Five accused of stirring up hate against homosexuals
Five men are on trial accused of stirring up hatred against homosexuals by distributing a "threatening, offensive and frightening" leaflet in Derby.
The flyer was part of a protest mounted by a group of Muslim men against the annual Gay Pride parade in the city.The leaflet contained quotations from the Koran and a picture of a mannequin hanging from a noose with the words Death Penalty? boldly set out.
A gay man, who had this and another leaflet posted through his letterbox, told the jury at Derby Crown Court: "They made me feel terrorised in my own home.Another homosexual man who received the flyers said he feared his home would be fire-bombed.
Ihjaz Ali, 42, Razwan Javed, 28, Kabir Ahmed, 28, Mehboob Hussain, 45, and Umer Javed, 38, all of Derby, admit playing a part in distributing the leaflet.
But the men deny it was "threatening" or was intended to stir up hatred against homosexuals.
It is the first prosecution of its kind since legislation came into force in March 2010.The court was told that three leaflets were produced as part of the campaign, although the men are only charged over the final one distributed, which was the Death Penalty flyer.
This one included the text: "If the people of a town indulge in illegal sexual intercourse and practise usury of all kinds, Allah promotes its destruction."
The court heard that the leaflet said the death penalty had already been passed on every homosexual and, said prosecutor Bobbie Cheema, it was clear the only dispute was the method by which it should be done – being burnt, flung (from a building or mountain) or stoned.
Another leaflet was entitled Burn or Turn and had an image of a person burning in a lake of fire. It stated that homosexuality was the root cause of all problems. The third leaflet said "Gay – God Abhors You" and stated that Allah was severe in punishment.
Miss Cheema said the men were accused of a "hate crime".
She said: "These five defendants were part of a small group of men who distributed horrible, threatening literature, with quotations from religious sources and pictures which were designed to stir up hatred, hostility, against homosexual people.
"The leaflets you will see are not simply educational or informative. They are threatening offensive, frightening and nasty."
The court heard the leaflets were handed out near Jamia Mosque, in Rosehill Street, and posted through letterboxes in Normanton, in June and July 2010.
The Death Penalty? leaflet was handed out to people outside the Jamia Mosque after Friday prayers on July 2, 2010.
Miss Cheema said a police officer near the mosque at the time was handed a copy by Razwan Javed, who is brother to Umar Javed, and was then given a second leaflet by Ahmed in nearby Madeley Street. On July 3 and 4, 2010, this leaflet was posted through people's letterboxes in the area.
Miss Cheema said this came after the Burn or Turn and GAY leaflets had been distributed to the people of Derby, in the streets and through their doors.
Miss Cheema said Ali first approached police a few weeks before the planned Gay Pride parade, on July 10, 2010, to talk about a counter-protest by members of the Muslim community and was advised that any placards, signs, flyers or speeches that were made should be carefully worded so as not to commit any criminal offences.
The request for the procession was refused by the council because Ali, of Fairfax Road, Derby, had not submitted the application in time.
Many members of the public complained about the first two leaflets and, on July 1, Ali met with police again and told them his group had been giving them out. He was advised that officers were investigating the leaflets to see if any criminal offences had been committed.
Ali also showed police an A4 page of slogans intended for use on placards. Some had been crossed out by his solicitor, he said, and he asked police to check out the remaining ones.
Miss Cheema said they contained such things as "Stay gay and you will pay" and "Allah created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve".
Miss Cheema told jurors that Ali was charged with all four counts on the indictment because the prosecution claims he was the person responsible for organising the distribution of the leaflets.
The jury heard that the charges levelled against the five men involved offences said to have taken place on July 2 and July 4, 2010.
They are all charged with distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation contrary to Section 29C (1) of the Public Order Act 1986.
Ali faces four charges, while Hussain, of Rosehill Street, Normanton, and Umar Javed, of Whitaker Street, Derby, are charged with two counts each. Razwan Javed, of Wilfred Street, Derby, and Kabir Ahmed, of Madeley Street, Normanton, are charged with one count each.
Concluding her opening speech, Miss Cheema said the case was not about interfering with the defendants' freedom to express their religious views in an attempt to educate or inform.
She added: "The vast majority of Muslims and indeed other religious people or people with no religion who have firm views about homosexuality are able to express their views, if they wish, in a critical but lawful, moderate and self-controlled way."The Death Penalty leaflet goes beyond well beyond any such temperate discussion."
The trial is expected to last for two to three weeks.
For true Christians, God's law is always God's law
Just what has happened to this once great Christian country of ours? It seems, and not just to me, that if you are not a Muslim or gay, you do not command any kind of respect.
Well, I for one am not a Muslim and I am not gay. I am a Christian that believes in the Bible. You know the book, it has God's word in it, but more importantly it has his law in it as well. The same law that the State is telling us to ignore while we teach children homosexuality is normal and OK.
Would they dare to tell a Muslim to ignore the Koran? I don't think so.
The Bible states: "You must not lie down with a male the same as you lie down with a woman, it is a detestable thing."
I personally have nothing against gay people but, like others, I am sick and tired of the coverage they get on television and the papers.
Now the State has gone one step further by banning a Christian couple from fostering children because of their religious beliefs about homosexuality, so does this mean that all Christians who will not break God's law are banned?
Does Christianity, the religion of our Queen, count for nothing in this once great nation of ours?
There is also the question of how you can be a minister of the church and be gay – I thought that ministers of the church were supposed to teach from the Bible.
You cannot cherry-pick pieces that suit the individual. If you are a true Christian, God's law is God's law, which, if they minister to a congregation, they should be. Can anyone go to our ministers of justice and proclaim I don't accept that law but I will accept that one because it suits me?
I think enough is enough. If you are gay, you are gay, I do not want to know about it. But when it encroaches on our civil liberties, it is time for all Christians to stand up and be counted to regain the respect we deserve.
Alan Walker
Glendon Street
Stanley Common
Is British sense of tolerance a myth?
Kettering MP Philip Hollobone caused controversy this week with his comments about Muslims wearing the burka in public, suggesting they shouldn't be hiding their faces if they want to integrate into British culture.
His comments sparked hundreds of letters, emails and texts from readers, some agreeing with his views, some saying the burka should be banned.
Others said his comments were unnecessary and that there is no problem with women wearing the burka in public.
The debate raised the question, is wearing a burka a race, religious or cultural issue and also opened up more questions.
Do we live in a tolerant society, are we too tolerant or are we not tolerant enough?
As British citizens, if we travel abroad we are asked to abide by the traditions and social ethos of that country.
For example, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gives guidelines for tourists travelling to Dubai.
They say: "Emiratis dress conservatively in traditional dress and can be offended when westerners dress inappropriately to Islamic values.
"In public places such as shopping malls, restaurants and parks you are encouraged to dress appropriate, shorts and skirts should be of appropriate length – be aware that if you enter one of these areas dressed inappropriately, you may be asked to leave the larger shopping malls."
Given these guidelines for Dubai, should we expect burkas not to be worn in the UK?
Comments left online were mixed.
Scoleman said: "This idea of England being a multicultural centre for community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity."
Roberto said: "I applaud Mr Hollobone for his bravery in speaking out about this appalling garment which should indeed be banned in public places."
Treacle Tart said: "At the end of the day it's each to their own when it comes to religion. If we go to an Islamic country we have to follow their beliefs and laws so in turn they should follow ours."
Flore said: "Suggesting that all Muslims who wish to practise their religion in their own way should leave the UK would amount to a fundamental breach of human rights.
"It should not be suggested that anyone, of any religion or social group, should leave the country in order to practise their religion. We should respect and value our society's diversity in all its form."
MP says Muslim women should have the right to choose their clothing
Banning women from wearing burkas would go against their freedom of choice, Labour MP for Northampton North Sally Keeble says.
The row over whether the full veil worn by Muslim women should be banned has resurfaced in the light of a proposal in France for the outfits to be outlawed.
It comes as polls have suggested one third of Britain's population would support a ban.
Mrs Keeble said it was important to ensure women were not being forced to wear the burka, but said they should be free to do so if it was their own choice.
She said: "Personally, although I have always done regular advice surgeries for all sections of the community, including for Muslim women, I have never met a woman in Northamptonshire wearing a burka. So this issue should be seen in context.
"Where people's faces need to be seen, for security, work or other similar purposes, then they should remove face coverings.
"However, if it is simply down to personal choice, then people should be able to dress as they like.
"While I don't share the religious beliefs, people are entitled to wear such clothing.
"Some forms of clothing are restrictive for women, and I find those very hard to accept because to me they symbolise discrimination against women.
"I think it is important to challenge the discrimination, which also means ensuring that women who wear such clothing do so of their own free choice."
"MPs have to deal with all their constituents whatever they wear."
Debate rages over the right to wear burkas
It is the religious equivalent of going round with a paper bag over your head with two holes for the eyes.
This was the comment from Kettering MP Philip Hollobone in the House of Commons this week as he called for British Muslim women to stop wearing the burka.
During the parliamentary debate, he said: "I have huge sympathy with those who say they want action against those who want to cover themselves up in public.
"How ridiculous would the House of Commons be if we all wore burkas? How would Mr Speaker be able to identify which Member to call next?
"It is offensive in my view to want to cut yourself off from face-to-face contact or recognition with other members of the human race.
"I think we should certainly look at ways to tackle that issue."
His comments come after a poll revealed a third of Britons want to see an outright ban on wearing the burka in public, and two thirds believe wearing it should be illegal in places such as banks and airports.
The UK Independence Party has already called for an outright ban on the burka in Britain and the French parliament is thought to be considering a law banning the full Islamic veil.
But although Conservative Mr Hollobone told the Evening Telegraph he stands by his comments, his party has been keen to distance itself from the comments, saying they do not represent its views.
Yesterday Mr Hollobone hit back, saying the Conservatives were being cowardly and that the burka is 'inappropriate' in modern British society.
So why has this traditional Muslim custom caused such controversy?
Muslim women wear the veil because it is seen in their religion as a way of preserving their modesty in the presence of men.
Wearers of the burka say they are not forced to cover up but rather they choose to wear it as a mark of respect and because it is stated in the Koran.
But opposers of the burka argue it is out of place in modern Britain and makes communication more difficult.
MP and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw hit the headlines when he revealed he asked Muslim women in his constituency to remove their burka in meetings with him because he wanted to talk to them 'face-to-face'.
The custom of wearing the burka is also uncomfortable for some people as Muslim men are not subject to the same code of dress.
Mr Hollobone's remarks have sparked widespread debate about the burka on the Evening Telegraph's website and its Facebook page where readers have been posting their views.
One reader, Roberto, of Kettering, said: "I applaud Mr Hollobone for his bravery in speaking out about this appalling garment which should indeed be banned in public places.
"I often wonder why the Marxist feminist lobby in this country, usually so vocal about Western women's rights, say absolutely nothing about their burka-clad sisters?"
Michael Goode, of Kettering, agrees. He said: "People should be entitled to wear what they like, it is a free country.
"However if someone decides to live in the UK then they should be prepared to change to our way of life and not try to impose their views and religions on us."
But Gail McDade, of Corby, describes Mr Hollobone's views as 'serious ignorance'.
She said: "Some people just want to cause trouble. The women who chose to wear a full burka are entitled to do so. If everyone was a little more accepting of others, we would all get on so much better."
Kettering Muslim Association was shocked by Mr Hollobone's comments in the House of Commons.
Secretary Suhel Dudha said: "Mr Hollobone is entitled to his opinion but it's more than a little short-sighted. MPs are not in a poition to be taking moral lead on things."
