Fittja Mosque, located in a suburb going by the same name, has been given permission by the police to sound its prayer calls from its minaret. This is a joyous occasion for Muslims living in the area as the prayer calls (the Adhaan) make up a fundamental part of the Muslim Faith. The permission was applied for by the Turkish Islamic Association of the Botkyrka Municipality. This mosque will be the first mosque to do so in all of Sweden. In an increasingly hostile world for the Muslims, this comes as a blessing and extends a hand of friendship towards them.

The Muslim population in Sweden is nearly 574 000, although no official estimates are available. If this is true, then Muslims make up about 6.05% of the total population in Sweden. In a western country, that is a huge number. In Sweden, most major cities have established mosques to facilitate the religious needs of its growing Muslim population. Although most cities do have mosques, to be able to sound the call to prayers using loudspeakers is not something any mosque had the opportunity to do.

Muslims pray five times a day, but the Friday prayer is the Holiest prayer for the Muslims during the week, much like going to the church on Sundays by Roman Catholics. Permission has been given to sound prayers from the loudspeaker, on Friday noon from between 12pm to 1pm, with a prayer call lasting between 3 to 5 minutes. The population of Botkyrka is overwhelmingly Muslim (most of whom are immigrants), and it is no surprise that there is the first Mosque to apply and get permission for the prayer call. There are some strings attached though. The loudspeaker will be placed in places approved by the authorities only, and everyone living within 1 km radius of the mosque must be informed 1 hour beforehand. The decision, moreover, can be appealed to by the local residents if they feel that it is creating a nuisance.

Fittja Mosque is a mosque built in the municipality of Botkyrka, in Stockholm, Sweden. It is built in Turkish style of architecture, and its construction started in 1997. In 2008, it was declared open to the public for use. Owned by the Turkish Islamic Association, its religious teachings are that of Sunni Islam. The minaret stands one of the tallest in Europe at a height of 32.5 m. While a few mosques all over Europe and the USA have been given permission to sound the call to prayer, in Sweden the Fittja Mosque will be the first. It is somewhat understandable that the authorities are being so meticulous about their decisions as this might be the forerunner of the nearly 200 other mosques in Sweden.

Church bells have been in use since 604AD. If no problem has arisen out of that, then none will arise out of the Adhaan.

“I’m really happy and grateful,” is what the chairman of the Islamic Association, Ismail Okur, had to say. These words reflect the feelings of all the Muslims in the area.

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Two days ago, a police officer Peter Bunyan, who worked for the Devon and Cornwall Police was charged for sexually exploiting vulnerable women on numerous occasions.

 
The officer who belongs to Carharrack a town near Camborne had been working for the Devon and Cornwall Police since 2003. Questions are being asked, whether there has been a slack on the police department’s part since apparently Mr. Bunyan’s past has been shady too. It is also being held that such repetitive negligence and criminal offences could not have gone unnoticed when they were being undertaken at a public office.

 
Peter Bunyan, 40, worked for the police department as a police community support officer who had earlier resigned from the post of a police officer in Hampshire force back in the 1990s. It is still being questioned as to whether his background was thoroughly verified before he was recruited at the Devon and Cornwall Police Department.
He faced a total of 12 counts of misconduct in public office especially for sexually targeting vulnerable women on repeated occasions. Though he is expected to be sacked today, he was acquitted of four of the alleged counts but pronounced guilty for the other eight.

 
The inquiry has held that he was found harassing and indulging in sexual activities with girls who had mental health problems. Especially a case where he encouraged a girl to send explicit pictures of her –the girl was proven to be mentally ill. Furthermore, the allegations included engaging in sexual intercourse with at least five women when he was on duty. A specific attention was sought for the fact that he would usually lower the volume of his radio before having sex with the girls; leading to further negligence. In one other occasions, he was found guilty of sending sexual text messages to a girl, illegally entering police records, passing on confidential private information to unauthorized people and obtaining a loan.

 
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) voiced, in the words of Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said that this man completely abused the position of trust he was in, and he is a disgrace to the police service. He has rightly been found guilty. His punishment was considered as a message that corrupt officers will be found out and severely punished.

 
The officer has been jailed for seven years at the Taunton crown court for crimes that were committed in the areas of Camborne and Redruth over the past five years.

About the author

Running an IT consultant company. Providing web development, social media marketing, SEO and content writing services.

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Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed.  

During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter. 

One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'.

Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed.  During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter. One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'.

Daily Mail story reported by Muslimophobia

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Two weeks after the alleged incident, it is being reported in the Russian media that police officers in the Russian city of Surgut threatened three Muslim men to cut off their beards. According to reports, the three men were enjoying a meal in a local cafe after reciting evening prayers at a mosque when approximately 15 police officers in four cars entered the cafe for inspection. The police officers demanded that the three men, all with long beards cut their beards off. Witnesses claimed that the police threatened to use their automatic weapons, and perhaps even more shockingly, a lighter in order to ensure that their demands were met.

One of the targets of this horrific incident claims that a masked police officer held a lighter to his beard and forced him to cut it, threatening that he would burn it off otherwise. In the incident, which allegedly occurred on 3 March, the men were handed scissors to cut off their beards. Witnesses claim to have seen a large group of men dressed up as riot police charge into the cafe and force customers and employees onto their knees. A number of people were taken to the police station for further investigations.

The police has acknowledged the possibility of such an occurrence, and they have said an internal investigation has been launched to probe the incident. Initial reports suggest that these police officers were seeking to implement the laws of Peter the Great, who ruled the Tsardom of Russia in the 1600s. Peter the Great was famous for his stance against men with beards. His courtiers were often sent to different parts of the Tsardom to cut off beards. Those who refused were forced to pay a heavy annual beard tax. Russia, currently, has no such laws, and if found guilty, the police officers could risk suspension and criminal sanctions.

If proved to be true, this incident is likely to alarm bells with human rights organizations and the international community. Russia’s constitution guarantees its citizens the right to exercise their religions freely, subject to certain restrictions. The State is constitutionally speaking, not allowed to make laws that apply to a certain religion unequally. Although minorities are protected by the Constitution, the government has not always shown commitment to respect these provisions. Minority faith groups, including Muslims, have been targeted in Russia on many occasions. For many Muslim men, having a beard is an essential part of their religion. It is believed by many Muslims that Prophet Muhammad had a beard for much of his life, and one of his sayings orders all Muslim men to follow suit.

About the author

Human. Pakistani. Law Student. Muslim.

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Alleging defamation, France's interior minister Manuel Valls is trying to shut down a website which gives a voice to the victims of police harassment. The site has become especially popular with France's Muslim population, who often claim that police target, harass and even kill them with impunity.

Statistics prove that non-whites justifiably feel under attack: Researchers say that Arabs and black Muslims compose up to 70 percent of France's prisoners.

For years groups such as Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Committee have testified to racist practices among the French police, but many say nothing has changed. Allegations of abuse are routinely dismissed as the French police are supported by their unions, far-right political groups and now the Socialist administration.

Amal Bentounsi started the website last year, after her brother was reportedly shot in the back by a policeman. The case is ongoing, but she says her site provides a voice for the many victims whose experiences are never heard in a courtroom.

While agreeing that government action is needed, Bentounsi believes it's the French media which needs the most urgent reform. She says they need to acknowledge their role in legitimizing the Islamophobia which has especially stigmatized young Muslim males.

Many Muslims say that French society has two sets of rules: One for the police, and another for regular citizens; one form of justice for whites, and another for Muslims and immigrants. For those who are 2nd and even 3rd generation French citizens, such inequalities are especially dispiriting.

Press TV, 6 March 2013

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That's the headline to a report in today's Birmingham Post. It concerns the conviction earlier this week of three young men from the city – Irfan Naseer, Irfan Khalid and Ashik Ali – who were charged under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 with engaging in conduct in preparation for intended acts of terrorism.

The plot in fact never got beyond the stage of the convicted men discussing possible acts of terrorism among themselves, and they were arrested before any explosive devices had been built or the materials necessary to build them had been acquired. Even the prosecutor stated that their "precise targets remained unclear", but argued that the men "had dangerous aspirations".

The only reason the police knew about these aspirations was that the security services had the men under surveillance and recorded their conversations. The men obviously wouldn't have discussed their plans with their own families, still less with the wider Muslim community, so it is difficult to see how the community could have informed the police about this rather nebulous plot.

The only part of the terrorism plot to which the men's families were privy was that the three men at one point tried to attend a training camp in Pakistan. This turned out to be a complete farce. The Post quotes detectives involved in the case as stating that none of the men received any terror training as they were only in the camp for a day, because their outraged families found out where they were and demanded that they leave.

The senior investigating officer, DI Adam Gough, told the Post: "We know pressure was applied to them to come back. Shahid Khan virtually ran home. Three of the four came back almost immediately, while the fourth stayed with his family in Pakistan." Gough went on to say that it was "a success story in that the families did bring those people back and it shows the vast majority of the community abhor terrorism in the same way we do".

That the families didn't inform the police about this incident is most likely explained by the fact that they thought the young men were being idiots rather than seriously planning acts of terrorism (and even at the conclusion of their trial it's still not entirely clear which they were). On top of this, just a one-day visit to such a camp would have left the men open to prosecution under Section 8 of the Terrorism Act (which does not require that any actual training should have taken place) and they could have faced prison sentences of up to ten years.

Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, the head of counter-terrorism at West Midlands Police, was evidently pressed by the Post to criticise the Muslim community for failing to act against the would-be terrorists. All he was prepared to say was:

"The families were trying to do their best to get them back and stop them getting into trouble, rather than get in touch with us. I agree it would have been really good if more could have been shared with us, and we could have dealt with it in a different way. In terms of community engagement, would I like them to come forward more? Yes, I would. Do I think they (the Muslim community) were being disruptive – no, I do not."

This is the basis on which the Post runs an inflammatory headline accusing the entire Birmingham Muslim community of remaining silent about a terrorism plot of which they knew nothing and which existed in little more than words.

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Southend Masjid in Westcliff-on-Sea – targeted by vandalsSome "deeply offensive" messages were allowed to remain on Essex Police's Facebook page despite being reviewed by staff.

The constabulary placed an appeal about smashed windows at Southend Mosque on its Facebook page. But the post, to which anybody with a Facebook account could respond, led to a number of "unacceptable" messages.

The force said it would be reviewing policies following "an unprecedented level of racially emotive language".

Ch Insp Bradley Dickel said the appeal was put on the force's Facebook page on Friday. The police's media team, he said, had reviewed the comments – some of which he described as "deeply offensive, some of them racial, and wholly unacceptable" – over the weekend.

However, the police did not remove those messages until Monday afternoon. Defending the decision to delay the removal of some of the messages, Ch Insp Dickel said: "It is very difficult to assess, there is still freedom of speech in this country."

A police spokeswoman said: "All those who made offensive posts will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken."

Mohammad Qidwai, one of the founding trustees at the mosque, read through the comments when he was shown them by BBC News. "The more serious ones should be taken up by the police and pursued," he said, describing those responsible as "ignorant people" with "nothing better to do".

BBC News, 5 February 2013

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Police are investigating a racist message which was stuck to the front door of a mosque in Horsham.

On Friday January 18 a notice was found on the front of Madina Mosque in Park Terrace East, Horsham, which included racist language.

It is believed that the notice was placed on the mosque between 7pm on 17 January and 7am on 18 January. The incident was reported to Sussex Police on Monday 21 January and is being investigated as a hate crime.

Chief inspector Howard Hodges, district commander of Horsham, said: "Sussex Police takes incidents of this nature very seriously and a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the notice is taking place. Hate crime is not acceptable and the deplorable actions and views of this minority are thankfully not shared among the community."

He continued: "Hate crimes and hate incidents are hurtful and can be very threatening; they can be confusing and frightening and create a lot of worry. We are working closely with the local community, including users of the mosque, our partners and other residents in the town, to gather information about this incident and offer reassurance and support to those who may have been affected by this incident.

"Hate crimes are any crimes that are targeted at a person because of hostility or prejudice towards that person's disability, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender identity. Whether you experience hate crime against yourself or your property it is important to always report it."

Anyone with information regarding this incident which may assist police with their enquiries, or anyone concerned about this incident, is asked to contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial 396 of 21/1 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Sussex Police news report, 22 January 2013

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ENGAGE draws our attention to an Early Day Motion on "Recording Islamophobia as a crime", tabled by Labour MP Keith Vaz and jointly sponsored by fellow Labour MP John McDonnell and Conservative MP Peter Bottomley. It states:

That this House notes the recognition of anti-Muslim sentiment and hate crime in the Department for Communities and Local Government's document Creating the Conditions for Integration; further notes that the document acknowledges the limited collection of data on anti-Muslim hate crime; recognises that currently only the Metropolitan Police Service specifically records this hate crime under the definition Islamophobia as a specific crime flag, similar to anti-Semitism, racism and others, whereas the recording of this crime outside of London is under different recording flags in different constabularies; and believes that all police constabularies should record this hate crime under the same flag, which will bring national uniformity in the recording of this crime and enable authorities to gather data that will aid in tackling this issue.

You can write to your MP and urge them to support the EDM here.

ENGAGE points out that you can also send the EDM to your Police and Crime Commissioner and ask if, and how, they will implement the recommendation in their policing plan and local crime strategy.

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Minister of Culture Hadia Tajik concludes that the hijab will not become part of the Norwegian police uniform or be used in the court system in the near future.

Despite the Norwegian Faith and Ethics Policy Committee's recommendation to make the hijab legal to wear for police officers and judges while at work, Tajik rejected the committee's proposal in Parliament Monday.

A majority of 12 out of 15 members of the committee suggested to permit the use of hijab in the Norwegian police force and among judges, but according to Tajik no changes wil be made to the current ban in the near future.

Norway Post, 8 January 2013

See also "Norway minister nixes police hijab", Press TV, 8 January 2013

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The new era in the history of Afghanistan has been written recently with the introduction of women police at the national level. Since 2001, Afghanistan has been governed by the NATO and American forces. As we all know, the Taliban didn’t allow women to come out of their home and do a job to earn pay independently. Five years ago, when women were empowered to come join all fields of life, some women in the police department have become victims of sexual harassment by the people and by their own colleagues as well. Now, the fear is high again because the dress of women is being changed from burqa to olive green dress. Women in the police force now fear about their jobs as due to sexual harassment and discrimination, the government can be forced to ban the women police and they could lose their jobs.

The president of Afghanistan Mr. Hamid Karzai has a target of adding 5000 women police in the country until the year 2014 when NATO forces are set to leave the country. Still the ratio of women police as compared to male police is around 1.25 percent, which is quite low. Until now, 1,850 women are working for the police in Afghanistan. As we all know, Afghanistan is a male dominant society, and it will be much harder for the government to deploy more women police in the country. The positive thing, which the government of Afghanistan has done, is that they broadcast the women in police dress holding the guns on television, which is popular amongst the women in country.

When the question is asked about the future of women police after the departure of NATO troops from the country, women police are curious. They think that after the departure of NATO, the Taliban will come back and women will have to wear burqas again. It is also a fear in the minds of women that again they will be restricted to their homes and won’t be able to come out without a male partner.

Since the 2001 war with the Taliban, the women’s role has been changing vastly in society, and now they enjoy the rights of education, voting and getting jobs.  Some  women in the society are angry about Hamid Karzai’s decision to hold talks with the Taliban to make peace in the country as they think it will create conflict in the society as the Taliban are not ready for women to have rights.

About the author

Jawad Ahmad

Passionate about writing, Muslim academy is perfect platform to get knowledge and Experience. Looking Forward for your feedback on my work.

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Members of a Fremont mosque were shaken after a man entered the building Wednesday then threatened everyone inside.

Police said a man walked into the Ibrahim Khalillullah Islamic Center on Osgood Road Wednesday during afternoon prayer and said he had a gun and threatened to kill everyone inside. The people inside asked him to leave and he left peacefully, but he remains on the run.

The center's leaders told KTVU they've never had anything like that happen before. "We are a little worried because of the situation that happened in Oregon," said Fareed Wardak, a board of director's member. "We don't want the same thing to happen."

KTVU, 13 December 2012

See also NBC Bay Area, 13 December 2012

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Authorities said a man vowed to shoot up a San Antonio mosque and then turn the gun on himself, but law enforcement foiled the violent plot before it ever materialized.

Worshippers prayed Tuesday night at the Islamic Academy of San Antonio amid an atmosphere of concern. "Very bad news for us," said Solomon Hamideh, president of the Islamic Academy of San Antonio.

According to an affidavit, Christopher Bane "had intentions of going to a mosque in the Medical Center area and was going to shoot as many people" as he could, and then shoot himself. A witness, who police are not identifying for safety concerns, said Bane told him he had a .45 caliber handgun and ammunition.

"We took it seriously. You know, this is a real big problem," said Hamideh.

Officers also took the threats quite seriously. They notified all three mosques in the city. Some even pinned Bane's picture on the wall. "We have done everything possible to make sure we are safe," said the president of the mosque.

It wasn't long before police arrested Bane. He's charged with making terroristic threats.

Hamideh said it brought a sense of relief to the largest mosque in San Antonio but said there are poeple out there who have warped perceptions about the Islamic faith.

KHOU, 28 November 2012

See also KSAT, 28 November 2012

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A man arrested in connection with an EDL protest against a newly-approved mosque has been fined after he admitted swearing at riot police.

Gary Donaldson, 32, had been drinking at the Chesters Pub in Chester Road in Sunderland, when he was confronted by officers with video cameras.

Sunderland Magistrates' Court heard how Donaldson screamed expletives into the camera and became aggressive towards the officer holding the device. He was one of 13 people arrested during the protest on October 6, 2012.

Representing himself at the short hearing, Donaldson, of Frederick Street, Seaham, pleaded guilty to drunk and disorderly on Friday October 26. He was fined £35, and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge as well as £85 costs.

Around 200 people were involved in the demonstration on St Mark's Road, which saw members of far-right groups including the English Defence League and National Front clashing with anti-fascists and members of the Muslim community.

Scores of police armed with batons were called in as the disorder escalated, and a firecracker in a glass bottle was seen being thrown at officers.

Eight men arrested on suspicion of public order offences and another three arrested on suspicion of affray are on bail pending further enquires.

Sky Tyne and Wear, 27 October 2012

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EDL News draws our attention to a recent Facebook comment by Kevin Carroll, who is now leading the English Defence League during the enforced absence of his cousin Stephen Lennon, and is also standing as the British Freedom party candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner in Bedfordshire.

The official EDL line is that they are opposed to Islam as a barbaric 7th-century ideology, but have nothing against its followers. In reality, of course, the EDL is a movement of far-right racists who just hate Muslims, as the vile comments that its rank-and-file supporters post on Facebook demonstrate every day. And, as Carroll shows here, even the EDL leaders sometimes allow their mask to slip.

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Police have defended their decision not to ban two opposing groups staging marches through Rotherham town centre on Saturday – sparking fears there could be clashes.

The English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism are both set to stage rallies at the same time, with both expected to bring more than 200 supporters.

The EDL organised its march first in response to the publication of confidential police and council reports on gangs of Asian men grooming young girls for in the town for sex. The reports highlighted abuse spanning a decade and revealed a lack of police staff to deal with the issue and publicly acknowledge the seriousness of the problem.

Demonstrators plan to meet at the County Borough at 11.30am and start marching from 12.30pm, taking a route along Corporation Street and Ship Hill before gathering outside Rotherham Town Hall for a number of public speeches. The group has agreed to clear the area by 1.30pm.

United Against Fascism, is expecting 250 supporters to attend its event in All Saints' Square between 11am and 4pm. Supporters plan to march to the Town Hall after the EDL members have left the area. Their march will take them along Church Street – the Minster side of Minster Gardens – and directly up Moorgate Street.

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: "People have asked why can't we ban the march. In a democratic society, people have the right to legal and peaceful protest. Any attempt to ban a march such as that proposed this weekend would involve invoking the Public Order Act and an application, via the local authority, to the Home Secretary, demonstrating a real prospect of serious disruption and disorder that could be dealt with by no other means.

"We do not believe this to be the case here. Based on the information available and liaison with the event organisations, South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council have put in place a plan that deals with all contingencies. Both South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council are working with local businesses and communities to provide as much information as possible about the events.

"Both organisations will be deploying additional staff to the town centre on Saturday and whilst respecting people's right to protest peacefully, appropriate action will be taken to deal with any disorder."

The Star, 12 October 2012

See also "Rotherham prepares to oppose the racist English Defence League", Socialist Worker, 12 October 2012

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English Defence League thugs marching through Walthamstow on 1 SeptemberWaltham Forest Police has said it will not apply for a ban stopping the far-right English Defence League (EDL) from marching through Walthamstow.

The extremist group is planning a demonstration on Saturday October 27 after its previous march in Walthamstow back in September ended in disarray. The EDL, which claims to be opposed to Islamic extremism but which critics say is racist, attempted to hold a rally but most of its 300 supporters were blocked from getting there by thousands of counter-protesters. There were also missiles thrown from both sides and 20 people were arrested.

Last month Waltham Forest Council launched a campaign, supported by the Waltham Forest Guardian, urging the government to ban the second march from going ahead. But in a statement police said they could not back it because the EDL had a legal right to protest and there was no intelligence to suggest a march would cause serious violence or disruption to the community.

Jo Cardwell, from the We Are Waltham Forest group, urged residents to take part in a counter-protest on October 27 instead. She said: "I don't believe bans work. The law only prevents the EDL from marching. They will still be able to come to Walthamstow and hold a static protest. It's very clear that it was 4,000 on the streets that stopped them last time and we'll have to do it again."

Fellow spokeswoman Sophie Bolt added that the EDL should not return because the protest was during the holy Muslim festival of Eid.

A police spokeswoman said: "An application [to the government] can only be made where police believe that the protest going ahead would cause serious violence, disorder, damage or disruption to the life of the community that is beyond the control of the police. We do not believe that the criteria applies in this circumstance."

But police have announced on their Twitter page that they could stop the EDL from showing the controversial film 'The Innocence of Muslims' – which sparked riots across the world – during the Walthamstow march.

Campaigners have circulated an image from the EDL's Facebook page which appears to show its intention to broadcast the film, although the post has since been deleted.

Police told the Guardian: "We have no confirmation that a video or film will be shown by the EDL, however if one is shown and is likely to be offensive or cause alarm and distress we have powers under Section 4 of the Public Order act to prevent it."

The EDL has not yet responded to the Guardian's requests for a comment.

Walthamstow Guardian, 10 October 2012

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A man has pleaded guilty to subjecting a police officer to a torrent of racist abuse.

David Hammond, 41, of South Street, Hemsworth, admitted shouting, swearing and using racist insults against PC Junaid Farooq. He appeared before Pontefract Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that PC Farooq, of the South East neighbourhood policing team, had been called to a domestic incident between Hammond and his partner on Friday, September 14. Officers cautioned Hammond for swearing at the police but he refused to calm down. He was arrested and taken away by police when he began to hurl racist and religious insults at PC Farooq.

Prosecuting Diane Gomersall said: "He shouted 'all you Muslims just fly planes into buildings.' He then said 'where are you from? I am English from Vikings, where are you from?'" She said that Hammond continued abusing PC Farooq on the way to the police station and in front of the custody sergeant. Mrs Gomersall said: "PC Farooq is an officer of eight years experience and he said it was the worst racist and religious abuse he has suffered."

Hammond was ordered to pay a £180 fine and £100 in compensation to Mr Farooq.

Hemsworth & South Elmsall Express, 3 October 2012

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GOLETA, Calif. — Afaf Turjoman is a board member of the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara and says the society has been receiving hate mail recently regarding the mosque they have wanted to build in Goleta since 2001. "The letters were anti-Muslim. There is like Islamiphobia up here. And there is no real merit."

The hate mail was enough for the city of Goleta to have law enforcement officers present at a design review board last month and again at the next meeting on October 9th. Turjoman says she doesn't know for sure if recent violence in the Middle East is the reason for the letters but the Islamic society took issue with the violence when it happened. "We released a statement that any violence that was done was something that we don't condone."

If the design review board meeting on October 9th goes smoothly, the plans will then be heard at a planning commission meeting. And despite all the bumps in the road, Turjoman remains confident. "Every year we say next year. We're very hopeful and this has been going on for 11 years. Again, we're very hopeful and optimistic that this is going to pass through within the next couple of months."

KCOY, 2 October 2012

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Police who made 30 arrests at an English Defence League protest in the Midlands have insisted they are powerless to stop the far-right group returning.

As traders in Walsall tried to return to normal after Saturday's gathering, officers said their hands were tied in the eyes of the law. A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: "Even if we get intelligence to suggest a future protest isn't going to be peaceful, the law states a static protest is a human right and needs to be facilitated. A march can be banned, but not a static protest."

The force said all those arrested for public order offences during the protest in Lichfield Street had been bailed. Items including chairs, bricks and bottles were hurled by demonstrators who tried to storm through a line of police officers who battled to contain EDL supporters.

Only five per cent of stalls at Walsall Market opened on the day and several pubs were closed.

Andy Summers, of the inclusive We Are Walsall group, which staged a counter-demonstration on Saturday, said: "The question must be whether any further request to protest in our streets by this discredited organisation should ever be allowed by Walsall Council."

Birmingham Mail, 2 October 2012

The legal position is that Walsall Council have no more power than the police to impose an outright ban on a static protest, and neither does the Home Secretary. However, the police do have powers under Section 14 of the Public Order Act to impose conditions on a static protest.

If the police believe that a public assembly might result in "serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community" or if the aim of the assembly is to intimidate others, then they have the power to "give directions imposing on the persons organising or taking part in the assembly such conditions as to the place at which the assembly may be (or continue to be) held, its maximum duration, or the maximum number of persons who may constitute it".

So the EDL has no automatic right to hold a static protest right in the centre of Walsall. West Midlands Police have the power under Section 14 to instruct the EDL to hold their demonstration somewhere well away from the town centre where they can't cause the kind of disruption and violence that they did on Saturday.

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