Twelve Sunni Muslim men have been barred from gathering in large groups, with four also banned from burning items in protests, following violent sectarian outbursts at a rally led by radical preacher Anjem Choudary.
The Daily Mail reports that Judge Peter Worsley QC said that the restrictions were necessary to protect the public after issuing the order at the Old Bailey court.
“I am entirely satisfied that an order to limit the conduct of these defendants is appropriate in each case,” he said.
“They have proved they are prepared to behave in a way which is totally unacceptable involving violence or threat of violence to members of the public going about their business.
“I take the view it is necessary for the protection of the public and to ensure crime is not committed that Asbo orders are made.”
The twelve men have been named as Munim Adbul, 33, Jalal Ahmed, 26, Qadeer Ahmed, 29, Mohammed Alamgir, 35, Mirza Ali, 40, Abu Aziz, 32, Yousef Bashir, 34, Jordan Horner, 21, Kamran Khan, 30, Mohammed Naseer Khan, 31, Moshiur Rahman, 32, and Mohan Uddin, 37. All are from Luton and Walthamstow, east London.
Judge Worsley issued the order after the men were convicted of public order offences for two violent outbursts at a rally organised by Anjem Choudary in central London in 2013. Four of the group – Alamgir, Ali, Khan and Uddin – were found to be involved in an attack on Shia Muslims in which two men were beaten as a mob screamed: “This is what is going to happen to all Shia” and “Shias are kaffirs, they are the enemy within, they are evil.”
All of the group, except Alamgir, Ali and Horner then took part in an attack on a football fan while they ran a stall on Oxford Street handing out extremist literature. They cleared the area of Muslim women and children before beating Andrew White and handing out propaganda as he lay on the ground. The men then shouted “F*** the Queen”.
Alamgir, Ali, Khan and Uddin are now banned from taking part in any protest unless they have permission from the police. They are also banned from burning items at protests except for smoking paraphernalia.
Those involved in the attack on Oxford Street are now banned from setting up another propaganda stall without permission from the local authority.
Another member of the group, Jordan Horner, was already subject to another court order for taking part in “Sharia patrols” in east London.
Prosecutors said they did not wish to restrict the men from practising their religion, but added that the orders were necessary in order to protect the public.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.