The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has contributed to Rebel Media. EPA.
The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has contributed to Rebel Media. EPA.
The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has contributed to Rebel Media. EPA.
The far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson has contributed to Rebel Media. EPA.

Anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson denied US visa


Claire Corkery
  • English
  • Arabic

British far-right activist Tommy Robinson has failed to get a United States visa in time for a fundraising tour of the country.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had been due to meet Republican congressmen in Washington as well as the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum (MEF).

British politicians said that the former leader of the anti-Muslim English Defence League could make up to £1 million (Dh4.7m) through speaking appearances.

Robinson was jailed in the UK in 2013 for using someone else’s passport to travel to the US. He has also served time in prison for assault and mortgage fraud and has been convicted of drug offences.

The 35-year-old is currently on bail after being charged with contempt of court by British authorities earlier this year in a highly publicised case which gained him supporters in US far-right circles.

MEF president David Pipes, who invited Robinson to the US, said it would “take a while” for the campaigner to obtain a visa.

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Read more:

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Anti-Muslim activist Tommy Robinson freed from prison on bail

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Robinson will still appear via video link at a panel discussion hosted by the MEF on Wednesday with former editor-in-chief for Breitbart London Raheem Kassam, Canadian activist Ezra Levant and Anne Marie Waters, leader of the far-right For Britain party.

The topic of discussion is "de-platforming". Paypal recently blocked Robinson from using their service. Robinson said the reason for his ban was because he did not fit within the company's user guidelines but that followers could "support" him using Bitcoin instead.

An ex-assistant for Robinson said he had received up to £2m in donations since he was jailed and his appeal case this year.

The father-of-three also has plans to visit Australia next month as part of a five-city speaking tour. Tickets for the event, in which Robinson is joined by Vice co-founder Gavin McInnes, are priced up to $995.

Last week, dozens of British politicians signed a joint letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to urge him not to allow Robinson into the country.

The MPs said Robinson was using the trip to “promote his violent and extremist agenda” and would use any funds garnered to “disruptive demonstrations in communities in the UK”.

The State Department said it did not discuss individual visa cases in accordance with US law.

“Applications are refused if an applicant is found ineligible under the Immigration and Nationality Act or other provisions of US law,” a spokesman said.

It is likely Robinson would have found obtaining a visa problematic given his previous criminal convictions.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

Votes

Total votes: 1.8 million

Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes

Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes 

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THE BIO:

Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.

Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.

Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.

Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.

While you're here
TEAMS

US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*

International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day 
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*

denotes captain's picks

 

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)

Nancy Ajram

(In2Musica)

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Floward%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulaziz%20Al%20Loughani%20and%20Mohamed%20Al%20Arifi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EE-commerce%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbout%20%24200%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAljazira%20Capital%2C%20Rainwater%20Partners%2C%20STV%20and%20Impact46%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C200%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Simran

Director Hansal Mehta

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey

Three stars