Asian youths sent on £2,000 jaunt to Blackpool to avoid clashes at Right-wing march jailed for car park fight

A group of Asian youths taken on a day-trip to Blackpool to avoid becoming embroiled violence at an EDL march ended up knocking a man unconscious in a car park brawl.

Five teenagers have been found guilty of their part in the incident in which a father-of-two was punched to the ground.

The five were part of a group of youths who were taken to on the trip on July 17 last year, the day of an English Defence League march in Dudley in the West Midlands.

The day-trip cost the public purse £2,113 and saw the group from the Tipton and Oldbury areas of the West Midands accompanied by a police officer and officials from the council.

The clash happened after the youths got off their coach and began chanting racist comments at Derek Brownhill, who had just got off a coach parked nearby.

The chants were heard by Mr Brownhill's pregnant partner and two young daughters, as well as a group of elderly people, the court was told In the ensuing confrontation Mr Brownhill was punched and hit with such force by Riad Hussain, 19, that both feet left the ground.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told the blows left unconscious and with bruising and swelling to his face and head.

The group then punched Hussain, from Oldbury, in the face to give him a bruise so they could try to claim that his actions were in self defence.

Prosecutor David Swinnerton told the court that the teenagers - Hussain, Wasim Telhat, 18, Raja Rashid, 18, and two 17-year-olds - were part of a large group of Asian youths taken to Blackpool by coach on July 17 last year to avoid potential trouble.

At the time of the violence, two of the gang were on bail for a hammer attack in Tipton, West Midlands, that took place three months before the Blackpool incident.

On Tuesday Rashid was jailed for a total of 21 months and one 17-year-old for a total of 16 months for their part in the assault. Hussain was jailed for ten months.

Telhat was given a community supervision order and 50 hours of unpaid work while another 17-year-old received a 12-month rehabilitation order. Judge Amjad Nawaz told them: 'There is nothing more disturbing than to have to sentence a dock full of young people just past their childhood years having engaged in offences of such severity that custodial sentences are inevitable.'

Mr Swinnerton said the trip was organised by Sandwell Borough Council 'for the purpose of distracting them from anti-social behaviour on the day of the EDL march in Dudley'. The council said the trip to Blackpool had been organised with the support of police to help reduce tensions and deter teenagers who may have been at risk of getting involved in demonstrations in Dudley on the day.

The cost of the trip was met by the Government's Youth Justice Board. 'I would not say the trip had failed. Its purpose was to keep them away from the march.'If they got involved in something else in Blackpool, that's another matter.' Derrick Campbell,Race Equality Sandwell

It said although it had no plans to do anything similar in the future, it would have to consider removing young people from situations in an attempt to prevent them from getting into trouble.

Councillor Derek Rowley, Sandwell Council's cabinet member for safer neighbourhoods, said: 'Clearly, this was a very unfortunate incident which we totally condemn. 'We have a duty to foster good community relations and we will continue to work with local people and all our partner organisations towards that aim.'

Derrick Campbell, boss of Race Equality Sandwell, told the Sun: 'I would not say the trip had failed. Its purpose was to keep them away from the march. 'If they got involved in something else in Blackpool, that's another matter.'

In total, 19 youngsters went on the trip. Eight were aged 16 or over and 11 were under 16. In addition, there were five youth workers and one police officer, who went on a voluntary basis. Chief Superintendent Mark Robinson, commander for Sandwell Police, said: '

A decision was taken by Safer Sandwell Partnership to take a number of youths away from the area, who had been identified as having the potential to get involved in any disorder that could occur as a result of the demonstrations.

'Whilst we feel that the decision to try and prevent any potential violence among local youths was the right one, clearly the events that followed were hugely disappointing.

Calligraphy Islamic art with design of animals II

Passion for Perfection, Islamic art from the Khalili Collections in Amsterdam

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De Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam will present highlights from one of the world’s most renowned collections of Islamic art.

Passion for Perfection will include some 500 objects from the collection of Professor Nasser D. Khalili. From 11 December 2010 to 17 April 2011, De Nieuwe Kerk will glitter with richly illuminated Qur’ans and manuscripts, paintings, gold, jewels, textiles, ceramics, glassware, lacquerware, metalwork, and wood carvings.

These are works of great historical and artistic value, illustrating the refinement and grandeur of Islamic art and bearing witness to a quest for perfect craftsmanship. Passion for Perfection shows that Islamic art is a masterly expression, not of a single national culture or civilization, but of the many peoples joined by Islam for more than 1,400 years.

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At the same time, the exhibition demonstrates the passion and expertise of Professor Khalili, who has assembled an unrivalled private collection of exceptionally fine Islamic art objects. The exhibition designer is Siebe Tettero, particularly known for his work for the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the fashion house of Viktor & Rolf.

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The central theme of Passion for Perfection is the beauty and exquisite workmanship of Islamic art. The Islamic world is highly diverse, geographically and culturally, and more than thirteen centuries of Islamic artistry are represented in the Khalili Collections. It includes masterpieces from all over the Islamic world: from China and India to Iran and Iraq, from Egypt and Tunisia to Turkey and Spain.

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The term ‘Islamic’ does not imply that all these works of art were made specifically for religious purposes; it is their artistic language that is rooted in Islamic philosophy, often reflecting local culture and traditions.

Calligraphic composition in the form of a lion - Ahmed Hilmi - Ink and watercolour on paper - Ottoman Turkey 1913

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Besides calligraphic decoration and geometric patterns, arabesques and elegant scrollwork, there is also a strong emphasis on representations of humans and animals, the latter tolerated only in secular contexts. Many such representations are found in miniature paintings and in virtually all of the branches of the decorative arts.

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The exhibition will be divided into themes such as Captivating Calligraphy, with magnificent illuminated Qur’ans and rare manuscripts dating from the 10th to the 19th century, Shining Showpieces, with ingeniously fabricated jewellery adorned with precious stones, as well as colourful enamels that belonged to India’s Mughal rulers, and Delicately Drawn, with the finest miniatures from Iran and India.

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One highlight is the Jami‘ al-Tawarikh, the first survey of Muslim history, written from the perspective of the Mongol conquerors by Rashid al-Din in 1314’1315.

This is the first time that such a large selection from the Khalili Collections is to be displayed in the Netherlands. The exhibition was previously shown in Sydney, Abu Dhabi, and Paris.

War Mask - Anatolia or Western Iran -15th century

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Drawing of two dervishes - Iran - 15th Century

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Fath Ali Shah's portrait - Iran - 19th Century

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Shirt of steel - Northen Caucasus (for Persian or Ottoman market) - late 15th century

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Silver dirham - Konya

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Turban ornament - South India - 19th-century

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young Woman with Indian headdress - Ferdowsi's Shahnameh - Iran 1648

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Dragon door handles - Jazira - 13th century

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Sources:   De Nieuwe and Khalili Collections

British Muslims Demand Sharia...again

78% of UK Muslims Want Limits on Free Speech...

Another 'Asian' Rape of a Teen Girl...

A member of the public is being sought by police after they stopped a serious sexual assault in Brighton by shouting out to the offender.

 The 18 year old victim had enjoyed a night out with friends on Saturday 12 March; she left the Coalition Club in the early hours of the following morning, at about 4am, and was approached by a man who dragged her onto the beach and assaulted her.

 Whilst the attack was happening, she heard someone shout "Hey" before asking: "What's going on?" The victim then managed to struggle free and run off.She has described the offender as being either Arabic or Pakistani, with black short hair, aged between 20 and 30, about 5ft 5ins to 5ft 7ins tall and of proportionate build.

He was wearing a grey coloured V-neck jumper with a white top underneath, dark coloured jeans, rimless glasses and possibly light coloured trainers.

DC Jon Freeman, from Brighton CID, said: "The victim has only just reported the incident to police as she has tried to put the attack behind her, but this was a serious incident which understandably has left her very upset .

 " We would like to hear from anyone who saw what happened or who has information about this assault, particularly the member of the public who shouted out whilst it was taking place, enabling the victim to break free."

Anyone who can assist police is asked to contact me on 0845 60 70 999, quoting serial 0293 of 22 March, or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111."

Muslim model defends Miss Universe contest bid

A model bidding to become the first Muslim to represent the UK in the world final of Miss Universe has been defending her decision to enter.

Shanna Bukhari, who is 24 and lives in Manchester, said she's been sent racist and abusive messages since making it to the beauty contest's UK final.

She believes Muslims in the UK should be allowed to have a western lifestyle. But Muslim groups have accused her of disrespecting Islam.

Shanna was born in Blackburn and she became a full-time model after finishing her degree.'Swimwear round'

She said it's her dream to be crowned Miss Universe but has been told she's going against her religion.

"[I get] comments like, 'You're not a Muslim because you're doing this' and it's like, this competition does not make me a bad Muslim at all.

"So it does hurt me to think that people are thinking like that," she said.

One of the main reasons some Muslims are angry is that Shanna would have to appear in swimwear in one round of the competition.

Mohammed Shafiq is from the Ramadhan Foundation, a group that works with young Muslims in the UK. He's against Shanna taking part.

"Islam is very clear that a woman should dress modestly and we do not believe that parading yourself in a bikini is appropriate," he said. We are clear that we find what she's doing distasteful - lots of women find these competitions degradingMohammed Shafiq Ramadhan Foundation

"We are clear that we find what she's doing distasteful. Lots of women find these [competitions] degrading."

He said he accepts the right for Muslim women to wear whatever they choose, but that those living in a western country should still be respectful of Islam.

"We celebrate individual freedom but to suggest that someone who is opposed to something she's doing needs to move off to another country is quite offensive," he continued.

Shanna said most people do support her, including her family in Pakistan and that she won't be wearing a bikini but a one-piece and a sarong.'Really jealous'

But her older sister Sameera admitted some of the abusive comments have worried her.

"Is it going to be bricks and stones next when she's walking out on the street? People thinking, 'Oh look at her, she's a Pakistani and she's entering this competition'."

Shanna Bukhari responds to criticism If Shanna wins the UK final on 1 May, she'll be the first ever Muslim to represent Britain in the grand final in Brazil later this year.

"People are attacking me, using religion as a tool, but is it really religion?

"Or are you really jealous of a girl coming forward and not allowing anyone to dictate to her? "There are people out there who want to control women," Shanna said.

Meanwhile, other young Muslims have told Newsbeat that being allowed to live a Western lifestyle in the UK is a big issue.

Rayan Jawad, 27, said: "This is a discussion that goes on all the time.

"She's doing pretty much what any girl would love to do who's been brought up here."

Rumena Begum, 18 said: "It goes against our morals and our religion. "But it's her life - she can do whatever she wants really."

Afghan asylum seeker who lived in £1.2million house faces jail over £30,000 benefit fraud

A refugee from Afghanistan living in a £1.2million mansion paid for with a colossal £3,000 a week housing benefit faces jail after admitting benefit fraud.

Toorpakai Saiedi, 38, a mother of seven, shocked Britain when it emerged that New Labour rules allowed her to live in the luxury home at taxpayers' expense.

One of her seven children even boasted that having the house paid for was like winning a lottery jackpot - and suggested it was 'mad' for the state to pay out so much.

The case caused such outrage that Conservative chancellor George Osborne has totally overhauled housing benefit laws as a result, affecting thousands of claimants.

From next month the maximum payable is to be reduced to just £400 a week.

But Saiedi's next accommodation at public expense could be in a prison following her guilty pleas to four counts of benefit fraud.

For despite being scarcely able to believe her luck at the mass of benefits that flowed her way after her family arrived in Britain, she was greedily building up savings and hiding a private income of £16,000 a year, and keeping them secret from the authorities.

Today she wore a blue veil and spoke through a Farsi interpreter to admit swindling the taxpayer out of £30,000 in housing benefit, working tax credit, and council tax credit, by not telling officials about her Barclays bank account.

Prosecutor Henrietta Paget told Isleworth crown court that by concealing the account Saiedi was able to collect illegally around £29,000 in benefits between August 2006 and September 2009 while living in her palatial home in Acton, west London.

At the time she was receiving benefits totalling £170,000 a year, including an astonishing £150,000 paid to a private landlord for the rent of the property - the equivalent to £12,500 a month.

The charges involve Saiedi not disclosing the bank account to Ealing council officials when claiming for council housing benefit and council tax benefit, and similar deception when claiming tax credit from the Department of Work and Pensions.

Judge Jonathan Lowen warned she may face imprisonment as he ordered a pre-sentence report and, without any irony, demanded she must not move from her luxury mansion without informing the court.

Judge Lowen said: 'I am asking for a pre-sentence report. It is not intended to limit any sentencing. All options remain open including custody.

Son Jawad Saiedi who idled away his days playing snooker and driving around in cars
'You have been granted bail on the condition that you do not move from your current address without informing the court and that you must co-operate in the preparation of the report.'

Saiedi claimed asylum after coming to Britain in 2001 with her children, a year after her husband Haji Rahmat Shah Saiedi, 47, had arrived in London.

The family, who were granted leave to remain, said they were wealthy farmers near Bagram airbase, 20 miles from the Afghan capital Kabul, but claimed they were forced to flee because of Taliban threats.

They then lived in a series of ever larger properties, all paid for by local authorities - first in a three-bedroom terrace house in Enfield, north London, and then in a five-bedroom semi in Ealing, before moving into their controversial seven-bedroom palace.

But three years ago the huge cost of their imposing state-funded home became public, attracting a storm of headlines and criticism.

When the family invited a newspaper through their front door, they revealed a haul of expensive games consoles, including a £160 Nintendo Wii and £250 Playstation 3, top of the range mobile phones and two laptop computers, worth around £350 each.

And on top of the seven bedrooms, the house boasts two large reception rooms, one featuring an enormous plasma TV, two kitchens, a dining room, a breakfast room, three shower rooms and a 100ft garden.

Saiedi's son Jawad, a student who said he idled his days away driving around in cars and playing snooker, said at the time: 'When the council chose to put us here we did not say no.

'If someone gave you a lottery jackpot, would you leave it? When I heard how much the council was paying, I thought they were mad.'

The family's private landlord, Ajit Panesar, who bought the house in March 2008 for £1.2million, has said of the rent he receives: 'I have done nothing wrong. I can’t help it if the law says I should get paid the amount of money.'

Saiedi was freed on bail until she is sentenced at the same court next month.

Indonesian Mosque is still standing after the earthquake and tsunami

Muslims Furious over Quran Verse Written on Floor...

Parents claimed a female member of staff at St Saviour’s C of E School on Alum Rock Road, Saltley, had been chalking out a phrase from the Koran, something seen as disrespectful to Muslims.

One mother said she was reduced to tears after being told of the incident, which happened on Tuesday.

The phrase “in the name of Allah the beneficent the merciful” was written in Arabic on the school playground before being removed later that day, parents said.

Concerned mums and dads met with senior school staff the following morning at the church school, which serves a mainly Muslim community. Parents said they had no idea why the phrase was written on the floor.

The school would not comment and a spokesman for Birmingham City Council said the matter was being “dealt with by the school”, although he would not discuss what action had been taken.

One parent, who did not want to be named, said: “A lot of parents complained about it. To write the word Allah on the playground floor is deemed to be a huge insult.

It’s akin to putting scripture on the floor, which isn’t a very clever thing to do at a school which is predominately Muslim.”

An Ofsted inspection carried out at the school nearly three years ago said all 400 pupils came from ethnic minorities, with the largest groups from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

African Woman Kept as Slave by London Doctor...

An African woman was kept as a slave for four years in the London home of a retired doctor, a court has heard.

Mwanahamisi Mruke, 47, who was flown over from Tanzania in October 2006, was summoned by a bell to carry out chores for Saeeda Khan, 68, around her Harrow house, it is alleged.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court heard Miss Mruke was forced to sleep on the kitchen floor, even after she had an operation on varicose veins in her leg.

They were shown an interview with the Tanzanian in which she described to police her normal working day in which she was expected to wake up at 6am and not go to bed until midnight.

She did cleaning, gardening, cooked meals and accompanied Khan's disabled son on walks, often in the middle of the night, because she wanted to support her 23-year-old daughter through college in her home country.

Miss Mruke said she was paid £120 for her first year's work, just £10 a month, and received no pay for the following three years.

A total of 50,000 Tanzanian shillings (£21) was sent to her daughter each month for two years.

Her mother died during her enslavement, but Miss Mruke said Khan told her she did not have enough money to send her back to Tanzania, the court heard.

She did try to complain, but she was sent a letter from another person in Tanzania to warn her that she must obey Khan, and that if she talked to anyone else her life may be in danger.

Khan, of Whitmore Road, Harrow, north west London, is believed to be one of the first people to stand trial for modern-day slavery.

The pensioner, who denies trafficking Miss Mruke into the UK to exploit her, wore a beige overcoat and a black headscarf as she listened to the evidence from the back of the court, outside of the dock.

Taxpayers 'Gave' 500,000 to Violence-Linked Group...

The Government gave more than half a million pounds of taxpayers' cash to a controversial Islamic group, it has been revealed.The Department of Communities and Local Government handed the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and related groups £550,985 over three years.

In March 2009 the Government suspended links with the MCB and demanded one of its leaders should be sacked for allegedly supporting violence against Israel.

In a written Parliamentary answer tonight, the coalition detailed its grants to the MCB and linked organisations.

It said £174,000 was given to improve mosques, £167,000 went to the Nottingham-based Karimia Institute for "youth leadership training", and £25,000 was awarded to Young Muslims UK to "promote talent.

The Department also paid the MCB £2,500 for a table at the Council leadership dinner and gave £157,000 to Muslim Youth Helpline to "build their capacity to extend the reach of their support services to vulnerable young people".

Explaining the grants, junior communities minister Andrew Stunell (pictured) said: "The Muslim Council of Britain has a large and wide-ranging national membership of organisations affiliated to it."

Welsh police report forced marriage cases at an all-time high

South Wales Police say they are dealing with the largest number of cases of forced marriage and honour based-violence they have ever seen.

In the past 12 months, the force has dealt with 49 cases of forced marriage, up from a typical 30-35, with new cases almost every week.

The four Welsh forces have been involved in about 60 cases, with four in north Wales in six months.

The figures are released to coincide with International Women's Day.

A forced marriage, as opposed to an arranged marriage, is where either bride or groom, or both, do not consent to a wedding and are coerced into accepting it.

In many cases they are told they will bring their family shame or dishonour if they refuse.

Ch Supt Neil Kinrade, head of South Wales Police's communities and partnerships department, said forced marriage was a "hidden harm" among some sectors of the community.

He said: "I'm pleased that we are dealing with the numbers [of cases that] we are, however, we are still only dealing with a small number of the actual incidents and practices that are taking place.

"This, amongst the community, is a hidden harm.

"It goes on and it goes on often unchecked by senior members of the community who know it's taking place....

Women can't travel more than 48 miles without a male guardian

The ruling was made by the Darul Uloom Deoband, the leading Islamic university founded in northern India in 1866, which has millions of followers from Bangladesh and Pakistan to Muslim communities in Britain.

Its fatwa was issued after a female follower had asked: "Is a married woman permitted to travel to another country with her female sibling?"

In a reply on the Deoband website, she was told:"She cannot travel without a 'mehram' [male relative]. It's mentioned in the Hadees that a woman should not travel for more than 48 miles except in the company of a 'mehram' relative."

Its response, which was delivered on International Women's Day, provoked anger among Muslim women activists who said it was based on conditions in the Arabian peninsula more than 1,400 years ago and no longer relevant in the modern world.

The decision was defended by a Deobandi spokesman who said the increase in violent crime against women in India showed it remained relevant. "No Muslim family should have any objections," he said.

Its ruling was based on the Hadiths – the sayings of Muhammad during his lifetime.

The 48 mile limit is believed to reflect the maximum distance one could then travel by camel or horse in one day through dangerous desert.

Professor Akhtar-Ul-Wasay, former head of Islamic Studies at Delhi's Jamia Milia Islamia University, said the fatwa was not fit for the modern age and more thought needed to be given to current living conditions before such rulings are issued.

That would be tantamount to correcting Muhammad. And is Ul-Wasay implying he believes such a ruling can be made acceptable to impose on women?

"In those days men and women were under threat during journeys - from enemies or wild beasts. Therefore these types of instructions were issued but now we are having different types of transportation and social conditions.

Women travel from one city to another on daily basis without any problem.

The content of the Hadith cannot be compromised but there is always a context to which has to be considered before issuing fatwas," he said.

Naaz Raza of the Muslim women's group Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, said no muslim woman could follow the fatwa today.

"This is rubbish. The Hadith was said 1,400 years ago and at that time there were hundreds of dangers for a women to travel alone beyond a particular limit but now traveling for women is safe.

They should think a thousand times before issuing such fatwas. Islam never forces anything on anyone.

Traveling alone or with or without a companion should be a personal choice," she said.
Sharia does not recognize that boundary of private behavior as a limit on its power.

The Sahih, or "sound," "reliable" ahadith of Bukhari and Muslim do contain many a hadith where Muhammad restricts a woman's radius of mobility to either three days' travel (for example, Bukhari 2.20.192-193; Muslim 7.3096-98, 3101-03, etc.), two days (Muslim 7.3099-3100) or one day and one night (Bukhari 2.20.194, Muslim 7.3104). Sahih Muslim Chapter 72, from which those ahadith are taken, is a section repeating Muhammad's restrictions on women's travel from corroborating sources. Since Muhammad is a "beautiful pattern of conduct" for all time (Qur'an 33:21), there is no question raised here that such a prescription might merit even adjusting before inflicting it on women.

Hit-and-run driver who mowed down and killed church-going grandmother is jailed

A hit-and-run driver who mowed down and killed a church-going grandmother while doing 70mph in a 30 zone has been jailed for nine years.

Salim Chand, 27, who had already been banned from driving, knocked over Freda Holt, 70, in a supercar as she stepped out into the narrow residential road outside her home.

Mrs Holt's husband Ray, 72, was seconds away from the scene and saw his wife's body in the road in Blackburn, Lancashire.

The driver was in a Mercedes C63 AMG he hired as an 'item of boast' for a wedding, the court heard.

Instead of stopping after the crash, Chand sped off and phoned the rental company and reported a 'minor bump' from a mile down the road.

Witnesses claimed they had seen Chand speeding at up to 100mph in the moments leading up to the crash.

The judge at Preston Crown Court said Mrs Holt 'didn't stand a chance' as he jailed the defendant who had admitted causing death by dangerous driving, perverting the course of justice and driving without a licence.

Prosecutor Paul Brookwell said there were no brake marks found on the road after he hit the retired yoga teacher and churchgoer.

He later clipped a parked car further up the 30mph road.

Chand was on bail when he knocked over Mrs Holt as she stepped into the road last November after being caught dealing £500 of cannabis from a car in Blackburn.

He also had a string of driving convictions and breaches of court orders.

Jailed: Salim Chand, 27, was told he must serve nine years behind bars by Judge Anthony Russell QC who said Mrs Holt 'didn't have a chance'

Alan Wolstenholme, defending, said his client's remorse remorse was 'genuine' and not 'self-pity' adding his character was 'not all dark'.

But as he jailed him, Judge Anthony Russell QC said: 'Your conduct in this case shows otherwise.

'Following on from what was particularly bad driving at high speed which attracted the attention of onlookers so bad was it, you ploughed into Freda Holt. She didn't have a chance.'

The defendant was also banned from driving for ten years.

A second man, Inis Panwala, 28, from Blackburn, was given six months behind barsm suspended for two years, after admitting perverting the course of justice in relation to the same offence.

After the case Mr Holt, 72, said: 'No matter what sentence he got, we will have to live with this for the rest of our life.

'How can anybody do that and just keep going, for there not to be any brake marks?

'How can you keep carrying on driving at that speed when you can't see through the windscreen?

Freda's eldest son Richard said: 'Salim Chand's actions from the moment he drove away fro our dying mother were completely self-serving.

'Chand has displayed neither remorse nor humanity and therefore deserves to be subject to the full force of the law.'

Detective Inspector Brian King said: 'Chand's actions have left a family without a loving wife, mother and grandmother.

'This case highlights the stupidity of reckless speeding, which played a huge part in this tragic incident.

Asians more likely to be anti-immigration than white Britons

More Asians are now opposed to immigration than white Britons, according to a new poll which reveals that opposition to new arrivals now transcends race.

Research commissioned by the Searchlight Educational Trust found that 39 per cent of Asians, 34 per cent of whites and 21 per cent of blacks believed immigration should be halted either permanently or at least until the UK's economy was back on track.

The findings are a stunning rebuke to the Labour government, which opened the doors to untrammelled immigration and then sought to brand voters ‘bigots’ who questioned the pace of change.

The report, titled Fear and Hope: The New Politics Of Identity, reveals that a large proportion of voters, across all races and communities, now have concerns about immigration.

Immigration was held to have been on the whole a bad thing for Britain by 63 per cent of whites, 43 per cent of Asians and 17 per cent of black Britons.

The report also reveals that the failure of mainstream parties to speak out about immigration has opened the door for the possible emergence of a far right party.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361163/Asians-likely-anti-immigration-white-Britons.html#ixzz1FkdEdXFI

Father who walked out on daughter a year before her mother let her starve to death wins legal aid to sue council

He hadn't seen his seven-year-old daughter for more than a year.

But after she starved to death at the hands of her mother and the woman’s boyfriend he was quick to criticise the authorities for their failure to help.

Now Ishaq Abuzaire, 38, who had walked out on Khyra and five other children to set up home with another woman, has been given legal aid to sue his local council.

Despite admitting his own feelings of guilt in the aftermath of Khyra’s death three years ago, Mr Abuzaire has launched legal action against Birmingham City Council over a catalogue of failings in the run up to the tragedy. He will claim a five-figure sum in compensation.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1362931/Ishaq-Abuzaire-sues-Birmingham-City-Council-death-starvation-daughter.html#ixzz1Fkcb3PhZ

Al Qaeda release video praising 'Musa the British martyr' who died fighting for the Taliban

A British Muslim has apparently been filmed alongside Al Qaeda fighters in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area for the first time.

A recently released militant martyrdom video shows a man dubbed 'Musa the British' in a montage of fighters who have died either as suicide bombers or in firefights against Coalition forces.

'Musa' is thought to be in the Waziristan area of Pakistan - and is also the first Briton to appear on an Al Qaeda suicide video since the 7/7 bombings.

That has raised fears over future terror attacks on UK soil, with security services concerned the man was accompanied by other Britons who could be planning an operation.

The internet video glorifying militants shows a bomb attack on a U.S. Army convoy and a suicide bomb attack in Iraq.

The montage of dead militants includes 'Musa', a bearded man shown praying and an on-screen message adds 'may God have mercy on his soul'.

Experts say it is a 'fair assumption' that the man may have been a suicide bomber.

Security services including MI5 are said to be alarmed at the emergence of the video showing a Briton thought to have been made in the Waziristan area of Pakistan.

'Musa the British' is shown alongside other dead suicide bombers and fighters, in a montage set to a music that is designed to recruit new terrorists.

MI5 officers are reportedly trying to identify the man and determine whether he was accompanied by other Britons in the Pakistan border with Afghanistan - a hub of al Qaeda planning activity.

The video begins with a clip of 'Yusuf al-Kuwaiti' driving to a suicide bomb attack in Iraq with on-screen subtitles that read: 'Right now I am feeling such a felicity in my heart that it can’t be understood by anyone except Allah.

I make duaa [supplication] to Allah to grant me steadfastness until I meet him drenched in blood.”

It is followed by footage of Taliban fighters and Western troops, inter cut with the bodies of militants being prepared for funeral.

The music is a traditional Islamic nasheed in Urdu, suggesting the vide was made in Pakistan, with lyrics translated as: 'In our lifetime we longed for this one desire, our chests be adorned only with bullets.

'Always searching for death in its very valleys, we readied ourselves to lay down our lives and kept searching.'

'Musa' is the first apparent Briton to appear in a terrorist martyr video since July 7 bombers Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer, whose suicide videos were released in 2005 and 2006.

Neil Doyle, an expert in extremist videos, said: 'It's the first militant propoganda video to show a British fighter on the ground. It's a fair assumption that he may have died as a suicide bomber. Lots of the other militants are displayed as martyrs.

'One of them is a car bomber shown driving to his attack. It suggests Musa died in similar circumstances.

'A few videos have come out in the new year, summarizing who has died and the fighting that has taken place.

'Musa is likely to have been in the North Waziristan area of Pkistan. That's where the Pakistan Taliban and the Afghan Taliban launch raids into Afghanistan.'

The video first appeared in August but was last week re-released with English subtitles.

It emerged as British Airways employee Rajib Karim was convicted of planning a 'spectacular' attack in co-ordination with Al Qaeda in Yemen.

The Home Office refused to comment on investigations by the Security Services.

Ex-asylum seeker given UK citizenship after passing 'Life In Britain' test is jailed for trying to take exam for another immigrant

A former asylum seeker who was given British citizenship by taking a 'Life In the UK Test' was in jail today after he was caught trying to sit the same test for another immigrant.

Barzan Sabah, 28, attempted to get citizenship as a 'favour' for a friend who was expected to fail the test.

The college student had booked himself in to take the 45-minute exam, which costs £35 and asks questions about various aspects of UK life.

He then tried to fool staff by presenting a forged driving licence with someone else's name on it as proof of his eligibility.

But UK Border Agency staff visited the test centre in Preston, Lancashire, and became suspicious when they interviewed Sabah, Preston Crown Court heard.
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'Becoming a British citizen is one of the greatest privileges this country can bestow on a person born outside this country and should be treated as an absolute honour. This case has proven that you can’t cheat your way to British citizenship'
MP Nigel Evans

Sabah, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, was jailed for eight months for possession of a false document and four months for fraud, to run concurrently in one of the first cases of its kind in the UK.

Today, Tory MP Nigel Evans condemned Sabah, saying he had helped Britain fall prey to 'foreign predators'.

Mr Evans, MP for the Ribble Valley, said: 'I think this is clearly an exemplary sentence that should act as a warning to anyone else that this simply will not be tolerated.

'This case has proven that you can’t cheat your way to British citizenship.

'People have died in wars to protect the British citizen and identity from foreign predators and it absolutely should be protected.'

Earlier the court heard how Iraqi Kurd Sabah, who fled Saddam Hussein and came to the UK in 2000, had agreed to take the test for a friend of an acquaintance he had met in a restaurant.

The court heard Sabah had been asked 'several times' to take the test by a man he knew in Bradford. He eventually agreed, insisting the man made all the necessary arrangements and paid his costs.

Sabah - who was not paid for his part in the con - then attended the test centre in Preston to take the test in January.

The 'Life In The UK' test, introduced in 2005, requires applicants to answer 24 multiple choice questions on everyday needs such as housing, money, health and education

He presented a UK driving licence bearing his photograph and the name Ata Hasan Gorman - a man he had never met, whose address was given as Sunderland.

WHAT DOES THE 'LIFE IN THE UK' TEST CONSIST OF?
The Life In The UK test was introduced in 2005 and is a legal requirement for anyone wishing to stay in the UK indefinitely. Applicants are required to achieve a 75 per cent pass mark on a range of multiple choice questions covering knowledge and understanding of employment matters and everyday needs such as housing, money, health and education.

The test lasts for 45 minutes during which time the candidate is required to answer 24 multiple choice questions.

Of the 906,464 tests taken in 2009, 263,641 were failed.

The pass rates for people from Iraq, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Turkey were below 50 per cent.

Example questions
Which of these courts uses a jury system?
a) Magistrates b) Crown c) Youth d)County
Which statement is correct?
a) A TV licence is required for each TV in a home b) A single TV licence covers all TVs in a home
Who or what is PG?
a) A brand of tea b) Parental guidance: a film classification where some scenes are not suitable for children c) A personal guide, a British-born mentor provided to each immigrant applying for nationality
What is the voltage in British homes?
a) 110 volts b) 240 volts c) 260 volts

But as Sabah sat the test - which he had already successfully passed to gain his status as a British citizen - staff became suspicious.

Sabah was arrested and immediately admitted he was not the person named on the document, saying he had never met Mr Gorman and had been paid only his expenses to take the test on his behalf.

He pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and possession of a false identity document with intent. The man he was asked to represent was never traced by authorities.

In mitigation, defence counsel Gareth Jones said Sabah had fled the atrocities in Iraq and had put himself through college using Asylum Support funding paid for by the taxpayer.

He gained A-Levels and completed the first semester of a university degree in International Business Management.

Mr Jones added: 'He came to this country in 2000, legitimately, using a legitimate passport. He has lived in this country for some time and is a British citizen.

'He made a bad judgement call. All he has tried to do is educate himself to get a job to work here, to fend for himself without relying on benefits - ultimately to provide a living for his mother who is very ill in Iraq.'

But passing sentence, Judge Pamela Badley told Sabah: 'The UK Citizenship Test is a route for people who have come to this country who want to make a better, settled life in the UK.

'It is entirely wrong that it should be devalued by people either not taking it seriously or by taking it on behalf of someone who is not entitled to take it - presumably someone who would not have passed the test.

'They would have had all the benefits of citizenship in this country and that is clearly a very serious matter.

'You are said to be a role model but someone who breaks the law in this dramatic way is not a proper role model.'

'I'm off to kill someone': Knifeman planned to kill train passenger to commit 'suicide by cop'

A knifeman who held more than 30 train passengers hostage in a bid to commit 'suicide by cop' has been jailed for five years.

Mohammed Hussain, 20, left a note telling his family he was off to kill someone in the hope he would be gunned down by police.

After an all-night drinking session, he grabbed a kitchen knife and boarded a Docklands Light Railway carriage where he terrorised victims, including the elderly and children.

But when brave passenger Tariq Elmenstirly wrestled him to the ground, the 23-year-old ended up 'Tasered' by police who confused him with the frenzied attacker.

During the ordeal, which lasted more than an hour, a number of desperate travellers risked their lives escaping over live rails as Hussain waved his blade and snarled: 'You're all hostages, I want police to shoot me right here.'

Jailing Hussain at Blackfriars Crown Court, Judge John Hillen gave Mr Elmenstirly an £800 bravery award.

Conductor Gerald Li is to receive £400 from the same fund 'to mark the public's gratitude' for his attempts to calm Hussain.

Bournemouth University student Mr Elmenstirly, of Acton, west London, was mistaken for the suspect by officers from the Metropolitan Police who shocked him with a Taser.

He was left 'temporarily incapacitated' as a result.

Hussain has attempted suicide on other occasions, once
leaping into the River Thames off Westminster Bridge.

Ruling he was a danger to the public, Judge Hillen handed him an extended sentence, meaning he will be on licence for an additional five years following his release.

'Whilst trying to take your own life, you placed others in danger of harm and even death,' the judge said.

'I consider longer protection by licence period to be the only way to mark the public concern.'

Mr Hussain had pulled out a ten-inch blade after boarding the Docklands Light Railway train at 7am on Saturday, July 3.

He operated the emergency stop as the train left Shadwell station and told terrified passengers: 'I'm holding the train hostage'.

After an all-night drinking session, Hussain grabbed a kitchen knife and boarded a Docklands Light Railway carriage where he terrorised victims, including the elderly and children
Around 30 people managed to escape through the emergency exits but Hussain closed the doors, trapping Mr Elmenstirly inside along with ex-paratrooper Colin Ballinger and train guard Mr Li.

'I don't want to see any police officers,' he warned. 'If I see any officers, I'm going to stab someone.'

During the stand off, Hussain said: 'I want to die, I want police to shoot me right here,' pointing to his chest.

Armed officers were monitoring the train but were concealed because of Hussain's threats.

When a police helicopter saw him on the floor with Mr Elmenstirly on top of him, they initially thought someone had been stabbed.

Officers entering the carriage then confused Hussain with Mr Elmenstirly and tasered the hero.

A police spokesman said: 'A Taser was discharged by armed Metropolitan Police officers during the incident and the passenger restraining Hussain was temporarily incapacitated.'

Hussain had been drinking before the incident and left a scrawled suicide note at the home he shared with his mother at Swedenborg Gardens, Shadwell.

It said: 'I love you all very much. This is my time to die any way possible. So I took a knife to kill someone. Allah is calling me - I can hear him.'

Anita Arora, prosecuting, said: 'He wanted suicide by police, effectively.'

Hussain has admitted false imprisonment and possessing an offensive weapon. He will serve half the five year sentence in custody, beginning in a young offender's institution, less 238 days he has spent on remand.

Speaking after his ordeal, Mr Elmenstirly said having thousands of volts of electricity fired into his body was 'horrible'.

'It feels like your heart has stopped for a second and you're motionless because all your muscles are tense,' he said.

'All I was thinking about was trying to breathe. I fell to the floor but I was conscious the whole time.'

A Met Police spokeswoman said: 'Mr Elmenstirly acted very bravely that day and it is regrettable that he was Tasered following police intervention. Mr Elmenstirly received appropriate care and support at the time and the incident was then reviewed by senior officers who apologised to him on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.