EDL....

[DandyFloss]

I am a regular who has name changed for this thread.

I would like to have a discussion about EDL. I want to know exactly why people find them so abhorrent and why it is such a taboo subject.

I dislike militant Islam, it is a dangerous movement and it really frightens me. A family friend was killed in 9/11 and it was a horrible horrible tragedy.

I have two mixed race children, my DH is mixed race, I would not say I'm racist or xenophobic.

As far as I can gather EDL oppose militant Islam, and this alone.

Why does this make them racist? Surely militant Islam, although a very small proportion of Islam, should be opposed?

ohmymimi

You want to know, well here goes:

They are not just opposed to extremists, but to all Islamic people.

How they were organised, which btw, was primarily from football hooligans. The type of hooligans that are organised and travel the globe to not watch football but to instigate fights. The same hooligan firms that have been associated with deaths of individuals in these fights.

The Edl also have close links with the bnp and bfp (and I suppose that neither of these parties are racist either?)

The reason why you find it hard to find anything other that on their site is because of death threats sent to those who speak out, including journalists who try and do reports on the edl. The journalist union also have lots of reports from journos trying to do anything on their marches..Why if you have nothing to hide as a party would you do this?

Then there's all the arrests at these 'peaceful' marches where edl members have caused injury to people and damage to property. Of when members have broke out of the marches and gone on to attack locals.

Then there was the MEP member that the edl decided to visit at home. Not a few members, but a crowd and the mep rightly so felt intimidated.

Spray painting and attacking mosques. Extremist edl have attacked muslims leaving mosques. Several edl members have been convicted for writing edl and other profanities on mosques and Asian businessess..Not long ago there was the convictions for the arson attacks. Why go after innocents if they are only about the extremists? But then why not go after all extremists regardless of religion, race or colour?

They incite hatred.

what makes them fascist is that they want to stop a whole section of society having religious freedom

But surely that is what a jihad is? Isn't that to kill all 'infidels'?

yes - point out where anyone has said any form of oppression by anyone is acceptable?

yes Flap, so all extremists are ignorant and stupid of all creeds and none

The idea that cheap run down areas majority occupied by minority/immigrants are that way because of the occupants is as logical as saying that Spain is sunny because they have a lot of tourists. Unfortunately for racial minorities, they are more likely to be in a lower socio economic group, therefore having little choice but to live in the cheap, "dirty, messy" streets. People's racist attitudes and mistrust of such groups only serves to limit their integration and therefore social mobility. I'm so tired of hearing edl/bnp/ukip saying that Muslims/immigrants/minorities should integrate with the indigenous population while constantly inciting racial hatred, mistrust and resentment-hindering an integrated society!!! Oh and I have a friends who has been the subject of edl abuse and is a practicing Christian......

Flap - I believe that 'jihad' can have several meanings. If you are interested in being more educated about the term you could Google it

Apologies if this has already been linked (no time to scan 10 pages)

it refers to struggle against those who do not believe in Islamic God

Jihad is commonly used term for "Holy War", Jihad means "to struggle in the way of Allah"

That good enough nonmifairidere ?

FlapJack jihad can also mean an internal spiritual struggle, ie striving to be a better Muslim. I saw a survey once which showed that most Muslims understood jihad to have this meaning.

"first they came for the muslims & i did not speak out because i was not a muslim"

As others have explained here, the EDL are a far-right fascist group (perhaps slightly ironically, one which has links to violent & opressive fascist groups internationally). They also have their historical links to the NF & the BNP.

Their being opposed to 'radical islam' is the thin end of the wedge. Basically, that's the headline they use to entice new members to join. From there, it's not a very big leap to saying Islam in general is an 'evil' religion
& from that point you can endorse burning mosques &

justify wanting to deprive muslims of human rights. Basically you create a siege mentality in the minds of the naive & ill-educated, which then justifies the 'defense' of 'english values'.

Interestingly, I once stumbled upon ab EDL message board a few days before one of their rallies. (I was attending the counter-rally) & it was pretty revealing stuff. One of their members had asked "Why are we going to x? it's the sticks. can't believe there are many terrorists round there" & a senior member replied with something about how a far-right christian preacher had been banned from distributing anti-islamic leaflets by the local council & how it was the EDL's job to defend his human rights. There then followed a weird theological debate about how the Christian preacher had only been ' trying to point out how homophobic & misogynistic Islam is' & this grass-roots member responding "but don't we hate gays too?" & "but you're always saying a woman's place is in the home & if she goes out & gets herself raped its her own fault.."

Then the leader-type guy had to dig himself in even deeper by trying to explain how the EDL hates "gay behaviour but not the individual..."

Really interesting footwork.

I dislike the EDL for singling out one religion. It's not like there aren't militants in other religious groups

I dislike the vast majority of religions in general - equal opps ;-)

I dislike travellers atm I was here first so fuck off out of my field and fix the fence you broke :angry:

I dislike that there are so few jobs around that pay a living wage

I dislike the Conservatives

I dislike a lot of things :)

But I am not a Muslim skyler - so I can only go by the meaning that is commonly used when referring to radical Muslims not by what a devout Muslim means by it.

Fla the way you are going off you must be the only white person living up north or so you think you are .

I also live up North half hour away from Burnley & its certainly not a gated community or a leafy suburb ,
their are plenty of different minorities but we all try & get on as best we can instead of hating each other for skin colour or blaming an entire religion for peoples wrong doings .

Instead of blaming all the rubbish & dirty streets on them maybe you should contact your local council & get them to do their job properly.

Also have a

I'm not a Muslim either. But even the most cursory googling of 'jihad' brings up the dual meaning.

They are as bad as each other - radical white EDL members want to get rid of Muslims........and radical Muslims want to get rid of anyone who doesn't believe in Allah.

I'm quite happy if they bloody well kill each other and let the rest of us get on with a peaceful life.

Poster here might be interested in this EDL thread, also active today.

headspinning -Flap the way you are going off you must be the only white person living up north hmm or so you think you are

You don't know just how far off the truth you actually are !!

'First they came for the muslims' - this makes me think about how successive governments have let extremists take over islam in the UK. They will not stand up against hate preachers, fgm, honour killings etc and muslims are first in line to be affected by things like these.

Where I live some muslims are open about their aim to take over the country and implement sharia. They brag about it.

Adventure, do you really think that there are only Muslim extremists? I had some nugget at my door a few weeks ago banging on about creationism.

In fact I have never ever been doorstepped by anyone other than extreme Christians. Funny that.

I had Jehovahs Witnesses at my door today - they want to convert everyone as well - why don't the EDL protest outside our local Kingdom Hall

No one has ever tried to convert me to Judaism or Islam.

I have never heard a Muslim preacher proclaiming about Allah in the street - but I have heard plenty proclaiming about Jesus and salvation and all manner of things.

Because Jehovah's Witness will never be a threat. Islam is seen by many as one of the greatest threats to UK freedom.

The greatest threat to freedom in the UK is the current government who want to forego some of our human rights because it doesn't fit in with their policies.