Farooq Siddique: A Muslim in Bristol

Last week, the Daily Star published "exclusive" photographs of the English Defence League burning a Nazi swastika, in an effort to show that the EDL were not racist or fascist.

In its apparent new role as a PR agent for the EDL, the paper went on to attack Prime Minister Gordon Brown for "letting the nation become so bitterly divided".

Now, I have heard ridiculously distorted or exaggerated assessments of many things by certain sections of the media, but this one takes the biscuit. Or do I have the wrong picture of the EDL? Despite the recent scenes at EDL demos, let me take a fresh look.

The EDL plans, shall we say "a party" outside a mosque. Muslims, anti-fascists, anti-racists and many others, join hands to prepare a huge welcome party. Inevitably, the EDL complains that the welcome party is too big. Now, ordinarily, the two sides would be allowed to meet, hug, shake hands and exchange gifts.

Of course, being heavily outnumbered, the EDL would be hugged quite a lot. So, understandably, the police are on hand, in large numbers, to ensure no hugging takes place!

Nevertheless, being hospitable, the welcome party insists on offering their EDL "guests" some refreshments. But, sadly, because the police insist on protecting the EDL from being over-hugged, the prepared refreshments have to be lobbed over the police cordon.

This is a futile exercise; firstly, flying through the air, the bottles are usually empty of any drink by the time they arrive with the "guests". Secondly, the EDL are football fans not cricket fans, an important distinction since catching is not their forte. Instead the EDL instinctively revert to their default position: "on me 'ead son".

These images then, although meant to be of joy-filled revelry, are misconstrued around the UK as community tensions – which is the last the thing the poor EDL wanted – 10 football fans with no catching skills, wretched things, are portrayed as a symptom that our nation is "bitterly divided".

Nationwide, the EDL is made up of about 40 people (many ex-football hooligans – but frankly it doesn't matter who they are, it's what they do).

At any one time, only about 10 of them actually manage to cobble together enough brain cells (and the ability to use a sat-nav) to make their way to a planned demo outside a mosque, usually coinciding with Islamic prayer times. They stand outside hurling abuse at Muslims, their beliefs and their way of life. Designed to provoke a reaction, they get it. They then get the media coverage they so crave, like other extremists, to espouse their views.

At one of their recent demos, one EDL supporter was pictured wearing an "EDL Bristol Division" T-shirt. I expect that one individual is the whole of the Bristol Division. (A tip for EDL's new PR agents; don't use the word "division" alongside "EDL", after all, isn't the EDL about good community relations?)

The EDL is apparently planning a demo in Bristol, too. They have already contacted the UK Chapter of the Jewish Defence League (based here in Bristol), inviting them to form an alliance with the EDL.

The response from the Jewish Defence League was unequivocal: not only were they "disgusted" and "revolted" to receive the request; they made it clear to the EDL that they would "stand proudly with Muslims, our fellow children of Abraham, in the fight against Muslim hatred, in defence of their mosques, family & faith".

Hmm, perhaps the EDL is bringing communities together after all – united in chasing them out of town!