Give me your number and I'll get back to you...

Cop Ignores ID request on camera in The Sun (Who owe me money)


...The CCA claimed they had been flooded with allegations of brutality, including a baton-charge of a peaceful protest camp. Their report, being sent to MPs, said: “The failure to wear identification should be treated as a serious disciplinary matter. It is vital that police officers in riot gear have their ID on their fronts and backs at all times in extra large font so it is clearly visible.” ...The Star


...Sir Ken said that the public response to footage showing several officers making unprovoked attacks, including against Ian Tomlinson, who later died of internal bleeding, had suffered from "a lack of perspective and a lack of objectivity"....The Telegraph


Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, is said to be "furious" that officers have been on duty with their identification numbers concealed. Telegraph

Should read: Sir Paul Stephenson is said to have been "furious" that officers have been on duty for years and years and years with their identification numbers concealed . If he doesn't know this, why is he in charge of the Police?

...Mr Malthouse said: “The policy of the Met Police is very clear. The public have the right to be able to identify any uniformed police officer and so badges should be worn at all times. We support the Commissioner's decision to hold officers to account when they purposely conceal their identity.”

The Home Office also criticised officers who fail to wear their epaulettes, insisting the “public has a right to be able to identify” them.A Home Office spokesman said: “We welcome the Commissioner's statement that all uniformed police officers should be identifiable at all times by their shoulder identification numbers, and wholly agree that the public has a right to be able to identify any uniformed officers while performing their duties.”

A Yard spokesman said: “Where provided, epaulettes with identifying letters and numerals or insignia of rank must be worn and must be correct and visible at all times. “It is the responsibility of all police officers, and their supervisors, to ensure this policy is followed.”....(Evening Standard)

If I was the Police I would put Barry back in charge. Has he upset someone high up? Last I heard he had been moved to serious violent crime. He is a wasted asset.

..

OPENINGS

For your viewing pleasure, I'm going to have to dig around to put a date to this but as you'll see from the dialogue it was the first time I set foot in the mosque in two years or so filming outside. The guy accosting me for not accepting Islam was OK with me most of the time and visited one of the squats I lived in with his brother once. He ediited the Supporters of Shareeah website. I was touched how the other guy stood up for me. You can see the energy about him, I didn't realise he was recently released from Belmarsh.

see THE BROTHERS GONNA WORK IT OUT

ITS A FUCKING LIBERTY THATS WOT IT IS

I was a bit slow to pick up on Chris Atkin's Taking Liberties but I finally got to see it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. You should see it just for the included footage of Walter Wolfgang's removal from the Labour party conference and the subsequent attempts to suppress filming of his friend getting hit by New Labour bouncers as well as the hilarious coverage of the EDO protest complete with a protester “serving” an angry Policeman who jumps out of his van and chases after him. The Ricin story is also collated very well here including its place in time as a device for Blair and Bush to crow about in Washington which proved to be empty. It was great also to see an extensive big up to Rizz MC's post 9/11 blues which should be a big hit. Rachel North (pictured) is also a fairly central character to the spirit of this film and it was great to see Rose Rickford, a fairly central character in my first attempt at film making (Day-X) still experimenting with direct action. She is one to watch.

I've caught up a bit with some of the reviews which are worth looking at. The only critical one seems to be this:

No, Labour has not turned Britain into a police state

I can see both sides in this and as usual take neither.

Chris looked at some footage I had of kids protesting a while back and we discussed his theories. I'm not sure if I also put him on to Barry, the grand designer of the FIT squad (looking a lot younger in the picture) who graciously admitted in the film that if his guys were acting like the paparazzi they were exceeding their remit. I remember the day very clearly because whilst we were in the pub waiting for his equipment to capture my tape Chris informed me about arrests he had heard about on the news in Borough which turned out to be Abdullah and co.

I don't think I was much help because at the time I didn't really agree with his premise, or rather my own experience didn't match it. As I have said before, the Police, by and large behaved extremely sensitively outside Finsbury park mosque over two years. I've got lots of filmed evidence of this. I have been extensively involved with people who are up on charges of incitement to commit murder and I've never been hassled by the Police about it once.

Sure, away from Finsbury park the FIT squad have spoken to me in a manner which made me irate, but, you know, its the fucking FIT squad. They can't help it. I answered their questions honestly and they didn't detain me. I am only briefly offended by being photographed by them and usually try and smile. Maybe I should be a bit angrier, I don't know. The FIT team all recognise me as I am a bit distinctive. I recognise them. I just don't give a flying fuck.

Seeing how the Police have behaved towards protesters elsewhere I can see a lot more why Chris holds the views he does. They have overstepped the mark, and assumed they were allowed to because of new laws. The FIT squad are an institutionalised bunch. This doesn't surprise me. They use a few laws which they think make their job a bit easier, a lot of people who have been victims of this have pursued them in the courts and won. Not easily, but eventually. That doesn't mean to me that the Blair government secretly want to control us. I think it is likely that they are obsessed with terrorism.

Maybe I should be worried about a Police state. I wonder sometimes whether “The powers that be” are aware of whats coming and are passing laws to be ready for some kind of "Children of men" nightmare scenario. The thing is I am the type of person who if I let such thoughts take hold would very quickly be driven mad by them. So perhaps for my own mental health I remain skeptical about a “Police state”.

Here Chris argues about phone tap evidence. As far as I know the laws about phone tap evidence are under scrutiny because of one guy- Abu Hamza. Same as the law about demonstrating outside parliament was brought in because of Brian Haw. Chris is right that people in government are remote and law obsessed and the wrong people are being caught up in these laws by over zealous Policemen, but I don't really believe it is their intention. I should imagine that going over to the States and being wanked off by Capitalists in Washington was just all too much for Blair and he can see a future as some sort of hero over there. Unfortunately in Britain today "Labour" have to behave like Thatchers teet suckers to stay in power, and thats a shame.

My guilty secret is that even before seeing Boris Johnson's performance in this movie I was dangerously close to wishing he was Prime Minister. Everyone must know that if he was leader of the Tory party no one else would stand a chance. Imagine that propelled onto the “World Stage”.

BARRY MOVES ON

Chief Superintendent Barry Norman is moving on after four years as Islington's Borough Commander. He is leaving to take up a new and challenging role in Violent Crime Directorate.

Mr Norman's time at Islington has seen an 18% drop in crime on the borough. His proudest moments have been the re-opening of North London Mosque, Finsbury Park and overseeing the introduction of community policing throughout the borough.

In an interview for the Islington Gazette, Mr Norman said, "Working with the local authority to get the Finsbury Park mosque open again was probably top of the list.

"It's no longer this iconic place people associate with the difficult things with young Muslims. It's just another community centre and that?s a fantastic achievement.

Do read about my encounters with Barry outside the mosque here

TERRORISTS. FREEDOM FIGHTERS.

“But they are legislating besides Allah which is totally Haram!”

I had pointed out in conversation with Abdullah the comments on MPACUK which suggested that he and the guy he argued with on Sky TV had both only managed to “Disgrace Islam in front of the Kaffirs.”

I said that although I had nothing to do with Islam I wondered if the man had a point.

Why am I writing these words? Why on earth have I found myself taking about Kaffirs and arguing with Republicans? Why was Finsbury park mosque like a terrorist casting show? Are any of these people real? Looking at the front page of the Standard last night I wondered to myself in a stoned haze whether Hamza, all of them, are spies working for the government. I had a waking dream of Hamza with his dark glasses and hook standing looking at me from a distance. For a fleeting irrational moment I thought Abu Hamza, David Blunkett and Nick Griffin were all robots put amongst our species to herd us through fear.

I had called Abdullah earlier and he appeared to be threatening a “fatwah”, an attack on the Muslims who spoke against Hamza. At points like that I wonder if I should call the Police, but assume they are listening anyway. Barry Norman told me once that Abdullah had threatened to kill him in the mosque but he hadn't taken him seriously. I was relieved when he called back after his prayer time in a calmer mood.

“I know they all desperately want you to be the next Abu Hamza.”

“Well you've seen the Evening Standard. I'm on page 4.”

I had bought all the papers but hadn't looked at them yet. I saw that the standard said "100 Hamzas still out there" or something. Later I saw Abdullah as he said, on page 4 pictured next to some Muslims I have never met who had gone on TV justifying 7/7. If Abdullah ever said anything justifying 7/7 I would be extremely pissed off. I recorded his views on the subject days after the event.

“You don't understand. All this time I am trying to educate you and you don't accept Islam.”

“Look. You have to understand. It doesn't matter from my perspective if a Muslim believes in democracy or not. I don't vote. At the moment I am anti-democracy. If it gave me any choice i would be for it. I stood at the trial out of respect for the jury for giving up their time, not any "man-made law". I've read MPACUK. They are not pro-war. They believe that they can achieve the same results you are after by engaging with democracy. A lot the Republicans I speak to think this is probably true here as Muslims are breeding faster than the rest of us.”

“A bottle of Alcohol is Haram. A sip of alcohol is Haram. Man made law is forbidden for a Muslim. You may not believe me, but whether you accept it or not, all of these TV people give you knock backs yet you stay with this. There is a reason why.”

“Because I am interested in the people who don't justify bombing in this country yet have a different view of Mr. Hamza to the accepted mainstream view. This is what I want to film. My biggest obstacle is your friends. You isolate yourselves. Except for yourself, Hajj and Jamal, everyone else looks at me like I am some sort of Kaffir. I want peace between your culture and my culture. When I started all of this I wasn't even concentrating on Hamza. I started trying to make a film about you because for whatever reason I found you easier to talk to.”

“You shouldn't be offended by the word kaffir. It just means someone who hasn't seen the light.”

“I'm not offended. In Pakistan I stayed with a tribe who used to control an area called Kaffiristan. I don't mind being called a Kaffir. I am a Kaffir.”

Abdullah talks in long rants battering my phone credit, saying things I mostly agree with. Its hard to get a word in edgeways. Thinking about it, he probably thinks the same about me.

“These are my brothers and sisters! I read your site, you don't care, you smoke and drink and live your life. You value a life over here more than a life over there like everyone else.”

“ Why do you say I don't care? That is not true. I may have a different lifestyle but I don't want innocents to be killed anywhere. I wrote on my blog that when I stoped the week after 7/7 I was remembering Muslims killed in Iraq as well as the 52 innocents killed here. You know, I don't want to advise you or anything. I'm just trying to make an objective film, but if you want these results and you speak in an angry voice blurring or being grey about what is a Jew and what is a Zionist you are doing your cause a disservice and so is Mr. Hamza.”

“It says in the Koran. The Jews are cursed because they rejected Jesus. That is why Mohamed came as the final messenger. If I preach now that a Muslim should aid his brothers and fight back in Palestine I am breaking the law, but any Jew can go to Israel, put on a uniform, kill my brothers and sisters and come back.”

I couldn't really argue with the last part. This was one of the most distressing things I realised during the court case. Even knives and blank firing guns at found at the mosque could still point to Muslims training to fight Russians in Chechnya as easily as the right wing papers suggest it points to terrorism over here. Obviously that is what I would like to be true. No one I have met at Finsbury park justified 7/7.

“That is true, and the British people know what a freedom fighter is, but the way you present yourself the British people will not realise that is what you are about. Look. I believe you don't want to kill me. I believe none of you hate Jewish people as a race. All I am saying is try not to loose your temper, and try and remember you are talking to people who are not Muslims.”

I think we came to the end of our conversation with a good understanding of each other.

I just want to push things forward in Londonistan. Peace between Islam and the West. Oil wealth for the people, the end of dictatorships. Things like that. Complete world peace. Arms down. Jesus, Mohamed, all of them. Clean slate you know?

Things like that.

For me personally I'd like to include an option to disgrace my beliefs in public but there you are..

I've got a cunning plan....

Is any of this varifiable or is it just someones fantasy? Al-Qaida's plans to 2020.
I remember Mr. Hamza used to say "I think Bin Ladens message means..."
and all the journalists used to scuttle off convinced Hamza had him on the other end of a satellite phone planning the minute details of global jihad. "Bin Laden" and "Al-Qaidas" enormity is cooked up between Republican and Islamic fantasists isn't it? Where are these hordes of Jihadis?

BARRY on Hamza:

"The national media have puffed this person up to be something that he probably delighted in being... It just seemed to me that the solution to the Abu Hamza problem was to actually stop giving him all the publicity that everyone was giving him and then the negative impact he was having on the Muslim community...the mainstream community...all of that was power...the fact that the newscasters would stand there and listen to what he said."

also for reference from the same article for whoever maybe taking an interest:


BONES: You see what I don’t want, as I am not attatched to a production company is if I have the phone numbers of these guys. I don’t want press saying "He’s with them" or any of that bollocks. You know, I ain’t a Muslim.not in any sense of the imagination. Never been tempted.

BARRY: Sure.

BONES: I mean I don’t want to be picked up myself, you know. Like “He’s been talking to them” I mean I have been talking to them. For two years, like. I am very interested in what they have to say.

BARRY: Well you’ve been talking to me as well. We’re cool about that. There’s no problem.

Many who have been involved in street protests, especially in London, in recent months will have come across the Metropolitan Police’s Public Order Intelligence Unit (POIU), part of its public Order Branch. Led by Inspector Barry Norman, it was set up initially to deal with football hooligans.

Forward INTELLIGENCE team

picture from indymedia

Not to labour the point, but the clue is in the title guys.

If 6 F.I.T. crew dawdle around incessantly photographing someone who looks like this whilst THOUSANDS of kids who look like this shouting "ALLAH HO AKBAR!! ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST ALL OF US?" pass by then all I can say is we really are in trouble in London aren't we???

OK guys. This is got me a bit melancholy. I mean shit. I AM JUST INTERESTED OK GUYS? In some ways its nice to know that I can still provoke that reaction in a member of the fucking F.I.T. crew but I think scores were settled between "them" and "us" a long time ago don't you? I mean Thatcher hasn't been in power for a long time now has she? I have personaly always been at peace with those who choose to wear blue all day.

I mean I want to go to America to film with all my Republican buddies for fuck sake. We're all friends. We don't want to kill each other do we? If they pass those photos to the Americans will I get fucking extraordinarily fucking rendered? I've got my rights!

To all who may happen upon this humble diary I'm telling you like it is. Its a good story. I'm just interested OK? Fuckin calm down like. Just let me follow the fucking story. I've met a whole load of crazy sounding people saying crazy sounding things. Even crazier people shout at them from crazy red newspapers, government chambers in the UK, the US and on frumpy suited television. I'm as close to the middle of it as I can get and I still don't believe there is a God. I'm beginning to wonder whether it is all just a huge misunderstanding and we can all fuck off home.

To anyone "else" I'm just trying to make your job a bit easier. Call it "Community liason."

Seriously from now on if you want to know who I am

ASK FUCKING BARRY.

Just ask him. OK?

A BIT OF "SELF STYLING"

Hizb ut-Tahir march, London

Thousands of young Muslims from all over the country segregated into groups of men and groups of women. Most of the girls looked between the ages of 14 and 20. The result of the British "integration experiment."

Whilst A-B marches always have ordered slogans, non-denominational "peace marches" always have a bit of chaos around the edges. This was a march of monotheism with strict order and segregation. Overwhelmingly young Muslim's led from the front by, amongst others Yvonne Ridley.

I arrived late and caught the back end, filtering up the side as the crowd of thousands passed Downing street. Coming up on a group of maybe over a thousand Islamic girls shouting slogans was like listening to a flock of birds in the trees. Surreal.

I followed all the way, annoyed that I hadn't got a camera to record the thoughts and faces of passers by as they witnessed this strange sight. The Police, sensing no threat of violence did not enforce a strict "you're either in or you're out" policy and I was able to wander at will. I eventually parked myself at a coffee shop on Piccadilly to watch this strange procession and keep an eye out for anyone I might recognise from Finsbury park.

Sitting down I thought I noticed some Police vaguely peering at me from behind a plant I was sat next to. Sure enough, in a few minutes a F.I.T. photographer (see here and here)made it very obvious he was taking my photograph. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up for his picture and then looked at him very deliberately with righteous indignation which encouraged the original snoopers to come and question me.

"What is your name?" they asked.

"David." I told them.

"What's your last name David?"

"Unless you are arresting me, I'm not really happy to tell you anything. I haven't done anything."

"You've been following this demonstration for a long time. We don't know who you are."

I told them that I had been filming with Hamza's friends in Finsbury park for two years and that my films were on socialistwanker.com, which eased the tension a bit. I also told them that if they asked Barry Norman, he would be able to tell them who I was.

"Well we don't know who you are and you are shaking."

"I'm angry because the man took my photograph without asking who I was."

"Have you any identification?"

I pulled out my cashcard, which we had a bit of a tug of war with.

"Have you been arrested for anything before David?"

"No. Never. I am very interested in the story of British Fundamental Islam."

"So you are a self styled journalist with socialistwanker?"

I relaxed a bit when he said this. As it was the first indication that he actually understood who I was, I no longer felt myself to be at the mercy of a Policeman's imagination about who I could be. I realised that they were actually a bit nervous of me when they stopped me reaching for my pockets.

"So where do you live David?"

"London."

"Where abouts in London?"

"London in London. Look mate just ask Barry."

the questioning got a bit more peaceable as we moved on to the quality of the food in the cafe.

"So are you thinking of becoming a Muslim and joining this?" one of them asked.

"I don't believe there is a God." I answered.

He looked down, a bit thoughtful like. "OK. Thanks for your time."

I was still shaking a bit as I walked on, but to be honest I was glad to get the conversation out of the way. I should really get some sort of journalist card. The photographer still took photo's of me as I passed. In Hyde park I heard Babar Ahmed's father speak about the campaign to free him. I also heard Yvonne Ridley saying that anyone who bought Coca Cola was "Buying the bullets for the Zionists to kill Palestinian children with."

She asked for a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11, 7/7, Madrid and Bali and berated the government over their silence at thousands of Muslim deaths around the world.

she finnished:

"When the British government invaded a Muslim country we marched and it made no difference. If they dare to invade another, we won't march. We will riot."

at this point there were maybe 10 or 12 Police calmly standing at a distance from maybe 2 or 3 thousand Islamists, none of whom looked like they were about to riot.

If those 10 or 12 Police had heard what she said I don't think it registered. They were no doubt happy that because of the F.I.T. squads exhaustive work over the last 10 years those who really would riot stay at home these days and out of these well mannered shinning sucesses of the comprehensive school system they've only got to find the nervous few who would strap explosives to themselves and blow the rest of us up. Good luck.

My clue for nothing: None of them have bones in their ears or rings through their fucking shnozels.

The only broadcast crew who were filming came up to me, one of them smiled.

"The Police are taking a big interest in you. We were following that guy for a while. He came a very long way to take a photograph of you." he told me.

"Maybe the bones in my ears make them nervous." I answered.

MALUNG TV NEWS LONDON

Jamal called me. Told me to call Abdullah. I called Abdullah. He sounded very stressed. Apparently the Sun and the Daily mail, an arabic newspaper called Al Hayat and a South African radio program have called him continualy. they are giving him the impression that he and Omar Bakri are to be arrested very soon.

In the Suns case this is probably why.

In the name of New York, Washington, Bali, Nairobi, Madrid and now London, we shall have vengeance and justice. Britain is crawling with suspected terrorists and those who give them succor. The Government must act without delay, round up this enemy in our midst and lock them in internment camps.Our safety must not play second fiddle to their supposed “rights.”Nor must those who preach foul sermons on our streets be allowed to do so any longer.

Free speech is precious, but these wicked men mock our tolerance.

"I'm not one to run and hide." he told me. "If I shut up they will blame us."

When they arrested Abu Hamza I wasn't sure what to think. For the year I saw him preach I didn't warm to him, but all his anger was directed at the rich and powerful, none of it at me. I was more offended by Abdullahs khudbahs to be honest, but for very different reasons than the Mirror. When I first arrived he preached against people with facial piercings for 3 weeks. He is certainly "extreme" but comes across more EXTREMELY south London than anything else regardless of what he hollers in the street.

I remember when we fell out I sent him a screaming email saying such things.

"Look. If you don't agree to do this documentary now and a bomb goes off ALL of you will be taken off the street and I will be the only one standing outside Belmarsh protesting and everyone will be wondering why."

That was over a year ago (see CAN I DO A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOU MR ABDULLAH, FUCKING SHEEP! BAA! BAA!, HAVE I GOT LEPROSY? etc etc etc)

I never got the impression that Barry the Boss ever had the remotest intentions of arresting Abdullah.

UNDER NEW MANAGMENT

At the mosque again, I was the only person there with a camera, a point Barry noted that he was quite pleased about. I got into a really long and enlightening conversation with him whilst Muslims prayed inside which I will hopefully surmise in a Socialist wanker article in a couple of days. The new trustees seemed a bit nervous about talking to me. I hope it doesn’t take 2 years to gain their trust. Once someone came out I told him that I had spoken to Hamza and co over a two year period and had promised to give his friends a fair representation. I was also interested in how the Islam the new trustees and the MCB preach differs to Hamza’s. Would they be up for it? The guy didn’t seem opposed but wanted something in writing.

MALUNG MINI MOVIE

The week after Abu Hamza was arrested Barry came down to review the situation regarding the Islamists street protest. The united british alliance were in Finsbury park protesting. This sequence contains 12 images. Mpg coming soon on socialistwanker.com

Barry and Abdullah arrange to discuss how the protest might be resolved.

This protest will end by negotiation, not confrontation-explains Barry

dumplings media control..

leaves everyone smiling as usual

THE EVIL LONDON POLICE

Riot culture seems to be dead in London though the met still send huge amounts of kitted out Police to make sure.

I caught up with the Critical Mass bike ride in Trafalgar square. There were maybe 15 cyclists standing in the rain, and round the corner there were 50 police on amazing mountain bikes.

The protest of the century HAS to be the storming of Alexandra Palace.

the Riot Police must have been really confused...

the debate in the indymedia article is fantastic unearthing stories of Socialist Workers historic plans to shoot anarchists "come the revolution..." fantastic, pure Socialist Wanker stuff!

Round the corner in Tufnell Park some friends are trying to make a community centre in a long abandoned church, currently under planning application to be turned back into a church.

(Iron Maiden filmed a video there a long time ago.)

I turned up this morning to find loads of Police outside talking to the squatters through a locked gate. One of them wanted to take my details. It was raining so this time I told him that if he wasn't going to arrest me I didn't want to keep giving out my details just becaucse Policemen asked me.

A HUGE policeman in stab proof overalls stood forward and said.

"Wait a minute, I recognise you from Finsbury Park!"

We chatted about Finsbury Park, Hamza finnaly going on trial, Barry's relationship with Muslims and media (top man for the job said my friend in blue) and my chances of getting Hamza's friends side of what was actually happening on TV.

Meanwhile A Police seargant negotiated between the owners and the squatters. All was amicable when I left.

THE BROTHERS GONNA WORK IT OUT

As promised the Mosque reopened yesterday. Everyone had a meeting the previous night and decided to set aside their differences for Ramadan. There was a genuinely good feeling outside, with all those involved with last week’s arguments in a conciliatory mood. I tried to get in but a Muslim I didn’t know blocked my path, (UPDATE: This turned out to be my first ever meeting with Mohammed Hamid ) so I stood outside with the other infidels corner regulars and a Policewoman called Rachel. Barry popped by briefly but I forgot to ask him if he would write something for socialistwanker. Before he left he told a journalist that he hoped the demonisation of Finsbury Parks Muslim community would now stop.

Eventually some Algerians I knew got me into the entrance of the Mosque, camera running. After two years standing outside it was quite a big moment for me. I found that I wasn’t the first infidel inside. I was beaten by none other than Jeremy Corbyn. Much as I try and dislike politicians, seeing Jeremy surrounded by Finsbury Park’s Muslims, papers in hand trying to help them with their worries was an idyllic scene. I told him I was from socialistwanker.com and he told me that he was proud to be there with the Mosque open. He had always been a guest here for Ramadan before and was looking forward to coming next week.

A couple of people tried to get me out but a very animated Algerian who claimed to be recently released from Belmarsh insisted I stayed. I’m still trying to work out what else he was saying on my tape, but I can already see that this guy will make great TV and he has a story he really wants to tell. I checked with a couple of Muslims who I had told about this blog and they all said I had represented their side fairly.

I am continually amazed by how totally under whelmed everyone is by my language and drug references. So many Muslims here have reverted from a lifestyle similar to mine, they don’t seem even to notice. Mr. Abdullah eventually came out. He didn’t seem downhearted or defeated; although it was obvious he had taken a step back.

“ The Muslim community is happy, I suppose the government is happy…”

An Imam had come in whom all sides respected. Everyone agreed that to be enemies with each other was not Islamic and that they should all talk and refer everything they said to the Koran. I told Mr. Abdullah that I had seen him on a BBC program the previous night called The Asian Invasion.

They had used a clip with Abdullah preaching and Hamza in the background shot the first week I arrived at Finsbury Park (not by me) to demonstrate “British Asian Extremists” and implied that the majority of British Asians were embarrassed by them. Abdullah and co all thought this was hilarious.

As far as I know, the Mosque will be reopen for prayers everyday now, and I can feel my documentary coming to a conclusion. I haven’t really spoken to the other side, ie the trustee’s, but it would be great to negotiate access to the conversations between the two sides as the Mosque reopens, film of this may help to “rehabilitate” the Mosque in the eyes of the great British suburban sofa. I’m going to keep trying to get in with or without a camera anyway.

I found it strange the choice of vehicle that people left in. Jeremy Corbyn MP tucked his trousers into his socks and cycled off. Barry disappeared in an unassuming white Vauxhall Astra while the Imam left in a posh, sleek, streamlined gun metal grey Beemer.

TALES FROM INFIDELS CORNER part 53

Between chaotic squat moving spasms I actually got a chance to get to the mosque yesterday to find that Mr. Abdullah had found my blog. I was relieved that he didn’t hit me or stand in the street and issue a fatwa against me. Not until I can get a camera running anyway. I wasn’t really intending to keep it a secret. I just didn’t want to influence events in what I thought to be a very important story.

He made some criticisms from Islamic law which were fair, as I was in their mosque. I agreed to update anything we both agreed were factually incorrect. It felt good to be out in the open a bit more. He preaches a lot about the truth standing clear of all falsehood. I hope any Muslim who now finds this will see it as an attempt to report the truth as I see it and excuse some of the language for the sake of truth.
(Though I can’t find a verse in the Koran to back me up in this request.)

I asked a few of the guys who appear in the background of shots I intend using if it was OK to include them. They were all proud to be standing next to Abu Hamza but pleased I had asked them and in this new spirit of glasnost I also got a chance to make up with my Muslim bookseller friend {see EVICTION, EXTRACTION AND EXTRADITION)

As far as drama was concerned if I had 5 cameras here I could have made my documentary in real time today. I’m lucky my blog didn’t provoke Mr. Abdullahs anger as he seemed to have a whole lot instead to show to another brother before, during and after his hudba until quite a long time after the Police were gone. Everyone got involved except for the 20 or so bemused Police.

He seemed to think this guy was a spy who was doing a deal with Barry to arrest Abdullah before reopening the Mosque. He preached that he’d rather have a gun to his head than accept man made laws and addressed most of this to Barry by name at some decibels though he came up to me afterwards and told me that Barry was a credit to the Police force.

Absolutely no idea whether the guy is a spy, actually feel a bit bad reporting the internal politics of Finsbury park mosque now, you can see the same thing at any religious or political institution. Better out than in I always think.

Although it would have made great TV action and as a tabloid fan I’d love to call this

“Bust up at Finsbury Park mosque!”

Suffice to say that it was nothing the Police took the slightest interest in arresting anyone for- just like the last 21 months really.

I heard a strong rumour that an attempt to reopen the Mosque was coming next week. I know Barry agrees that nothing has actually happened outside the Mosque in all this time that could not have concievably happened within and so as such this part of the war on terror can be declared an absolute waste of taxpayers money, but nevertheless a grandstand for sensitive Policing.

I hope the brothers can hold it together to get the place open next week and that it becomes all the best things they say a Mosque should be. The four of us regulars in Infidels corner are hoping to be invited in this time. Whilst the brothers were arguing we had a long discussion and agreed that Religion and Politics should in no way be expected to be separate issues. We quite enjoy all this Blair and Blunkett bashing and can’t remember hearing a lot which threatens our way of life whatever the fucking Sun says.

Barry the Boss (see BARRY THE BOSS)

ITS ALL NONSENSE

Still without a camera.

This week,as Abu Hamza was finally being questioned about terrorism in this country, amongst other things Mr. Abdullah was telling the Police that the maggots would eat them and that they are puppets of the government because they don’t tell the government to ban pornography on TV.

Barry was back {see BARRY THE BOSS}and I asked him if he had a nice holiday.

“ Where did you go?”

“ Nowhere really.”

I asked him what he had been talking about with the trustee’s a couple of weeks back.

“ I don’t know, you try to help people…” he said cryptically.

“ Do you think these people here are the rightful occupants of the mosque?”

“ Well yes...”

“ Is there any evidence that these people are threatening so called "moderates" to stay away? It must be hard being in your position when these guys leader is being called the Bin Laden of Britain...”

He expressed a personal view on that subject which I can’t report. (the clue may or may not be in the title)- and walked away leaving me stunned.

As the mainstream media did their piece to camera at the back Barry was arranging a meeting between himself, the trustee’s and 5 of the guys here with a view to reopening the Mosque. I told Hajj and Abdullah what Barry had said. I can’t exactly remember Abdullah’s reply but it was certainly negative as far as trusting Barry was concerned.

He has told me before how he thought Barry had a different attitude behind closed doors. It maybe true. If I had to make an instinctual judgement I would personally doubt it. I’m not sure what Barry will achieve but he, and all the Police here seem to deserve an end more worthy than maggots.