A Conservative North West Euro MP has hired a private security firm to guard his home because of threats from far-right extremists.
Sajjad Karim has been bombarded with offensive emails over his stance on halal and kosher meat. His home in Simonstone in the Ribble Valley has also had ‘BNP’ daubed on it in graffiti. He said he was worried about the safety of his wife and two children, aged eight and 10, while he is away in Europe. And he said he had paid for a private security firm to watch over his house 24 hours a day.
A British National Party spokesman ‘utterly condemned’ any threats.
Police are investigating an allegation of racist abuse by email. Mr Karim, who represents the North West in the European Parliament, blamed BNP supporters for the onslaught, claiming the threats had come shortly after the far-right party published an article criticising him on its website.
Mr Karim, who opposed an EU proposal that would require all ritually-slaughtered meat to be labelled, said there had been an ‘orchestrated’ campaign against him. He said: “There are perfectly legitimate arguments on both sides of the debate. But it is being hijacked and they are trying to frighten me. We have lived here for 11 years and never had anything like this. This is their way of saying ‘we know you are here’. The police are providing the best level of protection they can, but when it comes to these people I am not going to take any chances.”
Lancashire Police said it was investigating the messages and would meet the MEP this week.
John Walker, a spokesman for the BNP, said the party was campaigning on the issue of ritually slaughtered meat, which he said was ‘barbaric’. But he distanced the party from any threats, saying the BNP was being ‘demonised’. He added: “This is a common tactic of political opponents to claim they have been intimidated.”
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November 25, 2010
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4 comments:
A British National Party spokesman ‘utterly condemned’ any threats.
The old National Front used to condemn similar attacks.....while their activists carried them out!
“This is a common tactic of political opponents to claim they have been intimidated"
That's because they generally are. I assume Nick Griffin (for it is in his European Parliament constituency) is going to be quick utterly condemn this behaviour, given that they are always making a fuss about the Muslim Community not speaking out enough against extremist scum on their "side".
At least we know the writer of the graffiti wasn't Nick Griffin (MEP for the North West). The reason being, that he rarely sets foot in the North West.
John Walker the animal lover.
Thought he was only interested in horses being sexually abused???
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