse and vibrant!

Let us also not forget Johnson's complete and utter betrayal of the conservatives who voted for him over other representatives of the Right - for example, he has backed amnesty for over 500,000 illegal immigrants.

The best part of the article is Ken's response upon having these matters brought to his attention, however:

Mr Livingstone said he could not recollect the project, or whether he had been personally involved in approving the payment. He refused to comment on the activities of Muslims 4 Ken and said: "You are a liar who is stirring up racism."

Yeah. The old ones are the best, eh, Ken?

But then what can one expect from a scoundrel who has built a political career on the most fantastical Leftist nonsense?

At least he stopped himself before he started ranting about Jews and concentration camp guards.