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?

Cat - I post on other threads too. I don't have an agenda, other than refusing to let you and your ilk shut up all posters who disagree with you.

You are spreading lies and hearsay and hate. Something I will always stand up against.

No you haven't, you've provided a couple of newspaper articles. They do not constitute empirical evidence. Crikey, if we took our drugs for infections, or bugs on the basis of your evidence, we'd all be dead.

Cat - What have I said that is a lie?

All that crap about Sharia Law for a start - it isn't the law in Britain. It is not legally enforceable. It is about as legally binding as a decision made by your local Women's Institute.

People demanding others take money and move out - all crap and hearsay.

So many other things, but I really can't be bothered to scroll back through everything.

Cat - so you read the Telegraph link about sharia? Tell them you disagree with it.

They are still not legally binding. They may be able to grant a divorce within the community but it is not legal. To be properly divorced and able to remarry, everyone has to obtain a divorce through the British courts.

Sharia Law has no legal standing in Britain.

You are spreading misinformation and seriously misinterpreting.

Cat - many muslim women feel compelled to attend sharia courts and abide by their rulings.

But that still doesn't make any of their rulings legally binding or enforceable. To say that it does, is a lie.

Mrs devere - ignore the snooty southerners crap,

What about the Midlands, flafla? Do we have miserable ghettos or snooty gated communities?

Whoops posted too soon! I was born in burnley and there was a lot of envy bitterness towards those living down south as if they are all living the life of Riley.

Also flafla have you never been to Burnley Wood?? A total shithole but predominantly white.

Haha Argy i am in the Midlands now living in a very deprived area and its no different to certain parts of Burnley. But thankfully I dont find people here complaining about their misfortune of where they were born, or blaming it on the 'forruners' or whinging about the southerners living it large.

I live in the midlands, grew up in handsworth and my relatives live there.

the area now is far far more peaceful and safe than it was in the race hate 80s riots. the community just gets on, all faiths and colours.

I have never met a brummie who cares a rats ass about how southerners live except to laugh at the house prices.

they have marched in my town, chanting racist slogans, hurling abuse at black people on the way, nazi salutes, yes sure they are a nice bunch (not) fascist racist twats, trying to dress up their hatred in a way that tries to appeal to concern over Islam militants.

Sharia Law has no legal standing in Britain

I agree, it doesn't. Any 'Sharia Court' is effectively just a private arbitration arrangement. People can contract into it (and therefore, be sued for going against a ruling of the Sharia Court that they've contracted to accept) but only if the ruling in question is consistent with ordinary English or Scottish law.

This has been the case for ages, and not just in relation to Islam. The Jewish court the Beth Din operates on the same basis, and for all I know other religions have similar arrangements. Lots of commercial disputes are settled by private arbitrations on the same basic principle.

The only difference with religious communities is that women can be heavily pressured/forced to agree to use the religious court exclusively and to accept its findings. Doesn't make the private arrangement a real 'court' though, and I suspect anyone claiming otherwise has a bit of an agenda.

Cat - I saw a tv programme that said some muslim brides from Pakistan etc know nothing about UK law and think that sharia courts do have authority over them. Also, some feel compelled to attend and be bound by their decisions because God's law is higher than man-made laws.

Cat - many muslim women feel compelled to attend sharia courts and abide by their rulings.
Again, where is your evidence, and as Youthecat has pointed out, it is not the law here, in Britain, so what is the problem?

Dawn -did you read the article and watch the programme I linked to?

Just more hate spreading.

I too have seen television programmes, I don't believe them all. There was a huge demonstration about the dismantling of the nhs in Manchester the other day, some 70000 people. It went unreported, doesn't mean it didn't happen. There are a million and one science programmes that forget Jocelyn Bell Burnell. Doesn't mean she didn't discover pulsars. The point is, that no matter what these women do or don't believe, (the point of them not having full understanding is a different one entirely) Sharia law is not the law of this land.

But the points you are making Adventure are about a minority of radical muslims. Just like a minority of any race in the world are extreme and the Authorities in the UK are trying (not always successfully) to deal with this. I dont see how that can excuse the EDL and like minded racist idiots, its akin to saying all men are rapists, all teenagers are unruly, all women are mothers etc etc...

The majority of muslims are like you and I, just trying to live life the best that they can.