At Last, Some Common Sense! Lord Richards: 'We Need to Approach Muslim Extremism as We Might Approach World War Two'

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux is a former chief
of the Defence Staff

THE TELEGRAPH: Lord Richards said extremism is a "real threat" to the world, as he condemned dithering politicians too reluctant to lead the way

Britain must stop "sleepwalking" and prepare to tackle Muslim extremism as seriously as it planned for the Second World War, Lord Richards has warned.

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, said extremism is a "real threat" to the world, as he condemned dithering politicians too reluctant to lead the way.

Warning a "hell of a lot of damage" is going to be wreaked by ISIS in the coming years, he argued the armed forces risk being left "on the back foot" by leaders who fail to plan properly.

"I think the problem is that we have not seen that we need to approach this issue of Muslim extremism as we might approach World War Two back in the 30s," he said.

"This is a real threat to us and we're sleepwalking in the way we're approaching it." » | Hannah Furness | Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Muslim Group with Links to Extremists Boasts of Influencing Election

Sufyan Ismael, CEO of MEND

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group suspected of being a front for Islamic extremists claims it can control as many as 30 seats in the general election and boasts of acting a "kingmaker"

A front group for Islamic extremists which wants to let British Muslims fight in Syria has boasted that it is “negotiating with the Tory and Labour leadership” to secure some of its demands.

Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) has built links with both parties – and been chosen as an “official partner” by the Electoral Commission for May’s poll – after claiming to promote “democratic engagement” by Muslims. However, it is actually a facade to win political access and influence for individuals holding extreme, bigoted and anti-democratic views.

In new recordings heard by this newspaper, Sufyan Ismail, Mend’s chief executive, describes the group’s strategy to act as “kingmaker” in next month’s election and claims it can control as many as 30 seats. » | Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, April 04, 2015

Michael Gove Accused of Using ‘Trojan Horse’ Row to Push Anti-Islam Agenda

THE INDEPENDENT: Michael Gove has been accused of cynically using the “Trojan Horse” schools row to push an ideological anti-Islamic agenda within the Government.

Whitehall sources revealed that behind the scenes the Education Secretary has been pressing David Cameron for months to widen the Government’s definition of Muslim “extremism”.

And they suggested that he has used allegations of a plot to “take over” a number of schools in Birmingham to press the Prime Minister to agree tough new measures to secularise schools in Muslim areas.

One said: “Michael Gove’s views are so incredibly black and white. It’s either his way or no way. He seems to think that anybody who strictly follows Islam is not really integrated.

“And he thinks anybody who holds conservative Muslim views is a bit of an extremist. He has been using Birmingham to pursue an ideological agenda that he’s had for many years.”

Mr Gove’s stance is understood to have caused unease among cabinet colleagues including the Home Secretary Theresa May and the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles. » | Richard Garner and Oliver Wright | Wednesday, June 04, 2014

Judge Bans Muslim Patrol Vigilantes from Promoting Sharia Law in Britain

Banned: Jordan Horner, also known as Jalaal Uddin, seen here
in Leyton, London, in 2007

DAILY EXPRESS: THREE Islamic converts who were jailed for threatening non-believers in self-styled Muslim Patrol vigilante attacks were today banned from promoting Sharia Law in Britain.

Converts Jordan Horner, 20, Ricardo McFarlane, 26, and Royal Barnes, 23, have been handed Antisocial Behavioural Orders (Asbos) which forbid them from forcing their views on others.

They have also been forbidden from meeting hate cleric Anjem Choudary.

Judge Timothy Pontius admitted the order was “drastic” but at the Old Bailey added: “With the public interest in mind and the safety of individual members of the public in particular, it seems to me essential that these orders should be granted to run for that period of time.”

The gang had targeted young couples holding hands, people drinking alcohol and women who they deemed to dress “inappropriately” in a month of “religious vigilantism” between December 2012 and January 2013.

The Asbos issued today bar them from distributing material or accosting members of the public and causing them “harassment, alarm or distress”.

They were also forbidden from associating with each other and radical clerics Anjem Choudary and Dean Le Page, both leading members of banned group al-Muhajiroun, later known as Muslims Against Crusades, unless in peaceful worship in a mosque. » | Ted Jeory | Friday, February 14, 2014

Related »

David Cameron: I Will Banish Extremists from Britain

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE: Hate preachers will not reach these shores and campuses will be safe, says David Cameron

A Conservative government would ban extremist Islamist groups, refuse visas to hate preachers and insist that universities identify and root out radicals promoting violence, antisemitism and other racial intolerance on campus.

In an exclusive interview with the JC, Conservative leader David Cameron said his party would "drain the poison" of extremism. He said recent visitors to Britain such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the influential Egyptian cleric who supports suicide bombing against Israeli targets, and Ibrahim Moussawi, Hizbollah's "media relations officer", would never again be allowed into the country.

He also confirmed that a Tory government would ban the virulently anti-Zionist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which calls for the re-establishment of the caliphate (Islamic state).

While defending the principle of academic freedom, he said universities had a responsibility to root out extremism, even if this meant fingering individual students for their beliefs: "That means making clear to university authorities and student unions that they need to help identify those who are vulnerable to influence from extremists or show they are willing to promote hatred, just as they would in relation to any other suspected crime," he said. » | Martin Bright | Thursday, March 11, 2010

So that was then, and this is now. You’ve been in power for two years. So how are we doing on the banishing front, Mr. Cameron? Not too well by the looks of things. You haven’t been able to get rid of Abu Qatada, and they don’t come much more radical than he is. Or were these just empty words, Mr. Cameron? – © Mark

You could take some lessons from Sarkozy, Mr. Cameron. He doesn’t seem to have any problem banishing the preachers of hate »

Abu Qatada Due for Release under Strict Bail Conditions

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada is to be returned to the streets of Britain under some of the most draconian bail conditions ever imposed.

The extremist preacher will be banned from holding lengthy conversations with anyone beyond his immediate family and will not be allowed to leave his home for 22 hours a day. He is prohibited from using a mobile phone, computer or the internet.

Officials hope that the measures will prove temporary as a Home Office minister prepares to fly to Jordan, where Qatada has been convicted in his absence of terrorism-related offences.

The UK has been blocked from deporting the 51-year-old Islamist cleric, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled he might not receive a fair trial in Jordan.

The courts have described Qatada as a “dangerous risk”. He is specifically not allowed any contact with 27 people, including al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Under the bail conditions, if he meets an acquaintance in a chance encounter, he "must, after any initial greeting, disengage himself from the situation”.

Another condition stops the extremist from leading prayers, giving lectures or preaching, other than to offer advice to his wife and children at his home.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is under mounting pressure to find a way of deporting Qatada, even if it means defying the European Court. » | Monday, February 13, 2012

PM Wins Row with Nick Clegg over Crackdown on Muslim Extremists

THE GUARDIAN: Counter-terrorism review insists groups must reflect British mainstream values to get funds

David Cameron will emerge as the victor from a bitter cabinet battle over multiculturalism this week as the government unveils a hardline approach to tackling Islamist extremism.

Home Office sources say that Cameron has quashed Nick Clegg's argument for a more tolerant attitude to Muslim groups by insisting on a strategy centred upon the notion that violent extremism is incubated within the ideology of non-violent extremism.

The shift in approach will be outlined when the government's counter-terrorism strategy is unveiled by the home secretary, Theresa May, on Tuesday. Central to the Prevent strategy is a broader definition of extremism that will be extended beyond groups condoning violence to those considered non-violent but whose views, such as the advocacy of sharia law, fail to "reflect British mainstream values".

A Home Office source said: "There will be a direct challenge to these [non-violent] groups." » | Mark Townsend and Hannah Olivennes | Saturday, June 04, 2011

Muslim Militants Target Prince Harry for Osama Killing
DAILYINDIA.COM: London – A Muslim extremist group has reportedly posted a video in which it has warned Britain's Prince Harry to 'watch his back'.

The Muslims Against Crusades video is said to have been aired in response to a propaganda hate video following the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, the Daily Mail reports.

The three-minute video was posted last week.

It is believed Prince Harry is being targeted to avenge the death of Al Qaeda leader bin Laden, as also for the fact that he dressed as a Nazi and served the British Army in Afghanistan.

The film is designed to incite hatred against Prince Harry - who has recently been promoted to captain in the Army - and it appears to have worked. [Source: Daily India] | ©Asian News International | London| Monday, May 09, 2011

British Muslim Radical Banned from France ahead of Burka Ban
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A British Muslim radical has been banned permanently from France as the country steps up security before the introduction of a nationwide burka ban on Monday.

Anjem Choudary, head of the outlawed Islam4UK which advocates Sharia law, was turned back as he tried to join an illegal protest against the measure in Paris on Saturday.

He was served with a legal notice informing him that the French Interior Ministry was banning him permanently.

Abu Izzadeen and Omar Bakri, who are similarly controversial figures based in Britain, also tried to get to the event but were stopped by police.

France is on a high state of alert after al Qaeda issued warnings that it would attack the country following the introduction of the ban, which imposes fines of £130 to women caught wearing Islamic veils.

Men who force their wives or daughters to cover up illegally will face up to a year in prison, and fines of up to £25,000.

In October Jacques Myard, a senior member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP party who helped introduce the burka ban in France, said Britain was "losing the battle against Islamic extremism" and thus "opened the door to terrorism". » | Peter Allen in Paris | Sunday, April 10, 2011

Middle Class Brother from Weymouth Turns to Allah, Prophet Muhammad
MAIL ON SUNDAY: Pressing his loudspeaker tighter into his mousy-brown bush of a beard, Salahuddin's bright-blue eyes fill with hatred.

'When the Taliban defeat the allies we will establish Sharia law and take the fight to the enemy,' he preaches before a baying crowd of extremist friends at a demo in Barking, Greater London.

But just a year ago Salahuddin was known to his middle-class friends and family simply as Rich, a 27-year-old security guard for the BBC.

As a youngster, growing up in the sunny seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, he harboured dreams of becoming a builder. That was before his transformation.

Now he refuses to use his right hand to shake hands with step-brother Robb Leech from whom he was inseparable last summer on a family holiday to Cyprus.

Instead he uses his 'dirty' left hand - the same one he uses after going to the toilet.

Within the space of just six months he has abandoned his family and believes the UK should be run by strict Sharia law - which means cutting off the hands of thieves and stoning women for cheating.

Now, in a controversial new documentary made by his brother, Robb has attempted to understand Rich's journey throughout this drastic change in lifestyle. Why did my middle class brother turn into an Islamic extremist who won't be seen on TV with our mother if she's not wearing a veil? » | Daily Mail Reporter | Sunday, April 03, 2011

Cameron Begins Extremism Crackdown as Cash Withheld from 'Suspect Groups'
THE GUARDIAN: • Funding cut to Muslim bodies after PM speech
• Steps to combat rise of radicalism in universities

The government has already started to withdraw state cash from what it regards as suspect Islamist groups that had previously been funded to reach young Muslims at risk of being drawn to terrorist networks. New, tougher criteria are being applied, with hundreds of thousands of pounds being withdrawn from specific groups after it was deemed they were too soft on Islamic extremism.

Ministers are also awaiting a report in the next fortnight from a Universities UK working group, which has been in preparation for a year, on how to combat Islamic extremism on university campuses.

The working group, including eight vice-chancellors, was established in response to the arrest of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in the US for an attempted act of terrorism. Abdulmutallab studied at University College London between 2005 and 2008.

The report is likely to call for greater rigour in the selection of speakers and stronger oversight of religious societies. University vice-chancellors have been accused by thinktanks such as Quilliam, a Muslim counter-extremist group, of being complacent about the radicalisation that is taking place in higher education.

Today, it was being stressed by the government that David Cameron's call for a more "muscular liberalism" to combat home-grown terror, made in a speech in Munich on Saturday, was not simply rhetorical. It would lead to practical changes, including the wholesale review of the Prevent strategy set up by Labour. >>> Patrick Wintour and Jenny Percival | Sunday, February 06, 2011

David Cameron Tells Muslim Britain: Stop Tolerating Extremists
THE GUARDIAN: PM says those who don't hold 'British' values will be shunned by government

David Cameron will today signal a sea-change in the government fight against home-grown terrorism, saying the state must confront, and not consort with, the non-violent Muslim groups that are ambiguous about British values such as equality between sexes, democracy and integration.

To belong in Britain is to believe in these values, he will say. Claiming the previous government had been the victim of fear and muddled thinking by backing a state-sponsored form of multiculturalism, the prime minister will state that his government "will no longer fund or share platforms with organisations that, while non-violent, are certainly in some cases part of the problem".

In a major speech to a security conference in Munich, he will demand: "We need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and much more active, muscular liberalism."

He will say that "some organisations that seek to present themselves as a gateway to the Muslim community are showered with public money while doing little to combat extremism. This is like turning to a rightwing fascist party to fight a violent white supremacist movement."

Cameron's aides, aware the speech may prove highly controversial, refused to identify the organisations in his sights, but it is clear one target is the Muslim Council of Britain.

Last night some Muslim groups criticised the prime minister for making the speech on the same day that the English Defence League is holding its biggest ever demonstration, in Luton. >>> Patrick Wintour | Saturday, February 05, 2011

Full-bred Aussie with a Longing for Sharia Law
Australian-born Muslim extremist Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon addresses supporters and opponents in Sydney last night. Photograph: The Australian
THE AUSTRALIAN: IBRAHIM Siddiq-Conlon has a message for Australians, whether they want to hear it or not.

"One day Australia will be ruled by sharia, no doubt," he declares. "That is why non-Muslims are worried, because they know one day they won't be able to drink their beer, they won't be able to eat their pork and they won't be able to do their homosexual acts, because one day they know they will be controlled."

Siddiq-Conlon sits on the steps of the NSW Parliament House, the location he has chosen to launch his rhetorical attack on democracy, which he describes as "an evil system of life".

"Right now in the Western world we're on the edge of a crisis, of extinction, because of democracy. OK, so don't tell me democracy has the answers and is peaceful. Democracy is the reason for the world's problems."

Siddiq-Conlon is the face and voice of Sharia4Australia, a group formed in Sydney's southwest to agitate for Islamic law, starting with the introduction of sharia courts and ending, in his ideal world, with Islamic rule.

While he claims to eschew violence, he unapologetically preaches hate. An online video posted by his group describes its members as "uncompromising [in] their disallegiance, disloyalty and hate for the disbelievers".

"I hate the parliament. I hate [democracy] with a pure hate," he says. Moreover, it is obligatory for all Muslims to reject democracy, because it is a challenge to God's law: "They must hate it, speak out against it, and if that doesn't work, take action against it."

Siddiq-Conlon formed Sharia4Australia last year, styling himself as the new champion for Islamic law in Australia.

An online video announcing its emergence stated: "For far too long now Aust has been ruled by a corrupt evil infedile [sic] group of people who are clear disbelievers in the sight of Allah. It is time for change. Time at least for the truth. >>> Sally Neighbour, The Australian, Friday, January 21, 2011

THE AUSTRALIAN: PM go and 'let the Muslims take over': ISLAMIC preacher Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon points heavenwards to emphasise his message for the governments of Australia -- there is no God but Allah and only his laws should be obeyed. >>> Sally Neighbour, The Australian | Thursday, January 20, 2011

Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon Explains Why and How He Came to Islam

Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon Islamic Architecture & Education >>>

Interview with Ibrahim Siddiq-Conlon on Zaky Mallah Show Dec 2010

French Terror Suspect 'Was Prepared to Die'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Five terror suspects arrested in Paris this week are suspected of conspiring to launch an attack in France and one of them was prepared to die, according to Brice Hortefeux, the interior minister.

France is on heightened alert for a terror attack after Osama bin Laden targeted the country for the first time in a recent speech and endorsed the capture of five French nationals by the group's North African wing.

Mr Hortefeux said the terror threat remained "real" and "elevated" following the arrest on Monday and Tuesday of five suspects, all of whom were French including one woman, at Charles de Gaulle airport and in the greater Paris region.

"What we can say is that, over the last few days with these arrests ... there was what we call a conspiracy (to) prepare a terror attack," he told reporters at a Paris train station.

"Some of them were ready to die in their fanatical act," he said, later clarifying only one appeared willing to die. >>> | Wednesday, November 10, 2010

British Cyclist Was 'Deliberately Run Down' in Saudi Arabia
THE TELEGRAPH: A Briton has been killed after youths allegedly rammed a car into a group of friends who were cycling in Saudi Arabia.

John Currie, who worked for BAE Systems (formerly British Aerospace), is believed to have been one four cyclists who were being "cut up" by local youths in two cars on a main road on the outskirts of Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Initially, it is understood that one of the cars clipped a cyclist, causing him to fall off his bike. Then, however, one of the drivers is alleged to have turned around and deliberately ploughed his car into the cyclists.

Mr Currie, 54, a human resources worker with BAE, is said to have been smashed against the vehicle's windscreen and later died from his serious injuries. His widow, Pauline, is returning to Britain this weekend.

The couple, from Chester, Cheshire, are believed to have two grown-up children. Mr Currie's body will be flown home for a funeral service.

In the past 15 years, there have been a number of terrorist attacks on British and other western nationals in Saudi Arabia by Muslim extremists. Several westerners have been killed - and even more injured - in a series of bombs and gun attacks. Radicals are angry that US and British oil companies and their staff are operating on Saudi soil. >>> Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter | Saturday, February 27, 2010

Dutch Critic of Islam Wants Extremist Killer to Testify at His Trial
CNSNEWS.com: As the trial of Dutch anti-Islamist lawmaker Geert Wilders resumes Wednesday, the crucial question will be whether the court agrees to his request to have a Muslim extremist and convicted murderer testify.

Wilders, who faces charges of discrimination and incitement to hatred over his claims linking the Koran to violence, wants the court to hear from an extremist who cited the Islamic text to justify his crime.

Mohammed Bouyeri is serving a life sentence for murdering Dutch film director Theo van Gogh, who had stoked controversy with a documentary about the treatment of women under Islam.

Van Gogh was stabbed and shot to death on a street in Amsterdam street in 2004. In a note left pinned to his body with a knife, Bouyeri threatened to kill another person reviled by extremist Muslims in Europe – Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somalia-born Dutch politician who worked with Van Gogh on his film.

The lengthy note, which also warned that America, Europe and the Netherlands would be destroyed, included numerous references to the Koran.

Bouyeri, a Dutchman of Moroccan origin, had earlier penned another open letter posted on a Dutch Web site, again quoting from the Koran, threatening Wilders this time and declaring, “May Allah destroy you.”

During his 2005 trial, Bouyeri carried a copy of the Koran, told the court he had acted purely in the name of his religion, and displayed no regret for the murder. >>> Patrick Goodenough, International Editor | Wednesday, February 03, 2010

U.S. Sees Homegrown Muslim Extremism as Rising Threat
LOS ANGELES TIMES: This may have been the most dangerous year since 9/11, anti-terrorism experts say.

Reporting from Washington - The Obama administration, grappling with a spate of recent Islamic terrorism cases on U.S. soil, has concluded that the country confronts a rising threat from homegrown extremism.

Anti-terrorism officials and experts see signs of accelerated radicalization among American Muslims, driven by a wave of English-language online propaganda and reflected in aspiring fighters' trips to hot spots such as Pakistan and Somalia.

Europe had been the front line, the target of successive attacks and major plots, while the U.S. remained relatively calm. But the number, variety and scale of recent U.S. cases suggest 2009 has been the most dangerous year domestically since 2001, anti-terrorism experts said:

* There were major arrests of Americans accused of plotting with Al Qaeda and its allies, including an Afghan American charged in a New York bomb plot described as the most serious threat in this country since the Sept. 11 attacks.

* Authorities tracked other extremism suspects joining foreign networks, including Somali Americans going to the battlegrounds of their ancestral homeland and an Albanian American from Brooklyn who was arrested in Kosovo.

* The FBI rounded up homegrown terrorism suspects in Dallas, Detroit and Raleigh, N.C., saying that it had broken up plots targeting a synagogue, government buildings and military facilities.

Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued her strongest public comments yet on the homegrown threat.

"We've seen an increased number of arrests here in the U.S. of individuals suspected of plotting terrorist attacks, or supporting terror groups abroad such as Al Qaeda," Napolitano said in a speech in New York. "Home-based terrorism is here. And, like violent extremism abroad, it will be part of the threat picture that we must now confront."

Officials acknowledged that her tone had changed, though they said terrorism has been her focus since becoming Homeland Security chief.

In some of the 2009 cases, extremist leanings are suspected but motives are not known.

Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan -- accused of killing 13 people in a Ft. Hood, Texas, shooting rampage last month -- has apparently suffered emotional problems. But in interviews, officials and experts have also raised his Muslim beliefs as an alleged motive.

A previous attack on the U.S. military, a shooting in June by an American convert who killed a soldier and wounded another at an Arkansas recruiting center, was apparently a case of a lone wolf radicalized in Yemen, according to Homeland Security officials.

"You are seeing the full spectrum of the threats you face in terrorism," former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

"Radicalization is clearly happening in the U.S.," said Mitchell Silber, director of analysis for the Intelligence Division of the New York Police Department. "In years past, you couldn't say that about the U.S. You could say it about Europe." >>> Sebastian Rotella | Monday, December 07, 2009

Anti-extremism Scheme 'Spying on Muslims'
THE TELEGRAPH: A multi-million pound government scheme designed to prevent the radicalisation of young British Muslims is being used to gather intelligence about innocent people not suspected of terrorism involvement, it was claimed.

The scheme designed to stop Muslims entering extreemism like Ali Beheshti, pictured, who attempted to burn down the house of a book publisher. Photo: The Telegraph
The “Preventing Violent Extremism”, also known as Prevent, was launched three years ago as part of the Government's four "Ps" anti-terror agenda - Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare.

It was designed to stop people being lured to al-Qaida ideology, prevent the radicalisation and committing acts of terrorism.

But reports have suggested the programme was instead being used to used [sic] to gather intelligence about innocent people who are not suspected of involvement in terrorism.

Critics criticised the scheme as being Britain’s biggest spying programme and a breach of civil liberties.

The Institute of Race Relations said the Prevent scheme had been used "to establish one of the most elaborate systems of surveillance ever seen in Britain". >>> Andrew Hough | Saturday, October 17, 2009

Dhimmitude Alert! More Sh** from the British Government!
THE SUNDAY EXPRESS: POLICE will be ordered not to charge Muslim extremists in many hate crime cases – to stop them becoming more militant.

Guidelines will tell forces to press for conviction only in cases of clear-cut criminal acts.

Officers will be advised not to proceed when evidence of lawbreaking is “borderline”.

Examples of crimes to which a blind eye may be turned include incitement to religious hatred or viewing extremist material on the internet.

Last night critics warned that the move could mean Islamic radicals being give the freedom to encourage violence.

Some saw the move as a politically correct attempt to appease extremists who hate Britain.

It could even mean officers tolerating many activities of Muslim preachers of hate like the hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza.

Tory MP David Davies said: “This sounds like abject surrender. Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law.

“It doesn’t matter whether someone is suspected of incitement to hatred or shoplifting – they should all face the same risk of prosecution.

“There should be no special favours or treatment for any section of the community.” Take It Easy on Muslim Extremists, Police Told >>>

Hat tip: Always On Watch >>>

Nine Arrested after Masked Mob's March against Muslim Extremists Turns Violent
MAIL Online: Nine people have been arrested after hundreds of anti-Islamist protesters clashed with police yesterday.

The streets of Luton descended into violence after demonstrators, many hiding their faces behind balaclavas, brandished England flags and chanted at officers.

A group called March for England was said to have organised the rally as a peaceful protest against Muslim extremists. They were joined by a local group United People of Luton.

The mob, which included teenagers and women, held banners with slogans such as 'No Sharia Law in the UK' and 'Respect our Troops'.

Some protesters wore masks with the horned face of Sayful Islam, a hardline Muslim activist in Luton who took part in an anti-war rally in March, which disrupted a homecoming parade for troops.

But chaos broke out when a crowd of around 500 ran away from police who had been escorting the protest along its route, and ran down side streets towards the town centre.

Officers on horseback and police dogs were deployed, and policemen drew batons to defend themselves.

Groups of young men in balaclavas and England shirts chanted outside the city centre and one balacava-clad protester held a Rottweiler on a chain, while others clashed with police in riot gear.
One Asian man was hit across the face with a banner and left with a bloody nose.

The nine suspects were in custody today for offences of criminal damage, assault and public order offences, Bedfordshire Police said.

Police said during the disturbance three car windscreens were smashed and a window at a take away restaurant in Chapel Street had been broken. >>> Claire Ellicott | Monday, May 25, 2009

TIMES ONLINE: Trouble Flares as Luton Residents Protest Over Muslim Extremists

Nine people were arrested yesterday after trouble flared during a protest march against supposed Muslim extremists.

The march in Luton was said to be a protest against an earlier demonstration during the Royal Anglian Regiment’s homecoming parade when soldiers were heckled on their return from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Yesterday there were about 500 protesters, some carrying banners with slogans such as “No Sharia Law in the UK” and “Respect our Troops”. Several cars were damaged after a small group split off from the march. An Asian-owned business had its windows smashed. In Stuart Street in the town centre, police drew batons. Mounted police and officers in riot gear were used to try to control the mob and stones were thrown. >>> Home staff | Monday, May 25, 2009