UK teenager to stand trial for 'grossly offensive' Afghan war post on Facebook

UK teenager to stand trial for 'grossly offensive' Afghan war post on Facebook

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Published: 21 March, 2012, 00:06
Edited: 21 March, 2012, 11:04


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TAGS: Crime, Military, UK, Protest, Law, Internet, Mass media, Afghanistan, War, Social networks, Police

Ninetieen-year-old Azhar Ahmed will be tried later this year. The teenager pleaded not guilty and denied posting a comment on Facebook about six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week. He was released on bail until the next hearing in July.
[at]Ahmed was arrested and charged with "racially aggravated public order offences" but prosecutors on Tuesday changed that to a charge under Section 127 of the Communications Act of "sending a grossly offensive message."

The prosecutors also claim to have five witnesses, one of whom has already stated that they found Ahmed's message grossly offensive. They also intend to follow up a further three witnesses who they expect will give similar testimony.
There was a large police presence outside the court for the hearing as around 50 far-right protesters staged a noisy demonstration when the defendant arrived and left, calling for “jail to those who insult our troops.”

In his Facebook comments Ahmed reportedly criticized the amount of attention the deaths of the six soldiers received as compared to the civilian losses Afghanistan has sustained in the NATO-led war.
Media sources have been very tight-lipped about the actual wording of the message, but it is quoted in full in several blog posts, and some screenshots of the post are accessible via Google.

A police spokesman said last week that the Yorkshire teenager was commenting on the level of attention British soldiers who died in a bomb blast last week received compared to Afghan civilians who have died in the war.
The spokesman said: 'He didn’t make his point very well and that is why he has landed himself in bother.'
The six British troops were killed last week after their Warrior armored vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan. Most of the soldiers were between 19 and 21 years of age. The incident is the biggest single loss of life for British forces since 2006.
Ahmed’s court appearance coincided with the repatriation of the soldiers’ bodies, which were being flown to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire later on Tuesday.
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UK teenager to stand trial for 'grossly offensive' Afghan war post on Facebook — RT

How is that racially aggravated? How insane. I'm amazed that this is going to trial. His mastery of English, however ....

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50 far-right protesters staged a noisy demonstration when the defendant arrived and left, calling for “jail to those who insult our troops.”

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Ah, the joys of democracy.

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Originally Posted by Dan

How is that racially aggravated? How insane

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it isn't, the police arrested him on those grounds but the prosecutors changed the charge

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Ahmed was arrested and charged with "racially aggravated public order offences" but prosecutors on Tuesday changed that to a charge under Section 127 of the Communications Act of "sending a grossly offensive message."

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Originally Posted by Dan

His mastery of English, however ....

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Sorry Dan :)

^^ I managed to skip that clause. Still, saying "All soldiers should die and go to hell" (presumably the offending part) hardly seems like something you ought to face criminal charges for, particularly given the context of his post.

Here is the offensive post.

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"People gassin about the deaths of Soldiers! What about the innocent familys who have been brutally killed.. The women who have.been raped.. The children who have been sliced up..! Your enemy's were the Taliban not innocent harmful familys. All soldiers should DIE & go to HELL! THE LOWLIFE FOKKIN SUM! gotta problem go cry at your soldiers grave & wish him hell because thats where he is going.."

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All soldiers should DIE & go to HELL! « PitKanary

I don't think what he wrote should be considered a crime. It's his point of view and he is entitled to it however vile it is. He was not inciting hatred or violence so once you start down the track of prosecuting people for their beliefs, it is a slippery slope.

Interestingly I watched the show "Anti-Social Network" with Richard Bacon last night. Some of the RIP tribute page comments were closer to line where prosecution would be acceptable for being "grossly offensive" in my opinion.

Considering certain Extremist groups in the UK, can and still do mouth of there hatred for anything western, I find the guy charged to be stupid to spout such, at a time of mourning, though what he says has truth about it.

We have seen Armed forces personnel getting away with murdering groups of persons, in Afghanistan, but when a guy, speaks about about such he is charged, strange world we live in.

Scary
yesterday someone from twitter got arrested over a comment about that immigrant footballer,
now facebook is at it
how long before a Teakdoor member gets a knock on the door
and i wonder ..

whats that ?
oh hang on , back in a sec

It is kind of interesting. Because Mr Azhar Ahmed would probably throw a mental if I reminded him that the Prophet Mohammed was a fucking paedophile, and probably demand my immediate beheading.

So fuck him.

Lock him up with some paras or marines for a day, don't waste the taxpayers money on this worthless piece of shit.

Barracuda

Not sure what the prophet has to do with the guy being arrested, but hey you mention the prophet is a Paedo, possibly have a look around, and see what the so called western civilization has done over the centuries, and are still doing to young children, and while you at it look up the world age of consents, pretty disturbing to say the least.

I failed to mention

The VATICAN STATE, age of consent 12 yrs of age

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

It is kind of interesting. Because Mr Azhar Ahmed would probably throw a mental if I reminded him that the Prophet Mohammed was a fucking paedophile, and probably demand my immediate beheading.

So fuck him.

Lock him up with some paras or marines for a day, don't waste the taxpayers money on this worthless piece of shit.

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He's a Muslim so it doesn't matter what he's done.

And you have a go at Blue for being a twat.

Thank you for demonstrating the hypocrisy of some people defending his right to free speech, when his ilk, and certainly the ones with vehement opinions like this, would most certainly deny you yours.

And Dan, despite what the PC Brigade might have tried to ram down our throats over the years, Islam is NOT A RACE.

^ By the way, even I defend his right to free speech. I just wish he'd have the balls to say it in front of one of the soldier's colleagues.

As a good American friend of mine once remarked, if faced with someone truly obnoxious (and if I remember, he was talking about NAMBLA at the time): "Your right to Free Speech ends at my ears".

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Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Thank you for demonstrating the hypocrisy of some people defending his right to free speech, when his ilk, and certainly the ones with vehement opinions like this, would most certainly deny you yours.

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What hypocrisy? I think he should have freedom of speech and I think I should so where does hypocrisy come into it? I'll answer that myself: it doesn't. And you have no idea at all where he stands on the issue - to think you can deduce his opinions from his ethnicity is fucking ridiculous.

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And Dan, despite what the PC Brigade might have tried to ram down our throats over the years, Islam is NOT A RACE.

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Huh? I said in my first post that this wasn't about race but I'm guessing that you saw a post opposed in some way to yours and assumed that you were being accused of racism. You weren't, though I do think including Islamophobia within the general description of racism is perfectly acceptable since the latter is the best general purpose word we have.

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I just wish he'd have the balls to say it in front of one of the soldier's colleagues.

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After you, my dear.

That asshole pastor and his flock of lunatics in Texas say far worse, and do so at the funerals of dead soldiers, or at least as close as they can get legally. And far from being arrested, they are protected by police.

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Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

That asshole pastor and his flock of lunatics in Texas say far worse, and do so at the funerals of dead soldiers, or at least as close as they can get legally. And far from being arrested, they are protected by police.

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Yep Davis, exactly what turns my stomach also.

And Dan:

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You weren't, though I do think including Islamophobia within the general description of racism is perfectly acceptable since the latter is the best general purpose word we have.

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Take your pretty blurring of the lines and shove it up your arse.

Islam is a religion that harbours hatred and terrorism, period.

It has nothing to do with race.

It's just a convenient tag liberal twats put on people they don't agree with - normally the same people they go screaming to for help when the dear terrorists for whom they demand equality go around terrorising them.

Race is an English word with a simple meaning, and it has nothing to do with religion.

This bloke has no more love for the English than he has for a halal beefburger, and I just wish England had the bollocks to say "If you don't like it, fuck off and fight for the Taliban".

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Race is an English word with a simple meaning, and it has nothing to do with religion.

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It doesn't have a simple meaning - it's enormously complex and massively contested but that's beside the point because the word at issue was racism, not race.

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This bloke has no more love for the English than he has for a halal beefburger, and I just wish England had the bollocks to say "If you don't like it, fuck off and fight for the Taliban".

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Is that you being ironic or you being a kunt? It's so hard to tell the difference but since you're so keen for people to stand up for what they think, why don't you go and track down all those scary darkies next time you're in England and tell them yourself? Surely that's not beyond a brave patriot like you.

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Originally Posted by Dan

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Race is an English word with a simple meaning, and it has nothing to do with religion.

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It doesn't have a simple meaning - it's enormously complex and massively contested but that's beside the point because the word at issue was racism, not race.

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This bloke has no more love for the English than he has for a halal beefburger, and I just wish England had the bollocks to say "If you don't like it, fuck off and fight for the Taliban".

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Is that you being ironic or you being a kunt? It's so hard to tell the difference but since you're so keen for people to stand up for what they think, why don't you go and track down all those scary darkies next time you're in England and tell them yourself? Surely that's not beyond a brave patriot like you.

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Fortunately I live in a country where insulting your hosts, burning their flag, and saying you hope they die or similar would result, at best, in getting deported.

Nothing wrong with a bit of pride in your nation is there?

And something grossly offensive to granting people asylum, giving them opportunities they would never have back home, and having them spit in your face and call you c**ts, don't you think?

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Azhar Ahmed .... the Yorkshire teenager

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For better or for worse (and it's probably the latter), Yorkshire is part of Britain so that makes him.........British. You don't get deported from your own country, and nor do you have to give thanks for being granted asylum or for having been given "opportunities you would never have back home". And being British he can think and say what he likes about the British army being in Afghanistan. That's what being in a democracy means. I fucking hate Nick Griffin but he gets to say what he thinks and if this lad hates the British army, he gets to say that too.

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Originally Posted by Sir Wilson

The spokesman said: 'He didn’t make his point very well and that is why he has landed himself in bother.'

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True, only professional writers should write.


This idea that everyone is a writer because they have a keyboard, and everyone is a movie maker because they have a camera phone...

....well it ain't true. Not necessarily it ain't. Load a bollocks ain't it. LOL and ROFLMAO. Only qualified writers need apply.

In the greater scheme of things; the massive rates of civillian deaths; napalm and cluster bombs; Blair making up lies to send us to war; oil companies/zionist groups paying for Blair and other politicians to have luxury breaks; bankers stealing bilions and supported by politicians who are their 'executive directors' (and such like);... the list goes on... this kid gets arrested and taken to court for these limp comments???

He wasn't inciting violence, and his comments in context, not one or two words cut out and highlighted, actually do make sense, whether or not you agree with them...

A fuked up world we live in.

Most UK papers are supporting the Kid.

Harry

you should stop reading all this western propaganda, and look at the way we in the west have raped and pillaged many countries in the not so distant past,and now, are so called govts have many things to be ashamed of.

Enoch Powell was right
we would be better off without immigrant filth