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Posts Tagged ‘featured’

There is nothing British about racial segregation

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Poster

The BNP’s constitutionally entrenched committment to racial segregation is both un-British and unpatriotic.

Despite Nick Griffin claiming the BNP is no longer racist because it has changed its membership policy to accept non-whites, the newly amended constitution contradicts him by openly promoting racial separatism, stating the BNP is:

“… implacably opposed to the promotion by any means of any form of integration or assimilation of any indigenous people, including the Indigenous British”

Britain has never been a country defined by ethnicity, but by an idea and the common bond of our institutions. We are, and always have been, a union of different peoples and races, united under the rule of law and a democratic parliament. Throughout the centuries peoples from all corners of the world have fought to preserve British ideals of freedom and tolerance.

Apartheid, racial segregation and preferencial treatment for certain ethnic groups, was a foreign means of state rule famously enforced in South Africa between 1948-94. Throughout its years fifty years of rule a majority of Britons were understandably horrified by the injustice and indignity imposed on the Black majority by their white minority masters.

Segregatiom’s harsh ideological core, racial supremacism, anti-personal freedom and lack of human compassion, is inimical to Britain’s gentle liberal democratic values. Victorian Liberal thinkers such as John Stuart Mill were great advocates for non-whites to enjoy the benefits of liberal democracy. In his Considerations on Representative Government Mill says that England was “incomparably the most conscientous of all nations … which of all in existence best understands liberty.”

But Nick Griffin justifies his racial segregation beliefs by claiming he is defending the ”identity of Britain and the British people” and fighting the “liberal elite’s master race theory”. In a March 2009, Griffin said:

“… you only have to turn on the BBC, you only have to look at your kids, your grandchildren, your nephews and nieces are taught in schools and you will see indeed that there is indeed a new master race theory. The master race of the liberal elite is a coffee coloured, mongrelized rootless proletariat and you cannot even turn the television on without seeing it … we are the people whom the head of the BBC referred to as being “hideously white” … we are the new sub-humans … we are the new Jews.”

British patriots are not fooled by Nick Griffin’s Trojan Horse attempts to defend his racial hygiene theories by pretending he is a champion of diversity and sticking up for “indigenous rights”. Voters are understandably horrified by Griffins absurd effort to draw an equivalence between government policy failures on social cohesion and the Nazis’ organized mass extermination of millions of European Jews.

True patriots see that it is the BNP who are the real enemies of British identity as they recognise there is nothing British about Griffin’s inverted multiculturalism, which seeks to compartmentalize, eradicate individual identity and segregate people along racial lines. Ture patriots prefer, instead, to admire compassion, tolerance and fair-play.

Maurice Cousins

“UK government should intervene in free press”, says EU equalities quango

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

ECRI

In its fourth annual report into racism and intolerance, EU anti-racism quango the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) states that there have been “positive steps in fighting discrimination” in the UK, but argues for greater intervention in the media.

The ECRI says it is encouraged by measures taken by the UK government, including:

  • 1. The strengthening legal framework for combating racism and discrimination.
  • 2. New criminal provisions on the prohibition of religious hatred have been enacted and police forces now apply a uniform definition of racist incidents.
  • 3. Continuing improvement in educational attainment among black and minority ethnic pupils and the narrowing gap between minority ethnic groups.

The report also - worryingly – salutes the introduction of Harriet Harman’s barmy Equality Bill, which has been condemned by the Pope and right across the political spectrum.

The ECRI acknowledges that although positive steps in fighting discrimination have taken place, racist violence is -sadly – on the rise and is a “cause for concern” for the Commission. The report stresses that the UK government makes more effort to “prevent such violence from occurring at all”.

Disappointingly, the report is an out of date textbook in how to look at racism in modern Britain. For example it blames the tabloid media for “regularly” presenting immigrants and minorities in a “negative light”. This ignores why support for political extremism is on the rise relying on muddled and lazy criticisms of the tabloid press instead.

Of particular concern is one of the ECRI’s recommendations for combating this popular perception: calling for greater Government interference in the free press.

The ECRI “strongly” calls for the Government to “continue and intensify their efforts to impress” on the media that reporting does not “contribute to creating an atmosphere of hostility and rejection” towards ethnic minorities. It then urges the Government to be “proactive” in countering such an atmosphere.

Unless Europe’s elite recognises the legitimate concerns of EU working class voters, who are victims of policy failures stemming from globalisation, noble efforts against racism and intolerance will be utterly meaningless.

Maurice Cousins

There is nothing British about breaking the law

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

The BNP is selective when complying with the law

The BNP says it is a democratic party of law and order, but many of its leaders have convictions for serious offences.

Britain takes great pride in being a country that observes law and order. Britons are among the most law abiding citizens in the world.

But when it comes to complying with the law the BNP is very selective.

Examples of the BNP non-compliance with law and order:

  • 1. When it came to the Race Relations Act it only complied with the law when it was threatened with a possible court injunction over its whites-only membership policy by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
  • 2. The BNP adopts a selective attitude towards freedom of the press – which is protected under British law. This was graphically displayed by the attempted nose ripping of Dominic Kennedy from The Times.

Though the BNP adopts a tough stance on law and order, many prominent leaders, members and supporters have convictions for public order, race relations and even terror charges.

Examples of BNP offences:

1. Nick Griffin MEP – In 1998 the Griffin was convicted for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust. He was convicted and received a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was fined £2,300. Griffin claims that the law under which he was convicted “is an unjust law and he therefore has no obligation to follow it”.

2. Andrew Brons MEP – In June 1984, Brons was convicted by Leeds magistrates of using insulting words and behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace. The court was told that when PC John Raj, the area’s community constable, who was of Malaysian origin, told the group to disperse, Brons, then 37, responded: “I am aware of my legal rights. Inferior beings like yourself probably do not appreciate the principle of free speech.” Brons denied the allegations at the time and continues to deny them, describing them as “absurd”. His challenge to Raj’s evidence was not, however, accepted at his subsequent appeal at Leeds crown court.

3. Martin Wingfield – In November 1985 the former editor of the BNP newspaper Voice of Freedom and current constituency manager for Nick Griffin received a 90-day sentence for failing to pay a fine imposed earlier that year for two offences under the race relations laws. He was convicted for inciting racial hatred in election literature distributed by the National Front in 1983.

4. Terence Gavan – The former BNP “Gold Member” was sentenced to a total of 11 years imprisonment under the Terrorism Act 2000 after pleading guilty to 22 charges involving explosives, firearms and terrorism offences. Gavan had 54 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) some of which contained ball bearings and nails, together with 12 firearms, 10 of which he had made or modified himself.

5. Roberto Fiore – In 1981 Fiore, a close friend of Nick Griffin for over 30 years, was arrested by Scotland Yard officers and brought before Bow Street court in relation to the bombing of Bologna train station, which killed 85 (including two Britons). In 1985 he was sentenced by an Italian court to 10 years in prison in absentia for being a member of the political wing of the ARN. He was convicted for conspiring to carry out an armed attack. Fiore’s sentence was eventually reduced to five-and-a-half on appeal. During the trial Fiore was cleared of involvement in the bombing, but was convicted of subversive association.

If the BNP want to present themselves as a modern democratic party, then they need to start playing by the rules.

There is nothing British about spreading division in the Armed Forces

Monday, March 1st, 2010
Jabron

Jabron Hashmi who was killed in Afghanistan in 2006

The BNP claims to be the only party to support British troops, but its barmy policies on non-white soldiers and the disrespectful language used by some party officials towards our troops is a disgrace.

The BNP’s recruitment policy is to have an all white (what it terms it as ”the right to remain British”) British Army. It states there should be a top limit on the number of “non-British” soldiers in forces. This policy - which amounts to a cut over a period of time - is not only highly irresponsible, particularly during a time when the Falklands crisis is heating up and British forces are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, but also ignores the massive contribution non-white Armed Service personnel have made historically and still make today.

(In October 2009 Nothing British was consulted by Britain’s most senior Generals. They condemned the BNP’s policy and said it would damage the frontline operational capacity of the Armed Forces - putting British civilian lives at risk.)

Today’s British military has a total of 11,300 ethnic minorities serving as regular forces. Men and women from Africa, Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Caribbean have all willingly served on the front line, as soldiers, pilots and seamen throughout Britain’s  history. Ethnic minorities play a vital role in every aspect of the Armed Forces and are taking increasingly senior positions. They are risking their lives every day in Afghanistan as they bravely battle against the enemies of Britain.

The BNP dismisses claims that it is racist towards “non-British” soldiers, but party officials have used racially charged and disrespectful language towards some of Britain’s bravest and most celebrated non-white veterans.

Recent examples used by the BNP and its supporters towards non-white service personnel:

  • 1. May 2009 – The party dismissed the exceptional bravery of Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC as “routine”. They suggested he was awarded the VC because of “politicial correctness”. They contemptuously called L/Cpl. Beharry, who lives in London but was born in Grenada, an “immigrant”.
  • 2. May 2009 – Nick Griffin showed a lack of regard towards the Gurkhas when he labelled them as “mercenaries” during a BBC Radio Five Live interview. He also said he didn’t think Britain can “realistically” say “Look you can all come and all your relatives”.
  • 3. August 2009 – Andrew Brons MEP referred to the former soldier and Olympic gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes as “non-British”.
  • 4. October 2009 – BNP supporter and blogger The Green Arrow, which is run by Paul Morris, condemned the contribution made by Muslim soldiers.

British voters are not only horrified by these un-patriotic examples, but also know that without the daily sacrifice of non-white servicemen and women, more British lives would be put at risk and we would not enjoy our freedom.

The British Army relies on teamwork and our servicemen standing together, the complete opposite of the BNP’s ideology of sectarianism and division.

Maurice Cousins

For more information on the BNP and the Armed Forces please read our Stolen Valour report

The BNP’s uneasy relationship with free speech

Monday, February 15th, 2010
Times reporter Dominic Kennedy is evicted from the BNP meeting in Hornchurch

Times reporter Dominic Kennedy is evicted from the BNP meeting in Hornchurch

Yesterday’s expulsion of Times Reporter Dominic Kennedy is just the latest in a long series of actions that shows the BNP’s uneasy relationship with freedom of speech.

The BNP claims that it is a democratic party and committed to the political process. One of its favourite narratives is to cry that “the Establishment” is anti-democratic. It likes its followers to believe it is a band of lonely patriots resisting oppression. When it is refused (wrongly in our view) a platform, its members protest as “victims” at student rallies. Anyone who disagrees with this narrative is dismissed as a “liar”.

Adam Walker at Durham

BNP "victims" Adam and Mark Walker protesting at Durham Uni.

Unfortunately for the BNP, actions speak louder than words.

By way of an example, on a number of occasions over the last year we have contacted the BNP to encourage them to be more open and accountable by allowing us to subject them to the same level of scrutiny as any normal party.

We have asked for spectator passes to their events, a common practice at mainstream party events. We have telephoned their Press Office for comments or to confirm facts before we put up articles on our site. Needless to say, on all of these occaisions they have refused to cooperate.

A few examples of BNP non-cooperation:

  • 1. Won’t allow observers at its events - we wrote a letter to Wendy Russell, BNP chief organiser for Red, White and Blue festival, and Lee Barnes, BNP Legal Director, for an observers pass. We have received no reply  (30th July 2009)
  • 2. Won’t debate us - the BNP refused to take part in a debate with Nothing British on Sky News because it said we were “un-democratic”. (20th October 2009)
  • 3. Won’t talk to us – the BNP wouldn’t cooperate with us in our enquiries into its attempts to hijack the Armed Forces telling one of our freelance researchers to “f*** off!”. You can listen to our recording of the conversation here. (5th February 2010)
Last week, our Policy Focus series looked at how it is Griffin’s policy for a future BNP administration to censor television, bully the press and indoctrinate our children. Nothing shows more clearly their priorities than their current actions.
Democracy is a two way process. The BNP is always complaining they are ignored by mainstream journalism. If they want to be treated differently they should start being more open and transparent, and stop banning observers,  swearing down the phone and forcefully ejecting journalists out onto the street.

Maurice Cousins and Jonathan Dupont

Help stop the BNP from shamelessly exploiting injured British soldiers

Friday, February 12th, 2010

 
Sample letter
Help us to stop the BNP from shamelessly exploiting badly injured soldiers
 
Last Friday we received an email from the BNP purporting to be from an ordinary member of the public. It asked for people to send in birthday cards to a BNP collection centre in the West Midlands so that they can be delivered to Fusilier Tom James, a badly injured Afghanistan veteran.
 
Our concern has been that the BNP will attempt to use these birthday cards for political advantage. (Please read our campaign Advisory Notice here explaining our evidence).

Last October we organised a campaign which highlighted the BNP’s distasteful attempts to exploit veterans, supported by Generals Sir Richard Dannatt, Sir Mike Jackson, Lord Guthrie and Major-General Patrick Cordingley. The campaign was also supported by brave veterans such as Andy McNab, Simon Weston and Iraq War commander Colonel Tim Collins.

The lack of transparency on the BNP’s part for this particular campaign is shameful. According to the owner of the picture, Picture It Now, Simon Bennett did not obtain a valid licence to use this picture in this email.  In short this nothing more than obtaining good will by deception.

The BNP’s “Fusilier Tom James campaign” has been slammed by members of the veterans community and those who are closely associated with the military.

Major General Patrick Cordingley attacked the BNP’s lack of transparency. He told Nothing British:

“It is just so regrettable that they are being anything less than transparent.”

 
Simon Darby has already said on his blog that the British National Party intends to use our veterans and the military throughout its election campaign as party political propaganda. But the purpose of this is not to stop the BNP from shamelessly exploiting our veterans, but to remind the public that a party mired in corruption, violence, criminality and un-British behaviour are using shadowy tactics to exploit the heroism of those who are prepared to die for this country.
As very senior former member of the Armed Forces told Nothing British this week, “One of the number one rules in the British forces is that you don’t exploits our boys and girls in the forces.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
Simon Weston, a former veteran of the Falklands War, has said that he “deplored the subterfuge and underhand politics” of the email and the BNP. Mr Weston said that he had no problem with people wanting to send birthday cards to veterans so long as they were “open and honest” but he said it should not be used as a “political ploy”, as with this campaign. He then added that these sorts of shadowy tactics and the BNP’s attempts to play on the “insecurities of ordinary people” was “anti-British”.

Adam Holloway MP, a former Grenadier Guardsman and member of the Defence Select Committee, exclusively told
Nothing British:
“I was with a British Asian Paratroop Regiment mate of mine who has served in Afghanistan and has won loads of medals for this country. A few weeks ago he met some supporters from the BNP in a pub and asked them what have they ever done for this country. They couldn’t answer him. To me that says it all.”
Liam Fox MP, Conservative Shadow Defence, told NB:
This is a shameless and disgraceful exploitation of our injured service personnel to promote what is a hateful political organisation.”
Veterans Scotland, an organisation that represents all the veterans charities in Scotland, told us they were sending out our memo to all veterans charities in Scotland. COBSEO, the umbrella  organisation for UK veterans charities, have also been informed.

Background

Simon Darby has said on his blog that the British National Party intends to use our veterans and the military throughout its election campaign as party political propaganda. But the purpose of this is not to stop the BNP from shamelessly exploiting our veterans, but to remind the public that a party mired in corruption, violence, criminality and un-British behaviour are using shadowy tactics to exploit the heroism of those who are prepared to die for this country.

As very senior former member of the Armed Forces told Nothing British this week, “One of the number one rules in the British forces is that you don’t exploits our boys and girls in the forces.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

Stolen Valour

Growing anger at BNP exploiting veterans

Monday, February 8th, 2010

There’s a growing backlash against the British National Party’s attempts to hijack the military and the honour of Britain’s Armed Forces in the run up to the 2010 General Election.

Saturday’s The Sun reported our story about the BNP’s attempts to exploit the image of Fusilier Tom James, who has suffered terrible injuries in Afghanistan.

Despite the campaign claiming it is not political, it has been set up by Simon Bennett, the BNP’s web master, and is supported by the BNP’s reactionary Defence spokesman, Peter Mullins.

The News of the World carried a snippet on the failure of the BNP’s ”Bring them Home” campaign saying it has  ”gone down badly with troops – where soldiers of diverse ethnic background serve alongside each other like brothers.” It goes on to say:

“… they just want people back home to support them. They are also angry after the racist BNP criticised Grenada-born VC hero Johnson Beharry, who saved the lives of 30 comrades.”

The People also featured a story about Jessica Deans, the fiancé of Liam Elms, a former marine killed on New Years Eve in 2008.

Jessica, a 22-year-old nurse, said: “I find it an outrage that an image of Liam’s coffin on the day of his funeral is being used as propaganda for the BNP’s personal gain.”

And Liam’s father Michael, 51, said: “We haven’t give our permission for them to use any coverage of Liam’s funeral on this video. It’s out of order that the picture has been put in the public domain and for the BNP to use it for political gain is not on. It feels like an easy way for the BNP to get people involved in their party and to make money.”

Griffin and Darby claim they have the support of Britain’s Armed Forces and believe that by cloaking themselves in the honour of our brave soldiers and veterans it will help to de-toxify their brand. However, ever since our Stolen Valour campaign the British electorate have publicly stated they don’t appreciate their Armed Forces being crudely politicised.

Griffin & co should cease and desist.

Maurice Cousins

For more information on the BNP’s attempts to hijack the Armed Forces  please read our Stolen Valour report. Also see our information note “Flying the white flag: How the BNP’s policies would make Britain less safe”.

Beware – there’s nothing British about exploiting our Armed Services

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

BNP email

Another tasteless attempt by the BNP to exploit the warm feelings the British public has towards our Armed Forces arrived in my in-box.

This innocent-looking email purports to be a disinterested appeal for support for a wounded British soldier. But, beware.

  • It claims to be a personal plea but it is not signed.
  • It claims to be non-political, but the web-version of the email is on the BNP website and the return address is the BNP HQ.
  • It claims to be on behalf of Fusilier Tom James, but he is not quoted, nor is anyone related to him.

It smacks of the BNP. Their clumsy attempts to associate themselves with the heroism of Britain’s armed forces are deeply resented by our soldiers who fight for the British values Nick Griffin seeks to destroy: fairness, tolerance and looking out for the little guy.

Give it a rest, Nick.

Durham Uni debate called off – a sad day for freedom of expression –

Friday, February 5th, 2010

100px-Durham_shieldIntimidation has led the Durham Union Society to call off the debate between BNP northern double-act, Andrew Brons MEP and Cllr Chris Beverley, and the Conservatives’ unlikely pairing of Edward Leigh MP and Kulveer Ranger.

After extensive consultations with the Police on the issue of public safety, university authorities were cowered by the threat of clashes outside the university venue. The National Union of Students promised bus loads of members would be sent to Durham to close down the event, according to the DUS press release.

This is a bad day for the  British value of freedom of expression. And a set-back in the fight against extremism:-

The university should show more back-bone. Carolyn Fowler, the University’s Registrar said: “The University statutes clearly state that any threat to public safety supersedes the importance of freedom of expression”. If even our universities make  health and safety considerations paramount, who on earth is there left to fight for freedom of expression?

The police should do whatever’s necessary to uphold the University’s right to hold such a debate, not advising against such meetings. It defies belief that the police are handing the NUS a veto on debate in this country because of the threat of a few bus loads of students.

The NUS’s “No Platform” policy is a repressive, counter-productive throw-back to the arrogant student politics of the 1960s. Instead of bussing in students for a punch-up, the NUS should be teaching students how to win the argument against extremism.

No one likes the idea of life-long Nazi-sympathisers like Brons and young thugs like Beverley using a venue like Durham University to espouse their hate-filled, neo-fascist, racist ideology. Particularly before an election. But if we do not have the confidence to overcome these bullies on a challenged platform then we can be sure to beat them at the ballot box.

James Bethell

Jewish attack figures up – a bad day for British values

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Anti-Semitic attacks in the UK have increased by nearly 70 per cent in the last year, according to the Community Security Trust.

Desecrated Jewish graveyard

The CST recorded a record number anti-Semitic attacks carried out against UK’s Jewish community last year – 924 in 2009 up 55% from 546 in 2008.

Some will write off these top-line figures as simply the inevitable consequences of the conflict between Israel and Hamas from December 2008 to February 2009. Certainly, the number of incidents returned to normal rates three months after the intervention ended. But we must all remember that such a conflict, hundreds of miles from Britain, does nothing to legitimise violence, name-calling and graffiti on our streets.

Below the top-line is an important story that Nothing British has written about elsewhere. The authors noted the recent convergence between Islamist and far-right anti-Semitic discourse (and, in a few cases, the far-left). Its authors note:

“One feature of contemporary anti-Semitism is that the use of far-right references is no longer the preserve of neo-Nazis; nor is mention of Israel the Middle East restricted to Muslim or Arab perpetrators of incidents.”

While no one suggests any operational cooperation between the far-right and Islamists, there is an increasingly close ideological proximity on key subjects. It might seem absurd that non-Muslim, white-supremacists would have anything in common with Islamic fundamentalists who regard others as infidels. And vice versa. But both camps have developed strikingly similar critiques on issues of shared concern:-

  • Middle East. The BNP’s Middle East policy is an exact replica of the Islamists’ – specifically, the West has waged too many illegal and immoral wars in “Muslim lands” and that the West applies double standards” towards Israel which has “helped to incite the Muslim world against the West”. The West should withdraw its troops from these Muslim lands immediately. (The two camps also share views on American “imperialism”).
  • Contemporary culture. Nick Griffin’s ultra-nationalist view on modernity are very similar to Anjem Choudury’s. Griffin describes it as “a rootless mass of Americanised consumers, without identity, without pride and without a future.” It creates little more than “Spiritual filth, such as abortion on demand and genocide through integration; cultural filth, like MTV; intellectual filth, like the claim that parliament is sovereign in a land where banks create credit and the mass media create governments; physical filth, like fast foods which have no nutritional value whatsoever.”
  • Global Jewish conspiracy. By way of an example, the obsession of the BNP’s Legal Director, Lee Barnes, with a conspiracy of Jews buying political influence and running the world’s financial system and media are strikingly similar to the views of Hamas or Al-Qaeda on the same subject.
  • Segregation. Both the BNP and Islamists believe the world should be divided. The neo-racist BNP believes in a “fortress Britain” where white Britons get preferential treatment. Sectarian Islamists want a Caliphate where non-Muslims are second class citizens.

It is worth remembering that British values of fairness, tolerance, freedom of expression and looking out for little guy are under attack, and that those who seek to undermine our way of life often resort to the same arguments. The Jewish community is not the only victims of racial abuse in our society. But the CST’s well-organised collection of anti-Semitic figures act like a canary in a coal mine. And today’s figures suggest that the enemies of the British way of life have rarely been more active or inventive.