Theresa May pressed to halt visit by anti-Muslim US preacher

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

Theresa May pressed to halt visit by anti-Muslim US preacher
Pastor who threatened to burn Qur'an plans to address far-right English Defence League in February
Toby Helm and Mark Townsend guardian.co.uk,
Saturday 11 December 2010 21.30 GMT

Home secretary Theresa May is under intense pressure to ban controversial anti-Muslim preacher Terry Jones from Britain after far-right activists said he had agreed to address them at a demonstration about "the evils of Islam".

The English Defence League said it was "proud to announce" that the US pastor, who caused outrage with plans to burn the Qur'an on this year's anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, would be attending the event in Luton in early February. Today Jones confirmed that he would be arriving in the UK. The pastor's website said he intended to visit the EDLs' "biggest demonstration to date" in February. The website said: "During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification of England and Europe."

Barack Obama warned in September that Jones's planned Qur'an burnings would be a "recruitment bonanza" for al-Qaida and the US state department said it would put the country's citizens at risk across the world.

Tonight the British anti-extremist campaign, Hope Not Hate, launched its own petition urging May to ban Jones from Britain, while MPs demanded immediate action from the home secretary. Hope Not Hate's campaign co-ordinator, Nick Lowles, said: "Pastor Jones's presence in Luton will be incendiary and highly dangerous. He will attract and encourage thousands of English Defence League supporters to take to the streets of Luton.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/11/theresa-may-edl-terry-jones

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http://assets.nydailynews.com.nyud.net:8090/img/2010/09/11/amd_jones_laguardia.jpg

Rev. Terry ministers to an enormous congregation of 50 more or less human shapes.

[Angry Dragon]

1. Time to declare him a terrorist and

send him to Gitmo until god says to release him

[social_critic]

2. Wrong move

I would let him go and speak his mind. The guy is a real idiot.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. But his purpose is to inflame British idiots

It's not as if he's coming to some debate at which reasonable people will consider his arguments and then say "oh, he talks a load of cobblers, forget about him". The EDL's sole purpose is to start fights in the street with Muslims. They are importing him a a literal rabble-rouser. They want him to come and say a few lies about Muslims (eg about 'the Islamification of England and Europe') so that the EDL supporters will get angry, they'll hope for a counter demonstration from militant Muslims (Luton has a high Muslim population, and the EDL has had fights there before), and they hope it will all kick off.

And when a country has the option of keeping someone out on the grounds that the true purpose of their visit will be to stir up hatred and violence, it's worth using that option, I think.

[Newsjock]

4. Pastor who threatened to burn Qur'an plans to address far-right English Defence League in February

Source: The Guardian

Home secretary Theresa May is under intense pressure to ban controversial anti-Muslim preacher Terry Jones from Britain after far-right activists said he had agreed to address them at a demonstration about "the evils of Islam".

The English Defence League (EDL) said it was "proud to announce" that the US pastor, who caused outrage with plans to burn the Qur'an on this year's anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, would be attending the event in Luton in early February. Jones confirmed that he would be arriving in the UK. The pastor's website said he intended to visit the EDL's "biggest demonstration to date" in February. The website stated: "During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification of England and Europe."

The EDL announced Jones's planned visit on its Facebook site today, saying he would attend "our biggest demo to date" and describing it as "the big one". There are fears that copies of the Qur'an could be burned by extremists.

The last time the EDL marched in Luton, 250 of their supporters went on the rampage through an Asian area of the town. Shop windows were smashed, cars overturned and a number of people were attacked. Thirty-five people were arrested as a result of the violence. Eleven people were arrested yesterday as 500 EDL supporters marched in Peterborough.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/11/theresa-may-edl-terry-jones

[sakabatou]

5. No surprise

[BenzoDia]

6. Anyone unfamiliar with the EDL should look them up. Very scary people.

[47of74]

7. Home Secretary May could make the Savage Weiner's head explode...

...and refuse Jones entry to the United Kingdom. I hope she does so.

[customerserviceguy]

8. If May refuses entry

this asshat will just address the group through a website, and it will have many more viewers than a live speech would have had.

I guess he found a way to extend his fifteen minutes.

[freshwest]

10. Sorry, I didn't read your post before I replied to the OP

With this reputation, this particular gang of yahoos should be stifled at every opportunity.

We have these 'English-Only' people in the USA and they are just arguing for some vague Anglo vision of what America is supposed to be. Nothing like running wild in the streets and attacking people. Only fussing, and they won't change anything except some official paperwork.

The USA does not have an 'official' language, no 'Queen's English' is in place here, but naturally government and business use American English for convenience.

What they want isn't going to happen, America is made of immigrants including the Europeans. It's a bit hard for us to make the 'nativist' argument here when this continent had millions of people before the English-speaking people showed up.

There has to be a peaceful outlet for those Europeans with centuries of residence through their ancestry to show their discomfort without going crazy on each other there. The government allowed the immigration. After all, England is an island without a land bridge (unless you want to count that Chunnel) and they should take the steps to have everyone get along.

On the other hand, we are all just temporary residents wherever we live. Americans seem to feel this more than most, I guess.

[freshwest]

9. ...an enormous congregation of 50 more or less human shapes...

Okay, I needed the laugh and that was a good one there!

As far as I'm concerned, all the voices need to be heard. Don't understand why they're so uptight about American yahoos coming there to speak when they have their own homegrown variety in abundance.

I remember there used to be some Islamic weirdos in the streets with signs like 'Death to Britain' and other not so complimentary slogans. They were allowed to do so, probably still are permitted.

This guy who is just another obnoxious, money-grubbing opportunist, and is the perfect foil to that rhetoric. There is always a reaction to any provocation, just as long as it's done peacefully, fine. Not that it helps solve the problems of social integration.

It's all just a sideshow while the bigger game gets away.

[Joanne98]

11. Anti-Muslim US preacher Terry Jones could be banned from UK

Source: The Guardian

The American preacher who planned a mass burning of the Qur'an on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks could be banned from entering Britain under incitement and national security laws.

Terry Jones, a pentecostal preacher, is to address the far-right group, the English Defence League (EDL), about "the evils of Islam" at a rally in Luton in February.

Theresa May, the home secretary, is under intense pressure to ban Jones and said she was "actively looking" at the case. She said Jones had "been on her radar for a few months" and, as home secretary, she could ban his entry if he was a threat to national security.

A statement on Jones's website said: "During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification of England and Europe." The EDL said it was "proud to announce" that Jones would be attending its "biggest demonstration to date".



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/12/terry-jones-possible-ban-from-uk

[RZM]

12. I'm not sure I agree with UK speech laws

'Hate speech' is a tricky thing to define, but I guess that's the 1st amendment in me talking. Britain is not the US, so if they want to ban him, I guess that's their call. I wonder if the real reason is that they just don't want the headache of a stirred-up Muslim minority right now, especially with all of the recent protests over the tuition hikes.

[Turborama]

13. More like they just don't want the headache of a stirred-up far right anti-Muslim minority

Right now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. EDL has rejected Jones as "homophobic and racist"

Yeah, 'cos they're all for liberalism and equality ...

US pastor who vowed to burn Qur'an will not be at EDL rally
...
"The EDL can confirm that Pastor Jones will not be attending the English Defence League demonstration against sharia in Luton on 5 February," it read.

EDL spokesman Guramit Singh said the decision had been taken after the group carried out "further research" on Jones and discovered he held some "homophobic and racist" views.

This evening Jones, a pentecostal preacher who runs the Dove World Outreach Centre in Gainesville, Florida, denied he was homophobic or racist, adding that the EDL had bowed to pressure from the government and media. "Of course there are issues they do not agree with us on just as there are issues on which we do not agree with them. But I was coming to speak on the dangers of radical Islam and I think on that there is agreement."

Jones said he still planned to come to the UK in February but would not be attending the EDL rally in Luton.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/dec/13/terry-jones-disinvited-edl-rally