11 arrested at Anti-Islam protest in England

Eleven men were arrested and a policewoman was taken to hospital Saturday after violence broke out at a far-right group’s demonstration against Islamic extremism in central England, police said.The 29-year-old policewoman hurt her arm while policing a cordon at the protest by the English Defence League in the city of Nottingham, but no one else was seriously hurt in the skirmishes, Nottinghamshire police said. About 500 members of the EDL, a marginal group which has staged a number of demonstrations against radical Islam in recent months, sang the English national anthem and football songs as they gathered in the city. Many of them had their faces covered with scarves and hooded tops as they chanted: “We want our country back” and held aloft placards saying “Protect Women, No to Sharia (law)” and “No Surrender”. A counter-demonstration by Unite Against Fascism, who claim the EDL are a racist organisation, took place nearby, despite police requests that they move. Concerns about immigration and Islamic extremism in Britain were highlighted by the success of the anti-immigration British National Party (BNP) in European elections this year, where they secured their first two MEPs.© AFP http://www.afp.com/english/home/Meanwhile the Jewish Chronicle and the Community Security Trust has urged Jews not to support the  group “Stop the Islamisation of Europe”. SIOE have been canvassing support from British Jews to attend their forthcoming demonstration at Harrow mosque. Emails have been circulated by SIOE, including one sent to the Jewish Chronicle, asking for support. SIOE have urged Jews to bring Israeli flags to the demonstration on December 13, and have said their aim is to recruit 1,000 Jews to join the protest. The group’s motto, according to their website, is “Racism is the lowest form of human stupidity, but Islamophobia is the height of common sense” A statement on their website declares: “If you do not attend this demonstration then you are prepared to see Israel wiped off the map. “Vile antisemitism is being preached in mosques across the world and almost certainly the one in your neighbourhood.”The CST has drawn attention to the Islamaphobic comments on SIOE’s website, and compared the group to the English Defence League, and the BNP’s Nick Griffin, who have attempted to gain support from Jews through pro-Israel and anti-Muslim statements. The blog singled out an central image on the SIOE’s website, which shows a skull with blood dripping from its mouth on the front of a mosque, where the minaret and crescent moon and star symbol is also covered in blood. On its blog, the CST says: “This image tells us everything we need to know about SIOE and Islamophobia.“If a Jew cannot understand why the image is racist, or hateful, or bigoted then they should try imagining it as a synagogue: with blood dripping from a Star of David; with blood dripping down the rabbi’s pulpit; and with blood dripping from the mouth of a skull that wears an Israeli army helmet.” The CST emphasises that while the Jewish community should be concerned about extreme Islamist groups. Jews had a duty to stand up to prejudice and hatred “The fact that Muslims are the current target simply means that it is Muslims who should be the recipients of anti-racist solidarity. “Hatred, division, cycles of inter-communal violence, intimidation and polarisation feed the extremists on every side. They encourage social division and leave all minorities vulnerable. Anti-Muslim bigotry is a vital recruiting sergeant for both the far right, and its Islamist extremist counterparts. “It generates votes for the BNP and, at the furthest ends of this political spectrum, it even provides the fuel for terrorism. British Jews should have no part of it.”© The JC http://www.thejc.com/——————————————————————————————————————————