Category Archives: UK Politics

Another Depressing Piece from Mehdi Hassan

By Guest | Published: December 3, 2011

This is a guest post by Ahmed Dinnerjacket

It is becoming increasingly difficult to takes some of the more dogmatic left-wing commentators seriously these days, especially when it comes to foreign policy. Whether it be Seamus Milne at the Guardian, Robert Fisk at the Independent or Mehdi Hassan at the New Statesman, their op-ed pieces tend to follow the same predictable rules, which are:

a) The West is always wrong
b) Outspoken enemies of the west always deserve our sympathy
c) The vast majority are on our side

Take this latest piece from Mehdi states:

“The easiest and quickest way to expose the hypocrisy of our government’s, and the wider western world’s, professed support for democracy and freedom in the Arab world is to say just two words: Saudi Arabia.”

Then, after pasting an extract from the BBC’s website about the Saudi crackdown on internal protestors, Mehdi states:

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Posted in UK Politics | 8 Comments

Britain should become more Christian, says Baroness Warsi

By Effendi | Published: October 31, 2011

How will Britain cure itself of its social ills? Baroness Warsi has the answer: By becoming more Christian.

Writing in today’s Daily Telegraph, she says: “We need to create a country where people don’t feel like they have to leave religion at the door. That means being proud of Christianity, not downgrading it. It means encouraging people to say that their faith inspires what they do.

Lady Warsi said it was a “mistake to assume that you compromise your identity the more you try to understand others”. “The stronger your understanding of your neighbour, the stronger your own religious identity becomes.

Warsi sounds quite sensible in print. But it is on televised appearances where she is not afraid to be  far more candid about what she really means:

conférence

Posted in UK Politics | 6 Comments

Friends of Raed Salah: Labour MPs

By Cross Post | Published: October 28, 2011

This is a cross-post by Lucy Lips at Harry’s Place

Yesterday, I asked a question:

If a person denies clear evidence of racism, defends a racist, and attacks a leading anti-racist institution, is it fair to conclude that they are in fact a racist?

It is a genuine question. The answer in some cases will, undoubtedly, be yes. However, others may find themselves in the position of supporting a racist and denying their racism, and attacking anti-racist organisations: because they believe that a little racism is necessary, in furtherance of a greater political cause. Those people are not racists themselves. They are merely tolerating and facilitating racism, making it more difficult to challenge, giving it an alibi.

Yet others may honestly fail to recognise racism, or may not believe the evidence of racism. It is quite easy to tell who those innocent endorsers of racism are. They’re the ones who, once they realise their error, are the keenest to correct it, publicly.

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Also posted in Antisemitism, Islamism | Leave a comment

the big society, riots and “spiral dynamics”

By bananabrain | Published: August 15, 2011

obviously, a great deal has been written about the riots to date and a great deal of predictable outpouring has also taken place. what i wanted to offer to this debate is, however, along more behavioural lines.

i have for some time been aware of the powerful analytical frameworks for bio-psycho-social systems developed by the american psychologist dr clare graves and systematised for practical application by don beck and chris cowan in the excellent book “spiral dynamics” (i’m not affiliated with anyone concerned, incidentally). at the risk of sounding like somewhat of a “fanboy”, as i believe it is called on teh interwebs, i am convinced it constitutes an important piece of intellectual real estate for the understanding of complex socio-political systems, particularly in behavioural terms.

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Also posted in Activism, Blogosphere, Civil Rights, Communalism, Crime, Democracy, Education, Ethics, Exegesis, Human Rights, Identity Politics, Media, Misc, Moral relativism, Multiculturalism, Political Correctnes gone mad!, Politics, The Far Left, The Left, The Regressive Left | Leave a comment

“A Momentous Occassion” – iEngage Exposed

By Effendi | Published: July 20, 2011

When you get a chance, do please read the report which documents the iEngage campaign to gain access to the position of the APPG Secretariat by Dr Chris Allen at Applied Social Studies, School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham. It was this report which recommended to MPs to drop iEngage. To its credit, it has catalogued, fairly and with clinical precision, the deceptions and chicanery employed by iEngage to cover up their extremist agenda.

Here’s a brief excerpt:

Engage

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Also posted in Islamism | 9 Comments

MPs Vote IEngage Out of the APPG

By Effendi | Published: July 20, 2011

The JC brings good news, tremendously good news:

MPs on the all-party group on Islamophobia have voted against using iEngage, the controversial Islamist group, as its secretariat.

The vote on Monday evening, by 60 to 2, followed the resignation in February of its Conservative chair Kris Hopkins and Labour vice-chair Lord Janner over an earlier decision to use iEngage.
Despite their resignations the group retained the link with iEngage. However it pledged to investigate fully concerns before iEngage was officially confirmed.

Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes, who took over as from Mr Hopkins and Lord Janner as one of the group’s chairmen, was tasked with considering iEngage’s record. In June he asked Birmingham University academic Chris Allen to compile a report to be sent to members of the group.

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Also posted in Islamism | Leave a comment

Goodbye to stormy weather

By Effendi | Published: July 9, 2011

The writer Dennis Potter, in his last interview before his death, on the effects of the Ruper Murdoch media empire on political discourse in Britain.

The News of the World on its last run tonight. Cheers!

Also posted in Media | 3 Comments

Saleem Kidwai, the Muslim Council of Wales and Policy Folly

By Cross Post | Published: June 13, 2011

This is a cross-post by Habibi

Some people who objected to Cardiff City Hall hosting a Cageprisoners fundraiser last weekend received this message from the council:

Saleem Kidwai

The Cage Prisoners Event is being actively supported and promoted by the Muslim Council of Wales, an organisation who works in partnership with the Council and the Welsh Assembly Government to support the counter terrorism agenda.

Following receipt of your email the authority has sought further advice regarding this event, including from South Wales Police, and has been assured that Cage Prisoners organisation does not fall into a category that should be automatically rejected as they do not support radicalism but simply advocate justice and due process of law for those accused of it.

Let’s look at just a few episodes in the Cageprisoners record:

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Also posted in Islamism | 4 Comments

is honest dialogue compatible with the exposure of dishonest dialogue?

By bananabrain | Published: May 12, 2011

we at the spittoon seem spend a lot of time both criticising people who appear to be disingenuous, swivel-eyed fundamentalist weasels and their stooges, as well as calling for honest, open-hearted dialogue and support for a stronger, more liberal society in which both jews and muslims have a role to play, not just as citizens, but as jews and muslims. we believe both in the robust defence of liberty and the principles of democracy as well as aspiring to a better, more peaceful future in which people of differing religions, cultures and points of view will be able to live together – call it a messianic vision, if you like, or even “roddenberry-lite”, but we don’t see why people can’t “sit under their vine and fig-tree, with nobody to make them afraid“.

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Also posted in Activism, Anti Muslim bigotry, Antisemitism, Blogosphere, Civil Rights, Democracy, Entryism, Freedom of Religion, Human Rights, Identity Politics, Interfaith, Islamism, Jewish Extremism, Multiculturalism, Racism | 27 Comments

“Senseless attacks which block any attempts for peace”

By Guest | Published: March 23, 2011

This is a press release issued by British Muslims for Israel

*************

Press Release: British Muslims for Israel condemns Jerusalem Bomb Plot

British Muslims for Israel condemns the terrorist attack in Jerusalem today. Such acts of indiscriminate violence are never justified, hurt the cause of Palestinians and harden public opinion in Israel.

Hasan Afzal, a spokesperson for British Muslims for Israel says “Today’s attacks seem to be of a piece with the extreme violence perpetrated against Israelis in the last few weeks. First we had the Itamar massacre, then a barrage of rocket attacks from Palestine into Israel and now the attack in Jerusalem. These attacks hurt all sides, and help no one.”

Afzal added “Recent events have shown that groups such as Hamas and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade are determined to kill indiscriminately and use ordinary Palestinians as hostages to their cause. We urge all British Muslims to condemn these senseless attacks which block any attempts for peace and ruin the lives of both Israelis and Palestinians”.

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Also posted in Activism, Islamism, Israel/Palestine, Your View | 29 Comments

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