“Muslims must combat hate speech”: Why…?

It is sometimes far more interesting to read the comments posted in response to articles on the Guardian’s, Comment is Free than it is reading the articles themselves. This is not to say that the articles are poor, but rarely do they pose really challenging questions. Instead, they typically say what might be expected and ‘fit’ the generic message of particular writer (as indeed this blog does of me).

This is true of Inayat Bunglawala’s latest post on Comment is Free, ‘Muslims Must Combat Hate Speech’. Well written? Yes. Challenging? Not really.

In fact after every ‘Muslim’ incident since 9/11, one or more Muslim organisation, spokesman (rather than spokeswoman), scholar and/ or commentator has written something similar, stressing the need for ‘true’ scholars to preach ‘true’ Islam. Indeed, many have themselves reinforced the notion that only ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Muslims exist – and never the twain shall meet.

In response to Inayat’s article – which draws a little to heavily on the opinion of his ‘friends’ for my liking – 1830 responded:

The idea that Muslim associations should be praised for dissociating themselves from the actions of the lunatic at Fort Worth is utter nonsense. Its what any decent, rational person would do.

This dissociation in itself no more deserves praise than the man who never beats women deserves praise for never beating women, or footballers deserve praise for not cheating. Not beating women and not cheating are (or should be) the norm – we do not praise people for not doing them any more than we praise people for not robbing banks.

And they have a point don’t they…???

“I detest the niqab and the BNP: what does that make me?”

For anyone who has read the post by Gary Younge on Comment is Free entitled, ‘When you watch the BNP on TV, just remember: Jack Straw started all this’, many I’m sure will conclude that he makes some good points. Not least when he notes that:

…there is little doubt that once the BNP is on Question Time, Jack Straw – or indeed anyone in the New Labour hierarchy – is in no position to take the fight to it. The same is true for most of the rest of the British political establishment that will be represented on the panel – they have either actively colluded or passively acquiesced in the political trajectory of the past decade.

But it is no accident that this happened on New Labour’s watch and no small irony that Jack Straw should set himself up as Griffin’s opponent.

In fact I couldn’t agree more. Why put up against the BNP’s Nick Griffin the very man that started the whole niqab furore a few years ago?

Vote BNP: the Bimbo National Party

Thanks to former student of mine Adam Smith who forwarded this article onto me. Given the BNP’s recent success in the European Elections, it’s good to see that Vice Magazine*** has run a feature on the new breed of BNP voter.

Focusing on the views of Rebecca (23), Jo (19) and Helen (19), we find out in the article that most would prefer to send Tinchy Stryder ‘back home’ than Dizzee Rascal:

Dizzee Rascal. I know this is gonna sound horrible, because he’s the one who’s the most, like… because, my problem is that when immigrants come over to this country, they try and bring in their own churches and languages. And I think he expresses himself more as like an African or whatever he is, whereas Tinchy Stryder is more American. That’s the difference.

“Told You So…”: BNP gain 2 MEPs in North-West & North-East

“The British National Party have played on people’s fears …and we’ll have to work to tackle the fear that lead to people to vote BNP”
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Harriet Harman,

“All politicians should be asking themselves ‘how did we allow this to happen?’”
Shadow Defence Secretary of the Conservative Party, Liam Fox

Too little, too late as ever.

And isn’t this why people – ordinary people – have voted for the BNP?

Isn’t it because the mainstream parties have disconnected from the very people that were put in power to serve?

A tragedy and a farce.

You cannot blame the BNP and you cannot blame the people that voted for them. Blame instead the politicians that repeatedly dismissed the BNP with nonchalent arrogance and ignored the people that needed help and support and who ultimately felt that had no other choice.

Sleepwalking to Success: indicators suggest percentage gains for BNP

Early indicators are suggesting that the BNP have made massive gains in terms of percentage votes.

Whilst these percentages are taken from the local council elections that have been declared so far, anecdotal evidence suggests that even greater numbers have voted for them in the European elections.

Given that the Euro elections are held on a proportional representation system – as per the Greater London Assembly where the BNP gained a seat with less than 7% of the votes just last year – similar percentages would see them gain a significant number of MEPs.