Inexcusable Prejudice

I had the pleasure this evening, like many others, of watching the repugnant Nick Griffin attempt to justify his unspeakably disgraceful and distasteful views regarding people of ethnic minorities.

I commend those on the programme who shamed him and relentlessly demanded answers to their questions. Particularly moving was a statement early on from an African man who, understandably agitated, expressed how he felt about this disgusting party and their ideology.

I find it particularly laughable that immigration is supposedly the cause of major problems in our society. If you believe the crap that Griffin spouts those from other nations are 'stealing' 'our' jobs. Surely the jobs belong to British citizens (which these people are)? Or do we now have to justify our ancestry, too?

In which case, I ought to leave Oxford, and this country, for I am ethnically half-Indian. In fact, most of the people I know would not be in this country if immigration had been banned over the last few centuries.

Furthermore, immigrants are NOT stealing any jobs. They are available for any applicants. But there are plenty of British people who are far happier to watch Jeremy Kyle, This Morning and Loose Women all day living from the taxpayers' money than actually contributing to the economy - and such people then have the temerity to suggest that immigration is a huge problem. Decent, hard-working people from Asia, Africa and many European countries are actually trying to express their gratitude for being here by contributing to the economy! I would much prefer a citizen of Asian descent working for their living than a 'pure Brit' feeling they don't have an obligation to contribute to our economy.

Of course, I find these things 'laughable' but the reality is they are actually not hugely funny. They reflect something very tragic. I am incredulous at the amount of prejudice there is in our society. I find it disturbing that people vote for the BNP, simply on a whim out of a twisted phrase of Griffin's that sounds right. Even if we do need at some point to tighten immigration (which I suspect is the case) - this is a world apart from the absurd suggestions of this man that we should 'reverse' it. As one decent hard-working Muslim man said to him: "Where will I go?"

Personally, I am rather more saddened that I have known so-called Christians who harbour racist, prejudiced feelings and see no issue with it. I have heard 'Christians' assume that crimes committed, 'must have been done by an Asian', or feel it acceptable to view those from other countries and somehow inferior to themselves.

Reader, these are not the marks of an intelligent society. Nor are they the marks of a compassionate, caring society. Whether you are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist or Atheist - a basic commitment to caring for other individuals is a fundamental part of society. And no philosophy in this list would justify the treatment of others as inferior. From my perspective, if Jesus walked this earth today, he would be appalled by the BNP and by many so-called 'Christians' who spout such appalling, ignorant nonsense.

Dictating the Political Opinions of the Clergy

It may not be as 'hot' a topic as the head 'forced to resign' over the banning of assemblies for Muslims, but I have chosen instead to focus on the Church of England's decision to ban its clergy from joining the BNP.

I myself am someone who is highly amused by the BNP, for a number of reasons; to me they are an odd little political group, with a certain naivete about how to soar in politics, a blatant bigotry, and a group of people for whom taking an issue to the extreme is not uncommon.

And yet, scarily, this bizarre group is growing. The Conservative Party has a basic philosophy, adapted for modern times, that is, or perhaps should be, fundamental to all of the decisions it makes. The same is true of Labour and the Lib Dems. Their policies lie in the perceptions of human nature and the rights of human beings, whether these be equality or basic freedom. Their philosophies can be applied to all sorts of issues, whether they be about abortion, gay marriage, discrimination laws or road laws.

The BNP's philosophy, on the other hand, would appear to be something along the lines of: anyone who is not British is bad news. They may dress this up by claiming that they are only doing what is fair and logical for the defence of native Britons...but anyone can see that the underlying belief is in the supremacy of ethnic Britons in Britain. This would then translate, presumably to these other areas by giving native Brits a greater freedom to act as they please than those who are not. Where does this end? Do we return to the situation which Martin Luther King and other greats fought to overcome, to the point of death?

Anyway, enough rambling. Suffice to say, I have expressed my views (albeit in a nutshell) on the BNP.

I therefore, I hope it is clear, take no issue with people being opposed to the BNP.

However...I do wonder if banning clergy from joining it is a step too far. The claim is that there is no place in Christianity for 'extreme right wing' political parties. Whilst I might (and do) agree that there is no place for the policies of the BNP in the heart of someone who claims to love and serve Jesus Christ, and by default to therefore love their neighbour, I am pondering on the road in which we are now heading.

Which political parties are to be banned next? What about those conservative Christians who feel that socialist policy is not compatible with Christian faith, and vice versa? Will clergy eventually only be permitted to support one political party? And will that party change depending on the policies released by that party?

To me, the decision is not so much a bad step...as an unnecessary one. There is currently only one CofE vicar who is a member of the BNP, and he is not a practicising clergyman. Furthermore, if, in the unlikely event that some buffoon slipped through the net into the clergy who was a member of the party, surely s/he would be removed anyway? Why start placing sanctions on who people can or cannot believe in politically?

Before closing I should just like to reiterate that I do not in any way support the BNP or its policies!

Hatred

This Tuesday, January 27th, was the official Holocaust Memorial Day. 44 years on, the world is still traumatised and horrified by the atrocities that Hitler's evil regime brought. And rightly so.

The sad thing is, that the Holocaust lives on, in more ways than one. It may not be in the form of a short hypocritical fascist with no awareness of conscience, but in the face of many others...in the form of genocide.

But, moreover, it lives on in another very prevalent way. And it is no longer in Adolf Hitler or his counterparts, but in Joe Bloggs, and in John Smith, and in yourself, and in myself.

It lives on every time, decades after the eras of apartheid and of Martin Luther King, a soul utters a scathing or derogatory remark against a person of another race.

And it lives on every time you or I complain about immigrants "taking over our jobs and houses" (when unemployment and homelessness are worst among immigrants...)

And it breathes on every time that one accuses homosexuals of bringing down society, being unnatural, and "not right".

And its heart beats every time a young person is assumed to be a violent, immoral, inconsiderate thug.

And it goes on, still, with every dismissive remark about people who are overweight, and every assumption that they must all be over-eating, lazy pigs.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people can be reminded of the atrocities of the Holocaust, and feel trauma, horror and deep sorrow, even shed a tear or two, and yet still completely miss the point. The point being that the reason the Holocaust happened was ultimately the deep-rooted unjustifiable twisted prejudices of one man.

I hope and pray that we as a society can wake up and finally appreciate the deadly consequences of true prejudice.