A
nun has torn down a black and white flag similar to one championed by
Muslim extremists from the gates of a London housing estate and branded
those who hoisted it up as 'naive young hotheads'.
The
emblem was hung alongside the Palestinian flag in Poplar, Tower
Hamlets, three days ago as part of a 'end the siege in Gaza' campaign.
Sister
Christine Frost, 77, a nun who works at a nearby church, said she asked
some friends to help take the flag down early this morning using a
stepladder out of fear it could be seen as 'aggressive' or
'insensitive'.
Anti-extremist
campaigners said the raising of the black flag was a 'provocative' act
and undermined legitimate anger about the crisis in Palestine.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon called it 'extremely inappropriate'.
But
the Roman Catholic nun, who has worked helping the elderly in the area
for the last 40 years, denied the flag was put up to show support for
radical jihadists.
Speaking
yards from the gate today outside St Matthias Church, she insisted
there was not any anti-Semitic sentiment on the estate and said the
'issue has been taken out of proportion.'
In 2010 Sister Christine campaigned to have anti-Christmas posters put up in the area by Muslim radicals removed
'There's no way they would have thought it was to do with ISIS,' she said.
'I couldn't believe it had been up for two weeks. I believe it means 'There is no other
God but Allah.
'The problem is that it has been adopted by ISIS.
'It's as ridiculous as saying the St George's Cross is a symbol of the BNP.
'It's
exactly like with the Union Jack and the BNP supporters. It's nothing
to do with being British. They're just young hot heads, naive.
'I'm Irish and its as ridiculous as saying that I represent the IRA.'
Sister
Christine, who in 2010 campaigned to have anti-Christmas posters put up
in the area by Muslim radicals removed, continued: 'The issue is
aggression and insensitivity. It could be seen to be aggressive.
'I'm not sure that if I put up a Christian flag it wouldn't be upsetting to some people.'
It
is not clear who raised the flag on the Will Crooks Estate - named
after the noted Victorian-era anti-poverty campaigner and then Labour
MP - but it has caused offence.
The emblem was hung alongside the Palestinian flag in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, as part of a 'end the siege in Gaza' campaign
Scotland Yard sent officers to the estate this morning, although flying a flag of this sort is not illegal in Britain.
The
black and white flag has the Shahadatayn - the declaration of faith
that all Muslims say - written on it, which translates as 'There is no
god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God'.
But in recent years versions have been hijacked by extremist supporters of the Taliban, Hamas, al-Shabaab, Al Qaeda and ISIS.
A
local resident, Nijam Miah, 57, said: 'They're young boys who dont know
what they're doing. They have hot blood and they're playing with fire.'
One man who objected to it says he was confronted by a gang of youths who asked him: 'Are you a Jew?'.
When he said: 'Would it make a difference?' they responded: 'Yes it f****** would', according to the Guardian.
Patrol: Police have been walking the
Will Crooks Estate to calm any tensions. It is not clear who raised the
flag on the Will Crooks Estate - named after the noted Victorian-era
anti-poverty campaigner and then Labour MP - but it has caused offence
Gone: The local council today visited
to remove the black flag hoisted above this Palestinian flag, but it was
already gone - taken down by Sister Christine
Mystery: A gang of youths are said to have confronted someone who complained about the flag and asked him: 'Are you a Jew?'
As news spread across the estate, Muslim
men spilling out of a nearby Mosque rounded on reporters as they spoke
to residents about their view on the inflammatory gesture.
The
group's anger was directed at reports that terrorist-sympathisers had
raised the flag similar in style to that used by terror group Isis
alongside Palestinian flags.
The five journalists said they were threatened by some in the group of Asian men aged between late teens and early forties.
Snatching
one reporter's notepad a man who had a young boy with him said: 'You
better leave here before we do something to you. Go now, we don't want
you around here.'
Two locals stepped in to calm the men down and one said: 'The people who caused these problems will be explaining themselves.
'It has caused us a lot of trouble, it has made us all look like violent terrorists.
'But the message on that flag and another here now are very similar, they just look different.
'They are just Islamic slogans that are used by all Muslims in praise of Allah.'
Speaking
outside his flat where a large Palestinian flag hung from a bamboo cane
student Mohammad Rasheduzzaman, 25, said: 'I'm protesting for Gaza,
they're humans not animals.
'All the people here support Gaza. Muslim and Christians are a family on this estate, we are protesting against Israel.
'Some people call it a jihadi flag or a terrorism flag. It's not, it's just a sign of Islam. It says there is no god but Allah.
Sunni Muslim Faisal Islam, 44, lives with his wife and five children on the estate.
The shop worker said: 'Until now there has never been a show of any anger, but I think it has been below the surface.
'There is a big Muslim community here, who are all angry about what is happening in Gaza. I'm happy to support that.
'But putting up a flag could cause us trouble, it will give Sunnis a bad reputation.
'It might cause trouble between people here on the estate or it will encourage bad people to come here from somewhere else
'This is generally a safe place for them, we don't want extreme people talking to our kids'.
Controversial: Tower Hamlets Mayor
Lutfur Rahman raised the Palestinian flag outside his headquarters but
Jewish leaders told him to concentrate on 'potholes and bins'
Counter-terrorism think tank the Quilliam Foundation has called the decision to raise the flag 'provocative' and 'worrying'.
A
spokesman said: 'This is not the flag of the so-called Islamic State
(formerly ISIS), but the black flag with the shahadatayn (Muslim
declarations of faith) written in white is known as the rayah, a symbol
that has been adopted by Islamists in the last 25 years. Since the
Bosnian conflict, it has been increasingly adopted by jihadist
organisations.
'It is a provocative move by those who have put up the flag as they will well know its significance.
'Many
geopolitical conflicts and humanitarian crises in the Middle East get
adopted as 'Muslim causes' and subsequently get manipulated by myopic
Islamist narratives.
'It
is worrying that legitimate grievances surrounding Gaza and the plight
of the Palestinian people are combined with jihadist symbols'.
The flag was removed following concerns that it could cause community tension
- Tower Hamlets Council
Tower
Hamlets Council has admitted it received complaints about the flag but
when they arrived to pull it down it was already gone.
A
council spokesman said: 'The council can confirm that following reports
this morning of a flag erected on the Will Crooks Estate, council
officials took steps to remove it but found it had already been taken
down by Sister Christine Frost, a well-known local activist and promoter
of community cohesion. The flag was removed following concerns that it
could cause community tension.
'The
council welcomes the removal of this flag. We have consistently
demonstrated that there is no place for hate in Tower Hamlets, whatever
form it takes. We take decisive action to ensure people's actions do not
affect the strong community cohesion that underpins Tower Hamlets.
'This
borough's community is proud to act as One Tower Hamlets and the
council and its partners will always act to preserve and promote this
united spirit, including removing any unauthorised flag on public
space.'
The council's controversial mayor Lutfur
Rahman sparked a storm of protest last month to after raising the
Palestinian flag over the town hall 'in solidarity with Gaza'.
Mr Rahman ordered the flag to fly 'in support of a ceasefire and peace'.
Jewish
leaders condemned the move as 'destructive' for community relations as
local residents said the council should concentrate on 'potholes and
bins' and not international conflicts.
Pro-Palestine supporters also blocked the nearby Blackwall Tunnel, waved flags and yelled slogans in a protest days later.
No comments:
Post a Comment