10-03-2006, 02:25 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->UK: Hundreds In Mosque Battle - Youth Stabbed
The underlying tension between Muslims and non-Muslims erupted last night in Preston into a large scale battle on the streets of northern England. The trouble began on Clarendon Street in Avenham in Preston, Lancashire, outside the Jamia Masjid mosque at around 9 pm.
Youths began to throw stones at cars parked outside the mosque, while Asian (from Indian subcontinent) worshippers were inside the building. Those inside the mosque heard their cars being hit and about 200 Muslims came out. The fracas that ensued led to one 16-year old Asian youth being stabbed, though his injuries were not serious.
According to the Lancashire Evening Post the disturbance lasted four hours in all. After the youth was stabbed, ambulance crews were turned back by police, who decided the situation was too dangerous for them enter the scene.
The fighting continued until the early hours of this morning, and police brought back-up officers from Lancaster and Burnley. A total of 100 officers were deployed, stated Chief Supt Mike Barton, divisional commander for the area. He said: "Some people I spoke to at the mosque insisted it wasn't racial but I think some people at the mosque believe it was. Until we actually find the offenders and speak to them, and because some people believe it to be racial, then that's how we'll treat it."
The news is also carried by the BBC and 24 Dash.com. While Britain's politically correct police refuse to state the obvious, one should assume, taking a cue from some of from the mosque members, that the incident may not have been racially motivated, but religiously motivated.
Chief Supt Mike Barton said: "These problems are being caused by a small group of criminals in the area who are intent on intimidating the local community. This incident of stone throwing is an example of that and as you can expect, people are unhappy with being victimised....As a result of the large number of people on the streets a decision was made to deploy more police officers into the area to offer reassurance and prevent any disorder."
Inspector Simon Hayes, Lancashire Police's force incident manager, called the fighting "community tension" with youths in a "confrontational mood". He said: "As a result of that, there was a high-level policing operation to reassure the public and disperse these groups. There was no major disorder or serious incident."
If there was no "major disorder or serious incident" one wonders why ambulances were turned away when a young man became stabbed, for fear of ambulance crew-members' safety?
A mosque member said that it was not a mosque issue but a community issue. He said: "It is the month of Ramadan and that is the only reason the mosque has been brought into this."
Police are boosting their patrols in the neighbourhood, and employing video cameras to gather evidence. They have said that anyone who launches reprisals will be arrested.
On July 22 a young Asian man was stabbed to death in fighting between white and Asian youths on the Callon Estate in Preston. Bottles, knives and baseball bats were used in the fighting, and four Asian and white individuals ended up in hospital. 20-year old Shezan Umraji died from his wounds.
When that incident happened, police spokesman claimed: "I can understand why people might think there is a racial element at play but so far, as far as I know, there is nothing to indicate that this was a race crime."
Now a similar incident, where a mosque is attacked, suddenly becomes a racial incident, even though it seems more like a situation which developed from an instance of religious hate crime.
Amazingly, police made no arrests last night.
A 33-year old mother of 3 children who lives on Clarendon Street said: "It's getting ridiculous and for the past two nights there's been fighting."
http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?Sec...ticleID=1799071<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
The underlying tension between Muslims and non-Muslims erupted last night in Preston into a large scale battle on the streets of northern England. The trouble began on Clarendon Street in Avenham in Preston, Lancashire, outside the Jamia Masjid mosque at around 9 pm.
Youths began to throw stones at cars parked outside the mosque, while Asian (from Indian subcontinent) worshippers were inside the building. Those inside the mosque heard their cars being hit and about 200 Muslims came out. The fracas that ensued led to one 16-year old Asian youth being stabbed, though his injuries were not serious.
According to the Lancashire Evening Post the disturbance lasted four hours in all. After the youth was stabbed, ambulance crews were turned back by police, who decided the situation was too dangerous for them enter the scene.
The fighting continued until the early hours of this morning, and police brought back-up officers from Lancaster and Burnley. A total of 100 officers were deployed, stated Chief Supt Mike Barton, divisional commander for the area. He said: "Some people I spoke to at the mosque insisted it wasn't racial but I think some people at the mosque believe it was. Until we actually find the offenders and speak to them, and because some people believe it to be racial, then that's how we'll treat it."
The news is also carried by the BBC and 24 Dash.com. While Britain's politically correct police refuse to state the obvious, one should assume, taking a cue from some of from the mosque members, that the incident may not have been racially motivated, but religiously motivated.
Chief Supt Mike Barton said: "These problems are being caused by a small group of criminals in the area who are intent on intimidating the local community. This incident of stone throwing is an example of that and as you can expect, people are unhappy with being victimised....As a result of the large number of people on the streets a decision was made to deploy more police officers into the area to offer reassurance and prevent any disorder."
Inspector Simon Hayes, Lancashire Police's force incident manager, called the fighting "community tension" with youths in a "confrontational mood". He said: "As a result of that, there was a high-level policing operation to reassure the public and disperse these groups. There was no major disorder or serious incident."
If there was no "major disorder or serious incident" one wonders why ambulances were turned away when a young man became stabbed, for fear of ambulance crew-members' safety?
A mosque member said that it was not a mosque issue but a community issue. He said: "It is the month of Ramadan and that is the only reason the mosque has been brought into this."
Police are boosting their patrols in the neighbourhood, and employing video cameras to gather evidence. They have said that anyone who launches reprisals will be arrested.
On July 22 a young Asian man was stabbed to death in fighting between white and Asian youths on the Callon Estate in Preston. Bottles, knives and baseball bats were used in the fighting, and four Asian and white individuals ended up in hospital. 20-year old Shezan Umraji died from his wounds.
When that incident happened, police spokesman claimed: "I can understand why people might think there is a racial element at play but so far, as far as I know, there is nothing to indicate that this was a race crime."
Now a similar incident, where a mosque is attacked, suddenly becomes a racial incident, even though it seems more like a situation which developed from an instance of religious hate crime.
Amazingly, police made no arrests last night.
A 33-year old mother of 3 children who lives on Clarendon Street said: "It's getting ridiculous and for the past two nights there's been fighting."
http://www.lep.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?Sec...ticleID=1799071<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->