U.K.: "HURRICANE" OF ATTACKS FACED BY MOSLEMS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Muslims facing 'hurricane' of attacks, says London conference

The 1.8 million Muslim community is facing a 'hurricane of official and unofficial legal, political and physical attacks in a climate of Islamophobic hysteria', a London conference warned Saturday.

The perpetrators are "driven by the same political agenda as has inspired the criminal and disastrous 'war on terror' which has laid waste Iraq and Afghanistan and presently threatens Iran," said a People's Assembly organized by the Stop The War Coalition (STWC).

A draft resolution condemned in particular 'statements made by government ministers designed to isolate, demonise and even criminalize Islamic religious practices, choice of dress and cultural expression."

The one-day conference was called in the midst of an unprecedented open season of Islamphobic attacks around Britain, which is seen linked with the UK support of the failing war against terrorism.

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UK government accused of not banning Islamophobia

The British government is being blamed for not banning new waves of Islamophobic attacks in the UK and failing to protect the country's 1.8 Muslim community from being discriminated against.

The accusations come as two senior ministers on Friday were forced to admit that racial and religious hatred laws may need reform after a court cleared a far-right leader for the second time of incitement after calling Islam a "wicked, vicious faith." "Any preaching of religious or racial hatred will offend mainstream opinion in this country and I think we have got to do whatever we can to root it out," Chancellor Gordon Brown told the BBC.

"If that means that we have to look at the laws again, I think we will have to do so," said Brown, who is favourite to replace Prime Minister Tony Blair next year.

Constitutional Affairs Secretary Charles Falconer also said that the country had to show it would not tolerate attacks on Islam.

"If you say Islam is wicked and evil and there is no consequence from that whatsoever, what is being said to young Muslim people in this country is that we ... are anti-Islam," Falconer said.

The concern came after Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party, was allowed to deny that he was anti-racist but "against Islam" after he was found not guilty of inciting racial hatred.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Muslims facing 'hurricane' of attacks, says London conference

2) UK government accused of not banning Islamophobia