Labour MP - "he's a nice boy really"

Again, it would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

Here's the non-provocative and wonderfully named "suicide bomber" Omar Khayam a day or two back.

Omar Khayam from Bedford, who was photographed wearing what onlookers described as a suicide bomber's harness, said he had no regrets about his style of dress, telling a national newspaper: "I didn't go there to cause anyone any harm. I went along just to attend a protest. Yet I have been branded a suicide bomber overnight.

"Did I say, 'Kill Jews?' No. Did I have racist signs on me? No. So why this reaction?"

"I would do it again to make a point. I could have gone along and held up banners or something, but this made the point better."

I think some people got the point.

Strangely, by yesterday Omar had decided to don the winter garment of repentance. As Bedford Today reported :

Bedford man sorry for suicide bomber protest
22-year-old admits his actions in London were wrong
A protester who dressed as a 'suicide bomber' at a Muslim demonstration in London has apologised for his "insensitive" actions.

Omar Khayam, 22, of Ford End Road, Bedford, spoke out at his home after being tracked down by a media frenzy.

Mr Khayam said: "I wouldn't have done it again. I do not want to provoke any violence, I just wanted to make a point using my right in freedom of speech."

Hundreds of banner-waving Muslim extremists demonstrated on Saturday against a Danish newspaper's cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Mr Khayam explained his actions in a statement on Monday and said: "I found the pictures deeply offensive as a Muslim and I felt the Danish newspaper had been provocative and controversial, deeply offensive and insensitive.

"Just because we have the right of free speech and a free media, it does not mean we may say and do as we please and not take into account the effect it will have on others.

"I did it to make a point but did not mean it in a way to offend people, families or victims of terrorism."

Mr Khayam added: "I do not condone these murderous acts, do not support terrorism or extremism and would like to apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly to the families of the victims. I also apologise to the British Muslim community.

"I understand it was wrong, unjustified and insensitive of me to protest in this way."

Asif Nadim, chairman of the Jamia Masjid Gulshan Baghdad Mosque, in Westbourne Road, Queens Park, condemned Mr Khayam's actions on behalf of the Muslim community.

Mr Nadim said: "This is extremely serious and damaging but I hope people in general do realise this is not the way to go about expressing freedom of speech.

"It is all very well wanting to be different but this has to be done in an acceptable manner. His manner of protest was extremely offending and unacceptable.

"I hope he understands the significance of this and hope other people listen to that. This is totally unacceptable behaviour and was totally out of character."

Patrick Hall, MP for Bedford and Kempston, said: "It has got out of hand. But he is sincere and has apologised.

"This was a highly provocative and foolish protest. But he is not a member of extreme organisation.

"Now he has thought he has seen how he got it very wrong and he is trying to repair the damage that has been done."

As reported in the Telegraph, Mr Hall was speaking outside Khayam's house at a hastily organised press conference.

Mr Hall, with his background in town planning and local government, is obviously a worldly-wise type. It didn't occur to him to wonder - why this change of heart ?

We know now.

He was sentenced in 2002 to five and a half years for dealing coke. He's out 'on license' under the 'supervision' of our wonderful probation 'service'.

According to the Daily Mirror, 'sources' are claiming he 'dealt for Islam'. Don't know how likely that is.

"He told people that he would use the money from drugs for the cause, meaning radical Muslim groups. He has obviously become even more radicalised since he got out."


Khayam - who apologised yesterday for dressing as a suicide bomber at a London demo - was jailed in 2002 for possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply. He was freed on parole last year after half his six-year sentence.


The insider, who knew him at Springhill Prison, Bucks, added: "It was well known that Omar made a lot of money from drugs. He was part of a large crew in Bedford. His street name is Skinner and there are a lot of drug users in the town who know him through these connections".

Israel 2 - Yemen - (minus) 13

Good shot, lads.

Bloody bad show, chaps.

Other news : Austria ? They haven't even got a cross on their flag. Is this whole thing an Iranian plot ?

More Stewart Lee

A commenter writes :

Stewart Lee had a BBC comedy series about 10 years ago called "Fist of Fun" which included various parodies of Christian parables. In one of the shows he read out a letter from a viewer asking if he would dare mock other religions like islam in the same way, his reply was something like-

"We respect all religions, particularly those with guns"

At least he was honest back then.

The hitherto little-known (i.e. doesn't link to me) Dr Feelgood gets a slap in too.

So, if I read this correctly, he is actually claiming that Christianity was 'asking for it' because Christians don't respect Jesus the way Muslims respect Mohammad. This totally misses the point of satire - isn't the very point of satire to prick egos? Why should I acknowledge him as the bigger man for picking on the smaller target? Whatever you think of the cartoons, they do engage with Islam 'on its own terms' - those terms being that Mohammad should not ever be displayed. They engaged with that, and challenged it.

It Would Be Hilarious If It Wan't Serious

Police are apparently 'gathering evidence' to see if there's been an offence of incitement to murder.

"Lord" Harris of the Metropolitan Police Authority, a man who knows all about creative interpretation of the law, compared the demo with BNP and National Front demos of the past. After all, some people were offended by them, weren't they ? Hear him at Today (RealAudio).

I well remember those days, demonstrating against the NF, as they marched past with their "Massacre Foreigners" banners.

.

Police searching for evidence on Friday.

An Experiment

Go down to the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, currently staging "Jerry Springer - The Opera". Take a few mates.

Cover your faces with scarves so you can't be identified by cameras.

Walk up and down in front of the theatre, holding up placards saying "Butcher those who mock Jesus", "Kill those who insult Jesus".

See if the police will walk calmly alongside you, not arresting you but preventing any annoyed theatre-goers from snatching your placards.

Neatly Put

From a letter to the Times by James, who's posting some good stuff.

"Although you give a reasoned defense of your decision not to publish the Danish cartoons, overall, the British Press's hesitancy to take an unequivocal stand against censorship by a religious group should put to rest anyone's doubts of the efficacy of the death penalty as a deterrent."



UPDATE - Drinking From Home doesn't rate Stewart Lee either. Great link to this site of Images of Mahomet as well. Wait 'till they find out he's sculpted on the US Supreme Court building, near the great Sir William Blackstone.

Did you know that an alleged Al-Quaeds guy (operating from Britain, of course) was plotting to blow up an image of Mohammed ?

"This Fascist element in our community"

I can't find this story anywhere on the Web, but BBC radio news is reporting that Dr. Ghayasuddin Siddiqui of the Muslim Parliament of Britain used those words to condemn Friday's murderous marchers.

The BBC seem to be spinning calls for the arrest and prosecution of the marchers as a Tory initiative, but it's good to see Shahid Malik and David Winnick on the side of the angels, not to mention the Muslim Public Affairs Committee saying that Friday's demo should have been stopped.

I note that while no arrests were made on Friday, a couple were made on Saturday.

Police later said two men had been arrested near the embassy during the protest.

"They were arrested to prevent a breach of the peace, after a search by officers found leaflets including cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed," a Met spokeswoman said.

Calling for people to be beheaded is one thing. But a cartoon of Mohammed ? - that's going a bit too far. You have to see these things in their cultural context. There's a report here. The guy dressed as a suicide bomber was ignored.


Peaceable, non-provocative protester - not to be arrested.


Ths man may have cartoons ready to detonate at any time. If he's about to hand them out, 7 or 8 head shots are appropriate.

PS - for how long has it been mandatory in the Met and on the BBC to call Mohammed 'the Prophet (note capital P) Mohammed' ? I haven't noticed Jesus being referred to as 'the Lord Jesus Christ' lately.

Support These People

More peaceful protest ...













Scott fisks the Fisk magnificently, Mick Hartley draws attention to Charles Moore who draws attention to Stewart Lee. Money quote :

"There is a great deal of talk about responsible journalism, gratuitous offence, multicultural sensitivities and so on. Jack Straw gibbers about the irresponsibility of the cartoons, but says nothing against the Muslims threatening death in response to them. I wish someone would mention the word that dominates Western culture in the face of militant Islam - fear."

Self Hating Liberal of the Week

In a week of fierce competition, listen to mockney BBC person Stewart Lee (of Jerry Springer fame/notoriety) on the Today programme yesterday, explaining (RealAudio) why "Christian iconography is up for grabs" but how Islam is off limits.

Some great editorials yesterday too.

Indie - "there is an important distinction to be made between having a right and choosing to exercise it."

Translation - abusing "our" religion is OK, abusing "theirs" - well ...


Guardian - " It is one thing to assert the right to publish an image of the prophet. But it is another thing to put that right to the test, especially when to do so inevitably causes offence to many Muslims "

Translation as above ...

Telegraph - "Our restraint is in keeping with British values of tolerance and respect for the feelings of others. However, we are equally in no doubt that a small minority of Muslims would be offended by such a publication to an extent where they would threaten, and perhaps even use, violence. "

Translation - we don't want to be attacked.

Times - "To move from there to holding ministers responsible for the editorial decisions of a free press in their nations, to urge that all products from a country be ostracised or, worst still, to engage in violence against people or property is to leave the field of legitimate complaint and enter one of censorship enforced under threat of intimidation. That free speech is misunderstood in much of the Islamic realm shows how much progress has yet to be made."

Translation - as above.

Hear No Evil, See No Evil ...

New Labour policing at its best. This is London, soi-disant capital of England, 2006. Click on photo to enlarge.














"Butcher Those Who Insult Islam"
"Behead Those Who Mock Islam"

"Europe, You Will Pay, Demolition Is On Its Way"

"Exterminate Those Who Slander Islam"

"You Dug Your Grave, Lie In It !" - masked 'protestors' outside the French Embassy.

Police look the other way, while placards say "Kill Those Who Insult Islam".

How about this one - "Be Prepared For The Real Holocaust"

Another policeman walks behind the poster "Europe you will pay, your 9/11 is on its way"

"Europe you will pay, Bin Laden Is Way" ??

"Europe. Take some lessons from 9/11"

"Newsnight Go To Hell !" (I didn't say they were all bad.)


They have every right to protest, as Christians have protested about Jerry Springer. But this is plain and simple incitement to murder. And the police, so quick to spot hate speech on some occasions, are ignoring it. No doubt they have their orders. Don't want to upset this guy's constituents.

UPDATE - Times report.

Police refused to act on complaints from passers-by to order the demonstrators to take down banners praising the British-born terror bombers as the “Fantastic Four”, saying that their job yesterday was to ensure that the protest by 500 Muslims passed off peacefully.

More :

There were sporadic clashes with passer-by over chants praising the four suicide bombers who killed 52 people last July 7.

People who tried to snatch away what they regarded as offending placards were held back by police. Several members of the public tackled senior police officers guarding the protesters, demanding to know why they allowed banners that praised the “Magnificent 19” — the terrorists who hijacked the aircrafts used on September 11, 2001 — and others threatening further attacks on London.

These were only a few hundred people out of over a million UK muslims - a tiny percentage. If the police can't act in this case, it's hard to imagine what they will act against.

BBC - Half Way Out From Cowering Under The Desk

BBC radio news headlines :

"BBC news has shown brief clips of the cartoons"

I watched the television news, but was disappointed not to hear

" ... and those of you who don't want to see the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) ... please look away now ..."

It seems to work for the footy ...

Gogginssss ....

From the Guardian :

Tony Wright, a clever Labour MP, said we had heard enough from the minister about who would not be prosecuted under the act. But who might be?

Mr Goggins - his boss, Charles Clarke looked simultaneously stony-faced and embarrassed at his side, which is quite a trick - said vaguely that you might get a poster "showing women wearing burkas, saying that such women are not to be trusted, er, could be suicide bombers, er, who knows what they are hiding under their coats, a poster of that kind ..."

All black she was herself, too, and cloaked and hooded up, as if she did not want to be known. "Now what in the Shire can she want ?" I thought to myself.

"Good day to you !" I says, going out to her. "This lane don't lead anywhere, and wherever you may be going, your quickest way will be back to the road." I didn't like the looks of her.

"I come from yonder" she said, slow and stiff-like, pointing back west, over my fields if you please. "Have you seen Goggins ?" she asked in a queer voice, and bent down towards me. I could not see any face, for her hood fell down so low, and I felt a sort of shiver down my back. But I did not see why she should come riding over my land so bold.

"Be off !" I said. "There are no Gogginses here. You're in the wrong part of the Shire. You had better go back west to Hobbiton - but you can go by road, this time."

"Goggins has left," she answered in a whisper. "He is coming. He is not far away. I wish to find him. If he passes will you tell me ? I will come back with gold."


(with apologies to JRR Tolkein)

Strange ...

As the cartoon controversy intensifies, two things become clear.

One is that the rationalists, the debunkers of religious myth, the righteous campaigners against primitive superstition, the brave artistic iconoclasts, are remarkably quiet.

The Indie hasn't put the cartoons on its front page. Nor has the Guardian, or New Statesman.

Richard Dawkins is quiescent, Johann Hari schtum.

Gilbert and George aren't planning a new show devoted to images of Mohammed.

BBC television, which was happy to offend Christians, blurs out the offending images in its news reports, as if the story is about hard core pornography.

A Simon Carr in the Indie has an explanation.

"Rowan Atkinson has been publicly worrying that the (Religious Hatred) Bill will stop comedians making jokes about Islam. Comedians don't make jokes about Islam. They make jokes about politicians and Jesus Christ and English vicars but we're just too frigging gutless to apply the same satirical intensity to Islam. The penalties, as Theo van Gogh found out, can be more severe than anything [government minister] Mr. Goggins is proposing."

Which is the second strange thing. Because, as we're always being told, the death penalty isn't a deterrent. And the people who tell us that are the same people who are keeping their heads down now.

Odd, that.


PS - the verdict in the BNP trial is due today.

Scotland the Barely Believeable

And, as primary school girls keel over with a wee smoke of heroin, the Scottish Executive move to protect children, fearlessly tackling the chip van menace.

The education minister will consider whether to strengthen council powers to take action beyond the school gates.

Peter Peacock said: "We're going to look at whether the impact of chip vans or other vans around our schools is negative.

"If we have to strengthen the powers of local authorities to act, then we would want to do that."

Stabbed two elderly women ? Page and a half of previous convictions ?

Scots social worker he say probation.

Sheriff Graeme Buchanan issued the rebuke over the social worker's recommendation.

He told the court: "It just beggars belief that for an offence as serious as this, a social worker should recommend a probation order.

We have been here before.

He said that for a social worker to consider the options of fines, community service or probation was absurd. The only sentence available for murder, he insisted, was life imprisonment.

I've heard of roasting, but what does this mean ?

"Kate Moss grilled for an hour by cops"

Busy Again ...

Go read - Clive Davis on the black Republican vote and Biased BBC on the cartoon wars, which have been slewing round the blogs for months (for example at Irene Adler and Samizdata), but which the MSM have just discovered.

The B-BBC story is interesting but alas untypical. When the Danish paper published cartoons on Mohammed, they were obviously not offensive enough to get a decent reaction from the Ummah. So someone in the protesting community (is that OK. Mr Goggins ?) of Denmark added a couple of 'extras' - the prophet with a pig's head and a couple worse than that.

The BBC are reporting the fake cartoons as being published by the newspaper.

Update 2 pm January 31.Rob Broomby on BBC Radio 4’s PM last night (and well spotted Eammon):
'The blue touch paper had been lit by a series of cartoons published in a Danish newspaper in September. One portrayed the Prophet Mohammed with a turban shaped like a time bomb. Another showed him with a face of a pig.'

The time bomb WAS in the newspaper. The pig wasn't. We pay £3 billion a year for untrue news that may (if the Koran-flushing story is any guide) cost lives.

Isiah Young-Sam Update

I thought I'd hang fire on this post lest I find myself doing seven years, but it seems God's above the devil yet.


Remember Isiah Young-Sam ? The young black Christian, victim of a targeted racist murder during the Lozells riots ? The one who DIDN'T get 24/7 BBC news coverage ?

Police may have found a clue.

Police are hunting the owner of a bandana found near where a 23-year-old man was killed in the Birmingham riots.

Isiah Young-Sam was stabbed in Lozells in October while walking home from the cinema with his brother and friends.

West Midlands Police said the bandana is black and white with a number of white crescents and stars.

It has been undergoing forensic testing and officers now hope people will recognise it and tell them who owned it or where it was bought.

Notice the absence of the R-word from the report.

I can't help thinking I've seen a design like this before.



Wiccans ?

No Posts Today

Busy ...

New NHS Cost-Saving Strategy Unveiled

Ministers are considering plans to let adults appoint someone who could block life-sustaining treatment if they were too ill to do so themselves.
The Mental Capacity Act, which comes into force next year, gives people the chance to appoint someone who can instruct a doctor on their behalf.

Under plans to implement the act, they would need to indicate if this included powers to refuse life-sustaining care.

But critics have said the proposals amount to "back-door euthanasia".

Excuse me, but are any of you straight ?

via the Indie.

(This Lib Dem nonsense is getting silly. I can't believe the amount of moralistic posturing going on. By those who think that by some miracle people shouldn't be interested in stories about politicians hiring a couple of prostitutes. Human nature ain't like that. Simon Hughes on the other hand was perfectly free to answer questions with 'none of your business'. He should have done, although people will always be interested in an MP's sexual predelictions - human nature again. See David Mellor, toes and mythical Chelsea strips.)