[prima donna]

LONDON — Britain's government said Tuesday it will ban an Islamist group whose proposed protest march through a town known for honoring British soldiers killed in Afghanistan drew national outrage.
The group, Islam4UK, will be banned starting Thursday, said Home Secretary Alan Johnson. The move will allow authorities to arrest people who meet in the group's name and seize its assets.
Islam4UK reacted with outrage. Omar Bakri Mohamed, a Lebanon-based cleric who serves as the group's spiritual leader, claimed that the ban could push some of his members to violence.
The government's decision comes after Islam4UK drew national outrage by proposing a protest march at Wootton Bassett, 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of London. The small market town is well-known in Britain for its quiet repatriation ceremonies for British soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
The town's residents join the families of the dead and war veterans to line the streets and watch servicemen's bodies being driven through from a nearby air base.
Anjem Choudary, Bakri's U.K.-based colleague, threatened to bring 500 Islamists through the streets of Wootton Basset to highlight Afghan civilian deaths at the hands of NATO-led forces. After
The lawmakers called the move a distasteful publicity stunt and many called for Choudary's group to be outlawed.
Bakri said that the ban was "the gravest mistake," describing his group was peaceful think-tank whose younger members would be pushed toward violence if it were driven underground.
In a telephone interview from Tripoli, Lebanon, Bakri claimed that he was lobbying for a peaceful reaction to the ban.
"We (were) never involved with any violence, yet," he said.
Bakri's group argues that, as Muslims, they're not bound by British law and has expressed support for bin Laden and al-Qaida. In its previous incarnation as al-Muhajiroun, the group was linked to several terror suspects and was accused of recruiting British Muslims to fight in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Bakri has acknowledged that some of al-Muhajiroun members have engaged in militant attacks but says the group can't be held responsible for their actions.
Bakri, who was deported from Britain in 2005, added that, whatever happened, his founders could regroup under a different name.

[JolánGagó]

Well done.

Send them straight to Gitmo as well.

[buddyholly]

Yeahhhhh, profiling at last. It is so simple.

[safin-rules-no.1]

A step in the right direction.

[ClaudiuS]

I'm not a xenophobic person. But foreign people like this really pisses me off.

Some Muslims think they live alone in the world...lets just be fair. Try to do something similar in an Islamic country...you'll get a similar reaction or even worse.

[Henry Chinaski]

lame political stunt by Labour.

why is this inconsequential group even worth banning?

because of a rumoured protest that never even went ahead it seems.

the sinking labour ship just trying to appear pro-active picking an easy target.

are they just going to ban them again when they reorganise (in the loosest sense of the term) under a different name?

I wouldn't be surprised if the purpose of the protest rumours was to get a ban. helps them create a persecution complex among young muslims. after all, freedom of expression appears to apply to the right wing groups that protest outside mosques to intimidate muslims.

[Tommy_Vercetti]

If they can ban Michael Savage, how can anyone complain about this?

[buddyholly]

Originally Posted by Henry Chinaski

lame political stunt by Labour.

why is this inconsequential group even worth banning?

because of a rumoured protest that never even went ahead it seems.

the sinking labour ship just trying to appear pro-active picking an easy target.

are they just going to ban them again when they reorganise (in the loosest sense of the term) under a different name?

I wouldn't be surprised if the purpose of the protest rumours was to get a ban. helps them create a persecution complex among young muslims. after all, freedom of expression appears to apply to the right wing groups that protest outside mosques to intimidate muslims.

You didn't offer much in the way of what should be done.

[buddyholly]

Michael Savage should be banned from any civilised country.

[Henry Chinaski]

Originally Posted by buddyholly

You didn't offer much in the way of what should be done.

arrest and prosecute members when they break the law.

[buddyholly]

I would force them to repent.