MARK SCHOLL investigates Britain First’s campaign to whip up a race hate storm in Stoke, which culminated in a planned mosque being attacked in the recent riots.

“The entire area where the cemetery used to be, where our ancestors are still buried, has been turned into a car park for Mosque goers.” So screams a hysterical, lying, racist and irreligious rant posted by convicted thug, woman beater, multiply-convicted villain and Britain First leader Paul Golding.

After a non-existent General Election campaign, Golding’s troops were probably wise to ask what’s next. Well, a former church in Hanley, Stoke, has become a battleground for bigots as a small group of BF activists protested against the conversion of an old and dilapidated church building into a mosque for a thriving, and growing, local Muslim population.

And only today, former BNP Fuhrer Nick Griffin, chipped in with his own little dose of bile.

“Many Stoke residents and Islam-critics online are upset by the news that Grade II listed St John’s Church, in Hanley, is to be turned into a mosque” he writes, before going to enjoin people to return to “the Russian Orthodox, Latin Mass Catholic and many Calvinist churches (who) are still true to the faith of our forefathers”.

Macabre allegations of Muslims deliberate destroying the few remaining gravestones on the Hanley site have encouraged online agitation which has wound things up.

Of course, Darul Falah, the Muslim group that has acquired the old building, has become the victim of innumerable lies and smears. Some of these have come from Paul Golding himself. Now he is claiming that the Muslim group has instructed solicitors to take action against him.

No surprises there. But never one to look a grifthorse in the mouth, Golding needs an “immediate” £4000 in order to launch an historic defence etc and etc. Muslims, according to Golding, should never be allowed to purchase ground containing historic English graves.

Thing is, there are no graves.

What graves there were, were exhumed, removed, carefully and legally in line with normal procedure in 1985. That’s a fact. And not one that Golding has bothered to research. If he has, he’s remaining oddly quiet about it…

Furthermore, according to Stoke City Council, which has responsibilities for the area and for ensuring that all building work is carried out to acceptable and legal standards, it was local ‘English’ contractors who worked on the site.

True, there are some damaged gravestones at St John’s. They’ve been there for many years. They have been carefully set aside and stacked with wooden boards separating them. The church itself, dating to 1788, is large, and photos taken over the last 30 years show it became something of an eyesore. In 2019, there were efforts to restore the building and turn it into a restaurant. Golding was noticeably quiet at the time…

No laws have been broken. The local council is happy that everything is being done correctly and above board. The building was purchased quite openly for £140,000 at auction, and the new owners have been quite open about the aims and intentions of their community.

Plans for the site include a community centre with craft fairs, festivals and fun days; a women’s-only gym; school tours; a multi-faith library; an ‘educational cinema’; Islamic weddings and burials; an education centre focusing on Islamic education, English language and science; and an arts and history museum. In other words, it will become an attractive and valuable community hub.

One of the group behind the plans told the local paper: “The church houses numerous artefacts that present an excellent opportunity to create a museum section within the church.

“Among its treasures are remarkable stained-glass windows, including those honouring soldier William Henry Hickin, who fell in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and the brave souls who perished in the First World War”.

For Paul Golding to come along and deliberately lie, mislead people, including his hapless supporters and donors, is yet another shocking example of just how low he’ll go. But, in their terms, the agitation paid off. During the recent post-Southport riots the church was attacked by a racist mob and had to be defended by members of the local Muslim community, and a large number of police officers.

Needless to say, we at Searchlight will be keeping a close eye on Golding’s latest hate filled campaign of lies. We will be liaising with long time anti racist friends and associates in the area to ensure that racist messages of hatred and division gain no further traction.