As recently highlighted by The Guardian (see:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/22/far-right-doorstep-hearts-minds?INTCMP=SRCH), the ugly reality of the English Defence League has been exposed in a newly-published report by Dr Matthew Feldman and Dr Paul Jackson at Northampton University’s Radicalism and New Media Research Group. The report was formally released during a major international conference recently hosted by the RNM (see:  http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/211/report-on-english-defence-league-published-at-international-conference); it is based on extensive independent research and is a truly brilliant analysis of all aspects of the EDL. The results are damning to say the least.

The full report can be downloaded for free as a PDF document via the RNM’s website here:  http://www.radicalism-new-media.org/?p=548.

1. Key findings.

Some of the key findings are as follows (from p.56 of the report):

“From the outset, among leaders and followers it is clear that the EDL has had sustained connections with the BNP and other extreme-right groups. Moreover, the EDL might profess itself a single issue, counter-jihadist movement, but its failure to adhere to this line leaves it looking like all previous racist extreme-right groups. This failure makes it even more difficult to ignore the neo-Nazi methods, antecedents and current connections of the EDL’s leaders and its followers.

Consequently, these profiles allow four conclusions. Firstly, the EDL is unarguably connected to the BNP and other far-right groups, whether by previous association or by shared interest. Secondly, some of these far-right individuals have possessed significant weaponry that identifies them as potential ‘lone wolf’ terrorists. Thirdly, EDL leaders and followers have engaged in criminality, especially racially aggravated incidents. Fourthly, the EDL engages in doublespeak that powerfully questions their claim to be a single-issue, non-racist movement.”

2. Religious persecution and incitement of violence & hatred.

The full report confirms the following fact: Despite the EDL’s official claim of opposition solely towards genuinely extremist interpretations of Islam, in reality the EDL is engaged in what is actually the religious persecution of the entire Muslim population, and incites violence and hatred. The last paragraph of the main section of the report (p.62) also confirms that EDL leader Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka “Tommy Robinson”) is on record as publicly making the following self-incriminating statements targeting Muslims en masse during his speech at the EDL’s demonstration in London on 3 September 2011, as previously discussed on Indymedia here:  http://www.indymedia.co.uk/en/2011/09/484833.html:

“EVERY SINGLE MUSLIM watching this on Youtube, on 7/7 you got away with killing and maiming British citizens, you got away with it. You had better understand that we have built a network from one end of this country to the other end, and we will not tolerate it, and the Islamic community will feel the full force of the English Defence League if we see any of our citizens killed, maimed or hurt on British soil ever again.”

Yaxley-Lennon’s rant indicates that he does not even regard British Muslims as British citizens at all. Furthermore, not only does Yaxley-Lennon openly exhibit vehement hostility towards “every single Muslim” and holds them collectively responsible for 7/7 (despite the fact that the British citizens murdered by terrorists on 7/7 included a number of Muslims), but he also openly made a direct threat against Britain’s entire Muslim population.

The report similarly confirms that millionaire EDL backer Alan Lake was indeed the author of a “Final Solution” blueprint targeting the entire British Muslim population and anyone perceived to be sympathetic towards them, including death threats against British Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as previously discussed on Indymedia (see:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/05/452328.html) and as also confirmed by The Guardian (see:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/30/alan-lake-english-defence-league) and the Daily Mail (see:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2020732/Norway-shooting-Anders-Behring-Breivik-plastic-surgery-look-Aryan.html).

3. 12,000 Muslims attend Muslim anti-terrorism conference in London.

For their part, Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and the Archbishop (along with Ed Miliband and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon) sent messages of support to the major anti-terrorism conference recently organised by the international Muslim humanitarian organisation Minhaj-ul-Quran (see:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15044797). The conference was held at Wembley Arena in London and was attended by 12,000 supportive Muslims; representatives from the Sikh, Hindu, Christian, Jewish and Buddhist faiths also said prayers for peace.

Despite receiving death threats following his 600-page “Fatwa on Terrorism” last year, in which he unequivocally condemned Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and comprehensively demonstrated the reasons that terrorism and suicide bombings completely violate the tenets of Islam, Minhaj-ul-Quran’s founder has continued to be heavily involved in actively opposing Islamist terrorism & extremism along with promoting interfaith friendship and understanding on an international scale (see:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahir-ul-Qadri).

4. e-Petition to ban the EDL.

Incidentally, there is currently an e-petition underway to ban the EDL. If you support the petition to the British Government, you can add your signature here:  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/2207.