Video of Bradford Muslim Protest

It would seem that rather than the thousands of demonstrators anticipated, only a few hundred turned up in Bradford's Centenary Square this afternoon to protest against the making and screening of the film 'Innocence of Muslims'. This does credit to those who were not lured into this pointless demonstration against freedom of expression by the Bradford Council for Mosques. However, is it not striking that in the video below, the speakers address the crowd not in English, but in Urdu? Could there be any clearer demonstration that they are not part of our society, given that they share neither our values nor even our language?

The protest appears to have been peaceful, but caused some disruption to local bus services. 

Protesters show their disapproval (courtesy of Calendar)

Oldham and Bradford Mosques diverge on protest strategies

Whereas the Bradford Council for Mosques (BCM) has backed a call for a demonstration against the film 'Innocence of Muslims' which will take place this afternoon, the Oldham Mosques Council (OMC) which represents the 35 mosques in the town, has taken a different view, calling upon Muslims in Oldham not to take to the streets. The BBC reports that the OMC held "an emergency meeting" following a protest in Manchester last Saturday, during which Muslim groups called for the imposition of "new blasphemy laws". Although the OMC takes the same line as the BCM with respect to the film and blasphemy against Islam, it wishes its members to lobby MPs and MEPs to impose restrictions on freedom of speech and expression instead of appearing in strength on the streets. Will Oldham's practising Muslims follow this advice?

The OMC stated: "The video represents a new insult, provocation and incitement to religious hatred against Islam and Muslims, which could damage world peace." What the OMC omits to mention though, is that the only threat to world peace on this score would emanate from doctrinaire Muslims. Although Oldham may not witness an unwelcome street protest by Muslims today, it is sinister that the intent of the OMC, which represents the majority of practising Muslims in the town, is demanding that our freedom of speech and expression be done away with. Such views are not compatible with the survival of a free and civilised society, and we must make it clear that we reject their demands totally. If any MP or MEP should seek to pander to their demands, do not vote for them, and make your condemnation of their stance known.

Despite the OMC's recommendations, the video below shows that a few dozen Oldham Muslims decided to stage a demonstration anyway. As in Bradford, their language of choice was not English.

Bradford’s Muslims to protest on Friday

A fortnight after Bradford’s Centenary Square hosted a protest against drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere in Muslim majority countries, another will be held this Friday, this time against the video ‘Innocence of Muslims’. Quite why Muslims will be gathering in Bradford to voice their strong distaste for a video produced in the USA by a shadowy figure overseeing a cast, who were apparently unaware of the ‘plot’, or indeed the subject matter of the film in which they acted, is baffling. What are they protesting against? Why in Bradford? Why in England? What, after all, has anyone here to do with the video in question? The answer to the latter of course is this: nothing. What can such a protest achieve? Likewise, nothing, other than to clearly demonstrate that each and every individual participating in this forthcoming protest holds values utterly incompatible with a free and open society; in other words, they are protesting against the values that we hold dear. 

The Telegraph and Argus today reports that the turnout is expected to number in the thousands, and that it has gained the backing of the Bradford Council for Mosques, with its General Secretary Zulfi Karim being quoted by the paper as follows:

“During the protest we will be letting the American ambassador know of the feeling of Muslims around the world and here in Bradford and to show that we are one voice.

“A lot of people out there are very unhappy and feel we need to come together to talk and protest about this film that insults our faith.

“We will also be calling for the lobbying of government and embassies to support us in our demand for respect for our faith.” Mr Karim said the idea of the protest had been put to the vote at an emergency meeting called on Monday night by the Council For Mosques.

“It was the community’s call,” he said.

What clearer message could there be, given that it comes from the man who speaks on behalf of Bradford’s 86 mosques, that the majority of practising Muslims in the city do not believe in freedom of speech and expression, and instead wish to impose penalties on those who are seen to criticise or to slight their ‘religion’? By making such an overt and heavily politicised statement upon a peripheral matter – an appallingly made video that most of us would never have bothered to watch, if it were not for the irrationally violent reaction that it elicited – those who protest will reveal themselves to be innately undeserving of trust from their non-Muslim neighbours. It also seems rather telling that members of Zulfi Karim's "community" are moved to protest by this film, yet not by the crimes of the Muslim paedophile street groomers of Rochdale, Bradford, Rotherham, Keighley and elsewhere. Why is it the case that this predominantly Pakistani Muslim phenomenon does not cause such upset and disquiet? A bad video in itself harms no one; the systematic targeting, sexual abuse and pimping of underage English girls on the other hand, is quite a different matter.

Whereas The Telegraph and Argus has been keen to highlight the costs associated with previous demonstrations by the EDL in the Bradford area, for some reason, it makes no reference to the additional expense that will be engendered by this pointless and provocative protest against freedom of expression. Irrespective of the content of the film, or the agenda that its maker may have possessed, the video therefore deserves to be watched as a matter of principle, simply to assert that we will not submit to the backward and irrational demand for the global application of a Muslim blasphemy law. With such caveats in place, feel free to ‘enjoy’ the video below.