ARCHIVED FORUM: Gurdwara Tapoban Sahib
Islamic group rally 'cancelled'
Posted by : Singh
Date: 7/25/2004 6:48 am
Great News
Well done to Turnjeet Singh and alll others who stood up to these idiots.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3923327.stm
Islamic group rally 'cancelled'
Omar Bakri Muhammad accused London's authorities of bias
An Islamic group has cancelled plans to hold an unofficial rally in central London because of "security fears". The Al-Muhajiroun group, which is alleged to have extremist views, will now hold Sunday's gathering at an undisclosed venue in Essex.
In a statement, the group said it could not guarantee the safety of those who attended a central London rally.
It warned Britain was "the most likely target" of an attack by the terror network al-Qaeda.
Between 600 and 700 people had been expected to attend the rally.
The extreme right-wing British National Party had also been expected to send activists.
But Al-Muhajiroun had been threatened with prosecution by London authorities if it went ahead with its plans to meet in Trafalgar Square.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone wrote to Al-Muhajiroun's leader in Britain, Anjem Choudary, to warn him he risked breaking the law if the Trafalgar Square meeting went ahead.
The Greater London Authority was successful in using by-laws to prosecute Mr Choudary after a rally there in 2002.
'Not controversial'
Anjem Choudary, the UK head of Al-Muhajiroun, said the decision to cancel the central London meeting had been made because the "safety and security" of those attending could not be guaranteed.
"There were a number of people coming from all over the country ... it would be very difficult for us to control."
He said the decision to cancel the central London meeting had been made by Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, the spiritual leader of the group, after consultation with leaders of the Muslim community.
Mr Choudary told the Reuters news agency: "I have been informed by Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad that they (al Qaeda) have reiterated the same warning that was issued a couple of weeks ago about the three-month deadline."
He was referring to an audiotape broadcast by two Arabic television stations on April 15 this year, Osama bin Laden, offered a "truce" to European governments if they pulled troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the tape, which the CIA said it believed was genuine, Bin Laden set a three-month deadline, presumed to have expired on July 15.
Mr Choudary said the group took the threat posed by al-Qaeda seriously . "It could be anywhere in Europe but the most likely target is Britain."
A spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan police said there was a long-standing national terrorism threat but she was not aware of any specific threat having been issued or repeated.
'Appropriate location'
The sheikh had earlier claimed London's authorities were biased in their treatment of Al-Muhajiroun.
He insisted the group's "controversial" tag was not warranted and said he was committed to peace and decency.
He had told a press conference he was not worried by the possibility that extreme right-wing activists, from groups such as the British National Party, might attend Sunday's event.
However, Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament, said a mosque or Islamic centre was a more appropriate place for such a rally to be held.
Muslim group switches rally venue
A Muslim group accused of spreading extremist views have cancelled plans to hold an unofficial rally in London. Between 600 and 700 Al-Muhajiroun members were expected at the midday rally in Trafalgar Square, with the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone threatening to take legal action if the rally went ahead. But organisers confirmed that they had decided to move the rally to an undisclosed venue in Essex because of safety fears.
(Breaking news on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,2,00.html)
