An Oxford union has voted to let the British National Party (BNP) leader and a controversial historian speak at a free speech event on Monday.
Despite opposition, the Oxford Union Debating Society members voted by a margin of 2 to 1 to continue to extend an invite to the BNP's Nick Griffin. David Irving, who was jailed for Holocaust denial, will also be invited.
The move was opposed by the Oxford Student Union and the university's Muslim and Jewish societies.
The Oxford Union Debating Society said it was important to give people of all views a platform. Luke Tryl, president of the society, said: "The men were not being given a platform to extol their views, but were coming to talk about the limits for free speech. They will be speaking in the context of a forum in which there will be other speakers to challenge and attack their views in a head to head manner."
Jailed
Mr Griffin, the leader of the far-right party, has repeatedly insisted the BNP is not a racist group. He was convicted in 1998 for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust.
Mr Irving was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to Holocaust denial in Austria. But he denied being a Holocaust denier as he said he had no alternative but to plead guilty to the charge.
The union said all tickets for the event, which were only available to its members - who are mainly students - had gone.
A rally in protest at the invitation was held on Tuesday and among those speaking there were Holocaust survivors.
Stephen Altmann-Richer, co-president of the Oxford University Jewish Society, said that while freedom of speech was important it was "overshadowed in this instance".
"I don't think these people should be invited to the Oxford Union, by having them speak, it legitimises their views," he said.
BBC
Showing posts with label fascist propaganda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fascist propaganda. Show all posts
November 24, 2007
June 11, 2007
York man’s BNP leaflets anger
An outraged resident has hit out after receiving leaflets from the British National Party attacking the Archbishop of York.
Peter Golding, 38, of Sovereign Park, Acomb, York, says he has received various leaflets from the British National Party (BNP) despite asking them not to post their "bigotry" through his door. The latest leaflet thanks the 520 people in Acomb who voted for BNP candidate Ian Dawson and criticises the Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, for urging people not to vote for the party.
The Press reported in early May how the Archbishop had placed an advert before the local elections which urged people to use their vote wisely. He wrote: "Jesus warned us to be wary of wolves who come in sheep's clothing. They come with honeycombed words, promising a New England, and a land of milk and honey. My hope is that as you cast your vote on Thursday you do so with your eyes wide open so that our city does not sleepwalk into a wall of hate."
The new BNP leaflet speaks of what the party faced in the run up to the election including an "incoherent attack from someone who was born in Uganda yet feels the urge to TELL local people who were born and bred in York who not to vote for".
Mr Golding said: "I've told them I don't want them, but they keep delivering them to me. I don't want this kind of fascist propaganda through my door. They are attacking the Archbishop, but they don't name him or give his title. Yet on the front it says The Year of Our Lord 2007'. Are they purporting to be Christians?"
He added: "I have great respect for the Archbishop of York, he challenges people like the BNP who basically attack communities. In York we have a very small ethnic community which has increased recently, but I feel it's for the benefit of York. We have the university, we have people coming from all over the world, and there is nothing but a benefit in that."
He also claimed the BNP had refused to talk about their policies with voters.
"They don't knock on the door like other political parties, they leaflet and then run. You have to run after them in the street, they are not willing to discuss issues. I was part of a 'Marxist, Jewish conspiracy of world domination' because I said I was a trades unionist. If they could tell me what that means I would love to know."
As well as the Archbishop, The Press was also attacked by the BNP, which claimed the paper used "bullying tactics" during the local elections in trying to "dissuade people from voting for the BNP at every opportunity".
The Press
Peter Golding, 38, of Sovereign Park, Acomb, York, says he has received various leaflets from the British National Party (BNP) despite asking them not to post their "bigotry" through his door. The latest leaflet thanks the 520 people in Acomb who voted for BNP candidate Ian Dawson and criticises the Archbishop, Dr John Sentamu, for urging people not to vote for the party.
The Press reported in early May how the Archbishop had placed an advert before the local elections which urged people to use their vote wisely. He wrote: "Jesus warned us to be wary of wolves who come in sheep's clothing. They come with honeycombed words, promising a New England, and a land of milk and honey. My hope is that as you cast your vote on Thursday you do so with your eyes wide open so that our city does not sleepwalk into a wall of hate."
The new BNP leaflet speaks of what the party faced in the run up to the election including an "incoherent attack from someone who was born in Uganda yet feels the urge to TELL local people who were born and bred in York who not to vote for".
Mr Golding said: "I've told them I don't want them, but they keep delivering them to me. I don't want this kind of fascist propaganda through my door. They are attacking the Archbishop, but they don't name him or give his title. Yet on the front it says The Year of Our Lord 2007'. Are they purporting to be Christians?"
He added: "I have great respect for the Archbishop of York, he challenges people like the BNP who basically attack communities. In York we have a very small ethnic community which has increased recently, but I feel it's for the benefit of York. We have the university, we have people coming from all over the world, and there is nothing but a benefit in that."
He also claimed the BNP had refused to talk about their policies with voters.
"They don't knock on the door like other political parties, they leaflet and then run. You have to run after them in the street, they are not willing to discuss issues. I was part of a 'Marxist, Jewish conspiracy of world domination' because I said I was a trades unionist. If they could tell me what that means I would love to know."
As well as the Archbishop, The Press was also attacked by the BNP, which claimed the paper used "bullying tactics" during the local elections in trying to "dissuade people from voting for the BNP at every opportunity".
The Press
Labels:
Archbishop of York,
BNP,
fascist propaganda,
Jewish,
Marxist,
Sentamu,
trades unionist,
York
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