The extremist organization Al-Muhajiroun, also operating under the name Islam4UK and headed by radical Anjem Choudary, plans a protest march through Wootton Bassett, an English town that has become famous with public mourning ceremonies for British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Islamist organization now wants to carry 500 coffins through Wootton Bassett in memory of Muslims “murdered in the name of democracy and freedom”. Anjem Choudary claims that those who honor the soldiers are no different to those who support the 7/7 bombers – in fact, Choudary himself has never explicitly denied his support for the 7/7 attacks.
Moderate Muslim groups meanwhile urged the police to stop the protest to prevent a backlash against British Muslims by right-wing British extremist groups. Gordon Brown condemned the plans as “abhorrent and offensive”, while senior police officer Sir Hugh Orde claims it would be better not to stop the march in order to avoid tension. So far, Choudary has made no attempt to withdraw from the plans, despite largest opposition.
