LONDON: Three members of a self-styled “Muslim patrol” in London who harassed passers-by for wearing short skirts, holding hands and drinking alcohol have been jailed, in a conviction welcomed by the local mosque yesterday.
The men were jailed for up to 16 months on Friday after admitting a variety of public order and assault charges during ‘patrols’ in December 2012 and January 2013.
“These men routinely threatened and intimidated innocent members of the public whom they perceived to be behaving in an ‘un-Islamic’ manner,” said prosecutor Baljit Ubhey.
“They would roam the streets, seeking out victims whom they could target, and chanting threats to ‘kill the non-believers’.
“On the nights in question they confronted and aggressively intimidated a couple who were holding hands in the street, a group of friends who were drinking alcohol, and a girl whom they deemed to be dressed provocatively.”
Some of the patrols took place near the East London Mosque in Whitechapel, which hosts 7,000 worshippers on a typical Friday.
AFP
