Bid to beat the racist grave yobs

Amy Glendinning

January 07, 2010

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Habib Dar

CCTV CAMERAS and security lights have been installed at a cemetery in a bid to stop attacks on Muslim graves.

The move comes after racists were blamed for vandalising headstones four times over the spaces of three months.

The camera and light have now been installed on a pole overlooking the Muslim section of Southern Cemetery on Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton.

The move was welcomed by relatives of those whose graves were damaged.

"I'm delighted - this is the best new year's present I could have hoped for," said Habib Dar.

His father Abdul Rehman Dar’s grave was toppled in one of the attacks.

"Hopefully this will stop any more vandalism.

"I would like to thank the police for this because now something is being done about the vandalism which has taken place."

Mark Krantz, a campaigner for Chorlton Unite Against Fascism, who have organised peace vigils at the cemetery, said: "It’s a sad indication that we have to have CCTV cameras to protect our graves, but after four attacks it’s probably necessary.

"If it does help deter people from more vandalism that’s a good thing.

"Sadly what CCTV can’t do is address a wider climate of hatred against Muslims by a small minority in our community."

Police patrols by uniformed officers and undercover police have also been stepped up around the cemetery in a bid to catch those responsible.

Inspector Steve Hubbard, of the Chorlton neighbourhood policing team, said: "I hope the extra lighting and CCTV will stop these incidents from happening again.

"We will not tolerate hate crime incidents and we are doing everything that we can to catch these mindless criminals."

Councillor Mike Amesbury executive member with responsibility for cemeteries, added: "These measures show just how seriously both Manchester City Council and the police have taken these disgusting attacks."

Anyone with information about the vandalism should call Greater Manchester Police on 0161 856 6151 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All

Bigmouth strikes again, Manchester (07/01/2010 at 14:12)

scumbags, simple as that.

umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT (07/01/2010 at 14:34)

lizard (07/01/2010 at 14:46)

umpire 2, Salford, Well said. Weaste cemetery is often "vandalised" other cemeteries suffer the same, it seems it has to be racist when the cemetery is either Jewish or Muslim.

Gary Salamander (07/01/2010 at 14:56)

Umpire 2. It's racist because it appears to involve the specific targeting of graves in the Muslim section of Southern Cemetery, rather than just attacks on random graves. Shocking enough behaviour whoever's grave it is, but particularly nasty when it appears to be intended to cause distress to one particular racial group.

Anyway, racist or otherwise, I hope they catch the vermin.

dessie, manchester (07/01/2010 at 15:08)

its not racist at all its just mindless scumbags, they damage any grave stone regardless of color or creed!!!!!!!!

uncle bulgaria, Wimbledon Common (07/01/2010 at 15:10)

I think using the term 'racist' is very strange, anyone can be a Muslim

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary (07/01/2010 at 15:23)

umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT

I made the same point when this matter first came up. I don't see MEN articles when the catholic cemetary at Moston is vandalised. Keep shouting 'RACISM' at every opportunity is part of the problem, not part of the solution!

J smith (07/01/2010 at 16:01)

Who is paying for this?................I see the CCTV cameras will only cover the muslim section, and its nice to hear a statement from the NU Labour Brownshirts,,,sorry United Against Facism. The money whould better spent building a better fence that would protect all the graves not just extra protection to the Muslim area, thats what is causing the resentment in the first place.

Free Red, Manchester (07/01/2010 at 16:25)

There is no evidence what so ever to support the idea this is an attack on any one race. The common denominator is that graves vandalised are of people of the same religion. That is fundamentally different because anyone of any race can be a Muslim. If anything this is an attack on Islam.

andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (07/01/2010 at 16:39)

Let's not get confused between racism and religious intollerance.

manchesterpaul, Manchester (07/01/2010 at 16:45)

I've often thought when reading reports of vandalism in cemeteries that the day would come when cctv and lights would be needed.

Although, i wouldn't like to be a cctv operator or resident of housing backing on to a cemetery when upon the sensors being triggered, one looks and sees nothing there!

Just a footnote, i'm not making light of this actual or any story involving such heinous acts which truly does bring heartache to relatives.

Ace Riley, outsidethebox (07/01/2010 at 18:43)

Unfortunately disgusting things like this is going to get worse unless the muslem community get rid of the people within their community who wants to disrupt peace within britain.This also goes for the idiots of other religions or groups.

h4rsh, M25, manchester (07/01/2010 at 19:39)

Free Red and Bigmouth....Well said! Two very good comments that sum the story up!

It's not racism but an attack on a faith! Something that the hard face big ear freaks off the Mersey or Nell Lane Estate are known for....in between getting drunk on cheap cider...Bit like the same clowns that attack the Moston Cemetery!

CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (07/01/2010 at 21:52)

I knew there'd be apologists for these criminals before opening the story.
'Cos that's what they are, criminals, and we all know Islam is strongly associated with certain races, and if you can't accept that, you cannot deny that they are a minority in this country.

When in Rome (07/01/2010 at 22:28)

uncle bulgaria, exactly, if anybody has any critisism of Islam in the UK, they are deemed as "racist", when I put it to certain people, what if native citizens of say Pakistan, Iran, or any other country where Islam is the main religion criticizes Islam, then these people are stuck for words and try to change the subject.

However vandalising any graves no matter what the dead persons' religion was or even if they didn't have a religion is terrible. I note that the UAF is exploiting the situation.

charlie chan number 1 son, Hollywood (08/01/2010 at 08:24)

Cemeteries is nothing sacred in Broken britain?

Eric Le God, Manchester (08/01/2010 at 08:45)

Sorry, why is it racist problem when graves are damaged in a Muslim Cemetery but elsewhere it is the local youths, can we please stop using the word Racist so easily in this newspaper because it is not wanted and you are helping to cause further problems in that area between all and sundry.
umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT
7/01/2010 at 14:34

Well said, and such a valid point, its stories like this that promote anger at a single section of the community getting beneficial treatment over the masses.

CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside (08/01/2010 at 13:19)

Ace Riley - I don't remember every member of the Irish community being bullied into justifying themselves when the IRA was bombing Britain.

SteveDB (08/01/2010 at 15:47)

Quote "Sorry, why is it racist problem when graves are damaged in a Muslim Cemetery but elsewhere it is the local youths, can we please stop using the word Racist so easily in this newspaper because it is not wanted and you are helping to cause further problems in that area between all and sundry. umpire 2, Salford M7 4HT 7/01/2010 at 14:34"

I agree entirely. On that premise surely it must be non-Christians vandalising Christian graves??? The MEN has to stop this nonsense for the sake of strident headlines - it helps no-one!

citycentre, manchester (08/01/2010 at 16:40)

" if anybody has any critisism of Islam in the UK, they are deemed as "racist", when I put it to certain people, what if native citizens of say Pakistan, Iran, or any other country where Islam is the main religion criticizes Islam, then these people are stuck for words and try to change the subject."

Criticising Islam in certain countries would certainly lead to trouble (although not in all Muslim countries), I am not sure what relevance that has for conduct in the UK has, picking the worst and most repressive regimes in the world and saying look, they do something so it ok here always seemed the wrong way round to me.

andy waytomakeacomment, Greater Manchester (08/01/2010 at 17:14)

"get rid of the people within their community who wants to disrupt peace within britain" - Ace Riley, outsidethebox

Presumably everyone's in agreement that we can also apply this statement to every one in the wider community, i.e. it is also applicable to 'white christians' ?

When in Rome (08/01/2010 at 22:47)

citycentre, my point was not about repressive regimes etc. It was about people in the UK criticizing Islam and being deemed "racist". If some native people from, lets say every muslum country in the middle east and North Africa got together and openly criticized Islam, in for example a room in a hotel in Manchester, then the race card remains redundant. If native white or even black people of the UK criticized Islam, then out comes the race card, and it is no longer a religious issue it is then a race issue.

My point is simple it is not a race that is under critizism, it is a religion and everything else that comes with it.

lizard (09/01/2010 at 13:37)

CorneredAllTheLuck, Tameside, "I don't remember every member of the Irish community being bullied into justifying themselves when the IRA was bombing Britain". This could be because; You were not in the country at the time, Were a comatose patient, You ignored the plight of the innocent Irish as it was of no importance to you and perhaps you believed they deserved no better, Or, as now, it was not publicised. The Irish, were treated like scum long before the bombings, the "racism" escalated during and after, of course it was not called that at the time, so the victims had no protection and suffered in silence..another reason you could use as defence of your ignorance. Why direct that comment at Ace?, was it because he has a Irish surname?.

Jimmy O'Freelunch, tory land (10/01/2010 at 15:55)

As I remeber muslim graves are supposed to be unmarked and anonymous. can any clarify this one>?

Edski Vega, Nottingham (10/01/2010 at 17:24)

Its surprising how quickly funds are made available as soon as any kind of incident is reported against a minority.

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