Muslim Protest Photographs - Pictures From London

Outline
Email claims that a series of attached photographs depict a protest in London at which Muslim demonstrators displayed placards with violent and inflammatory slogans.



Brief Analysis
The photographs are genuine. The rally shown in the images took place in London on February 3, 2006 when some in the Muslim community gathered to protest against the publication of cartoons in the Danish press that were considered to be insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. Several protesters were later arrested. The protest was strongly condemned by some Muslim leaders.

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Last updated: 13th March 2010
First published: 13th March 2010
Article written by Brett M. Christensen
About Brett Christensen and Hoax-Slayer

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Detailed Analysis
This widely circulated email forward features a series of photographs depicting a protest rally by a group of radical Muslims. Demonstrators at the rally are shown brandishing placards with violent and inflammatory slogans such as "Behead those who insult Islam" and "Be prepared for the real Holocaust". The message claims that the photographs were snapped during a recent "Religion of Peace Demonstration" in the streets of London.

Such a protest did take place in London and the photographs are genuine. However, the protest did not take place recently, nor was it ever declared to be a "Religion of Peace Demonstration" as claimed in the email.

In fact, the photographs depict an angry protest march that took place in London on February 3, 2006. The participants were protesting against cartoons published in the Danish press that many Muslims considered to be insulting to the Prophet Muhammad. A February 5 2006 article about the protests published on Telegraph.co.uk notes:

At the height of the protests on Friday demonstrators chanted slogans threatening more London bombings, praising the "magnificent" 9/11 hijackers and waving placards saying "Massacre those who insult Islam", "Europe you will pay" and "Europe you'll come crawling when Mujahideen come roaring".

Mr Davis said last night: "Clearly some of these placards are incitement to violence and, indeed, incitement to murder - an extremely serious offence which the police must deal with and deal with quickly.

"Whatever your views on these cartoons, we have a tradition of freedom of speech in this country which has to be protected. Certainly there can be no tolerance of incitement to murder."

Several people were later arrested over the protests. Another Telegraph.co.uk article published on March 16 2006 notes:

Five men were arrested by police investigating inflammatory Muslim protests last month at the Danish embassy over cartoons which satirised the Prophet Mohammed. All five were held on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and four of them on suspicion of incitement to murder.

One of those arrested on both grounds is Anjem Choudary, 38, the former UK head of Al-Muhajiroun, the radical Muslim group, and a close associate of Omar Bakri Mohammed, the Islamic cleric who is currently in Lebanon and barred from Britain.

Mr Choudary is a prominent figure in Al-Gurabaa (The Strangers), a group set up by supporters of Bakri, which led the cartoon demonstrations. The arrests - four in London and one in the West Midlands - follow the protests outside the Danish Embassy in London on Feb 3, when placards threatening a repeat of the September 11 or July 7 terror attacks were waved. Scotland Yard detectives have been studying video, photographs and sound recordings of the demonstration, including CCTV footage.

Other protests decrying the publication of the cartoons took place around the same time in various parts of the world. It should be noted that many of these demonstrations were peaceful. In fact, the London protests were strongly condemned by some Muslim leaders. A February 4th 2006 BBC news article notes:

A march in which protesters chanted violent anti-Western slogans such as "7/7 is on its way" should have been banned, a leading British Muslim said. Asghar Bukhari said the demonstration in London on Friday should have been stopped by police because the group had been advocating violence.

The chairman of the Muslim Public Affairs Committee said the protesters "did not represent British Muslims".

More protests over cartoons of Muhammad on Saturday passed off peacefully.

Mr Bukhari told the BBC News website: "The placards and chants were disgraceful and disgusting, Muslims do not feel that way.

"I condemn them without reservation, these people are less representative of Muslims than the BNP are of the British people."

And a February 7 2006 CCN article reports:

Muslim Council of Britain spokesman Inayat Bunglawala said the Muslim community would welcome eventual arrests and prosecutions of those brandishing the placards.

"The placards that were on display were quite disgraceful and in our opinion seemed to constitute a clear incitement to violence, even murder," Bunglawala told Reuters.

The same article also notes:

A range of British Muslim organizations condemned the London protest, including the moderate Muslim Council of Britain to the more radical Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which Prime Minister Blair wants to outlaw because of claims it supports terrorism.

"While strongly condemning the publication of these caricatures, we also unequivocally condemn those who are urging violent protests or inciting hatred against others," Hizb-ut-Tahrir spokesman Imran Waheed told PA.

Such violent and incendiary protests are certainly concerning and, regardless of what grievances may have originally motivated the protesting group, they are simply unacceptable in any peaceful and democratic society. However, recipients of the email should keep in mind that the violent slogans displayed by the group of protesters certainly do not reflect the views of all Muslims.



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References:
Muslim anger at Danish cartoons
Muslim protests are incitement to murder, say Tories
Arrests over cartoon protests
Muslim leader condemns protesters
London protest: Calls for arrests Cartoon protest slogans condemned

Last updated: 13th March 2010
First published: 13th March 2010
Article written by Brett M. Christensen
About Brett Christensen and Hoax-Slayer