Right-wing extremists are suspected to be behind anti-gay posters spotted across Hackney, according to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) community.
Gay-free zone poster spotted in Hackney. Photo: Roger Foss.
The posters, which have appeared throughout the borough since September, are believed to have been created to stir hatred towards the Muslim community.
Jack Gilbert, chair of the Rainbow Hamlets Community Forum, said: “We have evidence that [the posters] were very likely to have been produced by far-right sources in order to foment community tension.”
Mr Gilbert believes that the anti-gay posters could be the work of the English Defence League (EDL). Hackney LGBT group Outeast and the East London Mosque also said they suspect white extremist groups.
Terry Stewart, who works with a number of LGBT agencies across Hackney, said he believes the EDL wants to cause conflict in the area. The EDL were unavailable for comment.
The posters were spotted last month outside schools and gay pubs The Joiners Arms and the George and Dragon, both on Hackney Road.
The posters include a quote derived from the, Qur’an reading: “Arise and warn. Gay free zone. Verily Allah is severe in punishment.”
Inayat Bunglawala from the Muslim Council of Britain, who is responsible for tackling extremism, said: “I would not be surprised if the EDL was behind it. The EDL has held rallies before, deliberately inviting other minority groups and extremist individuals to get them all standing against Muslims.”
But Johann Hari, a columnist for The Independent, suggests that intolerance among Islamic groups contributes to the high numbers of homophobic attacks in Hackney.
Mr Bunglawala accused Mr Hari of being “irrational and way out of line.”
The Muslim community has condemned the posters. Dilwar Khan, from East London Mosque, said: “We stand together with our fellow citizens against all forms of hatred, including homophobia. We are committed to building strong and cohesive communities and our strength is that we will not let incidents of hate divide us.”
A spokesperson for Rainbow Hamlets Community Forum said: “At present the people responsible cannot be accurately determined, but it is clear that whoever is responsible, they do not represent any of the local communities and their sole purpose is to spread fear and mistrust.”
Police are expected to issue a statement early next week.
Additional reporting by Holly Welham.
