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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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ACTION ALERT: Demand British Police Defend Elderly Muslim Woman from Zionist Thugs
30 March 2005
Mariam Hafesji is an elderly Muslim sister in her sixties living on her own in Stamford Hill, a predominantly Orthodox Jewish area. She has been subjected to repeated verbal bullying and harassment and even death threats by a group of Orthodox Jewish teenagers from the neighbouring school for over two years. The Zionist thugs have even knocked down the wooden fence which separates her kitchen from the school. The campaign of terror against Ms Hafesji has taken place with full knowledge of the school authorities, who have refused to discipline or even stop the students continuing their harassment.
As soon as the harassment began, Ms Hafesji contacted the police and continued to call them following each incident. Amazingly, for over two years, the police took no action whatsoever. For over two years, they ignored her complaints and even accused her of provoking the attacks. Despite independent witness statements and video evidence of criminal damage and harassment given to the police, they failed to even open a criminal investigation. The reason given was that they did not want to upset the Jewish community, with whom they have very good relations. Ms Hafesji’s family eventually, out of frustration and despair, lodged an official police complaint. The complaint was never acknowledged and it eventually transpired that it had been lost by the police. Letters asking to explain why the complaint was ‘lost’ were never acknowledged.
Following IHRC’s intervention and the airing of the shocking footage on Channel 4 news on the 26th March 2005, the police finally opened a criminal investigation.
IHRC urges all campaigners to contact the Stoke Newington Police Station and demand
(a) an explanation as to why it took national media coverage for them to open a criminal investigation of a crime which was taking place for over two years. There is no doubt that the police have failed to serve and protect Ms Hafesji from these brutal thugs who have terrorised her continuously for so long. One questions whether swifter action would have taken place had the perpetrators been Muslim students and the victim a Jewish lady.
(b) an explanation as to why the Hafesjis’ complaint against the police was not even acknowledged
(c) that immediate action be taken against all the perpetrators whose identity can be ascertained from the video evidence and the witness statements amongst other evidence and that the police uphold justice regardless of faith, race or class.
Contact the Stole Newington Police Station now:
Email: hackneypolice@met.police.uk
Telephone: (020) 7739 1212
Please note that the footage of Ms Hafesji’s ordeal was broadcast on Channel 4 News last Saturday, 26th March 2005. The footage will be aired again this Thursday 31st March 2005 on ‘The Agenda with Yvonne Ridley’ on Islam Channel. Ms Hafesji will also appear on the show to tell of her ordeal. The show is aired between 10am and 1130am and repeated between 10pm and 1130pm.
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“And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a helper.”
Holy Qur’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75
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Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom
Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org
info@ihrc.org