First Muslim men jailed over violence at UK riots

Fears Britain will face a weekend of unrest as more protests planned alongside the start of the football season

Sameer Ali (left), 21, and Adnan Ghafoor, 31, have been jailed for an attack on "pro-EDL" protesters after rival demonstrations in the Leeds. West Yorkshire Police /PA Wire

Two Muslim men have become the first rival protesters to be jailed for attacking far-right activists during the UK riots.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned on Friday that authorities must "stay on high alert" for more far-right riots over the weekend - which will coincide with the start of the football season.

Sameer Ali, 21, and Adnan Ghafoor, 31, both from Leeds, West Yorkshire, were part of a group of Asian men filmed kicking and punching four white men, one of whom was draped in a Union flag and wearing a Union flag mask, last Saturday outside Leeds Art Gallery. They were jailed for 20 months and 18 months respectively.

The court heard they were provoked by “Islamophobic threats and abuse” and had been part of a group of hundreds of anti-racism demonstrators who were opposing an English Defence League anti-immigration rally.

As thousands of Muslims attended Friday prayers, following consecutive nights of violence across the country, one Imam in Leeds highlighted their case and warned worshippers not to become provoked.

It comes as thousands of anti-racism demonstrators are due to march in neighbouring Wakefield on Saturday to counter a far-right protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

"We need to be wise, we need to stick together. I urge the youngsters please for the sake of Allah do not be provoked,” Imam Sahib Asim told his worshippers in a recording shared with The National.

“Do not be incited by this agenda. I know many brothers have gone out and got locked up. If you are locked up behind bars who will look after your family? Who will protect them now?"

Adeem Younis, founder of international charity the Penny Appeal, which works across disaster and war zones in the Middle East, spoke to The National after attending Friday prayers in his hometown of Wakefield and urged for “peace and unity” in the wake of the riots."The actions of a few have ignited the flames of hatred and violence across the United Kingdom," he told The National. "Our communities have endured significant fear and heartbreak this past week, facing some of the most challenging days in recent memory.

“However, as we have seen through the work of Penny Appeal in supporting people around the world, violence is never the solution. It only serves to deepen divisions.” Mr Younis urged communities to come together in solidarity and to reject the forces of division.

More than 500 kilometres away in Plymouth, Mohamed Muganzi, the director of the Plymouth Islamic Education Trust (PIETY), has been dealing with the fallout of riots earlier in the week which saw his mosque threatened.

Many of his worshippers are language students from the Middle East.

“You know, we've been encouraging people to be resilient, because if you don't come [to the mosque], that means you're succumbing to what they want you to be. They want to create fear," he told The National.

“We've been telling people don't succumb to these people's threats, come out in big numbers, so that we show them that we're not afraid. We are here and it’s business as usual."

He now has security guards after the mosque's front door was smashed in. On the night of the riots 70 people came to protect it.

“It was scary and threatening knowing there is a mob coming to attack you," he said.

“I've had a lot of support from non-Muslims especially the white community, some of them have gone to the extent as far as donating money to repair the damage.”

Mr Starmer said he believed "swift justice" dispensed on rioters by the courts in recent days had acted as a deterrent to more disorder.

"I'm absolutely convinced that having the police officers in place these last few days, and the swift justice that has been dispensed in our courts have had a real impact," he said.

"But we have to stay on high alert going into this weekend because we absolutely have to make sure that our communities are safe and secure."

Almost 600 people have been arrested for taking part in the riots so far which were triggered when a man who allegedly murdered three young girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport on July 29 was wrongly identified as a Muslim asylum seeker on social media.

Mr Starmer held another crisis meeting of top ministers and police chiefs late Thursday and warned potential unrest linked to the start of the football season would be "added into the mix" of challenges facing authorities this weekend.

Some far-right rioters and agitators are believed to have links to England's decades-old football hooligan scene. Although it has diminished since its heyday in the 1980s, it can still generate violence on match days.

Football clubs have taken steps to warn fans that bad behaviour will not be tolerated.

Several matches will take place on Friday night, including Blackburn Rovers vs Derby County and Preston North End vs Sheffield United, while the first game on Saturday will take place in Middlesbrough, where the violence broke out last weekend.

Saudi-owned Newcastle United, which is this weekend hosting a pre-season tournament, issued a statement to say “the club has been assured that mitigation measures are in place” following reports of planned protests on Saturday next to the stadium.

“The club is continuing to work closely with its independent Safety Advisory Group and key stakeholders, including Northumbria Police and local authorities, ensuring we are fully prepared to welcome fans into the stadium," it said.