Man to appear in court over alleged threats to kill outside Newcastle mosque

A 34-year-old man will appear at Newcastle Crown Court next month, accused of threatening to kill worshippers outside the Heaton Mosque & Islamic Centre on February 6.

The ChronicleLive reported how an individual allegedly banged on doors of the mosques, chased one worshipper and shouted abuse and threats before officers from Northumbria Police attended the scene and made an arrest.

The arrest renewed calls for Muslims locally to report anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hate crimes.

In a statement given to the newspaper, police did confirm that the 34-year-old male, named locally as Alexander Bolam, was arrested and later charged with racially aggravated criminal damage, threats to kill, and common assault.

Bolam appeared at Newcastle Magistrates Court and will appear at Newcastle Crown Court next month.

Our Resources section provides free advice for mosques and individuals when going to and from daily prayers, available to download in high-resolution PDF files.

 

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Categories: hate crime, mosque, mosques, Newcastle, News

Shamima Begum: Straight A student to ‘stateless’ jihadi bride

Shamima Begum was a London schoolgirl until Scotland Yard raised concerns she and two of her fellow pupils had travelled to Syria in February 2015.

The now 23-year-old was just 15 when she travelled to Istanbul in Turkey from Gatwick Airport to join the so-called Islamic State (IS) with her close friends at Bethnal Green Academy – Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15.

Despite her family’s warnings that Syria was a “dangerous place”, the then teenager, described as a “straight A student”, crossed the border just days later with the help of a Canadian spy named Mohammed Al Rasheed, according to reports.

In the Shamima Begum Story BBC podcast series, she said she was told to “pack nice clothes so you can dress nicely for your husband”.

Just 10 days after arriving in the city of Raqqa, Ms Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was married to a Dutchman named Yago Riedijk, who had converted to Islam.

They had three children together, who all later died from malnourishment or disease. They were a one-year-old girl, a three-month-old boy and newborn son.

Ms Begum left Raqqa with her husband in January 2017, but they were eventually split up, as she claimed he was arrested for spying and tortured.

She was eventually found nine months pregnant in a refugee camp in al-Roj in February 2019 by a Times journalist.

Ms Begum told the reporter it “didn’t faze me at all” when she saw her first “severed head”, but would “do anything required just to be able to come home”.

But the runaway schoolgirl said she did not regret travelling to IS-controlled Syria, saying she had a “good time”.

The then-Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said Ms Begum could expect to be “spoken to” if she returned to the UK.

In the same month, she was stripped of her British citizenship after announcing her desire to return to the UK with her then unborn third child.

The move was deemed only permissible under international law if it did not leave her stateless.

Since then, the former IS bride has been embroiled in a battle with the British legal system – she lost her latest legal challenge over the decision to deprive her of her British citizenship on Wednesday.

Ms Begum described the initial move to revoke her citizenship as “unjust on me and my son”.

The then-home secretary Sajid Javid said although he would never leave an individual stateless, his priority was the “safety and security” of the UK.

Mr Javid was criticised by Labour after Ms Begum’s son later died – with the then-shadow home secretary Diane Abbott describing the situation as “callous and inhumane”.

She lost her first appeal to return to the UK but successfully challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal.

But the Government submitted a fresh appeal, meaning her return was put on hold pending a Supreme Court battle.

She was dealt a fresh blow when the Supreme Court ruled she could not come back to the UK – leading to her begging the British public for forgiveness.

When she appeared on TV screens in September 2021, she had drastically changed her appearance – wearing a Nike baseball cap, a grey vest, Casio watch and with her fingernails painted pink.

Ms Begum said there was “no evidence” she was a key player in preparing terrorist acts and was prepared to prove her innocence in court.

She denied her Western physical appearance on Good Morning Britain – in stark contrast to the traditional Islamic dress she previously adorned – was a publicity stunt.

In the BBC podcast series released last month, she said she understood public anger towards her, but insisted she is not a “bad person”.

She told the podcast she accepted she is viewed “as a danger, as a risk”, but blamed her portrayal in the media.

The post Shamima Begum: Straight A student to ‘stateless’ jihadi bride appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Jihadi Bride, Raqqa, Sajid Javid, Shamima Begum, Yago Riedijk

Shamima Begum: Straight A student to ‘stateless’ jihadi bride

Shamima Begum was a London schoolgirl until Scotland Yard raised concerns she and two of her fellow pupils had travelled to Syria in February 2015.

The now 23-year-old was just 15 when she travelled to Istanbul in Turkey from Gatwick Airport to join the so-called Islamic State (IS) with her close friends at Bethnal Green Academy – Kadiza Sultana, 16, and Amira Abase, 15.

Despite her family’s warnings that Syria was a “dangerous place”, the then teenager, described as a “straight A student”, crossed the border just days later with the help of a Canadian spy named Mohammed Al Rasheed, according to reports.

In the Shamima Begum Story BBC podcast series, she said she was told to “pack nice clothes so you can dress nicely for your husband”.

Just 10 days after arriving in the city of Raqqa, Ms Begum, who is of Bangladeshi heritage, was married to a Dutchman named Yago Riedijk, who had converted to Islam.

They had three children together, who all later died from malnourishment or disease. They were a one-year-old girl, a three-month-old boy and newborn son.

Ms Begum left Raqqa with her husband in January 2017, but they were eventually split up, as she claimed he was arrested for spying and tortured.

She was eventually found nine months pregnant in a refugee camp in al-Roj in February 2019 by a Times journalist.

Ms Begum told the reporter it “didn’t faze me at all” when she saw her first “severed head”, but would “do anything required just to be able to come home”.

But the runaway schoolgirl said she did not regret travelling to IS-controlled Syria, saying she had a “good time”.

The then-Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said Ms Begum could expect to be “spoken to” if she returned to the UK.

In the same month, she was stripped of her British citizenship after announcing her desire to return to the UK with her then unborn third child.

The move was deemed only permissible under international law if it did not leave her stateless.

Since then, the former IS bride has been embroiled in a battle with the British legal system – she lost her latest legal challenge over the decision to deprive her of her British citizenship on Wednesday.

Ms Begum described the initial move to revoke her citizenship as “unjust on me and my son”.

The then-home secretary Sajid Javid said although he would never leave an individual stateless, his priority was the “safety and security” of the UK.

Mr Javid was criticised by Labour after Ms Begum’s son later died – with the then-shadow home secretary Diane Abbott describing the situation as “callous and inhumane”.

She lost her first appeal to return to the UK but successfully challenged the decision at the Court of Appeal.

But the Government submitted a fresh appeal, meaning her return was put on hold pending a Supreme Court battle.

She was dealt a fresh blow when the Supreme Court ruled she could not come back to the UK – leading to her begging the British public for forgiveness.

When she appeared on TV screens in September 2021, she had drastically changed her appearance – wearing a Nike baseball cap, a grey vest, Casio watch and with her fingernails painted pink.

Ms Begum said there was “no evidence” she was a key player in preparing terrorist acts and was prepared to prove her innocence in court.

She denied her Western physical appearance on Good Morning Britain – in stark contrast to the traditional Islamic dress she previously adorned – was a publicity stunt.

In the BBC podcast series released last month, she said she understood public anger towards her, but insisted she is not a “bad person”.

She told the podcast she accepted she is viewed “as a danger, as a risk”, but blamed her portrayal in the media.

The post Shamima Begum: Straight A student to ‘stateless’ jihadi bride appeared first on Faith Matters.

Categories: Jihadi Bride, Raqqa, Sajid Javid, Shamima Begum, Yago Riedijk

Police confirm London mosques sent anti-Muslim letters about earthquake victims

The Metropolitan Police is investigating at least two anti-Muslim hate letters targeting mosques in east London that mock the deaths of earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria that “wished” for the deaths of more Muslims.

One of the mosques targeted, in Shacklewell Lane, has dispatched 300 aid boxes for earthquake victims and received hundreds of supportive messages and comments after news of the vile letters made headlines, the BBC reported.

Images of one of the anti-Muslim letters show a generic white envelope sent via a second-class stamp, with the mosque’s address written in pen.

As protocol, Tell MAMA advises that mosques and Islamic institutions do the following:

  • Letters are kept and handled minimally to preserve evidence

  • Letters and envelopes are put in a clean and sealable plastic bag to stop further contamination

  • Call the police non-emergency line on 101, and in an emergency, dial 999

  • Tell MAMA can provide assistance and liaise with the police for you (if requested)

In a statement published today (February 17), Iman Atta, director of Tell MAMA, said: “Following the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we’ve seen the best of Britain, with communities standing together in grief and solidarity. Sadly, a minority have targeted at least two mosques in London with despicable anti-Muslim hate letters. We urge all mosques to remain vigilant about any letters from unknown senders and report any suspicious materials to the police.

Remember: letters and envelopes are handled minimally and placed in a clean and sealable plastic bag to stop further contamination and to preserve evidence for the police. The impacts of these earthquakes are ongoing, and we must continue supporting them and providing empathy and care.”

In a joint statement, the Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville and the Labour councillor Susan Fajana Thomas, issued a joint statement in condemnation of the letters, adding that, “Some of our residents may have lost family and loved ones in the earthquake. We must not let the kind of hatred contained in the letters cloud the support the people of this area need from us and the rest of the world at this moment.”

On Twitter, @ifraahsamatar tweeted: “Thank you to everyone who sent solidarity and support. To all who are asking if the police are involved…very much so. Our local officers acted quickly and put special measures in place to reassure the mosque.”

An unnamed mosque in Stoke Newington received a letter “with racist and Islamophobic language”, the BBC report added.

Tell MAMA continues to liaise directly with the Metropolitan Police as the hate crime investigation remains ongoing. We endeavour to provide further updates where possible.

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Categories: Hackney, hate crime, Hate Mail, London, MET Police, mosque, News

CCTV appeal after Muslim woman assaulted on bus in Ealing

APPEAL: Muslim woman in hijab assaulted on a bus in Ealing

The Metropolitan Police is appealing for information after a Muslim woman was abused and assaulted by a man on a bus in Ealing in west London.

The assault occurred on the evening of November 27, 2022, at around 22:30hrs, on the 207 bus, which departed from Westfield Shopping Centre in White City.

Per the Metropolitan Police, the man began speaking to her, and when she told him not to do so,  he carried on with his unwanted harassment before assaulting her. She did not require hospitalisation following the assault, the statement adds.

The male suspect exited the bus at Uxbridge Road, close to the town hall.

Tell MAMA continues highlighting the abuse, threats and violence Muslim women face when using public transport.

Having recovered the CCTV from the bus, police are launching a public appeal for information and wish to speak to the man pictured.

Tell MAMA, as a nationally recognised confidential third-party support service, and we can liaise with any witnesses who wish to come forward if they do not directly wish to speak with police. And that includes those who experience such anti-Muslim and Islamophobic hate crimes.

Anyone who can help with the investigation can call 101 quoting the reference 1753/27Nov22.

 

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Categories: bus, hate crime, Hijab, MET Police, News, TFL

Scottish neo-Nazi pleads guilty to terror offence in group linked to fascist Keighley cell

A Glasgow-based neo-Nazi who shared a video of how to build a sub-machine gun in a fascist Telegram channel that contained members of the Keighley terror cell pleaded guilty to terror offences on Thursday.

James Farrell, 32, from the Pollok area of the city, shared his racist views with other members of the Oaken Hearth Telegram channel under the pseudonym “Jabz”.

Appearing at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday (February 9), Farrel pleaded guilty to a terror offence related to the “direct or indirect encouragement” to the “commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

The Scottish Daily Record reported that Farrell called for the firebombing of synagogues in the chat.

A member of the Keighley terror cell had also uploaded the terrorist manual of the notorious US-based neo-Nazi James Mason as the Christchurch terror attack video, which claimed the lives of 51 Muslims, appeared in the group chat.

Members of the Keighley terror cell, who manufactured weapons and advocated racist violence, were jailed for over thirty years last July.

Farrell also posted extreme, dehumanising anti-Black racism.

Materials uploaded by James Farrell to the group included instructional documents and a video clip that would help individuals build a non-firing sub-machine gun, the court heard.

Alterations to the weapon would make it a viable, deadly weapon.

The arrests of the Keighley cell tipped police off to Farrell as part of a more comprehensive counter-terror investigation into the Oaken Hearth group. Photos uploaded to the group by Farrell, including neo-Nazi literature and a bronze axe police subsequently found in his address.

A press release from Police Scotland highlighted the intelligence sharing from Counter Terrorism Policing North East, as conversations between members in England with Farrell warranted the attention of their officers.

Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Houston, Police Scotland’s Head of Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “Farrell not only expressed views which are totally unacceptable in a civilised society but his actions in sharing material of this nature had the potential of significantly endangering the public.

“His conviction is testament to the work of Police Scotland officers and shows the value of working in partnership with our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing across the UK. Police Scotland is grateful for the assistance of Counter Terrorism officers from the North East of England, who initiated the investigation which led to Farrell’s activities being uncovered.”

Sentencing will take place next month.

 

 

 

 

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Categories: Far Right groups, News

Police investigating threatening graffiti daubed on Liverpool mosque

Officers from Merseyside police visited a local mosque daubed with threatening graffiti to provide reassurance as the hate crime investigation continues

The racially aggravated graffiti appeared sometime between February 2 and February 3 at the Shah Jalal Mosque on High Park Street, as officers confirmed to Tell MAMA that after local authorities became aware, they moved quickly to remove the graffiti.

Doorstep inquiries, CCTV and other inquiries are underway, and we will provide further updates where possible.

As protocol, Tell MAMA urges mosques and Islamic centres to keep our safety advice in mind – high-quality PDFs and multilingual versions are free to download from our Resources page.

We tweeted an initial community yesterday (February 6) and provided a further update with the crime reference number today (February 7).

In a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Ben Dyer said: “Such incidents cause understandable fear and distress in our communities, and we will act on all information provided to find those responsible, as well as continuing to monitor the location through our local policing team.

“If you know anything, come forward in one of the following ways, with reference 23000098168, especially if you captured anyone acting suspiciously nearby or captured anything on CCTV or other devices.”

Tell MAMA can pass on any information anonymously or at your request if needed.

 

 

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Categories: hate crime, Liverpool, Merseyside Police, mosque, News