Category Archives: Far right racists

Johann Hari on the ‘March for Free Expression’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

johann hariJohann Hari offers his assessment of last Saturday’s protest. “Communists mingled awkwardly with fascists”, he tells us approvingly, though unlike Tatchell he does at least have the honesty to admit that fascists participated in the demonstration.

Hari complains that a member of the Worker Communist Party of Iran was arrested for provocatively brandishing “silly cartoons of the Mohammed that some fundamentalist Muslims have declared to be blasphemous”.

The cartoons in question were in fact the most explicitly racist of the series published by Jyllands-Posten: one of the Prophet with a bomb as a turban and another of a wild-eyed Prophet wielding a knife, with two terrified veiled women cowering behind him – the implication of course being that Muslims are terrorists and misogynists.

We look forward to Hari defending the right of anti-semites to parade round Trafalgar Square with a caricature of a hook-nosed Jew counting money. After all, we have to defend freedom of expression at all costs, don’t we?

Evening Standard, 31 March 2006

Fascists at ‘March for Free Expression’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

defenders of free expressionThose who question whether the far right was present at Saturday’s ‘March for Free Expression’ in Trafalgar Square are referred to the BNP’s report, which states that the rally was attended by “a delegation from Civil Liberty, the organisation established earlier this year to defend the rights of patriotic Britons…. Whereas there are scores of organisations, some of which are publicly funded, that defend ethnic minority groups in their usual divisive way by excluding the indigenous majority from taking advantage of their services, until recently there has not been one single organisation that was prepared to defend the hard won freedoms of the British majority…. About 40 CL supporters attended the protest rally and handed out literature which was well received by other defenders of our fundamental liberties.”

BNP news report, 27 March 2006

See also Civil Liberty news report, 27 March 2006

Cf. Peter Tatchell’s claim: “Contrary to the lies and scaremongering of the far left, there was no BNP presence at Saturday’s rally.” Or the assertion by Tatchell’s sidekick Brett Lock that fascists “were explicitly banned from the march”. Odd that. I don’t recall seeing stewards intervening to prevent “Civil Liberty” distributing its glossy literature at the demonstration.

For the LAGCAR statement that Tatchell and Lock polemicise against, see here.

BNP supports ‘March for Free Expression’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

“Freedom of expression has been in the news in recent weeks and attempts by both the State and extremist Islamicists to stifle freedom of expression have come under the spotlight in the wake of the Nick Griffin and Mark Collett trial in January and the recent furore over the publication of satirical cartoons featuring Mohammed. Freedom of expression has been in the news in recent weeks and attempts by both the State and extremist Islamicists to stifle freedom of expression have come under the spotlight in the wake of the Nick Griffin and Mark Collett trial in January and the recent furore over the publication of satirical cartoons featuring Mohammed.

“On Saturday in central London a wide range of political, religious and lobby groups will be taking part in a protest rally to affirm the importance of free expression in frank and honest debate, including the freedom to criticise and mock religions and faiths. The BNP, the only political party which champions free speech backs the protest and we have also been made aware that Civil Liberty supporters will be present to demonstrate against the encroaching intolerance of Marxism and militant Islamicists.”

BNP news article, 23 March 2006

To quote Nick Cohen’s boost for the “March for Free Expression” in last Sunday’s Observer: “Fortunately, the British National Party is nowhere to be seen and the rally will be filled with democratic leftists, Liberal Democrats, secularists and Iranian and Saudi Arabian dissidents.”

See also Salma Yaqoob’s post on the Guardian’s Comment is Free, 23 March 2006

Neo-Nazis threaten to massacre Muslims at World Cup

Posted on by Bob Pitt

The World Cup in Germany is set to become a battleground between facists and Muslims, an Italian member of a new European neo-Nazi movement warned. In a statement published by Italian daily Repubblica, the member of AS Roma’s notorious ultras hooligan group claims neo-Nazis across Europe met in Braunau in Austria to plan attacks against supporters from Islamic countries during the World Cup in Germany from June 9 to July 9.

“We are united. For the first time we are talking and planning together, with the English, the Germans, the Dutch, the Spanish, everyone with the same objective. At the World Cup there will be a massacre,” said the Italian ultra. “We will all be in Germany and there will be Turks, Algerians and Tunisians. The Turks, we can’t stand them. In our country (Italy) there are not many, but in Germany, there are many of those guys there. They are Islamic terrorists. We will attack them. They are all enemies that need to be eliminated….”

AFP, 21 March 2006

The far right, racists and the ‘March for Free Expression’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Over at the “March for Free Expression” website they’ve taken issue with this post on Islamophobia Watch, where we referred to the support given to their demonstration by the “Civil Liberty” campaign, which is a far-right front headed by a BNP organiser.

March for Free Expression blog, 17 March 2006

In fact, contrary to the assertion by “Voltaire”, our point was not that the MFE supports the far right, but rather that the far right supports the MFE.

And while we’re on the subject of the far right, one of the organisations listed as a supporter of the “March for Free Expression”, and who have a platform speaker at Saturday’s protest, is the “Libertarian Alliance”. This is an organisation that welcomed the acquittal of BNP führer Nick Griffin and his fascist sidekick at Leeds Crown Court and expressed concern that the acquittal was only “partial” (because the CPS intends to have the case re-tried).

Sean Gabb, director of the Libertarian Alliance, who will be speaking at Saturday’s rally, commented: “Doubtless, there are people who take offence at the expression of certain views on race and immigration. But free speech that does not include the right to give offence is not free speech. It is the political equivalent of decaffeinated coffee. If people are upset by what they read or hear, let them ignore it or argue against it. There is no place in these debates for the Thought Police.”

Libertarian Alliance press release, 3 February 2006

As can be seen, the Libertarian Alliance stands for the repeal of all legislation against racial hatred and discrimination, and proposes that “the Commission for Racial Equality and all similar organisations should be abolished, and their records burned”.

We also note that “various branches of UKIP” are listed among the sponsors of the MFE. UKIP’s manifesto declares that Britain is “bursting at the seams” due to an influx of foreigners, and one of its leaders, Nigel Farage, is reported to have stated: “We will never win the nigger vote. The nig-nogs will never vote for us.” See What Next? No.29.

Still, not to worry, we have Nick Cohen’s assurance that the protest will be “filled with democratic leftists, Liberal Democrats, secularists and Iranian and Saudi Arabian dissidents”.

Nick Cohen supports anti-Muslim demo

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Nick Cohen (surprise, surprise) throws his weight behind the “March for Free Expression”:

“Next Saturday at 2pm in Trafalgar Square, there will be a rally for freedom of expression. I think it’s fair to say that previous generations would be astonished that their descendants would have to take to the streets to demand such a basic right, but after the death threats against cartoonists, it seems we do. Fortunately, the British National Party is nowhere to be seen and the rally will be filled with democratic leftists, Liberal Democrats, secularists and Iranian and Saudi Arabian dissidents.

“With the white far right out of the picture, the brown far right has barged in and Islamic fundamentalists are proposing to hold demonstrations against free speech away from central London. So, if you want to protest on Saturday, you have a choice: for free speech or against? Come on, it’s not that hard a choice. All will be welcome in Trafalgar Square. Dress? Danish.”

Observer, 19 March 2006

Well, we’ll see how it turns out. I would expect the “Free Expression” event to attract a full complement of right-wingers and racists. But then, as we’ve pointed out before, it’s not that easy to distinguish them from “democratic leftists” of Cohen’s ilk.

As for the “brown far right”, this refers to the Muslim Action Committee, an umbrella organisation that includes Q News among its affiliates. You begin to wonder whether Cohen has finally lost his marbles.

Fascists support ‘March for Free Expression’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Islam is a blastThe “March for Free Expression” (which, as we have already noted, is essentially a march for the right to incite hatred against Muslims) is due to go ahead in Trafalgar Square on 25 March. Its website today features an attack on the Muslim Action Committee, a broad-based body involving Muslim organisations from Q News to Hizb ut-Tahrir which organised a mass protest over the Danish cartoons in London on 18 February.

The “March for Free Expression” organisers take particular exception to an Islamic Human Rights Commission press release which quotes Faiz Siddiqi of MAC condemning the “Free Expression” protest as “a provocation to 1.6 billion Muslims”. Faiz Siddiqi goes on to state that “The continued irresponsible actions of the BNP in distributing leaflets with the cartoons on across the country are also provoking anger throughout the Muslim community.”

The MFE statement complains: “We think the inclusion of a reference to the BNP in this press release is an attempt to associate this campaign with that political party which, as anyone who has looked at this site will know, is deeply dishonest.”

Oh yeah? Well how about this press release from the so-called “Civil Liberty” campaign, a fascist front organisation headed by the BNP’s North East organiser Kevin Scott? It states: “Civil Liberty are to attend the Support Free Speech Demo and rally in Trafalgar Square between 2:00pm and 4:00pm on Saturday March 25th 2006…. We ask all supporters to attend the rally.”

Backing from the extreme right is hardly accidental. One of the posters available for promoting the “March for Free Expression” is a version of the Danish flag, described as the “Heart for Freedom“, which plainly solidarises with the decision of Jyllands-Posten to publish racist anti-Muslim caricatures. And the MFE site advertises T-shirts carrying slogans such as “Get your fatwa out of my face. Support Denmark. Support free speech”, “Up yours, ‘religion of peace’!” and “Islam is a blast”.

The claim by the organisers that “This will be a march in favour of free expression, not a march against Muslims” can, I think, be treated with the derision it deserves.

Fascists launch election leaflet

Posted on by Bob Pitt

BNP council electionsThe British National Party have launched their leaflet for the May council elections. It reads:

“Terrorist atrocities in London, militant marches on our streets and ‘preachers’ calling for the deaths of normal British people simply because they don’t follow Islam. This is not some nightmare vision – but the reality of Islamic extremism in Britain today, yet our government do nothing but pander to these people.

“The BNP say enough is enough! We are the only people speaking out against the dangers of the Islamification of Britain. If you want to make Blair and Co hear you [sic] voice, vote BNP, and use this election as a referendum on Islam.”

BNP news article, 14 March 2006

‘Islamo-fascists threaten British freedom of speech’

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Thus the headline to the latest BNP news release. The fascists’ indignation is directed against the Muslim Action Committee’s statement, as reported in Eastern Eye, that they want legal action to be taken against the BNP over its latest anti-Muslim leaflet. The Eastern Eye report claims: “Under the government’s new race and religion law, the BNP can be prosecuted if its leaflets stir up hatred and pose a direct threat to Muslim people.”

Unfortunately, this is not true. The Racial and Religious Hatred Bill was wrecked by the “Lester amendment”, formulated by Lib Dem peer Lord Lester, which rejected the government’s proposal to illegalise material that has the effect of stirring up hatred against Muslims. For a successful prosecution, it would be necessary to prove that the BNP intended to incite hatred through their leaflet, and proof of subjective intent is notoriously difficult to establish. Nor does the law, as neutered by Lester and his friends, criminalise material that poses an objective threat to Muslims. Rather, it would be necessary for the prosecution to demonstrate that the words contained in the BNP pamphlet are themselves “threatening”. And the fascists have taken care to ensure that they are not.

Churches condemn far-right party

Posted on by Bob Pitt

Staffordshire’s church leaders have condemned the British National Party for distributing leaflets depicting a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad. A Diocese of Lichfield spokesman said the 5,000 leaflets also criticised plans for a mosque in Stoke-on-Trent. The BNP had offered the local council £100,000 for the land in Hanley which was earmarked for the Mosque, he added. The Bishop of Stafford said people should “stand against the evil trying to divide us”.

Church leaders from several faiths met at the proposed site for the mosque on Wednesday to offer prayers for peace and unity. In a statement they said: “It is wrong and irresponsible that this cartoon has been produced by the BNP with the intention of causing hurt to our Muslim brothers and sisters and to divide a community who are working hard to cement the existing good relations. Right-minded people will see through this blatant and desperate exploitation.”

BBC News, 3 March 2006