White extremists escape terrorism charges and media scrutiny

**Dawud_uk** · 11-03-2006

http://www.muslimne ws.co.uk/ paper/index. php?article= 2632

http://www.muslimne ws.co.uk/ paper/index. php?article= 2632

White extremists escape terrorism charges and media scrutiny
From the Muslim News

By Elham Asaad Buaras

Despite being accused of possessing the largest sum of chemical explosives of its type ever found domestically in Lancashire, a BNP member and a far right sypmapthiser will not face any terrorism related charges. Instead 49-year-old Robert Cottage, Colne and David Bolus Jackson, 62, from Nelson, appeared at a Pennine magistrate's court charged under the Explosive Substances Act 1883. The case has also attracted little publicity despite the record haul which included the discovery of a rocket launcher, a nuclear biological suit and
claims by prosecutor Christiana Buchanan that the pair had "some kind of master plan."

Police confirmed to The Muslim News chemical components were discovered in Jackson's premises but the Crown Prosecution Service, which refused to comment on why charges of Terrorism were overlooked, told The Muslim News explosives found were the largest in Lancashire and not in the UK, as previously reported.

The news comes just days after chemistry student, Edward Mattison, 21, from Salford, was sentenced to only 14 months on October 9, for possessing "Mother of Satan" chemical used by the July 7 bombers. Mattison was arrested after he detonated a device in his carriage at his Manchester home. Police also found a video showing Mattison setting the bomb in a M60 motorway field which left an 8ft crater.

It is not the first case in which white extremists escaped terrorism charges. In June 30, 2000, David John Copeland, now 30, was convicted only of murder despite carrying out a 12-day bombing campaign over three successive weekends in April 1999 aimed at London's black,
Asian, and gay communities. The attacks claimed three lives, injured 129 people, four of the victims lost limbs and 26 suffed serious burns. Copeland, a former neo-Nazi member of the National Socialist Movement, placed nail bombs, each containing up to 1,500 four-inch nails, outside a supermarket in Brixton, south London, with a large black population; in Brick Lane in the east end of London, which has a large Asian Muslim community; and in the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho's Old Compton Street, the heart of London's gay community.

In October 3, 2002, white supremacist David Tovey was found guilty of only two charges of racially aggravated criminal damage and explosive charges despite being on the verge of a murderous killing spree of Swindon Muslims. Unlike Copeland, who built his own nail bombs with information downloaded from far-right websites and some advice from fellow Nazis, Tovey had a massive arsenal of state-of-the- art British military plastic explosives, remote control devices to set it off and dozens of other pieces of lethal hardware. His main target was Swindon mosque where he stalked some of its 200 worshippers.

The cases illustrate stark inconsistencies in media coverage, charges and police conduct in cases where Muslim suspects are involved. Unlike the Walthamstow arrests in August and the Forest Gate raid in June in which innocent Muslims were shot at and wrongfully arrested, there were no media leaks as police sealed off Cottage's home on October 5.

In contrast to the Forest Gate raid, which involved 250 police, some of them armed, Lancashire police entered Cottage's home with a handful of unarmed officers. There was no "air exclusion zone" or assaults on neighbours, no closing down of surrounding streets. There was also no media leaks about the suspect's backgrounds, political and religious
affiliation.

Even with a record amount of chemicals recovered the story had only been reported in the local press and on a few websites.

National Assembly Against Racism, Secretary, Lee Jasper, told The Muslim News the lack of publicity illustrated an "Islamophobic Press."

He said, "The level of Islamophobic press coverage stands in stark contrast to the complete disregard shown for the possibly of the biggest terrorism ever planned. One can only imagine what the coverage would have been like if the suspects had been Muslims. This amounts to racist double-standards where the media seeks to vilify Muslims while ignoring those who are allegedly engaged in acts of racial terrorism."

There are also gaffes in the reporting with all local press describing Cottage, a sub-contracted driver for Lancashire Council as an ex-BNP member, however as the BNP has yet to announce the removal of any membership and as the Party itself states, its "membership runs for the calendar year January to December" as Cottage was a member when he stood in the May council elections in May (for the Vivary Bridge ward of Colne) his membership has yet to expire.

**MTAFFI** · 11-03-2006

what a bunch of sickos, they are terrorists and should be tried as such

**jzcasejz** · 11-03-2006

Ahhh..That's Ridiculous!!! :rant: :grumbling

ffended:

**Woodrow** · 11-03-2006

Sounds like things are going rough for you guys in the UK. I find it hard to believe that here in the southern US, which is historicaly prejudiced, we are finding more justice and equality.

My Dua's will be for my Brothers and sisters in the UK. May justice return to your lives Inshallah.

Based on what I have read and heard a huge injustice was done by not treating those people as the criminals they appear to be.

**whitesoul** · 11-03-2006

these ppl want to protray islam as evil, there is no equal rights btween de muslims n de disbelievers. so we all should pray 4 de ummah. lets not divide cum 2gether as 1!!!

**InToTheRain** · 11-03-2006

Originally Posted by Woodrow

My Dua's will be for my Brothers and sisters in the UK. May justice return to your lives Inshallah.

Ameen. We need it, as do all.

More worried about the BNP's new agenda which is to make people aware Islam is a threat. I have seen them employing asians showing their idea of what is a threat has changed. Question is what means will they use to stop Islam?

BNP Thugs

How can people supports them? they have actually won seats in some of the local councils!

**strider** · 11-03-2006

.. And why exactly isn't this being reported by all major news networks?!

Filthy bigots.

**IbnAbdulHakim** · 11-03-2006

ye i heard of this on the news and wondered how can these fishes get away wiv this when a MUSLIM man gets on the front page for not allowing a guide dog into his personal cab. very strange lol and people dont think the west is out to get muslims ! Wat a joke :anger:

**Keltoi** · 11-03-2006

This does seem a little odd. I thought with the new terrorism legislation in the U.K. this kind of activity would be considered a gross violation and an obvious threat of terrorism. Perhaps if enough attention is given to this incident outside of the mainstream media the government will intervene and do the right thing.

**Muezzin** · 11-03-2006

Wait a minute, this case was heard in the magistrates court? That's the lowest court in the land. It's not even got qualified judges, just lay people. What the...?

**Goku** · 11-03-2006

I cant believe that far right terrorist party BNP is still being allowed to preach and incite racial and religious hatred. One of the BNP members said he wanted to kill Pakistanis while they were in a Mosque praying (yes, a filthy product of a filty party) while 3 other BNP members about 2 months ago wanted to rip out the British Muslims' guts and intestines.:anger:

And now these BNP members escape terrorism charges, i wonder what the explosives were for, perhaps partying, thats what the courts thought probably.

BNP =

**Umar001** · 11-03-2006

Man, I remember the brixton attack I used to go past there when i went to church, and now I walk pastt here alot when I go to the masjid lol I remember seeing the dents in the iceland supermarket from the nails, that waswierd.

Anyhow, I'm not suprised, and the funny thing is, I got a bnp leaflet through my door which stated that black people got more time on the news when they got murdered, and the deaths of white citizents dont get as much time!

They even had a Sikh man on their video before the election saying how His people were killed by Muslim Extremist, I bet he dont realise if they got into power, they'd kick him out an all!

**Trumble** · 11-04-2006

Originally Posted by Keltoi

This does seem a little odd. I thought with the new terrorism legislation in the U.K. this kind of activity would be considered a gross violation and an obvious threat of terrorism. Perhaps if enough attention is given to this incident outside of the mainstream media the government will intervene and do the right thing.

Originally Posted by Muezzin

Wait a minute, this case was heard in the magistrates court? That's the lowest court in the land. It's not even got qualified judges, just lay people. What the...?

I'm afraid Mr Elham Asaad Buaras is making a big fuss over very little. Let's consider the facts a moment.

The case hasn't been heard yet. The men appeared first before Magistrates as the law requires it in ALL criminal cases, including murder and terrorist offences. They were remanded in custody (i.e bail was denied, or not requested - that does NOT occur when the offence is considered trivial - and subsequently appeared in a Crown Court on 23 October. No pleas were made, bail was again denied, and the case will be heard before a jury next February... if they don't plead guilty in the meantime, in which case they would appear before the Judge for sentencing. Terrorism charges were not made because there was no chance of getting them to stick before a jury; proving "beyond reasonable doubt" that attacks were intended and would have taken place had these explosives not been discovered. Any suggestion of a conspiracy to commit terrorist acts was purely circumstantial (there were no maps, no plans, no videos, no confessions). That was NOT the case in the other recent incident where such a plot was admitted by one of the accused.

It hasn't been reported widely because that's ALL that happened... they appeared before Magistrates and then the first stage of the Crown Court process. The raid that discovered the explosives was widely reported. No doubt the actual trial will be widely reported.

The article is, I'm afraid, rubbish. It had a point to make, but ommited far too many facts, with the intention of distorting the truth, to make it. Worth remembering next time someone moans about CNN!

Even with a record amount of chemicals recovered the story had only been reported in the local press and on a few websites.

That is untrue. It was widely reported on TV, radio and in newspapers.

BTW, the maximum sentence for the explosives charge is actually two years longer than that of conspiracy to commit(as opposed to actually commiting) terrorist acts, at 14 years rather than 12!

**stannis** · 11-06-2006

And when Muslims attack white people in Europe there is the stampede of multiculturalists to make apologies for their actions and cover them up so as to be seen as tolerant towards Islam.

Yes, the BNP are racist. But white people are not the only racists in the world. I am white, and tired of constant white-bashing.

**Dawud_uk** · 11-06-2006

i am white to, but being part irish, part english i have learnt about both ugly sides of empire and researched this matter and the english in particular from my research dont have much to be proud of from their history.

best that can be said for british empire history was 'at least wasnt the french or belgians that colonised you!'

i.e we may be b*stards but the rest are worst but that is hardly a valid defence.

Abu Abdullah

**stannis** · 11-06-2006

I was not saying that "the rest are worse" racists than white people. I was just saying that racism can exist other than that practised by whites. Some people, such as the liberal-left, cannot seem to understand that.

**aamirsaab** · 11-06-2006

Originally Posted by Keltoi

This does seem a little odd. I thought with the new terrorism legislation in the U.K. this kind of activity would be considered a gross violation and an obvious threat of terrorism.

It seems as though those terrorist legislations have only been utilised on a minority.

Perhaps if enough attention is given to this incident outside of the mainstream media the government will intervene and do the right thing.

What the government sees as right doesn't equate to what the people see as right.