Al Quds speaker who blamed Grenfell on ‘Zionists’ won’t face prosecution by CPS

From Jewish News – not good news

An anti-Israel campaigner who claimed victims of the Grenfell Tower fire were “murdered by supporters of Zionist ideologies” will not face prosecution for hate speech.

Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) speaker Nazim Ali will not face action by the Crown Prosecution Service, after he was reported to the police for comments made at the June demonstration.

Ali appeared to blame the Grenfell Tower tragedy in which 71 were killed, on Israel supporters, telling the 1,000 crowd at Grosvenor Square: “Many innocents were murdered by Theresa May’s cronies – many of which are supporters of Zionist ideologies…Some of the biggest corporations who are supporting the Conservative Party are Zionists. They are responsible for the murder in Grenfell. The Zionist supporters of the Tory Party.”

A CPS spokesperson said they “received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police in relation to the actions of an individual at a demonstration on 18 June 2017.

We considered whether offences of inciting racial or religious hatred or a public order offence had been committed, in line with the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

“We concluded that the evidential test in the Code was not met and therefore no charges have been authorised.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism has now started a private prosecution against Nazim Ali, accusing him of  using “threatening or abusive words or behaviour, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby.”

They claim he blamed the Grenfell tragedy on Zionists, and also that he warned marchers to be  “careful of those Rabbis who belong to the Board of Deputies, who have got blood on their hands, who agree with the killing of British soldiers. Do not allow them in your centres.”

CAA add, that they have also made a complaint about the IHRC leader, who is a pharmacist, to the General Pharmaceutical Council, and about the charity, to the Charity Commission.