A BNP correspondent has criticised work by an AIDS education charity in Jersey.
In an online article, the BNP Jersey correspondent attacked ACET Jersey for printing materials in different languages in the island. The writer said the charity should not be providing health leaflets in languages other than English. The BNP said the comments were "free speech".
Rosemary Ruddy, of Jersey ACET, said she was "disgusted" by the "cowardly" and "anonymous" article. The article, entitled "Welcome to multicultural Jersey", said Jersey ACET is to spend grant money to recruit volunteers from the island's Polish community to help educate members of their community on the subject of HIV and Aids.
Outreach worker
It continues: "In the meantime a 'fact sheet' has been prepared in several languages, which is to be handed out to new migrants telling them all they need to know about the health services that are there for their use - but for which they have not contributed a single penny towards!"
Ms Ruddy said ACET spent part of its budget on an outreach worker who helped educate new immigrants arriving on the island. Photocopied fact sheets, written in Thai, Portuguese and Polish, were handed out with basic information on dealing with Jersey's health system, as part of the charity's remit to provide equal access to information and services, she added.
A spokesman for the BNP would not reveal who the correspondent was. He said: "If these people like our correspondent in the Channel Islands, want to have free speech, it should not be opposed."
There are currently about 7,500 Portuguese people living and working in the island and about 3,000 Poles.
BBC
February 09, 2007
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