Dewsbury, Bradford and Tower Hamlets . . . Where Islamic Extremists Want to Establish Independent States with Sharia Law
Daily Mail (London), July 6, 2011
Islamic extremists have called on British Muslims to establish three independent states within the UK.
The notorious Muslims Against the Crusades (MAC) group have named Yorkshire towns Bradford and Dewsbury and Tower Hamlets in East London as testbeds for blanket sharia rule.
The medieval ’emirates’ would operate entirely outside British law, according to a document on the MAC website.
The MAC group, led by Abu Assadullah, was set up last year and has become notorious because of its violent protests, most provocatively burning poppies during the Remembrance Day silence.
Under the heading ‘Muslims should set up Islamic emirates in the UK’, MAC says: ‘We suggest it is time that areas with large Muslim populations declare an emirate delineating that Muslims trying to live within this area are trying to live by the sharia as much as possible with their own courts and community watch and schools and even self sufficient trade.
‘Likely areas for these projects might be Dewsbury or Bradford or Tower Hamlets to begin with.
‘In time we can envisage that the whole of the sharia might one day be implemented starting with these enclaves.’
The call is likely to cause anger among moderate Muslims and community leaders in the areas concerned.
Ian Greenwood, leader of Bradford Council, said people would ‘not allow extremists to provoke them into violence’.
London 7/7 bomber Mohammad Sidique Khan lived in Dewsbury, which has battled to diffuse extremism in recent years. In 2007, it was alleged that a number of Muslims in Dewsbury were running an illegal Islamic court from a school and similar claims have been made in Tower Hamlets and Bradford.
Tower Hamlets council was last year accused of falling under the control of extremist groups following a documentary by the Daily Telegraph journalist Andrew Gilligan.
The plan is part of the MAC’s response to the government’s revised Prevent strategy to combat Islamic extremism.
In its document, called Islamic Prevent, the fanatics also call for an end to CCTV cameras in and around mosques.
It says: ‘Muslims must get rid of all CCTV cameras from Muslim institutions. Sadly many mosques have today adopted CCTV cameras to spy on Muslims on behalf of the police and local authorities.’
Other inflammatory instructions include demanding the release of all Muslim prisoners, a ban on Muslims joining the police or armed forces and a rejection of British democracy.
The document ends: ‘We can conclude that measures by the UK government are nothing more than an attempt by them to strip the Muslim community of their Islamic identity and to integrate them into the non-Islamic way of life.’
The revised Prevent programme, announced last month, is aimed at tackling home-grown terrorism and radicalisation of students.
It demands stricter controls on extremist literature and a more proactive approach by universities to prevent extremism.
Councillor Greenwood added: ‘Extremism is less likely to emerge when people get the opportunity to come together.
‘Local voluntary, community and faith groups, the council, and other public and private sector partners, all work together in Bradford to strengthen community relations and encourage better understanding and respect between all our communities.
‘We believe that this is one of the best ways to build a tolerant society in which extremism plays no part.’
Tower Hamlets and Kirklees Council, the local authority for Dewsbury, refused to comment.