OVER the past few months, serious violent clashes have taken place on the streets of Britain. They have been instigated by a group convinced that the root of all problems is Islam. The English Defence League (EDL) consists of far right activists, football hooligans and known racists; it is a fairly new group intent on preventing “the Islamization of Britain” by attacking Asian and Arab businesses, smashing cars, mosques and individuals perceived as Muslims.
The EDL, according to analysts, is the street-fighting wing of the racist British National Party, although both parties have denied links. Several of the EDL's leading members are listed as BNP members and have been spotted at EDL protests.
On the anniversary of 9/11, the EDL organized a march against Harrow Central Mosque. They were armed with inflammatory racist placards and were met by a large group of Muslims and anti-fascists ready to protect the mosque. Violence broke up as the police attempted to keep the two groups apart.
A leaflet handed out by the group said, “Islam is a threat to us all. Don't let this oppressive religion go unchallenged. Time to make a stand.”
As communal tensions intensify, the Communities' Secretary John Denham has called for a fresh start in the government's relationship with British Muslims after acknowledging that mistakes had been made.
Commenting on the EDL's violent protests he said: “The tactic of trying to provoke a response in the hope of causing wider violence and mayhem is long established on the far right and among extremists groups. You could go back to the 1930's if you wanted to — to Cable Street. By alluding to Cable Street, he meant the 1936 confrontation sparked by pro-Nazi leader Oswald Mosley's march through the then heavily Jewish East End of London where a pitch battle ensued.
The only new factor that is unusual in this right wing organization is that normally these groups are also vehemently anti-Jewish — however the strange twist to the EDL is that at its protest campaigns they wave the Israeli flag. They also made a point of disrupting the annual Al-Quds march in support of the oppressed Palestinians, shouting “We hate Muslims” while waving the Israeli flag. The group appears to have aligned itself with Israel which it believes also persecutes Muslims.
Recent events have also highlighted that it is not only government policies that encouraged treating Muslims as a “suspect community” tarnished by the acts of a few extremists; but rather there has also been growing collusion between American neoconservatives and the far right in stirring up hatred of Muslims through the media.
An investigation by Spinwatch which monitors PR and spin, has revealed that a group of “freelance terror trackers” who promote stories about threats from violent Islamists have been fabricating stories and making commentaries in the media perpetuating the “Islamic terrorism myth.”
The aim of the stories of these terror experts is to create fear of Islam, and so leading the wider public to believe Britain is under serious threat and Islam is a religion that promotes terrorism. “Terrorist grannies planning to blow themselves up in Britain's supermarkets” was one of the many outrageous stories they concocted. One of the fabricators recently came out of the shadows and confessed that under the guise of being a “terror expert,” he had been feeding the press with scare stories about Muslims. Glen Jenvey admitted making up stories, including the one which recently made headlines, concerning Islamists targeting prominent Jewish celebrities such as Lord Alan Sugar. In a BBC interview, Jenvey explained how he fabricated the list of Jewish targets by posing as a fundamentalist on an extremist website where he urged others to suggest names. He then leaked the made-up list to a trusted news agency, used by The Sun newspaper. Jenvey's credibility was not questioned, especially since he was described as “an extremely capable and knowledgeable analyst” by Tory MP Patrick Mercer. The fact that the Sun was ready to print the story without verifying the facts is an example of how keen the tabloids are to print stories demonizing Muslims.
The real story which didn't reach the headlines was that Jenvey with his associates had been supplying the tabloids with false stories of terrorist threats with the help of Mercer, the Tory MP.
The story also reveals the intense suspicion and ghettoizing of Muslims which is being perpetuated by the media. A report on Islamophobia which came out in 2006 highlighted how stories in the British press had risen dramatically over 10 years and how 90 percent of this coverage is entirely rooted in negative stories relating to war, violence and terrorism.
As the whole community continues to be held responsible for the acts of a few, very little has been done to counter the alienation Muslims have been subjected to and this could be one of the reasons for extremist ideas. Today a whole generation of Muslim youth has grown up in the era of the “War on Terror” where they feel their community has been demonized and their religion vilified.
The recent convictions of three young British Muslims planning to bomb airplanes has once again discredited the million or so law-abiding British Muslims; however the warning given by one of the conspirators which says that this is the price they will pay for “messing with Muslims” may sound immature, but there is also a desperation here revealing the extent to which the conspirators may have felt persecuted. Otherwise, why would young men with everything to live for contemplate death — and let's not go with Western notions that they want to go to heaven where they will be served in every way by beautiful virgins.
There is increasing evidence that far right organizations have been attempting to win over Jewish groups who they believe are also anti-Islamic. According to recent reports, Adrian Morgan, a right wing Neocon who believes Islam is the biggest threat to British democracy, has been in talks advising the EDL. Morgan is contributing editor to Family Security Matters, which is seen as the front for the Center for Security Polic, a Washington think-tank run by ultra-conservative Frank Gaffney. Morgan had already outlined his interest in working with the BNP as “its racist agenda had been replaced by an agenda which is highly focused against Islam.” The fact that he recently met EDL for talks has increased speculation as to what extent both groups are working together.
ANOTHER counter-jihad tactics expert Alan Lake has also been linked to the EDL. Lake, who also attended a counter-jihad conference in Sweden, is believed to be a computer expert who has set up private intranet networks linking far right groups worldwide.
According to Nick Lowles, editor of Searchlight, the EDL should not be written off because it poses two main risks.
“What we are seeing is the formation of a street party where people will travel around to fight. In this mix you can get far right organizations winding them up, giving them organizational support.” He warns that the problem here is if they go into areas where there are already existing tensions, all those places are potential flashpoints. The flashpoints he is pointing out can be summarized as the generation of the “War on Terror” ready to protect their homes, their culture and their religion. The British government needs to work much faster to counter anti-Muslim feelings it helped to perpetuate; it needs to deescalate communal tensions by bringing in the “suspect community” and working hand in hand with Muslims groups, lessen Islamophobic attacks through the media and target the rise of racism in order to avoid a clash of cultures. In the meantime, the EDL is planning many more protests on the streets of Britain.
