Islamic Emergency Defence group lets mask slip
The newly launched Islamic Emergency Defence group has let its true colours show just days after its foundation. Read how...
Over the past few days, media outlets and tweeters alike have noted the existence of a new group, vocally backed by controversial cleric Anjem Choudary, called 'Islamic Emergency Defence' (IED).
The organisation claims it exists to defend ordinary Muslims, which it says are "one of the most oppressed communities in Britain". But soon after launching, the organisation was given the vocal support of the intolerant and controversial cleric Anjem Choudary, who has been the front man for the extremist, now banned Islam4UK and al-Muhajiroun groups.
These organisations promoted Shariah law, and activists routinely waved placards telling British soliders to burn in hell. Choudary's group was recently implicated in violent scuffles on London's Edgware Road.
But for those of us keen to give IED (awful choice of acronym, by the way) the benefit of the doubt, and see where the organisation went with its goals, the pretence of goodwill and decency soon dissolved, with the organisation tweeting out intolerant and offensive things, as well as 'instructions' on 'how to deal with egotistic police'.
The organisation claims "vigilantism" is a legitimate method by which "Muslims can legally defend themselves" and stated yesterday, "We invite all non-Muslims to embrace Islam and save themselves from the hell-fire".
This is the kind of anti-non-Muslim bigotry that we have become accustomed to from the likes of Choudary's followers, and it comes as no surprise to me that it took only three days for the organisation's mask of tackling 'Islamophobia' to slip.
IED seems unkeen to answer who is actually behind the organisation, and when asked it replies, "this organisation is run by a network of Muslims across the UK". But they won't identify themselves, and when I call their telephone number listed on their website, it repeatedly just rings out until it disconnects.
A word of advice: if you're going to astroturf an organisation... at least keep a layer of pretence up for more than three days.
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