As the fallout continues from Islamist extremist Anjem Choudary’s plans to hold a march through Wootton Bassett, demands are being made to ban not only the march but Choudary’s Islam4UK outfit itself, with yesterday’s Guardian reporting Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling’s call to “ban the organisation”.

Terrorism-Act-2000There are currently 45 proscribed organisations under the terms of the Terrorism Act (2000), which states (p. 2, Ch. 11, Part II, Sec. 3.5) that an organisation is considered to be “concerned in terrorism” if it:

(a) commits or participates in acts of terrorism,
(b) prepares for terrorism,
(c) promotes or encourages terrorism, or
(d) is otherwise concerned in terrorism  Read more... (438 words, 1 image, estimated 1:45 mins reading time)

Islam4UK is a web-based organisation that describes itself as “a platform” for the extremist group Al Muhajiroun, which has been banned in Britain.

Among its founders are the militant preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed – who is living in exile in Lebanon – and former solicitor Anjem Choudary, who both played a part in Al Muhajiroun.

Bakri, who inspired the fertiliser bomb terrorist Omar Khyam, helped organise a seminar after the September 11 attacks in favour of the “Magnificent 19″ and went on to call the July 7 bombers the “Fantastic Four”. He and Mr Choudary were also behind the protests against the controversial Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.  Read more... (346 words, 1 image, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Someone is going to burn in hellfire for eternity: The only question in today’s Outrage-Off is whether it will be the relatives of British troops killed in Afghanistan or Democrats.

CONTESTANT 1: Anjem Choudary, the cheerful and media-friendly professional contraversialist who heads Islam4UK, a British radical Islamic group, is planning a pro-Shariah march through Wootton Bassett, a town where the remains of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan have traditionally been honored with parades. (It would be sort of like a pro-Al-Qaeda rally at Dover Air Force Base.) Choudary rationally explained his intentions in an open letter to the families of the British war dead:  Read more... (334 words, 1 image, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

The prime minster has issued a warning to a radical Islamic group planning a protest march through a Wiltshire town famous for honouring fallen soldiers.

Islam4UK, said to have extremist links, has written to bereaved families about plans to march through Wootton Bassett.

Gordon Brown said anything which families of dead or wounded troops could find offensive would be “completely inappropriate”.

Anjem Choudary, of Islam4UK, said he chose the town to attract publicity. The town’s mayor Steve Bucknell said his council would be vigorously opposing any march.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray echoed his call and said “Mr Choudary should go somewhere else”.  Read more... (664 words, 1 image, estimated 2:39 mins reading time)

THE bodies of the last two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan last year were being driven through Wootton Bassett today as controversy raged about a planned march through the town by Islamic extremists.

Rifleman Aidan Howell, 19, and Sapper David Watson, 23, were the 107th and 108th British military personnel to lose their lives fighting the Taliban last year.

Their repatriation, first to RAF Lyneham and then to Oxford via Wootton Bassett, came amid outrage at a proposed march through the Wiltshire town by radical group Islam4UK. It plans to carry empty coffins through the streets to symbolise Muslims “mercilessly murdered” in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Read more... (355 words, 1 image, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)

A MUSLIM couple heaped shame on hate preacher Anjem Choudary yesterday as they paid tribute to two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Abdul Latif and his wife Samina joined hundreds of people in the streets of Wootton Bassett as two more casualties of the war returned to Britain for burial.

The couple joined condemnation of the fundamentalist cleric’s plan to lead 500 Islamic extremists on a march through the town.

Choudary provoked outrage when he said members of radical group Islam4UK would carry empty coffins along the streets to symbolise the Muslims ‘murdered’ by UK forces.  Read more... (472 words, 1 image, estimated 1:53 mins reading time)

Any protest march which offended the families of soldiers killed and injured in Afghanistan would be considered ”completely inappropriate” by Gordon Brown, Downing Street has said.

Gordon Brown’s spokesman issued the warning after the leader of a controversial Islamic group vowed to continue with plans for a march through Wootton Bassett.

Anjem Choudary of Islam4UK – a branch of the extremist al-Muhajiroun movement – sparked dismay with plans for 500 members to parade with empty coffins symbolising Muslim victims through the town, which has become famous for honouring service personnel killed in the conflict. Civic leaders have begged Mr Choudary to reconsider his proposal and a Facebook site dedicated to preventing the march has already attracted more than 120,000 members.  Read more... (603 words, 1 image, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

Gordon Brown has condemned plans by a controversial Islamic group to stage a march through Wootton Bassett – the town synonymous with honouring soldiers killed in Afghanistan. It comes after the leader of Islam4UK, Anjem Choudary, vowed to continue with the idea in the Wiltshire town despite repeated calls to drop it.

Civic leaders have asked Mr Choudary to reconsider his proposal for 500 members to walk through Wootton Bassett’s High Street carrying empty coffins.

And a Facebook site dedicated to preventing the march has already attracted more than 120,000 members.  Read more... (683 words, 1 image, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)

The number of suspected extremists barred from entering Britain has halved since the 7/7 attacks leading to accusations that the Government has “taken its eye off the ball”.

In 2006, the first full year after the London bombings, 73 people were prevented from coming to the UK either because it was feared they would foment extremism or posed a risk to national security.

By 2008 that figure had dropped to just 38, figures obtained by the Conservatives show. The decline covers the period that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who tried to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day, was studying in London.  Read more... (287 words, 1 image, estimated 1:09 mins reading time)

POLICE chiefs and Wiltshire Council bosses have said they are still to receive a formal notice from the leader of Islam4UK regarding their Wootton Bassett march.

Over the past few days Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Police have consulted a number of community groups and partner agencies, including local councils, the military and local Muslim groups.

In a joint statement they said: “It is clear the suggestion, by the group calling themselves Islam4UK, to conduct a procession within Wootton Bassett, has caused significant and understandable concern.  Read more... (369 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)