Anjem Choudary
Britain's Radical Islamist leader, Anjem Choudary, may have finally pushed the envelope over the edge last month when he announced that his radical group, Islam4UK, would hold a protest march in the small English town of Wootton Bassett. The march would be a counter-protest against British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
You see, Wootton Bassett is where fallen British soldiers are returned to their homeland. The bodies arrive at nearby Lyneham Royal Air Force Base, from where they are taken to a nearby mortuary.
Along the route, local residents have made it a custom to line High Street to pay tribute to their fallen.
Then, last month, Choudary, a truly vile character, announced that his group, Islam4UK, would have their own march in Wootton Bassett carrying empty coffins signifying Muslims killed in Afghanistan (by allied troops). The announcement stirred outrage among Brits as well as among moderate Muslim groups. It also comes in the wake of recent convictions of 5 British Muslims for their role in last year's protest in Luton against returning British veterans on parade.
Eventually, Choudary announced that the protest would be cancelled, while the government banned the group under UK's anti-terrorist law. All of this has caused a huge debate over the issue of free speech in Britain.
Hopefully, Britain's innocent and patriotic Muslims will continue to speak out against Choudary and his ilk. At the same time, I wonder what George Galloway and Yvonne Ridley have to say about this episode.
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