'Islamist' emails from Tower Hamlets council address sent to UKIP
TOWER Hamlets council has launched a disciplinary enquiry over pro-Islamist emails sent to a London Euro-MP. Two e-mails, with a town hall address, attacked proposals by the UK Independence Party to ban Muslim face coverings, including burkas and hijabs,
TOWER Hamlets council has launched a disciplinary enquiry over pro-Islamist emails sent to a London Euro-MP.
Two e-mails, with a town hall address, attacked proposals by the UK Independence Party to ban Muslim face coverings, including burkas and hijabs, in public places and accused the party of trying to "stoke a religious war on the streets of Britain."
London MEP Gerard Batten has lodged a formal complaint with Tower Hamlets council and is demanding to know what disciplinary action will be taken against any individual found responsible for sending the emails.
The emails, which have been linked to a Town Hall employee's email account, were sent last month.
One message said: "Teenage pregnancies, binge drinking, that is what is associated with British culture. Islam is the dominant religion in the United Kingdom. If you don't like it, go live somewhere else.
"Alcohol, pornography, anti-social behaviour, sexual deviancy; these are the things in Britain that need to be banned."
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A second email, entitled "You will be banned under Islamic rule" said: "Islam is the dominant religion in the UK. And the world. May Allah throw your mocking back on your soul."
Mr Batten, who was re-elected as London's UKIP MEP last year. He said the views expressed in the e-mails could qualify as a hate crime and that the party was considering reporting it to the police.
He said: "Personally I believe that the individual may hold or express his bonkers religious views so long as they are within the law, and so long as he keeps them outside of his employment with the council.
"However, the views could qualify as a hate crime."
A council spokesman told the Advertiser: "Tower Hamlets council takes any allegation of this nature extremely seriously and has robust procedures to deal with such issues.
"We can confirm this allegation of improper conduct by an employee is currently being investigated through council's established disciplinary processes and are unable make any further comment at this stage, until the investigation is completed.
