The Telegraph: Former soldier jailed for hanging severed pig’s head on mosque gate. The 45 year old man was left angered by the burning of poppies by Muslim extremists on Armistice Day in 2010. ‘Sentencing him, judge Jamie Tabor, QC, told the court: ”Freedom of expression is a much-cherished privilege but it carries with it responsibilities, the principal responsibility being to act within the law.’
The Debate Initiative: Tommy Robinson, head of the English Defence League, will publicly debate Abdullah Al Andalusi on Islam and Britain. Abdullah Al Andalusi, speaker and Muslim thinker, will debate Robinson on the question: ‘Is Islam a threat to the west, or is Islamophobia a threat’?
Manchester Evening News: Police officer faces perverting the course of justice charge in probe into policing of EDL demonstation in Bolton. ‘The Independent Police Complaints Commission launched an investigation into the powder-keg March 2010 rally, when hundreds of far-right and anti-fascist protesters confronted each other in Bolton town centre.’
Hucknall Dispatch: Asian shopkeepers targeted in ‘torrent’ of racist abuse. Two men from Bulwell have both been jailed for ten months after racially abusing an Asian family at their shop. During the incident one of the men asked the family “what religion are you?”, and when asked why this mattered, responded with “because I’m EDL”.
Comment: The Guardian: Sarah Mulley: Stop playing the net migration numbers game. Mulley argues that the government’s focus on reducing net migration to below 100,000 a year hinders sensible debate on the issue of immigration. ‘If the target is missed, public confidence in the immigration system will be further undermined, making the politics of migration in the UK even more ugly than it is already. This should be a major concern for anyone interested in encouraging a moderate and mainstream debate on immigration, or in discouraging the extremism that too often characterises the discussion.’
