EDL leader Tommy Robinson QUITS and brands violent anti-Muslim supporters 'morons'
THE two leaders of the English Defence League are to end their involvement with the far right group after accepting it has been taken over by neo-Nazis.
The counter-extremism think tank Quilliam has brokered the move with Tommy Robinson and his right hand man Kevin Carroll.
Today the pair said they now wanted to resist all forms of extremism and Quilliam called for both radical Islamists and far-right supporters to follow their lead.
Tommy Robinson said: “I have been considering this move for a long time because I recognise that though street demonstrations have brought us to this point, they are no longer productive.
“I acknowledge the dangers of far right extremism and the ongoing need to counter Islamist ideology not with violence but with better, democratic ideas.”
Speaking on the BBC's 5 Live radio later, he said he was tired of being associated with "morons" who advocate violence against Muslims.
He said: "When some moron lifts up his top and has got a picture of a mosque saying boom and it's all over the national newspapers - it's me.
"It's when I pick up my kids from school the parents are looking at me, judging me on that.
"That's not what I stood for. My decision is to be true to what I stand for and whilst I want to lead a revolution against Islamist ideology I don't want to lead a revolution against Muslims.
"I believe the revolution needs to come from within the Islamic community and they need to stand up and I believe this is a step forward not a step back."
Quilliam, led by former Hizb ut-Tahrir radical and respected adviser on Islamism, Maajid Nawaz, has been negotiating with the two men saying it sees this as a “more mature way” to counter all forms of extremism.
It says there is a “symbiotic relationship between far-right extremism and Islamism” and that by “dismantling the underpinnings of one phenomenon” it can “remove the need for the other”.
It now wants the former leaders to urge followers to “in his footsteps” and resist all forms of extremism.
Likewise, the foundation also calls on Islamist extremist leaders “to follow this example and leave their respective groups”.
It said it was willing to act as a conduit in negotiations.
Mr Nawaz said: “As well as being a very positive change for the United Kingdom, this is a very proud moment for Quilliam.
“This represents not a change but a continuation for us, as challenging extremism of all kinds forms the basis of our work.
“We have been able to show that Britain stands together against extremism regardless of political views and hope to continue supporting Tommy and Kevin in their journey to counter Islamism and neo-Nazi extremism.”
The EDL recently marched to Tower Hamlets in east London but were deterred from entering the borough by police and local residents.
Their marches are often characterized by violent threats and drunken clashes with police and followers of hate preacher Anjem Choudary.
The announcement from Robinson, who has a string of criminal convictions, was met with a mixed reaction by anti-EDL campaign groups.
Some believe it is merely a "tactical retreat" and that the Quilliam Foundation is taking a large risk by associationhg itself with him.
The Reverend Alan Green chairs the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum, which has been at the forefront of organising protests against the EDL's marches in the borough.
Its members include the large East London Mosque, which has been a frequent target of Robinson's speeches.
Mr Green said today that while he welcomed Robinson's decision he wanted to know more about “what is going on”.
He said: “On the face of it, it seems a real victory for places like Tower Hamlets for the way we have represented our diverse communities in the face of what amounted to extremism with a covering of respectability.
“If that extremism has now been stripped away, then that’s a really good victory for us.
“He now needs to show he is clearly separating himself from not only the violence of the extreme members of the EDL but also from the level of rhetoric that he himself has espoused.
“If he is learning that you can’t just accuse all Muslims of the extremism that he has accused them of, then that’s a real step forward.
“It’s not just bout physical violence, it’s about physical abuse as well.
Asked if he and the East London Mosque would meet Robinson as part of the Inter Faith Forum, he said: “There could be a time when we could do that, but I would want to see far more progress from him than just the statement today.
"As a Christian minister, I’m always happy to meet anyone but I would not want to fragment the unity we have here in Tower Hamlets, so we’d need to see further steps first.”
Hope Not Hate, which is partly run by reformed National Front activist and leading anti-fascist campaigner Matthew Collins, also said it was "cautiously optimistic".
Its director Nick Lowles added: "We celebrate Quilliam’s efforts here, but only a complete renunciation of the violence and hatred the EDL leaders have promoted, and a turning away from the anti-Muslim rhetoric they have championed, will be enough for the many thousands who have suffered from the EDL’s ugly actions over the past three years.
"EDL supporters have called for mosques to be burned, holy books to be destroyed, Muslims to be deported.
"They have cost us £10million in policing bills, brought disorder to our streets, and many, many more have been sentenced for acts of violence, gun possession, paedophilia and other crimes.
"To claim they represented working class Britons was laughable: Hope Not Hate and others have worked closely with unions, faith groups and the real working class of Britain to oppose the blind hatred and violence promoted via the EDL and its counter-jihadist backers.
"What happens now to those wealthy individuals who have backed the EDL leaders to the hilt?
"We doubt they, or Lennon/Carroll, will disappear so quickly from the scene. “Merely setting up a new party or anti-Muslim organisation will not be enough to convince anti-hate campaigners, and those interested in democratic government, that Lennon and Carroll have truly renounced their ways.
"We hope they have. Well done to Quilliam but many questions still remain.”
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/435209/EDL-leader-Tommy-Robinson-QUITS-and-brands-violent-anti-Muslim-supporters-moronsWhat a poof.
