I feel I should clarify my position…

This country moved away from the principles of free speech this week with the Lords voting to pass the ‘glorification of terrorism bill’.

This pointless law will make it impossible to support in word or deed the struggles many across the globe fight against the forces of totalitarianism. An insiduous censorship of political thought, this bill would have criminalised the ‘Free Nelson Mandela’ concerts, as well as those today who support the struggle of the Palestian people or those in Zimbabwe resisting the state terror of Mugabe.

We find ourselves in the uncomfortable position of being permitted to criticise dictatorial regimes, but being unable to support and act in solidarity with those who oppose them. It is a step towards totalitarianism within our own country, and one wonders why any government would feel it necessary.

You won’t find any information about that on the March for Free Expression website, which has become a playground for anti-islamic right wingers to air their unsavoury views.

I have lived in a multi-ethnic community my whole life, a white male born in Bradford who’s lived in London for the past 12 years. The key to creating successful multi-racial communities I believe can be summarised in one word … tolerance.

As a dog owner for a while I quickly realised when living in Stamford Hill that many of my neighbours were uncomfortable and frightened if I let my dog off the lead in the streets (even though he was about as soft and amiable as they come).

After realising this I began to keep him on the lead until I was outside of the immediate area where people took offence. A minor inconvenience to me and him, but one which stopped the dirty looks and frightened children and allowed me to be more accpeted within the community at large.

I don’t say this to offer myself up as any kind of super moral, super reasonable type, t’was just commen sense and an example of the kind of behaviour modification which can be seen happening in any diverse society everyday by people who have to find a way to get along for the good of all.

Likewise, were I to leave the house wearing a t-shirt depicting Mohammed and my Muslim neighbour pointed out that he or she took great offence to it then I wouldn’t wear it again … I may not understand the reasons why, I may not even agree, however that’s a small price to pay for community cohesion.

f my neighbour were to demand I be arrested for wearing it, that’s a different matter entirely. I do not believe that the government should legislate on free speech, I believe that a just and healthy society will naturally work these things out for themselves at a community level, and hope that (bar a few hard right nutcases or hardcore religious extremists) most in the UK are tolerant enough to faciliate this.

I believe we can, which is why mutlti-ethnic communities in the UK by and large work. Living in Tottenham as I do now, I see everyday great civility and respect amongst communities who have no choice but to live closely together and are largely united only by a lack of cash or access to participation in wider society.

This country has more free speech than at any time in it’s history. The pornography laws have fallen away and the internet has made it possible to access and publish views which may be hugely offensive to some.

For those who worry about militant Islam eroding our right to free speech, just spend some time surfing the net and see what people on both sides of the debate are getting away with saying. Whilst the legislation I mention above may impact on the freedom of political discourse, the requests from the Muslim community for the national press not to publish these cartoons does not.

I do not understand why depicting Mohammed is so offensive, but I understand the genuine hurt and anger felt by almost all Muslims when being forced to view those images again and again. In the interests of living harmoniously (hippy that I can be) I agree that it is responsible of the UK press to avoid publishing the cartoons in the same way I believe the initial publication by the Jyllande Posten was an unecessary and provocative act.

If you read the through the links below you’ll see that I was equally condemnatory of the glut of anti-semetic cartoons which began popping up in response, a kneejerk and reactionary, tit for tat response. I also don’t agree with the chaps with their beheading placards.

I do however think they need to be also seen in the context of a bunch of hyped up young men attempting to cause the same level of offence that was provoked in them by the cartoons.

The western media has come this far without ever depicting an image of Mohammed, without the wailings of censorship which are being heard now. It’s a simple fact of respecting the religions of the brothers and sisters we share our lives with.

Now were there to be calls for a banning on criticism or satire of Islam then I would nail my colours to the mast and fight it with all my heart, just as I would were there calls to ban satire of any religious or political movement. I did not support the hopefully now dead and buried ‘incitement to religious hatred bill’ as I do not believe that it is the states job to legislate on freedom of speech and also feel minority communties such as the Muslim community amongst others in this country would be likely to feel the brunt of it (all those on antiwar marches carrying the interlocked swastika/star of David banners for example – you know who you are).

There are now cartoons depicting Mohammed all over the internet, no-one’s shutting those websites down or murdering their webmasters, and it’s clear that if you wish to satirise Islam on your website or draw some pictures for your friends then go ahead, no-ones stopping you.

That is entirely different to parading them across the national media, or indeed descending on Trafalgar Square carrying them on banners in full view of the world’s press.

Incidentally the Global Civility campaign are not calling for these images to be made illegal, merely that changes be made to the Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice to allow some response and right to redress to those who have been offended by whatever the media chooses to say about any religion.

This is a political demand which they are free to make, they are also free to demand that the cartoons be banned, that’s their freedom of expression, although it would seem unlikely to lead them anywhere as their appears to be no mood in government for banning any kind of cartoon.

I supported the BBC screening Jerry Springer the Opera, would i support Mohammed the Opera on national telly? no, not right now, not at this time. When so many in Islamic communities are literally fearing for their lives, when Islamic communities in this country are facing unprecedented harrassment and racism to stage something like that on a national level, well it feels a bit like putting the boot in.

and so to the riots, again I think the thinking is muddled once more. No one single incident creates a riot, riots happen because of a building of tension within a community until eventually there is a tipping point and that community says enough is enough … those cartoons were a tipping point.

As for artists in fear of their lives, and those dead already, please don’t lose sight of the fact that when the west declared war on Iraq (rightly or wrongly) the west entered into a war. Whilst we prefer our wars to only kill foreign innocents and the odd Britsh soldier the reality of warfare is quite the opposite

Any country which goes to war on this scale can expect civillian casualties, maybe we would do well to remember that the next time GW tries to tempt us into another of his crazy adventures.

So I won’t be going to Trafalgar Square this Saturday. I hope sincerely that the organisers manage to keep the far right wolves from the door, but I’m not optimistic. I also hope that offended communities can rise above this provocation, and allow this movement to whither away as people gradually wake up to the truth of the matter, which is beyond promoting isamaphobia this movement has little of substance behind it.

when freedom fails
Cartoon Warfare Breaks Out

Free expressionists climb down
Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!
more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

BNP come out in support of free expressionists

“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.”

posted on the BNP website today…

the void now wondors whether this rally should actually be scrapped, as the comments made on the website since the organisers have made their request for people not to bring copies of the danish cartoons on the march have revealed the true opinions of many who supported this event.

The far right has a long history of co-opting and taking over movements, and that seems to be what’s happening here. It seems likely that the far right are set to attempt to dominate this event, and frankly once you let organisations like the Freedom Association in on the act what do you expect.

It looks increasingly like this event is going to turn into an almighty scrap, which whilst fun to watch is certainly not something I would wish to be a part of.

Good luck to voltaire and the rest, but it’s starting to look like you’ve lost this misguided affair to the far right.

I feel I should clarify my position…
Free expressionists climb down
Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!
more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

Woo Hoo! Roddick’s getting it already

a day of action has been called against the Bodyshop in protest at their unethical decision to sell out to baby murderers the Nestle corporation. Meanwhile a website has been set up to support the demands for a boycott of Bodyshop products http://www.boycottbodyshop.co.uk

Roddick Shows True Colours … Boycott Bodyshop

Free expressionists climb down

In practice, Muslims who wholeheartedly endorse our statement of principle, as quoted below by Peter Tatchell in his superb essay, who abhor the threats made against Danish cartoonists and believe people should have the right to publish things they themselves find offensive or abhorrent would be UNABLE to come to our rally on Saturday, because to be surrounded by these cartoons, now, in the present context when the BNP are using them as a rallying point, would be intolerable.

So I now appeal to people not to bring the cartoons on T-shirts or placards.

from http://marchforfreeexpression.blogspot.com/

whilst the void would hope they’d go further and refuse a platform to Freedom Associationers and Libertarian Alliancers, this is a noble compromise and the void wishes them well.

Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!
more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

Tatchell to call for end of the C of E this Saturday!

“When I speak in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, I will defend Muslim communities against prejudice and discrimination, attack the BNP and the war on terror, and condemn the government’s erosion of civil liberties and individual freedom.

My speech will also assert the right to condemn British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, urge less state secrecy and more freedom of information, and call for the disestablishment of the Church of England and the freedom to insult the Queen, Prime Minister and Archbishop of Canterbury.”

the void received a communique from Tatchell in the small hours (in full below), defending his decision to join the Right to Freedom of Expression Rally this Saturday.

It remains to be seen what the more conservative members of this strange and shabby alliance will have to say about his comments.

Tatchell claims “Offensive language – whether sexist, anti-gay or racist – is rude and divisive and should always be challenged.”

the void agrees wholeheartedly, and remains slightly confused why he would then sign up to an event that seems to be about little more than a chance to wear some silly and racist cartoons on a t-shirt for the day.

the void’s main concerns about this event is why now? As admitted by one of the organisers, one of the main reasons for this rally was the publication and subsequent reaction to the Jyllands Posten cartoons.

Has yet anyone been able to come up with an excuse for this publication other than that it was a deliberately provocative and racist act?

If the rally organisers and marchers attended, but refused to show those images out of respect for the religion of another, then they may gain some respect from this quarter.

However, that seems not to be the case, in fact the very opposite looks set to happen, proving that those who demand free expression care very little of the right to go about your daily life and religion without having your chosen deity mocked as a suicide bomber in the international media … with all the racist attacks, feelings of alienation from the larger society and further stereotyping and islamaphobia that it will doubtless engender.

the void wishes Tatchell well on Saturday, watch out for the fash’, they ain’t your friends, and hopes that he also takes the time to mention the ludicrous and dangerous bill banning glorification of terrorism which was passed by push over aristocrats last night (and remains sadly undiscussed on the free expressionists website)

Peter’s statement in full

Why I support freedom of expression

Peter Tatchell says free speech is under attack and needs defending

“The strength and survival of free society and the advance of human knowledge depend on the free exchange of ideas. All ideas are capable of giving offence, and some of the most powerful ideas in human history, such as those of Galileo and Darwin, have given profound religious offence in their time. The free exchange of ideas depends on freedom of expression and this includes the right to criticise and mock. We assert and uphold the right of freedom of expression and call on our elected representatives to do the same. We abhor the fact that people throughout the world live under mortal threat simply for expressing ideas and we call on our elected representatives to protect them from attack and not to give comfort to the forces of intolerance that besiege them.”

This is the statement of principle that Saturday’s freedom of expression rally has been called to defend. How can anyone disagree with these progressive values? I can’t, and that is why I will be joining the thousands in Trafalgar Square.

The rally is backed mostly by secular, humanist and libertarian groups, but with support from some left-wingers and liberal Muslims.

Some of my friends on the left are refusing to take part. Preferring to remain marginal but pure, they object to the involvement of right-wing groups like the Libertarian Alliance and the Freedom Association. I share their distaste for these groups. But my participation on Saturday is based on supporting the statement of principle, not on who else is taking part. I will not let the dubious politics of others dissuade me from supporting what are important, progressive humanitarian values.

Sections of the left moan that the rally is being supported the right. Well, if these socialists object so strongly why don’t they organise their own demo in support of free speech?

The truth is that is that some of the left would rarely, if ever, rally to defend freedom of expression because they don’t wholeheartedly believe in it. Mired in the immoral morass of cultural relativism, they no longer endorse Enlightenment values and universal human rights. Their support for free speech is now qualified by so many ifs and buts. When push comes to shove, it is more or less worthless.

As a left-wing Green, committed to human rights and social justice, I do not share the politics of some other speakers and rallyists. But this is the whole point of Saturdays’ demo – to defend the free speech of those with whom we disagree.

While I support the right of newspapers to publish cartoons satirising any religious or atheist leader, there are bigger, more important free speech issues to fight.

When I speak in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, I will defend Muslim communities against prejudice and discrimination, attack the BNP and the war on terror, and condemn the government’s erosion of civil liberties and individual freedom.

My speech will also assert the right to condemn British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, urge less state secrecy and more freedom of information, and call for the disestablishment of the Church of England and the freedom to insult the Queen, Prime Minister and Archbishop of Canterbury.

When it comes to free speech, I am an equal opportunities free speecher. I even defend the right of others to mock and ridicule me. I may not like it. It might be unfair. But that’s democracy.

Some critics are mischievously portraying Saturday’s protest as an anti-Muslim rally. I condemn any attempt to demonise or scapegoat my Muslim brothers and sisters. I also reject the suggestion of a clash of civilisations.

Both fundamentalists and progressives can be found in all faiths, politics, ethnicities and cultures. No society has a monopoly of enlightenment and plurality. Muslim societies like Bangladesh have produced Enlightenment icons like the feminist writer Taslima Nasreen; while supposedly cultured nations like Britain and France have spawned the Dark Ages ignorance of the British National Party and the Front National.

When considering the vexed question of the limits to free speech, perhaps we should start with first principles:

Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.”

By this standard, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for every person on this planet. It is a right for all, not some. If we expect free speech for ourselves, then we are duty bound to ensure that it also exists for others.

Contrary to what the cultural relativists try to suggest, freedom of expression is not a western value; it is a universal humanitarian value that every member state of the United Nations has pledged to uphold. By demanding the right to free speech, we are not seeking to impose western values on non-western nations. We are merely asking the governments of the world to honour the human rights commitments they agreed when they signed up to the UN.

Free speech is one of the litmus tests of a free and democratic society. Alas, not everyone shares a commitment to democracy. To maintain their power, political and religious tyrants have always censored ideas and opinions. Some liberals and left-wingers, often with the honourable motive of tackling prejudice, have also attempted to place constraints on what can be publicly said on issues such as race and sexuality. This authoritarianism lite has its downside too. Suppressing intolerant ideas doesn’t make them go away. They just go underground and fester. This is not a solution.

While many people of faith have been recently up-in-arms over cartoons, plays and operas they find offensive, ironically it is the free expression they oppose that is the precondition for genuine political and religious freedom. It is in the interests of people of all political and religious beliefs – and of none – to defend freedom of expression. By defending the freedom of others we are also defending our own freedom.

The right to free speech is the surest guarantor of religious freedom. Without freedom of expression, religious minorities tend to be persecuted by religious majorities. Witness, in theocratic Iran, the victimisation of Sunni Muslims by Shia Muslims.

A democratic secular state is the true protector of all religions. It guarantees religious freedom and equality, ensuring that no one faith lords it over others. That is why, among other things, I favour the disestablishment of the Church of England, to end the privileged constitutional and legal status of this increasingly diminished protestant sect.

Freedom of expression should not, of course, be abused. A harmonious, good natured society is one where people are civil and courteous to each other. Prejudice and discrimination have no place in civilised discourse. Offensive language – whether sexist, anti-gay or racist – is rude and divisive and should always be challenged.

Those who justify legal limits to free speech need to answer a number of questions:

When it comes to censorship and bans, where do you start and where do you stop? Who decides what is sufficiently offensive to merit restriction? At what point do you draw the line? Isn’t this an inevitably subjective judgement? When does a well-meaning desire to protect vulnerable communities spill over into the dangerous territory of giving some communities privileged protection and immunity from criticism?

All human brings are worthy of respect, but not all ideas deserve respect. There is, for example, no obligation to respect Nazism, misogyny, white supremacism, homophobia or creationism.

I grew up in Australia in the 1960s, during a period of McCarthyite-style red-baiting. Because I opposed the US and Australian war against Vietnam, I was denounced as a communist and nearly lost my job. From firsthand experience, I know freedom of expression is a precious freedom that must be safeguarded.

That is why I argue the right to free speech can be legitimately restricted only when it involves incitement to violence or libel/defamation. The threat of violence and the spreading of untruths diminish free, honest and open debate. Otherwise, speech must remain free. The rare exceptions are instances like not being free to publish terrorist bomb-making instructions.

The price of living in a free society is that we are sometimes confronted with views we find offensive and insulting. Faced with bigoted, intolerant opinions, the most effective way to challenge them is by calm, reasoned debate to dispel ignorance and prejudice – not by bans and censorship. Physical threats and violence are unacceptable.

In January, I challenged Sir Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain when he denounced homosexuality as immoral, harmful and diseased. But I did not seek to ban him, nor did I support calls for his prosecution. I defended Sir Iqbal’s right to free speech. Will he and his fellow MCB leaders now defend my right to freedom of expression? Or is Sir Iqbal another of those selective free speech proponents? Freedom of expression for me, but not for you?

www.petertatchell.net

more comedy from the free expressionists
Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

more comedy from the free expressionists

This Monday poor old voltaire, the webmaster/chief blogger of the March for Freedom of Expression gushingly informed us

Danish Rally

There will be a sister rally in Copenhagen City Square on the 25th March between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. One of the organisers, Harry Vinter, mailed us to say:

We are going to have a big banner with the text “FREE EXPRESSION” and smaller signs with your poster concerning the rally at Trafalger Square – to show that the rally is part of an international campaign.

adding

Thank you for this initiative, Harry. London, Berlin and Copenhagen will stand together on the 25th.

voltaire has been forced to post today

It has been brought to our attention that the organisers of the Copenhagen rally are members of an organisation that recommends the mass deportation of Muslims from Europe.

We therefore disassociate ourselves from this group and state for the record that we completely and unreservedly oppose any such policy.

Poor voltaire, it’s not his week, whether it’s the fash or islamic groups laying into him, his only defenders seem to be associated nazis, toryboys and just plain daft who continue to argue it out on their website … which up until now I’ve avoided linking to, as frankly I had no wish to give them the publicity …

… but the whole thing’s becoming such as farce, with the level of arguments having descended from public school to junior school level that I wouldn’t want any void readers to miss out on the fun.

so here they are http://marchforfreeexpression.blogspot.com/

US Fundamentalists to Hold Child Abuse Seminars in the UK

UK home education groups are in uproar after it has been revealed that fundamentalist Christian home school magazine “The Old Schoolhouse” are set to embark on a tour of the UK next month.

Whilst a quick scan over their website seems to show them as a relatively innocuous (if rather backward and extremely fundamentalist) pressure group promoting home schooling it is their links with the “No Greater Joy” ministry run by Michael and Debi Pearl which has raised alarm.

Both of these evangelists have written for the Old Schoolhouse, which regularly advertises their products, plugs their books and gives away material on the Pearls’ unique brand of ‘child training’ including a copy of their book “No Greater Joy” as a free gift to new subscibers.

The tour was announced earlier this year, and some have been worried that Michael and Debi Pearl may even be joining them on some of their UK dates as they plan to in other European countries.

“The 17-19th of April will find TOS in Heidelberg, where they will team up with the Pearls of No Greater Joy at a conference for both German and American Christians.”

Many parents groups have already threatened to hold protests at any events these vile and ludicrous individuals attempt to organise to spout their pseudo-religious claptrap.

The our date list which has now been removed from their website (with the comments that for various reasons they may have to reschedule some of the UK tour dates) is published below:

March 22 London, England March 24 Lakenheath AFB Chapel(England) March 25 Lakenheath, England March 27 Milton Keynes, England March 28 Sheffield, England March 30 Edinburgh, Scotland April 3 Leicester, England April 4 Nottingham, England April 5 South Manchester, England

which suggests that unless they’ve changed their plans they are already here!

Ever since Lynn Paddock adopted mother of 6 was charged with murder after using the Pearl’s child training methods they have undertsadably become more and more secretive about their activities.

Paddock surfed the Internet and found literature by the evangelical minister and his wife who recommended using plumbing supply lines to spank misbehaving children advising:

“a swift whack with the plastic tubing would sting but not bruise. Give 10 licks at a time, more if the child resists. Be careful about using it in front of others — even at church; nosy neighbors might call social workers. Save hands for nurturing, not disciplining. Heed the warning, taken from Proverbs in the Old Testament, that sparing the rod will spoil the child.”

The Pearl’s even advise parents where to buy their chosen instruments of torture

“You can buy them for under $1.00 at Home Depot or any hardware store. They come cheaper by the dozen and can be widely distributed in every room and vehicle. Just the high profile of their accessibility will keep the kids in line.”

After Sean, the youngest of Paddock’s six adopted children, was found dead last month his older sister and brother told investigators about Paddock’s brand of Christian chastisement.

Sean’s 9-year-old brother was found to be beaten so badly he limped, according to the prosecution, doctors also found bruises covering Sean’s backside.

Sean died after being wrapped so tightly in blankets he suffocated. That, too, was a form of punishment according to the local Sherriff.

Their website gives many further examples of how these so called Christians brutalise their children into slavish discipline and a life of fear.

When a child is bound in self-blame and low self-esteem, parents are not helpless. God has given them the gift of the rod. The rod can bring repentance, but it goes much deeper than that. The rod in the hands of a righteous authority will supply the child’s soul with that moment of judgment that he feels he so deserves. Properly applied, with instruction, it will absolve the child of guilt, cleanse his soul, and give him a fresh start through a confidence that all indebtedness is paid. The rod meets a psychological need in the child’s soul. ”

Here is the good minister’s advice on dealing with an 11 month old baby:

“As I was writing this I was interrupted by a child screaming. Deb is baby-sitting an eleven-month-old little boy. I let him scream for about five minutes, as I wrote the last lines of the above paragraph, and then I left my office and went to investigate. Deb was doing business on the phone—talking to a missionary, long distance. The child was clawing at the back door, trying to get it open so he could go outside.

I picked up a switch and walked over to where he was conducting his scream-in. In a calm but firm voice I said, “No, stop crying.” I didn’t expect him to respond, but I wanted to establish the rules. When he failed to respond, I switched him twice on the only exposed skin—about three inches between his sock and pants leg. Again he did what I expected, what he does when his mother swats him—scream in defiance. But I have seen her swat him, and it never even gets his attention, other than a signal to scream louder. But when I switched his bare skin, he looked shocked and started to rub it. He continued to cry in protest, so I gave him two more licks on the bare leg.

This time, he was convinced that I meant business. I know that he understood the issue, because he crawled past me, away from the door. Again I commanded him to stop crying, brandishing the switch. He stopped crying immediately, continuing to rub his leg while staring at me.”

Reading through both their website and that of the Old Schoolhouse, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is all some bad taste hoax, or some bizarre BDSM lifestyle site.

As you read on, through stories of administering spanking, hair pullings and physical discipline to toddlers and babies a sickness begins to grow, as you realise not only are these people for real, but they have real influence.

read the thoughts of a Catholic mother of four who tried the Pearl’s approach and now rejects it as child abuse

http://stoptherod.net/

the void hopes for once that the old bill have got their eyes out for these child-abusing bastards, and will step in to prevent any further incitement to commit child cruelty which they may spount both in personal appearances and in their literature.

In the meantime calls have been made to lobby Amazon.com to stop carrying their books or find any information you can on where and when these seminars are due to take place and inform local media … send any info here and we’ll publish it as soon as we can.

Right to public racism march shames the left this Saturday

A ramshackle bunch of organisations, many leaning to the extreme right has come together to organise the March for Free Expression this Saturday.

Seemingly inspired by the publication of the childish, racist cartoons in the Jyllands Posten earlier in the year, this misguided organisations has invited speakers from uber-capitalist the Freedom Asoociation and the Libertarian Alliance.

a quick glance over their websites reveals an adolescent level of argument normally found only amongst spotty, tory boy undergraduates.

The Libertarian Alliance seem to busy themselves with campaigning to repeal the drink drive laws, abolishing the Equal Opportunities Commission and scrapping the Campaign for Racial Equality with a press release stating policies such as

“No controls of any kind on the expression of opinion on matters of public policy;

The repeal of all laws that make it illegal to express opinions on matters of race, religion, sexuality, or any similar matter;

The repeal of all laws against discrimination and incitement to discrimination on any grounds whatever;

The abolition of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and all similar bodies; “

then adding, without any hint of irony

The cutting off of all tax-payer funding for any group that disagrees with the above

see, free speech only goes one way to these little England nazis, who in a further press release disuss the comments made by Denis MacShane, the European Minister, who said in an interview with the Telegraph that the English were characterised by “a dark streak of xenophobia and racism” and “offensive xenophobic hatred”.

In a defiant and valiant effort to prove Macshane right, the LA goes on to explain the real nature of thieir own brand of Euro-scepticism which is merely concern over “its destruction of British liberal common law and civil liberties and their replacement by the illiberal Code Napoleon, its roots in Nazi, Fascist and Communist thinking, its crackpot socialist and economic interventionist policies”

what comes next almost had me laughing out loud

“There can be no place in the public and political life of this country for a man of Mr. MacShanes’s ilk. He should do the decent thing and resign, or the Prime Minister should sack him. We also call upon the Labour part to expel this hate-mongering racist from its ranks.

The Libertarian Alliance is also formally reporting Mr. MacShane to the Metropolitan Police, with a request that he be investigated for possible prosecution under the Public Order Act. “

So, like many on the right, their thinking is dripping with crazed meanderings which reveal all the signs of pathological paranoia. The continued persecution complex which seems to inform their every act renders them as impotent and powerless as a pre-pubescent boy and they follow much the same level of argument.

Revealing their standard right wing’s paranoic delusions the LA show the true level of their argument when calling for the repeal of the Sex Offender’s Register, claiming it is the product of a conspiracy between “man-hating lesbians, sex-obsessed God botherers, empire-building social workers, corrupt and oppressive police officers, and the usual vote-hunting political trash.”

Meanwhile, the Freedom Association are a different matter entirely. Founded by apartheid supporter and part time children’s entertainer Norris McWhirter, this sinister group have long been politically active in more insiduous ways. Famous for strike breaking activities in the 70′s (presumably the freedom to withdraw labour not coming within their remit), the sweet FA accepted funding from the South African apartheid regime and campaigns for anti-immigation policies (freedom of movement being another bugbear we assume).

Former council members of this shadowy bunch have included John Bercow, the former Shadow Treasury Minister, who was secretary of the racist, tory Monday Club’s Immigration Committee in the ’80s, when he called for the voluntary repatriation of black and Asian people, as well as the repeal of the Race Relations Act and abolition of the Commission for Racial Equality.

Meanwhile his mate Viscount Massereene and Ferrard, another former FA council member has been quoted as saying “If you say I am a racist, yes I certainly am, and proud of it.”

Slightly more coherent then their juvenile counterparts discussed above, it only takes a more in depth search on their website to discover their anti-immigration and neo liberal tendencies, complete with eulogies to those bastions of liberal thinking Reagan and Thatcher as wll as links to far right rags such as Right! Now.

The Freedom Association’s policies include closing down public sector pension schemes, making all public services dependent on private insurance payments, and banning public sector strikes.

Meanwhile back to this Saturday’s march, except it’s not a march anymore because, after a bit of leaning on from the old bill they’ve rolled over, stuck their legs in the air and agreed to just hold a rally instead.

Not seeming to have thought out what why they are actually marching (standing) they are only now asking their supporters for some ideas as to what their actual demands are.

“We have asked for suggestions about what concrete proposals we might campaign for in the aftermath of the rally on Saturday. The repeal of the blasphemy laws has been suggested several times. “

err, Ok that’ll do, what else ya rebelling against Johnny

err … nothing.

Except perhaps the right to march through Central London carrying placards which will cause upset and offence to many, lead to a yet further breakdown in community relations and give liberal hand wringing credency to the far right. At least one far right organisation has so far sent a message of support. (Civil Liberty campaign, a fascist front organisation headed by the BNP’s North East organiser Kevin Scott)

Meanwhile on the rally website, actually it’s a blog (nothing wrong with that tho’) team leader voltaire seems to be having a hard time at keeping the BNP from his door, continually emphasing this is not an anti-muslim event and that the BNP should stay away.

Trembling skinheads have posted responses begging them to be allowed join the fun, but Voltaire is adament

“We are actively seeking endorsements from almost all kinds of people… but not from fascists. This will be a march in favour of free expression, not a march against Muslims.”

before adding

“It would be disingenuous, even dishonest, to pretend that the Danish Cartoon Affair has nothing to do with this movement – on the contrary it absolutely was the event that galvanised us into action”

Showing his true (blue) colours here Voltaire admits, that what was a highly provocative racist act has been the spurring point for his fearless band of libertarians desperate to support the actions of a downmarket rag slightly to the right of The Sun.

I wondor if he’s realised why the fash are so keen to join him on his merry journey, if you cant beat ‘em, join ‘em Voltaire mate … oh, you already did.

Joining them to march (stand) for freedom of (my) expresssion (and ban everyone else’s) are religious nutters Third Way magazine and ekklesia as well as long suffering cannon fodder UKIP and pro-lifer Lord Alton of Liverpool who recently voted to make magic mushrooms illegal. A bunch of woolly humanist organisations make up the numbers in the sorry bunch.

More worryingly Peter Tatchell, Maryam Namazie, Sayyida Rend Shakir al-Mousawi and Lib Dem wannabe Evan Harris have now all agreed to speak, adding left wing/liberal credency to this gobbledygook..

Now the Lib Demmer is not so much of a concern, probably too wired, shagged out, pissed to even know where he is but the other three speakers are more worrying.

That stalwarts of leftist, progressive thought such as these three should share a platform with homophobes, bigots and extreme right wingers should send shockwaves throughout those in the UK left.

Calls have already been made for them to pull out as Alan Johnson of Democratiya has already decided to do upon realising the involvement of the ‘Freedom Association,’

the void only hopes that this is not the beginning of an unholy alliance of extreme left and right ideology brought together under an anti-islamic platform, under cut with extreme free markets policies and a heavy dose of nationalism … because history well attests where that can lead…

more likely this movement will be reviled and ridiculed for the public school joke it is and the world can begin to move on and heal after the publication of those puerile cartoons.

Not voltaire though, who’s more than happy to support an organisation on his site selling t-shirts sporting slogans such as ‘Islam is a blast’ and “Up Yours Religion of Peace.”

We can only say to voltaire, if it looks racist, if it sounds racist, if the whole damn thing smells racist … well then it’s probably a bunch of well meaning liberal nitwits naively leading us down the road to hell for the want of something to do.

Fascists support ‘March for Free Expression’ from islamophobia watch.

Cartoon Warfare Breaks Out

Death of Humphrey … what really happened

quote of the year…

“If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is”

Iyad Allawi

Iraq in middle of a civil war: Allawi