Anders Breivik Trial: Luton Residents Hit Back At Norwegian 'Nutter'

PA/The Huffington Post UK  |  Posted: 18/04/2012 13:19 Updated: 18/04/2012 13:25

Luton residents have hit back at slurs on their town by mass killer Anders Breivik, dismissing him as a "nutter".

Addressing the Norwegian court where he is on trial for the massacre of 77 people, Breivik reportedly described "war-like conditions" in the multicultural Bedfordshire town and referred to so-called "Islamic no-go zones".

He is also said to have claimed that Muslims want sharia law in "places like Luton".

Local figures lined up to pour scorn on his allegations.

David Jonathan, a co-ordinator at Luton Council of Faiths, said the reality was "quite different" to what Breivik implied.

"Luton is a welcoming place," he said. "I know many people who have come to Luton and chosen to make it their home.

"Those who choose to remain on the peripheries will always have this sense of fear of no-go areas.

"We're not saying there are no problems - there are problems of segregation and lack of interaction - but people aren't trying to impose sharia law."

Local councillors also dismissed Breivik's rant.

Liberal Democrat Jenny Davies described it as "a piece of nonsense".

She said: "He's clearly never been here, or if he has I don't know where he's been.

"I can only think that he's picked up on stuff that's been said about Luton and decided the town's a wasteland, which it isn't.

"There are plenty of things in this town I could criticise but none of them have anything to do with the fact that we're a multicultural community.

"I really do wish these nutters would stop picking on Luton and talking about it in this way because that's not the way it is."

Labour councillor Mahmood Hussain denied the town had any problems regarding race or religion.

He said: "I would challenge anyone anywhere in the world to go into every single part of Luton and tell me where these no-go areas are.

"I represent a very mixed community, which has Irish, eastern European, black, Hindu and Muslim residents, and I've lived here since 1969 and there's never been any part of Luton that's been a no-go area.

"We do have a very small number of extremists and we can count them on one hand - far-right extremists as well as a small bunch of Muslims - but they're ignored by the community completely."

In court on Wednesday Breivik refused to give details about his visit to London 10 years ago, during which he claimed an anti-Islamic organisation called the Knights Templar was founded.

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Luton residents have hit back at slurs on their town by mass killer Anders Breivik, dismissing him as a "nutter". Addressing the Norwegian court where he is on trial for the massacre of 77 people, ...
Luton residents have hit back at slurs on their town by mass killer Anders Breivik, dismissing him as a "nutter". Addressing the Norwegian court where he is on trial for the massacre of 77 people, ...
 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Philip J Sparrow
When your work speaks for itself, keep quiet
16:56 on 18/04/2012
Of course there are people who want to introduce Sharia law, but they don't even represent a majority of muslims let alone the British population as a whole:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1510866/Poll-reveals-40pc-of-Muslims-want-sharia-law-in-UK.html

They are a minority within a minority and so don't pose any particular threat. Besides, you could probably find just as many people who want to impose Biblical law, and that is hardly any better.
18:38 on 18/04/2012
I think you will find, some eliments of Sharia law are already practiced in the uk.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Philip J Sparrow
When your work speaks for itself, keep quiet
18:47 on 18/04/2012
Only in the form of Alternative Dispute Resolution; it is entirely voluntary in principle so it is not being imposed anywhere.
21:20 on 18/04/2012
And a lot more to come ,vote UKIP to change things
06:27 on 19/04/2012
You beat me to it..was about to post the same thing.
15:23 on 18/04/2012
I for one do not condone this mans actions but I can understand the logic behind it.....this is just the tip of the ieceberg..
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
crumpets
15:24 on 18/04/2012
You can understand the logic behind murdering nearly 100 innocent in cold blood because you don't like the way that a minority in your society lives/looks?

REALLY???
15:40 on 18/04/2012
I also said I do not condone what he did!!!!
15:44 on 18/04/2012
Minority!!! yer having a laugh aren't ya, i don't care what they look like. It is they that DO NOT want to mingle with the whites..they bloody hate us, they are only here because this country is a soft touch.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Paul Wagland
Resistance is fertile
16:15 on 18/04/2012
Are you insane? Of your 17 'fans', I wonder how many are MI5 agents watching what you say.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mokgee
Sabu.Satsang, Samsara, Solitude...
15:21 on 18/04/2012
We cannot believe anything that any of the hierarchy in this country say. Go there all you believers and witness things for your self. In Bradford there is a painted slogan on the side of someones house saying,,No Whites allowed here, and this unbelievable attitude sweeeps across Britain, then and only then will one witness what the hierachy have done to Britain, from top to bottom, they are a disgrace to our nation and people..Sharia law is up and running....
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mmartini54
Roll on 2015!
21:53 on 18/04/2012
I have lived in a multiculural area for decades, and watched it develop, and it's fine, so don't come that "go and see for yourself"...

When a few nutters try to do something stupid, we (the British, of all ethnicities, all faiths, and no faith) grass 'em up and slap 'em down. See - we British don't like extremists and scaremongerers. Of ANY type.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
vividrick
I came, I saw...I had a cup of tea!
13:18 on 19/04/2012
If that's true on what you say, that ONE house allegedly says that slogan, then it's clearly NOT an attitude that sweeps across Britain, so what you're saying is contradictory.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
Might as well laugh while you still can.
14:22 on 18/04/2012
Oh yer, Luton is that happy it was the birthplace of the EDL, back when they were called 'friends of Luton.' And compared to how they perform elsewhere, the BNP and UKIP don't underperform in Luton North or South - just checked. Luton is in fact a growing hot bed of nationalist discontent. This is case of another liberal pretending there isn't a problem. We hear it nottinghamshire, and the BNP do very well here, the EDL have a level of popularity to be happy about and we are the birthplace of combat 18. Luton like Nottinghamshire has a problem it is hoping ignorance can solve.
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14:41 on 18/04/2012
Fingers in ears singing "lalalalala" is a viable government policy plan I believe...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Paul Wagland
Resistance is fertile
16:17 on 18/04/2012
Where do the BNP do very well exactly? They have no seats in parliament. Doesn't that render them an abject failure? And deservedly so. Bunch of losers.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Ben Wilson
Might as well laugh while you still can.
16:36 on 18/04/2012
I said "Compared to how they perform elsewhere" It is judge made in idolation to their own results.
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17:00 on 18/04/2012
For now Paul. Roll on ten years and the BNP or a party just like it will have a lot of say in how this country is run, all down to the current top three party's ignorance of how the average white British person feels about "multi-cultural" Britain. People like you only add to that ignorance.
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14:03 on 18/04/2012
Am I right in thinking Luton was the birthplace of the EDL? I wonder who he was talking to to get this opinion of the town....
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mokgee
Sabu.Satsang, Samsara, Solitude...
15:23 on 18/04/2012
If you went there you would see why your comment may be true,,Go find out before making judgements, even better, go live there to expose your comparisons....
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Wisdo
semantics shamantics
13:49 on 18/04/2012
why are they taking this psycopathic murderer seriously?
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14:42 on 18/04/2012
You think they doth protest too much?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mokgee
Sabu.Satsang, Samsara, Solitude...
15:24 on 18/04/2012
And you doth do nothing but make idle chat without facts...