Six admit planning to bomb English Defence League rally

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

You can bet the EDL, whatever's left of them, and the far right in general are gonna have a field day with this. 'This could have been OUR Boston bombing!!' etc
So tired of tiny groups of religious sociopaths a) trying to kill and maim people and b) fuelling the hysteria and prejudice that the far right live off.

Six men from Birmingham have pleaded guilty to planning a bomb attack on an English Defence League rally.
Omar Mohammed Khan, Mohammed Hasseen, Anzal Hussain, Mohammed Saud, Zohaib Ahmed and Jewel Uddin all admitted preparing an act of terrorism between 1 May and 4 July 2012.
Five of the group took a homemade bomb to an EDL rally in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, but arrived after it ended.
They were caught after their car was stopped for having no insurance.
Police and security services had no intelligence about the planned attack, although one of the would-be killers was under surveillance in relation to another terror plan.
After the hearing at Woolwich Crown Court, Assistant Chief Constable of West Midlands Police Marcus Beale said: "Their capability was clear.
"They created devices that would have certainly maimed and possibly killed people depending on how close they were.
"Their intent was very, very clear. In my view they were very dangerous."
'Female devil'
On 30 June 2012, the EDL held a rally in Dewsbury, despite attempts by the Muslim community in the town to have it stopped.
Police estimated there could have been as many as 750 EDL supporters in attendance, as well as dozens of police officers and passers-by.
As the rally was taking place, the five men travelled there in two cars, one of which was carrying a homemade bomb constructed out of a modified firework and containing 458 pieces of shrapnel.
They also had two sawn-off shot guns, parts of other explosive devices, knives and a long printed message, dated the same day, describing their motivation and calling the Queen a "female devil".
It said: "To the EDL (English Drunkards League). O enemies of Allah! We have heard and seen you openly insulting the final Messenger of Allah... you should know that for every action there is a reaction.
"Today is a day of retaliation (especially) for your blasphemy of Allah and his Messenger Muhammad. We love death more than you love life. The penalty for blasphemy of Allah and his Messenger Muhammad is death."
However, the men arrived after the EDL rally had broken up because the right-wing group had insufficient speakers to carry on later into the afternoon.
The would-be attackers left the town but were stopped by a traffic police officer on the M1 motorway for having no car insurance.
Days later, when the impounded vehicle was searched, the weapons were found - sparking a manhunt across Birmingham.
Following their arrests, West Midlands Police realised that one of the men, Uddin, had been under partial counter-terrorism surveillance because detectives had been trying to establish for months whether or not he was dangerous.
A second member of the group, Ahmed, had been separately charged with possession of jihadist magazines that included bomb-making instructions. He was on bail at the time of the failed bombing.
The men changed their pleas from not guilty on Tuesday via videolink, and will be sentenced on 6 June.

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22344054)

[Sidagma]

Hate groups like the EDL do lead to an increase in hate crimes against Muslims, though.

Like, it's a politically motivated attack against racists and analysis of it deserves to be treated as such rather than just a case of killing innocent people like in Boston. That's all I'll say.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

Our attitude to religious fanatics should, I think, be the same as our attitude to the EDL, BNP and similar movement; that said, however, this attacks seems to have been an expression of resentment arising from oppression of Muslims and "Muslims" (anyone from regions where Muslims are in the majority).

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

Hate groups like the EDL do lead to an increase in hate crimes against Muslims, though.

Like, it's a politically motivated attack against racists and analysis of it deserves to be treated as such rather than just a case of killing innocent people like in Boston. That's all I'll say.

A fair point, but regardless of who is being targeted in this way or why, it's a heinous act perpetrated by zealots. I have zero fucking sympathy for the EDL and their supporters, but I do not wish to see one of them maimed or killed in the name of Allah or even by anti-racists. Political, religious, whatever the motive; people get killed and that, to me, is unacceptable.
I am making a distinction between the kind of opposition and confrontation you usually find at EDL rallies (anti-fa counter protests, fights and scuffles that might occur) and the act of planting improvised explosive devices for purpose of killing human beings.

[hatzel]

Certain elements of the press are already suggesting that this will turn out to be the opening blows of a...race war (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10028919/Race-war-fear-after-Islamic-terrorists-target-EDL.html)!

[The Jay]

I understand why someone would want to do that but it was pretty stupid. Does anyone know if they are treated better than the KKK in the United States?

[Comrade Nasser]

This is bad for middle-easterners in the west . These people look so stereotypically Arab unlike the Boston bombers.

[MarxArchist]

Any persons named Mohammad Husein bombing the EDL will simply be aiding them in adding huge amounts of people to the EDL 'cause'. On a different note we all know the state sides with fascists so this is probably some sort of entrapment scenario.

[Niall]

My heart sank when I saw this. You just know that the EDL and people who feel that way but have never been involved in anything are gonna use this as an excuse

[Devrim]

This is bad for middle-easterners in the west . These people look so stereotypically Arab unlike the Boston bombers.

I don't think these people are Arabs. I think they are from a Pakistani background. The people in Boston weren't Arabs either. They were Chechen.

Devrim

[Comrade #138672]

At least they were not planning to kill innocent people this time.

[Fionnagáin]

Like, it's a politically motivated attack against racists and analysis of it deserves to be treated as such rather than just a case of killing innocent people like in Boston. That's all I'll say.
I'm not given to understand that the would-be bombers were working with the sort of precision weaponry that could distinguish between EDL members and passers-by.

[hatzel]

I'm not given to understand that the would-be bombers were working with the sort of precision weaponry that could distinguish between EDL members and passers-by.

People seem to be talking about 'passers-by' as a serious concern, but my understanding is that the vast majority of people in direct proximity to a far-right rally will probably have something to do with said rally. Yes, there will be passers-by and onlookers and all that, but they won't be 'in amongst it,' so to speak, partly because it wouldn't take long for even the most ignorant member of the public to notice that the EDL are right wrong'uns you don't really want to stand too close to, and partly because of how these kinds of events are policed, by keeping people at a reasonable distance. Of course this means they probably wouldn't have been able to get into position to plant their bomb anyway - not least because their looking distinctly non-EDL would surely attract attention - but if they had, I actually doubt all too many innocent bystanders would have been caught up in the melée, not by the bomb itself and certainly not by the knives or guns. Stressing the possibility of passers-by being injured probably has more to do with painting this as somehow 'indiscriminate,' rather than something that was obviously highly targetted, and perhaps seeks to prevent anybody taking a 'you reap what you sow, they probably had it coming' approach to it, by highlighting the rather slim possibility of others being hurt in a conflict they never sought to be a part of - most victims of the EDL happen to fall into that category, of course. Additionally, it may act to strengthen the idea that the EDL are in fact the victims in all this, both in this particular case and more broadly, by lumping them together with passers-by - people it is far easier to sympathise with - against some 'evil' 'barbaric' Muslim who just wants to kill kill KILL, they don't even care who! Not that I think that's what you were doing, but we should be wary of how the event may be painted, and the possible impact of certain words.

...but at the same time the fact that these five Rambos thought they could have taken on 750 EDLers is ever so slightly ridiculous. Something tells me they were never really expecting it to go particularly well for them...

[TheRedAnarchist23]

Certain elements of the press are already suggesting that this will turn out to be the opening blows of a...race war (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/10028919/Race-war-fear-after-Islamic-terrorists-target-EDL.html)!

Race war? Is that a thing in the UK?

[Sinister Cultural Marxist]

MB if both groups just decide to blow each other up, we won't have to deal with them any more

joking of course ... but only half joking.

[Fionnagáin]

They tried that in Northern Ireland. Didn't work all that well.

[Brutus]

Race war? Is that a thing in the UK?

Only among far right nutjobs that talk about London being ethnically cleansed by Muslims.

[brigadista]

wheres the evidence?

[aty]

What has this to do with socialism? Remove topic, two different fascist groups fighting does not concern us...

[Dennis the 'Bloody Peasant']

What has this to do with socialism? Remove topic, two different fascist groups fighting does not concern us...

Thank you for deciding what does and does not concern 'us'.

[Blake's Baby]

wheres the evidence?

What evidence?

[Dropdead]

wheres the evidence?

Nice reading skills.

[Comrade Nasser]

I don't think these people are Arabs. I think they are from a Pakistani background. The people in Boston weren't Arabs either. They were Chechen.

Devrim

To ignorant people in the west we all look the same.

[goalkeeper]

To ignorant people in the west we all look the same.

I think due to the overall small number of Arabs and their locations of concentration (mostly, i think, in inner London) in the UK means they are unlikely to be the targets of a racist backlash, at least not as likely as, for example, a Pakistani kid in somewhere like Bradford.

[ed miliband]

To ignorant people in the west we all look the same.

i don't think this is necessarily true. actually, i think people of broadly 'south asian' appearance face more of a backlash than those who appear to be 'middle eastern'. indeed, much anti-muslim racism is directed against "p*kis" -- a racist is more likely to confuse a hindu man from delhi for a pakistani than, say, a lebanese man. purely anecdotal, but my father is - or at least was, his views may have changed - virulently anti-muslim. but his hatred was mostly directed towards pakistani muslims, whilst he'd often point out how similar syrian or lebanese or turkish, etc. muslims appear to us "europeans". strange i know.

also, i feel like i should point out this isn't a big news story in the uk. it's not going to ignite a race war. yes, the edl will use it to their advantage, but they'd use a muslim sneezing as an example of biological warfare. most ordinary people don't know or care about this.

[brigadista]

i asked where the evidence was because that looks like a plea bargain deal to me :):)

[Comrade Nasser]

I'm not South Asian. I'm an Arab and I have dark skin and have been mistake for a pakistani or Indian. People will still treat me bad too.

[Devrim]

i don't think this is necessarily true. actually, i think people of broadly 'south asian' appearance face more of a backlash than those who appear to be 'middle eastern'. indeed, much anti-muslim racism is directed against "p*kis" -- a racist is more likely to confuse a hindu man from delhi for a pakistani than, say, a lebanese man. purely anecdotal, but my father is - or at least was, his views may have changed - virulently anti-muslim. but his hatred was mostly directed towards pakistani muslims, whilst he'd often point out how similar syrian or lebanese or turkish, etc. muslims appear to us "europeans". strange i know.

Without wanting to state the obvious Islamophobia is directed against different people in different countries, directly connected to which ethnic groups make up the largest portion of immigrants in that particular country. Therefore in the UK in tends to be concentrated against Pakistanis, while in Germany it is against Turks, and in France North African Arabs.

Devrim

[Fionnagáin]

Yeah, there's a fair few Turks in my town (even a branch of the TKP, which came as a surprise), and most people just seem to think of them as something like "Muslim Greeks", if that makes sense. Their religion is seen as almost incidental, rather than being definitive as people think it is for Pakistanis.