Harry Whittaker, 33, manufactured a homemade bomb and stored chemicals in a makeshift laboratory in the garden of the home he shared with his mother in the Bedfordshire village of Caddington, near Luton.

Police uncovered his stash of explosives after Whittaker suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction and called 999 for medical help on April 18 2024.

Following his arrest, police uncovered a stream of racist chat on WhatsApp in which Whittaker directed hate towards a mosque in Luton.

In one message, he wrote: “We need a tank covered in machine guns and flame throwers, drive it into that mosque on Friday afternoon and turn them into mincemeat.”

Following an Old Bailey trial, Whittaker was found guilty of charges of possessing and making explosives on or before May 6 2024.

Whittaker had admitted a charge under the Poisons Act and having ammunition without a licence.

During the trial, Whittaker cast himself as a “nerdy” science geek and jurors were not told about the extent of his extreme right-wing beliefs.

At his sentencing on Wednesday, prosecutor Emily Dummett set out further evidence of his racist views and interest in neo-Nazi ideology.

He had a picture of Adolf Hitler, a flag associated with Nazi Germany, swastikas and antisemitic notes in his bedroom.

Whittaker downloaded extreme right-wing material and had expressed a desire for Tommy Robinson to lead a “civil war” and “kick out” people of Asian heritage in a message to his brother in 2022.

In another message, he wrote about putting ricin poison into the water supply at Bury Park, near Luton.

He had continued to express extreme beliefs and failed to recognise that what he had done was wrong since his conviction, Ms Dummett said.

Mitigating, Polly Dyer maintained Whittaker had the explosives for “scientific interest and endeavour”.

She said: “They were low-level explosives. He had the majority of the items for years without seeking to use them intending to harm others and the property of others.

“There are of course items and messages put before the court that on any view are racist and offensive but there is no correlation between the items he was convicted on and other evidence referenced by the Crown.

“His experimentation was not motivated by any racial hostility to certain groups of individuals.”

She accepted he had “abhorrent” views and an interest in Nazism but insisted he did not pose a “significant risk”.

Whittaker had been on bail ahead of his trial but that was revoked after he failed to attend court and was found in a distressed state on two London bridges.

Ms Dyer said: “He has certain vulnerabilities. He has been very scared of custody in the run-up to his trial. He found the court proceedings extremely hard.”

Since he had been in jail, Whittaker had used his time productively and developed an interest in art.

Ms Dyer held up a drawing he had made of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven which he hoped to submit to a competition.

After conferring with the defendant in the dock, she added: “Mr Whittaker contests and disputes the fact he has the desire to cause harm to any groups based on race or religion.”

Sentencing, Judge Simon Mayo KC told Whittaker: “I am sure your conduct in making and possessing explosives gave rise to risk of harm to others.

“Whilst I cannot be sure you had formed any separate intent to use the explosives or chemicals for a violent purpose you spoke about it and to a certain extent contemplated it.”

The judge said Whittaker was “highly intelligent” and his responsibility was not diminished by his mental health issues or autism spectrum disorder.

He noted a previous conviction for driving off and injuring his neighbour, and his disorganised lifestyle, as he found Whittaker was a dangerous offender and posed a risk to members of the public in the future.

Previously, the court heard how paramedics had gone to the defendant’s home after being alerted to a possible anaphylactic shock.

Whittaker told them that he had been conducting experiments with chemicals in his laboratory and showed them his shed.

He said a window had broken on the shed after an experiment resulted in an explosion, the court was told.

The medics relayed their concerns to the police, who came to search the address on May 6 2024.

They found black powder, blanks and a round of live ammunition, chemicals, lethal poisons and suspected improvised explosive devices.

Officers also discovered radioactive materials and white phosphorus, a substance which can spontaneously ignite in air and is so dangerous that it had to be destroyed by controlled explosion by the military.

When he was detained by police, Whittaker was found in possession of a wrap of heroin.

In police interviews, Whittaker said: “I’m just a nerdy kid who likes doing science.”

The defendant said that he marked bottles with a skull and crossbones because it looked cool.

Whittaker thanked Judge Mayo as he was sent down from the Old Bailey dock on Wednesday.

Chief Superintendent Jaki Whittred, from Bedfordshire Police, said: “The upset and disruption within the local community following the findings at Mr Whittaker’s address was considerable.

“Once again, I pass on my thanks and admiration to residents across Caddington for their support and understanding during what would have been a deeply concerning time.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “By making improvised explosive devices and collecting such a toxic array of chemicals his shed, Whittaker’s actions were incredibly reckless and put his whole neighbourhood at risk.

“Whittaker claimed he just had a curiosity with science and that he meant no harm, but in reality he put himself, his family and all of his neighbours in great peril.”

The post Neo-Nazi fanatic contemplated making ‘Muslims into mincemeat’ appeared first on TELL MAMA.

A video of an assault on Jamal Hijazi in the playground of Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in October 2018 went viral.

Before Facebook’s long-overdue ban, Yaxley-Lennon posted two videos, “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”, attracting almost one million views and twenty-four-thousand shares.

What Yaxley-Lennon said in those videos, including the fabrications that Jamal had “beat a girl black and blue” and “threatened to stab” another boy at the school, were the subject of the libel claims.

However, the judgment from Mr Justice Nicklin made clear that Yaxley-Lennon’s evidence “had fallen woefully short” and granted Jamal £100,000 in damages.

Yaxley Lennon’s choice of language in both videos, the judgment states, were a calculated effort to “inflame the situation” and portray Jamal as the perpetrator. Moreover, as the judgment clarifies, Yaxley-Lennon persisted with the allegations, even adding to them during the proceedings.

Jamal soon became the target of abuse and threats, leading to his family leaving their home and Jamal abandoning his education at a critical juncture. Yaxley-Lennon, the judge said, “is responsible for this harm, some of the scars of which, particularly the impact on the Claimant’s education, are likely last for many years, if not a lifetime.”

Catrin Evans QC, representing Jamal, had described how the comments had resulted in “death threats and extremist agitation” and, therefore, damages should total between £150,000 and £190,000.

Evans characterised Yaxley-Lennon as “a well-known extreme-right advocate” with an “anti-Muslim agenda” who used social media to spread his views.

Jamal described how some bullying referenced the EDL and the far-right. “I remember them saying: ‘The EDL’s talking about you.’ At the time when these incidents happened at school, I did not know what the EDL was, and I did not know what they were referring to when they talked about it,” he said.

Bailey McLaren, filmed pushing Jamal to the ground, denied being a racist or bully in evidence, adding that he had mixed-race sisters, lived in a mixed-race community, and had friends who were Black and Asian. However, records highlighted in the judgment show that staff at Almondbury School had concerns about his support for the EDL, including making a Prevent referral on November 28, 2018. Further questioning revealed from Evans QC that Bailey had stayed in a “safe house” owned by Yaxley-Lennon for four months.

On balance, the judge said, “I consider that the claim to have been told that the Claimant had threatened to stab him – by “Ahmed” or anyone else – was manufactured by Bailey.” Furthermore, he added that Bailey was also a victim and punished for his bullying, which he concluded was not racist in nature, and like Jamal also had to move homes. Mr Justice Nicklin said: “Both were schoolboys when they were catapulted into the maelstrom of a media storm. Neither was remotely equipped to deal with what then happened.” And concluded, “Bailey may yet come to reflect on whether he has actually been helped by the Defendant.”

On other allegations, including the alleged use of a hockey stick, one child identified in the judgment as OTP (to protect their identity) amounted to a “dishonest fabrication that fell apart when he was cross-examined on the details.” Evidence from Charly Matthews (who claimed that Jamal had hit her in the back with a hockey stick resulting in long-term injuries, which she could not prove medically) was also satisfactorily proven false in the eyes of Mr Justice Nicklin.

The judgment also drew attention to Yaxley-Lennon’s use of covert recordings in his evidence submissions. In one such example, the judge declined to name the former teacher, who, before speaking with Yaxley-Lennon, informed him that he was in no position to comment on the matter and it would, therefore, be “highly unlikely” that he would knowingly consent to record such an interview.  Having reviewed, the judge said that it is “quite apparent from the recordings that none of the individuals [including EYW’s mother and MVW] was aware that s/he was being recorded.”

Moreover, the judgment states that Yaxley-Lennon appeared to wear a concealed microphone and camera on the two occasions he attempted to speak with EYW’s mother over the alleged assault, and crucially, such footage had been edited, and therefore, Yaxley-Lennon had failed to substantiate that the group attack had occurred. Nor could the judge give weight to the evidence submitted “in respect of allegations that she has publicly disavowed.” Indeed, one of the answers provided by EYW’s mother in the second interview drips in ambiguity as Yaxley-Lennon combines two leading questions (“Was he there? Was he involved?”)  as their response of “Yeah” gives no clarity to which questions they are addressing.

Francesca Flood from Burlingtons Legal, representing Jamal, said in a statement: “Jamal and his family now wish to put this matter behind them in order that they can get on with their lives.

“They do however wish to extend their gratitude to the Great British public for their support and generosity, without which this legal action would not have been possible.”

A subsequent hearing will follow this judgment to consider the consequences of the ruling, as Mr Justice Nicklin granted Jamal an injunction that prevents Yaxley-Lennon from repeating the allegations.

The search for Yaxley-Lennon’s assets made headlines earlier this year following his bankruptcy declaration on March 2, 2021, and he subsequently represented himself in court.

Mr Justice Nicklin acknowledged that, due to the bankruptcy, “there are limits on what can be enforced against him” but stressed that Yaxley-Lennon must cover Jamal’s legal costs.

As pointed out by the BBC’s Dominic Casciani, total costs may go upwards of £500,000.

The post Analysis: Why Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) lost the libel case appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was sued by Jamal Hijazi, 18, who was assaulted in the playground at Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in October 2018.

Robinson was also ordered to pay Jamal’s costs of bringing the libel claim.

Robinson said he was “gobsmacked” by the costs Jamal’s lawyers were claiming, which he said included £70,000 for taking witness statements.

He added: “I’ve not got any money. I’m bankrupt. I’ve struggled hugely with my own issues these last 12 months… I ain’t got it.”

Mr Justice Nicklin acknowledged that “there are limits on what can be enforced against him” as a result of Robinson’s bankruptcy, but ruled that Robinson should pay Jamal’s legal costs, which were not stated in court.

The post Tommy Robinson ordered to pay £100,000 to Syrian schoolboy after libel case loss appeared first on TELL MAMA.

A Syrian teenager suing Tommy Robinson for libel is seeking at least £150,000 in damages, the High Court has heard at the conclusion of the trial.

The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is being sued by Jamal Hijazi, 17, who was filmed being attacked at his Huddersfield school in October 2018.

Shortly after the video went viral in November 2018, Robinson claimed in two Facebook videos that Jamal was “not innocent and he violently attacks young English girls in his school”.

Robinson, who represented himself at the trial, has defended his comments on the basis they are substantially true.

In her written closing argument, Catrin Evans QC, representing Jamal, called for “substantial damages” between £150,000 and £190,000 for the teenager if he wins the claim.

At the end of the four-day trial on Monday, she told the court: “In relation to the allegations which the defendant has sought to prove as substantially true, we suggest that he has not proved either of them.”

Throughout the trial, Robinson, 38, maintained he was an independent journalist, telling the court: “The media simply had zero interest in the other side of this story, the uncomfortable truth.”

In his closing argument, he continued: “I am far from perfect, however this case is not about me, as much as the claimant’s representatives would like to make me, my history or my views a focus of their attention.

“My political beliefs are not on trial, it’s whether my reporting on publicly available information was a matter of truth or not.”

Charly Matthews, 18, a former student of Almondbury Community School with Jamal, gave evidence as part of Robinson’s case, claiming Jamal had hit her in the back with a hockey stick, leaving her with long-term injuries.

Addressing the court on Monday, Robinson said: “In order for the claimant to win this case, the court has to believe this young girl is a brazen liar.”

In the Facebook videos, with one seen about 870,000 times, Robinson also claimed that Jamal “beat a girl black and blue” in a gang, and bit a student, which the teenager denies.

The trial previously heard evidence from Bailey McLaren, the boy shown pushing Jamal to the ground and pouring water over him in the widely-shared video.

Mr McLaren denied being racist or a bully.

Robinson continued: “Almondbury Community School has its failings for sure, but racism and racist bullying was not one of them.”

He added: “Just because (Jamal) might have been a victim does not automatically mean he himself couldn’t be a nasty, foul-mouthed and often violent young person, particularly against girls and smaller, younger boys.”

In her own closing statement, Ms Evans argued that Robinson suggested “that this is somehow a travesty of justice and that a white schoolboy has been scapegoated”.

Ms Evans pointed out there was a lack of evidence for Robinson’s claims, and that Jamal had himself given “clear and consistent” evidence.

The barrister continued: “We do rely on the defendant’s agenda, which we say is an anti-Muslim one, which is why he waded into this … Jamal was the victim of that.”

She told the court: “Not only has the defendant sought to try and prove a case that he was never going to be able to do, but he has even, in his closing submissions, he has continued to exacerbate the hurt and distress the claimant has experienced.”

She continued: “These are allegations of criminal offences or tantamount to criminal offences and it is quite clear that Jamal is the victim here.”

The barrister also argued that the allegations against Jamal were aggravated by the fact that they were made “against someone who had come to this country with his family for sanctuary, seeking a better life and in particular the chance for an education and prospects for a good career”, which he said in evidence was “badly damaged” by Robinson’s publication.

Mr Justice Nicklin told the court he will give his judgment at a later date.

Addressing Robinson, he added: “I commend you in the way that you have presented the case as a litigant in person.

“You have done so in a way that has been, to my mind, quite proper and you have done your best to assist the court.”

Credit: PA News

Read more: Tommy Robinson’s ‘anti-Muslim message’ saw boy facing death threats, court hears

The post Syrian teenager suing Tommy Robinson ‘seeking at least £150,000 damages’ appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Removing Tommy Robinson’s Page and Profile for Violating Our Community Standards – Facebook Statement

One of the biggest questions we face is around what we allow on Facebook – and we spend a lot of time trying to get this right. This is hard and critically important. We want Facebook to be a place where you can express yourself freely and share openly with friends and family. At the same time, when people come to Facebook, we always want them to feel welcome and safe.

This is something we take incredibly seriously. So when ideas and opinions cross the line and amount to hate speech that may create an environment of intimidation and exclusion for certain groups in society – in some cases with potentially dangerous offline implications – we take action. Our public Community Standards state this sort of speech is not acceptable on Facebook – and when we become aware of it, we remove it as quickly as we can. Our rules also make clear that individuals and organizations that are engaged in “organized hate” are not allowed on the platform, and that praise or support for these figures and groups is also banned. This is true regardless of the ideology they espouse.

Tommy Robinson’s Facebook Page has repeatedly broken these standards, posting material that uses dehumanizing language and calls for violence targeted at Muslims. He has also behaved in ways that violate our policies around organized hate. As a result, in accordance with our policies, we have removed Tommy Robinson’s official Facebook Page and Instagram profile. This is not a decision we take lightly, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of who they are have no place on Facebook and Instagram.

The post Tommy Robinson’s Facebook Page is Shut Down appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling highlighted various technical flaws by the judge who oversaw in the handling of the Leeds case which, did in part, relate to the speed of events that risked undermining procedural safeguards, noting a critical lack of adjournment in the case and the failure to contact the Attorney General.

3/ The Leeds contempt finding was a total dog's breakfast. There were 4 errors. (1) It was rushed through for no good reason, (2) there was no clear statement of what he was accused of, (3) his sentencing was messed up, (4) the haste meant his lawyer couldn't properly mitigate pic.twitter.com/MJwKv1muH1

— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) August 1, 2018

The bail conditions placed upon Robinson prevent from going within 400 yards of Leeds Crown Court, and he will appear before the Old Bailey for a retrial for the contempt of court offence.

But as the Secret Barrister noted, the judgment was ‘a victory for the procedural rules, and a sharp reminder to the courts of the need to follow them.’

Robinson, charged under his real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed in May after he admitted to contempt of court after filming trial proceedings outside Leeds Crown Court and streaming it to over 800,000 people on Facebook Live.

His actions could have caused two major trials to collapse.

As Judge Geoffrey Marson told Robinson in May, “I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done.”

Indeed, had Robinson caused a re-trial, it would have meant that witnesses and potential victims would face the ordeal of giving evidence to a new jury. The cost of any such trial would have been in the hundreds of thousands, according to Judge Mason.

His appeal against the contempt of court conviction in Canterbury, however, was dismissed.

Robinson’s interest in the Canterbury trial related more to the ‘ethnicity or religion of the defendants by contrast with the alleged victims’ than actual journalism. As Judge Heather Norton stated in her sentencing remarks, a legitimate journalist would never refer to defendants as “Muslim paedophile rapists” under strict liability rules given how such pejorative language only serves to prejudge such cases.

This continues to demonstrate how the polarising and conspiratorial rhetoric of Robinson and some of his supporters (in the UK and abroad) risks eroding trust in public institutions.

One such supporter of Robinson, who travelled from Wales to support him, told the Guardian that, “They want to silence him because he challenges the status quo.”

But none of this is true.

Robinson admitted breaching reporting restricting in Leeds Crown Court and admitted that he was in contempt of court at Canterbury Crown Court.

And for some in the self-styled ‘#FreeTommy’ movement, such admission of guilt is ignored or downplayed against this drumbeat of conspiracism. The criminally convicted are lionised and held to the same moral standard as Nelson Mandela, a modern-day freedom fighter of sorts, exonerated by history if you follow this logic. This argument was also put forward by Gerard Batten, the leader of UKIP, a man who is no stranger to making inflammatory comments about Islam, which includes an unapologetic belief that the religion is a ‘death cult’ and that Muslims should sign his “proposed charter of Muslim understanding”, first published in 2006. Batten has also spoken at ‘counter-jihad’ event in 2007 which featured a keynote speech from Robert Spencer, a man who remains banned from entering the UK due to his Islamophobic views.

It is rather telling that following his release from Onley Prison, Robinson told reporters: “All the British media do is lie. I have a lot to say but nothing to you.”

The official Facebook page of Robinson doubled-down on such rhetoric in a post which has been shared almost ten-thousand times suggests that the ‘corrupt fake news mainstream media’ had “spent the best part of 2 months writing horrible lies, slander and fake news not only about Tommy but also hard working people who support him.”

Tellingly, this post ends “The establishment tried to break him mentally and physically!”. But the establishment also corrected procedural errors to ensure fairness in the legal system, which is part of the very establishment Robinson rallies against, expressed in the language of the far-right populist politicians who lent Robinson their support.

The concept of ‘entrepreneurial populism’ may help us understand how Robinson and parts of his support base will praise and chastise public institutions when it proves expedient to do so.

Academics used this framework to analyse the rise of political figures like Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. But the paradoxes this form of populism presents can, in some way, help to explain the rise in support for Robinson (more so in Europe, the United States, and Australia as evidence suggests from social media analysis of the ‘#FreeTommy’ hashtag).

A key paradox of ‘entrepreneurial populism’ is that the person does not need to be trustworthy or even have strong moral credentials because the establishment and politicians are viewed as corrupt.

Trust, is, therefore, placed in the untrustworthy in “order to play a system whose institutions one does not trust but whose ideals and intentions are still trusted.” Hence why Robinson is able to portray himself as a journalist.

We have also observed how sections of Robinson’s support base has descended into violence and criminality, as sections of the crowd at a ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rally in London on June 9 had attacked police officers with bottles, metal barriers and other objects. Violent disorder followed the June 16 protest where supporters of Robinson harassed and intimidated a female Muslim bus driver.

Recent events have also exposed the growing influence of support for Robinson abroad and the use of foreign money to cover his legal costs. But this is nothing new, and merely a question of scale.

Daniel Pipes, the president of the US-based conservative thinktank, the Middle East Forum (MEF), met with Robinson in Luton last year, months before the MEF sponsored two ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rallies in London in June.

The claim came from Pipes himself during an interview with the website the Savvy Street, which appeared online on June 5, 2017.

When asked about recent Robinson’s imprisonment, Pipes replied: “I spent much of a day with Tommy in December 2017 as he took me around his hometown of Luton,” adding that he considered him a knowledgeable ‘leader’.

The MEF also funded the successful legal defence of Geert Wilders in 2010 and 2011 against Dutch charges of inciting racial hatred.

Raheem Kassam, the one-time editor-in-chief of Breitbart London, failed Ukip leadership candidate, a former advisor to Nigel Farage, and Senior Fellow for the Gatestone Institute, an anti-Muslim think tank, told AFP last month that he was working to make Robinson’s case an international event. He said: “When the left see an injustice, it rallies an international caucus of people together… and we don’t do that enough on our side.”

Kassam characterised Islam as a “fascistic and totalitarian ideology” on the BBC’s flagship Radio 4’s Today programme when defending Robinson on August 2.

Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, defended Robinson on LBC radio, describing him off-mic as “the backbone” of Britain.

Robinson had received upwards of £20,000 in Bitcoin donations following his short stint in prison from supporters abroad.  His official social media accounts also grew in popularity.

Nor is this the first time that American donors, named in multiple reports concerning the ‘Islamophobia network’ in the United States, have solicited donations from their supporters to aid Robinson’s multiple legal issues. In 2011, for example, the Gates of Vienna blog asked readers to donate money to Robinson through the EDL’s official bank account on September 8, 2011.

Following his arrest and subsequent conviction for entering the United States on a false passport in September 2012, it emerged that Robinson had flown back to London under the name of Paul Harris – the legitimate name on his passport.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer used their blogs to encourage their supporters to donate to his legal funds. Donations to Robinson’s legal fund came from Stop the Islamization of America and the American Freedom Defense Initiative, both founded by Geller in 2010. Robinson had sat on the President’s Council of Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) in 2012, alongside Geller, Spencer, and others, following their event in Stockholm that year.

Support also came from the anti-Muslim ‘Bare Naked Islam’ blog.

This new-found support offered to Robinson, however,  by the MEF, appears larger in scale, and included fundraising for his legal fees (through the Legal Project), and political support, hence why Geert Wilders of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, and US Congressman Paul Gosar (Republican of Arizona), both spoke at the June 9 rally.

Gosar tweeted at Donald Trump to raise his concerns about the treatment of Robinson on June 13 and spoke at the ‘Free Tommy Robinson’ rally in London two days later.

Perhaps a larger curiosity, however, was the MEF’s promise of diplomatic support for Robinson, which may help to explain why Sam Brownback, the US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom, is said to have complained to the British ambassador in Washington D.C. following lobbying from Breitbart, according to Reuters, an accusation Brownback denies.

Donald Trump Jr also tweeted about Robinson’s apparent mistreatment in May – demonstrating how the conviction of Tommy Robinson has caused ripples in North America.

Before news of Robinson’s imprisonment had spread in May 2018, there was little to no reference to the ex-EDL leader, on the Twitter accounts of the MEF or Mr Pipes.

Pipes signed a petition calling for the release of Robinson and encouraged others to sign it on May 26 and tweeted a portion of the of the Savvy Street interview concerning his trip to Luton to meet with Robinson.

The MEF Twitter account had tweeted about Robinson on September 11, 2015, with an external link to a Breitbart article concerning Robinson’s departure from the EDL.

Pipes remains a controversial figure. In 1990, he wrote: “West European societies are unprepared for the massive immigration of brown-skinned peoples cooking strange foods and not exactly maintaining Germanic standards of hygiene.” Years later, he attempted to clarify this sentence, suggesting that he was trying to reflect the thinking of European leaders, not his own. A blog published in 1997 included the sentence, “Antisemitism, historically a Christian phenomenon, is now primarily a Muslim phenomenon — and not just in the Middle East, but right here in the United States.”

In 2002, Pipes’ Campus Watch came in for criticism after allegedly publishing ‘dossiers’ on US-based academics and their views on political Islam and Palestine, according to a New York Times article published that year.

Pipes has propagated falsehoods relating to so-called ‘no-go-zones’ and indulged the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was a Muslim in his youth. He wrote in defence of various European far-right political parties in Europe, including Marine Le Pen’s National Front (now rebranded as the French Rassemblement).

The overtures from Steve Bannon towards Robinson may prove part of his wider strategy (however inflated or wishful), to launch a new far-right think tank in Europe.

From the political failures of British Freedom Party to the limited reach of Pegida UK, and his departure from Rebel Media earlier this year, puts Robinson at somewhat of a crossroads with an impending re-trial hanging over him, and the ‘#FreeTommy’ movement may mobilise again.

The post How the latest Tommy Robinson saga exposed the influence of foreign funding appeared first on TELL MAMA.

However, Robinson’s actions have placed a Rotherham resident of Pakistani heritage at real risk. This tweet (below), which Robinson sent out a few days ago is false and makes an allegation that two individuals around the Member of Parliament for Rotherham, are paedophiles. Such actions can put the lives of these two individuals at risk and Robinson should be held to account for this.

One of the individuals has worked with Tell MAMA to place a civil claim against a branch of UKIP and this is ongoing. They initially tweeted out a virtually identical tweet and our advice to him is to pursue a civil claim against Robinson for the dissemination of this material.

Robinson claims to act for against ‘Islamic extremism.’ His tweets show a different stance and one which panders to anti-Muslim bigots. No doubt, Robinson may well be hearing from the solicitor of the individual that he has libelled.

The post Robinson Endangers Rotherham Resident of Pakistani Muslim Heritage appeared first on TELL MAMA.

1)     http://t.co/lFWDtvsNLC Oslo, Norway: 100% of rapes committed by ‘non european immigrants’ (muslims) Cultural enrichment,drowning in diversity

Robinson links to a debunked anti-Muslim story from 2011. A translated police report found, “Crude generalizations that have given the impression that rapists are only foreigners – and primarily Muslims – are shown to be inadequate and erroneous.”  

“The ethnic profile varies within the different types of rape, but for all types except assault rape the largest group is composed of Norwegian perpetrators.”

2)     http://t.co/nl04Idl2lm Fear of offending islam and muslims i.e #islamophobia in police is the reason why they act in such a manner. #Traitors

In spite of Robinson’s claims, his arrest had more to do with an alleged police obstruction than fear of offending Islam. The official EDL Twitter feed acknowledged the nature of the 2013 arrest: “Tommy Robinson & Kev Caroll arrested for Obstructing the police and carted off.”

According to Sky Correspondent Tom Parmenter, police warned Robinson (and Kevin Carroll) about the prospect of arrest if their charity walk continued towards Woolwich.

3)      http://t.co/lgouaagFor Couple singing Peppa Pig tune to toddler ‘forced off bus after complaints they were being racist’ #pork #islam

A viral hit (that received over 50k online shares) made serious allegations against a Rotherham bus driver and Muslim passenger. The Mail headline read, “Couple singing Peppa Pig tune to toddler ‘forced off bus after complaints they were being racist’ because it goes against Muslim pork ban”.

But the driver contradicts the couple. A First spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “The driver told us he heard no reference to racism but we are investigating the incident and have not yet drawn a conclusion.”

4)     http://t.co/tXhhQycQhy BREAKING: Muslims Shout “Praise Allah!” Surround OK Police Following Press Conference on Beheading. Reciting Koran.

Robinson links to a false story. The source (@Landonlawson78) followed the Islamophobic ‘Bare Naked Islam’ and ‘KILL MUSLIM RODENTS’. A cached version of the account reveals the use of a stock profile image.  The account is no longer accessible via Twitter.

5)     Ed Miliband : We need more Muslims in the UK http://t.co/aoFmxiQPvJ who is voting labour

The story originates from a 2013 news report titled ‘Ed Miliband says he will increase Muslim representation in the parliament,’ it took place during Labour’s Eid celebration. Yet, the link Robinson shared is full of vulgar comments:

“Oi, Ed Miliband! Fuck off back to the desert and take all your monkey friends with you, you cunt.”

“Kill him!!! He is a traitor of our civilization.”

Tommy Robinson is not responsible for what others post, but it reveals an unsavoury readership.

6)     http://t.co/B30FHu7QsF Eight men have been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual activity with a child in Tower Hamlets. #muslim

The story highlights the ethnicity (Albanian) of the alleged perpetrators but not religion.

7)      http://t.co/OCNaaeIOxq ‘Political correctness’ allows Muslims easier time in struggling jail Tip of the iceberg

The issue is not of ‘political correctness’ but staff shortages.

The post 7 Simple Facts That Do Not Point to a ‘Reformed’ Tommy Robinson, by Steve Rose appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The tweets began on August 27, as Robinson lamented the political correctness. A day later and Robinson made his first reference to ‘Muslim grooming gangs’ amid serious allegations against South Yorkshire Police.

Robinson then shared three images related to ‘grooming gang convictions’. The data is from “Easy Meat – Multiculturalism, Islam and Child Sex Slavery” published by the Law and Freedom Foundation – an organisation who also helps “local neighbourhoods to resist planning applications for mosques.”

But the nature of the source is not revealed to Robinson’s near 90k Twitter following. A closer inspection of the images reveals two non-Asian names: Graham Blackburn and Robert Jackson.

Both individuals were part of gangs that readily exploited young girls. Jackson was convicted in 2013 and Blackburn in 2010.

In between musing about what links Boko Haram, ISIS and Rotherham, Robinson asserts that ‘Rape Jihad’ is a more appropriate term. The inflammatory rhetoric continues with references to ‘Muslim predators.’

On August 29, Robinson tweeted, “I/we have been ridiculed and called bigots for 5 years for trying 2 raise and highlight the issue of Muslim grooming! #Rotherham #vindicated.” The ‘we’ is a clear reference to the EDL.

In spite of the public disassociation, Robinson continues to share content from his days with the group. He retweeted an individual who used the EDL’s NFSE (No Fucking Surrender Ever) slogan.

A tweet sent on the same day used the word ‘us’ in the context of a separate EDL discussion. The deliberate choice of language is noteworthy (or simply a reflection of Twitter’s character limits).

Nor has Robinson stopped exploiting tension between Sikhs and Muslims after sharing an infamous urban legend.

The appalling abuse of one victim is a prop for the offensive hashtag ‘#RAPEJIHAD’.  Robinson uses the hashtag again on September 17.

In a repeat of old tactics, Robinson tweeted, “Muslims attacked our troops, who did police arrest? U guessed it. How were they ever allowed to disrupt homecomings” But the footage is over four years old and features the now proscribed Muslims Against Crusades.

On September 14, Robinson referenced a sex offender’s community order without mentioning that it was issued in November 2013.

Of all the possible examples, why did Robinson pick this one? The clue is in the perpetrators name and assumed Islamic faith.

Tommy Robinson is also a fan of false comparisons. On September 17, he tweeted, “Mosques handle is more valued than girl sexually assaulted by Rotherham Muslim.”

The desecration of an Edinburgh mosque with bacon by the far-right was a cowardly act and the individuals went to prison for a variety of reasons.

Equally cowardly, was Raja Hussain’s unprovoked assault upon a female train passenger. But according the Metro, his prison sentence was suspended on grounds of previous good behaviour.

Other examples of Robinson’s post-prison tweets include speculation about Muslim demographics, spreading the false William Gladstone Islam meme, denying accusations of racism, highlighting a death threat, and linking to a video of ISIS executing David Haines.

Robinson shoehorns Islam into stories of abuse with little evidence outside of ethnicity. Perhaps most telling is Robinson’s failure to acknowledge female victims when they are of Pakistani-heritage.

A selective and simplistic approach to the horrors in Rotherham will not help victims get the justice they richly deserve.

Has Robinson’s rhetoric truly changed?

The post Ex-EDL Leader Tommy Robinson, a Changed Man or Back to Past Behaviours, by Steve Rose appeared first on TELL MAMA.

For example, take this recent tweet, (press on the snapshot):

Here, Carroll believes that Islamic finance Sukuk bonds are leading to an ‘Islamic freight train of eventual domination in the UK.” So what Carroll is implying is that Muslims are on the take-over again through Islamic finance opportunities. This can easily be construed to be an Islamic ‘creeping Shariah’ take-over of the UK. Has Kevin Carroll really changed?

Or take this recent tweet where Kevin ‘banters’ with a well known EDL sympathiser in London. Queen Lareefer, and believe us when we say that her comments are not regal in any way, has been a core supporter of the English Defence League and promoted abusive anti-Muslim statements on her Twitter account. In fact, if there was one regular activity she did, it was this, over the last few years. Pretty sad actually. However, we say again, has Kevin Carroll really changed?

Here Kevin Carroll talks about “lots of reported cases of people being attacked and their dogs beaten whilst walking past mosques.” We do not know whether to laugh or to ask for a referral for Kevin for some psychological evaluation. Saying this, he then decides to show the Sheikh like qualities that he has and suggests that the person asking him for a reference, look into the Hadith. So, he decides that the Hadith states that people in a mosque in today’s world, are driven to beat up people walking outside a mosque, because they have a black dog. Is this man for real and he does not need the world’s media flashing their cameras at him, he possibly needs someone to talk to! So, has Kevin Carroll really changed – we think not!

The post Kevin Carroll’s Recent Twitter Timeline Reads like a Far Right Conspiracy Theorist appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Yesterday, two individuals sat on the sofas at the end of the documentary, one on his journey supposedly out of extremism and looking nervous and agitated. Whilst, we have seen nothing from Tommy which shows a mental shift away from the statements and comments he made bestializing Muslims, nonetheless, we have to welcome the fact that he has walked away from the English Defence League. We are well aware of the damage that ‘organisation’ has done on community relations and on the lives of innocent Muslims, those who were attacked whilst out shopping, or the young girl, for example, who was abused so much so that she developed a fear of leaving home.

What we also acknowledge is that Tommy will need to work towards a place where he feels somewhat secure. We cannot detract from the fact that he made decisions which led to him being in the position that he is in, yet, and we have said this many times, he has been through a turbulent period where his life has been threatened on numerous occassions. However, let us not forget how his sympathisers have also put us through such periods where we have had numerous threats made to our staff team whilst people shouted EDL down the end of the phone at us. If we could count the number of threats, libellous e-mails and abuse that we as a staff team have suffered, it would tip well over double digits since we started in March 2012. That being the case we know what constant abuse does to a person – it is corrosive and reduces trust and empathy in others.

So, we hope that Tommy turns a new leaf. We sincerely do and we hope that one day he can come and meet with us and support the work we do and feel that he can be a part of a world where he can stand up for the other. He has taken a step forward and we hope that it is one which enriches his life. The journey is going to be long and hard and there will be times when it is a case of ‘1 step forward and 2 steps back’. Let us hope that all those who took part in this process find that their lives and their futures are ones which give them hope and give us the ability to place our trust in them.

The post The Tommy and Mo Show appeared first on TELL MAMA.

The above tweet made by Robinson was made on the 20/6/2012 or take the following tweet:

Or maybe this statement which I am sure Tommy wants to try and forget:

So, in three tweets, we have shown opinions from Tommy Robinson where he believes that Muslims (i) inbreed (ii) the Koran is evil (iii) Muslims breed terrorists (in fact, he suggests that they genetically are programmed to plant bombs – in the form of their children).

So, you would think that someone who is feted around as a poster boy for the Far Right made good would (i) break links with EDL followers publicly (ii) start to show some flexibility of mindset, for example, around elements like Islam and (iii) understand that tweeting people with EDL on their Twitter handle might be a bad thing. We will show you how Tommy Robinson has done none of the above. So here we go:

Tommy Robinson continues to this day to talk to EDL followers, some of whom have been active for years and whom he is aware are core EDL sympathisers. In fact, when told by Hope Not Hate that he is speaking to someone that they have documented an article on, Robinson does not respond and simply moves on :

Or take this tweet where Robinson has a conversation with ‘Queen Lareefer’, an EDL sympathiser who has been active on Twitter for some time now. We have listed her tweets below his to show the kind of individuals Tommy is busily having a chat with, though we should also add that highly aggressive tweets against anyone, whether EDL sympathisers or not, are not helpful nor what anyone should be tweeting out to others, irrespective of their views.

Moving onto the second point which we mentioned earlier that a flexibility of mindset on say, Islam, would start to show a mental shift in Robinson, we came across the following tweet and the date of the tweet is worrying. This is a statement made very recently and according to Robinson, Mo Ansar has strengthened his belief against Islam during his 18 month documentary journey with Mo.

Or take this statement which is not only fundamentally untrue, it could be regarded by some as being inflammatory and being prejudicial against the Somali community since it suggests that they are potentially a ‘suspect’ community. Here Robinson links immigration to ‘Somali terrorists’ and he implies that the Government is allowing in people who could be Somali Al Shabab (sic) terrorists. Once again, such a statement could easily be read as putting a question mark on every Somali who comes through the immigration (or asylum) process, since according to the ‘reformed’ Robinson, they could be Al-Shabaab. If this tweet does not demonstrate what a complete load of rubbish Robinson harps on about, we are not sure what else would.

Or let us take this tweet where Robinson once again, is openly talking to someone who is well known to us and who is an ardent EDL supporter. You would think that with EDL in the Twitter tag Robinson would think twice about engaging with them. Clearly, this does not apply to the ‘reformed’ Robinson. Here he is just today, having a conversation with @Watford_EDL:

Just to remind readers what @Watford_EDL tweets out, here are some less than civilised examples from someone who calls himself the Reverend, though we are sure that no Christian wants such an individual even to associate themselves in any way shape or form with Christianity or any church. Here he deludely talks about ‘Islam starting the blood shed and allowing it to continue for 1,400 years.’ (Not an ounce of brittle deluded thinking here – no not at all!) Or when he mentions, more aggressively and worryingly, when ‘we have managed to combat ot (sic) back.’

Or take this tweet by ‘the Rev’ when he states the following, not even realising that the Crusades were launched against Muslims. But that does not matter to some people in the EDL whose main aim is to promote twisted untruths and prejudice.

So, on the basis of just a few of the tweets and comments out there, has the Damascene conversation of Tommy Robinson taken place with a real mindset shift, We think not! Do we think that he should be cutting his overt links to the EDL – certainly yes, if he is to be taken seriously. Lastly, has Tommy Robinson bothered to acknowledge two simple steps that we had openly asked him to fulfill if we were to be able to develop future engagement with him. The answer is once again, no! Not a peep or a tweet and we think that this in itself, speaks volume.

The post Surprise, Surprise – The Tommy Robinson Rehabilitation Not Going Too Well? appeared first on TELL MAMA.

We have listed a word cloud which represents words that have a higher frequency in on-line cases, as being larger in size and the word cloud really is self-explanatory. This is the legacy of Tommy’s agitation in the last 4 years and one of our colleagues went through all of the on-line cases of anti-Muslim prejudice recorded in TELL MAMA and mapped the terms according to their frequency. So Tommy, here is your legacy over the last 4 years:

As can be seen, many cases include references to the EDL or English Defence League. Much of the language includes negative responses such as ‘kill’, ‘war’, ‘muzzrat’ and ‘hate’, as well as racist terminology that is also mixed in with the anti-Muslim statements. ‘Paki’ for example comes up on numerous occasions which also brings us back to the fact that police forces need to be able to distinguish cases that have both a racial and religiously aggravated basis.

Finally, if this is the legacy that Tommy Robinson wants to leave behind, then there is one word to say – rehabilitation. He needs to payback to communities before he is rehabilitated. We have listed the first step here and continue to wait to see whether this is a real shift in mentality and a rejection of Far Right ideology or a cynical manipulation of the public so that he can continue to lead some form of a life.

The post The Legacy of Tommy Robinson & the English Defence League appeared first on TELL MAMA.

On Newsnight last night Robinson suggested that ‘Islamic immigration‘ should stop and no more mosques should be built until the current ones were regulated. So, in other words, if he had his way, no more mosques would be built at all at this time until all 1,500 mosques were ‘regulated’. So forget mosque building for the next couple of decades then!

Irrespective of his statements, he seems to want a chance to turn the corner. So, here are the conditions that someone like Robinson has to meet given the chaos he has caused through his group in the last 4 years. We will take him seriously in his desire to change if he simply meets the following basic elements. Such basic criteria have been asked before of people in groups like Al-Muhajiroun and we ask these specific elements of Tommy Robinson. So Tommy here we go and hope you seriously give these some thought.

1) Your previous group has been instrumental in promoting prejudice against ALL Muslims. The impact of this can be seen in this infographic and read in this report. If you have genuinely turned the corner, we will set up two meetings with victims of anti-Muslim prejudice where the perpetrators were EDL sympathisers. We want you to sit and listen to them. Nothing more and nothing less. We would ask this of extremists from groups like Al-Muhajiroun who have attacked Shia Muslims for example and this form of Restorative Justice is something that we support.

2) You have not denounced links to Pamella Geller and Robert Spencer. You entered the United States on a passport with the name of Paul Harris and were detained for a period of time for this in order to speak at a conference organised by Stop the Islamization of America (SIOE) and led by Geller. Yesterday, Geller and Spencer backed your move and suggested that this was another step in combatting extremism. We are clear! Remember this? Geller and Spencer were denied entry to the UK since they were ‘not conducive to the public good.’ In other words, Tommy, not wanted here in the UK by the Home Secretary.

So we make clear – do you publicly break your links, communication, alliance and affiliations with Geller and Spencer? Simple question and please do answer with a yes or no?

If you meet these 2 requirements, many will assist you in your rehabilitation. If you fail to acknowledge these elements or undertake them, you will still be regarded by many, as an unreconstructed extremist. It is as simple as that! We await your response and you know how to contact us. Just in case, info@tellmamauk.org.

The post The ‘Defection’ of Tommy Robinson – The Way Ahead appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Date: 08/10/2013
Contact: 0800 456 1226
E-mail: info@tellmamauk.org

RESPONSE TO THE ‘DEFECTION’ OF THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE LEADER BY TELL MAMA

TELL MAMA welcomes the ‘defection’ of the English Defence League leader, though notes with some trepidation and caution, the activities of Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll over the last 4 years. Just a few days ago we documented how the English Defence League web-site allowed the targeting of all Muslims in general whilst talking about being anti-racist. Let us also not forget the actions of Stephen Lennon (aka Tommy Robinson) when he marched to Woolwich after the brutal murder of drummer Lee Rigby and over the last 24 months, we have systematically documented how EDL sympathisers have been involved in off-line and on-line hate incidents against Muslims. For example, our data and our responses can be found here.

TELL MAMA  were also key in recording the range of anti-Muslim incidents post Woolwich, both off-line and on-line which no doubt, was instigated by the actions of the EDL. The impact of the Far Right can also be found through the Teesside report which was based on TELL MAMA data.

Commenting on the ‘defection,’ the Director of TELL MAMA, Fiyaz Mughal, stated:

“The real question is whether Tommy Robinson has changed from just a few days ago when he was at the heart of the EDL machinery and where his messages undermined the work of anti-racist campaigners and those like us who counter hate and prejudice in communities.  Whilst we cautiously welcome his change ‘defection’, the real truth will come out in the next few months and years. Yet, we must remain vigilant against the remaining sections of the English Defence League who may turn more violent after this event.

Also, we would ask Tommy Robinson to apologise to our nation for the millions of pounds spent on policing costs and for the tensions in communities he has caused. Someone should be held accountable for the enormous wastage of police, local authority and other resources whilst his street instigators ram amock in places like Stoke, Birmingham and other cities. We will not doubt be keeping a close eye on his activities and the activities of others in the English Defence League.”

ENDS

The post Tommy Robinson & His Future Career – PRESS STATEMENT appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Anyway, thanks Tommy, for confirming that we were right and that you were interviewed. Nice one pal! So we were slightly aghast when Tommy Robinson paid us another compliment after making out that our work was having a minimal effect. Whilst we are not keen on Tommy’s compliments, what is heartening to see is that imitation is the best form of flattery. Seeing as we have been effective in countering the hate of the EDL and more importantly, in getting prosecutions of their sympathisers who think it is fine to promote anti-Muslim hate on-line, the Far Right EDL have tried to set up their own helpline. (We desperately are trying to hold back the tears of laughter – poor souls, they know how effective we are; it clearly seems to have affected their judgement). So, today,  Tommy tweets this out to his 11,000 plus followers, (01/05/13).

There is one slight thing though. The Far Right ‘helpline’ which is a Twitter account may not know the implications of what they have placed in this tweet below. Only time will tell and we will no doubt keep you informed.

So, if you have suffered anti-Muslim prejudice or in fact, any form of prejudice, make sure you report it in preferably to the Police or to reputable third pary hate crime reporting organisations like TELL MAMA, CST (the Community Security Trust) or Stop Hate UK.

TELL MAMA can assist on anti-Muslim hate incidents and it is key to report in activities and ensure that the perpetrator be caught sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the best thing that the Far Right can do is to waste their time emulating us. They may want to flatter us, but we are ‘not for turning.’

The post Thanks for the Flattery Tommy. Clearly We Are Doing Something Right Where You Have to Emulate us? appeared first on TELL MAMA.

You would think that Tommy Robinson would be a bit more careful regarding his hate tweets after this experience. Well, you would think so, but with an ego the size of the grand canyon, the slight matter of the law seems to slip by the mind of this self-proclaimed leader of the motley English Defence League. Take for example, this tweet he put out a few days ago on the 2nd of April:

So let’s take this statement. There is a vast amount of academic information which shows how the Nazis used terms to associate Jews with vermin, with disease and infestation. Well, hey ho, the EDL leader who states that he is not racist seems to regurgitate the very same sick narratives, though mention this to him and you are likely to receive a Twitter rant blaming Muslims for all of the ills with this country. The EDL continue to try and maintain the old facade that they are not racist. “Islam is not a race they say.” Well, such prejudiced hate filled geniuses seem to give life to the narratives of hate that were used to marginalise and isolate out Jews in the 1930’s and we all know where that ended up. We also know that they are no friends of Jewish communities and scratch the surface of Far Right groups and out pops the age old anti-Semitism that is entwined in their DNA.

Whilst we clearly do not believe that a Holocaust will take place again, nonetheless, the poison of the EDL and other extreme Far Right groups must be checked. They not only feed off the extremism of their counterparts such as groups like Al Muhajiroun, they also help to radicalise others and provide cover for more extreme Far Right groups to operate within. Last week for example, we spoke to an ex-Far Right campaigner who walked away from an extreme Far Right group and who has started to piece his life together. Courageously, he talked to us about how the EDL were used as cover for more extreme groups to operate under and this cover was perfect for undertaking recruitment and criminality. His life was shattered by the extremist poison that was injected into him and his last words on the phone to us were, “I have done so many bad things, all I want to do is some good.”

Lastly, in our previous posting we raised the case of George Milnes, the Huddersfield based EDL sympathiser who has gone onto harass both us in TELL MAMA and a number of individuals across the country. Well, it seems George Milnes likes popping up wherever there are hate promoters. Take for example, the above tweet from Tommy Robinson. A glance at the retweeters shows George Milnes, (second from the left) and his ‘commando’ picture which he feels reflects his Twitter account @CommandoPirate. Looks like Milnes has become another groupie to the leader of the EDL. George – you might want to stop leaving so many electronic traces of yourself on-line. Either way, Bedfordshire Police will be receiving a copy of the tweet from Tommy.

The post Tommy Robinson – Back to His Hate Tweets appeared first on TELL MAMA.

So, here we go. Over the space of July to September 2012, members of the public were sending in tweets from Tommy Robinson to TELL MAMA, some of which were being targeted at Muslim women who were deeply offended by the sexist and prejudiced tweets that they were getting and which they believed were hate speech. Over this period, this information was sent into the police leading to a formal interview with Tommy Robinson. Ever the ‘courageous patriot’, Mr Robinson took the fifth as they say in the US, (don’t mention it, sore subject for him), and said nothing. The investigation was dropped with a list of reasons provided to TELL MAMA. In total, 40 separate pieces of evidence were provided to the police force in question.

We believed that the judgement of the local force on this issue was wrong. Barrister’s opinion confirmed that the force could have done more in relation to the case. We have passed this opinion to the force concerned and the detailed analysis has also been provided to the Crown Prosecution Service and we have asked for a review of the evidence and the process conducted by the local force. We await a decision on this within the next few weeks. Suffice as to say that the next time the ‘Official EDL’ account shoots off the hip with a libellous statement, we hope that they seriously consider the legal implications.

The post Tommy Robinson and the Case of the Tweets appeared first on TELL MAMA.