British right-wing extremist Tommy Robinson has been ordered to pay damages of £100,000 ($136,552) after branding a Syrian-born schoolboy a violent gang member who had attacked local girls.
Teenager Jamal Hijazi sued the founder of the far-right English Defence League after he claimed that the pupil was “not innocent” when a video went viral showing the boy being attacked at his school in northern England in October 2018.
Anti-Muslim advocate Mr Robinson claimed in Facebook posts seen by nearly a million people that Jamal had threatened to stab another boy and was responsible for other violent acts, including beating a girl “black and blue”. Robinson lost the libel battle on Thursday.
The boy’s lawyers said that the comments from Mr Robinson had a devastating effect on the schoolboy and his family who came to the UK as refugees from Homs, Syria.
The boy received death threats and “extremist agitation”, the boy’s lawyers claimed in court, and they asked for damages of up to £190,000.
There is no imminent prospect of the boy securing any of the damages, plus costs, after Mr Robinson — once the charismatic figurehead of the far right who raised money from supporters online — declared himself bankrupt.
“I’m gobsmacked by the whole costs thing,” he told the court via video link. “I haven’t got any money, I’m bankrupt.
“I have been struggling hugely with my own issues this last 12 months so I don’t know what the relevance of any of their costs are, to be honest, or the compensation, because I ain’t got it.”
Mr Justice Nicklin also ordered an injunction preventing Mr Robinson from repeating allegations that the boy committed acts of violence at his school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, including attacking a pupil with a hockey stick.
The injunction was ordered after Mr Robinson told a hearing on Thursday that he had made a film commissioned by an American network about the saga. He had claimed at a previous four-day hearing in April that his comments were “substantially true”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
RESULTS
6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
6.35pm: Race of Future – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (Turf) 2,410m
Winner: Global Storm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Azure Coast, Antonio Fresu, Pavel Vashchenko
7.45pm: Business Bay Challenge – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Storm Damage, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
20.20pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed (TB) $100,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Appreciated, Fernando Jara, Doug O’Neill
8.55pm: Singspiel Stakes – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O'Meara
9.30pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Meraas, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
