Terror Suspects Arrested at Manchester Airport

Terror Suspects Arrested at Manchester Airport

news.bbc.co.uk

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of committing terror offences, police say.

Two of the men were held at Manchester Airport, while the third was detained in nearby Accrington.

Lancashire Police said the men are all from the Blackburn area. Their homes are now being searched by specialist officers, a statement said.

The arrests were a joint operation between Lancashire Police and Greater Manchester Counter Terrorism Unit.

(visit the link for the full news article)

It looks like the police have achieved yet another success in foiling a terror plot. It's bound to be of concern to holiday makers, however.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I live in Blackburn and I'd like to say that I'm not surprised by this one bit, racial tensions are always high around here as seen by the Padiham, Burnley riots, although it won't make me anymore suspicious since I've always known they were up to something, no doubt they would have frequented the giant Muslim college they have here in Blackburn, bomb class 101.

I'll get a picture at tea break.

reply to post by spitefulgod


You sound very angry. Fair enough - terrorists seek to kill and maim innocent people. On the other hand what you say bears more than a passing resemblance to a flyer from the British National Party.

As it happens I dislike when the media cries "racism" just because someone wants to make a point about racial tension or immigration. I'm all for open discussion. You do come across as a little prejudiced however.

Maybe I'm misreading your comments. By all means defend your slant on this. Is your area really a hotbed of anti-Western hatred that may have spilled over into 'action' or are there perhaps a relatively small number of radicalized extremists, as in the rest of the UK and in most western countries?

Here is a picture of the substantial Muslim college in Blackburn; it’s had its fair share of controversy in the past, some of the Muslim fighters captured in Iraq studied here, a visiting Muslim scholar from stated that it’s teachings were more fundamental and radical than he had seen in any other country, and I won’t be surprised if it turns out that the latest bunch were also taught here.

You’ll have to excuse the pic my phones zoom is pretty crap.



And as for your reply, I'll just post what I posted on another thread to explain my position.

My "racism" stems purely from religion and the way religion is used to try and bring about change which I consider to be a back step for society and imposes on my liberties.

An few examples

I don't want to work with Muslim as I did in the past and was continually conscious of having to mind my tongue as to not offend was forced to change my eating habits and was ostracized for not being able to communicate in an Arabic language.

I don’t want to live near Muslims as when I did the smell of the food was overwhelming, the backstreets are cluttered with rubbish and the area degenerates.

I don’t want to hang around with Muslims, Muslims of my age and my area are arrogant, usually into drugs or sell drugs, use violence against others (although these also applies to the majority of people were I live) and in the extreme cases in my area are involved in child prostitution and active hatred against the British way of life.

Now to all you this is racist and ignorant but I live though this and it’s my honest opinion of the influences I’ve had, and has nothing to do with what the media tells me.

reply to post by pause4thought


I have no idea where you live or of your background / upbringing etc but it is very hard for anyone to understand the current situation in parts of the UK, NW England especially.

In some areas of several towns there are REAL no go areas for Non-Muslims which the Police turn a blind eye to.
Racism and bigotry against white and non-Muslims is an every day occurrence.

People living there live under the threat of terrorism on a daily basis.

Is it any wonder that normal, everyday folk begin to sound like right wing extremists.

No amount of spin from the PC brigade can disguise the reality of life in these areas.

As much as I hate to use the phrase, (unfortunately it has become a necessary disclaimer due to the PC brigade turning any criticism of non-white or non-Christian people as racism), I am not a racist or a bigot, I have many friends who are non-White and from non-Christian backgrounds.

Serious and reasoned discussion and debate are actively discouraged in Britain today.
All Nationalists or expressions of Nationalism is frowned upon and anyone with a Nationalist viewpoint is portrayed as either a Nazi or a crackpot.

The terrorist threat in the UK today is solely of Islamic origin.
It is generally understood that not all Muslims are terrorists.
However, fundamental Islam is growing at an alarming rate in influence and it is percieved that whilst most Muslims probably don't actively support those involved in terrorist plots they do turn a blind eye to the activities of those that are.

If we are to make any progress then the genuine concerns of people like 'spitefulgod' need to be recognised and acknowledged as well as those from Muslim communities.
At present that just isn't so; all the world's evils are being laid at the door of Europe, US and Christianity.
The uncompromising and harsh nature of fundamental Islam is biggest threat we face today.

[edit on 15/8/08 by Freeborn]

Reply to Freeborn

I was sincere in my comments:

As it happens I dislike when the media cries "racism" just because someone wants to make a point about racial tension or immigration.

And some of the things SG has said have given me food for thought. I agree some of the causes of tension he has spoken of have been creeping up on us here in the UK for many years. I can't deny what you are saying either. Yet my concern is that we need to be very careful not to incite hatred from our side of the fence.

Would you (& SG) agree that the responsibility for turning the tide lies squarely in the hands of leaders of the Muslim community? Some DO speak out against violence and extremism, however they are not always those who are recognized as being broadly representative. If we were to hear the clarion call of mullahs across the world seeking to counter calls to violence we would be far less justified in voicing our concerns. And the future would look a lot more peaceful. (And silence is as worrying as antagonism.)

It will be interesting to see whether any Muslims are prepared to comment. These issues affect us all, whether or not we live in the areas you & SG are familiar with.

This is an issue ive stated to those around me.If Muslims claim that its only a small segment of the population,then they should be speaking loudly when a terrorist attack happens.But no ,they are too busy trying to take our citizens to court or human rights councils over stupid cartoons or other idiotic statements.Two canadians won their cases against some mullahs complaining about the Danish cartoon that got printed in Western canada.

reply to post by pause4thought

Would you (& SG) agree that the responsibility for turning the tide lies squarely in the hands of leaders of the Muslim community?

No, I'd hate to think that the Muslim people are controlled by their spiritual leaders or else what would happen if the leaders suddenly felt that it's time for a Jihad? The youths of any culture are punishable under the law of the land, unfortunately at the present time PC culture has worn the power of the law to almost useless proportions.

I don't lay this at the door of Muslims as most of the PC issues are thought up by people who think the majority of a minority will be offended when in fact they are not. (e.g. having a national flag raised)

But the fact remains that Muslims continually push for changes that they know the indigenous people are against, and to help them they use the racism card, the human rights card, the PC card and fear makes it a full house for their changes to be slipped though.

If you didn't want a mosque built in your neighbourhood for whatever reason, but let’s say you don't feel the parking available is sufficient and this would affect the parking on your street, would you raise your voice knowing that your opinion is most probably going to label as racist in the eyes of others?

reply to post by Freeborn

In some areas of several towns there are REAL no go areas for Non-Muslims which the Police turn a blind eye to.

hey - could you give specific examples

i am in the NW , and am white

and to be blunt i often feel safer in areas predominated by imigrants than i do in " white neiborhoods "

specific examples from blackburn - as it has alreadsy been mentioned in thread ]

i am a photographer , and i have walked around :

audely range , whalley range , bastwell etc without any incident

whereas :

roman road estate , mill hill , shadsworth are briming with white fereal chavscum roaming the streets

Originally posted by spitefulgod
reply to post by pause4thought

 

Would you (& SG) agree that the responsibility for turning the tide lies squarely in the hands of leaders of the Muslim community?

No, I'd hate to think that the Muslim people are controlled by their spiritual leaders or else what would happen if the leaders suddenly felt that it's time for a Jihad?

Like it or not the spiritual leaders are highly respected in a way those brought up in a western culture don't easily relate to.

What Muslims leaders teach not only impacts on what will happen in the coming months and years, it influences how the next generation perceives the world around it, and what they will pass on to the following generation.

I therefore maintain that the leaders have a great deal to answer for. They would also gain a lot of respect from non-Muslims if they came across as peace-loving and humanitarian. As it is, even those of us who prefer to err on the side of caution are basically left with the belief that Islam per se is not a peaceful religion, despite the fact that very many of its adherents are by nature ordinary, decent, genial human beings.





[edit on 15/8/08 by pause4thought]

puse4thought, I wouldn't say the responsibility lies solely within Muslim communities but they must start accepting responsibility for the actions of people from within their own communities.
They are very quick to voice concern at any percieved insult or act of bigotry against them.
Yes, a few do voice their disagreement etc, (and utmost respect to those that do because they face immense pressure of all kinds not to do so), but they are a very small minority.

I have frequently asked Muslim members to voice their opinions, alas to little or no reply, however, I do feel that Bodrul tries to offer an even, balanced alternative viewpoint free from bigotry and dogma.

ignorant_ape; I don't live in NW, (NE), but am aware of issues in places like Burnley and Oldham.
I am sure spitefulgod is able to give more specific details regarding Blackburn.
I do agree that some predominantly non-Muslim areas are quite frightening with gangs of feral youths roaming seemingly unchecked but that is a seperate discussion alltogether.

My point all along is that fundamental Islam is feeding and breeding homegrown terrorists and the Muslim communities, for various reasons, appear to be doing little about it.
In addition, any attempt at entering into reasoned debate including airing genuine concerns of Non-Muslims is swept under the table and branded as right wing doctrine, nothing could be further from the truth.
The PC brigade and their policies are deepening the divisions which are driving us headlong into a major confrontation.

Reply to Freeborn


It was your last phrase that really caught my eye. You finished by foreseeing confrontation.

My first thought is: how representative are such fears? I'd say people are generally moderately concerned about terrorist attacks on home territory, but relatively few see confrontation ahead. Did you mean political strife? Or do you mean something in the realm of public disorder?

Enoch Powell foresaw "rivers of blood" back in the late 60s, as a result of the influx of immigrants. That never came to fruition. It seems to me both the UK and the US overted such a danger by treating the immigrant populations very well, at least in the long run. Perhaps you are expecting a backlash as sections of society perceive that those who have kept to the traditions of their own rather than the adopted culture are increasingly trying to change the culture of their new homeland - to some degree in a calculated manner.

It appears such concerns have been most clearly voiced in the Netherlands in recent times, with a few politicians, reporters and film-makers prepared to say that Muslim culture opposes western values such as freedom of speech and tolerance of difference. And the inescapable fact that some of these people live with very real death threats and require an ever-present armed guard, not to mention how one or two have already been slaughtered, naturally only serves to strengthen their case.

The root of the problem is that the Koran tends to encourage political as well as religious ambition. It also undeniably teaches domination over non-Muslims, with Christians and Jews afforded some privileges and the rest being fit for slaughter. Mohammed spoke of taking girls for himself as loot from battle and encouraged the slaughter of those who would not convert. Those who believe this man was inspired by God therefore inevitably have a different concept of morality to those who espouse the values of liberal democracy, for example.

However what counters this potential clash of cultures is the fact that most Muslims believe that the essence of the Muslim faith is keeping its basic pillars - praying, fasting and visiting Mecca, etc. Such people are law-abiding citizens with no desire to encourage acts of terror, never mind commit them. I have a high regard for them, and ran a thread to encourage others to perceive them in this way:

Why Muslims should be treated with more respect

(I think it's high time to revive that thread now that the U.S. vs. Iran issue is beginning to come to a head.)

At the end of the day I agree with you, Freeborn. No-one, whether Muslim or otherwise, promotes progress of any kind, much less mutual understanding, by seeking to silence debate. Even the British government came within a whisker of doing so, narrowly losing the vote to remove an amendment that required the intention - and not just the possibility - of stirring up religious hatred before a crime has been committed (Racial and Religious Hatred Act, source: Wikipedia,) in 2006.

Had the amendment not been passed, the law would have stifled debate and in so doing increased tensions. This shows how important it is that we take advantage of our current right to freedom of expression to maintain our long-existent and blood-bought liberty.

Have to point out that whispers in my home town are that they are here for the british national party annual red white and blue festival.
Many groups are coming here and the police will only be letting 30 protesters through.
There are 1000 protesters coming that they know about and the police are going to close the only road through.
Another whisper is that this morning an explosive was thrown into the field where they are holding the event.
Like i said these are whispers and maybe nothing will come of it but it certainly has gained a lot of interest.
The police are definately going to have their hands full on this one.


news.bbc.co.uk...

[edit on 15-8-2008 by tracey ace]

pause4thought;
Major confrontation is a real possibility.
I talk to people up and down the country and one of the most common phrases i hear is ;
"I've had enough, it's time to do something".

Fortunately for the powers that be we have become a nation of whingers and moaners.
In nearly every pub or club throughout the UK people can be heard discussing this and related issues.
But they do nothing.

Yet I think that there is an underlying current of 'enough is enough' and I think that there will be a violent backlash if politicians continue to ignore the concerns of 'everyday people'.

Enoch Powell did predict 'Rivers Of Blood' which failed to materialise.
Yes, great efforts were made to allay fears of UK citizens when there was an influx of immigrants from The Caribbean.
But black people also helped themselves by integrating and contributing to society.
They have helped British society grow and develop, something all societies must continue doing so to survive.

The difference now is that these fundamentalist Muslims have no desire to integrate at all, they offer nothing to the development of British society, indeed they repetedly tell us what is wrong with our society and how they are going to change it.
In addition, they frequently try to blow us up!

No other immigrant group has ever done this; Sikhs, Hindu's, Jews etc.

Britain has a long and proud tradition of welcoming immigrants and absorbing the positive aspects of their cultures into our society.
It is impossible to imagine this happening with these extremists.

In my humble opinion, that is the root cause of the disaffection.

reply to post by Freeborn


i'll agree with and vouch for the whole of that post, especially about this country being warn down by PC into a nation of whingers and moaners, and the part about people talking in pubs.

Also I agree that other immigrants (carribeans, indians, etc) have integrated well into British society and given something good to the country, but the new wave of Muslim immigrants aren't doing so well. and the links between Islam and terrorism don't help.

I am in the USA so I can not comment on the situation.

However I did see an opinion by a Canadian Govt type who had dealings with the Muslims. On the ride back to the Airport he asked the moderate types why they had not said anything at the meeting. He was told that their families would be killed if they offended the extemists. This may apply in the UK too.

Second I run a small business and we deal with muslims at times. They are the pushiest and most difficult clients we have ever dealt with. We handed them to a competitor and he gave them back because he couldn't deal with them either.

Oh and don't bother with a race card my background will trump it.

I live in the largest Muslim community outside the ME. (Dearborn, Michigan). Never had a problem with them . Met a few crazy Palestinians .. But over all there really nice peoiple .. They smell a little sometimes . But never really met a radical . And i deal with them and talk to them about stuff like that all the time .
Don't know how it could be so bad over there . . Seems like fear mongering to me .!!



[edit on 16-8-2008 by d11_m_na_c05]

Reply to d11_m_na_co5


I'd say your voice of moderation is well-placed. We should never tar people with the same brush.

Nevertheless, just to clarify why there are real concerns, there are radical (sometimes very radical) Muslim voices to be heard in some mosques and universities in the UK. As others have suggested, denying this or trying to sweep it under the carpet in the face of the facts only serves to increase tensions.

A perceived hypocrisy on the part of the UN (for which read 'a US-led western coalition' in their eyes) with regard to the non-enforcement of security resolutions pertaining to Israel, exacerbated by the lethal enforcement of those pertaining to Iraq, etc., has enabled radical voices within Islam to gain a hearing and an increasing following. It doesn't help that the many new mosques that have been built have been staffed by mullahs from countries where the predominant interpretations encourage militancy. As a result the security forces that once focussed on the troubles in Northern Ireland are having to employ vast resources into monitoring the Muslim community.

If the Muslim community as a whole vocalized its disgust at teaching that encourages violence and ditched such teachers before things came to a head (as in the case of Abu Hamza, for example,) they would gain a great deal of respect from indigenous inhabitants, and in the long run they would gain by attaining greater acceptance throughout British society.

When this fails to transpire people sometimes suspect that at least some elements of the Muslim community are seeking to conform their adopted country to their ways, even giving tacit consent to violence by not denouncing it.

I cannot comment on the veracity of crimvelvet's statement that some fail to speak out due to serious intimidation, as I have no evidence of how widespread that might be. If this is the case it only serves to emphasize how radical Muslims further their cause through criminal activity.

Originally posted by pause4thought
If the Muslim community as a whole vocalized its disgust at teaching that encourages violence and ditched such teachers before things came to a head (as in the case of Abu Hamza, for example,) they would gain a great deal of respect from indigenous inhabitants, and in the long run they would gain by attaining greater acceptance throughout British society.

Well they kind of do, usually to cover their own backs after a terrorist attack or threat, which is understandable. But a load of raging British people aren't going to listen that much when their country has been attacked. Muslim people aren't necessarily violent people, it's just the extremists that let them down.

Originally posted by d11_m_na_c05
I live in the largest Muslim community outside the ME. (Dearborn, Michigan). Never had a problem with them .

Maybe because they're not the minority?

and here in Britain we're too over - PC, scared of offending people. So British people can't really say jack to immigrants without being branded racist, even when we're not happy with the way they're treating the country and its natives. In America you could probably just tell a pushy immigrant to 'F off', try doing that over here.

[edit on 16/8/2008 by malganis]