The Role of Islamic Art in the Battle of Liberation:
Article Nineteen:
Art has regulations and measures by which it can be determined whether it is Islamic or pre-Islamic (Jahili) art. The issues of Islamic liberation are in need of Islamic art that would take the spirit high, without raising one side of human nature above the other, but rather raise all of them harmoniously an in equilibrium.
Man is a unique and wonderful creature, made out of a handful of clay and a breath from Allah. Islamic art addresses man on this basis, while pre-Islamic art addresses the body giving preference to the clay component in it.
The book, the article, the bulletin, the sermon, the thesis, the popular poem, the poetic ode, the song, the play and others, contain the characteristics of Islamic art, then these are among the requirements of ideological mobilization, renewed food for the journey and recreation for the soul. The road is long and suffering is plenty. The soul will be bored, but Islamic art renews the energies, resurrects the movement, arousing in them lofty meanings and proper conduct. "Nothing can improve the self if it is in retreat except shifting from one mood to another."
All this is utterly serious and no jest, for those who are fighters do not jest.
January 31, 2006
These are similar to the sort of statements Mr. Hamza is on trial for from My Rightwing Conspiracy
Maybe Iran should take in the Paleoswinian people since they’re such great allies. After all, Ahmadinejad thinks moving entire populations to another place is a good idea anyway. These subhuman scum deserve each other. (I suspect that most Iranian people don’t want the filthy Paleostinians around either, though–apparently nobody else does.)
Maybe Iran should take in the Paleoswinian people since they’re such great allies. After all, Ahmadinejad thinks moving entire populations to another place is a good idea anyway. These subhuman scum deserve each other. (I suspect that most Iranian people don’t want the filthy Paleostinians around either, though–apparently nobody else does.)
Trial by Televison
This one is from last friday:
With a view to an attempt to tie the more constructive elements of the Supporters of Shareeah into a useful film for wider public consumption I met Samir Shah from Juniper TV yesterday who gave me a much needed insight into TV. I was relieved to find that he thinks the theory of a “Zionist media conspiracy” is a load of baloney, in his experience of the media in this country. He told me he felt that a “Real Abu Hamza” story with the involvement of his family, lawyer and friends would be a goer.The "Man behind the headlines”.
He didn't think my favourite idea, which would bring Sparkle and three of her Republican christian friends over to be put into a “reality situation in bizzare places over a couple of weeks” with Abdullah Hajj and co (with dumplings cooking dumplings) a “Pow wow between those we are told are religious and political enemies” was much cop as he thought “reality” to be the domain of the shallower end of Television.
I don't really think I sold it to him properly or explained how good TV I thought Abdullah, Hajj and Dumplings would make. I was very emotionally drained as I had just walked out of Perry's summing up of the case against Mr Hamza. This whole thing has given me a lot of spiritual pain which has physical symptoms or maybe its focused pain which was already there. I need a holiday. I am actually missing squatting. All the involvement in lots of peoples lives, communal eating, living like animals in chaos. It was nice to find my ex-squatting buddies in a rare oasis of comradeship through their last move into fantastic five floor office accomodation.
I think the last year I would rather have seen an organised liason between the rev. Stephen Coles, Rabbi Goldstein and Mr. Hamza with a view to solving the situation we find ourselves in than to see him locked away in Belmarsh. He was never a danger on the street in Finsbury park. I think he said some things which were well over the top, in a heated situation as the temperature rose between Islam and the West. When his passport was taken away he preached that no one should bomb in this country. A position he has stuck to and tried to explain in court.
Perry called the arrival of Rev Coles and Rabbi Goldstein in court a “stunt”.
With a view to an attempt to tie the more constructive elements of the Supporters of Shareeah into a useful film for wider public consumption I met Samir Shah from Juniper TV yesterday who gave me a much needed insight into TV. I was relieved to find that he thinks the theory of a “Zionist media conspiracy” is a load of baloney, in his experience of the media in this country. He told me he felt that a “Real Abu Hamza” story with the involvement of his family, lawyer and friends would be a goer.The "Man behind the headlines”.
He didn't think my favourite idea, which would bring Sparkle and three of her Republican christian friends over to be put into a “reality situation in bizzare places over a couple of weeks” with Abdullah Hajj and co (with dumplings cooking dumplings) a “Pow wow between those we are told are religious and political enemies” was much cop as he thought “reality” to be the domain of the shallower end of Television.
I don't really think I sold it to him properly or explained how good TV I thought Abdullah, Hajj and Dumplings would make. I was very emotionally drained as I had just walked out of Perry's summing up of the case against Mr Hamza. This whole thing has given me a lot of spiritual pain which has physical symptoms or maybe its focused pain which was already there. I need a holiday. I am actually missing squatting. All the involvement in lots of peoples lives, communal eating, living like animals in chaos. It was nice to find my ex-squatting buddies in a rare oasis of comradeship through their last move into fantastic five floor office accomodation.
I think the last year I would rather have seen an organised liason between the rev. Stephen Coles, Rabbi Goldstein and Mr. Hamza with a view to solving the situation we find ourselves in than to see him locked away in Belmarsh. He was never a danger on the street in Finsbury park. I think he said some things which were well over the top, in a heated situation as the temperature rose between Islam and the West. When his passport was taken away he preached that no one should bomb in this country. A position he has stuck to and tried to explain in court.
Perry called the arrival of Rev Coles and Rabbi Goldstein in court a “stunt”.
Resonance Party
February 4th
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square
£5 - live music from 7pm onwards. Its to raise money for their new
license.
February 4th
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square
£5 - live music from 7pm onwards. Its to raise money for their new
license.
Passion and Dispassion
OK. This is from events last Thursday. The Judge is going to finish summing up tomorow then its up to the jury. I am exhausted but hope to bring you further up to date.
The trouble with all things “GWOT” as my Republican blogger friends call it is passion. Passion on all sides. Today was a lesson in how experiments with dispassion in the courtroom failed. The Judge had a nice try. Didn't work. Fascinating.
I've got to say that the last few days Mr. Hamza has done well but I am not sure how from this trial the jury can really see who he is. I wish I could show them my footage, how he calmed down over the year I saw him preach. This is extremely emotionally draining. I've been cycling everyday and the nervous tension is getting to my spine. Its only an hour up the river walking to the Old Bailey so I think I am going to walk next week.
Perry has been emphasising the “media keywords” of the GWOT. “The Encylopedia of Afghan Jihad” is “The Terrorist Manual” etcetera. Hamza directs everything towards the Koran and the fact that MI-5 never arrested him for any of this. Because Hamza's voice is amplified and Perry's isn't Hamza has often subtly carried. No idea what the jury must be thinking. They don't look like the type of people who would be interested in any of this.
Fitz finished up with Hamza: Seize, beleaguer, lie in wait, ambush? Surrah 9 vs 5. Had the Police discussed the nature of his sermons? Yes. Contents, ideas, priorities, enemies, suicide bombing, everything. Had he incited anyone to kill in any case? No. Racial hatred? No. In Islam racial hatred is a major sin. Does he hate individual Jewish people? No. He invites them to the mosque for a cup of tea.
The jury left for the Judge to consider how to deal with evidence from Fitz's expert witness to come, a Mr. Seale who was going to talk about the “Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad”, give a definition of “Jihad” and an expert opinion on the veracity of conflicts Hamza was either giving details about or reacting in anger to on the tapes.
The judge was anxious that Mr Seale confine himself to the facts and not supply any “value judgments” however right they might be. He went over the analysis of the evidence Seal would be giving striking out paragraphs he thought were either irrelevant or contained these “value judgments”.
Fitz took the judge through the “Theatres of conflict” one at a time. He was anxious that the Judge gave a ruling on whether joining a large scale conflict where the locals were resisting illegal occupiers with force could actually be considered self defence and not murder.
Perry argued against this, saying that the case should be centred sort of Whitechapel-Luton-Blackburn and not Bosnia-Kosovo-Chechenya-Palestine-Kashmir-Algeria. Hamzas message. His intentions. Perry went on to say that the Chechen situation “Had not even arisen...” The judge reminded him he had made a reference to Beslan in his opening speech. His face was a picture of regret which made me smile.
“I will do anything to put that right.” he begged.
The judge ruled against Fitz. Violent resistance to occupation wasn't limited to self defence. He allowed reference to Chechnya. He ruled in favour of Mr. Seale giving evidence of conflicts and definitions of Jihad.
First came Rabbi Goldstein, who spoke of amicable dealings with Mr. Hamza in a delicate inter-faith pastoral matter between a lapsed Jew and their Muslim spouse. Next came the Rev. Stephen Coles. As soon as he came into the court room I felt a rare and rejuvinating smile cross my face as I have met Rev. Coles twice before but promised not to blog about him until he came into the story. He spoke of meeting Mr. Hamza in the week of the 9-11 attacks. He has since been in regular contact with Mr. Hamza and visits him in prison. The judge cut into the Rev Coles delivery so I'm not sure it scored with the jury in theatrical terms.
Patrick Seale was worth waiting for. Perry hadn't cross examined either Rabbi or Reverend, but he cross examined Mr. Seale on definitions of Jihad. He supported Hamza's definition over the one Perry relied on, from a friend of his, Zaki Badarwi who had coincidently died days earlier.
He called Mr. Badawi a great friend and a commited pacifist who had worked hard on inter-faith peace. He believed Badawi's views on Jihad to be against mainstream opinion in the Islamic world. Cross-examined about terrorism he got in a “One mans terrorism is another mans freedom fighter” which caused a slight murmuring in the public gallery.
He said that the Encylopedia of Afghan Jihad was a valuable historical document. "I didn't know you had one here. I should like to see it.." When describing the conflicts relevant to the “Hamza tapes” the Judge had to send the jury out at one point as Seal described massacres of thousands and dynamited mosques. This was the first “dispassion faliure”.
The next, and possibly the most poignant one for me was when Mr. Fitz called Mrs. Arani. Perry had a go at her about the “mysterious reapearance” of Volume 6 of the Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad entilted “Bombs”. Why had she made no record of when Hamza's 16 year old son Osman had casually “dropped it in” to her offices? Why had it not turned up in the 8 hour search of Mr. Hamza's house made with arabic interpreters to retrieve the evidence? If the children had been “playing with it” how come it had no marks of childplay? Of course it wasn't long before Mrs. Arani showed her passion in this, angrily recounting stories of Mrs. Hamza in tears in her arms, relentless media pressure and unhelpful arrangements in the original arrest interviews and since at Belmarsh prison.
Perry triumphantly brought into question Mrs Arani's ability to dispassionately carry out her legal duties, intending the jury to count it against her. I would hope the jury to count this in her favour.
Rabbi and vicar back Abu Hamza
The trouble with all things “GWOT” as my Republican blogger friends call it is passion. Passion on all sides. Today was a lesson in how experiments with dispassion in the courtroom failed. The Judge had a nice try. Didn't work. Fascinating.
I've got to say that the last few days Mr. Hamza has done well but I am not sure how from this trial the jury can really see who he is. I wish I could show them my footage, how he calmed down over the year I saw him preach. This is extremely emotionally draining. I've been cycling everyday and the nervous tension is getting to my spine. Its only an hour up the river walking to the Old Bailey so I think I am going to walk next week.
Perry has been emphasising the “media keywords” of the GWOT. “The Encylopedia of Afghan Jihad” is “The Terrorist Manual” etcetera. Hamza directs everything towards the Koran and the fact that MI-5 never arrested him for any of this. Because Hamza's voice is amplified and Perry's isn't Hamza has often subtly carried. No idea what the jury must be thinking. They don't look like the type of people who would be interested in any of this.
Fitz finished up with Hamza: Seize, beleaguer, lie in wait, ambush? Surrah 9 vs 5. Had the Police discussed the nature of his sermons? Yes. Contents, ideas, priorities, enemies, suicide bombing, everything. Had he incited anyone to kill in any case? No. Racial hatred? No. In Islam racial hatred is a major sin. Does he hate individual Jewish people? No. He invites them to the mosque for a cup of tea.
The jury left for the Judge to consider how to deal with evidence from Fitz's expert witness to come, a Mr. Seale who was going to talk about the “Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad”, give a definition of “Jihad” and an expert opinion on the veracity of conflicts Hamza was either giving details about or reacting in anger to on the tapes.
The judge was anxious that Mr Seale confine himself to the facts and not supply any “value judgments” however right they might be. He went over the analysis of the evidence Seal would be giving striking out paragraphs he thought were either irrelevant or contained these “value judgments”.
Fitz took the judge through the “Theatres of conflict” one at a time. He was anxious that the Judge gave a ruling on whether joining a large scale conflict where the locals were resisting illegal occupiers with force could actually be considered self defence and not murder.
Perry argued against this, saying that the case should be centred sort of Whitechapel-Luton-Blackburn and not Bosnia-Kosovo-Chechenya-Palestine-Kashmir-Algeria. Hamzas message. His intentions. Perry went on to say that the Chechen situation “Had not even arisen...” The judge reminded him he had made a reference to Beslan in his opening speech. His face was a picture of regret which made me smile.
“I will do anything to put that right.” he begged.
The judge ruled against Fitz. Violent resistance to occupation wasn't limited to self defence. He allowed reference to Chechnya. He ruled in favour of Mr. Seale giving evidence of conflicts and definitions of Jihad.
First came Rabbi Goldstein, who spoke of amicable dealings with Mr. Hamza in a delicate inter-faith pastoral matter between a lapsed Jew and their Muslim spouse. Next came the Rev. Stephen Coles. As soon as he came into the court room I felt a rare and rejuvinating smile cross my face as I have met Rev. Coles twice before but promised not to blog about him until he came into the story. He spoke of meeting Mr. Hamza in the week of the 9-11 attacks. He has since been in regular contact with Mr. Hamza and visits him in prison. The judge cut into the Rev Coles delivery so I'm not sure it scored with the jury in theatrical terms.
Patrick Seale was worth waiting for. Perry hadn't cross examined either Rabbi or Reverend, but he cross examined Mr. Seale on definitions of Jihad. He supported Hamza's definition over the one Perry relied on, from a friend of his, Zaki Badarwi who had coincidently died days earlier.
He called Mr. Badawi a great friend and a commited pacifist who had worked hard on inter-faith peace. He believed Badawi's views on Jihad to be against mainstream opinion in the Islamic world. Cross-examined about terrorism he got in a “One mans terrorism is another mans freedom fighter” which caused a slight murmuring in the public gallery.
He said that the Encylopedia of Afghan Jihad was a valuable historical document. "I didn't know you had one here. I should like to see it.." When describing the conflicts relevant to the “Hamza tapes” the Judge had to send the jury out at one point as Seal described massacres of thousands and dynamited mosques. This was the first “dispassion faliure”.
The next, and possibly the most poignant one for me was when Mr. Fitz called Mrs. Arani. Perry had a go at her about the “mysterious reapearance” of Volume 6 of the Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad entilted “Bombs”. Why had she made no record of when Hamza's 16 year old son Osman had casually “dropped it in” to her offices? Why had it not turned up in the 8 hour search of Mr. Hamza's house made with arabic interpreters to retrieve the evidence? If the children had been “playing with it” how come it had no marks of childplay? Of course it wasn't long before Mrs. Arani showed her passion in this, angrily recounting stories of Mrs. Hamza in tears in her arms, relentless media pressure and unhelpful arrangements in the original arrest interviews and since at Belmarsh prison.
Perry triumphantly brought into question Mrs Arani's ability to dispassionately carry out her legal duties, intending the jury to count it against her. I would hope the jury to count this in her favour.
Rabbi and vicar back Abu Hamza
January 29, 2006
uniteddiversity
Hola a todos!
Part 1 of my diary from the Caracas Trollparty 2006 is now on the
uniteddiversity blog
Things are going very well here. The TrollTent is always very busy and
we're appearing on local/national tv and radio 3-4 times a day!
I'm meeting lots of inspiring people and am constantly amazed by how
aware people are about important issues like media democracy,
co-operativism and free software.
More details coming in Parts 2 and 3, but the more you speak to people
here, the more obvious it becomes...
Another World Is Blossoming!
more info about the Trollparty
Lots of love,
Josef.
Part 1 of my diary from the Caracas Trollparty 2006 is now on the
uniteddiversity blog
Things are going very well here. The TrollTent is always very busy and
we're appearing on local/national tv and radio 3-4 times a day!
I'm meeting lots of inspiring people and am constantly amazed by how
aware people are about important issues like media democracy,
co-operativism and free software.
More details coming in Parts 2 and 3, but the more you speak to people
here, the more obvious it becomes...
Another World Is Blossoming!
more info about the Trollparty
Lots of love,
Josef.
January 27, 2006
Abdullahs new "job on the side"
OK, wonder of all wonders Abdullah actually called me. The upshot of the CNN approach the other day was that he was interviewed, he told me by Paula Newton. Possibly this Paula Newton. It turns out the new tack from over the pond is to accuse all these 'mentalists of working for MI-5 or the C.I.A. We shared a laugh over that one. Apparently Paula was "looking at me funny" and said to Abdullahs face that he was a "Seriously scary man. That he "frightens many people""
"It sounds like she fancies you..."
Abdullah seems to think that the journalists who call him are upset that he hasn't become "the new Abu Hamza" for them yet.
"You got to put some pepper on the snail to get this film made." he told me.
"Don't even joke about it. Its painful."
I wasn't kidding.
"It sounds like she fancies you..."
Abdullah seems to think that the journalists who call him are upset that he hasn't become "the new Abu Hamza" for them yet.
"You got to put some pepper on the snail to get this film made." he told me.
"Don't even joke about it. Its painful."
I wasn't kidding.
January 25, 2006
Im a fuckin' paki innit
according to Nick Griffin. I can't find the quote online yet (this is sort of close) but he says "Paki" isn't racist as "Paki's" use this name themselves (true). He defines a Paki as the type of young asian you find in Keighley who says "innit" at the end of every sentence innit? So I'm a Paki innit!!!
Strange. Mr. Hamza and Mr Griffin have met, spoken on the same radio program and are both up on race hatred charges at the same time. One is 46 the other is 47. Both have one glass eye.
Here is a channel 4 piece(the wrong one, but you get the idea)
Here is another interesting view on "Paki's"
Strange. Mr. Hamza and Mr Griffin have met, spoken on the same radio program and are both up on race hatred charges at the same time. One is 46 the other is 47. Both have one glass eye.
Here is a channel 4 piece(the wrong one, but you get the idea)
Here is another interesting view on "Paki's"
ENTERTAINMENT
Galloway is such a tosser. Yeah, I know everybody knew that but now EVERYBODY knows it, know what I mean? Even when he sees the tapes hes still going to say everyone else and the tapes are wrong and he is right. He's attacking a pathetic little popstar who was saying what a nice guy he was the whole time. He was caught CHEATING- and stabbing the poor little guy in the back, he calls him a “sneak and a liar”
Barrymore tries to point out that they all fell for Big Brothers game and Galloway resorts to attacking him about his drink problem.
“Poor me, poor me, pour me another..”
“That is low man!” shouts little popstar “Wanker!”
Talking about Barrymore and Maggot crying Galloway asks “What sort of men are they?”
Real men don't cry do they George? They just sit in chairs sulking and grinding their jaws.
A friend of mine who is involved with an “unnamed left wing magazine” told me years ago that it would be really easy to get Galloway to drop himself in it- just put a camera on him and say “Go George...” I'm so glad Channel 4 have done so. Tonight is going to be unmissable. Next time Galloway sets foot in the house of commons is going to be funny too.
------------------------------
OK. Monkeyboy thinks he is off on a side slant, “wheeler dealing” to ITN.
“She'll give us the equipment but she needs a premise.”
“Tell her the premise is this- the media say Finsbury park mosque is full of terrorists. I went down to check for myself and found THESE PEOPLE who said they believe THIS. The public get to hear from the tiny number of Muslims the jury aren't going to hear because they are too scared to stand up in court and say their friend is not a terrorist.”
“Can you make it a bit longer?”
“Don't help me. OK? Tell her anything you want, whatever. Just don't help me. I've been doing this for years now. Don't fuck it up. Do you remember the ITN guy you filmed bringing the FBI accusations to Hamza? That is who she sat next to downstairs. He is the Crime editor at ITN.”
“Yeah, she says he knows who we are. Called us “liberals””
“Really? Thats an American term isn't it? He's probably seen where I called him a wanker. Bollocks.”
“Look, maybe we can offer the boya's some money...they can say anything they like...”
“They are Islamists. They BELIEVE something. Do you understand? Its not a case of money. They work for ALLAH. This film will get made IF ALLAH WILLS IT- do you get it?”
“I think you are wrong. I know these people back in Brum...”
“Look mate, they like you. They feel comfortable with you and remember you from Finsbury park. Can you still suck on a mint and hold a camera straight?”
“Of course man.”
“Good. Don't do anything else.”
Days and days watching the humbling of an arrogant sounding preacher of a religion I don't share in front of a man in fur sleeves and a wig is stripping me down to the bare bones of what I think I am about, or what I am trying to do. Everyone thinks they've “got a terrorist”. I'm extremely worried that they may have “got” someone who might actually be an indispensable link in some sort of solution to the “War on Terr-r”. The more he talks the more I worry.
I question myself. What if people did watch those videos and then carry out bombings regardless of Hamzas intended meanings? I didn't like the tapes but I like this even less. I thought there would be more reporters downstairs watching him get his “comeupance”.
The only mirthful moment was when Hamza mistook Perry calling his house a “terraced house” and thought he said “terrorist house”. "I don't know why you call my house a terrorist house.." said Hamza, hurt and innocent sounding. Everyone on both benches laughed. The rest of it was textbook courtroom drama.
“Who gave you the “terrorist manual”? Where? Give me a name. Bumped into him? Where?” Perry attacks in waves. “Who prints your literature? Where? “ and about the missing “Volume 6”- “Who found it? Which child? Where? Who brought it to you?”
Hamza gave away no names. “All our community is refugees. We call each other Abu (father) this and Abu that. We all use aliases. There are spies everywhere. Anyone's parents could be tortured back home.”
“Am I in the pay of Zionists?” asked Perry. Hamza just stopped short of saying yes. I remembered how on the street he had shouted so confidently about Zionist judges and homosexual politicians. Whenever he thought Hamza was straying Perry said “Don't worry about” this or that...
“I have to worry.” he said answering a question about the state of Israel “The state of Israel it means my holocaust. My oppression. They use accusations of race hate to get away with this slow motion holocaust- are you supporting that?”
Hamza always tried to widen it to world issues the jury were not aware of- that the Americans originally propagated Jihadist theory, that MI-5 paid Lybian Islamists to try and assassinate Gadaffi, that the Zionist movement was banned as a terrorist movement by the UN, Lobbyists had secured Israel in America and in this country, The US was in debt to Zionist moneylenders to the tune of 36 trillion dollars and had sacrificed its own foreign policy with this debt.
I'm not as angry about “moneylenders” as Hamza is but the more I think about “usury” the more I agree that it is fundamentally wrong for our species.
After seeing Hamza preaching on the street I don't believe for a second he is anti-Semetic, but also he does not realize what concern his actual words cause. He seems wrapped up in the concept of martyrdom blaming it all on the Zionist media hounding him.
Perry: The foreign office is controlled by Jews?
Yes.
The media?
Yes. If a Muslim doctor had killed his patients the first thing you would have heard was that he was a Muslim, but when a Jewish man kills 250- Dr. Shipman, not a single word is mentioned about his faith.
Christians are the third enemy of Islam?
I'm not talking about the followers of Jesus. I talk about those who change the book.
Hamza keeps saying that he hates the sin not the sinner. The “wrong action”.
Churches are places of Black magic?
Yes I have seen on documentaries. In Egypt and Africa churches are full of black magic. Not all of them, I am generalising.
What if a Christian priest is a homosexual?
We are not against the sinners. We are against the sin itself. The commercialisation and legalisation of the sin...
You could have preached tolerance to all
Only a fool preaches tolerance. If someone says I worship satan and have sex with children...
Are certain people beyond redemption?
Yes, they must be stopped at every level, campaigning, boycotts, I will not raise the sword unless they raise it. You don't crack a nut with a bulldozer.
How do we know what happened as a result of your speeches? Give me a name, any name, any speech any where...
Perry grilled him more about the supporters of Shareeah and his encouragment of children to undergo “Jihad training”. Were there Jihad training camps in this country? Bomb making camps?
Anyone who Supports Shareeah law is a Supporter of Shareeah. If kids want to train why not? People would be very stupid to do bomb making camps here.
Throughout Fitz is slightly turned away from Hamza, obviously used to seeing his defendants in this position. His solicitor Mrs Arani is transfixed on his face with an unreadable expression. What Mr. Hamza is saying is what I had always hoped British Fundamental Islam actually was. It sounds much better with the anger he displayed on the street taken out of it. Of course people will think he's lying to save his ass. I don't think so. He's not really the type of person to hide his beliefs.
After the break Perry comes back with lots of accusations about Hamzas support for the GIA who were targetting schoolteachers and suchlike. Hamza said it was very confusing what was going on but he always seemed to hope for the best of the GIA until they finally admitted massacres when he denounced them and folded the Al- Ansar magazine he ran in their support. He claimed to know nothing of any connection they might have to bombings in France. Because France had collonised Algeria he could neither condemn nor condone any actions the Algerians might take.
Perry suggested that Hamza denounced the GIA for opportunistic reasons as the trustees of Finsbury park mosque were threatening his position. This led Hamza to bring up all the allegations of financial impropriety of some Pakistanis who had made themselves "trustees for life" and the trouble between Arabs and Bangladeshis he was orginally brought in to help sort out.
At one point in the afternoon Perry accused Hamza of giving misleading evidence about when MI-5 had told him he was “walking a tightrope”.
I tell the truth! You are bringing evidence under the table.
Did you ask Special branch to protect you?
Never.
You never asked for their assistance with concerns for your saftey?
Never, never ever. My wife answered the phone they told her I should ring them. She said- you have his mobile number. They told me they were concerned for my safety. I said I was not.
This is crazy, I don't know what to write down. I wonder how people will think about this trial in 50 years from now. Will Muslims think of Hamza as a martyr who stood up for the dream of an Islamic “Kalifa” or a firebrand who gave his religion a bad name? Is a “Kalifa” coming? Everyone in the courtroom seems like they are from another time except the jury.
“He'll get off you know.” said one of the journalists I knew from Finsbury park. The Muslims always hated him because his stuff goes in the Sun (with a little embelishment).
“Really? That was the last thing I would think, how do you know?”
“Oh, I've seen a few of these trials, I can see how this one is going...”
He's always been very encouraging to me.
Right at the end of the day Fitz and Perry argued before the judge without the jury about an expert witness Fitz intends to call.
“If the defendant is encouraging people to go to Bosnia and fight in no more than self defense then he is not guilty. If it extends beyond that then he is guilty. Murder is murder even if it is morally justified. An exhortation to kill in Afghanistan if not in self defense is incitement.” said the Judge.
I can't surmise Fitz's answer but he quoted suppositions from the intifada and in the courtroom it felt like he had right on his side. It was the first time he actually impressed me. The Judges answer left me with a frown as I stood at the end. I felt as if he was saying that anyone with a just cause who came to the UK to publicise atrocities and mobilise ex-pat communities would be inciting to murder. I can't see how this would stand in any other case than this one. What if a plan had been hatched here to assasinate Saddam?
Hamza paints “Londonistan” as a haven for pious islamists who fight against tyrants for freedom and can't even tell each other their real names for fear of retaliation in their homelands. Is Londonistan over? After hearing what Hamza said on the tapes, and after 7/7 will anybody care? Probably not.
Barrymore tries to point out that they all fell for Big Brothers game and Galloway resorts to attacking him about his drink problem.
“Poor me, poor me, pour me another..”
“That is low man!” shouts little popstar “Wanker!”
Talking about Barrymore and Maggot crying Galloway asks “What sort of men are they?”
Real men don't cry do they George? They just sit in chairs sulking and grinding their jaws.
A friend of mine who is involved with an “unnamed left wing magazine” told me years ago that it would be really easy to get Galloway to drop himself in it- just put a camera on him and say “Go George...” I'm so glad Channel 4 have done so. Tonight is going to be unmissable. Next time Galloway sets foot in the house of commons is going to be funny too.
------------------------------
OK. Monkeyboy thinks he is off on a side slant, “wheeler dealing” to ITN.
“She'll give us the equipment but she needs a premise.”
“Tell her the premise is this- the media say Finsbury park mosque is full of terrorists. I went down to check for myself and found THESE PEOPLE who said they believe THIS. The public get to hear from the tiny number of Muslims the jury aren't going to hear because they are too scared to stand up in court and say their friend is not a terrorist.”
“Can you make it a bit longer?”
“Don't help me. OK? Tell her anything you want, whatever. Just don't help me. I've been doing this for years now. Don't fuck it up. Do you remember the ITN guy you filmed bringing the FBI accusations to Hamza? That is who she sat next to downstairs. He is the Crime editor at ITN.”
“Yeah, she says he knows who we are. Called us “liberals””
“Really? Thats an American term isn't it? He's probably seen where I called him a wanker. Bollocks.”
“Look, maybe we can offer the boya's some money...they can say anything they like...”
“They are Islamists. They BELIEVE something. Do you understand? Its not a case of money. They work for ALLAH. This film will get made IF ALLAH WILLS IT- do you get it?”
“I think you are wrong. I know these people back in Brum...”
“Look mate, they like you. They feel comfortable with you and remember you from Finsbury park. Can you still suck on a mint and hold a camera straight?”
“Of course man.”
“Good. Don't do anything else.”
Days and days watching the humbling of an arrogant sounding preacher of a religion I don't share in front of a man in fur sleeves and a wig is stripping me down to the bare bones of what I think I am about, or what I am trying to do. Everyone thinks they've “got a terrorist”. I'm extremely worried that they may have “got” someone who might actually be an indispensable link in some sort of solution to the “War on Terr-r”. The more he talks the more I worry.
I question myself. What if people did watch those videos and then carry out bombings regardless of Hamzas intended meanings? I didn't like the tapes but I like this even less. I thought there would be more reporters downstairs watching him get his “comeupance”.
The only mirthful moment was when Hamza mistook Perry calling his house a “terraced house” and thought he said “terrorist house”. "I don't know why you call my house a terrorist house.." said Hamza, hurt and innocent sounding. Everyone on both benches laughed. The rest of it was textbook courtroom drama.
“Who gave you the “terrorist manual”? Where? Give me a name. Bumped into him? Where?” Perry attacks in waves. “Who prints your literature? Where? “ and about the missing “Volume 6”- “Who found it? Which child? Where? Who brought it to you?”
Hamza gave away no names. “All our community is refugees. We call each other Abu (father) this and Abu that. We all use aliases. There are spies everywhere. Anyone's parents could be tortured back home.”
“Am I in the pay of Zionists?” asked Perry. Hamza just stopped short of saying yes. I remembered how on the street he had shouted so confidently about Zionist judges and homosexual politicians. Whenever he thought Hamza was straying Perry said “Don't worry about” this or that...
“I have to worry.” he said answering a question about the state of Israel “The state of Israel it means my holocaust. My oppression. They use accusations of race hate to get away with this slow motion holocaust- are you supporting that?”
Hamza always tried to widen it to world issues the jury were not aware of- that the Americans originally propagated Jihadist theory, that MI-5 paid Lybian Islamists to try and assassinate Gadaffi, that the Zionist movement was banned as a terrorist movement by the UN, Lobbyists had secured Israel in America and in this country, The US was in debt to Zionist moneylenders to the tune of 36 trillion dollars and had sacrificed its own foreign policy with this debt.
I'm not as angry about “moneylenders” as Hamza is but the more I think about “usury” the more I agree that it is fundamentally wrong for our species.
After seeing Hamza preaching on the street I don't believe for a second he is anti-Semetic, but also he does not realize what concern his actual words cause. He seems wrapped up in the concept of martyrdom blaming it all on the Zionist media hounding him.
Perry: The foreign office is controlled by Jews?
Yes.
The media?
Yes. If a Muslim doctor had killed his patients the first thing you would have heard was that he was a Muslim, but when a Jewish man kills 250- Dr. Shipman, not a single word is mentioned about his faith.
Christians are the third enemy of Islam?
I'm not talking about the followers of Jesus. I talk about those who change the book.
Hamza keeps saying that he hates the sin not the sinner. The “wrong action”.
Churches are places of Black magic?
Yes I have seen on documentaries. In Egypt and Africa churches are full of black magic. Not all of them, I am generalising.
What if a Christian priest is a homosexual?
We are not against the sinners. We are against the sin itself. The commercialisation and legalisation of the sin...
You could have preached tolerance to all
Only a fool preaches tolerance. If someone says I worship satan and have sex with children...
Are certain people beyond redemption?
Yes, they must be stopped at every level, campaigning, boycotts, I will not raise the sword unless they raise it. You don't crack a nut with a bulldozer.
How do we know what happened as a result of your speeches? Give me a name, any name, any speech any where...
Perry grilled him more about the supporters of Shareeah and his encouragment of children to undergo “Jihad training”. Were there Jihad training camps in this country? Bomb making camps?
Anyone who Supports Shareeah law is a Supporter of Shareeah. If kids want to train why not? People would be very stupid to do bomb making camps here.
Throughout Fitz is slightly turned away from Hamza, obviously used to seeing his defendants in this position. His solicitor Mrs Arani is transfixed on his face with an unreadable expression. What Mr. Hamza is saying is what I had always hoped British Fundamental Islam actually was. It sounds much better with the anger he displayed on the street taken out of it. Of course people will think he's lying to save his ass. I don't think so. He's not really the type of person to hide his beliefs.
After the break Perry comes back with lots of accusations about Hamzas support for the GIA who were targetting schoolteachers and suchlike. Hamza said it was very confusing what was going on but he always seemed to hope for the best of the GIA until they finally admitted massacres when he denounced them and folded the Al- Ansar magazine he ran in their support. He claimed to know nothing of any connection they might have to bombings in France. Because France had collonised Algeria he could neither condemn nor condone any actions the Algerians might take.
Perry suggested that Hamza denounced the GIA for opportunistic reasons as the trustees of Finsbury park mosque were threatening his position. This led Hamza to bring up all the allegations of financial impropriety of some Pakistanis who had made themselves "trustees for life" and the trouble between Arabs and Bangladeshis he was orginally brought in to help sort out.
At one point in the afternoon Perry accused Hamza of giving misleading evidence about when MI-5 had told him he was “walking a tightrope”.
I tell the truth! You are bringing evidence under the table.
Did you ask Special branch to protect you?
Never.
You never asked for their assistance with concerns for your saftey?
Never, never ever. My wife answered the phone they told her I should ring them. She said- you have his mobile number. They told me they were concerned for my safety. I said I was not.
This is crazy, I don't know what to write down. I wonder how people will think about this trial in 50 years from now. Will Muslims think of Hamza as a martyr who stood up for the dream of an Islamic “Kalifa” or a firebrand who gave his religion a bad name? Is a “Kalifa” coming? Everyone in the courtroom seems like they are from another time except the jury.
“He'll get off you know.” said one of the journalists I knew from Finsbury park. The Muslims always hated him because his stuff goes in the Sun (with a little embelishment).
“Really? That was the last thing I would think, how do you know?”
“Oh, I've seen a few of these trials, I can see how this one is going...”
He's always been very encouraging to me.
Right at the end of the day Fitz and Perry argued before the judge without the jury about an expert witness Fitz intends to call.
“If the defendant is encouraging people to go to Bosnia and fight in no more than self defense then he is not guilty. If it extends beyond that then he is guilty. Murder is murder even if it is morally justified. An exhortation to kill in Afghanistan if not in self defense is incitement.” said the Judge.
I can't surmise Fitz's answer but he quoted suppositions from the intifada and in the courtroom it felt like he had right on his side. It was the first time he actually impressed me. The Judges answer left me with a frown as I stood at the end. I felt as if he was saying that anyone with a just cause who came to the UK to publicise atrocities and mobilise ex-pat communities would be inciting to murder. I can't see how this would stand in any other case than this one. What if a plan had been hatched here to assasinate Saddam?
Hamza paints “Londonistan” as a haven for pious islamists who fight against tyrants for freedom and can't even tell each other their real names for fear of retaliation in their homelands. Is Londonistan over? After hearing what Hamza said on the tapes, and after 7/7 will anybody care? Probably not.
January 24, 2006
Blair calls for end of Guantanamo?
Mr Blair takes me to the second theme of the day and that is rendition.
He is always very dismissive of this subject so we tried to press him
on the moral issues of rendition and Guantanamo as well. He did for the
first time formally call for the end of Guantanamo but on rendition he
remains evasive and very unwilling to criticise America.
snowmails
The autopsy photos of Mowhoush make the now-infamous images from Abu Ghraib prison look like a costume party. Bruises and welts cover Mowhoush's dead body. Doctors ruled that Mowhoush was smothered. Officials charge that Welshofer stuffed him inside a sleeping bag, bound him with an electric cord, sat on his chest and covered his mouth. Still, there is no question that Mowhoush also was savagely beaten.
The United States, which sanctimoniously lectures the rest of the world about human rights, did this. America's political and military hierarchy approved harsher handling of military detainees after the 9/11 attacks. This is what we got.
A Citizen of Mosul
He is always very dismissive of this subject so we tried to press him
on the moral issues of rendition and Guantanamo as well. He did for the
first time formally call for the end of Guantanamo but on rendition he
remains evasive and very unwilling to criticise America.
snowmails
The autopsy photos of Mowhoush make the now-infamous images from Abu Ghraib prison look like a costume party. Bruises and welts cover Mowhoush's dead body. Doctors ruled that Mowhoush was smothered. Officials charge that Welshofer stuffed him inside a sleeping bag, bound him with an electric cord, sat on his chest and covered his mouth. Still, there is no question that Mowhoush also was savagely beaten.
The United States, which sanctimoniously lectures the rest of the world about human rights, did this. America's political and military hierarchy approved harsher handling of military detainees after the 9/11 attacks. This is what we got.
A Citizen of Mosul
January 23, 2006
Your witness
Its hard to know what to write from growing scrawls. I've got half a big spiral bound just since Mr. Hamza took the stand. Whilst Mr. Fitz was questioning him, it seemed he was almost enjoying the chance to bear witness to Islam. For a lot of it though it also seemed that Fitz, the Judge and Hamza were all speaking diferent languages. Hamza answers like the Egyptian preacher of islam he is and I never know which bit to write down.
After one break the Judge asked him why he swore on the afirmation and not the Koran. He said it was because the statement says "put your hand on..." and "There is no hand...". He went on to say that Muslims swear by Allah, not the Koran, he would swear on the Koran if it helped.
Today Perry got to cross examine.
"I want to establish some ground rules..." he started and told Hamza sarcastically that he wouldn't be asking about concrete technology certificates. If he didn't get an answer he would keep asking the question. Lots of "Do you understand?" like he was talking to a foreigner who was pretending not to.
Hamza started saying no almost straight away. Every question he was asked it was like he was scared to say yes. The Judge joined in a bit with a few "answer the questions" Perry spent a bit of time ridiculing Hamza's claim that he hadn't read the Encyclopiedia of Afghan Jihad, Hamza retorted that MI-5 were MI-5 and not MFI (a furniture shop in the UK) and so they knew who was and who wasn't a terrorist.
Perry asked why Hamza took the plans of Sandhurst to Afghanistan. Hamza told him he took everything with him. Engineers always take all their notebooks to refer to for further projects and Sandhurst was still safe and well. Perry then proceeded to put Hamza in the picture about his position of responsibility and to lay into him about how he spoke about Jews as "dirty" and "the second enemy of Islam".
Hamza tried to explain that it was action and not people which he was preaching against. He said there were 3 types of Jews. Those who did wrong, those who were neutral and those who did right. He spoke of a few Jewish people who were against the Zionists invading Palestine. Under cross examination he also tried to dispute he was exhorting the killing of those who granted licences for wine-sellers, saying that it is a body which grants the licence not a person.
He spoke about Jewish "lobbyists" controlling what was reported about Palestine over here to make war and control what people thought. He thinks of "Zionism" as a world wide movement controlling other countries economies through the banking system and the media.
Perry carried on to attack Hamza's view of Jihad, view of women in Israel as Soldiers and implied Hamza took it upon himself to define who was an "apostate scholar".
Throughout Hamza consitently toned down the stuff which was on the tapes into barely understandable words and phrases. He wouldn't be specific about apostates in this country and defended the idea of Muslims attacking apostates abroad by recolecting US attacks on Gadaffi and Saddam. He said that the Israeli's were proud of the young age of their army and that only women actually firing bullets would be a target. Muslims would have to travel to an area and find out from the Mujahadeen what was happening before targetting.
"Do you accept that we have a problem with radicalised Muslims made extreme?"
"You make these terms. Extreme from what? Near to what? Am I extreme or near? By what measurement?"
Perry tried to get Hamza to say which groups were advocating a caliphate in the Whitehouse or in Downing street, which Hamza finally admitted was "Al-Mujaharoun"(Common knowledge).
"You ask me questions you could ask any postman who has read the paper. I am tired of standing, either give me questions I can answer or lock me up..."
If there was a consistent line throughout all this it was that Hamza feels he is dealing with theories, not specifics. Its all teaching from the Koran which are debated amongst scholars.
This is all really confusing. The tapes look threatening. Hamza hasn't looked threatening for years. What can I tell you? You couldn't cartoonise Perry and Fitz anymore if they stood still whilst you drew round them with a pencil. Perry (prosecuting) is very wolflike and Fitz is every bit the bumbling bespectacled defence barrister.
After one break the Judge asked him why he swore on the afirmation and not the Koran. He said it was because the statement says "put your hand on..." and "There is no hand...". He went on to say that Muslims swear by Allah, not the Koran, he would swear on the Koran if it helped.
Today Perry got to cross examine.
"I want to establish some ground rules..." he started and told Hamza sarcastically that he wouldn't be asking about concrete technology certificates. If he didn't get an answer he would keep asking the question. Lots of "Do you understand?" like he was talking to a foreigner who was pretending not to.
Hamza started saying no almost straight away. Every question he was asked it was like he was scared to say yes. The Judge joined in a bit with a few "answer the questions" Perry spent a bit of time ridiculing Hamza's claim that he hadn't read the Encyclopiedia of Afghan Jihad, Hamza retorted that MI-5 were MI-5 and not MFI (a furniture shop in the UK) and so they knew who was and who wasn't a terrorist.
Perry asked why Hamza took the plans of Sandhurst to Afghanistan. Hamza told him he took everything with him. Engineers always take all their notebooks to refer to for further projects and Sandhurst was still safe and well. Perry then proceeded to put Hamza in the picture about his position of responsibility and to lay into him about how he spoke about Jews as "dirty" and "the second enemy of Islam".
Hamza tried to explain that it was action and not people which he was preaching against. He said there were 3 types of Jews. Those who did wrong, those who were neutral and those who did right. He spoke of a few Jewish people who were against the Zionists invading Palestine. Under cross examination he also tried to dispute he was exhorting the killing of those who granted licences for wine-sellers, saying that it is a body which grants the licence not a person.
He spoke about Jewish "lobbyists" controlling what was reported about Palestine over here to make war and control what people thought. He thinks of "Zionism" as a world wide movement controlling other countries economies through the banking system and the media.
Perry carried on to attack Hamza's view of Jihad, view of women in Israel as Soldiers and implied Hamza took it upon himself to define who was an "apostate scholar".
Throughout Hamza consitently toned down the stuff which was on the tapes into barely understandable words and phrases. He wouldn't be specific about apostates in this country and defended the idea of Muslims attacking apostates abroad by recolecting US attacks on Gadaffi and Saddam. He said that the Israeli's were proud of the young age of their army and that only women actually firing bullets would be a target. Muslims would have to travel to an area and find out from the Mujahadeen what was happening before targetting.
"Do you accept that we have a problem with radicalised Muslims made extreme?"
"You make these terms. Extreme from what? Near to what? Am I extreme or near? By what measurement?"
Perry tried to get Hamza to say which groups were advocating a caliphate in the Whitehouse or in Downing street, which Hamza finally admitted was "Al-Mujaharoun"(Common knowledge).
"You ask me questions you could ask any postman who has read the paper. I am tired of standing, either give me questions I can answer or lock me up..."
If there was a consistent line throughout all this it was that Hamza feels he is dealing with theories, not specifics. Its all teaching from the Koran which are debated amongst scholars.
This is all really confusing. The tapes look threatening. Hamza hasn't looked threatening for years. What can I tell you? You couldn't cartoonise Perry and Fitz anymore if they stood still whilst you drew round them with a pencil. Perry (prosecuting) is very wolflike and Fitz is every bit the bumbling bespectacled defence barrister.
Public gallery
OK the news coverage is pretty good. I'm going to try and bring you up to date on the view from the public gallery. I am there of course not only to record the proceedings, but to catch up with a few faces from Finsbury park and see if any of them are up for colluding on some sort of visual record for public consumption.
I'm not doing too well at the moment. The bigger the group the further they stand away from me in the gallery anteroom. Sometimes I feel like shouting "Come on guys, If you disobey the rules about standing in there cos you don't believe in man made law, what does it say up there? DO NOT DISCUSS CASES can't you break that rule as well?
I totally understand the pressure they must feel they are under.
Two guys came in, one I have argued about film with a Hajj's place before. He was saying that they wouldn't agree to anything where they didn't have final control over the edit. He is a very intelligent conspiracy theorist who has the talent to make a film himself. If I lent him a camera to make it would that get me on AhhhJihhaaaadiiiwatch?
“Have you seen any of my films?” I asked him.
“Yes.” he said “and I thought it was counterproductive.” he went on to vaguely criticize my portrayal of Abdullah.
“Oh yes? Which bit? The part where he says that George Bush sacrifices children to an Owl God? The bit where hes talking about Russian troops slitting open pregnant Chechen women? I made those over a year ago and have since had absolutely no feedback whatsoever from any of you.”
I don't like to harangue too much, but what are they comparing my stuff with? Paxman telling Mr. Hamza to go back to his own country? If I met people around Hamza who were violent angry or hateful towards unbelievers I would be dead by now. Its really annoying that I can't swear at people because they don't trust me.
His friend asked to see my notebook expecting me to pull it away defensively.
"What does that bit say?" he asked.
"It says that if you borrow something off of a kaffir you want to rob, you give it back to him and then rob him. That is what he said on the tape isn't it?"
"I don't know..." he answered worriedly.
"Samir's brother" as I have ashamedly been referring to him, or Adam as I have since found his name to be has been the most frequent visitor. He sits and fidgets and gets annoyed with the whole spectacle in front of him making me laugh. When he is around the distraction is balanced by the ability to spell the latest name of lost cities or tribes from the Koran Mr. Hamza is referring to in his defence. The brothers do some webwork for the supporters of shareeah website, available on all the best AhhhJihadiiiwatch sites. I have never sensed any threat from either of them. Anyone watching how they are on a screen for five minutes would say “and these are supposed to be terrorists?”. Makes me want to nut the back of the bench in front of me but I was philosophical. “Look if a film doesn't happen out of all this its been good to meet you.”
At the moment he is convinced that there is no Islamic objective in answering any of this on film. He feels that they would be "riding on the back" of Mr. Hamza and that I wouldn't be talking to them if they didn't know him. I understood this to a point, but I think I was always filming their whole community. I didn't concentrate on Mr. Hamza in my films. Because they have a leader and focus around an “emir” is just part of the story of who they are. Why no one around a man the US government says is a terrorist seems to be wanted by the authorities over here. Why the man himself wasn't wanted by those same authorities.
Hmmm... I was filming everyone in Finsbury park who would let me. Last time I spoke to Hamza he wished me luck on a film I thought I was making about Abu Abdullah. This is totally confusing but served to remind me of my original lofty intentions in picking up a camera in some sort of experiment of faith that the "truth will out".
Its my job to come up with an "Islamic objective" which was why I had suggested a meetup with Sparkle and the girls. To see if we can put right any misconceptions the two communities have of each other. An exercise in "confidence building" between two sides who feel they are enemies in a nice neutral country like Britain.
“Does he ever look up at you?” asked Adam.
“The old bastard never used to look at me in Finsbury park either in all that time, let alone here.” I answered laughing.
“Don't take it personally.”
“No worries, he must be under a lot of stress.”
There is already a "them" and "us" going on between gallery and press benches with nervous glances shot from either "side" and neither "side" quite sure which "side" I am on. It was nice to bridge this divide a bit with a girl who was working for ITN. She was hanging around the public gallery entrance with a camerawoman convinced she had seen one of Mr Hamza's sons in the public gallery the day before. She has a sort of scrap book she was showing one of 3 news camera people who do a ritual dance with prison vans as they arrive every morning. (On the shoulder van rolls up, follow round. Close up on driving compartment, drop camera to floor and follow van in as entrance closes.)
"Let me see that picture" I said to initiate a conversation.
"Thats Abu Haffs."
"Mustapha Camel." she corrected me.
"I don't think he will come. Hes probably at college or something."
"But he was sitting next to you yesterday in the public gallery."
I was unsure what I would have done at that moment had Mr. Hamza's friends turned up and took exception to being filmed as they are prone to do.
"Did you see me? Were you downstairs?" she was Asian and quite pretty."What do the juries faces look like when Mr. Hamza is talking? Do they look angry? Like they hate him?"
"No they look bored." she told me.
"There wasn't anyone next to me yesterday." I think she thought I was lying to her.
"Yes there were there were 3 guys sitting next to you. Mustapha Camel was in the middle."
"No there weren't. Hang on. Maybe the day before...Big guy? He's from Lebanon."
"How do you know?"
"I asked him. He brought his dad the day before."
"Excuse me. My dad is from Lebanon. He is asking why you have this bones in your ears and jewelery." the guy had said to me.
"Say to him- decoration." I answered.
"No good" said dad, worried.
"I'm sorry dad."
The guy was with a group of four who were quite positive about what I was trying. They are all infuriatingly convinced that only one side of the Hamza story is going to be allowed on "the media". To me its all simple. Talk. Film. Find out. Again, another four plausible, peaceful Muslims who talk to me like any other Londoner and won't go on camera.
I was trying to convince the “usually already pissed in the morning” cameraman who helped me film preachers of hate to come up, to get him out of the house and maybe do some more filming. All of the Muslims like him as he is very “British Asian” and could pass as a Muslim. He filmed with me twice in Finsbury park and no one minded that he was pissed. I like Jinn, but he is bit of a wildcard in any situation (see HIT HIM WITH A PIECE OF WOOD)
“You know if you come you will probably get followed home.” I warned him.
“Let them follow me. I'll say here is my girlfriend. Here is my bottle of Whisky.”
Wonder of all wonders he actually arrived on Friday.
“Blackie!”
“Monkeyboy!”
I answered in suprise as he appreared through a gaggle of trainee journalists, trainee barristers and trial tourists, all nervously eying an Asian face. (I'm not racist, his name, Jinn means monkey.)
“Did they ask you if you were a terrorist downstairs?” I asked.
“Yeah, that Asian babe, works for ITN. I'm going to take her for a coffee. I told her we got the footage man. She asked my reasons for being here. I said “political correctness”. Told her: MALUNG NEWS”
“You fucking idiot! What are you telling these people about my blog for? Everyone can see you are a pisshead, no one will take me seriously.”
Throughout the trial he was tapping me and giggling as I was trying to work out what of the stuff Mr. Hamza was saying to write down. He was also ducking sinisterly below the front of his heavy army jacket collar, making the big MI-5 guy who sits at the front uncomfortable seeing an unrecognized Asian face in the gallery.
“He just smiled at me!” Jinn had stood up right at the beginning and smiled at Mr. Hamza.
“Did he? You bastard. He never even looks at me.”
Lunchtime we went for a pint. A member of the jury was sitting at the table behind us.
“Look. Let me do the talking. I'll sell it to this ITN girl.” Jinn insisted.
“Jinn, after three years I can't sell my footage to someone else to edit, especially not ITN. What do you think these people would say to me? What would they think? It would defeat the whole object of what I am doing.”
Jinn is great, but an Indian buisness head mixed with alchohol is a bad concoction. I wouldn't want to pickle my film in it. Note Hamza smiles at someone who is saying "Yeah. Lets sell the footage" and someone who wants to faithfully present the story he's seen- no reaction.
I'm not doing too well at the moment. The bigger the group the further they stand away from me in the gallery anteroom. Sometimes I feel like shouting "Come on guys, If you disobey the rules about standing in there cos you don't believe in man made law, what does it say up there? DO NOT DISCUSS CASES can't you break that rule as well?
I totally understand the pressure they must feel they are under.
Two guys came in, one I have argued about film with a Hajj's place before. He was saying that they wouldn't agree to anything where they didn't have final control over the edit. He is a very intelligent conspiracy theorist who has the talent to make a film himself. If I lent him a camera to make it would that get me on AhhhJihhaaaadiiiwatch?
“Have you seen any of my films?” I asked him.
“Yes.” he said “and I thought it was counterproductive.” he went on to vaguely criticize my portrayal of Abdullah.
“Oh yes? Which bit? The part where he says that George Bush sacrifices children to an Owl God? The bit where hes talking about Russian troops slitting open pregnant Chechen women? I made those over a year ago and have since had absolutely no feedback whatsoever from any of you.”
I don't like to harangue too much, but what are they comparing my stuff with? Paxman telling Mr. Hamza to go back to his own country? If I met people around Hamza who were violent angry or hateful towards unbelievers I would be dead by now. Its really annoying that I can't swear at people because they don't trust me.
His friend asked to see my notebook expecting me to pull it away defensively.
"What does that bit say?" he asked.
"It says that if you borrow something off of a kaffir you want to rob, you give it back to him and then rob him. That is what he said on the tape isn't it?"
"I don't know..." he answered worriedly.
"Samir's brother" as I have ashamedly been referring to him, or Adam as I have since found his name to be has been the most frequent visitor. He sits and fidgets and gets annoyed with the whole spectacle in front of him making me laugh. When he is around the distraction is balanced by the ability to spell the latest name of lost cities or tribes from the Koran Mr. Hamza is referring to in his defence. The brothers do some webwork for the supporters of shareeah website, available on all the best AhhhJihadiiiwatch sites. I have never sensed any threat from either of them. Anyone watching how they are on a screen for five minutes would say “and these are supposed to be terrorists?”. Makes me want to nut the back of the bench in front of me but I was philosophical. “Look if a film doesn't happen out of all this its been good to meet you.”
At the moment he is convinced that there is no Islamic objective in answering any of this on film. He feels that they would be "riding on the back" of Mr. Hamza and that I wouldn't be talking to them if they didn't know him. I understood this to a point, but I think I was always filming their whole community. I didn't concentrate on Mr. Hamza in my films. Because they have a leader and focus around an “emir” is just part of the story of who they are. Why no one around a man the US government says is a terrorist seems to be wanted by the authorities over here. Why the man himself wasn't wanted by those same authorities.
Hmmm... I was filming everyone in Finsbury park who would let me. Last time I spoke to Hamza he wished me luck on a film I thought I was making about Abu Abdullah. This is totally confusing but served to remind me of my original lofty intentions in picking up a camera in some sort of experiment of faith that the "truth will out".
Its my job to come up with an "Islamic objective" which was why I had suggested a meetup with Sparkle and the girls. To see if we can put right any misconceptions the two communities have of each other. An exercise in "confidence building" between two sides who feel they are enemies in a nice neutral country like Britain.
“Does he ever look up at you?” asked Adam.
“The old bastard never used to look at me in Finsbury park either in all that time, let alone here.” I answered laughing.
“Don't take it personally.”
“No worries, he must be under a lot of stress.”
There is already a "them" and "us" going on between gallery and press benches with nervous glances shot from either "side" and neither "side" quite sure which "side" I am on. It was nice to bridge this divide a bit with a girl who was working for ITN. She was hanging around the public gallery entrance with a camerawoman convinced she had seen one of Mr Hamza's sons in the public gallery the day before. She has a sort of scrap book she was showing one of 3 news camera people who do a ritual dance with prison vans as they arrive every morning. (On the shoulder van rolls up, follow round. Close up on driving compartment, drop camera to floor and follow van in as entrance closes.)
"Let me see that picture" I said to initiate a conversation.
"Thats Abu Haffs."
"Mustapha Camel." she corrected me.
"I don't think he will come. Hes probably at college or something."
"But he was sitting next to you yesterday in the public gallery."
I was unsure what I would have done at that moment had Mr. Hamza's friends turned up and took exception to being filmed as they are prone to do.
"Did you see me? Were you downstairs?" she was Asian and quite pretty."What do the juries faces look like when Mr. Hamza is talking? Do they look angry? Like they hate him?"
"No they look bored." she told me.
"There wasn't anyone next to me yesterday." I think she thought I was lying to her.
"Yes there were there were 3 guys sitting next to you. Mustapha Camel was in the middle."
"No there weren't. Hang on. Maybe the day before...Big guy? He's from Lebanon."
"How do you know?"
"I asked him. He brought his dad the day before."
"Excuse me. My dad is from Lebanon. He is asking why you have this bones in your ears and jewelery." the guy had said to me.
"Say to him- decoration." I answered.
"No good" said dad, worried.
"I'm sorry dad."
The guy was with a group of four who were quite positive about what I was trying. They are all infuriatingly convinced that only one side of the Hamza story is going to be allowed on "the media". To me its all simple. Talk. Film. Find out. Again, another four plausible, peaceful Muslims who talk to me like any other Londoner and won't go on camera.
I was trying to convince the “usually already pissed in the morning” cameraman who helped me film preachers of hate to come up, to get him out of the house and maybe do some more filming. All of the Muslims like him as he is very “British Asian” and could pass as a Muslim. He filmed with me twice in Finsbury park and no one minded that he was pissed. I like Jinn, but he is bit of a wildcard in any situation (see HIT HIM WITH A PIECE OF WOOD)
“You know if you come you will probably get followed home.” I warned him.
“Let them follow me. I'll say here is my girlfriend. Here is my bottle of Whisky.”
Wonder of all wonders he actually arrived on Friday.
“Blackie!”
“Monkeyboy!”
I answered in suprise as he appreared through a gaggle of trainee journalists, trainee barristers and trial tourists, all nervously eying an Asian face. (I'm not racist, his name, Jinn means monkey.)
“Did they ask you if you were a terrorist downstairs?” I asked.
“Yeah, that Asian babe, works for ITN. I'm going to take her for a coffee. I told her we got the footage man. She asked my reasons for being here. I said “political correctness”. Told her: MALUNG NEWS”
“You fucking idiot! What are you telling these people about my blog for? Everyone can see you are a pisshead, no one will take me seriously.”
Throughout the trial he was tapping me and giggling as I was trying to work out what of the stuff Mr. Hamza was saying to write down. He was also ducking sinisterly below the front of his heavy army jacket collar, making the big MI-5 guy who sits at the front uncomfortable seeing an unrecognized Asian face in the gallery.
“He just smiled at me!” Jinn had stood up right at the beginning and smiled at Mr. Hamza.
“Did he? You bastard. He never even looks at me.”
Lunchtime we went for a pint. A member of the jury was sitting at the table behind us.
“Look. Let me do the talking. I'll sell it to this ITN girl.” Jinn insisted.
“Jinn, after three years I can't sell my footage to someone else to edit, especially not ITN. What do you think these people would say to me? What would they think? It would defeat the whole object of what I am doing.”
Jinn is great, but an Indian buisness head mixed with alchohol is a bad concoction. I wouldn't want to pickle my film in it. Note Hamza smiles at someone who is saying "Yeah. Lets sell the footage" and someone who wants to faithfully present the story he's seen- no reaction.
Galloway is hooked. Reel in on Wednesday
Big Brother is amazing. Galloway repeatedly breaks the rules then when they read out the words he used in his infringement he accuses Big Brother of “double standards” and attacks the person he has stabbed in the back for being upset about it.
Last time they bollocked him they “saluted his courage his strength and his indefatigability”. To say he “walked into this one”...amazing. Hes taken to pacing round the garden, smoking on his own. If he regrets all this hes going to regret it even more when he is booed out on Wednesday.
“If he can't stick to the rules in here, whats he like on the outside?” asked the Essex girl.
“When Preston does something wrong he pours his heart out and apologises” notices baywatch babe. “With George, Rula goes to him, Maggot goes to him and its him who has done wrong. He can't go to them and apologise. He can't come to me.”
“A corrupt politician, who'd have thought it?” asks the neo-mod he stabbed in the back.
On Maggots resume it says he wants to get into politics. If he could replace Galloway as “the leader of the anti-war movement” after this we could maybe get somewhere. The guys is on top form and deserves to win but Barrymore has been playing a huge sympathy card with the public for years.
Everything that was bloody obvious about Galloways personality has been borne out in the housemates opinion of him now. Well done Channel 4. Maybe the “peace movement” will actually become a “movement” now or at least hesitate before uniting behind another “leader”.
Malung prediction: Public vote Galloway out wednesday. His political career? Maybe he could look for a small island with some monkeys he could talk to about his chats with Mandela and Saddam.
readabet.com
mediabulletin
Last time they bollocked him they “saluted his courage his strength and his indefatigability”. To say he “walked into this one”...amazing. Hes taken to pacing round the garden, smoking on his own. If he regrets all this hes going to regret it even more when he is booed out on Wednesday.
“If he can't stick to the rules in here, whats he like on the outside?” asked the Essex girl.
“When Preston does something wrong he pours his heart out and apologises” notices baywatch babe. “With George, Rula goes to him, Maggot goes to him and its him who has done wrong. He can't go to them and apologise. He can't come to me.”
“A corrupt politician, who'd have thought it?” asks the neo-mod he stabbed in the back.
On Maggots resume it says he wants to get into politics. If he could replace Galloway as “the leader of the anti-war movement” after this we could maybe get somewhere. The guys is on top form and deserves to win but Barrymore has been playing a huge sympathy card with the public for years.
Everything that was bloody obvious about Galloways personality has been borne out in the housemates opinion of him now. Well done Channel 4. Maybe the “peace movement” will actually become a “movement” now or at least hesitate before uniting behind another “leader”.
Malung prediction: Public vote Galloway out wednesday. His political career? Maybe he could look for a small island with some monkeys he could talk to about his chats with Mandela and Saddam.
readabet.com
mediabulletin
January 21, 2006
CNN? HERE?
"____ _____" <____.____*at*turner.com> wrote:
Dear Dave
Do you have a contact number for Abu Abdullah? Just read your encounter with him on your website. I would like to make contact with him to see if there's any chance he would speak to the American TV channel I work for (CNN).
Cheers,
______
From: dave bones
To: ____ _____ <_____>
Subject: Re: Abu Abdullah
CNN? Great! How much?
In all seriousness, and in answer to the other stranger request for Abdullah's number I recieved, I'm afraid I can't give out his phone number over the internet. I could forward numbers in case he wanted to call but he probably wont. I think he's called me once in 2-3 years. I have been told that Mr. Hamza has banned anyone from representing him in the media whilst the trial is on.
Dear Dave
Do you have a contact number for Abu Abdullah? Just read your encounter with him on your website. I would like to make contact with him to see if there's any chance he would speak to the American TV channel I work for (CNN).
Cheers,
______
From: dave bones
To: ____ _____ <_____>
Subject: Re: Abu Abdullah
CNN? Great! How much?
In all seriousness, and in answer to the other stranger request for Abdullah's number I recieved, I'm afraid I can't give out his phone number over the internet. I could forward numbers in case he wanted to call but he probably wont. I think he's called me once in 2-3 years. I have been told that Mr. Hamza has banned anyone from representing him in the media whilst the trial is on.
What about this then?More signs of the apocalypse?
these two look disturbingly like they are posing for this photo don't you think?
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