BRITISH BLOGGERS

In over a year of blogging I've had hardly any contact with British blogger's. Mike got me blogging and I met deek not so long back (check out Drunk Baboons, Tripping Leopards) but apart from these two... erm... I think thats it. Everything else has been from over the pond. I sort of thought that blogging was largely a US phenomenon.

Checking out the truth laid bear's British section I found a couple worthy of note. Harry's place has an intriguing comment on a post about the BBC's Panorama: MCB Special

(talking about Omar Saeed Sheikh)

I read a fascinating study of him - he was captured in Kashmir and did porridge in the highest security prison in India - but he was so highly regarded by the Pakistan based Jihadis that they hijacked an Indian airplane in Nepal specifically to have him released - one passenger was killed, the plane landed in Afghanistan, Sheikh was released in retun for the Indian passengers - a couple of years later he reappears in Pakistan and is responsible for luring Daniel Pearl to his death - so he is caught and tried in private because Musharaff is terrified of the secrets he will spill about ISI involvment with Jihadism (he refuses to allow the CIA access to him) - rumours abound that he has info on a connection between Bin Laden and Pakistani secret service - he is sentenced to death but for some reason the sentence is not carried out - they say that the Al Qaeda leadership had him earmarked for a possible future leader so charismatic, intelligent and commited he was - anyway, the last they heard was that Omar Shaikh had converted the guards at the prison he is being kept in to radical Islam and is living like a Lord there - he has that gift of the gab - and he is still alive.

posted by a guy called luke

All the comments are interesting, this being about the controversial Panorama documentary I blogged about a while back. Abu Hamza called these guys "The Kaffir Council of Britain" it's quite strange seeing everyone call them extremist's.

I noticed someone else critisised MPACUK for links to anti-semetic websites.

Tuesday 13 September
David Shayler and Annie Machon (both ex-MI5) speak on:
Civil Liberties and Inside MI5
Coffee@ Brick Lane
154 Brick Lane E1(corner of Buxton Street)

Belief, confusion and the philosophy of getting totally shit faced

Since I started this blog I have lowered my narcotic intake drastically. Just trying to "drink in" what Fundamental Islam was really about every friday seemed to seperate me totally from my peer group. For over 15 years I felt like I could only make sense of the world when I was shit faced. Although I am mostly sober these days except for the demon weed, I still feel like this. I'm mostly straight but I still can't make sense of anything.

When some of Mr. Hamza's friends tell me that they left lives like mine for the fundamentals of Islam, I can see it. I know that in the state I am in, addicted to various habits and behaviour patterns I cannot see the wood for the trees. Life is a process of "fooling myself into" things I really want to do and struggling to "fool myself out of" what is bad for me.

Since I started filming people I very rarely "believe things" anymore. I see an argument. I make myself aware of the opposing argument. I think- These arguments contrast. They would make a good documentary.

I haven't smoked dope for 7 days. My paranoia has subsided. I can communicate with people again but I feel a certain "emptiness" which I have a massive urge to obliterate with ganja.

I fell off my bike and trashed my arm a little while ago. Rough justice for writing this no doubt. It stopped me from one opportunity to relive my "shitfaced in a field with repetitive beats" lifestyle but there is another coming up this weekend.

I know I'm going to see a lot of faces I haven't seen for years. I know there will be a lot of people who will see my artwork hanging in the trees and look for me. I wonder if I will try and stay straight and find peace within my old peer group or if I will reach for that chemical "moment" when everything makes sense and the beat is the perfect expression of my soul.

Abdullah talking to Tom a week after the mosque reopened.

"They probably wont let you put it in there but write down "Abu Abdullah loves Abu Hamza for the sake of Allah.""

Menezes: £15,000 compensation offer

from snowmails

New and contradictory details seem to be leaking out each day about the
police shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes and its aftermath.

Today: the coldly worded letter offering £15,000 compensation; and
reports of a row between the surveillance and firearms teams following Mr
Menezes.

I've been speaking to LibDem MP Sir Menzies Campbell, the most senior
politician so far to call for a separate inquiry into the killing and a
public review of the so-called "shoot-to-kill" policy.

watch the report

SERENDIPITY

On the way to a small summer festival one of the regular journalists I met in Finsbury park popped into my head for no apparent reason. At the festival, by the crusty techno tent he popped up in the flesh. Is that serendipity?

We got talking about the De Menezez case and he pointed me to a similar exclusive he had broken that morning. He apparently started working for the Mirror recently. He asked after Abdullah and whether I had any luck selling my footage.

"There must be a lot of interest in it now".

"You would have thought so..." I answered.

We spoke about the UBA.

"The racist group?"

"They say they are not racist." I answered.

"And you believe them?"

"Yes I do, the Police told me that some of them used to be involved in Football holiganism but they are as upset about being called racist's as Abdullah is about being called a terrorist".

We got talking about Bobby Pathak's EXPOSED! article on Abdullah and I told him the problems I would have passing anything on to the Mirror because of it.

"I appreciate the way you talked to them Dave, but the thing you've got to understand is that he was preaching hatred. It was fascism. When he talked about "kaffirs" he meant you".

"That wasn't what he told me although I agree the lines were blurred. I think it was his "way" of preaching which was more offensive in media terms. He was like a hellfire and brimstone baptist preacher. They would shout about sinners and hell in the same way..."

"But that is wrong too. They are fascist's and homophobic.."

"The bible is homophobic. I don't agree with it, but if I was a Christian or a Muslim I would find it hard to get round it. It is the Bible, not the Koran which preaches death for homosexuals. I don't want an Islamic caliphate. Abdullah know's that."

"They separate themselves and say their way is right and everything else is wrong."

"But it's not terrorism and someone who looks like me can go up to them in the street and talk to them about it. To portray these people in one dimensional terms like the tabloids do only serves the interests of the extreme right wing."

"But the Mirror is not the Sun.."

"I know, but as far as Abdullah is concerned it is. Abu Hamza preached against killing innocent's in this country almost every week but it never made the paper's or the TV news did it?".

I like Tom. I think we have a similar outlook and background. He did make me wonder if I was absolutely fucking crazy, but I don't mind that.

BBC ABC ON ISRAEL

As the "Does Israel have the right to exist?" question stumped me a bit I thought I would look up a bit of history on the subject. I am aware that some Muslims think the BBC is a Zionist media conspiracy, but here is a BBC "ABC" on the subject anyway.

And here is a guy from Panorama defending accusation's that Panorama is "Anti-Israel"

and, just for good measure here is Mrs. Rightwingsparkle claiming that the US media is biased AGAINST Mr. Bush.

Oh, and here is someone from Malaysia who really hates America.

ISRAEL

Why are christian's pro-Israel? I sort of agree that the situation is now as such that Israel exists and I wouldn't see any of my Israeli friends killed, but why are christian American's pro-Israel and anti-Palestine? Over on Mrs. Rightwingsparkle's blog a Texan trying to decide whether I was anti-semetic or not chose as the great litmus test:

"Does the state of Israel have a right to exist?"

What the fuck is that all about?

Prophezine

Today is a sad day in history. Today, Israel gave into terrorism and to terrorists, all in the name of peace, a false peace. Today, Israeli troops started informing home owners, Israelis who are their own kinsmen, that they would have to leave there homes and ways of life in the Gaza Strip. All this so that a terrorist born "nation" can have a piece of Israel to call their own. That name is, Palestine.

Just saying the name leaves me ill in many ways.

This land is promised to Israel by our Lord and Father in Heaven. Promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to all those who followed. Did you know one of the few recorded financial transactions in the Bible is when David bought the threshing floor which is better known as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?.

2Sa 24:24 And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

We need to keep Israel and her people in our prayers. As Christians, I feel that we must support Israel politically, diplomatically,socially and if need be, financially. We must also ask our leaders to support a strong and free country of Israel in the same manner as well and stop supporting terrorist actions and means to create change to the nation of Israel.

Psa 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

So following that argument all the Scottish and Irish and vaguely celtic people should kick all of us fucking imigrants out of Britain? And the native American's should start blowing up a few greyhound buses?

Here's another name I remember from my days as a christian:

Hal Lindsey

Thus, the Antichrist cometh!

The “Land for Peace” equation, by its very definition, legitimized terrorism as a form of political persuasion. Over the last dozen years, Israel has in effect given up almost all of its hard-won 1967 land in exchange for nothing that even resembles an illusion of peace.

Here are some of the stark facts:

(1) Palestinian leaders have made no effort to disarm or dismantle the existing terror groups.

(2) There has been no recognition of Israel’s right to exist, which is the most basic premise upon which any peace can be based.

This has been rewarded by the Bush administration embracing them as worthy peace partners. The Palestinians aren’t expecting that they will ever destroy Israel. They are using terror to force the world to do it for them.

So the Palestinian people are the anti-christ? Really? Why would christian's side with Jew's against Muslim's?

Oh, and for the answer to the accusation of anti-semetism read

CONFUSION AND BELIEF

No Michelangelos

This event was inspired by the words of Judge Alan Berg sentencing two
Manchester graffiti writers, August 2004.

People don't want to see this graffiti, whatever you might think. It is not attractive, it is ugly. You saw yourselves as latter-day Michelangelos. While you may consider what you do as art, this is not right. It is vandalism of the worst sort.

uhc

MO

The last British MP to actually look for peaceful solutions with terrorist's has died. So that's it then.

I wrote suggesting her involvement in our current terrorist crisis two years ago here. (last paragraph)

PETER HAINE:

She was the catalyst that allowed politics to move forward which led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.

She cut through conventions and made difficult decisions that gave momentum to political progress.

I remember, particularly, her courageous decision to meet with loyalist prisoners in the Maze in January 1998 who had threatened to walk away from the peace process - it was personal interventions such as this that made the difference and kept politics moving in what was a very difficult environment.

I spoke to her only three weeks ago after the IRA statement and she told me how significant it was.

I firmly believe that Northern Ireland is a better place for Mo Mowlam having been there.

US SHAFTS ITS OWN JUSTICE AGAIN

Explaining his reasons for the verdict, the judge criticised the failure of America to give the court access to three captured al Qa'eda prisoners being held at undisclosed locations.

Claire Short

The MP told the crowd, which included Muslims and Christians how it is vital the British people prevent a new divide between Christianity and Islam. "It's as if there are forces in the world that want a new divide between Islam and Christianity," she said.


"This country of ours that famously lost an empire and hasn't since found a role - that's the role for us. To help find a world united that works together for good, to create a new world order", she said.

A year on the street

OK. 122 people have downloaded my mini-movie a year on the street, 100 of those in the first two days. Who are they?

its LSD

Muslim writer blames current political climate in the US on LSD in the sixties:

They kill in cold blood in the name of a democracy they tailored to destroy, not build. It seems the LSD culture of the Sixties in America did not disappear totally.

Eh? since when was LSD culture about killing? He goes on:

I recognize the fact that Americans are not systematically oppressed by their government with bullets and guns, but are oppressed by other means. You see this oppression in the American society by the number of daily murder, theft, fraud and other offences. You see this oppression by the number of American homeless and others who live far below the poverty line. The American dream belongs to a hand-full of Hollywood celebrities, corporate gurus and a regime of mad politicians.

It is clear the U.S. government wages wars to prevent the civil war that sits at its doorsteps. A country that has more than seven millions behind bars; it has more than 35 Million homeless and desperately poor; it has the highest death by car accident in the world; it has the highest crime, fraud and theft rate in the world. The United States represents about 4% of the human family, but produces more than half the world criminals and fraud technicians. Without second-guessing, it is a known fact: previous U.S. wars have produced a segment of its society, being the byproduct of soldiers and generals who survived previous wars. These soldiers and generals have fathered robotic daughters and sons who live in a human body without a human soul. They kill for games and for egos. A battleground for them is a large TV screen, lethal weapons and laughs. No one should be puzzled and surprised anymore; American society is different from all other societies in the world. The more wars United States is prepared to wage outside its borders, the closer it will bring itself to a civil war.

These are extracts from the diary of Benyam Mohamed, a 27-year-old Ethiopian man whom the U.S. sent to several countries to be tortured.

Some leak....

"I was in the process of relieving myself".

far away galaxies

get this for subtitling

I met these two at a protest maybe a year and a half ago.

The Zionist Media Conspiracy returns.

The Finsbury park posse's belief in conspiracy theories is isolated? Apparently not.

Mr Bunglawala (MCB) accused the programme-makers (BBC Panorama) of being "used by the highly placed supporters of Israel in the British media" to make political capital out of last month's terror attacks in London.

(also guardian, telegraph, Rushdie calls for Muslim reformation guardian,

see also (THE ZIONIST MEDIA CONSPIRACY, Z.M.C. REPLY, REVENGE OF THE NORMAL PEOPLE,

More conspiracies

via omegaprojektet:

Naturally, British intelligence or its subcontractors will tend to back all sides in a conflict—since the conflict, NOT the victory of any one side—is the goal.”

THE CULT OF THE SUICIDE BOMBER UK TV Channel 4

Sometimes I think we are spoilt with TV in the UK.

An ex-CIA man who can speak Arabic and has lost friends to bombers goes to meet the families of the most celebrated suicide bombers in Palestine. He also meets ex heads of the IDF and the architect of "the wall".

I missed the first in this series and picked it up late. Incredible documentary from the guy. Surreal. He goes to a celebration of a "martyr" attended by his father, culminating in everone watching a film of the guy blowing himself up. Then they queue up to hug the father.

Hundreds of thousands of people celebrating bus bomings, kids carrying models of the buses. Everything interspersed with images of the carnage. Children shaking hands with future martyrs. IDF blowing up the families houses.

At the end the guy speaks to a typical looking Israeli. No one in particular.

"How close did he come to you?" asks the CIA man siting on a bench next to the guy.

The guy leans across him.

"This close".

The guy apparently survived Asif Hanif's martyrdom, which killed three people and wounded 60 others because the blast threw him clear.

persian students debate the program here
spiked politics here

A letter To The Prime Minister

Powerful doc that follows international activist Jo Wilding in her years of opposition to UK/US foreign policy towards Iraq. What distinguishes both the film and her actions is that the devastating impact of economic sanctions provides the awful foundation to the campaigns she and others were involved with. Too easily ignored, even by many of those against the invasion and occupation, the sanctions serve as an ongoing reference point for the suffering and oppression of Iraqi civilians. Guest’s film also includes unique and exclusive footage from inside the April 2004 siege of Fallujah, where Wilding served as witness to the brutalities of an illegal US strategy.

Time out

This is the film Richard has just finnished editting.

SNOW TREASON

Legislative musings
======================

Home then for us with the latest attempts to make sense of the latest
thinking aloud from the government over their new anti-terrorism laws.

No, it's not about introducing secret trials with investigating judges
a la France. No, it's not about extending police questioning time to
three months which is close to internment. But yes - some at least in
power want to see phone-tap evidence used in courts and yes, if we had
what Tony Blair announced on Friday we could well have stopped July 7th.

Who says? Lord Falconer the Attorney General - that's who, in a
remarkably frank interview.

I wonder what tomorrow's idea for countering the mouthy mullahs will
be? Oh - and treason's not really a goer, if anybody between here and
Thursday still thinks it is.

snowmails

TREASON

I was just ruminating some sort of response to the treason debate when the offending preacher skipped the country leaving the prime minister playing to himself. As the media machine faltered he threatened to return, giving them the opportunity to start talking about banning him again.

After hearing very eloquent Muslims who have been various shades of not condemning or not condoning the bombings, and various more alarming claims of "a great victory for Al-Qaida" have also been made I find myself in the remarkable position of agreeing with the government.

As Michael Howard

urges the judiciary today to stop thwarting the will of MPs and play a full part in the fight against terrorism.

I say bollocks. Let the judiciary take him up on his challenge.

Let it be treason.

Treason against innocents of this country.

Overhaul these laws so that they actually mean something.

Condemning or not condoning should be argued by a jury of my piers.

I think that the judiciary are the only effective force of dissent left in British society.

And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free

Jack Straw has been making the point that religiously-justified violence is not only found in Islam by talking to Muslim leaders at home and abroad about Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot.

the Muslim Weekly

So that means we can all start learning from our history now does it Jack? Remember Ireland Jack? Remember the sort of people Mo Molam had to speak to to sort that one out? Haven't bombed us in a while have they Jack??

Did the biggest bank raid in history though...

DUMPLINGS

relates to this early article.

Mr Hamza's crew thought they were coming across a bit agressive on the TV pushing and shoving with camera crews, so they changed tactics. Mr. Dumplings and his lot would surround the offending highly paid news crews one end berating them angrily for not being in Iraq, not coming here to pray etc.

Mr. Dumplings would always say "Go home. Cook your wife some dumplings. Fish and chips..."

Watching all these journalists I had seen on TV encountering him for the first time was hilarious. I'm sure they thought he was Al-Quida's most fearsome. There were photographers everywhere, yet if Mr. Dumplings thought that one of them had taken his picture he would go ballistic at them.

"Don't take my picture! Did you take my picture? Don't do it!"

At the other end, Abu Abdullah and Hajj would introduce journalists to Abu Hamza who would sit like king canute in an ancient sofa chair answering questions in a more dignified manner.

IM THE ONE WHOS CRAZY

OK. Until I can get it together to write this up properly for socialistwanker I have a treat exclusively for readers of this blog. Thanks to everyone for stopping by.

A year on the street

streams in Windows media player, or downloads 12 min approx.

Harking back to a more innocent time this is a flavour of events starting from the very beginning of the current Iraq war, up to and including Abu Hamza's "celebration" of a year confronting media and government on the street in Finsbury park.

On the street, the idea that he was dangerous or would be arrested seemed to be far fetched. As did the idea that any home grown Muslim would plant a bomb in this country.

These were my first shaky attempts to get what I saw as the other side of the story across. It was a story I neither felt threatened by nor felt needed supressing in any way. There were lots of things I disagreed with, but I never felt as if I could not discuss them with members of the Supporters of Shariah. As was said by the very nice lady in last night's Why bomb London? - We've been monitoring the Supporters of Shariah for years!

Heart felt thanks to all the Malung TV Camera people

Mike H, Jinn Sidhu and Jubal.

the scratch-dub incidental music is courtesy of DJ Jerome Hill.

There is more of this on the way, I think the next one will focus on the UBA.

Thanks again.

Problems with downloading or any comments about this mpg do help yourself. As Mr. Hamza used to say before he disappeared

"We are open for discussion."

Chechenya created Beslan

A lot of the Muslims I speak to point to the supression of the story of Chechenya around the time of Beslan as proof that the "Zionists run the media". I hope this documentary went some way to addressing their concerns. I missed it.

WHY BOMB LONDON? UK TV Channel 4

OK. Abu Abdullah has popped up both on TV and on the phone. I told him that I thought he had come across OK this time.

"Its not about how I come across. This is what Allah wills for me to do and it is about his bidding."

As some sort of explanation of his position to the British people I thought they were using some of his statements to make good points as well as more alarming ones, although always in these documentaries it is the "dispatches official line" rather than a film about who the people actually are.

For example, to make their point that the Muslims who met Tony Blair were not representatives of British Islam they suprisingly put Abdullah in saying:

"Who put them there? You will find thousands of British Muslims asking that question.."

and also put a very moderate young Muslim girl involved in Islamic survey groups saying the same thing.

I missed the first in this series last week, but I should have twigged that it was the Dispatches Abdullah had told me about. I was nervous about him doing it, considering what the Supporters of Shariah allege was done with Mr. Hamza previously.

The program actually started with the taped piece they dispute, and it is used in one section. Interestingly they did not attribute it to Abu Hamza once. (They feel the hawk-like eye of the judge looking over their shoulder no doubt.)

Apart from that the documentary was the same as usual. Loads of alarming things about people few of whom have never sucessfuly been charged with anything- The Government were threatening one of them with treason this morning totally unaware that the man had already left the country of his own accord on Saturday.

MPACUK

As I have said before, I don't know any of these guys, but some stuff on their site seems a lot closer to the views I have seen expressed amongst angry Muslims I have spoken to over the last two years.

Here is an interesting piece from their archive reflecting the wide opinion in the Islamic community in Britain including a very interesting comment from a Policeman:

I am a serving Police officer and when I attend work i am a Muslim first and a Police officer second. That is my choice and my Iman gets stronger by the day. Now i may sense all who are reading this are saying mashallah but with this stance and belief comes a great amount of persecution and resentment, a dog is treated better than I am, but I don't sit back and take it, i stand up and define and challenge the behaviour of others.

Imagine you walk into a police station and everyone looks at you with disgust because you have a beard and you identify yourself as a muslim. Up until 11/09/03 I got on and kept my head down but when calamities fell upon me and certain senior members in a Police Force tried to inflict damage to me and my family I turned to Allah and with Allah's help I survived but their actions and deceit has left me a bitter taste on my tongue.

For I will never TRUST anyone who is not a Muslim.

I have a sense of anger and hate towards those who did this to me, but at the same time i thank them because they woke my iman up and now I swear by Allah that i will never go to the life i had before.

LUDICROUS

So to sum up this strange journey so far:

I've met a loose group of Republican's who believe the idea that American soldiers would kill Muslim civilians is ludicrous.

I've met a group of Muslim's who have worshiped at various times over the last few years at Finsbury park mosque who believe that the idea that Abu Hamza is a terrorist is ludicrous.

For 16 months I agreed with them that the idea that any home grown Muslim would set a bomb amongst civilians in this country was ludicrous.

What do I think about all this now?

I think that there is an established order of command with US forces in Iraq which does its best to lessen civilian casualties at the moment. I think droping huge bombs from Aircraft is a fundamentally bad idea and I would expect the civilian relatives of the victims to want to come and kill me. I think torture and detention without trial totally invalidates all the Wests supposed principles.

I find the idea of the export of our kind of democracy before we have made poverty history totally hypocritical. I mean it is fucking sick. I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone who believes in God can look at the state of it in their own countries and want to export it in its current form. I cannot see a Muslim country which is exporting Islam with violence.

The situation in Finsbury park confuses me. After meeting the people who believe Mr Hamza is innocent, the idea that he is guilty seems like it has been conceived by people who have never been to Finsbury park mosque. Or by journalists who come in suits with middle class accusations to a fundamentally "street class" group and then leave. It's been entertaining but the real flavour of events hasn't really got on TV.

The cultural difference between middle class journalist and "street" style Muslims has.

52 civilians have been killed in London.

Haroon Rashid Aswat is apparently here.

British justice has yet to decide his fate but its sounds like the village his ancestors came from in India want to hang him anyway, just in case.

Everything on this blog is ludicrous.

THE VOICE

The Voice is a London based Afro-Caribean newspaper.

“HE WAS LIKE ANY OTHER KID”

These were taken at the demonstration outside the US embassy in Grovesnor square against alleged desecration of the Koran in Guantanamo Bay. Full coverage in my May archive.

You have a riveting weblog...

There is someone strange who leaves the same message on every blog he visits. What's the deal?

Through this search I found a really interesting blog telling of events in Nepal. Radio Free Nepal here

ITS 1989 ALL OVER AGAIN!

Roll the bale of straw up hill at 'em! That'll work!


Czech out the BBC report on this years Czech tech!
Czech out the photos!

This has been building up over the last few years. There is a lot of involvement from the British rigs I know.

via skrufff mailout.

PAAAAARTY!!!

CYCLING IN LONDON

This is a little late, but I have been intending to write a post to welcome all the new cyclists in London who are trying to avoid the local Jihad. Contrary to popular opinion amongst London cyclists I find London drivers to be really safe, used to "the London crawl" and pretty courteous if you signal your intentions properly.

Here are some "rules of the road" in London you may find useful.

1. When going round roundabouts or passing junctions, look straight into the eyes of approaching drivers. This is a very simple one which has saved my life a couple of times. Basically, if they aren't looking straight into your eyes there is a big chance that they haven't seen you and aren't going to stop. If in any doubt, stop.

2. Try to always cycle a car doors width away from parked cars. This isn't always possible but it is better to get beeped from behind by some irrate tin box than go headlong into a swinging car door sharp end first.

3. Occupy your space on the road. Wave your arms about, whatever. Make it look as if you are a nutter who is going to swing wildly in any dirrection at any moment. Most people will slow down a bit until they work out what on earth you are up to.

4. If you see someone swinging their car about wildly infront of you because they are on a mobile phone and they have their window open, swipe the thing out of their hand as you pass and deposit it in the next bin you come across. There is no excuse for this and it is illegal. Eventually they will learn. It is your duty to teach them.

5. A quick look over your shoulder inside and out. Know what is about and how fast it is moving. Signal where you are going. Get used to communicating with other road users.

6. Carry a light but effective waterproof, a puncture kit and a pump. There will be moments when you will be glad you did.

7. Jumping lights. Everyone does it. My 55 year old optician does it on his wifes shopping bike. It is one of the strangest outbreaks of anarchy on London streets. Be sensible about it and don't just follow someone else who does it.

8. The Police. If you can't afford a £30 fine, there are alternatives to stopping. You can not only outrun a panda car in most situations, you can look back and wave at the driver as he tries to struggle after you through heavy traffic, siren blaring. There are a lot of new cycle Police about now because they were pissed off about this no doubt, but they are mainly looking for couriers to chase. If one of them stops you and you are not a courier, be subservient and they probably wont fine you. Say something like

"If I had seen you there I wouldn't have jumped that light mate!" and look a bit sheepish. Usually works.

I have only ever been fined once in 10 years and that was because I was stupid enough tp stop for a panda car.

If you do get in a chase with a Police cyclist, you are seriously fast and know your way about, the trick is to go around a blind corner, slam on the breaks and sit on a wall holding your bike infront of you. If you are quick enough you will see the Police bike flying past and go home with a big grin on your face.

9. If jihadis get wise and start bicycle bombing blame Tony Blair for bombing Muslim countries and smiling about it. WANKER. Oh and make sure you have sent a picture to youblewmeupyoubastard.

NB. THIS POSTING IS A JOKE AND I AM NOT INCITING YOU TO DO ANYTHING. I DID NOT WRITE THIS POST. I FOUND IT SOMEWHERE. I AM NOT HERE. I DO NOT EXIST. THE DOG ATE IT. ETC. ETC.

SHIT ME UP

OK. Channel 4 news piece here Watch the report here.

Obviously, this is a news source I respect and so this exclusive shit me up a bit. Looking a bit closer, it says that the guy left the mosque to cause trouble in Brixton two years ago when the mosque first shut down and just before I started filming.

Mr. Hamza continued to preach outside the mosque for another year after this, with the whole protest going on for 16 months (I think). All those who risked the media attention to stand by him seemed to be standing by his teachings which included, specifically that no Muslim should threaten innocents in this country.

Did he part with Mr Hamza on this point? Or did Mr. Hamza lie to the Muslims about his true intentions toward the British people on the street and send the guy to Brixton to cause trouble?

I have called Abu Abdullah, but to be honest he hasn't picked up the phone in a while. Watching Mr. Bakri's contribution he seems to be saying that he had tried to keep the same line with his people for a long time, but it had been difficult. I think he takes this teaching straight from the Koran and calls it a "Covenant of security"

CONFUSION AND BELIEF

There seems to be some confusion, mainly amongst Republicans between what I BELIEVE and WHAT I AM REPORTING THAT THE ISLAMISTS I MEET BELIEVE.

Let me clear this up a bit.

1. I DONT HATE JEWISH PEOPLE.

Whether Mr. Hamza or his friends do, I would advise reading this, my socialistwanker archive and all the news links down the side of this blog to judge for yourself. This is the charge that Mr. Hamza is currently fighting. He has fairly much convinced me that he doesn't hate Jews, but believes that there is a small group of "Zionists" who are evil and run the world. I filmed him defending this point on the street, saying he has discussed this belief with Jewish groups such as Neutri Carter in the mosque.

2. Whilst I report that Mr Hamza's friends believe a Zionist elite control the worlds media, I DO NOT, MYSELF HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO FORM AN OPINION ABOUT THIS. Neither have I met anyone high up in the media world who is Jewish to discuss this theory with yet.

GOT IT?

Lots of people believe strange things. I personally believe that there will come a time where human beings "evolve beyond" their differences to find a solution beyond politics. Whether this happens or not I am happy for history to prove me right or wrong. At the moment, the Republican "Enthusiasm for an enemy" is sorely testing my faith, yet my faith remains.

Maybe I am naive or have taken too much acid.

Basically, if you are a Republican and you think I hate Jews YOU CAN GO AND FUCK YOURSELF. I would write this where the accusation has been made but I have too much respect for Mrs. Rightwingsparkle to use such language on her blog.

STRANGE PERSPECTIVES

I was speaking the other day to a professional photo-journalist who has covered events in Finsbury park (although I did not meet him there) and Mr. Bakri's various press conferences over the years.

He said that although Mr Hamza's friends were hostile to him, he noticed that he had a certain charisma, sense of humour and raport with his young audience which had not been apparent through the TV.

He also said that the more of Mr. Bakri's press conferences he went to the more he believed that Al-Mujharoun were actually in league with the right-wing press. He cited an occasion when all the left wing journalists were just scribbling, totally uninterested, whilst the right wing guys were all taking everything down dutifully and asking the guys to repeat things they had missed out.

"Everything they said to the media seemed to be timed to cause the most controversy and one of them would always film everyone, and all that went on in the room."

In between his numerous high profile UK TV appearances we believe Abu Hamza was a "freelance terrorist recruiter". If Mr. Ujaama wants to see his kids again, he will "cooperate" and say this in court, regardless if it is true or not.

"Plea bargaining" is great no?

Get back in your cave!

We sort of concieved of socialistwanker as a sort of "anti-sun tabloid" but even I have to laugh at this.

Here is another very important campaign the Sun are involved in.

Stranger and stranger

from the independent

A British Muslim arrested in Zambia and wanted by the US for alleged involvement in a terrorist plot is to be deported to Britain...But senior police sources said last night that Mr Aswat is not wanted for any crimes in this country and the only reason for holding him would be due to a US request while extradition proceedings are underway.

Senior British officials say the Americans have so far failed to present an extradition request. It is also believed that the British government has refused US suggestions that Mr Aswat be subjected to the process of "rendition" - incarcerated in a third country.

So Britain doesn't like the extraordinary rendition's favoured by the US? (which some say doesn't work)Is he innocent? Or are they protecting an MI-6 asset?

SAY IT

OK. Bit pissed. Can't really see the screen but I can always correct spelling mistakes in the morning. Finnaly got down to Speakers corner a really great rap night in Brixton. A couple of rappers were enthusiasticaly brandishing stop and search forms, rhyming about the oportunity they got to explain to Policemen the difference between an African and a Jamaican.

"Bush says are you for us? You say..."

Guess what the 200 or so people in the room shouted back.

AHHH!!! JIHADIS!!!!

Just when I was beginning to despair, Mr. Scrutinator has found someone who has made a huge effort to understand the radical Islamist perspective

UBA BACK IN TOUCH

Someone from the UBA has contacted me.(see socialistwanker archive) Apparently they have a policy of not revealing their names to the press and if they were to film with me they would want to be unrecognisable. (as do most of the Muslims I talk to- would it be easier to do a radio show instead?) He gave me a brief run down of events in Trafalgar sq (see TOURISTS AND TERRORISTS) which he considered to be a bit shambolic but sucessful as they forced Al-Mujharoun to locate to "a car park somewhere down in Essex in front of one man and his dog".

He also points out that the UBA have good relations with the large Sikh group who also came down to protest Al-Mujharoun. I'm going to quote a fair bit from his email.

"For the first time in a number of years this country’s greatest monument was free from ‘them’ and their hideous preaching and propaganda, which is what we are really all about".

He claims 350 marched recently (as noted in a comment earlier on this blog) and they also went to Grovesnor sq to show solidarity with those who died on 9/11.

Apparently I was wrong when I said they had dispanded, they have just changed message boards a couple of times.

"Since the bombings, of course, our numbers have rocketed – it’s a shame that it took the bombings to have this effect, but it’s a fact of life that most people need shocking into reality...

much of what the UBA has been saying for a very long time now about the ‘preachers of hate’, the need for loyalty to one’s country and flag, etc etc, the government is now at last deciding to act upon – what a shame it has taken the lives of 53 people and the attempted murder of many more to make this government see sense, as we in the UBA have seen sense for a very long time now.

For some reason we were critisised then for saying these things before the bombings, and we are still critisised for being some sort of extreme right wing group, which we are not –it seems that no matter how much sense we make, and are seen to make, in the long term certain media (usually the left wing) refuse to remove the unfair brand of ‘right wing extremist’ from the UBA as a group even though we regularly have non-white people protest under our banner....

for one reason or another the UBA is branded by some as extremist right wing, racist, full of hate etc etc, and we have been portrayed as just that in the past, when nothing could be further from the truth...

My contact with the UBA came about through my love of football but that is all. (ie not football violence) I am a British patriot, who loves his country and holds dear its traditions and its way of life – and refuse to lie down and say nothing while I see it change for the worse in order to try to appease an ungrateful minority who reap all the benefits of this country but refuse to integrate with us, or even live peacefully (I do not by a long chalk mean ordinary everyday Muslims in that statement, just those fanatics who resent ‘kaafirs’ being in authority over them for religious reasons etc).

I and many of us feel that it is us, the descendants of the people who have lived in this land the longest who are now being overlooked, not listened to, ridden roughshod over and misunderstood in this government's and the left wing authorities’ quest for some sort of ‘political correctness’.

We hope that the UBA might be able to provide a voice for those of us who fall under this category – it is my hope that the normally silent majority at last decide to speak up, and that the day might once again come that we are not ashamed to do so and do not feel intimidated not to do so".

He assures me that were he to meet with some of the Muslims I have been filming with there would be no violence, and that he regularly has debates with such people at Speakers corner in Hyde park.

Check this out (realpalyer videolink, top right) but you got to be quick! it will update soon.

A government ministers pathetic attempt to not engage with any radical islamists ATALLINTHEFUCKINGSLIGHTEST.

Is there ANYONE in this country trying to engage with radical islamists except me? Do tell me if you know of one. I'm a bit lonely.

ITS SNOW USE, I TOLD YOU...

sign up for snowmails

Blears takes message to Moslems
===============================

All this as the government sends Home officer minister Hazel Blears to
the northwest on a reassurance mission for Moslem communities. So did
she reassure them over the touchy subject of perceptions that the US and
UK are killing thousands of Moslems around the world? Apparently not.
Apparently she would not discuss it. So how do you reassure people who
are angry without addressing their anger?

I hope to get an explanation from Hazel Blears this evening - no word
as yet. Her opposition counterpart has already said today he can pretty
much understand why people want to blow themselves up. Shades of Cherie
Blair saying she understands the despair of Palestinian suicide
bombers...

Hamza and Mr Aswat jan 20th 1999

UNBEFUCKINLIEVABLE

OK. Check this out.

So this is what the fuck is happening.

Jamal just emailed me the other day pointing out the latest conspiracies. I have been loathe to get too sucked into "conspiracy world" but as, alongside the Koran they are a stapple diet of the Muslim group I have been following I always keep up on them. To be honest I am glad that Hamza's friends deny that it is Muslims, and believe in a "conspiracy" rather than justifying the bombing as I have seen a few too many Muslims doing on TV recently.

Listen- My blog has always been about a gut feeling that the people I have been talking to were being honest, however outlandish their theories appeared to be. With them so adamant about "secret service" involvement I began to think about how i would go about sorting this if I were a spook.

I thought:

I would have someone in deep, deep cover who was friends with Muslims for a long time, then tell 'em, "Lets go on holiday! bring your rucksacks!" ...and the rest is history.

I am not saying I believe this, I am saying that it is possible. Especially as the 7/7 guys families speak so highly of them.

I was arguing with Richard about conspiracy theories and infowars in particular just this morning and then I see this on infowars-only this time it is carried by FOX NEWS!

If it is found that an MI5 double agent bombed this fucking country, even if it was against their wishes, the righteous anger amongst Londoners could bring some serious shit down on the government.

I look through UK news and NOT A WORD. Then I look at the BBC site to find this.

Now this is serious conflict between two countries who are supposed to be "side by side in the war on terror"

Any more of this and I am seriously GETTING THE FUCK OUT. This blog will go dead.

You think I am joking?

Whilst I think that the FBI/CIA are basically stupid, and would torture 100 Muslims in the vain hope of convincing themselves that one is guilty, I believe that MI-5 are seriously clever, seriously dangerous and capable of infiltrating anything.

also:

expressindia.com, the sun, uruknet, IOL
etc. etc. etc.

UPDATE:
Senior Whitehall officials also deny “any knowledge” that he might be an agent for either MI5 or MI6. (the Times via simplyappalling) where the Aswat dtory is surmised in slightly less hysterical terms.

Ts for Ds

I don't dare publish a link to it because I don't want to be traced by these people but if you click on this

http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?t=147613

some white power guys are slagging off my second favourite London news presenter. The comments are hilarious.

Wheres that nice white lady presenter gone?...

Is it Emily-something? Though she is white, even she (well she is a newsreader after all) comes across as an insane liberal....

Emily Matliss, or something like that - I don't think she is white. Shes got some foreign mix in her....

and the best one:

What bugs me most about both of these news shows is how the presenters, who are all from nice backgrounds, seem to replace their Ts for Ds when they speak, adopting a Nicey and Smashy mid-Atlantic accent. We don't have 'hospitals' in the 'capital' anymore, but 'hospidals in the capidal". It infuriates me no end!!....

Haroon, friend of "The Hook" off the hook?

Although police would not say how far they had come to finding links to those higher up the chain, they sought to play down the role of Haroon Rashid Aswat, a Briton of Indian descent who was arrested last month in Zambia and once suspected of having a co-ordinating role. Zambian officials have agreed to extradite Mr Aswat, whose telephone reportedly received calls from the July 7 bombers, but British officials said they were no longer interested in interrogating him.
(FT.com)

So to recount:

There was a worldwide terror hunt for this guy, who was Abu Hamza's "Top Aide".

Then he was allegedly arrested in Pakistan "carrying a belt packed with explosives, a British passport and a substantial amount of cash when he was seized".

Then:

"We have no information about Haroon Rashid Aswat. He has not been arrested in Pakistan,'' said Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed .

The Americans chipped in with:

Aswat and the other men were in Bly to scout a location for a terrorist training camp, according to a law enforcement source and court documents.

Then he turns up in Zambia
and is arrested.

A man wanted in connection with the London bombings on July 7 has been arrested in Zambia... British authorities are looking into whether he had been in close contact with the suicide bombers involved in the blasts, which killed 52 people as well as the four perpetrators...Investigators discovered some 20 calls had been made from his mobile phone to two of the four men, according to reports.

Now the Zambians agree to deport him British officials are "no longer interested in interrogating him".

So what the fuck is happening?