'Koran burning': men expect to be charged with inciting racial hatred

[4me2]

'Koran burning': men expect to be charged with inciting racial hatred


A gang of six men arrested on suspicion burning copies of the Koran on YouTube said yesterday that they expected to be charged with stirring racial hatred.


By Nigel Bunyan and Heidi Blake
Published: 6:47AM BST 24 Sep 2010



The men hide their faces as they hold a copy of the Koran prior to setting fire to it Photo: NORTH NEWS


The men, all but one of them members of the far-right English Defence League, set fire to what appears to be the Muslim holy books on the anniversary of the 9/11 atrocities in the United States.

They say they carried out the “private joke” as a riposte to historical images of Muslim extremists burning American flags and effigies of western leaders.



However, all six insist that they have no idea who actually posted the video onto the internet, and say they now “bitterly regret” the stunt. All are now on bail pending further police inquiries.
The clip, recorded in the back yard of a public house in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, has been broadly condemned by other YouTube users, some of whom have expressed concern that British soldiers in Afghanistan could be targeted as a direct result.
They were marshalled by a man wearing a jacket bearing the logo: “English Defence League, Gateshead Division”.
The group admit to having been drinking at The Bugle in Felling, Gateshead, ahead of a Newcastle United match.
“It wasn’t anyone’s idea as such,” said the spokesman, who agreed to speak only on condition that all six remained anonymous.
“People are sick of British soldiers being killed out in Afghanistan and then being spat at and called baby killers when they come home.”
He added: “The last thing we would want is for any British soldier to be hurt as a result of this clip going out on YouTube”.
Speaking over a jukebox playing the rock song `This is England`, he claimed the decision to burn the books was taken“spontaneously”, with the group and about a dozen onlookers moving into the back yard.
Some wrapped tea-towels around their heads as the first book went up in flames.
On the video members of the gang are heard shouting: “This is for the boys in Afghanistan. September 11, international Burn a Koran Day, for all the people of 9/11. This is how we do it in Gateshead, right.”
They are then shown burning a second book.
Police visited The Bugle last Wednesday after the video was posted online and two men were arrested on suspicion of stirring racial hatred. They have since been released on bail.
Four more men were arrested and bailed on Wednesday pending further inquiries, Northumbria Police said.
“The arrests followed the burning of what are believed to have been two Korans in Gateshead on September 11,” a spokesman said.
He added that the men were not arrested for watching or distributing the video, but on suspicion of burning the Koran.
Gateshead Council and the force issued a joint statement to stress that community relations in the area were good.
It said: “The kind of behaviour displayed in this video is not at all representative of our community as a whole.
“Our community is one of mutual respect and we continue to work together with community leaders, residents and people of all faiths and beliefs to maintain good community relations.”
The incident follows tensions in America after an extremist Florida pastor threatened to burn 200 copies of the Koran on the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.
Terry Jones faced an international outcry when he announced the plan, which he later abandoned.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...al-hatred.html

[Zippeyrude]

i dont condone this mindless behaviour

however i only wish that the authorities acted fairly and arrested those that 'incite' hatred on the streets every day. i often see people 'preaching' their anti west rhetoric in the streets and have often wondered why this is allowed to continue...

if this country chooses to differ from the usa in not having the full freedom of speech then these principles should be applied fairly (and herein lies the problem)

[herbinator]

No buts no howevers this was an idiotic act by a group of morons,and the full weight of the law should be brought down on them and against anyone who incites racial or religious hatred in this beautiful multicoloured, multicultured land.

[Over Carl]

i dont condone this mindless behaviour

however i only wish that the authorities acted fairly and arrested those that 'incite' hatred on the streets every day. i often see people 'preaching' their anti west rhetoric in the streets and have often wondered why this is allowed to continue...

if this country chooses to differ from the usa in not having the full freedom of speech then these principles should be applied fairly (and herein lies the problem)

Cause and effect my dear friend. If you are gonna start locking up people for being annoyed at illegal actions of the west, are you then going to lock up everyone involved in atrocities we've commited abroad?

[Zippeyrude]

Cause and effect my dear friend.

Very true, but neither is acceptable, my point is that you need to deal with both or none. Dealing with one will invariably be perceived as 'pandering to the politically correct brigade' will only fuel an adverse reaction.

If you are gonna start locking up people for being annoyed at illegal actions of the west, are you then going to lock up everyone involved in atrocities we've commited abroad?

I agree mate, the level western hypocrisy is abhorrent - selecting allies as and when they suit. Whether it was the 80s mujahadeen against the Russians, Pervez Musharraf military coup / quasi dictator but allie, or even General Pinochet; the west has always had a very selective basis for picking its firends.

Choosing the side to call friendly or terrorist has well exposed the west as nothing more than wishing to protect self interest - it has nothing to do with 'the right thing to do'.

But the point here is that the those deficient in brain cells that promote views or carry out actions that we, as a society, find unacceptable should be treated no differently to any other group expressing (unacceptable) views.

Either you deal with all vile views or you deal with none.

[Over Carl]

True, in an ideal world, problems would be fixed from the top down which would be more likely to actually have some effect. However that's not gonna happen. Now if you look at it, the Muslims have fair grounds for being annoyed so I don't see why they should be stopped. What's the justification for these fellas?

[Detector]

its not acceptable imho to burn someones holy book, but on the same point its unnaceptable to call for the popes execut1on. theres both sides to blame.

i hope for a civil war

[darkstar]

True, in an ideal world, problems would be fixed from the top down which would be more likely to actually have some effect. However that's not gonna happen. Now if you look at it, the Muslims have fair grounds for being annoyed so I don't see why they should be stopped. What's the justification for these fellas?

in an ideal world there would be no religion at all and most of the worlds inhumanities against man would stop lets face it religion has brought man more death and destruction in the name of whatever god than it has done for peace