Anti-Islamic groups from across Europe are planning to stage demonstrations in Denmark against what they call "the Islamization of Europe". More than 10 anti-Islam groups, led by the British Defense League (EDL), are expected to send their representatives to the rally.
"There will be speeches from every defense league representative in Europe," said Isak Nygren, spokesman for the Swedish Defense League (SDL). "I hope we can show that there is resistance to the Islamization of Europe, that we can inspire one another," he added.
The EDL has held a rally in Europe before sending members to Amsterdam in 2010 to support Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders, who is in court accused of insulting religious and ethnic groups. Wilders, who has distanced himself from EDL, is not expected to attend the event.
Stephen Lennon, former hooligan football, which formed the EDL three years ago, said he was inspired by the Amsterdam meeting to network with other far-right groups in Europe and set up the "European Freedom Initiative".
He described the planned meeting, in Aarhus, for March 31st, as "the first true European event". "We hope this will be the launch of a broader European Defense League," he said.
Lennon, who was convicted of the attacks in November 2011, said his members were prepared for violence. "It is likely that the local Muslim community will come and attack us, assisted and supported by the left," he said. "We have come to peacefully protest against the Islamization of Europe."
Imran Shah, spokesman for the Islamic Society of Denmark, urged Muslims to stay away from the demonstrations and called on the Danish government to act against the growing anti-Islam movement, especially after last year's massacre by far-right extremist Anders Behring Breivik.
“We have seen what hate rhetoric can do in Norway. Do we want some death here before we react? " he said.
Breivik attended a rally in Bradford in 2010 and claimed hundreds of EDL members as his Facebook friends.
Matius Goodwin, an expert on the far-right at Nottingham University, said the EDL's move to expand its European network was worrying. "There is always violence when they hold demonstrations," he said. "They are developing an anti-semitism movement for anti-Islam." (Mel / Telegraph.co.uk / ddhongkong.org). *
