Caught in the Middle

The EDL and other groups have been busy, as we know. And I must agree with what John Denham said on Saturday:

If you look at the types of demonstrations they have organised, the language used and the targets chosen, it looks pretty clear that it's a tactic designed to provoke, to get a response and create violence.

One of these tactics has been the use of Israeli flags. Not that the Israeli flag is inherently provocative but these groups know very well that waving the flag will annoy Islamists and Muslims alike (albeit for different reasons). The inevitable side-effect is that Islamists pathetically try to link these groups with Israel supporters.

MPACUK has posted two articles pushing this line. One entitled "Exposed! The EDL and Its Zionist Connection" had this to offer as proof of the headline's claim:

Their ruse is that they were marching against 'extremism' but their motives were soon revealed by their racist chanting and by the unfurling of an Israeli flag by the EDL skinheads.

The other ran under the line "Far-Right and Zionist Thugs Unite Against Palestinians" and again contained no evidence beyond the use of the Israeli flag.

Other Islamist groups are more subtle. The IHRC has two articles about the EDL events (here and here). Is it a coincidence that the pictures chosen for them just happen to be ones with an Israeli flag prominently placed?

All this leaves supporters of Israel in the middle. We know very well the games being played but are powerless to stop it. I suppose all we can do is declare clearly and loudly that supporters of Israel do not support the far-right and hope that people are intelligent enough not to be taken in by these tricks.

Al Quds Day March Moved

The Annual Al Quds Day March run by the Islamic Human Rights Commission is tomorrow (Sunday 13). Suffice to say that I'm not a big fan of the event which generally involves a fair bit of supporting terrorism. Read about this year's event here.

However, this year they've been forced to move from Trafalgar Square to Pall Mall. According to a report from The Guardian, the IHRC is blaming threats from the English Defence League (a seemingly nasty bunch of people).

Raza Kazim, spokesman for the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said: "At the last minute after months of negotiation, the GLA told us two days ago we are not allowed to go ahead with the rally in Trafalgar Square. We are very annoyed. It seems they have bowed to the pressure from people like the English Defence League."

I would have more sympathy for the IHRC were they not also in the business of trying to pressure people on the back of acts of violence. I know this is some time ago but it was the example that came to mind (please feel free to send in your own examples). Back in 2006 John Reid (then Home Secretary) suggested that Muslim parents ought to look out for signs of extremism in their kids. The IHRC had this to say:

Reid's comments once again reflect the Blair government's absolute refusal to recognise that its policies have had a substantial role to play in the quagmire we now find ourselves, and only serve to endanger us further.

and

If the government is sincere in finding a solution, it needs to come out of this state of denial, stop pointing fingers at others and instead recognise the root causes and its own responsibility within that

That would be the IHRC suggesting (politely, of course) that Britain needs to change its policies in order to avoid acts of terrorism. So when they complain that the State has bowed to pressure from people threatening violence the complaint rings hollow since they wish the State would do the same but to their demands instead.