Totally agree Paul, well done for stepping in there. Let's get this train back on the tracks.
Although the BNP are a bunch of racist good-for-nothing morons (albeit with a bit of power up their sleeve), one single aspect of their otherwise ridiculous output is interesting and that is their views on Islam. It's already well known that I'm no fan of ANY religion, and that I treat most religious beliefs with the contempt that I believe it deserves, but I find it endlessly fascinating that the BNP are said to hold "racist views" about Islam. As I've always maintained, it is IMPOSSIBLE to be "racist" against a religion because religion isn't race. Religion is a set of man-made ideals, philosophical ideas, beliefs, and cultural doctrines. Nobody is born religious so how can it be "racist"? This is also why I have always believed that ALL religions are not above criticism and deserve to be challenged and questioned as much as any other man-made idea.
And what REALLY makes my blood boil about this single issue is the way the BNP are universally despised for this view on Islam when the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (now living under a constant Islamic death threat) and the Dutch MP Geert Wilders are regarded by many as shining beacons of free speech and democracy for holding virtually identical views against Islam. Richard Dawkins, Bill Maher, and many other social and religious commentators also hold views which many religions (including Islam) would call "challenging" yet these individuals are not condemned for their views. Why? It can be said that the BNP do reveal some double standards in our society!
I'll never support the BNP, they are a trash party with trash views, but I think we need to take stock and at least understand the arguments before we blanket-condemn them for EVERYTHING they say. But I also ask again - if everybody (and it does seem to be everybody you speak to or who appears on TV) is so against the BNP then where do all their votes keep coming from?
Oh, and before I get accused of racist rantings myself (which I'm expecting), I will just point out that I am already aware that many Muslims are law-abiding individuals with a religion. I know that "muslim" does not automatically equal "terrorist", and that the real culprits are the political Islamists and extremists. My point isn't about "moderate believers" which, to be fair, probably make up the majority of Muslims. My point is about not being able to criticise a religion without being branded a racist. I'll happily have a go at any religion, and have a particular dislike of Islam, Catholicism, and don't get me started on right wing Christianity! What gets up my nose about the BNP is that they attack people because of the way they were born (i.e. black, Asian, etc) which is just plain evil, or they attack people who they regard as not being "native stock" which is a very shallow view that ignores centuries of history. But to attack a BELIEF is, in my eyes, no bad thing provided that attack is not just malicious and has some element of genuine challenge in it. But thanks to political correctness gone wild, we're all a bit too afraid to challenge any belief system these days for the the "ultimate crime" of causing offence. What a lousy situation to be in. And what a stupid, blinkered government we have who pass laws that enforce our fears of speaking out against belief systems. I strongly believe that this situation is partly responsible for the rise of the BNP.
Finally, I'm aware that it's easy to blame Labour policy for the rise of the BNP but perhaps images like the ones below might also explain why they're rising through the political ranks? Just a thought.
