CATCH UP

I'm playing catch up a bit I'm afraid...

I have an interview with Abu Abdullah from 2 days ago I have to decipher and put up. I actually was talking to him unaware of the breaking news about the "Leeds connection" Today, as promised I checked out my "spies" in Finsury park mosque.

There were lots of photographers outside the mosque, which suprised me as the heat is now off as far as "extremism" is concerned. I bumped into one journalist I knew (to the right of Hamza in the hyperlinked pic) There were only two Muslims I recognised who went inside. One of them I remember Abdullah accused of being a spy in a very public row not witnessed by any journalists maybe a month before the mosque was reopened for the first time.

"We had a disagreement. He is still my brother in Islam." he said.

"Are you with the new lot now?" I asked him.

"Look. I am a local. Some of these brothers are locals. I was always campaigning to keep my local mosque open. Mr. Hamza is not a terrorist. No true Muslim can be a terrorist. In any community you would have "misfits." Are the Irish people all terrorists? No."

I shook hands with Jeremy Corbyn who actually remembered me from the last time I had seen him, if not the first. Can't stand politicians. Can't help liking Mr. Corbyn. (its the ****ing bicycle)

Also in Finsbury Park I met a really interesting American journalist called Tina Susman. We discussed Pakistan, ( she had spent 6 weeks in Pakistani Kashmir) She also spoke of the 10 years she had spent in sub Saharan Africa and the previous months she had spent at the Michael Jackson trial. I told her of my belief that London is probably the most successfully integrated places on the planet as far as race is concerned. I asked about New York, where she lives. Apparently there are a lot of racial groups there, but they are strictly segregated by area and do not mix.

Her sentiments were echoed by another New Yorker at the next event I attended, a "Multi-faith meeting" in Islington town hall. Jeremy Corbyn was also there, along with the new leader of Finsbury park mosque, various other religious representatives, and some starry eyed new-age "focus group" type people I recognised. The New Yorker I knew from various "save the world" forums is a bright light in the "open co-ops" movement. He said that London was "streets ahead" of his home town.

As various people went round expressing sadness about the bombing, and joy at the level of tolerance achieved by the London community in general I slipped further and further down in my seat. I'm not usually one to shut up but what could I say?

"Hi I am Dave. Two years ago when my country thought that the best way of dealing with "the Islamic problem" was to invade Iraq I started filming with Abu Hamza's community. I thought that as no one was confronting the issues of "Fundamental Islam" head on with actual Fundamental Islamists in the interests of our security I had better do it.

Two days ago his best pal told me "I love Britain. This is my country." (He also said he'd like to punch Tony Blair)

The mere fact that they even talk to me sends serious alarm bells ringing in my head as to whether or not they are terrorists. Do you want me to give up? Shall I go back to doing drugs and squat parties?"

No one in that room had anything to do with the Islamists they are trying to reach out to. Really. Its all bollocks.

"They will not win. We are stronger than they are."

Mrs. Thatcher came out with the same shit which didn't stop the IRA either.