EDL WANT PHOTOS OF ANTI-FASCISTS "SUPPORTING" MUSLIM EXTREMIST GROUPS

DO NOT ATTEND THIS PROTEST

If any Anti-Fascists go to Edgware Road be very careful. Limit your activities to defending locals from EDL attacks. Do not be seen to be supporting Islamic Forum Europe

Just like the EDL and BNP, IFE also claim "not" to be extremist, but IFE is still definitely an Islamist (anti-democratic, anti-feminist) group; and IFE's strategic power-base grew out of diverting Bangaldeshi youth AWAY from the politics of secular, left-wing, anti-racist groups that were active around Brick Lane, Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets in the late 1970s and 1980s, and diverting them towards religious conservatism

Bear in mind however that secular left groups like the Awami League are still much more popular than the IFE among Bangladeshis

At some point anti-fascists have to ask themselves who they are there to defend. It is definitely not far-right Islamist nutters like at this conference.
They are more divisive and racist than the EDL and should not be getting any support from anti-fascists.

The people speakinfg at the event are a thousand times worse than the EDL,

Why isn't anybody from the left there protesting them? We and the UAF claim to oppose facism yet other than a small ammount very few seem to reaise their voices and do something about non-white facism such as these terrorist supporters giving a speech.

The comment about the speakers attending this conference bring 1000s worse then the EDL made me laugh...Did you attend the conference, Have you even read the Quran?

All this comments are based on what exactly? taking a few verses out of context? the same could be done to the Bible the Torah and any other holy book.

Here is a challenge instead of listening to media hysteria why not pick up a Quran and read it?

Why is it Islam is the fastest growing religion in the west? what you going to accuse muslim of drugging the water supply next?

Find out what Islam is about from the Source, not from others, that is my challenge read the Quran from cover to cover. oh i'm going to hear some excuses now... the truth is you guys know nothing about Islam and all your views are based on ignorance and not fact. Its funny how the word extremism is thrown about? is it a label exclusive for muslims? can the BNP or EDL be considered extreme?

None of you know these speakers or have listen to the talks in its entirety (rather then things taken out of context) so how can you have an opinion? is it an opinion based on facts or ignorance?

No, my assessment that the assortment of Salafists, Deobandi and Wahhabists involved in this conference are every bit as dangerous as the EDL, possibly even more so, is based on the record of the vile racism and hatred peddled by their invited speakers.

Take, for example, Hussain Yee. His speciality is racist abuse of Jewish people. No, I don't mean the state of Israel (which I oppose as much he does, though not on the same basis, in common with the majority of Jewish people), I mean Jewish people per se. It was outrageous and sick that he was going to be allowed to peddle his racism only yards from Cable Street, where Mosley's BUF, who spouted the same anti-Jewish hatred, were stopped and expelled from the East End in 1936. (The Edgware Road venue was the replacement for the Troxy in Commercial Road where, this nasty gathering was originally scheduled.)

The UAF has a lot to answer for, aligning themselves with fascists, supposedly against fascism, in the name of "unity". The people who fought the fascists and their police allies in Cable Street and elsewhere in the 1930s must be turning in their graves. That there can be no unity between decent Muslim people (whether we agree with their religious views or not) and the violent racists and homophobes, whose jamboree this event was, is well illustrated by this:

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PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TOWER HAMLETS COMMUNITY STANDS UP TO FIGHT FASCISM IN ALL its COLOURS:

The entry of the English Defence League (EDL) into Tower Hamlets to protest against a meeting organized under the auspices of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) is a direct provocation to stir up racial tensions, foment dissent among faiths and attempt to bring disunity amongst the communities of the borough. We condemn the fascist EDL whose sole objective is to act as storm troopers for the British National Party (BNP) and pick up the pieces for them after their miserable rout in the local and national elections in neighbouring Barking and Dagenham Council. Under the guise of being non-political and upholding “English” values they are propagating a virulent form of naked Islamophobia which is rejected by the communities of Tower Hamlets. We will do everything in our power to defend the peace in the borough, protect the lives of Muslims and ensure that the unity amongst all is maintained.

This borough has a rich tradition of successful challenge to fascist forces of the Blackshirts and the National Front. The Battle of Cable Street in the 30,s and the Struggle for Brick Lane following Altab Ali’s murder in the 70’s and the move to oust Derek Beackon in the 90’s is part of our common history. The values of universalism, anti-racism and no compromise with fascism inform our thinking and has become part of our existence. We will build on this rich tradition as we face Oswald Mosley’s grandchildren.

As we confront the fascist thugs of EDL we in the Bengali and the Muslim community are being asked to stand side by side with Islamic Forum in Europe (IFE). This we refuse to do. The IFE does not represent the Muslim community in Tower Hamlets. They do not uphold the glorious tradition of Cable Street, Altab Ali and the anti racist movement. Under the patronage of an exclusivist Islam emanating from Saudi Arabia they are attempting to impose it amongst the Bengalis in this borough. Just as the EDL takes the guise of being ordinary English citizen to hide their true identity of fronting the fascist BNP so do IFE act as the sole representatives of ordinary Muslims but are in fact operating under the direction of their parent organisation Jamaat-e- Islami in Bangladesh. It is Jamaat that was party to the massacre of innocent Bangladeshis in the 1971 war of independence that establish the independent state of Bangladesh. A war Tribunal has been established in Bangladesh to try leaders of Jaamat-e- Islam who are IFE’s real ideological and organisational gurus. In other words IFE represent a virulent form of political Islam that is fascistic in nature like Jaamat Islam and verges on the anti-Semitic and is very exclusivist and undemocratic.

In defending the people of Tower Hamlets and especially the ordinary Muslims we do not have to defend IFE. EDL is attacking the Muslims of this borough and we must protect them. IFE must not be allowed to use this occasion to propagate their very reactionary version of political Islam.

We must also alert the entire community about the opportunist and divisive politics of IFE. Using this latest EDL threat to the local community, it is clear to us that the IFE brigade is trying to terrify the most vulnerable in our community – the Bangladeshi women and children into joining their ranks under the banner of ‘defending the Ummah’. It has come to our knowledge that IFE and its operatives have sent out mass e-mails, text messages and visited members of the community including young children in primary schools ask them to join forces and defend Muslims and East London Mosque from imminent threat of destruction.

All progressive forces must realize that the gut reaction to EDL is to defend everybody including IFE because they might be accused of being Islamophobic. But we boldly proclaim that it is not Islamophobic to have no trucks with the heirs of Fascist Jaamat. It is not Islamophobic to denounce the anti democratic credentials of IFE and their Saudi patrons. It is not Islamophobic to show solidarity with the Muslims of Tower Hamlets and their diverse representative organisations without marching under the leadership of IFE. We cannot be consistent in fighting the fascist EDL if we elect the “fascist” IFE as our Imam. In line with the best in the Islamic and Bengali tradition we reject the siren calls of IFE as we prepare to organise against EDL.

On behalf of:

Harmuz Ali (Bangladesh Welfare Association - BWA), Sajjadur Rahman (Brick Lane Mosque), Shamsuddin Shams (Altab Ali Memorial Foundation), Badrul Islam (Centre for Citizenship and Development (CCD), Akikur Rahman (Bangladesh Youth Association), Rajonuddin Jalal (London Bangladeshi Association), Ansar Ahmed Ullah (Nirmul Committee), Mahmoud Rauf (Brick Lane Business Association), Abdus Subhan Gedu (Banglatown Restaurant Association), Ethnic Minority Enterprise Project (EMEP), Abdul Ali Rauf (Chicksand Citizen’s Forum), Collective of Bangladeshi School Governors, Tower Hamlets Parents Centre, Tower Hamlets Parents Association, APASENTH, BYM, Nurul Islam (Kendrio Shaheed Minar Committee), Sundar Miah (Tarling Tenants & Residents Association), Nooruddin Ahmed (Bangladesh Youth League), Ruhul Amin (Progressive Youth Organisation), Taimus Ali (Bangladesh Youth Front), Shahab Uddin Ahmed Belal (Human Rights Secretary, Awami League), Cathy Forrester, Claire Murphy, Phil Maxwell, Terry Fitzpatrick (Blair Peach Project), Syed Sad Ahmed, Fanu Miah (Golden Moon Youth Project), Julie Begum (Swadhinata Trust), Amina Ali (international Forum for Secular Bangladesh), Sujit Sen (Liberation), Gita Sahgal, Subir Sinha, Alice Sielle (St. Barnabas church Bethnal Green), Imtiar Shamim (Muktangon: Nirman Blog), Rayhan Rashid (War Crimes Strategy Forum), Saikat Acharjee (WCSF), Nowrin Tamanna (University of Reading), Anisur Rahman Anis ( Bangladesh Human Rights Council UK), James Swapan Peris ( Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council- European committee), Whitechapel Anarchist Group, Ansarul Haque, Tower Hamlets Muslim Council & Jim Fitzpatrick MP Poplar and Limehouse.


On behalf of UNITY PLATFORM AGAINST RACISM AND FASCISM

C/O Bangladesh Welfare Association, 39 Fournier Street, London E1 6QL

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The only conclusion I can come to about UAF is either that they don't know enough about Islam to know who is who, who stands for what, who should be supported and who opposed OR they know full well and just don't care because it suits their political advantage to plug a line of fake "unity" between opposites. The sad thing is that their activities have done a lot to support and raise the profile of racist Salafism amongst the youth of Tower Hamlets, who haven't learned to distinguish different, and diametrically opposed, ideas within Islam and identify the poisonous ones. The other people cack-handedly helping this process is the government, with their misleading notions about "moderates" and "extremists".

Fascism is fascism, whether it garbs itself in the union jack or the cloak of Islam. The former is fairly easy to spot, but it is particularly important at present to identify and isolate the latter before they do even more damage than they have already.

The unity we need is against ALL fascists and all manifestations of racism.

I should add that whilst I agree with most of what the letter I've quoted above says, I'm told that Whitechapel Anarchist Group were never approached about it nor asked to sign it and knew nothing of it until it was published. That casts doubt on some of the other "signatories", too.

The author (or maybe some later "editor") has been out of order in appending at least one "signature" without permission, and it is a shame if that undermines the validity of the content. I hope the person concerned learns a lesson from that.

We get nowhere by being as unprincipled as UAF and the SWP.

It wasn't just WAG who were not asked but most of the named Bengali groups and individual people named do not know anything about it either. A "press release" from who? The man or woman behind this has stooped very low in behaving in such an underhand way and it could lead to trouble. If it was a genuine press release it would have been sent to Muslim newsapers first and not via Indymedia. Why would they include the Whitechapel Anarchists?
It is unlikely that any Muslim groups wrote the statement and it is possible it came from the left but why it was written is not quite clear. It looks a fit up to justify statements made against the IFE and to get support against the IFE.

cheers

"EDL are attacking Muslims of this borough and we must protect them".

Them? Would Muslims refer to themselves as "them"?

How did the Whitechapel Anarchists find their way into this list and why did a Whitechapel Anarchist then post this "Tower Hamlets press release" on Indymedia if WAG were added to the list without being asked? Other names were added to it without permission. Surely you should never have posted it up if any names were put on without permission? It is terribly bad manners and it will probably lead to WAG being discredited in the future.

The Cheerleaders are pro Islam. EDL are anti Islam. They drink at the same tables in the same pubs, together. Weird but true.

Whoever added WAG (and quite possibly others) to that statement without their consent is obviously an idiot who did a lot of damage. You can see that by the fact that everyone is discussing its provenance rather than its CONTENT. So what about what it says?

It's a faked statement, it's made up and then "signed" by people who didn't know about it. Whoever wrote it pretended to be a Muslim. Shame on you.

The people on the statement are real. You people above are just trolls.

Fucking idiots. Why don't we get statements from all fo the people whose names were faked......