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| Britain |
| Muslim backs terror, claims MP |
| 2003-12-19 |
| A MP with balls, and she’s female: A Labour MP yesterday sparked a furious row by using parliamentary privilege to claim that the Muslim Association of Britain, which helped to organise this year’s anti-war marches, supports terrorism. In a Commons speech, which is protected from libel proceedings, Louise Ellman accused the association’s senior spokesman of inciting racial hatred against British Jews after he allegedly voiced strong support for Palestinian suicide bombers. By pointing this out, the left will accuse her of "hate speech". Azzam Tamimi, a Palestinian academic who is one of the association’s main faces, last night challenged Ms Ellman to repeat her remarks outside the Commons. "She is abusing parliament," he said. His remarks came after Ms Ellman declared it was time for the "spotlight to fall" on Dr Tamimi because of his role in "preaching hatred against Jews". Cockroaches hate lights. To support her case, Ms Ellman cited a series of speeches in which Dr Tamimi, who describes himself as a "sympathiser and supporter" of the militant Palestinian group Hamas, attacked Israel and supported suicide bombers. Bet she’s got transcripts. At a conference in South Africa last year, Dr Tamimi allegedly said: "Do not call them suicide bombers, call them Shuhada [martyrs]. They [Israelis] have guns, we have human bombs. We love death, they love life." Singing the Palestinian National Anthem, was he? Dr Tamimi was also quoted by Ms Ellman as saying: · "For us Muslim martyrdom is not the end of things but the beginning of the most wonderful of things."Ms Ellman, the MP for Liverpool Riverside, told the Commons that the Muslim Association of Britain should disown Dr Tamimi. "This is not a man of peace," she said. "He and his arguments incite hatred against Jews. Messages put out by this association and other Islamist groups, together with the far right, the traditional anti-semites, incite growing violence against Jews in the UK." Dr Tamimi reacted angrily to Ms Ellman’s speech. "I challenge her to say these things outside parliament and I will take her to court," he said. "She is abusing parliament, the British system." But he declined to disassociate himself from the quotes attributed to him. He said: "I am an open book. My lectures are open and are on the net. I have nothing to be ashamed of." So he admits saying it, he’s just upset she called him on it. Go ahead, Louise, say them again and let him try suing you, it should be fun. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #6 I for one am prepared to repeat Ms Ellman's sentiments outside parliment.Dr Tamimi is by his own admission an apologist for suicide bombing and an active supporter of a terrorist organisation - Hamas - who's stated aim is the total destruction of the state of Israel. According to Ms Ellman - and I have no reason to doubt her - he has been heavily involved at the heart of it's publicity machine justifying it's terror tactics of blowing innocent people to bits. Oh but I forgot the're not innocent the're Jewish. His vile pronouncements are probably in breach of both our race hate and new terrorism laws and as such he ought to be prosecuted. I doubt if he will though as David Blunkett seems to cut a lot of slack to Islamic extremists like Tamimi.It also really makes me sick that Tamimi and his ilk are so quick to threaten legal action against anybody that simply point out his transparent hatred of Jews and justification of the killing of the innocent for what they are, racism and terrorism. As far as I'm concerned the legal system should be there to protect us from people like Tamimi not the other way around. Finally I'd like to point out that suicide bombing / the act of killing as many innocent people as possible may be ok as far as Islam teaching is concerned but it most certainly is not in the civilised world where he currently resides. I can only wish that he would trundle of to Israel where I'm sure he would be greeted by what he deserves - a missile from an Israeli helicopter gun-ship. |
| Posted by: Mark Hart 2003-12-22 6:04:38 AM |
| #5 Azzam really doesn't like getting bitch-slapped by a woman in public; loss of face and all that. This was most enjoyable. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-12-19 7:33:03 PM |
| #4 By pointing this out, the left will accuse her of "hate speech". I thought in Britland Labour was supposed to be "(©BBC)the left"(©BBC) and Tony is just a Demo hawk. No reason Britain shouldn't be like the US and [Continental] Europe where fringie fanatics are finding out the political spectrum is really circular and as they approach the Antipodes people way at the other end look just like themselves. Looney. |
| Posted by: Glenn (not Reynolds) 2003-12-19 3:28:50 PM |
| #3 "they love life" Damn straight. To life, to life, le chaim.... |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-12-19 1:11:13 PM |
| #2 Calling a spade a spade! That could get you arrested in some places and stoned to death in others. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-12-19 12:10:54 PM |
| #1 No, you don't want to encourage her to attract a hate-speech lawsuit...the EUros can't defend themselves against terrorists, but they have some fierce laws protecting themselves from good ideas. |
| Posted by: Rivrdog 2003-12-19 11:37:36 AM |