Michael writes
‘My own prejudice is against bans unless absolutely necessary. Society is stronger for taking on the nasties in open debate and proving the merits of mutual tolerance. That goes for the BNP and their ilk just as it does for tabloid demagogues.
Repression only feeds extremism and other unpleasant side-effects as the current woes of both Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and the DUP’s “Swish Family Robinson” Underline.’
These paragraphs above really sum up my thoughts on this ban for me.
I find Islam4UK highly offensive and disagreeable but banning them does not sit well with me. I think these groups need to be in the public eye so we can engage with them. Simply banning groups because we don’t like them and its popular to do so, is not always the right thing too do.
It would have been awful of course if Islam4UK did protest in Wootton Bassett and could of ended in violence, however the media attention they have gained from this has already got them the voice they are always seeking.
Anjem Choudary who heads up this group and led other groups before hand before they were banned will simply think up a new name and again get press for whatever action he tries next. Banning this group will simply not work.
We should not pick and choose freedom of speech, Where does it end?
Showing tolerance to publicly unpopular political groups in the name of democracy is in no way a vote winner, and given the parlous state of labour opinion polls at the moment, you can't blame them for going for the easy wins
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. This type of ideologically rancid political grouping also serves a useful purpose by syphoning the lunatics out of main stream politics. However morally repugnant they are, banning them just feeds their ego.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind them protesting, its seems open that the government in Afghanistan is corrupt, but probably a hell of lot less corrupt than the taliban. My problem with Islam 4 UK is in the title of their movement, I am a completely tolerant brit, but was utterly insensed at the idea of anyone thinking I should be converted to Islam, I am a women, taking 100 year step back in history and then a continent shift to don a head scarf and be subservient to men would make me go to war. This group must be careful they live in isolated communities and have no real understanding of the history of british culture. Islam has not been part of the native culture of this country ever. They have brought it here with them as did the romans etc and they only managed to convert this isle to christianity by killing one hell of lot of people first. The only way islam would become the religion here is if they killed us and fought against us, who will pay their housing benefit etc then? they can keep it, practice it, wear the clothes they want to wear, but if they are paying taxes they are paying for the wars we fight and if they are recieving benefits they are being paid for by the white christian public.
ReplyDeleteWhat have those Islam4UK actually done to harm anything or anyone? When and only when it is proven that there has been conspiracy to commit a crime or an actual crime committed against person or property should swift and violent retribution be made.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it nowadays that we can't accept any sort of verbal bullshite from anyone other than the 'government' without a disproportionate reaction from the MSM. The ban on this tiny group of bearded pyjama-clad nutters is a manifestation of the intolerance of the socialists against anyone who they think is threat to their policies or is out of line with their social engineering aspirations or their moral relativism; but it’s OK for them that the blood-stained IRA to be part of their government if it suits. Hypocrisy indeed.
We live in fear in this country of transgressing the hate crime inventions of the last 13 years. Freedom of speech has been curtailed in the press and suppressed in individuals. Democracy is also on a rocky road indeed.
Are you next for the Gestapo treatment?
Democracy is on a rock road. They look like cartoon characters too me. But Im not worried about them. I dont like them one bit but I cant band them unless they actually did some kind of crime.
ReplyDeleteShouldnt these people be working?
ReplyDeleteThen they wouldnt have time for offisive marches.
Nick Griffin tried to make his party acceptable by wearing a suit & tie, talking in a moderate way, etc. Then he showed they haven't changed when he appeared on BBC's QT. He showed himself to be an overweight, bigoted guy with few functioning braincells.
ReplyDeleteThis Anjem Choudary has shown an amazing ability to reappear. However, no chameleon, no reinventing, he always reappears as the same bigot. However, on the news we were able to see how little support he has in the islamic community in general. Indeed islamic friends were horrified by his threats and totally dissociated themselves from him. I do feel they are just that, threats - he rarely actually manages to organize any of these rallies he has proposed in the past, nor did he succeed this time (and there was time between his first threat and the ban). He gets his publicity by issuing the threats.
I am opposed in principle to bans but do think there is a real case for investigating in depth his right to be in this country and further, his eligibilty for benefit whilst he's hers.