Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny is breaking ranks with his Russian-speaking base by tossing his weight behind the controversial Sheepshead Bay mosque – a move that community leaders say could wreck his re-election bid because the shrine isn't even in his district.

Brook-Krasny – a Democrat whose area covers Coney Island and Brighton Beach, as well as parts of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, but none of the bay – gave his backing to the rising, four-story structure on Voorhies Avenue between E. 28th and E. 29th streets while speaking at an Arab-American Association of New York candidate forum in Bay Ridge on Oct. 11.

The lawmaker, himself an ex-Soviet Jewish emigre, said he supported the mosque's construction for personal reasons. "As people who came here for religious freedom, how can we deny religious freedom to another group?" Brook-Krasny told the largely Middle Eastern audience at PS 170 on Sixth Avenue between 71st and 72nd streets. "If we start taking freedoms from certain groups, we are no longer the country of the American Dream."

The stance puts him at odds with ex-Soviet Jews, many of whom belong to the Bay Group, which has long-battled the moque's construction in court, warned one Russian media mogul who added that Russian-speaking immigrants can be one-issue voters. "I wouldn't tell any politician who wants Russian votes to take a position that's pro-mosque," said Gregory Davidzon, owner of Davidzon Radio. "People will vote against anyone who openly supports the mosque."

Brook-Krasny said he's already feeling the heat from his constituents. "I have been grilled for my position," said the assemblyman, who added he won't be backing down. "I have three mosques in my district, and they are fine people, hard-working people – it's not fair and it's not right."

Brooklyn Daily, 18 October 2012

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An English Defence League leader has been announced as a candidate in the race to become police and crime commissioner for Bedfordshire.

Kevin Carroll, who lives in Farley Hill, says he will end "political correctness" and "two-tier policing" in Bedfordshire if he is voted in.

Bedfordshire will vote in its first commissioner this autumn, with the winning candidate acting as "the voice of the people" and holding the police to account. They will also aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service.

An EDL spokesman said Mr Carroll, who is also co-vice chairman of the British Freedom Party had "strong views on policing" and wanted to make the police "properly accountable to the law-abiding majority who pay for it".

They said he would be campaigning for an end to cuts to the police service, a crackdown on drug dealing, for the police to stop manning mobile speed cameras, and for officers' pay and conditions to be improved.

The English Defence League is asking its members for donations to help raise the deposit of £5,000 needed to field a candidate. So far £533 has been raised.

In 2009 Mr Carroll was convicted of a public order offence for hurling abuse at Muslims protestors at the Poachers' homecoming parade through Luton. He subsequently lost an appeal against the conviction.

The announcement that an EDL candidate was standing met with dismay from Labour party candidate Olly Martins.

"The EDL thugs are about the least appropriate people to run for police commissioner," she said. "The timing of Mr Carroll's and the EDL's announcement attempts to stain our celebration of a proud and tolerant nation as displayed by the Olympic opening ceremony and our Team GB athletes.

"But these fascists shall not succeed and in November I have no doubt that their nasty and divisive views will be consigned to the dustbin of political history."

Among the commissioner's specific responsibilities will be setting force priorities, appointing and, if necessary dismissing, chief constables, setting the force budget and publishing an annual report on police performance.

Luton Today, 30 July 2012

See also British Freedom news report, 28 July 2012

What a pity EDL co-leader Stephen Lennon isn't able to stand for election. His twelve-month prison sentence for assaulting an off-duty police officer would give him an understanding of the challenge faced by the police in combating violent criminality. And he would no doubt be able to offer some insights into the problem of drug dealing too.

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A leading figure from Redditch Mosque has praised residents for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the town's Asian community following a demonstration by the English Defence League.

Hafiz Ghulam Rasool, head of education at Central Jamia Masjid-E-Noor (Redditch Mosque Trust), expressed pride in the Redditch community, particularly the hundreds of people from all faiths and sections of society who joined a counter-demonstration against the 40 or so EDL members police estimate turned up to protest in Church Green on Saturday (May 26).

"We know Redditch is a diverse community both cohesive and integrated with no racial tensions. Our Mosque members feel the people in Redditch generally are friendly, co-operative and supportive, making it a fabulous part of the United Kingdom to live in.

"Together we need to unite against and resist, counter and refute these mongers of hate to maintain our exemplary social cohesion and keep our town free from their hatred and their scare mongering tactics," he said.

"Our appreciation goes out to all the people of Redditch community for their thoughtfulness and for many of them partaking in the much larger and peaceful counter demonstration with the most respectful and highly dignified conduct that is a tribute to all of us."

He added with the Diamond Jubilee, European Championships, Olympics and the month of Ramadhan coming up he hoped it would provide an "arc of unity". An event to celebrate Redditch's diversity is also being planned.

Kevin Dicks, chief executive of Redditch Borough Council who watched the largely peaceful protest unfold from West Mercia Police headquarters, said: "We have a really diverse community here in Redditch and one we are proud of. We want to work with the community over the coming weeks and months to organise something that is a celebration of Redditch."

The statement in full:

We primarily thank the West Mercia Police, local authority and partner agencies for ensuring that the EDL March came to pass with only a handful of low level of isolated incidents. This was due to the success of the controls and security put in place by the timely strategic planning, public consultations and effective running of operations on the day.

We know that Redditch is a diverse community both cohesive and integrated with no racial tensions. Our Mosque members feel that the people in Redditch generally are friendly, cooperative and supportive and making it a fabulous part of the United Kingdom to live in. Together we need to unite against and resist, counter and refute these mongers of hate to maintain our exemplary social cohesion and keep our town free from their hatred and their scare mongering tactics.

Our appreciation goes out to all the people of Redditch community for their thoughtfulness and for many of them partaking in the much larger and peaceful counter demonstration with the most respectful and highly dignified conduct that is a tribute to all of us.

The Redditch community has always done us proud and truly celebrates our diversity by recently twinning Redditch with the city of Gujar Khan in Pakistan.

Hopefully the forthcoming Queens Golden Jubilee, the European Cup, Olympics and the month of Ramadhan with its many Eid festivals will universally cascade an arc of unity highlighting a rainbow of nations and races in peaceful existence that reflect the true spirit of Britain and the global world we live in today. Many of us will be planning our holidays to the very countries of origin of the many minority communities residents of Redditch that contribute towards its diversity. All divine faiths preach a message of tolerance, peace and harmony with universal human values especially safeguarding the honour and dignity of our neighbours and communities.

Finally we continue to feel proud of our town particularly its social administration and residents that reinforces a positive sense of community that we are committed to pass onto our future generations.

Hafiz Ghulam Rasool

Head Of Education

Central Jamia Masjid-E-Noor (Redditch Mosque Trust)

Redditch Standard, 1 June 2012

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Evidence from FIFA's medical experts on why the ban on Muslim women footballers wearing the Islamic headscarf or hijab should remain in place was deeply flawed and had no foundation, the campaign's principal supporter said on Friday.

Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, whose presentation to soccer's law-making body IFAB six weeks ago saw the approval of the headscarf pending health and safety checks, said he was "shocked and disturbed" by the evidence presented on Thursday. "If it is true, I would accept it, but I believe it was without foundation," he told reporters.

The IFAB, or International Football Association Board, comprises FIFA and the four British Home Associations.

Michel D'Hooghe of Belgium, the head of FIFA's medical committee, said he would only recommend to the extraordinary IFAB meeting on July 5 in Zurich that extra tests should be carried out on the headscarf which is crucial to millions of Muslim women playing the game all over the world.

Prince Ali, the youngest member of FIFA's executive committee, declined to comment when asked if he faced opposition from the committee's older, more conservative officials but there was no hiding his anger when he spoke on Friday.

"I was shocked when I heard about Dr D'Hooghe's press conference on Thursday. We covered all the issues raised including heat coming out of the head, breathable material, the neck issue. I was very disturbed by the comments he made. I am usually not very emotional but this is very important.

"There are women serving in combat zones across the world and many of them are wearing the headscarves so I am disturbed by this being used as an argument. All we are asking is for women to be allowed to play football. This affects many, many Muslim women. I hope this issue is being treated with the same respect and seriousness that other issues are, for example goal-line technology."

Although IFAB has approved the headscarf, pending further tests in March, the decision will be reviewed in July and FIFA's quartet on the law-making body can change between meetings. Prince Ali's fear is that opponents of the hijab could sit on the July meeting and block approval of the headscarf because a law change needs a 6-2 majority from the board.

He accepted that further testing may be needed in the future but added: "I am hoping, at the very least, IFAB will allow a proper evaluation and that these players will be allowed to play in it on the field. If the medical committee and FIFA wants to monitor further, let them do it.

"Muslim women can use it at confederation level but they cannot, for example, use it at the highest level in the women's World Cup or the Olympic Games. And at any level there have been no reported cases of injuries in Asia and Africa, or anywhere in the world."

Prince Ali said independent institutes and designers from Netherlands and Canada had presented evidence to D'Hooghe and FIFA's chief medical officer Jiri Dvorak but when the designers were told what happened on Thursday they were equally shocked. "They asked us what on earth he (D'Hooghe) was talking about," he said.

Reuters, 25 May 2012

See also Associated Press, 25 May 2012

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