Universities "turning a blind eye" to campus jihadists, endangering national security

Islamic fundamentalism is being allowed to flourish at universities, endangering national security, MPs and peers said yesterday.

Academics are turning a blind eye to radicals because they do not want to spy on students, a report claimed.

Despite "damning evidence" of a serious problem, little progress had been made in tackling the unsustainable situation, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Homeland Security said.

They urged the Government to tackle the issue on campuses with "utmost urgency".

Such extremism "endangers our security at home and has international implications that are serious enough to threaten our alliance relationships", said the group, which includes the former home secretary Lord Reid.

Secret files obtained by The Daily Telegraph and WikiLeaks disclosed this week that at least 35 terrorists held at Guantánamo Bay were indoctrinated by extremists in Britain.

The leaked documents, written by senior US military commanders, illustrated how Britain effectively became a crucible of terrorism over the course of two decades.

The parliamentary group was set up two years ago to carry out research into homeland security issues.

Its inaugural report comes after a separate inquiry by the umbrella organisation for universities earlier this year said animal rights extremists posed a greater problem than Islamist radicals.

Universities UK, which represents vice-chancellors, said it could do very little about extremism on campus. Instead it issued new guidance on the importance of freedom of speech. Their report followed the attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a former student at University College London, to blow himself up using a bomb in his underpants as a flight came in to land at Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009.

Abdulmutallab, an engineering student, was the Islamic Society president from 2006 to 2007.

The parliamentarians' report said Britain's homeland security strategy failed to address in sufficient detail how to tackle the threat of extremism at universities, how to strengthen businesses' ability to deal with a terrorist attack and how to ensure security over the internet.

The report said some universities and colleges had become sites where extremist religion and radicalism could flourish "beyond the sight of academics".

They also noted that there was a "reluctance to co-operate with the police on the part of some universities that did not want to be seen to be 'spying' on their students"....

Grandfather beaten to the ground by youths as he walked home in Leicester

A grandfather was beaten to the ground by a group of young men who had asked him for a cigarette.

Tom Carnegie, 74, was attacked by four or five men in Belgrave, Leicester, on Good Friday as he walked home from visiting his son.

Recovering at home yesterday, the retired hosiery worker and merchant seaman said: "I don't know why they did it. This is not the world I grew up in.

"It was a lovely evening and I'd been to see my son and his girlfriend.

"I left them, as I always do, at about 11pm. Everything seemed fine.

"On the way home, I saw this group and just assumed they were locals. They asked me for a cigarette and I said, 'of course', because I'm a bit of a softie.

"I don't really remember what happened next, but they just started hitting me.

"I tried to cover my face and head with my arms, but they got some blows in. I've got bruises all over.

"While I was down they went into my pocket and took my cigarette case and my wallet.

"I had £40 or £50 in it because I'd got my pension the day before."

Police have branded the attack, in Payne Street, off Checketts Road, as "callous".

They have urged the public to help them catch the gang.

"Hopefully, they will be caught before they do this to someone else," said Mr Carnegie, a Londoner who moved to Leicester about 20 years ago.

"I will get over this," he said. "I've got a good family around me and a lot of good friends. The wounds are healing, although I'm still a bit stiff."

an elderly Asian couple found Mr Carnegie in the street and helped him home.

Officers want to trace them as they believe they may be able to help identify his attackers.

John Boyce, of Age Concern in Leicester, said: "While crimes like this are rare, if they become more common we would be diminished as a society. The biggest concern in cases like this is that the victim can lose all confidence and ability to go out again."

The attackers were Asian, aged about 20 and all about 5ft 10in. They were all wearing black.

Detective Constable Sarah Poppleton said: "This was a nasty attack on an elderly man who was minding his own business. The people who have committed this callous crime need to be caught and we would appeal to the public to help us identify those responsible."

Anyone with information is asked to call Det Con Poppleton on 0116 222 2222, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

First I want to note the irritating, obfuscating and bordering on pathological use of the term "Asian" - by British newspapers in lieu of the more accurate muslim.Honest journalism has succumbed to dhimmitude and political correctness. I wondered - Do muslims refer to themselves as "Asian"? So I thought I'd check a few muslim online publications to see what people they consider to be "Asian":Al Arabya News Channel - Gulf Daily News - The Voice of Bahrain - Kuwait Arab Times -Crime - The Muslim News

In reviewing the above searches you will find that the vast majority - if not 100% - use the word 'Asian' in regards to China, Japan, Malaysia, etc.
The same countries and people that we all think of when reading the word 'Asian'. So clearly muslims do not refer to themselves as 'Asian'.
Isn't it time that British newspapers stop treating their readers like a bunch of dopes?

Paan spitting in the UK: Filthy habit costs the UK a small fortune

The problem of paan spitting in the UK is said to be bad across the country. Until this week I had never heard of it or seen any of the detritus it leaves behind.

A press report highlighted the difficult job Brent council, in London, is having clearing away the residual filth from its streets. It now has a high profile advertising campaign aimed at stopping this habit from besmirching its streets. On the spot fines of £80 are liable to face offenders.

So what is paan spitting?

Paan is a tobacco leaf-based mixture. It is commonly chewed and spat out by some members of the Asian community. Paan is made of tobacco, nuts and spices and is wrapped in a leaf.

Once chewed and spat on the pavement, path or sidewalk a dirty dark red stain is left. It resembles dried blood. It is very difficult to shift the stains away.

People who object to paan spitting come from all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds. Paan spitting is not liked areaware in Wembley was spattered with the filthy stains at regular intervals.

Why chew?

Apparently some who chew paan believe it is a palate cleanser whilst for others it is just a habit I guess.

This habit though has largely passed me by. Perhaps it is the lower diversity of cultures where I live than in cosmopolitan London. However, with Brent council having to spend £20,000 a year to clean the mess up, and now spending £17,000 in an education drive to stop the habit, it is obviously an expensive problem for the UK as a whole.

Equal rights?

Andrew Ryan, 32, was jailed for 70 days for burning a Koran in Carlisle, while Choudhury was fined just £50 for burning poppies

Muslim fanatics plot to hijack Royal Wedding by burning effigies of Kate and William along route of the procession

Royal wedding: Muslim group's Abbey protest blocked

Scotland Yard says it has rejected an application by a radical Islamist group to protest outside Westminster Abbey on royal wedding day.

The group, Muslims against Crusades, was behind a poppy-burning protest on Armistice Day.

Officers said talks were continuing on whether protests at other nearby locations would also be blocked.

The English Defence League had said it would hold a counter- demonstration if permission were granted.

Five thousand police officers will be on duty on the day.

Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens said that negotiations with the groups were "on-going", but pledged that the wedding would not be disrupted.

She said there would be 70-80 close protection teams for VIPs on the day, 29 April.

Police have already begun searching central London for explosives.

fficers are scouring every inch of the route to Westminster Abbey, while dogs have also been checking bins and lamp-posts for bombs.

At a briefing on security arrangements, Ms Owens said 60 people currently on bail from prison would be banned from Westminster on the day of the wedding.

Criminal activity would be dealt with "quickly, robustly and decisively so that it's a happy event for everybody else who intends to be there", she added.

As well as the Royal Family, 50 heads of state are attending the ceremony, which it is anticipated will be watched by up to two billion people on television.

Scotland Yard said it had no intelligence of a specific terrorist threat to the wedding so was not currently in a position to impose anti-terrorism stop-and-search powers, said the BBC's Danny Shaw.

Police have powers to ban any major protests along the main route that Prince William and his bride-to-be, Kate Middleton, will take.

But they are unable to rule out "static" protests taking place at other nearby locations in central London.

Officers at Scotland Yard were contacted by the ultra-nationalist English Defence League, which said it wanted to protest if the Muslims Against Crusades' proposed action went ahead.

March this year a member of Muslims Against Crusades was fined £50 for burning poppies at an Armistice Day ceremony.

The group's website calls on Muslims to disrupt the wedding, describing senior members of the Royal Family as "enemies to Allah and his messenger".

'London Taliban' Target Women and Homosexuals...

Women who do not wear headscarves are being threatened with violence and even death by Islamic extremists intent on imposing sharia law on parts of Britain, it was claimed today.

Other targets of the 'Talibanesque thugs', being investigated by police in the Tower Hamlets area of London, include homosexuals.

Stickers have been plastered on public walls stating: 'Gay free zone. Verily Allah is severe in punishment'.

Posters for H&M which feature women in bikinis and a racy poster for a Bollywood film have been defaced.

It is believed Muslim extremists are behind a spate of attacks being investigated by police, according to the Sunday Times.

How they want to see women: 'Talibanesque thugs' have been threatening women including non-Muslims with violence for not wearing a headscarf

An Asian woman who works in a pharmacy in east London was told to dress more modestly and wear a veil or the shop would be boycotted.

When she went to the media to talk about the abuse she suffered, a man later entered the pharmacy and told her: 'If you keep doing these things, we are going to kill you'.

The 31-year-old, who is not a practising Muslim, said she has since been told to take holiday by the pharmacy owners and now fears she may lose her job.

She said: 'Why should I wear a hijab (headscarf) or burqa? I haven't done anything wrong.'

Other incidents reported include the placing of stickers across the white-minority borough which state it is a 'gay-free zone' and the daubing of paint on posters for clothing shop H&M featuring women in bikinis.

Ghaffar Hussain, of the anti-extremism think-tank the Quilliam Foundation, told The Sunday Times that the intimidation was the work of 'Talibanesque thugs'.

He added: 'This minority think they have the right to impose their fringe interpretation of Islam on others.'

Three men have been charged with religiously-aggravated criminal damage in connection with some of the incidents, which have mirrored crude attempts at censorship in Birmingham.

Borough Commander of Tower Hamlets, Paul Rickett, said: 'I am saddened that there are a small minority of people who do not wish to respect the lifestyle choices of others.

'I would like to reassure the people of Tower Hamlets that we are investigating these incidents.

'At this stage there is no information to suggest any of the incidents are linked. Anyone found committing such criminal acts will face criminal proceedings.

'We work closely with faith leaders in the community, the Tower Hamlets interfaith forum, our partner agencies and the local community to ensure that people feel safe in the borough.'

Khalid Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Perry Bar, said he had seen posters vandalised in Birmingham but was not aware of threats being made.

He said: 'I have seen posters defaced in Birmingham and it's just complete nonsense.

'If people choose to follow the religion they should be free to do so and we don't want to go down the route that the French have done, but these people have to accept other people.

but the freedom to do what you want, others should have the freedom to do what they want to do.

'It's the actions of a very small minority, and in Birmingham we have not seen people threaten women who are not wearing the burqa - if someone were to do that the police should be informed.'

Firebrand Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary said that he was aware of individuals who would speak up if they saw a Muslim woman without a headscarf, but insisted they were only giving advice about their views of Islam.

no threats would be made and described the allegations of threats of death as 'completely ridiculous'.

He said: 'There are groups who propagate Islam, and if they see a Muslim woman without a hijab they may say "sister, it's obligatory that you cover your hair".

'It's an individual intervention to propagate Islam. For non-Muslims, they may point out to them that women are being exploited in the West.

'It's about telling people about the preference of covering up, but nobody's going to say "you are going to be killed".'

Tower Hamlets has a reputation for being a centre of Islamic extremism in London.

recently it was revealed that Rich Dart, a middle-class former BBC worker, had converted to Islam and was living in Bow, east London in a £300,000 flat paid for by benefits.

Despite being unemployed, Mr Dart regularly attends Muslim rallies in which he was recently heard to say: 'When the Taliban defeat the allies we will establish sharia law and take the fight to the enemy.'

Before Christmas posters appeared in the borough claiming the religious festival was 'evil'.

The campaign's organiser was 27-year-old Abu Rumaysah, who once called for sharia law in Britain at a press conference held by hate preacher leader Anjem Choudary, the leader of banned militant group Islam4UK.

Mr Rumaysah said: 'Christmas is a lie and as Muslims it is our duty to attack it.

'But our main attack is on the fruits of Christmas, things like alcohol abuse and promiscuity that increase during Christmas and all the other evils these lead to such as abortion, domestic violence and crime.

'We hope that out campaign will make people realise that Islam is the only way to avoid this and convert.'

Wolfie Smith and the Tower Hamlets Taliban

Muslim Council of Britain: Muslims who say that women need not cover their hair are guilty of rejecting Islam

The body which claims to be the voice of Britain's Muslims has told women that wearing the veil is "not open to debate".

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) said that not covering the face is a "shortcoming" and suggested that any Muslims who advocate being uncovered could be guilty of rejecting Islam.

In a statement published on its website the MCB, warns: "We advise all Muslims to exercise extreme caution on this issue, since denying any part of Islam may lead to disbelief.

"Not practising something enjoined by Allah and his Messenger… is a shortcoming. Denying it is much more serious."

The statement quotes from the Koran: "It is not for a believer, man or woman, that they should have any option in their decision when Allah and his Messenger have decreed a matter."...

"There is no case for a French-style ban in the UK and virtually no serious person supports it," said Haras Rafiq, of the moderate Muslim think-tank, Centri.

"But by this statement, effectively suggesting that the veil is an obligation, the MCB have put themselves at the opposite extreme of the spectrum."

The statement is signed by the MCB's then secretary-general, Mohammad Abdul Bari, and his deputy, Daud Abdullah. It was published in the wake of an earlier controversy about the niqab but passed without notice.

It remains available on the MCB website as a statement of policy.

Other signatories of the statement include Imran Waheed, spokesman of the extremist group Hizb ut Tahrir and several other extremists including Haitham al-Haddad, who has denounced music as a "prohibited and fake message of love and peace". All 27 signatories, who describe themselves as "Islamic groups and scholars," are male.

Dr Bari stepped down as secretary-general of the MCB last year, but remains chairman of the hardline East London Mosque, whose chief imam, Abdul Qayum, also signed the statement.

Dr Bari is also a former president of the fundamentalist Islamic Forum of Europe, which controls the mosque and which advocates a sharia state in Europe.

The MCB received significant funding under the previous government and was seen as the main representative voice of Britain's estimated 2.8 million Muslims but has not received any official money since February 2010....

For a far more extensive representation of muslim violence worldwide go to the Religion of Peace website