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Special to the tribune Young NRI campaigns against ‘failed multi-culturalism’ and ‘Islamisation’ of Britain! A young British Sikh has emerged as one of the spokesmen for a right wing British pressure group that is campaigning against what is described as 'failed multi-culturalism' and the 'Islamisation' of Britain. Little is known about Guramit "Amit" Singh, a young mona Sikh in his twenties from Nottingham, who is described as a "poster boy" of the English Defence League (EDL) founded by 27-year-old Stephen Lennon, a son of Irish immigrants, who is known also known as Paul Harris and Tommy Robinson. Formerly a member of the racist British National Party, Lennon denies he or the EDL is racist. At the same time, he talks about the war against Islamic extremism and failed multi-culturalism. He is also the author of extraordinary claims, such as how Muslims sell heroin as "chemical warfare" to weaken British society. Asked by the London Times if the EDL could live at peace with the Islamic community, he replied, "If they agree to stop taking the piss across this country and swear allegiance to the Queen, this country and the flag." It is because Lennon and others in the EDL want to avoid the racist tag that they highlight the membership of Guramit, who has been interviewed on local radio stations and websites. His views ("F the Pakis") are also visible for all to see on Facebook. Like his leader, Lennon, he also denies harbouring any racist or communal thoughts. An EDL spokesman was quoted as telling the media earlier this year, "Amit's doing his speech to highlight the fact that we're not white supremacist, skinhead boot boys basically," the spokesman explained. "It would be a hell of a lot nicer to get more multicultural people there." Guramit himself has told the media, "We're not here to be anti-Muslim, anybody in the group who is anti-Muslim will be kicked out.”Such highminded thoughts are not consistent with his Facebook comments, which are littered with disrespectful comments about the Muslim community. When he was interviewed earlier this year, he caused outrage by commenting about Islam, “From what I’ve been told and what I’ve read it is an extremist religion. If you ask the majority of the world they say it is an extremist religion. This is what the British public perceives and this is what I perceive. This is what I know Islam to be. This is what I’m taught from Islam’s speakers.” Last March he was quoted by the Socialist Worker website as saying at a rally, “God bless the Muslims - they’ll need it when they’re burning in hell.” Such provocative comments come at a time when British Muslims increasingly feel they are under attack. Their sense of being under siege has been evident ever since the 9/11 attacks in the US and the 7/7 attacks in London in 2005 when Al- Qaida-linked militants bombed the London underground an a double decker bus, killing more than 50 and wounding some 700 others. Public concerns about more attacks by Islamic extremists have heightened following recent warnings that militants could be planning a Mumbai-style attack on London and other European capitals. Against this gloomy backdrop Muslim community leaders were delighted when former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s sister-in-law, Lauren Booth, announced she was converting to Islam. Booth is the sister of Blair’s wife, Cherie, and is know for her work as a journalist and human rights campaigner. Earlier this week she went public with her story of the spiritual experience she had while visiting the Iranian holy city of Qom. Booth, who has stopped eating pork and explains she reads the Koran every day, told a public meeting in London how, “I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy.” She went on to say, “What I want to share with you today is that I am Lauren Both and I am a Muslim. Her conversion has been welcomed both privately and on Muslim Internet forums with one comment reading, “Now a war criminal has an innocent sister-in-law! God bless her.”
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