Take ‘Em To Court!

Using the modus operandi of organisations like the ADL should not be too difficult to emulate, after all anytime there is any legitimate criticism of israel the ADL play their trump card of anti semitism to silence any form of discussion.

Over in the UK, Muslims are targeted in the press on a daily basis, isn’t it time to come up with a similar plan of defence?

Last week Inayat Bunglawala was awarded damages in a libel court case against the Mail on Sunday and prior to that Dr Abdul Bari accepted an out of court settlement from the BBC, and today;

The News of the World has today apologised in open court and agreed to pay £100,000 in libel damages to Shakil Akhtar, a mechanic form High Wycombe, for publishing a story and editorial in February 2008, ‘Evil on Benefits’ and ‘Sick Parasites Spawn Terror’, accusing Mr Akhtar of channelling funds raised in the UK to terror cells abroad.

The News of the World, owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers, claimed that Akhtar was responsible for the channeling of funds to groups in Afghanistan among other places, who then used the money to purchase weapons for use against British forces.

The allegations made by the paper led to a police investigation and extensive search of Mr Akhtar’s house though no charges were brought against him.

In a statement read in open court today, the paper accepted:

‘Mr. Akhtar is not and never has been involved in the funding of terrorism in any way whatsoever, and nor is he or has ever been a member of a militant cell. The News of the World now accepts that he has no connection with terrorism whatsoever and in fact earns his living honestly as a car mechanic in High Wycombe.

Further, notwithstanding the prolonged Police investigation, Mr. Akhtar has never been arrested or charged over any offence related to this or any other matter. Mr Akhtar would like to make it clear that he does not support or condone violence against British forces in Afghanistan, or indeed anywhere.

‘Predictably the allegations contained within the article were also seized upon by elements of the far-right and have been presented as being indicative of the problems facing multicultural Britain.’

Reading a statement on behalf of his client, Edward Yell of Carter Ruck said:

“Mr. Akhtar has had his life turned upside down by the grievous allegations made by the News of the World, and the police investigation which followed the publication of their article. He welcomes the fact that the News of the World now accepts, as the police did many months ago, that there was not a shred of truth to these allegations and looks forward to putting this matter behind him.”

Isn’t it time we stepped up our game?

Take them to court, and hit them in the pocket, thats the only way some will ever learn.

MC

Vernon Makes Three

Can this summer get any worse for the boxing fraternity?

Alexis Arguello, Arturo Gatti and now Vernon Forrest — all gone within a month. It’s crazy.

The boxing community had not yet come to grips with Arguello’s reported suicide and Gatti’s death when news of Forrest’s senseless murder emerged. He was apparently the victim of a robbery that escalated as he filled his tires with air at an Atlanta gas station Saturday night.

Forrest, who was 38 and left behind a son, Vernon Jr., didn’t enjoy nearly the fame or popularity of Arguello or Gatti, but he was one hell of a fighter inside the ring and a charitable man of substance outside of it.

As good as Forrest was inside the ropes, his legacy should start with what he did for people beyond them as a co-founder of Destiny’s Child, a group home that provides support and guidance for mentally challenged young adults in Atlanta.

I heard Forrest talk about it several times. He wasn’t a guy who just lent his name to something. He rolled up his sleeves and got involved on a personal level.

On the July 2002 night in Indianapolis when Forrest beat Shane Mosley for the second time, several of the people who lived in the home — people who admired Forrest as much as he admired them — were at ringside to cheer on “Uncle Vernon.”

“Not only was he a great champion, but he was a caring humanitarian who always stood up for what he believed to be the fairness of life,” said a grief-stricken Kelly Swanson, Forrest’s friend and publicist. “Most importantly, his work outside of the ring, particularly with his established foundation Destiny’s Child, which provided group housing for mentally challenged young adults in the Atlanta area, was the shining light of his life.

“Seeing him with the kids was the essence of his being and showed me another side of his well-rounded and deeply passionate character. It was my pleasure to help tell his story.”

What makes this more Machiavellian is the fact that Vernon Forrest posted the following on his twitter account last week:

SM

Just A Friendly Game of Football

In an ad for an Israeli mobile phone company, an israeli stormtrooper kicks a football over the “security fence” they use to keep Palestinians locked in the world’s largest open air prison/concentration camp and someone on the other side kicks it back.

A football game of sort ensues, and a voiceover says;

“After all, what are we all after?

Just a little fun.”

So, some Palestinians decided to kick a football over the concentration camp fence, to see if that’s what would really happen. Of course, the stormtroopers promptly sprayed them down with what looks tear gas but could very well have been white phosphorous or some other illegal biological weapon.

Have a look at how the israeli hasbara campaign continues unabated.

Imagine if the concentration camp in question wasn’t modern day Palestine, but 1940’s Europe, would we get an outcry then?

Cell-Com Advert:

Response To Cell-Com Advert:

Akh