Stakes raised in charity challenge

In an article published elsewhere on this website on 4th March, 2022 (read more here), the gauntlet was thrown down to a self-styled political activist, who has blighted the East Lancashire mill town of Oldham, for over three years, with his own brand of persistent, mendacious lies and divisive hatred.  

As the aforementioned article sets out, that ‘activist’, Raja Miah, was challenged to an open, public debate with one of his longest running and fiercest critics, Tahir Mushtaq, a local and popular community champion. Tahir’s younger brother, Cllr Shaid Mushtaq, is a Cabinet Member with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council. Their family, amongst many others, has been frequently attacked by Miah and his cronies, whom, quite aptly, describe themselves as The Rabble. Their hero is, of course, currently on court bail and awaiting trial at Manchester Magistrates’ Court later in the year (read more here).

An anonymous businessman pledged to make up any shortfall if the revenue, less expenses, did not reach £1,000 and donate that sum to charity. The chosen beneficiaries were Ukrainian refugees. Now another incredibly generous local man, who again wishes to remain anonymous, has come forward to offer a £1,000 donation to Oldham Food Bank if the Miah v Mushtaq event goes ahead. 

So far, Raja Miah, has not responded to the challenge, one that has been made many times previously by his nemesis, Tahir Mushtaq. It also appears that Miah has whipped The Rabble not to mention it anywhere on social media, either. Anticipating, no doubt, complete humiliation for their man as he is pressed for evidence to back up his many outrageous, and palpably false, claims.

But with £2,000 now at stake for local charities, and likely more to come, the pressure building on him is inexorable. Not least, because he ends every post on his discredited, frequently banned Recusant Nine Facebook page with the strap-line, ‘Do Not Fear Them, Do Not Fear Any Of Them’. The same message opens every podcast he makes from the same platform. It’s long overdue for that to be put to a fair test: Does he fear exposure, as a liar and a fraud, by Tahir Mushtaq, or not?

Any further donations will be steered towards The Maggie Oliver Foundation which does such sterling work with victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the area. Miah has relentlessly, and cynically, exploited CSE, since 2019, as a means to pursue a vendetta against Jim McMahon MP and other Labour politicians associated with him (read more here).

Page last updated at 1115hrs on Friday 11th March, 2022

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