Gerry Gable: "A lot of anti-semitism is driven by the left"
Guardian | 08.08.2004 11:57 | Analysis | Anti-racism | London
Gable said: 'A lot of anti-semitism is driven by the left. There are elements who take up a position on Israel and Palestine which in reality puts them in league with anti-semites.'
Jews predict record level of hate attacks
Militant Islamic media accused of stirring up new wave of anti-semitism
Jamie Doward, religious affairs correspondent
Sunday August 8, 2004
The Observer
Anti-Semitic attacks in Britain will reach record levels this year, say Jewish groups which accuse the government of inaction.
The predicted sharp rise, from 375 last year, appears to be reflected across many European Union countries. Zvi Heifetz, Israel's new ambassador to London, warned last week that combating anti-semitism in Britain would prove a major challenge for the government.
'There is more than one anti-semitic incident a day in Britain. That is a serious problem,' Heifetz said. His comments follow the controversial invitation from his Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to all French Jews to leave France for Israel immediately to avoid 'wild' anti-semitism.
Leading UK Jewish groups say a new wave of militant Islamic media is fostering anti-semitism among Muslims.
Michael Whine, who collects evidence of attacks on Britain's 350,000 Jews for the Community Security Trust (CST), said: 'In Britain as in other European countries there has been a very substantial rise in violence towards Jewish people. This year looks set to become one of the worst, if not the worst.'
Whine drew parallels with France, where there have been 519 attacks in the first six months of the year, compared with 553 attacks in the whole of 2003. 'While we don't have as many incidents in Britain, we are expecting a significant rise this year.'
The CST is advising Jewish organisations to keep their blinds or curtains shut to disguise their links with Judaism. A number of synagogues now hire security guards to patrol their premises, while others rely on their members, using walkie-talkies, to keep watch.
Since late 2000 more than 100 British synagogues have been desecrated, say Jewish groups. Most recently, vandals set fire to sacred books in a synagogue in Tottenham, north London, some of which were more than 100 years old and had been smuggled out of Germany and Poland before the Second World War.
One local authority has started keeping records of attacks. Barnet Council in north London, with a Jewish population of 50,000, the largest in the country, made the move after a synagogue attached to the Aish HaTorah Jewish educational network in Hendon was set on fire last month. Police are not linking the Hendon and Tottenham attacks to Muslim groups.
In addition to the synagogue fires, the Co-ordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, which collects evidence of all forms of anti-semitism across the globe, lists other attacks on Jewish people in Britain in the last month alone. They include:
· Anti-semitic graffiti - 'Kill the Jews and kurst [ sic ] the Zionist Jews' - on the wall of a Lancashire church.
· The desecration of 68 gravestones in the Jewish section of Middlesbrough cemetery.
· A series of attacks on Jewish residents in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
· A Jewish wedding invitation was opened en route to its destination and defaced by a drawing of the World Trade Centre in New York with planes flying into it. On the back was written: 'Fucking Jewish Murderers - its gona [ sic ] be ur [ sic ] houses next.'
'After 11 September, the big fear was a significant increase in attacks on the Muslim community,' said Gerry Gable, publisher of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight.
'But in London the number of attacks actually went down. What has gone up, especially in Manchester and Leeds, are attacks on Jewish places of worship by people who are identifiably from the Muslim community.'
Whine blamed Arab-run media for disseminating more anti-Jewish reports than a few years ago. 'It seems to provide the trigger for anti-semitic violence,' he said.
New technology such as the internet and satellite broadcasting has also played a part in spreading anti-Jewish sentiment. Government ministers and Foreign Office staff have expressed concern to their counterparts in the Middle East about the anti-semitic tone of sermons preached in a number of mosques and relayed for broadcasting in Britain.
Jewish groups said there had been an increase in the number of Islamic bookshops in London selling anti-semitic literature, such as Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf . 'A few years ago we would approach a bookshop and ask the owner if they knew what they were selling. But now it has become so prevalent we don't bother,' Whine said.
'It wouldn't be fair to say the government is ignoring the problem, but it's not doing enough to tackle it.'
Inayat Bunglawala, the spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said it was nonsense to single out militant Islamic groups. 'While any anti-semitic attack by a Muslim or a non-Muslim is deplorable, all too often the CST jumps to the wrong conclusion,' he said.
Rabbi Pete Tobias, of the Hertsmere Progressive Synagogue in Elstree, Hertfordshire, which is part of the Liberal Judaism network, stressed, however, that not all Jews felt threatened.
'I don't think it affects members of my synagogue at all. The liberal movement is very well integrated and many members have non-Jewish influences they like to express. The threat is greatly reduced if there is nothing visibly Jewish about them.'
Education was crucial if anti-semitism was to be eradicated in parts of Britain. 'You look at kids playing together in the nursery and you wonder how one of them could end up throwing a petrol bomb,' Tobias said.
Others say a dialogue with the left is essential. Gable said: 'A lot of anti-semitism is driven by the left. There are elements who take up a position on Israel and Palestine which in reality puts them in league with anti-semites. It's becoming more pervasive. A lot of hatred is being built up by people who really should know better.'
Militant Islamic media accused of stirring up new wave of anti-semitism
Jamie Doward, religious affairs correspondent
Sunday August 8, 2004
The Observer
Anti-Semitic attacks in Britain will reach record levels this year, say Jewish groups which accuse the government of inaction.
The predicted sharp rise, from 375 last year, appears to be reflected across many European Union countries. Zvi Heifetz, Israel's new ambassador to London, warned last week that combating anti-semitism in Britain would prove a major challenge for the government.
'There is more than one anti-semitic incident a day in Britain. That is a serious problem,' Heifetz said. His comments follow the controversial invitation from his Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, to all French Jews to leave France for Israel immediately to avoid 'wild' anti-semitism.
Leading UK Jewish groups say a new wave of militant Islamic media is fostering anti-semitism among Muslims.
Michael Whine, who collects evidence of attacks on Britain's 350,000 Jews for the Community Security Trust (CST), said: 'In Britain as in other European countries there has been a very substantial rise in violence towards Jewish people. This year looks set to become one of the worst, if not the worst.'
Whine drew parallels with France, where there have been 519 attacks in the first six months of the year, compared with 553 attacks in the whole of 2003. 'While we don't have as many incidents in Britain, we are expecting a significant rise this year.'
The CST is advising Jewish organisations to keep their blinds or curtains shut to disguise their links with Judaism. A number of synagogues now hire security guards to patrol their premises, while others rely on their members, using walkie-talkies, to keep watch.
Since late 2000 more than 100 British synagogues have been desecrated, say Jewish groups. Most recently, vandals set fire to sacred books in a synagogue in Tottenham, north London, some of which were more than 100 years old and had been smuggled out of Germany and Poland before the Second World War.
One local authority has started keeping records of attacks. Barnet Council in north London, with a Jewish population of 50,000, the largest in the country, made the move after a synagogue attached to the Aish HaTorah Jewish educational network in Hendon was set on fire last month. Police are not linking the Hendon and Tottenham attacks to Muslim groups.
In addition to the synagogue fires, the Co-ordination Forum for Countering Anti-Semitism, which collects evidence of all forms of anti-semitism across the globe, lists other attacks on Jewish people in Britain in the last month alone. They include:
· Anti-semitic graffiti - 'Kill the Jews and kurst [ sic ] the Zionist Jews' - on the wall of a Lancashire church.
· The desecration of 68 gravestones in the Jewish section of Middlesbrough cemetery.
· A series of attacks on Jewish residents in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.
· A Jewish wedding invitation was opened en route to its destination and defaced by a drawing of the World Trade Centre in New York with planes flying into it. On the back was written: 'Fucking Jewish Murderers - its gona [ sic ] be ur [ sic ] houses next.'
'After 11 September, the big fear was a significant increase in attacks on the Muslim community,' said Gerry Gable, publisher of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight.
'But in London the number of attacks actually went down. What has gone up, especially in Manchester and Leeds, are attacks on Jewish places of worship by people who are identifiably from the Muslim community.'
Whine blamed Arab-run media for disseminating more anti-Jewish reports than a few years ago. 'It seems to provide the trigger for anti-semitic violence,' he said.
New technology such as the internet and satellite broadcasting has also played a part in spreading anti-Jewish sentiment. Government ministers and Foreign Office staff have expressed concern to their counterparts in the Middle East about the anti-semitic tone of sermons preached in a number of mosques and relayed for broadcasting in Britain.
Jewish groups said there had been an increase in the number of Islamic bookshops in London selling anti-semitic literature, such as Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf . 'A few years ago we would approach a bookshop and ask the owner if they knew what they were selling. But now it has become so prevalent we don't bother,' Whine said.
'It wouldn't be fair to say the government is ignoring the problem, but it's not doing enough to tackle it.'
Inayat Bunglawala, the spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said it was nonsense to single out militant Islamic groups. 'While any anti-semitic attack by a Muslim or a non-Muslim is deplorable, all too often the CST jumps to the wrong conclusion,' he said.
Rabbi Pete Tobias, of the Hertsmere Progressive Synagogue in Elstree, Hertfordshire, which is part of the Liberal Judaism network, stressed, however, that not all Jews felt threatened.
'I don't think it affects members of my synagogue at all. The liberal movement is very well integrated and many members have non-Jewish influences they like to express. The threat is greatly reduced if there is nothing visibly Jewish about them.'
Education was crucial if anti-semitism was to be eradicated in parts of Britain. 'You look at kids playing together in the nursery and you wonder how one of them could end up throwing a petrol bomb,' Tobias said.
Others say a dialogue with the left is essential. Gable said: 'A lot of anti-semitism is driven by the left. There are elements who take up a position on Israel and Palestine which in reality puts them in league with anti-semites. It's becoming more pervasive. A lot of hatred is being built up by people who really should know better.'
Guardian
Comments
Hide the following 21 comments
Mmmm
08.08.2004 12:20
Rally
...
08.08.2004 20:43
We the undersigned call upon the Israeli government to immediately
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
Enough Is Enough - The Israeli and Palestinian Genocide Must
Stop:
an open letter by Gerry Gable, publisher Searchlight magazine
In recent weeks even the American public, shackled as it is by the
chains of a racist media, has woken up to the reality of the Israeli government's campaign against the Palestinian people. In Britain as in the United States, we Jews have been too afraid to speak out lest we too be smeared by the same powerful racist interests, but now we at Britain's leading Jewish anti-racist magazine have decided that enough is enough.
Searchlight magazine was founded in 1975 by the late Maurice Ludmer, a
dedicated and lifelong Jewish anti-racist and anti-fascist. When he
died in 1981, Maurice left Searchlight as his legacy not just to us Jews,not just to Britain, but to the world. Maurice, like the rest of us, was committed to a world free from hatred, racial bigotry and intolerance.
That is why we have opposed tooth and claw any platform for the Nazis
of the National Front and the BNP here in Britain. That is why like so
many of our fellow Jews we have striven to encourage multi-racialism and
assimilation. That is why we have never given up and never will give
up.
And that is why it saddens us to see the good name of the Jewish
people tainted and dragged through the mud by naked anti-semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism.
We deplore the suicide bombings, the terrible slaughter of both
innocent Israeli citizens and the horrendous self-destruction of young
Palestinian zealots. But much as we deplore, we understand. We
understand why Palestinians have become hated in Israel, and indeed throughout the Arab world itself.
We the undersigned call upon the Israeli government to immediately
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
signed
Gerry Gable, publisher
Mrs Sonia Gable
Steve Silver, co-editor
Nick Lowles, co-editor
Michael Cohen, photographer
So that's the angle he's coming from.
Hermes
he is correct
09.08.2004 02:39
Hermes, you excerpt adds validity to Gerry Gable’s claim as it shows that he is not supporter of Israel and genuinely concerned with rising anti-Semitism in this country.
Zion 1
e-mail:
zion1_48@hotmail.com
but who is behind attacks?
09.08.2004 10:41
Of course it'd suit the fascists to have Jews and Muslims blaming each other.
awake
Zion 1
09.08.2004 15:44
Tara
Searchlight exposed
09.08.2004 16:21
Max
Homepage:
http://website.lineone.net/~grandlaf/Sfb.htm
Get an education Tara
09.08.2004 17:47
“no one has a problem with the Jewish people”
I wish that were true but the fact remains that in this country anti-Semitic attacks are increasing. This must be condemned and it is ignorant of you to feel threatened when anti-Semitism is discussed. Your comment seems to suggest that anti-Semitic incidents should be ignored because of whatever is happening in Israel and the Middle East. Doesn’t sound very smart, does it?
As for “murdering scores of children”, I condemn the loss of innocent life whoever it may be. Anyway, this analysis of the conflict is slightly too simplistic! Why don’t you go read a book or something.
As a Zionist I don’t use anti-Semitic incidents to further my goals. Zionism is about the liberation of the Jewish people from persecution. I wish to see a decrease in anti-Jewish attacks as they make Jews appear to be victims which is something that makes me cringe.
Zion 1
e-mail:
zion1_48@hotmail.com
Rubbish
09.08.2004 17:58
Tara
Murder Stats
09.08.2004 18:02
The IRR has been documenting police responses and convictions relating to murders with a racial element since 1991. Additional information on these cases is available on request.
02/91, Rolan Adams, 15, Greenwich (South London)
Attacked by 12-strong gang shouting 'nigger'. Stabbed in throat. Recorded as racially motivated after initial prevarication. Mark Thornborrow given life sentence for murder, 7 others charged with violent disorder (later reduced to minor public order offences and given community service orders.)
01/92, Panchadcharam Sahitharan, 28, Newham (East London)
Attacked by gang with baseball bats. Andrew Noble and Gary Hoskin charged with murder and affray. Charges later dropped against Noble, Hoskin acquitted.
01/92, Navid Sadiq, 15, Southwark (South London)
Shot during robbery on off-licence where he worked. On hearing that he had caused injury, attacker said 'Good. I hope they die. My name is Conroy, good English name that. What am I going to get for doing a couple of Pakis? I am Anglo Saxon'. Joseph Conroy given 2 life sentences for murder and attempted murder.
01/92, Mohammed Sarwar, 40s, Manchester
Mini-cab driver dragged from car beaten and left dying in the road. Not recorded as racially motivated.
02/92, Siddik Dada, 60, Manchester
Beaten by gang armed with machetes. Not recorded as racially motivated.
03/92, Donald Palmer, 52, South London
Stabbed by 2 men he found attempting to break into his car. After stabbing men taunted Palmer's wife saying, 'We are the National Front'. George McKay given life sentence for murder. Wayne McGrath given 31/2 years youth custody for manslaughter.
07/92, Rohit Duggal, 15, Eltham (South London)
Gang attack. Not recorded as racially motivated by police but CPS made some reference to racial motivation during trial. Peter Thompson given life sentence for murder.
07/92, Ruhullah Aramesh, 24, Thornton Heath (South London)
Gang attack by around 15 teenagers with metal bars. Recorded as racially motivated. Barry Hannon, Paul Hannon, Joseph Curtin given life for murder. One other convicted of manslaughter through diminished responsiblity, 3 acquitted. Curtin freed on appeal (due to judges' failure to summarise police interview) after serving 3 years.
09/92, Ashiq Hussain, 21, Birmingham
Stabbed on petrol station forecourt after going to aid of another driver being racially abused. Not recorded as racially motivated. Mark Jarvis given 5 years for manslaughter. 2 others acquitted of manslaughter.
09/92, Khoaz Aziz Miah, 60s, Newcastle
Beaten by gang while on his way to mosque. Not accepted as racially motivated until first day of trial. Michael Neilson given life for murder.
10/92, Sher Singh Sagoo, Deptford (South London)
Gang attack in Deptford market where Sagoo was a trader. One person charged with manslaughter, CPS discontinued prosecution on grounds of 'insufficient evidence'.
03/93, Fiaz Mirza, 42, Docklands (East London)
Minicab driver, abducted, beaten and body thrown in Thames. Mark Lee, Ricky Lee both given life for murder.
04/93, Stephen Lawrence, 18, Greenwich (South London)
Stabbed by gang. Recorded as racially motivated. Charges dropped due to 'insufficient evidence'.
04/93, Saied Ahmed, 68, Oxford
Died of burns after arson attack on home.
11/93, Ali Ibrahim, 21, Brighton
Stabbed by drunk shouting racist abuse. Police accepted racial motivation after initially disregarding it. Ian Leaney given life for murder. Stephen MacKrill acquitted after jury failed to reach verdict.
06/94, Shamsudden Mahmood, 26, Orkney, Scotland
A Bangladeshi waiter shot in the face by a white man in a black balaclava in an Indian restaurant in Kirkwall, Orkney. Several thousand people were interviewed but no-one was charged. In May 1997, Orkney police officer, Eddie Ross, a registered firearms instructor, was charged with wilful neglect and violation of duty by attempting to conceal evidence from officers during the murder investigation. Ross who was president of the local gun club, admitted to hiding bullets of a similar calibre and bearing similar numbers to those that were used in the murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. In June 1999, Ross was released, declaring his innocence of any involvement in the murder. His son, Michael Ross, who was 15-years-old at the time of the murder, is the main suspect. (A few days prior to the murder, Michael was seen in local woods wearing a back balaclava and dark clothing acting suspiciously.) In January 2004, for the first time detectives admitted the murder may have had a racial motive.
07/94, Donna O'Dwyer, 26, Leyton (East London)
Fell 13 floors to escape fire after arson attack on party. Not recorded as racially motivated despite attackers' ex National Front membership and collection of nazi paraphernalia. Peter Thurston given life for arson, GBH and murder.
12/94, Mohan Singh Kullar, 60, Neath (South Wales)
Beaten to death in his own shop by racist gang. Recorded as racially motivated. Grant Watkins sentenced to life for murder, Stephen May 8 years for manslaughter, Ian Thomas 31/2 years for violent disorder. 2 others acquitted.
02/95, Mushtaq Hussain, 49, Blackburn
Died of stroke after being beaten. Sean Pilkington and Ryan Baird both charged with manslaughter.
03/96, Daniel Blake, 18, Neasden (North-west London)
Daniel died in mysterious circumstances. He was found dead on a railway line in Neasden. There was evidence that there had been an argument and a fight prior to his death. British Transport Police arrested eight men and two women in connection with his death but the CPS decided not to prosecute anyone. In 1999, Daniels body was exhumed by order of the Racial and Violent Crime Task Unit who reopened the case.
04/96, John Reid Plumstead, South London
White man married to black woman. Beaten to death and set on fire after long-running racist campaign against couple. In October 1998, the three men who had appealed against their murder convictions, were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
01/97, Michael Menson, 29, Edmonton (North London)
Set alight by group of youths while in phone box. Not recorded as racially motivated until approx 1 year afterwards. Police initially believed Menson set light to himself. After arrests in March 1999, Mario Pereira was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life while Harry Charalambous was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter. Ozguy Cevat was pursued to Northern Cyprus where he was prosecuted for manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years.
10/97, Lahkvinder 'Ricky' Reel, 18, Kingston (Surrey)
Disappeared after racial incident in town centre on leaving nightclub, body later dragged from Thames. Regarded as 'accidental death' by police. No murder investigation. An inquest later recorded an open verdict, thus refuting police assumptions that Ricky's death was an accident.
02/98, James Tossell, 16, Kengfig Hill (near Bridgend, Wales)
James and his friend, Steven Gibbs, were racially abused and attacked by a gang of youths who threw bricks at Steven's home where James and Steven had barricaded themselves. The flat was later set alight and James died. Charges against two youths were dropped because of insufficient evidence.The CPS also decided there was insufficent evidence to prosecute the officers involved in the investigation of the original attack, after a complaint was made by the Tossell family.
04/98, Akofa Hodasi, 24, Frimley (Surrey)
Found hanging from a tree three days after being the victim of a vicious racist attack by a gang of white youths during which his friend, Nathan Evans, was repeatedly slashed. No one has been charged in relation to Akofa's death.
11/98, Remi Surage, 56, Orpington (Kent)
Knifed in the back and later died in hospital. One of his attackers, Paul Knight, who is also alleged to have wounded another black man, maintained that he was mentally unfit to plead and was sent to Broadmoor indefinitely for manslaughter (through diminished responsibility). The other attackers remain at large.
11/98, Surjit Singh Chhokar, 32, Wishaw (Lanarkshire)
Attacked with a knife outside his girlfriend's house by three white men. The attackers were identified by Surjit's girlfriend and arrested, but only one of them stood trial - for assault, not murder - and was later discharged. After a family campaign two other men are due to stand trial in connection with his death.
12/98, Farhan Mire, 32, Harrow (North London)
Kicked to death in street by white man after an argument with a woman who then shouted for help. A man was charged with the murder in April 1999 but later released after the CPS decided that there was not enough evidence to prosecute.
01/99, Jay Abatan, 42, Brighton
Died five days after being attacked at the Ocean Rooms nightclub after an argument over a mini cab. Two men charged with manslaughter but charges later dropped.
04/99, Andrea Dykes, 27, John Light, 32 and Nicholas Moore, 31, Soho, London
Killed after a bomb planted by a far-right extremist exploded in the Admiral Duncan, a gay pub in Soho, central London. Over 129 people were injured in bomb attacks in Soho, Brixton and Brick Lane. In June 2000, 23-year-old David Copeland was sentenced to six life sentences for the bombings after his plea of diminished responsibility was thrown out. He had been a member of the BNP and National Socialist Movement.
05/99, Stelios Economou, North London
Stelios was pushed under a train after helping two black girls who were being racially abused. Allan Casey was arrested and pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Casey is being detained indefinitely in a mental institution.
07/99, Harold (aka Errol) McGowan, 32, Telford (Shropshire)
Found hanged in suspicious circumstances after suffering two-year campaign of racist abuse. Police assumed the death was a suicide. No-one has been charged in relations to Harold's death.
07/99, Liaquat (aka Bobby) Ali, 30, Bury (Manchester)
Murdered, as he lay sleeping, by his racist house-mate, 28-year-old Simon Rawcliffe. His racist record was not fully disclosed in court, but he was detained at Ashworth mental hospital for life. In September 2003, an inquiry was critical of the psychiatric care that Rawcliffe received from mental health professionals in Bury. It found that his notes had been lost and that staff were not fully aware of his mental problems before he was released to stay in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
07/99, Joseph Alcendor, 62, Paddington (London)
Died after being punched in the head after leaving a party. A man has been charged with murder.
09/99, Ben Kamanalagi, 28, Salford (Manchester)
Died in hospital after being beaten by four men armed with baseball bats and fence posts. It is thought the attack was motivated by revenge after Ben, who worked as a nightclub bouncer, had three days earlier thrown a young man out of the club. In February 2001, two men were jailed for five and half years for murder and another man was cleared.
09/99, Hassan Musa, 44, Sunderland
A Libyan student who died after spending twenty-one years in a vegetative state as a result of being kicked unconscious in a racist gang attack by white thugs in Sunderland in July 1978. At the time of the attack, 23-year-old Hassan, who was a student in Chelmsford, was visiting friends in Sunderland. He spent twenty-years in hospital before he died from pneumonia in Royal Liverpool University hospital. Three men, likened to a 'pack of dogs', were sentenced to a total of eleven years imprisonment after being found guilty of GBH and public order offences. The inquest recorded a verdict of unlawful killing and the case was referred back to Sunderland police who ruled out further prosecutions because Hassan survived for more that a year after he was assaulted.
12/99, Zardasht Draey, 19, Fulham (west London)
A Kurdish man, whose family fled Iraq in the 1991 Gulf war, attacked in the early hours of the morning and found with serious injuries at a bus-stop in Fulham. He died in hospital two days later as a result of serious head injuries. In June 2000, Christopher Peterkin was convicted of his murder.
12/99, Jason McGowan, 20, Telford (Shropshire)
Disappeared minutes before midnight on New Year's Eve. He was found hanged on roadside railings a few hours later. He had been investigating his uncle's apparent suicide (see above). Police assumed a second suicide and no-one has been charged in relation to Jason's death.
1/00, Zahid Mubarek, 19, Feltham (West London)
Zahid was the victim of a racist attack in his cell at Feltham Young Offenders Institute. He was just 12 hours from being released. The attack left Zahid with massive head injuries and he died five days later. His assailant was his cell mate, 19-year-old Robert Joseph Stewart, who was jailed for life for his murder.
4/00, Santokh 'Peter' Singh Sandhu, 42, Port Talbot (South Wales)
Beaten to death in a racially motivated attack on his way home from a pub. In January 2001, William Morgan was found not guilty of manslaughter after alleging he punched Peter over an argument over litter.
5/00, Kombra Divakaren, 43, London
Died of head injuries two days after being attacked and abused by a gang attempting to steal from his shop. In January 2001, a 16-year-old girl and 20-year-old man were sentenced to five years. Two others were found guilty of affray.
6/00, Jan Marthin Pasalbessi, 48, Newport (South Wales)
An Indonesian man beaten to death outside the hospital where his 14-year-old step-daughter was being treated for injuries during a racist gang attack on her. (The same gang attacked Jan.) Judge rejected any racial motivation.
6/00, Glynne Agard, 34, Westbury (Wiltshire)
On a night out with his brother, Stephen and friend Gary Belgrave, they were attacked by a gang of eight who kicked and punched Glynne to death. In July 2001, Wayne King was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to manslaugfhter. A 21-year-old was jailed for four years for ABH. The judge said the murder was not racially motivated.
07/00, Mohammed Asghar, Huddersfield
Stabbed to death outside his restaurant. In May 2001, an all white jury found Jonathan Fairbank not guilty of murder, accepting he acted in self defence.
8/00, Abdi Dorre, 31, Northampton
Somali asylum seeker died after falling down the stairs at the Lounge nightclub in Northampton. CCTV footage showed Abdi being escorted from the club by two bouncers but not his fall down sixteen stairs. The two men gave the inquest differing accounts of what had happened. One of the men claimed that the other had made racist comments. The CPS initially refused to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution. After pressure form the family the CPS again looked at the case and in August 2002, they announced that manslaughter charges were being brought against two men.
11/00, Tariq Javed, 48 Bury, Manchester
Murdered by a gang of white men who hijacked his cab. He was beaten, robbed and then run over by his own car. Mark Baxter and Jason Power were convicted of murder and robbery and jailed for life. Police said there was no evidence that the murder was racially motivated.
11/00, Khaliur Rahman, 58, Birmingham
Restaurant owner, beaten, robbed and racially abused by two white men on 22 October. Died as a result of injuries sustained during attack. In June 2002, one man was acquitted of his murder and another man was to be retried later in the yaer.
12/00, Sarfraz Khan, 30, Rotherham
Beaten and stabbed six times and then set alight in his car after picking up a taxi fare. In July 2001, Craig Gilbert sentenced to life for murder, he claimed he was 'off his head' on drugs at the time of the murder.
1/01, Gian Singh Nagra, 37, Elm Park (London)
Found with serious head injuries after suspected racial attack, died later in hospital. In August 2001, Matthew Dorrian admitted manslaughter.
3/01, Fetah Marku, 24, Edgware (London)
Kosovan asylum seeker beaten to death by a gang of men. In June 2002, black man, Richard Ellis found guilty of his murder, judge commented it was unlikely he was 'soley responsible', but Ellis denied knowing any of the 20-30 strong gang that beat Fetah to death.
4/01, Shiblu Rahman, 34, Bow (East London)
Stabbed to death by a gang of white youth as he returned home from work. In November 2001, a 15-year-old boy was found guilty of murder. Two others were convicted of manslaughter and a 16-year-old was convicted of perverting the course of justice. Police said the murder was 'purely' racial.
06/01, Shaun Rodney, 21, Ilford (East London)
Found dead in Ilford town centre. Police investigated his death as suicide, but his family insist this was not a suicide and no note was left. The Racial and Violent Crimes Task Force was brought in to investigate the death after his family complained to the Met about the handling of the case. Police allegedly disposed of Shaun's clothing and other potential forensic evidence.
7/01, Sharon Bubb, 30, Bow (East London)
Tortured and had her throat cut by her 26-year-old Scottish boyfriend, George McMaster. He was jailed for life after admitting her manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. When arrested he said 'It was because she was black'.
8/01, Firsat Dag, 22, Glasgow
Asylum seeker dispersed to notorious Sighthill estate where he was stabbed to death as he returned home. In December 2001, Scott Burrell was found guilty of his murder and jailed for life. The judge rejected any racial motivation in the case. In August 2003, the compensation awarded to Firsat's family was halved because Firsat allegedly used a false name on his asylum application.
8/02, Peiman Bahmani, 28, Sunderland
Iranian asylum seeker stabbed after a racist attack in Hendon. Police arrested three people soon after the murder. In February 2003, 18-year-old Steven Roberts was jailed for life for his murder.
09/02, Shah Wahab, 37, Southampton
Died two days after suffering serious head injuries after an unprovoked attack while waiting for a bus in Southampton. In November 2003, Andrew Green admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to one years imprisonment.
10/02, Derrick Shaw, 21, Redhill (Surrey)
Died five days after being fatally brain damaged after he was punched to the ground in a racist attack outside a take-away. 26-year-old James Green was charged with manslaughter and racially aggravated grevious bodily harm and threatening behaviour. The trial in June 2003 heard that Green, who was trained in martial arts, had been 'fired up for a fight' and had made racist comments. The jury were unable to reach a unanimous decision and Green, who denied the charges and claimed he acted in self-defence, was ordered to face a retrial.
02/03, Mohammed Isa Hasan Ali, 22, Southampton
An Afghani asylum seeker died two days after being attacked by a man in Southampton. After the attack, Mohammed managed to make his way home, where, he told his housemates what had happened and then went to bed, not realising the extent of his injuries. He was taken to Southampton General hospital where he died. A post mortem found that he died from a fractured skull. Alexander Briant was found guilty of manslaughter in December 2003.
03/03, Asian man, 51, Catford, (south-east London)
Died after an unprovoked attack. He was standing at a bus stop when two men and a woman approached him. He was racially abused and then hit three times with a silver-coloured, foot-long blunt weapon. He received stitches to his face and head at hospital and was later released. He died twelve days later and according to police from 'causes unrelated to the incident'.
05/03, Johnny Delaney, 14, Ellesmere Port (Liverpool)
Johnny, who was from a traveller family, was found with serious head injuries in a field and later died in hospital. In November 2003, the trial began at Chester Crown Court of two 16-year old boys charged with murder. One of the boys was allegedly heard to say that Johnny deserved it because 'he was only a fucking gypsy'. The two boys, who tried to blame one another, were found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. The Judge, Mr. Justice Richards, told the court he did not believe the attack was racially motivated. However, the police said after the verdict that the murder had been investigated as racially motivated because of the use of racist language. Johnny's father, Patrick Delaney, commented, 'There is no justice here. They were kicking my son like a football. Are they going to let this happen to another gypsy?.. As far as we're concerned it was a racist attack.'
06/03 Awais Alam, 45, Leyton, (north-east London)
A father-of-three attacked by two white men on the busy Walthamstow High Street. He allegedly confronted the men after they made racist comments. They then knocked him down and kicked him as he lay on the ground. Police are treating the attack as racially motivated.
Other deaths in which racism played a significant role
10/95, Gosar Shah, 68, Bounds Green (north London) Died of a heart attack after suffering racial abuse, Bounds Green, north London.
03/96, Michael Czytajlo, 74, Oldham Ukrainian holocaust survivor, died of heart attack after suffering racial abuse.
11/99, Jermaine Lee,29, Birmingham A postman found hanged after suffering years of racist abuse and bullying by colleagues at the Aston sorting office. In July 2002, his family were awarded £100.000 after Royal Mail settled out of court after Jermaine's family launched a posthumous claim for racial discrimination, which in itself was an unprecedented decision by the employment tribunal. The investigation made at least fifty recommendations and found that other workers had contributed to his suicide.
Last updated: 20 January 2004
The Institute of Race Relations is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.
privacy
Tara
Semi illiterate Tara
09.08.2004 18:14
However, you just said attacks on Jews have not increased recently which is a LIE. Check the CST figures, check the police records, read a bloody newspaper.
More importantly, be normal and condemn hatred regardless of who it is perpetrated against. I am becoming more and more curious as to why you can not accept that anti-Jewish attacks are increasing.
Zion 1
e-mail:
zion1_48@hotmail.com
Ok
09.08.2004 18:27
But you can expect plenty of criticism for quoting anything said by Gable who is a known state paid agitator.
Best Wishes.
Tara
G8 Evian
09.08.2004 21:48
swiss and german fasists went around at night spraying swastikas on a synagoge in Geneva, to try and 'frame' the left, It was totally denounced by all I met that day,
Fred
larry o hara
10.08.2004 12:53
danny
Cable's past
11.08.2004 18:02
Gerry Cable was (could be still)a paedophile anyway so the scumbag doesn't deserve anyones ears or a platform.
Jimbo
Whoops, here it is
12.08.2004 23:19
The last thread was a "fake" attack on Peter Tatchell and a leading NF member and then Larry mysteriously appeared to counter-act the claims and along the way publicise his "spook" material.
I am not agreat fan of Gable or the Searchlight team, but interestingly this article has comments on it supposedly from Mark Taha (the convicted bank robber with dubious sexual convictions against him) and a thread to Larry's work on Searchlight (there is a fee if you really want to read his bile.)
At the end of the day it would be much better to give yourself some hand pleasure than read the awful libellous crap that is about to follow because Larry has decided to join ranks with fascists as his political credentials amongst the left are entirely worn out.
Further claims that Larry is a great antifascist should also follow, but the facts point to his continued collusion with the state/far-right in attacking a magazine that has become middle of the road and critical of Larry's new friends.
Gable a child molester? Step forward the original poster of this thread to claim that prize.
Very sad, very dangerous ground we are on here folks.
Under. Pants
larry
13.08.2004 12:38
danny
Whoops! There it is (again)
14.08.2004 01:18
This is the 37th most pointless thread on this forum-ever! All we need now is Larry's old mate Ray Hill to pop up.
Under Pants
Unpublished letter to the Observer
17.08.2004 15:49
With regards to the report, Jews predict record level of hate attacks (Observer, 08 August 2004). I am a long standing admirer of Gerry Gable's work at Searchlight, which remains the leading forum for anti-racist activism in the UK.
But his suggestion that taking up a position on Israel and Palestine puts people and organizations in league with anti-Semites is a tired old charge, now routinely directed even at mainstream journalists who seek to expose the human rights catastrophe being inflicted upon the Palestinian peoples.
Moreover, suggesting the left is driving anti-Semitism ignores the significant Jewish membership of left wing groups opposed to Sharon, who I understand now routinely work with Muslim groups like the MPACUK.
Politicizing anti-Semitism in this way muddies the waters and makes it difficult to tackle genuine racism. Gerry Gable should know better.
Sincerely
Yakoub Islam
Yakoub
e-mail:
yakoub@bayyinat.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.bayyinat.org.uk/tasneem.htm
!
30.08.2004 08:56
Andrew
e-mail:
mrandyc@care4free.net
Intoxicating stuff
11.04.2005 23:39
For the record, by the way
--no evidence at all to suggest Gerry Gable is a paedophile.
--Searchlight still implicated in dodginess, eg covering up re the Admiral Duncan bombing (see Outrage web-site, NFB etc.)
LARRY O'HARA
Homepage:
http://www.borderland.co.uk
Larry the nutter
15.06.2005 21:36
Underpants