Posted on 10/02/2006 1:03:08 PM PDT by Republicain
A teenager was stabbed when hundreds of people became involved in a battle on the streets of Preston. Trouble centred on the Jamea Masjid mosque in Clarendon Street, Avenham, for more than four hours last night (Sunday) and led to a massive policing operation.
Preston's police chief said the problems were triggered by local youths throwing stones at cars belonging to people attending the mosque.
This sparked a response from around 200 people inside the mosque who came out to defend those under attack.
It resulted in one 16-year-old Asian youth being stabbed in the arm, but ambulance crews were turned back as the police felt it was too dangerous for them to enter the scene.
Fighting continued into the early hours and led to police requiring back-up from officers as far away as Lancaster and Burnley.
Chief Supt Mike Barton, divisional commander for the area, said more than 100 officers were deployed and he was treating the incident as race-related.
He said: "Some people I spoke to at the mosque insisted it wasn't racial but I think some people at the mosque believe it was.
"Until we actually find the offenders and speak to them, and because some people believe it to be racial, then that's how we'll treat it."
Insp Simon Hayes, force incident manager for Lancashire Police, described the incident as "community tension" with youths on the streets in a "confrontational mood".
He said: "As a result of that, there was a high-level policing operation to reassure the public and disperse these groups.
"There was no major disorder or serious incident."
Ilyas Desail, of the Jamea mosque on Clarendon Street, said: "It is not a mosque issue, it is a community issue.
"It is the month of Ramadan and that is the only reason the mosque has been brought into this.
"We are all upset by this, everyone is upset. No one is going to be happy with the tarnishing of such great efforts we have made in Preston in the past 40 years."
A mother-of-three, 33, from Clarendon Street, said: "It's getting ridiculous and for the past two nights there's been fighting."
"We can all see from this thread that you work in Theater.
And you said your Theater buddies don't like the US or Israel.
Perhaps your problem is that all the time you spend in England you are surrounded by liberal butt-wipes, who should just 'shut up and sing'."
All of what you said is absolutely true. That's who I hang out with; I do it not only for money but because the theatre is my true love. For the first thirty years of my career, it was pretty non-political. Now, I have to deal with this hatred towards America and Israel - not only in Great Britain but in New York as well. We all deal with people we would rather avoid to pay the mortgage...
P.S.: To those who wonder about my pen name: I'm an Irish Catholic.
The REAL FReepers know who are the genuine article as far as sharing freedom and conservatism, especially if they come in the form of British or Australian posters. MadIvan does nothing but post relevant articles from the British side of the Pond, and we apparently have so-called "conservatives" who like nothing better than to come onto those threads and take a dump, stick a Stars and Stripe in it and call it "being better than British." As a born and bred Texan who is also an Anglophile I take great exception to trolls taking pot shots at posters who are doing what they can to open up a Free Republic in their native soil.
Ilyas Desail, of the Jamea mosque on Clarendon Street, said: "It is not a mosque issue, it is a community issue.
Yes, it is a “community issue” - but the mosque and the Muslims in attendance consider themselves members of the “Islamic Community” not a part of the UK.
I pass throught Heathrow twice a week and I can happily pick up a copy of the Daily Mail in the lounge. I will, and I will watch out for your columnist.
Admittedly my knowledge of the state monickers is not complete.
Regards, Ivan
I read the Telegraph and The (London) Times as well.
But it's fun reading the tabloids too. The Daily Mail's website allows comments and they're more lenient about publishing comments than the Beeb's website is. Which is why they're a daily read for me now. You get a better pulse of what the people over there are thinking.
Plus, Drudge has been linking a lot to their articles lately.
Let's be fair, if the actor is Ronald Reagan, then we're in good shape.
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
All I said is absolutely true? I thought so.
(Ditz doesn't even know a true insult when she trips over it.)
Lancaster Evening Post 10/03/2006
Community leaders and police have issued a defiant message to troublemakers on a Preston estate.
The pledge to defeat the thugs comes after a 16-year-old was stabbed in the arm on Sunday night following a street skirmish near the Jamea Masjid mosque in Clarendon Street involving hundreds of people.
The teenager's injuries have been described by police as minor.
The problems were thought to have been triggered by a number of local youths throwing stones at cars belonging to people attending the mosque for the Ramadan festival, causing about 200 to rush from the mosque to defend those under attack.
Ch Supt Mike Barton, head of Preston Police, said: "This is not about attacks on the mosque, it's about an attack on the community by a small group of thugs.
"During Ramadan the police will make sure there are no more crimes of violence."
Police now plan to send letters of reassurance to members of the community.
The incident, which sent shockwaves throughout the neighbourhood, led to an urgent closed meeting being called between Preston MP Mark Hendrick, community leaders, Preston councillors and police at Clarendon Street Community Centre last night (Monday).
They were locked in private talks for almost three hours.
A statement from Preston Council chief executive Jim Carr, was read out after the meeting.
It said: "Following the recent incidents in the Avenham area of the city, instigated by a small minority of individuals linked to criminal activity, we, the wider community of Preston, resolve to work closely together to tackle these individuals, and make Avenham safe.
"The meeting discussed recent events, and the grave concerns of the community were put before the police and the city council in forthright terms.
"The police have taken on board the concerns of the community.
"They have promised increased resources to deal urgently with these problems, caused by a handful of thugs who have been terrorising the entire community in the Avenham area.
"This area has traditionally been a well integrated, diverse and harmonious part of the city. We have all resolved to keep it that way."
Moves have also been made to reassure the Avenham public following Sunday's incident.
A spokesman for Preston police said extra patrols were operating in the area last night, but came across no disorder.
He said letters of reassurance would be going out to the Avenham public explaining what happened on Sunday night.
Chief Supt Barton added extra patrols would continue to operate in the area and that a team of detectives were trying to identify the offenders.
Preston Respect councillor Michael Lavalette was one of a group who wore fluorescent jackets and walked around Avenham last night to show a presence and reassure locals.
Avenham's community leaders said the trouble was caused by a mindless minority, and have praised efforts to reassure locals.
I'm not an actor.
True, but I think this is more of a Sean Penn we're dealing with. You know, F.A.Guild. ;-)
Wait, maybe it's Matt Damon.
Yeah. Me too. Try having the cornpone Southern accent I have and being from Tennessee, but then our experiences there are a whole 'nother, though related, story.
Some friends moved "down here" from up north and had one of those hillbilly type spoof photographs made of their family at Silver Dollar City (now Dollywood) and their families were just devastated to see what they had come to so quickly (seriously).
Heck, in my opinion, I was very un-gently nudged out of the last church we attended by the Yankee preacher and his fake Yankee wife (she was from around here, but had a really magical puzzling accent she seemed very proud of). My husband was a deacon and heavily supported that church financially. It appeared to me a lot like they wanted to ditch me, keep him, and if he hooked up with someone else there who was more the refined "leddie", it seemed to me that it probably not have hurt their feelings. I was one more lonely pilgrim for several months after I left up there until things got so ridiculous that I just got to the end of my rope. I'm still trying to recover from that fiasco, but feeling a lot better after a year.
You're a jerk; I isolated the quote that was true, not the part I disagreed with.
OK, you manage actors.
That gives your comments so much Gravitas!/sarc
Hmmmm.
Did the police do all of that when the worshippers at Winchester Cathedral were greeted with "Behead the Pope", "Jesus is a slave of Allah", etc. placards when they left the church after Mass?
You said:"All of what you said is absolutely true. "
Would you like to change your mind? I hear liberals do that when faced with um, facts?
An actor who makes Al Gore look intelligent by comparison is not a comforting thought.
Regards, Ivan
Knock off the personal attacks!
I guess you got a complaint from the two boys in Great Britain. So much for whinging American girls...
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