Saturday 27 September 2014

Paul Stott on British Jihadis

From  I Intend To Escape ......................And Come Back

Some Comments On the Risk From British Jihadis In Syria

by Paul Stott of UEA

Samira Shackle has an article on the Rationalist Association website, asking what risk British fighters in Syria pose on their return to Britain. It is a rather bland assessment, although not as irritating as attempts to portray such fighters as a latter day version of the International Brigades. Here is my reply to such sentiments:

It really is embarrassing seeing people compare British fighters in groups like ISIS or the al-Nusrah Front to those who fought fascism in Spain (a better comparison for the GB jihadis, in terms of both politics and perhaps competence, may be to the Irish Blueshirts who joined Franco).

Britons in jihadist organisations in Syria, like their predecessors who went to Somalia, Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Bosnia, are not just fighting against something, but for something. And the 'for' bit of the equation is where any positive sides to this adventure collapse. The Britons reported in Syria are not to be found in nationalist or broadly secular groups, but in those fighting to establish the type of state established most recently by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Do these fighters pose a problem when they return? In security terms - yes. Prisons across the world are littered with veterans of similar jihads. We have just seen one veteran of the Bosnia Mujahideen, Londoner Babar Ahmad, plead guilty to terrorist offences in the US. There are plenty of others.

In broader social terms, the best outcome for community relations, women's rights and democracy in the UK is that most of these combatants do not come back. Sadly that is unrealistic, just as it is wishful thinking to hope all our fascists will one day ship themselves off to some of the Aryan dream lands trailed in the north western states of the US.

We are now in the third decade of a small number of Britons travelling to fight in Mujahideen type organisations, and it is indicative of the timid approach traditionally taken that this is in some way being portrayed as a new problem - it is not. The 7/7 bombings were arguably only possible because of the training two of the suicide bombers - Khan and Tanweer - received at the camps of 'freedom fighters' in Kashmir.

The gloves really should have come off then - with both Britons joining such camps, and those in this country who finance them. Now that seems to be changing - witness the arrests across the country of those returning from, or trying to travel to Syria, in recent months. 


We are going to see a lot more arrests, a lot more complaints of 'Islamophobia' and further desperate attempts (from useful idiots on the left as much as from Islamists) to portray jihadists as freedom fighters. Whenever you hear such claims, remember that these individuals are not just fighting against Assad, they are fighting for something. And unless you want to live in the seventh century, what they are for is as bad, or worse, as Assad's Syria.




Monday 15 September 2014

EDL March In Rotherham Ends With Arrests

The Huffington Post UK/PA claims that four men have been arrested as an English Defence League march kicked off in Rotherham to protest recent shocking revelations about child sexual exploitation in the town.

The Star newspaper later added that seven had been charged with offences related to the EDL march:
EDL Supporters in Rotherham demanding the Burka is banned
From The Star:

There were around 800 EDL supporters in Rotherham yesterday as well as members of Unite Against Fascism which held a counter protest in All Saints Square.

Police said there were also members of far right wing organisations, including the National Front and Combat 18, in town.

There were ugly scenes when police officers and some protesters clashed.

Officers were forced to drawn their batons at one flashpoint when a crowd started pushing officers and hurling missiles at them.

Metal barriers were pushed over and thrown at officers as a splinter group of EDL supporters left the march, but after 15 minutes of mayhem order was resumed and the protestors continued along the pre-arranged route to end up at Rotherham Main Street police station.

Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, of South Yorkshire Police, said: 
Around 1,500 police officers were drafted in to police the event and to ensure the safety of local residents and those taking part in the protests.
Overtime for Police at the EDL protest in Rotherham

Before the march Malatesta lists what is so objectionable about the self-promoting far right knuckling into this national scandal, and reports from the pre-march EDL camp:

Whilst the entire country is wondering how 1400 children could have been sexually abused for so many years in Rotherham, as inquiries are being set-up to discover what went wrong, and whilst many people have expressed heartfelt sympathy for the victims, the English Defence League have decided to help out as well. The EDL have set-up what looks like a refugee camp for thugs and drunks in a bid to 'support' the victims, and what should be a sombre vigil has turned into a rowdy, rain sodden mini-festival for the beer clutching attention seekers on the far right.


As usual the EDL complain that the media is portraying them as a bunch of drunken hooligans. But if you look like a drunken hooligan and you act like a drunken hooligan, then ...


Of course with any event hijacked by the far right all the little grupuscules are trying to claim credit and publicity, saying the demonstration in Rotherham on the 13th of September is their own. The EDL responded by saying it is their ball and no-one can play with it. The other grupuscules are naturally chagrined as they need a publicity fix for their little vanity tribes as well so the infighting has started already ...



Whilst squatting in their own filth, the EDL have claimed the entire population of Yorkshire supports them and have supplied them with beer, fags, pies, beer and fags. One of the more desperate EDL members has been on hunger strike for several days, surviving on a meagre diet of Stella and crisps (and all the millions of free pies and fags the EDL have been given by the entire population of England). It appears that the EDL's main sponsors are Stella and Charlie, their royal couple.


The EDL are merely making a bad situation worse by trivialising it and claiming it was they who 'exposed Asian grooming gangs' but in fact, they simply read it in the paper and put it on Facebook.


The BNP and the far right in general are very keen to blame the Labour council – of whom we have no political affiliation with – but conveniently forget that in 2008, there were 2 BNP councillors in Rotherham, who likewise did nothing (like every other BNP councillor).


As usual, the EDL are making up their usual inflammatory lies by saying they were 'shot at' by 'muzzies' going by in cars. This is clearly drive-by bullshit as the road is closed due to their own protest and surely plod, whose house they are besieging, would have mentioned summat.

The EDL are still politically clueless and promote the false syllogism that 'I hate pedos; anti-fascists hate me; therefore anti-fascists support pedos.' Firstly, how you 'support pedos' is anyone's guess (send them a prussic sandwich?) but this is also symptomatic of their naïve polarised reasoning and they cannot see why people are angry at their gross opportunism and vulturing over an already emotional issue. Unite Against Fascism (UAF) have declared that they will be in Rotherham to oppose the EDL but this will do anti-fascists no favours and only inflame the EDL's false theorising.


It is clear that this is a last ditch attempt for the EDL to show that it isn't completely atrophied (it is!). They are down to a few hundred members, have no idea who their actual leader is, and are sulking with Mr Tommy who left them to their own desperate devices. But at least they've got their faces in the paper so they can show their mates in the pub. Well done.


Read more from Malatesta here.

And in the meantime here are three important and pertinent questions for the EDL and other far right "Vultures of Rotherham" from the anti-fascist network:

If their concern for victims of child abuse was genuine, why restrict their campaign to Rotherham? 

Why not march against the systematic abuse perpetrated by the clergy, especially that of the Catholic church? 

Why have they not campaigned for the release of the “lost” Whitehall files relating to abuse and cover-ups at the heart of the British government?

The story of child abuse in Rotherham with its corrupt authorities and blind eyes turned to the exploitation of young working class girls, making them effectively disposable people, has much in common with the other child abuse scandals that have enraged us all. Jimmy Saville and Cyril Smith profited from a similar disregard for lives not important to the establishment.




Saturday 13 September 2014

Far right flock to Rotherham – separately

From Searchlight by Sonia Gable:
We report elsewhere that the English Defence League are gathering their forces to march in Rotherham on Saturday 13 September, after camping outside a police station since the publication of the report detailing the sexual abuse of at least 1,400 girls in the town over 16 years. And the Islamophobic Britain First group staged a march in Rotherham last weekend, with a reported 250 supporters.

The British National Party will also be in Rotherham this Saturday, not for a march or protest but for what the party’s website describes as a “day of community action”. Accusing other groups of holding “drinkfests”, the BNP’s aim, according to the website, is “to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Muslim rape gangs in Rotherham by supplying the good people there with knowledge on how to keep their children safe. Where others have failed, we will be there to protect and educate those who are most vulnerable.” As if anyone would trust the BNP to protect and educate anyone vulnerable.

Strangely, an email today from Clive Jefferson, the party’s treasurer, who is rapidly carving out a bigger role for himself under Adam Walker’s useless leadership, says nothing about raising awareness and educating the vulnerable. It’s all about calling for criminal charges against “all those on the council, in the social services and the police who neglected their duty”.

So that all is clear, Jefferson writes (and I quote in full and with his emphasis):

“FACT: Just ONE BNP Councillor would have blown the whistle!

“64 local councillors in Rotherham and NOT ONE took action for the victims or against the Muslim gangs preying on our girls:

“• 50 Labour Councillors

“• 10 UKIP Councillors

“• 2 Conservative Councillors

“• 2 Independent Councillors

“Just ONE BNP Councillor would have blown the whistle and stopped them getting away with these horrific crimes.

“Are you a Rotherham voter? Your BNP vote could have saved hundreds of victims!”

Jefferson has read the report and is well aware that the abuse took place over a 16-year period. If he wants criminal charges against all the councillors who failed to stop the paedophiles and rapists, surely he must mean all the councillors who served over the 16 years not just the present council. And that must include the two BNP councillors elected in 2006 by Rotherham voters.

It’s time that Jefferson told us exactly what these BNP councillors did or did not do to blow the whistle and stop these horrific crimes. The ten UKIP councillors were only elected this May, yet Jefferson wants to hold them responsible for what happened for 16 years before their election. So what about the BNP councillors? Or is Jefferson trying to airbrush them out of history, because they were as useless as the rest of the BNP’s councillors around the country?

No wonder Nick Griffin, the BNP’s chairman for 15 years until he was forced out in July, has turned against Jefferson and Walker in a damning document outlining major problems in the party, of which more (at Searchlight site)   later.






Monday 8 September 2014

English Defence League cancel Colchester demonstration

From Daily Gazette  News:

The EDL march in Colchester last year

THE English Defence League cancelled a demonstration which was due to be held in Colchester on Saturday.

The far-right group has announced it will focus all of its sources on the group’s ongoing national protest in Rotherham.

The Colchester demonstration will not be rearranged until next year.

Regional organiser Dave Bolton said: “We will be coming back to Colchester.”

Dave Bolton: He loves 'Britian'
Dave Bolton: He loves 'Britian'




Racist fans in court

From BBC News

A football fan who admitted racially aggravated threatening behaviour at Norwich City’s match with Watford last month has been sentenced.

Bronson Sims, 18, of Longwick, Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, was arrested in the away fans’ section at Carrow Road during Norwich’s 3-0 victory on 16 August.

He was conditionally discharged for nine months by Norwich magistrates.

They were asked to impose a football banning order but declined to do so.

Sims was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

David Bonner, 46, of Byron Road, Wealdstone, Middlesex, also appeared in court charged with racially aggravated threatening behaviour, having been arrested in the visitors’ section at the same match.

He did not enter a plea and his case was adjourned until 2 October.