• Home
  • About
  • Comments policy
  • Contact
  • My fans

Trial by Jeory

Watching the world of east London politics

Feeds:
Posts
Comments
« The Tory defection: a message from Peter Golds
Peter Golds: the council and rogue landlords scandal »

The EDL march: an open letter

August 2, 2011 by trialbyjeory

I’ve been asked to publish the following letter, signatories of which include Jim Fitzpatrick and the Quilliam Foundation.

UNITED PLATFORM AGAINST RACISM & FASCISM
Bangladesh Welfare Association
Shaheed Bhavan
39 Fournier Street. E1 6QE

We, the undersigned, call on the authorities to ban the proposed march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Tower Hamlets on Saturday 3 September. The EDL is a violent racist organisation that seeks to vilify communities and damage community relations. Its planned march is designed to whip up fear and incite violence.

We reject entirely the EDL and its racism and we don’t see why the people of Tower Hamlets should pay for its march of hate. There can be no excuse for this march of hate. It is not right for one or two thousand racists to bring fear and trouble into somebody else’s community. We have to stop the EDL from marching.

We are calling on the police and council to ask the Home Secretary to ban the march. In doing so we are standing up for all the people of Tower Hamlets, whatever their religious or racial background.

We have shown before that we can force the authorities to act. We need to stop the EDL from marching in Tower Hamlets in September.

We are proud of Tower Hamlets, a vibrant multiracial area, which has a long and proud history of resistance to racism & fascism. From Cable Street in the 1930s, to Brick Lane in the 1970s and to Millwall in the 1990s, the people of Tower Hamlets have come together to see off racism and fascism before. We will now stand united against the racist and extremist EDL.

We believe that everyone has the right to live in peace and without the fear of abuse or violence. We stand against all prejudice, whether it’s racism, anti Muslim racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia or extremism.

We oppose all extremism – from whatever quarter – and we recognise that extremism breeds extremism. We condemn the extremist EDL just as we condemn Islamist extremism. We say a plague on both their houses.

We believe that the people of Tower Hamlets should be allowed to live without the threat of violence and fear. This is why we are standing together against the hatred of the EDL. We believe in HOPE not hate. That is why we are calling on the authorities to ban the EDL march of hate.

Sam Tarry
Campaign Organiser, HOPE not hate

Mr Mohammed Hormuz Ali
President, Bangladesh Welfare Association

Nurul Islam
General Secretary, Bangladesh Welfare Association

Mr Sajjad Miah
Acting President, Brick Lane Mosque

Mr Mahmud A Rauf
President, Brick Lane Business Association

Mr Badrul Islam
Director, Centre for Citizenship and Development

Mr Amir Hussain
Chairperson, Tower Hamlets Apasenth

Mr Ansarul Haque
General Secretary, Collective of Bangladeshi School Governors.

Mr Gopal Das
General Secretary, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpi Gosthi

Mr Nurul Islam
General Secretary, Soytten Sen School of Performing Arts

Mr Shahriar Bin Ali
Joint Convenor, Bangladesh Youth Union

Ms Shamim Ara Begum
Convenor, Nari Digangta – an association of progressive Bangladeshi women

Syed Enamul Islam
Secretary, Pir Habib Memorial Foundation

Dr B B Chaudhuri, Nirmul Committee

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Organising Secretary, Altab Ali Memorial Foundation

United Platform Against Racism & Extremism

Syed Nahas Pasha
Editor, Janomot

Belal Ahmed
President, Bangla Press Club

Nazim Chowdhury
Director, Betar Bangla

Maggie Bowden,
General Secretary, Liberation

Ghaffar Hussain
Quilliam Foundation

Mina Rahman
Chairperson
London Bangla Women’s Network

Murad Qureshi, AM

Leon Silver
Senior Warden & Honorary Officer: East London Central Synagogue, Steering Group Member: Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum

Alice Sielle
Belief in Bow

Women Against Fundamentalism

Amanda Sebestyen
Asylum Education & Legal Fund

Abu Musa Hasan
Journalist

Mohammed Emdadul Haque Chowdhury
Editor, Weekly Potrika

Soyful Alam
Acting Gen Secretary, Altab Ali Memorial Foundation

Selma James  
Global Women’s Strike

Councillor Peter Golds
Leader of the Conservative Group, London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Steve Silver, Journalist

Jim Fitzpatrick MP

Rumana Hashem
Visiting Lecturer and PhD Fellow, University of East London

Councillor Helal Uddin Abbas
Spitalfields & Banglatown

Dan Jones
Human Rights Worker     

Ahmed Nurul Tipu
President, Projonmo71, UK

Share this: Facebook & Twitter

  • Share
  • Tweet

Like this:

Like Loading...

Posted in Uncategorized | 53 Comments

53 Responses

  1. on August 2, 2011 at 5:21 pm tony

    sounds more like United against Lutfur than the EDL…


  2. on August 2, 2011 at 5:48 pm Steve O'Driscoll

    There was a similar letter in the Guardian on Saturday, signed by Lutfur, Ken, Rushanara, Jim, Josh and Tony Benn amongst others


  3. on August 2, 2011 at 8:33 pm Toby

    Copy cats but these lot carry far less weight in the community


    • on August 3, 2011 at 12:25 am P.W.E. Ingham

      Which “Community” would that be?


      • on August 3, 2011 at 10:15 am Toby

        Study the difference between this list and the rally last Friday – members and leaders from all faiths and non faiths, unions and community leaders. What you have here is 1 MP, a disgraced former leader of council, and the rest more like from one faction of the old Bangladesh politics of Awami League! Come on get real. Was this really necessary? Our community is under threat from the EDL, why try to score points, why not just join the main rally and campaign?


  4. on August 3, 2011 at 1:05 am Adrian

    Interesting to note that prominance is given to this petition, which is comprised of a highly selective group of individuals some of whom are controversial, but there is a clear ideological and political thread linking some of these individuals and backers together. It’s a shame that some resort to petty politics when there is such a serious threat to community cohesion as represented by the EDL, but I suppose at least you know who your friends are.


  5. on August 3, 2011 at 9:50 am Newspaniard

    It will not be the EDL racists who throw the first stone but the Islamofacists, some of whome are listed above.


  6. on August 3, 2011 at 10:47 am Mini-me

    Posting a letter on this blog is really going to change the minds of the EDL from coming to Tower Hamlets. Also with less then few hundred readers that use this blog it is hardly going to raise the awareness either. Most of the names on this letter are of clowns who don’t have the credibility to even fill up a small meeting room with supporters. The other common factor is that almost all of them voted or campaigned against Lutfur, as the previous commentator Tony stated it is more about ‘united against Lutfur’ then the EDL.


    • on August 3, 2011 at 11:08 am trialbyjeory

      So which Judean front are you a member of, Mini-me? Sometimes, when you’re trying to achieve a wider goal, it’s better to keep your factional thoughts private. That’s if you are trying to achieve the gaol you state, of course.


      • on August 3, 2011 at 6:02 pm Toby

        Ted

        How comes you didn’t publish the other letter from the more wider coalition? Are you being partisan? If so why?


      • on August 3, 2011 at 6:12 pm trialbyjeory

        I wasn’t asked to. Simple.


  7. on August 3, 2011 at 11:36 am force 101

    Actually all of the signatories are from secular organisations although I would question the relevance of Ms Sebastian and Ms James, although I am sure they mean well.

    The rally, I assume at the ELMC, was in fact largely made up the hard left and those that the IFE could coerce into attending. The East London Advertiser gives a figure of 300. The SWP have managed to get it up to 700 but the photos show much fewer,

    We are now faced with two tendencies it seems. Firstly the UAF/IFE one which owanted the confrontation but reasonable opinion seems to be swinging towards the ban which HnH have argued for for some time and not just in Tower Hamlets.

    UAF/IFE wanted and still want a violent confrontation which I hope they will be denied. It is to be hope that those like the new Bishop of Stepney will realise that they have been conned and will withdraw their support. Stll, quite a way to go yet!


    • on August 3, 2011 at 8:12 pm Konnu

      I see reps for a mosque and synagogue on the list, you count those as secular? A pity you resort to slurs by claiming that other groups that have openly opposed the EDL coming here actually want a “violent confrontation”.


      • on August 5, 2011 at 8:08 pm anon

        Agree with you, Konnu.

        ‘force 1010’ – are you not aware that the “non-secular”! Leon Silver (from Nelson St Synagogue) from the above list was also a Speaker at the Rally? So he was ‘co-erced by the IFE into attending’ – and speaking – and/or is a part of the “hard left”? He also attended the Rally last year, organised by United East End and UAF.

        You also say the new Bishop of Stepney, Adrian Newman, has been “conned” by “UAF/IFE”. The new Bishop of Stepney said at the Rally:
        “I stand with the people of the East End – this is no place for hate” and “Martin Luther King said, ‘Our lives begin to end when we stay silent about things that matter’. This matters.”

        Yes, ‘force 101’ you have got “quite a way to go” until September 3rd to troll about and slur people and organisations on various blogs under various guises; however, it sounds as though the new Bishop of Stepney will not withdraw his support before September 3rd. He was joined by 36 other Speakers at the Rally, so he was in good and plentiful company (including Reverend Alan Green and Max Levitas.)

        Oh, and your attempt to undermine the Rally again by saying the SWP exaggerated the number attending to 700, when your personal assessment of photos is “much fewer” and the ELA estimates 300 – the figure should be checkable as people in the audience signed in. Besides it being Ramadan, the audience numbers also fluctuated as there was not enough seating, leaving quite a few standing – see those photos.


  8. on August 3, 2011 at 11:42 am Amir

    EDL will not the marching through Tower Hamlet! If the police do not band them, we will stand in their way. The police will have to forcefully move us to let the march through. All of these ‘community leaders’ will have no control if the police turn on the locals. It’s band or bust-up.


    • on August 3, 2011 at 12:12 pm Newspaniard

      @Amir: It looks as if someone is bursting for a fight. Will you be burning card and churches like your fellows in France did? How about shooting at police and firemen? That seems like your style? All this instead of staying at home and ignoring the demo.


      • on August 3, 2011 at 12:41 pm Amir

        Have no idea what you are going on about. Didn’t know there were any British Bengali’s in France. Oh wait they’ll be known as French Bengalis. Damn them French!

        This is my home and I’ll be damned if I let anyone tell me otherwise.


    • on August 3, 2011 at 1:07 pm Newspaniard

      Isn’t what you say at the heart of the probelm. You say you are British/Bengali. What’s that? Dual nationality? What does your passport say? You are either British and want to become part of this nation or you wish to set up a Bengali Ghetto which is a no-go area for us infidels who regard islam as a facist ideology.


  9. on August 3, 2011 at 2:48 pm Amir

    You should link up with me. I’ll take you for a tour of the Bengali Ghetto. We can stop over for a drink at one of the local bars. I may even introduce you to a couple of ‘infedel’ British Bengali friends. The local churches are a must see. There a few synagogues as well if you prefer that instead. Would take you a mosque but worried you may bump into your cousins who have now converted to Islam. We’ll end the day with the nations favourate dish in one of the tourist hot spot in East London before raving the night away in a gay friendly club.

    I’m sure you’ll love the experience and more importantly learn a little about the Ghetto you so fear.


  10. on August 3, 2011 at 4:47 pm Force 101

    So where are these Synagogues then?


    • on August 3, 2011 at 10:20 pm Amir

      You can join us on the tour. I’ll show you a 100 year old synagogue sandwiched between the the East London mosque and the London Muslim Centre. Our own Wailing Wall and the Dome of the Rock.


  11. on August 3, 2011 at 8:16 pm TheTruthHurts

    There are only 4 synagogues in LBTH: one right next to The Whitechaple Mosque, one in artillery row, almost one opposite Watney street on commercial road , and one in Nelson street.


  12. on August 3, 2011 at 8:17 pm Konnu

    What a pity the BWA is acting so divisively again.


  13. on August 4, 2011 at 12:38 am Adrian

    Ted,

    How comes you removed the name the caption blog? It was rather amusing.


    • on August 4, 2011 at 8:49 am trialbyjeory

      I hadn’t understood the raising of the rose to be part of a silence for the victims in Norway. As such, it risked being in poor taste.
      What do you think? Should it be re-instated? (I’m being serious.)
      (And Adrian, it’s “how come”, not “how comes”.)


      • on August 5, 2011 at 12:33 am Adrian

        No, I think on balance you were right to pull it as it is not in good taste. Thanks for the correction Ted.


  14. on August 4, 2011 at 5:27 am Hatchfield

    This letter found its way onto Ted Jeory’s blog on 2 Aug. It calls on the council to ask the Home Sec to ban the EDL march.

    Mayor Lutfur Rahman already wrote to the Home Sec on 15 July.

    What is the point of this letter?

    Do they just want to jump on the bandwagon?

    They should just write separately to the Home Sec if they r serious.

    The disgraced Helal Abbas is in the list while his leader Josh Peck adds his name to Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s letter published in the Guardian on Saturday.

    It shows just how pathetic Helal Abbas is. He is a nobody is TH politics these days.


    • on August 4, 2011 at 10:44 am Toby

      It’s a campaign against Lutfur. If he does any good these lot want to take credit


      • on August 4, 2011 at 10:47 am trialbyjeory

        Oh, so the Hope Hot Hate and UAF campaign is Lutfur’s now is it??

        Have you seen the Life of Brian?


      • on August 4, 2011 at 10:39 pm Toby

        Grow up Ted. You’re like a 5 year old who deliberately misconstrues when it suits you.

        Take those who you champion to the local community and nobody recognises them.

        Question is Ted why do you involve your self in the weird Bangladesh politics here, supporting one faction of the Awami league against the others.


      • on August 5, 2011 at 4:17 am Mini-me

        Toby you’re the top banana!


  15. on August 4, 2011 at 10:57 am Force 101

    And will Adrian be taking us inside the Synagogues or simply pointing out that they are still there? If the point of his post was to portray the East End as some kind of multi cultural paradise then this has been something of a waste of time.

    The biggest functioning Synagogue nearest to Brick Lane is the one in Bevis Marks just by the Aldgate gyratory system. I think that with what I perceive to be his apologia for Islamic extremism he would get a frosty reception there so it is just as well he mentions building which are closed most of the time.

    Can’t understand the point of the contribution from Hatchfield. There seem to be two approaches to the proposed EDL march. One is the confrontational and the other the call to ban it as has happened in other parts of the country.

    It would seem that Mayor Lutfur started off with the confrontationists and then realised the “banners” were gaining ground and is now straddling the two camps and possibly moving more towards the later. I didn’t realise that the Guardian letter was ” Lutfur’s”. It seemed to have been signed by a number of worthies of which he was one.

    As for the list of signatories to this letter it displays a range of liberal and progressive opinion which could be divined by anyone doing a bit of Googling around. Let’s see who we have.

    Amongst many,

    Sam Tary of Hope not Hate the biggest national anti racist group in the country. A look at their website will display a range of campaigns going back many years all across the country and they are linked to the oldest anti fascist group in the country Searchlight.

    Two people from the oldest Bangladeshi organisation in the country the Bangladesh Welfare Association.

    The Brick Lane Mosque.

    The Nirmul Committee which campaigns for the prosecution of Bangladeshi war criminals who were responsible for killing millions during the liberation war of 1971. Their position is in stark contrast to that of Jaamat i Islam which was responsible for many of the murders and which is heavily involved with the ELM and MC.

    Janamot and Potrika which are two mass circulation largely leftist Bengali language papers in this country.

    The Altab Ali Foundation named after the young man murdered in East London in 1977.

    I could go on but what is clear here is that this is a range of groups and individuals with a largely progressive and leftist stance and how that can be disparaged I don’t know.

    The rest of this post I don’t understand. How is Abbas Uddin “disgraced” ? I thought he was a councillor and several times a leader of said council.

    Now I got all of this from the internet so why has nobody else? Answers please.


    • on August 4, 2011 at 11:33 am Rachel

      I hope you arent’ suggesting that the decline in the Jewish population of the East End is somehow connected with the rise of Islamism or that Muslims are to blame. They are two diffferent historical phenomena.

      Most Jews took the ‘Northwest Passage’ up to Hackney or Golders Green areas or moved east to Essex when they got more prosperous – they weren’t driven out of the area. Middle-class Bengalis are also moving out east.


      • on August 4, 2011 at 12:55 pm Force 101

        It helps to have an imagination Rahel but what is even better is actually reading what is written.


  16. on August 4, 2011 at 11:38 am Local Politics

    Are people trying to say that if a letter which has the name of Lutfur Rahman , Siraj haque and Channel S missing ,cannot be for any good. Do we need Lutfur and his corrupt cronies to tell the community what is good and bad. Are you people serious. The letter has been written and signed by longstanding community activists. Why the hate, if your saying by people writing a letter and missing out our great mayor,is divisive, actually is that what you are not doing.

    Or shall we just sell the community to Siraj Haque and let him tell us what is good and bad ?


    • on August 4, 2011 at 1:05 pm Force 101

      I think you could have phrased that better but yes, the lack of a couple of signatures does not invalidate this letter and as you have pointed out most of the signatories are well know long term community activists.


    • on August 4, 2011 at 8:11 pm Konnu

      I would say that when there’s already a well established, inclusive United East End initiative opposing the EDL march and calling for it to be banned, then the actions of the self-serving BWA are indeed divisive.

      Force 101, your dishonest efforts to portray this as ‘confrontationists’ against ‘banners’ is beneath contempt – have you really not been following events at all?

      http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/call_to_ban_edl_march_through_east_end_after_norway_bomber_alleged_link_1_975855
      http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/tower_hamlets_mayor_lutfur_rahman_joins_calls_to_home_secretary_to_ban_edl_march_1_978457
      http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/hundreds_mark_norway_massacre_with_flowers_in_call_to_ban_edl_march_through_east_end_1_979813


      • on August 4, 2011 at 10:50 pm Force 101

        I have been following events not just in Tower Hamlets, where I was born many years ago, but also across the country. There have basically been two approaches to how to deal with the EDL . The UAF line was, until very recently, physical confrontation as has been born out by events across the country with many arrests of people from the UAF side including some of its organisers. I can’t be bothered to give you you the links but they are on the net.

        HnH on the other hand have consistently called for these events to be banned. In some cases that has happened and where it didn’t there has usually been violence. What has happened as far as I can see with the Tower Hamlets situation and the Mayor is that, as I said, he has started to distance himself from the UAF stance and is now calling or a ban and has therefore endorsed the mainstream HnH line of reasoning but has only been doing that recently.

        He is of course a politician and is watching which way the wind is blowing. Anyone who objected to a ban and called for physical confrontation would be in a very difficult position if the whole thing were to end up in violence, injuries and even deaths as has happened in the past.

        I personally would want the whole thing called off, the Home Secretary has the power to do that and has exercised that power in other parts of the country. Unfortunately there are extremists on the left who want nothing more than fight and are little better than the EDL in their contempt for democracy.


    • on August 4, 2011 at 9:33 pm Mini-me

      Consider changing your name to ‘dirty politics’, is it not obvious and appropriate to have the Mayor of the borough included in the letter.


      • on August 4, 2011 at 10:56 pm Force 101

        I assume that you are referring to me. I have no idea why the Mayor hasn’t signed the letter, you would have to ask him. I think it would be very appropriate for him to have done so but I have no idea why he didn’t. Does this help you in any way.


      • on August 5, 2011 at 12:38 pm Ash

        Agree – or may be BWA team “B”


  17. on August 5, 2011 at 12:18 pm Ash

    Ted, not surprised why there was a need for another petition? People (not all of them) who were involved with dispatches programme, supported the dodgy dossier may be trying to confuse local movement; such a bad technique. I rather ask you to do an article why BWA election process didn’t happen? Can you find out whether election commissioner actually took money to conduct the election? Why did election commissioner made a u turn when opposite group (Khandhoker Farid Uddin) submitted more members? I know you won’t but this will be an interesting subject rather than using old colonial technique to weaken the movement against EDL.


    • on August 5, 2011 at 2:59 pm Force 101

      Ash, I,m sure you mean well, or maybe not. The problem that I have with your rantings is that you refuse to deal with what has been layed before you and then bring up, or invent, totally extranious matters that nobody has ever heard of, I certainly haven’t, and may I also suggest that you write in the English language.

      Even were you to have a point, and what it might be I have no idea, you do yourself a disservice by your inability to use grammar, punctuation and syntax.

      Could you reply to this response by telling us all what your point actually is, I for one would be fascinated to know.


      • on August 5, 2011 at 5:47 pm Ash

        Consider changing your name to ‘dirty politics’


      • on August 5, 2011 at 6:38 pm anon

        ‘Force 101’ – your attack on ‘Ash’ by telling him/her to “write in the English language” is just vile. So your contributions are written in the English language are they, making you ….English?
        You also say to Ash: “I’m sure you mean well” and “your inability to use grammar, punctuation and syntax” – patronising, moving to all-out nasty.
        (P.S. If you are going to put yourself forward as someone who knows how to “write in the English language” and use that as a method of stifling debate or any alternative voices to your diatribes on here, then you should have spelt “extranious” and “layed” correctly.)


  18. on August 5, 2011 at 3:00 pm Force 101

    I apologise. I left out a question mark at the end of the last paragraph.


  19. on August 5, 2011 at 3:11 pm anon

    Last year, this same group – ‘Unity Platform Against Racism and Fascism’ – put out a similar letter with many of the same signatories….

    “Against fascism in all its colours” – statement from Tower Hamlets groups and individuals
    Submitted on 18 June, 2010 – 17:25
    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.
    Contact for further details:
    Mr. Nurul Islam
    On behalf of UNITY PLATFORM AGAINST RACISM AND FASCISM
    C/O Bangladesh Welfare Association, 39 Fournier Street, London E1 6QL

    [See Workers’ Liberty, 18 June 2010, http://www.workersliberty.org/story/2010/06/18/against-fascism-all-its-colours-statement-tower-hamlets-activists%5D

    However, one of the groups/signatories: WHITECHAPEL ANARCHIST GROUP, knew nothing about the letter:

    “Unity Platform Against Racism And Fascism
    Posted on June 19, 2010 by whitechapelanarchist| 16 Comments
    ALTHOUGH WE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THIS STATEMENT, OUR GROUPS NAME HAS APPEARED ON THE BOTTOM, WHILE MANY MEMBERS AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED WITHIN WE ARE TRYING TO ALSO CLARIFY THE SOURCE”
    [From http://whitechapelanarchistgroup.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/unity-platform-against-racism-and-fascism/%5D

    Are all this year’s signatories of this ‘Unity Platform Against Racism and Fascism’ letter aware of what happened last year with WAG – and are they all aware that their names are on there? The Whitechapel Anarchist Group, having shut down four months ago were not added (again) this year without their consent, obviously – however, if consent was not obtained from all the groups and individuals last year, then what about this year?


  20. on August 5, 2011 at 6:12 pm Ash

    Force 101, change your name again. You didn’t only forgot question mark, also don’t know how to use apostrophise. There are other at least 5 mistake in 5/6 lines, go for a course and find out.


    • on August 6, 2011 at 4:04 pm force 101

      I replied to this but it seems I have been banned/deleted. I don’t need to change my name as I was taught by members of this unit when I was a member of the Israeli army.


      • on August 7, 2011 at 5:06 pm anon

        Okay, we’ll just have to take your word for it that you were in the Israeli Army. Not hard to believe. After all, we’ve got Imran Khan and Amir Khan commenting here!
        On this Force 101, why were members of a commando unit teaching you written “English”? (It is the commando unit, set up in the 50’s and not Air Force 101 Squadron?)


  21. on August 6, 2011 at 3:28 pm shahanara begum

    we should indeed oppose all forms of extremism, we have enough nationalist extremists in Tower Hamlets already as it is.


  22. on August 6, 2011 at 3:29 pm shahanara begum

    Bangladeshi ones.


  23. on August 7, 2011 at 2:56 pm fugstar

    interesting that the nirmul committee would be involved in a hope not hate campaign.



Comments are closed.

  • Ebuzzing - Top Blogs - London
  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 6,448 other subscribers
  • Latest Tweets

    • I suppose they do both have a K in their surnames https://t.co/LMHjEr7EpF 10 hours ago
    • Also attended.Thought film was interesting,poetry reading by @slhesketh excellent (as was contribution from the cou… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 week ago
    • This all seems great and does seem a beacon in theory but who in Newham actually knows about this?? Zero from our c… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 2 weeks ago
    Follow @tedjeory
  • Recent Comments

    taj on Election Day: an open thread 
    Curious Cat on Election Day: an open thread 
    Jay Kay on Election Day: an open thread 
    Curious Cat on Election Day: an open thread 
    Cllr Andrew Wood, Ca… on Election Day: an open thread 
    Abdul Hai on Election Day: an open thread 
    Stewart Rayment on Election Day: an open thread 
    Stewart Rayment on Election Day: an open thread 
  • Archives

  • August 2011
    M T W T F S S
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728
    293031  
    « Jul   Sep »
  • Blogroll

    • Blood and Property
    • Dave Hill's Guardian blog
    • David Osler
    • Designed for Life
    • Diamond Geezer
    • Ealing Rose
    • Emdad Rahman's Blog
    • Hackney Wick Blog
    • Harry's Place
    • Mayor Lutfur Rahman
    • Mile End Residents' Association
    • Richard Osley's blog
    • Spitalfields Life
    • The Bow Bell
    • The Londonist
    • Tower Hamlets – it's your money
    • Tower Hamlets Watch

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • Trial by Jeory
    • Join 752 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Trial by Jeory
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
%d bloggers like this: