Exclusive Interview with Renee Aldrich of US Defense League

arlier this week the leader of the United States Defense League Renee Aldrich (above left, with co-founder Carrie Aldrich) kindly agreed to an interview with British Freedom’s George Whale.

Below is the full text of the interview.

ORGANISATION

George Whale: Renee, thanks for agreeing to speak to British Freedom. Can I ask first, when and why was the United States Defense League (USDL) formed, and who were the people involved?

Renee Aldrich: The USDL was formed in February of this year. We are seeing such a strong presence of Islam daily. We are seeing more cases of Sharia challenging our State/ Federal laws. We are seeing that states have to try to pass bills to keep foreign law (Islamic Law) out of our courtrooms.

There were several of us who saw the need to have a structured organization similar to the EDL [English Defence League]: myself, Carrie Aldrich, Linda Conn and another member, who due to health issues withdrew. We knew that due to the size of the US it will take some time, but so far I feel like we have been very successful and blessed. The EDL has had astounding success in bringing to light the Muslim presence in the U.K. and we pray the USDL will have the same success.

What’s your own background?

I began studying Islam when America was horrifically attacked on 9/11. The way that day brought the American people to their knees will never be forgotten. Until that point, I had no knowledge of Islam and the threat that it posed on America and our freedoms.

Is USDL connected to the American Defense League (ADL)?

No. At this time, the USDL is not affiliated with the ADL. We do however have great respect for the ADL. They have been around for many years and are a wonderful organization very focused on information gathering and getting the word out via keyboard warriors, which is also an extremely important part of the movement.

To what extent is USDL influenced by the English Defence League? Do Americans know about the EDL?

Only to the extent of their insights on where they went wrong in the early stages, and their sharing their vast knowledge of life with Muslims on every corner. The USDL has respect for the EDL, values their input and admires Tommy and Kev [Stephen Lennon and Kevin Carroll of the EDL and British Freedom] for their hard work for the counter-jihad cause. Americans as a whole do not know about the EDL, only those in the counter-Jihad movement. However little by little, as the Muslim populations grow here, those who are outraged at what is happening will then learn of the EDL and will see the USDL on the streets educating all on the potential dangers of this ideology.

What are USDL’s main concerns?

Our main goal is educating the American public on Islam. Our State Division Leaders are active in their communities educating and bringing public awareness on halal food, women’s treatment under Sharia, Sharia in our courtrooms and other aspects of Sharia Law.

How are you organised, locally and nationally? Do you have a formal membership system?

We are/ will be organized on state levels. Taking our time to set up our organization will result in a much stronger force in the end.

Do you have any local groups yet? In which states and cities do you expect to gain most support?

We have the following state divisions set up at this time: Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Southern California, Minnesota, Virginia and Washington DC. We plan on expanding to the remaining states and splitting up the larger states in the near future. I believe that we will see a lot more growth in all divisions after the Presidential Elections in November. Most Americans’ main focus at this point is on the elections. (...)