ISLAM for the UK (motto: Go forth and proclaim Islam whether the disbelievers like it or not) is be banned under new legislation outlawing the “glorification” of terrorism.
An order banning the group, and its “parent” organisation, al-Muhajiroun – founded by hate preacher Omar Bakri Muhammad, and now headed by Anjem Choudary – will come into effect on Thursday.
It will make it a criminal offence to be a member of either of the groups, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:
I have today laid an order which will proscribe al-Muhajiroun, Islam4UK, and a number of the other names the organisation goes by. It is already proscribed under two other names – al-Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect or the Saviour Sect.
Johnson said that proscription was:
A tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism … it is not a course we take lightly.
News of the order coincides with a statement from Islam for the UK, calling off its planned Wootton Bassett protest, and comes a day after group members turned out in support of five Islamic imbeciles who were convicted of using threatening, abusive, insulting words and of behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm and distress to others.
Five go mad in Luton - and this berk turned out to support them
According to this report, the five, who screamed abuse at British soldiers during a demonstration in Luton last year, were given conditional discharges for shouting “baby killers” and “terrorists”, and waving placards at hundreds of soldiers returning from Iraq. They were each ordered to pay £500 towards the cost of the prosecution.
But the unrepentant group, all dressed up for a heavy date in the desert with their favourite camels, said they regarded the convictions, handed down at Luton Magistrates Court, as “a badge of honour”.
And they defiantly pointed out that, as they all lived on state benefits, taxpayers would have to bear the cost of the trial. They said:
The taxpayer paid for this court case. The taxpayer will pay for the fines too out of benefits.
They were surrounded outside the court by a mob of supporters, one of whom displayed a banner declaring:
Islam will dominate the world. Freedom can go to hell.
The five fundies boasted they would do the same again, saying they wanted to see sharia law in Britain.
During their trial, the men argued they were exercising their right to freedom of speech and had been telling the truth about the conduct of British forces in Iraq.
They were part of a demonstration against the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, who were marching through Luton after returning from Iraq.
The protest sparked a hostile stand-off with angry members of the public who had been cheering the soldiers.
The convicted nutters were Sajjadar Choudhury, 31, Munin Abdul, 28, Jalal Ahmed, 21, Yousaf Bashir, 29, and Ziaur Rahman, 32, all from Luton. Two others were acquitted.
Although the offence carries a maximum fine of £1,000, the five were merely given a conditional discharge for two years by District Judge Carolyn Mellanby, which means if they are found guilty of anything else this conviction will be taken into account.
The protesters had refused to stand for the judge as she entered and left court. But she yesterday said she did not wish to “set a precedent” by charging them with contempt of court.
After the trial Munin Abdul, who was found to have called the soldiers “terrorists and murderers” and said they would “burn in hell”, said:
We won’t stop speaking the truth, even if they think they have made an example of us.
This case was political, and we have been made scapegoats to pacify the public. We knew we were being offered as sacrificial lambs. But I see our convictions as a reason for us to carry on in our calling.
Lawyers defending the men said they had discussed their plans to protest with police beforehand, had agreed a time and place, complied with police throughout and officers had not objected at the time to their slogans.
They said this implied consent by the police and to prosecute them retrospectively was not right.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
January 12th, 2010 at 10:55 am
Oh finally this milk-sop government is actually growing some balls and enforcing the sort of legislation that the majority of right-thinking people will actually support!
Of course the fundies will protest that their human rights are being infringed and we’ll all have to wait, biting our nails, for a decade while the case makes it’s way to the European Court of Human Rights who will no doubt agree with them.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:03 am
Sponging bastards should have their benefits stopped. Simple as that.
If they are campaigning against the society that they are in, they shouldn’t get the benefits the society offers!
January 12th, 2010 at 11:06 am
They’re pigs, not lambs.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:22 am
The same terrorism laws that keep us safe from people pointing out that prime ministers are talking nonsense?
I see wallies on both sides here.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:48 am
How long before we will be fighting a ‘crusade’ (metephorically) in our own country, 2,3…4 generations may be?
January 12th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Has Alan Johnson actually gone nuts? Yeah they’re saying disagreeable things in a tactless and thoughtless way but fuck me, they’re hardly a threat to national security! Between this and firing Prof Nutt, you have to wonder whether he’s actually gone mad or whether he’s grubbing for votes and human rights be damned.
It’s freedom of speech to protest about the society you live in and without that inalienable right we would not have a free society like we do. Hell I plan to be making some noise when the Tories get in power, and that’s my right. I protested against Iraq in 2003, and that was my right. It’s Islam4UK’s right to exist and protest provided they aren’t breaking the law – which they aren’t.
January 12th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Freedom of speech? I take it they’ll be against the OIC-sponsored campaign to make “blasphemy” illegal world-wide, then.
January 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
Am I the only one who has a problem with the “there should be a law against that!” mentality of modern British government and the hoi polloi? Don’t get me wrong: I think these groups are scum, but they do — as do all religious nuts and the BNP — have a right to their opinions, regardless of how bigoted or disgusting they may be.
Why? Think of the alternative. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s doubleplusbad.
By all means, do something about religious fundamentalism in all its forms, but not by the unending creation of legislation. If it’s accurate, the wording of this latest legislative invention — ‘outlawing the “glorification” of terrorism’ — could so easily be misused.
I can envisage popular films, books and even games becoming illegal with this legislation, in the same way that the film Conan The Barbarian is now illegal under Californian law. What about Star Wars, where a terrorist organisation takes on the government? Or Dune, or the history of the Battle of Bannockburn? Any piece of fiction or even historical non-fiction that describes an underdog overcoming the established government, regardless of how evil or corrupt, is now ‘glorifying’ terrorism.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I agree that banning this organisation is pointless and will achieve nothing. The ban is a pathetic attempt by a muslim appeasing Government to curry favour with potential non-muslim voters, rather than fix the problem of uncontrolled immigration created by Labour.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
From a simplistic point of view. If Britian is so bad why not fuck off to somewhere sunny? Oh, I forgot, there is no freedom of speech in muslim countries.
A little point also, if ‘western’ lifestyles are so bad why does the idiot in the picture have a heavy western style jacket on? No doubt he will also be wearing heavy boots and not sandals. If you are going to go on and on about how bad western stuff is then live by your statements and get a pair of flip-flops on.
January 12th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
Its a shame they got banned as this bunch o fuckwits were doing so well in waking up britain to the reality of pislam better than anyone else.
January 12th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
As much as I despise any group like this I can’t help thinking this smacks of double-standards when the BNP is allowed to disseminate and promote hate, racism and prejudice as vocally as it wants.
If one hate group is going to be banned from protesting and demonstrating then they all should.
I personally think this is a dark day for freedom of speech in Britain. Freedom of specch HAS to include speech that the majority don’t agree with as well as popular opinion etc.
January 12th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Just looking at that guy holding the poster gives me an overwhelming wish to kick him up the arse. Shouldn’t he be at work or at least drawing his State benefits paid for in part by my substantial income tax depradations – and yours! The “Freedom can go to hell” really gets on my wick. He abuses UK freedom of speech while condemning it. Meanwhile his ilk in admittedly a less virulant form still appear on Thought for the Day while the censorship of sceptical opinion remains banned at the behest of a bunch of highly paid bureaucrats with their bosses raking in over £800,000 a year.
January 12th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Jumile, you’re right. The government of a democracy should have more faith in freedom of thought. If good ideas can’t drive out bad in free debate, we’re doomed and changing the law won’t help.
And, of course, you’ve got the inevitable martyrdom factor, as idiot Muslim radicals can now claim persecution. Holocaust Memorial Day’s coming soon, remember – we can expect a lot more posturing from these gits.
January 12th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I agree, @valdemar. In the first place, I think the grounds for banning this group are dodgy – its members seem to have been guilty of “thought crimes”. However, why ban any group anyway? If certain activities are made illegal, then that is all that is necessary, surely? It all looks like posturing to me, I’m afraid.
January 12th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I am all for freedom of speech, but with that right comes responsibility. The marching of extremist militant Muslims, sporting empty coffins through Wooton Basset, a place intrinsically associated in the British public consciousness with the repatriation and honouring of our war dead is an abuse of that right. When you examine the sort of racist incitement these organisations generate, it makes sense to disband them. A line has to be drawn somewhere.
In this country you can say anything you like, but not necessarily HOW you like, and quite rightly I think.
January 12th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
But why ban organizations, @Ian? It makes them look like martyrs and hands them a propaganda victory. If you outlaw activities which you consider unreasonable then their very existence becomes pointless, so you have achieved the same result. In any case, the same people can start up a similar group with the same aims, or, even worse, join other, more moderate groups, and subvert them. It has happened in the past.
January 12th, 2010 at 5:45 pm
This sort of banning action can so easily backfire on the rest of us. If we stop ‘them’ holding and voicing opinions it surely has to be only a matter of time before ‘they’ start demanding ‘fairness’ and insist that sites like this are shut down, banned and outlawed.
The best defence against lunatic ideas is to laugh at them. So long as they don’t actually DO anything illegal or harmful then let them have their voice. If they overstep the mark and either incite or carry out acts of violence then hammer the bastards hard and make the punishment fit the crime. Either that or stick ‘em all on a boat and ship ‘em out to somewhere they may be happier.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
I have been reading and rereading this thread. And find myself agreeing and then, on next reading, disagreeing with comments posted.
It’s a difficult one.
Do we risk turning these Muslim muppets into a British version of the Westboro Baptist Church by trying to appease them? Thus allowing them to desecrate the memory of young men and women dying in combat?
Or do we shut them up, thus surpressing freedom of speech? And these tosspots know this and are manipulating this fact.
Personally I would draw a line in the sand. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right, but must be exercised with intelligence and compassion. I would ask them to swear allegiance to Britain on pain of instant (no drawn out human rights lawyer nonsense) deportation.
I think every time we give them an inch they take the proverbial piss and enough is enough. This, and future, governments need to stop prostituting themselves for votes.
January 12th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
There seems to be an intense ironic stupidity to the fundies’ case. In one breath, they proclaim “Freedom can go to hell”
Then in court, the men argued they were exercising their right to “freedom of speech”…
January 12th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
Curbing free speech, however distasteful or abhorrent it may be, is not the answer to the global scourge that is Islam. What needs to be curbed is the granting of special privileges and immunities to an institution or a group of people, in the name of religion, minority, and poverty. Unfortunately, that’s the bread and butter of politicians. So, what means are we left with? Zero tax
January 12th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Jumile is correct as are others here.
BANNING and abridgment of any rights is a large set of jaws poised at you own asses and ready to bite.
Always allow these groups to march (with in the safety rules) and speak their minds. then watch them and film them and get there names because they are not there to be assimilated but to do their best to take over. As long as there is enough secularism and enough of the opposing religions in place they can be kept in check. Islam to me just proves there are a large number of people out there that really know how to hate all others. Watch them closely!
January 12th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
Yeah, I hate to say it, but banning these groups will probably just make them more popular. Sigh. They so deserve it, though.
Rob’s so right…”freedom can go to hell but don’t take my freedom of speech!”
Let ‘em march, preach, write, whatever…the more I see of Muslims, frankly, the more I despise them and I suspect that’s how most people would react to them.
January 12th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
just like to point out that muslim extremists only get this much publicity, even though theres only about 20 or so of these people, didnt hear much about the muslims who were present at the repatriation of brtish troops in wotton bassett. I dont ever here about the three thousand muslim british troops fighting along with there fellow british citizens.
January 12th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
I think that our goverment are to blame for this, they have let immigrants in by the 100,000s. There are parts of this country which are no go white areas beleive it or not like parts of Blackburn & Rochdale and which community do they come from I hear you ask Muslim why is it they are the only community to do this that I know of, the polish dont do it the croatians dont do it, dont get me wrong there are a lot of nice decent Muslims that I feel sorry for who are having there religion dragged into the gutter, I say that if you dont share our views & our ways of life and dont respect our dead heros then you should go to what ever country you share the views of, but I dont think so because you have it so easy here sponging of decent people. Our own goverment are to blame for this. Immigration what a joke, they can look after other people better than they can look after their own what a discrace …..
January 12th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Islam will dominate
January 12th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
When I followed @Moss’s link I couldn’t help noticing puerile banners held aloft in the name of the Muslim Thinkers Society. Thinking to myself what an oxymoron this is I just had to look them up: it’s a pseudonym for Al Muhajiroun!
January 12th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
This is nuts. Freedom of speech is much more important than ‘silencing’ these crackpots. Censorship is a two edged sword and indeed cuts both ways.
Arbitrarily banning ‘membership’ in an organization unless it can actually be demonstrated that ‘membership’ in that organization is directly associated with violence is a thorny problem. Does such an ‘organization’ actually exist, beyond being a group of freely associating like minded people? Do they have a membership list? And if so, how many people who showed up for one rally are on that list? How does one ‘join’ that organization, how does one stop being a member?
The danger of this is that people get dragged in, because someone they know, or knew in the past, is considered by the government as being ‘part’ of the ‘organization’. I met one woman who years ago in college was briefly involved with a radical Zionist group, now, years later as an adult, she is still hassled periodically by Homeland Security.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
I think the author should have expressed a view on the key issue here, rather than simply reported it.
Does the freethinker believe in banning people for exercising their right to think freely and say what they think?
I think it is terrible legislation; there’s no room for thought police – the laws of incitement are enough.
January 13th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Islam4uk and their ilk are clearly in the mood to cause trouble, I think banning this group will simply fan the flames – How would the Gov respond to a march protesting against the banning of this group? The gov are putting themselves in a position where they could look very silly [read oppressive & ineffectual].
January 13th, 2010 at 9:37 am
I thought initially that Alan Johnson was a big improvement on the likes of Jack (Man of) Straw and “Jackboots” Jacqui Smith – how wrong can one be?!!
January 13th, 2010 at 10:46 am
How would people feel about a march protesting this? Dominated by non-muslims even. Aside from putting the lie to the inevitable propaganda, as I see it students who join the Peace And Love And Stuff society at university and don’t realise it’s run by this lot are at risk of a prison sentence. Crazy.
Just a march against ‘handing propaganda victories to nutters’ would do fine.
January 13th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
I am appalled that the Judge in this case chose to ignore an obvious disrespect and contempt of court – I worked in courts for years and if anyone else had displayed behaviour such as that then a contempt charge would have been quick.
Allowing them to behave in this way in Court is just supporting their behaviour. A precedent SHOULD have been set- a precedent that says- you live in this country, you abide by it’s laws and you show this by standing when the Judge enters- not by showing the misogynistic behaviour that is permitted in your damn woman-hating religion.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:12 am
I find it fascinating that some of you have automatically assumed that these people are migrants and / or are receiving welfare payments.
Also, that you appear to have a problem with migration.
January 14th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
@GooGooGaGa: You’re only half right, I’m afraid. There does seem to be an assumption that these men are immigrants, but I would say that, due to the colour of their skin, etc, SOMEONE in their family was not born in this country! And if you reread the account you will see that they actually made a BIG point of boasting that their legal costs and fines would be paid out of their benefits!!
January 16th, 2010 at 8:23 am
I too, was dismayed by this ban on Islam4UK.
Yes, they are indeed a loathesome bunch with unsavoury connections to convicted terrorists and certainly subscribe to the usual list of primitive Muslim ideas and prejudices.
But it’s difficult to see why they should be banned, as a group. They cause widespread offence, certainly, including to other Muslims. If they are guilty of violence, or of stirring up hatred against identifiable groups within our society, then fair enough, although individual group members are usually prosecuted in such cases (as with BNP members in the past), rather than the entire group being banned as an organisation.
The occasion of the ban follows their grotesque publicity-seeking plan to parade through the streets of Wootton Bassett, the village where the bodies of heroic British soldiers (of all races and beliefs) return, when they are killed in action in Afghanistan.
Islam4UK claimed it wanted to honour the Muslims killed by our troops, but our troops are PROTECTING and HELPING ordinary Muslims, only setting out to kill the verminous Taliban. Truth be told, it’s the Taliban that Islam4UK wanted to honour. They never organised a “thank you” march for our troops when they were defending Muslims against attacks in Bosnia, you’ll notice.
And if the criterion for banning organisations is consorting with known terrorists, then why wasn’t Ken Livingstone’s Socialist Action corpuscule similarly outlawed for their championing of Sinn Fein-IRA? Consistency is all we ask.
I will miss Islam4UK, if only for the reason they were so damned entertaining. Don’tcha just love those comedy beards and ghastly ghoul gowns? No doubt they’ll be back soon, calling themselves something like Improvised-Explosive-Devices-R-Us, or Muslim-Menaces-4U, but in the meantime, the Government’s decision to ban them just looks like desperate populism to me.
I’m all for our Government “growing some balls” to deal with the menace of Islam, but they should be curbing immigration, not freedom of speech.
January 18th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
The National Secular Society has reiterated its support for free speech: http://www.secularism.org.uk/b.....dange.html
The Freethinker has always been pro-free speech, including for its opponents, so I would take its position as read on this.
Dan