George Galloway Declares Bradford ‘An Israel-free Zone’ and Warns Away ‘Israeli Tourists’

THE INDEPENDENT: The Respect Party leader and MP for Bradford West said ‘we don’t want Israeli goods, services… or tourists’

George Galloway claims to have “declared Bradford an Israel-free zone”, saying that he wants the city to reject all Israeli goods, services, academics – and even tourists.

Reportedly speaking at a meeting of the Respect Party in Leeds at the weekend, Mr Galloway urged the people of that city “to do the same”.

The MP for Bradford West’s comments were captured on video and posted to YouTube, and have since been met with an angry backlash on Twitter.

According to the footage, which was posted on the Guido Fawkes blog, Mr Galloway told activists: “We have declared Bradford an Israel-free zone.”

He said: “We don’t want any Israeli goods. We don’t want any Israeli services. We don’t want any Israeli academics, coming to the university or the college. » | Adam Withnall | Thursday, August 07, 2014

Channel 4: Make Bradford British
To define what it means to be British, the series begins with the Government's UK Citizenship Test - the Life in the UK Test.
Watch the programme here

George Galloway Wins Bradford West by-Election
George Galloway scored a dramatic victory in the Bradford West by-election, securing a 10,000-plus majority in what he called a "massive rejection" of mainstream parties.

Read the article and comment here | Friday, March 30, 2012

'Bradford Is Very Inbred'; High Risk of Birth Defects

MAIL ONLINE: Inbreeding among British Muslims is threatening the health of their children, a leading geneticist warned yesterday.

Professor Steve Jones, from University College London, said the common practice in Islamic communities for cousins to marry each other increased the risk of birth defects.

‘There may be some evidence that cousins marrying one another can be harmful,’ he told an audience at the Hay Festival.

‘We should be concerned about that as there can be a lot of hidden genetic damage. Children are much more likely to get two copies of a damaged gene.

‘Bradford is very inbred. There is a huge amount of cousins marrying each other there.’

Studies have shown that 55 per cent of British Pakistanis are married to first cousins – and in Bradford, this rises to 75 per cent.

Other research has found that children of first cousins are ten times more likely to have recessive genetic disorders and face deafness, blindness and infant mortality.

But Prof Jones’s comments provoked anger among some Muslim groups yesterday. 'Bradford Is Very Inbred': Muslim outrage as professor warns first-cousin marriages increase risk of birth defects » | Tom Kelly | Monday, May 30, 2011

Britain Gets First Muslim Woman Lord Mayor

ON ISLAM: LONDON – In a major leap for the Muslim minority in Britain, a Muslim woman was named on Tuesday, May 24, as the lord mayor of the district of Bradford.

"I am looking forward to being a positive and active ambassador for this wonderful district," Naveeda Ikram told the BBC.

"I'm keen to see more participation and better confidence from all communities in the democratic process."

Councilor Ikram was installed on Tuesday as the new lord mayor of Bradford. Chosen as the first Muslim woman for the post, Ikram is a Labour councilor for Little Horton since 2004.

A mother of three, Ikram, a former Deputy Lord Mayor, is one of the first Pakistan-born females in Britain to take on the leading civic role.

A psychology and sociology graduate, she was one of the only two Bradford councilors selected in 2007 to take part in a national course designed to identify future leaders. » | OnIslam & News Agencies | Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Bradford: Smoke Bombs Thrown at English Defence League Protest
THE GUARDIAN: More than 1,600 officers on horseback and in riot gear pen in 700 activists, including BNP members and soccer thugs

EDL supporters and police clash in Bradford. Photograph: The Guardian
Far-right activists threw smoke bombs and missiles and fought with the police as trouble flared in a protest organised by the English Defence League.

Bricks and bottles and smoke bombs were thrown at anti-racist supporters and police as around 700 EDL activists – including known football hooligans and BNP members – held a "static protest" in Bradford city centre. Mounted officers and others in riot gear were attacked as they pushed the EDL into a penned area. Skirmishes continued as EDL speakers addressed the crowd and there was more violence as its supporters were put back on coaches.

More than 1,600 officers from 13 forces were involved in the police operation amid fears the demonstration would descend into violence. Police said there had been five arrests.

The EDL, which has held demonstrations in towns and cities across the country over the past 12 months, had predicted that thousands of its supporters would turn out in Bradford for what was dubbed "the big one", but police said there were around 700 people.

Earlier in the afternoon coachloads of EDL activists had chanted "Allah, Allah who the fuck is Allah?" and "Muslim bombers off our streets". >>> Matthew Taylor and Martin Wainwright | Saturday, August 28, 2010

THE GUARDIAN: English Defence League demonstration in Bradford sees minor clashes: Bottles and stones thrown as police separate EDL from anti-fascist groups in Yorkshire city >>> Amy Fallon | Saturday, September 28, 2010

Bradford Braces for English Defence League Protest
GUARDIAN VIDEO: Filmmaker Navdeep Singh Kandola speaks to members of the Muslim and Sikh communities in advance of an English Defence League demonstration this weekend

Watch video here
EDL Bradford

Home Secretary Bans English Defence League March in Bradford
THE TELEGRAPH: Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has authorised a blanket ban on marches in a city on the day of a planned protest by the English Defence League (EDL), an [sic] right-wing campaign group.

The EDL had intended to demonstrate in Bradford on Saturday August 28 and Unite Against Fascism has planned a protest in the city on the same day.

A Home Office spokesman said: ''Having carefully balanced rights to protest against the need to ensure local communities and property are protected, the Home Secretary today gave her consent to a Bradford Council order banning any marches in the city over the bank holiday weekend. >>> | Friday, August 20, 2010

EDL Bradford March: 'All It Will Need Is One Spark'
THE GUARDIAN: The English Defence League proposes to march though Bradford at the end of the month. Matthew Taylor speaks to local politicans and activists about what the consequences could be for a city that has already seen more than its fair share of racial tension and unrest

Watch Guardian video here | Matthew Taylor and Elliot Smith | Friday, August 06, 2010

It Wouldn’t Be Muslims the Police Were Afraid of Upsetting, Would It?
Photo courtesy of The Mail on Sunday
THE MAIL ON SUNDAY: A St George's Day parade through an inner-city area hit by race riots has been cancelled following police advice.

Community groups had planned to stage the multi-cultural event in Bradford and 1,500 schoolchildren were due to take part.

Many of the youngsters had already made flags of St George to carry on the parade on April 23, which was designed to boost community cohesion.

But last week police and council chiefs told the organisers that the event could not go ahead as planned for 'health and safety' reasons. At a meeting, police demanded a shorter route which avoided two streets at the centre of the race riots in 2001.

As a result, organisers have decided to call off the event, which was due to attract more than 10,000 people.

Bradford City councillor Quasim Khan said: "We were told by the police at the meeting that the original route had not been risk assessed and if we wanted a march to go ahead on that date, St George's Day, we would have to accept a smaller, different route.

"The police officers were getting quite animated, saying things like 'look, this just isn't going to happen'." Police and council officials said they did not have sufficient warning of the event.

However, community leaders planning the parade said the event was blighted because of fears it could stoke up violence. They claimed a police inspector had actually begun the plans for the parade nine months ago. Cancelled on Police Advice: St George's Day Parade through the Bradford Race-Riot Zone >>> By Martin Smith | April 19, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback - UK)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardback - UK)