The leaflet can be viewed at the BNP Website here.The far-right British National Party (BNP) is to distribute a campaign leaflet
featuring the Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad which have enraged Muslims around the world.A party spokesman said on Wednesday the images illustrate how Islam and Western values do not mix but were not intended to cause offence. The BNP leaflet asks "Which Do You Find Offensive? A cartoon of Mohammad with a bomb for a turban or Muslim demonstrators calling for terrorist attacks on Europe and the "extermination' of non-Muslims".
"By showing you just how mild and inoffensive the cartoon is, we're giving you the chance to see for yourself the huge gulf that exists between the democratic values that we share, and the mediaeval views that dominate Islam, even supposedly 'moderate' versions," the leaflet said.
That this is so predictable makes it all the more depressing. If the British government allows fanatic mobs to scream for beheadings and murder then the government cannot be surprised when rightists use official passitivity as a campaign issue. If the media rigorously surpresses the cartoons then of course the BNP is going to use them to mobilize voters or just for the shock value and the free press.
The British and other European governments and media cannot simultaneously appease Islamists and marginalize the "far-right." The very act of appeasing Islamists empowers the nationalists. Any compromise with the nationalists would infuriate the Islamists. And I'm sure the Europeans will soon find a way to anger them both.
Since WWII Europe has fought to rid itself of the "far-right, nationalist" Devil. Now Europe is increasingly trapped between the descendents of that Devil and the Islamist deep green sea.
Excellent posting!
ReplyDeleteExcept from the "withdrawing the troops from Iraq" bit, then I am entirely in agreement with the BNP leaflet.
I am a little worried that I now am in agreement with the BNP about the Islamofascists - I would normally not want to be in agreement with that party.
On the other hand - how can any body with a minimum of common sense not be in agreement? The Muslim eyeopeners are of gigantic proportions.
And now, indeed, these kinds of parties will gain followers and be heard - but the fault is squarely with the current politic establishment.
We will be considered by many as members of the far right as well because of our blogs fighting the Islamist. But most of us are really not. Of course we criticize more than we praise. The picture we try to make is one that will move opinions - also there actually is not that much to praise in the Muslim world (grin).
But just wait. This movement will yet become main stream - already I believe a majority in the west is fed up. Until then you can serve me with the labels you want - I ain't stopping.
"Since WWII Europe has fought to rid itself of the "far-right, nationalist" Devil."
ReplyDeleteIf that's a reference to Nazism then it's not quite accurate- the more correct term would be "far-left"; the Nazis were, afterall, socialists (the clue is in the name- National Socialist German Worker's Party). It's a common error and one that does conservatives no help whatsoever- no matter how much we might normally disagree with parties like the BNP.
For a good discussion of the subject go here-
http://jonjayray.netfirms.com/hitler.html
It's the Left wing of the political spectrum which has been responsible for some of the worst crimes against humanity, not the right.
Well jay.mac I take your point onboard, but extremes of any kind right or left often commit murder to further their political agenda.
ReplyDeleteThe world accepts National Socialism as a far right concept. This may well be inaccurately classfied but it is the convention. Conservatives have nothing to do with Nazis, it's just a convient label for anyone on the left to say all people right of centre are racists Nazis...
Thomas, excellent analysis. It's certainly from the Bleedin' Obvious department when thought about ;)
I still fail to see the problem with the concept of nationalism, despite the troubles that can be caused by the more infantile manifestations of the belief. Of course, I'm a Hamiltonian Federalist from wayback, but still. Despite Europe's and American Leftists' fears, nationalism is not the bogeyman it is made out to be.
ReplyDeleteFar more frightening is the sentencing in Europe for those who criticize islam, or as Epa brought to my attention yesterday, create such items as "koran toilet paper". Absurd.
Western Europe has made extraordinary efforts to 'de-nationalize' its societies and people. That's part of what the EU is all about. The EU is a supra-national state.
ReplyDeleteThat's also one reason EU elites dislike the US and Israel so much - we insist on being nationalistic, however mildly. See Kagan's Paradise and Power for a concise argument regarding this.
"The world accepts National Socialism as a far right concept...it's just a convient label for anyone on the left to say all people right of centre are racists Nazis..."
ReplyDeletePrecisely my point- Nazis are socialists, something I've blogged about today- and this lie continuing does nothing to advance the conservative agenda- the myth is that right wing and racist are somehow linked. And you have just promulgated that lie
Why accept a "convention" that you KNOW to be untrue? What does it serve to continue to promote a lie? Especially when you know the effect it has? What's more important to you- following an "acepted convention" which you know to be untrue or telling the truth? Why are you deliberately printing an untruth on your blog, and worse, one that you already know to be untrue?
It infuriates me that it is the right wing which is associated with these nazi SOBs, when in actual fact the worst racism I hear comes from the left (for example, the racial slanders aimed at Michelle Malkin) or the revolting American Nazi Party website.
This Blairite government is breeding racism faster and more in your face than ever before.
ReplyDeleteThe BNP victory over freedom of speech is a hard slap for the left and a great piece of propreganda for the right.
The CPS decides to put on trial 2 men voicing their opinion and their right to free speech in a private setting, yet months later we have the biggest insult to the British way of life in the capital city where death threats and visual insults are ignored by the MET for the world to witness.
Think about the families of the London bombings and their thoughts as they watch this farce take place and nothing is seen to be done, fake suicide bombers , placards of hate and hidden faces.
All crimes that the Met would have any other time came down on like a tonne of bricks.
So by allowing this to occur Blair has given the right a huge boost, people are scared and their are turning to the extreme parties in a hope they they can offer the protection they crave that is being denied by the present rule.
The BNP are Leftists as well- one of their manifesto promises is the "redistribution of wealth", too many people have too little, too few people too much. That's not the policy of a right wing party is it?
ReplyDelete